An Appeal from Heck

Sailors on A Starless Sea Dungeon World Conversion Notes

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/102448/Dungeon-Crawl-Classics-67-Sailors-on-the-Starless-Sea?term=starless+

by Mark Tygart

General Principles

All coin treasure (gold pieces, silver, etc.) becomes simply coins of the same value.

All skill checks or saves in general become defy danger of the appropriate type. Curses (or banes) use Defy Danger +WIS to avoid damage or accomplish the action unless the GM rules otherwise. The magical axe’s hate curse will happen only the first time it is used by a new owner. Remove curse can remove all curses in the adventure. Damage is generally halved if not otherwise stated (and rounded down if as needed). Trap damage is half if the proper Defy Danger roll is made.

Turn based events become hard or soft moves as the GM rules.

All magical weapons unless otherwise ruled simply double the normal damage and allow the user to hit noncorporeal forms. The “band of fire” is now a simple Ring of Water Walking and will not produce challengers.

The Beast folk grunts and Champion will seek to capture the intruders for sacrifice; not slay them.

Use common sense and be a “fan of the players”.

Questions

What reward have you been promised for ending this danger to the village?

Whom do you know who has gone missing?

What evil rumors have you heard about the ruins?

What do you think lurks there?

What treasure do you most hope to find?

Items 

Ring of "Water Walking" (0 weight)
This ring is often made of coral or bluish metal decorated with motifs depicting rolling waves of water. The wearer can tread on any liquid as if it were firm ground. Mud, oil, snow, quicksand, running water, ice, and even lava can be traversed easily, since the subjects’ feet hover an inch or two above the surface; protected by a magical shield. The ring's owner can walk, run, charge, or otherwise move across the surface as if it were normal ground.

“You stand before the ruined keep, which squats atop a low, craggy hill, its walls of toppled stone and massive granite blocks hinting at forgotten battles and the clash of mighty armies. Now the ruins seem host only to creeping vines and the foul miasma that drifts down from the keep.”

---Player’s Handout, page 3

Encounters

Beast folk Acolyte	Group, Magical, Intelligent, Terrifying
Warpfire (d4 damage)	6 HP	0 armor
Close, Near
Special Qualities: Abomination

Some grunts do not suffer under the yoke of the chaos gods. Some embrace their servitude, and are rewarded for it. 

Instinct: Awaken the dark gods

• Cast a warping spell
• Empower the grunts with magic
• Obey the Shaman

Beast folk Champion	Solitary, Terrifying
Chaos claws (d8 subdual damage)	8 HP	1 armor
Close
Special Qualities: Abomination

Even among the dregs of the beast folk, some grow in strength and lead the others to victory in their bloody raids and conquests.

Instinct: Lead the armies of chaos

• Assert dominance over the pack
• Collect sacrifices
• Silently witness sacrifices with your tribe

Beast folk Grunt	Horde, Organized, Intelligent, Terrifying
Clubs (d4 subdual damage)	3 HP	0 armor
Close
Special Qualities: Abomination

Willing or otherwise, these poor men and women have been drafted into the dark army with no hope for escape but at the end of a sword.

 Instinct: To serve chaos

• Capture intruders for sacrifice
• Ambush
• Passively witness sacrifices on the Ziggurat
• Spring deadly traps

Beast folk Shaman	Solitary, Magical, Intelligent, Terrifying
Claws (d6 damage)	8 HP	0 armor
Close
Special Qualities: Abomination

The shaman is the defender of the grunt-pack, who erects the black wards and calls on the chaos star to protect those who serve it. 

Instinct: Protect the clan

• Summon the Chaos Lord
• Direct acolytes from a safe distance
• Sacrifice a victim

 

Chaos Leviathan	Solitary, Huge, Terrifying
Grasping tentacle (d10 damage)	18 HP	1 armor
Reach, Forceful, Near
Special Qualities: Alien evil, Amphibious

The Leviathan in the deeps, sworn by oath to protect the Ziggurat, this creature will drag intruders below the waves to tear them apart. 

Instinct: Protect the ziggurat

• Consume a sacrifice whole
• Regenerate
• Converse with weakling heretics and demand sacrifices in blood, incense or treasure

 

Chaos Lord Effigy	Solitary, Divine, Planar
Hellish flail (d12 damage)	12 HP	1 armor
Close

A hellish creature, this effigy of a Chaos Lord is animated by the many sacrifices that the beast folk have made. 

