Showing posts with label Algol Men. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Algol Men. Show all posts

Thursday, May 20, 2010

R. Ruddock's Art Blog & A Boat-Load of Algol Artwork

Presented below are several illustrations by the talented R. Ruddock for the forthcoming Planet Algol booklet; please check out his blog Fantasy Obscure for higher resolution versions as well as more artwork. As an aside, I'm very pleased to be close to finalizing an arrangement with another very talented and appropriate artist for Planet Algol 1.

The Planet Algol playtest team approaches The Fane of St. Toad


A Khoolvi Fighting-Woman with her quident.

A Mhoght Fighting-Man.



Fighting-Woman wearing a Destier.

Agogi Man couple, perhaps a husband-and-wife adventuring team?



A Vlesh Man couple. They definitely would not be down with punk rock.


The albino bird-things of the Bornite Mountains. I particularly dig the old-tymey vibe of this illo!


Saturday, May 8, 2010

Urdchatkil Men (Headless Men) & Sphigix PCs

URDCHATKIL MEN
Urdchatkil Men are dark blue or purple skinned, have a stout torso, and lack a neck or head. Instead they possess two widely spaced large black eyes in their chest above their nipples, a broad flattened nose on the sternum, and a wide mouth on their stomach above the navel. Their ears are two small holes located on the right and left side of their chest.

Due to the placement of the sensory organs Urdchatkil Men are surprised on a 1-3 on a d6. They are immune to decapitation and strangulation, and attacks involving burrowing into, consuming or extracting that brain take twice as long due to it's placement in the center of the body mass.


SPHIGIX
Ability Score Requirements: strength 9, dexterity 9, constitution 9, maximum charisma 9
Allowed Classes: Assassin (up to 12th level) or Fighter (up to 12th level)
Special Abilities: can can attempt a bite attack for 1-4 points of damage in lieu of other attacks

Sunday, February 14, 2010

The Standard Social Structure of Algol Humankind

Although this is by no means standard across the planet, the below describes a rough sketch of the usual structure of Algol's traditional Lawfully-aligned Human civilizations.

Slaves
Slavery is endemic to Algol society and slaves are marked by their collar that combine the design of a gorget and neck rings in hardened metals.

Freemen
Those without clan, guild or noble ties. Landless wanderers such as nomads and adventurers. Usually distrusted or even despised by settled men.

Clansmen
Extended families with hereditary ties to their region. They usually pay tribute to an Armiger, Oligarch or Baron, although rare independent tribes some are led by their own Warlords.

Guilders
Insular, highly skilled mercantile, trade or mercenary societies, given relative independence and sanction due to the value of their expertise or secret knowledge. Their leaders are known as Syndics.

Armigers
Aristocrat-warriors of the lower noble castes, organized in families known as Houses. They wear suits of hereditary magical or advanced technological armor in battle and serve as officers. Armigers pay tribute to and follow hereditary liege Barons.

Hierarchs
Hierarchs are a caste similar to the Armigers, but are non-noble ascetics that serve the Temples of the Lords of Light and enforce their laws. Some are warriors, others are sages, sorcerers or even assassins or mind wizards due to the inclinations of their particular sect. Their leaders are known as Hierophants. They are given sanction by the nobility due to their traditional role in Lawful civilization and their value to society. They can be great rivalry between Armiger Houses and Hierarch Sects.

Oligarchs
The heads of powerful wealthy extended families, Oligarchs are granted title and sanction by the nobles in return for exchange for handling matters unworthy of the noble warrior castes. Oligarchs are often resented by Armigers and snubbed by Barons. Although they do not have teh full sanction to kill that the noble warrior classes do, usually a blind eye is turned to their fighting-men, who are known as Bravos and have a reputation for dishonorable killing.

Hierophants
The leaders of Hierarch Sects who are accorded a semi-noble status by the aristocratic castes in regard for their spiritual and worldly value.

Barons
The middling noble caste who have dominion over a settlement or region. One of non-noble heritage who attains equivalent power is usually called a Warlord. Similar to Armigers, Barons pay tribute to and pay service to a liege Archon.

Archon
The upper noble caste who usually rule a large city or an expanse of valuable territory. A non-noble personage of equivalent might is usually known as a Tyrant. Usually Archons pay tribute, of a sort, to The Autarch although often they pay tribute to an Archon or Exarch of superior might.

