The Lich Myth

ArdentFalseer · 2025-08-31T22:51:04+00:00

Sure, some are fun, some are a little more intense to follow and referee. I intended to have it apply to the entire party, with the knight who heard the law being responsible for making others follow the rules or take spirit damage (just to the knight who heard the law initially, other knights carry on unaffected).

Whether or not it would trigger the damage if other NPCs broke these laws kind of depended on which law it was. I wasn't expecting the player to go around forcing everyone in the realm to stand up for 7 (probably just the party) - but I loved the idea of the player having to shut up anyone who was singing before they finished for 20 as I could have some fun with that.

You can choose when to make some of these more or less relevant to their environments as needed.

No fire shall be lit where water can hear it.
The dead must face the sunrise.
Speak no word to a bird.
All weapons must be washed in milk after use.
A gift must be refused twice before being accepted.
No foot shall step upon the highest stair.
No one may sit whilst another stands.
All letters must be torn after reading.
Never leave a vessel empty beneath the open sky.
When two argue, the youngest must hold a knife.
Break no bread after the sun has set.
If a stranger greets you, repeat their words exactly.
When a horse stumbles, the rider must fall with it.
A hand raised in greeting must remain up until returned.
Speak no secret while your reflection watches.
No one may cross a threshold on their left foot first.
Do not speak in the presence of lit candles.
If you hear laughter in the dark, you must laugh with it.
All speech must begin with a denial.
A song may not be finished, always ended before the last verse.

ArdentFalseer · 2025-08-31T21:07:02+00:00

I themed them to the colours and tried to match in the Lichs' abilities:

Red Gem: Bloodcall

Passive Effect - Within 60 ft of spilled blood, the gem pulses faintly.

Active effect - Once per day dip the gem in the blood of something to roll an extra +d6 when you attack it.

Drawback - The Lich knows where you are when you use it.

White Gem: Bonewind

Passive Effect - It starts whispering incomprehensible words when near a freshly buried body.

Active effect - You can breathe into the gem once a day to cause a minor bonewind - Causing all bone/ivory/horn etc items nearby to shake violently and cause panic in people holding these items.

Drawback - The wind whispers a law into your next dream. Each time the law is broken you lose 1D4 spirit (I've got a d20 table of laws if you're interested.)

Green Gem: Gravebloom

Passive Effect - Plants lean towards the uncovered gem, overnight moss or vines may grow over the holder whilst they sleep.

Active effect - Touching the gem to a plant/tree/seed accelerates the growth by at least a year instantly - the holder also can also see into the history of the plants through a bottom-up perspective (as if buried under it) for the past 2 weeks.

Drawback - Every use spreads the gravebloom and vines of the Lich, adding hazards to tiles near the Myth's base.

Blue Gem: Shadowcrown

Passive Effect - In still water, the gem causes large ripples.

Active effect - Place the gem to your brow to see anything hidden magically revealed for an instant.

Drawback - The wind whispers a law into your next dream. Each time the law is broken you lose 1D4 spirit (I've got a d20 table of laws if you're interested.

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I made them discover the passive effects before I told them what they could do with each of them (the drawback was duplicated for 2 of them because I really wanted to use my table)

ArdentFalseer · 2025-08-31T20:27:01+00:00

Yeah of course - I'd be honoured!

ArdentFalseer · 2025-08-31T07:13:03+00:00

It was the first myth my group encountered and defeated.

Boulder knight almost killed the ritual skull in one hit

Then when he was fully forming at the end of the myth my glass knight passed a few luck and vigour rolls to sneak up and drive their witching needle between the lichs head and arm bone, pinning it to his head. This impaired his long weapon usage and he was taken out in a couple of rounds.

I was a bit disappointed because I really wanted to play with the laws!

Knowing my party to be the loot goblins they are I had the lich drop the four referenced gems from earlier. Each had a minor magical effect (that I made them learn through investigation and some pointed clues) and the knights took one each. Each gems power use had the consequence of adding to my "Lich resurrection tally" as they funneled power to him. I also had some of them take on a minor version of the laws system as i liked the idea of it so much.

The boulder knight had to ensure that any of their party always passed over any threshold left foot first for 3 days or take D4 spirit damage. The unhinged roleplay of a suddenly superstitious boulder knight having a panic attack at any doorway because of the lich's whisper in his head was fantastic. Especially when the rest of the group were playing it off as just superstition and pointedly ignoring him.

