5 Rumors About Your Character (A Simple Trick For Quickly Establishing a PC)

Getting information about your character front and center in any game can be tough, and as a result it can be difficult and time consuming to get the party together when you first start playing. One tool that I've been on both ends of as a player and a DM, though, is the idea of rumors, and the power they have to immediately convey who your character is, and what the rest of the party has heard about them. Because as I said back in Character Reputation in RPGs: The Small Legend, just because the other PCs don't know you personally that doesn't mean they don't know of you.

So tell them what they know.

Seriously, my dude, don't target the dog. Trust me, I've heard the stories.

4 (Mostly) True Rumors, and 1 Lie

I've seen lots of DMs shuffle the numbers on this strategy, and you should feel free to play around with it to see how many rumors fits your ideal play style. My personal recommendation is a total of 5 rumors, where 4 of them are at least mostly true, and where the 5th is a lie (and typically one that reflects badly on your PC).

As an example, take Gard Hardacre. Tall and bald except for a braided tail at the back of his head, he has the look of a tough man who doesn't scare easily. That's enough to get a picture of what the party is looking at, but what have they heard about him? After all, he's a PC... surely someone is talking about him in this town?

Well, the rumors the others hear are:

- They say he fought for the black coats, back during the war. They offered him a promotion and a knighthood, but he was so disgusted by what they did he walked away and never looked back.

- He's even most of the time, but he's got a temper to beat the devil. He once beat an innkeep till he could barely see just because he didn't get him his food quick enough.

- No one's quite sure what his tastes run to. He's pleasant enough, but no one's ever seen him with a man or a woman, orc, elf, dwarf, or otherwise. He pays more mind to his sword and armor than company.

- His sword's one of the best around, but he can't keep gold in his purse for nothing. He gambles and drinks, sure, but he's a sucker for a sob story. Urchins, whores, and beggars know him by sight.

- No one's ever seen eyes like his. A green so dark they're nearly black... no one in this country has eyes like that but the Dredgers. He don't look like one of them swamp lords, but he handles that blade better than any foot soldier I've ever seen.

Starting to get a clearer picture now?

The reason I suggest five rumors is so you have flexibility. Part of their benefit is that they help you create your character, but the other part is that you can hand them out however you please. Do you hand out one rumor per session per PC? Does every player get a different rumor about a fellow PC in the first session, so they have to talk to each other in order to spread the gossip and figure out who their fellow party members are? Or do you post them in your group's Facebook page after the first session, and leave them to decide which rumors are true, and which ones are false?

There's no wrong way to go about this, but it is key that at least one rumor is a falsehood. And for those who are curious, the second rumor on my list was the lie. The innkeep was slow bringing Gard's meal, that's true, but he'd found out the man was beating his wife. So Gard decided to give him a taste of his own medicine to see if it taught him a lesson. He never bothered to try to stop the rumors because he knows what really happened, and that's all that matters to him.

Looking For More Inspiration?

Crafting rumors off the top of your head isn't always easy. Fortunately, I've written some stuff that can help get the wheels turning if you're looking for a push start.

- A Baker's Dozen of Noble Families: This one has the Dredgers that I mentioned above in Gard's rumors, along with 12 other noble families, their history, reputation, and heraldry. Whether you want to have a secret son of a noble house off adventuring, or a rumor that your PC is a bastard child of the line, this is a useful thing to have on-hand.

- 100 Random Mercenary Companies: Mercenaries are a copper a dozen in many fantasy settings, but if you want it rumored that your character once fought for an elite (or cursed) band, then this collection is quite useful. Especially if you have insignia, weapons, armor, etc. that ties you to a particular free company, since those symbols will get tongues wagging.

- 100 Knightly Orders: Much like free companies, knightly orders carry a lot of weight with them... sometimes good, and sometimes bad. Whether your PC is a member, or is only rumored to be, this list should spark its share of ideas.

- A Baker's Dozen of Rumors (And The Truth Behind Them): This one is more for DMs than players, as each of the rumors in here can be stretched out to fill an entire session. However, since we're on the subject of rumors, I felt I should include it in the list.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used run these kinds of games before, leave us a comment to let us know what worked for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

The Living Weapon

My Child, Be A Sword

My mother was a hammer. My father was a forge. And when I lay down in the cold, they whispered, 'Child, be a sword.'

Some want their children happy. Some want them safe and calm. Others, though, will scrape their bones, and sing them songs of war.

My mother's milk was blood. My father's love was pain. And in the dark I heard them whisper,

'Child, be a sword.'

A sword will never hurt. A sword will never cry. And if you keep it sharp, then a sword may never die.

A sword is not a comfort. A sword is not a friend. A sword has but a single task; to tear, and cut, and rend. But a sword won't be forgotten. It won't be cast aside. For a blade as sharp and cruel as you will be very hard to find.

So put away those dreams, and clear them from your head. They will do you naught but harm down the road that you must tread. For it is with great care we hurt you, and with malice grind your edge.

