The Devourer - LotFP Custom Class

The Devourer

          Hunger is ever present. We need to consume to survive, to nourish our minds and bodies. We kill animals, sometimes brutally, to feed ourselves; a river of blood with a bed of bones sustains civilization. But what if the target of our hunger was something too terrible to countenance? Devourers are those folk who have been saddled with such a terrible burden: every one of their sorry lot is in some way anthropophagic, whether it be a hunger for human flesh, blood, or carrion, they must in some way eat other sapient beings to continue existing themselves. Any ethical standards typically vanish in short order in the face of such odious appetites.

          Often called Ghouls, Vampires, or Wendigo, many have been cursed in some way, or infected with some repugnant disease. Devourers find themselves at the absolute brink of any society, civilized or savage. Most try to hide what they are, leading double lives as seemingly average members of a community or tribe, eating only when they absolutely must. Others hold no such pretenses, becoming predators in the wilderness, feasting upon unwary travelers. Their need for flesh alienates them to almost everyone, but their frightening comestible requirements can often be ignored (at least temporarily) by the desperate and the unscrupulous, taking advantage of the Devourer's potent abilities while doing their utmost to forget the terrible costs.

Level	Experience	HP	Paralyze	Poison	Breath	Device	Magic	Hunger	Consumptions
1	0	1d6	13	15	15	13	16	12	1
2	2,000	1d6	13	15	15	13	16	12	1
3	4,000	1d6	13	15	15	13	16	12	1
4	8,000	1d6	13	13	13	11	14	12	1
5	16,000	1d6	11	13	13	11	14	11	2
6	32,000	1d6	11	13	13	11	14	11	2
7	64,000	1d6	11	9	9	9	12	11	2
8	128,000	1d6	11	9	9	9	12	11	2
9	256,000	1d6	9	9	9	9	12	10	3
10	384,000	+2*	9	7	7	7	10	10	3
11	512,000	+2*	9	7	7	7	10	10	3
12	640,000	+2*	9	7	7	7	10	10	3
13	768,000	+2*	6	5	5	5	8	9	4
14	896,000	+2*	6	5	5	5	8	9	4
15+	+128,000/lvl	+2*	6	5	5	5	8	9	4

*Constitution modifiers no longer apply

B/X & OSE Rules

Requirements	None
Prime Requisite	DEX
Hit Dice	d6
Thac0 Tables	As rogue
Maximum Level	14
Armor	Any, including shields
Weapons	Any
Languages	Alignment, Common

          Devourers can see in the dark as Dwarves or Elves. Though shackled with an eternal hunger, Devourers do not age or have any other dietary needs. They also increase their unarmed damage from a d2 to a d4, representing the vicious claws or teeth that they need to consume their victims.

          The ability which defines Devourers is known as Hunger and it takes the form of two parts, the Hunger Gauge & Consumptions.

          The Hunger Gauge has six levels: Starving, Ravenous, Hungry, Peckish, Sated and Gorged. Each of the different levels gives the Devourer a set of effects depending on which level they are currently on. Each day a Devourer must make a save against their own Hunger, if they fail they drop down an additional level, i.e. from Hungry to Ravenous. When the Devourer hits Starving and they fail their hunger save, they roll their HD against themselves as damage instead of dropping down a level, if they survive they must make another check the following day unless they've managed to feed. At character creation Devourers start at Sated and must select whether they feed on blood or flesh. Feeding upon flesh results in the death of the intelligent creature being fed upon, the wounds are simply too great to feasibly survive in most settings. Dead or rotted flesh provides sustenance at half the rate that fresh meat does. Being fed upon for one's blood results in a cumulative -2 Constitution penalty and a save vs Poison to not catch a virulent disease, this penalty persists until they have taken to bed for at least a week. The Referee may rule that certain creatures are large enough that they may provide more than one hunger level worth of sustenance or that others may prove insufficient. 

Hunger Level	Effect
Starving	+3 to Initiative, +3 to Damage rolls, -1 to Attack rolls.
Ravenous	+2 to Initiative, +2 to Damage rolls.
Hungry	+1 to Initiative, + 1 to Attack rolls, +1 to Damage rolls.
Peckish	+1 to Initiative, + 1 to Attack rolls, +1 to Damage rolls.
Sated	+1 to Attack rolls, +1 to Reaction rolls
Gorged	+1 to Attack rolls, +2 to Reaction rolls

          The second part to the Devourer's abilities are known as Consumptions, which are enhancements or abilities fueled by their Hunger Levels on a one to one basis, no hunger save is made, they are simply spent. Spending hunger levels does not require an action, but Devourers can only spend them on their turn. They also cannot spend more hunger than their Constitution modifier in a single turn, or use a Consumption multiple times unless stipulated. Consumptions fade at the end of combat, or after ten minutes if used outside of it.

