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Bringing the "Prince of Panache" into the Cepheus Engine (or similar 2D6-based OGL systems) requires balancing his high-camp theatricality with his legitimate genius. In the 1966 series, Vincent Price played Egghead as a "self-styled smartest man in the world" who spoke in egg-based puns and relied on chemistry and gadgets rather than brute force.
Here is the profile for Egghead, tailored for a Superpowered supplement or a high-tech espionage campaign.
Egghead (Vincent Price)
Archetype: Mastermind / Gadgeteer
Motivation: Intellectual Superiority (and wealth to fund his lifestyle)
Characteristic
Score
Modifier
STR
5
-1
DEX
7
0
END
6
0
INT
12
+2
EDU
13
+2
SOC
10
+1
Skills
Chemistry: 4
Deception: 3
Electronics: 2
Explosives: 2
Leadership: 2
Persuasion: 2
Science (Biology): 3
Superpowers & Gadgets
Egghead doesn't have innate superpowers; his "powers" are derived from his Gadgeteering and his vast egg-themed arsenal. In Cepheus Engine terms, these function as specialized gear:
Egg-Shell Bombs (Area Attack):
Fear Gas Egg: Targets must make an END check or be paralyzed by terror for 1D6 rounds.
Laughing Gas Egg: Targets are incapacitated by uncontrollable laughter.
Thermite Egg: Deals 3D6 damage to a small radius (perfect for melting vault doors).
The "Egg-Vactor": A customized escape vehicle or hidden elevator system (+1 to Stealth/Escape rolls in his lair).
Master Mind (Talent): Egghead can spend a round "analyzing" an opponent. On a successful INT check, he grants all allies a +1 DM to hit that specific target as he exposes their "shell-shocking" weaknesses.
Combat & Tactics
Egghead is a "Glass Cannon." He will never engage in a fair fistfight. If cornered, he uses his Deception skill to monologue, stalling for time while his henchmen (the "Good Eggs") get into position.
Defensive Strategy: He relies on Cover and Smoke Eggs to obscure vision.
Signature Move: The "Egg-Zit." He tosses a flash-bang egg and vanishes through a trapdoor while shouting an egg-pun at the top of his lungs.
Roleplaying Notes
"Egg-zactly! You've fallen right into my yolk, Batman!"
To play Egghead authentically, the Referee should:
The Voice: Use a sophisticated, slightly nasal, melodramatic tone.
The Puns: Every sentence must contain an egg-related word (egg-cellent, egg-stravagant, egg-spire).
The Ego: He believes he is the only person in the room with a functional brain. He finds "heroes" to be tedious bores with limited vocabularies.
Weaknesses
Hubris: Egghead often explains his entire plan because he assumes the heroes aren't smart enough to stop it anyway.
Physical Frailty: He has low STR and END. If a hero actually manages to land a punch, the fight is usually over.
Adventure Hook: The Ovoid Heist
Egghead has stolen a prehistoric "Thunderbird" egg from the City Museum. He claims he can use the ancient proteins to create a "Super-Egg" gas that will lower the IQ of the entire city to that of a soft-boiled egg, leaving him as the only genius left to rule.
Adapting a character like Claw the Unconquered—the cursed, demon-handed barbarian of DC Comics fame—requires balancing his immense physical prowess with the unpredictable nature of his magical affliction.
In Sword of Cepheus 2nd Edition, Claw fits the Barbarian or Gladiator career paths perfectly. Below are the mechanical details to bring him into your campaign.
Claw the Unconquered
Characteristics
STR: 12 (+2)
DEX: 10 (+1)
END: 11 (+1)
INT: 07 (0)
EDU: 05 (-1)
SOC: 04 (-1)
Skills
Athletics 2
Combat (Sling) 1
Combat (Sword) 3
Combat (Unarmed) 2
Recon 1
Survival 2
Tactics 1
Traits
Hard to Kill: When reduced to 0 END, Claw may make an END check (10+) to stay conscious and keep fighting for $1D6$ rounds.
Fearless: +2 DM to all Resolve checks against supernatural terror.
The Demon Hand (Special Ability)
Claw’s right hand is replaced by a clawed, red-skinned demonic appendage. While it grants him great power, it is a constant source of peril.
Feature
Effect
Demonic Strength
When attacking with the hand (Unarmed), Claw deals $2D6 + 4$ damage. It counts as a magical weapon for overcoming resistances.
The Uncontrollable Hunger
If Claw rolls a natural 2 on any Combat check, the hand goes into a frenzy. He must attack the nearest living creature (friend or foe) on his next turn.
Cursed Visage
Claw suffers a -2 DM on all Social Standing or Influence checks when his hand is visible.
