The beasts may challenge our gods

This is part of a GLOG community project to make rules for fighting and playing as kaiju (if you can believe it), proposed by Arkos over at Tome of Dreams. Some parts were quite a challenge, but it's the kind of challenge that you really want to rise up to, and I can only hope that I did a good job.

Skullcrawler by Dope Pope

Titans: gargantuan forms of incredible power. Easily as large as two houses, more powerful than any human but slow in their enormity. Titans have titanic vigor and deal 1d6 titanic damage with their attacks, each of which is six times normal vigor or damage. Normal damage is not counted against a titan unless a single attack deals more than six damage, but both the titan and their human-scale opponent hit automatically. Making equipment or items for titans is impossible outside of a large city or somewhere with similar manufacturing potential, and all items cost 100 times as much money. Titans move along titan tiles, each of which is 30 meters square, but can only act on every third round in combat.

Titan suits: what we might think of as 'mecha,' each needs a human crew piloting it in order to fight effectively. At minimum a pilot is required, but works best along with a gunner and engineer, often with room for secondary pilots, gunners, and engineers as needed. Each pilot can spend their turn either moving or turning, and gunners can only target enemies roughly in front of the suit. When titanic weapons are fired, the gunners must spend a turn reloading them, unless they have a secondary gunner to reload immediately as they fire, and each weapon requires gunners manning it. Engineers can field repair damaged systems, one per round. After the battle, vigor and system damage must be repaired properly for 25 gold each.

quasi medieval wooden mech by Lukasz Dudasz

Kaiju: independent titanic monsters. They must seek out huge quantities of food at a relatively slow rate thanks to their large, slow metabolism. They only need food once a week, but are sated by no less than 100 times what a human would eat in a day (generally 20 gold worth of food, or another giant monster). In melee combat against another kaiju they must use combat stances.

Kaiju

Each level requires 10 times the normal amount of exp
Stat bonus: +1 maximum Megaton

Starting skill: builder, climber, or survivalist

Level 1: a titanic monster!, only one thing can stop it!
Level 2: it's heading towards..., there on its back!
Level 3: its mouth is opening...
Level 4: strangest of all..., it's so... powerful!

A titanic monster!: your huge body has titanic vigor, and your claws, teeth, enormous fists, a casually lifted vehicle, or however else you choose to attack, deals 1d6 titanic damage.

Only one thing can stop it!: the sight of your weakness will halt you in your tracks, allowing only an attack or movement per turn while it is near. If it can damage you, take an extra die of damage.

1. Fire
2. Water
3. Beauty
4. Daylight
5. Blood
6. Wood

There on its back!: choose a set of limbs or protrusions, adding new mobility options. 

1. Expansive wings: they unfurl like the sails of a massive ship, blotting out the sun as they carry you beyond the earthly plane.
2. Myriad legs: pulling aside dirt or sand, allowing you to travel underground through any soft earth.
3. Translucent fins: along with gills, allowing you to travel freely underwater.
4. Loping arms: bending down around your body, able to propel you twice as fast as other titans.
5. Gelatinous bones: compress your body down to fit through any space two horses could fit in. While compressed you cannot fight properly.
6. Shimmering eggsac: consume one Megaton to place eggs where you are. They have 1 titanic vigor, but as long as they aren't destroyed and you don't place new eggs elsewhere, you can evaporate into dust, hatching fully formed from the eggs in an instant.

Squid Kaiju Baby by Roger Gerzner

It's heading towards...: determine what source will power your preternatural might. Each time you find a great enough source, gain one Megaton. You can spend your turn to consume one Megaton and heal 1d6 of your titanic vigor.

1. Magical energy: a legendary artifact or order of lesser mages.
2. Lightning: a lightning bolt, or an alchemical engine like unto a modern power plant.
3. Heat: a few blacksmith forges or a flow of lava.
4. The adoration of children: spend a day catering to a group of children.
5. Blood: a village worth of people, or a herd of large animals.
6. Gold: 60 gold coins, or two kilograms of gold.

Its mouth is opening...: consume one Megaton to use a breath attack on your turn.