Consumption of the...	Effect
Mighty	Augment your Strength a number of points equal to 1/3 of your level, minimum 1. This Consumption may be used multiple times in a combat.
Agile	Enhance your Dexterity equal to 1/3 of your level, minimum 1. This Consumption may be used multiple times in a combat.
Resilient	Gain damage resistance equal to 1/3 of your level, minimum 1.
Fleet	Add your level to your movement speed. Double your jumping and leaping distances.
Everlasting	Regain 1d4+1 HP. This HP may take you over your maximum, any excess fades at the end of combat. This Consumption may be used multiple times in a combat.
Skinchanger	Transform into a carnivorous creature a number of times per day equal to 1/3 of your HD, plus your Charisma modifier, minimum 1.
Changeling	Take upon the visage of the last intelligent being that you fed upon.
Necroscope	You may see and interact with ghosts, spirits and other intangible beings.
Stalker	You may hear through doors and thin walls, and may notice hidden doors as an Elf of your level.
Predator	Your unnerving gaze can hold others in place. A number of times per day equal to 1/3 of your level, minimum 1, you may force a creature to make a save vs Paralysis or be unable to move until attacked or otherwise harmed.

Subdimensions & Where to Find Them.

The multiverse is filled with extra dimensional spaces, pocket planes, temporal knots and astral prisons. It is as if reality itself is porous and blurred, with the surrounding spheres of existence constantly trying to invade the prime material. These numerous spaces have sprung into being by various means, whether through the power of the arcane or divine, or simply through strange quirks of circumstance. For every time capsule or treasure room, there is an oubliette containing some mind-bending horror or cursed artifact. Those who probe these places do so at their own peril.

GMs who wish to throw one of these place together on the fly can simply roll 6d8, then d4s for each of the sub-results - the size table does not have sub-results. Please note that some of these combinations are quite dire, or nearly impossible to escape without some sort of telegraphing on the GM's part.

d8	How do you get in?
1	Sacrifice: 1 - Blood, 2 - Life, 3 - Wealth, 4 - Food/Drink.
2	Stars are Right: 1 - Solstice, 2 - Eclipse (any kind), 3 - No Moon, 4 - Full Moon.
3	Time: 1 - Daybreak, 2 - Noon, 3 - Sunset, 4 - Midnight.
4	Weather: 1 - Clear & Sunny, 2 - Windy & Raining, 3 - Snowing, 4 - Drought.
5	Feeling: 1 - Hate, 2 - Love, 3 - Fear, 4 - Pride.
6	Song: 1 - Local nursery rhyme, 2 - Bawdy tavern tune, 3 - Local dirge, 4 - Love song from a far away land.
7	Ritual: 1 - Worship, 2 - Combat, 3 - Lovemaking, 4 - Bargain.
8	Test: 1 - Puzzle, 2 - Faith, 3 - Riddle, 4 - Skill.

d8	What or Who is inside?
1	Prisoner: 1 - Outsider, 2 - Great Old One, 3 - Hero, 4 - Deity.
2	Treasure: 1 - Wealth, 2 - Arms & Armor, 3 - Books & Scrolls, 4 - Fine Art
3	Artifact: 1 - Guarded by a powerful creature, 2 - Surrounded by arcane and mechanical traps, 3 - Locked behind a devilish puzzle, 4 - Laying in the open.
4	Tomb: 1 - Memorial to a dead god, 2 - Monument to a vanished culture, 3 - Grave site of a powerful culture hero, 4 - Ossuary of dishonored dead.
5	Abandoned: 1 - No trace of anything, 2 - Signs of a violent struggle, 3 - Dusty and desiccated remains, 4 - Fresh & bloody corpses.
6	Community: 1 - Scholar's retreat, 2 - Precursors, 3 - Religious Sect, 4 - Squatters.
7	Threat: 1 - Powerful, hard to kill beast, 2 - Dangerous spell or magic, 3 - Alien invasion force, 4 - Deadly disease or virus.
8	Portal to another place or time: 1 - Future, 2 - Past, 3 - Somewhere nearby, 4 - Somewhere far away.

d8	What is the environment like?
1	Natural Terrain: 1 - Mountains, 2 - Forest/Jungle, 3 - Desert, 4 - Wetlands.
2	Fractured: 1 - Temporal Distortions, 2 - Floating chunks of land, 3 - Flatland, 4 - Ghost world, overlaid with reality.
3	Subterranean: 1 - Caves, 2 - Worked stone halls, 3 - Volcanic tunnels, 4 - Hollow Earth; roll again on this table and use another result.
4	Elemental: 1 - Air, 2 - Earth, 3 - Fire, 4 - Water.
5	Alien: 1 - Barren rock, 2 - Gas Giant, 3 - Space station, 4 - Comet.
6	Structure: 1 - Tent, 2 - Castle, 3 - Wooden abode, 4 - Skyscraper.
7	Void: 1 - White and featureless, 2 - Black and featureless, 3 - Unending and gloomy fog, 4 - Endless reflections of whatever is already inside.
8	Vehicle: 1 - A Cart or Caravan, 2 - Boat or Ship, 3 - Spaceship, 4 - Airship or some other flying contraption.

