Wonder & Wickedness is almost perfect. You'll need it to make sense of this as a resource, so go and buy it if you don't have it yet.
I've used bits of it in almost everything I've run since I read it, but it does have a couple of gaps in some details. One of them is how every Maleficence also does something special; each has a secondary effect added from a one-word descriptor. It has some suggestions, and you could come up with something new every time if you want, but I started using these tables a while back to save time and precious imagination during character creation, and I've used them for a while now. It makes it so you don't end up defaulting to "fire" and "ice" or whatever.
There's usually a round table discussion before any casting with Wonder & Wickedness, since the spells tend to be so potent and interesting. With these Maleficences there tends to be a nice chat about if it's really the best time to unleash the most horrible cloud of spiders (or whatever) every time.
They're great even if you aren't playing as a Magic-User. I was a Fighter in a friends' game recently, and the description of how the shadows became "unstuck" and began slicing someone to ribbons at the Magic-Users request was really memorable for all of us (the survivors came after us with farm implements, but that's another story.)
Anyway, the tables: Descriptions and sketched out effects for Magical Attacks and Defenses using the "Wonder and Wickedness" system, avoiding the common "magic missile" and "magic shield" aesthetics. They're in that sparser W&W style, but you can add more detail if your game needs it.
In general I have things last an amount of time (Round or Turn) equal to the level of the Magic-User who cast it (that's what "several rounds" means). I use the generic term "Save" because I use a 2 save system, but you might use a 5 save system, and so on. Damage done by a Maleficence or its after-effects are always an open-ended (or exploding) die.
Oh also, if a character uses some kind of thingy (wand or dagger or something) to cast their Maleficence I promise I won't take it away just to screw them over, since it's just fluff (unless it was a situation where they'd be unable to cast anyway, you get the idea).
Your Maleficence
Roll 1d12
1. is summoned up and guided by you with dramatic, sweeping gestures
2. emerges from your pointed finger
3. spews out from the tip of your staff or wand
4. emanates from a medallion or amulet
5. appears as you assume a strange pose
6. is thrown out from your opened palms
7. sprays out from your open mouth
8. bursts forth from your heart or solar plexus
9. is a geyser from your forehead
10. beams out from your eyes
11. appears from an empty space above your head
12. is projected out from a ceremonial object you carry (dagger, skull, crystal, idol, tablet, goblet).
in the form of
Roll 1d20
1. SWARMING
flying horde of assailants that besiege the target (a sudden flock of carnivorous birds or bats, a plague of tremendous locusts or other winged insects, an army of fae folk with tiny sharp things). The target is disoriented by this hostile cloud and flails around blindly for several rounds, only moving a few yards in a random direction until a Save is made.
2. BEAM
A thin shaft of pure colored light, a laser-like line so bright it looks solid (1d8: red. orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo, violet, white). The target and nearby witnesses must Save or be blinded for several rounds. Whatever is killed by this crumbles to ashes.
3. INFERNO
A long rolling tongue of unearthly fire (1d6: pink, blue, green, violet, black, white). This flame ignites something not normally so flammable after the initial scorch, which then burns, while nothing else does. (1d4. 1. things of metal, 2. skin and flesh, 3. the air like a continual fireball around the target, 4. the ground itself, in a circle around the target). These things burn for several turns.
4. SHADOW
The shadows become a sharpened whirling vortex. +1d6 Damage if the target is in chiaroscuro deep shadows, +2d6 if they are in complete darkness.
5. ABSENCE
A swirling, undulating amoebic mass of pulsating dark and emptiness that causes the target to blur and fade as it envelops them. The target dissolves into the air if they are killed. The useful mind of the target is temporarily erased if they survive, leaving them in a stupor unless they Save.
6. SCIROCCO
A screaming wind carrying particles like ground glass and sandpaper grit. The target is flung back 5' per level of the Magic-User unless a Save is made, with loose possessions thrown much farther.
7. ENERVATION
A dim crepuscular ray of light that withers what it lands on, wrinkling skin and crackling living surfaces with aridity. The target will act last on following rounds, and suffer penalties equal to the level of the Magic-User. Those killed by this desiccate into little dolls.
8. IMPALING
Long dark iron needles, or sudden spears of moonlight silver, or glowing translucent arrows fly forth and impale the target. They are pinned in place, or to the wall, unless a Save is made.Forms and shapes that shoot forth and collide, shatter, and explode.
9. PANIC
A (1d4: mirror-like, transparent, dull metallic, glittering stony) (1d4: disc, triangle, cone, cube) with a sound like (1d4: glass shattering, vibrating bells, an angry choir, hideous thunder). The target and those nearby must Save or react as if they failed Morale for several rounds.
10. GELID
A column of air freezes, void of oxygen, the temperature dipping to below that of the void around the stars for an instant. Unless a save is made, for several rounds after the target may shatter into pieces when struck unless another save is made.
11. BILE
A jet and spray of vile sizzling fluids of a syrupy consistency (1d4: yellow, brown, grey, red). These saturate the target and “soften” them unless a Save is made: whatever strikes them afterwards does twice as much damage for several rounds. If killed the target melts into an oily pool of colors and material.
