Creatures of the Dying Earth

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

I read The Compleat Dying Earth some time ago and obviously loved it- especially the creatures. Has anyone found/made stats or illustrations of visps, hoons, and the like?

[Mofte]

Well there is the Dying Earth RPG, it got books for creatures and demons. You can get them over at DriveThruRPG.

I don't know if the stats are convertibel to DCC RPG.

[Raven_Crowking]

Anything can be converted.

[Mofte]

Anything can be converted.

True. I should've added "easily"

[catseye yellow]

i might go for a deodant class for dcc. it seems i have a soft spot for cannibalistic racial builds.

[catseye yellow]

also, another question for forumites:

how would you vance-ify dcc? it is obvious that vance is strong influence on dcc (not as strong as lieber and moorcock but strong) but it seems that his prose (and especially (anti)heroes populating it) is the least suited to be emulated by dcc rules as they are. or am i erring on the side of fidelity?

i would probably allow only two classes: wizard and rogues. also, maybe i would ditch corruption and taint and replace invoke patron and patron bond with some sandestin stuff. maybe even try to adapt old sha'ir rules for genies to dcc. something like that.

[Raven_Crowking]

Anything can be converted.

True. I should've added "easily"

I don't own the Dying Earth rpg, so I can't do direct conversions for you. However, I would imagine that statting out creatures from Vance isn't too difficult. If I get some free time, I might stat one or three and post them to my blog. If I do so, I will include a link here.

how would you vance-ify dcc? it is obvious that vance is strong influence on dcc (not as strong as lieber and moorcock but strong) but it seems that his prose (and especially (anti)heroes populating it) is the least suited to be emulated by dcc rules as they are. or am i erring on the side of fidelity?

i would probably allow only two classes: wizard and rogues. also, maybe i would ditch corruption and taint and replace invoke patron and patron bond with some sandestin stuff. maybe even try to adapt old sha'ir rules for genies to dcc. something like that.

In the future of The Dying Earth, the known spells of DCC's heyday have been forgotten, but you can impress upon your mind a single spell check result. The total spell check result you can hold in memory is a function of your Wizard level, your Intelligence, and the spell level, as follows:

You can hold in your mind spell check results equal to your Intelligence score times your Wizard level. If a spell is over 1st level, it costs an additional 5 points per spell level over 1. Thus, a 5th level spell cast at a 20 result would cost 40 points. Learning spells initially works as normal in DCC. Impressing a spell result on your mind takes 1 hour per spell level, and requires an Intelligence check (1d20 + Int mod + Wizard level) vs DC 10 + spell level. If you fail, you can start again.

Mercurial magic and manifestation are determined for each version of a spell, and affects anyone who learns/uses that version in the same way. The spell version, with its accompanying mercurial magic and manifestation, create a unique, named, version of a spell.

Potential patrons have long ago dismissed the dying Earth, so both patron bond and invoke patron cannot be successfully cast (unless the judge chooses to create an exception as part of an adventure).

Sandestin stuff would have to be developed.

[catseye yellow]

it seems a little bit too complicated even if true to the setting.

[Raven_Crowking]

it seems a little bit too complicated even if true to the setting.

It would be less complicated in play, where you would simply note something along the lines of: Phandal's Wolf Call, Animal Summoning 13-14 result, MM 19 auditory feedback (loud "wolf whistle"), man. animal erupts from ground fully formed, p. 129, 12 points.

Another example: Catseye's Wave of Mud and Ashes, Transmute Earth 18-19 result, MM 74 tide of ash 40' (4d14), man. earth rumbles at the caster's feet, p. 244, 33 points.

Since the judge can easily control what spells are available, by placing them to be won/stolen/found, the system would effectively be very similar to that of AD&D 1e or Holmes Basic. There would be a little more thought required for the wizard PC, because of the points.

I don't think that this is necessary, mind you, but if you wanted to "Vance up" the magic system, it would certainly work. In games I have run, players have renamed spells for their PCs based on the manifestation and mercurial magic result.

[catseye yellow]

it seems a little bit too complicated even if true to the setting.

It would be less complicated in play, where you would simply note something along the lines of: Phandal's Wolf Call, Animal Summoning 13-14 result, MM 19 auditory feedback (loud "wolf whistle"), man. animal erupts from ground fully formed, p. 129, 12 points.

Another example: Catseye's Wave of Mud and Ashes, Transmute Earth 18-19 result, MM 74 tide of ash 40' (4d14), man. earth rumbles at the caster's feet, p. 244, 33 points.

Since the judge can easily control what spells are available, by placing them to be won/stolen/found, the system would effectively be very similar to that of AD&D 1e or Holmes Basic. There would be a little more thought required for the wizard PC, because of the points.

I don't think that this is necessary, mind you, but if you wanted to "Vance up" the magic system, it would certainly work. In games I have run, players have renamed spells for their PCs based on the manifestation and mercurial magic result.

now i get it. it would actually speed up the play but beef up prep. i like it as vance alternative.

[Fenris Ulfhamr]

Hail and well met, denizens of the dying Earth! I resurrect this thread via Senfir's Redoubtable Reambulation for the purpose of predisposing you to new evidence. Having scryed the preemptive texts of the Dying Earth set forth via Kickstarter, I still have need of descriptions if not illustrations of the more ubiquitous specimens like hoons, wheriots, and mermelants, if not their vital statistics. I fear being without ample description when the moment of their appearance may arise.