Why should you subscribe to the Quid Novi? e-letter? Well, to start with, it's free. All it costs is a little bit of time to fill out the on-line form. In addition to e-letter content delivered twice a month to your in-box, you also get a 33% discount on Spes Magna Games PDFs.
That's two reasons right there: It's free and you get a discount.
Read on for a few more.
Mark L. Chance | Spes Magna Games
Reason #3: Chance Encounters. Once a month, you get a brand new creature or NPC to inflict upon your players. Here's the Chance Encounter from Issue XV.
Jirou Shinobu
A squat humanoid bird in leather armor bursts from cover, ramming his quarterstaff into the caravan guard's midsection. He goes down with a grunt at the same time an emu rushes in from the other flank. Surely this is the tengu bandit you were hired to deal with!
CR 3; XP 800
Male "dwarf" tengu druid 4
NE Small humanoid (tengu)
Init +4; Senses low-light vision; Perception +11
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+2 armor, +4 Dex, +1 size, +1 shield)
hp 22 (4d8+4)
Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +9; +4 bonus against the spell-like/supernatural abilities of fey and spells/effects that target plants
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.; trackless step, woodland stride
Melee quarterstaff +5 (1d4), or
Melee quarterstaff +3/+3 (1d4) and bite -3 (1d2), or
Ranged sling +8 (1d3, 50 ft. range increment)
Special Attacks spontaneous casting, wild shape 1/day
Druid Spells per Day CL 4th; 4/4/3
Druid Spells Prepared (save DC 14 + spell level)
2nd - barkskin, bear's endurance, resist energy
1st - cure light wounds, longstrider, magic fang, shillelagh
0 - detect magic, flare, guidance, light
STATISTICS
Str 10, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 12
Base Atk +3; CMB +2; CMD 16
Feats Two-Weapon Defense, Two-Weapon Fighting
Skills Handle Animal +8 (+12 with animal companion), Knowledge (nature) +9, Linguistics +5, Perception +11, Ride +11, Spellcraft +4, Stealth +10, Survival +13; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception, +6 Stealth, +4 Linguistics
Languages Auran, Common, Druidic, Sylvan, Tengu
SQ gifted linguist, nature sense, swordtrained, wild empathy +5 (+9 with animal companion)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Gifted Linguist (Ex): Tengus gain a +4 racial bonus on Linguistics checks, and learn 2 languages each time they gain a rank in Linguistics rather than 1 language.
Swordtrained (Ex): Tengus are trained from birth in swordplay, and as a result are automatically proficient with sword-like weapons (including bastard swords, daggers, elven curve blades, falchions, greatswords, kukris, longswords, punching daggers, rapiers, scimitars, short swords, and two-bladed swords).
EQUIPMENT
NPC Gear (cloak of resistance +1, leather armor, masterwork darkwood quarterstaff, dagger, sling, pouch with 10 bullets, plus 50 gp)
Mitsuko, Emu Animal Companion
N Medium animal
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +9
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 22 (4d8+4)
Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +1; +4 morale bonus on Will saves vs. enchantment spells and effects, evasion
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 kicks +4 (1d4+1), or
Melee 2 kicks +3 (1d4+3, Power Attack)
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 4
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 17
Feats Endurance, Run (B), Power Attack
Skills Acrobatics +3 (+7 when jumping), Climb +5, Perception +9, Stealth +7; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception
SQ share spells
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Tricks: Mitsuko has been trained to attack, come, defend, down, fetch, guard, heel, and stay.
Jirou Shinobu has always been smaller than normal for a tengu. What he lacks in size, he makes up in cunning and ruthlessness. Jirou's peers soon learned to not cross him. The consequences for doing so might take a while to arrive, but they would arrive and with a vengeance. As a youth, Jirou found himself smitten with a tengu lass whose affections were directed toward another. Jirou sought to best this romantic rival, but found his efforts rebuffed. A summoned viper seriously injured the lass, and Jirou found himself on the run.
Since that day, Jirou has lived as a bandit. He assembled a vicious gang to assist him with his crimes. Currently, this gang includes Ryou and Kiyoshi, two tengu rogues; Jory Jowan, a redcap; and Andreas, a satyr. As a group, these bandits are approximately a CR 7 encounter (worth 3,000 XP).
