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Category:D20 System

2014-06-16T05:40:14Z

Wayland: Added Game System category

The set of "core rules" that forms the heart of [http://www.wizards.com/ Wizards of the Coast's] ''Dungeons

[[Category:Game System]]

GURPS Magical Styles Fan Netbook

2014-06-16T05:35:09Z

Wayland: More specific category

[[Category:GURPS Fantasy]]
[[Category:Magic]]

This netbook is an open project consisting of GURPS Magical Styles (as defined by the official Steve Jackson Games supplement "GURPS Magical Styles") written by fans. Go ahead and add your own!

=Ancient and Celestial Verses =

Cost: 22 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Ancient and Celestial Verses are the magical/religious writings of the Order of the Oaken Wand. The Oaken Wand are self-described “wise folk”, offering their services as advisors, diviners and dream-interpreters to the powerful. Their vows forbid them from becoming rulers in their own right, but they often seek to be the power behind the throne, offering their expertise in the art of managing people, and in particular, of managing them in such a way that they do not attract ill-fortune or the disfavor of the gods. Their tradition is descended from nature magic and nature continues to lie at the heart of their religious and magical training. While they are not “nature worshippers”, the gods tend to be understood as personifications of natural forces and their holiest places are sites of natural beauty or wonder, not temples or cathedrals.

Required Skills: Diagnosis, Dreaming, Esoteric Medicine, First Aid, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Herb Lore, Hidden Lore (Spirits), History, Literature, Musical Instrument (Any), Naturalist, Occultism, Physician, Religious Ritual, Thaumatology, Theology, Veterinary, Weather Sense.

Required Spells: Beast-Soother, Seek Plant, Ward.

Perks: Astrological Ceremonies, Blood Magic, Elixir Resistance, Frightening Side Effects (Any), Huge Subjects, Intimidating Curses, Intuitive Cantrip (Eye of the Storm), Intuitive Cantrip (Friendly Undergrowth), Intuitive Cantrip (Good with Animal, any mundane), Knower of Names, Life Force Burn 1-5, Obscure True Name, Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Blood Dreaming, Rites of Harvest Sacrifice, Roar of Madness or Whisper of Leaves), Secret Words, Shaman’s Trance, Staff Attunement.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Religious Rank.

Advantages: Autotrance, Channeling, Luck, Medium, Oracle, Outdoorsman, Reputation (Wise Sage), True Faith, Voice.

Disadvantages: Dreamer, Enemies (Offended Spirits), Overconfidence, Reputation (Arrogant Dreamer), Vows (various personal ones).

Skills: Animal Husbandry, Cryptology, Farming, Public Speaking, Savoir-Faire, Symbol Drawing, Teaching.

Apprentices enter the Order of the Oaken wand at the level of Supplicant. This entitles them to learn the following ten spells.

Supplicant

Beast-Soother, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Find Direction, Seek Plant, Seek Water, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Sense Life, Ward.

A mage who has learned 6 Supplicant spells, including Beast-Soother, Seek Plant and Ward becomes an Acolyte, entitling them to learn the following twenty-three spells.

Acolyte

Amulet, Beast Summoning, Detect Poison, Foolishness, Forgetfulness, Great Ward, Haste, Identify Spell, Identify Plant, Ignite Fire, Mage Sight, Mage Stealth, Neutralize Poison, Night Vision, Purify Water, Quick March, Seek Food, Sense Emotion, Sense Mana, Sense Observation, Sense Spirit, Silence, Talisman.

A mage who has learned 8 Acolyte spells including Identify Plant and Neutralize Poison becomes one of the Blessed, entitling them to learn the following twenty-two spells.

Blessed

Analyze Magic, Beast Speech, Bless Plants, Command, Heal Plant, Hide Path, Hush, Pathfinder, Permanent Forgetfulness, Plant Vision, Pollen Cloud, Plant Growth, Relieve Sickness, Remove Contagion, Resist Disease, Resist Poison, Seeker, Shape Plant, Stop Bleeding, Trace, Truthsayer, Turn Spirit.

A mage who has learned 8 Blessed spells including Bless Plants and Turn Spirit becomes one of the Anointed, entitling them to learn the following twenty-two spells.

Anointed

Blight, Blossom, Coolness, Cure Disease, Divination (Augury), Divination (Extispicy), Divination (Oneiromancy), False Tracks, Forest Warning, History, Pestilence, Plant Form, Plant Sense, Plant Speech, Predict Weather, Relieve Paralysis, Remember Path, Shapeshifting, Stop Paralysis, Tangle Growth, Walk Through Plants, Warmth.

A mage who has learned 8 Anointed spells, including Forest Warning and Predict Weather becomes an Elder, entitling them to learn the following eleven spells.

Elder

Ancient History, Delay, Enchant, Dispel Magic, Great Haste, Great Shapeshift, Lesser Geas, Powerstone, Remove Curse, Staff, Suspend Curse.

A mage who has learned 6 Elder spells becomes a Matriarch or Patriarch, entitling them to learn the following ten spells.

Patriarch / Matriarch

Bless, Blood Dreaming, Curse, Great Geas, Hang Spell, Link, Reflex, Rites of Harvest Sacrifice, Roar of Madness, Whisper of Leaves.

Secret Spell: Blood Dreaming (VH) Information

When a mage casts Blood Dreaming, they work themselves into a state of mystic ecstasy in order to gain insight. The ceremony climaxes with the mage drinking the blood of a bull, then passing out for a night of vivid dreams. The GM should never feel compelled to give information or to make the dreams clear – dreams sent by the gods are never as reliable as that. However, the spell will only be worth taking if it sometimes offers insights not available through ordinary divination.

The bull’s blood must be fresh. Anything taken over ten minutes ago will no longer suffice, regardless of mundane or magical attempts to preserve it.

Cost: 6

Time to Cast: 2 hours.

Secret Spell: Rites of Harvest Sacrifice (VH) Regular

By sacrificing an animal (or human!) to the gods of the underworld, a mage of the Oaken Wand brings good fortune to the harvest. A separate blessing may be offered to each “field” of land. For the sacrifice of a very small or unintelligent animal, such as a mouse, a snake or a fowl, farmers working that field will be at +1 to effective Farming skill (which may not sound like much, unless your Farming skill is what feeds your family). For the sacrifice of a larger mammal such as a badger, weasel, or cat, the bonus is +2. For the sacrifice of a dog, a cow, a pig, or such, the bonus is +3, for a fine horse or a bull +4 and for a sentient life form +5. Only young and healthy animals are sacrificed – to offer something old or sick would be an insult to the gods. Mages of the Oaken Wand are divided on the moral lines that should be drawn when using this spell.

Duration: Until the next harvest, or one year, whichever comes first.

Cost: 3

Time to Cast: 1 hour.

Secret Spell: Roar of Madness (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will+3

The mage unleashes a howl of rage that terrifies weak-minded enemies and sends allies into a violent fury. Enemies who fail their resistance must make a Fright Check at a penalty equal to the margin of failure. Allies who do not resist or fail their resistance may go berserk as if they had the Berserk Disadvantage (GURPS Characters p.124). For as long as they are berserk, they do +1 basic damage and enemies are at -1 to defend against their attacks. The roar affects everyone within twenty feet who can hear it.

Cost: 4

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Whisper of Leaves (VH) Regular

The mage enters the forest alone at night and communes with the spirits of the trees, some of which are nature spirits and some of which are human ghosts. These spirits will not act on the mage’s behalf, but may have useful information if they feel like providing it. Generally indifferent to the concerns of others, the spirits can be difficult to motivate to help, particularly since making threats would undoubtably bring the mage bad luck. Human ghosts inhabiting trees no longer crave fleshly things, but may still be concerned about their families and descendents, so may be easiest to bribe. On the other hands, there are some things so secret that only the nature spirits know them.

As for what the tree spirits know, that is up to the GM. Certainly, they will have a long memory of things that have occurred right there in the forest, even if it was not in the immediate vicinity. After all, trees whisper all night and gossip about strange things happening in the forest travels fast. However, trees might know all sorts of interesting facts that have nothing to do with the forest. These dark and mysterious spirits are associated with the dead and the underworld, with the fae, and distantly with the gods, and may see into the past and future, or across dimensions.

Duration: 1 hour

Cost: 5

Time to Cast: 3 hours

=Book of Elders =

Cost: 5 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Book of Elders is a magical style originally developed by vampires but now studied by mortal mages as well. While vampires may have perfected it as an outgrowth of their cursed nature, others study it for the power it offers, particularly regarding the domination of other human beings. Mages of this school are rarely open about their training and may not admit to being mages at all. Temporal authorities may suspect them of being in league with the undead, a suspicion that in some cases would be perfectly true. However, there is no reason why a practitioner has to be evil or unwholesome and a few of them have, in fact, become hunters of the undead who protect mortals from being preyed upon.

Required Skills: Hidden Lore (Vampires), Occultism, Theology.

Required Spells: Beast-Rouser.

Perks: Afflicted Casting (Flagellant’s Blessing), Afflicted Casting (Mystic’s Stupor), Better Magic Items (Necromantic), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Blood Magic, Elixir Resistance, Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intimidating Curses, Knower of Names, Life Force Burn 1-5, Obscure True Name, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Blood Slave, Eye of the Predator or Predator’s Kiss), Spell Bond (Weaken Blood), Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved Will.

Advantages: Allies (Vampires), Night Vision, Voice.

Disadvantages: Callous, Enemies (Vampires and vampire hunters), Lecherousness, Nosy, Reputation (Callous, Mysterious), Secret (Book of Elders Magician).

Skills: Body Control, Hazardous Material (Magical), Herb Lore, Naturalist, Savoir-Faire, Shadowing, Stealth, Streetwise, Symbol Drawing.

A student begins their studies as one of the Known, entitling them to learn the following 9 spells.

Known

Amulet, Beast-Rouser, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Foolishness, Itch, Touch, Ward, Talisman.

A mage who has learned 5 of the above spells, including Beast-Rouser, becomes a Night Walker, entitling them to learn the following 9 spells

Night Walker

Detect Poison, Forgetfulness, Great Ward, Hinder, Master, Neutralize Poison, Recover Energy, Spasm, Steal Might.

A mage who has learned 5 of the above spells, including Steal Might, becomes a Watcher at the Gate, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells

Watcher at the Gate

Boost Health, Command, Fascinate, Hunger, Loyalty, Pain, Permanent Forgetfulness, Resist Poison, Rooted Feet, Steal Energy, Steal Vigor, Strike Dumb, Vigor.

A mage who has learned 7 of the above spells, including Steal Vigor, becomes a Grave Warden, entitling them to learn the following twenty-one spells.

Grave Warden

Choke, Control Person, Deathtouch, Enthrall, Foul Water, Nauseate, Paralyze Limb, Permanent Possession, Pestilence, Possession, Retch, Sickness, Slow Healing, Steal Beauty, Steal Vitality, Stop Healing, Strike Barren, Strike Blind, Strike Numb, Total Paralysis, Weaken Blood.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells, including Steal Vitality, becomes a Toucher of Earth, entitling them to learn the following fifteen spells

Toucher of Earth

Charm, Delay, Dispel Magic, Drain Mana, Enchant, Enslave, Gauntness, Insignificance, Remove Curse, Presence, Rotting Death, Steal Dexterity, Steal Skill, Telecast, Steal Youth.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells becomes a Walker in Light, entitling them to learn the following 9 spells

Walker in Light

Blood Slave, Curse, Drain Magery, Exchange Bodies, Eye of the Predator, Hang Spell, Link, Predator’s Kiss, Reflex.

Secret Spell: Blood Slave (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

The subject becomes the caster’s slave, instinctively obeying their commands and accepting always that the caster is in the right. Bloodslave only has effects on subjects who already love or feel a strong loyalty towards the caster. The subject must be present and must provide a drop of blood of their own free will (though they don’t have to be told the truth about what the blood is for or what the spell does). The subject may try to resist again at any time that they are commanded to do something that violates their moral code.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 1 per Will the subject has.

Time to Cast: 4 hours

Secret Spell: Eye of the Predator (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

The spells subject falls in love with the caster if they fail their Will resistance, do not have an incompatible sexual orientation, and if the caster has fulfilled the following conditions. The caster must have

1. Established eye contact.
2. Engaged the subject in conversation on a topic the subject is interested in for at least five minutes.
3. Expressed sympathy for the subject on some point.

The caster must seem sincere and friendly or the spell will end. Eye of the Predator does not require gestures or incantations.

Duration: Until the next sunrise. Repeated doses of Eye of the Predator may result in a more permanent condition at the GM’s (or in the cast of PCs, player’s) discretion.

Cost: 4

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Predator’s Kiss (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

While under the influence of this spell, the caster gains benefits from drinking fresh blood. If the blood is animal blood, the caster is at +1 ST, +1 HT, +1 Move, and heals 1 HP for every 2 HPs of animal blood consumed. If the blood is the blood of a human, the caster gains an energy reserve that may only be used to power magic spells of the Book of Elders style, at a level equal to half the HP of human blood consumed, rounded down, maximum 4. Drinking human blood will also heal the caster at a rate of 1 HP per HP. The caster may not be under the effects of more than one Predator’s Kiss at a time. Living vistims resist with Will when the caster attempts to drink their blood, whether the blood has already been taken from their body or not. Blood taken loses its potency at the next sunrise or sunset after it was removed from the body. Fangs are not provided.

Duration: 3 hour

Casting Cost: 4

Time to Cast: 3 seconds.

=Breath of the Maker =

Cost: 16 points

Style Prerequisite: Magery, (not One College Only).

Adepts of the Breath of the Maker style are magical artists, driven to create. The magic items they produce are prized, though many stylists have difficulty manufacturing work to order, as their personal artistic impulses tend to intrude. Graduates of the school are often very emotional people and are unusually likely to suffer from mental illness. There is no formal hierarchy and while members often keep in touch, they also tend to argue and feud. Students must endure an extremely demanding apprenticeship, during which they must master a wide variety of skills. This is often a very frustrating time for the apprentice, as the mentor simultaneously fosters the urge to create freely and oversees an endless regimen of study and practice. There is no doubt that mages of this style have produced work that is artistically inspiring, magically powerful, and just plain strange and wonderful. On the other hand, there is no doubt that mages of this style have produced work that is downright disturbing, a product of inner demons who perhaps should have remained within.

Required Skills: Alchemy, Artist (Any), Cryptology, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Hidden Lore (Magic Items), History, Jeweler, Occultism, Research, Smith, Symbol Drawing, Thaumatology.

Required Spells: Amulet, Scroll, Talisman.

Perks: Astrological Ceremonies, Better Magic Items (Any), Brute Force Spell (Enchant), Brute Force Spell (Powerstone), Convenience Casting (Continual Light), Convenience Casting (Copy), Convenience Casting (Create Object) Convenience Casting (Create Water), Elixir Resistance, Intuitive Cantrip (Boost Enchantment), Intuitive Cantrip (Reinforce), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Magical Weapon Bond, Quick and Focused, Sanctum 1-2, Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Breath of the Maker, Forging the Resplendent Vessel of Everflowing Power or The Seventy-Nine Runes of Angelic Commandment), Speedy Enchantment.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved DX, Improved IQ..

Advantages: High Manual Dexterity, Reputation (Skillful Enchanter), Wealth.

Disadvantages: Enemies (Rival Enchanters), Low Empathy, Reputation (Amoral, Greedy, Mercenary), Workaholic.

Skills: Herb Lore, History, Thaumatology, any craft skill.

The student beings their studies at the level of Apprentice, entitling them to learn the following nineteen spells.

Apprentice

Amulet, Animation, Clean, Conceal Magic, Counterspell, Dancing Object, Dancing Shield, Defending Shield, Great Ward, Recover Energy, Reflect, Restore, Scroll, Scryguard, Scrywall, Seek Magic, Suspend Spell, Talisman, Ward.

An apprentice who has learned 8 of the above spells, including Amulet, Scroll and Talisman is promoted to Journeyman, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Journeyman

Analyze Magic, Banish, Copy, Control Zombie, Create Object, Dye, False Aura, Inscribe, Magic Resistance, Pentagram, Rejoin, Repair, Scryfool, Soilproof, Spell Shield, Spell Wall, Suspend Magic, Zombie.

A mage who learns 8 Journeyman spells is promoted to Artificer, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Artificer

Charge Powerstone, Deflect, Displace Spell, Enchant, Fortify, Graceful Weapon, Lesser Wish, Lighten, Limit, Loyal Sword, Manastone, Name, Password, Quick-Draw, Remove Enchantment, Staff, Summon Demon, Suspend Enchantment.

A mage who learns 8 Artificer spells is promoted to Master or Mistress Artificer, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Master/Mistress Artificer

Attune, Bane, Dancing Weapon, Defending Weapon, Ensorcel, Hex, Impression Blocker, Power, Malifice, Penetrating Weapon, Powerstone, Resist Enchantment, Speed, Suspend Curse, Suspend Mana, Telecast, Temporary Enchantment, Weapon Spirit.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells is promoted to Savant, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Savant

Accuracy, Adjustable Clothing, Cornucopia, Crystal Ball, Delay, Dispel Magic, Drain Mana, Effigy, Golem, Ghost Weapon, Hideaway, Homunculus, Puissance, Quick-Aim, Remove Aura, Remove Curse, Restore Mana, Spellguard.

A mage who learns 8 Savant spells is recognized as a Genius, entitling them to learn the following twenty-one spells.

Genius

Blank Spell Arrow, Bless, Burning the Seventy- Nine Runes of Angelic Commandment, Breath of the Maker, Curse, Doppleganger, Forging the Resplendent Vessel of Everflowing Power, Great Wish, Hang Spell, Leak, Link, Maintain Spell, Rebuild, Reflex, Penetrating Spell, Simulacrum, Soul Stone, Speed Spell Arrow, Spell Arrow, Spell Stone, Wish.

Secret Spell: Burning The Seventy-Nine Runes of Angelic Commandment Enchantment (VH) Regular

By marking an item with mystic runes, the mage makes it more susceptible to enchantment. The next enchantment spell that the caster casts on the object will be at +1 to spell skill. The mage must actually imprint the item with the appropriate runes while casting the spell. The runes themselves are not secret – they are plain to see. The knowledge of how to use the runes corrects, on the other hand, is carefully guarded.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 3 hours.

Secret Spell: Forging The Resplendent Vessel of Everflowing Power (VH) Regular

The Breath of the Maker Powerstone technique is one of their most valuable secrets. When this spell is cast immediately before the caster casts Powerstone, the Powerstone spell is at an effective +3 to skill. The effects of this spell are cumulative with those of Burning the Seventy-Nine Runes of Angelic Commandment.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 3 hours.

Secret Spell: Breath of the Maker (VH) Enchantment

The mage creates a sentient soul in an item. The soul can think and see the world around it and can control any magic powers that the item possesses with a Will roll. In most cases, the personality is originally a blank slate and much of its nature will be determined by how it is treated. The souls of objects rarely get lonely, although they do tend to take a liking to people to treat them kindly. They are generally very content to be left alone, but without human contact, they tend to drift away from human conceptions of sanity. An item created with this spell is potentially a very useful Ally for the mage, but is a person with their own will, not simply a tool. Moreover, the more they are interacted with, the more likely they are to develop complexities in their personality.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 20 +2 for every point of IQ the soul has over 10, up to a maximum IQ of (10 + Magery).

Time to Cast: 6 hours.

=Crown of Iron =

Cost: 8 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Will 12+, Magery, (not One College Only).

Crown of Iron is the art of command and control, particularly of magical entities, but also of other human beings. The style’s philosophy emphasizes that nobody, no matter how capable, can achieve very much on their own and true power lies in the ability to harness the strengths of others. Some mages of this school have personality problems related to power, whether it be difficulty standing up to others, difficulty obeying authority, or being pushy and domineering. Apprentices often have complex and rather difficult relationships with their mentors. While mages of this school can make excellent hirelings, they can also be very difficult to control and quite prone to intrigue.

Required Skills: Mental Strength.

Required Spells: Apportation, Counterspell, Foolishness, Ignite Fire, Levitation, Shield.

Perks: Better Magic Items (Mind Control), Elixir Resistance, Huge Subjects, Knower of Names, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Chill of the Lady of Drowning, Howl of the Efrit, Roar of the Djin and Tremor of the Stone that Walks), Secret Words, Thaumatological Doublespeak, Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved Will.

Advantages: Allies (dominated ones)

Disadvantages: Enemies (People Who Got Used), Megalomania, Overconfidence, Reputation (Power Crazy).

Skills: Administration, Intimidation, Symbol Drawing.

The student of Crown of Iron begins their studies at the level of Officer, requiring them to learn the following 6 spells.

Officer

Apportation, Counterspell, Foolishness, Ignite Fire, Levitation, Shield.

A mage who learns all 6 of these spells is promoted to Master or Mistress, entitling them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Master / Mistress

Animal Control, Beast Summoning, Bravery, Create Air, Dancing Object, Daze, Flight, Shape Earth, Shape Fire, Create Fire, Forgetfulness, Minor Healing, Recover Energy, Weaken Will.

A mage who learns 7 of the above spells is promoted to Dominus, entitling them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Dominus

Animation, Berserker, Command, Create Earth, Create Water, Fascinate, Hawk Flight, Loyalty, Major Healing, Mass Daze, Mass Zombie, Shape Air, Shape Metal, Shape Water.

A mage who learns 7 of the above spells is promoted to Metahuman, entitling them to learn the following ten spells.

Metahuman

Control Limb, Control Person, Control Zombie, Create Acid, Create Ice, Create Plant, Enthrall, Turn Zombie, Wizard Hand, Zombie.

A mage who learns 5 of the above spells is promoted to Ascendant Lord or Lady, entitling them to learn the following twenty-three spells.

Ascendant Lord / Lady

Banish, Control Air Elemental, Control Creation, Control Earth Elemental, Control Fire Elemental, Control Water Elemental, Create Animal, Create Mount, Create Object, Create Servant, Create Steam, Create Warrior, Dancing Weapon, Delay, Dispel Creation, Dispel Magic, Lesser Geas, Staff, Summon Air Elemental, Summon Demon, Summon Earth Elemental, Summon Fire Elemental, Summon Water Elemental.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells is promoted to Leviathan, entitling them to learn the following 9 spells.

Leviathan

Chill of the Lady of Drowning, Enchant, Great Geas, Hang Spell, Howl of the Efrit, Link, Reflex, Roar of the Djin, Tremor of the Stone that Walks.

Chill of the Lady of Drowning Special, Resisted by Will

This spell is a version of Planar Summons (GURPS Magic, p. 82). The exact nature of the entity summoned is different for each mage and where the caster is a PC, it is assumed that the player will submit suitable designs for the GMs approval. The lady of drowning is associated with cold, despair, suicide, water and the ghosts of the drowned.

Howl of the Efrit. Special, Resisted by Will

See Chill of the Lady of Drowning above. The efrit is associated with destruction, fire, rage, the desert and the ghosts of those who died by fire or thirst.

Roar of the Djin Special, Resisted by Will

See Chill of the Lady of Drowning above. The Djin is associated with air, madness, magic, clouds and the sky and with the ghosts of those who fell to their deaths.

Tremor of the Stone that Walks Special, Resisted by Will

See Chill of the Lady of Drowning above. The Stone that Walks is associated with earth, plants, revenge, the cycle of life and those who died by suffocation.

=Cycle of the Elements=

Cost: 15 points

Style Prerequisite: Magery, (not One College Only).

Cycle of the Elements is an ancient style, originating in the Blackrock Mountains. The style is intended as an aid to the pursuit of enlightenment. It is not the only path to enlightenment, but practitioners regard it as the “purest” or “most direct”, appropriate for the most advanced minds. The monks of Blackrock will not teach the style to anyone who does not show a commitment to becoming enlightened, but the magic will work just as well for someone with no such commitment. The style teaches that the universe is in a constant state of flux, yet everything is the same thing. Flux occurs because the elements are always changing, and unity occurs because the elements cycle into one another. There is little in the way of formal philosophy, however, and the path to understanding the elements lies in close association with them. While the monks of Blackrock do not seek wealth, nor do they preach against it, and some practitioners of Cycle of the Elements have grown rich hiring out their skills. Other practitioners seek lives of danger and adventure, finding that their control over the elements makes them dangerous in combat and able to survive where others cannot.

Required Skills: Alchemy, Geology, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Meditation, Smith, Survival (Mountains), Swimming, Weather Sense.

Required Spells: Ignite Fire, Purify Air, Seek Air, Seek Earth, Seek Fire, Seek Water.

Perks: Adjustable Spell (Spell Variation, Any attack spell), Area Spell Mastery (Any), Better Magic Items (Air), Better Magic Items (Earth), Better Magic Items (Fire), Better Magic Items (Water), Elixir Resistance, Intuitive Cantrip (Filter), Intuitive Cantrip (Kindle), Intuitive Cantrip (Pebble), Intuitive Cantrip (Rinse), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Secret Spell (Incarnation of Black Ashes, Incarnation of Burning Water, Incarnation of Flaming Stone, Incarnation of Raging Storm, Incarnation of Sucking Filth, Incarnation of Whirling Flame).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved ST, Improved DX, Improved IQ, Improved HT.

Advantages: Reputation (Disciplined Monk).

Disadvantages: Loner, Pacifism, Reputation (Strange Sorcerer).

Skills: Artist, Body Control, Hidden Lore (Elementals), Symbol Drawing.

The student of the Cycle of the Elements begins their study at the level of apprentice. An apprentice is required to learn the following 6 spells.

Apprentice

Ignite Fire, Purify Air, Seek Air, Seek Earth, Seek Fire, Seek Water.

After learning all 6 Apprentice spells, the mage is promoted to Elementalist. This entitles them to learn the following 10 spells.

Elementalist

Create Air, Create Fire, Detect Magic, Extinguish Fire, Mage Sight, No-Smell, Purify Water, Recover Energy, Shape Earth, Shape Fire.

After learning 6 Elementalist spells, including Extinguish Fire and Purify Water, the mage is promoted to Shaper, entitling them to learn the following twenty spells.

Shaper

Body of Air, Create Earth, Create Water, Destroy Water, Earth to Stone, Earth Vision, Fast Fire, Fireproof, Icy Weapon, Perfume, Resist Fire, Shape Air, Shape Metal, Shape Water, Smoke, Slow Fire, Stone to Earth, Wall of Wind, Walk on Air, Windstorm.

After learning 8 Shaper spells, the mage is promoted to Alcymist, entitling them to learn the following 20 spells.

Alcymist

Air Vortex, Body of Ice, Body of Stone, Body of Water, Breathe Water, Create Acid, Earth to Air, Earth to Water, Entombment, Essential Air, Essential Earth, Essential Flame, Essential Water, Flaming Armor, Foul Water, Rain of Acid, Steelwraith, Walk Through Earth, Warmth, Wind.

When a mage has learned 8 Alcymist spells, they are promoted to Lord or Lady of the Elements, entitling them to learn the following twenty-three spells.

Lord / Lady of the Elements

Acid Jet, Body of Flame, Body of Wind, Charge Powerstone, Control Air Elemental, Control Earth Elemental, Control Fire Elemental, Control Water Elemental, Create Air Elemental, Create Earth Elemental, Create Fire Elemental, Create Water Elemental, Delay, Enchant, Essential Acid, Link, Purify Earth, Powerstone, Sandstorm, Summon Air Elemental, Summon Earth Elemental, Summon Fire Elemental, Summon Water Elemental.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above spells, they become One Who Has Seen the Wheel, entitling them to learn the following 6 spells.

One Who Has Seen The Wheel

Incarnation of Black Ashes, Incarnation of Burning Water, Incarnation of Flaming Stone, Incarnation of Raging Storm, Incarnation of Sucking Filth, Incarnation of Whirling Flame.

Secret Spell: Incarnation of Black Ashes (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT

The caster is transformed into a swirling cloud of black ash. In rules terms, the caster is the subject of Body of Wind (GURPS Magic, p.27), with the additional effects that people in the Area cannot breathe and are at -4 to all sense rolls and -2 to all skills that require vision.

Duration: 1 minute

Cost: 10/4

Time to Cast: 30 seconds

Secret Spell: Incarnation of Burning Water (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT

The caster is transformed into a column or pool or steaming hot water. In rules terms, the caster is the subject of Body of Water (GURPS Magic, p. 185) with the additional effect that living things that are splashed will suffer 1d damage.

Duration: 1 minute.

Cost: 7/2

Time to Cast: 30 seconds

Secret Spell: Incarnation of Flaming Stone (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT

The caster is transformed into a hulk of burning rock. In rules terms, the caster is the subject of Body of Stone (GURPS Magic, p. 54) with the additional effect that their touch causes 1d6 burning damage and they set fire to any highly flammable object that touches them.

Duration: 1 minute.

Cost: 12/6

Time to Cast: 30 seconds

Secret Spell: Incarnation of Raging Storm (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT.

The caster is transformed into a swirling storm-cloud. In rules terms, the caster is the subject of Body of Wind (GURPS Magic, p.27) with the additional effects that any Air, lightning or electrical spells may be cast with no incantations or gestures. While in this form, the caster is considered to have at least one point in the Lightning spell.

Duration: 1 minute.

Cost: 10/4

Time to Cast: 30 seconds.

Secret Spell: Incarnation of Sucking Filth (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT.

The caster is transformed into a column or pool of mud. In rules terms, the caster is the subject of Body of Water (GURPS Magic, p. 185) with the additional effect that the caster may choose to grab anything touching its body with ST, dividing their ST between different grabbed items as desired. If the caster succeeds in pulling someone inside their body, that person will begin to suffocate (GURPS, p.428).

Duration: 1 minute.

Cost: 7/2

Time to Cast: 10 seconds

Secret Spell: Incarnation of Whirling Flame (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT.

The caster is transformed into a swirling cloud of flames. In rules terms, the caster is the subject of Body of Wind (GURPS Magic, p.27) with the additional effect that anything in the Area takes 1d burning damage and highly flammable objects will catch fire.

Duration: 1 minute.

Cost: 10/4

Time to Cast: 30 seconds

=Disciple of the Stormlord =

Cost: 11 points

All Disciple of the Stormlord must have the following skills: Swimming, Area Knowledge (Coastlines), Ritual Magic, Boating, Breath Control, Skating or Skiing, Singing, Survival (Arctic), Expert Skill (Stormlord).

Disciple of the Stormlord must adhere to Disciplines of Faith (Ritualism) (-5): 30 minute prayers at low and high tide times to replenish sanctity, Casting Off Ceremony, 47 Day Ceremony, tend lighthouses, etc.

Disciple of the Stormlord have a Sense of Duty (Sailors and the Sea) (-10).

Use Power Investiture (10/level) instead of Magery.

Disciple of the Stormlord have a Claim to Hospitality (residents of the North) (5) and the Perks: Always know when the tides come and go (1) and Naval Training (1).

Disciple of the Stormlord can take Terrain Adaptation (Snow) (5), up to 3 levels of Breath-Holding (2/level) and up to 3 levels of Temperature Tolerance (1/level).

Disciples of the Stormlord use Ritual Magic (B242,T72 and M200) combined with Threshold-based Sanctity (T76).

Disciple of the Stormlord have Reduced Threshold (-10) with a maximum Thresh of 24. they also have Rapid Recovery (10) and their Tally is replenished by 6 points twice per day, at low and high tide.

There are 6 distinct Paths that Disciple of the Stormlord follow. Each one is considered a VH Skill and defaults off of Ritual Magic at (-6) and may never exceed the Ritual Magic skill. Each spell is treated as a Hard Technique that defaults to the Path skill with a default equal to the number of prerequisites the spell has. Spells can be improved from Default level as normal Techniques (B230) but cannot exceed the associated Path skill. The Paths must be learned in order and no path can be of higher level than the path 'above' it.

'''Path of the Wave:''' Seek Water (0), Purify Water (1), Extinguish Fire (1), Hold Breath (1), Create Water (2), Breathe Water (3), Shape Water (3), Umbrella (3), Body of Water (4), Resist Water (4), Water Jet (4), Water Vision (4), Condense Steam (5), Earth to Water (6), Essential Water (6), Breathe Air (6), Boil Water (8), Create Steam (9), Resist Pressure (9), Summon Water Elemental (9), Control Water Elemental (10), Steam Jet (10), Create Water Elemental (12), Breathe Steam(VH) (14)

'''Path of the Voyage:''' Climbing (0), Haste (0), Beast Soother* (0), Find Direction (1), Tell Position (1), Master* (1), Animal Control* (1), Beast Summoning* (1), Seek Coastline (1), Repel Animal* (2), Beast Speech* (2), Rider* (2), Jump (2), Swim (3), Rider Within* (3), Know Location (3), Beast Seeker* (4), Find Weakness (4), Walk on Water (4), Waves (4), Snow Shoes (4), Whirlpool (4), Walk Through Water (6), Current (6), Pathfinder (7), Shapeshifting(VH)* (7), Protect Animal* (8), Tide (8), Knot (9), Sickness (9), Remember Path (10), Mapmaker (10), Fasten (10),Repair (11), Partial Shapeshift(VH)* (21)
*only applies to animals that reside in or near the sea.

'''Path of the Storm:''' Thunderclap (1), Shape Air(2), Windstorm (3), Wall of Wind (3), Body of Air (3), Predict Weather (4), Cold (4), Clouds (4), Wind (4), Fog (4), Rain (5), Coolness (5), Resist Lightning (6), Lightning (7), Air Vortex (7), Shocking Touch (8), Spark Cloud (8), Spark Storm (8), Wall of Lightning (8) Weather Dome (8), Warm (8), Cool (9), Ball of Lightning (9), Lightning Weapon (9), Lightning Missile (10), Geyser(VH) (10), Storm (10), Lightning Armor (13)

'''Path of the Frozen North:''' Icy Weapon (3), Frost (3), Resist Cold (4), Freeze (4), Ice Slick (4), Ice Sphere (4), Icy Missile (4), Melt Ice (4), Create Ice (5), Ice Dagger (5), Icy Touch (5), Frostbite (6), Snow Jet (6), Snow (7), Flesh to Ice(VH) (8), Body of Ice (8), Hail (8), Rain of Ice Daggers (11), Icy Breath(VH) (12)

'''Path of the Heart:''' Body Reading (1), Detect Poison (1), Final Rest (1), Lend Energy (1), Lend Vitality (2), Share Energy (2), Remove Contagion (2), Relieve Sickness (3), Share Vitality (3), Stop Bleeding (3), Minor Healing (3), Major Healing (4), Neutralize Poision (4), Stop Paralysis (5), Relieve Paralysis (6), Cure Disease (6), Great Healing(VH) (7), Cleansing (13), Healing Slumber (13)

'''Path of the Spirit:''' Sense Spirit (2), Materialize (4), Solidify (5), Affect Spirits (6), Turn Spirit (6), Turn Zombie (7), Banish (11), Dispel Magic (14), Remove Curse (14), Repel Spirits (15), Astral Block (17), Bless (22)

Required Traits: [11 points]
Power Investure (at least 1 level) (10/level)
Rapid Recovery 2 (Recovers 6 twice daily) (10)
Reduced Threshold 1 (Threshold = 24) (-10)
Disciplines of Faith (the Stormlord Rituals) (-5)
Sense of Duty (Sailors and the Sea) (-10)
Claim to Hospitality (Residences in the North) (5)
Perk: Always know when tides come and go (1)
Perk: Naval Training (1)
Skills: Swimming, Area Knowledge (Coastlines), Ritual Magic, Boating, Breath Control, Skating or Skiing, Singing, Survival (Arctic), Expert Skill (the Stormlord) [9]

Optional Traits:
Terrain Adaption (Snow) (5)
Breath-Holding (2/level up to 3 levels)
Temperature Tolerance (1/level up to 3 levels)

Up to 2 additional levels of Power Investiture and Optional Traits can be put into a Holy Symbol (Gadget) made from something 'touched' by the Stormlord (ex: wood from lightning struck tree, parts from a shipwreck, etc)
'''
Gadget:'''
''Power Investure (-50%) : Holy (-10%), Can be stolen (DX)(not usable) -15%, Size (10 inches, -4 SM) -15%, Not Repairable -15%, DR 5 -15%, Access (must present and invoke the Stormlord) -10%, Link (+20%)
Others (-40%): Holy (-10%), Can be stolen (DX)(not usable) -15%, Size (10 inches, -4 SM) -15%, Not Repairable -15%, DR 5 -15%, Link (+20%)''

'''
Power Modifier: Holy [-10%]'''
''Holy depends on the possessor living a virtuous life. He must adopt a moral code worth -10 points (Sense of duty:Sailors and the Sea) works for this) If he transgresses, he loses his power, although his god won't endanger him unless the sin is terrible. To recover his power, he must offer significant penance: coin and goods equal to starting wealth ($1000), a full month of fasting, a major quest, etc.''

=Empty Vessel =

Cost: 10 points

Style Prerequisite: Will 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Empty Vessel style is said to have been founded by a nameless philosopher who, in a fit of inspiration, realized that nothingness lies at the heart of reality, that everything is nothing, that substance is illusionary, and that change is only possible because everything is that which it is not. While this doctrine is impenetrable to outsiders, adepts of the Empty Vessel school use these doctrines as the foundation for their magic, while at the same time insisting that they are both true and false. Some are drawn to the school to find peace in emptiness, others to face up to darkness and hopelessness, and others for reasons that they themselves find impossible to express.

Required Skills: Meditation, Mental Strength, Thaumatology.

Required Spells: Counterspell, Detect Magic, Fear, Scryguard, Suspend Spell, Ward.

Perks: Afflicted Casting (Flagellant’s Blessing), Area Spell Mastery (Any), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Covenant of Rest, Elixir Resistance, Kill Switch, Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mana Compensation, No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Emptiness Swallows the Burning Sun, Running Water Washes the Rock, Shining Prince Kisses the Dust), Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Autotrance, Longevity, Perfect Balance, Reputation (Disciplined Monk).

Disadvantages: Absent-Mindedness, Laziness.

Skills: Hazardous Materials (Magical), Survival (Any), Symbol Drawing, Teaching.

The student of the Empty Vessel begins their studies at the level of Sleeper, requiring them to learn the following 6 spells.

Sleeper

Counterspell, Detect Magic, Fear, Scryguard, Suspend Spell, Ward.

A mage who has learned all 6 Sleeper spells becomes a Waker, entitling them to learn the following sixteen spells.

Waker

Darkness, Destroy Air, Forgetfulness, Gloom, Hide, Remove Contagion, Great Ward, Know Illusion, Recover Energy, Reflect, Resist Water, Terror, Scrywall, Seek Magic, Permanent Forgetfulness, Repel Animal.

A mage who learns 8 Waker spells becomes a Vessel of Flesh, entitling them to learn the following eleven spells.

Vessel of Flesh

Blackout, Blur, Destroy Water, Resist Disease, Resist Fire, Resist Pain, Resist Poison, Scryfool, Shape Darkness, Turn Spirit, Devitalize Air.

A mage who learns 6 of the above spells becomes a Vessel of Clay, entitling them to learn the following twenty spells.

Vessel of Clay

Banish, Body of Shadow, Dispel Illusion, Dispel Possession, Displace Spell, Enchant, Find Weakness, Magic Resistance, Pentagram, Resist Acid, Resist Cold, Resist Lightning, Resist Sound, Rune, Shatter, Spell Shield, Spell Wall, Suspend Magic, Turn Zombie, Weaken.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Zephyr of Dust, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Zephyr of Dust

Avoid, Delay, Dispel Creation, Dispel Magic, Insignificance, Remove Aura, Remove Curse, Remove Enchantment, Repel Spirits, Resist Enchantment, Spellguard, Suspend Curse, Suspend Mana.

A mage who learns 7 of the above spells becomes an Eye of the Void, entitling them to learn the following 9 spells.

Eye of the Void

Disintegrate, Emptiness Swallows the Burning Sun, Hang Spell, Link, Maintain Spell, Reflex, Running Water Washes the Rock, Shining God Kisses the Dust, Suspend Magery.

Secret Spell: Emptiness Swallows the Burning Sun (VH) Regular

The caster subdues their own ego to the point that it is difficult for supernatural effects directed at their mind or soul to find their target. This includes all Communication and Empathy and Mind Control spells, Necromantic spells that target the mind or soul, and Knowledge spells that target the caster as a person (as opposed to their body), as well as other powers with similar effects. Such effects target the caster at -3 to skill, -4 if the caster knows Emptiness Swallows the Burning Sun at 15+, -5 if they know it at 20+. These penalties apply regardless of whether the caster wishes them to or not.

Duration: Until the caster sleeps.

Cost: 2

Casting Time: 10 minutes.

Secret Spell: Running Water Washes the Rock (VH) Regular

This spell functions exactly like Ethereal Body except where noted. The subject must be the caster. While non-physical, the caster uses magic at -3 to skill, rather than -5.

Duration: 30 seconds.

Cost: 10 to cast, 5 to maintain.

Time to Cast: 1 minute.

Secret Spell: Shining Prince Kisses the Dust (VH) Regular, Special Resistance

The caster takes a good look at themselves and is overcome with humility. Except where noted, this spell functions like the Insignificance spell in GURPS Magic p.48.

Duration: Twelve hours or until the mage speaks, whichever comes first.

Cost: 6 to cast, 2 to maintain.

Time to Cast: 10 minutes.

=Eyes of Twilight =

Cost: 11 points

Style Prerequisite: Spirit Empathy, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Eyes of Twilight is the art of spirit magic. Combining a mystical sensibility with high academic standards, the style attracts those who seek deep understanding, those who love the weird, and those looking for particularly subtle or particularly frightening power. Dealing with intelligent beings comes with special hazards of course, and mages of the Eyes of Twilight style have been known to fall under the sway of those they sought to command. Others can grow to view all intelligent life as tools, or to become so enamored with the company of spirits that they grow alienated from other corporeal beings. Depending on the society in which they find themselves, mages of this school may or may not be open about what they are – it isn’t difficult for people to become hysterical over those who traffic with the unseen.

Required Skills: Cryptology, Hidden Lore (Spirit Lore), Mental Strength, Occultism, Research, Thaumatology, Theology.

Required Spells: Astral Block, Sense Spirit, Ward.

Perks: Astrological Ceremonies, Better Magic items (Necromantic), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Intimidating Curses, Knower of Names, Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Magical Lawyer, Obscure True Name, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Cleansing of the Ten Spheres, Emerald Ritual of Summoning or Onyx Ritual of Banishment), Shaman’s Trance, Spirit Contract, Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved Will.

Advantages: Allies (spirits), Autotrance, Channeling, Language, Medium, Oracle

Disadvantages: Cursed, Enemies (Spirits), Nightmares, Reputation (Creepy Spirit Mage).

Skills: Dreaming, Exorcism, Hazardous Materials (Magical), History, Survival (Any), Symbol Drawing.

The student beings their studies at the level of Gnostic, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Gnostic

Astral Block, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Fear, Final Rest, Light, Scryguard, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Sense Life, Sense Spirit, Spell Shield, Ward.

A mage who has learned 7 Gnostic spells including Astral Block, Sense Spirit and Ward is promoted to Initiate, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Initiate

Great Ward, Continual Light, Nightingale, Night Vision, Panic, Recover Energy, Reflect, Scrywall, Sense Observation, Summon Spirit (Ghost), Summon Spirit (Natural), Terror, Watchdog.

A mage who learns 7 Initiate spells including Great Ward is promoted to Praefect, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Praefect

Affect Spirits, Dark Vision, Divination (Dactylomancy), Dream Projection, Dream Sending, Dream Viewing, History, Materialize, Scryfool, See Invisible, Solidify, Turn Spirit, Turn Zombie.

A mage who has learned 7 Praefect spells, including Turn Spirit becomes one of the Ordained, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Ordained

Ancient History, Animate Shadow, Astral Vision, Banish, Command Spirit (Ghost), Command Spirit (Natural), Magic Resistance, Nightmare, Projection, Skull-Spirit, Soul Jar, Spell Wall, Summon Demon.

A mage who has learned 7 of the above spells is promoted to Pontifex, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Pontifex

Bind Spirit (Ghost), Bind Spirit (Natural), Delay, Enchant, Entrap Spirit, Lesser Wish, Remove Curse, Repel Spirits, Spellguard, Suspend Curse, Weapon Spirit, Storm, Wish.

A mage who learns 7 of the above spells is promoted to Illuminatus, entitling them to learn the following 8 spells.

Illuminatus

Bless, Cleansing of the Ten Spheres, Curse, Emerald Ritual of Summoning, Great Wish, Link, Onyx Ritual of Banishment, Reflex.

Secret Spell: Cleansing of the Ten Spheres (VH) Area, Resisted by Will

All spirits and demons within the area of the effect must flee as if under the influence of a Turn Spirit spell (GURPS Magic, p. 151). Casting this spell requires the mage to draw or paint a pentagram at least 3 yards wide.

Duration: A number of hours equal to the margin by which the caster defeated a subject’s Will.

Base Cost: 2, minimum 8. 4 to maintain.

Time to Cast: 30 seconds.

Secret Spell: Emerald Ritual of Summoning (VH) Area

+1 to all Spirit or Demon spells cast in the Area and +2 to spirit summoning spells. The GM should include any spells that are “spirit” or “demon” spells in nature, if not in name. Similarly, the GM should exclude spells that have “spirit” or “demon” in their names but not in their nature. Casting this spell requires the mage to draw or paint a pentagram at least 3 yards wide.

Duration: A number of hours equal to the margin of success.

Base Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 1 hour

Secret Spell: Onyx Ritual of Banishment (VH) Special, Resisted by Will.

Except where otherwise stated, this spell is identical to Banish (GURPS Magic, p. 156). The advantage of knowing the Onyx Ritual of Banishment is that it might succeed even if Banish has failed. Failed attempts to Banish cause no penalty for the Onyx Ritual of Banishment. Casting this spell requires the mage to draw or paint a pentagram at least 3 yards wide.

Time to Cast: 2 hours

=Footsteps of the Cat =

Cost: 9 points

Style Prerequisite: Cat Familiar, IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

It is said that Footsteps of the Cat was not invented by humans, but taught to humans by cats. While humans teach it to other humans today, only mages with cat familiars have ever successfully learned the style. The mage must closely associate with and observe their familiar, or they will never gain the understanding required to advance. If all cat familiars die, the mage’s powers will be suspended after one lunar month if they do not gain a new cat familiar. Gaining the new familiar immediately restores the mage’s power. Unsurprisingly, many mages of this school develop catlike personality traits themselves. They may be curious, affectionate, relaxed, greedy, unpredictable or vicious – or any other trait a cat might display. Mages of this school have a reputation for being insightful into the ways of magic, but acting in a chaotic and short-sighted manner. Mages of this school rarely associate, save as small groups of friends. The school has no hierarchy and no written rules. Cat mages who don’t like each other but share territory have a tendency to feud or fight. This alone can make even a naturally solitary adept seek the protection of a group.

Required Skills: Climbing, Dreaming, Hidden Lore (cat-related), Jumping, Stealth, Thaumatology.

Required Spells: Climbing, Keen Hearing.

Perks: Astrological Ceremonies, Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Elixir Resistance, Flexible Ritual (Any), Knower of Names, Intuitive Cantrip (Eye of the Storm), Intuitive Cantrip (Friendly Undergrowth), Intuitive Cantrip (Gate Experience), Intuitive Cantrip (Good with Felines), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mana Compensation, No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Reduced Footprint 2, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Cat’s Slumber, First Instinct, Half-Dreaming, Killer’s Red Claws).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved DX and IQ.

Advantages: Absolute Timing, Acute Senses (Any except Vision), Catfall, Combat Reflexes, Double-Jointed, Hard to Kill, Luck, Night Vision, Perfect Balance.

Disadvantages: Callous, Cowardice, Enemies (Other Cats), Extra Sleep, Gluttony, Impulsiveness, Laziness, Lecherousness, Nosy, Reputation (Unreliable), Sadism, Selfish, Short Attention Span.

Skills: Acrobatics, Hidden Lore (Fae), Hidden Lore (Lycanthropes), Savoir-Faire, Streetwise, Symbol Drawing.

Mages commence their studies at the level of First Moon. This gives them access to the following ten spells.

First Moon

Climbing, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Keen Hearing, Scryguard, Seek Air, Seek Food, Seek Water, Sense Danger, Sense Foes.

The mage proceeds to study spells of the Second Moon when they have learned 5 spells of the First Moon, including Climbing and Keen Hearing. This gives them access to the following twenty-three spells.

Second Moon

Conceal Magic, Jump, Great Ward, Haste, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Mage Stealth, Night Vision, Seek Magic, Seek Pass, Sense Emotion, Sense Life, Sense Mana, Sense Observation, Sense Spirit, Shade, Simple Illusion, Sleep, Recover Energy, Silence, Slow Fall, Summon Spirit, Ward.

The mage proceeds to study spells of the Third Moon when they have learned 8 spells of the Second Moon. This gives them access to the following eighteen spells.

Third Moon

Alertness, Beast Speech, Blur, Darkness, False Aura, Gloom, Grace, Great Haste, Hide, Hide Emotion, Hide Path, Hide Thoughts, Hush, Light Tread, Mass Sleep, Scryfool, See Invisible, Shapeshifting (Cat).

The mage proceeds to study spells of the Fourth Moon when they have learned 8 spells of the Third Moon. This gives them access to the following 9 spells.

Fourth Moon

Balance, Body of Shadow, Boost Dexterity, Forest Warning, Invisibility, Peaceful Sleep, Reflexes, Shapeshifting (Great Cat), Teleport.