1. Incendiary tongue: heat like the fires of hell blast from your maw, spilling out into a cone up to 90 meters away, dealing 2d6 titanic damage.
2. Hyperborean breath: your exhalations frost over all before you, up to 60 meters away, dealing 1d6 titanic damage. Anything that would be killed by this damage is instead magically frozen, protected by ice unless shattered or thawed. 
3. Voice of the storm: a bolt of lightning cracks forth from your throat, darting into one target of any size up to 120 meters away for 2d6 titanic damage.
4. Venomous belch: cough noxious clouds over the puny creatures below, filling a 90 meter square area centered around you with poisonous gas for 1d6 rounds, dealing 1 titanic damage to anything in it each round except yourself.
5. Crystal seed teeth: gnash and spit teeth about, sprouting great crystal trees that impede and fill up to three tiles adjacent to you.
6. Frenzy brood: spit out tiny young, 1d6 monsters with 1 titanic vigor each, which deal 1 titanic damage with their attacks. They are as small as horses, and will die after 6 times 1d6 rounds.

Godzilla vs Kong fan art - Nuclear Breath by Jonathan Opgenhaffen

Strangest of all...: select one final mutation, either from the list below or from either previous list.

1. Immortal conception: a week after being killed, consume all Megatons to give birth to an infant kaiju who is helpless for a month. It can move and eat if food is provided for it, and after the month it will grow back to its previous size, one level lower. Each Megaton absorbed in this state hastens maturation by a week.
2. Axe scales: anything touching your skin takes 1 titanic damage.
3. Living mountain: consume one Megaton to wreathe your body in impenetrable stone, gaining +3 titanic defense for ten rounds. Normal sized attacks will be unable to damage you at all during this time.
4. Lifebringer: consume one Megaton to send out a cloud of healing spores, healing every living thing within 100 meters for 1 titanic vigor.
5. Neural link: take a weapon or limb from a defeated titan and attach it to your body. It will last for 1d6 days or unless destroyed in some other way, and you can use it as freely as the original host could.
6. Explosive growth: consume one Megaton to double in size for 1d6 rounds. While in this state, you occupy an extra tile and deal +2 titanic damage with normal attacks.

It's so... powerful!: consume one Megaton before picking a combat stance. If this attack hits, it will deal 3d6 titanic damage.

Enemy Kaiju

Night of Silk
A circus once used tents inhabited by spirits to make their travel easier. They brought on more of these spirits, easing their way and filling the nights with whimsical shows of floating lanterns, dancing dresses, and nervous but exotic beasts. The spirits started to collect more spirits, more tents and decorations that could dance with them, until they had swallowed up their mortal stewards and drifted into the sky, captivating one audience after another.

Shirintu the Blight
A dragon captured by a wartorn kingdom. She was cursed, mutated, and enchanted to create the ultimate war beast, but inevitably shattered her bonds and destroyed her longtime tormentors. Her breath is cursed green flame flecked with shards of red glass, and her body is speckled with venomous pustules and red needles.

Grulputh
A god of goblins, or godlin. It is a gibbering, spaztic, conniving coward, and it is taller than a windmill. Somehow this sickly green menace always manages to hide its huge body, and sees fit to rob peasants and leave huge traps hidden in the woods.

Other participants

Arkos at Tome of Dreams: https://tomeofdreams.blogspot.com/2020/03/kaiju-challenge-gigantes.html?m=1
The Byzantine at Espharel: https://espharel.blogspot.com/2020/02/osr-kaiju-rules-and-class-kaijui-barely.html
deus ex parabola at Numbers Aren't Real: https://as-they-must.blogspot.com/2020/02/giant-monster-i-hardly-know-ster-glog.html
Lexi at A Blasted, Cratered Land: https://crateredland.blogspot.com/2020/03/giant-robots-deserve-giant-monsters.html

On the nature of things: what they are and why

Stone is the basic form of existence. It is hardy, colorless, and heavy, generally unmoving when left to its own devices. Color is what turns stone into other things, granting it growth, motion, reaction and other things, often at the cost of its immutability. The four colors infused purely into stone cause it to become either natural fire (orange), ice which melts into water (green), lightning (indigo), or oil (yellow). The art of sorcery is generally the manipulation of these colors, not necessarily the elements themselves, and often the more purely distilled the color is the harder it becomes to truly control. Lightning is an exception here, as its indigo power is rarely ever diluted and so there is much knowledge on manipulating it in that purest form.

