Cleric of the Black Grip

This is written for the "Zak Hack"--the old school 5e hack I play in my home game.

The Black Grip, a spooky death cult, is derived (by the player who first used it) from the Black Hand faction in the old (and very cool) TSR boardgame Divine Right.

It is basically a necromancer/cleric class.

This class is written in the cheat-sheet style I use for my new players so they don't have to immediately learn a lotta D&D-specific rules and terms. Skills and background as normal.

CLERIC OF THE BLACK GRIP

Roll d8 for hit points every time you level up (add your Constitution bonus if any)

Lvl 1 –0xp

-Bonus proficiencies in Medicine.

-Mindless undead of your level HD or less will not attack you if there is any other available target on your side.

-Add 2 first level spells

Lvl 2 –300xp

-Feign death 1/day.

-Add a first level spell

Lvl 3 –900xp

-Add one first level spell and two second-level spells

Lvl 4 –2700xp

-Add one second-level spell

Lvl 5 –6500xp

-Add two 3rd level spells

-Add +1 to:

Skills that you have bubbled in

Shooting/throwing bonus

Close Combat bonus

Wisdom Save

Intelligence Save

Save number vs your magic

Magic attack bonus

Lvl 6 –14,000xp

-Undead must make a Wis save (your Wis is DC) to harm you.

-Add one third-level spell

Lvl 7 –23,000xp

-Add one 4th level spell

Lvl 8 –34,000xp

-Control HD of undead=Wisdom mod.

-Add one 4th level spell

Lvl 9 –48,000xp

-Add one 4th and one 5th level spell

-Add +1 to:

Skills that you have bubbled in

Shooting/throwing bonus

Close Combat bonus

Wisdom Save

Intelligence Save

Save number vs your magic

Magic attack bonus

Lvl 10 –64,000xp

-Add one 5th and two 4th level spells

Lvl 11 –85,000xp

-Add one 6th level spell

Lvl 12 –100,000xp

-Raise any ability scores by 4 points total

Lvl 13 –120,000xp

-Add one 7th level spell

-Add +1 to:

Skills that you have bubbled in

Shooting/throwing bonus

Close Combat bonus

Wisdom Save

Intelligence Save

Save number vs your magic

Magic attack bonus

Lvl 14 –140,000xp

-Bonus necromantic spell of any level you can cast (from any spell list)

Lvl 15 –165,000xp

-Add one 7th level spell

Lvl 16 —195,000xp

-Raise any ability scores by 4 points total

Lvl 17–225,000xp

-Reflects all radiant damage, half damage from sound atks.

-Add +1 to:

Skills that you have bubbled in

Shooting/throwing bonus

Close Combat bonus

Wisdom Save

Intelligence Save

Save number vs your magic

Magic attack bonus

Lvl 18 –265,000xp

--Add one 5th level spell

Lvl 19 –305,000xp

-Immune to level drain and advantage vs any necrotic damage.

--Add one 6th level spell

Lvl 20 –355,000xp

-Bonus radiant, sonic, or illusion spell of any level you can cast (from any spell list).

