Integrating Adventurer Conqueror King System II (ACKS II) with the legendary, chaotic, and maximum-gonzo DNA of Dave Hargrave’s Arduin Grimoires - An ACKS II custom class template for a Planar Merchant who specializes in cross-dimensional market navigation and gate negotiation

 To capture the essence of a trader who bargains with multi-dimensional horrors, extra-planar syndicates, and corporate technocrats across the Skull Tower World Gates, we use the ACKS II Class Construction Rules. This blog entry picks right up from 

Integrating Adventurer Conqueror King System II (ACKS II) with the legendary, chaotic, and maximum-gonzo DNA of Dave Hargrave's Arduin Grimoires - Converting Welcome to Skull Tower over to ACKS II

The Planar Merchant relies heavily on market navigation, planar survival skills, and silver-tongued diplomatic negotiation. They are custom-built using the 4 Build Point framework to ensure they fit perfectly into the strict math of the ACKS II campaign engine.

1. Class Construction Formula

• Fighting 0 (0 BP): Attacks and saves as an ACKS II Mage. Restricted to leather armor, daggers, staves, and light concealable ranged weapons (like holdout blasters or hand crossbows).

• Thievery 2 (2 BP - 120,000 XP to Level 8): Their thievery point allocation is entirely reallocated into a specialized Planar Commerce and Subterfuge skill matrix.

• Arcane 1 (1 BP): Gains access to limited Arcane spellcasting (or equivalent Techno-Schematics) focused primarily on translation, warding, and detection.

• Race 1 (1 BP - Human): Grants the standard human bonus proficiency at level 1 and the +5% XP earning bonus.

Class Core Stats

• Prime Requisite: Charisma and Intelligence (Requires 13+ in both for a +5% XP bonus; 16+ in both for a +10% bonus).

• Hit Dice: 1d4 per level (plus any Constitution modifier) up to 9th level, then +1 hit point per level thereafter.

• Weapon Allowances: Dagger, Club, Staff, Blowgun, Crossbow, Dart, and Technic Pistol.

• Armor Allowances: Leather armor, padded armor, or concealable sub-dermal mesh vests. No shields.

2. Specialized Planar Thievery Skills

Instead of traditional dungeon-delving skills like Climb Walls or Pick Pockets, the Planar Merchant uses their thief percentage matrix for the following multi-dimensional mercantile skills:

• Planar Market Navigation (Replaces Find Traps): The ability to read cross-dimensional market shifts, avoid hostile trade syndicates, and safely navigate the shifting, crowded bazaars of planar free-ports like Skull Tower or the City of Brass.

• Gate Negotiation (Replaces Pick Locks): The percentile chance to bypass planar customs, talk down high tariff rates, or convince extra-planar gate-guards to allow restricted cargo through a World Gate without an inspection manifest.

• Sense Deception / Contraband (Replaces Hear Noise): Used to detect if an extra-planar trader is passing off fake, volatile, or cursed tech/magic goods, or to spot hidden inspection fields before walking into them.

• Planar Slippage (Replaces Hide in Shadows): The ability to blend seamlessly into alien crowds or slip into extra-dimensional blind spots, making the merchant completely unnoticeable to hostile planar entities.

3. Class Progression Table (Levels 1–14)

Level	Experience	Hit Dice	Attacks As	Saving Throws	Spell / Schematic Slots (1st / 2nd / 3rd)	Planar Skill Base %
1	0	1d4	Mage 1	Mage 1	1 / — / —	20%
2	2,500	2d4	Mage 2	Mage 2	2 / — / —	25%
3	5,000	3d4	Mage 3	Mage 3	2 / 1 / —	30%
4	10,000	4d4	Mage 4	Mage 4	3 / 2 / —	37%
5	20,000	5d4	Mage 5	Mage 5	3 / 2 / 1	45%
6	40,000	6d4	Mage 6	Mage 6	4 / 3 / 2	54%
7	80,000	7d4	Mage 7	Mage 7	4 / 3 / 2+1	63%
8	160,000	8d4	Mage 8	Mage 8	4 / 4 / 3	72%
9	280,000	9d4	Mage 9	Mage 9	5 / 4 / 3	80%
10	400,000	+1 HP	Mage 10	Mage 10	5 / 4 / 4	85%
11	520,000	+2 HP	Mage 11	Mage 11	5 / 5 / 4	89%
12	640,000	+3 HP	Mage 12	Mage 12	5 / 5 / 4+1	93%
13	760,000	+4 HP	Mage 13	Mage 13	6 / 5 / 5	96%
14	880,000	+5 HP	Mage 14	Mage 14	6 / 6 / 5	99%

4. Custom Class Abilities

Cross-Dimensional Sourcing

Whenever the Planar Merchant is operating within a domain that controls a stable World Gate (such as Skull Tower), they artificially treat the local market as one Class higher than it actually is for the purpose of checking item availability, sourcing rare materials, or purchasing tech salvage. (A Class III market functions as a Class II market in their hands).

