Adapting FOE to the tabletop.

 I, am a massive Etrian Odyssey fan. I would be lying if I didn’t say it was not a massive influence on how I run tabletop games.

And I’ve always wanted to adapt FOEs to the tabletop. 

Now, let’s explain what a FOE is. In Etrian Odyssey, a FOE(Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens or Field On Enemy depending on the translation), is essentially a on-field miniboss. In game, each has different rules for how it moves on the field. One patrols a specific territory, another charges if you get in front of it, etc.  You either learn how to avoid it in a very OSR fashion, or get attacked by a miniboss that will kick your ass.

Now for the system agnostic stuff to use in your games. Every FOE has 3xHD. Ie, when you roll the FOE’s HP, triple the result. Or after however you determine a monster’s HP, triple it.

Evey FOE also has a Chase Trigger. This is a event/action that when triggered, causes the FOE to start chasing the party. Every time there is a encounter in the dungeon when the FOE is chasing the party, roll a 1d8. On a 1 through 6, the FOE is closing in and will attack in 1d4 turns/minutes unless you move on.

To get a FOE to stop chasing you, you must either leave the floor of the dungeon/the area your in, hide where it cannot find you, kill it, or otherwise drive it off. Some FOE’s may have special ways to drive them off. If the party splits up, have the groups roll 1d20 Which group that gets the highest result is the one being chased(GM choses on a tie).

Chase Behavior sums up how a FOE acts when it’s chasing you, any special ways to make it stop, and what it’s opening move is when it catches you. For making and using FOEs, I recommend reading Skerple’s post on better boss fights, linked at the bottom of the post.

Both FOE stat blocks will have flavor text next to their attacks to help the GM describe them.

Example FOE 1:

Jungle Killer

HD: 2d8 x3

Chase Trigger: Moving too quickly past their perch.

Chase Behavior: Quickly follows the party. When it enters combat, enters behind the party and uses Numbing Sting on the nearest player character. Despite their size and power, they are ambush predators, so a loud enough sound or party may drive them off.

Movement: As a horse, but without making noise. Can climb on walls.

It can make one Attack from the following list per turn.

Claws: 1d8 Damage. “It’s scissor like claws snap towards their prey, ready to cleave them in half.”

Numbing Sting: 1d8 Damage +  Numbness. “The beast’s tail darts forwards, like a spear dripping with violet toxins.”

Pounce: Move up to it’s movement, target must save or be knocked over. Then the Jungle Killer makes a non-pounce attack. Cannot be used on adjacent enemies. Attacks made on knocked over targets automatically succeed. “The jungle killer hurls itself into the air, ready to come crashing down on it’s prey.”

Keen Hunter: Once per round, whenever a enemy fails a roll, the Jungle Killer can make a attack against them as a reaction.

Numbing Blood: If the Jungle Killer takes damage, all adjacent enemies must Save vs Poison or suffer from Numbness.

Numbness: Each turn the player can choose to be paralyzed or act normally. If they act normally, all rolls are made at a disadvantage(roll twice, take the worse result). If they act paralyzed, remove this status condition and skip their turn.

Description:

A massive green scorpion, the size of a large horse with a head shaped like a demonic skull. It’s large black tail whips through the air silently, a crimson stinger tracing death with every movement.

Example FOE 2:

The Golden Ghoul

HD: 3d6x3

Chase Trigger: Picking up the Golden Idol.

Chase Behavior: Relentlessly pursues the party as long as they have the Idol in their possession. When it catches up to the party, it inflicts The Golden Curse to whoever has the idol and then uses Hellish Scream.

Golden Touch: 1d6 Damage + The Golden Curse. “The massive corpse jerks at you, fingers of rotten gold reaching to you.” 

Hellish Scream: All who hear it must Save vs Magic or take 1d4 damage and be forced to flee. Anyone who suffers from The Golden Curse must instead Save vs Magic against the Curse. If the Golden Ghoul takes damage, it can perform this attack as a reaction. “A hellish scream rips through the air, driving needles into your brain.”

Phantom: The Golden Ghoul can pass through surfaces not made of Gold should it wish, and as a result takes no damage from all non-magic attacks, unless said attacks are made with gold weapons or catch it by surprise.

The Golden Curse: All who suffer from the curse must, every time they do something stressful(Ie every turn in combat and every time they roll out of combat) and at the start of every day, must Save vs Magic or have a part of their body(their choice) turn into immobile gold. Starts off as small bits, like fingers and eyes. If this would kill the target, they completely turn into gold. Any direct contact with the Ghoul inflicts the curse.

Description: A moving corpse, the size of a small elephant. White fabric that vaguely resemble a priest’s robes hang off it’s rotten flesh, which seems to be made of golden and rotten sludge. A thick and stiff mask of gold is bolted to it’s face, two burning red eyes glaring past the eye holes.

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Link to Skerples’ Boss Fight Design post: https://coinsandscrolls.blogspot.com/2018/06/osr-boss-fight-design.html?m=1 

I recommend reading this, as FOEs are basically bosses that hunt down the party.