d8	Who or What made it?
1	Eldritch: 1 - A Wizard did it, 2 - Experiment gone awry, 3 - Psionics, 4 - Repeated plane shifting.
2	Cult: 1 - Long since vanished, 2 - Still active and defending the area, 3 - Forgot about their own creation, 4 - Actively trying to destroy the portal.
3	Deity, who is: 1 - Still active and watching the area, 2 - Alive, but has forgotten their creation, 3 - Long vanished, 4 - Dead, murdered by their enemies.
4	Precursor race, who are now: 1 - Long dead, 2 - Devolved into savagery, 3 - Nomads, barely clinging on, 4 - In some kind of stasis nearby.
5	Outsider: 1 - Celestial, 2 - Fiend, 3 - Great Old One, 4 - Interdimensional invaders
6	Natural: 1 - Leyline, 2 - Conjunction of the spheres, 3 - Overlaid with Astral location, 4 - Left over from Creation.
7	Technology: 1 - Crashed space ship, 2 - Long forgotten artifice, 3 - Byproduct of some strange engine, 4 - Experimental device.
8	Catastrophe: 1 - Battle, 2 - Death of a powerful Outsider/Deity/Magic-User, 3 - Destruction of an Artifact, 4 - Weapon of terrible power.

d8	How do you get out?
1	Song: 1 - Local nursery rhyme, 2 - Bawdy tavern tune, 3 - Local Dirge, 4 - Love song from a far away land.
2	Sacrifice: 1 - Blood, 2 - Life, 3 - Wealth, 4 - Food/Drink.
3	Feeling: 1 - Hate, 2 - Love, 3 - Fear, 4 - Pride.
4	Test: 1 - Puzzle, 2 - Faith, 3 - Riddle, 4 - Skill.
5	Ritual: 1 - Worship, 2 - Combat, 3 - Lovemaking, 4 - Bargain.
6	Fasting: 1 - Food, 2 - Sleep, 3 - Sex, 4 - Drink.
7	Relinquishment: 1 - Anything gained inside, 2 - Carried clothing, 3 - Any food or drink, 4 - Knowledge, in the form of a journal or log.
8	Magic: 1 - Casting a resonant spell, 2 - Praying to an appropriate deity, 3 - Death or destruction of an inhabitant or local object, 4 - Asking for permission from the plane itself.

d8	How big is it?
1	Fairly tiny, a couple of rooms
2	A small house, three or four rooms.
3	Huge house, eight or nine rooms.
4	Mansion, a dozen rooms.
5	Small building, a couple of blocks.
6	County fair or estate.
7	A country or small kingdom.
8	Small continent.

Druids of the Rainwood

History

Once the westernmost edge of the Nameless Empire, the huge expanse of forest now known as the Rainwood was in ancient times the abode of the phlegmatic Stone Giants. Longest lived of their species, Stone Giants also had a stronger tendency towards construction than their kin. As a result the Rainwood is littered with the ruins of monuments, temples and civic buildings that have stood the test of time admirably. When the Nameless Empire was riven apart by civil war and eventually collapsed, the former slaves of the giants, as well as new immigrants to the area, moved in to the region. The newly freed or settled population consisted primarily of Gnolls, Goblins, Humans & Ogres, but even without the Giants they still had to contend with the ferocious creatures which inhabited the primeval forest. Unable to defend themselves with simple strength of arms, the migrants were increasingly forced to rely on the influence of priests of nature to act as intermediaries between their fragile lives and the powerful beasts of the Rainwood. Over the years this reliance grew into dependence and finally after centuries, dominance. The Druids of the Rainwood as they are now exist as a caste above the hierarchies of tribe, clan or sept. They transcend not only blood or family ties, but species as well. Anyone can be selected for Initiation into a Circle on a senior Druid’s order, and oftentimes those orders are used to force compliance from ruling elites, fearful that their children or family may be selected as a form of reprisal.

