Celtic Legends Character Sheets

 

For those enjoying the Celtic Legends books, here is a simple character sheet done in the classic B/X style but formatted for a half-sheet. The hue of the green is the same as the Irish flag.

Celtic Legends Faeries & Spirits

Celtic Legends Gods & Druids

Celtic Legends The World of Eire

On a side note, someone asked about the order of the Saving Throws on this sheet. I explain it here: Saving Throws by Edition, Unified

Celtic Legends 3: The World of Eire

 

The third book in the Celtic Legends series is now out, and it feels like a good time to say a bit more about how it fits into the broader pile of things I’ve been tinkering with.

If you’ve seen the Norse material I’ve shared here before, this sits in a similar space. I tend to think of these lines less as separate projects and more as related branches, different expressions of the same underlying idea. That idea is something I’ve been calling Terra Mythica for a while now: a loose framework where real-world mythologies can coexist within a shared campaign space.

It’s not meant to be overly systematized or locked down. The appeal, at least for me, is in letting these traditions retain their own tone and identity while still brushing up against one another at the edges. If I had to point to a comparison, the closest might be Riverworld, though the similarity is more conceptual than literal.

Celtic Legends itself is written by Rob Stone, someone I’ve collaborated with quite a bit over the years. This particular corner of mythology is very much in his wheelhouse, and it shows. My role on these books was limited to layout, the voice and substance are all his.

If you’re curious, you can take a look here:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/559206/celtic-legends-the-world-of-e-ire

More to come on Terra Mythica as it continues to take shape.

Geirskögul - Valkyrie of Shaking Spears

It's been a few months since I posted a Valkyrie; here you go.

Geirskögul

Valkyrie of Shaking Spears

Aesir Demi-Goddess, Medium Humanoid, Chaotic Good

Armor Class: 20 (dress of divine protection)
Hit Dice: 11d8+22 (hp 72)
BHB: +9
Attacks: Spear +10 (1d8+3) or Sword +10 (1d6+3)
Move: 120’ (40’) / Fly 180’ (60’)
Save: D3 W4 P4 B5 S7 (F11)
Morale: 11
XP: 3,000
TT: F

Str: 17/+2 Dex: 21/+4 Con: 15/+1 Int: 14/+1 Wis: 16/+2 Chr: 19/+3

Shaking Spears. Once per battle Geirskögul can inspire nearby warriors to fury. All allies within 60’ gain +2 to attack rolls and Morale for 3 rounds. Enemies witnessing the charge must Save vs. Spells or suffer –1 to attack rolls during the same time.

Battle Sense. She can sense the presence of impending battle or armed conflict within 1 mile.

Geirskögul (“Spear-Shaker”) is a fierce Valkyrie known for stirring warriors to battle. Her presence often heralds the beginning of great clashes, where shields splinter and spears tremble in the hands of charging armies. Clad in an ebon dress and bearing a long war-spear, she rides above the battlefield selecting the bravest fallen for Odin’s halls. Among the Valkyries she is known as a herald of battle, appearing where the tide of war is about to break. 

Hervör Alvitr - the Valkyrie of Wisdom

 We've got a strange one today folks. A rarely seen and scarcely known valkyrie. Her name is Hervör Alvitr, she is the Valkyrie of Wisdom.

Hervör Alvitr
Valkyrie of Wisdom

Aesir Demi-Goddess, Medium Humanoid, Lawful Good

Armor Class: 19 (divine mail, shield)

Hit Dice: 10d8+20 (hp 65)

BHB: +8

Attacks: Spear +9 (1d8+2) or Sword +9 (1d6+2)

Move: 120’ (40’) / Fly 180’ (60’)

Save: D3 W4 P4 B5 S7 (F10)

Morale: 10

XP: 2,800

Str: 15/+1 Dex: 17/+2 Con: 14/+1 Int: 18/+3 Wis: 29/+7 Chr: 17/+2

Insight: Hervör can see through illusions, lies, and enchantments as if under a true seeing effect. Once per turn, she may grant an ally within 30’ a +2 bonus on a saving throw against mind-affecting magic.

Runes of Foresight: Once per day she may cast the runes of Odin for guidance. This has the combined effect of a Divination and Augury spell.

Innate Spellcasting

At will: Detect Magic, Detect Evil, Light

3/day each: Dispel Magic, Clairvoyance

1/day: Commune

Aura of Calm. All allies within 20’ gain a +2 bonus to Morale checks and saving throws vs. fear or charm.

Hervör Alvitr (“the Strange Wise Creature”) is a serene and enigmatic Valkyrie known for her sharp insight and calm judgment. Her pale, steady gaze and composed demeanor set her apart from her more warlike sisters. She is associated with knowledge, foresight, and the subtle workings of fate, offering guidance that is often brief, direct, and unexpectedly accurate. She influences events through counsel and understanding rather than open combat, though she is a capable fighter when needs call for it.