Silver Tongue / Planar Diplomacy

The merchant receives a permanent +2 bonus to all Reaction Rolls when interacting with intelligent extra-planar entities, alien races, and planar trade syndicates. Furthermore, they can use this ability to negotiate a 10% discount on bulk wholesale imports or gain a 10% premium when exporting terrestrial luxury goods through a gate.

Planar Ward (Passive)

Due to constant exposure to trans-dimensional flux, the Planar Merchant receives a +2 bonus to all Saving Throws vs. Spells or Tech-Effects that cause teleportation, spatial distortion, petrification, or sudden planar displacement.

5. Domain Play: The Planar Trading Post (Level 9+)

Upon reaching 9th level, the Planar Merchant does not build a traditional keeps or stone castles. Instead, they establish a Planar Emporium, Monopolistic Trade Compound, or Gateway Bazaar.

• The Emporium Stronghold: Built directly adjacent to or inside a World Gate hex. The construction costs are tracked through standard ACKS II building budgets, but it functions structurally to anchor a merchant syndicate.

• Attracting Followers: Instead of standard men-at-arms, the Planar Merchant automatically attracts a specialized retinue consisting of 1d4 3rd-level Planar Caravaneers, 2d6 multi-species bodyguards (such as Phraint or human mercenaries), and 1d3 expert Appraisers/Alchemists.

• The Syndicate Engine: The Planar Merchant can run a Planar Merchant Syndicate venture as a domain-level investment. This operates under the standard ACKS II mercantile venture rules, but their Planar Market Navigation skill can be rolled once per month to completely negate a disastrous "Market Crash" or "Loss at Sea/Void" venture result, transforming a potential bankruptcy into a break-even event.

To reflect their dual nature as master negotiators and cosmic survivalists, the Planar Merchant's daily slot allocation balances communicative magical knacks with rapid-response spatial defenses. They do not prepare flashy combat evocations; every choice is selected to secure a contract, verify the authenticity of extra-dimensional cargo, or escape an ambush when a deal goes south.

Here is the specialized spell and schematic loadout for the Planar Merchant class.

1st Level: Operational Security & Translation

Babel-Chip Calibration

• ACKS II Equivalent: Read Languages / Tongues (Partial)

• Range: Self

• Duration: 3 turns (30 minutes)

• Description: The merchant activates a sub-dermal linguistic chip or utilizes a minor arcana to instantly decipher, read, and fluently speak the native tongue, trade dialects, or machine codes of any planar entity or alien species within range.

• The Mercantile Edge: Grants a +1 bonus to reaction rolls during negotiations if the merchant addresses the target faction in their native tongue.

X-Ray Appraisal Scan

• ACKS II Equivalent: Detect Magic / Analyze (Partial)

• Range: 60 ft

• Duration: 2 turns (20 minutes)

• Description: Shifting their vision into a multi-spectrum or magically enhanced wavelength, the merchant scans an item to read its structural integrity, detect hidden enchantment matrices, or identify structural flaws.

• The Mercantile Edge: Automatically reveals if an item or currency lot is counterfeit, forged, or under a concealment illusion. It provides an inline breakdown of an object's exact material composition (e.g., pure Mithril vs. silver-plated iron).

Pocket-Dimension Concealment

• ACKS II Equivalent: Ventriloquism / Unseen Servant (Bespoke Utility)

• Range: Touch

• Duration: 6 turns (1 hour)

• Description: The merchant touches a small container, briefcase, or hidden pouch, folding its internal geometry into a minute, localized pocket dimension.

• The Mercantile Edge: Allows the merchant to completely hide up to 2 stone of highly illegal contrabands, high-value tech salvage, or sensitive trade treaties from physical and magical customs inspections at World Gates.

2nd Level: Leverage & Border Control

Psychological Price-Fixing

• ACKS II Equivalent: Charm Person

• Range: 30 ft

• Duration: Special (See ACKS II Charm rules)

• Description: A subtle wave of neuro-linguistic programming or localized telepathic suggestion softens the target’s economic defenses, causing them to view the merchant as a lifelong, trusted trade partner.

• The Mercantile Edge: The target must make a Save vs. Spells. Failure means they agree to trade at baseline cost values without demanding a luxury markup, and will actively hide the merchant from rival syndicates.

Spatial Lockout Field

• ACKS II Equivalent: Web (Reflavored as Gravity/Spatial Warping)

• Range: 10 ft to 60 ft

• Area of Effect: 40-ft diameter sphere

• Duration: 2 turns (20 minutes)

• Description: The merchant tosses a pocket-sized gravitic disruption bead or releases a burst of localized anchor magic, multiplying the atmospheric pressure and folding the space within the target zone.

