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#1 nightdruid Jan 30, 2005 17:10:21	Here's my set of articles I refer to as "Goblin Gear", which details the pre-Unhuman Wars goblins, orcs, ogres, and kobolds. First up, Kobold Angelship Unhuman Wars Angel Cartel Centuries ago, many goblin-kin tribes made into wildspace. By far the most successful of these tribes was the Angel Tribe, a tribe of kobolds (1). The Angel tribe origins are a mystery, but some historical records indicate that they were first encountered in Realmspace and quickly spread to Greyspace and Winterspace. They had a small base in Refuge by 4200 OC on a small city block they leased from the Arcane. By 4250 OC, the Angel Tribe had become the largest kobold tribe in wildspace. Only the elves had a larger fleet than the Angel Tribe. After 4250 OC, the Angel Tribe ceased to grow rapidly and its fleet size stabilized. The secret to the Angels’ success was in their attitude. When they first took to the spheres in their first porcupine spelljammers, they were much like every other goblin-kin tribe in wildspace. In other words, they were pirates and raiders. After suffering several defeats, the kobolds retreated to a small asteroid or lifeworld that they came across. When they arrived, they discovered a stranded blue skinned giant, who begged for mercy. Not a particularly cruel bunch, the kobolds spared the Arcane’s life and were willing to return him to his home once the issue of a reward was brought up. In gratitude, the Arcane explained the principles of commerce and trade to the kobolds. Though most of the lessens were lost on the less than bright kobolds, they took many of those lessens to heart. What the kobolds realized was that they were physically weaker than most of the other races of wildspace, orcs and ogres were not. Such creatures were capturing countless merchant ships and raiding towns and villages everywhere. Because of their raids, they took a great amount of booty, most of which was useless to the creatures and most often tossed aside. If the kobolds could offer goods the orcs did need in exchange for those that they would discard, the kobolds could turn a profit. Though it took over a century, the kobolds eventually won orc and ogre respect as merchants and black market dealers in stolen wares. Though considered disreputable junk merchants and black market dealers at best by the rest of the wildspace communities, at least kobolds weren’t hated or attacked on sight by humans or elves. Even orcs and ogres were reluctant to attack them, in fear of losing valuable trade partners. The kobolds became the Angel Tribe after the development of the angelship, which became the backbone of their fleets. The ancient name of the tribe has been lost to the ages. Later still, as splinter tribes developed as the kobold tribe grew larger and expanded to many spheres, the whole became known as the Angel Cartel. The Angel Cartel held the majority of such ships and were the only nation of kobolds at the time capable of building them. Some were lost to other races and rouge kobolds over the centuries, but the majority remained firmly in the hands of the Angel Cartel. Angelships Once the kobolds have secured their first trade routes, they began work on a new design of ship. Working with the Arcane, the Angelship was developed after decades of hard work and hard coin. The ship served their purposes well, as it was a squat but broad trade ship. Most were trade ships and bulk cargo carriers, but a few were converted to warships to defend other angelships or serve as mercenaries. They were named angelships because they appeared as angels when viewed from above or below in bad light. Some angelships were decorated with feathered wings and a human-like figurehead for a ram. The ship had a strong keel that ran down the bottom of the craft, with thick gunwales curving up and out from that keel. Wings were added to increase the ship’s stability and maneuvering capabilities. The wings were constructed from kindori rib bones, used for the frame, with a thin wooden bottom and a top typically made from the skin of brown scavvars. The wings were strong enough to support quite a bit of weight overall, but excessive amounts of cargo caused them to sag or snap off. The common practice was to use the wings as sleeping quarters for kobold crewmen, who would curl up in the numerous cubby holes. The skin top of the wings were sometimes cut in places to air them out. The lowest level of the ship, between the main deck and the keel, was a very narrow space where much of the ship’s cargo was stored. Most angelships had cargo doors cut into the sides of the gunwales, allowing access to this area. While those doors offered easy access to the cargo, it ruined the ship’s ability to land in water. Thus, most angelships could not land in the water. The interior of the angelship had few rooms. The kobolds had a strong sense of community and pack-like instincts, so individual quarters were unknown. Separate rooms were assigned for basic functions, such as a galley, mess, and bridge, but quarters for captains, helmsmen, and officers were unknown. The leaders of the ship slept together in the forward most chamber, directly behind the metal-tipped blunt ram. In battle, they would be found in the bridge, behind their quarters. Because their main role was as trade ships, angelships were rarely heavily armed. The kobolds added enough weapons to deter pirates and scavvars from attacking their vessels, but far too few to fend off a determined warship. Instead, the kobolds relied upon their trade agreements with pirates and sheer tenacity to get them through. Rich kobold captains would sometimes hire a wizard to help protect his ship. In the rare instances that the kobolds would build a warship angelship, they would triple the number of weapons and plate their ships in metal. All such ships would have several wizards and shaman aboard to provide magical support, including hired human mages. Because they were painted black and often cloaked by darkness spells, these warships became known as nightangels. The Fleet The size of the Angels’ fleet varied greatly from decade to decade, but after 4250 OC, it rarely fell below 400 trade ships and sometimes numbered over 500 trade ships. There was a considerable fluctuation from year to year as ships were lost to pirates or disaster and new ships were built to replace them. Once the nightangel had been developed, the kobolds kept about 50 or so of the ships on hand as escorts and mercenary ships to protect their merchant fleet. Once the Unhuman Wars began, many trade ships were lost to elvish raids to destroy orcish and ogre supply lines. Many survived by pulling out of the war and refusing to trade with orcs and ogres, but by that time the war was over and the Great Hunt had begun. Those few kobolds that managed to hang onto their ships were forced to join the orcs and ogres in exile at the edge of Known Space. The actual number of ships in any given sphere was fairly small, as the kobolds were highly dispersed over most of the Known Spheres. Many small fleets were sphere traders, travelling from sphere to sphere to unload particularly “hot” goods on unsuspecting buyers. Locally, each fleet had a great deal of individual freedom and thus were virtually autonomous from each other. Most individual fleets held their own trade routes and traded with certain orc and ogre tribes. Tribal fleets sometimes competed against each other, but rarely did they come to blows. Society Many wonder how the Angel Cartel, with fleets dispersed across dozens of spheres, could keep the various tribes together. The answer was two-fold. First, the Cartel had a central headquarters in the thorny branches of the lifeworld called Bramble. Inside the branches, the kobolds held a small city, nestled inside of a gigantic, curled leaf. The secret to the city’s importance was that it was the only place where kobolds could build their angelships. It served as a trade center for the kobolds, where they could unload anything for sale in other spheres. Even the Arcane kept open an office at the city, advising the kobolds and skimming a healthy profit off their clients. Secondly, and most importantly, what held the vastly dispersed tribes together was a common cultural heritage. Almost all of the kobolds in the Cartel could trace their lineage back to the original kobold tribe. Even space-bound dwarves were impressed by how strongly the kobolds held their heritage. Kobold society centered around their tribes, to the surprise of many. Tribal pride is first and foremost among kobolds, and with many ways to achieve that pride. The most common method is through wealth, which the kobolds flaunt through well-built and well-decorated ships. The kobolds were cagey enough to avoid becoming targets for pirates, preferring fine but dingy weapons, rich tapestries of tribal histories, clothes, expertly-trained animals, and a well-fed tribe. Many tribes paint the insides of their ships with intricate pictures of life in wildspace, space creatures, and lessens for kobold children. A typical tribe held a monopoly on the junk trade in a given sphere. A tribe would hold a number of trade ships, usually 5-40 ships. Each ship would be owned by a single clan, who owed fealty to a great chief. As the Angel kobolds considered wit and skill in trade as more important than brute strength, the great chief would be the richest kobold in the sphere. To enforce their will over the other clans, the great chiefs each kept a nightangel to protect their home asteroid or outpost. Such outposts were cluttered with piles of junk and stolen merchandise, which they try to sell to anyone that shows up. While the quality of such goods were often in question, the outposts were popular ports because one could find almost anything for sale with no questions asked. Outposts A typical outpost for the Angel Cartel serves a vast variety of roles. First and foremost, the outpost was the home of all women and children of the tribe, who gather food, sort goods, and run the day-to-day activities of the outpost. Most of the food is grown by the kobolds, both in caves illuminated by mosses and on the outer surface of the asteroid. Popular foods include berries, potatoes, nuts, and other tuber vegetables. The kobolds preferred foods that required very little work to grow, freeing their people for other duties. The secondary function of the outposts was as a port for their angelships and as a store to sell the junk they acquire to passing spelljammers. Most of the goods found at a kobold outpost is stuff that they do not have an immediate buyer for, such as old weapons, damaged spelljammer hulls, armor, and any number of other goods. Valuable items like magical items, gemstones, and valuable cargoes are rare, sold directly to the kobolds’ black market connections. Anything found at the outpost is for sale for a very reasonable price, and the kobold females that handle the sales are very reasonable. They preferred to barter for goods they could either use or sell to orcs and ogres but accepted hard coin as well. Clans dwell together in grass huts built on the surfaces of the asteroids. The huts were made from grass bound together into thick bundles, which are woven into an onion-shaped hut about 60’ across and 40’ high. Ledges were added for additional space, but the center is and open circular area to allow smoke from the cooking pit to pass upward and out a hole in the ceiling. The huts are actually well built and can be built quickly. While vulnerable to fiery attacks, the kobolds escaped death by fleeing into tunnels carved under the huts. If a hut was destroyed, the kobolds can easily rebuild in less than a week’s time. Golden Wings (Example Angelship) Tonnage: 35 Tons Hull Points: 35 Crew: 50 Maneuverability Class: C Landing: Land and Water Armor Rating: 6 Saves As: Thick wood Power Type: Minor helm Ship’s Rating: As helmsman Standard Armament: 2 medium ballista, crew 2 each 1 medium catapult, crew 3 Blunt ram Cargo Capacity: 21 tons Keel Length: 130’ Beam Width: 135’ The Golden Wings is a typical kobold trade ship. It was build in the Bramble shipyards in 4300 OC, and became part of the Fallen Angel tribe. The ship has served the Fallen Angels loyally ever since, and makes numerous trade runs between the Black Fang and Blood Saber orc tribes. It is often encountered on a trade run, filled to the gunwales with junk stolen by the orcs and sold to the kobolds. Ship’s Key 1. Ballista: Each of these ballista is of medium size and a rack by each has 20 spears. 