Instinct: Ruin the civilized world

• Spread destruction
• Summon magma-tentacles
• Absorb energy from sacrifices

 

Rot Grub	Horde, Tiny
Burrow (d6-2 damage)	3 HP	0 Armor
Hand
Special Qualities: Burrow into flesh; killed by magical healing

They live in your skin. They grow there and then, in a bloody and horrific display, burrow their way out.

Instinct: To infect

• Burrow under flesh
• Lay eggs (killed with magical healing)
• Burst forth from an infected creature

 

Tar Ooze	Solitary, Planar
Pseudopod (d10 damage)	16 HP	0 armor
Close, Ignores Armor
Special Qualities: Para-elemental Ooze, Cold does x2 damage, Immune to Fire Damage

An ooze of an intensely self-flammable type; it is seeking heat to consume and tinder to enflame. 

Instinct: Burn and consume

• Ignite in flames
• Ignore a fire attack
• Consume heat

 

Vine Horror	Group, Small, Stealthy, Amorphous
Strangling vines (d6 damage)	8 HP	1 armor
Close, Near

Corpses infected with the seeds of an animating plant. 

Instinct: Feed on passers-by

• Strangle a victim and implant a seed
• Pretend to be a corpse
• Ambush

Monsters from Star Trek

 

Star Trek Ruk	Solitary, Intelligent, Construct
Strike (d12+2 damage 2 piercing)	20 HP	0 armor
Close, Forceful
Special Qualities: Android, Master of voices, Silent movement

Ruk was an android built on Exo III half a million years before the 23rd century by the Old Ones. Ruk was tall, broad and immensely strong, capable of lifting a Human male easily with one hand. Despite his size, he could move silently and gracefully, making him an extremely dangerous physical opponent. He could duplicate voices effortlessly – his actual voice was very low-pitched and gravelly. He was discovered in the underground ruins of that planet in 2261, by Dr. Roger Korby, where he was still tending the machinery the Old Ones had left behind. Even he did not remember how many centuries he had been doing this work. Ruk helped Korby learn how to use the ancient machinery, including the android duplicator. With Ruk's help, Korby built other androids, including Brown and Andrea. In 2266, Captain James T. Kirk and Christine Chapel arrived at Exo III in search of Korby. By then, Korby had reprogrammed Ruk to serve him, and had devised a scheme to infiltrate android duplicates into society slowly and carefully. As part of that scheme, Korby and Ruk imprisoned Kirk and Chapel, and built a duplicate of Kirk to take control of the USS Enterprise. Instinct: Corrupt by offering power

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Star Trek Kalar	Solitary, Cautious, Planar
Weapon (d10+2 damage)	8 HP	2 armor
Close, Forceful, Near

The Kalar was a primitive warrior species native to the planet Rigel VII. Somewhat larger than humans, they primarily relied on weapons such as armor, swords, spears, pikes, and maces. In 2254, Captain Christopher Pike of the starship USS Enterprise had a violent encounter with a Kalar on Rigel VII, during which three of his own crew members, including his yeoman, were killed and seven were injured. Captain Pike later blamed himself for this, claiming that his own complacency was the reason the Kalar had been able to successfully attack them. Instinct: Attack

• Seize treasure
• Warrior-thief fanatic native to the planet Rigel VII
• Ignore Pain

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Star Trek Talosian	Group, Small, Stealthy, Devious, Intelligent, Planar
Mindblast (w[2d6] damage)	6 HP	0 armor
Close

Talosians were once a warp-capable, technologically advanced culture but a nuclear holocaust left their planet virtually uninhabitable and killed most of the species. The survivors of the nuclear war congregated in underground dwellings, where they became dependent on their mental ability to create stunningly real illusions, an ability that had been developed by their ancestors. As their mental powers grew, they lost the ability to use the technology left behind by their ancestors. The Talosians found that life using illusion was addictive, almost like a Human developing a physical and psychological dependence on narcotics. They became bored with the content of the illusions which they had. Their dependence upon these illusions for mental stimuli caused the Talosians to begin capturing travelers to use as the living basis for their illusions.In 2254, the Talosians captured USS Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike and attempted to use him to rebuild their civilization. The Talosians hoped that Pike would be attracted to Vina and would wish to remain on Talos IV. Thousands of the Talosians probed Pike's thoughts, discovering he had "excellent memory capacity." However, after assimilating the records of the Enterprise, the Talosians learned that Humans have a "unique hatred of captivity;" even when made as pleasant as possible, Humans prefer death. This made Humans unsuitable to the Talosians for breeding stock, and Pike and his crew were released.The Talosians refused Pike's offer of trade and mutual understanding, claiming that Humans would use their powers of illusion to their own destruction. Instinct: Capture travelers to use as the living basis for their illusions