• The Mercantile Edge: Creatures caught in the field are anchored in place and heavily restricted, matching the Web spell mechanics exactly. This is used predominantly as a non-lethal crowd-control buffer to stall hostile enforcers while the merchant team retreats back through a World Gate.

Dimensional Slip-Step

• ACKS II Equivalent: Invisibility

• Range: Self or Touch

• Duration: Special

• Description: The merchant steps laterally into a minute, interstitial phase-state between the current plane and the ethereal void, completely vanishing from sight, thermal scanners, and standard infravision.

• The Mercantile Edge: Follows standard Invisibility constraints. The moment the merchant initiates an attack or offensive action, the phase-state snaps back to reality. It is the ultimate asset protection tool.

3rd Level: Corporate Sovereignty & Evacuation

Non-Disclosure Enforcement Zone

• ACKS II Equivalent: Dispel Magic / Zone of Truth Hybrid

• Range: 120 ft

• Area of Effect: 30-ft cube

• Duration: 1 turn (10 minutes)

• Description: The merchant anchors a heavy iron boundary rod or runs an encryption program that blankets the immediate negotiation room in a severe magical and electronic dampening field.

• The Mercantile Edge: Functions identically to Dispel Magic against any outside magical espionage, active scrying sensors, or listening bugs targeting the meeting. Furthermore, any entity within the zone who actively speaks a deliberate, falsified lie regarding a trade manifest or pricing agreement must succeed on a Save vs. Spells or suffer immediate, severe neural feedback dealing 1d6 damage per level of the merchant.

Emergency Phase-Evacuation

• ACKS II Equivalent: Blink

• Range: Self

• Duration: 1 turn (10 minutes)

• Description: The merchant sets their personal displacement unit to variable-cycle mode. For the duration of the combat, they constantly flash back and forth between reality and a localized dimensional rift.

• The Mercantile Edge: Mechanically matches the ACKS II Blink spell. At the start of each round, the merchant's initiative and positioning are highly erratic. If targeted by an attack, there is a distinct percentile chance they are physically non-existent on the plane at the moment of impact, protecting their person while their bodyguards neutralize the threat.

This d20 table handles the hazards of long-distance planar logistics. In ACKS II, running a commercial venture or moving a caravan across a dangerous borderland hex requires rolling for encounters and logistical mishaps.

When your players or their mercantile syndicates launch a Planar Caravan through the Skull Tower World Gates, roll on this table once per week of transit, or whenever they cross a volatile dimensional threshold.