2. Catapult: A medium catapult is located here with a chest with 20 catapult stones. The chest is warded by a glyph of warding that explodes for 7d4 points of damage to anyone not speaking the password before opening. 3. Skylights: These holes in the ship’s deck provide light for lower decks. 4. Cargo Doors: These twin doors allow access to the cargo bay. They are protected by glyphs of warding that cause blindness to those to open them without speaking the password, cast at 7th level. 5. Ram: The ship’s ram has the shape of a comely human head. 6. Crew Quarters: All officers and warrior kobolds live in this room. Each has a small rug, pouch for personal possessions, and a spare weapon. Half of the kobolds sleep in hammocks strung from the ceiling. 7. Helm and Bridge: The minor helm is found here, roughly in the center of the room. The helm is smaller than normal, and cannot be used by humans or larger creatures. An elf or dwarf could squeeze into the helm if needed. Charts of the sphere hang on the walls, and a chart table sits in one corner. At all times, each door is guarded by a warrior armed with a short sword and a light crossbow. 8. Mess: The kobolds take their meals in this room. The room is dominated by a low table and two benches. There is a meal every three hours, with one quarter of the crew having a meal at any given time. 9. Galley: This large room is where the kobolds prepare their meals. It is rarely inactive. 10. Pantry: Filled to the rafters with nuts, berries, and vegetables, this room has enough food to feed the crew for three months. 11. Aft Hold: The hold is filled with a wide assortment of junk, from food, clothes, lumber, and pottery to jewelry, gemstones, and even magic items. 12. Cubbies: These small rooms serve as the sleeping rooms for the majority of the crew. They all have beds or hammocks, a pouch for personal possessions, and a spare weapon. 13. Crawlways: The connecting tunnels are very small, allowing passage for only kobold-sized creatures. If the ship is boarded, kobolds will retreat to these crawlways and use their light crossbows to pelt boarders until driven from the tunnels. 14. Ammunition storage: Spare bolts and light crossbows are stored here, as well as several short swords, maces, and daggers. Twelve sealed pouches have poison, enough to tip 100 bolts. NPCs Chief Zeek kobold male F4 AC: 6; HP: 20; THAC0: 17; Str 14, Int 14. Weapons: Exceptional short sword, fine light crossbow. Equipment: shield, studded leather Leader of the Wildwing Clan, Zeek is a skilled negotiator. He has a particular like for colorful pieces of glass, which he collects. Zeek’s collection of blown and cut glass is growing quite large, with his favorite pieces found on the bridge and mess hall. If cleaned, the collection could fetch a price of 3,800 gp for all 25 pieces. If the Wings is engaged in battle, Zeek is found on the deck, barking orders to his crew. Zeek is unusually brave for his kind, and believes in leading the charge against foes. He likes to bark orders to his crew while hopping up and down, sword in hand. Shaman Laoul kobold male P5 AC: 7; HP: 14; THAC0: 18; Wis 15 Weapons: mace, staff Equipment: studded leather Spells: 5/4/1 Head helmsman of the Wings, Laoul is a no-nonsense, middle-aged kobold. He is a sour and cranky kobold, who often beats younger kobolds over the head with his staff. Laoul has little initiative and has grown accustomed to his position. Few crewmen like him and he has little doubt that if he tries to overthrow Zeek, the crew would revolt against him, including the other helmsmen. Shaman K’cak & Rdurn kobold males P2 AC: 7; HP: 5 & 6; THAC0: 20; Wis 14 Weapons: staff Equipment: studded leather Spells: 4 Laoul’s two apprentices, K’cack and Rdurn hate their master. Both hope for the day that Zeek tires of the cranky old kobold and will dispose of him. Until then, these kobolds gain experience and grow in abilities. Warrior kobolds (20): AC 7; F1 (marine kit); hp 8 each; THAC0 20; studded leather armor, short sword, light crossbow, 25 bolts. All have skill in one large weapon and zero-gravity combat. Sailor kobolds (16): AC 8; F1; hp 4 each; THAC0 20; leather armor, short sword, light crossbow, 10 bolts. All are skilled in sail manipulation and carpentry.
#2 nightdruid Jan 30, 2005 17:11:46	Part II: Goblins & the Porcupine Goblin Hordes A common pest on many groundling worlds, for ages it was thought that goblins were too primitive and weak to make a serious impact on wildspace. Unfortunately, the goblins did discover the secrets of spelljamming many centuries ago, and spread across wildspace like a ravenous plague. No other known race has ever spread as far and as quickly as the goblins did, spreading to every corner of the Known Spheres and beyond. Goblin ships, individually no mach for most spelljammers, were deadly when encountered in small fleets. The goblins adapted their mob tactics when they took into wildspace. Rare is the lone goblin ship, usually the survivor of a battle or disaster. Porcupines, the main goblin ship, are almost always encountered in clusters of a dozen or more. Through the use of teamwork and playing on their strength in numbers, the goblins preyed upon any and all ships they encountered. Goblin pirates were among the most feared in all of wildspace, striking with such numbers to defeat elvish Men-O-War, heavy human hammerships, and even the dreaded illithid nautiloids. Such were the number of these fleets that they decimated the trade lanes. Porcupine Ships The pride and joy of the goblin fleets, the porcupine is a primitive yet surprisingly powerful ship. It takes the appearance of a gigantic spiny ball tipped with conical ram mines and an aft wooden tail. A fan-like sail, controlled by a dozen or more stout ropes, is at the end of the tail. A solid oak or ironwood door mounts the top of the tail, through which access to the interior is gained. The globe is pierced by four large ballista gunwales and a score of smaller arrow slits. The porcupine is a close range fighting craft, able to deliver a deadly attack when within 100 yards of a ship, but weak against ships attacking at a greater range. The porcupine is grown rather than built. It is the seed pod of a rare plant found only in wildspace. The spiral-shaped plant is the created when a seed from the starfly plant accidentally falls into a planar rift in wildspace (such rifts are often at the center of flame rings). The plant takes root in another plane, but grows into wildspace. The core of the plant retains a circular shape, often a mile across. Two to six trunks grow off of the main trunk, spiraling out into wildspace. Lesser branches and twigs intertwine into a net between the trunks and main trunk, attracting tens of thousands of wildspace fish, animals, and even scavvars and krajen. Along the outer rim of the lesser trunks, along the gravity plane, spiny ball seed pods grow. When they mature, the balls disconnect from the tree and fall into the depths of wildspace. It is these seed pods that the goblins take and use for their spelljammers. Near the time of maturity, the goblins prematurely disconnect the seed pods and hollow out caverns inside them. Weapons, a furnace helm, provisions, and a built wooden tail are added. Ram mines are also added, usually to every third spine. The mines are created by the goblins from a concoction of tree sap, leaves, and scavvar blood. The mixture created has properties similar to smoke powder, such that it is usable in ram mines but too dangerous for smokepowder weapons. Given how cheaply goblin ships could be created, a tribe could easily support as many ships as they had warriors to crew them. The interior is a maze of small rooms and narrow corridors. The aft tail is the main cargo hold, where spare ram mines and booty is stored. The pump furnace is a large and bulky affair, often shaped like a large iron sphere with a grate and a pair of pipes leading out. The pipes lead out to the aft, blowing the blood red smoke out and past the sail. Chambers throughout the ship mostly serve as crew quarters, where as many as a dozen goblins sleep in ratty hammocks and keep their gear in leather sacks hung from pegs or nails. Tunnels are low, usually only 3’ in diameter, and chambers are likewise crammed, with roofs only 5’ high. Several tunnels and very small chambers are close to the outer surface of the globe is pierced with arrow slits or gunwales for the ships four light ballista. Each arrow slit has a light crossbow hung next to it along with a case with twenty bolts. The four ballista chambers are protected by thick wooden shudders that can only be opened from inside by means of a winch . Racks along the walls have spare parts for maintaining and repairing the ballista along with twelve to twenty javelin-sized spears for the ballista. The “bottom” of the ship has a fairly large hemispherical chamber where the goblins keep the wood for their pump furnace, which is often at least a ton or more. The exterior appearance is of a wooden globe covered by a forest of spines, each 8 to 16 feet high. Some of the spines are capped by ram mines, while others may be burned or broken, a sure sign of a veteran of other battles. The aft tail looks like a large wooden box rammed into the aft of the ship, contrasting with the rest of the ship. A fearsome face is most likely painted on the front of the globe, usually resulting in a comical looking ship. A unique feature of the porcupine is the lack of a helmsman of any sort. The construction of the pump furnace is such that it cannot be controlled by a mage or priest. Instead, the magical smoke is the force that propels the ship. The goblins channel it out a pair of aft ‘tail pipes’, which pushes the ship forward. Maneuvering is done by manipulating the sail, which affects the flow of the smoke. Because there is no helmsman, the goblins must post a pair of observers, one each at the top and bottom of the globe to watch were the ship is going. The observers shout orders to the eight goblins who man the sail. Two more goblins are needed to keep the furnace stoked and fully fueled. Despite the lack of helmsman, the ship maneuvers well in combat when crewed by well-drilled goblins. Goblins landed their craft by simply pointing their craft toward the ground and drive the lower spikes into the dirt. The grounded spikes keep the ship from rolling away unless hit by a very strong, almost gale-force winds. The Hordes With an easy to build and maintain ship as its workhorse, the goblins spread like wildfire through wildspace. The majority of the goblin fleets were small, usually less than a half dozen ships. The greatest of the goblin chiefs became kings who commanded the greatest hordes, sometimes as many as a hundred ships or more with a score or more lesser chiefs as their lords. Fortunately, the lives of goblin kings were very short, often victims of ambitious chiefs. Civil war was the death of as many goblins as war with other races. Goblin tribes were supported through a mix of raiding, hunting and gathering, and even primitive farming. The lifeworlds that spawn the seeds that become porcupine ships are often the center of goblin activity. A single lifeworld can support many individual tribes, who may war or corporate with one another. Only goblin kings can unite the many tribes together into a single nation. Goblins will settle nearby life asteroids if their number become such that the life world could not support their swelling numbers. Food is gathered from various sources provided by the lifeworlds. The typical diet of a goblin included roots, fruit, berries, wildspace fish and scavvar, rabbits, and other small game animals they import from other worlds. Scarce resources for the goblins include metals of all kinds, stone, pottery, and domesticated animals. Such resources are acquired by attacking other spelljammers or raiding groundling settlements. Despite their primitive conditions, the goblins were skilled navigators and adventurous souls. Goblins used their limited resources on hand to overcome many of the obstacles of wildspace survival. Through use of superior numbers and a cheap, easily replaced ship the goblins were able to defeat their many enemies. Legends speak of goblin kings