Exarch
An Exarch is similar to an Archon but are of a higher caste that rule larger, more civilized territories. Exarchs are typically arrogant in their dealings with lower castes.

Autarch
Ostensibly the supreme master of Planet Algol, the Autarch pay tribute to none is sovereign of all. In actuality there has been multiple Archons in past ages, sometimes bitter rivals other times unaware of each other due to vast distances. Ostensibly all nobles pay tribute to The Archon, but it has unknown who or where the legitimate Archon is for ages. It is known there is one known as the Emerald Archon located a vast distance eastwards, but almost nothing is known of it.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Wilderness Encounters, Men - Planet Algol Style, Part 1

Bandits - Bands of criminals, robbers, highwaymen, and so forth. Although they live an outlaw life, and may dress the part, bandits can and often do interact with "civilized" society. They may sell their loot to a rich merchant; they may buy supplies from a sympathetic settlement; many bandits have a woman and children in a settlement that they support with their ill gotten gains. Bandits are generally neutral or evil, being motivated by selfishness or necessity, although there are examples of lawful bandits (partisans) and even good-aligned bandits (Rocket Robin Hood). Excessively evil bandit-types, especially those of chaotic evil alignment, generally fall under the category of Raiders. Bandits are generally 0-level fighting men equipped with leather armor (in order to facilitate speedy getaways), although mounted bandits may wear mail as long as it doesn't unduly slow their steed. There may also be several 1st-level thieves in a gang of bandits.

Cultists - Religious fanatics that keep their faith and their practices secret, usually by masquerading as some other type of Man or operating far, far away from civilization and any prying eyes. They are usually based out of a stronghold, but nomadic bands of cultists do exist. Cultists are generally neutral, evil or chaotic. Lawful and good Cultists are usually some sort of secret society performing some protective function; therefore they are very, very rare in the venal, grasping, decadent world of Planet Algol. Their leaders are almost always some variety of Sorcerer, Sage or Mind Wizard, although Assassins are far from unknown in that role.

Raiders - Bands of murderers that thrive on slaughter, destruction, and rapine. Prone to cannibalism, foulness, and acts of a bestial nature. Many practice scarification and they are generally clad in ugly, harsh, filthy garb and grisly trophies, although some drape themselves in garish, outrageous finery instead of the former or as well. Almost always chaotic evil in alignment, many are demon worshipers or worse. Raiders are differentiated from Bandits by the viciousness and foulness of their actions; Bandits prefer letting their prey go free in order to rob them later, Raiders prefer the ecstasy that slaughter brings them. Raiders often consort with evil nonhumans, usually as either allies or servants.

Savages - Hunter-gatherers of low (generally stone-age) technological prowess with a tribal society. The character and culture of different tribes of savages can vary wildly. One savage tribe could be chaotic cave-dwelling wretches that feed on raw vermin, attack with jagged rocks, and do not possess fire; another could be a lawful sophisticated, society of artistically talented cannibals with a rich culture. Savages are generally unarmored and usually attack with clubs and spears, although this can vary wildly as well. Due to their rigorous environment savages usually fight as 1 hit die monsters instead of 0-level humans.

Zealots - Warrior fraternities of religious fanatics, usually dedicated to the Lords of Light as chaotic fanatics are usually Cultists or Raiders, although exceptions do occur. Zealots usually live in nomadic bands or dwell in a temples or monasteries, although some serve as followers for particularly religious powerful lords and the type. Zealots are typically either draped in garish devotional ornaments or clad in severe, simple garb depending on the inclinations of the particular sect.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Races of Algol Men

"...Algol is much older than Earth, and has had life and intelligent inhabitants for far longer....Over the millennia in the weird environments of Algol many of those species have developed along strange evolutionary paths as well and there are many different races of man that are, despite being wholly human, are radically different in appearance to Earth men, possessing strange coloration or features such as crests, webbed digits, scaled skin, or other such things strange to our earth sensibilities..."

Note that although the racial names below are the proper nomenclature, it is common to describe an Agog Man soley by their skin color, ie. an Agogi as a Pink Man, a Lhoyg as a Black and White Man, a Mhoght as a purple man, or a Zhaxxi as a Silver Man. Earth Men are immediately recognizable as a foreign race by Algol natives and are referred to as Earth Men regardless of their skin colour. Among the upper and learned classes the usuage of skin color as a descriptor is considered vulgar and the proper racial name is used instead, aside from Earth Men.