The mage proceeds to study spells of the Fifth Moon when they have learned 5 spells of the Fourth Moon. This gives them access to the following 8 spells.

Fifth Moon

Animate Shadow, Charm, Delay, Insignificance, Partial Shapeshifting, Plane Shift, Remove Aura, Seek Gate.

The mage proceeds to study spells of the Sixth Moon when they have learned 4 spells of the Fifth Moon. This gives them access to the following 8 spells.

Sixth Moon

Cat’s Slumber, Curse, Half-Dreaming, Hang Spell, Hunter’s Cunning, Killer’s Red Claws, Link, Reflex.

Secret Spell: Cat’s Slumber (VH) Regular

This ritual, performed prior to going to sleep, will give the mage +2 on any roll against the Dreaming Skill. The spell takes an hour to complete, but the mage can use much of this time simply making the sleeping area as inviting and comfortable as possible.

Duration: Until the mage wakes up.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 1 hour.

Secret Spell: First Instinct (VH) Blocking

When the mage is in imminent danger and has run out of other options, they may cast First Instinct in order to gain an extra second’s worth of actions right away. These actions may only be used to get the mage out of danger. Absolutely no offensive action is allowed – the mage has triggered a survival instinct based on the principle of flight. The spell may not be cast more than once per second.

Duration: Instant.

Cost: 3

Time to Cast: Instant.

Secret Spell Half-Dreaming (VH) (Regular)

The mage shapeshifts into the body of a domestic-sized cat, although the mage’s Half-Dreaming form must always look somewhat odd and distinctive – red ears for instance, or eyes that look just a little too human. A mage in half-dreaming form may use cat’s paws to perform spell gestures and may substitute cat noises for incantations when casting spells they know. They have Perfect Balance, are at +4 to Climbing and Stealth, and strongly radiate magic.

Duration: 1 hour

Cost: 8/2

Time to Cast: 4 seconds

Killer’s Red Claws (VH) (Regular)

The mage sprouts small or medium claws (only small is possible on a cat-sized body) on their hands and/or feet. They must attack with them the turn they appear – it is the act of striking to attack with the intention of drawing blood that causes them to unsheathe. This spell requires no gestures and no incantations, so tends to come as something of a surprise.

Duration: Instant.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 1 second.

=Fount of Irrepressible Will =

Cost: 9 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 12+, Will 12+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Fount of Irrepressible Will is magic of creation. The school teaches that magic is the fundamental force of creation, that the magician and the god do not differ in the power they use, only in their degree of mastery. To create is in and of itself a holy act, though one that is entirely at the disposal of the creator and their whims. In practice, this means that mages who master the Fount of Irrepressible Will are extremely good at making things and are particularly adept at creating something out of nothing at all. Creation is intended to be an end in itself and the school does not bother itself with the question of how its graduates are supposed to make a living. One easy option is to create and sell goods, though others prefer more exciting lines of work and some of the more dangerous offensive spells suit them well to a life of adventure.

Required Skills: Breath Control, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Meditation, Mental Strength.

Required Spells: Counterspell, Ignite Fire, Light, Shield.

Perks: Adjustable Spell (Spell Variation, Any attack spell), Elixir Resistance, Intuitive Cantrip (Kindle), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mana Compensation, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Dominion, Forge of Souls or Material Edict), Secret Words, Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved Will.

Advantages: Wealth.

Disadvantages: Delusions, Greed, Overconfidence, Megalomania, Reputation (Megalomaniac).

Skills: Innate Attack (Jet), Innate Attack (Projectile), Intimidation, Symbol Drawing.

The student begins their studies at the level of Apprentice, requiring them to learn the following 4 spells.

Apprentice

Counterspell, Ignite Fire, Light, Shield.

A mage who learns all 4 of the above spells becomes a Craftsman, entitling them to learn the following 6 spells.

Craftsman

Armor, Continual Light, Create Air, Create Fire, Recover Energy, Stench.

A mage who learns 3 of the above spells becomes a Sage, entitling them to learn the following 7 spells.

Sage

Create Earth, Create Water, Create Water, Flash, Heat, Icy Weapon, Smoke.

A mage who learns 4 of the above spells becomes a Genius, entitling them to learn the following twenty-five spells.

Genius

Copy, Create Acid, Create Food, Create Ice, Create Plant, Essential Air, Essential Earth, Essential Flame, Essential Water, Essential Wood, Explosive Lightening, Ice Dagger, Ice Slick, Ice Sphere, Fog, Foul Water, Icy Missiles, Rain, Snow Jet, Rain of Stones, Sand Jet, Snow, Stone Missile, Warmth, Water Jet.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes an Angel of Creation, entitling them to learn the following twenty-five spells. Elementals summoned with this style are at +2 to IQ, but are immune to the Control (Elemental) spells.

Angel of Creation

Acid Ball, Acid Jet, Charge Powerstone, Create Air Elemental, Create Animal, Create Door, Create Earth Elemental, Create Fire Elemental, Create Mount, Create Object, Create Servant, Create Spring, Create Steam, Create Water Elemental, Create Warrior, Dispel Creation, Enchant, Essential Acid, Essential Food, Geyser, Hail, Mud Jet, Lightning, Spit Acid, Steam Jet.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Divine Craftsman, entitling them to learn the following 7 spells.

Divine Craftsman

Create Gate, Delay, Dominion, Forge of Souls, Link, Material Edict, Powerstone.

Secret Spell: Dominion (VH) Regular

The caster creates a gate that only they may pass through. Through is a universe that functions according to their whims, a fantasy land of their very own. However, the caster cannot influence the outside world from their Dominion and what happens in the Dominion is only tenuously related to how things will be back in the “real” world. Items wished up in the Dominion or spells cast will simply evaporate in the real world, books and Information spells in the Dominion will provide dreamed information only, and the realm will generally function as if it is not real from the perspective of the “real world”. However, some things the caster may do will carry over. The caster has access to real warmth in their dominion, time spent resting or sleeping in the Dominion counts as real rest or sleep, food eaten and water drunk in the dominion will sustain the body in reality, and a mage who leaves the dominion while under the influence of intoxicating substances will continue to be under the influence when they return to the real world. While diseases suffered, poisons cured and curses lifted in the Dominion will not be removed in the real world, the caster is at least immune to their effects there. The Dominion lasts as long as the caster desires and the caster may leave at any time. While the caster is in their Dominion, the gate remains open and others may look, listen or smell in. What they see, hear or smell is up to the caster.

Duration: Until the caster returns to the real world.

Cost: 4

Time to Cast: 1 hour

Secret Spell: Forge of Souls (VH) Enchantment

The mage creates a sentient soul in an item. The soul can think and see the world around it and can control any magic powers that the item possesses with a Will roll. In most cases, the personality is originally a blank slate and much of its nature will be determined by how it is treated. The souls of objects rarely get lonely, although they do tend to take a liking to people to treat them kindly. They are generally very content to be left alone, but without human contact, they tend to drift away from human conceptions of sanity. An item created with this spell is potentially a very useful Ally for the mage, but is a person with their own will, not simply a tool. Moreover, the more they are interacted with, the more likely they are to develop complexities in their personality.

Duration: Permanent

Cost: 20 +1 for every point of IQ the soul has over 10, up to a maximum IQ of (10 + Magery).

Time to Cast: 10 hours.

Secret Spell: Material Edict (VH) Regular

If cast immediately before the caster casts Create Air, Create Earth, Create Fire, Create Food, Create Object or Create Water, the fatigue cost for that spell is halved.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 3 seconds.

=The Gentle Art =

Cost: 17 points

Style Prerequisite: ST 10+, DX 12+, IQ 13+, HT 11+ Magery, (not One College Only).

The so called “Gentle Art” is designed to kill. It is a gruesome professional tool utilized by the assassin-magicians of the Red Lotus school. The Red Lotus is a criminal business operation, pure and simple, with no established religious, mystical or moral doctrine. The school doesn’t care who it does business with or what the job is, provided that the money is right. Individual mages trained at the school may or may not have greater scruples. The training is grueling for body and mind. Injuries are common and occasionally fatal. Despite this, being initiated into the Red Lotus remains a hotly-contested honor among ambitious young mages.

According to legend, the Red Lotus was founded by a pacifist philosopher-monk on pilgrimage to a nearby shrine. The monk suffered a series of misadventures on his journey. A farmer begged to borrow his donkey, then stole the donkey. Continuing on foot, the monk heard a cry for help from the forest, and upon leaving the path, was assaulted by thieves who took all his money. Passing through town, foot-sore, hurting and hungry, the monk spied an apple on the ground and picked it up. But across the street, he could see a skinny child begging and he could not help but cross the street and give her the apple. The town guard immediately arrested him for abetting public begging. Unable to pay the fine, the monk’s person was forfeit and he was sold into slavery. Years later, he returned, scarred from the lash. He tracked down the farmer, the thieves, and the captain of the guards, and politely thanked them for teaching him wisdom. Then he founded the Red Lotus and grew extremely rich.

Required Skills: Body Control, Broadsword, Camouflage, Climbing, Disguise, Forced Entry, Judo, Karate, Knife, Lockpicking, Poison, Stealth, Traps.

Required Spells: Climbing, Keen Hearing, Keen Vision.

Perks: Area Spell Mastery (Darkness), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Elixir Resistance, Flexible Ritual (Any), Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Eye of the Storm), Intuitive Cantrip (Filter), Intuitive Cantrip (Friendly Undergrowth), Intuitive Cantrip (Intuitive Illusionist), Kill Switch, Magical Weapon Bond, Melee Spell Mastery (Any), Mighty Spell (Any), No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Reduced Footprint 2, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Offering No Resistance, Quiet Discipline, Standing Nowhere).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved ST, DX, IQ and HT.

Advantages: Acute Senses (Any), Catfall, Combat Reflexes, Double-Jointed, Night Vision

Disadvantages: Enemies (Friends of Past Victims), Reputation (Ominously Mysterious), Secret (Professional Assassin).

Skills: Acrobatics, Axe/Mace, Garrote, Savoir-Faire, Staff, Streetwise, Symbol Drawing.

Apprentices are admitted at the level of Disciple of Wood, at which they are trained in basic assassination techniques and magical awareness. An apprentice has access to the following ten spells.

Disciple of Wood

Apportation, Climbing, Detect Magic, Haste, Keen Hearing, Levitation, Keen Vision, Magelock, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Shield.

A Disciple of Wood is promoted to Disciple of Earth when they have learned 5 Disciple of Wood spells, including Climbing, Keen Hearing and Keen Vision. This entitles them to learn any of the following twenty-eight spells.

Disciple of Earth

Daze, Deflect Missile, Flight, Foolishness, Forgetfulness, Grease, Great Haste, Hinder, Jump, Keen Taste and Smell, Lighten Burden, Lockmaster, Locksmith, Mage Sight, Mage Stealth, Might, Mystic Mist, Neutralize Poison, Permanent Forgetfulness, Quick March, Recover Energy, Sense Observation, Shade, Silence, Simple Illusion, Touch, Wall of Silence, Wallwalker.

A Disciple of Earth is promoted to Disciple of Metal when they have learned 8 Disciple of Earth spells. This entitles them to learn any of the following twenty-three spells.

Disciple of Metal

Alertness, Blur, Boost Health, Boost Strength, Darkness, Flash, Gloom, Grace, Hawk Flight, Hide, Hold Breath, Hush, Illusion Disguise, Light Tread, Mass Daze, Resist Pain, Resist Poison, Return Missile, Rooted Feet, Slow, Strike Dumb, Stun, Vigor.

A Disciple of Metal is promoted to Disciple of Fire when they have learned 8 Disciple of Metal spells. This entitles them to learn any of the following eleven spells.

Disciple of Fire

Ambidexterity, Balance, Boost Dexterity, Deathtouch, False Memory, Invisibility, Iron Arm, Paralyze Limb, Reflexes, Strengthen Will, Total Paralysis.

A Disciple of Fire is promoted to Disciple of Water when they have learned 6 Disciple of Fire spells. This entitles them to learn any of the following 6 spells.

Disciple of Water

Insignificance, Offering No Resistance, Quiet Discipline, Sharpen, Standing Nowhere, Telecast.

Secret Spell: Offering No Resistance (VH) Regular

The Disciple of Water can walk through solid objects as if they were thin air. The mage must touch the wall with the palm of the hand. Upon a successful spell roll, they will determine how thick the wall is and can choose how much energy to devote to the spell (minimum 1). If they do not expend enough energy, the wall will remain solid. If the wall is too thick for them to run through in a second, they are expelled backwards the way they entered at whatever speed they were moving forwards.

Duration: 1 second.

Cost: 1 per foot

Time to Cast: 1 second

Secret Spell: Quiet Discipline (VH) Regular

The Disciple of Water gets the benefits of both Invisibility and Mage-Stealth, while only having one spell “on”. The mage must know both Invisibility and Mage-Stealth to learn Quiet Discipline.

Duration: 1 minute

Cost: 7/4

Time to Cast: 4 seconds

Secret Spell: Standing Nowhere (VH) Regular

The Disciple of Water’s body and their worn possessions turns to black smoke of a vaguely humanoid shape. The mage may not be harmed by normal physical means though Air spells will inflict double damage. While Standing Nowhere, the mage may not exert physical force of any kind, including speaking and making attacks, although they can move along the ground at twice ordinary Move and may pass through any opening large enough not to be airtight. They cannot fly, but will fall no faster than a feather. The mage may not rest to regain fatigue while in this form.

Duration: 10 minutes.

Cost: 4/2

Time to Cast: 1 second.

=Golden Sun =

Cost: 6 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 12+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Golden Sun is a style founded on the simple philosophy that mages ought to benefit from their talents, and is dedicated to making the mage’s life as convenient, safe and fun as possible. Apprentices are taught that selfishness is a virtue and that anyone who says otherwise is participating in a system designed to keep the lucky gifted ones from realizing their full potential. Not all apprentices accept such a callous attitude, but most are more than willing to see personal indulgence as a fine use of a mage’s time. Wizards with a more serious attitude towards magic at sneered at as dupes – their skills may still be admired, but they lack the common sense to see how good the life of a mage can be.

Required Skills: Conisseur (any), First Aid, Savoir-Faire, Streetwise.

Required Spells: Scryguard.

Perks: Afflicted Casting (Flagellant’s Blessing), Afflicted Casting (Mystic’s Stupor), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Convenience Casting (Any legal), Elixir Resistance, Flexible Ritual (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Good with Animal, all ordinary domestic pets), Intuive Cantrip (Good with Animal, Horses), Intuitive Cantrip (Mystic Gesture), Intuitive Cantrip (Reinforce), No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Scroll Reading, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Internal Alchemy of Perceptual Delight, Ritual of Seduction, Nose of the Critic and Pockets of Miserly Tightness), Wizardly Garb.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Alcohol Tolerance, Allies (Hedonists), Fashion Sense, Reputation (Fun), Status, Wealth.

Disadvantages: Addiction, Alcoholism, Enemies (Spurned Lovers and Their Spouses), Lecherousness, Reputation (Worthless Hedonist).

Skills: Artist, Carousing, Erotic Art, Fast Talk, Fortune Telling, Gambling, Literature, Musical Instrument, Symbol Drawing, Writing.

The student begins their studies as one of the Social, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Social

Amulet, Apportation, Beast-Soother, Detect Magic, Levitation, Scroll, Scryguard, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Simple Illusion, Sound, Shield, Talisman.

A mage who has learned 7 of the above spells including Scryguard becomes one of the Civilized, entitling them to learn the following fifteen spells

Civilized

Armor, Flight, Illusion Disguise, Illusion Shell, Identify Spell, Know Illusion, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Nightingale, Recover Energy, Season, Seek Magic, Sense Emotion, Sense Spirit, Watchdog.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells becomes a Celebrant, entitling them to learn the following twenty spells

Celebrant

Analyze Magic, Boost Health, Command, Complex Illusion, Cook, Create Water, False Aura, Fascinate, Hawk Flight, Hide Emotion, Hide Thoughts, Mind-Reading, Perfect Illusion, Persuasion, Prepare Game, Relieve Sickness, Scryfool, Seeker, Truthsayer, Vigor.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells becomes one of the Notorious, entitling them to learn the following fourteen spells

Notorious

Ancient History, Coolness, Create Food, Cure Disease, Drunkenness, Ecstasy, Enthrall, Glib Tongue, Hair Growth, History, Invisibility, Shapeshifting, Warmth, Water to Wine.

A mage who has learned 7 of the above spells becomes a Libertine, entitling them to learn the following ten spells

Libertine

Charge Powerstone, Charm, Create Object, Create Servant, Delay, Enchant, Haircut, Powerstone, Staff, Steal Beauty.

A mage who has learned 5 of the above spells becomes one of the Decadent, entitling them to learn the following 8 spells

Decadent

Hang Spell, Internal Alchemy of Perceptual Delight, Link, Nose of the Critic, Pockets of Miserly Tightness, Reflex, Ritual of Seduction, Steal Youth

Secret Spell: Internal Alchemy of Perceptual Delight (VH) Regular, resisted by Will.

Internal Alchemy of Perpetual Delight greatly extends the effects of the Ecstasy spell. If it is cast immediately before the caster casts the Ecstasy spell, Ecstasy will have Duration: 1 minute and Cost: 2 to cast, 1 to maintain.

Duration: 1 minute.

Cost: 2.

Time to Cast: 5 minutes

Secret Spell: Ritual of Seduction (VH) Regular, resisted by Will.

The subject feels a strong sexual attraction towards the caster if they fail a will roll. If they fail a second will roll, the subject will choose to engage in sexual activity with the caster (whereas if they succeed on their will roll, how they respond to their feelings is a roleplaying decision). This spell will not work if the caster is incompatible with the subject’s sexual orientation and the subject receives a fresh will roll if the caster does anything that upsets their moral code, which for most people will include mistreating them in any way. The morality of using this spell divides Golden Sun magicians. Some compare it to rape while others insist that since the subject desires to do everything that they do, use of the spell simply constitutes magical seduction. Ritual of Seduction does not require incantations or gestures. However, the spell will only work if the caster talks to the subject for at least 30 seconds and the subject believes that the caster is of higher Status, or Wealth, or is significantly more famous, or if the caster is both physically attractive and no less physically attractive than the subject.

Duration: Until the next time the subject goes to sleep.

Cost: 3

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Nose of the Critic (VH) Information

The caster can find the tastiest food around. The caster may hunt for one specific kind of food at a time and it must be food they would genuinely enjoy eating. Food in domestic quantities is unlikely to register if competing with restaurants in a city, but a hungry mage out in the woods might pick up the scent of any cooking going on in the area.

Duration: 2 hours.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 4 seconds

Secret Spell: Pockets of Miserly Tightness (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

While the caster is the subject of this spell, people will forget to charge the caster for food in eating establishments, provided that the caster is actually eating the food there and not taking it outside. If “buying” for friends, the mage will be able to feed a number of people equal to their margin of success. Every individual who is to be fooled may resist separately. Normal means of magic detection detect this spell at -4 to skill.

Duration: 1 meal.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 5 minutes.

=Hands of Restoration =

Cost: 11 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Hands of Restoration school teaches that those who have special gifts bear special responsibilities. To be a mage is to have a duty to help others and the special calling of those who master this style is to provide magical healing. Healers are in high demand everywhere so the mage should have little trouble selling their skills, but many prefer to focus on helping those with least ability to pay, the poor, the old and the disenfranchised. Some are openly political and criticize the injustices of their society, arguing that the rich should do more to promote the common good – an attitude that is prone to make powerful enemies. Others put ideals firmly behind them and enthusiastically get on with the business of making money from their craft.

Required Skills: Diagnosis, Esoteric Medicine, First Aid, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Herb Lore, Naturalist, Philosophy (Utilitarian), Physician, Veterinary.

Required Spells: Lend Energy.

Perks: Better Magic items (Healing), Elixir Resistance, Intuitive Cantrip (Aid), Intuitive Cantrip (Reinforce), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mana Compensation, Secret Spell (Testament to the Angel of Death, Touch of Solidarity, or Tread of the Living Earth), Secret Words, Spell Bond (Major Healing), Spell Bond (Cure Disease).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved HT.

Advantages: Allies (The grateful), Reputation (Kind Healer).

Disadvantages: Code of Honor, Pacifism, Reputation (Political Troublemaker), Selflessness.

Skills: Politics, Public Speaking, Stealth, Streetwise, Symbol Drawing.

The student begins their studies at the level of Watcher of the Poor, entitling them to learn the following 8 spells.

Watcher of the Poor

Beast-Soother, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Final Rest, Lend Energy, Levitation, Simple Illusion, Sound.

A mage who learns 4 of the above spells including Lend Energy becomes a Watcher of the Sick, entitling them to learn the following eleven spells.

Watcher of the Sick

Detect Poison, Flight, Lend Vitality, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Minor Healing, Neutralize Poison, Recover Energy, Restore, Share Energy, Sleep.

A mage who learns 6 of the above spells becomes a Watcher of the Aged, entitling them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Watcher of the Aged

Clean, Command, Hawk Flight, Instant Neutralize Poison, Major Healing, Mass Sleep, Mind-Reading, Relieve Sickness, Remove Contagion, Resist Disease, Resist Poison, Restore Memory, Soilproof, Stop Bleeding.

A mage who learns 7 of the above spells becomes a Watcher of the Friendless, entitling them to learn the following twenty-one spells.

Watcher of the Friendless

Coolness, Cure Disease, Dye, Glib Tongue, Great Healing, Mind-Search, Mind-Sending, Peaceful Sleep, Regeneration, Rejoin, Relieve Paralysis, Remember Path, Restoration, Restore Hearing, Restore Sight, Stop Paralysis, Suggestion, Telepathy, Teleport, Warmth, Wisdom.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Watcher of the Weak, entitling them to learn the following twelve spells.

Watcher of the Weak

Dispel Magic, Fasten, Knot, Lesser Geas, Mass Suggestion, Relieve Madness, Repair, Resurrection, Sharpen, Toughen, Shatterproof, Stiffen.

A mage who learns 6 of the above spells becomes a Watcher of the Mighty, entitling them to learn the following 6 spells.

Watcher of the Mighty

Bless, Great Geas, Rebuild, Testament to the Angel of Death, Touch of Solidarity, Tread of the Living Earth.

Secret Spell: Testament to the Angel of Death (VH)

Testament to the Angel of Death is a spell for raising the dead. Except where otherwise noted, this spell functions as Resurrection (GURPS Magic, p.94). The spell will only work if the caster would genuinely prefer for the subject to be alive again (and not for any indirect reason, such as being paid for a resurrection). General good will towards people or even specific goodwill towards people of a certain notation would be insufficient, but the mage might be able to raise somebody because they are a friend, or fights for a cause that the caster believes in, or is in some way an individual that the caster greatly admires. The “one try” limit does not prevent a mage from trying Resurrection where Testament has failed, or Testament where Resurrection has failed.

The spell requires the caster (and any assistants in a ceremony) to verbally give reasons as to why the subject should be allowed to live. Any language may be used, but the pronouncements must be loud and clear. Social skills and spells, like Fast-Talk, Public Speaking or Glib Tongue are useless when addressing the Angel of Death, only sincerity matters.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 50. One try.

Time to Cast: 8 hours.

Secret Spell: Touch of Solidarity (VH) Regular

Damage inflicted on the subject is inflicted on the caster instead. The caster and subject must grab each other by the wrist for this spell to take effect.

Duration: Until the next full moon or the caster terminates the spell or falls unconscious.

Cost: 4

Time to Cast: 2 hours.

Secret Spell: Tread of the Living Earth. (VH)

The caster may heal a number of people equal to twice their margin of success by touching them on the forehead with their fingers. Each individual touched will be healed for 3 HP. Tread of the Living Earth will not heal the subject further unless they are wounded again or a day passes.

Duration: 1 hour.

Cost: Variable. For each FP spent, the mage may heal one individual 3 HP.

Time to Cast: 5 seconds

=Litany of Refusal =

Cost: 12 points

Style Prerequisite: Will 12+, Magery, (not One College Only).

Litany of Refusal is a scholastic style, focused on protecting humans from evil spirits. The basics were laid down over a century ago by a disparate group of mages pooling their knowledge to put down the demon Uzzschael, who had unleashed a plague of murder and cannibalism. While stylists study folkloric, religious, and occult traditions for the useful information they provide, the style does not endorse any particular view of the universe, since the founders were more concerned with stockpiling magical secrets than laying out a philosophy. The Litany freely plunders tricks from other styles with little regard for the cultural or religious significance of the “trick” in its original context. In some worlds, this could be worth a negative reputation for profaning sacred things. In theory, mages study this style because they want to help people. In practice, it is also an excellent style for those who wish to make money, especially if they don’t mind exaggerating their client’s problems a little. Also, while Litany of Refusal does not teach the adept how to summon evil spirits, it is a very useful secondary style for mages who wish to traffic with Dark Things.

Required Skills: Exorcism, Hidden Lore (Demon Lore), Hidden Lore (Spirit Lore), Mental Strength, Occultism, Research, Thaumatology, Theology.

Required Spells: Astral Block, Counterspell, Final Rest.

Perks: Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Elixir Resistance, Knower of Names, Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mana Compensation, Obscure True Name, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Castigation, Chains of Binding or Knives of Compulsion), Secret Words, Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved Will.

Advantages: True Faith, Reputation (Caster Out of Evil Spirits).

Disadvantages: Cursed, Code of Honor, Enemies (Demons, Spirits and their Cults), Pacifism, Reputation (Heartless Shyster).

Skills: First Aid, History, Interrogation, Physician.

Apprentices begin their studies at the level of The Consecrated, entitling them to learn the following ten spells.

The Consecrated

Astral Block, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Final Rest, Purify Air, Scryguard, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Shield, Suspend Spell.

When the mage has learned 6 Consecrated spells, including Astral Block Counterspell and Final Rest, they become Exorcists, entitling them to learn the following sixteen spells.

Exorcist

Amulet, Armor, Detect Poison, Fear, Identify Spell, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Nightingale, Purify Water, Recover Energy, Scrywall, Seek Magic, Sense Observation, Talisman, Terror, Watchdog.

When the mage has learned 8 Exorcist spells, they become Wardens, entitling them to learn the following twelve spells.

Warden

Analyze Magic, Materialize, Reflect Gaze, Resist Disease, Resist Fire, Resist Pain, Resist Poison, Resist Water, Scryfool, See Invisible, Solidify, Turn Spirit.

When the mage has learned 6 Warden spells, they become a Watchman, entitling them to learn the following eleven spells.

Watchman

Affect Spirits, Astral Vision, Coolness, Dispel Possession, Iron Arm, Magic Resistance, Resist Cold, Resist Lightning, Resist Sound, Turn Zombie, Warmth.

When the mage has learned 6 Watchman spells, they become one of the Ordained, entitling them to learn the following seventeen spells.

Ordained

Banish, Bind Spirit, Delay, Dispel Magic, Entrap Spirit, Pentagram, Reflex, Remove Curse, Repel Spirits, Resist Acid, Resist Enchantment, Soul Jar, Spellguard, Spell Shield, Spell Wall, Suspend Curse, Suspend Magic.

A mage who learns 8 Ordained spells becomes a Harrower, entitling them to learn the following 7 spells.

Harrower

Bless, Castigation, Chains of Binding, Hang Spell, Knives of Compulsion, Link, Suspend Magery.

Secret Spell: Castigation (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

Castigation may only be cast on spirits and demons. If Castigation is not successfully resisted by a target, then any immediately follow Banish spell cast on that target is resisted at a penalty equal to the degree by which the target failed to resist Castigation. Castigation is quite painful for the subject, even if resisted. There is no Shock Penalty, but the spell may convince the subject to go home even if not successfully Banished. Or it may just really make them mad.

Cost: 10

Time to Cast: 10 minutes

Secret Spell: Chains of Binding Special

Chains of Binding functions the same way as Entrap Sprit (GURPS Magic p.157) unless otherwise noted. The main difference is that Entrap Spirit is temporary, whereas Chains of Binding will hold the sprit until someone lets them go.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: Spirit’s (ST+IQ) divided by 2.

Secret Spell: Knives of Compulsion (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

This spell causes a spirit intense pain in order to make them tell the truth. For every point by which the subject fails the contest, the mage is at +1 to Interrogation. On a critical success by the caster or critical failure by the subject, the subject will tell all they know unless magically prevented from doing so. Mages may have strong moral qualms about if and when it is appropriate to use such a spell.

Duration: 1 minute.

Cost: Spirit’s (ST+IQ) divided by 5.

Time to Cast: 10 seconds.

=The Low Road =

Cost: 18 points

Style Prerequisite: DX 10+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Low Road is the magical art of robbing graves, as unromantic and practical a style as has been developed. Whether the craft was originally developed by sages who grew greedy or thieves who grew magically sophisticated, it is today a criminal tool and a highly effective and profitable one at that. Mages of this school are very rarely open about it and generally pass themselves off as either urban poor or comfortable idlers of independent means. They generally shun fame and recognition, moving on if they become too well known. Being driven by money rather than by love of the work, they are frequently willing to turn their hand to tasks other than grave robbing if they pay well, so may be found among adventurers, thieves who prey on the living, and even security experts.

Required Skills: Architecture, Archaeology, Climbing, Cryptology, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Hidden Lore (Tombs), Hidden Lore (Undead Lore), Forced Entry, Lockpicking, Occultism, Research, Search, Stealth, Traps.

Required Spells: Climbing, Light, Measurement.

Perks: Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Flexible Ritual (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Corpse Smart), Intuitive Cantrip (Intuitive Illusionist), Kill Switch, Knower of Names, Mana Compensation, No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Reduced Footprint 2, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Graveweird, Slumber of the Earthen Bed, Touch of Avarice).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved DX and IQ.

Advantages: Acute Senses (Any), Catfall, Double-Jointed, Languages, Night Vision.

Disadvantages: Cursed, Enemies (Undead), Greed, Overconfidence, Nightmares, Reputation (Suspicious Behavior).

Skills: Fast-Talk, Heraldry, Merchant, Metallurgy, Symbol Drawing, Thanatology.

The student begins their study at the level of Magpie, entitling them to learn the following fifteen spells.

Magpie

Apportation, Astral Block, Climbing, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Light, Measurement, Scryguard, Seek Air, Seek Earth, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Suspend Spell, Tell Time, Ward.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above spells including Climbing, Light and Measurement,, they become a Black Dog, which entitles them to learn the following twenty spells.

Black Dog

Continual Light, Great Ward, Know Illusion, Infravision, Levitation, Lockmaster, Locksmith, Mage Sight, Neutralize Poison, Recover Energy, Mage Stealth, Night Vision, Seek Magic, Sense Observation, Sense Spirit, Silence, Slow Fall, Tell Position, Wallwalker, Test Load.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above spells, they become a Banisher, which entitles them to learn the following fifteen spells.

Banisher

Alarm, Identify Spell, Dark Vision, Earth Vision, Flight, Hush, Light Tread, Know Location, Materialize, Poltergeist, Relieve Sickness, See Invisible, Shape Earth, Turn Spirit, Wizard Eye.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above spells, they become a Graveworm, which entitles them to learn the following fifteen spells.

Graveworm

Affect Spirits, Ancient History, Astral Vision, Cure Disease, Dispel Illusion, Earth to Air, Hawk Flight, History, Resist Disease, Resist Poison, Scryfool, Shatter, Solidify, Turn Zombie, Wizard Hand.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above spells, they become a Taxman, which entitles them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Taxman

Banish, Delay, Dispel Magic, Displace Spell, Graveweird, Link, Reflex, Remove Curse, Repel Spirits, Slumber of the Earthen Bed, Touch of Averice, Suspend Curse, Suspend Magic.

Secret Spell: Graveweird (VH) Regular Resisted by Will

The subject can tell when they are being observed by the undead. Nothing about the location or nature of the observer can be determined – the subject can just tell that they are being watched. Graveweird is an unpleasant sensation for most normal people.

Duration: 8 hours.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 5 minutes

Secret Spell: Slumber of the Earthen Bed (VH) Area, Resisted by Will

Undead in the spell’s area of effect are at -4 for rolls to notice anything. This will has no effect on undead who are restlessly active, only those who are dormant, or resting, or dozing or in some other way in a state analogous to sleeping or being only partly awake. Any attempt to place an undead creature in a dormant state (killing or destroying them is not “placing them in a dormant state”) is at +2 to skill.

Duration: 1 hour

Base Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 5 Minutes

Secret Spell: Touch of Avarice (VH) Regular

The caster can tell whether they are touching rare metals or stones with a successful Per roll. On a successful Metallurgy or Jeweler roll (as appropriate) they can identify the type. As a side effect, they can tell by touch whether what they are touching is metal, or rock, or neither. This does not count as a spell “on”.

Duration: 8 hours

Cost: 3

Time to Cast: 3 seconds.

=Path of No Path =

Cost: 12 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 12+, Animal Empathy or Frightens Animals, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Path of No Path teaches that human beings have fallen out of harmony with the natural world, wounding our souls, and that it is only by becoming one with nature once again that we can become whole. The journey back to nature is one that every human must take alone, finding their own way, and it is a journey that may take multiple lifetimes. A natural affinity for magic is viewed as evidence that the possessor has come far in previous lifetimes. The magical art of Path of No Path is not necessary for the journey, but is regarded as an extremely useful tool which greatly enhances the seekers chances of success. While practicing Path of No Path generally brings about changes in the wielder, the changes vary depending on the subject’s nature – some grow gentle, some violent and wild, some become obsessed with food and sex, some with protecting the natural world.

Required Skills: Camouflage, Climbing, Herb Lore, Hidden Lore (Wilderness Spirits), Naturalist, Stealth, Survival (Any), Weather Sense.

Required Spells: Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, Keen Vision.

Perks: Intuitive Cantrip (Friendly Undergrowth), Intuitive Cantrip (Good with Animal, Any type of wild animal), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mana Compensation, Melee Spell Mastery (Any), Mighty Spell (Any melee), No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Secret Spell (Creature of the Land, Metamorphosis or Rage of the Wild).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved ST, DX, IQ and HT.

Advantages: Absolute Direction, Acute Senses (Any), Catfall, Combat Reflexes, Hard to Kill, Outdoorsman, Perfect Balance

Disadvantages: Berserk, Bestial, Bloodlust, Callous, Hidebound.

Skills: Esoteric Medicine, Jumping, Running, Survival (Any), Thaumatology.

The student of the Path of No Path begins their studies as a Supplicant of the Beast. This entitles them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Supplicant of the Beast

Beast-Soother, Climbing, Detect Magic, Find Direction, Haste, Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, Keen Vision, Seek Plant, Seek Water, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Shield, Test Food.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells, including Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell and Keen vision gains the Eyes of the Beast, an achievement enabling them to learn the following twenty-four spells

Eyes of the Beast

Alertness, Beast Seeker, Beast Speech, Armor, Beast Summoning, Detect Poison, Hide, Hush, Identify Plant, Instant Neutralize Poison, Lighten Burden, Might, Neutralize Poison, Nightingale, Night Vision, No-Smell, Pathfinder, Purify Food, Purify Water, Quick March, Recover Energy, Sense Observation, Silence, Watchdog.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells gains the Breath of the Beast, enabling them to learn the following twenty-four spells.

Breath of the Beast

Bless Plants, Blossom, Blur, Boost Health, Boost Strength, Conceal, Forest Warning, Gloom, Heal Plant, Hide Path, Light Tread, Mage-Stealth, Plant Growth, Plant Vision, Predict Weather, Rejuvinate Plant, Relieve Sickness, Remove Contagion, Resist Disease, Resist Poison, Tangle Growth, Vigor, Walk Through Plants, Warmth.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells attains the Soul of the Beast, enabling them to learn the following sixteen spells.

Soul of the Beast

Beast Link, Coolness, False Tracks, Freedom, Invisibility, Plant Form, Plant Sense, Plant Speech, Protect Animal, Remember Path, Shapeshifting (Bear), Shapeshifting (Boar), Shapeshifting (Crow), Shapeshifting (Deer), Shapeshifting (Hawk), Shapeshifting (Wolf).

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells becomes an “Animal”, enabling them to learn the following spells.

Animal

Arboreal Immurement, Creature of the Land, Enchant, Metamorphosis, Rage of the Wild. At this rank, Shapeshifting spells that transform the subject into a mundane animal that lives in the wild should generally be available. The mage could learn Shapeshift (Badger) or Shapeshift (Salmon) if they wish, for example. As always, the GM has final ruling.

Secret Spell: Creature of the Land (VH) Regular

If the caster makes an appropriate Survival (Wilderness) skill roll, they will receive the following benefits while in the wild. The caster is at +2 Per and has an additional +2 to Tracking. All attempts to detect the caster, including spells and Tracking, are at -2 to skill. The caster travels 100% faster when off-road and on foot. This does not affect combat Move.

Duration: Until sunrise or sunset, whichever comes first.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 5 minutes.

Secret Spell: Metamorphosis (VH) Regular

Cast immediately before the caster casts a Shapeshift (Animal) spell on themselves, metamorphosis will have the following effects. The Shapeshifting spell will be cast at +4 to skill. The Shapeshifting spell will not cause IQ decrease. The duration of the Shapeshift (Animal) spell will be until sunrise or sunset, whichever comes first.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 2 minutes.

Secret Spell: Rage of the Wild (VH) Regular

This spell function as Beast Summoning (GURPS Magic, p.30) except where noted. Any summoned beast will immediately attack anyone the caster likes, fighting to the death. The caster can change the target of the beast’s attacks at will, but failure to will an attack on a target the beast can sense will terminate the spell. If the GM rules that the animal summoned was in close proximity to pack mates, 1d animals will arrive instead of one.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 1 second.

=Prayers of the Red Angels =

Cost: 13 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 11+, Magery, (not One College Only).

Prayers of the Red Angels is a military style, designed to provide blessings and healing to soldiers in battle. Though they have little in the way of offensive magic, they can greatly enhance the effectiveness of friendly combatants around them. In theory, mages of this school are not combat troops but physicians. They traditionally enter battle armed only with a knife and regard direct attacks on their persons by the enemy to be dishonorable. In practice, they are recognized as the dangerous battle-mages that they are and may be singled out for attack. Mercenary mages trained in the Red Angels school often cultivate an image of being a healer rather than a soldier, since healers are welcome in more places. A few mages of this school become generals themselves, making strategic use of their battle magic while commanding bandits, mercenaries or regular troops.

Required Skills: First Aid, Judo, Knife, Physician, Riding (Horse), Soldier.

Required Spells: Block, Haste, Keen Hearing, Keen Vision, Lend Energy, Shield.

Perks: Better Magic Items (Healing), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Aid), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Reduced Footprint 1, Sacrificial Block Spell (Any), Scroll-Reading, Secret Spell (Angel’s Blessing, Bloodrage or Call to Formation), Secret Words, Spell Resistance (Mass Daze), Spell Resistance (Mass Sleep).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Combat Reflexes, Military Rank, Reputation (Brave Physician).

Disadvantages: Pacifism (Cannot Personally Kill), Reputation (Hypocritical Mercenary), any Physical Disadvantage that can be explained by injury (e.g. One Hand, One Eye) or Mental Disadvantage that can be explained by trauma (e.g. Phobias, Flashbacks and Nightmares).

Skills: Running, Staff, Symbol Drawing, Tactics.

Apprentices are admitted to the order at the level of Acolyte. At this level, they are trained in medical and military skills and taught the following 6 spells.

Acolyte

Block, Haste, Keen Hearing, Keen Vision, Lend Energy, Shield.

Acolytes are promoted to Cherabim when they have learned all six Acolyte spells. This entitles them to learn any of the following seventeen spells.

Cherubim

Armor, Blade Turning, Bravery, Deflect Missile, Hardiness, Keen Taste and Smell, Lend Vitality, Might, Minor Healing, Missile Shield, Neutralize Poison, Recover Energy, Shade, Share Energy, Stop Spasm, Turn Blade, Umbrella.

Cherubim are promoted to Ascendant when they have learned 8 Cherubim spells including Armor and Minor Healing. This entitles them to learn any of the following nineteen spells.

Ascendant

Alertness, Awaken, Boost Health, Boost Strength, Grace, Hold Breath, Instant Neutralize Poison, Major Healing, Perfume, Relieve Addiction, Relieve Sickness, Remove Contagion, Resist Disease, Resist Water, Resist Pain, Resist Poison, Restore Memory, Share Vitality, Vigor.

Ascendants are promoted to White Guard when they have learned 8 Ascendant spells including Major Healing. This entitles them to learn any of the following 27 spells.

White Guard

Balance, Boost Dexterity, Boost Intelligence, Cadence, Coolness, Cure Disease, Great Healing, Halt Aging, Healing Slumber, Instant Restoration, Instant Regeneration, Iron Arm, Reflexes, Regeneration, Relieve Paralysis, Resist Lightning, Resist Sound, Restoration, Restore Hearing, Restore Sight, Restore Speech, Stop Paralysis, Strengthen Will, Warmth, Wisdom, Teleport, Shield.

White Guards are promoted to Battle Angels when they have learned 8 White Guard spells, including Strengthen Will. This entitles them to learn any of the following seventeen spells.

Battle Angel

Atmosphere Dome, Cleansing, Delay, Force Dome, Enchant, Force Wall, Halt Aging, Powerstone, Reflex, Relieve Madness, Remove Curse, Resist Acid, Resist Pressure, Resurrection, Suspend Curse, Utter Dome, Weather Dome, Youth.

Battle Angels are promoted to Seraphim when they have learned 8 Battle Angel spells. This entitles them to learn any of the following five spells.

Seraphim

Angel’s Blessing, Bloodrage, Call to Formation, Link, Utter Wall.

Secret Spell: Angel’s Blessing (VH) Area

Everyone within range who the Seraphim wishes to protect is at -1 to be hit from all attacks. The spell has no effect on anyone the Seraphim does not wish to protect.

Duration: 1 minute

Base Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 10 seconds.

Secret Spell: Bloodrage (VH) Area

Everyone within range who the caster wishes to inspire will be filled with an anger that provides them with +3 on any Will check not to flee or retreat from combat. The spell has no effect on anyone the caster does not wish to inspire. The spell only works on those who are trying to work up the will to stay – if somebody genuinely wants to leave, the spell will not stop them.

Duration: 1 minute

Base Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 4 seconds.

Secret Spell: Call to Formation (VH) Area

When the Seraphim sounds the Call to Formation, everyone within one yard who they wish to heal is healed for 1d for every two energy the mage has devoted to the spell. Those further away divide the healing total by two times their distance in yards, rounded down. The spell has no effect on those the Seraphim does not wish to heal. The call must use loud incantations, even if the caster would not otherwise have to use incantations at all.

Cost: Any amount up to twice Magery level per second. Call to Formation heals 1d burning damage per full two points of energy.

Time to Cast: 1 to level of Magery seconds.

=The Protected Path =

Cost: 12

This style is a practical style taught to those interested in self-preservation and self-gain. It is utilized by many rogues and treasure seekers. It teaches stealth, path finding and how to cover ones trail.

Required Skills: Stealth, Camouflage, Climbing, Tracking, Thautamology

Required Spells: Apportation, Foolishness, Climbing, Block, Keen Vision, Sense Foes

Perks: Area Spell Mastery, Blocking Spell Mastery (Block), Far Casting, Intuitive Cantrip (Gate Experience, Screen), Limited Energy Reserve(1-5), No Incantations, No Gestures, Secret Spell (Defend the Unseen, Becoming the Shadow), Shortcut to Power (Pathfinder, Body of Air, Invisibility), Spell Bond, Willful Casting

Optional Traits

Attributes: IQ 12+

Advantages: Magery 3, Perception, Silence, Chameleon, Enhanced Move, 360 Vision (Panoptic 2), Clinging, Danger Sense,

Disadvantages: Paranoia

Spell List

In order to walk the Protected Path, Travelers must take certain Journeys

1st Journey - The Path

The foundation of the Protected path is laid out in 6 basic spells:

Apportation, Foolishness, Climbing, Block, Keen Vision, Sense Foes

Travelers on the Path may also learn Shortcut to Power (Pathfinder)

2nd Journey - The Trail

Once the Path has been walked and all 6 spells learned, the Traveler may learn any of these spells:

Wall Walker, Slow Fall, Levitation, Daze, Cont. Light, Grace, Sense Danger, Silence, Night Vision, Haste, Find Direction

Travelers on the Trail may also learn Shortcut to Power (Body of Air)

3rd Journey - The Alley

When Sense Danger and 5 other spells of the Journey have been mastered, the Traveler may learn these spells:

Pathfinder, Gloom, Darkness, Balance, Watch Dog, Hush, Dark Vision, Test Load, Tell Position, Flight

Travelers on the Alley may also learn Shortcut to Power (Invisibility)

4th Journey - The Road

When Watchdog and 4 other spells of the Alley have been learned, the Traveler may learn these spells:

Body of Air, Reflexes, Light Tread, Blur, Shape Darkness, Mage-Stealth, Blackout, Glasswall, Know Location

5th Journey - The Avenue

When Mage-Stealth and 4 more of the spells of the Road are known, then the Traveler may learn these spells:

Invisibility, Freedom, Body of Shadows, Hide, Remember Path, Ethereal Body, Teleport(VH)

6th Journey - The Highway

When Freedom and 3 of the other spells of the Avenue are learned, the Traveler may learn these spells:

Rapid Journey(VH), Create Door, Sanctuary(VH), Defend Unseen (Secret Spell), Becoming Shadow (Secret Spell)

Secret Spell: Defend Unseen (VH) Regular

Any time that the caster is attacked by an unseen opponent, they will sense the attack coming unless the attacker resists with Will. When the caster senses attack, they may spend 1 FP to attempt to Fast-Draw a weapon, 1 FP to face any desired direction, 1 FP per parry to parry and 1 FP to attack their assailant. An opponent who is unseen even when being faced (such as invisible opponent or one in a dark room) may be parried and attacked without penalty but all damage goes to a random hit location.

Duration: Until the caster next sleeps.

Cost: 0

Time to Cast: 5 minutes.

Secret Spell: Becoming Shadow (VH) Regular

Same as Body of Shadow except that it allows all carried or worn equipment to become shadow as well, retaining all previous powers and abilities.

=Pure Circle of Shining Illumination =

Cost: 7 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Society of Practical Historians was founded centuries ago by sages with a passion for archaeology. However, it did not take students of this school long to realize that the style developed by the society, the Pure Circle of Shining illumination, had particularly practical and profitable applications. The skills that allow a historian to penetrate a dangerous environment and return with items of historical interest are the skills that allow an adventurer to penetrate a dangerous environment and return with treasure. Today, the Society mostly attracts students who are looking for wealth, though the heavy emphasis on academics quickly weeds out those seeking easy money. Less pragmatic schools might sneer at such mundane ambitions, but it cannot be denied that the school produces both brilliant sages and wizards of temporal power.

Required Skills: Archaeology, History, Literature, Research.

Required Spells: Light, Scroll.

Perks: Adjustable Spell (Spell Variation, Any attack spell), Huge Subjects, Intuitive Cantrip (Any), Magical Weapon Bond. Mighty Spell (Any melee or missile), Power Casting (Any missile), Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Evocation of Sulfurous Corruption, Impenetrable Armor of the Arch-Mage or Wings of the Golden Phoenix), Wizardly Dabbler.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Combat Reflexes, Wealth.

Disadvantages: Callous, Enemies (Monsters), Greed, Miserliness, Reputation (Glorified Bandit).

Skills: Cryptology, First Aid, Geology, Innate Attack (Jet), Innate Attack (Projectile), Knife, Mathematics, Merchant, Occultism, Staff, Symbol Drawing, Thanatology, Throwing (Knife).

A mage joins the society at the level of Journeyman, entitling them to learn the following twenty-three spells.

Journeyman

Apportation, Beast-Soother, Climbing, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Far Feeling, Find Direction, Ignite Fire, Foolishness, Haste, Keen Vision, Levitation, Light, Magelock, Measurement, Scroll, Seek Air, Seek Earth, Seek Fire, Seek Water, Shield, Simple Illusion, Sound.

When a mage has learned 8 Journeyman spells, including Light and Scroll, they are promoted to Thaumaturgist, entitling them to learn the following twenty-eight spells.

Thaumaturgist

Continual Light, Create Air, Create Fire, Daze, Detect Poison, Flight, Glue, Identify Plant, Identify Spell, Infravision, Lockmaster, Locksmith, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Mage Stealth, Mystic Mist, Night Vision, Purify Water, Recover Energy, Seek Pass, Shape Earth, Shape Fire, Silence, Sleep, Slow Fall, Tell Position, Test Load, Wallwalker.

When a mage has learned 8 Thaumaturgist spells including Continual Light, they are promoted to Sorcerer. This entitles them to learn the following twenty-three spells.

Sorcerer

Body of Air, Blur, Complex Illusion, Create Water, Darkness, Flame Jet, Hawk Flight, Hush, Fireball, Flash, Know Location, Lightning, Manipulate, Spider Silk, Mass Daze, Mass Sleep, Pathfinder, Rain of Fire, Seeker, Shape Air, Shape Water, Trace, Wizard Eye.

When a mage has learned 8 Sorcerer spells including Fireball, they are promoted to Wizard, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Wizard

Ancient History, Earth to Air, Explosive Fireball, Explosive Lightning, Fire Cloud, History, Inscribe, Invisibility, Fire Cloud, Remember Path, Shocking Touch, Teleport, Wizard Hand.

