A Simple Halloween

[Kheten]

My first submission for Basic Fantasy is a small collection of Halloween-inspired monsters, magic items, a spell, and a new religious cult.

Since I don't have a gaming group, I don't know how well these things handle in game, so I am curious to how it all plays. Especially how I handled the clerics of the new religion. What I have there is a basic idea how I want to make a cleric's faith more then a background detail.

As this is also my firs submission under the OGL, I'm concerned if I followed it correctly.

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Release 3 (Oct. 6, 2015)

Added -- New Religion: The Grey Lady Disciples.
Added -- Cleric Sub-classes: Grave keeper, Hunter of the dead.
Added -- New Spells.
-- Circle of healing* (Clr 6)
-- Consecrate* (Clr 3)
-- Death ward (Clr 4)
-- Death watch (Clr 1)
-- Disrupt undead* (Clr 1, MU 1)
-- Disrupting weapon (Clr 4)
-- Divine favor (Clr 2)
-- Enchant weapon* (Clr 2, MU 2)
-- Gentle repose (Clr 1)
-- Hide from undead 9Clr 2)
-- Locate creature* (Clr 5, MU 4)
-- Repulsion (Clr 6, MU 6)
-- Sanctuary (Clr 2)
-- Searing light (Clr 2)
-- Undeath to death (Clr 6)
Added -- Grey Lady Spell List.
Added -- Magic items: Bountiful seeds, Cloak of the bat, Cloak of the bat (greater), Haversack of bountiful harvest, Monk's handwraps.

[shadowmane]

Nice Supplement. Very good seed for a Halloween gaming session. I like it.

That being said, I do have a few things on my "constructive criticism" list.

Cult of Living Pumpkin should be changed to Cult of the Living Pumpkin

In the Living Scarecrow section, you state the following: Whoever created the Living Scarecrow will become the scarecrow's master and will obey its comands. Did you mean to say that the scarecrow will obey the master's commands, or is the cleric really becoming a thrall of his own creation?

In the Pumpkin Candy section, you name the diety the Grand Pumpkin instead of the Living Pumpkin.

The following from the Dread Scarecrow entry needs a little explanation: Use the “8” figure to determine if whether a Dread Scarecrow decides to flee from combat if it is outmatched or outnumbered.

From the Dread Horseman section; why would a Dread Horseman save as a fighter if he is a cleric?

Some minor editing and proof-reading should be done to touch up some of the spelling and grammar.

One more thing. In the licencing section, you name the supplement "A Basic Halloween". That gets me to thinking. I can see where you were going with this in using that name, and I wonder if that's what the name was when you started working on the supplement. Perhaps the title "A Basic Fantasy Halloween" could be used? Dunno, I'm just throwing something out there.

That was just my questions and observations. I really love what you've put together here. It provides fuel for the imagination.

[SmootRK]

What a wonderful first supplement!! I scanned through it, liking it very much.

I think your clerics get a bit too much extra. I would drop most of that. Instead perhaps think in terms of alternate and additional unique spell choices to make these characters more unique. This would keep them in line with other clerics (and other characters) while still giving them some uniqueness.
For example, the Necromancer (downloads section) is largely just the same as standard magic users with just an alternate spell list that I tried to include a great variety of additional unique spells (and a few spells that work to greater effect when cast by a Necromancer).

That said, the other additional material (items, monsters, etc) all have wonderful potential, though I did not dig in too deeply to evaluate balance, power level, etc. Thematically, I like them.

[chiisu81]

Why release 0 instead of 1? Are you a programmer?

Formatting looks fantastic, what a great first release!

[SmootRK]

Your supplement has sparked a little piece of my imagination. I can envision a sort-of new pantheon to use in my games that has elements from the basic holidays of the year. While these all a basic premise in our real holiday elements... I would take every opportunity to make them as different as I could too.

Great Pumpkin (Living Pumpkin, etc.)

Harvest Lord - (ie Thanksgiving). Agriculture/Farmer/Rancher sort of aspects. Personally I would give him a basic Amish or early American Pilgrim sort of look.

Nicolas the Merry - (ie Santa) patron of giving, charity, children, etc. Personally I would go for the European green-clad Father Christmas style.
I would also try to incorporate the Black Peter (Peitre?) anti-aspect that shows in a few cultures. Perhaps brother of Nicolas who punishes the 'bad children"

??Name - a Cupid sort of Love, couples, etc. aspect.

of course a Leprecahn aspect for Spring, merriment, etc.

