Mutant Crawl Classics inspired patron for DCC: The Star Child

The Mutant Crawl Classics Kickstarter is winding down to its final days. Using the free rules found here, I ran the Free RPG Day Funnel adventure Museum at the End of Time. Inspired by events that are very likely to occur within that adventure (and happened in my home game with the kids), I designed a new patron usable for DCC.

Just a little something to tide you all over while you wait for the MCC game to release next year. Feel free to use, share, or whatever. I welcome feedback and would love to know if anyone actually makes use of this thing.

PATRON: THE STAR CHILD

Somewhere across the infinite realms of time, space, and possibility, there stands the greatest possible achievement of architectural design: a monolithic solid whose perfect and precise dimensions exist in a ratio utterly pleasing to the cosmos itself. Not only are the monolith’s height, width, and depth in perfect harmony with the divine ratio, but so too are its invisible dimensions, on into infinity across the breadth of time, substance, and all meaning. To behold this wonder is to behold the splendor of creation. To touch it is to touch the very fabric of perfection.

In rare cases, a mortal creature’s natural vibrations are such that contact with the monolith causes a spontaneous and dramatic transformation. The formerly mortal creature rapidly ascends to a new state, one merged with the infinite conscious of reality. This entity is known as the Star Child (for there is only one, multitudinous yet singular). It roams the valleys and plateaus of time, seeking after things beyond the ken of mere three dimensional minds. Certain spells and incantations can draw the Star Child’s attention. Though endlessly mysterious, the enlightened being seems disposed to help those who call upon its aid.

Invoke Patron check results:

12-13	The caster can hear the psychic vibrations of all living things, allowing him to tap into the collective conscious of the universe. The caster gains +1d4 Intelligence (maximum 20) for the next 24 hours. However, any harmful action on the caster’s part disrupts this connection. The effect ends and the Intelligence bonus immediately vanishes if the caster attacks or otherwise harms another creature (either by direct violence, spellcasting, or other means).
14-17	For the next 24 hours, The Star Child imbues the caster with the power of telekinesis. Whenever he concentrates, the caster can manipulate a single object within a range of 100’ and weighing up to 150 lbs. For all purposes, treat this effect as the equivalent of strength 15.
18-19	A field of visible, soothing lavender energy emanates from the caster, forming a 30 foot sphere of pacifistic intent. All living creatures within this area (including the caster’s allies) must succeed on a Willpower save (DC = spell check) in order to take any action that causes damage to another character. Failure means the creature stands quietly instead of carrying out its intended action. The pacifism field remains for 1d6 rounds + caster’s Intelligence modifier.
20-23	The Star Child decides that the best way to assist the character is to extract him from linear time. In an instant, the caster ceases to exist, replaced by a stardust simulacrum. This is an exact duplicate of the caster, fully under control of the original player, although it lacks a soul and therefore casts no shadow. If the simulacrum dies or after 24 hours have passed, the duplicate creature melts into a glittering miasma and is replaced by the caster 1 round later.
24-27	The Star Child removes one of the threats facing the caster by teleporting a single enemy within 200 feet of the caster to a location where it cannot harm him or his allies. This effect targets the enemy creature with the most HD or highest level (determine randomly in the case of a tie). That creature must make a Willpower save (DC = spell check) or be temporarily erased from space-time for 1d6 rounds. After the time expires, the creature reappears, unharmed, but 3d20 miles away in a safe and neutral location of the Judge’s choosing. If the first creature succeeds on its saving throw, move on to the enemy with the next highest HD. Continue until the spell succeeds or you run out of hostile creatures in range.
28-29	The Star Child open’s the caster’s fourth eye, allowing him to see time from below and thus better plan for the near future. The caster rolls 3d20. Over the next 1d6+CL rounds, after the caster or an ally rolls an action die, the caster may choose to replace the result with one of his pre-rolled dice. Once a die is used, it is spent and the roll cannot be used again. At the end of the duration, the caster immediately suffers 1d3 temporary Personality damage if he did not assign all three dice.
30-31	The Star Child transforms the caster into a being of pure energy. For 1d6+CL rounds, he gains 300’ infravision, telekinesis (as above, except the caster may use it freely once per round in addition to normal actions), and the ability to levitate and fly at a rate of 60’. He is totally immune to all physical attacks and spells are only 50% likely to affect him. However, he cannot physically interact with the world (other than via telekinesis) and his own spells are likewise only 50% likely to have any effect while he is in this state.
32+	The Star Child attempts to destroy one of the caster’s enemies while simultaneously imparting a powerful and enlightening lesson on its supplicant. The caster chooses one target that he can see within a range of 100’. That target is instantly disintegrated on the molecular level and then reassembled, suffering 10d20 damage. The creature can make a Fortitude save (DC = spell check) for half damage. Any creature killed by this effect is reduced to an impossibly black void filled with stars that fades away after a few moments. The caster, meanwhile, comes a step closer to understanding that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, that we are all one, and that death is just an illusion. This revelation is difficult for the mind to grasp, and the caster suffers 1d3-1 temporary Personality damage as a result.