overrunning human cities, elvish ring-castles, and dwarvish citadels, creating an environment of sheer terror in the space lanes. There were numerous crusades launched against the goblins, with varying degrees of success. These crusades were largely ineffective until the elves mobilized their great fleets against the goblins and orcs, starting the First Unhuman Wars. Pump Furnace The key to the success of the goblins lay in their helms. Though their ships were very cheap, arcane helms or furnaces were still very expensive. Equipping an expendable ship with an expensive helm was not a viable option for the goblins. Instead, they found an inexpensive alternative in the form of the pump furnace. The pump furnace is a large, iron sphere about 15’ in diameter. Two pipes lead out from the furnaces, one on the top and the other at the bottom. They lead to the tail of the ship, spewing the smoke generated by the burning of material inside the furnace. A swinging iron grate allows the furnace to be fueled by a team of two goblins. Runes cover the outside and inside edges of the furnace, deeply carved into the iron. Within the belly of the furnace the goblins burn wood to travel the stars. Ordinary wood will not do, however. Only wood from magical plants, such as some trees found in faerie realms or more commonly the wood from a carnivorous tree or a starfly plant, provide the magic needed to power the furnace and thus propel the ship. The runes that cover the furnace transform the magic inherent to the wood into a magical smoke that exists the furnace through the two pipes, which accelerate the ship forward. Maneuvering is done by manipulating the sails which changes the course of the smoke and thus the direction of the ship. The furnace is powerful enough to escape the gravity well of a world as well as any arcane helm, and can push as much as fifty spacial tons forward. The vast majority of goblin porcupines are 30 tons because of the size limitations of the seed pods, but some smaller craft can be encountered. Building a pump furnace takes a fairly significant amount of resources for the goblins. First, an iron sphere, about 15’ in diameter, needs to be forged. The goblins build a sturdy frame of iron. A frame must be assembled inside the porcupine it is to power, as cutting a hole large enough to put the heavy furnace into place can cause irreparable damage to the ship. The frame is covered by thin sheets of iron which are banged into place. Goblin shaman carve runes into the metal sheets, each of which carry a minor enchantment. When combined, the runes give the pump furnace it’s power. Goblin rune carvers are detailed below. In game terms, a pump furnace requires one pound of fuel every hour, and can push a ship forward with a ship’s rating of 2. It can achieve spelljamming velocities, but a lit furnace explodes if it enters the flow. The furnace does not pollute air as quickly as a normal fire, but counts as five medium-sized creatures towards the total strain on the air envelope. The red smoke expelled by the twin pipes do not remain in the air envelope, instead leaving a trail in the void. The smoke dissipates slowly, usually taking as long as a week to vanish (d6+1 days). The smoke trail is allows the ship to be easily tracked, one major downside to the regular use of the pump furnace. In almost all other respects, the pump furnace acts like a minor helm. The goblins circumvented the problem of flow travel through use of “tanker” ships filled with gas. They empty a immature seed pod, hollowing it nearly completely. Sap is used to seal it except for a single hole, to which a special furnace is hooked up to the pod. Several tons of wood are burned in advanced, filling the pod with several months supply of smoke. A ten ton seed pod is most often used, as the walls are thickest and the best seal. A pipe connects the tanker to the porcupine’s furnace, which tows the craft immediately behind it. A tanker carries enough smoke to give the ship a four month supply. In most cases, a tanker is only used in the flow, as one decreases the maneuver class of the ship to E. Goblin Rune Casters Goblins in wildspace have a higher number of spellcasters in their tribes than their groundling cousins. A typical tribe has a head shaman with two or three apprentices and one to three witch doctors. Except for the head shaman and the primary witch doctor, all of these spellcasters are 2nd or 3rd level. Spellcasters are spread out among their ships to reduce the risk that a disaster will seriously diminish the goblins’ meager firepower. Goblin kings have many spellcasters at their disposal, often several dozen. Witch doctors are almost never encountered on ships, as they are needed to craft furnaces. Goblin witch doctors are rune casters. Goblin runes are unique among runes of other races due to their unique runes. In appearance, the runes are no different than the runes used by other races, but are subtly different. The goblins treat their runs with a special phosphorus paste, which cause the runes to glow ever so slightly. The glow is not noticeable unless viewed with infravision, glowing in a variety of colors. Further, scents and texture are also used to create subtle differences between individual runes. The goblins make good use of these differences, using a single rune to exchange a great deal of information. The runes are also useful in misdirecting invading humans, dwarves, and other races. The shape of a way rune may mean “safe passage” but the hidden messages within may warn of a deadly trap ahead. In game terms, a goblin rune caster is similar to both an elvish totem caster and a runemaster (see Evermeet, Island of Elves, the Viking Sourcebook (HR1) and Dragon #257), but different from both. They are witch doctors (mages) that make use of the rune caster kit provided below. They are able to use the following magical runes: Bloody Owlbear Duration: Special (1 turn) Inscription Time: 1 hour This rune is often placed on an crude bone or wooden amulet. The rune retains its magic until the amulet is donned by a goblin. Once donned, the goblin is enchanted with a berserker rage, temporarily gaining d6 extra hit points, gain an extra attack each round, and a gain a +1 to hit and damage rolls. So violent does the goblin becomes that he remains conscious even if dropped past 0 hit points. Only death at -10 hit points or the end of the rune’s magic cause the goblin to lose consciousness. The goblin cannot differentiate between friend or foe, so amulets with this rune are rare and almost always used as a last resort. Cornered goblin warriors will use such amulets to try and take as many foes to the grave with them. Venomous Wyvern Duration: Special Inscription Time: 1 hour A crude rune, the venomous wyvern is often inscribed on arrow heads. When the arrow is fired, the arrowhead becomes enchanted with a toxic poison. A target struck by the arrow must make a save vs. poison or suffer paralysis for 2d8 rounds. Goblin warriors call this the Wyvern’s sting and favor using it. Once the arrow is fired, the rune loses its enchantment, no matter if it hits or not. It can be used in conjunction with the Rot Grub or Murderous Manticore runes, but not both. Multiple wyvern runes are not cumulative. Striking Viper Duration: 1 day Inscription Time: 1 hour Often worn on amulets or pieces of jewelry, the striking viper bestows great quickness on a goblin. The wearer gains a +1 bonus to their armor class score and an extra attack each round in combat. Only a chief’s bodyguards commonly carry amulets with this rune to better aid their defense of their liege. Howling Worg Duration: 1 day Inscription Time: 1 hour Another rune commonly found on amulets, this rune gives the wearer the ability to communicate with worgs. The goblins use this rune to easdrop on the conversations of their untrustworthy wolfish allies. Feasting Scavvar Duration: Special Inscription Time: 1 day This rune is inscribed on a spearhead to be used in a ballista. When fired, the rune enchants the ballista to home in on crewmen on other ships, striking with a +2 bonus to hit. The bonus only applies to attacks against crewmen, not the ship itself. If fired at a ship, the rune’s magic is wasted with no effect. Only one rune can be inscribed per ballista bolt. Screaming Skull Duration: Special Inscription Time: 1 week A series of runes, these runes are carved into a skull. So many runes are carved that the skull is nearly completely covered with runes. The enchantment in the runes remain until the skull is hurled. When thrown or hurled by a sling, the skull emits a screaming sound. Anyone within 20’ of the skull must save vs. spell or suffer the effects of a fear spell. The skull shatters on contact, inflicting d8 points of cold-related damage to any target struck. Rot Grub Duration: Special Inscription Time: 1 hour Inscribed on arrow or bolt shafts, the rot grub bares a nasty enchantment. When the inscribed arrow or bolt hits its target, the rune causes it to burrow in deeper, causing an additional point of damage and makes removal of the shaft very painful. It can be used with the Venomous Wyvern rune but not the Murderous Manticore rune. Wolf Spider Duration: 1 day Inscription Time: 1 hour When worn on an amulet or article of clothing, this rune grants the wearer the ability to spider climb at will and jump up to 50’ once a turn. The rune does not grant the ability to traverse webs nor immunity to spider venom. Goblin thieves and assassins are most often given this badge when infiltrating an enemy encampment. Murderous Manticore Duration: Special Inscription Time: 1 hour This rune is inscribed on the shafts of arrows or bolts. When fired, the arrow is instantly transformed into a small volley of arrows. The rune creates an additional d4 arrows in addition to the first arrow. All arrows will be aimed at the original target, but their aim is poor, suffering a -1 to hit. Each arrow requires a separate attack roll and some may miss their targets while others hit. This rune can be used with the Venomous Viper rune, but not the rot grub rune. Coiled Dragon Duration: Permanent Inscription Time: 1 week Found on the masts of goblin ships, the Coiled Dragon acts to control the smoke of the pump furnace. This rune concentrates the smoke into a single stream that quickly exists the air envelope rather than dispersing into the air envelope and polluting it. Ships without this rune can still spelljam, but can only achieve a ship’s rating of 1 and cannot achieve spelljamming speeds. Salamander Duration: Permanent Inscription Time: 2 weeks A complicated rune, the Salamander is always inscribed into the Pump Furnace itself. The Salamander transforms the magic inherent to some woods into a force of motion, allowing goblin spelljammers to fly. When a pump furnace is active, this rune glows white hot and actually seems to move and squirm like a living snake, but is not normally visible unless one is inside the furnace. This rune requires some maintenance, and needs to be cleaned of soot every two months or so. It takes a full day and a crew of a dozen goblins to clean the furnace, during which the furnace cannot be active. The ship is vulnerable during these times, and if at all possible, captains will either clean the ship in deep space or at home base, never when around planets or along routes of heavy spelljamming activity. Q’nidar Duration: Permanent Inscription Time: 1 week Inscribed on the outside of the pump furnace, the Q’nidar, while not necessary, makes operating the furnace much easier. When operating, the fire inside the furnace heats the metal to such temperatures that it burns to touch. It may even cause fires if combustibles come in contact with the metal. The Q’nidar rune reflects the heat back inward, transforming it into magic to help power the ship. With this rune, the ship requires 25% less fuel than normal. Rune Caster (kit) Description: Witch doctors of spelljamming goblin cultures most often adopt this kit. Normal goblins treat rune casters with respect and awe, while shamans are jealous of the obvious dependence upon them by the goblin tribes of space. The witch doctors make use of a runic alphabet, both for casting spells and for record keeping, a feature in goblin society unique to them alone. According to legend, the goblin rune casters were taught both their runic alphabet and the secrets of spelljamming by a great and wise one-eyed goblin. Some elvish sages believe that the legendary teach of the goblin rune casters may have been an aspect of Odin, but no one knows for sure why the Norse deity would choose to impart such secrets to lowly goblins. Rune casters make use of normal wizard spells in addition to the special runes they can create. A rune caster may create one of their special runes per week per level the rune caster has achieved. This is in addition to their wizard spells, but their selection of spells is limited. The particular runes that a rune caster has can vary greatly from tribe to tribe. Runes are closely guarded secrets of each rune caster, given only to their apprentices. Preferred Schools (choose 2): Abjuration, Alteration, Invocation/Evocation, Necromancy, Shadow. Barred Schools: None Role: Rune casters are reclusive members of spelljamming goblin tribes. They use their runes to create the pump furnaces so desperately needed by the goblins to travel wildspace. Additionally, they provide minor magical aide for goblin heroes and chiefs, increasing their personal power and prestige. Due to the dependence of the tribes on them, the rune casters are almost never encountered on spelljammers. Instead, they keep to the goblin lairs, heavily protected by guards and magic. They dislike personal combat, instead manipulating the chief into protecting them so that they can concentrate on crafting new furnaces and other runes to increase the power of the tribe as a whole. Weapon Proficiency: Rarely in combat, rune casters do arm themselves for that eventuality. They always carry a staff usually covered in runes, which they use to threaten their fellow goblins. The runes usually glow, and goblins fear them greatly. In truth, the runes are gibberish, treated with glowmoss, but the goblins are too ignorant to figure the truth out. Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus: herb lore, runes; Required: None. Equipment: Rune casters carry the usual assortment of herbs, spell components, and other various bits that a typical wizard carries. In addition, they keep their staffs on hand along with a rune or two to protect themselves. They always have a pouch with the equipment needed to carve runes into wood, leather, or even iron. They must frequently replace said equipment, and constantly send their servants out to find replacement pieces. They often keep far more equipment than they need in the event of accident or to confuse would-be thieves. Their spell books are always hidden well and coded to deter theives. A rune caster’s lab is rarely portable. Special Benefits: Rune casters can cast both magical spells along the ability to craft runes. A rune caster can learn one rune per level they have achieved. In addition to their mage spells, a rune caster can craft one rune per level per week. Special Hindrances: Rune casters are more limited in their spells than other spell casters. They can only learn spells from two schools, and cannot specialize in any school. They may advance to 9th level, but encountering a rune caster over 6th level is rare. Optionally, a rune caster with exceptional intelligence may gain additional levels per the DMG. Wealth Options: Goblin tribes provide support for their rune casters, so they have little need for money. Rune casters start with d6 x10 gp and higher level rune casters tend to be very wealthy, well bribed by the chiefs. Bloody Maw (sample fleet) Porcupine Ships (all) Tonnage: 30 Tons Hull Points: 30* Crew: 55 Maneuverability Class: D Landing: Land & 50% chance of water Armor Rating: 7 Saves As: Thin wood Power Type: Pump Furnace Ship’s Rating: 2 Standard Armament: 4 light ballista, crew 1 each Ram-mines Cargo Capacity: 18 tons Keel Length: 85’ Beam Width: 60’ *The Wings of the Night has 20 hull points. The goblin tribe Bloody Maw is a fair sized nation, with a total of eight porcupine ships. The ships are almost always encountered together, as the goblins do not want to risk losing a ship to accident or a more powerful ship. They prey on local tradesmen and other light vessels they encounter. Unless a ship is known to have a green crew or badly damaged, the Bloody Maw never attacks any ship larger than a squidship. Tradesman and wasps are their preferred targets. All eight porcupines have twenty four sailors, six weaponeers, twenty archers, and five officers. The crewmen vary only in the training and duties they have. Officers have more variety, depending on the ship. The goblin chief sometimes rotates crew and officers to keep the ambitious off balance. The crew have the following statistics. Goblin, Sailor: AC 6; MV 6; HD 1-1; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; SZ S; ML 10; XP 15; mace, spear, studded leather armor, shield. Goblin, Archer: AC 6; MV 6; HD 1; THAC0 19; #ATT 1; Dmg by weapon; SZ S; ML 11; XP 15; short sword, light crossbow, studded leather armor, shield. Goblin, Weaponeer: AC 5; MV 6; HD 1+1; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; SZ S; ML 12; XP 35; battle axe, scale armor, shield. Goblin, Officer, Typical: AC 4; MV 6; HD 2; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; SZ S; ML 14; XP 35; chain armor, shield, short sword, battle axe. Glepk: (Captain of the Groundling Slayer): AC 3; MV 6; F2; hp 13; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; SZ S; ML 14; XP 65; chain armor +1, shield, short sword, battle axe. By far the largest and most vicious goblin aboard the Groundling Slayer, Glepk earned the rank of captain the old fashioned way: he killed the former captain. Since then, he has ran a tight ship, putting down any sign of resistance to his rule swiftly and brutally. He is quick with the lash and his crew hates him for it. When in combat, they suffer a -2 to their morale unless Glepk is slain. If their captain is killed, the crew must make an immediate morale check or surrender. Holpic: (Captain of the Wings of the Night): AC 6; MV 6; F3; THAC0 18; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; SZ S; ML 14; XP 35; leather armor, shield, short sword, spear+1, Str 15. Holpic considers himself a goblin knight, with a great mobat as his steed. Probably the strongest goblin of the entire fleet, Holpic carries a great spear he uses as a lance when riding his mobat. His ship carries a flying cavalry of ten mobats, who he personally leads in combat. The Wings of the Night has been partially hollowed to make room for these creatures to fly in and cling to the ceiling to hide from the light of nearby fire bodies. The mobats provide mobile archery mounts for the goblins but are only released when the target ship has been immobilized. Chief Kaeak: AC 4; MV 6; F6; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; SZ S; ML 14; XP 35; chain armor, shield, short sword, battle axe.
#3 nightdruid Jan 30, 2005 17:17:02	Nightcrawlers of Wildspace: Orc Scorpionships Though hardly the first of the so-called goblin-kin races to enter wildspace, orcs quickly became one of the most influential. Larger and stronger than goblins and nearly as numerous, the orcs aggressively expanded their sphere of influence. Before the Unhuman Wars, the orc scorpionship was an all-too common menace. The elves destroyed nearly half of the orc fleets, and drove the remaining ships from the Known Spheres. Orcs traveled in small fleets known as wolf packs, although a lone ship was not unheard of. A wolf pack ranged from two to twelve ships and quite often was lead by the largest and craftiest orc in the fleet. Loyalty came through fear and intimidation. Orcs were notorious for going rouge due to infighting. Scorpionships Compact and lethal, the orc scorpionship is a dreaded warship from an earlier time. Typically only eighty feet from the tip of the jaws to the base of the tail, a scorpionship is deceptively small. It can withstand a great deal of damage and retaliate with two ship weapons and a pair of ram claws. Aboard is a crew of the toughest orcs that can be found, readied for battle. Backed up by shaman and witch doctors, the orcs sought out wealth and glory. The first scorpionships began in the sweeping badlands of some forgotten world where colossal scorpions dwelled. The orcs discovered that the iron-hard exoskeletons of dead scorpions could be fitted with decking, and used the husks to build their distinctive spelljammers. As the orcs refined their shipbuilding craft, they learned to build new scorpionships without need of a dead scorpion’s husk. A scorpionship is built from a hull of iron-sheen chitin husk or a frame of thick wood. Decks of duskwood, ironwood, or oak divide the top, main, and cargo decks. The workmanship is shoddy and the ship is often in ill repair; orcs care little for the condition of their ship. Many patches identify a veteran ship. Rust, rot, and shoddy repairs plague many ships; more than one scorpionship collapsed unexpectedly. Space is limited aboard a scorpionship. There is room enough for a ballista on the deck and a heavy catapult stop the tail. A set of deadly claw rams completes the ship’s armament. Rare larger scorpionships carried more weapons; a rumored ninety-ton ship was said to have carried six heavy weapons and had ram claws that could rend ships into flotsam. A scorpionship requires only a small crew. Triangular sails are strung between the tail and the legs. Four orcs are needed to man the sails, while the captain shouts orders to coordinate their efforts. A sixth orc, a shaman or witch doctor, is needed to operate the helm. In addition to providing maneuverability, the sails serve a double purpose in blocking out hateful sunlight. The orcs keep the sails situated to block as much sunlight as possible. The remainder of the crew, usually about thirty orcs, mans the ship weapons or waits for an attempt to board other ships. A scorpionship can carry as many as eighty or ninety orcs, but conditions are abhorrent. Below the top decks is the main deck, with a small bridge, the controls for the claw rams, and quarters for the crew. The eyes are made of crude, opaque glass and are often tinted red. Small incense burners hang from the ceiling, filling the bridge with arcane smoke. Star charts hang from the wall, usually on animal skins. The shaman or witch doctor watches over the lifejammer, constantly chanting to make the magic work. Behind him, a pair of burly orcs operates a series of levers and turnstiles that make the ram claws move. The orcs practice operating the weapons, and are quite good at it. The room doubles as a galley, with a cauldron in the center of the room where orcs prepare their meals. The orc kitchen is quite crude, with only the bare necessities. Meals consist of a watery stew, jerky, and an orc deviation of hardtack. Heading aft from the galley/claw control room is the crew quarters. Dozens of bunks are built into walls, stacked four high. Bunks are a right of the strongest warriors; an orc must earn his bunk through combat. Those orcs without a bunk sleep on the deck or the cargo hold. The captain’s quarters are located at the base of the tail, the only private quarters aboard the ship. The best trophies will be located in his room. Below the main deck and opposite of the gravity plane is the cargo deck. This area is roughly oval shaped, about twenty-five feet long. Sometimes this space is subdivided into other rooms, such as an armory and brig for prisoners. The hold is filled with all manner of wares that the orcs might need or otherwise find interesting. A hatch offer access to the cargo deck. Orcs of Wildspace Wildspace orcs are a clannish lot. Most orcs are part of small buccaneer clans that have much in common with traditional pirates. Rarely these clans will unite behind a powerful leader known as a “Wolf Chief”, a title that honors their cunning, battle prowess, and ferocity. Orc legends speak of a mystical homeworld, where all orc tribes began. Fortunately, perhaps, the name and location of this homeworld are long lost. According to the legends, this world has twisted badlands and deserts that the orcs scoured in search of elusive scorpion husks. Hundreds of scorpionships set sail from this homeworld. Tusked Freebooters Most orcs are freebooters, buccaneers, and pirates. These freebooter clans are small, perhaps 50 to 300 male orcs in all. They have few women or children with them, as such dependants can slow them down. They raid trade ships, ransom hostages, and otherwise make life miserable for travelers. Freebooters