Material studies by Torsten Gunst

Dread illusionists, the arcane deceivers, manipulate the image without touching the material at its core, controlling the color without the 'stone' as it were. This power is profane and can only lead to ruin.

Where color determines the properties of a substance, spirit is the form of it. Most materials have no spirit, and can thus be reshaped freely without losing their properties (it has been discovered that almost everything does in fact have a spirit, though it is usually quite rudimentary. The spirit of crystal, for instance, may be that it persists only in hexagonal patterns, an extremely simple spiritual form). Plants have slightly more defined spirits, and animals even moreso. Most animal species share a spirit with their kin, including humans, though the soul has a strong tendency to impact the spiritual form.

A soul is simply a more advanced, particular extension of the spirit, which is so developed only in humans and other thinking beings. Because of the unique and advanced ways it can develope, generally no two souls are alike, and this can have an impact upon the prospective spirits, often turning a human spirit into that person's spirit, a subtle but important distinction for those who practice shifting arts. It may be noted that animals cannot be cursed, and this is a simple product of their having no soul; a curse is a wound upon the soul, as much as any cut or bruise upon the flesh. Minor curses can be healed with mild bed rest, as they are shallow cuts and scrapes on the soul. Deeper, more powerful curses require careful, lengthy processes of healing. The holy powers of saints utilize this process, pulling spiritual energy into their soul and tearing away bits of it in order to grant that energy to their allies, and more experienced saints can even learn to utilize these rends in their soul offensively, attacking the souls or even the flesh of enemies.

The summoning sisters by Antoine Collignon

Much study has been done with regards to silver and the functions of undeath. It is clear that the undead are similar to the living afflicted with a curse, as can be seen with vampires, who were long considered undead despite often suffering no death between humanity and monstrousness. It is now consensus that undead are given malformed souls that eat away their spirit, granting something that is almost life but often far more finite. On the other hand, many cases of immortality are reached through undeath, perhaps with souls that are reinforced using parts of the spirit, malforming the body but keeping the mind alive indefinitely? Regardless this is perverse and unnatural, and no further writing should be done upon the subject.

Similar to undead, artificial souls are created when a golem is animated. Imprinting the holy word upon a tool forms a unique embossing of the creator's soul upon the spirit of the tool, which must have originally been crafted with intent. Naturally occurring objects can be used as tools physically, but they have no spirit for it and reject the artificial soul. Because of this, some claim that golemology is a darker, more unnatural art than necromancy, and will one day destroy us all! This is preposterous, golems are quite useful and docile, and have never destroyed anyone when used properly. It is possible that a fusion of necromantic and golemary arts could yield a living golem, capable of creating more of its kind... but this strays too far from the known and established.

Household Golems by Ben Wanat

Of course these findings are irrefutably true and thoroughly proven through rigorous testing. Any wishing to dispute or disprove this work may find their way best to a tavern, where they shall engage in discourse with any drink of their choosing.

Animal Companions

In Skies Below, no classes get animal companions, even though many people love pets. This is because I want animal companions to be separate from class, something the player can focus on or neglect as they wish! Players can buy or befriend animals, or try to tame one for themselves. As the animal levels up, they'll gain a better connection to the owner, and more ability to act with the party.

There are six general 'classes' of animal companions. Each companion can only have one class, but maybe they can take a level from two if it could logically work. It's only possible to command one animal in a given combat encounter, or else it becomes too confusing to command them properly.

Attack beasts deal light damage unless equipped with a specialized weapon, and hunting birds deal damage as unarmed. Mounts and beasts of burden have ten inventory slots, pets and attack beasts have 5, and hunting or messenger birds have 1. They have 1 vigor at level 0, plus 1d6 for each level. It costs 100 exp to reach level 1, and 200 to reach level 2. I use Skerples price list for buying tame animals (found here: https://coinsandscrolls.blogspot.com/2017/09/osr-medieval-price-list.html ). Currently I don't have any system for taming a wild animal, preferring to run that through roleplay.