When a mage has learned 7 Wizard spells, including Explosive Fireball, they are promoted to Archmage, entitling them to learn the following seventeen spells.

Archmage

Control Air Elemental, Control Earth Elemental, Control Fire Elemental, Control Water Elemental, Delay, Dispel Magic, Enchant, Evocation of Sulfurous Corruption, Impenetrable Armor of the Arch-Mage, Link, Mapmaker, Staff, Summon Air Elemental, Summon Earth Elemental, Summon Fire Elemental, Summon Water Elemental, Wings of the Golden Phoenix.

Secret Spell: Evocation of Sulfurous Corruption (VH) Area

Causes a cloud of flesh-eating acid to engulf an area. The acid will burn any living organic tissue, but is completely harmless towards everything else. This is unfortunate if fighting something not composed of organic tissue, but often handy for rubbing out the opposition while leaving the treasure unscathed. Creatures in the cloud take damage on their own turn. If less than an entire second is spent in the area, damage is halved, round down. Manufactured armor protects normally up to a number of seconds equal to its DR. After that, the armor can be considered to be slick or wet with acid.

Duration: 10 seconds

Base Cost: 1 to Magery level; the cloud inflicts on point of damage per second for every energy put into the base cost. Same cost to maintain.

Time to Cast: 1 to Magery level seconds, depending on base cost.

Secret Spell: Impenetrable Armor of the Arch-Mage (VH) Regular

The mage’s skin becomes hard like rock, providing DR, cumulative with any other DR the mage may have, including from the Armor spell. The mage takes half damage from non-magical weapons made of wood, such as clubs, staffs and primitive spears.

Duration: One Minute.

Cost: 2 + (twice the DR given up to a maximum of 6). Half that to maintain.

Time to Cast: 1 second

Secret Spell: Wings of the Golden Phoenix (VH) Regular

He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day. If Wings of the Golden Phoenix is cast immediately prior to the caster casting Teleport on themselves, that Teleport spell is at +3 to skill for the purposes of defeating anti-magic/anti-teleport systems only. The caster may only teleport themselves – no friends and no more treasure than they can carry. The caster must teleport to relative safety, never into equal or greater danger.

Cost: 0

Time to Cast: 1 second

=Riding the Lightning =

Cost: 8 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 12+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The origin of the mages who call themselves Those Who Ride the Lightning is lost in folklore. They claim to have been founded by an itinerant scholar who was overtaken by a storm on the road one day, was struck by lightning, and decided that he liked it. The style offers mastery over energy in all its forms, emphasizing the need to feel the power channeling through one’s body and mind. Some mages master the style just for the rush, others because it offers a unique insight into fundamental forces, and others because it offers fast lethality. Mages who study this style can grow to be excitable or even manic and some are quick to anger. Not a few are experience junkies in general, driven by the opening of their senses to seek bigger and better thrills.

Required Skills: Meditation, Thaumatology.

Requires Spells: Apportation, Haste, Levitation, Light, Recover Energy.

Perks: Adjustable Spell (Spell Variation, Any attack spell), Afflicted Casting (Flagellant’s Blessing), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Blood Magic, Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Kindle), Intuitive Cantrip (Mystic Gesture), Life Force Burn, 1-5, Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mighty Spell (Any melee or missile), Missile Spell Mastery, Power Casting (Any), Psychic Guidance (Any), Secret Spell (Heavy Nerve Buzz, Riding the Static, Rushing Brain Shock or Touch of Life), Secret Words, Special Exercises (FP may exceed HT by 100%).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved HT.

Advantages: Acute Touch, Combat Reflexes,

Disadvantages: Bad Temper, Berserk, Impulsiveness, Overconfidence, Reputation (Not Sane).

Skills: First Aid, Symbol Drawing.

A student begins their studies as an Attendant of Lightning, requiring them to learn the following 5 spells.

Attendant of Lightning

Apportation, Haste, Levitation, Light, Recover Energy.

When all 5 spells have been learned, the mage becomes a Will Worker, entitling them to study the following twenty-two spells.

Will Worker

Continual Light, Deflect Missile, Distant Blow, Flight, Glue, Grease, Great Haste, Hinder, Hold Fast, Increase Burden, Infravision, Jump, Lighten Burden, Lockmaster, Locksmith, Long March, Poltergeist, Quick March, Shape Earth, Shape Light, Slow Fall, Wallwalker, Warm.

A mage who has learned 8 Will Worker spells becomes an Ascendant One, entitling them to study the following seventeen spells.

Ascendant One

Air Jet, Flash, Glow, Hawk Flight, Heat, Light Jet, Light Tread, Lightning, Manipulate, Shape Air, Shape Water, Slide, Slow, Undo, Wall of Wind, Windstorm, Winged Knife.

A mage who has learned 8 Ascendant One spells becomes a Transformed One, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Transformed One

Air Vortex, Body of Lightning, Explosive Lightning, Lightning Armor, Lightning Missiles, Lightning Stare, Lightning Weapon, Lightning Whip, Pull, Repel, Resist Lightning, Shocking Touch, Spark Cloud, Spark Storm, Wall of Lightning, Warm, Wind, Wizard Hand.

A mage who has learned 8 Transformed One spells becomes a Sage of Thunderbolts, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Sage of Thunderbolts

Ball of Lightning, Charge Powerstone, Dancing Weapon, Delay, Enchant, Freedom, Link, Heavy Nerve Buzz, Powerstone, Riding the Static, Rushing Brain Shock, Staff, Touch of Life.

Secret Spell: Heavy Nerve Buzz (VH) Regular

While under the effects of this spell, the caster has the benefits of the Lightning Armor spell and the Advantages High Pain Threshold and Very Fit. Their touch does 1d+1 electrical burn damage, whether they want it to or not. Many mages find being the subject of Heavy Nerve Buzz to be quite pleasurable.

Duration: 1 minute

Cost: 10 to cast, 5 to maintain

Time to Cast: 10 seconds.

Secret Spell: Riding the Static (VH) Regular

The caster opens their senses and draws on the ambient energy all around them to replenish themselves. Use of this spell requires a successful Meditation roll, after which the mage stands, twitching in ecstasy. They are so distracted from the world around them that they are for all intents and purposes asleep and will remain so until they recover all FP or someone wakes them up. If the mage knows this spell at level 15 or higher, they recover 1 FP every 2 minutes. If they know it at 20 or higher, they recover 1 FP every minute.

Duration: Until at full FP or woken up.

Cost: None

Time to Cast: 1 minute.

Secret Spell: Rushing Brain Shock (VH) Regular

The caster gives their own brain a shocking jolt of electricity to make up for lack of sleep. The immediately suffer the effects of the Daze spell with no possibility of resistance and for ten minutes thereafter will be at -1 DX and IQ, but +2 Will. For every point by which they made their spell roll, they may go without 1 hour of sleep with no ill effects, but also may not fall asleep for at least that many hours. Many mages find being the subject of Rushing Brain Shock to be quite pleasurable.

Cost: 1.

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Touch of Life (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT

An arc of electricity springs from the caster’s fingers (or a metal tool) to the subject, automatically striking, at a range in yards equal to the casters ST / 10, rounded up. If the subject fails a HT roll, they suffer 1d electrical burn damage. Armor does not protect, though a human being or large object suddenly thrust between the caster and the target could be used to block.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 1 second.

=Rituals of the Outer Darkness =

Cost: 14 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

Rituals of the Outer Darkness is the art of dealing with demons. Demon-worship is strictly forbidden as is entering into a demon’s service, though negotiations and deals with demons are tolerated. Mages have many reasons for wanting to study demons. The mage might be an altruist, learning how to cast out the enemy, they might be a cynic, sure that the quickest route to power must be through the dirtiest of deals, or they might just be scholars, driven by curiosity about the most deceptive of realms. The fundamental texts of the school make no comment on what the style is for or what a student ought to be doing with their skills. They simply explain the subject matter in painstaking detail in a dry, academic style. The training of an adept is academically grueling, and students looking for a quick route to power are soon disappointed. For those with sufficient talent and perseverance, however, the school as a great deal of power of offer. Mages of this school, if they must identify themselves as mages as all, often present themselves as exorcists first and foremost. After all, people can jump to conclusions when they find out that you associate with demons.

Required Skills: Cryptology, Exorcism, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Hidden Lore (Demon Lore), Occultism, Research, Theology.

Required Spells: Astral Block, Detect Magic, Fear, Foolishness, Scroll, Scryguard.

Perks: Astrological Ceremonies, Better Magic items (Meta-Magic or Necromantic), Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intimidating Curses, Knower of Names, Magical Lawyer, Obscure True Name, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (The Book of Names, Breaking the Gates of Perdition, Call of Damnation), Spirit Contract.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Languages, Oracle, Patron (Demon).

Disadvantages: Cursed, Enemies (Demons, the Law and Villagers with Pitchforks), Reputation (Meddler in Unwholesome Things), Secret (Demon Mage).

Skills: Alchemy, Hidden Lore (Demons), Hidden Lore (Spirits), History, Literature, Mathematics, Symbol Drawing, Teaching.

An apprentice begins their studies as a Squire of the White Tabard, at which level they are required to learn the following 6 spells.

Squire of the White Tabard

Astral Block, Detect Magic, Fear, Foolishness, Scroll, Scryguard.

A mage who has learned all 6 Squire of the White Tabard spells becomes a Knight of the Red Sword, entitling them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Knight of the Red Sword

Amulet, Daze, Disorient, Forgetfulness, Identify Spell, Madness, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Recover Energy, Panic, Scrywall, Summon Spirit, Talisman,Terror, Weaken Will.

A mage who has learned 7 Knight of the Red Sword spells becomes a Lord or Lady of the Iron Tower, entitling them to learn the following fifteen spells.

Lord / Lady of the Iron Tower

Analyze Magic, Command, Dream Sending, Dream Viewing, Encrypt, Fascinate, Mass Daze, Materialize, Mindlessness, Permanent Forgetfulness, Permanent Madness, Scryfool, See Invisible, Solidify, Turn Spirit.

A mage who has learned 8 Iron Tower spells becomes a Baron or Baroness of Lamentations, entitling them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Baron(ess) of Lamentations

Affect Spirits, Astral Vision, Dispel Possession, Dream Projection, Drunkenness, Enthrall, False Memory, Magic Resistance, Mass Suggestion, Nightmare, Oath, Sickness, Spell Shield, Suggestion.

A mage who has learned 7 Lamentations spells becomes a Duke or Duchess of the Burning City, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Duke / Duchess of the Burning City

Banish, Bind Spirit, Command Spirit, Delay, Dispel Magic, Enchant, Entrap Spirit, Great Geas, Lesser Geas, Pentagram, Powerstone, Remove Curse, Repel Spirits, Soul Jar, Spell Wall, Staff, Summon Demon, Suspend Curse.

A mage who learns 8 Burning City spells becomes a Prince or Princess of Fiends, entitling them to learn the following 8 spells.

Prince / Princess of Fiends

The Book of Names, Breaking the Gates of Perdition, Call of Damnation, Curse, Hang Spell, Lich, Link, Reflex.

Secret Spell: Breaking the Gates of Perdition (VH) Special

This is a particularly powerful demon summoning ritual. It is in all ways like Summon Demon on p. 155 of GURPS Magic, except where noted. The spell requires a human skull, or the site of a murder or haunting.

Duration: Until the demon’s task is done or 3 hours, whichever is less.

Cost: 1 point per 12 character points used to build the demon. Minimum energy cost is 25 (though this will not always summon a 296 point demon). The spell requires a human skull, or a preserved human finger, or the site of a murder or haunting. Parts of living creatures do not suffice.

Time to Cast: 30 minutes.

Call of Damnation (VH) Regular

Once Call of Damnation has been cast at a location, the next Banish spell cast at the same location is at +2 effectiveness. Demons at the location are at -2 on any non-magical roll to deceive, such as by using Acting, Fast-Talk or Law. The spell requires a human skull, or a preserved human finger, or the site of a murder or haunting. Parts of living creatures do not suffice.

Duration: Until the next time Banish is cast at the location or night falls, whichever comes first.

Cost: 10

Time to Cast: 10 minutes.

The Book of Names (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will+2

Cast in the presence of a demon, the spell will reveal the demon’s True Name. The spell requires a human skull, or a preserved human finger, or the site of a murder or haunting. Parts of living creatures do not suffice.

Cost: 8

Time to Cast: 5 minutes.

=Secrets of the Esoteric Order of the Silver Sword =

Cost: 26 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

In theory, the Esoteric Order of the Silver Sword is a society of gentlefolk devoted to the protection of the realm, religious observance, and scholarly pursuits of all kinds. In practice, most order members are more concerned with the pursuit of magical secrets or simply with getting ahead in the world. The order suffers from endless internal intrigue, a tendency among some members to be glory hounds, and a tendency among other members to let their curiosity overpower their sense when investigating supernatural phenomena. The society is obsessively secretive and understanding of hidden things brings a great deal of status of members. It is whispered that their most secret texts, known to only the innermost circle, promise power over the gods themselves.

Required Skills: Alchemy, Astrology, Cryptology, Falconry, Heraldry (Nobility), Hidden Lore (Demon Lore), Hidden Lore (Spirit Lore), History, Judo, Lance, Literature (Esoteric), Literature (Poetry), Melee Weapon (Broadsword), Mental Strength, Occultism, Philosophy, Research, Riding (Horse), Savoir-Faire, Shield, Symbol-Drawing, Thaumatology, Theology, Wrestling.

Required Spells: Scryguard.

Techniques: Cavalry Training (Any), Combat Riding, Counterattack (Broadsword), Hook (Broadsword), Spinning Strike (Broadsword), Staying Seated, Targeted Attack (Broadsword Swing / Leg), Targeted Attack (Broadsword Swing / Neck), Targeted Attack (Broadsword Thrust / Vitals), Targeted Attack (Broadsword Thrust /Chink Vitals). Note: Grip Mastery (Broadsword) may be taken as a martial style perk.

Perks: Astrological Ceremonies, Better Magic items (Weapons), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Blood Magic, Elixir Resistance, Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intimidating Curses, Intuitive Cantrip (Magical Analysis), Intuitive Cantrip (Mystic Gesture), Knower of Names, Life Force Burn, 1-5, Magical Weapon Bond, Melee Spell Mastery (Any), Mighty Spell (Any melee), Obscure True Name, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Ascending The Throne of The Universe, Invocation to The Four Corners of The Universe, or The Shining Litany of Divine Names), Secret Words, Shaman’s Trance, Spirit Contract.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Allies (Other order members), Autotrance, Channeling, Combat Reflexes, Enhanced Parry (Broadsword), Medium, Oracle, Reputation (Chivalrous Knight), Status, Wealth.

Disadvantages: Code of Honor (Chivalry), Enemies (Rival Occultists), Glory Hound, Impulsiveness, Overconfidence, Reputation (Worryingly Secretive).

Skills: Axe/Mace, Brawling, Knife, Mathematics, Spear, Staff, Teaching.

Mages are first initiated into the order at the level of Initiate of the Veil, entitling them to learn the following spells.

Initiate of the Veil

Astral Block, Detect Magic, Final Rest, Scroll, Scryguard, Sense Foes, Sense Life.

A Mage who has learned 4 Initiate spells, including Scryguard, becomes a Render of the Veil of stone. This entitles them to learn the following twelve spells.

Render of the Veil of Stone

Amulet , Identify Spell, Mage Sight, Mage Sense, Might, Recover Energy, Seek Magic, Sense Emotion, Scrywall, Summon Shade, Summon Spirit, Talisman.

A Mage who learns 6 Veil of Stone spells becomes a Render of the Veil of Darkness, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Render of the Veil of Darkness

Analyze Magic, Boost Health, Boost Strength, Compel Truth, Encrypt, Grace, Hide Emotion, Hide Thoughts, Materialize, Persuasion, Mind-Reading, Scryfool, See Invisible, Resist Pain, Solidify, Truthsayer, Turn Spirit, Vigor.

A mage who learns 8 Veil of Darkness spells becomes a Render of the Veil of Clouds, entitling them to learn the following seventeen spells.

Render of the Veil of Clouds

Affect Spirits, Ancient History, Astral Vision, Boost Dexterity, Command Spirit, Compel Lie, Dispel Possession, Divination (Astrology), History, Magic Resistance, Message, Mind-Search, Mind-Sending, Spell Shield, Skull-Spirit, Telepathy, Turn Zombie.

A mages who learn 8 Veil of Clouds spells becomes a Render of the Veil of Suns, entitling them to learn the following sixteen spells.

Render of the Veil of Suns

Animate Shadow, Banish, Bind Spirit, Charge Powerstone, Delay, Enchant, Pentagram, Powerstone, Presence, Remove Curse, Repel Spirits, Resurrection, Spell Wall, Staff, Summon Demon, Suspend Curse.

A mage who learns 8 Veil of Suns spells becomes a Render of the Veil of Stars, entitling them to learn the following 9 spells.

Render of the Veil of Stars

Ascending the Throne of the Universe, Bless, Curse, Hang Spell, Invocation to the Four Corners of the Universe, Link, The Shining Litany of Divine Names, Reflex, Wraith.

Secret Spell: Ascending The Throne of The Universe (VH) Information

Through ritual and meditation, the mage achieves a state of mystical ecstasy. At the GM’s discretion, the mage may have visions offering insight into the nature of some problem involving magic, supernatural creatures (including gods) or philosophy. Ascending the Throne of the Universe will never help the mage solve mundane problems. Information given will generally be in the form of allegorical dreams which will require interpretation. The GM should keep in mind that in order for the spell to be worth learning, it must at least occasionally be able to provide information that regular divination spells cannot. This spell requires a stick, a cup or bowl, a blade and a small drawn pentacle.

Cost: 6

Time to Cast: 2 hours

Secret Spell: Invocation to The Four Corners of The Universe (VH) Regular

Successful performance of this ritual generates 4 points of energy +1 point for every mage participant. This energy may only be used to magically summon, banish or bind extra-planar beings at the location at which the Invocation ritual was performed and dissipates after an hour. Invocations may not be stacked. This spell requires a stick, a cup or bowl, a blade and a small drawn pentacle.

Duration: 3 hours.

Cost: 0

Time to Cast: 1 hour.

Secret Spell: The Shining Litany of Divine Names (VH) Regular

Successful performance of this ritual at a location ensures that the next Bind (Spirit) spell cast at the location by a non-spirit is resisted at -2. This spell requires a stick, a cup or bowl, a blade and a small drawn pentacle.

Duration: 3 hours.

Cost: 0

Time to Cast: 1 hour.

=The Seven Books of Ivory =

Cost: 14 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

Before his death, the great mage-king Kessek wrote a treatise on the art of war-magic, seven volumes long. No copies of the original Seven Books of Ivory still exist, but the magical style they encoded lives on thanks to the painstaking work of scholars and the military needs of monarchs who want to harness Kessek’s art to make themselves dominant on the battlefield. A mage of this school does not seek to damage enemy troops directly, but to manage their own troops to devastating effect. The technique is compared by Kessek to chess, to walking a tightrope, and to the skill of a spider who can sense every movement in her web and responds with lethal force. Mages who master The Seven Books of Ivory are employed by regular armies and mercenary companies alike, though they sometimes offend other battle-mages with their arrogance. There is a tendency for members of this school to grow alienated from other people, viewing them as assets to be used. Legend has it that in the style’s most secret writings, Kessek sums up his philosophy with the observation “Life is like a game of chess. You must be the player, not a piece, and you must win”. Legend also has it that Kessek was murdered by his wife, the queen.

Required Skills: Broadsword, Games (Chess), Riding (Horse), Savoir-Faire, Shield, Soldier, Staff, Strategy, Tactics.

Required Spells: Counterspell, Keen Hearing, Keen Vision, Shield.

Perks: Adjustable Spell (Spell Variation, Any attack spell), Area Spell Mastery (Any), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Muffle), Intuitive Cantrip (Screen), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mana Compensation, Reduced Footprint 1, Sacrificial Blocking Spell (Any), Sanctum 1-2, Secret Spell (Feeling the Ground, Rapid Deployment, White Sacrifice).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Combat Reflexes, Military Rank, Reputation (An Officer and a Gentleman).

Disadvantages: Overconfidence, Reputation (Callous Manipulator), any Physical Disadvantage that can be explained by injury (e.g. One Hand, One Eye) or Mental Disadvantage that can be explained by trauma (e.g. Phobias, Flashbacks and Nightmares).

Skills: Animal Handling, Broadsword, Mapmaking, Public Speaking, Symbol Drawing.

Apprentices begin their training at the level of Pawn. They are required to learn the following 9 spells.

Pawn

Counterspell, Detect Magic, Foolishness, Keen Hearing, Keen Vision, Levitation, Shield, Simple Illusion, Sound.

When a Pawn has learned all 9 spells, they are promoted to Queen’s Pawn. This entitles them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Queen’s Pawn

Armor, Create Air, Create Fire, Daze, Flight, Forgetfulness, Hinder, Identify Spell, Keen Taste and Smell, Mage Sight, Minor Healing, Mystic Mist, Recover Energy, Sleep.

When the mage has learned 7 Queen’s Pawn spells, they are promoted to Knight. This entitles them to learn the following twenty spells.

Knight

Alertness, Analyze Magic, Command, Complex Illusion, Create Earth, Create Water, Flash, Frost, Hawk Flight, Major Healing, Mass Daze, Mass Sleep, Perfect Illusion, Rain of Fire, Rooted Feet, Shape Air, Shape Water, Stop Bleeding, Wall of Wind, Windstorm.

When the mage has learned 8 Knight spells, they are promoted to Rook. This entitles them to learn the following seventeen spells.

Rook

Air Vortex, Blink, Clouds, Cold, Control Illusion, Create Acid, Fog, Freeze, Ice Slick, Lightning, Peaceful Sleep, Rain, Rain of Stones, Spark Cloud, Spark Storm, Teleport, Wind.

When the mage has learned 8 Rook spells, they are promoted to Bishop. This entitles them to learn the following 7 spells.

Bishop

Delay, Dispel Magic, Enchant, Powerstone, Rain of Ice Daggers, Sandstorm, Staff.

When the mage has learned 4 Bishop spells, they are promoted to BattleMaster / BattleMistress. This entitles them to learn the following 6 spells.

BattleMaster / BattleMistress

Feeling the Ground, Hang Spell, Link, Rapid Redeployment, Reflex, White Sacrifice.

Secret Spell: Feeling the Ground (VH) Regular

The caster places their bare palms on the bare earth, to feel for the vibrations caused by concentrations of large animals, like soldiers and horses. Assume that the caster can roughly estimate the numbers and positions of soldiers as if he were overlooking the unobstructed battlefield from a hill on a clear day. Soldiers who stay absolutely still cannot be detected.

Duration: 1 second.

Cost: 1/1

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Rapid Redeployment (VH) Special

Everyone in the area of effect recovers energy as if the subject of a Recover Energy spell. Does not stack with Recover Energy.

Duration: 1 minute.

Base Cost: 1/1

Time to Cast: 10 seconds.

Secret Spell: White Sacrifice (VH) Blocking

If an ally dies within two yards of the caster and the caster immediately casts White Sacrifice, the caster will regain FP equal to half the dead ally’s ST, rounded down. The spell will work on mercenary allies, but will not work if the “ally” was intended to betray the mage, or believed themselves to be betrayed by the mage. The mage may not perform more than one White Sacrifice per second.

Duration: Instant.

Base Cost: 0

Time to Cast: 1 second.

=The Sickness =

Cost: 8 points

Style Prerequisite: Magery, (not One College Only).

The Sickness is black-magic for hurting people with, custom made for the cruel, the nihilistic, the vengeful, or the oh-so-self-righteous. The core text of the school is an anonymous long, meandering, surreal poem composed of bleak words jumbled together without any clear structure or meaning. Mages are free to read into the poem whatever they want and arrive at radically different interpretations. Some get by just by chanting the thing, subscribing to no particular philosophy and just riding a mood. Most mages who study the style are initially attracted by its dark imagery, which somehow resonates with their deeper feelings. However, no particular feelings are required for a mage to study or use the style and a mage may grow out of the emotions that brought them to The Sickness in the first place, without this impeding their magic. Most stylists die young, driven by black emotions to live dangerously. This may be just as well, since a learned mage of The Sickness style is in a position to do great harm to the people around them.

Required Skills: Hazardous Materials (Magical), Thaumatology.

Required Spells: Counterspell, Debility, Detect Magic, Scroll, Scryguard.

Perks: Adjustable Spell (Spell Variation, Any attack spell), Afflicted Casting (Flagellant’s Blessing), Afflicted Casting (Mystic’s Stupor), Area Spell Mastery (Darkness), Blood Magic, Elixir Resistance, Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intimidating Curses, Intuitive Cantrip (Controlled Disadvantage, any bodily or negative mental disadvantage), Life Force Burn 1-5, Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Sanctum 1-2, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Carrier, Glance of Despair, or Scourge of Sickness), Spirit Contract.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ or HT.

Advantages: Autotrance, Channeling, Medium, Night Vision

Disadvantages: Appearance, Chronic Depression, Enemies (Victims and Their Families), Frightens Animals, Laziness, Lifebane, Reputation (Spreader of Woe), Social Disease.

Skills: Climbing, Running, Stealth, Streetwise, Survival (Urban), Symbol Drawing.

Apprentices begin their studies at the level of Penitent. They are required to learn the following 5 spells.

Penitent

Counterspell, Debility, Detect Magic, Scroll, Scryguard.

When apprentices have learned the 5 Penitent spells, they become a Walker in Twilight. This entitles them to learn the following fifteen spells.

Walker in Twilight

Amulet, Decay, Frailty, Infravision, Mage Sight, Mage Stealth, Night Vision, Quick March, Recover Energy, Scrywall, Sense Observation, Sense Spirit, Summon Spirit (Ghost), Silence, Steal Might, Talisman.

When the mage has learned 8 Walker in Twilight spells, they become a Cold One. This entitles them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Cold One

Blackout, Blur, Darkness, Dark Vision, Frost, Gloom, Hide, Hush, Icy Weapon, Scryfool, See Invisible, Shape Darkness, Steal Energy, Steal Vigor.

When the mage has learned 7 Cold One spells, they become a Walker in Night. This entitles them to learn the following twenty-six spells.

Walker in Night

Body of Shadow, Cold, Control Zombie, Find Weakness, Freeze, Frostbite, Ice Dagger, Ice Slick, Ice Sphere, Icy Touch, Icy Missiles, Invisibility, Magic Resistance, Resist Cold, Shatter, Sickness, Pestilence, Skull-Spirit, Slow Healing, Spell Shield, Steal Vitality, Stop Healing, Strike Barren, Weaken, Weaken Blood, Zombie.

When the mage has learned 8 Walker in Night spells, they become a Gaunt One. This entitles them to learn the following twelve spells.

Gaunt One

Animate Shadow, Banish, Delay, Dispel Magic, Enchant, Icy Breath, Mass Zombie, Pentagram, Rotting Death, Rune, Spell Wall, Summon Demon.

When the mage has learned 6 Gaunt One spells, they become an Ashen One. This entitles them to learn the following 6 spells.

Ashen One

Carrier, Curse, Disintegrate, Glance of Despair, Link, Scourge of Sickness.

Secret Spell: Carrier (VH) Regular

When an Ashen One casts Carrier, they contract or cure themselves of any one disease that they have ever recovered from.

Duration: Instant.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 2 seconds

Secret Spell: Glance of Despair (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will.

The Ashen One can bring despair to people just by making eye-contact. No incantations or gestures are required. The one who meets the Ashen One’s gaze must resist with their Will or make a Fright Check at a penalty equal to the margin by which they lost the contest of spell skill against Will. The victim is being forced to contemplate their own life in the grimmest, most depressive light, a process that can cause life-long psychological damage.

Secret Spell: Scourge of Sickness (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

If an Ashen One casts Scourge of Sickness in the presence of the victim while in possession of something the victim once owned, they can take magical control of any illness the victim already has, making it better or worse at will. They retain this control for as long as they keep the item on their person or in their Sanctum, no matter how far distant they are from their victim.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 10

Time to Cast: 3 seconds

=Soulblade =

Cost: 16 points

Style Prerequisite: ST 11+, DX 12+, HT 11+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The purpose of Soulblade is to perfect the mage as a warrior. Such perfection is not achieved simply through learning to kill, but through self-discipline and excellence in traditional fighting arts. In theory, the practitioner cares only for honor and glory, living without fear of death or desire for riches. In practice, there are as many reasons why mages seek training as there are reasons why mages want to be able to kill, and even the most sincere apprentice may discover in time that life has better things to offer a skilled warrior than self-discipline and restraint. Thus, practitioners of Soulblade can be found among adventurers, mercenaries and bandits, as well as anywhere else where warriors are badly needed or well-rewarded.

Required Skills: Hiking, Judo, Jumping, Karate, Knife, Literature (Poetry), Meditation, Philosophy, Riding (Horse), Running, Melee Weapon (Two-Handed Sword), Savoir-Fair.

Required Spells: Armor, Haste, Shield.

Techniques: Back Strike (Two-Handed Sword), Counterattack (Two-Handed Sword), Feint (Two Handed Sword), Targeted Attack (Two Handed Sword Swing / Arm), Targeted Attack (Two-Handed Sword Swing / Neck), Targeted Attack (Two-Handed Sword Swing / Skull), Targeted Attack (Two-Handed Sword Thrust / Vitals), Targeted Attack (Two-Handed Sword Thrust / Vitals Chinks). Note: Grip Mastery (Two-Handed Sword) may be taken as a martial perk.

Perks: Afflicted Casting (Flagellant’s Blessing), Better Magic items (Weapons), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Frightening Side Effects (Any), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Magical Weapon Bond, Melee Spell Mastery (Any), Mighty Spell (Any melee), No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Reduced Footprint 2, Secret Spell (Blood of Heroes, River Leaf Cut or Willow Cut), Secret Words, Spell Dualist.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved ST, DX, IQ and HT.

Advantages: Combat Reflexes, High Pain Threshold, Perfect Balance, Reputation (Chivalrous Warrior), Weapon Master (Two-Handed Sword), Status.

Disadvantages: Callous, Code of Honor (Seek Glory), Enemies (Rival Warriors), Reputation (Violent Fool).

Skills: Artist, Axe/Mace, Body Control, Breath Control, Broadsword, Calligraphy, Fast-Draw (Two-Handed Sword), Heraldry, Power Blow, Spear, Staff, Symbol Drawing.

The student begins their studies at the level of Squire, entitling them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Squire

Armor, Bladeturning, Block, Climbing, Counterspell, Deflect Missile, Detect Magic, Hardiness, Haste, Scryguard, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Shield, Ward.

A mage who has learned 7 of the above spells, including Armor, Haste and Shield becomes a Knight of the Way, entitling them to learn the following nineteen spells.

Knight of the Way

Boost Strength, Catch Missile, Flight, Great Haste, Great Ward, Hide Emotion, Jump, Levitation, Mage Sight, Might, Minor Healing, Missile Shield, Neutralize Poison, Recover Energy, Reflect, Shape Earth, Stop Spasm, Turn Blade, Vigor.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes an Honorable Crane, entitling them to learn the following sixteen spells.

Honorable Crane

Boost Health, Grace, Hawk Flight, Hide Thoughts, Hold Breath, Major Healing, Reflect Gaze, Resist Disease, Resist Fire, Resist Pain, Resist Poison, Resist Water, Return Missile, Reverse Missiles, Scryfool, Shape Metal.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes an Honored Storm Dragon, entitling them to learn the following twelve spells.

Honored Storm Dragon

Balance, Blink, Body of Metal, Boost Dexterity, Catch Spell, Coolness, Iron Arm, Reflexes, Resist Cold, Resist Lightning, Resist Sound, Warmth.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Revered Celestial Tiger, entitling them to learn the following twelve spells.

Revered Celestial Tiger

Blood of Heroes, Delay, Dispel Magic, Freedom, Link, Reflex, Resist Acid, Resist Enchantment, River Leaf Cut, Sharpen, Throw Spell, Willow Cut.

Secret Spell: Blood of Heroes (VH) Regular

The caster may only cast Blood of Heroes when they are struck for damage, in which case, they may cast it immediately as a free action. The caster recovers from Stun and Shock and gains ten temporary hit points. The caster may not cast Blood of Heroes again until they have completely recovered all lost hit points. The spell does not require incantations or gestures.

Duration: HT minutes after the caster next rests.

Cost: 4

Time to Cast: 0 seconds. May be cast as a free action.

Secret Spell: River Leaf Cut (VH) Regular

Any time that the caster is attacked by an unseen opponent, they will sense the attack coming unless the attacker resists with Will. When the caster senses attack, they may spend 1 FP to attempt to Fast-Draw a weapon, 1 FP to face any desired direction, 1 FP per parry to parry and 1 FP to attack their assailant. An opponent who is unseen even when being faced (such as invisible opponent or one in a dark room) may be parried and attacked without penalty but all damage goes to a random hit location.

Duration: Until the caster next sleeps.

Cost: 0

Time to Cast: 5 minutes.

Secret Spell: Willow Cut (VH) Blocking, Resisted by Melee Weapon or Will

The caster may only cast Willow Cut when they make a successful parry with an edged weapon, in which case, they may cast it immediately as a free action. If the spell is successful, instead of parrying their opponent’s weapon, they parry their wrist, doing full swing damage.

Cost: 3

Time to Cast: 0 seconds. May be cast as a free action

=Ten Thousand Mirrors =

Cost: 20 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

Ten Thousand Mirrors was developed by mages who studied insanity, aided by mages who were suffering from it. While it has always been a therapeutic art in theory, curiosity, ambition and the dangers posed to sanity by dealing too closely with its opposite have greatly broadened the original project. In other words, while some mages of this school strive hard to cure the afflicted, others have used their power to dominate other human beings, to explore the stranger facets of reality, or just to do really, really crazy things. Most practitioners are functional, at least on the surface, which permits the school to survive and attract students. However, there are enough skeletons in the closet for adepts of the Ten Thousand Mirrors to habitually cultivate secrecy about their activities and many pass themselves off as simple scholars.

Required Skills: Cryptology, Detect Lies, Dreaming, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Hidden Lore (Dreams), Hypnotism, Interrogation, Literature (Poetry), Mental Strength, Mind Block, Occultism, Psychology, Research.

Required Spells: Fear, Foolishness, Scryguard, Sense Foes, Simple Illusion, Sound.

Perks: Afflicted Casting (Flagellant’s Blessing), Afflicted Casting (Mystic’s Stupor), Better Magic items (Communication and Empathy), Better Magic items (Mind Control), Flexible Ritual (Any), Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intimidating Curses, Intuitive Cantrip (Controlled Disadvantage, any mental), Knower of Names, Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Obscure True Name, Sanctum 1-2, Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Embrace of Madness, Moment of Clarity, or Reconstructive Mind Surgery), Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved Will.

Advantages: Allies (mad ones), Autotrance, Reputation (Dedicated and Learned Physician), Voice.

Disadvantages: Delusion, Enemies (Patients, Patients’ Families, Rival Practitioners of Ten Thousand Mirrors), Megalomania, Paranoia, Phobia, Reputation (Mad Doctor).

Skills: Intimidation, Savoir-Faire, Streetwise, Symbol Drawing, Teaching.

Apprentices begin their studies at the level of Student, which requires them to learn the following 6 spells.

Student

Fear, Foolishness, Scryguard, Sense Foes, Simple Illusion, Sound.

Mages who have learned all 6 of these spells become a Wiseman or Wisewoman, entitling them to learn the following twenty-four spells.

Wiseman / Wisewoman

Bravery, Counterspell, Daze, Detect Magic, Disorient, Dull Hearing, Dull Taste and Smell, Dull Vision, Forgetfulness, Identify Spell, Illusion Disguise, Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, Keen Vision, Know Illusion, Madness, Panic, Recover Energy, Scroll, Sense Emotion, Sleep, Terror, Ward, Weaken Will.

Mages who have learned 8 of the above spells become a Truth Sayer, entitling them to learn the following twenty-seven spells.

Truth Sayer

Alertness, Berserker, Command, Compel Truth, Complex Illusion, Dream Sending, Dream Viewing, Dullness, Emotion Control, Encrypt, Fascinate, Hide Emotion, Hide Thoughts, Loyalty, Mass Daze, Mass Sleep, Mental Stun, Mindlessness, Mind-Reading, Perfect Illusion, Permanent Madness, Persuasion, Restore Memory, Scryfool, Seeker, Truthsayer, Vexation.

Mages who have learned 8 Truth Sayer spells become Knights of the Empathic Order, entitling them to learn the following twenty-four spells.

Knight of the Empathic Order

Avoid, Compel Lie, Dream Projection, Drunkenness, Ecstasy, Enthrall, False Memory, Glib Tongue, Hallucination, History, Inscribe, Lesser Geas, Lure, Memorize, Mass Suggestion, Mind-Search, Mind-Sending, Nightmare, Oath, Peaceful Sleep, Strengthen Will, Suggestion, Telepathy, Will Lock.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells becomes a Mind Surgeon, entitling them to learn the following seventeen spells.

Mind Surgeon

Charm, Communication, Delay, Embrace of Madness, Enchant, Enslave, Great Geas, Great Hallucination, Hang Spell, Insignificance, Link, Moment of Clarity, Presence, Recall, Reconstructive Mind Surgery, Reflex, Relieve Madness.

Secret Spell: Reconstructive Mind Surgery (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

Over the course of a grueling ritual, the Mind Surgeon replaces the subject’s memories with any memories desired, provided that they can communicate with the subject in a language they both understand. The subject must be present throughout the entire casting, which thus generally requires the use of physical restraint. The subject’s memories have not actually been erased and will return if the subject receives a Dispel Magic or Remove Curse. While the subject’s memories have changed, their basic personality has not. So, for instance, while the caster can give the subject a memory of always having been very brave, this will not transform the subject into a truly brave person.

Duration: Permanent

Cost: 20

Time to Cast: 8 hours.

Secret Spell: Embrace of Madness (VH) Regular.

The subject is at +3 to Dreaming skill and if Dreaming successfully, can cast any Dream spell in their sleep. This state can be addictive, leading the mage to spend more and more time in their own dreams and possibly leading to hallucinations and delusions in real life. The degree to which the mage loses control, if at all, is a role-playing choice for the player to make. Not every Mind Surgeon gets addicted and every addict’s addiction is different – it all depends on their personality.

Duration: 8 hours or until the mage wakes up, whichever comes last.

Cost: 12

Time to Cast: 3 hours.

Moment of Clarity: Moment of Clarity (VH) Regular, Resisted by Philosophy, Theology or Will.

The caster causes the subject’s mind to be absolutely objective for a moment, something the human mind is not built to do. The shock can easily drive a human victim insane. The subject must make an immediate Fright Check at -8. On a critical success of the Moment of Clarity spell, the subject gains a new mental Disadvantage, chosen by the GM, to reflect the psychological damage. While the choice lies with the GM, if the subject is a PC, the player may have useful suggestions with good role-playing justifications based on their character’s personality. On a natural 3 or 4 on the resistance roll, the victim gains a philosophical, religious or mystical insight of some kind. In some gameworlds such an insight might be justification for the development of supernatural powers. Mercifully, the moment of clarity lasts only for a second and the subject can rarely remember just what they saw.

Cost: 6

Time to Cast: 1 second.

= Tricksy Ways =

Cost: 12

Tricksy Ways is the style of con-men, second-story artists and rogues of a magical flavor. It is certainly not combat-oriented, as combat usually means that the job has failed. Interestingly, it is structured based on how close you can get to the objective without being detected. The first level deals strictly with ‘casing the joint.’ Gathering intel, scouting out the terrain. The second level is intended for sneaking in and out. Spells of movement and stealth. The third and fourth levels allow for interaction with individuals, misdirecting or confusing the opposition. And the last deals with the ultimate challenge - bearding a mage in his own den.

This is best described as a Guild style. It is geared to the practical, rather than the theoretical, so the more esoteric Perks are beyond its purview. It’s designed by thieves and con-men to get the job done. So little in the way of ‘tweaking’ magic spells, that sort of thing.

Style prerequisites: IQ 12+, DX 11+, Magery

Required Skills: Stealth, Fast Talk, Streetwise, Traps, Observation

Required spells: Apportation, Simple Illusion, Sound, Foolishness, Scryguard, Detect Magic

Level 1: Casing the joint (senses and the like)

1. [19] Spells: Keen Senses (0), Measurement (0), Sense Observation (1), Earth Vision (2), Alertness (2), Pathfinder (2) Seeker (2), Wizard Eye (2), Glass Wall (3), Far-Hearing (4), History (4), See Secrets (4), Images of the Past (6), Memorize (6), Projection (6), Wizard Ear (6), Mapmaker (9), Trace (3), Mystic Mark (5)
2. Skill: Intel Analysis
3. Perk: Periscope, Eye For Distance, Mundane Magic (Apportation for Pickpocket), Staff Bond, Spell Based on PER

Learning 9 Level 1 spells lets you move to level 2

Level 2: Getting in and out (movement and sneaking)

1. [22] Spells: Climbing (0), Night Vision (1), Levitation (1), Magelock (1), Wallwalker (1), Locksmith (1), Lockmaster (1), Hush (2), Dark Vision (2), Hide (2), Manipulate (2), Clean (2), Flight (2), Watchdog (2), Mage-Stealth (3), Mage Light (3), Blackout (3), Ethereal Body (4), Balance (4), Continual Mage Light (5), Invisibility (6), Create Door (10),
2. Skill: More Stealth
3. Perk: Climbing Line, Spell Based on DX

Learning 11 spells from level 2 lets you move to level 3

Level 3: Look Over There! (misdirection)

1. [14] Spells: Illusion Disguise (1), Illusion Shell (1), Independence (1), Complex Illusion (2), Perfect Illusion (3), Phantom (7), Alter Voice (8), Insignificance (8), Create Object (8), Create Servant (9), Initiative (9), Alter Visage (9), Alter Body (10), Duplicate (15)
2. Skill: Artist (Illusion)
3. Perk: Intuitive Illusionist,
4. Achieving level 3 also allows you to acquire levels of Night-Aspected Magery [6]

Learning 6 from level 3 lets you move to level 4

Level 4: Mind-games (befuddlement, con)

1. [19] Spells: Sense Foes (0), Aura (1), Daze (1), Forgetfulness (1), Sense Emotion (1), Flash (2), Hide Emotions (2), Sleep (2), Persuasion (2), Truthsayer (2), Emotion Control (3), Hide Thoughts (3), Converse (4), Avoid (4), Suggestion (5), False Memory (7), Charm (8), Mind Reading (3), Mind Search (4)
2. Skill: Detect Lies
3. Perk: Honest Face, Forgettable Face, Convincing Nod, Secret mage, Spell Based on Will, Spell Resistant (Truthsayer)

Learning 9 from level 4 lets you move to level 5

Level 5: Set a mage (meta, protection, dealing with magical protections)

1. [9] Spells: Scryfool (3), Remove Aura (14), False Aura (3), Counterspell (0), Mage Sense (1), Mage Sight (1), Identify Spell (1), Dispel Magic (13), Catch Spell (4), Displace Spell (10), Ward (0), Great Ward (1), Delay (18), Link (19), Maintain Spell (20), Hang Spell (19)
2. Skill: Thaumatology
3. Perk: Reduced Footprint, Secret mage

Secret Spell: Find Weakness - for the con artist, nothing is so valuable as knowing what makes the mark tick. This spell determines the general area of a mark’s weakness (Greed, Lust, Pride, etc.) A critical success gives more details. Available after mastering Mind Games

Secret Spell: Getaway - Like Rapid Journey, except you don’t teleport to your destination. You cast the spell, which creates an ‘anchor’ in a secure location. Then you penetrate the defenses of wherever it is you’re breaking into. If at any point you need to bug out, you make a spell roll and are immediately snapped back to your anchor. Available after mastering Getting In and Out

Secret Spell: Mirror Image - Creates a number of duplicate illusions of the subject, all of whom appear to attack whichever foe he targets. Retaliations are randomly targeted, so an attack may be directed at one of the illusions or the subject. The number of duplicates is based on the MoS of the spell roll. A successful casting creates one duplicate. For every point the spell roll was made by, an additional duplicate is created, up to 5. Available after mastering Look Over There!

Secret Spell: Locknar’s Edge - Like the Bless spell, Locknar’s Edge gives you the equivalent of a +1 Bless, with one major proviso. Unlike Bless, Locknar’s Edge only works at night, and dissipates at dawn. Hence, the cost to cast is only 6. Available after mastering lSet a Mage.

Secret Spell: Floorplan. Prereqs: Mapmaker, Measurement. Magically generates a floorplan of a building. If the caster has See Secrets (at some level?), then secret rooms/doors are shown as well. Cost is 4 per room, duration is 10 minutes. Long distance modifiers apply. If the spell is recast on an incomplete floorplan created by this spell, the caster can ‘pick up where he left off’ and continue the floorplan. Available after mastering Casing the Joint.

=The Unbinding =

Cost: 11 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 12+, Magery, (not One College Only).

There are many reasons why a mage may seek to specialize in the art of transformation and the teachings known as “The Unbinding” do not endorse any particular motivation or philosophy. If anything, the school revels in diversity of thought, just as the student is expected to revel in diversity of shapes. A mage may train in this style because they seek wisdom through viewing the world from different perspectives, or to lose their sense of self by coming to recognize what an arbitrary thing the sense of self is, or they might even be driven by the sheer fun of being able to turn into lots of different things. Some transformationists become subject to mood swings and personality shifts, or grow so open to new ideas that they become impulsive. Others grow alienated from humanity, seeing themselves as no more innately human than innately anything else.

Required Skills: Body Control, Breath Control, Meditation, Physiology, Thaumatology.

Required Spells: Climbing, Detect Magic, Haste, Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, Keen Vision.

Perks: Brute Force Spell (Any Shapeshifting), Fast Casting (Any Shapeshifting), Elixir Resistance, Flexible Ritual (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Controlled Disadvantage, any physical), Mana Compensation, No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Secret Spell (Form of the Formeless, Turning the Bone Wheel, Unbinding the Shackles of Flesh).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved ST, DX, IQ and HT.

Advantages: Any physical, with GM permission.

Disadvantages: Absent-Mindedness, Delusions, Impulsiveness, Lunacy, Reputation (Strange and Unpredictable).

Skills: Acrobatics, Judo, Symbol Drawing, Teaching.

The student begins their studies at the level of Apprentice, requiring them to learn the following 6 spells.

Apprentice

Climbing, Detect Magic, Haste, Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, Keen Vision.

A mage who learns all 6 spells becomes a Shaper, enabling them to learn the following sseventeen spells.

Shaper

Cadence, Clean, Colors, Copy, Dye, Great Haste, Haircut, Hair Growth, Identify Spell, Might, Knot, Recover Energy, Restore, Shape Earth, Shape Fire, Soilproof, Stop Spasm.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Transformationist, entitling them to learn the following twenty spells.

Transformationist

Alertness, Ambidexterity, Beast Speech, Balance, Body of Air, Body of Metal, Earth to Stone, Flesh to Stone, Grace, Hold Breath, Shape Air, Shape Metal, Shapeshift, Shape Water, Shape Plant , Spider Silk, Stone to Earth, Stop Bleeding, Vigor, Water to Wine.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Mutemancer, entitling them to learn the following twenty-five spells.

Mutemancer

Alter Body, Alter Visage, Alter Voice, Body of Water, Body of Ice, Body of Lightning, Body of Stone, Body of Wood, Contract Object, Earth to Air, Earth to Water, Enlarge, Find Weakness, Lengthen Limb, Permanent Shapeshifting, Reflexes, Rejoin, Reshape, Shapeshift Others, Shatter, Shrink, Shrink Object, Stone to Flesh, Transform Object, Weaken.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Transmutationist, entitling them to learn the following twenty-two spells.

Transmutationist

Body of Flames, Body of Slime, Body of Wind, Enchant, Enlarge Other, Extend Object, Fasten, Flesh to Ice, Gauntness, Great Shapeshift, Partial Shapeshifting, Repair, Rune, Sharpen, Shatterproof, Shrink Other, Stiffen, Toughen, Transform Body, Transform Other, Weapon Self.

A mage learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Transubstantiationist, entitling them to learn the following 10 spells.

Transubstantiationist

Corpulence, Delay, Enlarge Object, Form of the Formless, Know True Shape, Link, Powerstone, Reflex, Transmogrification, Turning the Bone Wheel, Unbinding the Shackles of Flesh.

Secret Spell: Form of Formlessness (VH) Regular

While the caster is the subject of this spell, any spell they cast to transform their own body (including the various Body of X spells) will cost 2 fewer Fatigue. If Form of Formlessness is known at 15+, 3 fewer Fatigue, if 20+, 4 fewer Fatigue. This cannot reduce the casting cost below 3.

Duration: 8 hours

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 10 minutes

Secret Spell: Unbinding the Shackles of Flesh (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

The caster removes their soul from their own body and places it in another body or a vessel that they are touching. Vessels already containing souls (or spirits, minds or awarenesses) will resist with Will. If they lose, they inhabit the caster’s discarded body. If the caster inhabits an inanimate object, they observe the world around them, but can take no action that requires bodily movement, including speaking. The GM is likely to require the player to devote earned experience to paying for any difference in character point value between the two forms.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 1 per 25 lbs weight of the new vessel.

Time to Cast: 1 hour.

