…still waiting for a clever title…

Over at the Rogue Games blog, I have talked about the new rules found in Colonial Gothic Revised that cover the creation of creatures. Monsters, as I write in that blog post, is one of the areas lacking in the original version on of the Colonial Gothic Rulebook. With the revised version, this was one of my goals — expand the rules for creatures.

Anyway, here is an example of a monster that appears in the book. It also shows off the new rules as well.

Leeds Devil

Might 9, Nimble 10, Vigor 8, Reason 5, Resolution 5, Resolve 25, Vitality 42, Fear -2

Skills: Tracking [7]

Abilities: Bite, Flight [90-feet/Round], Fear, Horrific Visage, Moan, Second Wind [5 Sanity (10 with a Dramatic Success) lost for successfully hitting Target].

Sometimes known as the Jersey Devil, the Leeds Devil, as rumors go, is found in the Pine Barrens located in the southern regions of the New Jersey Colony. This creature has always existed in one form or another, and those seeing it, describe it the same way: a creature standing 8-feet in height, with a long neck, crane-like legs ending in hooves, and large bat-like wings, and a head resemble a dog. The creature, when encountered is viscous, and has a taste for human flesh.

As for the origins of the creature like most things there are more theories than facts. Some of the more plausible one are as follows:

• The Legend of the Jersey Devil traces the creature to Deborah Leeds. The Leeds family lived in the area of the Pine Barrens, and Leeds – who had given birth to 12 children – was pregnant with her 13th. The delivery was very difficult for her, and she invoked the Devil’s name. When the baby was born, it immediately, grew into a full-grown devil and escaped the house. Before doing so, the creature killed the family, and after devouring them, gained the taste for human flesh.
• Another version states that Mrs. Leeds, upon discovering she was pregnant with her 13th child, exclaimed that if she was to give birth to another child: “May it be a devil.” When she gave birth, her child was the creature.
• Another theory holds that the Mr. Leeds was a prominent merchant who treated his workers and indentured servants very poorly. So bad was this treatment that one of them placed a curse on the family, and the result of this curse was the birth of the creature.
• Some whisper that Mrs. Leeds, who was a Quaker, refused to convert from her faith. The Puritan Preacher was so angry with her; he proclaimed that her next child born would be Satan’s offspring.
• One final tale tells that the child was born a monster and that Mrs. Leeds raised and cared for it until she died. Upon her death, the child flew off into the swamps of the Pine Barrens and now lives there to this day.

What should be noted is that despite all attempts to track down the Leeds, and confirm any of the details had failed. No one can find them, let along anyone who knows of them. For every answer discovered, there always seems to be more questions. Besides the links to Mrs. Leeds, the Lenape whisper about a creature of great evil which they call Ehangelikgik. The creature, according to the shamans, is the enemy of Mani and is but one of many who serve the great evil known as Machtalappajo. These creatures stalk the land and hunt the righteous so that the world is prepared for the coming of Machtalappajo. This creature is ancient, and a danger to all.

Historical Background

The region called Popuessing by the Lenape roughly translates to the “Place of the Dragon.” When Swedish explorers arrived to the area named the area Drake Kill. With the arrival of the English, the area, they dubbed the region the Pine Barrens. Coupled with the rumors of the creature, the region gained a reputation for being a “mysterious place.” The fact that the region is isolated and a favorite for those trying to escape notice helps make the stories of the area darker. Loyalists, fugitives, religious dissenters, military deserters and others seeking a place to hide. Some formed small groups of bandits, as well as communities known as “piney.”

In the past I’ve written about the small changes I am making to how magic work in Colonial Gothic. Here is an example of a new spell that will be found in the game. Note this is still rough and will see some tweaking.

Bolt

Time: 1 Action
Range: 40/50/60
Duration: Instant
Performed On: Others
Sanity Cost: 0

A recent development by European powers, Bolt marks the first active work in creating magical spells that have a more useful purpose – combat. Bolt was first used actively during the Seven Year’s War, as well as limited engagement in the colonies during the French and Indian War. With the end of hostiles, the knowledge of the spell became widely known, and since then, mages looking for a means to protect themselves from harm, has started learning this spell. The first recorded documentation of this spell is found in the little known work Een verhandeling over de toepassing van het mysterieuze Kennis, written by Gysbert Vansteenwijk, which was published in 1710. The work had a small printing, and the printer died upon publishing the work.

Successfully casting Bolt, the caster creates a bolt of elemental force that can hit target and cause damage with a damage value of 3(20). The caster can choose the bolt to be any elemental type they choose: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Magic. A Dramatic Success in casting Bolt has it cause double damage, while a Dramatic Failure has the bolt explode in the caster’s hand with them taking damage.