The Cross-Dimensional Caravan Encounters & Obstacles Table

| d20 | Encounter / Obstacle Type | Logistical & Mechanical Impact (ACKS II Chassis) | | :---: | :| :| | 1 | Planar Customs Extortion | A squad of 2d4 Extra-Planar Enforcers blocks the gate terminus. They demand a corrupt "manifest validation fee" equal to 10% of the caravan’s total cargo value in gold pieces or high-grade salvage. Refusing to pay forces a Reaction Roll at a -4 penalty or triggers immediate tactical combat. | | 2 | Atmospheric Depressurization | The caravan slips into a pocket vacuum or a toxic-gas rift. Unless the caravan is equipped with sealed environmental tarps or the merchant uses a protective schematic, 1d6 draft animals or labor-droids are permanently lost, reducing the caravan's total transport capacity by 20 stone per lost unit. | | 3 | Phraint Chitin-Raiders | An ambush by 2d6 Phraint Marauders looking for high-density metal alloys. They target the lead cargo wagons first. If they successfully breach a wagon, they flee into the shifting terrain with 1d4 cargo lots before regional law enforcement or bodyguards can deploy. | | 4 | Chronal Dilation Trap | The caravan accidentally passes through a slow-time rift. The journey takes 1d3 weeks longer than anticipated. The merchant must immediately pay an extra week's wages to all hirelings, guards, and specialists, or face an immediate Morale Check (-2 penalty) across the entire retinue. | | 5 | Dimensional Shambler Pack | 1d3 Dimensional Shamblers scent the concentrated life-force of the caravan team. They phase directly into the center of the camp or wagon train during a rest turn. They ignore cargo entirely, seeking only to grapple guards or pack animals and drag them into the void. | | 6 | The Cargo Begins to Hatch | A hidden lot of Stasis-Preserved Alien Seeds or Exotic Bio-Eggs suffers a containment failure due to planar friction. The merchant must make a Saving Throw vs. Poison/Radiation for the cargo lot; failure means the cargo is ruined, transforming into a swarm of aggressive venomous larvae that attacks the handlers. | | 7 | Magnetic Alignment Collapse | A sudden surge of planar static causes all magnetic tethers, gravity soles, and technomantic containment seals to fail simultaneously. The caravan is halted for 48 hours while the crew recalibrates. Technos or characters with Engineering can reduce this delay to 12 hours with a successful proficiency check. | | 8 | Astral Piracy Fleet | A light skiff manned by 1d4+2 Astral Privateers descends upon the caravan. They don't want a long fight; they demand the merchant hand over a single high-value lot of luxury goods or Lotus-Dust as a toll. Handing it over grants safe passage; fighting them risks damage to the wagons. | | 9 | Gravity Inversion Shear | The caravan crosses a boundary where gravity shifts 90 degrees sideways. All team members must make a Save vs. Paralysis to anchor themselves. Wagons and beasts that fail take 2d6 structural damage, spilling cargo out into a shifting spatial gorge. | | 10 | Deodand Scavenger Ambush | 2d4 Deodands stalk the caravan from the dimensional shadows, launching a night assault. They target lone guards using their surprise advantage. If they kill any hirelings, they will attempt to drag the corpses away to feed, causing a severe blow to remaining crew morale. | | 11 | The Phantom Market | The caravan stumbles into a transient, mirage-like bazaar that exists only for a few hours. The merchant can use their Planar Market Navigation skill to instantly buy 1d3 cargo lots at a 30% discount, or sell a terrestrial lot for an immediate 20% premium. | | 12 | Rogue Defense Grid Activation | An ancient, automated security beacon turns on, locking its targeting array onto the caravan. The path ahead is swept by automated laser fire. Advancing forces every member and vehicle to suffer a Level 3 Ordnance attack (3d6 fire damage) unless a Techno can successfully pick the lock/deactivate the system. | | 13 | Planar Labor Strike | Tensions boil over among the multi-species caravan crew. The Alien Laborers or Hireling Guards demand hazard pay due to recent planar anomalies. The merchant must succeed on a Charisma-based Reaction Roll or pay a flat 500gp bonus to prevent half the crew from abandoning the wagons at the next checkpoint. | | 14 | Void-Rot Outbreak | A strange, multi-dimensional spore infests the livestock or organic cargo. Within 3 days, 20% of the caravan's organic value decays into useless black ash. A character with Herbalism or a Medicine Man can halt the rot by expending 200gp worth of chemical cleansers. | | 15 | Spatial Fold Detour | The planar trade route twists dynamically, folding back on itself. The caravan safely bypasses a highly dangerous monster-infested hex, shortening the remaining transit time by 1 full week and saving the merchant significant upkeep costs. | | 16 | Technic Salvage Drift | The caravan passes through the wreckage of a massive, extra-dimensional shipping vessel that exploded weeks ago. The merchant can halt the train for 1 day to harvest the field, automatically gaining 1d6 × 200gp worth of Technic Salvage Value (SV). | | 17 | The Memory-Bleed Fog | The caravan enters a shimmering, neon-pink mist that causes short-term amnesia. The lead navigator loses their bearings. The caravan is lost in the wilderness for 1d4 days, forcing an immediate roll on the standard ACKS II Wilderness Wandering Monster table. | | 18 | Corrupt Corporate Auditor | An official from an interstellar trade syndicate arrives via a teleportation portal, claiming the merchant's cargo infringes on planar patent laws or corporate monopolies. Bribing them costs 1,000gp, but failing to pay means the caravan will face a -2 penalty to market checks at its final destination. | | 19 | Void-Stalker Migration | A massive herd of non-hostile, colossal extra-dimensional entities crosses the trade route. The caravan must pull over and wait for 3 days for the migration to pass. The crew gains a +1 to morale rolls for the next week due to the awe-inspiring, cosmic sight. | | 20 | Perfect Gate Alignment | The cosmic frequencies align perfectly, flattening spatial resistance. The World Gates function with absolute efficiency. The caravan arrives at its destination market instantly, experiencing zero upkeep costs for the transit phase, and the merchant receives a +2 bonus to their final Market Venture Roll. |

Running the Caravan Phase

When resolving these events during your campaign's monthly domain scale, use the Planar Merchant's or Venture Leader's Planar Market Navigation percentile skill as an active defense.

Once per journey, when an obstacle is rolled (such as numbers 1, 2, 7, or 9), the merchant may attempt a skill check. A success indicates they anticipated the flux or hazard, mitigating the financial or structural damage by half through smart routing and proper cargo tethering.

Integrating Adventurer Conqueror King System II (ACKS II) with the legendary, chaotic, and maximum-gonzo DNA of Dave Hargrave’s Arduin Grimoires - Converting Welcome to Skull Tower over to ACKS II

 Converting David A. Hargrave’s legendary 1978 supplement, The Arduin Grimoire Vol. II: Welcome to Skull Tower, into ACKS II (Adventurer Conqueror King System II) provides your campaign with a central hub for planar travel and dungeon-crawling. This blog post picks right up from Integrating Adventurer Conqueror King System II (ACKS II) with the legendary, chaotic, and maximum-gonzo DNA of Dave Hargrave's Arduin Grimoires - Random Fey & Fairy Encounters

In the original texts, Skull Tower isn't just a single mega-dungeon layout—it is the quintessential planar multi-level megastructure, a nexus point of the multiverse where high-tech space marines and ancient liches rub shoulders.

