The Wyzardly Encyclopedia

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Calendar[edit]

  • OOC III, #752: Here is the calendar for the game-world. In most places the months and days are referred to in an ordinal fashion, the week is eight days long and the eighth day of each week is held aside as a day of rest. In more advanced cultures, each feast day is set aside for some deity, local hero, or other specific ceremony. So, a person might refer to the sixth day of the fourth week of the third month. In some cultures, of course, the months and even the days might bear some individual name. Note that I've regularized the year to be evenly divisible into equal months, and that I've kept the total lunar period to an even number of days.

Creatures[edit]

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  • Beastman
    • In the first encounter with the beastmen, they were described as nude, twisted figures with melded parts of man and various animals. One had the head of an owl but runs on hooves like a deer. Another had the rotund, mottled body of a boar-hog and snakes for arms. A third had the jaws of an alligator jutting up from its crotch. Those with human hands wielded weapons, but all had at least one body party that could likely be used to deadly effect.
  • Caveman
  • Gator-crotch
  • Ghoul
  • Giant Slug
  • Gnoll
  • Goblin
  • Half-Elf
  • Hydra
    • The hydra is a great serpentine creature with a snakelike body as thick as a man's trunk, and three long necks ending in lizard-like heads with fanged maws. Its tail is also a weapon.
  • Minotaur
    • The minotaur is man-shaped and eight feet tall. It has the head and great horns of a bull, but is otherwise formed as an extremely large and muscular human, with ham-fists and unkempt body hair.
  • Nalgnashnee
  • Ogre
    • Ogres are around the same earth-normal biochemistry as humans. However, I haven't actually decided if they're primates with a common ancestor to humans (like cave men) or if they're a case of convergent evolution producing a similar body plan. Taking an ogre skull is probably around the same area, morally, as the minotaur skulls. They are distant and inimical enough to humans that it's okay to do so. Taking cave-man skulls would start to get a little weird. [Private discussion with Wyzard. No public link. -- Celeste]
  • Orc
    • Orcs are a separate species, generally biologically similar to humans. There are some gross differences in phenotype, and they have an exaggerated susceptibility to the classical vices.
    • There could be such a thing as half-orcs, but they'd be sterile, like mules (see the link above).
    • OOC III, post 932 Many orc tribes are nomadic. They move at night, and are able to make use of beasts, wagons, etc. as well as men do. They are very skilled at hiding most signs of their passing. Orcish nomads keep track of places where they can hide from the daylight much as real-world desert nomads keep track of sources of water. An Orcish tribe on the move will attempt to make the trip from some shadowed, gloaming glade to a deep grotto in the time from sundown to sunup.
  • Owlbear
    • Owlbears, being horrific amalgams of drastically incompatible biology and in general a walking crime against Nature, are naturally chaotic. It is very difficult to predict the hunting behavior, diet, or similar of an owlbear, as they are at least half-mad and resist all routine. Their natural enemy is the giant bee, whose weird honey they crave but whose sting is occasionally capable of piercing their thick hide.
  • Skeleton
  • Undead
  • Werewolf

Events[edit]

Battles[edit]

The Owlbear's Head[edit]

  • Setting: Veya
  • The battle begins when Burig, Gworg, and Megara set off to look for new employees for the Owlbear's Head. Combat ends with many of the adventurers severely injured and a number of the party's hirelings and Gworg's Giants dead. The Guild attackers are defeated, but the party is forced to flee Veya, leaving their mansion (still under renovation) and their as-yet-to-be-opened inn behind.
  • In the process, a Guildsman has been charmed and joins the party, and a Lieutenant of one of the Kings is slain - a major victory, though he was mowing the Giants like the party mows down simple Goblins. The party acquires his axe, which might or might not be magical, and his chainmail, which, again, might be magical or not.

Nalgnashnee[edit]

  • Setting: Renf's Tomb
  • Ganch describes the creature, having crept ahead of the party to investigate. Battle begins when the party rushes forward to fight the goblins surrounding Nalgnashnee. The creature is inspected by the party after the goblins' defeat. Burig takes a closer look. Nalgnashnee stirs and attacks Burig. Battle begins anew. Nalgnashnee is defeated. Flaming oil thrown on it early on played a major role in this. For some reason, it addressed Burig, threatening the man in an ancient language. So far, he has been unable to ascertain why it would hate him personally, and how it knew his name, but he plans to learn more.

Encounters[edit]

Lord Griskold's Manor[edit]

  • The party meets Loquario, the count's magician, who sells the party a map of likely locations to find the beastmen's creator. In exchange for the map, the party gives him gold and promises to retrieve a certain Veyan slave girl, identity to be revealed later. The adventurers are careful in how they word their agreement, as many are concerned about the terms of the deal and what will happen to the girl.

