“What a chimera then is man. What a novelty! What a monster… what a contradiction, what a prodigy”
– Blaise Pascal
Wizards are a strange and reckless lot, treating the laws of nature as mere guidelines. They bend physics to their will, and twist biology like a pretzel. But for every noble pegasus or fearsome minotaur created by these mystical arts, there are hundreds of failures — broken malformed victims of their hubris. Not all of these wretched creatures are given the respite of death. Some live on, left to themselves, and scrabble for survival in a world not made for them.
In dark places, or wild areas unclaimed by other peoples, they gather together to live their lives away from the whims of their wizardly creators. They call themselves Chimerans, but most know them as Cobbleds. They are simple folk who generally avoid settlements where their looks often arouse hatred and violence.
Some turn this fear into hatred and seek retribution against civilization, especially wizards. They have little technology of their own and have only primitive weapons and tools, primarily using clubs, spears, and slings in combat. They are as adept at magic as any sapient creature but there is little acceptance of it among their people. Most cobbled wizards live as hermits outside even their own small communities. Those cobbled who have recently escaped captivity may have looted magic from their former masters but would not display it openly
They are one-hex creatures that range in size from halfling to nearly ogre stature. Their skin and hair are mottled and multi-colored and their eyes and limbs rarely seem matched. While many seem like strange malformed humanoids some prominently show features of the other creatures used in their creation. To create an individual cobbled, use the tables below. For height, start with 3’ and roll 1d, adding 1’ for each number on the die. Roll 1d for Attributes, 1d to see if it has a dominant base form, and a d66 for specific variations. To roll d66, roll two d6 and use one for the first digit and one for the second. Feel free to use additional variations, but these should be more cosmetic than mechanical. Unless altered by a variation (below) they have an MA of 10 and no defense beyond armor they can fashion or scavenge that first their twisted frames.
Base attributes
| 1d roll | Type | Attributes |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Burly | ST14 / DX10 / IQ8 |
| 3-4 | Nimble | ST9 / DX14 / IQ9 |
| 5-6 | Wily | ST9 / DX10 / IQ13 |
Base form
| 1d roll | Base form |
|---|---|
| 1 | Dominant type, roll 1d |
| 2-5 | Muddled type |
| 6 | Dual nature, roll twice |
Variations
| d66 Roll | Alteration | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Mutated Pustules | Covered in sores and boils |
| 12 | Mutated Swollen | Some limbs are oversized and bulky, giving +1ST on tests |
| 13 | Mutated Bony | Thick plates cover portions adding +1AD |
| 14 | Mutated Extra limb | Additional body part like an arm or tail, on 6 on 1d the limb is fully functional |
| 15 | Mutated Angelic | Strangely beautiful visage on warped frame giving +1 reaction |
| 16 | Mutated Withered | Some parts are weak and deformed, giving -1ST on tests |
| 21 | Avian Beak | Sharp beak gives melee bite attack at ST+1 |
| 22 | Avian Feathered crest | Bright plumage rises from forehead to base of skull |
| 23 | Avian Vestigal wings | Small wings offer limited ability to fly (MA-4) |
| 24 | Avian Clawed feet | Talons give kick attack at ST+1 |
| 25 | Avian Raptor eyes | As Far Vision spell (ITL, p.20) |
| 26 | Avian Hollow bones | Light body takes additional hit on blunt strikes |
| 31 | Bestial Claws | Gives melee attack at ST+1 |
| 32 | Bestial Furry pelt | Thick pelt offers 1AD |
| 33 | Bestial Berserk | Bestial rage allows figure to go berserk (ITL, p.121) |
| 34 | Bestial Night vision | Allow figure to see in near darkness (ITL, p.37) |
| 35 | Bestial Predator senses | Large snout gives Alertness in regard to scent |
| 36 | Bestial Scent | When panicked or threatened (>1/3ST) sprays nauseating musk |
| 41 | Botanical Rooted | Gain sustenance from the earth and air, no need to eat or drink |
| 42 | Botanical Thorns | Barbed fists give attack at ST+1 or +1 in HTH |
| 43 | Botanical Viny limbs | Plant tendrils extend one hex |
| 44 | Botanical Bouquet | Winding shoots sprout buds and flowers with a strong scent |
| 45 | Botanical Fungal | Composite form allow the body to fit through small spaces |
| 46 | Botanical Photosynthetic | Needs sunlight each day or face Fatigue |
| 51 | Insectile Antenna | Long extensions from head give +1 to Notice |
| 52 | Insectile Hive mind | Empathic connection to any other insect-aspected cobbled |
| 53 | Insectile Segmented eyes | Multi-faceted eyes gives 360° vision as Eyes-Behind spell (ITL, p.24) |
| 54 | Insectile Venomous jaws | Melee bite attack causes 1d damage unless 3/ST save |
| 55 | Insectile Wallcrawler | Can climb walls and inclines at 1/2MA |
| 56 | Insectile Pincers | Pincers arms can attack in melee at ST+1, hampers manual dexterity. Roll 1d, 1-4 one pincer, 5-6 tow pincers |
| 61 | Reptilian Chameleon | Mutable skin tone gives +2DX to Stealth |
| 62 | Reptilian Tail | Allows attack at ST+1 in rear hex |
| 63 | Reptilian Scaly | Thick hides gives +1AD |
| 64 | Reptilian Amphibious | Figure can stay underwater 10x longer than normal |
| 65 | Reptilian Claws | Gives melee attack at ST+1 |
| 66 | Reptilian Cold-blooded | -2DX in cold conditions, +1 hits from cold attacks |
For example, the GM creates a cobbled raiding party that has been preying on local livestock. There are four, and the GM rolls (1, 4, 5, 2) to find out there are two burly and two nimble raiders. Rolling for type, two are muddled (2, 3), one has a single variation(1), and one is dual-natured (6). The d66 rolls revealed that the burly one has one insectile pincer arm (56, then 4) and the nimble dual-natured has avian hollow bones (26) and bestial night vision (34). The GM decides that this one is the leader who uses their wits to manipulate the others and keep himself out of harms way.
This is really cool!