Secret Spell: Turning of the Bone Wheel (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

By ritually slaughtering a human or animal in the presence of a pregnant human or animal, the caster can transfer the soul of the killed into a fetus. From the time of birth, the subject will retain all of their old IQ and memories. If a PC is reincarnated in this way, the GM is likely to require the player to devote earned experience to pay for any difference in character points between the value of different forms.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 1 for each point of the subject’s Will.

Time to Cast: 3 hours.

=Way of the Drake =

Cost: 11 points

Style Prerequisite: DX 12+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Way of the Drake is the unsubtle art of blasting people on the field of battle. Evolved from a variety of military styles used by specialists in magical artillery, its function is to kill as many soldiers as possible at a distance. Military training is an integral part of the style and it is only taught in well-organized armies and at the House of the Drake, a mercenary training academy established by the style’s founder. For a fee, the House of the Drake will prepare the student for a career as a military artillery specialist and graduates of the school are in great demand. Of course, not everyone who goes to the trouble of learning the style wants to be in the army for the rest of their life. There are many reasons why someone might seek the power to kill, and Drake graduates can be found among adventurers, bandits, troubleshooters and organized criminals. In theory, the Way of the Drake has at its heart a strict code of conduct, emphasizing professional loyalty, courage, and obedience to orders. Some graduates take the code seriously while others treat it as a joke.

Required Skills: Body Control, Forward Observer, Innate Attack (Projectile), Judo, Riding (Horse), Soldier, Tactics.

Required Spells: Climbing, Ignite Fire, Shield.

Perks: Adjustable Spell (Spell Variation, Any attack spell), Area Spell Mastery (Rain of Fire), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Kindle), Intuitive Cantrip (Screen), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mighty Spell (Any missile), Missile Spell Mastery, Power Casting (Any), Psychic Guidance (Any), Reduced Footprint 1, Secret Spell (The Eyes of Fire, Firestorm, Heavy Flame Burst), Secret Words, Special Exercises (FP my exceed HT by 100%).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved DX and IQ.

Advantages: Absolute Timing, Combat Reflexes, High Pain Threshold, Military Rank, Reputation (Tough Professional).

Disadvantages: Bad Temper, Code of Honor (Military), Pyromania, Reputation (Slaughterer of Humans), any Physical Disadvantage that can be explained by injury (e.g. One Hand, One Eye) or Mental Disadvantage that can be explained by trauma (e.g. Phobias, Flashbacks and Nightmares).

Skills: First Aid, Heraldry, Innate Attack (Jet), Symbol Drawing.

Apprentices are admitted at the level of Serpent, at which they are trained in basic military skills and basic defensive magic. An apprentice has access to the following ten spells.

Serpent

Apportation, Block, Climbing, Counterspell, Fear, Ignite Fire, Levitation, Shield, Suspend Spell, Ward.

The apprentice must learn 5 spells of Serpent level including Climbing, Ignite Fire and Shield before learning Salamander spells. Becoming a Salamander gives them access to the following twenty-four spells.

Salamander

Armor, Blade Turning, Create Fire, Deflect Missile, Extinguish Fire, Flight, Great Ward, Hardiness, Hinder, Magelock, Minor Healing, Missile Shield, Mystic Mist, Rain of Fire, Recover Energy, Reflect, Sense Observation, Shade, Share Energy, Shape Fire, Spasm, Terror, Turn Blade, Umbrella.

A Salamander is promoted to Basilisk after learning 8 Salamander spells, including Rain of Fire. This entitles them to learn any of the following twenty spells

Basilisk

Clumsiness, Fast Fire, Fireball, Fireproof, Flame Jet, Hawk Flight, Heat, Hold Breath, Major Healing, Reflect Gaze, Resist Disease, Resist Fire, Resist Pain, Resist Poison, Resist Water, Reverse Missiles, Rooted Feet, Slow Fire, Smoke, Stop Bleeding.

A Basilisk is promoted to Wyvern after learning 8 Basilisk spells, including Fireball. This entitles them to learn any of the following twelve spells.

Wyvern

Balance, Breathe Fire, Explosive Fireball, Fire Cloud, Flaming Armor, Great Healing, Iron Arm, Magic Resistance, Reflexes, Resist Lightning, Resist Sound, Warmth.

A Wyvern is promoted to Drake after learning 6 Wyvern spells, including Explosive Fireball. This entitles them to learn any of the following twelve spells.

Drake

Delay, Displace Spell, Dispel Magic, Enchant, Powerstone, Remove Curse, Resist Acid, Spellguard, Spell Shield, Spell Wall, Staff, Suspend Curse.

A Drake is promoted to Azure Wurm after learning 6 Drake spells, including Spell Shield. This entitles them to learn any of the following 8 spells.

Azure Wyrm

The Eyes of Fire, Firestorm, Hang Spell, Heavy Flame Burst, Link, Maintain Spell, Penetrating Spell, Reflex.

Secret Spell: The Eyes of Fire (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

Azure Wyrms can set people on fire just by looking at them, causing them to take 1d-1 fire damage per second until the flames are extinguished. No words or gestures are required, but the subject must be within (spell skill x 10) yards and the mage must be able to see them.

Duration: Instant.

Cost: 1.

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Firestorm (VH) Area

A flaming wind howls around the enemies’ position, causing 1d fire damage per second. A medium or large shield can be sheltered behind to provide 1 and 2 DR respectively, provided that it is not used for any other purpose.

Duration: 2 minutes.

Base Cost: 1 to cast (minimum 3). Same cost to maintain. For double based cost, it does 2d per second and shields are useless.

Time to Cast: 1 minute, 20 seconds.

Secret Spell: Heavy Flame Burst (VH) Missile

This feared spell produces a massive fireball. The Heavy Flame Burst is ½D 30, Max 60, Acc 1. It can be thrown at walls, floors and other easy targets at +4 to hit, in order to catch foes in the blast. The target and anyone within one yard of the target takes full damage. Those further away divide their damage by two times their distance in yards, rounding down.

Cost: 2 + any amount up to twice Magery level per second. Heavy Fire Burst does 1d+1 burning damage per full two points of energy.

Time to Cast: 1 to level of Magery seconds.

=Way of the Wolf =

Cost: 14 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 12+, Animal Empathy, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Way of the Wolf is the art of the hunter and it originated not in the library but the forest. None recall how the style originated as its students care little for history – they may have been roaming the woods for centuries or even millennia. While it is certainly a practical art for those who wish to keep their families fed, those who master it have generally moved on from such mundane concerns and seek to better understand their environment, or to protect it, or to exploit their skills for money. Mages of the Way of the Wolf school are often solitary creatures and may sometimes forget how to interact with other human beings. Out in the wilderness, they are free to grow as eccentric as they like and some of them are odd indeed.

Required Skills: Bow, Camouflage, Climbing, First Aid, Naturalist, Stealth, Survival (Forest), Tracking, Weather Sense.

Required Spells: Find Direction, Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, Keen Vision.

Perks: Intuitive Cantrip (Friendly Undergrowth), Intuitive Cantrip (Gut of the Dragon), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Magical Weapon Bond, Mana Compensation, Melee Spell Mastery (Any), Mighty Spell (Any melee), No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Secret Spell (Eye of the Predator, Hunter’s Tread or Survivor’s Purge).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved ST, DX, IQ and HT.

Advantages: Absolute Direction, Acute Senses (Any), Allies (hunting beasts), Combat Reflexes, Hard to Kill, Night Vision,

Disadvantages: Loner, any Physical Disadvantage that could indicate injury from a hunt gone bad (e.g. One Eye, One Hand).

Skills: Area Knowledge (Wilderness), Herb Lore, Traps, Veterinary.

Students begin their studies at the level of Walker in the Woods, entitling them to learn the following seventeen spells.

Walker in the Woods

Beast-Soother, Climbing, Detect Magic, Find Direction, Haste, Ignite Fire, Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, Keen Vision, Seek Air, Seek Earth, Seek Fire, Seek Food, Seek Water, Sense Danger, Tell Time, Test Food.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above, including Find Direction, Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, and Keen Vision, they become a Hunter or Huntress, entitling them to learn the following twenty spells.

Hunter / Huntress

Detect Poison, Great Haste, Hawk Vision, Hinder, Identify Plant, Identify Spell, Jump, Lighten Burden, Mage Sight, Mage Stealth, Might, Neutralize Poison, No-Smell, Purify Water, Quick March, Recover Energy, Seek Magic, Sense Observation, Silence, Tell Position.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above, they study the Tread of the Wolf, a discipline consisting of the following twenty-one spells.

Tread of the Wolf

Alertness, Analyze Magic, Beast Seeker, Boost Health, Boost Strength, Grace, Hide, Hide Path, Hold Breath, Hush, Know Location, Light Tread, Pathfinder, Plant Vision, Pollen Cloud, Prepare Game, Purify Food, Resist Poison, Seeker, Rooted Feet, Vigor.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above spells, they become a Shadow of the Forest, which entitles them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Shadow of the Forest

Balance, Boost Dexterity, Conceal, Delay, Eye of the Predator, False Tracks, Far Hearing, Forest Warning, Hang Spell, Hunter’s Tread, Invisibility, Link, Predict Weather, Reflex, Remember Path, Survivor’s Purge, Tangle Growth, Walk Through Plants.

Eye of the Predator (VH) Regular

The caster is at +2 to any bow shot fired at any living target who doesn’t know the caster is there. If the mage’s Eye of the Predator skill is at 15+, they are at +3, if at 20+, +4.

Duration: Until one arrow is fired, or the sun rises or sets.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 3 seconds.

Hunter’s Tread (VH) Regular

The mage is at -2 to detect in any way – whether by direct perception, tracking, or by magical means. This does not count as a spell “on”.

Duration: Until the sun rises or sets.

Cost: 6

Time to Cast: 1 hour.

Survivor’s Purge (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT

The caster must touch the subject’s bare skin with their bare fingertips for the entire time the spell is being cast. Resistance by HT is automatic. If the subject is not successful, they are very violently ill, taking 1 point of damage and being unable to do anything but vomit for HT/2 rounded down seconds, as sweat streams from their pores. Their system will be purged of all normal poisons, toxins or drugs. It will not cure an addiction, nor a hangover.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 2 seconds.

=Weave of Balance =

Cost: 8 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Judges of Uhll, masters of the Weave of Balance style, claim to have once ruled the lost city of the same name. They say their rule was one of justice, peace and happiness. The Judges of Uhll dispense with the idea of codified laws on the grounds that every rule has an exception. Instead, they believe that it is better to consult a wise and just person to weigh the case and come to a considered decision. The Judges of Uhll generally consider themselves to be wise and just people, exactly suited to the task. Of course, Uhll no longer exists and the Judges have no official status anymore. This suits the philosophy of the order very well. Since they dismiss the idea of law in the first place, they have no qualms about illegally standing in judgment over anyone they can. Of course, such vigilante activity is dangerous, and some judges find that they prefer to just accumulate wealth and power. The Judges of Uhll rarely announce themselves as such. They usually have secondary trades, with the legal profession and organized crime being particularly lucrative.

Required Skills: None.

Required Spells: Apportation, Debility, Dull Sense, Fear, Foolishness, Itch, Levitation.

Perks: Elixir Resistance, Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intimidating Curses, Knower of Names, Mana Compensation, Sanctum 1-2, Scroll Reading, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Executioner’s Strike, Judgement of Uhll, Sinner’s Confession), Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Reputation (Vigilante Hero)

Disadvantages: Code of Honor, Enemies (Friends and Family of the Judged), Reputation (Murderous Vigilante).

Skills: Hiking, Riding (Horse), Streetwise, Symbol Drawing.

Apprentices begin to study the Weave of Balance at the level of Aspirant, requiring them to learn the following 7 spells.

Aspirant

Apportation, Debility, Dull Sense, Fear, Foolishness, Itch, Levitation.

After an Aspirant has learned these 7, they are promoted to the level of Advocate, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Advocate

Climbing, Daze, Disorient, Flight, Forgetfulness, Frailty, Hinder, Madness, Mage Stealth, No-Smell, Panic, Quick March, Recover Energy, Silence, Sleep, Spasm, Terror, Weaken Will.

A mage who has learned 8 Advocate spells in promoted to the level of Inquisitor, entitling them learn the following twenty spells.

Inquisitor

Clumsiness, Dullness, Hawk Flight, Fumble, Gloom, Hide Path, Hunger, Hush, Mass Daze, Mass Sleep, Mental Stun, Mindlessness, Pain, Permanent Forgetfulness, Permanent Madness, Rooted Feet, Strike Dumb, Stun, Tanglefoot.

A mage who has learned 8 Inquisitor spells is promoted to the level of Magistrate, entitling them to learn the following twenty-three spells.

Magistrate

Agonize, Choke, Control Limb, Deathtouch, Drunkenness, False Memory, Invisibility, Nauseate, Nightmare, Paralyze Limb, Peaceful Sleep, Retch, Roundabout, Sensitize, Sickness, Strike Blind, Strike Deaf, Strike Barren, Strike Numb, Thirst, Total Paralysis, Weaken Blood, Wither Limb.

A mage who has learned 8 Magistrate spells is promoted to the level of Watchman, entitling them to learn the following 9 spells.

Watchman

Corpulence, Curse, Delay, Executioner’s Strike, Gauntness, Judgment of Uhll, Link, Sinner’s Confession, Staff.

Secret Spell: Executioner’s Strike (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will and HT

The Watchman points a finger and accuses their target of guilt, with no other incantations or gestures being required. The target must first resist with their Will, with failure requiring a second resistance roll against HT. If the target succeeds in the HT roll, they suffer a second of pain, sufficient for a -2 Shock Penalty. If the target fails, they suffer a heart attack as described in GURPS Campaigns p.429. The target does not have to be guilty for the spell to work, but the GM may wish to have targets with a guilty conscience resist at a penalty.

Duration: Instant

Cost: 4

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Judgment of Uhll (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

Cast on a freshly decapitated head, the Judgment of Uhll prevents the head from dying. A head so preserved will continue to live unless destroyed by violence, having no more need for air, food, water, or blood. The heads cannot speak as they have no lungs, but they can move their eyes and lips. The head does retain use of mental skills and can cast any spells for which it needs neither incantations nor gestures. The heads are not undead and will not decay. The judges are known to use this as a punishment to intimidate people with.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Sinner’s Confession (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

When a Judge of Uhll casts Sinner’s Confession on someone, the Judge names something that the target must confess to, and the subject will thereafter confess to having done it whenever asked. The spell works just as well on the innocent as on the guilty. The target may know perfectly well that they didn’t do what they are confessing to have done but they simply cannot deny their guilt.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 6

Time to Cast: 30 seconds.

=The Wise Way =

Cost: 8 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Wise Way is said to have been taught to a family of peasants by fae folk, in thanks for their help in returning a stolen fae child. Whether this is true or not, it is certainly a peculiar art, one most often mastered by eccentric people. To outsiders, practitioners can seem sloppy in their studies, or even whimsical in their attitude towards magic. However, mastering the Wise Way takes a great degree of work and practitioners are very knowledgable. Graduates seeking to earn a living as a mage may decide to be secretive about their background, presenting themselves to the world as simple healers. In some worlds, such secrecy may be mandatory, depending on the public view of those said to traffic with the fae.

Required Skills: Dancing, Dreaming, Esoteric Medicine, Herb Lore, Hidden Lore (The Fae), Musical Instrument (any), Naturalist, Thaumatology, Weather Sense.

Required Spells: Beast Rouser, Beast-Soother, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Foolishness, Scryguard, Simple Illusion, Sound.

Perks: Afflicted Casting (Mystic’s Stupor), Better Magic items (Illusion), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Elixir Resistance, Far Casting (Any), Flexible Ritual (Any), Frightening Side Effects (Any), Huge Subjects, Intuitive Cantrip (Eye of the Storm), Intuitive Cantrip (Friendly Undergrowth), Intuitive Cantrip (Good with Animal, Any type), Knower of Names, Mana Compensation, No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Reduced Footprint 2, Sanctum 1-2, Scroll Reading, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Eyes of Morning Dew, The Fair Speech or Paths of the Red-Eared Fox).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Acute Senses (Any), Allies (Fae), Luck, Night Vision, Oracle, Outdoorsman, Patron (Fae), Voice.

Disadvantages: Alcoholism, Curious, Delusions, Enemies (Fae), Impulsiveness, Lecherousness, Overconfidence, Phobias, Reputation (Weird and Dangerous).

Skills: Area Knowledge (Rural), Artist, Occultism, Streetwise, Symbol Drawing, Tracking.

The student begins their study at the level of Apprentice, requiring them to learn the following 8 spells.

Apprentice

Beast Rouser, Beast-Soother, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Foolishness, Scryguard, Simple Illusion, Sound.

An apprentice who has learned the 8 apprentice spells may study the twenty-two spells of the Book of Autumn.

Book of Autumn

Amulet, Apportation, Conceal, Magic, Forgetfulness, Hinder, Identify Plant, Ignite Fire, Illusion Disguise, Illusion Shell, Madness, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Phantom Flame, Recover Energy, Seek Plant, Sense Emotion, Sense Mana, Sleep, Talisman, Recover Energy, Voices.

A mage who has learned 8 Book of Autumn spells may study the twenty-three spells of the Book of the Morning Star.

Book of the Morning Star

Beast Speech, Bless Plants, Complex Illusion, Create Water, Dream Sending, Dream Viewing, False Aura, Fascinate, Hide, Hide Emotion, Hide Thoughts, Hide Path, History, Mass Sleep, Perfect Illusion, Permanent Forgetfulness, Permanent Madness, Scryfool, See Invisible, Seeker, Shapeshifting, Suggestion, Truthsayer.

A mage who has learned 8 Book of the Morning Star spells may study twenty-one spells of the Book of Spring.

Book of Spring

Ancient History, Blight, Create Food, Dream Projection, Dry Spring, Ecstasy, Enthrall, Glib Tongue, Hallucination, Lesser Geas, Lesser Wish, Lure, Mass Suggestion, Nightmare, Oath, Peaceful Sleep, Permanent Shapeshifting, Pestilence, Phantom, Shapeshift Others, Water to Wine.

A mage who has learned 8 Book of Spring spells may study the fourteen spells of the Book of the Evening Star.

Book of the Evening Star

Charge Powerstone, Charm, Create Object, Delay, Duplicate, Enchant, Great Geas, Great Hallucination, Great Shapeshift, Powerstone, Remove Aura, Remove Curse, Staff, Wish.

A mage who has learned 7 Book of the Evening Star may study the 8 spells of the Book of Summer.

Book of Summer

Curse, Eyes of Morning Dew, The Fair Speech, Great Wish, Hang Spell, Link, Paths of the Red-Eared Fox, Reflex.

Secret Spell: Eyes of Morning Dew (VH) Regular

By sprinkling their eyes with morning dew, a mage who has studied the Book of Summer can see invisible entities, such as fae, ghosts and spirits of nature. The morning dew need not be fresh. This does not count as a spell “on”.

Duration: 1d minutes.

Cost: 0

Time to cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: The Fair Speech (VH) Area, Resisted by IQ

Anyone within the area who can hear and understand the mage and who fails to resist with IQ responds to the caster’s use of Fast-Talk or Public Speaking as if the caster’s skill was two levels higher. The caster must tell at least one lie, but it need not be a major one.

Base Cost: 2 to cast, 1 to maintain.

Time to Cast: 2 minutes.

Secret Spell: Paths of the Red-Eared Fox (VH) Regular

By following forest animals who have a touch of the fae about them (requiring a successful roll against Tracking or an appropriate magical substitute), the mage can find their way to the world of the fae, whatever that might mean in the campaign. The point of crossover from one world to another is never clear, as the forests of this world and the world of the fae are continuous. A number of people equal to (spell skill / 2) rounded down may follow the mage through for up to half an hour, provided that they can see the mage or otherwise track their movements (such as by the Tracking skill or following the only road). The caster does not get to choose who may follow, or whether anyone may follow at all. On the other hand, anyone with Magery who rolls Per + Magery will notice the crossing between worlds in time to turn back. The spell will only function in a forest that contain animals which, in the GMs judgment, could have had some association with the fae.

Cost: 4

Time to cast: 1d hours.

=Words of the Child of Rowan =

Cost: 19 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Children of Rowan are rural mages, falling under the heading of what are dismissively known as “hedge magicians”. While the power of such magics is often underestimated due to the number of dabblers in rural areas and anyone who expects a fully trained practitioner of the Words to be a bumpkin or a pushover is in for a rude shock. Words of the Child of Rowan requires years of hard study, practice and observation of the natural world and the mage who masters it is in a position to be a great benefit to their community, or a terrible curse, or to just leave home altogether for a life of adventure and use their formidable powers to grow rich. While many mages have strong codes of honor regarding the treatment of humans or nature, the school does not embrace any particular moral philosophy and practitioners with a callous or sadistic may be greatly feared for the curses they can inflict.

Required Skills: Animal Handling, Diagnosis, Esoteric Medicine, Exorcism, Farming, First Aid, Herb Lore, Hidden Lore (Folk Magic), Hidden Lore (Spirits), History (Folk Oral), Literature (Folk Oral), Naturalist, Physician, Survival (Forest), Veterinary, Weather Sense.

Required Spells: Beast Rouser, Beast Soother.

Perks: Afflicted Casting (Mystic Stupor), Elixir Resistance, Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intimidating Curses, Intuitive Cantrip (Aid), Intuitive Cantrip (Corpse Smart), Intuitive Cantrip (Eye of the Storm), Intuitive Cantrip (Friendly Undergrowth), Intuitive Cantrip (Good with Animal, any mundane), Intuitive Cantrip (Intuitive Illusionist), Knower of Names, Obscure True Name, Secret Spell (Laying the Ghosts of Winter, The Old and Venerable Rites of Spring, Raising Up the Spirits, or Whisper to the Angry Grave), Shaman’s Trance.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Absolute Direction, Autotrance, Channeling, Luck, Medium, Night Vision, Oracle, Outdoorsman, Reputation (Wise Healer).

Disadvantages: Alcoholism, Appearance, Enemies (Other Hedge Mages), Enemies (Spirits), Gluttony, Lecherousness, Reputation (Witch).

Skills: Area Knowledge (Rural), Area Knowledge (Wilderness), Cooking, Symbol Drawing, any craft skill.

The student begins their studies at the level of Childe, entitling them to learn the following 7 spells.

Childe

Beast Rouser, Beast-Soother, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Final Rest, Foolishness, Simple Illusion.

A mage who learns 4 of the above spells including Beast Rouser and Beast Soother becomes a Brother or Sister, entitling them to learn the following fifteen spells.

Brother or Sister

Bless Plants, Blight, Detect Poison, Forgetfulness, Identify Plant, Minor Healing, Neutralize Poison, Night Vision, Recover Energy, Relieve Sickness, Sense Emotion, Sickness, Sleep, Stop Bleeding, Stop Paryalysis.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Father or Mother, entitling them to learn the following seventeen spells.

Father or Mother

Command, Major Healing, Mass Sleep, Persuasion, Relieve Paralysis, Relieve Sickness, Resist Disease, Restore Hearing, Restore Memory, Restore Sight, Restore Speech, Remove Contagion, Resist Poison, Strike Dumb, Truthsayer, Turn Spirit, Vexation.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes an Honored Father or Mother, entitling them to learn the following twenty-five spells.

Honored Father or Mother

Clouds, Cure Disease, Divination (Augery), False Memory, Fog, Great Healing, Forest Warning, Healing Slumber, Lesser Geas, Paralyze Limb, Pestilence, Predict Weather, Rain, Shapeshifting, Slow Healing, Stop Healing, Strike Barren, Strike Blind, Strike Deaf, Strike Numb, Total Paralysis, Turn Zombie, Weaken Blood, Wither Limb, Wither Plant.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Grandfather or Grandmother, entitling them to learn the following 7 spells.

Grandfather or Grandmother

Dispel Magic, Gauntness, Great Geas, Relieve Madness, Remove Curse, Storm, Suspend Curse.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Elder, entitling them to learn the following 7 spells.

Elder

Bless, Corpulence, Curse, Laying the Ghost of Winter, The Old and Venerable Rites of Spring, Raising Up the Spirits, Whisper to the Angry Grave.

Secret Spell: Laying the Ghost of Winter (VH) Area

If cast in the last half of winter, this functions as Bless Plants (GURPS Magic, p. 161), except where otherwise noted. At any time of year, the spell tends to annoy ghosts if the area of effect includes their burial grounds. Clever mages have been known to find ways to exploit this annoyance effect.

Base Cost: 0.5 of a FP.

Time to Cast: 2 Hours

Secret Spell: The Old and Venerable Rites of Spring (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

If the caster can transfer an item at least the size of a pin or a human hair from one individual to another, the receiver will fall in love with the original owner and remain in love for as long as they have the item in their possession. The victim must already know the person they are to fall in love with and reaction modifiers for beauty or ugliness should be applied to the spell skill. This spell does not generally cause people to change their sexual orientations and PCs should never be required to do so. For the purposes of this spell, the victim is only in possession of the item if they have a close association with it, such as by wearing it or keeping it at work or at home (or, for the rich, that area of work or home that you spend your time in). At the GMs discretion, class-conscious victims may add Status and / or Wealth to their resistance roll, depending on how snobby they are and about what. The GM may apply similar bonuses when the love crosses other social or personal boundaries. The victim does not necessarily fall out of love when the spell ends, but the relationship gets no more magical support.

Duration: Permanent

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 3 seconds to cast the spell on the item to be transferred. The item must then come into the victim’s possession before the next moonrise.

Secret Spell: Raising Up the Spirits (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

The subject is occasionally exposed to minor but frightening supernatural effects at night. The GM should be creative in coming up with fresh oddness. Objects may move without being touched, strange noises might emerge from the attic, animals may behave in an unusual way, or people may have strange dreams or weird hallucinations. Victims with feelings of guilt relating to the dead or to demons will suffer hallucinations formed by these feelings, tailor made for them. Victims with latent psychic powers who are suffering from guilt or self-disgust will have these latent powers turn against them, producing additional frightening effects. The spell will not take effect until the victim has received a warning from the caster, though the warning can be anonymous and as obscure as the caster likes.

Duration: Until the caster terminates it.

Cost: 8

Time to Cast: 8 hours

Secret Spell: Whisper to the Angry Grave (VH) Regular

The caster causes a dead body to rise from the grave and seek revenge in a manner of its own choosing. Dead people who don’t want revenge for anything will not rise and the caster has no control over what the subject wants revenge for. The caster may tell truths at the gravesite in order to convince the subject that it should want revenge. For example, an otherwise peaceful corpse might grow angry to learn that its only child has been murdered. The caster must be touching the corpse, the coffin, or the grave for the spell to function. The subject will have all of the abilities it had before it died as well as +5 ST, +5 HT, +10 FP (may not be used to power spells), Night Vision 9, Very Fit, no need to breathe, eat, drink or sleep, and an immunity to bleeding, stun and shock. The risen will be single-minded in pursuit of revenge. They can be informed but they cannot be negotiated with and are not likely to listen to anything not directly related to their vengeance. Risen who get their vengeance just want to go back to their graves.
[[File:Example.jpg]]

Category:Fantasy

2014-06-16T05:32:58Z

Wayland: Fixed Fantasy Genre

These are wiki pages relevant to the fantasy genre.

Instead of using this category, use the [[Fantasy genre]] category.

[[Category:Categories]]

Twilight of Gaia

2014-06-16T05:31:00Z

Wayland: More specific category

[[Category:System-neutral Fantasy Settings]]
[[Category:Western]]
[[Category:Steampunk]]
[[Category:D20 Fantasy]]
[[Category:D20 System]]
[[Category:Setting Search Submissions]]
[[Category:Post-Holocaust]]
A setting submission by Random Goblin

'''Core Ethos Sentence:''' Twilight of Gaia is set in the Badlands, a ravaged, barren fantasy world where heroes use swords, pistols, and spells to fight monsters, defeat marauding gangs, and stand against the terrible forces of darkness.

'''Who are the heroes?''' Heroes in the Badlands include anyone brave (or stupid) enough to take up their sword, musket, or spellbook and stand up to the chaos and mayhem engulfing the world. Bran Barandorn, is a stout dwarven soldier who leads the town of Sunset Gulch, defending it from monsters and marauders with the help of the gnomish engineer Filbert Fimblefungers. Howls-like-the-wind is an outlaw wild elf shaman who believes that encoded into the songs of his people are the locations of the Six Amulets of Gaia. Finally, there is an enigmatic wandering swordswoman named Meshanna and her companion, a cowled figure known only as the Pistolier.

'''What do they do?''' The most serious objective is to thwart Black Rupert before his power-madness goes too far and the whole world falls under his terrible shadow. As his armies grow larger and more unstoppable, the heroes will have to unite the scattered tribes and settlements and enlist the aid of powerful magic. This includes recovering the lost Six Amulets of Gaia, powerful magic artifacts that date from before the Sorcerors’ War that hold the key to restoring the world to what it once was. But, Black Rupert also wants to hunt down the Amulets so that he can twist them to his evil purposes and use them to rule the Badlands forever.

'''Threats, Conflicts, Villains:''' The Badlands teem with monsters who lair in the mountains, scrub forests, and rocky wastelands. Gangs of orc, hobgoblin, and gnoll desperadoes run wild in the vast and rugged wilderness led by notorious leaders like Grodda the Unkillable, Broldak Ironfist, One-eyed Samuel, and Slidewinder, whose names strike terror into innocent peoples’ hearts. Evil wizards build towers on lonely mesas. Black Rupert, the infamous Warlord of the Mountains, rules his alpine kingdom, entices the bandit gangs to rally under his authority, and dreams of the day when the whole of the Badlands will belong to him. Behind Black Rupert stands dreaded Acliss, a terrible wizard of unknown origin whom few have ever even seen.

'''Nature of Magic:''' Although magic still functions as normal, it is rare, and most people are suspicious and distrustful of it. Everyone knows that it was magic that drained so much of the life from the once-lush world of Gaia and turned it into the wasted Badlands. Clerics and druids are more highly esteemed than wizards and sorcerors, but they’re rare enough that some people wonder if the gods even really care anymore.

'''What’s new? What’s different?''' The biggest difference is the addition of black powder firearms (muzzle-loading smooth-bore muskets and pistols, blunderbusses, and artillery cannons). Such weapons are prevalent enough to add a new flavor and dimension to the game, but not so common or advanced so as to overshadow longswords and crossbows. Advancing technology, mostly including innovations made by dwarves and especially gnomes, is one of the results of a reluctance to rely on magic. Elves, on the other hand, have by and large abandoned their high civilization, reverted to their primordial culture, and joined the grugach, or wild elves, living in nomadic tribes that wander the Badlands and often come into conflict with permanent towns and settlements.

Tower of Roses

2014-06-16T05:29:52Z

Wayland: D20 Fantasy is a subcategory of Fantasy genre

[[Category: D20 Fantasy]]
[[Category: Short Adventure]]

A background and short adventure for d20 fantasy RP. Suitable for one night of play for low level characters.

==The Story==

Once upon a time, long long ago, there was a beautiful princess who lived in a tower of glass. She was all alone, without any human friends. She was waited on hand and foot by a small army of wind up golems, but none of them had a soul, and none of them could speak.Then one day a handsome prince came to the tower, and saw the princess as she leaned out over her balcony. He called out to her, but she was afraid of the sound of his voice, and ran into her room and shut the door.

So the prince decided that he had to woo her. But first he had to get into the tower, which had no doors. So he got rope from his saddle bags and a grappling hook as well, he tossed it up to the balcony, and begin to climb.

While the prince climbed up the princess hid in her room, her heart hammering. While she liked the look of the prince, was drawn to his beauty and to the fact that he had a soul, she found him too loud. Far too loud.

So the prince finally got up to the balcony and begin to call out to the princess. Loud and long he proclaimed his love for her, and she put her hands to her ears to try and hold out the noise. She even opened her door and tried to shush him, waving her hands to make him be quieter. But the prince did not pay attention, he simply spoke louder and louder....
Finally the princess could take no more. She rushed forward to the prince, and tried to clamp her hands over his mouth to make him be silent. But when she bumped him it upset his balance and he fell the long way back to the ground.

His blood spilled out over the ground, and soaked into the dry dirt. The princess, aghast at what she had done, ran back into her room and closed the door.

The next year, when the memory of the prince was starting to fade, roses grew out of the place where he had died. Red as his blood they too climbed the tower to reach the princess. They too spoke to her of love with their red and beautiful blossoms. But unlike the prince they were wise enough to be silent. So the princess gathered them up, held them to her heart, and loved them all the days of her life.

Many years later another prince found the princess, who had died in her bed. Her skeleton was wrapped about with the vines of blooming roses, which loved her even after her death.

==Game Ideas==

The Princess’s Tower makes a good moody location for a low level (3rd ish) dungeon crawl. PCs could have gone their for any number of reasons, from being sent by descendants of the Princess’s House to get her signet ring, to being driven in by the rain, to simply doing the old “hack and treasure loot” bit. In the latter case the GM should probably arrange for their to be a suitable treasure to be found. (A Phylactery of Faithfulness beside the Princess’s bed, for example, or a ring of feather fall upon her finger.)

===The Tower===

The tower itself is a simple shell tower, about 50 feet around. It had no doors originally, but time may have opened up some small and unstable entrances near the ground level. At that level the interior of the tower has a kitchen with a vast hearth, a small dining room, and stairs winding up to the top of the tower. There is a floor with a library and a sewing room in the middle, and then the princess’s rooms on top. The tower can also be reached through the balconies, which are about 70 feet off the ground. They open into the princess’s sitting quarters, and her room makes the final level above them.

===Golems===

The Princess’s golems, of which there are about a dozen still in repair, are not immediately hostile. However, if anyone tries to take anything or enter the princess’s private rooms at the top floor they will move to defend. They’re small clockwork constructs with the following basic stats: Hit Dice 1 (5 hit points), Initiative +1 (Dex), Speed 30 ft, AC 14 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +2 natural), Attacks: Slam +1 melee, Damage 1d6, Special: DR 4, Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will -1, Str 10, Dex 12, Con -, Int 10, Wis 8, Chr -. They are constructs and thus immune to critical hits, mind control effects, poison etc, etc.

===Assasin Vines===

The roses around the Princess’s body are an [http://www.geocities.com/sovelior/srd/monstersA.html#assassin-vine Assassin Vine] that lives in symbiosis with the golems. They, still thinking they feed the princess, really feed it. To really mess with things make the roses vampiric Assassin Vines, giving them the Blood and Energy Drain abilities of [http://www.geocities.com/sovelior/srd/monstersTtoZ.html#vampire Vampire].

===The Princess===

The Princess herself is the most potent threat in the tower. Her soul is trapped there still, having no place to go and no reason to leave the roses that loved her so. Any sufficiently loud noise in the tower will wake her and cause her to panic, lashing out blindly to try and stop the dreadful din. In her own bed-chamber even soft noises may wake her. She’s a [http://www.geocities.com/sovelior/srd/monstersG.html#ghost Ghost] based on a [http://www.geocities.com/sovelior/srd/npcClasses.html 2nd level human aristocrat], but in addition to all the normal ways of defeating such a creature she can be calmed with silence that lasts for several rounds, or perhaps with a gift of flowers. A bard using bardic knowledge could find this out with a DC 20 check, or someone could use Knowledge: History or Knowledge: Nobility with a DC 25 check. These penalties should, of course, be reduced if the PCs know the story of the tower.

The Tiki War

2014-06-16T05:29:10Z

Wayland: More specific category

[[Category:System-neutral Fantasy Settings]]
[[Category:D20 Fantasy]]
[[Category:D20 System]]
[[Category:Setting Search Submissions]]
A setting submission by Random Goblin

'''Core Ethos Sentence:''' The Tiki War is an adventure setting that consists of a huge tropical archipelago called Wala-Ku, also known as the Arcadian Islands, where the forces of light clash against the forces of darkness under the shadow of the Empire of Sapar.

'''Who are the Heroes?''' The main character is an incredibly powerful witch doctor named Ap Manu, who, when he saw that he would soon die, enacted a mighty ritual that preserved his identity and life essence in two great carved wooden masks. One was the dark Pu mask, and one was the good Ki mask. The evil Pu mask immediately set out to conquer the islands and began amassing followers, while the Ki mask set out to stop it. Other heroes could be islanders, dwarven traders, elven pirates, lizardfolk tribesmen, locathah chieftains, or Saparian soldiers or missionaries.

'''What do they do?''' The allies of Manu Ki and Manu Pu clash in epic fashion, of course, but over them hangs the threat of Sapar one day extending its control. Dwarven traders ply the waters in Gnomish ships trying to make a profit and defend themselves against elven and hobgoblin pirates. Aquatic elves and locathah try to maintain their unsteady alliance against the sahuagin.

'''Threats, Conflicts, Villains:''' The main conflict is between the allies of Manu Ki and the allies of Manu Pu. In addition, the Empire of Sapar directly controls the western end of the archipelago and lays claim to the rest of it. Native to the islands are halfling, orc, and lizardfolk tribes, all fairly primitive., but the shallow ocean waters between the islands teem with merfolk, aquatic elves, and locathah, all threatened by the Sahuagin who live in the great coral reef that protects the islands from the harsh weather to the south.

'''Nature of Magic:''' Magic works much like it does in the core rulebook and the setting and cosmology associated with it. Divine magic would be slightly different, with a new pantheon of tribal gods including minor spirits and the gods of Sapar in competition with each other. Prestige classes would give druids and clerics access to powerful animal abilities granted by spirits.

'''What’s new? What’s different?''' This setting would be quite different from usual D&D settings because of its greater focus than usual on the shallow seas around and among the islands, making underwater adventures and aquatic PC’s a viable option. Also, there is very little in the way of traditional dungeons other than the occasional small cave complex or dead volcano, and underwater caves abound, especially in the coral reef that is infested with sahuagin and other monsters. This means that emphasis would generally be on event-based rather than site-based adventures. There is a clash of cultures, as the Empire of Sapar interacts with the islander natives. Sapar, a more traditionally high medieval-based culture like that which is standard in other settings, provides PC’s so inclined with the option of a more familiar atmosphere.

Category:Lineage

2014-06-16T05:27:35Z

Wayland: More specific category

[[Category:Campaign Setting]]
[[Category:GURPS Fantasy]]
[[Category:Setting]]
[[Category:Modern]]
[[Category:Magic]]
[[Category:Alternate Settings]]
[[Category:Campaign Setting]]

The Sorcerers Labyrinth

2014-06-16T05:27:14Z

Wayland: More specific category

[[Category:GURPS Fantasy]][[Category:Campaign Resource]][[Category:Resources]][[Category:Short Adventure]]''The Sorcerer's Labyrinth'' is a generic TL3 fantasy adventure for use with the GURPS Fourth Edition rules set. It is designed for a group of 2-5 player characters built with 150 points and a disadvantage limit of -75 points. As designed, characters may not take any supernatural or cinematic traits other than Magery to a maximum level of 3. Average starting wealth is $1,000.

TSL uses ''GURPS Basic Set: Characters'' and ''Campaigns'', ''GURPS Magic'', and ''GURPS Low-Tech''. Rules from the ''Dungeon Fantasy'' line are borrowed, though this is not a ''Dungeon Fantasy'' adventure. Rules from ''GURPS Martial Arts'' are also borrowed.

==Introduction==

"Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a happy little kingdom tucked away in the farthest reaches of the realm.

"Then, an evil wizard came and stole the princess. He left behind a magic mirror in her room and a letter that read: ''"Each midnight, the mirror becomes a magic portal into which anyone may step. On the other side is my realm of darkness. Enter, and be prepared for every sort of challenge. Emerge victorious and wealth and power beyond your wildest fantasy will be yours."''

Well, at least that's how the bard's tale goes. It's been told and retold so many times that there are several versions of the story. In some, the evil wizard is a wicked fairy queen. In others, there's no princess at all, rather it's a duke's son, a magic sword, a talking metal steed, an enchanted crown of power, or some other valuable possession that was stolen.

One thing remains consistent throughout the re-telling, though: there's always a mirror that holds a magical gateway within its reflective surface and the portal only opens at midnight.

Everyone far and wide has heard of the magic mirrors and their midnight portals leading to a realm of darkness, but most regard the story as a fairytale. The same old coots trying to sell treasure maps to famous lost troves and deeds to long-lost castles hidden in the wilderness also pedal full-length mirrors that serve as portals to fortune come midnight. Even though the world is a magical place of dragons and wizards, no one in their right mind, no matter how naive, would trust such claims or offers.

And, neither should the player characters...

==Brecconary==
[[image: Brecconary2.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The town of [[The_Sorcerers_Labyrinth:Brecconary|Brecconary]], population just under 5,000. <br>Work in progress!]]
The adventure starts at dusk in the town of [[The_Sorcerers_Labyrinth:Brecconary|Brecconary]] during the harvest festival. Brecconary is a large town of just under 5,000 people. But, during the festival, it's swelled to thrice that population. Search rolls are at +1 (See B518 or City Stats p. 5).

Read aloud the following passage:

{|style="background:#ffdead;" border="1"
|-
| Width="300px" | ''It's just past dusk in Brecconary. Any other day and Brecconary would be considered a quaint, happy town of just under 5,000 residents. But, today is the first day of the harvest festival and Brecconary has swelled to thrice that population.

''All the inns and taverns are full, as are the bustling, crowded streets. Exotic beasts roar from their cages in the traveling menagerie. Acrobats, clowns, fire-eaters and jugglers entertain the masses at the circus. Merchants-a-plenty hawk their wares, each louder than the next. There's something for everyone, and that something can be found on almost every corner.
|}

Tell the players that up to this point, they've been approached a number of times by beggars and panhandlers. Any particularly charitable or generous PC will have undoubtedly given away handfuls of coin. If any PC's have such disadvantages, ask how generous they have been with those that have approached.

Judge their amount as either stingy, adequate or generous. Don't tell the players, but if the amount is stingy, their PC is cursed with a minor, temporary disadvantage at quirk level. A suggestion is Destiny (receive bird droppings on head today) [-1].

The gods must have their eye on Brecconary tonight -- if the amount donated is truly generous, the PC receives a minor advantage at perk level that lasts no longer than through the night. Do not tell them what the perk is. A suggestion is Serendipity (find a great price on a single item) [1] or Luck (one roll) [1].

If any player is a spendthrift, no doubt they have been to a number of the bauble-selling merchant carts and stands lining many of the roads. Have them make a self-control roll. For every point they fail, they spend 5% of their loose cash on nearly worthless items. On a critical failure, they spend it all on one gaudy piece of junk.

If any male character is Lecherous, they may get lured away by one of the many lusty ladies of the night. Have him make a self-control roll or be taken out of the next scenario ("Of Drunks and Mirrors") for a quick tryst at one of the local brothels or seedy taverns. The meeting will cost him about a half hour and the price of a glass of ale -- or an hour and $25 up front if he fails a second SC roll and goes through with the act. Good role-players, depending on the nature of their character's disadvantage, may not want to attempt this second roll.

==Of Drunks and Mirrors==

A foul-smelling beggar approaches one of the PC's. The beggar will approach either the least threatening or most gullible in appearance.

Read aloud the following passage:

{|style="background:#ffdead;" border="1"
|-
| Width="300px" | ''An old, foul-smelling beggar approaches [PC's name]. The assaulting stench of horse manure, stagnant alcohol and putrid sweat precedes him. He's shoeless and filthy and wearing tattered, threadbare rags. He smiles as he approaches showing what remains of his jagged, yellow teeth.''

''This latest in a line of beggars has a drunken look in his eyes. Grinning, he greats [PC's name]. "Greeting, traveler! You look like an adventuresome type. I've a proposition for you, one I'm sure you'll be interested in hearing. Come here out of the street and away from prying eyes and ears."
|}

The beggar, [[The_Sorcerers_Labyrinth:Rufus|Rufus]], will try to get the PC to accompany him out of the street to a nearby alley. Alert players will be cautious, but the alley is directly nearby only a few yards away. Observation rolls will tell the players there seem to be no immediate danger of ambush. It seems as though the beggar just wants to leave the bustle of a busy street.

If the players don't accompany him to the side of the road, he'll follow saying something like, "Got an important date? I'll just keep my voice low then." His eyes will shift from one side to the next as he speaks in hushed tone.

The beggar approaching them is pretty well just what he seems, but is actually a quite a bit smarter than the average alcoholic bum.

Read aloud the following passage:

{|style="background:#ffdead;" border="1"
|-
| Width="300px" | ''"I just happened upon something so wonderful, it may be hard to believe," the drunken bum says excitedly, but in hushed tone with eyes darting left and right. "Something out of the fairytales, you see. There was this shady character -- a mage, I think -- he was talking to some big, mean-looking bloke in the back of a tavern. I overheard their conversation. Seems this wizard was selling a magic mirror. But, not just any old magic mirror like you might find in the back of a traveling wizard's caravan, no.

''"Ever heard the story, 'The Princess in the Mirror?' Sure you have," the beggar says before you can answer. "It's the mirror in the story! At midnight, it shimmers and glows; turns into a magic gateway to another land. I know what'cher think'n! Fairtales! Kids stories fit to put the little ones to sleep at bedtime! I know, I know -- couldn't believe it myself! Read my daughter the same story out of a book. But, no, I swear by my beard, I done tested it last night!"
|}

In truth, Rufus did overhear a conversation between the two men he described, and the conversation was about the fairytale mirror. The mirror wasn't for sale but the "mage" told the other man that he had it in his possession. Rufus is lying about ''when'' he overheard the conversation; he was eavesdropping about an hour ago.

Rufus knew where the "mage's" caravan was and broke into it. He stole the only mirror in the wagon, a beautiful, antique full-length mirror.

He also is completely lying about testing it and finding a magical land, but he truly believes it is in fact the mirror of legend. He's not trying to scam the PC's; he's only trying to unload some stolen loot without them knowing it's stolen.

Rufus will tell the players the mage needed a new horse to pull his wagon (the truth). Though he was loathe to do so, the mage agreed to trade the mirror for two of Rufus' prized steeds (a lie). Rufus will defend his lies and even offer to show the PC's his stable. In truth, the stable is merely the one he works at, but the owners are all out enjoying the festival.

=The Trade=

Rufus hid the mirror in the hayloft above the horse barn. He's obviously nervous about the whole situation, but he'll tell the PC's he's had second thoughts about the mirror and wants it gone. "The mirror's not worth having around. Gives me the willies. I don't trust wizards, either; no offense if any 'o you have the gift. You just never know what they're up to, I'm sure you'll agree. What can an ugly old man do with a magic mirror anyway? I'm just a simple horse trader. Can't run off on some adventure in a magical land. Get myself gobbled up by a dragon is all that'll do fer me."

If the PC's seem interested, Rufus will try to sell it to them for as much as he can get. He may be a drunk bum, but he's not stupid. He truly believes the mirror is the magical gateway of fairytale lore and won't hear any suggestion that it isn't.

Because, in fact, it isn't.

Rufus will first grab a nearby feed bucket and a long rope. He'll tie it to the handle and climb up the ladder with the rope in hand. If asked what he's doing, he'll say something vague and dismissive like, "Can't be too careful," or, "Just tying up lose ends."

He'll climb the ladder to the top of the hayloft with the rope in one hand, but won't let any of the PC's climb up with him. He'll then reveal the mirror from up top to the PC's below. It is, apparently, a beautiful, antique mirror. Mages will get a Per+Magery roll to detect if the mirror is magical, and another, later roll if they touch it.

Rufus will deny any requests from inquisitive PC's to examine it further, particularly from mages wanting to perform magical experiments on it. "I don't know you and you don't know me. this is the opportunity of a lifetime! Don't go wasting it with hastey demands. This is really it! The mirror of legend!"

He'll push the ladder down from the loft if the PC's try to climb it. He'll then stand his ground and threaten to call for the guard if pressed, but won't actually do so. If assaulted, he'll climb out the window to the rooftop and jump to the next building before running away. Long ago, he planned his escape from the hayloft if the guard, victims of his burglaries, or a band of street toughs ever came looking for him.

Certain skill rolls at -4 for only seeing the mirror from a distance below may reveal that the mirror is about 100 years old (about the right age to be the mirror of legend). It's fair market value is around $2,500 and it weighs 15 lbs. Rufus wants $1,200 unless the PC's seem particularly wealthy or eager in which case he could ask for twice as much.

If they have the money, Rufus will tell them to put it in the bucket. He'll draw the bucket up and count the money before telling them to come up and get the mirror. When they climb to the top, he'll be gone.

=Aragon's Mirror=

''Note: Full-length standing mirrors are anachronistic. Historically, glass working techniques were not advanced enough in TL3 to create flat, transparent planes large enough for tall, thin mirrors. However, in this setting, techniques have been in use long enough for float glass to be somewhat commonplace. Just like its historical invention, it is a carefully guarded secret that has remained so for more than 100 years.

However the PC's get the mirror form Rufus, it's assumed that they do.

Trouble is, the mirror is owned by the traveling wizard-sage [[The_Sorcerers_Labyrinth:Aragon|Aragon]]. Aragon is a mid-level wizard who isn't happy that his wagon was burglarized. However, the PC's won't know who owns the mirror at this point.

Any mage worth his salt will be able to determine the mirror isn't magical. Analyze Magic can be cast on it if there's any doubt. It really ''is'' just an antique mirror. If there is no mage in the group or all Per+Magery rolls are failed, the PC's can search for a mage to perform Analyze Magic. Roll against the higher of IQ or Merchant both at +1 for Brecconary's current population to find a mage for the job. The mage will ask $50 for the service if the PC doing the talking makes a successful Merchant roll or $75 if the roll is failed. A further successful quick contest against the mage's Merchant skill of 14 will lower his asking price by $20.