12. IMP
A sudden assault by a hellish creature (1d4: A snake-thing with arms and wings, a leaping fish with limbs, a small nude pig man, a howling bipedal cat). While mangling the target it takes something from them to return to the Magic-User, before departing whence they came. This can be a mere stolen object, or a severed limb if the target is thoroughly mangled.
13. MIDAS
A cloud of sparkling and twinkling glitter, motes of magic dust. The target is shredded by tiny flakes, and what falls off from them is transformed into precious metal shavings. They crumble into gold and silver leaf as they die. The amount of damage inflicted multiplied by the level of the Magic-User in SP litters the ground around the Target, if they are killed by this.
14. VENOM
A sudden carpet of stinging insects: beetles, spiders, centipedes, and worms that en-robe the target, devouring them as they are filled with venom. For several rounds afterwards the target must Save or suffer 1d6 additional damage.
15. DISTORTION
A contained field of optical distortion warps, wraps, and folds around the target. They are are contorted physically by this, malformed and bent into cubist contortions. Targets must Save or remain in this form for several rounds, severely impaired in movement and action until they unfold.
16. FORCE
A shiny ribbon of vibration and movement thrashes the target, reducing them to a quivering blur thrashing through the air before depositing them on the ground in a place of the Magic-Users choosing, 10' away per Level, unless a Save is made.
17. ERUPTION
Stony ejecta, hot mud, and heaps of dirt and loam are hurled onto the target, knocking them prone, helpless and half-buried unless they Save. If killed they are swallowed whole by the earth into an impromptu burial mound.
18. RESTRAINT
A tiny silver thread, a braid of unknown hair, a length of intestinal rope, or a sort of strange wormy tendril wrap about the target to constrict, crush, and hinder movement. The Target must Wrestle to escape, the Magic-User adding their Level to the contested roll.
19. SPASM
A cobweb-seeming branch of fine spidery lightning (1d4: red, yellow, black, grey) that jaggedly arcs onto the target. This leaves the target numbed and stupefied unless they Save, causing them to drop all held items and be left unable to act for several rounds.
20.
An oily point in the air, an ugly smear that leaves a stain in the visual field like a grease trail. The target is metaphysically loosened, sloughing apart and beginning to dis-incorporate. Those killed by this crumble into a pinguid puddle of slime. This inflicts 1d6 damage to those who step in it, and causes the same effect to any killed by it. This noxious substance exists for 1 turn per level of the Magic-User.
And I've been meaning to implement a second table for the melee range Maleficence, since it behaves differently than the other one in general it might as well have a whole different effect, no? I'll be using this in my next game.
In melee, your Maleficence is
roll 1d20
1. BASILISK
An eerie and unnatural light that pours out of you. Targets must Save or be unable to act the next round, covered in a plaster-like shell. Those killed are turned to limestone.
2. MIASMA
A sudden cloud of reeking gas rises up, a visibly poisonous fog (1d4: periwinkle, tangerine, chartreuse, lilac, beige, rhodamine). This lingers around you for several rounds, inflicting 1d6 damage unless a Save is made.
3. CROWN
An instantaneous appearance of long thin spikes, in a halo all around you like great stag-horns, thorns, or urchins from inside your head. The dense tangle of points provides additional Armor for several rounds, and is never in the way of your actions.
4. KNEEL
Many dark tendrils, grasping claws, statuary limbs, or cruel hooks and chains reach up from the earth. Targets are pulled down prone unless a Save is made.
5. COMBUSTON
a shower of luminous sparks, in a gradient of colors, saturates the targets and make them sparkle. Targets may erupt into flame for several rounds afterwards without warning, unless a Save is made.
6. PINS
your fingernails suddenly lengthen while become sharp, curving to slice through your foes before separating from your hand as new nails reappear. Foes struck must Save or be unable to attack until they remove the embedded nail-blade.
7. FRUIT
a sudden eruption of growth of the ambient flora (even moss or mold) that overwhelm the targets and blanket them entirely as they are pierced with roots and capillary. All killed by this are desiccated into powder, each target producing a number of delicious and unprecedented fruits equal to the level of the Magic-User that each provide a days ration.
8. MELT
waxy clear anemone clusters reach out from you and caress your targets. They must Save or begin to melt, with unarmored foes suffering 1d6 additional damage, and Armored foes becoming less so.
9. REANIMATE
A bitter blast that blows down into the earth, with this you rip out the souls of your targets out and fling them into the underworld as their heats cease beating. 1 target killed per level of the Magic-User remains "alive" as an empty shell. Unable to heal or speak, and lacking any will or conscious thoughts, they will obey simple commands until they are destroyed.
10. GLAMOR
A sudden enchantment in the air about you, a fine mist, a strange scented charm that smells of (1d4: flowers and blood, skin, sweat and fire, hot meat and burnt sugar, decaying vegetables and citrus peels). It causes your targets to assault both themselves, and each other, with supernaturally accented force. Unless a Save is made they will run from you to attack another ally for the next several rounds.
11. CHOKE
The air is sucked from all nearby throats and then pulled out and away with great enthusiasm from their heads. Targets must Save or fall unconscious for several rounds, suffering ear, eye, and nosebleeds.
12. MUCILAGE
A sudden condensation of mucus and muck from the air, which poisons the flesh with septic juices. It is gluey and thick, and foes must Save or move with additional Encumbrance for several rounds.