For good steel's hard to come by, but even harder still. To turn it to a purpose with a true, unbending will. While others dream of love, and sing of face and form, those things my dear are not for you.

My child, be a sword.

Sleep well, child. Death comes in the morn.

The Living Weapon

I originally wrote this poem as a piece of background for a Fianna ahroun I was contemplating playing in a Werewolf: The Apocalypse game, and since I spent the last month working on my 100 Fianna Kinfolk with High Level Games, it's been on my mind quite a lot. Because it represents a piece of inspiration for a certain archetype that I come back to time and time again in both my work, and in my play; the Living Weapon.

A Living Weapon is a character for whom violence is second nature. Whether they were trained by warmasters from birth, bound to deadly spirits of bloodshed, or they've been dedicated to a spirit of destruction, these characters are deadly, to be sure... but they are also ripe for engaging arcs of character growth.

As one example...

 

Living Weapons are most at-home in the thick of brutality and violence, and it's why they're so often thought of as badasses. But once the battle fades, they retreat into themselves. They're quiet, often uncomfortable, and at times they can even have a child-like fear of things outside their very specific niche. They may be surprisingly gentle, or they may lash out in a way that's completely out of proportion if they're scared by something. And gods help the person who hurts someone the Living Weapon considered a friend, because there is no measuring the lengths they will go to in order to make it clear what a mistake that was.

The difficulty with this concept is that it is very tough to get below the surface, and to bring all the feelings bubbling up so the roleplaying can be put on display for everyone else to see, and get involved in. That's why I recommend going one of two ways with it, in order to make it really stand out at your table.

The first is to make sure the character has a minder. The minder is the person who ensures the Living Weapon follows certain rules, stays involved with the group, and they can act as the can opener to help give others a peek beneath the carapace. If the Living Weapon is trying to be good, then the minder might be a gentle influence, keeping them calm and trying to introduce them to simple pleasures. They can also help bring the Living Weapon out of their killer's state, if something trips them and they go back to their old ways. On the other hand, if the Living Weapon is an evil character, the minder will be the one who holds their leash, and gives them their orders. In this case they become the mouthpiece for the Living Weapon's raging Id, though if you want to do a redemption arc then the minder could also act as the manifestation of the Living Weapon's worst impulses. If that's the case, I'd recommend making them an NPC, rather than a PC, as death is quite likely for the minder in this scenario.

The second way is to let your setup do the talking for you. I mentioned this back in Character Reputation in RPGs: The Small Legend, but if your character was part of a certain organization, tradition, tribe, or cult whose reputation is well-known, then you can get a lot of mileage out of that. A perfect example is Todd in the film Soldier. Everyone in that setting knows that Soldiers are dangerous, trained to fight and kill from birth. They know enough to know what he is, but not enough to understand who he is... which is the goal. Set up the backstory for your Living Weapon, such as making them a member of the mercenaries known as the Sons of War, who are all trained from childhood by older members of the company, or by making them a knight of the cursed legion the Howl (these are found in 100 Random Mercenary Companies and 100 Knightly Orders respectively), and you've cemented their reputation. Add some rumors about how people like them only speak with their swords, or how they're like rabid dogs once you get their blood up, and the stage is set. Once your PC starts disproving some of those rumors, and the rest of the party learns who they are as an individual, they can become a part of the Living Weapon's growth and change.

Either way, it's important to remember that it's not enough to have the pathos and character development going on beneath the surface with this concept; you need to put it out front for it to mean anything. Otherwise you just look like the sort of character who only wakes up when it's time to fight, going silent the rest of the time. Let everyone join in on the Living Weapon becoming more than just a blade... or following their descent into monstrous depravity. Whichever direction you're going, make sure everyone at the table is along for the ride.

Also, remember what I said in 10 Backgrounds For Your Scoundrels and 10 Backgrounds For Your Spellcasters; not all warriors are traditional, martial characters. A Living Weapon might be an assassin trained to deliver death with a flick of their wrist, or a sorcerer who was bred and raised to become a weapon of mass destruction. These are also options if you want to try something a little less traditional with this archetype.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned For More!

That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Affordable Metal Minis? Nano MetalFigs Has You Covered!

It's been a while since I've talked about my weekly craft night projects on here, but I started one recently that I'm pretty pleased with. Partly because it's my first ever miniature project, but also because it involves something I picked up at a local Dollar Tree. Because I was just grabbing some necessities one day, and I decided to swing by the toy aisle to see what they had on-hand... when I noticed they had a diecast figure of the Undertaker! At just over an inch and a half tall, and for about $1.50, there was no way I wasn't going to take him home. I was barely out the door before I was scrolling through my mental archive, and trying to decide which character I was going to use him for.

After making sure I had a very small brush (which got trimmed even smaller to get into the nooks and crannies), and borrowing some green paint, I got to work on modifying this figure to show up at my table. While it might not be much, I'm still pretty pleased with how it's turned out so far.