PATRON TAINT: THE STAR CHILD
The Star Child is a distant and alien being, evolved far beyond the understanding of the mortal races. From its perspective, physical suffering, illness, and even death are merely temporary setbacks of little consequence. Its help often comes in the form of aid that simply removes the caster from harm’s way. The Star Child would much rather evolve its supplicants to the point where they are released from such petty concerns as pain and suffering than continually intervene on their behalf.

Whenever patron taint is indicated, the character temporarily loses 1d6 points of Personality, which represents the gradual erasure of the caster’s psyche as he becomes more and more harmonized with the universal conscious of the Star Child. In addition, the character randomly experiences one of the effects below. A character can only gain each taint once. Once he has acquired all six, there is no need to roll any more, although he still loses Personality as above.

Total Ascension

Should the caster’s Personality ever drop to 0 or below, whether through patron taint, an evoke patron check, or by other means, he immediately transcends the mortal realms. His mind leaves his body immediately, merging with the cosmic intellect of the Star Child. The caster’s body remains behind, alive but utterly catatonic. Once a character ascends, no known power can bring him back.

Patron Taint Results

Roll	Result
1	The caster evolves beyond the need for a physical body. To facilitate this, the Star Child remotely and magically extracts the caster’s brain and places it in a small glass case. The caster is now functionally a brain with the psychic ability to control his body remotely. This ability is limited to a range of 150’, so the caster’s body must generally carry the brain around. Should one die, the other dies as well.
2	The caster gains death-sight, the psychic ability to sense the moment of his imminent demise. Unfortunately, this ability is highly imprecise without continued practice and refinement and manifests primarily as strange, disturbing dreams. Any time the caster would restore any mental attribute through rest, check Luck. On a failure, the character temporarily loses a point of the attribute instead.
3	The caster’s head grows to one-and-a-half times its original size in order to accommodate his newly expanding intellect (even if his brain is now external). He gains the ability to communicate telepathically up to a range of 30’. This ability allows him to send his thoughts to others, but it does not allow him to receive their thoughts in return; they must still speak to him normally.
4	The caster mentally experiences several years in an instant. He gains 1d3 points of Intelligence (maximum 18), but he immediately ages 3d6 years and permanently loses all hair on his head.
5	The caster’s physical body begins to break down in order to fuel his growing intellectual power. He gains 1 point of Intelligence but permanently loses 2 points of a random physical attribute and 1 point of a different random physical attribute.
6	Contact with the power of the Star Child is making the caster less and less reliant on his physical body. The caster gains the ability to leave his own body after a single round of concentration. In this form, the caster is invisible an unable to interact with the physical world in any way. He is tethered to his body, which remains in a comatose state, by an unbreakable and invisible 15’ cord. The caster can theoretically stay in this astral form until his body starves or dies of thirst, although the death of the physical form kills the astral as well.