Tramplers of Chains, Liberators from the Labyrinth (GLOG/Troika!/D&D 5E Character Options)

Long ago, a vain and despotic king was cursed by a cruel and petty god for defying it.

The god punished everyone around the king, but the king learned nothing. He only recoiled in disgust as the members of his court and family twisted and changed into pained fusions of human and kine; the symbol of wealth the king had surrounded himself with.

With all his riches, the king ripped open the womb of the earth and delved a deep and dreary prison for his former subjects, banishing them out of sight and out of mind forever. Those cursed prisoners wailed and called out to the god for salvation, but the god was too busy gnashing its teeth to powder after the king to listen. And so the prisoners languished in the cold, stone halls until the world forgot them.

Time got on. The king died, his kingdom ruptured and reformed as something else, and the god faded away. But the prisoners remained, bringing children into their labyrinthine world if only to ease the pain of loneliness somewhat- and to teach them. From generation to generation they passed down their clouding memory of the past, the king, and their curse.

They came to believe that they had been punished for their own evils, which grew so malignant that they came to life and took the form of that old lord. Each child was taught that their parents had sinned, and that they must now do better. Never again would they covet. Never again would they imprison. Never again.

Time got on. The earth settled. Stone eroded, and metal corroded. Hinges weakened. The labyrinth boomed with the sound of its doors crashing down. A severe and blinding light shone in its place. When the screaming quieted, and their eyes stopped tearing up, they looked out onto the world that had forgotten them.

And they beheld a world choked with sin.

Avarice ruled. The land was filled with prisons, walls, fences, and cages. The privileged ground the unlucky beneath the heels of those ugly, fleshy hooves they call feet. Every cruelty that had damned the dwellers in the labyrinth festered unchecked in the hateful light of the sun.

Never again. Never again.

They washed over the land like a wave, bellowing cries of anguish and redemption and leaving an almost bloodless havoc in their wake. They ripped open animal pens, seized people only to sunder their bonds or split their yokes, and tore palaces down upon their lords' heads. Then they left as suddenly as they arrived, leaving townsfolk puzzled amid the wreckage. They were certain the beasts were just crude marauders, yet they couldn't explain why they didn't actually steal anything, or why they had the almost preternatural clarity to burn debts and legal documents...

Now they wander the world in loose bands under the open sky, searching for the next target of their divine fury. They live utterly fearlessly, except for the fear of closed spaces burned into their cultural memory for all time.

Most cities try to find ways to repel or divert the harrowing herds. But there are growing numbers of those who welcome and even join them, drawn to the stark and terrifying freedom they bring with them. Their trail is not difficult to follow- just look for the trampled chains and smeared bits of tyrant.

POV: You just finished building that new chicken coop.
(Anaba Bodyguard art by Greg Staples)

Child of the Labyrinth Species (GLOG)

Reroll: STR

Bonus: +4 to Strength for breaking chains, destroying walls, busting down doors, etc.

Weakness: Can't wear shoes. Save vs Fear when trapped in a small, enclosed space or suffer a claustrophobic episode, running and attacking anything that prevents your escape.

Children of the Labyrinth, in their own language. Bullfolk, to most others. Bos taurus anarchos, to gigantic nerds. Victims of an old curse, broken free from their labyrinthine prison. No cage shall hold them—or anyone else—ever again. Never again.

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Child of the Labyrinth Background (Troika!)

Possessions

• Big Horns & Hard Hooves (Damage as Spear).
• Thick Hide (Always count as being Lightly Armoured).
• A Labyrinth-Stone Memento.

Advanced Skills

3 Anarchist Thought

3 Strength

2 Navigation

1 Hunting & Gathering

1 Mathology

1 Run

Special

Once per month you may Test your Luck to destroy any barrier confining you or another creature, no matter how improbable or immaterial it might be. Walls, chains, debts, legal bondage, and even magical effects like Affix count, among others.