The PC's will probably feel defrauded when they learn the mirror isn't magical. They may determine that in truth, Rufus really did believe the mirror was the of legend. He only lied to cover up the fact that he stole it, and to assure the PC's of what he believed was true.

The PC's may take a number of different courses of action. Below are a few:

* The PC's may seek retribution. If they do, a Streetwise roll at -3 for being obvious strangers will give them two clues: Rufus' real name and the location of bar he commonly patronizes, the Cracked Mug. <br><br>If the players catch up to Rufus, he'll eventually spill the beans about where and how he got the mirror. He'll swear he thought it was the mirror of lore, and he'll be telling the truth in doing so. He'll give the PC's back their money less $250 he spent paying off a leg breaker, $25 he spent on his bar tab, and $20 he spent on liquor including a bottle of rum he's already got half down intro his gullet. The guard won't fuss too much if the PC's rough him up quite a bit, but permanently injuring him -- for example by cutting or stabbing him or causing any temporary, lasting or permanent crippling injuries from failed HT rolls (B422) -- will cause them to get evolved. What happens in that case is up to the GM, but Aragon will probably find out about the situation and come looking for the PC's at that point.<br><br>

* If the PC's take the mirror to the guard and tell them what happened, they will be asked to remain at the post while they find its rightful owner whom already reported it stolen. They'll also inform the PC's that they will look for Rufus to bring him to justice. <br><br>And, they'll do just that. Both are easily located. Rufus will try to say the PC's are lying and that he had nothing to do with the mirror's theft. But, after a short investigation, the guard will see through this deception. However, the PC's should be made to sweat a little as the guard questions everyone evolved to make sue the crazy bum's story isn't true. Make Acting rolls for Rufus and Detect Lies rolls on the guard's behalf. <br><br>The players will meet Aragon at this time and he will be pleased to have his mirror returned. He'll offer the PC's an enchanted large knife in return for their service (see [[The_Sorcerers_Labyrinth:Aragon|Aragon's page]] for details).<br><br>

* If the PC's just want to hawk the mirror, they can do so. Roll against Merchant at +1 for the town's current population. <br><br>Role play the exchange and make note of what the PC's tell the antique dealer about the mirror. It may be important later when its rightful owner comes looking for it using the Seeker (M105) spell. He won't appreciate it if the PC's intentionally lied about how they got it. <br><br>Unless the antique merchant is given reason to believe it's stolen (e.g., if the players tell him they got it off a drunk bum in a seedy deal), he will offer $2,000 for the mirror if the selling PC makes a merchant roll, $1,200 if not. He won't want it if it seems to be stolen property, and will probably advise the PC's to take it to the guard. <br><br>A further quick contest of merchant skill rolls against the merchant's skill of 14 will bring him up to $2,250 or $1,320 if the original merchant roll was failed. If the PC critically fails this roll the merchant will be offended and won't buy the mirror. No one else in town will give more than $1,000 ($1,200 if another Merchant quick contest against 14 is made). A critical success and the antique merchant will offer $1,000 more for the mirror, or $4,000 more if the PC's convince the merchant the mirror is magical.<br><br>

* The PC's count their losses and do nothing. If they take no real course of action other than to take the mirror and put it with their supplies (they can't reasonably carry it around), Aragon and the guard will find it, thanks to his Seeker spell. If they leave the mirror, Aragon and the guard will find it in the loft (or wherever it's at). It won't take long for the guard to track down the PC's. With a detective present, Aragon will cast Images of the Past (M107) on the mirror which will show the PC's reflection if they ever stood before it. If not, they will find Rufus who will blame the whole thing on the PC's and aide the guard in searching for them.

=Meeting Aragon=

Aragon is a fair, reasonable man to a large extent, but he is also a greedy nobleman who will stop at little to get what he wants. If the PC's are honest and innocent of wrongdoing, he'll not wish ill of them for their part in his missing mirror. If the story of the mirror intrigued the PC's, Aragon will invite the PC's to the Black Rose inn for a drink and a meal, is treat.

There, he'll have a proposition, get the real mirror of legend and there will be riches untold as reward.

If the PC's aren't innocent, Aragon will insist they be imprisoned until brought to trial for their crimes. The soldiers will oblige.

At about midnight that same night, Aragon will come to the PC's while in jail. He'll make them an offer: promise to get the real mirror of legend for him and he'll suspend his charges against them. They'll be freed to keep their word. If they flee, he'll say they'll be under a warrant for arrest from one side of the kingdom to the next, and beyond.

Aragon will tell the PC's there was a murder during a drunken brawl in a tavern the other night. Happens every year at least once, but with so many people from afar flooding the city, the guard will realistically never be able to find the man who did it. But, Aragon will make vague insinuations he can have one or more of the PC's blamed for it if they don't agree to get the mirror or if they don't hold up their end of the bargain.

No matter how Aragon attempts to persuade the PC's to quest for the mirror of legend, he'll extend an invitation to the Black Rose as his guests where he'll offer each member of the PC's party 12 gold ($1,200) up front and all the food supplies they will need, plus a pack mule to carry it.

Rame:Main Page

2014-06-16T05:26:08Z

Wayland: Fixed Fantasy Genre

=Rame=
[[Category:Setting]]
[[Category:Fantasy genre]]
[[Category:Steampunk]]
[[Category:Mutants & Masterminds 2E]]

==The Realm==
Map
===Nations===
===[[Layden Isles]]===
===[[Brayon]]===
===[[Lindora]]===
===[[Syreen]]===
===[[Merlands]]===
==History==
* Witches War
=People=
==Factions==
===Layden Isles===
===Brayon===
* [[Sir Bromen]]
A Warjack driver from a noble house in Brayon.
===Lindora===
===Syreen===
* [[Jayden Falcone]]
A nobleman from the Syreen. He is a skilled horse man, renowned leader, and a rune warrior.
==Independents==
* [[Anymor]]
Former warjack from from (insert nation), she became a freelance operator at the end of the [[Witch's War]]. She is an excellent 'jack driver, and unparalleled in stealing 'jacks.

She suffers from insecurities surrounding her role in Jas losing his hands.
* [[Jas]]
Former warjack driver from (insert nation), he lost both his hands below the elbow when Anymor's father betrayed him. By happenstance, he received a rare gift of two enchanted forearms to replace what he lost. Even though he could no longer driver a 'jack, Jas was able to go back to the smith and now spends his days building and improving standard model 'jacks.
==Others==
* [[Morgan]]
* [[Joe]]

=Magic=
==General==
==Arcane==
==Demonic==
==Faith==
==Nature==
==Technomagic==

=Setup=
* '''Character Creation'''
** Hero Creation Summary
Creating a hero in Rame follows a series of simple steps, using the information presented in the other chapters of this book. You’ll need a copy of the character sheet and some scratch paper to create your character.
*1. Hero Concept
Before you get started, consider what sort of hero you want to create. What are the hero’s basic abilities? What are the hero’s powers? What’s the hero’s origin? You may want to take a look at the hero archetypes in this setting for some idea of the different types of heroes you can create. You also can draw inspiration from your favorite characters from comic books, television, or the movies. Take a look through the Magic page and see if any of the powers there inspire a character idea. You may want to jot down a few notes about the sort of hero you’d prefer to play, which will help guide you through the rest of the character creation process.
*2. Check with your Gamemaster
Your GM may have particular house rules or restrictions on characters in the game, not allowing certain powers or concepts. Likewise, if your Gamemaster bans mental spells from the campaign, then a mind mage isn’t appropriate. Run your hero concept by your Gamemaster before you start working on it. You might also want to consult with your fellow players so you can create your characters together and ensure they’ll make a good team.
*3. Power Level
Your GM sets the starting power level for the series. Generally this is 8th level, but it may range anywhere from around 5th level to 20th level or more. All characters begin play at the same power level, which determines their starting power points and where you can spend them. See Power Level later in this setting for details.
*4. Basic Abilities
Choose the ability scores you want your character to have and pay 1 power point for each ability score point over 10. Choose the attack bonus and defense bonus for your character, paying 2 power points per +1 to attack or defense bonus. Choose the saving throw bonuses for your character, paying 1 power point per +1 save bonus. Keep in mind these bonuses are limited by power level. See Chapter 2: Basic Abilities, for details on these abilities and Power Level later in this chapter for more on power level limits.
*5. Skills
Choose the skill ranks you want your character to have and pay 1 power point per 4 skill ranks. Keep in mind your character can’t have a rank in any skill greater than the campaign’s power level +5. See Chapter 3: Skills, for details.
*6. Advantages
Choose the feats you want your character to have and pay 1 power point per feat or rank in a feat. See Chapter 4: Feats, for details.
*7. Powers
Choose the powers you want your character to have and pay the power’s base cost, multiplied by the number of ranks. Power modifiers increase or reduce a power’s capabilities and cost. See Chapter 5: Powers, for details.
*8. Complications & Drawbacks
Choose the complications you want your character to have. Choose the drawbacks you want your character to have (if any) and add their value to the power points you have to spend. Keep in mind you’re generally limited to no more points in drawbacks than the campaign’s power level. See Chapter 6, for more detail on complications, drawbacks and their
effects.
*9. Check Your Math
Go back through and add up the cost of your hero’s ability scores, attack bonus, defense bonus, saving throw bonuses, skills, feats, and powers, and subtract the value of your hero’s drawbacks. You should end up with a figure equal to the starting power points shown on the Starting Power Points Table on page 24. If not, double-check your math and either remove or add traits to your character to reach the starting power point total.
*10. Add Up Defenses
Calculate your character’s total saving throw bonuses by adding together your base save bonus and ability modifier for each (Constitution for Toughness and Fortitude saves, Dexterity for Reflex saves, and Wisdom for Will saves).
*11. Finishing Details
Look through Chapter 6: Characteristics and figure out details like your hero’s name, appearance, origin, background, and motivation. Choose your hero’s allegiances (if any). If you can, consider creating a sketch or detailed description of your outfit and gear.
*12. Gamemaster Approval
Show your new hero to the Gamemaster for approval. The GM should check to make sure your power points are spent and added up correctly, the hero follows the power level guidelines, and is generally complete and suited to the campaign. Once your GM has approved, your new hero is ready for play!
==Resources==
===External links===
* [http://www.mutantsandmasterminds.com/ M&M "Headquarters"] : Mutants and Masterminds' home page.
* [http://www.atomicthinktank.com/ M&M Forum] - "the Atomic Think Tank" M&M System Forums.
* [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Mutants&Masterminds_RPG_Wiki_Resource:Main_Page Mutants and Masterminds] at RPGnetWiki
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page What else can I Wiki?] Wikipedia
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_game What is a RPG?] RPG Wiki
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutants_and_masterminds What is M&M?] M&M Wiki

Category:GURPS Fantasy

2014-06-16T05:25:31Z

Wayland: Created category with parent categories

[[Category:GURPS]]
[[Category:Fantasy genre]]

The Gift:Main Page

2014-06-16T05:24:54Z

Wayland: More specific category

[[Category:Campaign Setting]]
[[Category:GURPS Fantasy]]
[[Category:Setting]]
[[Category:Magic]]
[[Category:Modern]]
[[Category:Alternate Settings]]
[[Category:Campaign Setting]]

=The Gift=

[[Image:Worshipper.jpg]]

The Time: The modern day.

The Place: The United States of America.

Mages have been the world’s top predators for as long as their history records, secretly enslaving humanity to further their own ends. There are other potent creatures on Earth to be sure, but none so organized, so cunning and so ruthless as the mages. Their power has only ever been limited by their ability to cooperate and the little gods have been free to do with this world whatever they desired. And so, throughout history, they have made war on one another. The story of magic is a tale of death, destruction and betrayal, as the schools and cabals slaughtered fellow mages to take ultimate power or just to survive against their neighbors.

In the modern United States, exhaustion has forced a ceasefire that mages call “The Peace”. The last great magewar was in the 1980s and the wounds and vendettas are still fresh, but for now, the Peace holds. The closest thing the mages have to a government is provided by the most powerful faction to emerge from the war, The Council, an alliance of nine Hermetic orders. Insofar as anyone in mage society keeps order within US borders, it is them, though the other factions fiercely guard their own independence. The Circle, a loose alliance of nature-worshipers, came off worse in the wars, suffering heavy losses. Now they grow more militant ever year, calling for peace while preparing to fight. The Cooperative is a new power in the world, a chaotic alliance of technological mages, born from the modern age. Free thinkers, they have a thousand wild agendas and few rules. The "independents" reject all alliance, refusing to answer to anyone outside their own orders. They defend their freedom proudly, with violence if necessary.

“The Gift” is the talent that allows a mage to cast spells. Nobody knows for sure why one human possesses the Gift and another does not, but it is the Gift that divides humanity into “mages” and “mortals”, those who have the power and those who do not. To possess the Gift is to be one of the privileged few, but with power comes danger.

What would you do if you had power?

What would you have to do to keep it?

=Contents=

1. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/The_Gift:The_World The World]

2. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/The_Gift:Characters Characters]

3. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/The_Gift:Magic Magic]

4. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/The_Gift:Conflict Conflict]

The Castle:Keep on the Borderlands

2014-06-16T05:21:37Z

Wayland: More specific category

[[Category:Setting]][[Category:The Castle]]
[[Image:The Castle Keep on the Borderlands.jpg|right|500px]]
This is the setting for [[The Castle]]
===The World ===
===The Shattered Coast ===
The debatable lands to the northern end of the Middle Isle have always been wild. Earls and Thegns fight for dominance over the harsh, mountainous lands, paying lip service to the weak King Jasper who rots on his throne far to the south.

[[Castle Dewel]] is built at the edge of one of the many sea narrow lochs that give the Shattered Coast its name. The Castle acts as the seat of the Baronry of Loch Dewel.

In the hundreds of islands to the north-east live the savage Freysarsach, sons of the frozen sea. They are warring tribes and families who have never respected any claim that the Kingdom of the Middle Isle has ever had over them.

The capital is to the south of the Island. Here the Baron must go to play politics. Rival lords raid and pillage under the nose of the king; he his manipulated and cajoled into giving power to one faction then the next.

===Other Lands===
The masters of politicking are the Francoi from the Triple Principality of Fran to the south of the Middle Isle. Perfumed and elegant they have long rivalries with the kings of the Middle Isle. They scheme and they plot; but when they must they hire he services of the Völklanders. Völkland is a land of mercenaries; a whole people, who from the lowliest smith to the mighty Landsknecht, will sell their services to the highest bidder.

In the spring, when the Frozen Sea thaws, the Vykingar come from their land far off to the east. Sometimes they trade, but more often they raid and they take what they want.

===Others===
Sicilla – Italians – Traders and academics.

Muhr – Black skinned people from the far off and gold and diamond rich lands.

==Mother Church==
The Mother Church is the embodiment of the One Goddess, the giver of life and the protector from the Father of Lies, the Morning Star. Once lovers, the Goddess and the Morning Star begat the first People, a man and a woman, for whom they made Earth. Though Man and Woman were fickle and turned their backs on their makers. The Goddess is forgiving and will forever try to lead Man and Woman back to Paradise, but the Morning Star is not. Bitter at Man’s betrayal of his fatherly love, he has populated the Earth with his minions, the souls of evil doers sent back to tempt the unwary into sin, thus denying them their Mother’s everlasting embrace.

Both the Goddess and the Father have different Faces. The Goddess is known as the Mother, the Advocate, the Wise Crone, the Maiden and the Matron. The Father is the Outsider, the Deceiver, the Condemner, the Soldier and the Magus.

The Goddess’s Faces are worshipped and revered to different extents in different places. There is a Convent of the Curing Matron and a cathedral to the Loving Mother. Likewise, the Father is seen in his different aspects; a warrior will pay his respects to the Soldier before battle and when death comes it is the Outsider who collects the soul to be judged by the Advocate and Condemner.

Only women officiate in the Goddess’s name and wear the mask of one of her Faces. Reverend Sisters see to the spiritual well being in villages. Silent Maidens sit within their convents contemplating the Truth. Holy Mothers attend court, advising the nobility as to the Goddess’s will when not overseeing matters at their cathedral.

===Other Cults===
Due to the fact that men are denied access to the Priesthood, numerous Men’s cults exist, such as Warrior brotherhoods founded on ancient rites akin to the Mithras cult. Most are secret and jealously guard their mysteries. Many are little but shadowy cults which aim to draw men into the worship of the Dark Lord.

==Other Races==
In the beginning the Goddess and the Father created the world. Within the Earth, amongst the forming metals and rocks Dwarves were formed. Above the Earth, as the first trees sprouted and the first deer took form, so did the first Elves.

For an infinity the world was so. Then the Mother gave birth to Man. Man turned away from his parents and this was the First Strife.

At a time when Man still feared the moon and cowered round fires for protection from the wolves, the Fey Folk ruled the Lands Above. Graceful and Kingly, their might was unchallenged for untold centuries. Until the Dwarves rose up against them, challenging their rule over the lands, fighting a mighty battle. This was the Second Strife.

At the end of this cataclysmic conflict, the Fey withdrew from the world, heralding the age of Man. Now they live beneath the Barrows, their grip over the land sundered. Yet the remains of their lordly might can be seen in standing stones, dolmens and vine shrouded ruins of exquisite beauty. Few dare tread where the Fey once ruled, especially at night, for the faint, haunting melodies of their pipes and lutes can be heard still, luring the unwary into their cold embrace. On moonlit nights when the storms wrack the sky, Fey horsemen ride forth in the Wild Hunt.

===Elfkin ===
Elfkin are the poor, twisted, demented offspring of their noble forbearers who left the lands long ago. Sprites and sylphs, dryads and nymphs. There are a thousand names for these every day spirits of the stream and brook, hearth and forge. While not malicious, they must be placated and kept in check with gifts of milk and honey, or turned away with iron nails and prayer, for if crossed they can be fierce enemies. They can make no sense to people, unable to communicate in words Men can fathom. They are shy, but occasionally dangerous. Every place in the world has its Elfkin.

===Dwarves ===
Unfathomable and ancient creatures, Dwarves are rare but are seen occasionally, wandering the roads, seldom settling in one place. None know their origins, though stories tell that in times forgotten they fought a mighty war against the Elves, causing the Fey Folk to withdraw beneath their Barrows and leaving all but a handful of Dwarves left in the world. Craftsmen par excellence, fearsome warriors, stalwart companions to those who can win their hard-gained trust, fearsome enemies to those who cross them. They have no tribe or homeland, and while most wander on an unceasing quest about which they will share no information, some linger in one place from time to time, imparting the gifts of their wisdom upon Man. Skilled is the smith who has spent time at the forge with a Dwarven master.

===Hobs ===
Where Elfkin are the benign spirits of places, hostile only when crossed, Hobs are most definitely not. Hobs, Hobgoblins, Bogarts, Deurgar; all manner of names are given to these malicious devil-spawned creatures. Philosophers would argue over the nature of Hobs; are they satanic powers placed on earth by the Lord of Lies or are they merely Earthly spirits which mean Man harm. But few peasants care for such arguments, for it is clear that a Hob will take every opportunity to drown, freeze, mislead, cut, bash, bruise, starve or otherwise slay the unwary. Many believe that the souls of those slain by a Hob pass neither to Paradise or the Abyss, but are collected in the Hob’s sack, to be used up in his sickly schemes. Whatever the truth, Hobs are each unique in their appearance, yet are uniformly difficult to defeat due to their guile and slipperiness.

===Hags ===
At the end of the Second Strife the Elves and the Dwarves were both judged. Each was condemned to an eternity below the ground; the Elves in their barrows, the Dwarves in their Halls. But the Deceiver bargained with some of the Elf-wives and so the Condemner did not lay his judgement on them. So, in the dead of night, these tortured, undying spirits do his bidding.

===Others===
Wyrms

Goblins, trolls, ogres

Imps – Whisperers. Servants of the Deceiver.

==Magic ==
===Dweomer ===
Sorcerers are lone individuals. There are no wizardly Universities or covens. Wizards live alone, taking occasional apprentices, and are feared and revered by ordinary people. They are not common. The art of Dweomercraft is a long and demanding skill to learn, taking years to grasp the basics and decades to master even one Art. It is commonly believed that most Wizards know the secrets of extending their lives, and many are said to be hundreds of years old as this is the only way they can learn enough of the Art to be truly powerful. Some Wizards seek patronage with Lords or Kings, offering their services in return for sanctuary and funding to further their arcane studies.

Dweomercraft is a dangerous art. Many say that it was the Magus, Lord of Lies who first taught man the Thirteen Sigils and the Ninety Nine Words of Lore, and it was one of his darkest tricks. It is said that every time a Wizard calls upon the Arcane lore to bend the world to his Will, he risks his immortal soul.

Warhammer 2nd Ed has quite a good mechanic to make magic risky.

===Alchemy and Thaumaturgy ===
While true Dweomercraft is a rare and dangerous art, Alchemy and Thaumaturgy are more commonly understood crafts. While a Wizard can call down Lightening form the sky, an Alchemist’s craft is more subtle. Most Alchemists or Thaumaturgists blend their arts with a more mundane craft, such as blacksmithing, leechcraft or calligraphy. A sword forged by a blacksmith skilled in the Alchemical arts may remain ever sharp, or may be unbreakable. A healing poultice brewed by a Surgeon skilled in Alchemy may cure all manner of infections or could heal a broken arm in mere days. A contract scribbled by a scribe skilled in the Thaumaturgic disciplines may wreak dire consequences on any who broke it.

While more common than true Wizards, these rare folk are still scarce, and their skills are highly valued. Most find service with great Lords or travel the lands, selling their skills where they can. Many are still untrusted, for few understand their gifts.

Black Sorcery and Necromancy and Witchcraft
The Dark Path. The cults of the Dark Lord teach ungodly secrets to their initiates. Quick to learn, easy to gain power, yet impossible to master. The subtle weavings of Necromancy will always turn against their wielder in the end, for such is the way of the Father of Lies. Yet still, many believe they will be the one to harness the Black Art.

==Possible Inspiration ==
Lone Wolf

Robin of Sherwood

Titan – Fighting Fantasy

Dragon Warriors

Ars Magica

==Notes ==
===The Castle ===
*Lord
*Lady
*Chamberlin
*Knight – guy of Gisbourne type
*Cook
*Master at Arms
*Gate Ward
*Lady in Waiting
*Huntsman
*Sergeant
*Soldier
*The Lord’s young son
*Archer
*Blacksmith
*Surgeon
*Scribe
*Scullion Maid
*Stable Lad
*Apprentice
*Librarian
*Fostered Child of another Lord
*Handfasted Bride from another Theigndom
*Troubadour
*Priestess
*Mercenary in service of the Lord
*Noble Hostage taken in a previous war
*Castellan
*Purser
===Stuff in the Castle ===
*Hob of the Midden
*Spirit of the Forge
*Ghost in the old tower
*Rebel in the dungeon

==Ideas ==
Slavers

Crusades against the Muhr.

Gondwanaland

2014-06-16T05:20:17Z

Wayland: More specific category

[[Category:System-neutral Fantasy Settings]]
[[Category:D20 Fantasy]]
[[Category:D20 System]]
[[Category:Setting Search Submissions]]
[[Category:Prehistoric]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]

'''Core Ethos Sentence:''' Gondwanaland is a savage, primitive world where heroes forge their destinies amidst the ruins of a fallen primordial civilization.

'''Who are the heroes?''' The main heroes of Gondwanaland are the humans of the western coast who are in the process of rising from savage tribalism and forging a new civilization. They are led by Coyopa, a golden-haired, bronze-skinned demigod who is part of a newly born pantheon of gods. However, there is plenty of room for heroes of other races and backgrounds as well, even the odd savage humanoid like Arag Gol, the half-orc seeking to unite the jungle tribes, or Ahuatla, the legendary exiled lizardfolk swordsman.

'''What do they do?''' One major goal common to everyone is simply to survive in such a savage world. The humans of the western coast seek to build their new empire, gaining allies and fighting against their enemies. Really though, Gondwanaland is a rich enough setting to allow a multitude of heroes to pursue a multitude of goals, just as in any other great setting for a role-playing game.

'''Threats, Conflicts, Villains:''' Fierce predators roam the jungles and forests while savage tribes of orcs and men wage war for food and territory. The remaining lizardfolk led by the mad sorceror-king Ixhactl dream hallucinogenic dreams of their ancient glory, and plot for their fallen empire to rise again. The catacombs and tombs of the lizardfolk are full of forgotten terrors that sometimes rise to the surface.

'''Nature of Magic:''' Magic in Gondwanaland will function much the same as it is laid out in the Core Rulebooks. Druids and adepts will be common, but clerics will be common enough as well. There are at least three separate pantheons of gods: the lizardfolk’s pantheon, the alien gods of the elves, and the new human pantheon.

'''What’s new? What’s different?''' Gondwanaland is a huge supercontinent stretching from the teeming, lush jungles of the south through the endless savannah to the boreal forest and the jagged, icy, glacier-covered mountains in the north. It is a prehistoric “lost continent” setting where savage human and humanoid tribes fight dinosaurs in the south and huge ice-age mammals in the north. The ruins of the once-mighty lizardfolk empire are everywhere, but new civilizations with a Mesoamerican flavor are on the rise. The elves are stranded visitors from another star, with citadels in the northern mountains built from the wreckage of their great star galleons. Many of the elves, however, live nomadic lives in the northern boreal forest, having left the mountain citadels and forgotten much of their past. Dwarves were bred to be a slave-race, but their rebellion against their lizardfolk overlords was one factor in bringing about the latter empire’s downfall. The prevalence of dinosaurs and prehistoric beasts makes for a quite unique set of mounts and beasts of burden, and a set of new prestige classes like the Raptor Knight, the Fossil Mage, and the Mammoth Rider is one of the results.

'''Climate:''' Gondwanaland is a land of extremes. Near the coasts, it is a lush, humid jungle, and there are a few inland seas that help extend the wet climate further inland than would otherwise be possible. However, as a supercontinent, the entire center is an unelievably huge arid desert plateau. The plateau has craggy mountain ranges that conceal ancient secrets, ruined lost temples, and some say in the center, in a mountain range of staggering unmatched proportions that no explorer has ever reached or even seen. In this range is some ancient and terrible secret. Rumors call it the place of dead gods.

Gemstone

2014-06-16T05:19:40Z

Wayland: More specific category

[[Category:System-neutral Fantasy Settings]]
[[Category:D20 Fantasy]]
[[Category:D20 System]]
[[Category:Setting Search Submissions]]
A setting submission by Random Goblin

'''Core Ethos Sentence:''' Gemstone is a setting of epic fantasy adventure in the world of Palidoria where heroes pit their swords and spells against the advancing hordes of darkness that threaten to destroy the world.

'''Who are the heroes?''' Heroes on Palidoria can come from an incredibly diverse array of backgrounds, since one of the key points in the world’s flavor is the incredible diversity in terms of races, cultures, and life paths. Since the main threat is the tide of darkness and evil pouring from the Doomportal, anyone with a reason to fight against it or stop it has a chance to be a hero, from the lowliest halfling farmer to the mightiest of elven warriors. Some examples include Rolling Thunder, a human werebear who has inherited the guardianship of one of the lost Eight Silver Keys. Darinna is a scholar and a wizard who abandoned her studies at the Royal College when her professors began to dabble in and gradually become consumed by terrible, dark sorcery. Colin Northwind is a druid who once lived in as a hermit in the shadow of the northern mountains before he was driven away by the monstrous hordes of darkness. Atlactli is the champion archer of the Lizardfolk, whose empire across the southern Emerald Sea is collapsing from within.

'''What do they do?''' Naar the Deranged, a wandering mad elven prophet feared by the common people rants and raves about the the legendary gemstone known as the Eye of Kade. When the Doomportal was torn open by the forces of evil long ago, the god Kade closed it with a gem crafted from his own right eye and sealed the stone in place with eight silver keys. Five years ago, a thief who called himself the Disenchanter managed to steal the Eye from its setting without realizing the gemstone’s significance. He has since gone missing, and evil has begun to flood the land. The Eye of Kade must be recovered and sealed again with the lost eight silver keys before the forces of evil destroy the whole world.

'''Threats, Conflicts, Villains:''' The gray robed, porcelain-masked Cult of Oblivion infests the land, with agents and cells nearly everywhere pursuing their evil agenda. On the borders of the Steppe of Shadows, the great alliance of Hobgoblin tribes raze villages and terrorize the people. The blood of the elves grows weak, and more and more of them succumb to madness. In the far north, beyond the great mountains, the Winter King rules his frozen, evil domain unchallenged. The great underground dwarf kingdoms have been torn apart by the internal strife of the Grudge War, and many of the dwarf clans have been corrupted and joined forces with fiendish powers. Deranged Gnomes build huge and terrible machines of blind destruction that are a hybrid of technology and arcane sorcery. Creatures that were evil all along revel in this new age of darkness and terror. Most of this chaos is the result of the Doomportal, a huge magic gate in the far northern mountains that underlies almost all that is dark and evil in Palidoria. The greatest source of supernatural evil in the world, it is a portal directly into the lower planes. Not only do fiends and horrible nightmare creatures pour out of it day and night, but it also has a subtler influence, twisting otherwise good and decent peoples’ minds to evil and darkness.

'''Nature of Magic:''' Magic is the raw stuff of creation that flows in the spaces between the planes, like the life blood of the universe. It can be drawn upon and manipulated, either through a studied learning of its nature, use, and properties (arcane magic), as a gift from a deity (divine magic), or through sheer willpower and strength of mind (psionics). Magic operates on a level of laws beyond the physical, since physical laws are merely a result of the outgrowth of magic on various planes.

'''What’s new? What’s different?''' The traditional split between devils and demons doesn’t really exist in Gemstone. While there are different types of fiends and they may have rivalries with each other, there’s no Blood War that divides the lower planes. Also, there is less safety among the traditionally “good” races (elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings), since most of them are becoming slowly corrupted by the powerful magic of the Doomportal. Note that not everyone is evil and corrupt; most Palidorians simply do what they’ve always done. However, enough are corrupted so as make the setting dangerous and the sealing of the Doomportal all the more urgent.

Magic Potion

2014-06-16T05:17:56Z

Wayland: D20 Fantasy is a subcategory of Fantasy genre

[[Category: D20 Fantasy]]
[[Category: Short Adventure]]

A background and guidelines for short adventure for d20 fantasy RP. Suitable for one night of play for low level characters.

==Background==

This is adventure of two Gaulish braves and one Roman spy. As you can see it is a d20 Historical setting, but it could be adjusted for any sort of Bronze Age fantasy setting.

==The Story so far==

It is very dramatic time for Gaulish tribes. Romans are expanding, they already formed provinces of Aquitania, Narbonensis and Galia Cisalpina. Lands of Celtica are still free, but Romans gained new client-tribes, and their new proconsul is looking for fight. He managed to use Celtic infighting to intervene for Aedui tribe against Arverni and Sequani tribes. Brave Arvernii are most vocal of all tribes in their struggle to form pan-Celtic front and resist Romans. It's only natural since their lands are next to fall. Skirmishing is getting worse of late. More Avernii are being amubshed by Roman patrols, more border incidents and burned villages, things are really going to get nasty pretty soon. Hevetii and Suebii got trashed by new Roman commander, who is going to return to Celtica for more blood. Then, later next year (57 BC), Arvernii learn of Roman defeat. Apparently Nervii found way to beat Legions. Noone knows how they did it and rumour says - magic potion! Two Arvernii braves venture out to seek crazy druid who is said to be able to brew this super-strenght potion...

==Dramatis Personae==

Since this is short-adventure, characters are prepared in advance and handed out for players. Essentially, players can re-write the characters, as long as its two Gaul guys and one Roman girl.

===Two naive Gaulish braves===

Irvyn ap Tory and Cathair ap Floyd are typical Arvernii. They are 2nd lvl Fighters, young, strong, blonde, adorned with torcs of gold and neatly trimmed drooping moustache. They are boisterous, loud, proud and rather naive. They strike out on their own, trying to locate mad druid somewhere in the lands of Pictones.

===Roman girl===

Livia Metelli Prima is daughter of Roman patrician living in Narbonensis. Born and bred in city of Narbo, young Livia had Gaulish lady as her wet-nurse. Livia is very intelligent, quick witted and inquisitive. She learned a great deal about Gauls, their customs, their language, but Livia is Roman and will do anything to help her countrymen dominate barbaric tribes. Given her odd (for a Roman) looks (Livia is blonde), and her background, she is perfect spy to find out what Arvernii are up to. She travels to land of Arvernii, only to stumble across two Gauls on secret mission...

===Mad Druid===

Yes, there is a mad druid living as '''gelit''', man of the woods. He is proficient in making potions, but alas being quite mad he can't always get them right. By the time Arvernii braves and Roman spy reach his abode, he poisoned entire fores with his latest botched potion-making...

==Episode I - Two Gauls and little spy==

Where Gauls meet Livia in distress, save her and get her to tag along.

==Episode II - It's long way to Pictones==

Where Gauls get to like little Roman, as they travel across Celtica

==Episode III - Madman's forest==

Where Gauls meet with mutated agressive animals

==Episode IV - The Madman==

Where Gauls clearly see how Mad exactly he is

==End game==

Gauls can abadon their quest, or help druid clean up the mess and escort him to Arvernii Tribe
Roman spy learns of magic potion and tries to backstab Gauls either by sabotaging their effort and
slaying the druid.

Alternatively, there is no magic potion, players can become friends which leaves them in double drama...
When Gauls learn that their companion is Roman spy, will they let her live?
When Livia learns that whole thing was a silly wild goose chase, will she stick with her new friends or backstab them anyway...

''more work tomorrow''

Lothbrok Olafsen

2014-06-16T05:17:18Z

Wayland: More specific category

[[Category:The Castle]][[Category:Player character]]
A player character from [[The Castle]]

[[Image:Lothbrok Olafson.jpg]]

Category:Lineage

2014-06-16T05:16:50Z

Wayland: Created new category with parent categories

[[Category:Campaign Setting]]
[[Category:GURPS]]
[[Category:Fantasy genre]]
[[Category:Setting]]
[[Category:Modern]]
[[Category:Magic]]
[[Category:Alternate Settings]]
[[Category:Campaign Setting]]

Lineage:Main Page

2014-06-16T05:16:17Z

Wayland: More specific category

[[Category:Lineage| ]]

=Lineage=

[[Image:crown.gif]]

Place: USA.

Time: The modern day.

There is no higher purpose for mankind, laid down from above. The mages have always known that. Heaven exists, but it cares nothing for humanity, not even to rule it. If there is a God, He has nothing to say to us and His angels care only that we do not get in their way. Hell is more attentive. The demons like it when we suffer and a demon can make a human suffer forever.

Faced with an uncaring Heaven and a sadistic Hell, the mages born to humanity have always known that they have only one option. Protect their family and let the rest of the world be damned. So humanity became the mage’s unknowing slaves, while the great mage clans made war on one another to snatch ultimate power.

For as long as history records, humanity has been secretly ruled by the Houses, powerful mage families whose ambitions have only been checked by one another. In the USA, power is concentrated in the hands of thirteen great Houses. “The Thirteen Houses” as they are known, compete and cooperate to run the government, dominate the great corporations, and concentrate wealth and power in their own hands. They rule the banks, the universities, the media and the churches, along with anything else they want badly enough. The most powerful faction in the USA is comprised of four English Houses with a history of collaboration; Lancaster, Stuart, Warwick and York. Stuart ruthlessly enforces its dominant position in the alliance as all four jockey for control. The remainder of the thirteen are the Houses of Anjou, Capet, Carolus, Flavii, Hapsburg, Julii, Medici, Romanov, and Trastámara. The Houses are blood relations of the mortal clans of the same names, although not all in the mortal clan are mages.

However, not every mage in history abandoned the rest of humanity to look after their own. Alongside the Houses, for as long as history records, there has existed an independent body of mages, who recognize no authority beyond their own ranks. The Rebellion, as it styles itself, is not a rebellion against the Houses, at least not directly. It a rebellion against Heaven and Hell themselves, in the name of all humanity. Both supernatural powers are seen as enemies and enslavers of human beings. The mages of the Rebellion gather in Orders, not Houses. Unlike Houses, into which a mage is born as a member of a certain family, the Orders recruit their apprentices as adults. Mages of the Orders, like mages of the Houses, speak of a mage’s “lineage”, but they see this as something passed from teacher to student rather than from parent to child. Throughout most of history, the Houses have tried to suppress the Rebellion, which they see as a destabilizing influence. However, in the modern western world, the Rebellion rages openly, the Houses having conceded that trying to suppress it had become more trouble than it is worth. The Houses and the Rebellion live in uneasy peace, with frequent local skirmishes.

PCs may choose to work with the Houses, maneuvering to acquire power, knowledge, or whatever else they choose. Or they might join the Rebellion and fight for humanity against Heaven and Hell. Or they might take the power they have been given and carve a new path of their own design. The options open to a mage are as wide as the mage’s imagination.

=Contents=

1. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Lineage:Mage_Society Mage Society]

2. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Lineage:Player_Characters Player Characters]

3. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Lineage:The_Houses The Houses]

4. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Lineage:House_Lineages House Lineages]

5. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Lineage:The_Rebellion The Rebellion]

6. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Lineage:Rebellion_Lineages Rebellion Lineages]

7. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Lineage:Magic Magic]

8. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Lineage:Heaven_and_Hell Heaven and Hell]

9. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Lineage:Other_Times,_Other_Places Other Times, Other Places]

Category:System-neutral Fantasy Settings

2014-06-16T05:14:06Z

Wayland: Created new category with parent categories

[[Category:Fantasy genre]]
[[Category:Setting]]

Illyria

2014-06-16T05:13:33Z

Wayland: Added new category

[[Category:System-neutral Fantasy Settings]]
[[Category:D20 Fantasy]]
[[Category:D20 System]]
[[Category:Setting Search Submissions]]
A setting submission by Random Goblin

'''Core Ethos Sentence:''' Illyria is a world where heroes do mighty deeds and city-states vie with each other for supremacy with great armies and majestic elemental-driven airships.

'''Who are the heroes?''' Illyria is a world of mythic heroes who seek out adventure for glory and renown. Many of the world’s heroes are minor nobles, since they have the time, means, and motive to challenge danger for its own sake. The greatest hero of Illyria is Nemo, a noble water genasi. He is a warrior-king who rules the small island of Aragos. His companions are Agesthes, an air genasi bard, and Kidu, a human barbarian whose tribe was destroyed in battle by the armies of Hyklos.

'''What do they do?''' Nemo likes to believe that he is in fact the hero that his people make him out to be, and so, much to the chagrin of Agesthes and the delight of Kidu, he constantly seeks out monsters to vanquish, battles to join, and great, heroic deeds to accomplish. When not simply adventuring for his own glory, Nemo defends his home and household against Xenephron and the phalanxes of Hyklos.

'''Threats, Conflicts, Villains:''' There is always a fierce rivalry between neighboring city-states and between followers of the three elements (water, air, and fire). From that rivalry arises most of the more mundane conflict. For example, Xenephron, one of the high priests of the gods of fire and the ruler of the city-state of Hyklos, is a scheming villain who seeks to pillage and conquer, dominating the servants of air and water and dragging them into the all-consuming fire. He is also in love with Nemo’s daughter, Nereis, and plans to one day kidnap her and force her to be his bride. However, the greatest menace in Illyria comes from the mysterious Elemental Plane of Earth. The pantheon of earth gods holds an ancient grudge against the three elements, no earth genasi have been seen for years, and earth elementals are impossible to bind. The rocky, stony places of Illyria are trodden lightly, and the deep, dark places are greatly feared. Sages say that the earth deities have called up a terrible champion known as the Deep One to be the sword of their vengeance.

'''Nature of Magic:''' Civilization is still new and arcane magic is a very young art. Actual, experienced practitioners are very rare. Most “magic-users” work their magic through summoned and bound elementals of fire, air, or water (the summoning and binding is a fairly common practice, and elementals of varying power levels are often used as a kind of currency, although when a binding goes awry or an elemental manages to free itself, the results can be disastrous). Divine magic is common; there are four separate pantheons of gods, one for each element. Each elemental pantheon has both good and evil deities. The earth gods are, however, distant, frightening, and all but unknown. The various types of genies are held in the same esteem as celestials or fiends in other settings.

'''What’s new? What’s different?''' Illyria is a world of rocky, sunkissed coasts, wine-dark seas, rugged landscapes, deep forests, and vast deserts. It is a material plane that is actually coterminous with the four elemental planes. Creatures native to or somehow tied to those planes are therefore very common. Civilization is dominated by the genasi, humans who are touched by and linked to the elemental planes. They are the rulers and the nobles. There are no great empires or continent-spanning kingdoms; most of the civilized world is organized into city-states and small kingdoms that are dominated by the genasi. Airships powered by bound air elementals are common.

Hyperborean Mice:Main Page

2014-06-16T05:12:39Z

Wayland: Fixed Fantasy Genre

[[Category:Fantasy genre]]
=Welcome to Hyperborea!=

'''''Hyperborean Mice''''' is the game of gritty Swords & Sorcery action... as performed by talking rodents.

The game's home page is at http://www.kizandjenn.com/hmice/

This wiki is intended as an area for players or the author to make new material available.

=New Material=
==Specialty Ammunition==

The basic game of '''Hyperborean Mice''' pays little attention to tracking ammunition, but if you want more detail there are non-standard arrows and bolts available. Ammunition is usually sold in quivers of 20 arrows or 30 bolts.

===Heavy Tipped Bolts and Arrows===
These are equipped with unusually heavy and broad metal heads for piercing armor. +1 damage, doubled range penalties. A full quiver is an Expensive item.

===Flame Arrows/Bolts===

Arrows with an oil-soaked rag wrapped around the tip. It must be lit on fire as you shoot, a free action if there is an open flame right in front of you. -2 damage, lights flammable targets on fire if it hits. Useful for starting brushfires and frightening away unintelligent predators. An Impale crit with a flaming arrow will leave the burning arrow stuck in the creature's side. They are a Common item.

===Crude Arrows===

Generally only used by primitive clans, these are just Crude-quality ammunition. Doubled range penalties.

===Poisoned Arrows/Bolts===

The heads of these arrows or bolts have little grooves in them in which poisonous substances can be smeared. -1 damage, but any target who takes damage from it must roll an appropriate Endurance check (generally HARD for Common versions, or VERY HARD for Expensive ones); people rarely bother with poisons that often fail to sicken targets). If the hit was an Impale critical, then the resistance roll is at -2. In general, even the fastest poisons take about a minute to kick in, so the archer generally uses them to poison a large predator and then retreat.

Artificial venoms of this sort lose their potency rapidly. Reduce the difficulty of the check by 1 per hour since the poison was applied. Applying poison to a single bolt or arrowhead takes an additional round, but once it's ready it may be used normally.

A quiver of poisoned arrows or bolts generally only has 6 actual missiles, plus the equipment to prepare them.

===Barbed Tip Arrows and Bolts===

The heads of these missiles have rear-facing hooks and barbs to make them difficult to remove. They are often used for hunting insects, with a silken thread tied to the missile so that the target can be reeled in easily. Anyone struck with an Impale from such a missile will take another d4 damage removing it. A quiver-full, along with the silken threads, is an Expensive item.

If you strike a foe with such a bolt, you can roll Feats of Strength against their own to try and reel them in. Preparing the silken cord takes an extra round, but once it's ready the missile can be used normally.

==The 7th Spell: Augment==

===History===

Hidden in the wastes around Fashar is the secret temple of the cult of Kenshai. Though the cult's membership is largely composed of Jumping Mice, they credit the founding of their order to a forgotten White Lord named Kenshai, from whom they take their name. Supposedly he sickened of the decadence of his fellows and went into the wastes alone, where he learned to survive without food or water and achieved a transcendental existence. He taught his ways to a nearby clan of Jumping Mice and the arts of Kenshai were born.

Clan members are taught to prize inner peace, discipline, giving up worldly goods and martial skills. For most of the cult's history, it remained in hiding, fearful of the other churches, particularly the followers of Jandara, who rule most of Fashar. It has only been within the last generation that a new leader arose within the followers of Kenshai and overturned the ancient prohibitions against revealing their existence. Now acolytes are encouraged to go forth into the more civilized areas and work to spread the word of Kenshai. So far they have made little impact, but if they ever do succeed in attracting the attention of the larger churches, a pogrom is sure to follow.

===Mousy Martial Arts===

The most secret and prized teaching of Kenshai is the use of magic to augment their physical abilities. Their techniques are oriented around maximizing the effect of their relatively poor Magic ratings, but a Magic rating of at least +1 is required to take the Augment spell and learn the techniques associated with it. Characters may also be required by their GM to take a ''Duty to the Cult of Kenshai'' Flaw.

===What Augment can do===

The Augment spell is primarily a way of turning magic inwards, focusing the mind on a particular task. It can boost the caster's abilities in a narrow area, so long as they continue to maintain the spell.

===What Augment cannot do===

This magical art cannot enable a mouse to do anything that they could not normally attempt. It could enable the caster to hold their breath longer, but not to breathe water as though it were air. Unlike most magical arts, Augment ''cannot'' affect other characters; it is strictly an internal art used on the caster themselves.

===Example Trivial Spells===

'''SELF-DENIAL:''' the caster can double the length of time that they can go without something normally essential, such as air, food, water or sleep. The spell must be constantly maintained and requires concentration or the normal penalties for this lack suddenly return, often with devastating consequences. Each Critical Success adds another multiple (x3 for a single crit, x4 for a double crit, et cetera).

'''SELF-CONTROL:''' the caster can reduce any penalties to their rolls due to fatigue, fear, poison, disease, etc. by up to 1 point. This lasts as long as the character concentrates of maintaining the spell. Each Critical Success can reduce the penalty by another point.

'''MINOR FOCUS:''' the caster grants themselves a +1 bonus to their next roll by concentrating all of their efforts on that task. The downside is that this requires complete concentration and they cannot do anything else in the meantime. If forced to make any other rolls during this time period, they suffer a -4 penalty to them. Each Critical Success enables the caster to maintain the bonus for an additional roll without recasting it.

===Example Small Magicks===

'''SUSPENDED ANIMATION:''' by sitting motionless in a deep trance, the character enters a death-like state. They remain aware of their surroundings, but no longer need to breathe, eat, drink or sleep. This effect can be maintained for as many days as the number rolled. There is no direct effect for Critical Successes (beyond a higher total result). They cannot take any actions without abandoning the spell. It takes a VERY HARD Medicine check to tell that they are not actually dead.

'''GREATER FOCUS:''' by entering a trance-like state, the caster acquires a +2 bonus to a single skill of choice, but a -2 penalty to any other rolls. This trance lasts for up to a single scene and requires light concentration to maintain. It can be abandoned at any point. Each Critical Success adds a further +1 bonus.

===Example Large Magicks===

'''ETERNAL SLEEP:''' as per the ''Suspended Animation'' spell, but the effect can last for as many years as the number that the caster rolled. Furthermore, the character can perform very minor actions such as walking slowly or whispering without ending the spell. It takes a NIGH IMPOSSIBLE Medicine check to tell that the character is not dead if they pretend to be.

'''TOTAL FOCUS:''' as per the ''Greater Focus'' spell, but the benefit applies to a single Stat instead of a single Skill.

===Augment High Sorceries===

'''SUPERNATURAL STRENGTH (1 point):''' you may cast a spell which grants you a +5 bonus to a single Brawn or Agility roll (which ''must'' be the next action you perform or the benefit is lost). Furthermore, if you roll a Critical Success or better, casting this spell becomes a Free Action, enabling you to start that action immediately. Due to the strain on your body, each successful use of this spell inflicts 1 point of internal damage.

'''ETERNAL MASTERY (Enchantment, 1 point):''' you may enchant your own flesh to remove one of your basic needs entirely, such as breathing, eating, drinking ''or'' sleeping. This unnatural state causes a -2 penalty when making friendly social checks with anyone who has the ''Superstitious'' Flaw.

'''INSTINCTIVE AUGMENT (Advantage, 1 point):''' you may expend a Critical Success on any Augment casting check to perform that spell as a Free Action. Note that while you can perform more than one Free Action in the same turn, they must all be distinctly different, so you would not be able to cast another Augment spell that turn.

GURPS Magical Styles Fan Netbook

2014-06-16T05:11:17Z

Wayland: Fixed Fantasy Genre

[[Category:GURPS]]
[[Category:Fantasy genre]]
[[Category:Magic]]

This netbook is an open project consisting of GURPS Magical Styles (as defined by the official Steve Jackson Games supplement "GURPS Magical Styles") written by fans. Go ahead and add your own!

=Ancient and Celestial Verses =

Cost: 22 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Ancient and Celestial Verses are the magical/religious writings of the Order of the Oaken Wand. The Oaken Wand are self-described “wise folk”, offering their services as advisors, diviners and dream-interpreters to the powerful. Their vows forbid them from becoming rulers in their own right, but they often seek to be the power behind the throne, offering their expertise in the art of managing people, and in particular, of managing them in such a way that they do not attract ill-fortune or the disfavor of the gods. Their tradition is descended from nature magic and nature continues to lie at the heart of their religious and magical training. While they are not “nature worshippers”, the gods tend to be understood as personifications of natural forces and their holiest places are sites of natural beauty or wonder, not temples or cathedrals.

