speed and defense. It can also climb walls and ceilings at no penalty to its speed.
take Control stunt: For 4 SP, the monster can jump and attach itself to its target’s head. The victim may make an opposed dexterity (aCrobatiCs) test vs. the crown’s Fighting
(Claws) test to duck out of the way; otherwise they are completely under the eldritch crown’s control as described below. A prone character suffers a –2 penalty to this test. If the target is wearing a helmet, the monster must first use a Disarm stunt to remove it. The monster may also take control of a sleeping or otherwise helpless victim as a major action with no stunt points and no test. A character possessed in this manner suffers a –1 to tests required to break free of the monster’s control. A character who puts on the crown of his own volition suffers a –2 to these test. This is by far its preferred means of attack. While the monster is attached to its victim, any damage it receives is split between them both, with the monster taking extra damage in the case of odd numbers.
While under control, the victim may attempt an opposed
WillPoWer (selF-disCiPline) test at the beginning of each of
his turns. If successful, he has control of his own actions until the beginning of his next turn. Otherwise, the monster has complete control of his actions. The monster can be removed with a major action and an opposed strenGth
(miGht) test. However, the act of ripping the monster free
causes 3d6 penetrating damage to the victim as the grip- ping tentacles rend their flesh. Killing or incapacitating the monster immediately frees the victim.
and waging war on his weakest neighbors. He has estranged himself from his family, and his wife has not been seen in weeks. When his most trusted advisor asked her where- abouts, he was drawn and quartered “for sullying her good name.” None have asked after her since. The people are begging for someone to free them from this new brutal rule. Hopefully that someone will find a way to remove the man’s crown before removing his head.
a traitor among us
An eldritch crown has its heart set on a life of adventure! Not that it actually has a heart, but that’s okay, because it found some goblins in need of leadership. Having taken control of the beefiest of the bunch, a goblin by the name of Gorflark, it has set its new goblin minions on the task of causing just enough ruckus in the nearby towns that surely the locals will hire a band of adventurers to put a stop to their mischief. Gorflark, under the crown’s control, now waits patiently for such adventurers to bring about her death and claim her accursed crown for themselves. Once one of the adventurers
eldritch crown
abilities (FoCuses) 2 aCCuraCy 0 CommuniCation (diSguiSe) 1 Constitution 3 dexterity (Stealth) 2 FiGhtinG (ClawS) 2 intelliGenCe 2 PerCePtion2 strenGth (Jumping, might)
5 WillPoWer (SelF-diSCipline)
sPeed health deFense armor ratinG
15 40 15 3
WeaPon attaCk roll damaGe
ClawS +4 1d6+1
sPeCial Qualities
Favored stunts: Disarm (1 SP), Knock Prone, Take Control (4 SP)
armored: The tough hide of this creature provides a natural armor of 3.
hidinG in Plain siGht: When motionless, the monster appears to be a magical item. A character making a tn 12
intelliGenCe (arCane lore) test sees the item as providing
a +2 bonus to an ability of the GM’s choice (a bonus it does actually provide). Only a degree of success of 6 or better reveals the item’s true nature. Any CommuniCation
(disGuise) attempts by the monster to appear as a normal
head ornament gain a +2 circumstance bonus.
dons the crown, it hopes to keep its true nature hidden for as long as possible, gently guiding the wearer toward whatever path seems the most fun… and the most dangerous.
This is an excellent way to use the craftier variant described previously.
t
hreat: m
ajor45
eldritch crown -
m
any scholars argue that earth, fire, air, and water are the four immutable building blocks of the universe. Wood, for example, is made of the earth, but burn it and it gives off fire and smoke of the air, and many trees contain water in the form of sap. Living creatures are often made of the earth of the ground, breathe the air, give off heat like a fire, and their blood is a form of the waters. It is the combination of these things that create and sustain the universe. Under this theory of creation, each thing is some combination of these core elements and mastery of these elements is a source of great power.In the same way that most living creatures are formed of a mixture of these elements, there are some that hold in a stronger fashion to just one or two of the elements and exemplify their extremes to a greater degree. These “elemen- tals” are powerful creatures, able to control the very state of
nature to change the environment around them in order to suit their own needs.
Elementals appear as churning, constantly moving shapes of their matching element. Air elementals may appear as small cyclones formed of dust and trapped wisps of smoke, whereas fire elementals may appear as beings of pure heat and energy, constantly burning their surroundings. Earth elementals are the most static, being formed mostly of rock and having a squat humanoid shape. Water elementals are mostly tentacles of viscous liquid, but can collapse into a watery form at any time. Some more powerful or intelligent elementals may take humanoid or animal forms composed of their core elements, but these are still quite obviously not flesh and blood beings, but those composed of fire, air, earth, and water.
It is unknown exactly where elementals originated. Knowl- edgeable minds have scoured ancient tomes for reference to
the creation of such beings, and studied what few captured samples they have, but all that can be discerned is that they are living, they are non-intelligent, and that they react violently if removed from their associated medium.
Multiple theories persist regarding the origins of elementals. Scholars either assign blame to mages’ spells going awry and creating a life force of their own in locations of wild magical energy, or of portals to other-
worldly locations where elementals are as common as birds and animals are in the natural realm. Some
speak of all-powerful “alpha” elementals, creating elementals as carvings from itself, while still others speak to them being leftovers from the creation of the universe, like flecks of dough left in the bowl after making a pie. Other scholars refrain from postulating on such things, instead focusing on the fact that regardless of their creation, their existence suggests that the raw power of the universe can be contained and, like any
other creature, yoked or controlled with the right stimuli.
Elementals are inherently wild and unrestrained. As natural beings of pure force composed of the building blocks of the world, it is not possible to change their nature. Magic items, or powerful enchantments may allow a mage of sufficient power or skill to command or control an elemental, but there is always a danger the elemental will break free if held too weakly or too long.
It is important to note while some elementals can be destructive, volatile, and even brutish, they are not inherently evil. However, as creatures composed of a single element, they are deliberately unbalanced in ways that can seem wicked or mali-
cious to mortals. For example, a fire elemental lives to burn, and should its fire destroy a village or kill a living being many might consider the elemental to be committing
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- elementals
evil acts. However, to the elemental, it is simply following its nature. This doesn’t mean elementals cannot become evil as mortals understand it—a corrupted or embittered elemental could learn to delight in suffering and pain. They just don’t start out that way; something significant must occur for them to turn to this path.
Elementals are often found in locations attuned to the element they are associated with, so a water elemental may be found in a lake or on the sea, whereas a fire elemental would emerge from a burning forest (although whether it started the fire or is created from it may be up for debate). Earth elementals are often found underground, near cave entrances, or emerging from quarries and mines, and air elementals have been found high on mountaintops or seen passing through the skies.