Originally all of the Druids of the Rainwood were under the influence of the great Lindwurm Hysan, but as the Wurm grew more withdrawn and secretive over the centuries, the Circles factionalized. The split was driven by the question of how to deal with the unsteady and tottering march off innovation. New methods of Magic had been developed that didn't require obeisance to the Old Ways, new forging and construction techniques meant that the beasts and trees of the forest could be beaten back with torch, axe and wall. Those who had been closest to Hysan took the hardest line, perceiving any progress more complex than knapping to be a potential threat; those further from the Worm's influence saw that the wind was shifting, accepting the transition from sole domitor to merely first among equals; a third and final faction split from the liberal after a time, made up of those disillusioned by the wars and destruction wrought by civilization, but unwilling to embrace the reactionary mindset of the Forest Dragon's disciples. In the present day the three factions making up Old Way worshippers are largely at permanent odds with one another in spite of sharing cultural and historical roots. Circles of different factions fight one another ferociously, seeing one another as rivals for the population of the forest. In spite of this all of the factions maintain relatively similar traditions, the most important being Relinquishment and Stewardship. Relinquishment means to give up one’s family ties, name and any history you may have had before joining the circle. New names are bestowed by the initiate’s mentor and are generally drawn from the natural world. Stewardship refers to an oath that the Druid must take upon completion of their training, they pledge to either shepherd a group of animals or intelligent beings, or a particular natural formation such as a sacred grove or body of water.  

The Moderate Circle

The largest faction of Old Way worshipers currently, the Urtdane or Moderates, have largely ceded their old role as direct leaders of communities, instead becoming something more akin to advisers or guides to the forest people that they once dominated. Moderates prefer to Steward intelligent beings and exist largely in symbiosis with the communities around them, the members of the community provide food, recruits and shelter for the Druids, the Druids deal with outside threats both natural and supernatural, making sure that the community can continue to provide for them. Druids are generally seen as a caste apart from the settlement that they protect - they are not outsiders, but neither are they full members of the community. Moderates prefer to focus on peaceful or otherwise diplomatic methods to solve potential conflicts from within or without. They use their abilities to forge pacts or placate angry spirits and fae rather than enslaving or annihilating them, and they generally do not foster or summon creatures such as Elementals long-term, only using such fearsome creations in defense of their charges. This is not to say that the Moderates are weak or prone to showing their bellies, they are just as capable of violence or engaging in practices such as the sacrifice of intelligent beings, but rather that they wish to cultivate their communities to the best of their ability. Happy, healthy and well-adjusted tribals make the best recruits.

The Crestfallen Circle

The newest and smallest of the three Druid factions, the Crestfallen, or Hulfeir, broke from the Moderates after a string of failures to keep several local communities from warring with one another consumed the region in a generation of small-scale raiding and tribal warfare. The Crestfallen believe that the Druids lost their chance to influence the fate of the Rainwood when they eased their grip in ages past and that it is nearly impossible to recover it. Instead of focusing on what they see as the unobtainable, they are determined to maintain what power they do have by any means possible. Crestfallen Druids are relentless in their attacks upon interlopers or any trying to develop the forest further. Loggers, merchants and surveyors are especially disliked and are usually dispatched in bloody rituals if captured, their bodies left hanging from trees as warnings to any who would support them. Tribes associated with the Crestfallen tend to avoid established areas or communities, preferring to exist on the margins of society than risk being corrupted by its indolence. Hostile fae and elementals are the Crestfallen’s bread and butter and they delight in using the spirits of the forest to demolish their enemies. Crestfallen prefer to Steward large natural features such as a particular tree or geological formation; individual tribes are less important to them. Most of their recruits are drawn from disillusioned members of the Moderate or Lindwurm circles.

The Lindwurm’s Circle

Focused and violent, the faction “led” by the reclusive Hysan are closer to a terrorist organization than a religious one. Known as Wurmsdane in the druidic tongue, members of the Lindwurm’s faction are frightful figures to the denizens of the forest. They dress in hides and barely worked cloth and cover themselves in grisly trophies from their fallen enemies. Their actions are calculated to cause as much fear and anxiety as possible, to cow the tribes they have dominated and to cause their enemies to hesitate to fight them. They refuse to balk from any course, but due to their small numbers they are cognizant of the fact that they must be wary of over committing with direct attacks. Summoned creatures, bound fae and terror weapons like the Baitan are preferred, allowing them to wield outsized influence in spite of their size. But that is not enough, and with the help of Hysan they have weaponized many diseases and toxins, magical or otherwise. They eagerly spread these afflictions among the tribes and peoples of their foes, destabilizing them with Lycanthropy or poisoning their wells or livestock. Zealotry of this caliber is not easy to cultivate, new members are generally orphans from tribes destroyed by the Wurmsdane or tribes with a long history of involvement with the Circle. Dominated tribes are not allowed anything more complicated than flint and fire, innovation is discouraged and dogmatism towards the Old Ways is fostered. Thankfully for the folk of the Rainwood, the preferred Stewardship of the Lindwurm’s Circle are animals and natural features. These tend to be some of the most dangerous animals or areas in the forest, the better to turn against those who would oppose them.