Goblin Gear: Goblin Porcupine Part III

Part III of the goblin porcupine

Adam

Rune Caster (kit)

Description: Witch doctors of spelljamming goblin cultures most often

adopt this kit.  Normal goblins treat rune casters with respect and awe,

while shamans are jealous of the obvious dependence upon them by the

goblin tribes of space.  The witch doctors make use of a runic alphabet,

both for casting spells and for record keeping, a feature in goblin

society unique to them alone.  According to legend, the goblin rune

casters were taught both their runic alphabet and the secrets of

spelljamming by a great and wise one-eyed goblin.  Some elvish sages

believe that the legendary teach of the goblin rune casters may have

been an aspect of Odin, but no one knows for sure why the Norse deity

would choose to impart such secrets to lowly goblins.

        Rune casters make use of normal wizard spells in addition to the

special runes they can create.  A rune caster may create one of their

special runes per week per level the rune caster has achieved.  This is

in addition to their wizard spells, but their selection of spells is

limited.  The particular runes that a rune caster has can vary greatly

from tribe to tribe.  Runes are closely guarded secrets of each rune

caster, given only to their apprentices.



Preferred Schools (choose 2): Abjuration, Alteration,

Invocation/Evocation, Necromancy, Shadow.



Barred Schools: None



Role: Rune casters are reclusive members of spelljamming goblin tribes.

They use their runes to create the pump furnaces so desperately needed

by the goblins to travel wildspace.  Additionally, they provide minor

magical aide for goblin heroes and chiefs, increasing their personal

power and prestige.  Due to the dependence of the tribes on them, the

rune casters are almost never encountered on spelljammers.  Instead,

they keep to the goblin lairs, heavily protected by guards and magic.

They dislike personal combat, instead manipulating the chief into

protecting them so that they can concentrate on crafting new furnaces

and other runes to increase the power of the tribe as a whole.



Weapon Proficiency: Rarely in combat, rune casters do arm themselves for

that eventuality.  They always carry a staff usually covered in runes,

which they use to threaten their fellow goblins.  The runes usually

glow, and goblins fear them greatly.  In truth, the runes are gibberish,

treated with glowmoss, but the goblins are too ignorant to figure the

truth out.



Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus: herb lore, runes; Required: None.



Equipment: Rune casters carry the usual assortment of herbs, spell

components, and other various bits that a typical wizard carries.  In

addition, they keep their staffs on hand along with a rune or two to

protect themselves.  They always have a pouch with the equipment needed

to carve runes into wood, leather, or even iron.  They must frequently

replace said equipment, and constantly send their servants out to find

replacement pieces.  They often keep far more equipment than they need

in the event of accident or to confuse would-be thieves.  Their spell

books are always hidden well and coded to deter theives.  A rune

caster's lab is rarely portable.



Special Benefits: Rune casters can cast both magical spells along the

ability to craft runes.  A rune caster can learn one rune per level they

have achieved.  In addition to their mage spells, a rune caster can

craft one rune per level per week.



Special Hindrances:  Rune casters are more limited in their spells than

other spell casters.  They can only learn spells from two schools, and

cannot specialize in any school.  They may advance to 9th level, but

encountering a rune caster over 6th level is rare.  Optionally, a rune

caster with exceptional intelligence may gain additional levels per the

DMG.



Wealth Options:  Goblin tribes provide support for their rune casters,

so they have little need for money.  Rune casters start with d6 x10 gp

and higher level rune casters tend to be very wealthy, well bribed by

the chiefs.





Bloody Maw (sample fleet)



Porcupine Ships (all)

Tonnage: 30 Tons

Hull Points: 30*

Crew: 55

Maneuverability Class: D

Landing: Land & 50% chance of water

Armor Rating: 7

Saves As: Thin wood

Power Type: Pump Furnace

Ship's Rating: 2

Standard Armament:

            4 light ballista, crew 1 each

        Ram-mines

Cargo Capacity: 18 tons

Keel Length:  85'

Beam Width: 60'



*The Wings of the Night has 20 hull points.



        The goblin tribe Bloody Maw is a fair sized nation, with a total of

eight porcupine ships.  The ships are almost always encountered

together, as the goblins do not want to risk losing a ship to accident

or a more powerful ship.  They prey on local tradesmen and other light

vessels they encounter.  Unless a ship is known to have a green crew or

badly damaged, the Bloody Maw never attacks any ship larger than a

squidship.  Tradesman and wasps are their preferred targets.

        All eight porcupines have twenty four sailors, six weaponeers,
twenty

archers, and five officers.  The crewmen vary only in the training and

duties they have.  Officers have more variety, depending on the ship.

The goblin chief sometimes rotates crew and officers to keep the

ambitious off balance.  The crew have the following statistics.



Goblin, Sailor: AC 6; MV 6; HD 1-1; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; SZ

S; ML 10; XP 15; mace, spear, studded leather armor, shield.



Goblin, Archer: AC 6; MV 6; HD 1; THAC0 19; #ATT 1; Dmg by weapon; SZ S;

ML 11; XP 15; short sword, light crossbow, studded leather armor,

shield.



Goblin, Weaponeer: AC 5; MV 6; HD 1+1; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon;

SZ S; ML 12; XP 35; battle axe, scale armor, shield.



Goblin, Officer, Typical: AC 4; MV 6; HD 2; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg by

weapon; SZ S; ML 14; XP 35; chain armor, shield, short sword, battle

axe.



Glepk: (Captain of the Groundling Slayer): AC 3; MV 6; F2; hp 13; THAC0

19; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; SZ S; ML 14; XP 65; chain armor +1, shield,

short sword, battle axe.

        By far the largest and most vicious goblin aboard the Groundling

Slayer, Glepk earned the rank of captain the old fashioned way: he

killed the former captain.  Since then, he has ran a tight ship, putting

down any sign of resistance to his rule swiftly and brutally.  He is

quick with the lash and his crew hates him for it.  When in combat, they

suffer a -2 to their morale unless Glepk is slain.  If their captain is

killed, the crew must make an immediate morale check or surrender.



Holpic: (Captain of the Wings of the Night): AC 6; MV 6; F3; THAC0 18;

#AT 1; Dmg by weapon; SZ S; ML 14; XP 35; leather armor, shield, short

sword, spear+1, Str 15.

        Holpic considers himself a goblin knight, with a great mobat as his

steed.  Probably the strongest goblin of the entire fleet, Holpic

carries a great spear he uses as a lance when riding his mobat.  His

ship carries a flying cavalry of ten mobats, who he personally leads in

combat.  The Wings of the Night has been partially hollowed to make room

for these creatures to fly in and cling to the ceiling to hide from the

light of nearby fire bodies.  The mobats provide mobile archery mounts

for the goblins but are only released when the target ship has been

immobilized.



Chief Kaeak: AC 4; MV 6; F6; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; SZ S; ML

14; XP 35; chain armor, shield, short sword, battle axe.