Also this post has no pictures as I couldn’t find any I liked for this.

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Grand Spellcasting: Animist Wizard

Adapted from here: https://coinsandscrolls.blogspot.ca/2017/06/osr-animist-wizards.html

Continuation of: https://tomeofdreams.blogspot.com/2020/08/grand-spellcasting-high-powered-spells.html?m=1

So, last post I introduced the sub system and created the Grand Spells for Skerple’s Orthodox Wizard. So, I’ll now do the same for their Animist Wizards.

1. Grand Powerful Presence - Splendor of Oblivion 

R: 0 T: self D: [dice] days

The caster gains a aura of existential power and dread. While this spell is active, they are immune to mind affecting magic. Everytime a creature gazes upon the caster or hears them, the caster can make that creature become afflicted with existential dread, as it becomes terribly aware of it’s own mortality and inevitable death. Afflicted creatures automatically fail all saves vs anything that effects their mind, as the existential dread undermines their sense of self and reality for as long as they’re afflicted.

Cost: Doom of the Animist Wizard

Author’s Note: With this, you can turn a army into cowards with minds of putty, tear down a religion by shattering the faith of it’s highest leaders, and turn kings into fools who will beg for their lives in the face of your wrath. It’s effectively a Power Word Kill equivalent for social stuff, and you can do all kinds of things with it.

2. Grand Telekinetic Shove - Fall as Stars From the Sky

R: Sight‘ T: See the description D: 0 

When you cast this spell, wave your hand infront of you. Any creature or object your hand covers 1/4th of it or more when you wave your hand, is a target if you wish it. Then, imagine a being or location within [sum] miles of you. That is the second target. Each target is banished from your sight, hurled through the sky as if they where a crimson star, landing within a mile radius of the second target. When they land, they take [dice]d6 damage, with a additional dice added for every mile traveled. If they hit someone, said someone also takes the damage.

Cost: Doom of the Animist Wizard

Author’s Note: This basically lets you use a enemy army as artillery, which is aways cool. And the mental image of waving your hand, banishing a army so they fall as crimson stars across your enemy’s domain is just beautiful.

3. Grand Shrivel - All that Lives, Withers and Dies

R. Sight' T: As many creatures as you can see D: Permanent

Every target Saves with a penalty equal to [dice]. If they succeed, their Max HP is reduced by [sum + half the target’s max HP], to a minimum of 1, and all six of their stats are halved as they violently aged, appearing as if they where in the twilight of their life. If they fail the save, their stats and Max HP all become 1, as they are aged to the brink of death. If you invest 3 or more Dice, for the next [dice] minutes, every creature within [dice x 5]’ of a afflicted creature must save or suffer the spells effect, including this effect, starting when they first enter the target’s presence, then every minute afterwords if they do not leave.

Cost: Doom of the Animist Wizard

Author’s Note: This basically renders whatever it hits a walking corpse. A single poke and they die. A army hit with this? Probably getting crushed to death under their own armor. The contagiousness let’s you cause all sorts of havoc depending on where you drop it.

4. Grand Control Water - Bend the Seas to Me

R: Sight’ T: All water you can see D: concentration 

Control the target as if it where a limb. At one [die]: you can capsize a boat, make a river flow backwards, flash freeze or boil a whole lake. Each [dice] you invest increases the scale of the target. 2 [dice]: A body of water the size of a large lake or smaller, even the water you can’t see. 3 [dice]: A body of water the size of lake superior, 4 [dice]: A entire ocean.

Cost: Doom of the Animist Wizard. The cost applies when concentration is broken.

Author’s Note: Remember how I said Grand Knock can part the seas? This can do that and more. On the coast, this is effectively a city killer if used well.

5. Grand Sleep: See the previous post on Grand Spellcasting, just change the cost.

6. Charm Person - Forever Shall The Masses Listen to Me

R: Sight T: Up to [sum * dice] living things you can see D: Permanent

The target instantly and completely trusts you as a authority figure, and as such will obey you. The first (10 - [dice]) times you break their trust, they get a save to be freed from the spell’s effects.

Cost: Doom of the Animist Wizard.

Author’s Note:  I was told this had a very fairy tale feeling to it what with the 6+ times a victim has to escape. I’m considering that a success then.

7. Grand Dream Eater - Feast Upon The Psyche Of The Wise

R: Special T: All sleeping creatures in range. D: 0 

At 1 [dice], this effects a small city. 2 [dice], a large city. 3 [dice], a small kingdom. At 4[l  [dice], a large kingdom.

All sleeping creatures in range take damage equal to [sum] plus the modifiers of their INT, WIS, and CHA as you feast upon their mind, like maggots on a corpse. For every ten creatures killed by this, you gain 1 Max HP and live another year, and you gain the knowledge of all you slay with this spell, for you devoured their very minds. If you don’t know Grand Sleep when you learn this spell, you have a level-in-10 chance to learn it. The ghosts of those slain by this remember absolutely nothing about anything.