--Add one 7th level spell

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Spells—(All are the old school LotfP versions unless otherwise noted) SPELL LEVEL 1 Attract undead—Undead in the area move toward a target you touch and try to kill it Bless—Give anyone d6+level extra points to add or subtract from any die roll (except damage or hit point rolls). Last 24 hours. Cause Fear—Touch someone and they’re afraid of you if they fail a save. Command—Give a one word command to someone they have to follow if they fail a save Cause Light Wounds—Touch someone and cause d6+level hit points damage to them OR remove one harmful condition (like Paralysis, etc) Cure Light Wounds—Touch someone and heal d6+level hit points Detect Evil/Good—Detect supernaturally intense good or evil Invisibility to Undead—Undead can’t see you Protection from Evil/Good—Supernaturally evil or good creatures must roll twice and pick the lowest to hurt you and you roll twice & pick the highest to save vs them Purify Food and Drink—Make food or drink pure Putrefy Food and Drink—Spoil food and drink Remove Fear—Touch someone and they stop being afraid Sanctuary—No-one can attack you unless they roll a save. You have to not attack them. Speak to Dead—10 minutes Turn Undead—Make undead flee SPELL LEVEL 2 Augury—Ask the spirits whether a given course will go well or poorly Delay Poison—Poison takes longer to hurt you and can bring you back from poisoning death if cast immediately Enthrall—A crowd listens to you and you can try to make them follow your suggestions Heat Metal—Armor, weapons, etc heat up until scorching Heroism—Touched targets acts as if you are d4 levels higher for a time equal to your level Resist Cold—Take less damage from cold Resist Fire—Take less damage from fire Silence 15’ radius—Make silence in an area. 120’ range, lasts 2 rounds/level Spiritual Weapon—A weapon that attacks using your wisdom instead of strength (details in 5th edition book) SPELL LEVEL 3 Animate Dead—Create 1 HD worth of skeletons/zombies per caster level. Some restrictions apply. Extra abilities cost 1 HD minimum. Cure Disease—Range: Touch Cause Disease—Range: Touch Cruel Curse: Target must never or always do something they did in the last 2 rounds on a failed save. You pick. Dispel Magic—20’x20’x0’ cube area, shuts down magic. Range 120’. Magical creatures in the area lose their abilities for 2d6x10 minutes if they fail a save. Can be cast in the same round as an enemy casts a spell to counterspell it. Magic Vestment: If you wear no other armor, gain +2 armor class PLUS +1 Armor Class per your cleric level. Remove Curse Sacrifice: Remove any number of hit points from yourself and give them to a touched creature Vampiric Touch: steal d6+1 hit points from someone with a touch Zone of Truth—Area where you can’t lie (details in 5th edition book) SPELL LEVEL 4 Cause Serious Wounds—Touch attack: Do d8+your level+target’s level damage Cure Serious Wounds—Heal touch: Heal d8+your level+target’s level hit points Detect Lie—Works on any statement in the last hour Divination—Ask the gods for information. Base chance of accuracy is 60%+1% per caster level Guardian of Faith—A spiritual ghost thingy attacks any enemy that comes within 10’ the first time. They get a save. It inflicts 20hp if you don't save and 10 if you do and disappears after it inflicts 60 hp. Neutralize Poison Protection from Evil/Good 10’ Radius—Like Protection from Evil/Good but works on everyone in 10’ of you Spell Immunity— Gives +8 vs mind-affecting spells, and +3 vs all others. Creates a total of (Cleric level)x10 minutes of protection, divided among the number of characters protected. SPELL LEVEL 5 Babble—A creature touched cannot ever be understood by anyone, save to avoid the effect. Cause Critical Wounds—Touch causes 4d6+caster level hit points of damage Commune—Meditate and ask 3 questions from your god. Some restrictions apply. Crawling Bones—Bones and bone fragments in the area, new and old) animate and cause anyone under 3 HD to flee in fear. They last 10mins/;eve; Cure Critical Wounds—Touch cures 4d6+caster level hit points of damage Dispel Evil—All supernaturally evil creatures within 30’ must save or be destroyed False Seeing—See things as the opposite of how they are. No save. Range: Touch. Lasts 1 round/level Quest—A creature must save or be compelled to go on a quest for you. Some restrictions apply. Tongues—The cleric and another creature can communicate forever. True Seeing—See through illusions, invisibility, etc. Range: Touch. Lasts 1 round/level SPELL LEVEL 6 Anti-Life Shell—Like anti-magic shell but its a forcefield that keeps living things out. Anti-Magic Shell—Like chocolate shell but its a forcefield that keeps magic out, not like chocolate shell. Find the Path—Someone can find the most direct route to a destination (not object or creature). Range: touch. Lasts 10min per level. Forbiddance—No-one can teleport or go in or out from another dimension or plane within 60’ square area. Range: 120’ Harm—Takes away all, but 1d4 Hit Points from the victim touched and inflicts a disease. Heal—Heals all but 1d4 points of damage and removes any affliction or disease. Lost the Path—Someone cannot find their a destination (not object or creature). Range: touch. Lasts 10min per level. Bone Regenerate—Recover a lost limb but its bone Stone to Flesh Word of Recall—Teleport back to the cleric’s sanctuary (they must name the sanctuary and it must be a very familiar place) SPELL LEVEL 7 Control Weather Earthquake Holy Word Part Water Raise Undead Army

Raise Undead Navy Reincarnation Create A Fucking Colossus Made of Dead Bodies Out Of A Slain Army

There are a couple of new and undescribed spells in there, if you get a player with a 13th level Black Grip cleric and you need to know what these do and can't figure it out yourself then ask me. So far my players aren't there yet.

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20 Encounters On The Roads Of The Northern Continent

Inspired by various Oldhammer Miniatures

Roll D20

 

1.

Sir Gruelling of Nebb

Cleric of Vorn

Grimly seeking out the menace that the PCs will soon encounter. Will tell them all about it.

Will fanatically attack-, and likely get annihilated by-, it.

2. 

L to R:

Oskylt the Narrow, sniper thief mutant

Thrusk the Low, chaos dwarf

Amma Gothiq, amazon

Skorn Helthrast, Boss warrior

Bad adventuring party after the same thing as the PCs, maybe after they get it.

3. 

Grorre the Thugg

Ogre bandit

FIRST: tries to sell the party magic items.

SECOND: Sneaks ahead (he doesnt' sleep) ambushes them and steals the items back plus anything else they’ve got

His overall goal is to steal magic items, which he sells to wizards.

4.

Jade Harzach 

High-level Knight of the Jade Fang

Roaming the land, looking for an artifact sacred to the jade fang, absolutely Anton Chigurh-level implacable in his search. Maybe rides some beast like a green horse.

He is immune to magic and has a 21 AC.

5. 

The Heath Sentinel

A tough skeleton

Paces back and forth on a lonely anonymous heath. Why? He’s guarding something that has been grown over long ago. Ironically, the fact he’s guarding the heath signals that if you dig with a shovel for a few minutes there’s a tomb with treasure down there.