13. GHOST
The raging ghosts of the unjustly killed rise up, and with great flourish attacks your foes with scavenged weaponry. If attacking what would be considered a "Fighter" this inflicts +1d6 additional damage.
14. CONSTELLATION
An orbit of stones forms around you and batters your targets. Their weapons and shields are dropped, if they carried any, bashed out of their hands by tiny meteors
15. LANGUID
You exhale a humid breath that the slows the flow of time, and stifles the will of the living. Your targets act last next round.
16. FRACAS
You call up the the one thousand invisible hands, who slap, punch, and batter the targets. All remaining targets must Wrestle free for the next several rounds.
17. HEAVY
In a ring around you a weight presses down like great unseen boulders. This concentrated gravity crushes those killed into smears, and those who survive must Save for several rounds if they wish to leave their position.
18. LICHTENBERG
Each target is covered in a coral like netting of white blue lightning on the surface of the skin for an instant. Targets wearing metal armor suffer and additional 1d6 damage from it becoming super-heated. Hair is raised up by aerial static in the general area.
19. MAW
The earth below the feet of targets opens as a rock filled muddy mouth. Targets killed are swallowed up whole into vertical graves, survivors must Save or cannot move away for several rounds.
20. GUARDIANS
A gathering of defensive (1d4: razor sharp crystalline butterflies, flame filled iridescent bubbles, dart-tipped feathers, little winged weapons and shields with eyes) . For the next several rounds any that try to strike you and miss must Save or suffer 1d6 damage.
Magical Defense is another part of W&W that didn't get any fluff at all from the primary text. I haven't use this yet, but I figured Magical Defense ought to use the same thing that Maleficence does: instead of just being a simple "dispel" this would gives it some other beneficial effect.
When you use your Magical Defense
roll 1d20
1. NOURISH
The nullified spell falls to the earth as a glowing honey-smelling liquid. For each level of experience you may cause this ambrosia to instead fill 1 vessel in your possession with enough to double the rate of healing in those who consume it for one day.
2. MIRROR
The sudden appearance of a miraculous mirrored disc reflects the magic into the void. However, there is a 1 in 6 chance that you can choose to reflect this magic at a new target instead.
3. ARMOR
The aura around the target becomes thickened and rubbery, visible as a cotton-wispy shell, after absorbing the spell. They gain Armor equal to your level of experience for 1 turn.
4. ITEMS
You sublimate the hostile magic into the form of banal objects, which might be potentially useful. The objects are made of one material, are one color, and are not especially valuable. One is created per level of experience. (Use the object table in A Red And Pleasant Land or one of the various "I search the body" tables)
5. HEATER
You may redirect the targeted magic into a nearby object, causing it to radiate unearthly force. Objects become hot to the touch, and will inflict additional damage if used violently. If the force is not dissipated from them quickly by striking something they become too hot to hold, and must be dropped.
6. GLOW
The magic is transformed into several gently glowing phosphenes, 1 per level of experience. Phosphenes are identical to candle light, and levitate gently in the air around the Magic-User. They can be directed by the Magic-User to stay near a friendly target as well, until they burn out.
7. FAMILIAR
The magic is redirected into the creation of life, and a small harmless animal crawls out of the ground at the feet of the Magic-User. It will obey all their commands until it dis-incorporates in several turns. (Red and Pleasant Land has a nice animal table, if you need one.)
8. SNUFF
The magic is ceased with an icy blast of unnatural wind, an unbreathable gas which can be used to snuff lights and smother fires and the Magic-Users discretion.
9. OBSCURANTISM
The magic is diffused and scattered along with much visible light around the target, allowing them near invisibility for several rounds.
10. SCRAP
The magic is cast down into the dust, leaving behind a formation of mystical fulgurites that are useful to alchemy and other forms of magical research. These are worth Magic-User level x 100 x 1d6, for research purposes only. Sale value varies wildly, depending on the buyer.
11. MAZE
The magic is sent into an infinite maze in the air, sucked in by a deep gravity of logic and order that is hostile to all magic nearby as well. There is a 1 in 6 chance that another Magical effect nearby can be dispelled.
12. CRYSTALLIZE
Loose minerals in the air and dust are gathered to form elaborate multifaceted traps. These are often mere glass, but on a 1 in 6 occasion a gemstone is formed worth the Magic Users level x 1d6 x 10SP.
13. ECTOPLASM
A slick and slippery slime splatters around the target, this phlogiston muck is both highly flammable and incredibly slippery.
14. DELAY
The flow of time is sped to disperse the magic throughout history, this effect may be used to damage inanimate objects nearby through sudden decades of neglect and wear.
15. GLITTER
A shower of gold leaf shreds scatter around. One turn spent gathering this yields 1d4-1 SP.
16. MORSEL
The magic is made into a tiny object of gustation, an abstract candy or snack. This invigorates the target as it flies into their mouth to their stomach, giving them first Initiative next round.
17. DIN
A roaring, screaming, crashing, awful noise around the target. They do not hear it, but those nearby must check their Morale.
18. FLASH
A sudden burst of colored light (red, blue, violet, yellow) erupts. This stuns those nearby for one round unless they Save.