Equipment
Broadsword:$3D6$ damage.
Leather Armor: Protection 2 (Claw rarely wears heavy plate, relying on his instincts).
The Gauntlet: A heavy, enchanted metal glove used to bind and hide the Demon Hand. Removing it is a Minor Action but marks him as a sorcerous threat to onlookers.
Implementation Tips
Career Path: If building him from "Level 0," start with Barbarian for two terms to get his survival skills, then one term in Gladiator to reflect his time in the pits of Pytharia.
Stamina: With his high STR and END, Claw functions as a "tank" in Sword of Cepheus. He should lead the charge, but the GM should use the The Uncontrollable Hunger to create tension during long dungeon crawls.
Dark Tower (1979) by Paul (now Jennell) Jaquays is widely considered one of the "holy grails" of old-school dungeon design. Originally published by Judges Guild for AD&D, it earned a legendary reputation for its complex verticality, non-linear exploration, and faction-based gameplay.
For Castles & Crusades (C&C) players, the module is a natural fit because C&C is designed to be mechanically compatible with early editions. Here is a breakdown of the module and its specific presence in the C&C ecosystem.
1. The Core Narrative
The adventure centers on a centuries-old "Cold War" between two gods: Mitra (the god of Law/Sun) and Set (the god of Evil/Serpents).
The Setting: The village of Mitra’s Fist sits atop a buried mountain pass. Unbeknownst to most, two massive towers—one white (Mitra) and one black (Set)—were buried during a divine cataclysm and now exist entirely underground.
The Hook: The villagers are cursed with immortality but live in a state of stagnant decay, secretly ruled by a cult of Set.
The Goal: Players must navigate the social web of the village, delve into the four levels of the dungeon, and eventually infiltrate the towers to break the stalemate or claim the relics within.
2. Why it’s Famous: "Jaquaying the Dungeon"
The term "Jaquaying" (coined by The Alexandrian) refers to the design techniques pioneered in this module:
Non-Linearity: There are multiple entrances to the dungeon and numerous "loops" and secret paths between levels.
Verticality: You don't just go "down"; you climb up into buried towers from the bottom of the dungeon or rappel down shafts that skip levels entirely.
Faction Play: The dungeon isn't a static collection of monsters.The followers of Set and the remnants of Mitra’s clergy are in active conflict. Players can pick sides, play them against each other, or try to kill everyone.
3. Castles & Crusades Specifics
While the original 1979 printing was for AD&D, Goodman Games released a dedicated Castles & Crusades conversion in the mid-2000s.
Feature
Details
System
Specifically tuned for the Siege Engine (C&C).
Character Level
Designed for a party of 6–10 characters of Levels 7–11. It is high-lethality.
Format
Usually found as a 72-page book (though modern reprints by Goodman Games often bundle it as a massive multi-volume "Reincarnated" set for 5E/DCC).
Conversion Ease
Because C&C uses the same "six stats" and similar AC/Save math as the original, the 1979 version is playable with minimal adjustment, though the official C&C PDF simplifies the stat blocks.
4. Key Elements to Watch For
If you are running this in Castles & Crusades, keep an eye on these specific highlights:
Avvakris the Merchant: The primary antagonist. He is a high-level Priest of Set with a complex family dynamic and a terrifying half-serpent son.
The Lich Pnessutt: An ancient, powerful undead who resides in the depths and serves as a "boss" tier encounter.
The Relics: Items like the Eye of Set or the Staff of Mitra are powerful enough to shift the balance of a campaign world, not just a single dungeon.
Pro-Tip for GMs: Use the "Side View" map religiously. Because the towers are nested inside the dungeon levels, players often get confused about where they are vertically. Drawing a cross-section for them (or yourself) is essential to keep the geometry straight.
Since my group prefers high-stakes diplomacy over simple door-kicking, Dark Tower becomes a tense "Cold War" thriller. In this module, the environment is a powder keg, and the players are the match.
Here is how to frame the negotiations between the two factions using Castles & Crusades mechanics.
1. The Factions: Goals & Leverage
Faction
Primary Leader
Motivation
Negotiation Leverage
The Chosen of Set
Avvakris (High Priest/Merchant)
Complete the corruption of the village and fully awaken the Black Tower.
They have the numbers, the wealth, and control of the village’s food/water.
The Remnants of Mitra
The White Druids (hidden)
Purge the evil and restore the sun's light to the "Fist."
They have ancient knowledge of the towers' secret paths and the location of the relics.
2. The Village of Mitra’s Fist
This is where the negotiation begins. The village is ostensibly "lawful," but the Cult of Set has infiltrated every level of government.