use older scorpionships, built from the husks of dead scorpions. They rarely have the ability to build ships of their own; such an effort requires more resources than they have available and forces them to stay in one place far longer than they feel comfortable. Their lairs are small asteroids, just large enough to hide their ships, some small buildings, and a few places to stash stolen loot. A freebooter tribe has 1-6 scorpionships and maybe 1-2 other ships, depending on their success. Excessive ships are sold to unscrupulous dealers in black-market deals that keep the orcs rich in coin. Typically, a freebooter clan will take a small number of ships per season, and then spend the next several months spending their loot on ale, fast women, gambling, and everything else that catches their eye. Only after all of their loot has been spent do they set sail once more in search of new ships to steal from. Rarely do captains look to improve their ships or increasing the size of their fleet. Due to the activities of these orcs, freebooters have more half-orcs in their ranks than standard; 1 out of every 10 orcs will be half-orcs. These half-breeds can rise to rule whole tribes, having the strength of their orcish ancestors and the wits of their human parent. These individuals can be roguishly charismatic individuals, the terrors of ports across many spheres. Wolves of Wildspace Rarely, perhaps no more than once or twice a generation, an orc will arise with such charisma that he can unify many orc clans into a single, destructive army. These leaders are known as the Wolves of Wildspace. This orc will be the largest, meanest orc imaginable. A Wolf Chief is a crafty tactician and mighty warrior. At his command are at least 7-12 scorpionships and 2-8 other ships. This is the minimum force of these monsters; some chiefs manage to assemble fleets in upwards of a hundred strong! His sub-chiefs are captains of lesser ships; his flagship will be an unusually large scorpionship, sometimes as large as 100 tons. The Wolf Chief, at times, will ally himself with a stronger individual, such as an archmage or dragon, selling the services of his fleet as mercenaries, if the pay is right. Wolf Chiefs are the terror of wildspace. A single successful Wolf Chief can terrorize several spheres. Many are driven by ego and a desire to be remembered for generations, and will try to out-do previous Wolf Chiefs with increasingly horrible atrocities. Names that have been burned into the memories of space travelers include Fellthane the One Tooth, who sacked the city of Jirr’s Rock; Blacktusk the Buccaneer, whose treasure is said to be unequaled in vastness; and Greeneye the Flayer Foe, a mind-bender who won many battles against mind flayers. It is fortunate that Wolf Chiefs rarely live long. Their activities drive them to commit crimes that demand retribution and revenge. The Elven Fleet typically offers a reward of 100,000 gp on the head of any Wolf Chief, dead or alive, once they become known; other powers offer similar rewards as well. Greeneye, for example, survived for almost ten years after sacking a mind flayer outpost, despite the creatures putting a 500,000 gp bounty on his head. None are known to have lived to a ripe old age; such is life of a Wolf Chief. In many ways, they prefer it as such. To die in glorious battle is seen as one of the best ways to be forever remembered; to die an old orc is to die a coward. The last known Wolf Chief perished at the start of the Unhuman Wars, in the Battle of Kule. In killing him, the Elves hoped to divide and weaken the orc clans, a strategy that proved very successful. It might be noted that although two great orc leaders arose near the end of the Unhuman Wars, Longtooth of Armistice and Dukagsh Father of the Scro, neither can truly be considered Wolf Chiefs, for Longtooth choose peace over a violent death, and Dukagsh fled from the Known Spheres to die an old man. Although revered by their followers, “traditionalist” orcs hold these leaders in great contempt as cowards. Orc Worlds Driven by a desire to acquire property and territory, orcs find wildspace an ideal habitat. Many asteroids, moons, and small worlds could be easily conquered and dominated without competition. They seek out places with deep caves, thick forests, and constant cloud cover. Natives were a plus; after all, the orcs needed a supply of slaves! From harsh fortresses, the orcs strip the countryside of everything of value to fuel the construction of new scorpionships. These destructive habits leave the world ruined, and when the land becomes uninhabitable, the orcs move on. In this way, countless otherwise habitable worldlets have been left spoiled by orc hordes. What life is left behind are creatures that share the orcs’ temperament, such as carnivorous plants, mobats, worgs, and giant spiders. Cult of the Wolf Even orcs have their heroes. The so-called “Cult of the Wolf” is a pantheon of Wolf Chiefs that wildspace orcs hold up as heroes they identify with. The cult is really a series of personality cults without true worshippers or clerics. Many orcs can find at least one hero in the collection of dead chiefs to personally identify with and maintain as his idol. To an extent, the Wolf Chiefs fulfill a similar role to Saints in some human religions. Known past Wolf Chiefs include the following: Blacktusk the Buccaneer (4441 OC to 4502 OC): A dangerous pirate that is said to have left a hundred ships burning in his wake. His personal horde of gold, gemstones, and magic items could rival that of the greatest dragons, which he buried on dozens of asteroids. Orcs that unexpectedly discover some small cache of loot are said to have received Blacktusk’s boon. Fellthane the One Tooth (4509 OC to 4538 OC): This monster is said to have been part ogre, for he was large and brutal. His greatest accomplishment was the sacking of the city of Jirr’s Rock, then a large and prosperous city. Greeneye the Flayer Foe (3830 OC to 3860 OC): A mind-bender with a particular dislike for mind flayers, Greeneye was a deadly foe of those creatures. As such, he was hailed a hero even in some human circles. Griznarr to Armada Slayer (2531 OC to 2555 OC): One of the earliest known Wolf Chiefs, Griznarr is believed to be the first orc captain to have successfully destroyed an elven armada in battle. Although most assuredly long dead, the Elven Fleet maintains a 200,000 gp bounty on his head that has never been collected. Manbane (4290 OC to 4316 OC): Said to be half-troll, Manbane held a particular dislike for humans. Before perishing in the Battle of the Eight Sisters, he had built a warship made from the bones of his victims, a grisly trophy of victories. Baz’or (3930 OC to 3961 OC): A truly ugly monsters, Baz’or served as admiral for a powerful warlock in Greyspace. The warlock attempted to conquer key parts of the sphere, but ultimately failed when many forces of good allied together to destroy his fleet in the Battle of Gnibile. Blood Altars: Orc Lifejammers Being a cruel and savage race, it is little surprise that orcs would use helms that involve inflicting pain and suffering to fly their ships. The secrets of the lifejammer are a gift from evil deities. Yurtrus, the orc god of death, is considered the most likely inventor of the lifejammer, although he may have stolen the secrets from another. A lifejammer takes the form of a pitch black stone alter about three feet long, two feet wide, and a little over two feet high. Grooves on the upper surface draws blood spilled upon it into a basin at the center of the top. The blood then flows through a tiny drain at the bottom of the basin, emptying into tiny channels run throughout the entire ships, just as veins in a human. When blood is freshly spilled, the veins glow with a hellish crimson light. The light dims over the course of the day, until it vanishes completely after twenty-four hours, when a fresh batch of blood must be sacrificed. Each lifejammer is linked to a ceremonial dagger, carried by the ship’s witch doctor or shaman. If lost or destroyed, a new dagger must be crafted (see below). The dagger is made from bone, gold, and gemstones. The edge is very sharp, and black from dried blood. The lifejammer is a terrible device. To make it operate, blood must be spilled upon it altar, which uses to fly the scorpionship. The damage must be inflicted by the ceremonial dagger, which causes a minimum of 1d8 points of damage as it draws life from a victim, who must make a saving throw or perish due to the necromantic energies (3e: Fortitude save, DC 15; 2e: Save vs. Death, no penalty). The damage cannot be magically healed or regenerated; it can only be healed naturally. Healing skills and proficiencies will have not affect on the rate of healing. The bloodletting is part of an elaborate ritual that involves chanting in tongues and making precise cuts. The whole ritual takes 1 minute for every 1d8 points sacrificed. At the option of the shaman (or witch doctor), more damage can be inflicted on a victim to increase the speed of the ship. For every 1d8 points of damage inflicted, the ship gains 1 ship’s rating, to a maximum of ship’s rating 5. Thus, if the shaman were to cause 3d8 points of damage to a victim, the blood gives the ship a ship’s rating of 3. Every additional ship’s rating increases the chances of death (3e: +2 to DC per point; 2e: -1 penalty to save). After the blood is collected, the victim is no longer needed and can be tossed back in a cell, tossed overboard, or returned to duties (depending on the circumstances). In exchange for this blood sacrifice, the scorpion can be flown without tying up a spellcaster or forcing the helmsman to sacrifice his spellcasting abilities for a day. Crafting a lifejammer is a fairly simple task, so long as the proper materials are gathered. The stone must come from the cold, dead heart of an extinct volcano. Tools of cold iron are used to carve fiendish runes into the stone. The runes must be carved during nights of a new moon, when darkness is strongest. Ritualistic chanting and the sacrifice of a living being (preferably an elf, human, or dwarf) completes the alter piece of the lifejammer. A rib bone is torn from the victim’s carcass and used to craft the ceremonial dagger. The dagger takes 3 days to complete. Making the alter takes a month to construct. Once complete, the lifejammer can be installed. If the ship is a scorpionship made from the exoskeleton of a dead scorpion, no further work needs to be done; blood will flow through veins already existing in the exoskeleton. For all other ships, tiny grooves must be carved into the sides of the ship to allow blood to flow to every part of the ship. This is a labor-intensive process that takes about a week for every ten tons of ship. Scorpionship Spells The orcs have devised a number of vicious spells for use in conjunction with a scorpionship. It is unknown if any of the spells presented below will operate with other ship; all copies were destroyed by the elves during the Unhuman Wars. Undoubtedly the Elven Fleet has copies of their own hidden away in a library in Lionheart. The scro might have their own versions, keyed to their own ship designs. Hellfire Claws Level: 3 Range: 0 Components: V, S, M Duration: 1 round/level Casting Time: 9 Area of Effect: Special Saving Throw: None This spell places an enchantment on metal claws, such as those found on a scorpionship. The claws will glow red-hot, with small bursts of flames dancing across the surface of the claws. Due to the great heat, any creature struck by the claw suffers and additional 3-12 points of heat damage. Against ships, the ship must make a saving throw vs. fire or suffer an additional hull point of damage due to the burning heat. The claws can set fire to sails and rigging, tearing them away with great ease. The material components of this spell are a billows, sulfur dust, and coal. The billows are used to stoke the coals and spread sulfur over the claws. Sting of the Star Scorpion Level: 2 Range: 0 Components: V, S, M Duration: 2 rounds/level Casting Time: 4 Area of Effect: Special Saving Throw: None The Sting of the Star Scorpion is a simple enchantment that is cast on the tail of a scorpionship. The orc spellcaster can then cast certain, so-called “venom” spells through the tail, using the inherent magic of spelljammers to increase the power of these spells. The spells siphons power