These should be used as a baseline rather than absolute RAW. For example, if a player buys a warhorse rather than a normal riding horse, it could have higher vigor or the ability to attack. On the other hand if they buy a noble horse of fine breed, it could have more speed. Something else to consider is Awakening, as that would pretty fundamentally alter how people can interact with the animal.

Mount

Examples: rouncey horse, Eland antelope, deep gecko, Gombian ostrich, , pebbled rhino
Stat bonus: +1 speed
Level 1: passenger, signal
Level 2: steady on, unposted

• Passenger: able to carry one adult or two children, in addition to the rider.
• Signal: whistle, call out, or make another distinct, loud noise to call upon the mount from anywhere, as long as it can hear.
• Steady on: when the mount is startled, the rider can make a will save to calm it down quickly.
• Unposted: the rider can command the mount to wait for them, and it will stay where it is until it either hears the signal, the rider commands it again, or immediate danger appears.

Substrata Mounts by Darren Bartley - fightPUNCH

Attack beast

Examples: mastiff, ivory tiger, komodo drake, sawbeak goose, sheepspider, pond hippo
Stat bonus: +1 attack
Level 1: battle training, fetch
Level 2: vicious training

• Battle training: able to enter a feint stance.
• Fetch: able to grab and return with small items when directed properly.
• Vicious training: deals medium damage, and can fight effectively while wearing custom armor.

Pet

Examples: shepherd dog, Abyssinian cat, rosy boa, Maran hen, puffbeetle, iron rat
Stat bonus: +1 vigor
Level 1: fetch, an understanding
Level 2: tracker, copycat

• Fetch: able to grab and return with small items when directed properly.
• An understanding: the pet and master have a unique understanding, and can communicate clearly at a rate of about one word per round.
• Tracker: a well trained pet can track a scent for nearly any distance, anywhere (except through water or an extremely pungent area), and can sniff out magic or invisible creatures.
• Copycat: once per day, the pet can borrow a skill from the master, including skill stars.

Tavias kid by Alexander Nanitchkov

Beast of burden

Examples: mule, ox, mountain toad, oak owl, trench slug, wagon crab
Stat bonus: +2 vigor
Level 1: saddlebags
Level 2: stubborn strength, unmoved

• Saddlebags: able to carry +10 inventory worth of items as long as it doesn't have to move quickly.
• Stubborn strength: able to make strength checks with 16 strength outside of combat.
• Unmoved: for one round per day, the beast of burden can be given a command which it always ignores, becoming immovable for one round.

Hunting bird

Examples: falcon, killer bat, minidactyl, salt glider, ripper cricket, blood hornet
Stat bonus: +1 armor piercing
Level 1: fetch, bird of prey
Level 2: distraction

• Fetch: able to grab and return with small items when directed properly.
• Bird of prey: once per day while travelling the wilderness, a hunting bird may be sent out to catch small game and return with it, providing a ration.
• Distraction: grants +1 armor piercing to the master's attack when they target the same foe.

Nomad Hawk Master by Kaz Foxsen

Messenger bird

Examples: dove, spotted raven, cloud serpent, courier flea, moon squirrel, leaf bat
Stat bonus: +1 destination
Level 1: fetch,
Level 2: signal, carrier

• Fetch: able to grab and return with small items when directed properly.
• Signal: when the master whistles, calls out, or makes some other loud predetermined signal, the messenger bird can hear and return no matter where it is.
• Carrier: +1 inventory slot.

Monster generators

Some monster generating buttons, simple but fun random monsters. The elemental one indicates a broad sense of how powerful it is, but you should feel free to modify any and all details to suit your needs.

Chimera, or just a very general animal hybrid monster generator

The Roam - Semargl, Pilgrim's Companion by Timur Kvasov

Elemental

Token - Elemental by Svetlin Velinov

Aberration, alien, outsider, or any other bizarre creatures when you really want something freaky. In my game system these are conjured by the Summoner.