Never talk shit about a greenskin inquisitor, my friend.

While the photo isn't great (sadly, all I have on-hand for taking them is my phone), all I did was paint the face, neck, and chest the virulent green we tend to associate with orcs. A few coats of that paint, and then a sealer, and bam, I had a shiny, metal mini all my own to bring to the battle.

There was, however, one more modification I needed to make. The bases for these figures are pretty wide, and tend to stick out past the single square we're used to using. However, if you have a dremel tool in your work space you can quickly shave those sides down with no real trouble. As long as you keep them even, you're good to go in maybe twenty minutes or so (less if you're used to this kind of mod).

Turns Out, There's More of These Figures On The Market

I kept poking my head in at the store for a few weeks after, seeing if any more of these figures had come in, but it seemed I grabbed one of the last ones. However, since I was curious, I popped onto Amazon to see what models were around, and how much work they'd take to get them ready for some action at a game of mine.

Ask and ye shall receive, I suppose...

Turns out that not only are there a lot more figures like the one I found out there, but they're not really all that expensive if you're looking to get your hands on them (particularly considering what metal minis tend to run, if that's your jam). A full set of WWE diecast figures goes for just over $25, coming out to about what I paid for my one individual mini. Of course, if wrestlers aren't your jam, then you might find the Marvel hero figures or the X-Men figures to be more up your alley.

One problem you'll run into with some of these figures is that the wide base is really needed to accommodate their pose, so you won't be able to just shave down the base to make it fit. However, plenty of figures don't need such a wide surface to stand on, and they hold up just fine with a quarter of an inch or so ground off either side. While you might need to rough up the finish on the figure if you want to do a more extensive paint re-touching, if you just want to add a splash of color here, or change a detail there, it's surprisingly easy.

And, for my two cents, it's a lot less intimidating than getting a totally blank mini and trying to do a ground-up paint job on your first try. Might just be the way my brain works, but making small alterations to a mostly complete piece gave me a lot more confidence than trying to do a full figure on my first try.

Though I might still try that out in the future. More on that later if I decide to dive down that rabbit hole!

Interested in More Gaming DIY?

If you're interested in more tabletop DIY (or just finding cheap ways to get a lot of figures, dice, etc. for your table), then you might want to take a look at some of the following posts:

- Want Cheap Minis? Wizards of The Coast and 5 Below Are Here To Help!

- 4 Tools To Help You Control Your Dice at The Table

- Towering Defenses Against My Chronic Bad Rolls (Dice Tower DIY)

- Need Cheap Minis? SCS Direct Has You Covered!

- Organize Your Spell Cards With a Portable Spellbook!

And, of course, if there's a topic I haven't covered yet that you'd like to see show up, feel free to leave a comment below!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used run these kinds of games before, leave us a comment to let us know what worked for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Why Does He Do That? (Thinking About Your Character's Habits)

"Why's he doing that?" Jeren asked, nodding his head toward the corner table.

"What?" Kyros asked, glancing where his drinking companion indicated. A dark elf sat in the corner, the hood of his cloak pulled up. His eyes glimmered in the candlelight, and he ran a steel dart through his fingers, walking it from one end of his hand to the other, the sharpened tip flashing.

"That," Jeren said, adding emphasis as if it should be obvious. "Looking all mysterious and playing with that sharp. He think it's scary, or something?"

"He's from the Dark, idiot. The moon is brighter to him than the sun is to us. The fireplace is practically enough to blind him if he's not used to it." Kyros looked at his companion for a moment before sighing, shaking his head, and tossing back the rest of his drink. "And if you'd ever traveled outside this little burgh, you'd know they don't use coins down where he's from. That spider walk is something kids learn to keep their fingers agile. I had to guess, it's probably something he does when he's nervous."

Jeren glanced back at the dark elf, who dabbed at his eyes. Sure enough, they were starting to water. He favored them with a small smile, and nodded.

"Also, he can probably hear us," Kyros said, getting a fresh drink. "So you're aware."

Seriously, how do you see in here? It's so damn BRIGHT!

Some Adventurers Are More Different Than Others

You've probably seen Marvel's Avengers by now, and if you haven't, go watch it. Seriously, it's worth the time, I won't be mad.

Now, if you watch Mark Ruffalo's performance of Bruce Banner, you'll notice that he purposefully shrinks himself down. He keeps his arms close, and often holds his hands together like he's trying not to break anything. If you've ever had a friend who was on the bigger side, these are all mannerisms of someone who is very large, and very strong, who is trying to be careful around delicate things. It shows that, even when he's in his weaker form, Bruce is keenly aware of the power he contains in himself, and that one wrong move might turn this whole thing into the proverbial rampaging bull in a China shop.

Incidentally, I have a Pathfinder conversion for Hulk, for those who are interested.

 

This mannerism makes perfect sense when you track it back to its source, and it's a fun exercise in character building. That's why, when you sit down to make a character, ask yourself why they speak, act, fidget, or believe a certain thing. The answers you find are often surprising, and can make for some fun character moments.