from the helm such that for every round in which a spell is cast through the tail in this manner decreases the ship’s speed by one point for one round. Each tail can handle only one spell per round besides the initial Sting of the Star Scorpion spell. The component of this spell is a scorpionship with an active helm aboard it. Animate Sting Level: 4 Range: 0 Components: V, S, M Duration: 2 rounds/level Casting Time: 1 round Area of Effect: Special Saving Throw: None This powerful spell imbues the tail of a scorpionship with a life of its own. The spellcaster can direct the tail by concentrating. If the spellcaster can direct the tail to repeat a command (usually striking at a ship) until he gives it a new order. Any weapon on the tail can no longer be used, but the tail gains melee attacks. The tail can strike once per round, causing 1-2 hull points against ships or 3-24 hit points against creatures. The tail attacks as with the same THAC0/BAB as the caster who cast the spell. Animated Stinger siphons power from an active spelljammer helm, draining 1 point of SR while the spell is active. The material component of this spell is a scorpionship with an active helm aboard it. Scorpion Tailblade Level: 2 Range: 0 Components: V, S, M Duration: 1 round/level Casting Time: 3 Area of Effect: Special Saving Throw: None The Tailblade spell causes a vicious metal blade to grow out of the tip of the tail of a scorpionship. The blade can be used in conjunction with the Animated Stinger spell, increasing the damage done by the tail to 2-3 hull points versus ships and 4-32 points of damage versus creatures. Woodvenom Level: 2 Range: 0 Components: V, S, M Duration: Special Casting Time: 5 Area of Effect: Special Saving Throw: Nil This spell is used in conjunction with the animate sting spell. When cast on the animated tail of a scorpionship, it creates a tiny reservoir of specialized venom that causes rot in wooden targets. Each strike causes 1-3 points of wood rot damage. The reservoir has enough venom for 1 strike for every 5 levels of the caster. The venom can remain unused for up to 1 day; after that time, the venom loses its potency. Woodvenom does not affect any creature other than plant creatures such as treants. Against plant creatures like treants, a strike causes 3-18 points of damage. The material component of this spell is a piece of wood infected with wood rot. Airvenom Level: 1 Range: 4 hexes Components: V, S, M Duration: Instantaneous Casting Time: 4 Area of Effect: Special Saving Throw: None The airvenom spell creates a sphere of poisonous gas that is launched from the tail of the scorpionship. It makes a single attack roll as if made by the caster of the spell with a +2 bonus to hit (it merely needs to hit the air envelope of the other ship). If the sphere hits, the poison gas mixes into the air envelope. The poison degrades the air envelope of the ship at the rate of 1d12 man-days per level of the caster. Thus, a 7th level orc spellcaster that uses this spell against an enemy ship can destroy 7d12 man-days of air if it hits. If the sphere misses, it dissipates harmlessly. The material component of this spell is a rotten egg. Cometvenom Level: 3 Range: 5 hexes Components: V, S, M Duration: Instantaneous Casting Time: 3 Area of Effect: 15’ radius Saving Throw: ½ The cometvenom spell creates an icy sphere that is launched from the tail of the scorpionship. It makes a single attack roll as if made by the caster of the spell. If the sphere hits, it bursts into a sphere of unbelievable cold. Anyone caught in the area of effect must make a saving throw vs. spell (3e: reflex save) or suffer 3-30 points of cold damage. The spell can damage large weapons, which also must make saving throws vs. cold or be rendered inoperable. The spell also causes 1-2 hull points of damage. If the sphere misses, it dissipates harmlessly. The material component of this spell is an iceball made from the ice of a comet. Meteorvenom Level: 3 Range: 5 hexes Components: V, S, M Duration: Instantaneous Casting Time: 3 Area of Effect: 15’ radius Saving Throw: ½ The meteorvenom spell creates a fiery sphere that is launched from the tail of the scorpionship. It makes a single attack roll as if made by the caster of the spell. If the sphere hits, it explodes into a fireball. Anyone caught in the area of effect must make a saving throw vs. spell (3e: reflex save) or suffer 3-30 points of fire and debris damage. The spell can damage large weapons, which also must make saving throws vs. fire or be destroyed. The spell also causes 1-2 hull points of damage and can start fires. If the sphere misses, it dissipates harmlessly. The material component of this spell is a rock taken from a meteor that has passed through the atmosphere of a world of at least size D.
#4 nightdruid Jan 30, 2005 17:18:49	And finally the Ogre Mammoth...probably the most popular (next to the porcupine) because of the obvious parallels to G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief :D Blood and Tusks: the Mammoths of Wildspace Before the Elven Fleet crushed to combined might of the goblin, orc, and ogre fleets in the First Unhuman Wars, the most feared ship in wildspace was the ogre Mammoth. A massive capital ship, the Mammoth was the terror of wildspace, carrying small armies of ogres into battles on distant worlds. Few ships could survive against the might of a fully loaded ogre Mammoth. Fewer still managed to emerge victorious. Mammoths are very dangerous ships to engage in combat, due to their size and the number of ogres aboard. In battle, ogres will close and smash into the opposing ship to overwhelm the crew in a bloody boarding. After the ship is looted, any survivors become slaves of the ogres. Ogre captains distaste long battles, preferring the direct method to winning battles. Mammoths are almost always encountered singularly. Rare is the fleet that had more than one Mammoth. Instead, the Mammoth most often serves as the flagship of a fleet of ogre ships, all taken or stolen from other races. So successful were some of these fleets that they gave rise to legends of vast nations of ogres migrating from sphere to sphere, conquering and destroying everything they encountered. The Mammoth The Mammoth is the pride of the Ogre fleets and is by far the largest ship ever produced by the so-called goblinoid species. The smallest Mammoth displaces ninety tons, while larger variations range as large as two hundred tons. No two Mammoths are exactly alike, with subtle variations between each ship. A Mammoth appears as an oval ship with the head, ears, tusks, and trunk of a mammoth. The head is small, enclosing a single room from which a lookout directs the ship in battle. Directly ahead of the lookout is the trunk and tusks. The heavy wooden tusk are sharpened into piercing rams to catch a ship and hold it while ogres board it. The trunk is a blunt ram reinforced to absorb the shock of a ram and protect the Mammoth. Ogres will carve steps into the trunk to disembark when the ship is grounded. The ears are thick and wooden along the innermost parts. Sails painted with fearsome images are strung between the spars of the outer ear, radiating out from the ship above the gravity plane. Head-on, the sails make the Mammoth appear larger and more fearsome. At the very aft of the ship is a rectangular tail that is the position for the ship’s jettison. Mammoths were primitive ships by human standards. The ogres use stout timbers around a heavy frame of ironwood or oak. The hull is held together by a peg-and-slot method, where rectangular wooden pegs are pounded into slots in the hull boards. Wooden nails are driven into the boards to hold it to a frame of thick logs. The interior is made from unfinished timber; the bark is often left intact instead of stripped away. Ships with the bark left intact where harder to burn than normal (3e: +1 to hardness v. fire damage; 2e: +1 bonus to save vs. fire) but were prone to infestation by insects. The boards in the hull are also likely left unfinished as well. Some ships will use a thick plaster to cement the timber together, though most ships do not have this innovation. Mammoths will be covered by hides sewn together to drive out rain and wind when planetside. Otherwise, Mammoths leak badly. Despite their primitive construction, Mammoths are rugged ships that withstand incredible amounts of damage (If using Leroy's Ship Construction System, Mammoths have heavy frames and thick wooden hulls, giving the ship a total of 113 hull points; otherwise, recommended that Mammoths gain a +10% to +20% bonus hull points). A typical Mammoth had four decks and displaces ninety tons. Decks are taller than average, about 12' high for their ogre crews. The ship will be armed with two heavy catapults, four heavy ballista, and a heavy jettison. These weapons will be crude and cumbersome by modern standards but serviceable in the hands of ogre warriors. Packed with as many ogres that could reasonably fit inside the stout ships, Mammoths set off in search of conquest. Inside, ogres will decorate their Mammoths with furs, mounted animal heads, and crude furnishings. Doors are either heavy affairs that require great strength to open (min. str. 15 to open) or are curtains of animal fur. Rooms are dimly lit with torches, sometimes enchanted with continual flame spells (usually on a War King's ship); the ogre version of this spell casts much weaker light than normal, lighting only a 15' radius. Ceilings soar 12’ overhead in chambers and passages. Floors are creaky from ogres stomping over them and difficult to cross without making noise (3e: DC 15; 2e -15% to Move Silently). The top deck of the Mammoth is an open deck for the weapons. The ears of the ship provide ogre warriors cover as the ship approaches its prey. Two heavy catapults with long arms are fired over the ears, directed by orders from the lookout in the ship’s head. The ballista fire to the sides and aft, two per side or all four can be fired aft. The weapons are not turreted and are moved by the brute strength of the ogre gunners, an act they rarely do. Moving a weapon takes an ogre crew at least 2 rounds to move and then set with chocks. The jettison can only fire aft and is only used if the ogres encounter a foe too great to easily overcome. More often it is used to jettison garbage or prisoners. Below the top deck is the upper deck. The forward room is within the ship’s head and is an observation room for the ship’s lookout. The lookout is always an experienced ogre who barks out his sightings to the captain below and the gunners above. Behind the lookout is a long room where the ogres keep their weapons, cloaks, bags, and armor on pegs along the walls. Before battle, ogres will muster in this room to arm and ready themselves. Alcoves are divided from the larger chamber by curtains of animal pelts. Ladders pierce the roof above and a pair of ladders nailed to the wall allows access deeper into the ship. The next deck down is the main deck, where the quarters of the ogres, the bridge, and even guest quarters are located. The crew quarters mirror one another in the forward half of the ship. The smelly rooms have bunks sized for ogres and a few chests for the strongest ogres to lock valuables. Wedged between the two crew quarters is an open commons area where ogre crewmen drink, play cards and knucklebones, and socialize. The walls are decorated with the stuffed heads of beasts, human skulls, and animal pelts. Behind the commons area is the bridge of the ship. The ship’s charts and death helm are closely guarded in the bridge. Beyond the bridge are the quarters for the chief, the ogre mage or tribal shaman, and guest quarters. The chief will have the best quarters available. A comfortable bed will be present, along with a wardrobe, a table and chairs, a choice of weapons, warm pelts on the floor and walls, and the best trophies. He will sometimes share this room with his mate, or wife, if she is present. Opposite of his room is that of the ogre mage or shaman, who is responsible for guiding the ship through the stars. The furnishings of the ogre mage include a bed, two or more tables, a bookshelf full of stolen tomes, and a rack of weapons. If the ship has a tribal shaman, his quarters will have a wardrobe of ceremonial robes, two or more tables covered by religious relics, and a weapon with religious significance. A quartet of guest quarters is