Required Skills: Diagnosis, Dreaming, Esoteric Medicine, First Aid, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Herb Lore, Hidden Lore (Spirits), History, Literature, Musical Instrument (Any), Naturalist, Occultism, Physician, Religious Ritual, Thaumatology, Theology, Veterinary, Weather Sense.

Required Spells: Beast-Soother, Seek Plant, Ward.

Perks: Astrological Ceremonies, Blood Magic, Elixir Resistance, Frightening Side Effects (Any), Huge Subjects, Intimidating Curses, Intuitive Cantrip (Eye of the Storm), Intuitive Cantrip (Friendly Undergrowth), Intuitive Cantrip (Good with Animal, any mundane), Knower of Names, Life Force Burn 1-5, Obscure True Name, Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Blood Dreaming, Rites of Harvest Sacrifice, Roar of Madness or Whisper of Leaves), Secret Words, Shaman’s Trance, Staff Attunement.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Religious Rank.

Advantages: Autotrance, Channeling, Luck, Medium, Oracle, Outdoorsman, Reputation (Wise Sage), True Faith, Voice.

Disadvantages: Dreamer, Enemies (Offended Spirits), Overconfidence, Reputation (Arrogant Dreamer), Vows (various personal ones).

Skills: Animal Husbandry, Cryptology, Farming, Public Speaking, Savoir-Faire, Symbol Drawing, Teaching.

Apprentices enter the Order of the Oaken wand at the level of Supplicant. This entitles them to learn the following ten spells.

Supplicant

Beast-Soother, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Find Direction, Seek Plant, Seek Water, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Sense Life, Ward.

A mage who has learned 6 Supplicant spells, including Beast-Soother, Seek Plant and Ward becomes an Acolyte, entitling them to learn the following twenty-three spells.

Acolyte

Amulet, Beast Summoning, Detect Poison, Foolishness, Forgetfulness, Great Ward, Haste, Identify Spell, Identify Plant, Ignite Fire, Mage Sight, Mage Stealth, Neutralize Poison, Night Vision, Purify Water, Quick March, Seek Food, Sense Emotion, Sense Mana, Sense Observation, Sense Spirit, Silence, Talisman.

A mage who has learned 8 Acolyte spells including Identify Plant and Neutralize Poison becomes one of the Blessed, entitling them to learn the following twenty-two spells.

Blessed

Analyze Magic, Beast Speech, Bless Plants, Command, Heal Plant, Hide Path, Hush, Pathfinder, Permanent Forgetfulness, Plant Vision, Pollen Cloud, Plant Growth, Relieve Sickness, Remove Contagion, Resist Disease, Resist Poison, Seeker, Shape Plant, Stop Bleeding, Trace, Truthsayer, Turn Spirit.

A mage who has learned 8 Blessed spells including Bless Plants and Turn Spirit becomes one of the Anointed, entitling them to learn the following twenty-two spells.

Anointed

Blight, Blossom, Coolness, Cure Disease, Divination (Augury), Divination (Extispicy), Divination (Oneiromancy), False Tracks, Forest Warning, History, Pestilence, Plant Form, Plant Sense, Plant Speech, Predict Weather, Relieve Paralysis, Remember Path, Shapeshifting, Stop Paralysis, Tangle Growth, Walk Through Plants, Warmth.

A mage who has learned 8 Anointed spells, including Forest Warning and Predict Weather becomes an Elder, entitling them to learn the following eleven spells.

Elder

Ancient History, Delay, Enchant, Dispel Magic, Great Haste, Great Shapeshift, Lesser Geas, Powerstone, Remove Curse, Staff, Suspend Curse.

A mage who has learned 6 Elder spells becomes a Matriarch or Patriarch, entitling them to learn the following ten spells.

Patriarch / Matriarch

Bless, Blood Dreaming, Curse, Great Geas, Hang Spell, Link, Reflex, Rites of Harvest Sacrifice, Roar of Madness, Whisper of Leaves.

Secret Spell: Blood Dreaming (VH) Information

When a mage casts Blood Dreaming, they work themselves into a state of mystic ecstasy in order to gain insight. The ceremony climaxes with the mage drinking the blood of a bull, then passing out for a night of vivid dreams. The GM should never feel compelled to give information or to make the dreams clear – dreams sent by the gods are never as reliable as that. However, the spell will only be worth taking if it sometimes offers insights not available through ordinary divination.

The bull’s blood must be fresh. Anything taken over ten minutes ago will no longer suffice, regardless of mundane or magical attempts to preserve it.

Cost: 6

Time to Cast: 2 hours.

Secret Spell: Rites of Harvest Sacrifice (VH) Regular

By sacrificing an animal (or human!) to the gods of the underworld, a mage of the Oaken Wand brings good fortune to the harvest. A separate blessing may be offered to each “field” of land. For the sacrifice of a very small or unintelligent animal, such as a mouse, a snake or a fowl, farmers working that field will be at +1 to effective Farming skill (which may not sound like much, unless your Farming skill is what feeds your family). For the sacrifice of a larger mammal such as a badger, weasel, or cat, the bonus is +2. For the sacrifice of a dog, a cow, a pig, or such, the bonus is +3, for a fine horse or a bull +4 and for a sentient life form +5. Only young and healthy animals are sacrificed – to offer something old or sick would be an insult to the gods. Mages of the Oaken Wand are divided on the moral lines that should be drawn when using this spell.

Duration: Until the next harvest, or one year, whichever comes first.

Cost: 3

Time to Cast: 1 hour.

Secret Spell: Roar of Madness (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will+3

The mage unleashes a howl of rage that terrifies weak-minded enemies and sends allies into a violent fury. Enemies who fail their resistance must make a Fright Check at a penalty equal to the margin of failure. Allies who do not resist or fail their resistance may go berserk as if they had the Berserk Disadvantage (GURPS Characters p.124). For as long as they are berserk, they do +1 basic damage and enemies are at -1 to defend against their attacks. The roar affects everyone within twenty feet who can hear it.

Cost: 4

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Whisper of Leaves (VH) Regular

The mage enters the forest alone at night and communes with the spirits of the trees, some of which are nature spirits and some of which are human ghosts. These spirits will not act on the mage’s behalf, but may have useful information if they feel like providing it. Generally indifferent to the concerns of others, the spirits can be difficult to motivate to help, particularly since making threats would undoubtably bring the mage bad luck. Human ghosts inhabiting trees no longer crave fleshly things, but may still be concerned about their families and descendents, so may be easiest to bribe. On the other hands, there are some things so secret that only the nature spirits know them.

As for what the tree spirits know, that is up to the GM. Certainly, they will have a long memory of things that have occurred right there in the forest, even if it was not in the immediate vicinity. After all, trees whisper all night and gossip about strange things happening in the forest travels fast. However, trees might know all sorts of interesting facts that have nothing to do with the forest. These dark and mysterious spirits are associated with the dead and the underworld, with the fae, and distantly with the gods, and may see into the past and future, or across dimensions.

Duration: 1 hour

Cost: 5

Time to Cast: 3 hours

=Book of Elders =

Cost: 5 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Book of Elders is a magical style originally developed by vampires but now studied by mortal mages as well. While vampires may have perfected it as an outgrowth of their cursed nature, others study it for the power it offers, particularly regarding the domination of other human beings. Mages of this school are rarely open about their training and may not admit to being mages at all. Temporal authorities may suspect them of being in league with the undead, a suspicion that in some cases would be perfectly true. However, there is no reason why a practitioner has to be evil or unwholesome and a few of them have, in fact, become hunters of the undead who protect mortals from being preyed upon.

Required Skills: Hidden Lore (Vampires), Occultism, Theology.

Required Spells: Beast-Rouser.

Perks: Afflicted Casting (Flagellant’s Blessing), Afflicted Casting (Mystic’s Stupor), Better Magic Items (Necromantic), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Blood Magic, Elixir Resistance, Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intimidating Curses, Knower of Names, Life Force Burn 1-5, Obscure True Name, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Blood Slave, Eye of the Predator or Predator’s Kiss), Spell Bond (Weaken Blood), Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved Will.

Advantages: Allies (Vampires), Night Vision, Voice.

Disadvantages: Callous, Enemies (Vampires and vampire hunters), Lecherousness, Nosy, Reputation (Callous, Mysterious), Secret (Book of Elders Magician).

Skills: Body Control, Hazardous Material (Magical), Herb Lore, Naturalist, Savoir-Faire, Shadowing, Stealth, Streetwise, Symbol Drawing.

A student begins their studies as one of the Known, entitling them to learn the following 9 spells.

Known

Amulet, Beast-Rouser, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Foolishness, Itch, Touch, Ward, Talisman.

A mage who has learned 5 of the above spells, including Beast-Rouser, becomes a Night Walker, entitling them to learn the following 9 spells

Night Walker

Detect Poison, Forgetfulness, Great Ward, Hinder, Master, Neutralize Poison, Recover Energy, Spasm, Steal Might.

A mage who has learned 5 of the above spells, including Steal Might, becomes a Watcher at the Gate, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells

Watcher at the Gate

Boost Health, Command, Fascinate, Hunger, Loyalty, Pain, Permanent Forgetfulness, Resist Poison, Rooted Feet, Steal Energy, Steal Vigor, Strike Dumb, Vigor.

A mage who has learned 7 of the above spells, including Steal Vigor, becomes a Grave Warden, entitling them to learn the following twenty-one spells.

Grave Warden

Choke, Control Person, Deathtouch, Enthrall, Foul Water, Nauseate, Paralyze Limb, Permanent Possession, Pestilence, Possession, Retch, Sickness, Slow Healing, Steal Beauty, Steal Vitality, Stop Healing, Strike Barren, Strike Blind, Strike Numb, Total Paralysis, Weaken Blood.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells, including Steal Vitality, becomes a Toucher of Earth, entitling them to learn the following fifteen spells

Toucher of Earth

Charm, Delay, Dispel Magic, Drain Mana, Enchant, Enslave, Gauntness, Insignificance, Remove Curse, Presence, Rotting Death, Steal Dexterity, Steal Skill, Telecast, Steal Youth.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells becomes a Walker in Light, entitling them to learn the following 9 spells

Walker in Light

Blood Slave, Curse, Drain Magery, Exchange Bodies, Eye of the Predator, Hang Spell, Link, Predator’s Kiss, Reflex.

Secret Spell: Blood Slave (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

The subject becomes the caster’s slave, instinctively obeying their commands and accepting always that the caster is in the right. Bloodslave only has effects on subjects who already love or feel a strong loyalty towards the caster. The subject must be present and must provide a drop of blood of their own free will (though they don’t have to be told the truth about what the blood is for or what the spell does). The subject may try to resist again at any time that they are commanded to do something that violates their moral code.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 1 per Will the subject has.

Time to Cast: 4 hours

Secret Spell: Eye of the Predator (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

The spells subject falls in love with the caster if they fail their Will resistance, do not have an incompatible sexual orientation, and if the caster has fulfilled the following conditions. The caster must have

1. Established eye contact.
2. Engaged the subject in conversation on a topic the subject is interested in for at least five minutes.
3. Expressed sympathy for the subject on some point.

The caster must seem sincere and friendly or the spell will end. Eye of the Predator does not require gestures or incantations.

Duration: Until the next sunrise. Repeated doses of Eye of the Predator may result in a more permanent condition at the GM’s (or in the cast of PCs, player’s) discretion.

Cost: 4

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Predator’s Kiss (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

While under the influence of this spell, the caster gains benefits from drinking fresh blood. If the blood is animal blood, the caster is at +1 ST, +1 HT, +1 Move, and heals 1 HP for every 2 HPs of animal blood consumed. If the blood is the blood of a human, the caster gains an energy reserve that may only be used to power magic spells of the Book of Elders style, at a level equal to half the HP of human blood consumed, rounded down, maximum 4. Drinking human blood will also heal the caster at a rate of 1 HP per HP. The caster may not be under the effects of more than one Predator’s Kiss at a time. Living vistims resist with Will when the caster attempts to drink their blood, whether the blood has already been taken from their body or not. Blood taken loses its potency at the next sunrise or sunset after it was removed from the body. Fangs are not provided.

Duration: 3 hour

Casting Cost: 4

Time to Cast: 3 seconds.

=Breath of the Maker =

Cost: 16 points

Style Prerequisite: Magery, (not One College Only).

Adepts of the Breath of the Maker style are magical artists, driven to create. The magic items they produce are prized, though many stylists have difficulty manufacturing work to order, as their personal artistic impulses tend to intrude. Graduates of the school are often very emotional people and are unusually likely to suffer from mental illness. There is no formal hierarchy and while members often keep in touch, they also tend to argue and feud. Students must endure an extremely demanding apprenticeship, during which they must master a wide variety of skills. This is often a very frustrating time for the apprentice, as the mentor simultaneously fosters the urge to create freely and oversees an endless regimen of study and practice. There is no doubt that mages of this style have produced work that is artistically inspiring, magically powerful, and just plain strange and wonderful. On the other hand, there is no doubt that mages of this style have produced work that is downright disturbing, a product of inner demons who perhaps should have remained within.

Required Skills: Alchemy, Artist (Any), Cryptology, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Hidden Lore (Magic Items), History, Jeweler, Occultism, Research, Smith, Symbol Drawing, Thaumatology.

Required Spells: Amulet, Scroll, Talisman.

Perks: Astrological Ceremonies, Better Magic Items (Any), Brute Force Spell (Enchant), Brute Force Spell (Powerstone), Convenience Casting (Continual Light), Convenience Casting (Copy), Convenience Casting (Create Object) Convenience Casting (Create Water), Elixir Resistance, Intuitive Cantrip (Boost Enchantment), Intuitive Cantrip (Reinforce), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Magical Weapon Bond, Quick and Focused, Sanctum 1-2, Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Breath of the Maker, Forging the Resplendent Vessel of Everflowing Power or The Seventy-Nine Runes of Angelic Commandment), Speedy Enchantment.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved DX, Improved IQ..

Advantages: High Manual Dexterity, Reputation (Skillful Enchanter), Wealth.

Disadvantages: Enemies (Rival Enchanters), Low Empathy, Reputation (Amoral, Greedy, Mercenary), Workaholic.

Skills: Herb Lore, History, Thaumatology, any craft skill.

The student beings their studies at the level of Apprentice, entitling them to learn the following nineteen spells.

Apprentice

Amulet, Animation, Clean, Conceal Magic, Counterspell, Dancing Object, Dancing Shield, Defending Shield, Great Ward, Recover Energy, Reflect, Restore, Scroll, Scryguard, Scrywall, Seek Magic, Suspend Spell, Talisman, Ward.

An apprentice who has learned 8 of the above spells, including Amulet, Scroll and Talisman is promoted to Journeyman, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Journeyman

Analyze Magic, Banish, Copy, Control Zombie, Create Object, Dye, False Aura, Inscribe, Magic Resistance, Pentagram, Rejoin, Repair, Scryfool, Soilproof, Spell Shield, Spell Wall, Suspend Magic, Zombie.

A mage who learns 8 Journeyman spells is promoted to Artificer, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Artificer

Charge Powerstone, Deflect, Displace Spell, Enchant, Fortify, Graceful Weapon, Lesser Wish, Lighten, Limit, Loyal Sword, Manastone, Name, Password, Quick-Draw, Remove Enchantment, Staff, Summon Demon, Suspend Enchantment.

A mage who learns 8 Artificer spells is promoted to Master or Mistress Artificer, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Master/Mistress Artificer

Attune, Bane, Dancing Weapon, Defending Weapon, Ensorcel, Hex, Impression Blocker, Power, Malifice, Penetrating Weapon, Powerstone, Resist Enchantment, Speed, Suspend Curse, Suspend Mana, Telecast, Temporary Enchantment, Weapon Spirit.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells is promoted to Savant, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Savant

Accuracy, Adjustable Clothing, Cornucopia, Crystal Ball, Delay, Dispel Magic, Drain Mana, Effigy, Golem, Ghost Weapon, Hideaway, Homunculus, Puissance, Quick-Aim, Remove Aura, Remove Curse, Restore Mana, Spellguard.

A mage who learns 8 Savant spells is recognized as a Genius, entitling them to learn the following twenty-one spells.

Genius

Blank Spell Arrow, Bless, Burning the Seventy- Nine Runes of Angelic Commandment, Breath of the Maker, Curse, Doppleganger, Forging the Resplendent Vessel of Everflowing Power, Great Wish, Hang Spell, Leak, Link, Maintain Spell, Rebuild, Reflex, Penetrating Spell, Simulacrum, Soul Stone, Speed Spell Arrow, Spell Arrow, Spell Stone, Wish.

Secret Spell: Burning The Seventy-Nine Runes of Angelic Commandment Enchantment (VH) Regular

By marking an item with mystic runes, the mage makes it more susceptible to enchantment. The next enchantment spell that the caster casts on the object will be at +1 to spell skill. The mage must actually imprint the item with the appropriate runes while casting the spell. The runes themselves are not secret – they are plain to see. The knowledge of how to use the runes corrects, on the other hand, is carefully guarded.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 3 hours.

Secret Spell: Forging The Resplendent Vessel of Everflowing Power (VH) Regular

The Breath of the Maker Powerstone technique is one of their most valuable secrets. When this spell is cast immediately before the caster casts Powerstone, the Powerstone spell is at an effective +3 to skill. The effects of this spell are cumulative with those of Burning the Seventy-Nine Runes of Angelic Commandment.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 3 hours.

Secret Spell: Breath of the Maker (VH) Enchantment

The mage creates a sentient soul in an item. The soul can think and see the world around it and can control any magic powers that the item possesses with a Will roll. In most cases, the personality is originally a blank slate and much of its nature will be determined by how it is treated. The souls of objects rarely get lonely, although they do tend to take a liking to people to treat them kindly. They are generally very content to be left alone, but without human contact, they tend to drift away from human conceptions of sanity. An item created with this spell is potentially a very useful Ally for the mage, but is a person with their own will, not simply a tool. Moreover, the more they are interacted with, the more likely they are to develop complexities in their personality.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 20 +2 for every point of IQ the soul has over 10, up to a maximum IQ of (10 + Magery).

Time to Cast: 6 hours.

=Crown of Iron =

Cost: 8 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Will 12+, Magery, (not One College Only).

Crown of Iron is the art of command and control, particularly of magical entities, but also of other human beings. The style’s philosophy emphasizes that nobody, no matter how capable, can achieve very much on their own and true power lies in the ability to harness the strengths of others. Some mages of this school have personality problems related to power, whether it be difficulty standing up to others, difficulty obeying authority, or being pushy and domineering. Apprentices often have complex and rather difficult relationships with their mentors. While mages of this school can make excellent hirelings, they can also be very difficult to control and quite prone to intrigue.

Required Skills: Mental Strength.

Required Spells: Apportation, Counterspell, Foolishness, Ignite Fire, Levitation, Shield.

Perks: Better Magic Items (Mind Control), Elixir Resistance, Huge Subjects, Knower of Names, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Chill of the Lady of Drowning, Howl of the Efrit, Roar of the Djin and Tremor of the Stone that Walks), Secret Words, Thaumatological Doublespeak, Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved Will.

Advantages: Allies (dominated ones)

Disadvantages: Enemies (People Who Got Used), Megalomania, Overconfidence, Reputation (Power Crazy).

Skills: Administration, Intimidation, Symbol Drawing.

The student of Crown of Iron begins their studies at the level of Officer, requiring them to learn the following 6 spells.

Officer

Apportation, Counterspell, Foolishness, Ignite Fire, Levitation, Shield.

A mage who learns all 6 of these spells is promoted to Master or Mistress, entitling them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Master / Mistress

Animal Control, Beast Summoning, Bravery, Create Air, Dancing Object, Daze, Flight, Shape Earth, Shape Fire, Create Fire, Forgetfulness, Minor Healing, Recover Energy, Weaken Will.

A mage who learns 7 of the above spells is promoted to Dominus, entitling them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Dominus

Animation, Berserker, Command, Create Earth, Create Water, Fascinate, Hawk Flight, Loyalty, Major Healing, Mass Daze, Mass Zombie, Shape Air, Shape Metal, Shape Water.

A mage who learns 7 of the above spells is promoted to Metahuman, entitling them to learn the following ten spells.

Metahuman

Control Limb, Control Person, Control Zombie, Create Acid, Create Ice, Create Plant, Enthrall, Turn Zombie, Wizard Hand, Zombie.

A mage who learns 5 of the above spells is promoted to Ascendant Lord or Lady, entitling them to learn the following twenty-three spells.

Ascendant Lord / Lady

Banish, Control Air Elemental, Control Creation, Control Earth Elemental, Control Fire Elemental, Control Water Elemental, Create Animal, Create Mount, Create Object, Create Servant, Create Steam, Create Warrior, Dancing Weapon, Delay, Dispel Creation, Dispel Magic, Lesser Geas, Staff, Summon Air Elemental, Summon Demon, Summon Earth Elemental, Summon Fire Elemental, Summon Water Elemental.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells is promoted to Leviathan, entitling them to learn the following 9 spells.

Leviathan

Chill of the Lady of Drowning, Enchant, Great Geas, Hang Spell, Howl of the Efrit, Link, Reflex, Roar of the Djin, Tremor of the Stone that Walks.

Chill of the Lady of Drowning Special, Resisted by Will

This spell is a version of Planar Summons (GURPS Magic, p. 82). The exact nature of the entity summoned is different for each mage and where the caster is a PC, it is assumed that the player will submit suitable designs for the GMs approval. The lady of drowning is associated with cold, despair, suicide, water and the ghosts of the drowned.

Howl of the Efrit. Special, Resisted by Will

See Chill of the Lady of Drowning above. The efrit is associated with destruction, fire, rage, the desert and the ghosts of those who died by fire or thirst.

Roar of the Djin Special, Resisted by Will

See Chill of the Lady of Drowning above. The Djin is associated with air, madness, magic, clouds and the sky and with the ghosts of those who fell to their deaths.

Tremor of the Stone that Walks Special, Resisted by Will

See Chill of the Lady of Drowning above. The Stone that Walks is associated with earth, plants, revenge, the cycle of life and those who died by suffocation.

=Cycle of the Elements=

Cost: 15 points

Style Prerequisite: Magery, (not One College Only).

Cycle of the Elements is an ancient style, originating in the Blackrock Mountains. The style is intended as an aid to the pursuit of enlightenment. It is not the only path to enlightenment, but practitioners regard it as the “purest” or “most direct”, appropriate for the most advanced minds. The monks of Blackrock will not teach the style to anyone who does not show a commitment to becoming enlightened, but the magic will work just as well for someone with no such commitment. The style teaches that the universe is in a constant state of flux, yet everything is the same thing. Flux occurs because the elements are always changing, and unity occurs because the elements cycle into one another. There is little in the way of formal philosophy, however, and the path to understanding the elements lies in close association with them. While the monks of Blackrock do not seek wealth, nor do they preach against it, and some practitioners of Cycle of the Elements have grown rich hiring out their skills. Other practitioners seek lives of danger and adventure, finding that their control over the elements makes them dangerous in combat and able to survive where others cannot.

Required Skills: Alchemy, Geology, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Meditation, Smith, Survival (Mountains), Swimming, Weather Sense.

Required Spells: Ignite Fire, Purify Air, Seek Air, Seek Earth, Seek Fire, Seek Water.

Perks: Adjustable Spell (Spell Variation, Any attack spell), Area Spell Mastery (Any), Better Magic Items (Air), Better Magic Items (Earth), Better Magic Items (Fire), Better Magic Items (Water), Elixir Resistance, Intuitive Cantrip (Filter), Intuitive Cantrip (Kindle), Intuitive Cantrip (Pebble), Intuitive Cantrip (Rinse), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Secret Spell (Incarnation of Black Ashes, Incarnation of Burning Water, Incarnation of Flaming Stone, Incarnation of Raging Storm, Incarnation of Sucking Filth, Incarnation of Whirling Flame).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved ST, Improved DX, Improved IQ, Improved HT.

Advantages: Reputation (Disciplined Monk).

Disadvantages: Loner, Pacifism, Reputation (Strange Sorcerer).

Skills: Artist, Body Control, Hidden Lore (Elementals), Symbol Drawing.

The student of the Cycle of the Elements begins their study at the level of apprentice. An apprentice is required to learn the following 6 spells.

Apprentice

Ignite Fire, Purify Air, Seek Air, Seek Earth, Seek Fire, Seek Water.

After learning all 6 Apprentice spells, the mage is promoted to Elementalist. This entitles them to learn the following 10 spells.

Elementalist

Create Air, Create Fire, Detect Magic, Extinguish Fire, Mage Sight, No-Smell, Purify Water, Recover Energy, Shape Earth, Shape Fire.

After learning 6 Elementalist spells, including Extinguish Fire and Purify Water, the mage is promoted to Shaper, entitling them to learn the following twenty spells.

Shaper

Body of Air, Create Earth, Create Water, Destroy Water, Earth to Stone, Earth Vision, Fast Fire, Fireproof, Icy Weapon, Perfume, Resist Fire, Shape Air, Shape Metal, Shape Water, Smoke, Slow Fire, Stone to Earth, Wall of Wind, Walk on Air, Windstorm.

After learning 8 Shaper spells, the mage is promoted to Alcymist, entitling them to learn the following 20 spells.

Alcymist

Air Vortex, Body of Ice, Body of Stone, Body of Water, Breathe Water, Create Acid, Earth to Air, Earth to Water, Entombment, Essential Air, Essential Earth, Essential Flame, Essential Water, Flaming Armor, Foul Water, Rain of Acid, Steelwraith, Walk Through Earth, Warmth, Wind.

When a mage has learned 8 Alcymist spells, they are promoted to Lord or Lady of the Elements, entitling them to learn the following twenty-three spells.

Lord / Lady of the Elements

Acid Jet, Body of Flame, Body of Wind, Charge Powerstone, Control Air Elemental, Control Earth Elemental, Control Fire Elemental, Control Water Elemental, Create Air Elemental, Create Earth Elemental, Create Fire Elemental, Create Water Elemental, Delay, Enchant, Essential Acid, Link, Purify Earth, Powerstone, Sandstorm, Summon Air Elemental, Summon Earth Elemental, Summon Fire Elemental, Summon Water Elemental.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above spells, they become One Who Has Seen the Wheel, entitling them to learn the following 6 spells.

One Who Has Seen The Wheel

Incarnation of Black Ashes, Incarnation of Burning Water, Incarnation of Flaming Stone, Incarnation of Raging Storm, Incarnation of Sucking Filth, Incarnation of Whirling Flame.

Secret Spell: Incarnation of Black Ashes (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT

The caster is transformed into a swirling cloud of black ash. In rules terms, the caster is the subject of Body of Wind (GURPS Magic, p.27), with the additional effects that people in the Area cannot breathe and are at -4 to all sense rolls and -2 to all skills that require vision.

Duration: 1 minute

Cost: 10/4

Time to Cast: 30 seconds

Secret Spell: Incarnation of Burning Water (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT

The caster is transformed into a column or pool or steaming hot water. In rules terms, the caster is the subject of Body of Water (GURPS Magic, p. 185) with the additional effect that living things that are splashed will suffer 1d damage.

Duration: 1 minute.

Cost: 7/2

Time to Cast: 30 seconds

Secret Spell: Incarnation of Flaming Stone (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT

The caster is transformed into a hulk of burning rock. In rules terms, the caster is the subject of Body of Stone (GURPS Magic, p. 54) with the additional effect that their touch causes 1d6 burning damage and they set fire to any highly flammable object that touches them.

Duration: 1 minute.

Cost: 12/6

Time to Cast: 30 seconds

Secret Spell: Incarnation of Raging Storm (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT.

The caster is transformed into a swirling storm-cloud. In rules terms, the caster is the subject of Body of Wind (GURPS Magic, p.27) with the additional effects that any Air, lightning or electrical spells may be cast with no incantations or gestures. While in this form, the caster is considered to have at least one point in the Lightning spell.

Duration: 1 minute.

Cost: 10/4

Time to Cast: 30 seconds.

Secret Spell: Incarnation of Sucking Filth (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT.

The caster is transformed into a column or pool of mud. In rules terms, the caster is the subject of Body of Water (GURPS Magic, p. 185) with the additional effect that the caster may choose to grab anything touching its body with ST, dividing their ST between different grabbed items as desired. If the caster succeeds in pulling someone inside their body, that person will begin to suffocate (GURPS, p.428).

Duration: 1 minute.

Cost: 7/2

Time to Cast: 10 seconds

Secret Spell: Incarnation of Whirling Flame (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT.

The caster is transformed into a swirling cloud of flames. In rules terms, the caster is the subject of Body of Wind (GURPS Magic, p.27) with the additional effect that anything in the Area takes 1d burning damage and highly flammable objects will catch fire.

Duration: 1 minute.

Cost: 10/4

Time to Cast: 30 seconds

=Disciple of the Stormlord =

Cost: 11 points

All Disciple of the Stormlord must have the following skills: Swimming, Area Knowledge (Coastlines), Ritual Magic, Boating, Breath Control, Skating or Skiing, Singing, Survival (Arctic), Expert Skill (Stormlord).

Disciple of the Stormlord must adhere to Disciplines of Faith (Ritualism) (-5): 30 minute prayers at low and high tide times to replenish sanctity, Casting Off Ceremony, 47 Day Ceremony, tend lighthouses, etc.

Disciple of the Stormlord have a Sense of Duty (Sailors and the Sea) (-10).

Use Power Investiture (10/level) instead of Magery.

Disciple of the Stormlord have a Claim to Hospitality (residents of the North) (5) and the Perks: Always know when the tides come and go (1) and Naval Training (1).

Disciple of the Stormlord can take Terrain Adaptation (Snow) (5), up to 3 levels of Breath-Holding (2/level) and up to 3 levels of Temperature Tolerance (1/level).

Disciples of the Stormlord use Ritual Magic (B242,T72 and M200) combined with Threshold-based Sanctity (T76).

Disciple of the Stormlord have Reduced Threshold (-10) with a maximum Thresh of 24. they also have Rapid Recovery (10) and their Tally is replenished by 6 points twice per day, at low and high tide.

There are 6 distinct Paths that Disciple of the Stormlord follow. Each one is considered a VH Skill and defaults off of Ritual Magic at (-6) and may never exceed the Ritual Magic skill. Each spell is treated as a Hard Technique that defaults to the Path skill with a default equal to the number of prerequisites the spell has. Spells can be improved from Default level as normal Techniques (B230) but cannot exceed the associated Path skill. The Paths must be learned in order and no path can be of higher level than the path 'above' it.

'''Path of the Wave:''' Seek Water (0), Purify Water (1), Extinguish Fire (1), Hold Breath (1), Create Water (2), Breathe Water (3), Shape Water (3), Umbrella (3), Body of Water (4), Resist Water (4), Water Jet (4), Water Vision (4), Condense Steam (5), Earth to Water (6), Essential Water (6), Breathe Air (6), Boil Water (8), Create Steam (9), Resist Pressure (9), Summon Water Elemental (9), Control Water Elemental (10), Steam Jet (10), Create Water Elemental (12), Breathe Steam(VH) (14)

'''Path of the Voyage:''' Climbing (0), Haste (0), Beast Soother* (0), Find Direction (1), Tell Position (1), Master* (1), Animal Control* (1), Beast Summoning* (1), Seek Coastline (1), Repel Animal* (2), Beast Speech* (2), Rider* (2), Jump (2), Swim (3), Rider Within* (3), Know Location (3), Beast Seeker* (4), Find Weakness (4), Walk on Water (4), Waves (4), Snow Shoes (4), Whirlpool (4), Walk Through Water (6), Current (6), Pathfinder (7), Shapeshifting(VH)* (7), Protect Animal* (8), Tide (8), Knot (9), Sickness (9), Remember Path (10), Mapmaker (10), Fasten (10),Repair (11), Partial Shapeshift(VH)* (21)
*only applies to animals that reside in or near the sea.

'''Path of the Storm:''' Thunderclap (1), Shape Air(2), Windstorm (3), Wall of Wind (3), Body of Air (3), Predict Weather (4), Cold (4), Clouds (4), Wind (4), Fog (4), Rain (5), Coolness (5), Resist Lightning (6), Lightning (7), Air Vortex (7), Shocking Touch (8), Spark Cloud (8), Spark Storm (8), Wall of Lightning (8) Weather Dome (8), Warm (8), Cool (9), Ball of Lightning (9), Lightning Weapon (9), Lightning Missile (10), Geyser(VH) (10), Storm (10), Lightning Armor (13)

'''Path of the Frozen North:''' Icy Weapon (3), Frost (3), Resist Cold (4), Freeze (4), Ice Slick (4), Ice Sphere (4), Icy Missile (4), Melt Ice (4), Create Ice (5), Ice Dagger (5), Icy Touch (5), Frostbite (6), Snow Jet (6), Snow (7), Flesh to Ice(VH) (8), Body of Ice (8), Hail (8), Rain of Ice Daggers (11), Icy Breath(VH) (12)

'''Path of the Heart:''' Body Reading (1), Detect Poison (1), Final Rest (1), Lend Energy (1), Lend Vitality (2), Share Energy (2), Remove Contagion (2), Relieve Sickness (3), Share Vitality (3), Stop Bleeding (3), Minor Healing (3), Major Healing (4), Neutralize Poision (4), Stop Paralysis (5), Relieve Paralysis (6), Cure Disease (6), Great Healing(VH) (7), Cleansing (13), Healing Slumber (13)

'''Path of the Spirit:''' Sense Spirit (2), Materialize (4), Solidify (5), Affect Spirits (6), Turn Spirit (6), Turn Zombie (7), Banish (11), Dispel Magic (14), Remove Curse (14), Repel Spirits (15), Astral Block (17), Bless (22)

Required Traits: [11 points]
Power Investure (at least 1 level) (10/level)
Rapid Recovery 2 (Recovers 6 twice daily) (10)
Reduced Threshold 1 (Threshold = 24) (-10)
Disciplines of Faith (the Stormlord Rituals) (-5)
Sense of Duty (Sailors and the Sea) (-10)
Claim to Hospitality (Residences in the North) (5)
Perk: Always know when tides come and go (1)
Perk: Naval Training (1)
Skills: Swimming, Area Knowledge (Coastlines), Ritual Magic, Boating, Breath Control, Skating or Skiing, Singing, Survival (Arctic), Expert Skill (the Stormlord) [9]

Optional Traits:
Terrain Adaption (Snow) (5)
Breath-Holding (2/level up to 3 levels)
Temperature Tolerance (1/level up to 3 levels)

Up to 2 additional levels of Power Investiture and Optional Traits can be put into a Holy Symbol (Gadget) made from something 'touched' by the Stormlord (ex: wood from lightning struck tree, parts from a shipwreck, etc)
'''
Gadget:'''
''Power Investure (-50%) : Holy (-10%), Can be stolen (DX)(not usable) -15%, Size (10 inches, -4 SM) -15%, Not Repairable -15%, DR 5 -15%, Access (must present and invoke the Stormlord) -10%, Link (+20%)
Others (-40%): Holy (-10%), Can be stolen (DX)(not usable) -15%, Size (10 inches, -4 SM) -15%, Not Repairable -15%, DR 5 -15%, Link (+20%)''

'''
Power Modifier: Holy [-10%]'''
''Holy depends on the possessor living a virtuous life. He must adopt a moral code worth -10 points (Sense of duty:Sailors and the Sea) works for this) If he transgresses, he loses his power, although his god won't endanger him unless the sin is terrible. To recover his power, he must offer significant penance: coin and goods equal to starting wealth ($1000), a full month of fasting, a major quest, etc.''

=Empty Vessel =

Cost: 10 points

Style Prerequisite: Will 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Empty Vessel style is said to have been founded by a nameless philosopher who, in a fit of inspiration, realized that nothingness lies at the heart of reality, that everything is nothing, that substance is illusionary, and that change is only possible because everything is that which it is not. While this doctrine is impenetrable to outsiders, adepts of the Empty Vessel school use these doctrines as the foundation for their magic, while at the same time insisting that they are both true and false. Some are drawn to the school to find peace in emptiness, others to face up to darkness and hopelessness, and others for reasons that they themselves find impossible to express.

Required Skills: Meditation, Mental Strength, Thaumatology.

Required Spells: Counterspell, Detect Magic, Fear, Scryguard, Suspend Spell, Ward.

Perks: Afflicted Casting (Flagellant’s Blessing), Area Spell Mastery (Any), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Covenant of Rest, Elixir Resistance, Kill Switch, Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mana Compensation, No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Emptiness Swallows the Burning Sun, Running Water Washes the Rock, Shining Prince Kisses the Dust), Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Autotrance, Longevity, Perfect Balance, Reputation (Disciplined Monk).

Disadvantages: Absent-Mindedness, Laziness.

Skills: Hazardous Materials (Magical), Survival (Any), Symbol Drawing, Teaching.

The student of the Empty Vessel begins their studies at the level of Sleeper, requiring them to learn the following 6 spells.

Sleeper

Counterspell, Detect Magic, Fear, Scryguard, Suspend Spell, Ward.

A mage who has learned all 6 Sleeper spells becomes a Waker, entitling them to learn the following sixteen spells.

Waker

Darkness, Destroy Air, Forgetfulness, Gloom, Hide, Remove Contagion, Great Ward, Know Illusion, Recover Energy, Reflect, Resist Water, Terror, Scrywall, Seek Magic, Permanent Forgetfulness, Repel Animal.

A mage who learns 8 Waker spells becomes a Vessel of Flesh, entitling them to learn the following eleven spells.

Vessel of Flesh

Blackout, Blur, Destroy Water, Resist Disease, Resist Fire, Resist Pain, Resist Poison, Scryfool, Shape Darkness, Turn Spirit, Devitalize Air.

A mage who learns 6 of the above spells becomes a Vessel of Clay, entitling them to learn the following twenty spells.

Vessel of Clay

Banish, Body of Shadow, Dispel Illusion, Dispel Possession, Displace Spell, Enchant, Find Weakness, Magic Resistance, Pentagram, Resist Acid, Resist Cold, Resist Lightning, Resist Sound, Rune, Shatter, Spell Shield, Spell Wall, Suspend Magic, Turn Zombie, Weaken.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Zephyr of Dust, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Zephyr of Dust

Avoid, Delay, Dispel Creation, Dispel Magic, Insignificance, Remove Aura, Remove Curse, Remove Enchantment, Repel Spirits, Resist Enchantment, Spellguard, Suspend Curse, Suspend Mana.

A mage who learns 7 of the above spells becomes an Eye of the Void, entitling them to learn the following 9 spells.

Eye of the Void

Disintegrate, Emptiness Swallows the Burning Sun, Hang Spell, Link, Maintain Spell, Reflex, Running Water Washes the Rock, Shining God Kisses the Dust, Suspend Magery.

Secret Spell: Emptiness Swallows the Burning Sun (VH) Regular

The caster subdues their own ego to the point that it is difficult for supernatural effects directed at their mind or soul to find their target. This includes all Communication and Empathy and Mind Control spells, Necromantic spells that target the mind or soul, and Knowledge spells that target the caster as a person (as opposed to their body), as well as other powers with similar effects. Such effects target the caster at -3 to skill, -4 if the caster knows Emptiness Swallows the Burning Sun at 15+, -5 if they know it at 20+. These penalties apply regardless of whether the caster wishes them to or not.

Duration: Until the caster sleeps.

Cost: 2

Casting Time: 10 minutes.

Secret Spell: Running Water Washes the Rock (VH) Regular

This spell functions exactly like Ethereal Body except where noted. The subject must be the caster. While non-physical, the caster uses magic at -3 to skill, rather than -5.

Duration: 30 seconds.

Cost: 10 to cast, 5 to maintain.

Time to Cast: 1 minute.

Secret Spell: Shining Prince Kisses the Dust (VH) Regular, Special Resistance

The caster takes a good look at themselves and is overcome with humility. Except where noted, this spell functions like the Insignificance spell in GURPS Magic p.48.

Duration: Twelve hours or until the mage speaks, whichever comes first.

Cost: 6 to cast, 2 to maintain.

Time to Cast: 10 minutes.

=Eyes of Twilight =

Cost: 11 points

Style Prerequisite: Spirit Empathy, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Eyes of Twilight is the art of spirit magic. Combining a mystical sensibility with high academic standards, the style attracts those who seek deep understanding, those who love the weird, and those looking for particularly subtle or particularly frightening power. Dealing with intelligent beings comes with special hazards of course, and mages of the Eyes of Twilight style have been known to fall under the sway of those they sought to command. Others can grow to view all intelligent life as tools, or to become so enamored with the company of spirits that they grow alienated from other corporeal beings. Depending on the society in which they find themselves, mages of this school may or may not be open about what they are – it isn’t difficult for people to become hysterical over those who traffic with the unseen.

Required Skills: Cryptology, Hidden Lore (Spirit Lore), Mental Strength, Occultism, Research, Thaumatology, Theology.

Required Spells: Astral Block, Sense Spirit, Ward.

Perks: Astrological Ceremonies, Better Magic items (Necromantic), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Intimidating Curses, Knower of Names, Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Magical Lawyer, Obscure True Name, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Cleansing of the Ten Spheres, Emerald Ritual of Summoning or Onyx Ritual of Banishment), Shaman’s Trance, Spirit Contract, Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved Will.

Advantages: Allies (spirits), Autotrance, Channeling, Language, Medium, Oracle

Disadvantages: Cursed, Enemies (Spirits), Nightmares, Reputation (Creepy Spirit Mage).

Skills: Dreaming, Exorcism, Hazardous Materials (Magical), History, Survival (Any), Symbol Drawing.

The student beings their studies at the level of Gnostic, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Gnostic

Astral Block, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Fear, Final Rest, Light, Scryguard, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Sense Life, Sense Spirit, Spell Shield, Ward.

A mage who has learned 7 Gnostic spells including Astral Block, Sense Spirit and Ward is promoted to Initiate, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Initiate

Great Ward, Continual Light, Nightingale, Night Vision, Panic, Recover Energy, Reflect, Scrywall, Sense Observation, Summon Spirit (Ghost), Summon Spirit (Natural), Terror, Watchdog.

A mage who learns 7 Initiate spells including Great Ward is promoted to Praefect, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Praefect

Affect Spirits, Dark Vision, Divination (Dactylomancy), Dream Projection, Dream Sending, Dream Viewing, History, Materialize, Scryfool, See Invisible, Solidify, Turn Spirit, Turn Zombie.

A mage who has learned 7 Praefect spells, including Turn Spirit becomes one of the Ordained, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Ordained

Ancient History, Animate Shadow, Astral Vision, Banish, Command Spirit (Ghost), Command Spirit (Natural), Magic Resistance, Nightmare, Projection, Skull-Spirit, Soul Jar, Spell Wall, Summon Demon.

A mage who has learned 7 of the above spells is promoted to Pontifex, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Pontifex

Bind Spirit (Ghost), Bind Spirit (Natural), Delay, Enchant, Entrap Spirit, Lesser Wish, Remove Curse, Repel Spirits, Spellguard, Suspend Curse, Weapon Spirit, Storm, Wish.

A mage who learns 7 of the above spells is promoted to Illuminatus, entitling them to learn the following 8 spells.

Illuminatus

Bless, Cleansing of the Ten Spheres, Curse, Emerald Ritual of Summoning, Great Wish, Link, Onyx Ritual of Banishment, Reflex.

Secret Spell: Cleansing of the Ten Spheres (VH) Area, Resisted by Will

All spirits and demons within the area of the effect must flee as if under the influence of a Turn Spirit spell (GURPS Magic, p. 151). Casting this spell requires the mage to draw or paint a pentagram at least 3 yards wide.

Duration: A number of hours equal to the margin by which the caster defeated a subject’s Will.

Base Cost: 2, minimum 8. 4 to maintain.

Time to Cast: 30 seconds.

Secret Spell: Emerald Ritual of Summoning (VH) Area

+1 to all Spirit or Demon spells cast in the Area and +2 to spirit summoning spells. The GM should include any spells that are “spirit” or “demon” spells in nature, if not in name. Similarly, the GM should exclude spells that have “spirit” or “demon” in their names but not in their nature. Casting this spell requires the mage to draw or paint a pentagram at least 3 yards wide.

Duration: A number of hours equal to the margin of success.

Base Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 1 hour

Secret Spell: Onyx Ritual of Banishment (VH) Special, Resisted by Will.

Except where otherwise stated, this spell is identical to Banish (GURPS Magic, p. 156). The advantage of knowing the Onyx Ritual of Banishment is that it might succeed even if Banish has failed. Failed attempts to Banish cause no penalty for the Onyx Ritual of Banishment. Casting this spell requires the mage to draw or paint a pentagram at least 3 yards wide.

Time to Cast: 2 hours

=Footsteps of the Cat =

Cost: 9 points

Style Prerequisite: Cat Familiar, IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

It is said that Footsteps of the Cat was not invented by humans, but taught to humans by cats. While humans teach it to other humans today, only mages with cat familiars have ever successfully learned the style. The mage must closely associate with and observe their familiar, or they will never gain the understanding required to advance. If all cat familiars die, the mage’s powers will be suspended after one lunar month if they do not gain a new cat familiar. Gaining the new familiar immediately restores the mage’s power. Unsurprisingly, many mages of this school develop catlike personality traits themselves. They may be curious, affectionate, relaxed, greedy, unpredictable or vicious – or any other trait a cat might display. Mages of this school have a reputation for being insightful into the ways of magic, but acting in a chaotic and short-sighted manner. Mages of this school rarely associate, save as small groups of friends. The school has no hierarchy and no written rules. Cat mages who don’t like each other but share territory have a tendency to feud or fight. This alone can make even a naturally solitary adept seek the protection of a group.

Required Skills: Climbing, Dreaming, Hidden Lore (cat-related), Jumping, Stealth, Thaumatology.

Required Spells: Climbing, Keen Hearing.

Perks: Astrological Ceremonies, Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Elixir Resistance, Flexible Ritual (Any), Knower of Names, Intuitive Cantrip (Eye of the Storm), Intuitive Cantrip (Friendly Undergrowth), Intuitive Cantrip (Gate Experience), Intuitive Cantrip (Good with Felines), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mana Compensation, No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Reduced Footprint 2, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Cat’s Slumber, First Instinct, Half-Dreaming, Killer’s Red Claws).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved DX and IQ.

Advantages: Absolute Timing, Acute Senses (Any except Vision), Catfall, Combat Reflexes, Double-Jointed, Hard to Kill, Luck, Night Vision, Perfect Balance.

Disadvantages: Callous, Cowardice, Enemies (Other Cats), Extra Sleep, Gluttony, Impulsiveness, Laziness, Lecherousness, Nosy, Reputation (Unreliable), Sadism, Selfish, Short Attention Span.

Skills: Acrobatics, Hidden Lore (Fae), Hidden Lore (Lycanthropes), Savoir-Faire, Streetwise, Symbol Drawing.

Mages commence their studies at the level of First Moon. This gives them access to the following ten spells.

First Moon

Climbing, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Keen Hearing, Scryguard, Seek Air, Seek Food, Seek Water, Sense Danger, Sense Foes.

The mage proceeds to study spells of the Second Moon when they have learned 5 spells of the First Moon, including Climbing and Keen Hearing. This gives them access to the following twenty-three spells.

Second Moon

Conceal Magic, Jump, Great Ward, Haste, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Mage Stealth, Night Vision, Seek Magic, Seek Pass, Sense Emotion, Sense Life, Sense Mana, Sense Observation, Sense Spirit, Shade, Simple Illusion, Sleep, Recover Energy, Silence, Slow Fall, Summon Spirit, Ward.

The mage proceeds to study spells of the Third Moon when they have learned 8 spells of the Second Moon. This gives them access to the following eighteen spells.

Third Moon

Alertness, Beast Speech, Blur, Darkness, False Aura, Gloom, Grace, Great Haste, Hide, Hide Emotion, Hide Path, Hide Thoughts, Hush, Light Tread, Mass Sleep, Scryfool, See Invisible, Shapeshifting (Cat).

The mage proceeds to study spells of the Fourth Moon when they have learned 8 spells of the Third Moon. This gives them access to the following 9 spells.

Fourth Moon

Balance, Body of Shadow, Boost Dexterity, Forest Warning, Invisibility, Peaceful Sleep, Reflexes, Shapeshifting (Great Cat), Teleport.

The mage proceeds to study spells of the Fifth Moon when they have learned 5 spells of the Fourth Moon. This gives them access to the following 8 spells.

Fifth Moon

Animate Shadow, Charm, Delay, Insignificance, Partial Shapeshifting, Plane Shift, Remove Aura, Seek Gate.

The mage proceeds to study spells of the Sixth Moon when they have learned 4 spells of the Fifth Moon. This gives them access to the following 8 spells.

Sixth Moon

Cat’s Slumber, Curse, Half-Dreaming, Hang Spell, Hunter’s Cunning, Killer’s Red Claws, Link, Reflex.

Secret Spell: Cat’s Slumber (VH) Regular

This ritual, performed prior to going to sleep, will give the mage +2 on any roll against the Dreaming Skill. The spell takes an hour to complete, but the mage can use much of this time simply making the sleeping area as inviting and comfortable as possible.

Duration: Until the mage wakes up.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 1 hour.

Secret Spell: First Instinct (VH) Blocking

When the mage is in imminent danger and has run out of other options, they may cast First Instinct in order to gain an extra second’s worth of actions right away. These actions may only be used to get the mage out of danger. Absolutely no offensive action is allowed – the mage has triggered a survival instinct based on the principle of flight. The spell may not be cast more than once per second.