Converting it involves structuring its multi-dimensional economy, handling its lethal traps using ACKS II proficiencies, and managing it as a high-level domain.

1. Establishing Skull Tower as a Class I Market Nexus

In ACKS II, a Class I Market City represents a massive metropolis with access to almost every conceivable luxury, resource, and mercenary pool. Skull Tower functions as a vertical, highly militarized Class I Market City nestled in the wilderness.

• Planar Infrastructure: Because its gates pull from infinite realities, ignore standard regional population density math when stocking its markets. Assume a virtual population of 100,000+ equivalent consumers moving through its gates.

• The Market Modifier: Apply a permanent +2 bonus to all Market Availability rolls for Technic Salvage, Alien Slaves, Magic Items, and Rare Monster Parts. Conversely, standard agricultural goods (grain, livestock) face a 300% markup due to the barren nature of the surrounding terrain.

2. Converting the Dungeon Ecology & Levels

Skull Tower is notoriously high-lethality. When converting the legendary encounter tables and floor layouts into the strict mathematical framework of ACKS II, map them into precise Dungeon Tiers:

Tier Translation Matrix

Skull Tower Level	ACKS II Dungeon Level Equivalent	Typical Factions / Denizens	Wandering Monster Metric
Upper Spires (1–3)	Level 4–6 (Challenging)	Phraint Hives, Disgraced Mages, Rogue Technos	Roll 1d6 every 2 turns; 1 indicates an encounter.
The Nexus Plazas (4–6)	Level 7–9 (Dangerous)	Interstellar Pirates, Deodand Slavers, Demons	Roll 1d6 every turn; 1 indicates an encounter. Heavy traffic.
The Depths & Vaults (7+)	Level 10+ (Legendary)	Chronomancers, Cosmic Horrors, Dead Gods	Checks include exposure to Poison/Radiation hazards.

The "Room of Respite" Conversion

Skull Tower famously features single, isolated safe-rooms on every floor where the laws of the dungeon are suspended.

• ACKS II Integration: Treat these as localized Sanctuary Zones. Characters resting inside a Room of Respite heal at double the normal rate and are completely immune to random encounter checks. However, characters cannot remain in a single Room of Respite for more than 24 hours without triggering a structural reality-shift that teleports them randomly into the wilderness.

3. Trap and Hazard System Translation

Hargrave’s original modules are packed with instantaneous "save-or-die" style traps, radiation pools, and acid pits. ACKS II formalizes these into structured saving throws and proficiency checks.

• The Technology Trap: If a trap features advanced wiring, lasers, or mechanical sensors, a standard Thief's Find/Remove Traps skill suffers a -4 penalty unless they possess the Ancient Lore (Technology) proficiency or are of the Techno class.

• Radiation Pools: Replace Arduinian "Radiation Points" directly with the ACKS II Poison/Radiation Saving Throw.

  • Mild Exposure: Failure inflicts 1d6 temporary Constitution damage.

  • Severe/Nuclear Exposure: Failure causes instant systemic necrosis (treat as a Death result on the mortal wounds table if not treated within 1 turn via a Sub-Dermal Coagulation Matrix or high-level magic).

4. Late-Game Domain Play: Capturing or Governing the Tower

If your party reaches levels 9–14 (Conqueror to King phase) and successfully cleanses or claims a portion of Skull Tower, the domain-level mechanics of ACKS II shift into hyper-gear.

Domain Revenue: The World-Gate Tariff

Instead of calculating land income based on peasant farming families (which requires vast agricultural acreage), a domain centered on Skull Tower generates wealth via Planar Tariffs:

[Planar Merchants / Explorers] ---> [The Skull Gates] ---> [10% Flat Transit Tax]
                                                                  |
                                                       Yields: 5,000 - 30,000 gp/month

• The ruler can levy a flat 10% transit tax on all planar merchants, mercenaries, and adventuring parties passing through the tower's gates.

• The Garrison Upkeep Check: Because Skull Tower is a focal point for cross-dimensional factions, the domain requires a massive garrison. The monthly upkeep for defenders—including specialized anti-magic units, golems, and heavy-weapons cohorts—must equal at least 50% of the gross gate tariff revenue to prevent an immediate coup or planar invasion.

Garrisoning with Exotic Units

Skull Tower allows you to recruit forces completely unavailable in standard fantasy realms. When assembling an army using the Domains at War framework, the ruler can hire:

• Phraint Phalanxes: Treated as heavy infantry with elite morale (+2) and natural armor piercing traits.

• Techno Sapper Squads: Disarm castle fortifications and traps at triple the speed of traditional engineers using high-frequency plasma torches.

To run the World Gates of Skull Tower as a dynamic economic driver using the ACKS II domain and market mechanics, the gate is treated as a Class I Planar Market Venture. Instead of tracking individual merchant wagons, a ruler or Judge tracks the Monthly Shipping Manifests.