Celtic Legends - Gods & Druids

 

The second book in the Celtic Legends series Gods & Druids is now available. 

Embark on an epic journey into the heart of ancient Ireland with Celtic Legends: Gods and Druids. This 50-page supplement is your essential guide to a world steeped in mysticism, heroism, and the raw power of nature, perfect for both seasoned Game Masters and players eager to infuse their fantasy campaigns with authentic Celtic lore.

Inside you will discover:

The Pantheon of Gods in Celtic Ireland: Delve into the divine hierarchy with detailed descriptions of twelve primary gods from Celtic Irish Mythology, each a potent force to inspire your narratives and challenge your heroes.

60 New Druid Spells: Expand your magical repertoire with five unique, thematically rich spells for each of the twelve gods, allowing your druids to channel the very essence of their chosen deity.

2 New Classes: The Draoi Class (Celtic Druid) and The Kern (Celtic Forest Warrior.

Celtic Legends: Gods and Druids offers a wealth of inspiration and practical tools to bring the magic and mystery of Celtic Ireland to life at your gaming table. Immerse yourself in a world where ancient legends breathe, and the power of the gods and druids shapes destiny.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/538164/celtic-legends-gods-druids

Thrüd - Daughter of Thor

Another revisit of a valkyrie. This time Thrüd the daughter of Thor! 

Þrúðr  Valkyrie of Strength

Aesir Demi-Goddess, Medium Humanoid (Asgardian), Chaotic Good

Armor Class: 21 (enchanted armor and divine resilience)
Hit Dice: 16d8+40 (hp 112)
BHB: +12
Attacks: Hammer +12 (2d6+7 bludgeoning + 2d6 thunder), Axe +12 (2d6+7 slashing + 2d6 lightning)
Move: 150’ (50’)
Save: D4 W6 P5 B5 S8 (F15)
Morale: 12
XP: 9,000
TT: H

Str: 20/+4 Dex: 18/+3 Con: 17/+2 Int: 12/+0 Wis: 16/+2 Chr: 19/+3

Asgardian Weapons. All her weapons are magical and strike as +12 for purposes of hit and damage.

Intimidation Aura. All hostile creatures within 20’ must Save vs. Spells or be shaken for 1 round (–2 to attack rolls and morale). Creatures that succeed are immune to this effect for 24 hours.

Innate Spellcasting.

• At will: Dispel Magic, Dimension Door, Protection from Evil, Detect Evil
  
  

• 3/day: Hold Monster, Lightning Bolt, Teleport
  
  

• 1/day: Control Monster
  

Magic Resistance. Thrüd saves vs. spells with a +4 bonus.

Regeneration. She regains 2 hit points per round. Fire or unholy damage suspends this regeneration for one round. She dies only if reduced to 0 hp and fails to regenerate at the start of her next turn.

Þrúðr (Old Norse: “strength” or “power”), daughter of Thor and Sif, is a towering, red-haired warrior whose presence crackles with stormlight. Her eyes flash with lightning, her laughter rolls like thunder, and the ground itself trembles beneath her steps. Both Valkyrie and goddess, she embodies divine might, courage, and leadership, often leading the Valkyries into battle when her father’s hammer strikes across the Nine Realms.

Wielding both hammer and axe, Þrúðr is renowned for her valor and mercy toward brave mortals, yet she despises cowardice and deceit. She is named in Skáldskaparmál as Thor’s daughter and may be the same daughter he guarded from the dwarf Alviss in the Alvíssmál, where Thor outwitted the suitor until sunrise turned him to stone. Þrúðr is also listed among the Valkyries who serve the honored dead in Valhalla, forever a symbol of strength, steadfastness, and the thunder god’s proud lineage.

Geiravör - The Spear Bearer

 This is a revisit of Geiravör Valkyrie of Bearing Spears (or Valkyrie of Impaling, if you will). The previous iteration was in 5th edition stats, here is a pure "OSR" version. I'm still debating what spell-like abilities to give her.

Geiravör

Valkyrie of Impaling 

Aesir Demi-Goddess, Medium Humanoid, Chaotic Good

AC 20 (Natural Armor)

HD 12 (hp 102) 

BHB: +12

Melee Spear (1d8+5, plus Impaling effect)

Save  D3 W4 P4 B4 S7 (F12)

Move 120’ (90’)

XP 3500

TT F

Str: 18/+3 Dex: 17/+2 Con: 16/+2 Int: 14/+1 Wis: 17/+2 Chr: 18/+3

Spear of Impaling: When Geiravör thrusts with her spear, it cracks like thunder. All creatures of her choosing within 120 feet must save vs. Petrify or be deafened for 3d6 rounds.

