ACKS: Blessed Undertaker

Prime Requisites: DEX, WIS

Requirements: Must be Neutral.

Hit Dice: 1d4

Maximum Level: 14

Mawat is neither a kind god nor a Lawful one; he cares little for civilization or for the affairs of the living. As Lord of the Underworld and Master of the Dead, his domain is a grim one - that of the eternal burial of flesh in the earth and the eternal containment of the soul in Sheol (the Underworld). Mawat is, however, greedy and patient at the same time - he covets the souls of all that lives for expanding his hoard of dead spirits in his deathly realm, but he can wait. And waiting always pays off for him - for everything dies. Well, almost everything. If there is one thing that enrages this God of Death, it is undeath - as he sees it, outright theft of what is rightfully his, done by lesser gods and impudent mortal sorcerers. The bodies and souls stolen from Mawat by means of necromancy must be returned to their rightly place - his underworld, where he reigns supreme.

Towards this end, of putting restless dead to rest and sending their spirits to Mawat's realm of Sheol, the Master of the Dead sends forth his mortal servants, his priests, as some would call them - the Blessed Undertakers. Their task is to slay undead, as well as those who dare rebel against Mawat and create them in the first place. Many of them, in more civilized places also take the role of guardians of graveyards, tombs and catacombs - vigilantly watching the dead lest they rise in defiance of their rightful Master.

Blessed Undertakers are skilled combatants, albeit not as good as fighters. At first level, they hit an unarmoured foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. They advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every four levels of experience. Blessed Undertakers may only use Swords & Daggers (including sickles, which use the stats for a short sword), Bows and Crossbows and may only wear leather armour or lighter. They may not use shields but may either use one one-handed weapon, two weapons or a two-handed weapon. They gain one Cleave attack every two levels. They progress in saving throws and Proficiencies as a Cleric.

Blessed Undertakers Cast Divine Spells, using the following spell list, and Turn Undead as Clerics of their level, and may engage in magical research and item creation as Clerics. They are blessed with the ability to slay undead; in order to do so, they are blessed with the ability to Backstab undead, and only undead, as a Thief of their level. They may also Move Silently and Hide in Shadows as a thief of their level.

At Level 3, Blessed Undertakers are Concealed from Undead by Mawat's power; when they sneak, undead are considered to be passively watching rather than actively watching. At level 5, they gain the power of Righteous Turning - When turning undead, the character adds his Wisdom bonus to both the turning throw and to the number of HD turned on a successful throw. At level 9, they may Detect Undead at will, with a casting time of 1 turn, as per the spell (PC p.134).

When a Blessed Undertaker attains 9th level (Patriarch), he can establish a Sanctum, and 2d6 blessed Gravediggers of 1st level will come to work with the character. Sanctums follow similar rules to Thief Hideouts, though their operations are aimed at the undead enemy.

Blessed Undertaker Proficiency List: Alertness, Apostasy, Battle Magic, Blind Fighting, Combat Trickery (force back, overrun, sunder), Contemplation, Diplomacy, Divine Blessing, Divine Health, Fighting Style, Healing, Knowledge (history), Leadership, Loremastery, Magical Engineering, Martial Training, Precise Shooting, Prestidigitation, Profession (undertaker), Prophecy, Quiet Magic, Righteous Turning, Sensing Evil, Sensing Power, Skirmishing, Skulking, Sniping, Theology, Unflappable Casting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus.

Blessed Undertaker Spell List:

First Level Divine Spells:
1. Cure Light Wounds*
2. Delay Disease
3. Detect Evil*
4. Detect Magic
5. Detect Undead
6. Light*
7. Protection from Evil
8. Remove Fear
9. Resist Cold
10. Sanctuary

Second Level Divine Spells:
1. Bless
2. Delay Poison
3. Hold Person
4. Resist Fire
5. Righteous Wrath
6. Silence 15' radius
7. Spiritual Weapon

Third Level Divine Spells:
1. Continual Light*
2. Cure Blindness*
3. Cure Disease*
4. Detect Curse*
5. Detect Invisible
6. Feign Death
7. Glyph of Warding
8. Inaudability
9. Invisibility
10. Invulnerability to Evil
11. Prayer
12. Remove Curse*
13. Speak with Dead
14. Striking

Fourth Level Divine Spells:
1. Cure Serious Wounds*
2. Death Ward
3. Dispel Magic
4. Neutralize Poison*
5. Protection from Evil, Sustained*
6. Smite Undead*
7. Tongues

Fifth Level Divine Spells:
1. Atonement
2. Commune
3. Dispel Evil
4. Flame Strike
5. Quest*
6. Strength of Mind*
7. Sword of Fire
8. True Seeing

Player's Companion Math:
HD 0, Fighter 1a, Thievery 1, Divine 2. level 2 XP 1,200.

