the water method

rpg idea sketchbook

Cursed Blood, part 8 - The Gilt (OSE Class)

Cursed Blood Old School Essentials

Cursed Blood is the codename for a Castlevania inspired setting of psychoactive horror I'm working on.

The Gilt

Requirements: None

Prime requisite: INT

Hit Dice: 1d6

Maximum level: 14

Armor: None

Weapons: None

Languages: Alignment, common

  • The Gilt are simulacrums, emanations of the psychonauts and scientists who've pushed past the doors of perception.
  • When one of these madmen pledges their service to Pate Nostrum, the King of the Unborn and the Shadows, they are sometimes granted his gift: they are rebuilt as one of his non-living avatars. They exist in the shadows, laying threads to advance a plan they can hardly understand.
  • In return, they receive a fraction of the King's power over the elements - they can reshape their bodies to some extent, extend their senses, or create and send out sentient avatars of themselves. They are also nearly immortal, blessed with all the time in the world for study and contemplation.
  • Many Gilt suffer from terrible nightmares, phantom body pains. Few of them, if any, acknowledge this.
  • Each member of the Gilt is remade in an element of the King's choosing. You can roll on the table below at character creation time to select the substance of your form or make one up for yourself. Each form grants a magical power, which a Gilt must roll under their elemental skill to use
d6 Element Power
1 Cavorite Gain the power of flight for 1d6 X level minutes
2 Gold Generate 1d6 + level gold pieces on success or copper pieces on failure, once per day. Coins dissolve harmlessly in 1d4 hours.
3 Earth & mud Gain the ability to communicate with animals or plants. On a failure, caster loses the ability to speak their native language for 1d4 hours
4 Obsidian Become invisible for 1d6 x level minutes. On a failure, caster emits an unearthly lightbending glow for 1d4 hours
5 Iron (no roll) Equivalent to training in all weapons (no penalty to attacks). Bonus to unarmored AC increases to +4.
6 Copper Once per day, spontaneously generate gallons of beer or pounds of edible, nutritious foam equal to level. On failure, production is inedible.
9 Magma Release a wave of flame. Everything in 10 x level radius around caster saves against spell or takes 1d4 damage. On failure, caster is rendered inert for 1d4 rounds
10 Void stuff Bathe the area in unassailable magical darkness for 1d6 X level minutes. On failure, caster is blinded for 1d4 rounds

Combat

The Gilt are not trained in the use of any weapons. They can use a dagger or other one-handed weapon at a -2 penalty to hit.

Magic

The Gilt cannot memorize spells

The Gilt can cast spells from scrolls or use any items that may only be used by arcane spell casters (e.g. magic wands).

Healing

Magical healing does not work on the Gilt, as they have no true flesh to restore. One must know the Repair Gilt Form spell. Luckily, they are resilient and heal quickly. A long rest heals 1d6 HP, twice the standard 1d3.

Inhuman resilence

The Gilt, lacking organs and possessing only a simulacrum of nerves, is naturally resistant to damage. When unarmored, they take a +2 to AC.

Death

The Gilt cannot die in the traditional sense as they are not truly alive. If they are reduced to zero hit points, they are rendered inert. Functionally, this is similar to death, although certain high level magicians can revive them (Pate, their patron, certainly could). Players may wish to roll another character in this case, or it may become a focus of the party to revive their inert companion.

The exception to this rule is if the Gilt is damaged by something that reduces them into many small pieces, like a large explosion. Simple dismemberment won't do it, but a mechanical separation or destruction of much of the body disrupts the intrinsic nature of their conciousness and at that point they cannot be revived.

Repair Gilt Form

3rd level spell
Duration: Instant
Range: Touch

This spell restores 2d6+2 HP to a Gilt.

After reaching 11th level

After reaching 11th level, the Gilt may create a mind palace, a sanctum connected by invisible alchemical thread to the network of other Gilt. Joining this network means that they will have access to untold knowledge. At the keeper's discretion, they may now craft certain magical items.

What do you seek?

  1. Independence from Pate's oversoul
  2. A new sensation
  3. Access to Pate Nostrum's secret library
  4. The secrets of the Ascended's eternal youth
  5. A quiet sanctum away from all this
  6. The restoration of your humanity

Level progression

Level XP HD D W P B S Elemental
1 0 1d6 - 15 10 10 15 2 / 6
2 2,800 2d6 - 15 10 10 15 2 / 6
3 5,600 3d6 - 15 10 10 15 2 / 6
4 12,000 4d6 - 15 10 10 15 4 / 8
5 24,000 5d6 - 13 10 10 13 4 / 8
6 48,000 6d6 - 13 8 8 13 4 / 8
7 100,000 7d6 - 13 8 8 13 5 / 8
9 400,000 9d6 - 11 8 8 11 6 / 8
10 560,000 9d6+2 - 11 8 8 11 6 / 8
11 720,000 9d6+4 - 11 6 6 11 6 / 8
12 980,000 9d6+6 - 11 6 6 11 7 / 8
13* 1,140,000 10d6 - 8 6 6 8 7 / 8
14 1,300,000 10d6+2 - 8 6 6 8 7 / 8

D: Death / poison; W: Wands; P: Paralysis / petrify; B: Breath attacks; S: Spells / rods / staves.

  • At Level 13, armor and shields no longer grant bonuses to AC.