aft of the rooms of the chief and ogre mage. These rooms can serve a variety of roles, depending on the alliances and needs of the ogre tribe. Sometimes, important guests such as ogre or orc chiefs will be put up into these rooms. At other times, subchiefs, women and children, additional ogre magi, and other leaders will stay in these rooms. If a Mammoth carries a large number of slaves, the rearmost rooms will be converted into slave pens. The bottom deck of the Mammoth is devoted to cargo and some mundane operations of the ship. The bottom deck is opposite of the main deck on the gravity plane. The two decks share opposite sides of the same floor. The forward half of the entire deck is a single cavernous cargo hold. The cargo hold is almost never lit. Crates, barrels, and sacks of stolen goods are tossed carelessly into this room. Access to the cargo of illicit goods is gained through double doors or hatches in the bottom of the ship. The hatches are heavy doors of wood that are laid over holes in the hull. A team of ten ogres is required to remove each door so that access to the cargo hold is granted. The rear half of the cargo deck is given over to a secondary armory, a sickbay for wounded warriors or torturing prisoners, a kitchen, and the ship’s mess. The armory is where the ogres keep spare weapons and armor that they are not currently using. Spare swords, pole arms, shields, spears, and javelins will be stacked in the room, with more valuable weapons wrapped by furs for protection. The sickbay is a misnomer, as ogres rarely care for their wounded. Instead, it is most often used as a torture chamber, where ogres inflict cruel torments on their prisoners. The walls are covered with instruments of torture, such as saws for amputation, whips, and many sharp instruments. There are several straw heaps that serve as beds for the injured on the floor. In case the ogres need to care for the injured, they have several herbs and medical tools ready. The stench of blood and death permeates the whole room and is noticeable throughout the entire deck. The kitchen is always active with at least one ogress and two or more slaves preparing meals for their ogre masters. The kitchen has a small brick stove, dozens of pots, pans, ladles, platters, and so on. Sacks of flour and baskets of vegetables are tossed into the corners until needed. Slabs of meat, sometimes resembling humans or demihumans, hang from the ceiling. After the meals are prepared, slaves carry them on overturned shields to the hungry ogres awaiting in the mess hall at the rear of the deck. The mess hall will be crammed with a large rectangular table surrounded by benches and stools. The tribal chief will sit at the head of the table during meals, where he will show off his latest trophies, brag about his conquests, and decide his next target of conquest. The ogres keep kegs of ale in the mess to have a steady supply when they are feasting. Larger Mammoths can approach a displacement of 200 tons will be broader and longer than a typical Mammoth, with 10' wider and 40' longer the norm. Such a ship will have five decks instead of four. The deck is between the cargo deck and the main deck. Crew quarters take up the forward half of the deck with a second commons near the center of the deck. The rear half of the deck is a secondary cargo hold. The ogres will keep treasure, foodstuffs, spare weapons, and other stolen booty in this secondary cargo hold. The only access is granted through a double door, so goods stored within must be small and easily moved by an ogre. Such monstrous warships could only be moved by two or more major helms linked in series. Siege weapons aboard a larger than normal Mammoth will increase proportionally to its size and to the tastes of the owner. At the very least two more heavy catapults are added topside. The largest ships will carry as many as eight heavy catapults and six heavy ballistas. Such ships have reinforced and armored hulls that provide at least a +3 bonus to armor rating at the cost of making the ship virtually unmaneuverable in combat. The ogres will use these large and armored ships as fleet busters, flying straight into the thickest part of a fleet and bombard everything in range of their numerous heavy weapons. The Ogre War Kings Despite their primitive ships and intellectual shortfalls, the ogres were one of the first races in wildspace. Legends speak of an ancient ogre magi empire that spanned across many spheres, a contemporary of the elves, illithids, and thri-kreen. Even then a violent race, the empire spread out to conquer nearby worlds. Given their numbers, strength, and mighty magic, the ogre magi drove all before them and enslaved countless beings. The empire fell in a great War of the Gods. The Sun god died in a fiery explosion that claimed the throne world and the heart of the empire. Greatly diminished, the empire collapsed into barbarism. The surviving ogre magi were forced to seek refuge with their barbaric cousins. In seeking a return to wildspace and a rebirth of their empire, the ogres rebuilt their fleets with what they had. In the mammoth the ogre magi found a creature that ogres respected, and they modeled their new ships after such beasts. The ogres returned to space aboard their tusked Mammoth ships. Over many centuries, at times the ogre magi guiding the ogre tribe would perish without successor. In such times, a shaman would rise to replace him and the tribe would become even more uncontrolled and destructive than before. Without the guiding influences of their ogre magi, many of these tribes perished or returned to groundling life, though just as many managed to survive, even thrive, in wildspace. For generations, ogre clans prowled wildspace, destroying all they encountered. At times, a grand War King arose from the ranks of the ogre chiefs, uniting the ogre clans into powerful nations and set off on a path of destruction and conquest. Ogre War Kings were greatly feared, commanding the most destructive armies in wildspace. When a War King set sail, those that could fled while stalwart warriors stood fast, many doomed to be the ogres' next dinner. The armies of the War Kings took many forms. Some War Kings commanded a single, extremely large Mammoth of nearly 200 tons in displacement. The War King would unite all the ogres in a land into a barbaric horde. With 500 to 600 murderous ogre warriors, the War King would set off for conquest. Thus overloaded, the destination of these ogres had to be near, else the ogres would suffocate before reaching battle. Nothing could deter the ogres from their conquest. With such armies, the ogres overthrew small cities, dwarven citadels, and even illithid or elven castles. Other War Kings used their Mammoths to steal ships to add to their own fleets. Such War Kings command armadas that could number as many as two dozen ships. With ogre magi as their guides and pilots, the ogres became nomads in the quest for food and booty. The crews of stolen ships faced grisly fates as either ogre slaves or the ogres' next meal. Women faced even more horrific fates as mothers of half-ogres before they too, were devoured by hungry ogres. Orcs, goblins, and even humans and evil dwarves will become followers of ogre War Kings, so long as they are given a fair share of the booty. Even more rarely, a War King would be so successful that his name became legend throughout the Spheres. These Legendary War Kings commanded terrifying armies, easily ten times as great as those of the War Kings. Thousands of ogres from all across the Spheres rallied to their banner. With a fleet of as many as a dozen Mammoths and a hundred other stolen vessels, Legendary War Kings invaded spheres and conquered whole worlds. Never was there more than a single Legendary War King at any given time though that was little comfort to the peoples of the Spheres. It is fortunate that War Kings rarely lived long. They were just as likely to be murdered by their fellow ogres as to fall in the field of battle. None died of old age. Their lives were short and violent, just as they wished them to be. At the death of the War King, his armies would disperse, returning to their wandering ways if they could. The ogre magi, who gave the ogres the power to reach the stars through Death Helms or by other means, sought out powerful chiefs and guided them to be War Kings. For their efforts, the ogre magi received the best booty, magic, and their choice of slaves. Competing bands of ogre magi used assassination, sabotage, and blackmail to prevent their rivals from bringing forth the next War King while grooming their own chosen ogre chief to aspire to be a War King. Many would-be War Kings died long before they could achieve such power due to a knife in the back or an incorrectly charted course into the depths of the Phlogiston. The Clan Ships Most ogres in space were not War Kings or the followers of War Kings. Instead, many Mammoths served as a home for a single clan of ogres. These ships carried few ogres, 20-30 adult male ogres on average. With them traveled their families, a like number of women and children. At least one ogre magi or shaman, sometimes as many as six, was also part of the clan. Menial labor was done by the slaves the ogres kept, which could number from as few as 10 to as many as 100 or more. Unfit slaves were served up as the ogres' next meal. The ogres were nomads in wildspace. They constantly moved from world to world, taking what they wished and departed before angry militias could muster and strike back. At times, clans sold their services to local armies as mercenaries. Many ogre clans found work with orc, goblin, even human and illithid navies. At other times, ogres were able to extract tribute from nearby ports and towns with the threat of invasion. The Helms of Death These horrific devices are gifts from deities of death and destruction. A Death Helm appears as an iron maiden with an attached chair. A victim is tossed into the iron maiden to be drained of life. The helmsman sits in the chair to guide the ship through wildspace. The victim can be as small as a halfling or as large as an ogre. The vile magic of the Death Helm twists the mind of the victim, driving him to insanity before draining the last life from him and discard his husk. The effects of a Death Helm are terrible indeed. Every day that a victim is trapped inside the iron maiden, which is designed to hold the victim tight rather than inflict grievous injury, the helm drains 2d8 hit points from him and he must make a fortitude save or perish (DC 15; 2e: save vs. death or die). Worse still is that the helm will drive the victim insane unless a will save is successful (DC 18; 2e: save vs. spell with a -3 penalty). If the helm successfully charms the victim, he will not wish to leave the helm, instead fighting any attempts to remove him from the device. If the victim is instead successful in his save, he will attempt to escape from the helm at the earliest opportunity and will resist efforts to place him back into the helm. A victim must make a save every day he is within the helm or fall under the enchantments of the helm. In exchange for the life drained from the being, the helm can move any ship that displaces 100 tons or less at one ship's rating point per every two hit dice or levels of the victim. Death Helms are forged by fiends in the furnaces of Gehanna. Black iron is mined from the slopes of Krangath, the Dead Furnace. The iron is taken to the explosive slopes of Chamada, where the iron is smelted and shaped into the Death Helm. The helm is held together by rivets made from the bones of fiends. Tiny runes are etched over the helm, enchanting it with necromantic power. The final procedure it to concentrate the helm in a bath of blood on the ashen plains of Hades. Completed, the Death Helms are given by agents of death gods to worshippers that request them. Such gifts are given freely, for the souls of those who perish in a Death Helm are sent directly to the realm of the deity that commissioned the construction of the helm. Only divine intervention or a wish spell will save the soul from eternal servitude in the clutches of the evil deity. The ogres consider the Death Helms religious relics. Victims tossed into the helm are offerings to the gods who grant them favors in return. Most other civilized races hate and despise Death Helms and will destroy them if they get their