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Old 04-18-2022, 11:46 AM   #1
JohnPaulB
 
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Default Stonemason Handlers

For eons, building dungeons has been an expensive, time consuming and conspicuous project.

Archeologists and Chief Constables have been confounded when they came upon vast underground complexes in seemingly remote, primitive areas or beneath their very city, respectively. Few know that they were made by insects controlled by arcane humanoids.

Under The Creatures of Cidri in ITL, Stonemasons are thumb-sized stony-shelled insect-like creatures that live in hives (which they build themselves), like bees. They can actually “chew” stone to make their tunnels; magic is involved. They eat organic trash. They create small tiles of perfect squares, hexagons and triangles for their structures. [Paraphrased ITL p 96]

Stonemason Handling is an ancient, arcane vocation trained by the Stonemasonian Guild, a selective, little known but elite profession.

Handlers are taught and apprenticed in the knowledge of coaxing and guiding these insects to do their bidding. They have tools like silicates solutions (sprayed in the area to be carved), crushed pumice (which acts like catnip to them), and carbonic acid or similar acids that are aversions (poured on ground to keep them from going past that line) and the like.

Stonemason Handlers are entrepreneurs that removes rock by controlling stonemasons. They are a specialized form of Animal Handler which works on stonemasons, but is at a penalty for normal animals (their roll for normal animals is 4/IQ) [Paraphrase of The Scorpion Handler Hexagram 9 p 9].

Handlers bring their small stonemason hive in a large wagon to a job site, set up and guide the stonemason into tunneling the rock. If the Handler does not have Architect/Builder talent, then he cannot build very safe, very esthetic rooms.

It takes 2 days for a small stonemason hive to carve out a hex of stone (or 2 week for a megahex). Projects will take months to years for stonemasons to do. A larger hive can increase the tunneling rate. Working in conjunction with regular humanoid tunnelers (as long as they are not in the same spot), project times can be greatly reduced.

Tunnels made by stonemasons need to be finished by a regular mason because the walls, ceilings and floors will be rough. When doing a dungeon construction job, these Handlers will often work in conjunction with Tile Setters to finish a room.

The detritus of stonemason tunneling are geometric tiles (used to build their hives), these tiles are by-products which the Handler can sell as a sideline at great profit. Because of this, Stonemason Handlers can charge much lower rates for tunneling than would be thought possible.

Stonemason Handlers are seldom Dwarven. These insects are not comfortable around Dwarves. Scholars surmise that in ancient times dwarves would wipe out hives because they were considered pests that burrowed into their delves.
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Last edited by JohnPaulB; 04-19-2022 at 01:50 PM.
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Old 04-18-2022, 01:38 PM   #2
Terquem
 
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Default Re: Stonemason Handlers

Excellent lore. Things like this are what TFT can always use more of, in my opinion
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Old 04-18-2022, 01:43 PM   #3
Terquem
 
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Default Re: Stonemason Handlers

I would like to use this lore in the fiction I am plotting now, if you don't mind - I'll be sure to credit you if it ever gets posted anywhere.
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Old 04-18-2022, 04:32 PM   #4
JohnPaulB
 
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Default Re: Stonemason Handlers

Quote:
Originally Posted by Terquem View Post
I would like to use this lore in the fiction I am plotting now, if you don't mind - I'll be sure to credit you if it ever gets posted anywhere.
You may use this, but perhaps credit the TFT Forum.

I've had problems for the past 30 years on how huge dungeons could be tunneled without the funding or skill to do it. We've had discussions on this forum (and probably many others forums) about costs and time to do it. The idea of Open Tunnel spell came up, with a fatigue cost of 10ST per hex might be doable, but not something the size of a Death Test dungeon, never mind a Tolenkar's Lair.

When Stonemasons appeared in ITL Legacy, I thought that might work, but wasn't sure how to implement it.
When I saw Steve's Orc Lore article and his Scorpion Handlers in Hexagram 9, I knew I had the answer. I modified that to fit Stonemasons.

I'm not sure if I have the times right on a small hive carving 1 hex in 2 days, but its a base from which to ponder.

For me, Stonemason Handlers are more of a GM dungeon concept justifier than a PC talent.

--------------------

However, the idea of having rare, specialized Animal Handling talents might be used elsewhere.
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Old 04-18-2022, 06:15 PM   #5
phiwum
 
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Default Re: Stonemason Handlers

It is quite an imaginative solution. Good job.
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Old 04-19-2022, 06:11 AM   #6
David Bofinger
 
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Default Re: Stonemason Handlers

Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnPaulB View Post
Stonemason Handlers are entrepreneurs that removes rock by controlling stonemasons. They are a specialized form of Animal Handler which works on stonemasons, but is at a penalty for normal animals (their roll for normal animals is 4/IQ) [Paraphrase of The Scorpion Handler Hexagram 9 p 9].
Some other ways to do this, more in the style usually used for TFT talents, would be to say that Stonemason Wrangling is discounted if you have Animal Handler, Naturalist and/or Beekeeper.

I like the idea but what's the adventure going to be about?
  • "My hive has slipped the leash and when the baron finds out his castle is infested there'll be hell to pay. I intend to tell him it's your fault."
  • "My hive, my beautiful hive, the result of half a hundred years of breeding! Seduced away, it was, by a neighbour's superior building. Can't you, I don't know, stab her?"
  • "So the hive is burrowing into the stone, and ordinarily we wouldn't be too worried, only, see that's where we buried Blue-Fingered Zim when the boss caught him stealing from us. I mean, if they eat him all then fine, but if they leave a few pieces and someone sees..."
  • "During the great war my grandmother hid the treasure of Jal-Tevit under that rock. And it's cursed. Oh, my is it cursed."
  • "You've got to find out what's gone wrong with this hive. I guess hexagonal tiles are fine. Squares I can live with, even triangles. But what's this perverse shape supposed to be? I can't sell tiles shaped like megahexes."

Last edited by David Bofinger; 04-19-2022 at 06:14 AM. Reason: typo
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