19. FLAME
You "catch" the magic in your hand, and it sits there as a gentle flame. You may throw this as if it were a knife, and possibly ignite a target as if they were covered in Lamp Oil.
20. RUMINANCE
You "catch" the spell in your mind, and through visualization of a magical counterpoint cause it to cease to be. There is a 1 in 6 chance that you manage to instead "cage" the spell. This means that for a number of days equal to your level, you now have one "casting" of this magical effect that you may expend (in the Vancian style, you can't transcribe it or "burn" the casting on something else).
Showing posts with label house rules. Show all posts
Showing posts with label house rules. Show all posts
Sunday, August 13, 2017
Friday, September 2, 2016
A Poison Save
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| Venomous Words? |
5-8: 1d6
9-12: 1d8
13-16: 1d10
17-18: 1d12 Here's a way to make constitution more relevant to Poison saves, based on that.
To Save Against Poison Roll one of your Hit Dice. Any result under 4 is a Failed Save, and the Adventurer suffers the full effects of the Poison. Typically, this is death. A result between 4 and 7 is a Partial Save, and the character suffers roughly 50% of the poisons usual effect.
For lethal poisons this would mean the Adventurer would lose Hit Points equal to half of their maximum amount. In other words, they still might die.
8 and up is a Full save, the poison has a minor effect if it has any effect at all. Perhaps only a burning sensation.
This way, the average Adventurer should still be afraid of poison, although they might only be horribly injured by it. Those less than average should be even more cautious, and those that are remarkably weak-bodied will rarely, if ever, survive. The above average will be unharmed a little over a quarter of the time, while some rare specimens are all but fearless around any venom. There also isn't a class that's more inherently resistant to toxins for some reason or another, something that I've always found a little weird. It's about the body now, instead. If this seems too lethal allow Adventurers to roll one Hit Die per level, instead of only one.
The Grandeur Of The Fighter
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| From Here |
My last campaign actually had almost nobody choosing to be a Fighter, I think because they seemed to lack the sparkle of the other two classes.
After reading some material from the Association for Renaissance Martial Arts I've given Fighters some historically inspired polish, and taken some things away from the Non-Fighters.
The Fighter now gets more keys to the kingdom of combat, since being a Specialist or Magic-User had its own niches already. (although they aren't totally locked out, detailed below)
The Fighter now gets more keys to the kingdom of combat, since being a Specialist or Magic-User had its own niches already. (although they aren't totally locked out, detailed below)
FIGHTERS
in addition to their other benefits and bonuses
May use Medium and Great Weapons
Full size Swords, as well as Polearms, Mancatchers, & Lances. Non-Fighters use these at -4 to Attack, and must Roll their Damage twice and use the lower result.
May Attack Aggressively (Press)
At the penalty of -4 Armor, they may add their level +1 to Melee Attacks.
May Attack Cautiously (Defend)
For a penalty of -4 to Attack, they may add their Level +1 to Armor
May Receive a Charge
Using a Polearm, Spear, or Lance they strike first on enemies entering melee with them, adding their Level to their Attack and rolling damage twice, and keeping the better result.
May use Short Bows and Longbows
A Short Bow may be used by a Fighter in Melee as a Ranged Weapon. When using a Short Bow a Fighter may also expend one additional arrow per Level to roll an additional Attack die, keeping the highest result. Non-Fighters use Short Bows at -4 to Attack, and must Roll their Attack twice and keep the lower result. Long Bows cannot be used by Non-Fighters at all.
May use a Defensive Weapon
A Fighter may use a dagger or Minor Weapon in their off hand to receive the same bonus to their Melee Armor that a shield would provide. A Fighter may also use a Cloak or similar object in their off hand for the same effect.
May Grapple
Grappling is similar to Wrestling. However, It may be perfomed by a Fighter only when they are armed, and their opponent does not receive a free attack when it is initiated. Instead of Attacking the Fighter makes a contested roll of 1d20 + Level versus the opponents 1d20 (plus their Level, if they also are a Fighter).
If successful, the Fighter then automatically strikes the opponent with their weapon, rolling damage twice and keeping the higher result. If the opponent is a Fighter, however, they are allowed to make a Saving Throw. If this is sucessful the Fighter does not strike automatically, but simply rolls their Attack as usual instead. If the initial contested roll is not sucessful the opponent immediately rolls to Attack the Fighter.
This can only be used on fellow humans, or other roughly human-shaped opponents.
This can only be used on fellow humans, or other roughly human-shaped opponents.
May wear Plate Armor
Should a Non-Fighter wear Plate it is twice as encumbering, and they suffer a -4 to all Attack rolls while wearing it.
SPECIALISTS
May spend Skill Points to acquire some of the capabilities of a Fighter, instead of acquiring another Skill.
For one point they may use Medium Weapons, and may spend a second Point to use Great Weapons as well.
For one point they may use a Shortbow, and may spend a second point to use the Longbow.
For one point they may use a Shortbow, and may spend a second point to use the Longbow.
For one point they may use Mancatchers, Polearms, & Lances.
For one point they may use a Defensive Weapon.
So Fighters don't have all the Combat Skills, and Specialists can still use thief and ranger sorts of weapons. They're just pricier to access. Fighters also still have all the "moves".