hands on one. Victims that die as a result of the Death Helm can only be restored via a wish or true resurrection spell. All lesser magics will fail. The deities of death may send undead to reclaim what they see as their property, the souls of those that die in Death Helms. Known deities that make use of Death Helms include Nerull, Chemosh, Orcus, and Hel. Deities of destruction also work to ensure that Death Helms remain in use in wildspace even if they do not directly benefit, if only to spread destruction throughout wildspace. Tuskhall, Clanship of the Ogre Chief DM Notes: Below is a typical ogre Mammoth clan ship. Such a ship can be encountered at almost any time and in any sphere. It can be a foe for the PCs or a group of mercenaries they have been sent to hire to combat some other problem. Perhaps the ogres hold a captive that the PCs have been sent to rescue, or they have been raiding towns and the PCs have been sent to put an end to their destructive ways. The Tuskhall is a standard Mammoth ship, with a crew of 35 ogres, 20 orcs, and 40 slaves. It is equipped with a Death Helm, within which the orcs toss their slaves who are 1st-2nd level commoners or experts, moving the ship at a rating of 1. Topside, two heavy catapults and four heavy ballistas are mounted and ready for battle. If confronted, the ogres will attempt to ram and board the opposing ship, using their brute strength to crush the crew and take the ship. Captured ships are stripped of valuables and then set afire in the void. Ogre Bags: There are dozens of sacks, bags, and chests throughout Tuskhall. Instead of listing the contents of all of the bags, a table is provided below to produce the results randomly. To determine the contents of any bag discovered, roll 1d4 for the number of items in the bag and then roll each item individually on the table below. % Die Roll Results 01-05 Humanoid skull 06-10 Rope, 50' length 11-15 Wedge of moldy cheese 16-20 Animal pelt, worthless 21-25 A drinking horn 26-30 Battered tin spoon and fork 31-35 A long, dull knife used for cutting meat 36-40 A wooden bowl 41-45 Waterskin, full of cheap ale 46-50 1-6 torches, unused 51-55 Money, 200-800 copper pieces 56-60 Money, 20-80 silver pieces 61-65 Money, 2-8 gold pieces 66-70 Pound of salt 71-75 Pair of moccasins 76-80 Tools, hammer, screw, and chisel 81-85 1-8 pieces of dried meat, humanoid or animal 86-90 Manacles 91-95 Pound of tobacco 96-00 Gemstone, 50 gp value. Top Deck In battle, the top deck is crawling with ogres and orc warriors. Otherwise, only ten orcs (hp 8x2, 6, 5x4, 4, 2x2) and twelve human slaves (hp 5, 4x2, 3x2, 2x3, 1x4) are topside to occasionally trim the sails for minor course adjustments. There are two forward firing heavy catapults and four side and rear firing ballistas. The humans will remain to trim sails until fired upon, at which time they will attempt to flee below decks. All are being overseen by two large ogres (hp 24, 18) who are armed with cat-of-nine tails and sabers. Upper Deck 1. Observation Deck This room is bare except for a large chair behind the two holes that serve as the Mammoth's eyes. The eyes are wide and narrow, 5' across and about 2' high. A ladder leads the bridge below. An ogre (hp 20), supposed to be on duty, is sound asleep in the chair. A great club leans against his chair and a sack is tossed under his chair. 2. Mustering Area Normally deserted and ignored, this area is only active if the Tuskhall is about to engage in battle. At those rare times, the hall is bustling with ogres arming themselves before taking one of the four wooden ladders to the top deck above. The ogres keep weapons an armor in the alcoves. A total of 32 great clubs, 17 large metal shields, 50 javelins, 22 long spears, and 15 suits of hide armor sized for an ogre, and 33 chain shirts sized for orcs. Curtains of mangy hides are strung across the alcoves. Main Deck 3. Barracks The male ogres of the tribe are quartered in this smelly room. Twenty double stacked bunks, five trunks, a table, four stools, and a bench are here. The table is of Shou make, but years of abuse by ogres has reduced its value to a mere 40 gp. If it were some how restored to its original quality, it could fetch as much as 900 gp. Four ogres are in the bunks, sleeping off too much ale (hp 29, 23, 22, 18). 4. Crew Quarters Almost identical to the Barracks, this place is the quarters for ogre women and children. There are no valuable furnishings here. This room is currently deserted. 5. Crew Commons The ogres use this area to gamble, drink, and otherwise socialize. Currently three ogres (hp 29, 25, 21) are teaching 2 juvenile ogres (hp 13, 11) how to play knucklebones. They have 344 cp and 87 sp worth of wages they are gambling over. They are attended by two ragged human slaves (hp 6, 3). The room has two tables, nine chairs, four stools, several human, demihuman, and monster heads as trophies, four battered shields, and six old weapons. Many pelts are used as cushions for chairs and stools. 6. Bridge This large room is the heart of the ship. Along one wall is an iron maiden connected to a chair, a Death Helm. A table opposite of the helm is covered with charts that the ogre mage uses to plot the ship's course. The room is guarded by four orcs (hp 8, 6, 5x2) armed with longswords and clad in chain shirts. The ogres have just tossed a goblin (hp 1) into the iron maiden, and the junior ogre mage (hp 17) is guiding the ship. 7. Chief's Quarters This room is furnished with a large double bed, a table, two chairs, a rack of three great clubs and two bastard swords, and the fur of a cave bear across the floor. The chief's clothing is hung from pegs while those of his wife are kept in a very large trunk. The walls are covered in pelts and the personal trophies of the chief (two human skulls, a stuffed ogre's head, a dwarven war axe, a suit of elven-sized breastplate armor, and the claws of an owlbear). A locked chest (DC 16) is trapped with a poison needle trap (DC 30 to disarm). If the trap of sprung, the needle strikes at the person opening the chest (Atk +17/THAC0 3) that inflicts 1d4 points of damage and injects poison (DC 15/Save v. Poison) that causes 4d6 points of damage. The chest holds the chief's personal treasure of 1,293 cp, 1,177 gp, 196 pp, and 2 topazes (500 gp value). The chief has the key, which bypasses the trap. 8. Ogre Mages Chamber The ogre mage and his son reside in this room. They have a double bunk, a table, three chairs, a dire wolf rug, a shelf with a dozen books, a stuffed human head, a full set of scavvar jaw and teeth, and various nick-knacks. Both are currently away from the room. A locked chest has their personal treasure of 1,565 gp, 200 pp, wand of summon monster II, wand of charm person, a flask of curses, and a potion of delusion. 9. Guest Chamber Two half ogres (hp 27, 21), a great warrior and his mate, are housed here. They were sent by another tribe of ogres to work out an agreement with the ogres of Tuskhall. They have recently arrived with an offer of alliance with Chief XXX. The male is armed with short spear +2, and a +1 large metal shield. The chamber has two bunks, two tables, four chairs, and a locked chest. The chest has the half ogres' personal treasure of 2,490 cp and 7 blue quartz (50 gp value). 10. Subchief's Chamber The subchief is lodged in this room. This room has a large bunk, two chests, a table, three chairs, and a bench. There are numerous furs and pelts scattered throughout the room and heaped on the bed. The subchief's personal slave, a battered female human (hp 4), is chained to the wall. She has been tormented for months by the subchief, and has gone insane as a result. The second chest has the subchief's personal treasure of 307 cp, 20 gp, and a silver mirror (value 100 gp). 11. Orc Barracks The orcs are put up in this room. The twenty bunks are stacked three high. Twenty trunks, four benches, a table, and a keg of ale are in this room. Two off-duty orcs (hp 8x2) are sleeping in two of the bunks. They have no treasure. 12. Slave Pen The ogres keep their slaves in this room when they are not working elsewhere on the ship. Five goblin slaves (hp 7x2, 6, 5, 3) are in shackles. The ogres regularly beat them, and they cower and fear any creature larger than themselves. 13. Jettison A heavy jettison is placed here, operated by four human slaves (hp 6x2, 5, 2). They are loading up a basket of garbage to jettison into the void. They are being overseen by an ogre (hp 22) armed with a whip and a great club. Cargo Deck 14. Cargo Hold Dozens of large crates, boxes, sacks, barrels, and jars are stacked in this room. The goods are a mix-mash of stolen wares, including a box of spices (3,000 gp value), five barrels of salted pork, a bolt of silk from Shou Lung (4,000 gp), forty pieces of bronzewood lumber from Furyondy, five ivory horns from Chult (1,000 gp value each), and nine kegs of ale. The remaining cargo is foodstuffs and barrels of water. Three young ogres (hp 6, 5, 4) are playing hide and seek in the cargo. They fight as goblins if attacked. They are armed with clubs. 15. Sick Bay The many shelves, cabinets, and chests here are filled with a wide assortment of herbs, brews, and ointments to heal and cure. Most are worthless, but a locked chest does have 6 potions of healing to be used in an emergency. There are five heaps of straw on the floor, which the ogres use as beds for the wounded. Six goblin slaves (hp 6, 4x2, 3, 2x2) are working here to clean up the room and get it ready for the next battle. 16. Armory The ogres keep spare weapons in this room. Stacked against the wall are 30 long spears, 10 maces, 8 warhammers, 19 large wooden shields, 6 heavy crossbows, 114 crossbow bolts, and 7 badly damaged suits of chain armor. Four dwarven slaves (hp 7, 5, 4, 3) are in here cleaning weapons for their ogre masters. They are willing to take up arms against their ogre masters if treated fairly and allowed a portion of the loot taken. 17. Galley The walls of this room is lined with cabinets, shelves, and a small stove. This kitchen is where all of the ship's meals are prepared before they are served to hungry ogres. There are dozens of pots, pans, ladles, kettles, bowls, spits, knives, and other utensils necessary to run a kitchen. Four female ogres (hp 13x2, 10, 11) and an elven maid (hp3) are busy preparing a meal for the feasting ogres. The elf is the daughter of a merchant who will pay a ransom of 1,000 gp to those that rescue her from the clutches of the vile ogres. 18. Mess Hall This room is crammed with two large tables, two dozen benches, two kegs of ale, many tankards, a roasted scavvar, and many ogres feasting in typical fashion. The ogres are partaking their evening meal before night activities begin. The ogres are ready to take up arms if the Tuskhall is attacked, but it will take them at least 5 rounds to prepare for battle and reach their battle positions. All ogres have weapons nearby. Ogre chief (Has the abilities of a 5th level fighter, hp 90) Chief's wife (Has the abilities of a 2nd level rouge, hp 41) Sub chief (hp 33) Ogre mage (hp 42) Four male ogres (hp 22, 20, 18, 17) Four female ogres (hp 27, 24, 19, 16) Two orcs (hp 7, 2) They are being served by a human slave (hp 6) who is being humiliated by the two orcs. The chief is armed with a long spear +3 and wears splint mail +4. His wife has a gold necklace set with seven amethysts (1,200 gp value total) and a silver bracelet (420 gp value). The ogre mage wields a battle axe +2. Bottom Deck Strapped to the underside of the Tuskhall is a pair of goblin blades. The first is equipped with a light ballista and a non-magic helm. The ogres use this blade as a shuttle between the Tuskhall and other spelljammers. It is not often used in battle. The other blade has a light ballista, a furnace helm, and a locked box with four daggers +1, six potions of healing, and a ring of warmth. The second blade was used by the half-ogres to travel between their Mammoth ship and the Tuskhall. A starchart aboard shows the local sphere, with a particular asteroid marked as a rendezvous point. The blades are being attended to by eight goblin and human slaves (hp 7x2, 6, 4, 3, 1x3). They are overseen by two very ugly female ogres (hp 17, 14) who are armed with sticks that they use to thrash slaves. If attacked, the ogress will use the slaves to slow down the attackers while they flee into the ship, locking and barring the door behind them.