Hecatomb d20- The Campaign for World Destruction

[Prak]

Hecatomb was a small card game produced for about a year or two by Wizards of the Coast mechanically much like Magic the Gathering with a few unique quirks. You summoned monsters using mana, and tried to accumulate 20 things to win. A neat part of the game was that the cards were plastic pentagons with four clear edges, because creatures could be combined.

The big difference was the flavour. Where in MtG, the players represent dueling wizards in petty power squabbles or duels for fun, in Hecatomb, the players represented powerful villains who were part of a secret "game" in which players loosed horrible monsters upon the world in an attempt to gather souls and destroy worlds for their own personal power gain. There were a good number of people who were really captivated by this metaplot, but sadly, problems with card production (often packs would be opened to find cracked or warped cards, and the price of petroleum was increasing) led to cancelling of the game when a mere two expansions had been released. Players have speculated that it was cancelled due to money reasons, as it was well known that other players were few and far between, and the failed minis game Dreamblade with a similar flavour quickly followed it. Marketing was spartan, often not doing a great job explaining anything about the game, and the 15+ age suggestion didn't do enough to attract through forbidden fruit status (possibly because the average person has no clue what "hecatomb" means).
Regardless of the reasons, what could have been a big boost to WotC's revenue simply didn't work. But the idea still captivates those who played it, and could be a great game.

Thus, I bring you
Hecatomb d20 Table of Contents
Post 1- Introduction (above), Metaplot, the Dooms
Post 2- Races, Backgrounds
Post 3- Class
Post 4- Skills, Feats
Post 5- Equipment
Post 6- Magic and Gods
Post 7- Minions

Hecatomb is more a campaign style than setting. A Hecatomb campaign can take place in any campaign settin, and, due to the nature of the conflict, assumes the existence of multiple material planes. The average character within the game need not be aware of the other planes, but, if nothing else, the endbringers need to be aware of them, otherwise there'd be very few non-completely insane endbringers.
Players can play Endbringers, and in fact this would be the intended play style, but they can also play the minions of an endbringer, helping or working against him, or even the would be heroes who try to stop him
Whether there are would be heroes in the setting who know what's going on and are trying to stop the destruction of their world, the main conflict is between endbringers. It's largely believed by endbringers that only a single endbringer can capture the power released by the destruction of a world, but this need not be the case. In fact the easiest way to model "Gaining Power" is to reward XP, which is quite naturally and easily divided amongst the characters.

The Four Dooms
Hecatomb focuses on a division of effects much like Magic's colours or D&D's schools. The types of effects are known as Dooms, appropriately enough, each with associated effects, apocalypses, methods, and creatures.

Greed
the first doom
Greed is the power of unrestrained wealth, despotic political authority, and unholy desire.

Greed was the first Doom to assail the world. Greed is founded in the avarice, jealousy, and uninhibited primitive instincts of humanity’s ancestors. When tribes of protohumans first gathered to compare their skills, the fruits of each other's hunt, and their success in taking a comely mate, Greed was seeded. While some, when faced with their own inadequacy, strove to improve themselves, others lusted after the triumphs of their fellows. Greed blossomed and has deviled humanity in all the long millennia since.

Being the first doom, Greed is sometimes seen as the root of all evil, and the Doom by whose hand all of existence will eventually burn.

Color: Greed is green as the odiferous yolk in the heart of a rotten egg.

Opposed: The deadly lusts inspired by Greed can and do work hand in hand with the dooms of Destruction and Deceit. But Corruption, the doom of madness and otherworldly passions, is Greed's rival for the heart of humanity. Those who fall to Corruption care little for the ardor of avarice and envy--madness blots out every desire but those that propagate further lunacy.

Corruption
the second doom

Corruption is the power of mutation, madness, deformity, and knowledge that mortals were not meant to know.

Corruption was the last Doom to assail the world, although none of the four Dooms followed too far behind humanity's mental awakening. Corruption stems from the search for knowledge at any price, regardless of whether others pay that price or the cost is personal.

The undiluted answers that lie behind the sky and past the rain are too soul-shattering for a mortal mind to contain. Wrecked minds fall most easily into Corruption, and Corruption wrecks minds, creating a spiral that spells ultimate ruin.