He’s fucking 90 hit points and 4 attacks per round for like d12 each. He also has a list of all the treasure in the mound and all the foes defeated scratched onto the inside of his shield--a heath ledger, if you will.

6.

The Red Company

A group of skeletons

They serve a death knight. 

They are immune to harm.

The death knight has a throbbing live heart in his chest and only by destroying it will they fall.

They haunt a forlorn and ruined castle not shown on any map.

7.

Torgos Slodd 

A sublunary man and cruel slaver

He shows up driving a cart full of slaves. He is accompanied by a bunch of mercenaries.

He will try to sell the PCs some slaves. If he defeats them he'll try to sell them as slaves. He obviously has a lot of money on him.

8. 

Usgylt Tondervyst’s company

Dwarven mercenaries

Escorting a dangerous wizard in a cage to some distant prison or something. They’ll ask for help guarding the transport and pay for it.

The wizard’s magic won’t work until he's out but he will try to bargain with the party to free him and try to take any opportunity to escape-especially other, later encounters, perhaps ones engineered by the wizard himself.

9.

Skudj and Weevyhll

A pair of goblin idiots

They are talkative and approach the party asking for directions because they are trying to get to the villain’s lair and get work with them. They may assume the PCs are fellow mercenaries.

They have nothing of value and aren’t immediately hostile. If the PCs play their cards right they can learn a lot.

10. 

Gunter Eevyn

Dwarf paladin

Gunter is trying to figure out how to destroy the recently discovered Chaos Monolith of Urgo the Impure while also hiding its existence to prevent its baleful influence.

He will subtly ask parties if they know about magic or cleric stuff and try not to reveal the location (nearby) of the monolith unless he really thinks they can help.

The monolith will whisper to the less pious party members and try to cause them to slay their fellow and revive Urgo, who sleeps inside.

11. 

The Red Moon Jester

Demon-wizard

The Red Moon Jester appears to taunt the party at midnight once they do some bad thing (open the wrong tomb, mess with the wrong artifact, etc). It mocks any mistakes they made that day. If there’s a fight, it disappears after two rounds. If it takes any damage, that damage will not be healed when it returns the next night. It will keep returning until dead. Makes it hard to sleep and get spells back.

It can cast any spell that anyone in the party used that day and can cast two spells per round. 

12. 

High Reaper Thornn and the Silent Maraud

Necromancer and company

This high level Black Grip cleric (far left) has resurrected some dead companions (mounted fighter, barbarian, thief) to locate a villain that has stolen an artifact from one of the Grip’s Tomb-Temples.

Thorn can speak but the rest are enchanted to make no sound. 

13. 

Zathysz Wyrrd

Wizard

He appears cloaked, bent over a strange horse.

He does not speak. He will hand the PCs a strange gift.

It will be beneficial and can help them in their next adventure (key, weapon, map, etc).  Once they acquire any magic treasure of value he will return on the road somewhere and (using symbols) request the item acquired using the boon he gave them. If they do not hand it over it: they fight.

14. 

Lurvus, Ickel, and Tweeg

Goblin art enthusiasts

They are critics first and collectors second, they have an encyclopedic knowledge of elven art and monuments. They roam the countryside seeking it for their personal museums. High level fighters.

They primarily want the PCs’ information, but will settle for their magic items and treasures if they do not cooperate.

15.

Nauseous the Stabber

Lizardman bounty hunter

Nauseous is absolutely amoral and will hunt anyone for a sufficient price.

When the party meet him he is hunting some worse and bigger bad guy but he has a whole list of targets (in order) including villains, innocents and good guys alike. He doesn’t realize yet that the PCs are on it, though the scroll hangs prominently from his saddlebags.

When fighting, he emits a nauseating hormone in a 15’ radius. Save or lose a turn vomiting. Once you vomit once you’re fine. At low hit points he emits one where you save or go briefly blind. 

16.

The Wereslithers

Shapechanging mutants

These are agents of the Jade Fang and just want the PCs dead. They are very sneaky though.

They will approach in the guise of various civilians–perhaps in a civilized area. They will turn creepy in your arms like freaks and then be weird and bad.

17.

Ulgor the Vood

Mutant ogre

A grunting brute.

Each time you hit him he gets bigger and stronger, growing an extra skin, he loses hit points as normal but his damage dice just keep going up til he dies.

18.

Nusgyld Gorr

Mutant minotaur

A legendary villain (the highest Int party members will have heard of him) rumored to guard an even more legendary treasure.

Mutates each round of a fight, gaining only beneficial mutations. On the second round he’ll gain extra arms (and attacks). After that, whatever's clever.

19. 

Leering the Swift

Elf archer and assassin

Serves the Jade Fang. An elf fanatic painted green.

Will snipe the PCs from cover. Stealth +8. Then flee into the wood.

20.

Endyrrh the Desolator

Chaos marauder

Will be found unsubtly marauding with a band of followers: 2d6 mercenaries and d4+1 mutants.

He has a depressing aura–anyone in 50’ must save to do anything.

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