Trade-offs: Armour selection from Unrestricted to Narrow (2 powers).
Power Trade-offs: 2 Powers to Powers at levels 3, 5 and 7.

Barbarian Conqueror King: NPC Rulers Update

Now with Sorcerer Kings!

Harat is ruled by Hardun, sometimes called "King Hardun", a Lawful level 10 Lizardman Gladiator.

Yimara is ruled by King Balrazar, a Neutral level 11 Mage.

Khishrom is ruled by King Adyan, a Lawful level 10 Fighter.

Irem is ruled by the Merchant-Prince Argum, a Neutral level 10 Venturer.

Zarnas is ruled by the undead Eternal Pharaoh Pilsar IV, a Chaotic level 10 Sakkaran Ruinguard turned into an intelligent undead creature three centuries ago.

The City of the Crescent Sun is ruled by Lizard-Queen Xelana, a Lawful level 10 Lizardman Warrior.

The City of the Sunken Moon is ruled by Lizard-Sorceress Manatxu, a Chaotic level 10 Lizardman Witch-Doctor.

Cibola is ruled by High Priestess Nalana, a Lawful level 12 Lizardman Priest(ess).

Updated Lizardman Hunter

Prime Requisite: DEX

Requirements: STR 9, DEX 9, CON 9

Hit Dice: 1d6

Maximum Level: 12

In the savage lizard-tribes of Mala, the most basic social function is that of the Hunter - an aguile stalker of prey who also, in times of dire need, doubles as a warrior in protection of his or her tribe. Some of the more civilized Lizardmen of Punt also follow this pursuit - either as hunters for pleasure and profit or as rouges who lives in the cracks of Cibola's rich, but corrupt, society. Unarmoured, stealthy and utterly deadly when attacking from ambush, the Lizardman Hunter is a light-footed warrior well-suited to the adventuring life.

In ACKS-PC terms, a Lizardman Hunter is Lizardman 2, Hit Die 1, Fighting 0 (1 due to the Lizardman bonus), Thievery 2, Divine 0, and Arcane 0 (I'll detail the custom powers later). He can go up to level 11. He needs 1,750 XP to rise to Level 2.

Lizardman Hunters are good combatants, though unarmoured ones. At first level, Lizardman Hunter hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. Like Thieves, they advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every four levels of experience.

Agile and sneaky combatants as they are, they may not wear any armour at all, but do enjoy a natural armour of AC 3 due to their Thick, Scaly Hides. They may use any one-handed melee weapon and all missile weapons, and may only fight in the One-Handed Weapon style.

Like all Lizardmen, Hunters may use their Fangs and Claws in combat. In lieu of attacking with a normal weapon, the character can initiate an attack routine consisting of two claw attacks and one bite attack. The claws deal 1d3-1 damage each, while the bite deals 1d6-1 damage. Both the claw and bite damage will be modified by the character’s STR adjustment and damage bonus. When the character reaches 5th level, these natural weapons become capable of harming creatures only harmed by magical weapons. Lizardmen cannot use their fangs and claws while wielding weapons or using shields. Also, as all Lizardmen, Hunters are excellent swimmers with a swimming movement rate of 120' per turn, and can hold their breath for 1 turn (10 minutes) without harm.

Lizardmen Hunters may Move Silently, Climb Walls, Hide in Shadows, Hear Noise and Backstab like a Thief, as shown in the table below. The bonus for their Hunter's Senses is already factored in the throws given in the table.