Innate Spellcasting:

At will: detect evil and good
3/day each: commune, raise dead (to Valhalla/Fólkvangr)
2/day: heal

Geiravör (“spear goddess”) has fiery red-orange hair and wears a cloak of hawk feathers. When she appears on the battlefield, it is taken as a sign that Odin watches over the bravest warriors. She carries a spear with great skill, striking down those who falter in their duty. Though she is not the most powerful of the Valkyries, she is among the most determined and fierce.

Geiravör is known for her strong will and single-minded focus. At times, she will follow her own judgment rather than the guidance of her sisters if it serves her mission. In her former life, she was a shield-maiden to a great jarl, where her bravery and strength earned her the respect of her fellow warriors. Her talent with the spear was so great that she became known as the spear-bearer, or even the spear goddess, for her unmatched skill in battle.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Here are some Celtic Legends

My love for mythology in tabletop RPGs started with Deities & Demigods, later I discovered its predecessor Gods, Demigods, and Heroes. This slim volume offered a brief but fascinating look at mythological figures with original D&D stats. While its scholarship may have been a bit thin, especially by modern standards, I’ve always appreciated its brevity. Mythology is a vast and complex subject, and distilling it into something gameable is no easy feat.

The real standouts in the book were the Hyborea and Elric sections—bringing the worlds of Robert E. Howard and Michael Moorcock into the game. However, I’ve always wished that instead of a broad survey, early TSR had released dedicated books focused on specific mythologies, diving deeper into their themes, creatures, and deities for use in OD&D.

That’s why I’m so excited about a new project from my longtime friend and game design partner, Rob Stone. Rob, a passionate scholar of Celtic mythology (and a proud Irishman), has written Celtic Legends: Faeries and Spirits, the first in a series exploring the rich folklore of the Celtic world. I’ve had the pleasure of contributing to the book’s art, layout, and design, and I can confidently say it’s a must-have for anyone looking to bring authentic Celtic myth into their games.

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Celtic Legends: Faeries and Spirits is now available! Here’s a sneak peek at a sample page:

If you love mythology in your RPGs and want a deeper dive into the world of Celtic faeries, spirits, and folklore, be sure to check it out!

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/515675/celtic-legends-faeries-spirits

Norse Bestiary Alphabet

It's been another one of those dry spells on this blog. I've been juggling several projects all at different stages. A couple of the OSR things I have in the works are very close to being ready and they will be getting some sneak previews here quite soon.

Right now I want so show you a little project I did in January and recently compiled into a book and published. It probably falls well within the interest of readers of this blog. A long time passion of mine has been Norse mythology and I've always wanted to do some projects with that theme. Then an idea struck me and I started a project called Valkyria: Shield Maidens of Asgard. It is coming along quite nicely and if you follow my Instagram you might have seen a few images from it. In the course of research I did a little art challenge where I drew a creature from Norse mythology for each letter of the alphabet and posted it each day. The images struck a chord with some people and I was urged to make a book. I'm happy to announce it is available on my Gumroad store. It's a charming little book full of factoids and (I hope) cool art.

If this is something you might want check it out at the link below:
https://gumroad.com/thomden

Raiders - Every Magic Item is a Relic

Most fantasy roleplaying games hand out magic items like candy on Halloween. You have your +1 daggers, your potions of healing, and whatnot.

In Raiders every magic item is a mighty and ancient relic of unimaginable power! You don't just walk into a temple, slay some beasties, and loot their horde for a magical suit of +5 armor of aggrandizing. You go on an epic adventure to gather the clues, race against and face off with your rivals, overcome a perilous journey, to finally find the buried entrance lost ages ago. Then you dare to enter the trap filled tomb. After overcoming all these obstacles you find the object of your desire. A rare and precious artifact forged by an elder race long ago, perhaps touched with power from the gods or ancient ancient technology beyond our reckoning. You emerge from the dusty catacombs, blinded by the noon day sun only to be confronted by your archenemy who takes the hard fought fruit of your labors, not to put in a museum, but to gain the power for himself. To threaten all mankind with this strange and unknown force.

The adventure continues until you finally outwit your opponent, or he is destroyed by his own lust and greed for power. You once again claim possession of the relic to give it to a museum where it can be studied and appreciated by everyone. Or perhaps some incompetent government bureaucracy then takes it and puts it away in some forgotten warehouse somewhere.

Raiders isn't filled with lists of nifty magic items. Instead it has a huge catalogue of real, and mythological-possibly-real items gathered from history and legend. Each of these is given enough of a story and description for the GM to use as a McGuffin in the adventure. But still rough enough around the edges that it can be fit into the GM's campaign without too much work.