For example, if your character is a gnome, they've had the ability to talk to animals their entire life. It might not even occur to them that other people can't do that, especially if they were raised in communities where magic was common. Does this lead to them being unusually sensitive to the moods of animals around them? Are they confused when people treat nature like a tool, rather than a living thing? Do they have opinions about animals that are wildly different from those held by other races, making them seem like a tiny version of the crocodile hunter?

You can pick almost any racial modifier/ability and apply this kind of logic to it. Elves get a bonus on Perception, for example, but does that also make the world around them unbearably loud beyond the quiet boundaries of deep forests? Is this why an elven character might speak softly, or keep their hood up, providing their sensitive ears some protection against the violence of the louder world? Tieflings and ifrit both have natural fire resistance, so does it feel good for them to drink scalding tea, or to relax into a fire the way other people would enjoy a sauna? Goblins are capable of eating spoiled and rotten meat, but does what smells and tastes putrid to humans instead have a more nuanced palate to this sharp-toothed race? And is a food or fruit humans would find sweet something that tastes rancid to a goblin, their tongues not being built to handle that flavor?

And that's before we get into the weirdness of cultural norms.

 

Even if you're playing a bog-standard human, though, you can find unusual tics, quirks, and attitudes in the cultural norms of where they grew up. Everything from fashion, to forms of address, to food, to language, to little rituals that have clung for life can make them seem odd or strange... and every one of them can add some flavor to who your character is, and why they are they way they are.

As an example, did your character come from a culture with a strong warrior ethic, where even childhood games were meant to make you a canny fighter (such as how the wrestling martial art Glima was sort of a national pastime among the Norsemen)? Alternatively, was your character raised in a communal society where everyone was referred to with familial terms since the whole village raised the next generation? Were weapons seen as a taboo where you came from, or were they to be displayed proudly? Did you pray to the spirits, to the elements, to your ancestors, or to the gods? Do you wash, groom, and comb yourself every day, keeping a razor and comb in a kit on your belt? Or do you go for days, maybe weeks, between full baths without noticing?

Every Habit Started Somewhere

No matter who your character is, they had a life before they show up at the table. If they have a quirk, ask where it came from. Is it something they picked up during their stint with the militia? Was it something their uncle taught them? Or is it just how they deal with having sharper eyes, feeling less pain, or living in a world made of cardboard?

As a note for readers, I cover a lot of aspects like this in articles like 5 Tips For Playing Better Tieflings and Aasimar and 5 Tips For Playing Better Paladins, and I keep the full archive of these tips over on my 5 Tips page. So stop on in, check it out, and see if you find yourself some inspiration!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post! If you've used this in your games, share a story down in the comments!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my recent short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Consent in Gaming (If You Haven't Downloaded This Book Yet, You Really Should)

If you have an Internet connection and you've been paying attention to any gaming-related groups on social media recently, then you've no doubt seen people losing their minds over the recently released Consent in Gaming supplement from Monte Cook Games. This supplement is, in short, reminding us all of a very basic, very important truth when it comes to our games; we all have to opt-in to the experience being presented. We need to do so enthusiastically, we need to give our consent, and we need to make sure we discuss what we want and what we expect out of our game. And we need to be able to trust each other, and to acknowledge when we have done something that has hurt feelings at the table in order to move forward.

This supplement is free, and there's no reason not to get it.

Absolutely nothing between these pages should come as a surprise to you... and that is why it should be required reading for anyone who tries to run a game. Ever.

An Ounce of Prevention, and a Pound of Cure

I'm not going to launch into the same BDSM-themed metaphor I used in "Edgy" Games Require Trust to make my point here (even though it still works), because this supplement renders such additional illustration unnecessary. It explains important points that a lot of gamers have probably never had spelled out before, such as how you should always assume the answer is "no" until you've asked, how you need to talk about what people are and aren't comfortable with beforehand, and how it doesn't matter if there's just one holdout; either everyone's on-board, or you don't do the thing.

Period.

Yes, everyone, this isn't a Senate vote. You need to be unanimous!

One thing that makes this supplement unique (aside from discussion of actual tactics like the X-Card, and resources like the consent sheet at the end of the booklet) is that it also talks about how to step back and smooth things over with your group when things go wrong. Because things are going to go wrong, no matter how hard you try. It's an inevitable. This quote, I think, illustrates the point:

"Some people find it hard to apologize because people in general are discouraged from admitting they’re wrong. But here’s the thing: you’re a roleplayer. If you can pretend to be an elf or a cyborg, if you can insult the king to his face or stand your ground against a horde of charging orcs, if you can accept that you killed the entire party with a fireball or take credit for killing a dragon with a critical hit, then you can apologize to your friends for saying something that made someone uncomfortable."