Duration: Instant.

Cost: 3

Time to Cast: Instant.

Secret Spell Half-Dreaming (VH) (Regular)

The mage shapeshifts into the body of a domestic-sized cat, although the mage’s Half-Dreaming form must always look somewhat odd and distinctive – red ears for instance, or eyes that look just a little too human. A mage in half-dreaming form may use cat’s paws to perform spell gestures and may substitute cat noises for incantations when casting spells they know. They have Perfect Balance, are at +4 to Climbing and Stealth, and strongly radiate magic.

Duration: 1 hour

Cost: 8/2

Time to Cast: 4 seconds

Killer’s Red Claws (VH) (Regular)

The mage sprouts small or medium claws (only small is possible on a cat-sized body) on their hands and/or feet. They must attack with them the turn they appear – it is the act of striking to attack with the intention of drawing blood that causes them to unsheathe. This spell requires no gestures and no incantations, so tends to come as something of a surprise.

Duration: Instant.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 1 second.

=Fount of Irrepressible Will =

Cost: 9 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 12+, Will 12+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Fount of Irrepressible Will is magic of creation. The school teaches that magic is the fundamental force of creation, that the magician and the god do not differ in the power they use, only in their degree of mastery. To create is in and of itself a holy act, though one that is entirely at the disposal of the creator and their whims. In practice, this means that mages who master the Fount of Irrepressible Will are extremely good at making things and are particularly adept at creating something out of nothing at all. Creation is intended to be an end in itself and the school does not bother itself with the question of how its graduates are supposed to make a living. One easy option is to create and sell goods, though others prefer more exciting lines of work and some of the more dangerous offensive spells suit them well to a life of adventure.

Required Skills: Breath Control, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Meditation, Mental Strength.

Required Spells: Counterspell, Ignite Fire, Light, Shield.

Perks: Adjustable Spell (Spell Variation, Any attack spell), Elixir Resistance, Intuitive Cantrip (Kindle), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mana Compensation, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Dominion, Forge of Souls or Material Edict), Secret Words, Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved Will.

Advantages: Wealth.

Disadvantages: Delusions, Greed, Overconfidence, Megalomania, Reputation (Megalomaniac).

Skills: Innate Attack (Jet), Innate Attack (Projectile), Intimidation, Symbol Drawing.

The student begins their studies at the level of Apprentice, requiring them to learn the following 4 spells.

Apprentice

Counterspell, Ignite Fire, Light, Shield.

A mage who learns all 4 of the above spells becomes a Craftsman, entitling them to learn the following 6 spells.

Craftsman

Armor, Continual Light, Create Air, Create Fire, Recover Energy, Stench.

A mage who learns 3 of the above spells becomes a Sage, entitling them to learn the following 7 spells.

Sage

Create Earth, Create Water, Create Water, Flash, Heat, Icy Weapon, Smoke.

A mage who learns 4 of the above spells becomes a Genius, entitling them to learn the following twenty-five spells.

Genius

Copy, Create Acid, Create Food, Create Ice, Create Plant, Essential Air, Essential Earth, Essential Flame, Essential Water, Essential Wood, Explosive Lightening, Ice Dagger, Ice Slick, Ice Sphere, Fog, Foul Water, Icy Missiles, Rain, Snow Jet, Rain of Stones, Sand Jet, Snow, Stone Missile, Warmth, Water Jet.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes an Angel of Creation, entitling them to learn the following twenty-five spells. Elementals summoned with this style are at +2 to IQ, but are immune to the Control (Elemental) spells.

Angel of Creation

Acid Ball, Acid Jet, Charge Powerstone, Create Air Elemental, Create Animal, Create Door, Create Earth Elemental, Create Fire Elemental, Create Mount, Create Object, Create Servant, Create Spring, Create Steam, Create Water Elemental, Create Warrior, Dispel Creation, Enchant, Essential Acid, Essential Food, Geyser, Hail, Mud Jet, Lightning, Spit Acid, Steam Jet.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Divine Craftsman, entitling them to learn the following 7 spells.

Divine Craftsman

Create Gate, Delay, Dominion, Forge of Souls, Link, Material Edict, Powerstone.

Secret Spell: Dominion (VH) Regular

The caster creates a gate that only they may pass through. Through is a universe that functions according to their whims, a fantasy land of their very own. However, the caster cannot influence the outside world from their Dominion and what happens in the Dominion is only tenuously related to how things will be back in the “real” world. Items wished up in the Dominion or spells cast will simply evaporate in the real world, books and Information spells in the Dominion will provide dreamed information only, and the realm will generally function as if it is not real from the perspective of the “real world”. However, some things the caster may do will carry over. The caster has access to real warmth in their dominion, time spent resting or sleeping in the Dominion counts as real rest or sleep, food eaten and water drunk in the dominion will sustain the body in reality, and a mage who leaves the dominion while under the influence of intoxicating substances will continue to be under the influence when they return to the real world. While diseases suffered, poisons cured and curses lifted in the Dominion will not be removed in the real world, the caster is at least immune to their effects there. The Dominion lasts as long as the caster desires and the caster may leave at any time. While the caster is in their Dominion, the gate remains open and others may look, listen or smell in. What they see, hear or smell is up to the caster.

Duration: Until the caster returns to the real world.

Cost: 4

Time to Cast: 1 hour

Secret Spell: Forge of Souls (VH) Enchantment

The mage creates a sentient soul in an item. The soul can think and see the world around it and can control any magic powers that the item possesses with a Will roll. In most cases, the personality is originally a blank slate and much of its nature will be determined by how it is treated. The souls of objects rarely get lonely, although they do tend to take a liking to people to treat them kindly. They are generally very content to be left alone, but without human contact, they tend to drift away from human conceptions of sanity. An item created with this spell is potentially a very useful Ally for the mage, but is a person with their own will, not simply a tool. Moreover, the more they are interacted with, the more likely they are to develop complexities in their personality.

Duration: Permanent

Cost: 20 +1 for every point of IQ the soul has over 10, up to a maximum IQ of (10 + Magery).

Time to Cast: 10 hours.

Secret Spell: Material Edict (VH) Regular

If cast immediately before the caster casts Create Air, Create Earth, Create Fire, Create Food, Create Object or Create Water, the fatigue cost for that spell is halved.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 3 seconds.

=The Gentle Art =

Cost: 17 points

Style Prerequisite: ST 10+, DX 12+, IQ 13+, HT 11+ Magery, (not One College Only).

The so called “Gentle Art” is designed to kill. It is a gruesome professional tool utilized by the assassin-magicians of the Red Lotus school. The Red Lotus is a criminal business operation, pure and simple, with no established religious, mystical or moral doctrine. The school doesn’t care who it does business with or what the job is, provided that the money is right. Individual mages trained at the school may or may not have greater scruples. The training is grueling for body and mind. Injuries are common and occasionally fatal. Despite this, being initiated into the Red Lotus remains a hotly-contested honor among ambitious young mages.

According to legend, the Red Lotus was founded by a pacifist philosopher-monk on pilgrimage to a nearby shrine. The monk suffered a series of misadventures on his journey. A farmer begged to borrow his donkey, then stole the donkey. Continuing on foot, the monk heard a cry for help from the forest, and upon leaving the path, was assaulted by thieves who took all his money. Passing through town, foot-sore, hurting and hungry, the monk spied an apple on the ground and picked it up. But across the street, he could see a skinny child begging and he could not help but cross the street and give her the apple. The town guard immediately arrested him for abetting public begging. Unable to pay the fine, the monk’s person was forfeit and he was sold into slavery. Years later, he returned, scarred from the lash. He tracked down the farmer, the thieves, and the captain of the guards, and politely thanked them for teaching him wisdom. Then he founded the Red Lotus and grew extremely rich.

Required Skills: Body Control, Broadsword, Camouflage, Climbing, Disguise, Forced Entry, Judo, Karate, Knife, Lockpicking, Poison, Stealth, Traps.

Required Spells: Climbing, Keen Hearing, Keen Vision.

Perks: Area Spell Mastery (Darkness), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Elixir Resistance, Flexible Ritual (Any), Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Eye of the Storm), Intuitive Cantrip (Filter), Intuitive Cantrip (Friendly Undergrowth), Intuitive Cantrip (Intuitive Illusionist), Kill Switch, Magical Weapon Bond, Melee Spell Mastery (Any), Mighty Spell (Any), No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Reduced Footprint 2, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Offering No Resistance, Quiet Discipline, Standing Nowhere).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved ST, DX, IQ and HT.

Advantages: Acute Senses (Any), Catfall, Combat Reflexes, Double-Jointed, Night Vision

Disadvantages: Enemies (Friends of Past Victims), Reputation (Ominously Mysterious), Secret (Professional Assassin).

Skills: Acrobatics, Axe/Mace, Garrote, Savoir-Faire, Staff, Streetwise, Symbol Drawing.

Apprentices are admitted at the level of Disciple of Wood, at which they are trained in basic assassination techniques and magical awareness. An apprentice has access to the following ten spells.

Disciple of Wood

Apportation, Climbing, Detect Magic, Haste, Keen Hearing, Levitation, Keen Vision, Magelock, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Shield.

A Disciple of Wood is promoted to Disciple of Earth when they have learned 5 Disciple of Wood spells, including Climbing, Keen Hearing and Keen Vision. This entitles them to learn any of the following twenty-eight spells.

Disciple of Earth

Daze, Deflect Missile, Flight, Foolishness, Forgetfulness, Grease, Great Haste, Hinder, Jump, Keen Taste and Smell, Lighten Burden, Lockmaster, Locksmith, Mage Sight, Mage Stealth, Might, Mystic Mist, Neutralize Poison, Permanent Forgetfulness, Quick March, Recover Energy, Sense Observation, Shade, Silence, Simple Illusion, Touch, Wall of Silence, Wallwalker.

A Disciple of Earth is promoted to Disciple of Metal when they have learned 8 Disciple of Earth spells. This entitles them to learn any of the following twenty-three spells.

Disciple of Metal

Alertness, Blur, Boost Health, Boost Strength, Darkness, Flash, Gloom, Grace, Hawk Flight, Hide, Hold Breath, Hush, Illusion Disguise, Light Tread, Mass Daze, Resist Pain, Resist Poison, Return Missile, Rooted Feet, Slow, Strike Dumb, Stun, Vigor.

A Disciple of Metal is promoted to Disciple of Fire when they have learned 8 Disciple of Metal spells. This entitles them to learn any of the following eleven spells.

Disciple of Fire

Ambidexterity, Balance, Boost Dexterity, Deathtouch, False Memory, Invisibility, Iron Arm, Paralyze Limb, Reflexes, Strengthen Will, Total Paralysis.

A Disciple of Fire is promoted to Disciple of Water when they have learned 6 Disciple of Fire spells. This entitles them to learn any of the following 6 spells.

Disciple of Water

Insignificance, Offering No Resistance, Quiet Discipline, Sharpen, Standing Nowhere, Telecast.

Secret Spell: Offering No Resistance (VH) Regular

The Disciple of Water can walk through solid objects as if they were thin air. The mage must touch the wall with the palm of the hand. Upon a successful spell roll, they will determine how thick the wall is and can choose how much energy to devote to the spell (minimum 1). If they do not expend enough energy, the wall will remain solid. If the wall is too thick for them to run through in a second, they are expelled backwards the way they entered at whatever speed they were moving forwards.

Duration: 1 second.

Cost: 1 per foot

Time to Cast: 1 second

Secret Spell: Quiet Discipline (VH) Regular

The Disciple of Water gets the benefits of both Invisibility and Mage-Stealth, while only having one spell “on”. The mage must know both Invisibility and Mage-Stealth to learn Quiet Discipline.

Duration: 1 minute

Cost: 7/4

Time to Cast: 4 seconds

Secret Spell: Standing Nowhere (VH) Regular

The Disciple of Water’s body and their worn possessions turns to black smoke of a vaguely humanoid shape. The mage may not be harmed by normal physical means though Air spells will inflict double damage. While Standing Nowhere, the mage may not exert physical force of any kind, including speaking and making attacks, although they can move along the ground at twice ordinary Move and may pass through any opening large enough not to be airtight. They cannot fly, but will fall no faster than a feather. The mage may not rest to regain fatigue while in this form.

Duration: 10 minutes.

Cost: 4/2

Time to Cast: 1 second.

=Golden Sun =

Cost: 6 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 12+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Golden Sun is a style founded on the simple philosophy that mages ought to benefit from their talents, and is dedicated to making the mage’s life as convenient, safe and fun as possible. Apprentices are taught that selfishness is a virtue and that anyone who says otherwise is participating in a system designed to keep the lucky gifted ones from realizing their full potential. Not all apprentices accept such a callous attitude, but most are more than willing to see personal indulgence as a fine use of a mage’s time. Wizards with a more serious attitude towards magic at sneered at as dupes – their skills may still be admired, but they lack the common sense to see how good the life of a mage can be.

Required Skills: Conisseur (any), First Aid, Savoir-Faire, Streetwise.

Required Spells: Scryguard.

Perks: Afflicted Casting (Flagellant’s Blessing), Afflicted Casting (Mystic’s Stupor), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Convenience Casting (Any legal), Elixir Resistance, Flexible Ritual (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Good with Animal, all ordinary domestic pets), Intuive Cantrip (Good with Animal, Horses), Intuitive Cantrip (Mystic Gesture), Intuitive Cantrip (Reinforce), No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Scroll Reading, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Internal Alchemy of Perceptual Delight, Ritual of Seduction, Nose of the Critic and Pockets of Miserly Tightness), Wizardly Garb.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Alcohol Tolerance, Allies (Hedonists), Fashion Sense, Reputation (Fun), Status, Wealth.

Disadvantages: Addiction, Alcoholism, Enemies (Spurned Lovers and Their Spouses), Lecherousness, Reputation (Worthless Hedonist).

Skills: Artist, Carousing, Erotic Art, Fast Talk, Fortune Telling, Gambling, Literature, Musical Instrument, Symbol Drawing, Writing.

The student begins their studies as one of the Social, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Social

Amulet, Apportation, Beast-Soother, Detect Magic, Levitation, Scroll, Scryguard, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Simple Illusion, Sound, Shield, Talisman.

A mage who has learned 7 of the above spells including Scryguard becomes one of the Civilized, entitling them to learn the following fifteen spells

Civilized

Armor, Flight, Illusion Disguise, Illusion Shell, Identify Spell, Know Illusion, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Nightingale, Recover Energy, Season, Seek Magic, Sense Emotion, Sense Spirit, Watchdog.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells becomes a Celebrant, entitling them to learn the following twenty spells

Celebrant

Analyze Magic, Boost Health, Command, Complex Illusion, Cook, Create Water, False Aura, Fascinate, Hawk Flight, Hide Emotion, Hide Thoughts, Mind-Reading, Perfect Illusion, Persuasion, Prepare Game, Relieve Sickness, Scryfool, Seeker, Truthsayer, Vigor.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells becomes one of the Notorious, entitling them to learn the following fourteen spells

Notorious

Ancient History, Coolness, Create Food, Cure Disease, Drunkenness, Ecstasy, Enthrall, Glib Tongue, Hair Growth, History, Invisibility, Shapeshifting, Warmth, Water to Wine.

A mage who has learned 7 of the above spells becomes a Libertine, entitling them to learn the following ten spells

Libertine

Charge Powerstone, Charm, Create Object, Create Servant, Delay, Enchant, Haircut, Powerstone, Staff, Steal Beauty.

A mage who has learned 5 of the above spells becomes one of the Decadent, entitling them to learn the following 8 spells

Decadent

Hang Spell, Internal Alchemy of Perceptual Delight, Link, Nose of the Critic, Pockets of Miserly Tightness, Reflex, Ritual of Seduction, Steal Youth

Secret Spell: Internal Alchemy of Perceptual Delight (VH) Regular, resisted by Will.

Internal Alchemy of Perpetual Delight greatly extends the effects of the Ecstasy spell. If it is cast immediately before the caster casts the Ecstasy spell, Ecstasy will have Duration: 1 minute and Cost: 2 to cast, 1 to maintain.

Duration: 1 minute.

Cost: 2.

Time to Cast: 5 minutes

Secret Spell: Ritual of Seduction (VH) Regular, resisted by Will.

The subject feels a strong sexual attraction towards the caster if they fail a will roll. If they fail a second will roll, the subject will choose to engage in sexual activity with the caster (whereas if they succeed on their will roll, how they respond to their feelings is a roleplaying decision). This spell will not work if the caster is incompatible with the subject’s sexual orientation and the subject receives a fresh will roll if the caster does anything that upsets their moral code, which for most people will include mistreating them in any way. The morality of using this spell divides Golden Sun magicians. Some compare it to rape while others insist that since the subject desires to do everything that they do, use of the spell simply constitutes magical seduction. Ritual of Seduction does not require incantations or gestures. However, the spell will only work if the caster talks to the subject for at least 30 seconds and the subject believes that the caster is of higher Status, or Wealth, or is significantly more famous, or if the caster is both physically attractive and no less physically attractive than the subject.

Duration: Until the next time the subject goes to sleep.

Cost: 3

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Nose of the Critic (VH) Information

The caster can find the tastiest food around. The caster may hunt for one specific kind of food at a time and it must be food they would genuinely enjoy eating. Food in domestic quantities is unlikely to register if competing with restaurants in a city, but a hungry mage out in the woods might pick up the scent of any cooking going on in the area.

Duration: 2 hours.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 4 seconds

Secret Spell: Pockets of Miserly Tightness (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

While the caster is the subject of this spell, people will forget to charge the caster for food in eating establishments, provided that the caster is actually eating the food there and not taking it outside. If “buying” for friends, the mage will be able to feed a number of people equal to their margin of success. Every individual who is to be fooled may resist separately. Normal means of magic detection detect this spell at -4 to skill.

Duration: 1 meal.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 5 minutes.

=Hands of Restoration =

Cost: 11 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Hands of Restoration school teaches that those who have special gifts bear special responsibilities. To be a mage is to have a duty to help others and the special calling of those who master this style is to provide magical healing. Healers are in high demand everywhere so the mage should have little trouble selling their skills, but many prefer to focus on helping those with least ability to pay, the poor, the old and the disenfranchised. Some are openly political and criticize the injustices of their society, arguing that the rich should do more to promote the common good – an attitude that is prone to make powerful enemies. Others put ideals firmly behind them and enthusiastically get on with the business of making money from their craft.

Required Skills: Diagnosis, Esoteric Medicine, First Aid, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Herb Lore, Naturalist, Philosophy (Utilitarian), Physician, Veterinary.

Required Spells: Lend Energy.

Perks: Better Magic items (Healing), Elixir Resistance, Intuitive Cantrip (Aid), Intuitive Cantrip (Reinforce), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mana Compensation, Secret Spell (Testament to the Angel of Death, Touch of Solidarity, or Tread of the Living Earth), Secret Words, Spell Bond (Major Healing), Spell Bond (Cure Disease).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved HT.

Advantages: Allies (The grateful), Reputation (Kind Healer).

Disadvantages: Code of Honor, Pacifism, Reputation (Political Troublemaker), Selflessness.

Skills: Politics, Public Speaking, Stealth, Streetwise, Symbol Drawing.

The student begins their studies at the level of Watcher of the Poor, entitling them to learn the following 8 spells.

Watcher of the Poor

Beast-Soother, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Final Rest, Lend Energy, Levitation, Simple Illusion, Sound.

A mage who learns 4 of the above spells including Lend Energy becomes a Watcher of the Sick, entitling them to learn the following eleven spells.

Watcher of the Sick

Detect Poison, Flight, Lend Vitality, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Minor Healing, Neutralize Poison, Recover Energy, Restore, Share Energy, Sleep.

A mage who learns 6 of the above spells becomes a Watcher of the Aged, entitling them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Watcher of the Aged

Clean, Command, Hawk Flight, Instant Neutralize Poison, Major Healing, Mass Sleep, Mind-Reading, Relieve Sickness, Remove Contagion, Resist Disease, Resist Poison, Restore Memory, Soilproof, Stop Bleeding.

A mage who learns 7 of the above spells becomes a Watcher of the Friendless, entitling them to learn the following twenty-one spells.

Watcher of the Friendless

Coolness, Cure Disease, Dye, Glib Tongue, Great Healing, Mind-Search, Mind-Sending, Peaceful Sleep, Regeneration, Rejoin, Relieve Paralysis, Remember Path, Restoration, Restore Hearing, Restore Sight, Stop Paralysis, Suggestion, Telepathy, Teleport, Warmth, Wisdom.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Watcher of the Weak, entitling them to learn the following twelve spells.

Watcher of the Weak

Dispel Magic, Fasten, Knot, Lesser Geas, Mass Suggestion, Relieve Madness, Repair, Resurrection, Sharpen, Toughen, Shatterproof, Stiffen.

A mage who learns 6 of the above spells becomes a Watcher of the Mighty, entitling them to learn the following 6 spells.

Watcher of the Mighty

Bless, Great Geas, Rebuild, Testament to the Angel of Death, Touch of Solidarity, Tread of the Living Earth.

Secret Spell: Testament to the Angel of Death (VH)

Testament to the Angel of Death is a spell for raising the dead. Except where otherwise noted, this spell functions as Resurrection (GURPS Magic, p.94). The spell will only work if the caster would genuinely prefer for the subject to be alive again (and not for any indirect reason, such as being paid for a resurrection). General good will towards people or even specific goodwill towards people of a certain notation would be insufficient, but the mage might be able to raise somebody because they are a friend, or fights for a cause that the caster believes in, or is in some way an individual that the caster greatly admires. The “one try” limit does not prevent a mage from trying Resurrection where Testament has failed, or Testament where Resurrection has failed.

The spell requires the caster (and any assistants in a ceremony) to verbally give reasons as to why the subject should be allowed to live. Any language may be used, but the pronouncements must be loud and clear. Social skills and spells, like Fast-Talk, Public Speaking or Glib Tongue are useless when addressing the Angel of Death, only sincerity matters.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 50. One try.

Time to Cast: 8 hours.

Secret Spell: Touch of Solidarity (VH) Regular

Damage inflicted on the subject is inflicted on the caster instead. The caster and subject must grab each other by the wrist for this spell to take effect.

Duration: Until the next full moon or the caster terminates the spell or falls unconscious.

Cost: 4

Time to Cast: 2 hours.

Secret Spell: Tread of the Living Earth. (VH)

The caster may heal a number of people equal to twice their margin of success by touching them on the forehead with their fingers. Each individual touched will be healed for 3 HP. Tread of the Living Earth will not heal the subject further unless they are wounded again or a day passes.

Duration: 1 hour.

Cost: Variable. For each FP spent, the mage may heal one individual 3 HP.

Time to Cast: 5 seconds

=Litany of Refusal =

Cost: 12 points

Style Prerequisite: Will 12+, Magery, (not One College Only).

Litany of Refusal is a scholastic style, focused on protecting humans from evil spirits. The basics were laid down over a century ago by a disparate group of mages pooling their knowledge to put down the demon Uzzschael, who had unleashed a plague of murder and cannibalism. While stylists study folkloric, religious, and occult traditions for the useful information they provide, the style does not endorse any particular view of the universe, since the founders were more concerned with stockpiling magical secrets than laying out a philosophy. The Litany freely plunders tricks from other styles with little regard for the cultural or religious significance of the “trick” in its original context. In some worlds, this could be worth a negative reputation for profaning sacred things. In theory, mages study this style because they want to help people. In practice, it is also an excellent style for those who wish to make money, especially if they don’t mind exaggerating their client’s problems a little. Also, while Litany of Refusal does not teach the adept how to summon evil spirits, it is a very useful secondary style for mages who wish to traffic with Dark Things.

Required Skills: Exorcism, Hidden Lore (Demon Lore), Hidden Lore (Spirit Lore), Mental Strength, Occultism, Research, Thaumatology, Theology.

Required Spells: Astral Block, Counterspell, Final Rest.

Perks: Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Elixir Resistance, Knower of Names, Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mana Compensation, Obscure True Name, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Castigation, Chains of Binding or Knives of Compulsion), Secret Words, Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved Will.

Advantages: True Faith, Reputation (Caster Out of Evil Spirits).

Disadvantages: Cursed, Code of Honor, Enemies (Demons, Spirits and their Cults), Pacifism, Reputation (Heartless Shyster).

Skills: First Aid, History, Interrogation, Physician.

Apprentices begin their studies at the level of The Consecrated, entitling them to learn the following ten spells.

The Consecrated

Astral Block, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Final Rest, Purify Air, Scryguard, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Shield, Suspend Spell.

When the mage has learned 6 Consecrated spells, including Astral Block Counterspell and Final Rest, they become Exorcists, entitling them to learn the following sixteen spells.

Exorcist

Amulet, Armor, Detect Poison, Fear, Identify Spell, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Nightingale, Purify Water, Recover Energy, Scrywall, Seek Magic, Sense Observation, Talisman, Terror, Watchdog.

When the mage has learned 8 Exorcist spells, they become Wardens, entitling them to learn the following twelve spells.

Warden

Analyze Magic, Materialize, Reflect Gaze, Resist Disease, Resist Fire, Resist Pain, Resist Poison, Resist Water, Scryfool, See Invisible, Solidify, Turn Spirit.

When the mage has learned 6 Warden spells, they become a Watchman, entitling them to learn the following eleven spells.

Watchman

Affect Spirits, Astral Vision, Coolness, Dispel Possession, Iron Arm, Magic Resistance, Resist Cold, Resist Lightning, Resist Sound, Turn Zombie, Warmth.

When the mage has learned 6 Watchman spells, they become one of the Ordained, entitling them to learn the following seventeen spells.

Ordained

Banish, Bind Spirit, Delay, Dispel Magic, Entrap Spirit, Pentagram, Reflex, Remove Curse, Repel Spirits, Resist Acid, Resist Enchantment, Soul Jar, Spellguard, Spell Shield, Spell Wall, Suspend Curse, Suspend Magic.

A mage who learns 8 Ordained spells becomes a Harrower, entitling them to learn the following 7 spells.

Harrower

Bless, Castigation, Chains of Binding, Hang Spell, Knives of Compulsion, Link, Suspend Magery.

Secret Spell: Castigation (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

Castigation may only be cast on spirits and demons. If Castigation is not successfully resisted by a target, then any immediately follow Banish spell cast on that target is resisted at a penalty equal to the degree by which the target failed to resist Castigation. Castigation is quite painful for the subject, even if resisted. There is no Shock Penalty, but the spell may convince the subject to go home even if not successfully Banished. Or it may just really make them mad.

Cost: 10

Time to Cast: 10 minutes

Secret Spell: Chains of Binding Special

Chains of Binding functions the same way as Entrap Sprit (GURPS Magic p.157) unless otherwise noted. The main difference is that Entrap Spirit is temporary, whereas Chains of Binding will hold the sprit until someone lets them go.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: Spirit’s (ST+IQ) divided by 2.

Secret Spell: Knives of Compulsion (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

This spell causes a spirit intense pain in order to make them tell the truth. For every point by which the subject fails the contest, the mage is at +1 to Interrogation. On a critical success by the caster or critical failure by the subject, the subject will tell all they know unless magically prevented from doing so. Mages may have strong moral qualms about if and when it is appropriate to use such a spell.

Duration: 1 minute.

Cost: Spirit’s (ST+IQ) divided by 5.

Time to Cast: 10 seconds.

=The Low Road =

Cost: 18 points

Style Prerequisite: DX 10+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Low Road is the magical art of robbing graves, as unromantic and practical a style as has been developed. Whether the craft was originally developed by sages who grew greedy or thieves who grew magically sophisticated, it is today a criminal tool and a highly effective and profitable one at that. Mages of this school are very rarely open about it and generally pass themselves off as either urban poor or comfortable idlers of independent means. They generally shun fame and recognition, moving on if they become too well known. Being driven by money rather than by love of the work, they are frequently willing to turn their hand to tasks other than grave robbing if they pay well, so may be found among adventurers, thieves who prey on the living, and even security experts.

Required Skills: Architecture, Archaeology, Climbing, Cryptology, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Hidden Lore (Tombs), Hidden Lore (Undead Lore), Forced Entry, Lockpicking, Occultism, Research, Search, Stealth, Traps.

Required Spells: Climbing, Light, Measurement.

Perks: Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Flexible Ritual (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Corpse Smart), Intuitive Cantrip (Intuitive Illusionist), Kill Switch, Knower of Names, Mana Compensation, No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Reduced Footprint 2, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Graveweird, Slumber of the Earthen Bed, Touch of Avarice).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved DX and IQ.

Advantages: Acute Senses (Any), Catfall, Double-Jointed, Languages, Night Vision.

Disadvantages: Cursed, Enemies (Undead), Greed, Overconfidence, Nightmares, Reputation (Suspicious Behavior).

Skills: Fast-Talk, Heraldry, Merchant, Metallurgy, Symbol Drawing, Thanatology.

The student begins their study at the level of Magpie, entitling them to learn the following fifteen spells.

Magpie

Apportation, Astral Block, Climbing, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Light, Measurement, Scryguard, Seek Air, Seek Earth, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Suspend Spell, Tell Time, Ward.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above spells including Climbing, Light and Measurement,, they become a Black Dog, which entitles them to learn the following twenty spells.

Black Dog

Continual Light, Great Ward, Know Illusion, Infravision, Levitation, Lockmaster, Locksmith, Mage Sight, Neutralize Poison, Recover Energy, Mage Stealth, Night Vision, Seek Magic, Sense Observation, Sense Spirit, Silence, Slow Fall, Tell Position, Wallwalker, Test Load.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above spells, they become a Banisher, which entitles them to learn the following fifteen spells.

Banisher

Alarm, Identify Spell, Dark Vision, Earth Vision, Flight, Hush, Light Tread, Know Location, Materialize, Poltergeist, Relieve Sickness, See Invisible, Shape Earth, Turn Spirit, Wizard Eye.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above spells, they become a Graveworm, which entitles them to learn the following fifteen spells.

Graveworm

Affect Spirits, Ancient History, Astral Vision, Cure Disease, Dispel Illusion, Earth to Air, Hawk Flight, History, Resist Disease, Resist Poison, Scryfool, Shatter, Solidify, Turn Zombie, Wizard Hand.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above spells, they become a Taxman, which entitles them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Taxman

Banish, Delay, Dispel Magic, Displace Spell, Graveweird, Link, Reflex, Remove Curse, Repel Spirits, Slumber of the Earthen Bed, Touch of Averice, Suspend Curse, Suspend Magic.

Secret Spell: Graveweird (VH) Regular Resisted by Will

The subject can tell when they are being observed by the undead. Nothing about the location or nature of the observer can be determined – the subject can just tell that they are being watched. Graveweird is an unpleasant sensation for most normal people.

Duration: 8 hours.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 5 minutes

Secret Spell: Slumber of the Earthen Bed (VH) Area, Resisted by Will

Undead in the spell’s area of effect are at -4 for rolls to notice anything. This will has no effect on undead who are restlessly active, only those who are dormant, or resting, or dozing or in some other way in a state analogous to sleeping or being only partly awake. Any attempt to place an undead creature in a dormant state (killing or destroying them is not “placing them in a dormant state”) is at +2 to skill.

Duration: 1 hour

Base Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 5 Minutes

Secret Spell: Touch of Avarice (VH) Regular

The caster can tell whether they are touching rare metals or stones with a successful Per roll. On a successful Metallurgy or Jeweler roll (as appropriate) they can identify the type. As a side effect, they can tell by touch whether what they are touching is metal, or rock, or neither. This does not count as a spell “on”.

Duration: 8 hours

Cost: 3

Time to Cast: 3 seconds.

=Path of No Path =

Cost: 12 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 12+, Animal Empathy or Frightens Animals, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Path of No Path teaches that human beings have fallen out of harmony with the natural world, wounding our souls, and that it is only by becoming one with nature once again that we can become whole. The journey back to nature is one that every human must take alone, finding their own way, and it is a journey that may take multiple lifetimes. A natural affinity for magic is viewed as evidence that the possessor has come far in previous lifetimes. The magical art of Path of No Path is not necessary for the journey, but is regarded as an extremely useful tool which greatly enhances the seekers chances of success. While practicing Path of No Path generally brings about changes in the wielder, the changes vary depending on the subject’s nature – some grow gentle, some violent and wild, some become obsessed with food and sex, some with protecting the natural world.

Required Skills: Camouflage, Climbing, Herb Lore, Hidden Lore (Wilderness Spirits), Naturalist, Stealth, Survival (Any), Weather Sense.

Required Spells: Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, Keen Vision.

Perks: Intuitive Cantrip (Friendly Undergrowth), Intuitive Cantrip (Good with Animal, Any type of wild animal), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mana Compensation, Melee Spell Mastery (Any), Mighty Spell (Any melee), No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Secret Spell (Creature of the Land, Metamorphosis or Rage of the Wild).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved ST, DX, IQ and HT.

Advantages: Absolute Direction, Acute Senses (Any), Catfall, Combat Reflexes, Hard to Kill, Outdoorsman, Perfect Balance

Disadvantages: Berserk, Bestial, Bloodlust, Callous, Hidebound.

Skills: Esoteric Medicine, Jumping, Running, Survival (Any), Thaumatology.

The student of the Path of No Path begins their studies as a Supplicant of the Beast. This entitles them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Supplicant of the Beast

Beast-Soother, Climbing, Detect Magic, Find Direction, Haste, Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, Keen Vision, Seek Plant, Seek Water, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Shield, Test Food.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells, including Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell and Keen vision gains the Eyes of the Beast, an achievement enabling them to learn the following twenty-four spells

Eyes of the Beast

Alertness, Beast Seeker, Beast Speech, Armor, Beast Summoning, Detect Poison, Hide, Hush, Identify Plant, Instant Neutralize Poison, Lighten Burden, Might, Neutralize Poison, Nightingale, Night Vision, No-Smell, Pathfinder, Purify Food, Purify Water, Quick March, Recover Energy, Sense Observation, Silence, Watchdog.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells gains the Breath of the Beast, enabling them to learn the following twenty-four spells.

Breath of the Beast

Bless Plants, Blossom, Blur, Boost Health, Boost Strength, Conceal, Forest Warning, Gloom, Heal Plant, Hide Path, Light Tread, Mage-Stealth, Plant Growth, Plant Vision, Predict Weather, Rejuvinate Plant, Relieve Sickness, Remove Contagion, Resist Disease, Resist Poison, Tangle Growth, Vigor, Walk Through Plants, Warmth.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells attains the Soul of the Beast, enabling them to learn the following sixteen spells.

Soul of the Beast

Beast Link, Coolness, False Tracks, Freedom, Invisibility, Plant Form, Plant Sense, Plant Speech, Protect Animal, Remember Path, Shapeshifting (Bear), Shapeshifting (Boar), Shapeshifting (Crow), Shapeshifting (Deer), Shapeshifting (Hawk), Shapeshifting (Wolf).

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells becomes an “Animal”, enabling them to learn the following spells.

Animal

Arboreal Immurement, Creature of the Land, Enchant, Metamorphosis, Rage of the Wild. At this rank, Shapeshifting spells that transform the subject into a mundane animal that lives in the wild should generally be available. The mage could learn Shapeshift (Badger) or Shapeshift (Salmon) if they wish, for example. As always, the GM has final ruling.

Secret Spell: Creature of the Land (VH) Regular

If the caster makes an appropriate Survival (Wilderness) skill roll, they will receive the following benefits while in the wild. The caster is at +2 Per and has an additional +2 to Tracking. All attempts to detect the caster, including spells and Tracking, are at -2 to skill. The caster travels 100% faster when off-road and on foot. This does not affect combat Move.

Duration: Until sunrise or sunset, whichever comes first.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 5 minutes.

Secret Spell: Metamorphosis (VH) Regular

Cast immediately before the caster casts a Shapeshift (Animal) spell on themselves, metamorphosis will have the following effects. The Shapeshifting spell will be cast at +4 to skill. The Shapeshifting spell will not cause IQ decrease. The duration of the Shapeshift (Animal) spell will be until sunrise or sunset, whichever comes first.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 2 minutes.

Secret Spell: Rage of the Wild (VH) Regular

This spell function as Beast Summoning (GURPS Magic, p.30) except where noted. Any summoned beast will immediately attack anyone the caster likes, fighting to the death. The caster can change the target of the beast’s attacks at will, but failure to will an attack on a target the beast can sense will terminate the spell. If the GM rules that the animal summoned was in close proximity to pack mates, 1d animals will arrive instead of one.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 1 second.

=Prayers of the Red Angels =

Cost: 13 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 11+, Magery, (not One College Only).

Prayers of the Red Angels is a military style, designed to provide blessings and healing to soldiers in battle. Though they have little in the way of offensive magic, they can greatly enhance the effectiveness of friendly combatants around them. In theory, mages of this school are not combat troops but physicians. They traditionally enter battle armed only with a knife and regard direct attacks on their persons by the enemy to be dishonorable. In practice, they are recognized as the dangerous battle-mages that they are and may be singled out for attack. Mercenary mages trained in the Red Angels school often cultivate an image of being a healer rather than a soldier, since healers are welcome in more places. A few mages of this school become generals themselves, making strategic use of their battle magic while commanding bandits, mercenaries or regular troops.

Required Skills: First Aid, Judo, Knife, Physician, Riding (Horse), Soldier.

Required Spells: Block, Haste, Keen Hearing, Keen Vision, Lend Energy, Shield.

Perks: Better Magic Items (Healing), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Aid), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Reduced Footprint 1, Sacrificial Block Spell (Any), Scroll-Reading, Secret Spell (Angel’s Blessing, Bloodrage or Call to Formation), Secret Words, Spell Resistance (Mass Daze), Spell Resistance (Mass Sleep).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Combat Reflexes, Military Rank, Reputation (Brave Physician).

Disadvantages: Pacifism (Cannot Personally Kill), Reputation (Hypocritical Mercenary), any Physical Disadvantage that can be explained by injury (e.g. One Hand, One Eye) or Mental Disadvantage that can be explained by trauma (e.g. Phobias, Flashbacks and Nightmares).

Skills: Running, Staff, Symbol Drawing, Tactics.

Apprentices are admitted to the order at the level of Acolyte. At this level, they are trained in medical and military skills and taught the following 6 spells.

Acolyte

Block, Haste, Keen Hearing, Keen Vision, Lend Energy, Shield.

Acolytes are promoted to Cherabim when they have learned all six Acolyte spells. This entitles them to learn any of the following seventeen spells.

Cherubim

Armor, Blade Turning, Bravery, Deflect Missile, Hardiness, Keen Taste and Smell, Lend Vitality, Might, Minor Healing, Missile Shield, Neutralize Poison, Recover Energy, Shade, Share Energy, Stop Spasm, Turn Blade, Umbrella.

Cherubim are promoted to Ascendant when they have learned 8 Cherubim spells including Armor and Minor Healing. This entitles them to learn any of the following nineteen spells.

Ascendant

Alertness, Awaken, Boost Health, Boost Strength, Grace, Hold Breath, Instant Neutralize Poison, Major Healing, Perfume, Relieve Addiction, Relieve Sickness, Remove Contagion, Resist Disease, Resist Water, Resist Pain, Resist Poison, Restore Memory, Share Vitality, Vigor.

Ascendants are promoted to White Guard when they have learned 8 Ascendant spells including Major Healing. This entitles them to learn any of the following 27 spells.

White Guard

Balance, Boost Dexterity, Boost Intelligence, Cadence, Coolness, Cure Disease, Great Healing, Halt Aging, Healing Slumber, Instant Restoration, Instant Regeneration, Iron Arm, Reflexes, Regeneration, Relieve Paralysis, Resist Lightning, Resist Sound, Restoration, Restore Hearing, Restore Sight, Restore Speech, Stop Paralysis, Strengthen Will, Warmth, Wisdom, Teleport, Shield.

White Guards are promoted to Battle Angels when they have learned 8 White Guard spells, including Strengthen Will. This entitles them to learn any of the following seventeen spells.

Battle Angel

Atmosphere Dome, Cleansing, Delay, Force Dome, Enchant, Force Wall, Halt Aging, Powerstone, Reflex, Relieve Madness, Remove Curse, Resist Acid, Resist Pressure, Resurrection, Suspend Curse, Utter Dome, Weather Dome, Youth.

Battle Angels are promoted to Seraphim when they have learned 8 Battle Angel spells. This entitles them to learn any of the following five spells.

Seraphim

Angel’s Blessing, Bloodrage, Call to Formation, Link, Utter Wall.

Secret Spell: Angel’s Blessing (VH) Area

Everyone within range who the Seraphim wishes to protect is at -1 to be hit from all attacks. The spell has no effect on anyone the Seraphim does not wish to protect.

Duration: 1 minute

Base Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 10 seconds.

Secret Spell: Bloodrage (VH) Area

Everyone within range who the caster wishes to inspire will be filled with an anger that provides them with +3 on any Will check not to flee or retreat from combat. The spell has no effect on anyone the caster does not wish to inspire. The spell only works on those who are trying to work up the will to stay – if somebody genuinely wants to leave, the spell will not stop them.

Duration: 1 minute

Base Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 4 seconds.

Secret Spell: Call to Formation (VH) Area

When the Seraphim sounds the Call to Formation, everyone within one yard who they wish to heal is healed for 1d for every two energy the mage has devoted to the spell. Those further away divide the healing total by two times their distance in yards, rounded down. The spell has no effect on those the Seraphim does not wish to heal. The call must use loud incantations, even if the caster would not otherwise have to use incantations at all.

Cost: Any amount up to twice Magery level per second. Call to Formation heals 1d burning damage per full two points of energy.

Time to Cast: 1 to level of Magery seconds.

=The Protected Path =

Cost: 12

This style is a practical style taught to those interested in self-preservation and self-gain. It is utilized by many rogues and treasure seekers. It teaches stealth, path finding and how to cover ones trail.

Required Skills: Stealth, Camouflage, Climbing, Tracking, Thautamology

Required Spells: Apportation, Foolishness, Climbing, Block, Keen Vision, Sense Foes

Perks: Area Spell Mastery, Blocking Spell Mastery (Block), Far Casting, Intuitive Cantrip (Gate Experience, Screen), Limited Energy Reserve(1-5), No Incantations, No Gestures, Secret Spell (Defend the Unseen, Becoming the Shadow), Shortcut to Power (Pathfinder, Body of Air, Invisibility), Spell Bond, Willful Casting

Optional Traits

Attributes: IQ 12+

Advantages: Magery 3, Perception, Silence, Chameleon, Enhanced Move, 360 Vision (Panoptic 2), Clinging, Danger Sense,

Disadvantages: Paranoia

Spell List

In order to walk the Protected Path, Travelers must take certain Journeys

1st Journey - The Path

The foundation of the Protected path is laid out in 6 basic spells:

Apportation, Foolishness, Climbing, Block, Keen Vision, Sense Foes

Travelers on the Path may also learn Shortcut to Power (Pathfinder)

2nd Journey - The Trail

Once the Path has been walked and all 6 spells learned, the Traveler may learn any of these spells:

Wall Walker, Slow Fall, Levitation, Daze, Cont. Light, Grace, Sense Danger, Silence, Night Vision, Haste, Find Direction

Travelers on the Trail may also learn Shortcut to Power (Body of Air)

3rd Journey - The Alley

When Sense Danger and 5 other spells of the Journey have been mastered, the Traveler may learn these spells:

Pathfinder, Gloom, Darkness, Balance, Watch Dog, Hush, Dark Vision, Test Load, Tell Position, Flight

Travelers on the Alley may also learn Shortcut to Power (Invisibility)

4th Journey - The Road

When Watchdog and 4 other spells of the Alley have been learned, the Traveler may learn these spells:

Body of Air, Reflexes, Light Tread, Blur, Shape Darkness, Mage-Stealth, Blackout, Glasswall, Know Location

5th Journey - The Avenue

When Mage-Stealth and 4 more of the spells of the Road are known, then the Traveler may learn these spells:

Invisibility, Freedom, Body of Shadows, Hide, Remember Path, Ethereal Body, Teleport(VH)

6th Journey - The Highway

When Freedom and 3 of the other spells of the Avenue are learned, the Traveler may learn these spells:

Rapid Journey(VH), Create Door, Sanctuary(VH), Defend Unseen (Secret Spell), Becoming Shadow (Secret Spell)

Secret Spell: Defend Unseen (VH) Regular

Any time that the caster is attacked by an unseen opponent, they will sense the attack coming unless the attacker resists with Will. When the caster senses attack, they may spend 1 FP to attempt to Fast-Draw a weapon, 1 FP to face any desired direction, 1 FP per parry to parry and 1 FP to attack their assailant. An opponent who is unseen even when being faced (such as invisible opponent or one in a dark room) may be parried and attacked without penalty but all damage goes to a random hit location.

Duration: Until the caster next sleeps.

Cost: 0

Time to Cast: 5 minutes.

Secret Spell: Becoming Shadow (VH) Regular

Same as Body of Shadow except that it allows all carried or worn equipment to become shadow as well, retaining all previous powers and abilities.

=Pure Circle of Shining Illumination =

Cost: 7 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Society of Practical Historians was founded centuries ago by sages with a passion for archaeology. However, it did not take students of this school long to realize that the style developed by the society, the Pure Circle of Shining illumination, had particularly practical and profitable applications. The skills that allow a historian to penetrate a dangerous environment and return with items of historical interest are the skills that allow an adventurer to penetrate a dangerous environment and return with treasure. Today, the Society mostly attracts students who are looking for wealth, though the heavy emphasis on academics quickly weeds out those seeking easy money. Less pragmatic schools might sneer at such mundane ambitions, but it cannot be denied that the school produces both brilliant sages and wizards of temporal power.

Required Skills: Archaeology, History, Literature, Research.

Required Spells: Light, Scroll.

Perks: Adjustable Spell (Spell Variation, Any attack spell), Huge Subjects, Intuitive Cantrip (Any), Magical Weapon Bond. Mighty Spell (Any melee or missile), Power Casting (Any missile), Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Evocation of Sulfurous Corruption, Impenetrable Armor of the Arch-Mage or Wings of the Golden Phoenix), Wizardly Dabbler.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Combat Reflexes, Wealth.

Disadvantages: Callous, Enemies (Monsters), Greed, Miserliness, Reputation (Glorified Bandit).

Skills: Cryptology, First Aid, Geology, Innate Attack (Jet), Innate Attack (Projectile), Knife, Mathematics, Merchant, Occultism, Staff, Symbol Drawing, Thanatology, Throwing (Knife).

A mage joins the society at the level of Journeyman, entitling them to learn the following twenty-three spells.

Journeyman

Apportation, Beast-Soother, Climbing, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Far Feeling, Find Direction, Ignite Fire, Foolishness, Haste, Keen Vision, Levitation, Light, Magelock, Measurement, Scroll, Seek Air, Seek Earth, Seek Fire, Seek Water, Shield, Simple Illusion, Sound.

When a mage has learned 8 Journeyman spells, including Light and Scroll, they are promoted to Thaumaturgist, entitling them to learn the following twenty-eight spells.

Thaumaturgist

Continual Light, Create Air, Create Fire, Daze, Detect Poison, Flight, Glue, Identify Plant, Identify Spell, Infravision, Lockmaster, Locksmith, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Mage Stealth, Mystic Mist, Night Vision, Purify Water, Recover Energy, Seek Pass, Shape Earth, Shape Fire, Silence, Sleep, Slow Fall, Tell Position, Test Load, Wallwalker.

When a mage has learned 8 Thaumaturgist spells including Continual Light, they are promoted to Sorcerer. This entitles them to learn the following twenty-three spells.

Sorcerer

Body of Air, Blur, Complex Illusion, Create Water, Darkness, Flame Jet, Hawk Flight, Hush, Fireball, Flash, Know Location, Lightning, Manipulate, Spider Silk, Mass Daze, Mass Sleep, Pathfinder, Rain of Fire, Seeker, Shape Air, Shape Water, Trace, Wizard Eye.

When a mage has learned 8 Sorcerer spells including Fireball, they are promoted to Wizard, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Wizard

Ancient History, Earth to Air, Explosive Fireball, Explosive Lightning, Fire Cloud, History, Inscribe, Invisibility, Fire Cloud, Remember Path, Shocking Touch, Teleport, Wizard Hand.

When a mage has learned 7 Wizard spells, including Explosive Fireball, they are promoted to Archmage, entitling them to learn the following seventeen spells.

Archmage

Control Air Elemental, Control Earth Elemental, Control Fire Elemental, Control Water Elemental, Delay, Dispel Magic, Enchant, Evocation of Sulfurous Corruption, Impenetrable Armor of the Arch-Mage, Link, Mapmaker, Staff, Summon Air Elemental, Summon Earth Elemental, Summon Fire Elemental, Summon Water Elemental, Wings of the Golden Phoenix.

Secret Spell: Evocation of Sulfurous Corruption (VH) Area

Causes a cloud of flesh-eating acid to engulf an area. The acid will burn any living organic tissue, but is completely harmless towards everything else. This is unfortunate if fighting something not composed of organic tissue, but often handy for rubbing out the opposition while leaving the treasure unscathed. Creatures in the cloud take damage on their own turn. If less than an entire second is spent in the area, damage is halved, round down. Manufactured armor protects normally up to a number of seconds equal to its DR. After that, the armor can be considered to be slick or wet with acid.