Cost: Doom of the Animist Wizard. 

Author’s Note: This is a immortality spell let’s be honest. Also, it’s really effective on rival wizards and churches full of annoying clerics, as they tend to have higher mental stats.

8. Grand Scorching Ray - Let Loose The Fires of Hell!

R: [sum x 100’] T: See description D: 0 

The caster fires a massive beam of flame at the targets. The flames are a dark green and dance like oil. It deals no damage, instead everything hit must Save with a penalty equal to [dice + 2] or be sent straight to the fires of hell. It matters not what is in the beam’s path. Sinner or saint, king or peasant, the fires of hell hunger for the flesh of all.

Cost: Doom of the Animist Wizard.

Author’s Note: Yes this is a Disney reference, because that scene is awesome.

9. Grand Scry - None Shall Escape My Sight

R: Anywhere on the planet' T: One location/event you can name D: concentration + [dice] minutes

When you cast this spell, name a location or event. By doing so, you conjure a terrible demonic eye that watches the location with all the malice of your blackened heart. You become aware of everything going on there, down to people’s thoughts. In addition you can cast any spell you know as if you where there. You can also manifest a illusionary avatar there, and communicate to anyone and everyone there, either verbally or telepathically. When the spell ends, the demonic eye vanishes by melting into sticky black blood that rains over the target.

 

Cost: Doom of the Animist Wizard. The cost applies when concentration is broken.

Author’s Note: And this references the Eye of Sauron! And yes. You can cast Grand Spells through this. 

10. Grand Alter Self - Ascend Beyond Your Earthly Shell

R: 0 T: self D: Permanent 

When you cast this spell, swallow the flesh of another creature. You permanently become a member of that creatures’ species, with a HD equal to your level + [dice - 1], with all the powers and instincts that entails, however you can also choose if you look like the ‘donor’ or not upon casting. Be cautious, many a wizard turned dragon or demon has completely lost themselves to the instincts of their new forms.

Cost: Doom of the Animist Wizard.

Author’s Note: If I ever play a Wizard who can cast this, I am using it to become a dragon. I never liked how DnD and such shy away from giving you the powers of stuff you shape-shift into, because that’s..  literally half the reason to do so in my opinion.

11. Grand Doom - The Cold Grasp Of Fate

R: Sight' T: One thing you know the true name of.  D: 30 - [Sum] Months(1 MD), Weeks(2 MD), Days(3 MD), Minutes(4 MD).

As you cast this spell, speak the true name of your target, and Doom them with all of your heart. For the spell’s duration they cannot die no matter what happens to them. Then, when the spell wares off.. they die completely and utterly. Every cell in their body turns off at once, a slow and painful moment that leads to silence. Their soul is shattered and flayed until nothing is left. All memory and record of them is purged from the world, and everything they have made, from children to nations, shall soon die alone, forgotten, and unloved. There will be no trace of them left in the world, for you have erased them.

Cost: Doom of the Animist Wizard. 

 

Author’s Note: This isn’t limited to creatures. If this is used on a kingdom.. well brief moment of prosperity before the kingdom is wiped from the face of the earth and the memory of everything.

12. Grand Curse - Damnation Comes to All.

R: Sight T: Up to [dice] creatures or group of creatures D: permanent

Your target becomes cursed. Name [dice] horrible fates for them when you cast this spell, and it shall occur. To lift the curse, they must get sincere and genuine forgiveness for every wrong they have ever done, from the victims. If any of the targets die without lifting the curse, they go straight to hell. Dice used to cast this spell are automatically exhausted. You cannot dispel your own curses.

Cost: Doom of the Animist Wizard.

Author’s Note: Again. You can hit a kingdom with this. Or kingdoms even. I can totally imagine a player doing something crazy like turning a kingdom into vampires.. then making it so it’s always day in the kingdom. Really this lets you just bust out Old Testament curses on people if you feel like it.

-On Grand Animist Wizards-

The response to these by civilized society is always the same. A crusade to kill them. To kill them and whoever or whatever let them get so powerful in the first place. Why? Simple.

The Doom of a Animist Wizard turns them into a monster. A thing of hunger and want, yet still capable of wielding magic. When a Grand Animist succumbs to their Final Doom.. They become more then that.

They become a Demon. A thing of pollution and creeping entropy, who’s very presence ruins the world, which can wield terrible magic. All that was good in them, all that was them, has melted away, consumed by endless greed and power. A hollow hole in the world that can only be filled with death.

Perhaps they take the form of a beast made of purple smoke that stains the sky. A living river of corruption, dotted with hateful eyes.  Living darkness that consumes all light. Whatever it is, their flesh becomes curses and if left unchecked the world will suffer and decay. For it is a living calamity with no traces of who they once where. And as such, it‘s birth cannot be allowed to occur..

[This is the kind of Demon I mean, a living disaster that brings forth ruin.

Image belongs to Nintendo]