Agogi Men
Pink skin.
Most are hairless.
Thin, fine silver or white hair.
White or pink eyes.

Angalla Men
Nut brown to mahogany skin
Glossy wavy black hair.
Men have thick, lustrous facial hair.
Black or brown eyes.

Azgukh Men
Blue-green skin with purple stripes like that of a tiger.
Inky dark green to dark purple hair.
Gold eyes.

Barshi Men
Black, glossy skin.
Black, straight or wavy glossy hair.
Black, gray or gold eyes

Bone Men
Transparent flesh, like very clear glass, only the skeleton is visible.
Hairless.
Transparent eyes.

Dhazzhi Men
Bronze skin
Black, inky blue, dark metallic green or silver hair.
Gold or bronze eyes.

Gresh Men
Lemon yellow skin.
Hairless.
Yellow, green or brown eyes.

Haasht Men
Jade-toned, finely scaled skin.
Men have crests of lavender to blue-green scales instead of hair.
Women have wavy hair that are the same colours as the men's crests.
Iridescent bronze or copper eyes.

Hyperborean Men
Ashen white skin.
Silvery to gray hair.
Gray, white or yellow eyes.

Jhagkhi Men
Dull gray skin.
Shark-like fin on head instead of hair.
White to light gray eyes.

Kherulhi Men
Sky blue glossy skin.
Completely hairless.
Black eyes

Khoolvi Men
Orange skin with dark-brown or black tiger stripes, like that of a tiger.
Black, brown or coppery straight to bushy hair.
Copper eyes.

Lhovhami Men
Scarlet to vermilion glossy skin
Black, straight, glossy hair.
Black or dark brown eyes.

Lhoyg Men
Black and white skin in a piebald pattern.
Hairless.
Black or white eyes, having two different colored eyes is very common.

Mhoght Men
Purple, finely scaled skin.
Bushy or woolly black hair.
Men have bristling facial hair and broad, heavy facial features.
Black eyes.

Morheeg Men
Orange and yellow mottled skin.
Black, straight glossy hair.
Black eyes.

Nire Witches
Ivory skin.
Black, long, straight hair.
Blue, gray or yellow eyes.
The Nire race is entirely composed of women.

Ohlvidhi Men
Golden skin.
Coppery, bronze or brassy curly to bushy hair.
Yellow eyes.

Shuzakh Men
Black, glossy skin with red to orange stripes or spots.
Hairless.
Black eyes.

Tikalg Men
Pale gray, downy skin.
White crest of long, curling feathers instead of hair.
Yellow eyes.

Vhaashti Men
Violet to indigo skin.
Black, straight hair with iridescent highlights.
Iridescent green or blue-green eyes.

Viisstri Men
Gray skin.
Gray to black lank hair.
White, gray or yellow eyes.

Vlesh Men
Light to Dark green skin.
Ribbed crest like that of a dimetrodon instead of hair.
Yellow eyes.

Zhermish Men
Bright green skin
Many men are hairless.
Yellow to green hair that is woolly to wavy.
Blue to green eyes.

Zhaghri Men
Pumpkin orange to amber skin
Curly black hair.
Women have ample posteriors.
Black eyes.

Zhaxxi Men
Silver skin.
Black, gray, silver or white hair.
Pink eyes.

Random Racial Determination Table (d30)
1 - Agog Man
2 - Angalla Man
3 - Azgukh Man
4
- Barshi Man
5
- Bone Man
6
- Dhazzhi Man
7
- Earth Man
8 - Gresh Man
9
- Haasht Man
10
- Hyperborean Man
11 - Jhagkhi Man
12
- Kherulhi Man
13
- Khoolvi Man
14
- Lhovhami Man
15
- Lhoyg Man
16
- Mhoght Man
17 - Morheeg Man
18
- Nire Witch
19
- Ohlvidhi Man
20 - Shuzakh Man
21 - Tikalg Man
22
- Vhaashti Man
23
- Viisstri Man
24 - Vlesh Man
25
- Zhermish Man
26
- Zhaghri Man
27
- Zhaxxi Man
28-30 - Nonhuman or reroll