Reason #4: Five-Room One-Shots. Once a month, you get a brief adventure summary to flesh out for use in your game. Here's the Five-Room One-Shot from Issue XV.
A Case of Mistaken Identities
So far, I've written Five-Room One-Shots inspired by poetry, comic books, and television shows. It's now time to tackle William Shakespeare, specifically the Bard's The Comedy of Errors.
Set-Up
This adventure works best set in a community in which the PCs have little to no experience. The conflict throughout the adventure is caused by a group of miscreants impersonating at least a few of the PCs. Work this out ahead of time based on your group's size, composition, level, et cetera. For example, a small group of four PCs is easier to impersonate via disguise than a larger group. A lower level party should be impersonated by disguise-happy rogues. A party with more experience might be impersonated by a band of doppelgangers.
Remember that exactness in the disguises isn't necessary. Unless your campaign world has some particularly modern conveniences, no one has ID cards. There aren't any closed circuit cameras to record people's looks. Up until very recently in human history, few people were recognizable to strangers. The ubiquitous nature of photography, television, the Internet, and the paparazzi have changed that today. In a more medieval time, however, it's not faces that were recognized but rather coats-of-arms and other such paraphenalia. A public figure traveling abroad was much more likely recognized by his manner of dress, his retinue, and his letters of introduction (marked with the appropriate sign).
Remember: The Black Knight wasn't unrecognizable just because of his full helm. He also covered his heraldric devices. Indeed, he'd likely have been able to show his face and still remain largely unknown as long as no one could see his blazon.
The PCs arrive in town tired and dusty from the trail near sunset. They see an attractive inn several yards from the gate. Their comedy of errors begins once they enter or draw near the inn. Most of the adventure takes place in the drinking hall of the Smiling Squirrel. Each "room" represents the introduction of new complications to the plot.
Room One: The Irate Innkeeper
The PCs enter the Smiling Squirrel Inn and Tavern. There is a healthy crowd inside, enjoying the food, drink, and conversation. It is obvious that many patrons are at least mildly intoxicated. The most striking patron is a male elf naked from the waist up holding the leash of a spider monkey that sits on the table eating fruit from a tray.
When the PCs enter, a serving wench notices them and quickly moves to the barkeep. There is a brief, whispered exchange. Observant PCs note that the wench's and bartender's eyes don't leave the PCs. The wench then rushes out of sight through a door behind the bar. She's heading to alert the authorities.
The impostors have only recently left the Smiling Squirrel without clearing a substantial tab for lodging, food, and drink. The barkeep is amazed that the PCs -- who she thinks are responsible for the unpaid bill -- have returned to the inn. After the wench leaves, the barkeep approaches the PCs. It doesn't take a Sense Motive check to notice she looks upset.
"So! You've come back to pay your bill, have you?"
There likely ensues an argument that will quickly attract the attenion of everyone in the inn. Gunvor Åsa, the barkeep, insists that the PCs lit out of the Smiling Squirrel that morning without paying their bill for the previous three days. The bill totals 75 gold pieces for lodging, food, and drinks. To add to the PCs' confusion, several patrons remember the PCs staying at the inn. They insist that the PCs lived like lords, bragging about their adventures, and buying drinks for the house.
Of course, Gunvor knows the PCs' names, since the impostors have been using them. Other personal details may or may not coincide as you see fit, but Gunvor remains adamant that the PCs owe her money. At some point, she mentions that the town watch has been sent for.
Room Two: The Outraged Father
During the argument between Gunvor and the PCs, an elderly man accompanied by liveried guards enters the inn. He espies the PCs and becomes quite agitated.
"How dare you show your faces around here again after what you've done?"
The outraged man is Roffe Torsten, a local important person of wealth and influence. He is father to Ebba and Eva, twin daughters of marriageable age who have been "ruined" by the lecherous scheming of at least one of the PCs (your choice). Of course, the PC is innocent, and the daughters' seduction is the fault of the impostors. The father demands satisfaction in the form of damages totalling 500 gold pieces to augment his daughters' dowries.