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Child of the Labyrinth Lineage (5E)

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Creature Type. You are still a Humanoid, despite everything done to you.

Alignment. The Children abhor not just individual and eminently stompable tyrants, but the violence and degradation inherent in all systems that prioritize law and orderliness over the wellbeing of its constituents. They tend toward chaotic alignments, with roughly equal numbers being neutral or good.

Size. The Children are broad and hulking, but not exceedingly so compared to their more humanoid ancestors. You are Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Your ancestors' time in the labyrinth left its mark on you. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.

Horns. You have horns that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier piercing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Goring Rush. Immediately after you take the Dash action on your turn and move at least 20 feet, you can make one melee attack with your Horns as a bonus action.

Never Again. You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the frightened, grappled, or restrained conditions on yourself.

Breaker. You have advantage on all Strength checks to break through chains, doors, walls, etc.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and the Lingua Labyrinthine. It's more of a continuum of related dialects than a single language; linguistic prescriptivism and purism is just another form of tyranny, after all.

Destige Class: Ashworm Dragoon for OSE (Sandstorm, 2005)

I know backwards-looking system conversions of classes, species, monsters, etc. have been around for decades, since the time we had more than 1 system. But I didn't get inspired to try my hand at it until I mentally connected it to the more recent trend of retraux demakes of music and video games. Which are separate phenomena in very different media, but they're just close enough that I can conceptually append my writing to them in a pointless attempt at self-legitimization.

I also know how late to the party I am on this, so I've decided to do things Slightly Differently, and take a page from my OdditEs series. Hence the 'destige' class; one of the weirder prestige classes from 3E or later, adapted or at least used as "inspiration" for a roughly old school base class in the vein of BFRPG, OSE, or whatever feels most appropriate in the moment. Balancing is likely to be suspect, but fortunately a good chunk of the OSR abhors balance (whether it be mechanical, mental, or otherwise).

Link to the original 3E PrC that inspired this one: Ashworm Dragoon

Ashworm Dragoon

Requirements: Minimum STR 9, minimum CON 9
Prime Requisite: DEX
Hit Dice: 1d8
Maximum level: 14
Armour: Leather, chainmail, shields
Weapons: Any
Languages: Alignment, Common

Nomadic desert tribes long ago learned how to capture and train the giant, sand-burrowing ashworms, also called thunderherders. Ashworm dragoons form a bond with their ashworm steeds so strong that they become like extensions of one another. They blend mounted combat with exotic monstrous abilities to become some of the most formidable forces in (or below) the desert and beyond.

Ashworm Mount

A dragoon begins play with a bonded ashworm- an ashworm with AC 5 [14], 3+3 HD, and a movement rate of 120' (40') / 180' (60') burrowing. If the worm dies, the dragoon may spend one month taming and training a replacement in a desert or waste known to be inhabited by ashworms.

Hardy Mount

Upon reaching 3rd level, an ash dragoon's mount gains a +1 AC bonus and +1 HD. This increases to +2 at 5th level, and +3 at 7th level. If the dragoon's worm dies or is released, its replacement gains these benefits at the end of its training.

Poison Stinger

From 4th level, an ash dragoon can induce their worm to inject a target with poison using its stinger attack a number of times per day equal to their class level. If the attack hits, the victim must save versus Death or be paralyzed for 1d2 rounds, in addition to normal attack damage.

Weather-Beaten

Ash dragoons gain +2 to all saves against nonmagical heat and exhaustion from years of riding across the sands. At the referee's discretion  the bonus against heat may be exchanged for a bonus against cold if a dragoon rides the rare woolly ashworm native to the frozen deserts of the south.

Worm Riding

Ashworm dragoons gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls when mounted. Their bizarre and elaborate saddles also give them a 25% chance to stay seated when otherwise they would be knocked off.

Worm Sign

A dragoon of 6th level or higher can dive below sand or other soft ground with their worm mount and move using its burrowing speed for up to 1 minute per level per day before coming up for air. At 8th level the dragoon and worm can burrow through packed earth, but not solid rock. If still underground when time runs out, the dragoon suffocates in 2d6 rounds unless they are dug out or their worm surfaces on its own.

