DCC Patron - The Slow God

This past week, I was running my first in-person game session in over a year, with some friends who had never played DCC before ... so of course, I ran them through the Sailors on the Starless Sea.  It was a blast to get back to in person gaming, and there was much screaming in terror as a free action.

Something that made me sad though, is they never found the expansion of the newest edition of Sailors, with the Slow God.  It got me thinking -- I love the idea of an inscrutible, pulsing, otherworldly being of significant power.  This is something that could be leaned into, like the god Ilvir who lives on the world of Harn, vomiting forth monstrosities with an unknown agenda. 

I can also imagine a scene with a cultist of The Slow God being like Rasputin from the first Hellboy movie, something crawling under their skin, and when things going poorly, vomiting forth a mass of vines from their robes, and then perishing from the effort ... or do they?

I also like the idea of tying the memorable vine horrors of many PCs first encounter into my campaign world, grounding their existence in the bigger picture.

Now I don't think in my campaign the Slow God is actually a god, but it would be an epic monster (not a funnel creature, but something epically large and slayable by a high level party), and it certainly could be a patron!  So I worked out my Invoke Patron spell effects today for the Slow God in my game.  I will likely come back later and amend this article with Patron Taint, Patron spells, etc.

Enjoy!

The Slow God

The Hungry Pit, He Who Waits

The Slow God is an otherworldly, massive vine-like sentience that dwells on the mortal world, within Twisttree Vale, exuding semi-sentient seedlings that are anathema to living creatures. 

     While not a god in any sense, it is worshipped by the Dundalmen and other barbaric tribes that live nearby, who will often sacrifice living victims to its great pit.   It can serve as a patron to wizards who seek to gaze into the gap between real spaces, but it’s great mind moves at a glacial pace, and unlucky acolytes can fall into an unwaking sleep of years should they tarry while communicating with the Slow God.

     Also known as “He Who Waits”, his desires and goals are unknown to mortal minds, but it is clear that he wishes to propagate his minions across the mortal world, and seeks to tear down machinery or architecture.

 

Invoke Patron Check Results

12-13      The Slow God ignores the caster. However, the attempt to commune with your patron slows your thoughts, and your mind is fogged and sluggish, suffer -1d4 to Initiative checks and Reflex saves for 2d6 turns.

14-17      The petitioner’s blood thickens, and their heart beats only ten times per minute.  The petitioner reduces all damage results against them by -1 hit points, and gains a +2 to all Fortitude saves and also suffers -1d4 to Initiative checks and Reflex saves for 2d6 turns.

18-19      Touched by an alien mind, the petitioner and all within 30’ of the caster must make a DC 15 Will save (with any person who has The Slow God as their patron gaining +4 to the save) or reduce their action dice by -1d and their initiative by -1d4 for 3d6 turns.

20-23      The petitioner starts to echo the physiognomy of the Slow God, and their skin takes on a waxy green sheen.  For 3d6 hours, they are vulnerable to fire or heat damage, but gain +1 to AC and all physical damage against them is reduced by -1d4, with wounds looking like cuts into a fibrous vine, with clear sap slowly oozing forth.  The caster seems distracted and sluggish, suffering a -1d to all social interactions or skill checks requiring INT or PER.

24-27      As 20–23, but they also grow vine like tendrils all over their body, allowing a vine attack to cause 1d4 damage.  Should the caster only have 1 action, they gain a second 1d16 action die for a vine attack.  Should two or more vine attacks hit, they may entangle their victim, with an automatic hit against their foe in future rounds doing a further 1d6 damage, unless the foe can make a DC 15 Strength check.  This transformation lasts for 5d6 hours.

28-29      As 20–23 (lasting for 5d6 hours), but they also grow 1d3 vesicles on their body, which split and heave forth the same number of Vine Clusters that serve them before rotting away 1d6 turns later.  This manifestation is traumatic to the caster, and they suffer both 1d6 damage and 1d6 temporary Stamina damage.                     Vine Cluster: Init -3; Atk slam +2 melee (1d4 damage); AC 12; HD 2d8 (9 hp); MV 10’, Climb 10’; Act 1d20; SP entangle (automatic 1d6 damage on subsequent rounds if an attack lands, DC 13 Strength check to escape); SV Fort +1, Ref 0, Will +1; AL N.

30-31      As 20-23 (lasting for 1d6 days), but no plant or plant-like creature will harm them (intelligent foes that are plants or plant-like may attempt a Will save against the Invoke Patron check).  While this effect lasts, the caster need not sleep or eat, but must still drink in prodigious quantities.

32+         As 20–23 (lasting for 1d6 days), but the caster may choose one time to vomit forth a massive vine cluster that is 20 feet across that serves them before rotting away 1d6 turns later.  This manifestation is traumatic to the caster, and they suffer both 2d6 damage and 2d6 temporary Stamina damage.  If the caster is reduced to 0 Stamina from this Invoke Patron spell, their body withers away instead 1d6 turns later, and their consciousness is transferred to the Massive Vine Cluster.      Massive Vine Cluster: Init -2; Atk slam +4 melee against all in a 20’ x 20’ space (dmg 2d4).  AC 14; HD 8d8 (36 hp); MV 10’, Climb 10’; Act 1d20 (attack all enemies in area); SP entangle (automatic 2d6 damage on subsequent rounds if an attack lands, DC 15 Strength check to escape); Sv Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +4; AL N.