The main thing this all does is make it so that continuous ranged attacks and melee weapons that cause more than 1d6 damage are now a part of the Fighters niche, instead of being something everyone can do. They also get more fancy murder-moves for additonal flavor and flair.
Non-Fighters still have crossbows and axes and clubs, and can still attack from the back with spears, not to mention guns, so this doesn't take too much away from them. It also gives the Fighter more obvious value, and makes the choice between classes even more distinct and difficult. I didn't take rapiers away because they're much less effective against armored foes, and it creates an opportunity for the party to regret not having a Fighter around once the enemy armor shows up.
Also, as a side-effect of all this, Adventurers can now figure out what sort of opponents they're facing by examining what sort of weapons they're carrying. If you see a lot of long swords it now really means something, and you'll never have to say "they look like a Fighter" ever again.
The additional flourishes are very light, rule wise; I could certainly get way more complex with the Archery and Grappling at least, and even sword-to-sword combat in general. I changed Press and Defense to something that would scale with level simply because that felt right. In terms of how I design things prefer to use Level bonuses rather than Ability Score bonuses. I also don't like adding multiple attacks per round, mainly because it causes an arms race and damage inflation and so on. I also like "roll twice keep the better one" mechanic more than using double damage. You should be able to easily swap things out if you like it another way. If you have any ideas I'd like to hear them too.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Of Shrines & Sacrifices
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| The Perfect Illustration, found Here. |
A Magic-User may create a Shrine devoted to the evocation of unearthly beings, and use it as an aid for their spell-casting. Shrines are objects created from pure intention and willed specificity, and are empowered only through the singularity of their purpose and consistency in their use.
A Shrine is like a Thaumaturgical Circle or Sacrifice, it provides bonuses for a Magic-User when casting the spell Summon. What is different about them is that they continue to exist after use, and can be used more than once, but must also be “charged”.
A Shrine is like a Thaumaturgical Circle or Sacrifice, it provides bonuses for a Magic-User when casting the spell Summon. What is different about them is that they continue to exist after use, and can be used more than once, but must also be “charged”.
A Shrine can be “charged” with up to one Hit Die of bonuses provided by a Sacrifice for each Level the Shrine has. This Hit Die bonus may later be expended by the Magic-User while casting Summon as if the Sacrifice were being performed at that moment, so long as they are within a reasonable distance of it, close enough for it to “hear” their incantations. (Remember that a 1 hit die sacrifice is a bonus of +1 for Animals, and +2 for those of the same species as the Magic-User)
The forms a Shrine might take take are both numerous and limited: It could be a vessel or a statue, or a bas-relief, or a pedestal. It could even be a painting, or a decorative fountain, or even an ornamental mirror. Some even resemble holy reliquaries, or are simulacra of ancient artifacts, but these betray their falsity on any close inspection.
What is crucial and immutable is that a Shrine must be a fundamentally useless object, one that has only aesthetic qualities as opposed to functional ones. If a Shrine ever serves any purpose besides being an aid for evocation it ceases to function as a Shrine forever.
The Magic-User must describe the basic form of the Shrine. A few sentences are fine, but they really ought to have fun with it, and it should not be a typical example of whatever kind of thing it is.
The Magic-User must describe the basic form of the Shrine. A few sentences are fine, but they really ought to have fun with it, and it should not be a typical example of whatever kind of thing it is.
If a Shrine is ever deliberately used for any purpose by the Magic-User, or the Magic-User witnesses, allows, or benefits from its use for any other purpose it will no longer function as a Shrine. This cannot be undone; they’ll have to get a new one. It is at the Referee's discretion if or when this occurs, but basically being used as anything beyond “decorative fountain or bowl” or “weird mirror” is too much.
A Shrine cannot be functional furniture, even a stepping-stool. However, a thing like a stepping stool that is covered in small upward pointing knives would be perfectly fine, as that would make it impossible for use as a stepping-stool, and thus clearly dedicated to something else. Much like this is.
If a Shrine imitates a religious icon or an archaeological item of some kind it does not hold up to scrutiny, at best it only seems like a familiar sort of cross/urn/icon during a hurried first glance.
Shrines vary in their degree of potency as magical tools, and also in their wondrousness and intricacy as physical objects, but these two things are invariably correlated: A potent Shrine always costs a fortune to create, and even the most simple of Shrines are still precious, costly objects.
The power of a Shrine is measured in Levels. A Shrine must have at least one Level, and may also have as many Levels as the Referee permits, and the Adventurers supplies of money and artisans can allow.
To create a Shrine at least one artisan must be found to perform the skilled labor made necessary by the will of the Magic-User. Ideally this artisan would be of great talent and great ignorance, one who will not become aware of the meaning of their work, or prone to superstition. Even better still is if they are a known and trusted associate of the Magic-User, or someone who is given patronage by them.
The Magic-User must hire an artisan to create their Shrine, as the devoted study required to become a Magic-User precludes the learning and mastery of any lesser arts and crafts. As there are no Player skills relevant to this task (no, not even Tinker) this work may not be done by another Adventurer.
Shrines vary in their degree of potency as magical tools, and also in their wondrousness and intricacy as physical objects, but these two things are invariably correlated: A potent Shrine always costs a fortune to create, and even the most simple of Shrines are still precious, costly objects.