This system uses the ACKS II trade engine but introduces Planar Flux, allowing domain rulers to tax exotic imports or export terrestrial goods to alien dimensions.

1. The Gate Economy Framework

Every month during the Domain Turn, the ruler calculates the Gate Trade Value (GTV). The baseline GTV is determined by the size and stability of the market surrounding the tower:

• Skull Tower Ruins (Unsecured / Wild): Base GTV = 2,500 gp

• Fortified Borderland Outpost: Base GTV = 10,000 gp

• Secured Planar Free-Port (Class II Market Equivalent): Base GTV = 40,000 gp

The Tariff and Unrest Mechanics

The ruler can levy a Planar Tariff on imports and exports moving through the gates:

• Standard Tariff (5%): Normal operations. Generates standard revenue.

• Aggressive Tariff (15%): Double revenue, but increases local Domain Unrest by +1 due to black-market smuggling rings springing up in the catacombs.

• Prohibitive Tariff (30%): Triple revenue, but increases Domain Unrest by +3 and triggers a roll on the Planar Smuggler Strike event table.

2. Monthly Planar Flux Table (d100)

At the start of each month, roll 1d100 to determine which dimensional faction or empire currently holds the dominant trade manifest through the Skull Tower World Gates. This modifies the base GTV and dictates available goods.

d100	Planar Trade Manifest	GTV Modifier	Primary Import (Available to Buy)	Primary Export (Demanded by Gate)
01–15	The Techno-Foundries of Omega-Prime	+50%	Power Cells, Cyber-Parts, Lasers	Raw Iron Ore, Unrefined Mithril
16–30	The Obsidian Slavelords of the Red Sun	+20%	Exotic Beasts, Gladiators, Narcotics	Terrestrial Grain, Fresh Water
31–45	The Phraint Chitin-Hive Conglomerate	+0%	Hyper-Dense Alloys, Composite Bows	Alchemical Acid, Honey / Sugar
46–60	The Astral Merchant Cartel of the Void	+100%	Ancient Relics, Rare Spells, Gems	Finished Luxury Goods, Artwork
61–75	The Chrono-Dilation Free-Traders	-25%	Liquid Time, Preserved Artifacts	Historical Texts, Living Livestock
76–90	The Abyssal Flesh-Weavers	+10%	Bio-Constructs, Mutagenic Chem-Stims	Humanoid Corpses, Souls / Essence
91–00	The Cosmic Storm (Gate Malfunction)	-100%	None (Gate is physically unstable)	None (Trade route collapsed)

3. Exotic Import/Export Goods Table

When a player characters or independent merchants want to actively buy or sell bulk merchandise through the gate, roll 1d20 on this table to see what specialized cargo containers have arrived on this month's manifests.

d20	Cargo Manifest Item	Lot Size	Base Purchase Cost	Terrestrial Market Value	Risk / Legality Factor
1	Omega-Prime Power Cells	1 Crate (50 cells)	10,000 gp	15,000 gp	Highly volatile; explodes if exposed to magical fire.
2	Refined Plasteel Sheeting	10 Tons	5,000 gp	7,500 gp	Can be used to reduce Stronghold building costs by 20%.
3	Deodand Hunting Hounds	Pack of 1d6	3,000 gp	4,500 gp	Require raw meat daily; 5% chance per month to turn on handlers.
4	Phraint Chitin Armor Lots	10 Suits	4,000 gp	6,000 gp	Extremely light plate-equivalent armor; highly sought by mercenaries.
5	Hyper-Space Narcotics (Lotus-Dust)	1 Small Case	2,000 gp	8,000 gp	Illegal. Triggers a city-wide guard inspection if moved out of hex.
6	Stasis-Preserved Alien Seeds	1 Vault Box	6,000 gp	9,000 gp	Can be planted to permanently increase a domain's land yield by 5%.
7	Cybernetic Limb Replacements	1d4 Units	8,000 gp	12,000 gp	Requires a Techno or Master Cyberneticist to safely implant.
8	Liquid Promethium Jet-Fuel	50 Barrels	5,000 gp	7,000 gp	Highly explosive; counts as heavy ammunition for siege engines.
9	Crashed Probe Salvage Scrap	1 Bulk Lot	3,000 gp	Varies	Yields 1d4+1 rolls on the Techno Workshop Crafting Table.
10	Mutagenic Growth Serums	10 Vials	4,000 gp	6,000 gp	Used to speed up monster cross-breeding projects by 50% in ACKS II.
11	Astral Silk Textiles	20 Bolts	3,500 gp	5,500 gp	High-end luxury trade good; doubles standard merchant caravan profit.
12	Vibro-Blade Weapon Shipments	20 Swords	6,000 gp	9,000 gp	Weapons ignore leather/padded armor entirely; elite troop gear.
13	Unstable Fusion Reactor Cores	1 Core	15,000 gp	25,000 gp	Required to power Arduinian Heavy Power Armor or Foundry bases.
14	Alien Slave Cohorts	50 Laborers	2,500 gp	4,000 gp	Reduces domain garrison or construction labor costs by 10%.
15	Holographic Grid Projectors	2 Units	7,000 gp	10,000 gp	Can be installed in strongholds to grant defense against sieges.
16	Interstellar Spice Cargo	5 Crates	4,000 gp	8,000 gp	Highly sought after by terrestrial emperors and high nobility.
17	Malfunctioning Labor Droids	1d4 Droids	5,000 gp	7,500 gp	Can replace 20 human laborers each if repaired by a Techno.
18	Void-Hardened Steel Ingots	5 Tons	8,000 gp	12,000 gp	Used to forge weapons with a permanent +1 non-magical hit bonus.
19	Memory Disks (Ancient Data)	1 Cache	10,000 gp	Varies	Grants an automatic success on one future technological blueprint roll.
20	Bio-Luminescent Light Spores	100 Jars	1,000 gp	2,000 gp	Permanent cold-light source; heavily demanded by subterranean miners.