Lizardmen Hunters enjoy keen Hunter's Senses, giving them a +4 bonus on any proficiency throws to hear noises and detect secret doors (already factored into their Hear Noise throw). With a proficiency throw of 18+ they can notice secret doors with just casual observation. They also gain a +1 bonus to avoid surprise. In the wild, as skilled trackers, they Avoid Getting Lost - Parties guided by the character gain significant advantages on wilderness adventures. Any time the Hunter’s party is in country familiar to him, they get a +4 bonus on proficiency throws to avoid getting lost. Finally, as skilled hunters, they have the Sniping proficiency, allowing them to inflict ranged Backstab damage to an unaware target up to Short range.

When a Lizardman Hunter attains 9th level (Lizard Warden), he can establish a Hunting Lodge in the Borderlands or Wilderness, and 2d6 Lizardman Hunter apprentices of 1st level will offer to work for him. If hired, they must be paid standard rates for ruffians. Some Lizardman Hunters use these followers to start a gang of highwaymen and smugglers, expanding their wealth through mostly illegitimate channels. Others use this for hunting ferocious beasts. Except as noted, a Lizardman Hunter's Hunting Lodge follows the rules for hideouts detailed in the Hideouts & Hijinks section of Chapter 7 of ACKS.

Lizardman Hunter Proficiency List: Ambushing, Animal Husbandry, Blind Fighting, Climbing, Combat Trickery (disarm, incapacitate, knock down), Eavesdropping, Endurance, Fighting Style, Land Surveying, Mapping, Mountaineering, Naturalism, Navigation, Passing Without Trace, Precise Shooting, Riding, Running, Skirmishing, Survival, Swashbuckling,Tracking, Trapping, Wakefulness, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus.

ACKS - Lizardman Gladiator

The corrupt nobles of Kanahu take pride in breeding and training their choicest slaves - the Lizardman Gladiators, bred over centuries to produce bloodlines of unmatched martial prowess, and trained from birth to be ferocious on the arena floor. These gladiators possess a level of savagery unknown even in the best Human fighters, or even Punt's best-known Lizardman Warriors, as generations of artificial selection and a lifetime of combat have honed their senses beyond those of common fighting Men and Lizardmen.

Lizardman Gladiators follow the rules for Thrassian Gladiators as presented on the ACKS Player's Companion pp.41-42, with the following exceptions:

• Their Claws deal 1d3-1 damage and their fangs deal 1d6-1 damage.
• They lack Infavision.
• They lack the Inhuman penalty and bonus.

In ACKS Terms, they are Lizardman 2 + HD 2 + Fighter 2 (total 3 including the Lizardman bonus).

Here is also a new level progression table for them:

Final Lizardmen Race

I've decided to remove the Inhumanity characteristic of Lizardmen, as they are relatively common and well-known even in the human lands of Kanahu; Geckomen will have this at -1, and Bugmen at -2 (or -4? they're VERY alien). This is especially true in the starting city-state of Harat where Lizardmen are 10% of the population (mostly freed slaves), compared to 0.9% for Geckomen and 0.1% for Bugmen.

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Lizardmen are one of the three playable non-human races (the others being Geckomen and Bugmen) of the Barbarian Conqueror King setting  for the Adventurer Conqueror King System (ACKS). While other sentient species other than Men, Lizardmen, Geckomen and Bugmen exist in this world, most of them are monstrous and ardent followers of Chaos (Toadmen are an example of this). Lizardmen, on the other hand, exhibit a full range of beliefs and personalities, similar to what Humans do; some are Lawful and follow their goddess Ixchala; most are Neutral; and some are Chaotic and follow the dread gods of their old Serpentmen masters.

In this setting, not all Lizardmen are the savages depicted in the typical fantasy setting. While some live in savage barbarity in the jungles and swamps, others have built, and still inhabit, massive cities, not least of which is the city called Cibola by humans - a massive Class II market rich beyond belief and sprawling over several large islands in its lake.

A Lizardman in Barbarian Conqueror King looks like an upright, anthropomorphic Warer Monitor, with a long, thick tail, a forked tongue and a brain-case worthy of its human-like intelligence. Lizardmen are hardy survivors, bred for manual labor and as cannon-fodder by the dead Serpentmen eons ago. They fight very well and thrive in warm, humid, watery environments, such as their homeland of Punt. Lizardmen are warm-blooded (though they resent cold climate) and are omnivores, albeit with a taste for fresh meat and fish.

Lizardman character classes are created using the Lizardman racial category and experience points. Requirements, class category values, hit points per level after 9th, and experience point progressions are modified as noted below.