The power of a Shrine is measured in Levels. A Shrine must have at least one Level, and may also have as many Levels as the Referee permits, and the Adventurers supplies of money and artisans can allow.
To create a Shrine at least one artisan must be found to perform the skilled labor made necessary by the will of the Magic-User. Ideally this artisan would be of great talent and great ignorance, one who will not become aware of the meaning of their work, or prone to superstition. Even better still is if they are a known and trusted associate of the Magic-User, or someone who is given patronage by them.
The Magic-User must hire an artisan to create their Shrine, as the devoted study required to become a Magic-User precludes the learning and mastery of any lesser arts and crafts. As there are no Player skills relevant to this task (no, not even Tinker) this work may not be done by another Adventurer.
Less than ideal craftspeople might require bribes or threats to prevent gossiping once the work is finished, if they are even willing to do the work in the first place. The worst sort will politely decline, or even worse still accept the commission, only to report the Magic-User to religious or secular authorities immediately afterwards.
This process should be handled exactly like hiring a retainer, in particular a Craftsman. Materials might be included in the cost of labor, at the Referee's’ discretion.
This process should be handled exactly like hiring a retainer, in particular a Craftsman. Materials might be included in the cost of labor, at the Referee's’ discretion.
It will take the Craftsperson 1d4+3 days to complete their work on the Shrine. Roll twice for their estimate, but use the higher roll. This is what is used to determine the base cost, which must also often be paid up front, and in full.
Roll twice to see how long it actually takes them to make it, again using the higher roll. In addition, if a 4 is rolled roll that die again, and add that second number to the first total. Continue as long as fours are rolled, describing the sources of delay and setback.
A Morale roll is made for the Craftsman at the beginning of the labor, upon the occasion of any delays, and again once it is completed. If any of these are failed there is some sort of complication, such as a crisis of suspicion on the Craftsman's part, or a possibly disastrous spread of rumors about the Magic-User. If the Craftsman initially does accept the work there’s not much chance for repercussions, unless the Magic-User was interacting with a most suspicious and hostile kind of person in a very cautious and frightened kind of land.
If averse to using a morale system the Referee should at least roll in secret to determine if the commissioned artisan does something the Magic-User would very much not prefer, a 1-in-6 chance on 1d6 is recommended.
A Level 1 Shrine requires only one Craftsman to create it, but each Level beyond that must be added by another, different Craftsman.
A Level 1 Shrine requires only one Craftsman to create it, but each Level beyond that must be added by another, different Craftsman.
There are many varieties of Craftsmen, and creativity is encouraged in their selection. One might commission a Glassblower, Bonecarver, Alabasterer, Stone Carver, Painter or Miniaturist, Blacksmith (or Goldsmith, or Silversmith), Woodcarver, Cabinet-Maker, Arkwright, Brazier, Bellfounder, Gemcutter, Potter, Glazier, Ivorist, Joiner or Carpenter, Tapicer, or Wiredrawer when making a Shrine. These are not all that might be found, but not all of these are available for hire everywhere, or even in most places besides the largest of cities.
Each Craftsman adds their unique talents to a Shrine: the Arkwright creates a fine oak chest that is also a perfect cube and not hollowed on the inside, then the Miniaturist covers it in tiny painted devils and two-legged fish using only the color blue, while the Brazier casts four brass clawed feet for it to stand on.
A Shrine may be improved upon once it is created, as long as it has been used for no other purpose. A Magic-User may hire a new Craftsman whenever funds are available to add additional Levels to it.
Each Craftsman adds their unique talents to a Shrine: the Arkwright creates a fine oak chest that is also a perfect cube and not hollowed on the inside, then the Miniaturist covers it in tiny painted devils and two-legged fish using only the color blue, while the Brazier casts four brass clawed feet for it to stand on.
A Shrine may be improved upon once it is created, as long as it has been used for no other purpose. A Magic-User may hire a new Craftsman whenever funds are available to add additional Levels to it.
While all Shrines might resemble works of art, not all works of art can be considered as a Shrine. Nor can a Magic-User simply use a found art object as a Shrine, nor can they repurpose icons and relics of the religious faiths as Shrines for their own purposes, except for use as raw materials.
The existence of Shrines as described here does not imply that all art objects in the fictional world of play are used as Shrines, nor does it imply that anything a Summoned creature appears from must necessarily be some kind of art object.
Things that weren’t made as Shrines through the will of a Magic-User can never be Shrines and never were one before (unless they were fully destroyed and then reformed into one). Assemblage sculpture does not count, it must be on the magnitude of, as an example, melting down a golden altarpiece stolen from a church and then having it recast in a new mold.
“Ruined” Shrines, one that no longer function due to being used as something else can be discovered, and a Magic-User could even steal an unruined Shrine and make it their own, although they would have to provide new sacrifices for it.
While those who are trained in the use of Magic will be able to see a Shrine for what it truly is with very little effort even those wholly ignorant of the Art will likely see them as possibly malign objects of a most curious nature.