Ebba and Eva, frightened and shamed, wait outside the Smiling Squirrel with their mother Inger. If pressed, the girls enter the inn and tearfully identify the PC(s) responsible for their "condition". One inn patron remembers seeing the PC leaving the Torsten home late at night.
Room Three: The Long Arm of the Law
Once the new argument has gone on a sufficient time, Captain Otto Göstav arrives with a squad of men-at-arms. He quickly attempts to assert his authority and restore order to the scene. Threats of violence are met with stern warnings. He separates the different parties and starts to conduct his investigation, giving everyone their chance to have their say.
Otto is fair and thorough, but he must admit that the testimonial evidence against the PCs seems rather solid. Too many people identify one or more of the PCs. Even one of Otto's own men-at-arms recognizes one of the PCs from an incident in the marketplace. The PC was accused of attempted theft by a merchant. The man-at-arms intervened and let the PC go with a warning to behave.
As this "room" winds down toward Otto ordering the arrest of the PCs pending further investigation and appearance before the magistrate, a servant from Roffe's house bursts into the scene, huffing and puffing from racing from the marketplace to the Smiling Squirrel. Before he gets a good look at the PCs, he announces, "I just saw them miscreants in the marketplace!"
Of course, the servant's confusion mounts once he sees the PCs. After all, the miscreants can't be in two places at once, and there's no way they got to the inn faster than the servant did. Otto quickly orders the PCs, Roffe, Gunvor, and his men-at-arms to the marketplace.
Room Four: Confronting the Impostors
When the mob arrives at the marketplace, there are few other people present. The open-air stalls have been taken down for the night, and the surrounding shops are closed. Among the few pedestrians are the impostors, who are convincing doubles for the PCs. Roffe and Gunvor demand everyone be arrested. Otto orders the impostors to halt and surrender. The impostors quickly realize the jig is up and attempt to flee.
Here's the PCs' chance for some action. If the PCs attack the impostors, Otto lets them. No sense in putting his men or himself into harm's way as long as the situation doesn't get out of hand. If the PCs don't act, the impostors flee. Otto and his men pursue. Whether they catch the impostors is up to you, but I recommend they don't. It's bad form for PCs to just stand around while NPCs take care of problems.
Room Five: All's Well That Ends Well
Regardless of the outcome of the confrontation with the impostors, it's now obvious that the PCs are innocent of the charges. Roffe is sorry for accusing them. He offers to foot their bill at the Smiling Squirrel for the duration of their stay. Gunvor is also apologetic. She offers the PCs a keg of her finest ale to soften the sting of her accusations.
If the impostors have been captured, they admit to seeing the PCs in some other town and deciding that impersonating a group of adventurers would be a good way to live high on the hog without worrying about the consequences.
Reason #5: Making History. Once a month, Quid Novi? gets educational with a short historical essay that includes suggestions about using the events in your game. Here's the Making History feature from Issue XI.
Darius Conquers Babylon
It's time to return to Herodotus. I recently finished Book 3 of The History, which ends with a recounting of Darius conquering Babylon after the Babylonians revolted against that monarch's rule. For those of you who want to follow along at home, you can find the tale in The History 3.150-160.
The Babylonians knew that their revolt against Darius would be answered by Darius and his armies. Preparations for the inevitable siege were necessary. Babylon's walls were high and strong, and her various gates well-defended. The Babylonians were confident they could hold Darius at bay, but they needed to ensure their food supplies lasted for the duration of the siege. The Babylonians prepared for the siege during the disruptions caused by the Magian's rule and subsequent insurrection of the Seven that put Darius on the throne.
Once things calmed down after the Seven's insurrection, the Babylonian's revolt came to light. Consequently, the Babylonians put the next step of their plan into action. The mothers (presumably with their children) were sent away from the city; Herodotus doesn't say to where. Each man then gathered the other women of his household together and chose one to be the breadmaker. The men of Babylon then strangled all of the other women so that they wouldn't impinge of the food supply.