Friendships can be tough to manage, and sometimes emotions run high at your game. You can be as careful as possible, screening everyone's sensitivities and opening dialogue, but you're going to step on a mine eventually. Rather than wasting time and energy getting mad at someone because they couldn't handle something, focus on moving forward. Acknowledge what happened, apologize, and try to move on. Don't try to shame someone for opting out, or demand an explanation; the why doesn't matter, because the important thing is they wanted out.

We're all here to have fun, and we should all feel included and comfortable while we're doing that. Even if we're pretending to be a debauched cabal of baby-eating vampires, or the chosen warriors of the fell powers, those of us around the table still have things we'd rather not have thrown at our faces while we're trying to enjoy ourselves. And the better our communication on issues like this, the better our games will become!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used run these kinds of games before, leave us a comment to let us know what worked for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

3 Bloodlines For Healing With Sorcerers (in Pathfinder)

One of the most common complaints I've heard from players who favor arcane magic is that they dislike that arcane magic can't heal. While there are entire screeds that have been written on the subject of game balance, and keeping certain powers exclusive to certain classes, archetypes, or builds, that frustration still lingers. After all, it's magic... why is there something it can't do?

Well, for those who like to twist and mold things into new and unexpected forms, I figured I'd present the results I've had on this topic. Some of them may be familiar to you, and others strange, but this is what I've come across so far. Hopefully it helps ease some of these frustrations.

Also, if you enjoy this week's advice, you might also get a kick out of 5 Tips For Playing Better Sorcerers!

#1: The Celestial Bloodline

Can you stand before my fire?

This is both the most familiar method of getting healing from a sorcerer, and honestly the least impressive. The Celestial bloodline, which debuted in the original Core Rulebook, grants you Heavenly Fire as your first-level sorcerer bloodline power. It's a ranged touch attack that deal 1d4+1 per 2 sorcerer levels of damage to evil targets, and it heals that much damage for good targets.

At low levels, that can be a seriously potent ability. It's life-saving, in a lot of cases, and it allows your sorcerer to stay out of harm's way as long as they have good-aligned allies on the field. As a spell-like ability, it also triggers feats like Fast Healer, which can give it a little extra oomph, but overall it's pretty weak on its own. There are ways to boost it, such as the monster feats that empower spell-like abilities, but for a lot of players the reward simply isn't worth the investment it takes to jack it up to meaningful potential.

#2: The Unicorn Bloodline

Because a healing arcane caster really is a unicorn.

This bloodline, which dropped in Heroes of Golarion not all that long ago, this is the easiest way to play a healing sorcerer. Unicorn sorcerers get cure spells as part of their bloodline, and as a bonus they can randomly restore bonus hit points to allies they can see whenever they cast a spell. If no one is willing to step up and play a divine caster, then a unicorn-blooded sorcerer is a great, out-of-the-gate replacement as long as someone is comfortable being a healer and party buff for everyone else.

And, of course, adding in metamagic rods and a couple of feats to really juice your healing (Healer's Touch out of the Legacy of Fire Player's Guide comes to mind) can turn you into an absolute support monster.

#3: The Phoenix Bloodline

Hold still... this might sting a bit.

If you've been listening to the gossip round the Internet, you've likely heard of the trick to turn this damage-dealing bloodline into a party heal. But in case you didn't, I'll lay out just what makes the Phoenix bloodline from Heroes of Golarion so much fun.

Your bloodline arcana states that whenever you cast a spell that deals fire damage, you can instead choose to heal targets for half damage. So you could, in theory, drop a fireball on the party and mass heal them. Which, if you maximize and empower it, is going to stack some pretty impressive numbers in a big hurry. Especially if you have the ability to exclude certain squares from your area of effect spells.

What can really unlock your potential, though, is taking a Cross-Blooded sorcerer. Found in Ultimate Magic, a Cross-Blooded sorcerer lets you mesh together two bloodlines, gaining both arcana. By combining the Phoenix bloodline with the Elemental (Fire) bloodline, now you suddenly have access to a wide variety of spells that could all be turned into fire spells... including cantrips! So if Ray of Frost Fire is a great way to avoid spamming wands of Cure Light Wounds to heal up after a tough fight, then this might be just what you've been looking for at your table.

Like, Share, and Follow For More!

That's all for this week's Crunch topic! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio! Or if you'd like to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well! And if you'd like to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little bit of help can go a long way, trust me on that one.

Organize Your Spell Cards With a Portable Spellbook!

One of the biggest frustrations when you're playing a spellcaster in any game is keeping track of how many bullets are left in your gun, so to speak. What spells do you know? Which ones did you prepare or pray for? Which ones have you cast? It's simple when you get started, but soon the back of your character sheet where you've kept your daily load out is so marked up and worn down by your trusty eraser that you're scared to try to write anything new on the page, lest it tear through and require a total re-write.