As Corruption is the Doom through which reality's secrets can be laid bare, its fanatics hope to summon up the Great Old One whose arrival is Earth's funeral.

Color: Corruption is black as a cadaver's heart rotting in the sepulcher.

Opposed: The sick insights provided by Corruption are often useful to the aims of Destruction and Deceit, while these two Dooms often enough serve Corruption's final goals. But Greed, the doom of analytical austerity, is Corruption's rival for the heart of humanity. Those trapped by Greed are too cowardly to search beyond the sane edge of reason and thereby become mere instruments of greater beings--cold calculation froze Greedy hearts and minds long ago.

Deceit
the third doom

Deceit is the power of lies, trickery, shadow, and shapechanging--Deceit makes a lie of everything we think is true.

Deceit was the third Doom to assault the world. While Destruction may meet a force equal to its fury, Deceit wins the battle before the army takes the field. An army defeated by Deceit is just as beaten as one brought low by force, but with propaganda enough, it may itself fall into Deceit's service. Those who walk knowingly in the shadow of Deceit are master liars who spin fabrications of both fact and body for the sheer exuberance of controlling the destiny of other creatures through falsehood.

Because the perfect lie can make a willing servant of any creature, it may be that Deceit will be the Doom through which the apocalypse is finally triggered.

Color: Deceit is blue as a soldier's corpse betrayed by propaganda.

Opposed: Deceit may flow from frustrated Greed, but Destruction, the Doom of brutes and low-brow thinkers, is Deceit's ideological enemy. Why exert so much effort to destroy a foe when a well-placed lie makes your foe into your ally in the first place?

Destruction
the fourth and final doom

Destruction is the power of wild desire to sunder, crush, injure, and defeat friend and foe alike. Destruction glories in obliteration for it own sake.

Destruction was the second Doom to assault the world. Destruction's origin lies in the displeasure and the childlike frustration when desires, no matter how petty, are not fulfilled. When that frustration was first unleashed to maim and kill, Destruction arose. At its heart, Destruction embodies the rabid ferocity of the beast that kills not for food, but simply for the joy that bloodshed brings. Termination by an act of destruction -- such is the self-referential nature of this aggressive Doom.

Because it is the most assertive of the four Dooms, those who walk to Destruction's drumbeat assume that it will be the Doom that ends existence.

Color: Destruction is red as the steaming blood unleashed by a lunatic's axe.

Opposed: Destruction may flow from frustrated Greed, or sometimes grow from Corruption that grows too focused. But Deceit, the Doom of liars and cheats, is Destruction's enemy in action and philosophy. Why take the time to dissemble when a fist through the window accomplishes the same thing, and faster?

[Prak]

Races in Hecatomb
While a more complete discussion of minions and the creatures of Hecatomb will be included later, there are races that are presented and reasonable for players to come from, as well as concerns of including existing races in the setting. We will begin with existing races:

Aasimar, Feytouched, and Tielfings
The rituals of the endbringers frequently stir up and call forth creatures from beyond the shores of our reality. It is not uncommon for the vile and degenerate sorcerers and mad scientists to preside over their rape of their cultists by these creatures, or even lie with them themselves, giving rise to planetouched and Feytouched.


Background: Apprenticed
A character may take the Apprenticed background to reflect being taught by an endbringer. In this case they have Kn. (Arcana or Religion) and the Planes as class skill, and already meet the Special prerequisite of the Endbringer PrC.

(yes, you would basically be stupid to not take this background, but I'm sure most games would make sure this was taken care of for all characters who wished to be endbringers anyway.)

[Prak]

Currently, there is only the Endbringer PrC, it could be a base class, but I think PrC is better. I'll eventually make some other classes though that fit with it. The endbringer class is most easily entered by someone with Knowledge (Arcane, Religion, or the Planes) as a class skill.

The Endbringer class assumes three things: One, that you're using Book of Vile Darkness, or at least the sacrifice rules from it, Two, that you're using Tome, or at least Tome of Necromancy, and Three, that there are other Endbringers in your setting. Failing any of these, well, you'll have to figure your own stuff out, but it shouldn't be too bad.

