Alternative to Sorcerer Aging Table

[18 Spears]

Carcosa imposes unnatural aging on its sorcerers with a failed saving throw. Referees might impose this alternate table in lieu of aging, or if the sorcerer rolls the lowest possible number he can still save on. Additional explanations of the various effects appear below the table. Obviously, sorcerers sporting these alterations will be considered touched by Chaos and shunned by lawful folks, though they may grant a positive modifier when dealing with chaotic humans.

1d20	Effect
1	One eye turns white
2	Hair turns unnatural color
3	Grows devil horns
4	Eyes grow unnaturally large
5	Grows a tail
6	Legs turn digitigrade
7	Sprouts vestigial bat wings
8	Hair turns into writhing snake-like appendages
9	Skin turns piebald
10	Hunchback
11	Feet and hands become claw-like
12	Grows extra finger
13	Leg or arm withers
14	Grows extra arm
15	Grows eye on forehead
16	Grows prominent wart on nose
17	Grows bony spinal crest
18	Ears grow large and pointy
19	Skin becomes striped
20	User becomes androgynous

EyeTurns White: Roll 1d20 and d6: 1-3 = left eye, 4-6 right eye. On a roll of 20 the eye has infravision.

Hair Turn Unnatural Color: Roll 1d6: 1 = Hot Pink, 2 = Neon Blue, 3 = Fluorescent Orange, 4 = Lime Green, 5 = Platinum Blonde, 6 = Brilliant Purple. If the needs of the individual campaign dictate altering these colors, the referee should be careful to choose hair colors which will provoke notice.

Devil Horns: Self-explanatory.

Unnaturally Large Eyes: Self-explanatory.

Grows Tail: Roll 1d20. On a result of 19 the tail has a scorpion-style stinger, on a roll of 20 the tail is prehensile.

Digitigrade Legs: The intense pain of this transformation will render the character bed-ridden for 1d4 days and impose a permanent -1 to CON.

Bat-Wings: The wings are useless for flight. Far from being imposing or frightening, the wings are ridiculously small.

Snake-like Hair: The hair is not truly living snakes, though they writhe about unceasingly; even when the sorcerer is asleep. Referee's options as to whether the snakes are a different color from the sorcerer's original hair color.

Piebald: The referee may use any other color or colors, but they must stand out in stark contract to the sorcerers original skin color.

Hunchback: Self-explanatory.

Claw Hands & Feet: Prominent non-retractable claws of an unnatural color for the race.

Extra Finger: Roll 1d12: 1-5 left hand, 6-10 right hand, 11-12 both hands plus extra toes on both feet.

Leg or Arm Withers: Roll 1d4: 1 = left arm, 2 = right arm, 3 = left leg, 4 = right let. Limb is prominently withered and stunted but still usable. Withered arm = -1 DEX, withered leg = 30' movement penalty.

Grows Extra Arm: Roll 1d6: 1-2 = left side, 3-4 right side, 5-6 center of chest.

Forehead Eye: Roll 1d20: 1-19 = eye has a disconcerting habit of moving independently of the "normal" eyes. 20 = extra sharp vision gives +1 "to hit" in combat.

Nose Wart: Disgustingly large and hairy.

Spinal Crest: Dragon-like spines that run from back of head down to sorcerer's posterior. If he has or acquires a tail as a result of this table the crest will extend along it, too.

Pointy Ears: These are not delicate elfin ears, they are large and misshapen, with disgusting tufts of coarse hair.

Striped Skin: Roll 1d10: 1-9 skin striped like a tiger, 10 = calico skin of various sharply contrasting colors.

Androgynous: Sorcerer displays prominent physical characteristics of both sexes, such as prominent breasts and facial hair.

Note: permission is freely given to quote or reprint this material. All I ask is the courtesy of attributing the material to "Gene Lake" or "Eugene Lake".

[Mushgnome]

I like it, good work!

The thing I like about the Carcosa aging rules is that OD&D has no specific penalties for aging. I like the mental image of a 200-year-old sorcerer who is still a formidable foe. Seems like an obvious gateway to mummyhood...

... speaking of which, your alternative table above would be a neat option for Carcosan mummies. I like the idea of a hunchback mummy with a forehead eye.

[18 Spears]

That just created such a strong mental picture that, were I an artist, I would sketch that drawing!

[crusssdaddy]

Mummies should roll 1D times on this table...

Awesome table! Anyone up for expanding it to 1D100?

[crusssdaddy]

... and now I'm thinking about designing a Mummy PC class...!