Ancient by Ryan Barry

These generators were made using Spwack's 'Automatic List to HTML Translator - Version 2' on Meandering Banter. Check it out and make your own magic buttons right here: https://meanderingbanter.blogspot.com/2018/10/automatic-list-to-html-translator-v2.html

Stats for some common animals

Writing out stats for twenty basic animals is something I was expecting to be supremely tedious, but was actually decently fun because of how many I wasn't actually all that familiar with. Roll on this table whenever a character uses a polymorph power, potion, or wand. In combat, animals can either make a fast attack or latch on (treat as parry riposte). Only trained animals, or animals with sentient minds, can feint.

1. Antelope
2. Bear
3. Cat
4. Cobra
5. Crocodile
6. Electric eel
7. Elephant
8. Flying fox
9. Fox
10. Goat
11. Gorilla
12. Owl
13. Pangolin
14. Raven
15. Rhinoceros
16. Shark
17. Tiger
18. Water buffalo
19. Wold
20. Vulture

Antelope

HD: 1

Found: 1d20 on plains

Appearance: elegant cervine, with winding horns and striped fur.

Voice: high-pitched bleating

Wants: clear plains and tasty grass

Tactics: run away, stags fight predators if necessary

Attack: +1

Defense: +1

Speed: +5

Attacks

1. Horns or hooves: light damage

Bear

HD: 3

Found: 1d6 (first two adults, all others cubs) in forests

Appearance: brutish black-furred shaggy creature with stocky limbs and broad paws. Large head with small eyes and white snout.

Voice: warbling roar

Wants: fish, insects, fruit, caves

Tactics: aggressive, charging and roaring loudly

Attack: +4

Defense: +2

Speed: +1

Attacks

1. Claws and bite: heavy damage

Cat

HD: 0 (1 vigor)

Found: 1d4 in town

Appearance: small lithe creature with a long body and round head, short tapered ears and long narrow tail pointing upward as it languidly strides along.

Voice: piercing mewl

Wants: small, weak prey and affection with inscrutable timing

Tactics: escape by any means available, attack only if cornered

Attack: +1

Defense: +2

Speed: +7

Attacks

1. Claws: 1 damage

Cobra

HD: 1

Found: solitary in deserts and jungles

Appearance: long winding form tipped with large-eyed, narrow head, often licking the air with a long threadlike tongue. Flares hood if disturbed.

Voice: hissing

Wants: to be left alone as it hunts

Tactics: hisses to warn off larger predators, sneaks up on small prey

Attack: +2

Defense: 0

Speed: +4

Attacks

1. Bite: 1 damage +1d6 poison

Crocodile

HD: 3
Found: 1d6 in rivers

Appearance: long and plump reptile with especially short limbs and scale ridges along its length. A quarter of its body length is a massive mouth, with tiny eyes resting behind. They like to rest on shores with mouths open, brandishing their numerous teeth.
Voice: low pitched, soft hissing roar
Wants: meat
Tactics: on land, wait until a creature comes close. In water, bite and drag prey down.

Attack: +5
Defense: +1
Speed: -1

Attacks

1. Bite: heavy damage, can attack while closing distance.

Electric eel

HD: 1

Found: 1d4 in rivers

Appearance: long and sturdy, with small eyes, mouth, and fins. Divots cover its dull black body and orange belly.

Voice: crackling with energy

Wants: to be left in the mud and eat shrimp

Tactics: electrocute then bite

Attack: +2

Defense: +1

Speed: +3

Attacks

1. Shock pulse: can be used 1d6 times per hour, dealing 1d6 shock damage plus save vs stun to all nearby.
2. Bite: light damage

Elephant

HD: 5

Found: 1d6 adults with 1d6 young on plains and in jungles

Appearance: massive grey beast with fan-like ears and a tentacular nose flanked by tusks. Large forehead and downcast eyes give it a thoughtful, sober look.

Voice: trumpeting

Wants: to be clean and eat plants

Tactics: circle the young and charge predators

Attack: +5

Defense: +4

Speed: +2

Attacks

1. Tusks: medium damage
2. Stomp: heavy damage, -2 defense for the round

Flying fox

HD: 1

Found: 1d6 in jungles at night

Appearance: large eyes and big nose, with eerily long fingers that turn into wings when spread. Bright orange portions of otherwise dull black fur.