• Create Illusions
• Test humanoids
• Need breeding stock for slave race

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Star Trek Beta XII-A Entity	Solitary, Tiny, Magical, Stealthy, Devious, Intelligent, Planar, Amorphous
Energy Bolt (d10-2 damage)	16 HP	2 armor
Hand, Ignores Armor
Special Qualities: Transmutes Matter, Non corporeal, Telepathic, Can Heal

The Beta XII-A entity was a non corporeal being composed of pure energy first encountered on Beta XII-A. The entity appeared as a small, circular pattern of multiple swirling lights in different colors, although it became red in hue and emitted a high-pitched wail when "feeding". The entity fed on the emotions of hatred, anger, and primitive predatory instincts exhibited by humanoids in close proximity to it. If these emotions were not present, the entity was capable of creating conditions to spawn such feelings. The entity appeared as a small, circular pattern of multiple swirling lights in different colors, although it became red in hue and emitted a high-pitched wail when "feeding". The entity fed on the emotions of hatred, anger, and primitive predatory instincts exhibited by humanoids in close proximity to it. If these emotions were not present, the entity was capable of creating conditions to spawn such feelings. The entity could control the instantaneous transmutation of matter, turning everyday objects into weapons and opening doors on a whim. It could pass through solid objects at will, teleport from one location to the next, and influence the thoughts of others (control monsters and NPCS and whisper "ideas" to players). It could heal a humanoid's mortal wounds, and could even alter a person's memories so that they remembered fictional family members and events that never existed. The entity appeared unable to communicate in any fashion understandable to a humanoid. Although its motives and nature were not wholly known, it lacked the same ethical standards of most humanoids and largely acted in a malignant fashion. Its only weakness appeared to be exposure to emotions of humor, good nature, and friendship; it was particularly susceptible to laughter. These emotions will drive it away from its present location. Instinct: Feed on harmful emotions

• Manipulates Emotions
• Telepathic control of NPCs
• Only harmed by Magic and Magic Weapons

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Star Trek Denevan Neural Parasite Swarm	Horde, Tiny, Devious, Planar
Infecting Bite (d4-2 damage)	3 HP	0 armor
Hand
Special Qualities: Pain Enslavement of Infected

A Denevan neural parasite was roughly disc-shaped, about thirty centimeters in diameter and two to four centimeters in height. The edges were thin and yellowish; towards the center, the creature was thicker and redder. Occasionally, they pulsated. Parasites had no detectable external or internal organs. Spock described a parasite as "resembling, more than anything, a gigantic brain cell." Looking -- and moving -- like a half-digested Frisbee, these creatures are part of a large organism that takes over humans' nervous systems and forces them to infect other planets, kind of like Borg without the fashion sense. (This is also the episode where we learn that Spock has nictitating membranes. That doesn't have much to do with the monster. It's just creepy.)Denevan neural parasites were capable of clumsy flight. They attacked by making physical contact with a target and stinging it as does a bee. The stinger injected a strand of tissue that infiltrated the victim's nervous system very rapidly, entwining about the nerves. Leonard McCoy described this entwining as "far, far too involved for conventional surgery to remove." Once the parasite infiltrated a host, it pressured the host to obey its commands by inflicting enormous pain. There seemed to be some level of pain even when the host obeyed, but the creature could increase the pain it inflicted to bring an uncooperative host to heel. Exactly how the creature communicated its desires is unclear, but that it could do so is evident: Spock, while infected, attempted to land the Enterprise on Deneva, despite the fact that (as he knew) this was impossible. Later, he was able to end the pain through mental discipline and convince the crew to let him collect one of the parasites to run tests on. Eventually, this continuous painful stimulation could have led to insanity and death. Infected victims cooperated in working towards the parasites's objectives. This, and their enormous resistance to harm, led Spock to theorize that all of the parasites were parts of a single organism. How the parts communicated without a physical connection was not made clear. The parasites were so alien that Spock also theorized their origin was a place where different physical laws applied, outside of the Milky Way Galaxy. Instinct: Destroy