Endbringer

Unbeknownst to many, there is a secret game for the fate of every world, and yes, there are many of them. The Endbringer is a player of this game, and strives to destroy worlds to increase their own power. To destroy world, one must undertake a vast, consuming ritual, using 20 key souls, and as many lesser souls as they can obtain.
This may seem a simple task, but each Endbringer is in contention with the others. Even those who form temporary alliances never truly trust or stop working against their ally of convenience. Indeed, an Endbringer is almost always mentored by another, and must either escape, or kill their mentor. Beyond their rivals, the are heroes of Hope and Virtue which defend the worlds, and even other villains who do not wish their world destroyed will fight Endbringers (perhaps all their stuff is there).
That said, no Endbringer, save those who die to foolish mistakes early on, is alone in their bid for power. There are dark gods which are more than willing to grant Endbringers favor for a taste of the sacrifices that would otherwise be offered up to the nothingness of the universe.
Finally, Endbringers often seek out, or craft for themselves, relics of great power.
Strictly speaking, there's nothing saying an Endbringer must actually destroy worlds, but it's typically the entire appeal of the path. Others, usually those who aren't completely insane, see the value in Endbringer powers for other pursuits which can often bring them plenty of power in their own right. In fact, the favouring gods tend to prefer these Endbringers who don't end worlds, as it means the god doesn't have to pack up and leave, or try to find new followers on another world.

Requirements
Alignments: Any Evil
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana, Religion, or the Planes) 8r
Special: Must be trained by an existing Endbringer (just long enough to gain their first class level), or given the knowledge of the path by a powerful outsider, or read the Tome of Endings. Must perform a sacrifice strictly to become an Endbringer (basically kill someone, "in the name of/for the glory of" a god, and not accept any Sacrifice Reward).

HD: d8
BAB: Special, see below
Saves: Good Will
Skills:
Skill Points: 4+Int

Level	Special
1	Craft of Doom, Soul Harvest, Form of Doom, Minions
2	Sphere, Doom Touched Immunity
3	Dark God's Favour
4	Sphere, Doomy Doom Artifacts of Doom
5	Soul Sustenance
6	Sphere, End Bringing

Craft of Doom
There are many ways to end a world, but they can all be classified into one (or possibly more) of four categories, known as the Dooms. The Doom of Corruption poisons the world and it's inhabitants, making them the instrument of their own destruction. The Doom of Deceit fools the Endbringer's quarry into seeing them as an ally, or even a hero, and thus he may work with less resistance. The Doom of Destruction goes out and pursues the destruction of a world in a proactive manner which usually involves much more outright violence and many more weapons than other dooms typically do. The Doom of Gluttony merely consumes and acquires, eating and stealing what it wants.
While most Endbringers are spellcasters, there is nothing which requires them to be. At first level, the Endbringer decides which Doom he primarily works with, which will influence later abilities, and how his basic abilities progress, which typically coincides with their doom.