There is, of course, an easier way to keep yourself organized when you're a spellcaster of any sort; spell cards. Whether it's something like the Ultimate Spell Decks For Wizards from LPJ Design for use with Pathfinder Classic, The Wizard Spell Deck from Total Party Kill Games for use with Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, or even the Pugmire Shepherd's Spell Cards from Onyx Path Publishing, there is a deck out there for your class, and your edition to make sure you have all your spells right at your fingertips.

These spell cards give you all the details of the spell, saving you time looking them up on your turn, and making sure you've got your entire arsenal ready to go. However, it's not enough to just have the cards on-hand; you also need a way to organize them. Because leaving them spread out on the table may be fine when you're a 1st or 2nd-level caster, but you don't want your spells edging out fellow players' dice and elbow room.

That's where this glorious gaming accessory comes into play.

That beautiful little tome is the Pocket Compendium, and it has enough room to fit 54 separate cards in it. A small spellbook that you can keep on-hand, and even make a part of your character if your inquisitor needs a field version of their holy text, or your wizard prefers a pocket grimoire. Durable, easy to carry, and able to fit enough magic for any character (even the vaunted mystic theurge), it keeps everything neat and tidy. And then, when you've cast your spell, simply remove the card and set it aside to keep a record of what you've got left. Refill as your daily resting and studying allows.

EDIT: There's also a Necronomicon version! It's called the Tome of Horrors, but we all recognize that face.

Wait A Minute... Isn't That Just A Fancy Card Wallet?

Astute observation, heading. Technically speaking, yes, that's basically all this item is when you cut down to its core. You could achieve much the same results bringing something like a business card book organizer or a leather credit card holder to the table. The price between the different items isn't really all that big, though, and I can tell you from experience that products meant for business often aren't properly sized for holding gaming accessories like spell cards, which can lead to a lot of frustration. And, of course, there's the matter of bringing a boring business accessory to your table over something that's got a bit of personality.

Either way, before you buy, make sure you read the fine print and check all the measurements. With that said, though, the key to a potent spellcaster truly is how organized you can make all your information. That's why I recommend giving this method some consideration... especially if you've already got decks of spell cards laying around gathering dust!

Also, if you're looking for more handy accessories to add to your gaming shelf, I'd recommend checking out:

- Need Cheap Minis? SCS Direct Has You Covered!

- 4 Tools To Help You Control Your Dice At The Table

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used run these kinds of games before, leave us a comment to let us know what worked for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Rise of The Runelords Chapter 19: The Secrets Beneath Sandpoint

Jorgenfist has fallen, and as the shamaness predicted, the fight went out of the assembled giants without Mokmurian present to stoke the fires of war. Cooler heads prevailed among the stone giants, who walked back into the mountains. With no strong hands to keep them in place, the ogres soon joined them. Jorgenfist was abandoned again, the treasure trove of knowledge and books preserved beneath it ripe for the cataloging.

But more issues awaited the Companions to the south... Sandpoint's secret was about to burst wide open!

Those who need to get caught up, the previous installments are here:

- Chapter 1: Blood and Butterflies
- Chapter 2: Murder and Glass
- Chapter 3: The Sin Pit
- Chapter 4: Tussles in The Tangle
- Chapter 5: The Assault on Thistletop
- Chapter 6: Secrets Behind The Curtain
- Chapter 7: Murders At The Mill
- Chapter 8: Halflings and Ghouls
- Chapter 9: Fox in The Hen House
- Chapter 10: Something Rotten in Magnimar
- Chapter 11: The Crumbling Tower
- Chapter 12: Demonbane
- Chapter 13: Trouble at Turtleback Ferry
- Chapter 14: The Taking of Fort Rannick
- Chapter 15: Water Over The Dam
- Chapter 16: Mad Lovers, And Lost Captains
- Chapter 17: The March of The Giants
- Chapter 18: The Taking of Jorgenfist
- Chapter 19: The Secrets Beneath Sandpoint
- Chapter 20: At The Gates of The Runeforge
- Chapter 21: Storming The Halls of Evocation
- Chapter 22: The Bowels of Necromancy's Tomb

- Chapter 23: The End of Runeforge

- Chapter 24: Preparation For The Final Journey 

- Chapter 25: The Hunger in The Mountains 

- Chapter 26: The Gateway to Xin-Shalast

- Chapter 27: The Path of Temptation

- Chapter 28: The Three-Fold Challenge of Xin-Shalast

- Chapter 29: Crossing The Barrier of Greed

- Chapter 30: The Fall of Karzoug

All caught up now? Lovely! Because back in Sandpoint...

What Was Buried Rises Once Again

When the goblin raids were first conducted on the town, Nualia was looking for something beneath Sandpoint. While she'd found some ruins left behind from the time of the Runelords, she had by no means found all of them. A quake in the earth had shifted the ruins, though, breaching a sealed entrance beneath the town. Strange smoke and the sounds of mad barking rose from the darkness the night before the Companions returned, and no sooner had they been spotted returning to Sandpoint than the sheriff immediately asked them to see what was down there.

Was this shit here last time?