4. Resolving a Trade Turn

To run a transaction through the Skull Tower World Gates during the monthly phase:

1. Check Planar Flux: Roll 1d100 to find out who is trading through the gate this month and apply the GTV modifier.

2. Calculate Tariff Income: The domain ruler automatically collects Tariff % × Modified GTV in gold pieces as pure tax revenue into the kingdom's treasury.

3. Roll Available Cargo Lots: Roll 1d20 three times on the Exotic Import/Export table to see which specific bulk items are available for players or local merchant syndicates to purchase, speculate on, or ship to standard terrestrial markets downriver.

This d20 table is designed for Levels 4–6 of Skull Tower, targeting mid-level parties (Levels 4–7). In accordance with the ACKS II dungeon ecology framework, this table combines both concrete monster encounters (with quantities scaled to tactical threat parameters) and systemic environmental events that shift the dungeon's logistical state.

Skull Tower: Levels 4–6 Wandering Monster & Event Table

| d20 | Encounter / Event Type | Details & ACKS II Mechanical Scaling | | :---: | :| :| | 1 | Phraint Vanguard | 1d4 Phraints. AC 5, HD 3+3, Att 1 × weapon (greatsword or composite bow), Move 120ft, SV F4, ML +1, AL Neutral. Highly coordinated insectoid warriors. They leap up to 30ft into combat, gaining a +2 to hit on charge attacks. They are hostile only if the party interferes with their current hunting mission. | | 2 | Deodand Pack | 1d6 Deodands. AC 4, HD 4+2, Att 2 × claws (1d4), 1 × bite (1d6), Move 120ft, SV F4, ML +2, AL Chaos. Carnivorous, pitch-black humanoids that radiate unnatural malice. They surprise on a 1–4 on 1d6. If they hit with both claws, their bite attack deals double damage. | | 3 | Techno-Scavenger Squad | 1d4+1 Rival Human Technos (Level 3). AC 6 (Mesh Vest), HD 3, Att 1 × Laser Pistol (1d6+1) or vibro-blade (1d6), Move 120ft, SV T3, ML 0, AL Neutral. Armed with 1st-level Schematics. They are actively hunting for Technic Salvage and will try to extort, rob, or ambush the party if they think they have the upper hand. | | 4 | Thrak Marauders | 1d3 Thraks. AC 7 (Chitin), HD 6, Att 1 × massive pincer (2d6) or weapon, Move 90ft, SV F6, ML +1, AL Chaos. Brutal, reptilian-insectoid hybrids. They possess a high strength threshold; any target hit by a pincer must make a Save vs. Paralysis or be pinned (unable to move, taking automatic pincer damage each round until they break free). | | 5 | Dimensional Shambler | 1 Shambler. AC 5, HD 5, Att 2 × claws (1d8), Move 60ft, SV F5, ML +3, AL Chaos. A cosmic horror that steps through solid walls via phasing rifts. It is immune to non-magical or non-technic weapons. If it hits a target with both claws, it attempts to grapple and phase them into a hostile pocket dimension on the following round (Save vs. Spells to resist). | | 6 | Cybernetic Zombie Pack | 2d4 Cyber-Zombies. AC 3 (Steel Plating), HD 2, Att 1 × slam (1d6) or rusted bayonet (1d6), Move 60ft, SV F1, ML N/A (Fearless), AL Chaos. Reanimated corpses augmented with crude cybernetics. They do not check morale. They take half damage from piercing weapons but are highly vulnerable to electrical or EMP attacks, which instantly short-circuit them. | | 7 | Lathi Stalker | 1 Lathi. AC 6, HD 7, Att 2 × claws (1d6), 1 × energy lash (1d10), Move 150ft, SV F7, ML +2, AL Chaos. A shifting, predatory entity from the deep outer voids. It can turn completely invisible at will (Hide in Shadows 85%). Attacks out of invisibility grant it a +4 to hit. | | 8 | Kobbit Tunneling Party | 2d6 Kobbits. AC 2, HD 1-1, Att 1 × shortsword (1d6) or sling (1d4), Move 90ft, SV T1, ML -1, AL Neutral. Distant, hyper-cautious sub-terran relatives of halflings. They are mapping the level. They are entirely non-hostile unless cornered and will gladly trade accurate mapping data regarding nearby traps for standard rations or shiny junk. | | 9 | Malfunctioning Defense Drone | 1 Hover-Drone. AC 8 (Skittering Skiff), HD 4, Att 1 × Pulse Laser (1d8), Move 150ft (Fly), SV F4, ML N/A, AL Neutral. A floating security automated unit with a fried targeting matrix. It fires indiscriminately at any moving organic creature within 90ft. It can be looted for 1d3 intact Power Cells if disabled without being blown