• Corruption Endbringers typically begin as spellcasters and continue to grow as such, having a Poor (1/2 HD) BAB, but gaining in spellcasting ability with each level as if they had gone up a level in their original class (but only the spellcasting bit). Corruption Endbringers gain a bonus equal to half their character level on Diplomacy, Disable Device, Escape Artist, and Knowledge checks as they seduce those they converse with to their way of thinking surprisingly easily, corrode physical matter with a mere touch and act of will, and constantly hear whispers of creatures outside of time about all manner of things.
• Deceit Endbringers are often thieves and liars to begin with, and the knowledge of dark secrets does not change this, giving them Fair (3/4 HD) BAB, and the Sneak Attack ability of a Rogue (Rogue and Endbringer Levels stack in this event. If the Endbringer belonged to a class with an ability similar to, but different from SA, the Scout's Skirmish abilty, or the Ninja's Sudden Strike, for example, the Endbringer may choose to improve this ability instead). Deceit Endbringers gain a bonus equal to half their character level on Bluff, Disguise, Forgery and Use Magic Device checks, for obvious reasons.
• Destruction Endbringers are almost without exception great, swaggering warlords, wading into battle for themselves, alongside their minions and Abominations. They were generally members of a martial class before learning the Path of Endbringing, and continue to improve their combat abilities, gaining Full (1/1 HD) BAB, and gaining, or improving, a Barbarian's Rage ability (levels stack for Core Barbarian Rage, Tome Barbarian Rage Dice and the DR gained from the Tome Rage ability). Destruction Endbringers gain a bonus equal to half character level on Disable Device and Intimidate checks, and a bonus Combat, Necromantic (use Character Level in place of Caster Level), Monstrous (Fiend, etc.), or Skill (Disable Device or Intimidate) feat at 7th level and every three levels thereafter (10th, 13th, etc.)
• Greed Endbringers do not generally have a common beginning (though there is a strange preponderance of monstrous races who have become Greed Endbringers). Greed Endbringers gain the BAB of their creature type (Humanoids gain Fair, Undead Half, Outsiders Full, etc.), and a Bite attack and the Swallow Whole ability. The damage of a Greed Endbringer's Bite, and the max size they can swallow depend upon the character's level, with every five levels constituting a virtual increase in size for these purposes (they do not gain ability bonuses, natural armour, actual size increase, or any other effect of changing size, they merely do more damage with their bite, and can swallow larger creatures. Swallowed creatures are not held within the Endbringer's body, but rather a demi-plane with the minor negative dominant trait, and otherwise shares the traits of whatever plane the Endbringer is on. This does not change the way Swallow Whole works at all). Greed Endbringers gain a bonus equal to half character level on Appraise, Gather Info, Sleight of Hand, and Survival checks as they become intimately familiar with all manners of riches, know the best ways to steal information and goods, and are sustained by their gluttony even when all around them is dust and rocks.

Soul Harvest
Anytime an Endbringer, a minion under their direction, or Abomination controlled by them kills a creature with an Intelligence of 3 or more, the soul of that creature is bound to the Endbringer. They may unbind these souls to create Soulgems as normal, but they are generally much more valuable to an Endbringer than that. These souls fuel the rituals they use to destroy worlds, and cannot be removed from them except as specified: if they choose to release a soul, it will return to the creature's body, if it is animate or preserved, returning the creature to life, otherwise it goes on to the afterlife as normal. They may also place them into gems as a character usually would.
An Endbringer may only have up to 2(Character Level) souls bound to him at any time.
A soul may be unbound by a wish spell, but only if it has not otherwise been released or used.

Yes, you have to keep track of the things you've killed. To be honest, it's highly unlikely someone's going to want to unbind Goblin #3's soul, so you can probably just keep track of named characters, possibly making a mark next to the name that you've likely already written down to remember the name of a plot important NPC, and then keep a chart of number of things killed by HD.

Form of Doom
The special effects department works overtime on the Endbringer. While it will not change his stats in any way, and his general form must remain roughly the same, he may otherwise appear anyway he wishes, so long as it does not duplicate another creature. Effectively, the Endbringer can pick a bunch of Fiendish Physical Traits to manifest. Regardless of his form, he always is surrounded by a palpable field of wrongness, detectable by those who know how (Radiates Evil as an Evil Outsider), which otherwise acts as the Fear Aura of a Bone Devil (Charisma Based DC). Endbringers may also take Necromantic and Fiend feats, using Character Level as Caster Lever when it matters.

Minions
The Endbringer, above all else, is a leader. A cult leader, an army leader, a commander of bound demons, it doesn't matter, they command a horde of lesser creatures to bring them glory. The Endbringer gains a [Leadership] feat of their choice. These minions are not controlled through any magical, absolute means, but rather mundane means, such as pay, sacrifice, fear, devotion, etc. It is possible that you will tell your minions to do something, and they will refuse. You'll probably kill them and go round up some more, though, so it's not like it's a huge thing.

By the source material (Hecatomb, an experimental, and poorly executed game by WotC), Endbringers should be able to merge minions into Abominations. I have yet to work out a proper method of doing this, though I'm currently thinking of just using prescribed templates by creature type and a bullshit ritual, possibly costing souls.