Others will likely need to be present, but my time is up this morning, and I am off to work... booo

[LibraryLass]

Haven't we already got a scarecrow monster somewhere or other?

This is cool, anyway.

[shadowmane]

I rather like the living scarecrows in this supplement. Kind of puts me in mind of L. Frank Baum's character Jack Pumpkinhead. He was brought to life by a magic spell.

[Dimirag]

Nice supplement! I agree with Smoot, the clerics need atone down, maybe limiting them to leather armor, not being able to turn undead. I don't give the clerics extra free spells, I let them "convert" any prepared spell into one special spell on the fly and prohibit form casting some spells.

[Kheten]

Thanks for the quick replies. Let's see if I can provide some answers.

In the Living Scarecrow section, you state the following: Whoever created the Living Scarecrow will become the scarecrow's master and will obey its comands. Did you mean to say that the scarecrow will obey the master's commands, or is the cleric really becoming a thrall of his own creation?

Certainly not. What I was trying to say was that whoever places the living pumpkin onto the scarecrow will become the scarecrow's master.

One more thing. In the licencing section, you name the supplement "A Basic Halloween". That gets me to thinking. I can see where you were going with this in using that name, and I wonder if that's what the name was when you started working on the supplement. Perhaps the title "A Basic Fantasy Halloween" could be used? Dunno, I'm just throwing something out there.

For the longest time I did have it as "A Basic Halloween" but before I posted it I decided to change it because I didn't know if it was okay to use the Basic in the title and decided against it.

The following from the Dread Scarecrow entry needs a little explanation: Use the “8” figure to determine if whether a Dread Scarecrow decides to flee from combat if it is outmatched or outnumbered.

The idea is that the dread scarecrow is immune to fear but will not fight to the death if outmatched or outnumbered, which the 8 represents. It is the same idea as described under the djinni.

From the Dread Horseman section; why would a Dread Horseman save as a fighter if he is a cleric?

Because it isn't really a cleric, just a warrior-type with minor clerical spellcasting ability. I guess I should tone down the saves a bit to compensate for their spellcasting. Perhaps to "Fighter: 4 to 6"? Honestly, I'm a bit puzzled on how to balance monsters in BF. Might have to sit down and read it again.

I think your clerics get a bit too much extra. I would drop most of that. Instead perhaps think in terms of alternate and additional unique spell choices to make these characters more unique. This would keep them in line with other clerics (and other characters) while still giving them some uniqueness.
For example, the Necromancer (downloads section) is largely just the same as standard magic users with just an alternate spell list that I tried to include a great variety of additional unique spells (and a few spells that work to greater effect when cast by a Necromancer).

Read it over again and I see what you mean. Guess at the time I didn't really think it over too much before moving on to the next thing.
I'm not fond of having a spell list for every new spellcasting class. Having a new list for a class like the necromancer is fine, but not for these clerics. They seem to close to how I imagine the cleric class is now that I don't think a new list is needed. That or I can't think of any new spells for them.
Though as I'm writing this, I'm beginning to see them also functioning as some sort of monster hunter that protects their communities. Maybe not with class abilities but with specialized spells. Must ponder on this some more.

Nice supplement! I agree with Smoot, the clerics need atone down, maybe limiting them to leather armor, not being able to turn undead. I don't give the clerics extra free spells, I let them "convert" any prepared spell into one special spell on the fly and prohibit form casting some spells.

Are you describing the domain spells of the cleric class in the D20 System? If so, I thought about going that route, but didn't know if the BF community would like it.
Good idea on leather armor, seems to fit better with the image I have of them. Plus I can't imagine chain mail is readily available in such small farming communities.

Why release 0 instead of 1? Are you a programmer?

Nope. Just kinda following what I've seen others here do. I also kinda got accustomed to doing it that way ever since I started writing stuff BF.

Haven't we already got a scarecrow monster somewhere or other?

While writing this I didn't look at other monster supplements much as I was having to much fun writing, but I think you are right. I swear I did see another scarecrow monster somewhere and got kinda bummed about it already being written, but I can't seem to remember where I saw it.

[Dimirag]

Are you describing the domain spells of the cleric class in the D20 System? If so, I thought about going that route, but didn't know if the BF community would like it.

I don' use domain spells nor spheres, too restrictive to me, I just choose the spells based on what gods are in the game and set them as "special spells" than can be casted by sacrificing a prepared spell of equal level.