After Reaching 9th Level

An ash dragoon may construct a stronghold at the edge of a desert or wasteland. Once a stronghold is established, it becomes a meeting ground for nomad tribes who come from far and wide to trade and exchange news. The stronghold also attracts 2d6 apprentices of levels 1-3 to study worm-handling under the ash dragoon.

Ashworm Dragoon Level Progression
Level	XP	HD	THAC0	Saving Throws
				D	W	P	B	S
1	0	1d8	19 [0]	12	13	14	15	16
2	2,500	2d8	19 [0]	12	13	14	15	16
3	5,000	3d8	19 [0]	12	13	14	15	16
4	10,000	4d8	17 [+2]	10	11	12	13	14
5	18,500	5d8	17 [+2]	10	11	12	13	14
6	37,000	6d8	17 [+2]	10	11	12	13	14
7	85,000	7d8	14 [+5]	8	9	10	10	12
8	140,000	8d8	14 [+5]	8	9	10	10	12
9	270,000	9d8	14 [+5]	8	9	10	10	12
10	400,000	9d8+2*	12 [+7]	6	7	8	8	10
11	530,000	9d8+4*	12 [+7]	6	7	8	8	10
12	660,000	9d8+6*	12 [+7]	6	7	8	8	10
13	790,000	9d8+8*	10 [+9]	4	5	6	5	8
14	920,000	9d8+10*	10 [+9]	4	5	6	5	8

* Modifiers from CON no longer apply.
D: Death / poison; W: Wands; P: Paralysis / petrify; B: Breath attacks; S: Spells / rods / staves.

Ashworm Monster Stats

A large, eyeless worm the size of a horse covered in chitin. Distant relative of the purple worm. It burrows through sand and wields a nasty poison stinger. Domesticated ashworms have their stingers clipped, except those ridden by ash dragoons.

AC 7 [12], HD 3 (13hp), Att stinger (1d4 + poison), THAC0 17 [+2], MV 120' (40') / 180' (60') burrowing, SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (3), ML 9, AL Neutral, XP 25, NA 1d4 (5d6), TT None
▶ Burrowers: Can flee by burrowing into sand or soft earth.
▶ Melee: When in melee, both rider and worm can attack.
▶ Poison: Causes paralysis 1d2 rounds (save versus poison).

The Lukkawei (Troika! Community Jam: Bestiary 2024 Submission)

I had been considering making a monster for a bit, and it just so happened to line up with my friend TLN sharing the newest Troika! jam hosted by the Melsonian Arts Council. So, I decided why not?

Click here for the Community Jam!

Click here if you really want this mess in PDF form for some reason.

The Lukkawei

SKILL: 10

STAMINA: 12

INITIATIVE: 4

ARMOUR: 5

DAMAGE: Frantic Flailing (As Small Beast)

A drawn, vaguely pellicular creature at home in the shadows like a fish in water. They are normally content to lurk in the deep caverns, ancient ruins, and neglected cellars that spawn them. The unbearable agony of being perceived is lethal to them, so they try stay hidden at all costs, swathed in onion-like layers of shadow. They are not violent by nature, but being intruded upon sends them into a panicked frenzy in which they will attempt to scare away or run away from all observers. They are named for the shriek they emit when startled.

Lukkawei! Lukkawei!

SPECIAL

Once per Round a Lukkawei may send out sheets of tepid darkness to quash all light in a 100 foot area. Anyone holding a torch, lantern, or other personal light source may Test their Luck to keep it alight.

If a Lukkawei is exposed to bright light for 3 consecutive Rounds, its Skill, Initiative, and Armour are reduced to 0 as its protective shadows peel away.

MIEN

1: Paranoid

2: Agoraphobic

3: Bleakly Serene

4: Consternated

5: Anemoiac

6: Exhausted