Sphere
At 2nd level, the Endbringer begins to gain the innate power of his chosen Doom. He gains Basic Access to a Sphere, chosen from the list below, and no, it need not match the doom he chose as his primary at level one.
The Endbringer gains access to another sphere, or improves his access to a sphere already possessed every other level. Endbringers gain Fiendish Traits for each Sphere they Possess.
[insert list of spheres here, ordered by dooms. It's forthcoming]

Doom Touched Immunity
The powerful energies of the Dooms do not leave an Endbringer untouched, and not every touch is scarring. A 2nd level Endbringer gains immunity to a specific effect tied to his Primary Doom.

• Corruption- Knowing well the path of Corruption and seduction of ideals, the Corruption Endbringer is immune to mind affecting effects, the simplest form of corruption.
• Deceit- The energies of Deceit grant their Endbringers a limited immunity to the deception of others, manifesting as the ability to ignore illusion effects of a spell level lower than or equal to half their character level.
• Destruction-Destruction Endbringers are notably more resilient than their fellows from other Dooms. They are immune to Smite effects (not just the extra damage, the attack literally does not affect them), and an Energy Type of their choosing.
• Greed- The energies of Greed render their Endbringers immune to disease and poison, the better to consume and acquire all they set their eyes upon.

Dark God's Favour
By third level, the Endbringer has attracted the favour of a dark god. This gives them access to a sphere/domain (Endbringer's choice as to which it acts as), and a turning/rebuking ability, according to the chosen god.
[insert list of gods]

Doomy Doom Artifacts of Doom
Endbringers seek out and create powerful items known as Relics. Creation of a Relic is possible through the expenditure of a bound soul (the Endbringer gains Craft of the Soulstealer). No feat is needed to create an item. Otherwise, relics are created as normal for a given type of item, save for the following specifications:

• The Endbringer's Character Level functions as Caster Level for the creation of an item.
• The Endbringer may create Artifacts which are within his Character Level
• The Endbringer may substitute Evil spells of the same level for any required spell he does not have (in effect using the power that would other wise cast said evil spell to mimic the effect of the other).
• Endbringer Created Relics always radiate evil, at the Creating Endbringer's aura strength or the items, whichever would be stronger.

Soul Sustenance
At fifth level, the Endbringer is sustained by his evil. When a fifth level Endbringer is reduced to or below -10 hp, his body automatically consumes a soul to place his body into a recuperative sleep during which time the Endbringer gains Fast Healing equal to the HD of the soul used until they've reached half max hit points, or have been awakened (any method of awakening that would require a roll has it's DC raised by 10. Automatic forms of awakening a target, such as spells, require a Character Level Check by the character trying to wake the Endbringer against a DC of 10+Endbringer's character level). This process always consumes the least powerful soul by HD bound to the Enfbringer. Complete destruction of the body kills the Endbringer, but this will not free souls he has bound to him.
In cases where the Endbringer has "died" since a specific soul has been bound, there is a percentile chance it is no longer there to be unbound. This chance is equal to 100/# of souls bound, minimum one percent.

End Bringing
By the end of the class, the Endbringer understands the secrets necessary to destroy a world. Using the Sacrifice rewards system from Book of Vile Darkness, he may conduct a lengthy ceremony involving mass sacrifices to destroy the plane he is on. The Knowledge Religion DC for this sacrifice is 100, and only modifiers from "Sacrifice Elements" apply to his check (no feats, class bonuses, items, whatever, just his ranks, unmodified ability bonus, and Sacrifice Elements). The ceremony requires 20 victims of 16+HD, known as Keysouls, (which gives a +80), which may be sacrificed then, or taken from souls bound to the Endbringer (in the latter case, they do contribute to his check). The Ceremony automatically consumes all souls bound to the Endbringer, whether they're used to fuel it or not, and lasts 10 hours, minimum (half an hour per Keysoul, whether sacrificed during the ceremony or taken from bound souls). The bound souls are consumed ten minutes prior to the end of the ceremony (and the total length is determined before it begins, so no saying "oh, no, it's going to be another hour... yeah..." right as someone snipes you from the crowd).
After the Ceremony is finished, the plane gains the major negative planar trait, and is destroyed in ten minutes. If the Endbringer is slain before the plane is destroyed, it will be saved, though much damage will already have been done.