Shrines always detect as magic, if you are using a spell system with Detect & Read Magic. If you are using Clerics, or a Good/Evil Law/Chaos alignment system a Shrine will always detect as Chaotic and Evil as well. Any Magic-User should be able to discern that a Shrine is in fact a Shrine after a brief period of examination, and usually are quite obvious to them.
Shrines always detect as magic, if you are using a spell system with Detect & Read Magic. If you are using Clerics, or a Good/Evil Law/Chaos alignment system a Shrine will always detect as Chaotic and Evil as well. Any Magic-User should be able to discern that a Shrine is in fact a Shrine after a brief period of examination, and usually are quite obvious to them.
For almost everyone in the world art collection is an alien and unknowable hobby, and this is especially the case in any Early Modern setting. “Don’t worry about that, it’s just some art/a carved stone pillar with a laughing skull on it/an oil painting of a goat surrounded by flames and flowers in a hand carved frame/a polished black stone urn with phrases in medieval latin phrases drawn on it in gold leaf” is not a persuasive explanation when being questioned by a possibly hostile person.
Shrines are obviously a strange thing to have around, so owning one is at best seen as extremely eccentric. It's easier if you're rich, because then you could at least surround your Shrine with more mundane strange things and disguise it through context. Although it’s obviously bad to be caught hiding a Shrine it’s still something an Adventurer should probably keep hidden.
Shrines are obviously a strange thing to have around, so owning one is at best seen as extremely eccentric. It's easier if you're rich, because then you could at least surround your Shrine with more mundane strange things and disguise it through context. Although it’s obviously bad to be caught hiding a Shrine it’s still something an Adventurer should probably keep hidden.
While a Shrine is not a necessarily fixed and immobile object it is not a simple task to move one from place to place.
Each Level of a Shrine adds one level of Encumbrance to those carrying it. (Count it as 5 individual items if its loaded onto a pack animal)
Any Shrine above two Levels is remarkably difficult, if not impossible, for any single Adventurer to move without assistance. Try moving a 4’x6’ painting of the hell-dimensions, or even a small hermetic glass coffin through a dungeon by yourself.
A Shrine must fully receive any sacrifice to be infused with its occult energies, and makes it's true nature clear when put to use for its intended purpose.
In addition to all the normal restrictions on what can be counted as a Sacrifice, for a Shrine to store the sacrifice must performed on, at, or into the Shrine in some indisputable and deliberate way. Any damage this would otherwise cause to the Shrine is restored during the process, with stains fading away and all foul liquids are mysteriously absorbed. Likewise there is always some sort of unnatural display once the Summoning is performed and the stored bonuses expended, like all those stains and foul liquids seeping back out.
A Shrine must fully receive any sacrifice to be infused with its occult energies, and makes it's true nature clear when put to use for its intended purpose.
In addition to all the normal restrictions on what can be counted as a Sacrifice, for a Shrine to store the sacrifice must performed on, at, or into the Shrine in some indisputable and deliberate way. Any damage this would otherwise cause to the Shrine is restored during the process, with stains fading away and all foul liquids are mysteriously absorbed. Likewise there is always some sort of unnatural display once the Summoning is performed and the stored bonuses expended, like all those stains and foul liquids seeping back out.
On Ritual Garb
A Magic-User may also create clothing that is more conducive to the calling of outside forces to our world, which is to be worn when performing a Summoning. These things are created using methods similar to those used for creating a Shrine.
This is what Ritual Garb looks like.
It’s like a Shrine that you wear, and the Magic-User must provide a description or visual aid of some kind. It is clothing that must exist only for use in Summoning. It must not resemble sane or normal fashion in any way, and also must have no value as armor or as protection from the elements. Ritual Garb has even less plausible deniability during manufacture than Shrines, not to mention while being worn. It must be worn while performing a sacrifice to "charge" it. In addition, a "charge" will go to Ritual Garb before it goes to an uncharged Shrine, if both are present.
Each Level of the Ritual Garb still adds one level of Encumbrance to the wearer due to it's awkwardness, bulkiness, limited ranges of movement, and so on (even if the Ritual Garb involves significant partial nudity). If a Magic-User casts any other spells while wearing Ritual Garb it is ruined.
When seeking out a craftsperson there are curriers, embroiderers, button makers, canvassers, shoemakers, dyers, feltmakers, hatters, tailors, lacemakers, milliners, weavers, drapers, and wig-makers in addition the those mentioned previously. Remember, each Level requires an additional Craftspersons contribution, you can’t just get the same jacket fitted again and again. You get the idea.
This is what Ritual Garb looks like.
It’s like a Shrine that you wear, and the Magic-User must provide a description or visual aid of some kind. It is clothing that must exist only for use in Summoning. It must not resemble sane or normal fashion in any way, and also must have no value as armor or as protection from the elements. Ritual Garb has even less plausible deniability during manufacture than Shrines, not to mention while being worn. It must be worn while performing a sacrifice to "charge" it. In addition, a "charge" will go to Ritual Garb before it goes to an uncharged Shrine, if both are present.
Each Level of the Ritual Garb still adds one level of Encumbrance to the wearer due to it's awkwardness, bulkiness, limited ranges of movement, and so on (even if the Ritual Garb involves significant partial nudity). If a Magic-User casts any other spells while wearing Ritual Garb it is ruined.