Upon entering the opened chamber, the Companions found it filled with conjured smoke and vapor, making it difficult to see very far. But the walls were covered in script, all of it written in mostly forgotten tongues and by a particularly ancient hand. Scholarly writings that gave way to prophecy, which in turn spiraled into madness.

As Zordlan and Mirelinda attempted to make sense of the words, a booming voice echoed through the room. The madman who had been trapped beneath the earth for so long, seemingly alive and well. Even as Thok slid a set of enchanted goggles over his eyes they'd taken from Mokmurian, he saw no figure lurking within the room. Though he did see a colossal creature standing in the chamber beyond. Still enough to be a statue, it was filled with a raw, brute menace that said it was a trap just waiting for the Companions to put a foot wrong.

Before Thok could give a warning, one of them did.

Chikara howled in pain as an invisible blade slashed into her back. A figure in tattered black, with the wide eyes of a lunatic, grinned, and ducked back into the mist, laughing as he ran into the room. Before Thok could warn her not to, the furious half-orc was hot on her assailant's heels, bellowing threats about what she would do when she caught him.

As soon as she entered the chamber, though, the statue began to move.

Into The Pit, And Out of The Ashes

The demon had waited patiently, and as soon as it had a target it descended on Chikara with claws and fangs. A hulking beast with four arms and a maw the size of a cavern, the mad priest cackled as the denizen of the pit roared for blood.

Thok howled, firing arrows as fast as he could draw them. Zordlan ran forward, pulling his rapier and rushing into the fray to distract the beast. Mirelinda's cards began to shuffle in the air as she invoked names of the long-dead in preparation for a potent spell. Even Bostwick rushed forward, fearless as he tried to harry their foes. But Zhakar... Zhakar just stood there. For a moment he was transfixed by the demon, staring at it like a man who sees something he knows is unfamiliar to him, but which he's witnessed in countless dreams.

You see where this is going.

As he stared at the creature, a nimbus of light burned behind his eyes. The skin of his face flaked away, revealing shining, burnished steel. His right arm was rusted red, turning warped and thorny where it gripped his pick. As he stepped toward the thing, twin protrusions sprouted from his back, and a pair of huge wings burst forth. The one was feathered in purest white and silver, but the other was a dark, twisted thing; red and membranous like some infernal creature.

He rose into a charge, grim and silent as he streaked toward the target of his furies. The demon looked up from Chikara, raising an arm to bat Zhakar aside. He swung his pick, and when the weapon slammed into the demon's flesh, it did so with a blinding burst of light and a thunderclap. The raw power of that blow made the beast stumble, silencing the laughter from the madman who'd summoned it.

It was the turning of the tide. Chikara's ax bit deep into the demon's flesh, and Thok's arrows sank into its chest. Zhakar hammered it, driving blows with more than mortal sinew and fury. As the demon fell, its flesh melting into cinders and smoke, Zordlan leaped at the priest with his sword flashing. The two of them exchanged blows, but when the unholy man tried to flee he found Chikara's ax waiting for him, and it silenced his laughter forever.

What Fresh Hell is This?

As Zhakar fell back to earth, his wings pulling back into his body with painful, bone-crunching twists, he dropped to his knees, trying to breathe. The steel was quickly covered as fresh, soft flesh knit back over it, and the painful light left his gaze. Thok threw his cloak over his friend's shoulders, and patted him on the shoulder. The shaman's son knew that those who dealt with potent spirits were wearied afterward, so he said nothing.

The others cataloged the messages, trying to find what the priest had been protecting. Why he'd been down there, and what purpose he'd been about. What they found was that he had been trapped, and preserved with potent magics for centuries. That in his confinement he had written of the Runelords, their time in the world, and where they had gone with the great apocalypse had come to scour the earth. He spoke of a place past the Spine of The World, lost in the snows. Where aspirants might come to study and perfect their craft within the Runeforge.

A place of such potent power that weapons capable of slaying even a Runelord might be found.

Next Time on Table Talk!

Will the companions reach the Runeforge alive? What deadly threats await therein? Who will claim the Runeforged weapon to stand against the wrath of the awakening Karzoug?

Find out on the next installment of Table Talk!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archives, as well as the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio where I help out from time to time. Or, to check out books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, as well as on Pinterest where I'm building all sorts of boards dedicated to my books, RPG supplements, and greatest hits. Lastly, to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little donation can have a big impact.

The State of Improved Initiative (And How You Can Help)

Every now and again I like to take a Monday post to let all my readers out there know what's going on behind the scenes, and to bring you up to speed with the projects I'm currently working on. Since I've got more than the usual number of plates currently spinning, and I could use a little help from all of you, I figured that it was time for one of those regular State of Improved Initiative updates!

It's a long way down, but I'm hoping for boxcars all the same!

What's Going On Right Now?

To start with, my general format for Improved Initiative isn't changing. It's gotten some pretty consistent feedback, so I see no real reason to mess with a good thing. As such, I'm keeping my updates at two a week, and my general themes of Crunch, Fluff, Unusual Character Concepts and Table Talk (as well as your usual Moon Pope Monday grab bag updates) aren't going anywhere.

