I’ve just added a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) to this Design Blog, a place to gather extra information from the questions that people ask me.
However, to call them “frequently asked questions” is something of an overstatement, afterall, the City of Mages isn’t that famous… yet!
Headless Hydra Games’ is planning on making a pathfinder compatible Spell Compendium with all-new spells! It will be published by the end of 2010!
This will be a community project and everybody can participate! All you have to do is write at least 5 unique spells and send them to storyguide.axel@gmail.com
The pay is $.o2 per word which will be paid when the Spell Compendium is published (or before). You will also receive a free pdf copy of the final product.
5 is the minimum number of spells which will be accepted, but you should feel free to send in more than 5 spells if you so wish. The spells must be balanced and only the best spells are accepted. If you were inspired by another spell (already published), please write that in your submission as well.
Named spells are very welcome, and you should feel free to write small sidebar stories about the spell’s creation.
K. Axel Carlsson
Founder of Headless Hydra Games
Today I present to you… a few necromancy spells that gives new and added flavor to the well-known spell… unseen servant, now with bones! I imagine that the necromancers of the Shadow Tower makes frequent use of these two spells.
Bone Servant
School necromancy; Level bard 1, cleric 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a small bone)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one mindless skeletal servant
Duration 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
This spell is simliar to unseen servant, except that the servant can’t run and that it can be attacked (see below). The bone servant gives the caster 1d10 temporary hit points, and when these are expended, the bone servant cease to function.
Greater Bone Servant
School necromancy; Level cleric 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a large bone weighing at least 3 lb)
Range Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one mindless skeletal servant
Duration permanent (D); see special
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
This spell works like bone servant, except that it gives the caster temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + 1 per caster level (maximum +15). The bone servant is permanent until destroyed.
Designer’s Notes: These spells actually combine two spells, unseen servant (as previously mentioned) and false life, two of my favorite spells. The duration is severely lowered on bone servant, as opposed to unseen servant, which will hopefully still make unseen servant a very useful spell.
Thoughts and oppinions are welcome!
Below you’ll find a few new feats that are useful, not in combat, but in skill use! The original idea was to associate them with a specific class, but I’ve dropped that idea, at least for now.
Teacher
You are a particular good at teaching others.
Benefit: Whenever you use the Aid Another option (skills only), you give the receiver a +4 bonus instead of the normal +2 bonus. You can only use this feat with your class skills. Your bonus becomes a +6 bonus if you have Skill Focus.
Natural Leader
You know how to best use the resources of your friends and allies.
Prerequisite: Cha 12
Benefit: When making a skill check, you gain a bonus equal to the number of friends within 30 ft. Your friends cannot take other actions in this round as they assist you in your efforts. You can use this feat a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier.
Designer’s Notes: For the latter feat, I realise that you could just as easily use the Aid Another option, but then again, that particular option requires a check, and this feat eliminates that check. Say you have 5 friends, that would give you a +5 bonus to a specific skill check.
I’ve neglected the Design Blog lately, well for a very long time actually. Mostly because I started to work on the first products from Headless Hydra Games.
But now the Design Blog is back!
If you are looking for updates on upcoming products, you need to go to Headless Hydra Games blog (link can be found in the sidebar to your right).
In the coming days and weeks, I’m going to present a few magic items, feats, and spells for the setting, but remember, these are just thoughts and may change before being released.
You should feel free to comment on my design choices and if you can help me make these crunchy bits even better, don’t hold back!
One of my products just got its first review today (I’m not gonna post a link, you can pobably find it if you want to). It was pretty positive, but it still got me thinking of how to improve it a little bit to make it even better.
For one, I’m thinking of adding a greyscale map, showing the really important parts of the city, allowing the GM (or players) to add notes directly to the map.
What do you think the Notebook needs to become an even better (free) product? Imagine that I had half an hour to spare on this and no budget (meaning no new art), what could I do to make it even more useful?
Oppinions please.
Here’s a complete update on the Mor Aldenn project!
A Guide to Mor Aldenn: The first draft of this small pdf is available, just drop me an email, or a comment here (with your email). Its still lacking a few things of importance, like several shops to make the city useful, a few important NPCs, a section on the history of the city, a short timeline and several pages of character creation notes (along with a few feats and some spells for the mages). The guide also needs some artwork.
A Trail of Poison (A Mor Aldenn adventure): This will be the very first Mor Aldenn adventure, and its come along nicely. I need to write the last part, and then update the statistics when the Pathfinder RPG comes out in August. I also need a few more illustrations.
Thieves in the Barrowdelve (A Mor Aldenn adventure): This will, probably be the second Mor Aldenn adventure, and I have yet to start writing the adventure. All I have so far is the synopsis and a short introduction. This adventure needs artwork as well.
The Mor Aldenn map: Done, completely. I even have several versions, which is very nice.
Cover artwork: I just hired a talented artist to do three covers for the three books above. He will remain unknown, until I have approved his sketches. However, I’m very confident in his abilities.
Playtesting: I’m still thinking about playtesting the setting and especially, the first adventure. However, my group is currently touring the streets of Ptolus, and that game is just too good to give up! That leaves the possibility of a pbp game…
Cartography for A Trail of Poison: Jonathan Roberts have agreed to create the first adventure map, and I’m very excited about that. Also, I think I’ve settled on how the tower is going to look, finally, and Jon if you are reading this… I’ll send you a new sketch once we hit june! 
The Design Blog: Material on the Design Blog has been nonxistent for at least a month, but I will pick up the pace once School slows down.
Thats it for now… thanks for checking in!
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