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Sunday, January 3, 2021

Hubris for Gorgon Crawl Classics

Hubris, noun (hyü-brəs)
1) excessive pride or self-confidence.
2) (in Greek tragedy) excessive pride toward or defiance of the gods, leading to nemesis.


In Gorgon Crawl Classics, PCs gain and spend Hubris to modify their die rolls. Spending too much Hubris or leaning on it too much temps fate and leads to tragedy. Very Greek.

Yes, I am also aware the Mike Evans has a very cool DCC setting called Hubris

This still very much a work in progress and has not been play-tested at all. Here's how it works...


Gaining Hubris
  • PCs start each session with 2 points of Hubris. Leftover Hubris does not roll-over from session to session.
  • If a PC rolls a natural 20, all PCs gain 1 Hubris.
  • If an enemy rolls a natural 1 against a PC, that PC gains 1 Hubris. 
  • If a PC rolls a natural 1, all other PCs gain 1 Hubris. Point and laugh at your fellow's folly.
  • NPCs do not gain or spend Hubris. 

Spending Hubris
  • Before making an attack, skill, save, attribute, or spellcasting roll, you may spend as many Hubris points as you have available. For each Hubris you spend, roll 1d6 and add the total to your roll. 
  • If any of the Hubris Dice come up as a 6, the gods punish your arrogance and bad things happen. The more 6s you roll, the worse the results. 
  • Rolling one or more 6s does not necessarily mean the roll has failed, unless the "Cost of Hubris" dictates so. Compare the total to the DC as normal. You can succeed in the roll and still suffer the wrath of the gods.
  • You can spend Luck and Hubris on the same roll.

The Cost of Hubris
  • If you roll one 6 on your Hubris dice, you suffer a misfortune. A misfortune is a short, one-off compilation that your character suffers. Once you deal with it, it’s done. 
  • If you roll two 6s on your Hubris dice, you suffer a curse. A curse is a persistent malignant effect that causes trouble for your character, but it’s not career-ending. Some lingering effects of a curse can be removed with the Remove Curse spell. Treat it as a “major curse” with a DC equal to the total of your roll that triggered the hubristic curse.
  • If you roll three or more 6s on your Hubris dice, you are struck by a doom. Dooms are powerful, far-reaching malasions that might end a character’s adventuring career or even kill them outright. These dooms are too powerful for the mortal magic of Remove Curse to remedy. To throw off your doom you must “quest for it!”
  • Roll 1d12 and cross-reference the roll with the number of 6s you rolled on the Hubris Dice. Luck cannot modify the Cost of Hubris roll.


1d12

One 6 (Misfortunes)

Two 6s (Curses)

Three or more 6s (Dooms)

1

Weapon or tool breaks

You are framed for the murder of a notable NPC

Struck dead

2

Hallucinations! You are unable to tell friend from foe for 1d6 minutes

The NPC you love the most dies.

Your entire bloodline killed.

3

You are attacked by (roll 1d4): 1) a lion, 2) 2 bears, 3) 1d3 boars, 4) 1d4 wolves

You are given the head of a donkey.

Transformed into a (roll 1d4): 1)  goat., 2) pig, 3) donkey, 4) dog

4

All horses, mules, oxen, and other livestock within a mile die.

NPC you love the most betrays you.

Abhorrent! All humans are unnaturally hostile to you.

5

All pregnant, non-sapient animals for a mile around you spontaneously miscarry.

The next person you slay rises up the next night as a vengeful shade.

Anyone you slay rises up the next night as a vengeful shade.

6

Thunderbolt! You lose your next action due to shock. All allies within 30' of you must make a DC: 13 Reflex save or be knocked to the ground.

Your touch sickens children under 13.

Besotted! INT permanently reduced to 3.

7

All plant life suddenly withers and dies for 300’ around you.

Normal plant life dies wherever you walk.

Stricken! STR permanently reduced to 3.

8

Hunger! You are -1d to all actions and saves until you eat a meal’s worth of food.

Insatiable! You must now eat and drink three times the amount of a normal person.

Spited by the Gods. You no longer benefit from magical healing.

9

Accidental injury! Take 1d4 damage.

Poxed! Make a DC: 13 Fort save each day or take 1d3 PER damage!

Your homeland is destroyed

10

Plagued by nightmares. No natural healing or spell recovery for the next night.

Doomed. You automatically fail your next “roll over the body” roll.

No ship you sail on will ever return to its home port.

11

Permanently lose a point of Luck

Lose 3 points of Luck.

You automatically fail all Luck checks.

12

You fail as if you rolled a natural 1 with all relevant consequences.

All natural animals hate you.

Struck blind


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