• Infects
• Enslaves with pain
• Sunlight kills
• Magical healing kills

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Star Trek Space Hippies	Group, Intelligent, Planar
Alien Dagger (d8 damage)	6 HP	0 armor
Close
Special Qualities: Annoying

Several scholars have discussed the "space hippies". Like the acolytes of Leary, Charles Manson, and other negative counter-culture leaders, these bizarre and stereotypical alien flower children are "under the spell of an unknown "charismatic but dangerously unhinged leader"(Dr. Sevrin or chosen by the GM) and "stand for a sixties generation in the thrall of misled idealism." The group shows a disrespect for authority and demands to be taken to a planet they call "Eden" (a dangerous Dungeon World location sure to kill them all). If the party refuses they will label them "Herberts" and begin to loudly mock them.Paladins and other formally good character may be forced to care for them or suffer the displeasure of their deity. Instinct: Guide innocents to destruction

• Chant
• Replay Woodstock
• Die

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Sevrin	Solitary, Stealthy, Devious, Organized, Planar
Sonic Blast (d8 damage)	12 HP	0 armor
Ignore Armor
Special Qualities: Charm as per spell

"We turn our backs on confusion and seek the beginning." – Sevrin, 2269 ("The Way to Eden"; Star Trek TOS) Doctor Sevrin was a research engineer from the planet Tiburon, renowned in the fields of acoustics, electronics, and communications. He came to reject the modern technical society of the Federation and started the philosophical movement One ("Space Hippies"), in search of the mythical planet Eden. When he started his movement, he was dismissed from his post. He carries the disease synthococcus novae, which required him to remain in environmentally-controlled areas. His rejection of modern technology and his inability to leave technologically-regulated areas contributed to his insanity. His fatal illness has somehow given him the psionic power to charm (as per the spell) and create fatal sonic blasts. Instinct: Create insane plans

• Summon Space Hippies
• Babble
• Channel inner Charles Manson

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Star Trek Salt Vampire	Solitary, Stealthy, Intelligent, Planar, Terrifying
Suckers (d12 damage)	12 HP	0 armor
Close, Ignores Armor
Special Qualities: Shapeshifter

Salt Vampire, or M-113 creature, is the unofficial nickname given to a now extinct sapient species which once inhabited planet M-113. This creature is notable for requiring extremely large quantities of salt, specifically sodium chloride, to live. It can remove salt directly through the skin of other beings using the sucker-like structures on its fingers, a process which usually results in the death of the victim. Also noteworthy are the creature's illusory shapeshifting abilities. Although it cannot physically change its appearance, it can use telepathy to project an illusion into the minds of those around it, making it appear like any person it wants. Instinct: Drains salt from humanoids

• Imitates victims
• Murder and replace victims with perfect imitation
• Predator with telepathy

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Star Trek Guardian of Forever	Solitary, Huge, Magical, Devious, Planar, Construct
Teleport	20 HP	4 armor
Reach, Ignores Armor
Special Qualities: Will seek to protect the natural timeline, May Transport hostile party into the past

"Are you machine or being?" "I am both… and neither. I am my own beginning, my own ending." – James T. Kirk questioning the Guardian of Forever, 2267 ("The City on the Edge of Forever") A Guardian of Forever is a mysterious construct of an unknown, ancient alien race, which functioned as a time portal; a gateway to the time vortex that allowed access to other times, locations and dimensions. One was located on an ancient planet where the focus of all timelines throughout at least the Milky Way Galaxy converged. It was found among the ruins of a large, forgotten city that stretched beyond the horizon in all directions around it. Based on initial observations, the ruins appeared to be at least one million years old. The Guardian said that it was far older than that, even exceeding the Earth's sun's age of 4.6 billion years. An inert, crudely asymmetrical, circular gateway comprised of a quasi-metallic substance, the Guardian is able to somehow display the flow of time itself although it could not alter the "speed at which it displayed the past." It generated immense ripples in time that manifested themselves as spatial disturbances in the region around the planet where it was located. Apparently sentient, it is capable of speech and interacted with anyone it encountered, responding to external stimuli such as questions and actions. The object would flash whenever it spoke and emitted a gaseous fog within its center whenever it generated a portal. Instinct: Can cause dangerous time paradox