When seeking out a craftsperson there are curriers, embroiderers, button makers, canvassers, shoemakers, dyers, feltmakers, hatters, tailors, lacemakers, milliners, weavers, drapers, and wig-makers in addition the those mentioned previously. Remember, each Level requires an additional Craftspersons contribution, you can’t just get the same jacket fitted again and again. You get the idea.
An Adventurer could certainly make use of a great Shrine while wearing elaborate Ritual Garb inside of a Thaumaturgical Circle while performing further Sacrifices for vast and hilarious bonuses, but if the Adventurers really had that kind of budget to spend on casting Summon, and actually pulled off all the logistics to set up that situation up they've truly earned it.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Partial Failures
Failed saves can be divided into partial failures and full suffering, encouraging players to take more risks by making their saving throws be something besides a 25/75 between safety and doom.
“If the adventurers attempt to use the decrepit rope bridge during the windstorm they must Save vs. Paralysis.
“If the adventurers attempt to use the decrepit rope bridge during the windstorm they must Save vs. Paralysis.
If they succeed they are able to cross the bridge safely and without incident.
If they fail their saving throw with a 1-5 they have fallen from the bridge. They plummet to their death on the rocks below, and their body is eaten by jackals.
If their save is failed by rolling a 5 or higher the adventurer has nearly, but has not yet, fallen. They lose 1d8 items from their person, determined at random. These items have fallen into the canyon of jackals 270’ below, and will be incredibly difficult to retrieve.”
“If the adventurers are bitten by a two-headed baby cobra they must Save vs. Poison.
If they succeed the area of the wound is numb and inflamed, and they take 1d3 damage, but they otherwise suffer no ill effects.
If they fail their saving throw with a 1-4 they fall to the ground as their lungs and heart are paralyzed by the toxins. They are dead.
If they fail their saving throw with a 6 or above they lose function of the limb which was bitten (determined at random) for 1d12 hours, and suffer 1d3 damage”
“Goatmorph: This spell causes any human target within range to become a goat. Upon a successful casting the target must Save vs. Magic.
If they succeed they have resisted the effects of the spell and are unchanged.
If they fail their saving throw from 1-12 they are permanently transformed into a goat. Their items have vanished, returning into existence only upon restoration of the target to their previous form using Dispel Magic, or a similar method.
If they fail their saving throw with a 13 or higher roll 1d6.
1-2. They are still transformed into a goat as before, but for only 1d6 days.
3. They now have the legs of a goat, and will perceived by many as a mythical satyr. They move as if they had two more levels of Encumbrance at all times, as these legs are poorly suited for the rest of the body.
4. They have the arms and upper torso of a goat, which means they have goat legs for arms and cloven hooves for hands, making most hand based tasks impossible, or at best extremely difficult.
5. They have the head of a goat, and may only speak in strange monosyllabic bleats.
5. They have the head of a goat, and may only speak in strange monosyllabic bleats.
6. They have the mind and soul of a goat, and may only speak in goat-like noises, and will eat only plant matter such as hay or grass, unless provided with a large amount of more flavorful vegetable matter such as apples or carrots. Subsisting on grass and so on does not provide adequate nutrition despite the preference, and the target may suffer from starvation during this time.”
“If examined, there is a large guillotine style blade above the door. If the door is opened without the trap being disarmed the blade will fall. The adventurer who opened the door must Save vs. Devices.
“If examined, there is a large guillotine style blade above the door. If the door is opened without the trap being disarmed the blade will fall. The adventurer who opened the door must Save vs. Devices.
If they succeed they are narrowly missed by the razor sharp blade, which stuttered and stuck for a moment before falling down as it should have.
If they fail their save from 1-12 roll 1d4.
1-3 The lower half of their dominant arm, halfway to the elbow, is effortlessly sliced off by the blade. They suffer 1d8 damage.
If they fail their save from 1-12 roll 1d4.
1-3 The lower half of their dominant arm, halfway to the elbow, is effortlessly sliced off by the blade. They suffer 1d8 damage.
4 Their dominant hand falls off, severed by the blade. They suffer 1d6 damage.
If they fail their save with a 13 or higher they are only barely sliced by the blade, and only lose the tips of some fingers on their dominant hand. They suffer 1d2 damage.”In LotFP a level one Fighter has got a 16 save in Paralyze, Poison, and Breath, a 15 for Devices, and an 18 for magic.
So, on the rope bridge they would have a 25% chance of success, a 25% chance of death, and a 50% chance of losing something to the canyon below. Normally it would be 25% Life, 75% Death
If bitten by a two-headed baby Cobra they would have a 20% chance of death, a 25% chance of only taking 1d3 damage, and a 55% chance of painful limb paralysis and damage instead of a 25/75 with mortality.
If subjected to the Goatmorph they would have a 10% chance of resisting, a 60% chance of being fully and permanently engoated, and a 30% chance of something else: roughly 33% of the time temporarily being a goat, the other 66% a temporary partial transformation. A much wider spectrum of possibilities than the 10% or else they had before.
If they foolishly open the trapped door they will lose a limb or hand 60% of the time, just the tips of fingers 15%, and 25% of the time realize how foolish they were without suffering a scratch, giving them a bit more to avoid full mutilation than before without simply giving them a bonus to the save.
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