The Horned King
PatronDCC ANNUAL · p.72
Open source p.72Patron Taint
| 1 | The caster is overtaken by the call of the hunt. If a foe retreats, the caster must make a DC 10 Will save. On a failed save, the caster gives chase for 1d7 rounds. The second time this corruption is rolled, the Will save DC increases to 15. |
| 2 | The caster takes on the attributes of the Horned King’s minions. Roll 1d4: (1) wide antlers; (2) a thick coat of fur; (3) elongated muzzle; (4) fangs and claws. |
| 3 | Only the strong survive in the Thrice-Tenth Kingdom, and the caster cannot tolerate weakness among his pack. If, after a combat, a fellow character hovers at 1 hp or is unconscious, the caster is overcome by the powerful desire to finish off his ally (DC 10 Will save or slay the downed character). |
| 4 | Following a victorious battle, the caster must make offerings to his grim patron. The caster is driven to make an altar, totem, or marker of some sort adorned with the grisly remains of the vanquished. This is unique to each servitor of the Horned King, and can vary from a simple head impaled upon a staff to bloody offerings burnt atop a pyre. There is a slim chance (1% per caster level) that the Horned King is pleased by the offering, granting his servant a +1 bonus to Luck. If the caster should fail to make an offering, there is a similar chance (1% per caster level) that the Horned King is displeased, withdrawing his patronage until the caster can make worthy amends. |
| 5 | The caster is driven to care for his entire adventuring party (now regarded as a pack). Any attack on a fellow PC, henchman, or hireling is treated as an attack on the caster. The caster employs whatever force needed to eliminate the threat. |
| 6 | The caster refuses to accept the authority of any party member who has not bested him in combat. The battle need not be to the death but the caster is driven to use every tool at his disposal in an effort to win. If the caster is defeated, he will follow the new pack leader to the very gates of Hades, but if the caster wins the bout, he assumes leadership of the pack. |
Spellburn
| 1 | A pack of black spectral hounds appears, but can only be seen or heard by the caster. The pack gives a mournful howl that drains the stats spent in the spellburn. |
| 2 | To complete the spellburn, the caster must carve the name or sigil of a foe into his body, marking the target as his prey. Following the battle, if the caster offers up a trophy cut from his quarry, and burns the trophy in honor of the Horned King, there is a 5% chance of regaining the stats spent in the spellburn. |
| 3 | Following the conclusion of the battle, the caster must collect sufficient remains to construct a totem to his dark lord. The totem should be built of the corpses of the slain, a task that takes 1d4 turns to complete (additional party members may aid in the task, at the judge’s pleasure). Failing to construct the offering results in a -5 penalty to the caster’s Luck until the Horned King’s demands are appeased. |
| 4 | The Horned King expects that his followers display courage in the face of danger. Following the spellburn, the caster has 1d4+1 rounds to strike a foe (or be struck) in melee combat. If the caster fails to do so, he or she suffers twice the stat loss of the original spellburn. (For example, if the caster has burned two Strength, at the end of allotted time the caster would suffer a total loss of four Strength.) If the caster somehow scores a critical hit within the time span, he regains all the stats spent in the spellburn. |
he Horned King rules from the Thrice-Tenth Kingdom, venturing across the mutiverse on his Wild Hunts. A solemn and grim lord, he delights only in the hunt, testing his martial prowess against the deadliest foes. A patron of the old ways, the Horned King bestows his blessing upon heathen witches, barbarian shamans, and warriors who exalt the wild savage hidden within. Invoke Patron check results: 12-13 Hounds bay on the shrill wind, striking fear into the hearts of the hunted. One target within the caster’s sight must make a DC 12 Will save or succumb to paralyzing terror. If the target fails the save, it cowers in the shadows, too terrified to move. Unintelligent creatures flee for their lives. The effect lasts rounds or until the creature is forced into action (such as by being attacked or threatened). 14-17 The wolfish demeanor of the predator overtakes the caster, infusing his soul with the spirit of the Wild Hunt. The caster can unerringly track creatures (Luck check, DC 5) through the most harrowing of conditions for 24 hours (or until the power is dismissed). Henchmen are unnerved, suffering a morale penalty for the duration of the effect. 18-19 A long, haunting howl fills the air, followed by driving wind. The caster knows the location and most direct route to one living target within 50 miles. (The caster is not inherently aware of perils in the path.) If the caster reaches the target within 24 hours, the target suffers a penalty to AC and saves for the duration of the encounter. 20-23 The Horned King sends six hounds to assist the caster. They appear from a cloud of darksome soot or billowing snow. They remain for rounds, before vanishing back to the ThriceTenth Kingdom. Hound: Init ; Atk bite melee (); AC 15; HD ; hp 15; MV 45’; Act ; SV Fort , Ref , Will ; AL C. 24-27 The caster and his allies are chilled by a driving wind, and the howls of hounds erupt all around. All enemies within 50’ must make a DC 15 Will save or succumb to paralyzing terror. Targets failing the save cower in the shadows, too terrified to move. Unintelligent creatures flee. The effect lasts turns or until a creature is forced into action (such as by being attacked or threatened). 28-29 Spear of the Horned King. A shimmering spear appears in the caster’s hand; the silvery tip of the spear is marked with the sigil of the Horned King. If the spear does not taste blood before the next moonrise, it vanishes. If the spear is used in battle (either melee or ranged combat) the target must attempt a DC 20 Will save or be struck instantly and permanently dead. The caster can employ the spear but once in his entire lifetime. 30-31 Crown of the Horned King. A scintillating aura rings the caster’s brow, sparkling gray and silver. During the span of the next 24 hours, the caster has the ability to summon up to hounds to serve his will. If sent on the hunt, the hounds can track any being across the multiverse, finding their prey within rounds. The hounds remain 24 hours before vanishing back to the Thrice-Tenth Kingdom. Hound: Init ; Atk bite melee (); AC 15; HD ; hp 15 each; MV 45’; Act ; SV Fort , Ref , Will ; AL C. This ability is available only once in a caster’s lifetime. If this result is rolled again, the caster may choose the Spear of the Horned King (as above) if it is available; otherwise, the Horned King is unable to assist the caster. 32+ Mark of the Horned King. The caster places the mark of the Horned King upon a target within sight. On the next moonrise, the target receives a DC 25 Will save. On a failed save, the Horned King and his hounds appear and carry away the target. This ability is available only once in a caster’s lifetime. If this result is rolled again in the future, the caster may choose the Crown of the Horned King or Spear of the Horned King (as above) if either is available; otherwise, the Horned King is unable to assist the caster.