• Provide a Time Portal
• Very lonely
• Loves to converse about the past

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Mugato	Group
Pummel (d8+2 damage)	6 HP	1 armor
Close, Forceful
Special Qualities: Venomous bite

Mugatos were large, intimidating animals that could reach a height of two meters (not including their horns). Covered by a thick pelt of white fur all over their bodies with the exception of their faces and hands, they were similar to the great apes of Earth in their physical proportions and prehensile hands and feet. All of their teeth were sharp and serrated and their fangs contained a strong venom that was fatal within a matter of hours without magical healing. Mugatos had large, thick horns projecting from the top of their craniums as well as smaller spikes running down the spine. They usually traveled with their mates.The Classic Star Trek TOS killer space ape! Instinct: Hunt

• Ambush
• Bite with Venomous fangs
• Devour

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Mutant Bugman Drone	Group, Small, Terrifying
Bite (d4 damage)	6 HP	1 armor
Close
Special Qualities: Horrible mutant man insect mix of beetle, Hive mind, Limited use paralyzing bite

A horrible recent product of a mutant mix of spider, termite and beetle the Mutant Bugman Drone is part of a hive mind controlled by the collective's telepathic Hive Queen. The Bugman Drones have a paralytic venom overwhelms the victim, but she or he is usually immune after a single dose. Once the victim is bound in webbing the Grub Queen spins they are converted to become new Bugmen Drones by multiple transforming injections from the Hive Queen, but some adventures are naturally immune to the effects, if not of the side effect of a powerful amnesia.These are eventually eaten by the Hive. Think an insect mutant Borg-like race from Star Trek. The Drones are relentless but slow and clumsy. If the Hive Queen is destroyed all of her Drones will collapse into a coma until one of their number mutates into a new Mutant Bugman Hive Queen in a few days. Instinct: Transform Outsiders

• Serves the Hive
• Collect recruits
• Destroy Dangers

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Mutant Bugman Hive Queen	Solitary, Large, Intelligent, Hoarder, Terrifying
Bite (w[2d4] damage)	14 HP	0 armor
Special Qualities: Telepathic Control of the Hive, Mutant mix of elf female, spider and termite queen

A terrible recent creation the Mutant Bugman Hive Queen resembles a Drider mixed with a Giant Termite Queen. A weak warrior the Hive Queen will likely try to web her victims and summon help. Once the victim is bound in webbing the Hive Queen spins they are converted become new Bugman Drones by multiple transforming injections from the Hive Queen, but some adventures are naturally immune to the effects, if not of the side effect of a powerful amnesia.These are eventually eaten by the Hive. Think an insect mutant species like the Borg from Star Trek. Her Drones are relentless but slow and clumsy. If the Hive Queen is destroyed all of her Drones will collapse into a coma until one of their number mutates into a new Mutant Bugman Hive Queen in a few days. Instinct: Transforms humanoids

• Rules the Hive mind by Telepathy
• Transforming Venom
• Casts Webs

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Gorn	Solitary, Planar
Pummel (d12+2 damage)	12 HP	2 armor
Close, Forceful

The Gorn are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid reptilian species in the American science fiction franchise Star Trek. They first appear in the original series episode, "Arena" and are hostile to humans; this may be due to in-universe territorial disputes as to which planets can be colonized by which species. Gorn were a cold-blooded, reptilian species with green, rubbery skin, red blood and an average height of approximately two meters. They tended to be many times stronger than most humanoids, albeit slower and less agile but with greater stamina and, like most cold-blooded species, preferred warmer temperatures. The Gorn's first contact with the prime reality Federation took place in 2267, when the Gorn attacked a Federation colony on Cestus III. The Gorn saw the strike as a preemptive move, since they regarded the Cestus system as part of their territory. The USS Enterprise pursued a Gorn starship from Cestus III into a previously unexplored region of the galaxy, near 2466 PM. There, both starships were immobilized by the Metrons, who transported James T. Kirk and the Gorn captain to a planet's surface, where the two captains were instructed to settle their differences in a "contest... of ingenuity against ingenuity, brute strength against brute strength." Although the Gorn captain was physically stronger than Kirk, Kirk was able to construct makeshift cannon out of materials on the planet's surface and defeat the Gorn. When Kirk showed mercy to his defeated opponent, the Metrons sent both captains back to their respective ships and transported the Enterprise out of the area. (Star Trek Episode: "Arena") Instinct: Dominate

• Attack invaders!
• Alien Lifeform