Darius arrived at Babylon with his armies to lay siege to the mighty city. Nineteen months passed without success. As powerful as Darius's armies were and as clever as Darius was, Babylon remained defiant. The Babylonians would even go atop the walls to dance and mock Darius. Herodotus reports one Babylonian's taunt: "Why do you sit around here, Persians? Why don't you take yourselves off? You will capture us when mules bear foals" (3.151). Of course, since mules are sterile, this was meant that the day of Babylon's fall would never come.
Twenty months after the siege began, Zopyrus, whose father Megabyzus had been one of the Seven, discovered the impossible had happened. One of his mules had a foal. After Zopyrus verified this prodigy, he remembered the Babylonian's taunt. Zopyrus believed that the man's taunt had actually been an oracle "spoken with God in it, and it was with God also that his own mule should have a foal" (3.153). What's more, Zopyrus considered himself as chosen by fate to be the agent by which Babylon would fall. Through this heroic act, he would secure a position of great honor within Persian society. The trick was come up with a way he could take the city.
Zopyrus decided that somehow he had to earn the Babylonians' trust. This could be accomplished by convincing them that he had deserted Darius, but he had to have a believeable story for why the son of one of the Seven would turn against his king. Zopyrus decided to horribly mutilate himself, and so "he cut off his nose and ears and shaved his hair to disfigure himself, and laid lashes on himself" with a whip (3.154). Zopyrus then presented himself and his plan to Darius.
Darius was shocked to see what had been done to Megabyzus's son. Zopyrus explained his plan to Darius in great detail, giving the king a precise timeline and series of actions to perform by which Zopyrus would gain so much prestige among the Babylonians that they would entrust him "with everything and, among everything, the keys to these gates" (3.155). The mutilated Zopyrus then staged his defection, presenting himself to Babylonian tower sentries. The guards brought Zophyrus before the Babylonian assembly where Zopyrus blamed his shameful disfigurement on Darius himself. Zopyrus claimed that he advised Darius to give up the siege of Babylon as hopeless, and that Darius had him mutilated as punishment. "He shall not, I tell you, get off unpunished after doing such as outrage on me," Zopyrus promised (3.156).
Faced with the evidence of Zopyrus's missing ears, nose, and whip-torn back, the Babylonians concluded that Zopyrus's story was true. They asked Zopyrus what he wanted, and Zopyrus asked for an army. The Babylonians gave it to him. Zopyrus then set about the next stage of his plan as explained to Darius.
Ten days after Zopyrus defected, Darius stationed an army of 1,000 poorly equipped soldiers near the Gate of Semiramis. Zopyrus charged from the city with his Babylonian army and slaughtered the thousand to the last man. This victory thrilled the Babylonians. A week later Darius sent 2,000 poorly armed soldiers to the Gate of the People of Nineveh. Again, Zopyrus and his Babylonian followers killed every one of the Persian soldiers. Praise for Zopyrus among the Babylonians was universal. Another twenty days passed, and Darius ordered 4,000 poorly armed soldiers to the Chaldean Gate. Once more, Zopyrus butchered Persian soldiers. The Babylonians were so delighted with Zopyrus that they made him commander-in-chief of the city.
As planned, Darius assaulted Babylon from all sides at once. While the Babylonians mounted the walls to defend their city, Zopyrus opened the Cissian and Belian Gates. Persian soldiers swarmed into the city. For the second time, Babylon fell to the Persians. Darius had the city's walls and gates pulled down. His soldiers impaled 3,000 Babylonian leaders upon Darius's order. As a show of clemency to the survivors, Darius turned the city back over the Babylonians and had 50,000 women taken from the surrounding countryside to replace the women strangled at the siege's beginning. "It is from these women that the present Babylonians spring," Herodotus notes (3.159).
For his heroic service, Zopyrus became the most honored man in Persia, excepting for Cyrus, the Persian ruler who first conquered Babylon. Among other rewards, Darius made Zopyrus Babylon's ruler for the remainder of his life with full tax exempt status.
Plot Hooks
How would your players and their PCs handle a siege? If members of the attacking army, could they come up with a plan worthy of Zopyrus to help their king succeed? If allied with the defenders, could they detect the presence of a traitor and help defeat their would be conqueror?
Bibliography
Herodotus. The History. Translated by David Grene. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1987.