The Hook: Avvakris will likely try to hire the players first. He wants them to "clear out" the pesky "heretics" (Mitra’s followers) in the dungeon.
The Twist: If the players find the secret shrine of Mitra first, the Druids will beg for help, offering divine boons or knowledge of the Staff of Mitra—the only thing that can truly banish Set’s influence.
3. Key Players for Negotiation
Avvakris: He is a master manipulator. In C&C, he will likely use high Charisma (Prime) checks to win over the party. He doesn't want to fight; he wants to own the party's services.
Habbakuk: A prisoner who can be rescued. He serves as the moral compass and a bridge to the Mitra faction.
The "Grey" Elements: There are several monsters and minor NPCs who hate both sides. A clever party can recruit these outliers to create a "Third Way" or to provide a distraction while they play the two main factions against each other.
4. Running the Diplomacy in C&C
The Siege Engine makes these social encounters dynamic. Use Charisma as the primary attribute for these interactions:
The Double Agent Play: If a player wants to pretend to join Set while secretly helping Mitra, have them roll a Charisma (Deception) check against Avvakris’s Challenge Class (CC).
Note: Since Avvakris is high-level (roughly Level 10), his CC will be high (10 + his level = 20), making it a difficult feat for lower-level PCs.
The Peace Treaty: If the players try to broker a literal truce (unlikely but possible), they would need to prove that a third threat (like the Lich Pnessutt) is a bigger danger to both than they are to each other.
5. Moral Complexity
Jaquays designed the "Good" faction (Mitra) to be somewhat weakened, dogmatic, and desperate, while the "Evil" faction (Set) is charismatic, organized, and wealthy.
The Dilemma: Helping Mitra is "right," but it is the harder path. Working for Set is easy and profitable, but it involves committing (or ignoring) atrocities.
GM Tip: Award XP not just for monsters killed, but for Information Secured and Alliances Formed. If they successfully trick Avvakris into revealing the location of the Eye of Set without a fight, give them the equivalent XP of defeating his personal guard.
In the world of Barrows & Borderlands, the "Beast" isn't just a monster; it’s a living relic of a prehistoric age, awakened by the hubris of modern alchemy or arcane blasting. It represents the unstoppable force of nature reclaimed from the depths. This blog post post picks right up from
The Rhedosaurus is a bipedal, carnivorous dinosaur of immense proportions. Its skin is a patchwork of scarred, leathery hide and jagged scales, capable of turning aside all but the most powerful siege weaponry. Beyond its physical might, the Beast carries a Primordial Blight—a prehistoric pathogen that festers in its blood and breath.
Attributes & Statistics
Stat
Value
Modifier
Might
24
(+7)
Agility
10
(+0)
Vigor
22
(+6)
Intellect
4
(-3)
Insight
12
(+1)
Presence
18
(+4)
Armor Class: 20 (Natural Hide)
Hit Points: 350
Speed: 40 ft., Swim 60 ft.
Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., Tremorsense 60 ft.
Traits & Passive Abilities
Siege Monster: The Beast deals double damage to objects and structures.
Amphibious: The Beast can breathe both air and water.
Paleo-Contagion: Any creature that starts its turn within 15 feet of the Beast or takes damage from its bite must succeed on a Vigor Save (DC 16) or become Infected.
Infected: The target loses $1d6$ Vigor every 24 hours. If Vigor reaches 0, the target dies. This can only be cured by high-level restoration magic or specific ancient antitoxins.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day): If the Beast fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Actions
Multiattack: The Beast makes three attacks: one with its Bite and two with its Claws.
Bite:Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft. Damage:$4d10 + 7$ piercing damage. The target must make a Vigor Save against the Paleo-Contagion.
Crushing Claw:Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft. Damage:$3d8 + 7$ slashing damage.
Tail Sweep (Recharge 5-6): The Beast swings its massive tail in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make an Agility Save (DC 18). On a failure, a creature takes $6d6 + 7$ bludgeoning damage and is knocked Prone. On a success, they take half damage and aren't knocked prone.
Adventure Hooks
"It didn't come from the stars, and it didn't come from Hell. It came from right under our boots, and it's very, very hungry."
— Garrison Scout at the Hudson Outpost
The Thaw: A wizard’s experimental "Eternal Flame" spell accidentally melts a glacier in the Northern Wastes, releasing the Beast from its icy tomb.
The Silent Plague: A coastal town is decimated by a mysterious fever. The players must track the "source" in the harbor, only to find the Rhedosaurus nesting in the ruins of a sunken lighthouse.
The Ultimate Trophy: A mad noble offers a king’s ransom for the skull of the Beast, but "forgets" to mention that the creature's blood is toxic to the touch.