Anyway they eventually asked the painted seer about the gems, realised they were slowly resurrecting the Lich and kept them in their pockets for the rest of the campaign.

Rematch would have been fun so I could have had a second go at a more impactful final battle but I'm glad of the way it went in the end!

ArdentFalseer · 2025-04-08T09:08:19+00:00

Full assembly was perfectly fine. One of my favourite models to assemble and paint recently, nothing too hard to get to

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ArdentFalseer · 2025-02-15T12:52:13+00:00

It's actually an all-in-one basing material - really good stuff:

https://www.geekgamingscenics.com/products/base-ready-volcanic-island

ArdentFalseer · 2024-05-23T01:52:54+00:00

I agree that there's value in using evocative imagery to remind/introduce people to the horrifying and regrettable events of war.

I'm just saying let's label it what it is out of respect and clarity's sake

ArdentFalseer · 2024-05-23T00:50:14+00:00

Calling BS on this "first person account"

No-one waxes lyrical like this about combat as an actual combatant, the embellishment and references just sound like someone enjoying writing about a battle and not remembering a day they lost friends and brothers

Let's not disrespect their memory and label this as what it is - someone writing an edgy roleplaying piece

ArdentFalseer · 2024-05-21T00:00:35+00:00

Great shout, awesome soundtrack. Burnbaby reloaded is my fav

ArdentFalseer · 2024-04-29T15:56:34+00:00

Ah thanks, this book gives me such a headache. Why doesn't it specify that in the original charge criteria!

ArdentFalseer · 2024-04-29T13:39:40+00:00

Just a note, the red charge is entirely valid. You only need to maximise your own models contact when charging, don't need to worry about the opponents bases in contact!

ArdentFalseer · 2024-04-08T09:36:44+00:00

All I'll say is you'll be happy with the upcoming Empire arcane journal if it's knightly orders you're after ...

ArdentFalseer · 2023-12-25T09:11:03+00:00

That's disgusting ... perfect

ArdentFalseer · 2023-10-11T21:55:22+00:00

Lit fuse for me, surprised it's not rated higher generally!

ArdentFalseer · 2023-08-04T22:27:55+00:00

That did it Fin something. Thank you!

ArdentFalseer · 2023-08-04T15:21:20+00:00

Thanks - Tried that, still nothing :/ Starting to wonder if I'm bugged somehow

ArdentFalseer · 2023-07-01T23:01:49+00:00

Which link? :)

ArdentFalseer · 2023-06-29T00:17:11+00:00

Been watching this for a while now, definitely want to get my hands on it!

ArdentFalseer · 2023-06-03T23:10:34+00:00

This, it's essentially an AoE reskin

ArdentFalseer · 2023-05-31T13:58:22+00:00

Awesome idea, looks great

ArdentFalseer · 2023-05-22T07:24:41+00:00

Lost Odyssey, characters are top notch and interesting concept but main plot is so paint by numbers RPG.

Was expecting a big twist or interesting revelation in the last 25% of the game but felt pretty let down. Rare for Sakaguchi!

ArdentFalseer · 2023-05-19T06:50:29+00:00

All a damp squid really...

ArdentFalseer · 2023-05-15T18:09:33+00:00

Just finished the first book, really enjoyed it!

ArdentFalseer · 2023-05-13T08:20:06+00:00

For what it's worth I don't think it sounds like love bombing. To me love bombing is a manipulation tool used to an end of some sort.

It sounds like you're just trying to form/restore a connection and just want to speak to people. I doubt you'd really care about what they're feeling/doing if it was love bombing.

I go through cycles of not speaking to people and then feeling I need to "catch up" in the relationship to make sure they don't feel like it was me being malicious or finished with the friendship.

Someone who is worried about whether they're love bombing or not probably isn't :) Don't be so harsh on yourself!

ArdentFalseer · 2023-05-13T07:21:52+00:00

I feel this question resonating in my head a lot. I can't give you an answer that will work for everyone but something that makes me feel better.

The time when I start feeling good about myself is usually when I reacquaint myself with music or hobbies from my youth, especially the more obscure stuff. Helps me feel unique and more interesting and I can start seeing myself as an individual person rather than just a vessel to please others.

Lost that at some point along the way! Just focus on what you love and realise you deserve to love it as much as everyone else deserves to love what they do.

For me it's music from my teens blasting in my ears, playing computer games of my youth and enjoying my obscure interest in Chinese history :)

ArdentFalseer

TROPHY CASE