With that said, you may have noticed a few changes if you regularly poke around on here.

Some of them are easier to detect than others.

If you glance up at my page links across the top of the page, you've no doubt noticed that 5 Tips is now one of my available pages. This is the new archive for all my articles that feature numbered lists of advice for players and DMs alike, giving you a single archive where you can find all the pieces I've got out there. From my 5 Tips For Playing Better Paladins, to 5 Tips For Playing Better Evil Characters, all 40+ articles that have used this format are now at your fingertips, and I've got plans to add new ones every month or so from here on out!

Another thing I'm working on is something I'm calling the Great Reshuffling. For those who don't know, I have a huge archive of articles and posts currently sitting in obscurity on InfoBarrel, but I've been steadily republishing them to their new home over on my Vocal archive. While some of these are my non-gaming posts, like the badass lifehack piece How To Kick in a Door, I'm also transferring over the full archive of my Character Conversions, giving them a facelift in the process to be sure they're updating with Pathfinder content that was released after I initially wrote the guide. Characters like Captain America, The Hulk, and Theodore Roosevelt have already made the move, and I'm hoping to keep transferring at least one every week until they're all updated, revamped, and ready for your table!

In addition to all of that, though, I'm also releasing roughly two gaming supplements a month.

One of these projects I covered in detail a while ago in 100 Kinfolk: A Werewolf The Apocalypse Project, but the short version is that I'm releasing NPC character lists in partnership with High Level Games for the werewolf tribes. Each tribe gets 100 kinfolk, and at present I'm about six tribes deep into the list. The other supplements are the ones I write for Azukail Games, and you've probably seen them cropping up in other articles, as well as on my social media feeds. Supplements like 100 Prisoners For A Fantasy Jail, 100 Unusual Aasimar, or even the sci-fi supplement 100 Space Bars that came out a little bit ago, as examples.

When you add in the fact that I've been hawking copies of my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, working on another novel that's nearing completion, and that I spent the past month assembling a new collection of short stories that you should be hearing more about in the near future, it's sort of a wonder I've had time to sleep the past few months.

... And I Kind of Need Your Help

Part of the reason I'm putting out so much stuff in so many different venues is that I want to make sure I'm not keeping all my eggs in one basket. It's tough making a living as a writer, and doubly tough when your niche is RPGs. While I've had a few positive, baby steps forward this year, I want to make sure that I don't lose what momentum I've managed to gain.

Which is where you, my fine, discerning readers, come in.

No, you don't have to give me money... unless you want to, of course.

The issue is that, while I'm putting out a lot of content, I only get paid when people actually read it (or in the case of my supplements and books, buy a copy of it). So, if you're one of my regular readers who'd like to help me out, but you don't want to spend any money, here are some things I'd like you to do.

- Read some articles in my Vocal archive! Find a few you like, and share them with your friends! If even one article of mine gets popular there, that could be the difference between me paying rent and making excuses to my landlord.

- If you've bought something of mine, leave a rating and a review! Whether you've got a book from my Amazon author page, or from my ever-growing Drive Thru RPG author list, ratings and reviews make a BIG difference in how visible a piece of my work is. And giving that boost won't take more than a few moments of your time!

- Follow me! Whether you follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, or even on Pinterest, how many people you have following you also makes a big difference in how wide your signal goes. So if you want to get regular updates, and help me out a bit, just click-through on any of these platforms.

But if you DO happen to have a few bucks you'd like to contribute...

In the event you want to do me a solid and help me get back on track, and you're willing to toss a couple of bucks my way, there are a few other things you could do, as well. Again, not required, but would be much appreciated!

- Become a Literary Mercenary Patreon patron! I've been slowly losing patrons over the past year, mostly due to folks losing jobs or just not having free income anymore, and a little jump in my numbers would be quite welcome. In addition to helping ensure I keep both Improved Initiative and my writing blog The Literary Mercenary on track, patrons also get a free download of one of my supplements every month! So as long as you're giving about $1 a month (which is really all I ask) you're getting your money's worth!

- Buy some of my stuff! Whether you're in the market for one of my books, or you'd like to grab some of my gaming supplements, I'll take any and all sales I can manage. They help a lot more than you might think... especially when coupled with a rating and review.

- Kick me a tip! If I've done something you like, or you just want to put a couple of bucks in my tip jar, you can find me on Ko-Fi, or you could use the tip feature on Vocal. Both of them are safe, functional, and very much appreciated!

We Now Return You To Your Regularly Scheduled Updates

After this Monday post, I'll try to get things focused on gaming, reviews, supplements, RP suggestions, and all my usual topics. But if you've got the time to lend a helping click, or to boost my signal a bit, it's greatly appreciated!

Without you, my readers, I wouldn't be able to do what I do. Thanks again for all your assistance!