New Companions[edit]

Burig and Ganch[edit]

Ivan and Paulus[edit]

  • In Renf's Tomb, just before the battle with the goblins surrounding Nalgnashnee, Ivan and Paulus introduce themselves to the party.

Huckstra the Caveman[edit]

  • The adventurers interrogate a caveman in Renf's Tomb. Turns out, he likes the gold the party offers him as much as any other man, kinda proving that this is an instinct that predates civilization. Since then, he tags along, and is occasionally useful with his huge frame and muscles.

Esme and Megara[edit]

  • In a camp outside Renf's Tomb, a sorceress and a priestess meet the party, just as the group is roasting owlbear meat.

Shomlie the Goblin[edit]

  • Esme charms a goblin who accompanied the minotaur who attacked the party outside Renf's Tomb.

Food & Water[edit]

Rations[edit]

  • OOC III, #740: Rations weigh 2 lbs/day. Any PC probably has, as part of their rations, a small tin pot they can use to boil beans or produce a corn-meal mush, in addition to some kind of eating utensil. The gigantic stock of food in the wagons probably includes a moderately-sized cauldron as part of its weight. Up to one week's rations and a waterskin can be part of a PC's 80-cn "kit" of miscellaneous equipment, without it counting for further encumbrance.

Water[edit]

  • OOC III, #740: If it is not possible to occasionally stop at a creek or spring for water (it is in the vicinity of Veya), three pounds of water per man-day will be required. A normal waterskin contains a gallon of water, which is eight+ pounds. So, a waterskin can support a character for *almost* three days, but weighs eight pounds. If the PCs adventure in very hot or humid environments, you should expect that figure to increase substantially.

Movement & Encumbrance[edit]

Player Characters[edit]

  • OOC III, #740: A PC's pack is generally counted as 80CN for ease of use and avoidance of bean-counting, I up it to 160 or more if I look at it and subjectively think it's a lot of crap. This is almost always far less than their equipment would rally weigh; think of it as a "backpack bonus." However, when this material is hauled on a cart, try to use the weights given below for materials.
  • OOC III, #740: Adventurers, which includes PCs and adventurer-type NPCs, but not typical hirelings, will have a slightly easier time force-marching and suffer less from terrain. Because they're energetic, determined badasses. While normal soldiers will balk at climbing a mountain or marching through a snake-infested swamp to reach a destination, PCs think mountains are good places to hurl rocks down at their enemies and snakes are fucking delicious.

Normal Men[edit]

  • OOC III, #740: Normal men can cover 24 miles per day if unarmored and unencumbered. 20 if they march in chain, 16 if they march in plate. This assumes relatively nice terrain to march through.

Organizations[edit]

Veyan Thieves' Guild[edit]

Notable NPCs[edit]

  • Amroce: Stole the vault map from the King of Night, took refuge with the party when the guild sent bounty hunters after him.
  • Tygier: Captured by the party at the battle at the Owlbear's Head, Charmed by Esme, now travels with the party.
  • The Eye:
  • The Prince of ___: Killed at the battle of the Owlbear's Head.

Organization[edit]

  • Approximately 50-100 full guild members. Including part-timers and associates, 200-300 in all. IC II, #907
  • Four heads of the guild, known as kings, each of which wears a mask and does not reveal him/herself save to the other heads. IC II, #907

Inside Information[edit]

  • Midnight Doubloon: A coin, made of black metal with a mirrorlike surface and stamped with an intricate knotwork pattern. Given as a token of authority to agents on official Thieves' Guild business. IC II, #894
  • The guild has a few hedge magicians but little more access to wizardry than any other player. IC II, #907

Places[edit]

Karnak[edit]

  • OOC II, #695: The Duchy of Karnak lies some distance East of the crossroads where your band of adventurers met. It consists of a large town around a castle, where the duke resides, and a number of outlying towns, villages, thorps, and hamlets. The people in the villages close to the tomb of Renf have been sorely afflicted by a lycanthrope. The Duke was an axe-wielding terror upon the battlefield in his youth, and made a widow of many women. However, he has grown grossly fat upon having gained a stronghold and servants, and is in no condition to pursue a bloodthirsty monster through the moors and forests of his realm, and he has lost too many men-at-arms in attempts to slay it. He has offered a "great reward" to any who can kill the beast, but has refused to disclose the nature of that reward. He fears that thieves might make off with it if there was widespread knowledge of what is in his possession. While this is certain to unsettle potential slayers from attempting the quest, the Duke is known to be a man of his word. If he says that he has a great reward, it is the opinion of the local wags that it must be great indeed.