And that's how you create an apocalypse causing class. It may not be great (I was going off the top of my head and spot adjudicating), but at least it has a specific flavour.

Suggestions and feedback are welcome. I'd like to make the class a bit longer, because saying "Hey, congrats on reaching level 11, you can destroy the world" is just weird... but I'd need to work on more abilities, this is the strictest base line for the source material, pretty much.

[Prak]

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[Prak]

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[Prak]

Minions and Abominations
Minion is a catch all term for any creature which an endbringer may control through which to work their evil plots. It encompasses every creature type, from Animal to Vermin, and creatures which advance by Hit Die, Character Class, both or neither. Minions range from perfectly normal rats which the endbringer has enthralled, to human, and mutated human, cultists which worship the endbringer or his favouring god, to dragons and unique fiends. Minions may be weak or powerful, ubiquitous or unique, and no special ability is required to combat them beyond being of a roughly similar challenge rating.

Abomination is the term for those creatures formed when an endbringer stitches two or more minions together. They are always terrifying, fairly unique creatures, touched by magics profane and vile. Only the elect of destiny and other abominations can even hope to confront an abomination and survive, much less win. Mechanically, this generally means the Player Characters, particularly important NPCs (such as endbringers, divine champions, or characters that have grown beyond mortal capabilities). Basically, much like AWoD, a game of Hecatomb assumes the existance of Luminaries and Extras. (mechanic that measures the "Luminary-ness" of a character possibly forthcoming.)

The Factions of the Apocalypse
(detailing of minion groups forthcoming)

The Eldritch Ties That Bind
(Stitching rules forthcoming)

The Powers that Bring the End
(conversion of card abilities forthcoming)

Plastic to Page
(rules for converting minion cards into creatures forthcoming, possibly even a class or two)

[Josh_Kablack]

Hecatomb

Gesusundheit.


Well what I most want to see from here is advice on incorporating the metaphysics into lower-level D&D games. For fluff, stuff about how 3rd level heroes can face minions and how 9th level characters can stop being victims and start join the game of collapsing universes, sometimes just for more personal power, sometimes unwittingly becoming dooms for "hostile" planes out of their own sense of the greater good.

For crunch, I want to see 4-doom alignment system. I want to see tweaks on Leadership / Command / Master of Snake mountain to encourage the power to set monsters loose on civilizations. And I'm really curious to see rules for combining creatures that do more than just add a template.

[Prak]

I'll work more on incorporating fluff. I actually stopped after putting up the class last night because I felt I was going too meta in the description and not actually describing the world enough.

I had thought about a 4 doom alignment system, and will work that up. It'll be more nuanced than D&D's because, even though, say, Deceit and Destruction are opposed, there is literally nothing that says one cannot represent both, and in fact there were cards that were of one doom, but had powers from another.

On tweaking leadership and such, I'll have to see what I can do, though I wonder what is discouraging such a use (other than perhaps numbers).

Combining monsters is the sticking point, I'll have to pull back to the drawing board, and while it will likely involve templates primarily, I think I can do more.

[Hieronymous Rex]

I haven't played Hecatomb, so please tell me if this is horribly inappropriate, but could you have a fifth quasi-doom, Vanity, "as white as the bleached bones of past conquerors" for powerful people who believe themselves to be fighting against the dooms, but will one day fall into one?

[Prak]

There could be. There was a lot of talk about the introduction of a fifth doom by players, to round out the five colour similarity to magic. Usually it was suggested as a counter to the others, but certainly, there's no reason why Vanity could not be the fifth doom.

[Prak]

I added some more, mostly just a few more flavour things, but also some outlining of mechanics and world pieces that are coming.

[JigokuBosatsu]

A hecatomb is a mass sacrifice. It's also mentioned in China Mieville's "Iron Council" as one of the names for the Teshite ambassador's massive city-destroying spell.

[Prak]

Yes, I know. It's also the name of a card game by WotC that flavour wise involved sacrificing lots of people to destroy the world.