Voice: shrill birdlike chirping

Wants: bugs and fruit, high perches

Tactics: fly away from danger

Attack: -1

Defense: -1

Speed: +7

Attacks

1. Wing bash: 1 damage

Fox

HD: 2

Found: 1d6 in forests at twilight

Appearance: narrow beast with a slender snout and curious eyes.

Voice: brief, strained, piercing wail

Wants: small animals, play

Tactics: very tricky

Attack: +2

Defense: +1

Speed: +4

Attacks

1. Bite: light damage

Goat

HD: 2

Found: 1d6 along mountainsides

Appearance: stocky creature with short curved horns and long floppy ears. Its beard is almost as unusual as its eyes

Voice: insistent baaah-ing

Wants: grass and space

Tactics: stubborn

Attack: +3

Defense: +2

Speed: +3

Attacks

1. Headbutt: light damage

Gorilla

HD: 3

Found: 1d6 deep in forests

Appearance: a hunched, dark figure covered in fur, with long arms, short legs, and a small face.

Voice: prolonged snorting, inhuman laughter, and angry roars

Wants: food, mates, and peace

Tactics: aggressive

Attack: +4

Defense: +3

Speed: +3

Attacks

1. Slam: heavy damage

Owl

HD: 1

Found: solitary at night

Appearance: surprisingly stout bird with tiny ears and large eyes.

Voice: eerie hooting

Wants: mice

Tactics: fly away

Attack: +1

Defense: +1

Speed: +5

Attacks

1. Wing bash: 1 damage

Pangolin

HD: 2

Found: solitary in deserts and forests

Appearance: tapering face and long tail, round body covered in large angular scales. Remarkably long tongue.

Voice: quiet

Wants: ants

Tactics: curl up into a ball

Attack: 0

Defense: +5

Speed: -1

Raven

HD: 0 (1 vigor)

Found: 1d20 anywhere

Appearance: large shiny black bird with narrow, sharp beak and protruding feathers.

Voice: unsettling caw

Wants: savory food, whatever it can get its talons on

Tactics: very tricky

Attack: -1

Defense: -1

Speed: +4

Attacks

1. Claws or peck: light damage

Rhinoceros

HD: 5

Found: 1d6 adults with 1d4-1 young on plains

Appearance: bulky grey beast with overlapping, bumpy armor and a horn atop its nose. Small, dismissive eyes and expressive ears.

Voice: low, growling moo

Wants: to graze in peace

Tactics: aggressive but careful

Attack: +4

Defense: +4

Speed: +3

Attacks

1. Horn: heavy damage

Shark

HD: 3

Found: 2d6 in the ocean

Appearance: long and broad with a tapered face and tiny eyes. The mouth opens impossibly wide, revealing countless razor sharp teeth.

Voice: quiet

Wants: flesh

Tactics: thoughtlessly aggressive

Attack: +6

Defense: +2

Speed: +4

Attacks

1. Bite: heavy damage

Tiger

HD: 4

Found: solitary, 50% chance of 1d4 young in jungles

Appearance: long-bodied creature with a large head and unmistakable striped fur of orange and black.

Voice: powerful roar

Wants: to swim and eat large animals

Tactics: sneak attacks, clever

Attack: +4

Defense: +2

Speed: +5

Attacks

1. Bite and claws: heavy damage

Water buffalo

HD: 2

Found: 1d20 in a herd near rivers

Appearance: bulky animal with short fur and broad horns

Voice: whining moo

Wants: to graze and roll in mud

Tactics: careful

Attack: +2

Defense: +3

Speed: +3

Attacks

1. Horns: medium damage

Wolf

HD: 1

Found: 2d6 in forests

Appearance: larger than a dog, with a narrow snout and piercing eyes, tufts of grey or black fur sprout from its face and legs.

Voice: barking, growling, and howls

Wants: to bring food back to their pack

Tactics: careful, tricky, coordinated

Attack: +2

Defense: +1

Speed: +4

Attacks

1. Bite: light damage

Vulture

HD: 2

Found: 1d6 on plains

Appearance: scraggly bird with large beak and round head on a long, bare neck. Dark feathers cover its hunched body.

Voice: angry squawks and chittering

Wants: dead meat

Tactics: careful, cowardly

Attack: +1

Defense: -1

Speed: +3

Attacks

1. Peck and wing bash: light damage