up. | | 10 | Star-Refugee Mercenaries | 1d3 Alien Humanoids. AC 4 (Deflector Fields), HD 5, Att 1 × Plasma Rifle (2d6), Move 120ft, SV F5, ML +1, AL Neutral. Out-of-work dimension travelers looking for a way home. They can be hired as elite retainers for the duration of the dungeon delve if the party pays them a premium upfront fee of 500gp per level in pure silver, gold, or functional tech components. | | 11 | Event: World Gate Backwash | The floor trembles as a distant nexus gate cycles open on an adjacent level. A wave of chronal distortion washes through the corridor. All active spell durations, light sources, and active Techno Schematics are instantly reduced by 1d4 turns as time briefly dilates. | | 12 | Event: Radiation Leak | The party steps into a zone contaminated by a ruptured power conduit from an ancient machine room. All characters must immediately make a Save vs. Poison/Radiation. Failure results in the immediate loss of 1d4 Constitution points due to cellular sickness (restorable only via high-level Cleanse magic or advanced medical stims). | | 13 | Event: Faction Skirmish | The party encounters a chaotic battlefield mid-corridor: 1d4+1 Phraints are actively locked in a lethal melee combat against 1d6 Deodands. The party can choose to intervene to gain favor with a faction, sneak past during the chaos, or ambush the survivors. | | 14 | Event: Gravity Inversion Zone | The artificial gravity grid in this 60-foot stretch of hallway fails completely. Gravity shifts upside down for 2d6 rounds. Anyone in the area takes 1d6 falling damage as they plummet to the ceiling. Movement is reduced to a crawl (one-fourth speed) unless characters have magnetic footwear or levitation. | | 15 | Event: Technic Scavenge Node | The party stumbles onto the structural wreckage of a destroyed extra-dimensional pod or machine interface. A Techno or character with Ancient Lore (Technology) can spend 1 turn to roll a scavenging check, yielding 2d6 × 100gp worth of Technic Salvage Value (SV). | | 16 | Event: Temporal Echo | The ghostly, translucent apparitions of a high-level adventuring party from 100 years in the future (or past) walk straight through the corridor, speaking in an unknown language. They ignore the PCs completely, but watching their path reveals the exact location of a hidden pit trap further down the hallway. | | 17 | Event: Power Grid Overload | Wall panels crackle with blue static electricity. All electronic gear, blasters, and active power suits spark violently. Every power cell currently carried by the party loses 1d3 active charges due to sudden magnetic drainage unless stored in lead-lined shielding bags. | | 18 | Event: Toxic Slime Inundation | A rusted overhead conduit bursts open, flooding the path ahead with a slow-moving wave of neon-green acidic slime. The corridor is impassable for the next 2d4 hours unless the party uses plasma torches or magical fire to scorch a path through the caustic sludge. | | 19 | Event: Market Scout Caravan | A strange merchant entourage from the Skull Tower Surface Citadel approaches. Led by a cloaked High-Elf trader and escorted by robotic guards, they are willing to buy dungeon treasures or sell basic adventuring gear and standard ammunition at a 50% markup. | | 20 | Event: Spatial Fold | The layout of the dungeon twists dynamically. The door or corridor the party just passed through now connects to a completely different room on the opposite side of the map level. Returning to safety requires navigating an entirely new path forward. |

Implementation Guidelines for the Judge

1. Encounter Frequency: Roll a d20 once every 2 turns (20 minutes) of exploration time while the party is navigating the mid-levels of the tower. An encounter or event occurs on a roll of 1–3.

2. Morale Modifications: Arduinian creatures are notoriously stubborn or unpredictable. If a monster roll indicates a Chaos alignment, they will rarely check morale until their group has been reduced to one-third of its original starting numbers.

3. Tracking Salvage Value: Any defeated mechanical entity (such as the Hover-Drone or Cyber-Zombies) can be harvested for raw parts using the ACKS II component rules, providing structural wealth to fuel a Techno's workshop fabrication projects.