Transportation[edit]

Animals[edit]

Draft Horse[edit]

  • Movement: 22 miles a day
  • Carrying capacity: 450 lbs.
  • Hauling capacity: 700 lbs. plus a driver
  • OOC III, #740: A draft horse moves at 22 miles per day, and is broadly similar to the riding horse. They don't like harsh terrain as well, though. A draft horse can carry 450 lbs of material. For a horse pulling a conveyance, it may handle 700 pounds plus a driver.

Mule[edit]

  • Movement: 24 miles a day
  • Carrying capacity: 300 lbs.
  • Hauling capacity: 450 lbs. plus a driver
  • OOC III, #740: A mule can carry 300 pounds and moves like a normal man, roughly. They are well-adapted to harsh terrain, and are a favorite among adventurers for that reason. For a mule pulling a conveyance, it may handle 450 pounds plus a driver.

Namakari[edit]

  • Movement: 20 miles a day
  • Carrying capacity: 550 lbs.
  • Hauling capacity: 1200 lbs. plus a driver
  • OOC III, #740: Namakari are common creatures in Veya and the surrounding area, and are favorites for heavy portage. They have supplanted oxen due to their great strength and easy disposition. A Namakari is an omnivore capable of dining on forage, but can have its diet supplemented by almost anything a human would eat, and also things they wouldn't (carrion.) They are particularly fond of fruit and, when they can be had, giant insects. Some claim they are slightly more intelligent than most domesticated animals, but they are not well-adapted to very cold weather. They move at 20 miles per day, and are somewhat tolerant of difficult terrain, especially swamps or sandy deserts. While they make poor riding animals and can only carry 550 pounds on their backs, they are remarkable draft animals when attached to a cart or wagon. Due to their omnivorous diet and higher calorie requirements, 5 pounds of feed per day are advisable for a Namakari that will be working hard. For a namakari pulling a conveyance, it may handle 1200 pounds plus a driver.
  • OOC III, #745: A namakari is a big damn lizard. Imagine a scaled-up iguana. They often have their tails docked and get used as beasts of burden.
  • OOC II, #680: The Namakari are indeed large, warm-blooded reptilian things, almost certainly cousins of the old lizard-beasts, but not their descendants. None of these species were native to the area, they were all imported from some distant land as eggs. When Veya fell into its currently half-feral state, nobody wanted to pay to maintain the kind of military infrastructure that the war-lizards required. The Namakari, though, are sufficiently useful in their own right that they are still produced on several outlying ranches and available on the open market.

Riding Horse[edit]

  • Movement: 36 miles a day
  • Carrying capacity: 300 lbs.
  • Hauling capacity: Not recommended
  • OOC III, #740: A riding horse can carry a rider and their personal equipment, more or less. A PC who doesn't wear armor can carry a bit more, a PC who does wear armor shouldn't carry any more than they'd usually schlep around in a dungeon, and should consider putting their pack on another beast if they're going to be wearing plate. An unmounted horse can carry around 300 pounds. In either case, they can move 36 miles per day. Generally speaking, a hard-working horse should have its diet supplemented with oats and so forth, adding up to 3lbs of feed per day. They are not very useful in terms of pulling a cart or wagon, and should not be used for this purpose under normal circumstances.

Carts & Wagons[edit]

Cart[edit]

  • Movement: 18 miles a day
  • Carrying capacity: 4000 coins
  • Pulled by: 1 or 2 horses, 1 namakari, or 2 mules
  • OOC III, #740: A Cart will generally move at 18 miles per day, and is usually pulled by one or two horses, a namakari, or two mules. They are useful in very moderately rough terrain, but no more.

Great Wagon[edit]

  • Movement: 16 miles a day
  • Carrying capacity: Up to 5 tons (6 namakari)
  • Pulled by: At least 6 horses or 4 namakari
  • OOC III, #740: A Great Wagon will move at 16 miles per day, and needs to be pulled by at least six horses or four namakari, and more is common. This is comparable to a conestoga wagon. They are no good at all without flat terrain or a road. A Great Wagon allows a 50% bonus to cargo capacity. A team of six namakari could pull a great wagon with five tons of cargo.

Wagon[edit]

  • Movement: 18 miles a day
  • Carrying capacity:
  • Pulled by: At least 2 horses, 4 mules, or 1 namakari, up to 4 horses or 2 namakari
  • OOC III, #740: A Wagon will move at a similar rate, and is usually pulled by at least two horses, four mules, or a namakari. It can be pulled by up to four horses or two namakari. They generally need flat terrain or some kind of path to be useful.

Miscellaneous Wyzardisms[edit]

  • What The Wyzard says when asked about selling looted mundane items like shoes and normal weapons and armor.

About[edit]

This encyclopedia contains information pertaining to The Wyzard's OD&D Campaign. As of the time this wiki entry was created, there were 4 in-character threads and 3 out-of-character threads, so it seemed helpful to create a central repository of rules and world-related information with links to the relevant posts.
Here are the current threads for the game.