[18 Spears]

Mummy NPCs! What a cool idea!

[18 Spears]

Aug 26, 2010 13:33:55 GMT -6 crusssdaddy said:

Mummies should roll 1D times on this table...

Awesome table! Anyone up for expanding it to 1D100?

Thanks! Here are some additional ideas for expanding the table.

21) Extra Head: Roll 1d10: 1-8 same sex, 9-10 opposite sex
22) Snake Tongue: Flicks in and out like a snake tongue.
23) Venomous Spittle: Roll 1d19: 1-8 spits sleep venom 10', 9-10 spits acid (1d6 damage x 3 combat rounds) 30'.
24) Antenna: Sorcerer (or mummy) can always sense magnetic north. Use of a helmet will not be possible.
25) Bestial Appearance: Sorcerer or mummy takes on a decidedly bestial appearance such as lupine, bovine, porcine, ursine, etc.
26) Insectoid Eyes: Sorcerer's or mummy's eyes become multi-faceted and bulge outward like a fly's. Sorcerer cannot be surprised, even if sleeping. Penalty of -2 to CHA.

Post altered to remove bullet points and add numbering consistent with original post.

[crusssdaddy]

27) Awful Smell: The sorcerer exudes a stench of corpse decay, -6 CHA, only henchmen/hirelings that are even more loathsome will serve him, animals will respond aggressively

28) Ghost Whisperer: The sibilant voices of unclean spirits torment the sorcerer, and he may ask brief questions of the recently dead (though there is no guaranteee that they will answer truthfully)

29) Disappearing Act: Limited ability to teleport in the manner of a B'yahkee; up to three times per day, range limited to an area within 100' that the sorcerer has seen/is familiar with

30) Chameleon: Sorcerer can change skin at will between three different colors (determine randomly); affected by rituals/elemental weaponry as per current skin color; stress often provokes a spontaneous color change

31) Backwards Ageing: The sorcerer ages in reverse; pre-infancy is fatal

32) Loathsome Eater: The sorcerer is tormented by the compulsion to partake of a taboo diet, typically children, pets, offal, scat, or something similar

33) Drug Addict: Sorcerer must frequently partake of lotus powders, smoked intoxicants, etc., with attendant deleterious effects; the danger of bingeing & overdose is substantial if a long period passes between benders

[ragnorakk]

34) Animal Spook: Must make a save vs spells to interact with a dog, horse, etc
35) Plant Withering: Plants wilt and rot at sorcerer's touch. Plant-based monsters save or take d3 damage from this.

[tombowings]

I've always just used the mutation table on page 69.

[apeloverage]

36) Motley: The sorcerer's body turns a strange patchwork of colours. Their eyes will always be a ring of blue, brown, or green, with a black centre and surrounded by white. Their hair and eyelashes may be yellow, brown, red, orange or black. Their skin will be a mixture of tones, that may be based around any colour from pinkish-brown to near black.

[apeloverage]

37) The sorcerer appears to be a Bone Man. Bone Men will, however, be able to tell the difference. If the sorcerer already was a Bone Man, they will appear to other Bone Men to be a coloured sorcerer effected by this change.

[apeloverage]

38) The sorcerer's lower legs and feet have the appearance of the tails of lizards. The sorcerer can walk, but this is quite slow (half speed) and ungainly (-4 DEX when relevant).

[crusssdaddy]

39. Facial Displacement: Sorcerer's features are oddly rearranged, ie. mouth migrates to forehead, eyes align vertically, mouth and nose switch places, etc. CHA effect at DM's discretion.

[crusssdaddy]

40. Wandering Eye: Roll d2 to determine right or left. During sleep or meditation, the d**n thing sometimes just wanders off. While it's gone, stuff that normally takes two eyes is a lot harder to do. Eye will return in 1D days, during which time the Sorcerer will be privy to the sights that it sees. It resents being tracked down and returned to its socket prematurely.

41. Exotic Teeth: Pearly whites drop out and are replaced by (roll d6) 1. chitinous ridge 2. bleeding tendrils 3. obsidian spikes 4. electrum grille 5. pulsating suckers 6. 32 miniature graven idols of dark green soapstone, each one of an Old One more terrible than the last.

42. Gills: Sorcerer still breathes oxygen, but the raw, quivering gills on the side of his neck exhale some weird, very faint vapor (determine exotic properties of this vapor for bonus points).

43. Glow-in-the-Dark: Radiates faint light (equivalent to a candle) in complete darkness.

44. Water Allergy: A bucket of water is fatal, like the Wicked Witch of the West.