Here is an example, one of my favorites from the book.

The Aegis

This was a form of magical armor born by the goddess Athena in Greek myth, and also sometimes carried by her father Zeus. It was symbol of military prowess and defense. Athena may have crafted the aegis from the hide of one of her monstrous foes, perhaps the giant Pallas, whom she killed in the war against the Giants. In form it could vary, but it was often worn wrapped around the wearer’s body, and also hanging down behind her as a cloak. It was said to have a surface like golden snake skin. After the Gorgon medusa was slain, Athena arranged to have its severed face integrated into the folds of the garment; when uncovered, the gorgon’s red eyes stared out from her chest and its writhing snake-hair hung like tassels, and its petrifying gaze could fall upon all who faced her. The Aegis could also be rearranged and attached as a cover to a stout shield (again with the gorgon-head facing outward); Zeus, if he used it, often preferred this form. It takes two rounds to change the Aegis’s form.

The aegis was sometimes leant by Athena to favored individuals  such as mortal heroes, and perhaps it passed into one of their possessions after the gods left the earth (and hid whatever palace they had on Mount Olympus from mortal eyes). Should this be the case, it is possible it might be found in some ancient Greek hero’s tomb or temple, possibly one sacred to Athena, that in or around the Mediterranean region

As a garment, the Aegis provides AC -2 (22) to its wearer; as a shield cover it is a +4 shield (not cumulative with any bonus an existing magic or high-tech shield already provides, but if the shield is itself +4 or better, the combination provides a +5 bonus). In addition, when the medusa-head is uncovered anyone who is looking directly at it and comes within 50 feet must make a saving throw or be turned to stone (after making a saving throw, they are immune). When the Aegis is worn as a garment, anyone grappling its wearer may be stung by the live snakes; they collectively attack in close combat with 4 HD with a hit doing 1d4 damage and requiring a saving throw vs. poison to avoid death.

Even with its face covered, the aegis is also a potent symbol of power and victory; should a leader wear the aegis, any troops with him will have +2 to morale checks or saving throws made against fear, and the wearer or wielder of the aegis is themselves immune to fear.

Groups who might be seeking in the Aegis could include those archeologists or occultists who believe in the truth of Greek legends like the Illiad, as well as Greek nationalists and Hellenophiles (many of them British) who revere Athena as a symbol of justice and democracy. Political leaders who fear assassination may also wish to possess the aegis merely for its protective qualities, although its benefits to leadership would also help. Possible guardians for the Aegis include the usual array of mythical Greek monsters, and the danger of finding the thing uncovered and being turned to stone...

Platemail: a new old-school forum

I've started a new forum to discuss old-school gaming in general, and various projects I'm involved with in particular.

PLATEMAIL

I intend to be pretty active on it and hope to get you all involved in discussing all kinds of cool stuff!

De-Tolkienizing

I love orcs! Just as much as anyone. I mean, I illustrated a whole book on orcs (or, orks, as they were called in that case). I also think hobbits are the bees knees. It was seeing Rankin-Bass' "The Hobbit" at the tender age of 8 that propelled me into being a fan of (nearly) all things fantasy.

But I want to remove all Tolkienisms from my campaign. Why? Because Tolkein did them so well, and they fit so beautifully in the world of middle-Earth that I just don't like how they've been plucked from that world and thrown into generic fantasy.

I want to base my campaign on Mythic Earth. That is to say, real world mythologies, legends, and history. Which I've felt for a long time should have always been the default world setting of D&D. I say this with no intention to malign it's pulp fantasy influences, because I love all things Burroughs, Howard, and Leiber! I would just prefer them to be in their own supplements. They are each like a masterpiece composition, and isolating the parts only mars the works of art they are.

Another reason is that I had a Greek mythology book as a kid, and there were two paintings in it that inspired my desire to become an artist.

The first was Lament for Icarus by Herbert Draper:
And the other was Hylus and the Water Nymphs by JW Waterhouse:
Beyond the obvious reasons a boy might like these I was always captivated by the stunning beauty and craftsmanship of the art. I just didn't understand how you could put oil paint on a canvas and make it look like this (alas, sadly, I still don't).

When I say Mythic Earth, this is what I'm talking about.

The part of me that admires not just quality, but the highest quality, can only imagine D&D art ever looking like this. There are some great artists working in the field today, but only a few might even approach this level, and their services are likely cost prohibitive. Besides, few publishers are interested in this genre labeled "romantic fantasy" and consider it to be "quaint". Today it's all spiky armor and grimacing faces that look like the characters are suffering a severe bout of constipation.

So, I'm saying I want to de-Tolkienize my campaign. That means no orcs, no hobbits, and the dwarves and elves, I mean dwarfs and elfs need a serious revision.