Requirements:
All Lizardman classes require a minimum Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution of 9 or better.

Class category Values:

• Fighting: The build points allocated to the class’s Fighting Value may be increased by 1 or 2 points by the Lizardman Value (see below). Use the effective values to find the class’s fighting abilities, up to a maximum of 4 points.
• Divine: Lizardmen may not have a Divine Value higher than 2.
• Arcane: Lizardmen may not have an Arcane Value higher than 3.

Lizardmen, as a race (for custom classes), are almost always taken at level 2, representing a Lizardman (or Lizardwoman). Levels 0 and 1 are described below for the sake of completeness the rare case someone would like to play a magically-bred hybrid between Humans and Lizardmen (which is a rarity, but could plausibly exist in this setting). Levels 3 and 4 are included for the sake of completness.

Lizardman 0 (XP Cost 125): at Lizardman 0, the character appears largely human, but his skin is scaly, his teeth are pointed, and his fingernails are long and claw-like (though not powerful enough at this level to actually cause increased damage in melee). At Lizardman 0, the class will have the following four custom powers:

• Scaly Hide: The character’s base unarmored AC is 1 instead of 0.
• Swimming: The character gains a swimming movement rate of 60' per turn. The character may hold his breath for 12 rounds (2 minutes).

Lizardman 1 (XP Cost 300): at Lizardman 1, the character’s skin develops into a light, scaly hide, and the jaws of the head are elongated. A short, vestigial tail appears, and the fingernails develop into true claws. At Lizardman 1, the class will have the following five custom powers:

• Fangs and Claws: The character gains a claw/claw/bite attack. The claws deal 1d2-1 damage each, while the bite deals 1d4-1 damage.
• Scaly Hide: The character’s base unarmored AC is 2 instead of 0. The character has a base movement rate of only 90'.
• Swimming: The character gains a swimming movement rate of 90' per turn. The character may hold his breath for 30 rounds (5 minutes).

Lizardman 2 (XP Cost 850): At Lizardman 2, the character is a full-blooded Lizardman. He stands 6' to 7' tall, and has the head and tail of a lizard. His hands have evolved into sharp claws, his reptilian mouth is filled with fangs, and his skin has developed into a tough scaly hide. At Lizardman 2, the class will have the following five custom powers:

• Fangs and Claws: The character gains a claw/claw/bite attack routine. The claws deal 1d3-1 damage each, while the bite deals 1d6-1 damage.
• Scaly Hide: The character’s base unarmored AC is 3 instead of 0. The character has a base movement rate of only 60'.
• Superior Fighting: The class’s base Fighting Value is effectively increased by 1 for all purposes.
• Swimming: The character gains a swimming movement rate of 120' per turn. The character may hold his breath for 1 turn.

Lizardman 3 (XP Cost 1,350): Lizardman 2 + another level of Fighter.

Lizardman 4 (XP Cost 1,850): Lizardman 2 + two more levels of Fighter.

A Lizardman’s claw and/or bite damage will be modified by the character’s STR adjustment and damage bonus. However, Lizardmen cannot use their fangs and claws while wielding weapons, using shields, or wearing armour heavier than chain mail.

Experience Point Progression After 8th Level
Lizardmen increase the amount of experience required to gain each level after 8th by 35,000XP.

Barbarian Conqueror King Game Region

Here is the part of the Barbarian Conqueror King campaign map I intend to use as the Regional map for my ACKS game. Detailed are Harat, Yimara and the wilderness between them. I'll make a fully-blown regional map out of this later.

Slightly Updated Barbarian Conqueror King Map

Calendar and Time in Barbarian Conqueror King

The world upon which Kanahu (and the rest of the lands) exists has two moons: the larger, Yarkhibol, resembling Earth's moon, and the far smaller, Innana, a small, reddish asteroid on a higher orbit. the world's rotation around it's sun, Shapashu, equals exactly twelve rotations of Yarkhibol around the world, each 28 days long; the year, therefore, is 336 days long. Therefore, there are twelve 28-day months in the year, each dedicated, according to Kanahi custom, to a single Lawful deity.

The year, according to Humans, is 3,341 AS (After the Shooting Star, upon which the Humans came), or, according to the Lizardmen, the 4,009th year since their rebellion against the dreaded Serpentmen.