Duration: 10 seconds

Base Cost: 1 to Magery level; the cloud inflicts on point of damage per second for every energy put into the base cost. Same cost to maintain.

Time to Cast: 1 to Magery level seconds, depending on base cost.

Secret Spell: Impenetrable Armor of the Arch-Mage (VH) Regular

The mage’s skin becomes hard like rock, providing DR, cumulative with any other DR the mage may have, including from the Armor spell. The mage takes half damage from non-magical weapons made of wood, such as clubs, staffs and primitive spears.

Duration: One Minute.

Cost: 2 + (twice the DR given up to a maximum of 6). Half that to maintain.

Time to Cast: 1 second

Secret Spell: Wings of the Golden Phoenix (VH) Regular

He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day. If Wings of the Golden Phoenix is cast immediately prior to the caster casting Teleport on themselves, that Teleport spell is at +3 to skill for the purposes of defeating anti-magic/anti-teleport systems only. The caster may only teleport themselves – no friends and no more treasure than they can carry. The caster must teleport to relative safety, never into equal or greater danger.

Cost: 0

Time to Cast: 1 second

=Riding the Lightning =

Cost: 8 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 12+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The origin of the mages who call themselves Those Who Ride the Lightning is lost in folklore. They claim to have been founded by an itinerant scholar who was overtaken by a storm on the road one day, was struck by lightning, and decided that he liked it. The style offers mastery over energy in all its forms, emphasizing the need to feel the power channeling through one’s body and mind. Some mages master the style just for the rush, others because it offers a unique insight into fundamental forces, and others because it offers fast lethality. Mages who study this style can grow to be excitable or even manic and some are quick to anger. Not a few are experience junkies in general, driven by the opening of their senses to seek bigger and better thrills.

Required Skills: Meditation, Thaumatology.

Requires Spells: Apportation, Haste, Levitation, Light, Recover Energy.

Perks: Adjustable Spell (Spell Variation, Any attack spell), Afflicted Casting (Flagellant’s Blessing), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Blood Magic, Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Kindle), Intuitive Cantrip (Mystic Gesture), Life Force Burn, 1-5, Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mighty Spell (Any melee or missile), Missile Spell Mastery, Power Casting (Any), Psychic Guidance (Any), Secret Spell (Heavy Nerve Buzz, Riding the Static, Rushing Brain Shock or Touch of Life), Secret Words, Special Exercises (FP may exceed HT by 100%).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved HT.

Advantages: Acute Touch, Combat Reflexes,

Disadvantages: Bad Temper, Berserk, Impulsiveness, Overconfidence, Reputation (Not Sane).

Skills: First Aid, Symbol Drawing.

A student begins their studies as an Attendant of Lightning, requiring them to learn the following 5 spells.

Attendant of Lightning

Apportation, Haste, Levitation, Light, Recover Energy.

When all 5 spells have been learned, the mage becomes a Will Worker, entitling them to study the following twenty-two spells.

Will Worker

Continual Light, Deflect Missile, Distant Blow, Flight, Glue, Grease, Great Haste, Hinder, Hold Fast, Increase Burden, Infravision, Jump, Lighten Burden, Lockmaster, Locksmith, Long March, Poltergeist, Quick March, Shape Earth, Shape Light, Slow Fall, Wallwalker, Warm.

A mage who has learned 8 Will Worker spells becomes an Ascendant One, entitling them to study the following seventeen spells.

Ascendant One

Air Jet, Flash, Glow, Hawk Flight, Heat, Light Jet, Light Tread, Lightning, Manipulate, Shape Air, Shape Water, Slide, Slow, Undo, Wall of Wind, Windstorm, Winged Knife.

A mage who has learned 8 Ascendant One spells becomes a Transformed One, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Transformed One

Air Vortex, Body of Lightning, Explosive Lightning, Lightning Armor, Lightning Missiles, Lightning Stare, Lightning Weapon, Lightning Whip, Pull, Repel, Resist Lightning, Shocking Touch, Spark Cloud, Spark Storm, Wall of Lightning, Warm, Wind, Wizard Hand.

A mage who has learned 8 Transformed One spells becomes a Sage of Thunderbolts, entitling them to learn the following thirteen spells.

Sage of Thunderbolts

Ball of Lightning, Charge Powerstone, Dancing Weapon, Delay, Enchant, Freedom, Link, Heavy Nerve Buzz, Powerstone, Riding the Static, Rushing Brain Shock, Staff, Touch of Life.

Secret Spell: Heavy Nerve Buzz (VH) Regular

While under the effects of this spell, the caster has the benefits of the Lightning Armor spell and the Advantages High Pain Threshold and Very Fit. Their touch does 1d+1 electrical burn damage, whether they want it to or not. Many mages find being the subject of Heavy Nerve Buzz to be quite pleasurable.

Duration: 1 minute

Cost: 10 to cast, 5 to maintain

Time to Cast: 10 seconds.

Secret Spell: Riding the Static (VH) Regular

The caster opens their senses and draws on the ambient energy all around them to replenish themselves. Use of this spell requires a successful Meditation roll, after which the mage stands, twitching in ecstasy. They are so distracted from the world around them that they are for all intents and purposes asleep and will remain so until they recover all FP or someone wakes them up. If the mage knows this spell at level 15 or higher, they recover 1 FP every 2 minutes. If they know it at 20 or higher, they recover 1 FP every minute.

Duration: Until at full FP or woken up.

Cost: None

Time to Cast: 1 minute.

Secret Spell: Rushing Brain Shock (VH) Regular

The caster gives their own brain a shocking jolt of electricity to make up for lack of sleep. The immediately suffer the effects of the Daze spell with no possibility of resistance and for ten minutes thereafter will be at -1 DX and IQ, but +2 Will. For every point by which they made their spell roll, they may go without 1 hour of sleep with no ill effects, but also may not fall asleep for at least that many hours. Many mages find being the subject of Rushing Brain Shock to be quite pleasurable.

Cost: 1.

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Touch of Life (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT

An arc of electricity springs from the caster’s fingers (or a metal tool) to the subject, automatically striking, at a range in yards equal to the casters ST / 10, rounded up. If the subject fails a HT roll, they suffer 1d electrical burn damage. Armor does not protect, though a human being or large object suddenly thrust between the caster and the target could be used to block.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 1 second.

=Rituals of the Outer Darkness =

Cost: 14 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

Rituals of the Outer Darkness is the art of dealing with demons. Demon-worship is strictly forbidden as is entering into a demon’s service, though negotiations and deals with demons are tolerated. Mages have many reasons for wanting to study demons. The mage might be an altruist, learning how to cast out the enemy, they might be a cynic, sure that the quickest route to power must be through the dirtiest of deals, or they might just be scholars, driven by curiosity about the most deceptive of realms. The fundamental texts of the school make no comment on what the style is for or what a student ought to be doing with their skills. They simply explain the subject matter in painstaking detail in a dry, academic style. The training of an adept is academically grueling, and students looking for a quick route to power are soon disappointed. For those with sufficient talent and perseverance, however, the school as a great deal of power of offer. Mages of this school, if they must identify themselves as mages as all, often present themselves as exorcists first and foremost. After all, people can jump to conclusions when they find out that you associate with demons.

Required Skills: Cryptology, Exorcism, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Hidden Lore (Demon Lore), Occultism, Research, Theology.

Required Spells: Astral Block, Detect Magic, Fear, Foolishness, Scroll, Scryguard.

Perks: Astrological Ceremonies, Better Magic items (Meta-Magic or Necromantic), Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intimidating Curses, Knower of Names, Magical Lawyer, Obscure True Name, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (The Book of Names, Breaking the Gates of Perdition, Call of Damnation), Spirit Contract.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Languages, Oracle, Patron (Demon).

Disadvantages: Cursed, Enemies (Demons, the Law and Villagers with Pitchforks), Reputation (Meddler in Unwholesome Things), Secret (Demon Mage).

Skills: Alchemy, Hidden Lore (Demons), Hidden Lore (Spirits), History, Literature, Mathematics, Symbol Drawing, Teaching.

An apprentice begins their studies as a Squire of the White Tabard, at which level they are required to learn the following 6 spells.

Squire of the White Tabard

Astral Block, Detect Magic, Fear, Foolishness, Scroll, Scryguard.

A mage who has learned all 6 Squire of the White Tabard spells becomes a Knight of the Red Sword, entitling them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Knight of the Red Sword

Amulet, Daze, Disorient, Forgetfulness, Identify Spell, Madness, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Recover Energy, Panic, Scrywall, Summon Spirit, Talisman,Terror, Weaken Will.

A mage who has learned 7 Knight of the Red Sword spells becomes a Lord or Lady of the Iron Tower, entitling them to learn the following fifteen spells.

Lord / Lady of the Iron Tower

Analyze Magic, Command, Dream Sending, Dream Viewing, Encrypt, Fascinate, Mass Daze, Materialize, Mindlessness, Permanent Forgetfulness, Permanent Madness, Scryfool, See Invisible, Solidify, Turn Spirit.

A mage who has learned 8 Iron Tower spells becomes a Baron or Baroness of Lamentations, entitling them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Baron(ess) of Lamentations

Affect Spirits, Astral Vision, Dispel Possession, Dream Projection, Drunkenness, Enthrall, False Memory, Magic Resistance, Mass Suggestion, Nightmare, Oath, Sickness, Spell Shield, Suggestion.

A mage who has learned 7 Lamentations spells becomes a Duke or Duchess of the Burning City, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Duke / Duchess of the Burning City

Banish, Bind Spirit, Command Spirit, Delay, Dispel Magic, Enchant, Entrap Spirit, Great Geas, Lesser Geas, Pentagram, Powerstone, Remove Curse, Repel Spirits, Soul Jar, Spell Wall, Staff, Summon Demon, Suspend Curse.

A mage who learns 8 Burning City spells becomes a Prince or Princess of Fiends, entitling them to learn the following 8 spells.

Prince / Princess of Fiends

The Book of Names, Breaking the Gates of Perdition, Call of Damnation, Curse, Hang Spell, Lich, Link, Reflex.

Secret Spell: Breaking the Gates of Perdition (VH) Special

This is a particularly powerful demon summoning ritual. It is in all ways like Summon Demon on p. 155 of GURPS Magic, except where noted. The spell requires a human skull, or the site of a murder or haunting.

Duration: Until the demon’s task is done or 3 hours, whichever is less.

Cost: 1 point per 12 character points used to build the demon. Minimum energy cost is 25 (though this will not always summon a 296 point demon). The spell requires a human skull, or a preserved human finger, or the site of a murder or haunting. Parts of living creatures do not suffice.

Time to Cast: 30 minutes.

Call of Damnation (VH) Regular

Once Call of Damnation has been cast at a location, the next Banish spell cast at the same location is at +2 effectiveness. Demons at the location are at -2 on any non-magical roll to deceive, such as by using Acting, Fast-Talk or Law. The spell requires a human skull, or a preserved human finger, or the site of a murder or haunting. Parts of living creatures do not suffice.

Duration: Until the next time Banish is cast at the location or night falls, whichever comes first.

Cost: 10

Time to Cast: 10 minutes.

The Book of Names (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will+2

Cast in the presence of a demon, the spell will reveal the demon’s True Name. The spell requires a human skull, or a preserved human finger, or the site of a murder or haunting. Parts of living creatures do not suffice.

Cost: 8

Time to Cast: 5 minutes.

=Secrets of the Esoteric Order of the Silver Sword =

Cost: 26 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

In theory, the Esoteric Order of the Silver Sword is a society of gentlefolk devoted to the protection of the realm, religious observance, and scholarly pursuits of all kinds. In practice, most order members are more concerned with the pursuit of magical secrets or simply with getting ahead in the world. The order suffers from endless internal intrigue, a tendency among some members to be glory hounds, and a tendency among other members to let their curiosity overpower their sense when investigating supernatural phenomena. The society is obsessively secretive and understanding of hidden things brings a great deal of status of members. It is whispered that their most secret texts, known to only the innermost circle, promise power over the gods themselves.

Required Skills: Alchemy, Astrology, Cryptology, Falconry, Heraldry (Nobility), Hidden Lore (Demon Lore), Hidden Lore (Spirit Lore), History, Judo, Lance, Literature (Esoteric), Literature (Poetry), Melee Weapon (Broadsword), Mental Strength, Occultism, Philosophy, Research, Riding (Horse), Savoir-Faire, Shield, Symbol-Drawing, Thaumatology, Theology, Wrestling.

Required Spells: Scryguard.

Techniques: Cavalry Training (Any), Combat Riding, Counterattack (Broadsword), Hook (Broadsword), Spinning Strike (Broadsword), Staying Seated, Targeted Attack (Broadsword Swing / Leg), Targeted Attack (Broadsword Swing / Neck), Targeted Attack (Broadsword Thrust / Vitals), Targeted Attack (Broadsword Thrust /Chink Vitals). Note: Grip Mastery (Broadsword) may be taken as a martial style perk.

Perks: Astrological Ceremonies, Better Magic items (Weapons), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Blood Magic, Elixir Resistance, Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intimidating Curses, Intuitive Cantrip (Magical Analysis), Intuitive Cantrip (Mystic Gesture), Knower of Names, Life Force Burn, 1-5, Magical Weapon Bond, Melee Spell Mastery (Any), Mighty Spell (Any melee), Obscure True Name, Sanctum 1-2, , Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Ascending The Throne of The Universe, Invocation to The Four Corners of The Universe, or The Shining Litany of Divine Names), Secret Words, Shaman’s Trance, Spirit Contract.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Allies (Other order members), Autotrance, Channeling, Combat Reflexes, Enhanced Parry (Broadsword), Medium, Oracle, Reputation (Chivalrous Knight), Status, Wealth.

Disadvantages: Code of Honor (Chivalry), Enemies (Rival Occultists), Glory Hound, Impulsiveness, Overconfidence, Reputation (Worryingly Secretive).

Skills: Axe/Mace, Brawling, Knife, Mathematics, Spear, Staff, Teaching.

Mages are first initiated into the order at the level of Initiate of the Veil, entitling them to learn the following spells.

Initiate of the Veil

Astral Block, Detect Magic, Final Rest, Scroll, Scryguard, Sense Foes, Sense Life.

A Mage who has learned 4 Initiate spells, including Scryguard, becomes a Render of the Veil of stone. This entitles them to learn the following twelve spells.

Render of the Veil of Stone

Amulet , Identify Spell, Mage Sight, Mage Sense, Might, Recover Energy, Seek Magic, Sense Emotion, Scrywall, Summon Shade, Summon Spirit, Talisman.

A Mage who learns 6 Veil of Stone spells becomes a Render of the Veil of Darkness, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Render of the Veil of Darkness

Analyze Magic, Boost Health, Boost Strength, Compel Truth, Encrypt, Grace, Hide Emotion, Hide Thoughts, Materialize, Persuasion, Mind-Reading, Scryfool, See Invisible, Resist Pain, Solidify, Truthsayer, Turn Spirit, Vigor.

A mage who learns 8 Veil of Darkness spells becomes a Render of the Veil of Clouds, entitling them to learn the following seventeen spells.

Render of the Veil of Clouds

Affect Spirits, Ancient History, Astral Vision, Boost Dexterity, Command Spirit, Compel Lie, Dispel Possession, Divination (Astrology), History, Magic Resistance, Message, Mind-Search, Mind-Sending, Spell Shield, Skull-Spirit, Telepathy, Turn Zombie.

A mages who learn 8 Veil of Clouds spells becomes a Render of the Veil of Suns, entitling them to learn the following sixteen spells.

Render of the Veil of Suns

Animate Shadow, Banish, Bind Spirit, Charge Powerstone, Delay, Enchant, Pentagram, Powerstone, Presence, Remove Curse, Repel Spirits, Resurrection, Spell Wall, Staff, Summon Demon, Suspend Curse.

A mage who learns 8 Veil of Suns spells becomes a Render of the Veil of Stars, entitling them to learn the following 9 spells.

Render of the Veil of Stars

Ascending the Throne of the Universe, Bless, Curse, Hang Spell, Invocation to the Four Corners of the Universe, Link, The Shining Litany of Divine Names, Reflex, Wraith.

Secret Spell: Ascending The Throne of The Universe (VH) Information

Through ritual and meditation, the mage achieves a state of mystical ecstasy. At the GM’s discretion, the mage may have visions offering insight into the nature of some problem involving magic, supernatural creatures (including gods) or philosophy. Ascending the Throne of the Universe will never help the mage solve mundane problems. Information given will generally be in the form of allegorical dreams which will require interpretation. The GM should keep in mind that in order for the spell to be worth learning, it must at least occasionally be able to provide information that regular divination spells cannot. This spell requires a stick, a cup or bowl, a blade and a small drawn pentacle.

Cost: 6

Time to Cast: 2 hours

Secret Spell: Invocation to The Four Corners of The Universe (VH) Regular

Successful performance of this ritual generates 4 points of energy +1 point for every mage participant. This energy may only be used to magically summon, banish or bind extra-planar beings at the location at which the Invocation ritual was performed and dissipates after an hour. Invocations may not be stacked. This spell requires a stick, a cup or bowl, a blade and a small drawn pentacle.

Duration: 3 hours.

Cost: 0

Time to Cast: 1 hour.

Secret Spell: The Shining Litany of Divine Names (VH) Regular

Successful performance of this ritual at a location ensures that the next Bind (Spirit) spell cast at the location by a non-spirit is resisted at -2. This spell requires a stick, a cup or bowl, a blade and a small drawn pentacle.

Duration: 3 hours.

Cost: 0

Time to Cast: 1 hour.

=The Seven Books of Ivory =

Cost: 14 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

Before his death, the great mage-king Kessek wrote a treatise on the art of war-magic, seven volumes long. No copies of the original Seven Books of Ivory still exist, but the magical style they encoded lives on thanks to the painstaking work of scholars and the military needs of monarchs who want to harness Kessek’s art to make themselves dominant on the battlefield. A mage of this school does not seek to damage enemy troops directly, but to manage their own troops to devastating effect. The technique is compared by Kessek to chess, to walking a tightrope, and to the skill of a spider who can sense every movement in her web and responds with lethal force. Mages who master The Seven Books of Ivory are employed by regular armies and mercenary companies alike, though they sometimes offend other battle-mages with their arrogance. There is a tendency for members of this school to grow alienated from other people, viewing them as assets to be used. Legend has it that in the style’s most secret writings, Kessek sums up his philosophy with the observation “Life is like a game of chess. You must be the player, not a piece, and you must win”. Legend also has it that Kessek was murdered by his wife, the queen.

Required Skills: Broadsword, Games (Chess), Riding (Horse), Savoir-Faire, Shield, Soldier, Staff, Strategy, Tactics.

Required Spells: Counterspell, Keen Hearing, Keen Vision, Shield.

Perks: Adjustable Spell (Spell Variation, Any attack spell), Area Spell Mastery (Any), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Muffle), Intuitive Cantrip (Screen), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mana Compensation, Reduced Footprint 1, Sacrificial Blocking Spell (Any), Sanctum 1-2, Secret Spell (Feeling the Ground, Rapid Deployment, White Sacrifice).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Combat Reflexes, Military Rank, Reputation (An Officer and a Gentleman).

Disadvantages: Overconfidence, Reputation (Callous Manipulator), any Physical Disadvantage that can be explained by injury (e.g. One Hand, One Eye) or Mental Disadvantage that can be explained by trauma (e.g. Phobias, Flashbacks and Nightmares).

Skills: Animal Handling, Broadsword, Mapmaking, Public Speaking, Symbol Drawing.

Apprentices begin their training at the level of Pawn. They are required to learn the following 9 spells.

Pawn

Counterspell, Detect Magic, Foolishness, Keen Hearing, Keen Vision, Levitation, Shield, Simple Illusion, Sound.

When a Pawn has learned all 9 spells, they are promoted to Queen’s Pawn. This entitles them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Queen’s Pawn

Armor, Create Air, Create Fire, Daze, Flight, Forgetfulness, Hinder, Identify Spell, Keen Taste and Smell, Mage Sight, Minor Healing, Mystic Mist, Recover Energy, Sleep.

When the mage has learned 7 Queen’s Pawn spells, they are promoted to Knight. This entitles them to learn the following twenty spells.

Knight

Alertness, Analyze Magic, Command, Complex Illusion, Create Earth, Create Water, Flash, Frost, Hawk Flight, Major Healing, Mass Daze, Mass Sleep, Perfect Illusion, Rain of Fire, Rooted Feet, Shape Air, Shape Water, Stop Bleeding, Wall of Wind, Windstorm.

When the mage has learned 8 Knight spells, they are promoted to Rook. This entitles them to learn the following seventeen spells.

Rook

Air Vortex, Blink, Clouds, Cold, Control Illusion, Create Acid, Fog, Freeze, Ice Slick, Lightning, Peaceful Sleep, Rain, Rain of Stones, Spark Cloud, Spark Storm, Teleport, Wind.

When the mage has learned 8 Rook spells, they are promoted to Bishop. This entitles them to learn the following 7 spells.

Bishop

Delay, Dispel Magic, Enchant, Powerstone, Rain of Ice Daggers, Sandstorm, Staff.

When the mage has learned 4 Bishop spells, they are promoted to BattleMaster / BattleMistress. This entitles them to learn the following 6 spells.

BattleMaster / BattleMistress

Feeling the Ground, Hang Spell, Link, Rapid Redeployment, Reflex, White Sacrifice.

Secret Spell: Feeling the Ground (VH) Regular

The caster places their bare palms on the bare earth, to feel for the vibrations caused by concentrations of large animals, like soldiers and horses. Assume that the caster can roughly estimate the numbers and positions of soldiers as if he were overlooking the unobstructed battlefield from a hill on a clear day. Soldiers who stay absolutely still cannot be detected.

Duration: 1 second.

Cost: 1/1

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Rapid Redeployment (VH) Special

Everyone in the area of effect recovers energy as if the subject of a Recover Energy spell. Does not stack with Recover Energy.

Duration: 1 minute.

Base Cost: 1/1

Time to Cast: 10 seconds.

Secret Spell: White Sacrifice (VH) Blocking

If an ally dies within two yards of the caster and the caster immediately casts White Sacrifice, the caster will regain FP equal to half the dead ally’s ST, rounded down. The spell will work on mercenary allies, but will not work if the “ally” was intended to betray the mage, or believed themselves to be betrayed by the mage. The mage may not perform more than one White Sacrifice per second.

Duration: Instant.

Base Cost: 0

Time to Cast: 1 second.

=The Sickness =

Cost: 8 points

Style Prerequisite: Magery, (not One College Only).

The Sickness is black-magic for hurting people with, custom made for the cruel, the nihilistic, the vengeful, or the oh-so-self-righteous. The core text of the school is an anonymous long, meandering, surreal poem composed of bleak words jumbled together without any clear structure or meaning. Mages are free to read into the poem whatever they want and arrive at radically different interpretations. Some get by just by chanting the thing, subscribing to no particular philosophy and just riding a mood. Most mages who study the style are initially attracted by its dark imagery, which somehow resonates with their deeper feelings. However, no particular feelings are required for a mage to study or use the style and a mage may grow out of the emotions that brought them to The Sickness in the first place, without this impeding their magic. Most stylists die young, driven by black emotions to live dangerously. This may be just as well, since a learned mage of The Sickness style is in a position to do great harm to the people around them.

Required Skills: Hazardous Materials (Magical), Thaumatology.

Required Spells: Counterspell, Debility, Detect Magic, Scroll, Scryguard.

Perks: Adjustable Spell (Spell Variation, Any attack spell), Afflicted Casting (Flagellant’s Blessing), Afflicted Casting (Mystic’s Stupor), Area Spell Mastery (Darkness), Blood Magic, Elixir Resistance, Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intimidating Curses, Intuitive Cantrip (Controlled Disadvantage, any bodily or negative mental disadvantage), Life Force Burn 1-5, Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Sanctum 1-2, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Carrier, Glance of Despair, or Scourge of Sickness), Spirit Contract.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ or HT.

Advantages: Autotrance, Channeling, Medium, Night Vision

Disadvantages: Appearance, Chronic Depression, Enemies (Victims and Their Families), Frightens Animals, Laziness, Lifebane, Reputation (Spreader of Woe), Social Disease.

Skills: Climbing, Running, Stealth, Streetwise, Survival (Urban), Symbol Drawing.

Apprentices begin their studies at the level of Penitent. They are required to learn the following 5 spells.

Penitent

Counterspell, Debility, Detect Magic, Scroll, Scryguard.

When apprentices have learned the 5 Penitent spells, they become a Walker in Twilight. This entitles them to learn the following fifteen spells.

Walker in Twilight

Amulet, Decay, Frailty, Infravision, Mage Sight, Mage Stealth, Night Vision, Quick March, Recover Energy, Scrywall, Sense Observation, Sense Spirit, Summon Spirit (Ghost), Silence, Steal Might, Talisman.

When the mage has learned 8 Walker in Twilight spells, they become a Cold One. This entitles them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Cold One

Blackout, Blur, Darkness, Dark Vision, Frost, Gloom, Hide, Hush, Icy Weapon, Scryfool, See Invisible, Shape Darkness, Steal Energy, Steal Vigor.

When the mage has learned 7 Cold One spells, they become a Walker in Night. This entitles them to learn the following twenty-six spells.

Walker in Night

Body of Shadow, Cold, Control Zombie, Find Weakness, Freeze, Frostbite, Ice Dagger, Ice Slick, Ice Sphere, Icy Touch, Icy Missiles, Invisibility, Magic Resistance, Resist Cold, Shatter, Sickness, Pestilence, Skull-Spirit, Slow Healing, Spell Shield, Steal Vitality, Stop Healing, Strike Barren, Weaken, Weaken Blood, Zombie.

When the mage has learned 8 Walker in Night spells, they become a Gaunt One. This entitles them to learn the following twelve spells.

Gaunt One

Animate Shadow, Banish, Delay, Dispel Magic, Enchant, Icy Breath, Mass Zombie, Pentagram, Rotting Death, Rune, Spell Wall, Summon Demon.

When the mage has learned 6 Gaunt One spells, they become an Ashen One. This entitles them to learn the following 6 spells.

Ashen One

Carrier, Curse, Disintegrate, Glance of Despair, Link, Scourge of Sickness.

Secret Spell: Carrier (VH) Regular

When an Ashen One casts Carrier, they contract or cure themselves of any one disease that they have ever recovered from.

Duration: Instant.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 2 seconds

Secret Spell: Glance of Despair (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will.

The Ashen One can bring despair to people just by making eye-contact. No incantations or gestures are required. The one who meets the Ashen One’s gaze must resist with their Will or make a Fright Check at a penalty equal to the margin by which they lost the contest of spell skill against Will. The victim is being forced to contemplate their own life in the grimmest, most depressive light, a process that can cause life-long psychological damage.

Secret Spell: Scourge of Sickness (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

If an Ashen One casts Scourge of Sickness in the presence of the victim while in possession of something the victim once owned, they can take magical control of any illness the victim already has, making it better or worse at will. They retain this control for as long as they keep the item on their person or in their Sanctum, no matter how far distant they are from their victim.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 10

Time to Cast: 3 seconds

=Soulblade =

Cost: 16 points

Style Prerequisite: ST 11+, DX 12+, HT 11+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The purpose of Soulblade is to perfect the mage as a warrior. Such perfection is not achieved simply through learning to kill, but through self-discipline and excellence in traditional fighting arts. In theory, the practitioner cares only for honor and glory, living without fear of death or desire for riches. In practice, there are as many reasons why mages seek training as there are reasons why mages want to be able to kill, and even the most sincere apprentice may discover in time that life has better things to offer a skilled warrior than self-discipline and restraint. Thus, practitioners of Soulblade can be found among adventurers, mercenaries and bandits, as well as anywhere else where warriors are badly needed or well-rewarded.

Required Skills: Hiking, Judo, Jumping, Karate, Knife, Literature (Poetry), Meditation, Philosophy, Riding (Horse), Running, Melee Weapon (Two-Handed Sword), Savoir-Fair.

Required Spells: Armor, Haste, Shield.

Techniques: Back Strike (Two-Handed Sword), Counterattack (Two-Handed Sword), Feint (Two Handed Sword), Targeted Attack (Two Handed Sword Swing / Arm), Targeted Attack (Two-Handed Sword Swing / Neck), Targeted Attack (Two-Handed Sword Swing / Skull), Targeted Attack (Two-Handed Sword Thrust / Vitals), Targeted Attack (Two-Handed Sword Thrust / Vitals Chinks). Note: Grip Mastery (Two-Handed Sword) may be taken as a martial perk.

Perks: Afflicted Casting (Flagellant’s Blessing), Better Magic items (Weapons), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Frightening Side Effects (Any), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Magical Weapon Bond, Melee Spell Mastery (Any), Mighty Spell (Any melee), No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Reduced Footprint 2, Secret Spell (Blood of Heroes, River Leaf Cut or Willow Cut), Secret Words, Spell Dualist.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved ST, DX, IQ and HT.

Advantages: Combat Reflexes, High Pain Threshold, Perfect Balance, Reputation (Chivalrous Warrior), Weapon Master (Two-Handed Sword), Status.

Disadvantages: Callous, Code of Honor (Seek Glory), Enemies (Rival Warriors), Reputation (Violent Fool).

Skills: Artist, Axe/Mace, Body Control, Breath Control, Broadsword, Calligraphy, Fast-Draw (Two-Handed Sword), Heraldry, Power Blow, Spear, Staff, Symbol Drawing.

The student begins their studies at the level of Squire, entitling them to learn the following fourteen spells.

Squire

Armor, Bladeturning, Block, Climbing, Counterspell, Deflect Missile, Detect Magic, Hardiness, Haste, Scryguard, Sense Danger, Sense Foes, Shield, Ward.

A mage who has learned 7 of the above spells, including Armor, Haste and Shield becomes a Knight of the Way, entitling them to learn the following nineteen spells.

Knight of the Way

Boost Strength, Catch Missile, Flight, Great Haste, Great Ward, Hide Emotion, Jump, Levitation, Mage Sight, Might, Minor Healing, Missile Shield, Neutralize Poison, Recover Energy, Reflect, Shape Earth, Stop Spasm, Turn Blade, Vigor.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes an Honorable Crane, entitling them to learn the following sixteen spells.

Honorable Crane

Boost Health, Grace, Hawk Flight, Hide Thoughts, Hold Breath, Major Healing, Reflect Gaze, Resist Disease, Resist Fire, Resist Pain, Resist Poison, Resist Water, Return Missile, Reverse Missiles, Scryfool, Shape Metal.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes an Honored Storm Dragon, entitling them to learn the following twelve spells.

Honored Storm Dragon

Balance, Blink, Body of Metal, Boost Dexterity, Catch Spell, Coolness, Iron Arm, Reflexes, Resist Cold, Resist Lightning, Resist Sound, Warmth.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Revered Celestial Tiger, entitling them to learn the following twelve spells.

Revered Celestial Tiger

Blood of Heroes, Delay, Dispel Magic, Freedom, Link, Reflex, Resist Acid, Resist Enchantment, River Leaf Cut, Sharpen, Throw Spell, Willow Cut.

Secret Spell: Blood of Heroes (VH) Regular

The caster may only cast Blood of Heroes when they are struck for damage, in which case, they may cast it immediately as a free action. The caster recovers from Stun and Shock and gains ten temporary hit points. The caster may not cast Blood of Heroes again until they have completely recovered all lost hit points. The spell does not require incantations or gestures.

Duration: HT minutes after the caster next rests.

Cost: 4

Time to Cast: 0 seconds. May be cast as a free action.

Secret Spell: River Leaf Cut (VH) Regular

Any time that the caster is attacked by an unseen opponent, they will sense the attack coming unless the attacker resists with Will. When the caster senses attack, they may spend 1 FP to attempt to Fast-Draw a weapon, 1 FP to face any desired direction, 1 FP per parry to parry and 1 FP to attack their assailant. An opponent who is unseen even when being faced (such as invisible opponent or one in a dark room) may be parried and attacked without penalty but all damage goes to a random hit location.

Duration: Until the caster next sleeps.

Cost: 0

Time to Cast: 5 minutes.

Secret Spell: Willow Cut (VH) Blocking, Resisted by Melee Weapon or Will

The caster may only cast Willow Cut when they make a successful parry with an edged weapon, in which case, they may cast it immediately as a free action. If the spell is successful, instead of parrying their opponent’s weapon, they parry their wrist, doing full swing damage.

Cost: 3

Time to Cast: 0 seconds. May be cast as a free action

=Ten Thousand Mirrors =

Cost: 20 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

Ten Thousand Mirrors was developed by mages who studied insanity, aided by mages who were suffering from it. While it has always been a therapeutic art in theory, curiosity, ambition and the dangers posed to sanity by dealing too closely with its opposite have greatly broadened the original project. In other words, while some mages of this school strive hard to cure the afflicted, others have used their power to dominate other human beings, to explore the stranger facets of reality, or just to do really, really crazy things. Most practitioners are functional, at least on the surface, which permits the school to survive and attract students. However, there are enough skeletons in the closet for adepts of the Ten Thousand Mirrors to habitually cultivate secrecy about their activities and many pass themselves off as simple scholars.

Required Skills: Cryptology, Detect Lies, Dreaming, Hazardous Materials (Magical), Hidden Lore (Dreams), Hypnotism, Interrogation, Literature (Poetry), Mental Strength, Mind Block, Occultism, Psychology, Research.

Required Spells: Fear, Foolishness, Scryguard, Sense Foes, Simple Illusion, Sound.

Perks: Afflicted Casting (Flagellant’s Blessing), Afflicted Casting (Mystic’s Stupor), Better Magic items (Communication and Empathy), Better Magic items (Mind Control), Flexible Ritual (Any), Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intimidating Curses, Intuitive Cantrip (Controlled Disadvantage, any mental), Knower of Names, Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Obscure True Name, Sanctum 1-2, Scroll Reading, Secret Spell (Embrace of Madness, Moment of Clarity, or Reconstructive Mind Surgery), Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ, Improved Will.

Advantages: Allies (mad ones), Autotrance, Reputation (Dedicated and Learned Physician), Voice.

Disadvantages: Delusion, Enemies (Patients, Patients’ Families, Rival Practitioners of Ten Thousand Mirrors), Megalomania, Paranoia, Phobia, Reputation (Mad Doctor).

Skills: Intimidation, Savoir-Faire, Streetwise, Symbol Drawing, Teaching.

Apprentices begin their studies at the level of Student, which requires them to learn the following 6 spells.

Student

Fear, Foolishness, Scryguard, Sense Foes, Simple Illusion, Sound.

Mages who have learned all 6 of these spells become a Wiseman or Wisewoman, entitling them to learn the following twenty-four spells.

Wiseman / Wisewoman

Bravery, Counterspell, Daze, Detect Magic, Disorient, Dull Hearing, Dull Taste and Smell, Dull Vision, Forgetfulness, Identify Spell, Illusion Disguise, Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, Keen Vision, Know Illusion, Madness, Panic, Recover Energy, Scroll, Sense Emotion, Sleep, Terror, Ward, Weaken Will.

Mages who have learned 8 of the above spells become a Truth Sayer, entitling them to learn the following twenty-seven spells.

Truth Sayer

Alertness, Berserker, Command, Compel Truth, Complex Illusion, Dream Sending, Dream Viewing, Dullness, Emotion Control, Encrypt, Fascinate, Hide Emotion, Hide Thoughts, Loyalty, Mass Daze, Mass Sleep, Mental Stun, Mindlessness, Mind-Reading, Perfect Illusion, Permanent Madness, Persuasion, Restore Memory, Scryfool, Seeker, Truthsayer, Vexation.

Mages who have learned 8 Truth Sayer spells become Knights of the Empathic Order, entitling them to learn the following twenty-four spells.

Knight of the Empathic Order

Avoid, Compel Lie, Dream Projection, Drunkenness, Ecstasy, Enthrall, False Memory, Glib Tongue, Hallucination, History, Inscribe, Lesser Geas, Lure, Memorize, Mass Suggestion, Mind-Search, Mind-Sending, Nightmare, Oath, Peaceful Sleep, Strengthen Will, Suggestion, Telepathy, Will Lock.

A mage who has learned 8 of the above spells becomes a Mind Surgeon, entitling them to learn the following seventeen spells.

Mind Surgeon

Charm, Communication, Delay, Embrace of Madness, Enchant, Enslave, Great Geas, Great Hallucination, Hang Spell, Insignificance, Link, Moment of Clarity, Presence, Recall, Reconstructive Mind Surgery, Reflex, Relieve Madness.

Secret Spell: Reconstructive Mind Surgery (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

Over the course of a grueling ritual, the Mind Surgeon replaces the subject’s memories with any memories desired, provided that they can communicate with the subject in a language they both understand. The subject must be present throughout the entire casting, which thus generally requires the use of physical restraint. The subject’s memories have not actually been erased and will return if the subject receives a Dispel Magic or Remove Curse. While the subject’s memories have changed, their basic personality has not. So, for instance, while the caster can give the subject a memory of always having been very brave, this will not transform the subject into a truly brave person.

Duration: Permanent

Cost: 20

Time to Cast: 8 hours.

Secret Spell: Embrace of Madness (VH) Regular.

The subject is at +3 to Dreaming skill and if Dreaming successfully, can cast any Dream spell in their sleep. This state can be addictive, leading the mage to spend more and more time in their own dreams and possibly leading to hallucinations and delusions in real life. The degree to which the mage loses control, if at all, is a role-playing choice for the player to make. Not every Mind Surgeon gets addicted and every addict’s addiction is different – it all depends on their personality.

Duration: 8 hours or until the mage wakes up, whichever comes last.

Cost: 12

Time to Cast: 3 hours.

Moment of Clarity: Moment of Clarity (VH) Regular, Resisted by Philosophy, Theology or Will.

The caster causes the subject’s mind to be absolutely objective for a moment, something the human mind is not built to do. The shock can easily drive a human victim insane. The subject must make an immediate Fright Check at -8. On a critical success of the Moment of Clarity spell, the subject gains a new mental Disadvantage, chosen by the GM, to reflect the psychological damage. While the choice lies with the GM, if the subject is a PC, the player may have useful suggestions with good role-playing justifications based on their character’s personality. On a natural 3 or 4 on the resistance roll, the victim gains a philosophical, religious or mystical insight of some kind. In some gameworlds such an insight might be justification for the development of supernatural powers. Mercifully, the moment of clarity lasts only for a second and the subject can rarely remember just what they saw.

Cost: 6

Time to Cast: 1 second.

= Tricksy Ways =

Cost: 12

Tricksy Ways is the style of con-men, second-story artists and rogues of a magical flavor. It is certainly not combat-oriented, as combat usually means that the job has failed. Interestingly, it is structured based on how close you can get to the objective without being detected. The first level deals strictly with ‘casing the joint.’ Gathering intel, scouting out the terrain. The second level is intended for sneaking in and out. Spells of movement and stealth. The third and fourth levels allow for interaction with individuals, misdirecting or confusing the opposition. And the last deals with the ultimate challenge - bearding a mage in his own den.

This is best described as a Guild style. It is geared to the practical, rather than the theoretical, so the more esoteric Perks are beyond its purview. It’s designed by thieves and con-men to get the job done. So little in the way of ‘tweaking’ magic spells, that sort of thing.

Style prerequisites: IQ 12+, DX 11+, Magery

Required Skills: Stealth, Fast Talk, Streetwise, Traps, Observation

Required spells: Apportation, Simple Illusion, Sound, Foolishness, Scryguard, Detect Magic

Level 1: Casing the joint (senses and the like)

1. [19] Spells: Keen Senses (0), Measurement (0), Sense Observation (1), Earth Vision (2), Alertness (2), Pathfinder (2) Seeker (2), Wizard Eye (2), Glass Wall (3), Far-Hearing (4), History (4), See Secrets (4), Images of the Past (6), Memorize (6), Projection (6), Wizard Ear (6), Mapmaker (9), Trace (3), Mystic Mark (5)
2. Skill: Intel Analysis
3. Perk: Periscope, Eye For Distance, Mundane Magic (Apportation for Pickpocket), Staff Bond, Spell Based on PER

Learning 9 Level 1 spells lets you move to level 2

Level 2: Getting in and out (movement and sneaking)

1. [22] Spells: Climbing (0), Night Vision (1), Levitation (1), Magelock (1), Wallwalker (1), Locksmith (1), Lockmaster (1), Hush (2), Dark Vision (2), Hide (2), Manipulate (2), Clean (2), Flight (2), Watchdog (2), Mage-Stealth (3), Mage Light (3), Blackout (3), Ethereal Body (4), Balance (4), Continual Mage Light (5), Invisibility (6), Create Door (10),
2. Skill: More Stealth
3. Perk: Climbing Line, Spell Based on DX

Learning 11 spells from level 2 lets you move to level 3

Level 3: Look Over There! (misdirection)

1. [14] Spells: Illusion Disguise (1), Illusion Shell (1), Independence (1), Complex Illusion (2), Perfect Illusion (3), Phantom (7), Alter Voice (8), Insignificance (8), Create Object (8), Create Servant (9), Initiative (9), Alter Visage (9), Alter Body (10), Duplicate (15)
2. Skill: Artist (Illusion)
3. Perk: Intuitive Illusionist,
4. Achieving level 3 also allows you to acquire levels of Night-Aspected Magery [6]

Learning 6 from level 3 lets you move to level 4

Level 4: Mind-games (befuddlement, con)

1. [19] Spells: Sense Foes (0), Aura (1), Daze (1), Forgetfulness (1), Sense Emotion (1), Flash (2), Hide Emotions (2), Sleep (2), Persuasion (2), Truthsayer (2), Emotion Control (3), Hide Thoughts (3), Converse (4), Avoid (4), Suggestion (5), False Memory (7), Charm (8), Mind Reading (3), Mind Search (4)
2. Skill: Detect Lies
3. Perk: Honest Face, Forgettable Face, Convincing Nod, Secret mage, Spell Based on Will, Spell Resistant (Truthsayer)

Learning 9 from level 4 lets you move to level 5

Level 5: Set a mage (meta, protection, dealing with magical protections)

1. [9] Spells: Scryfool (3), Remove Aura (14), False Aura (3), Counterspell (0), Mage Sense (1), Mage Sight (1), Identify Spell (1), Dispel Magic (13), Catch Spell (4), Displace Spell (10), Ward (0), Great Ward (1), Delay (18), Link (19), Maintain Spell (20), Hang Spell (19)
2. Skill: Thaumatology
3. Perk: Reduced Footprint, Secret mage

Secret Spell: Find Weakness - for the con artist, nothing is so valuable as knowing what makes the mark tick. This spell determines the general area of a mark’s weakness (Greed, Lust, Pride, etc.) A critical success gives more details. Available after mastering Mind Games

Secret Spell: Getaway - Like Rapid Journey, except you don’t teleport to your destination. You cast the spell, which creates an ‘anchor’ in a secure location. Then you penetrate the defenses of wherever it is you’re breaking into. If at any point you need to bug out, you make a spell roll and are immediately snapped back to your anchor. Available after mastering Getting In and Out

Secret Spell: Mirror Image - Creates a number of duplicate illusions of the subject, all of whom appear to attack whichever foe he targets. Retaliations are randomly targeted, so an attack may be directed at one of the illusions or the subject. The number of duplicates is based on the MoS of the spell roll. A successful casting creates one duplicate. For every point the spell roll was made by, an additional duplicate is created, up to 5. Available after mastering Look Over There!

Secret Spell: Locknar’s Edge - Like the Bless spell, Locknar’s Edge gives you the equivalent of a +1 Bless, with one major proviso. Unlike Bless, Locknar’s Edge only works at night, and dissipates at dawn. Hence, the cost to cast is only 6. Available after mastering lSet a Mage.

Secret Spell: Floorplan. Prereqs: Mapmaker, Measurement. Magically generates a floorplan of a building. If the caster has See Secrets (at some level?), then secret rooms/doors are shown as well. Cost is 4 per room, duration is 10 minutes. Long distance modifiers apply. If the spell is recast on an incomplete floorplan created by this spell, the caster can ‘pick up where he left off’ and continue the floorplan. Available after mastering Casing the Joint.

=The Unbinding =

Cost: 11 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 12+, Magery, (not One College Only).

There are many reasons why a mage may seek to specialize in the art of transformation and the teachings known as “The Unbinding” do not endorse any particular motivation or philosophy. If anything, the school revels in diversity of thought, just as the student is expected to revel in diversity of shapes. A mage may train in this style because they seek wisdom through viewing the world from different perspectives, or to lose their sense of self by coming to recognize what an arbitrary thing the sense of self is, or they might even be driven by the sheer fun of being able to turn into lots of different things. Some transformationists become subject to mood swings and personality shifts, or grow so open to new ideas that they become impulsive. Others grow alienated from humanity, seeing themselves as no more innately human than innately anything else.

Required Skills: Body Control, Breath Control, Meditation, Physiology, Thaumatology.

Required Spells: Climbing, Detect Magic, Haste, Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, Keen Vision.

Perks: Brute Force Spell (Any Shapeshifting), Fast Casting (Any Shapeshifting), Elixir Resistance, Flexible Ritual (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Controlled Disadvantage, any physical), Mana Compensation, No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Secret Spell (Form of the Formeless, Turning the Bone Wheel, Unbinding the Shackles of Flesh).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved ST, DX, IQ and HT.

Advantages: Any physical, with GM permission.

Disadvantages: Absent-Mindedness, Delusions, Impulsiveness, Lunacy, Reputation (Strange and Unpredictable).

Skills: Acrobatics, Judo, Symbol Drawing, Teaching.

The student begins their studies at the level of Apprentice, requiring them to learn the following 6 spells.

Apprentice

Climbing, Detect Magic, Haste, Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, Keen Vision.

A mage who learns all 6 spells becomes a Shaper, enabling them to learn the following sseventeen spells.

Shaper

Cadence, Clean, Colors, Copy, Dye, Great Haste, Haircut, Hair Growth, Identify Spell, Might, Knot, Recover Energy, Restore, Shape Earth, Shape Fire, Soilproof, Stop Spasm.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Transformationist, entitling them to learn the following twenty spells.

Transformationist

Alertness, Ambidexterity, Beast Speech, Balance, Body of Air, Body of Metal, Earth to Stone, Flesh to Stone, Grace, Hold Breath, Shape Air, Shape Metal, Shapeshift, Shape Water, Shape Plant , Spider Silk, Stone to Earth, Stop Bleeding, Vigor, Water to Wine.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Mutemancer, entitling them to learn the following twenty-five spells.

Mutemancer

Alter Body, Alter Visage, Alter Voice, Body of Water, Body of Ice, Body of Lightning, Body of Stone, Body of Wood, Contract Object, Earth to Air, Earth to Water, Enlarge, Find Weakness, Lengthen Limb, Permanent Shapeshifting, Reflexes, Rejoin, Reshape, Shapeshift Others, Shatter, Shrink, Shrink Object, Stone to Flesh, Transform Object, Weaken.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Transmutationist, entitling them to learn the following twenty-two spells.

Transmutationist

Body of Flames, Body of Slime, Body of Wind, Enchant, Enlarge Other, Extend Object, Fasten, Flesh to Ice, Gauntness, Great Shapeshift, Partial Shapeshifting, Repair, Rune, Sharpen, Shatterproof, Shrink Other, Stiffen, Toughen, Transform Body, Transform Other, Weapon Self.

A mage learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Transubstantiationist, entitling them to learn the following 10 spells.

Transubstantiationist

Corpulence, Delay, Enlarge Object, Form of the Formless, Know True Shape, Link, Powerstone, Reflex, Transmogrification, Turning the Bone Wheel, Unbinding the Shackles of Flesh.

Secret Spell: Form of Formlessness (VH) Regular

While the caster is the subject of this spell, any spell they cast to transform their own body (including the various Body of X spells) will cost 2 fewer Fatigue. If Form of Formlessness is known at 15+, 3 fewer Fatigue, if 20+, 4 fewer Fatigue. This cannot reduce the casting cost below 3.

Duration: 8 hours

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 10 minutes

Secret Spell: Unbinding the Shackles of Flesh (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

The caster removes their soul from their own body and places it in another body or a vessel that they are touching. Vessels already containing souls (or spirits, minds or awarenesses) will resist with Will. If they lose, they inhabit the caster’s discarded body. If the caster inhabits an inanimate object, they observe the world around them, but can take no action that requires bodily movement, including speaking. The GM is likely to require the player to devote earned experience to paying for any difference in character point value between the two forms.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 1 per 25 lbs weight of the new vessel.

Time to Cast: 1 hour.

Secret Spell: Turning of the Bone Wheel (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

By ritually slaughtering a human or animal in the presence of a pregnant human or animal, the caster can transfer the soul of the killed into a fetus. From the time of birth, the subject will retain all of their old IQ and memories. If a PC is reincarnated in this way, the GM is likely to require the player to devote earned experience to pay for any difference in character points between the value of different forms.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 1 for each point of the subject’s Will.

Time to Cast: 3 hours.

=Way of the Drake =

Cost: 11 points

Style Prerequisite: DX 12+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Way of the Drake is the unsubtle art of blasting people on the field of battle. Evolved from a variety of military styles used by specialists in magical artillery, its function is to kill as many soldiers as possible at a distance. Military training is an integral part of the style and it is only taught in well-organized armies and at the House of the Drake, a mercenary training academy established by the style’s founder. For a fee, the House of the Drake will prepare the student for a career as a military artillery specialist and graduates of the school are in great demand. Of course, not everyone who goes to the trouble of learning the style wants to be in the army for the rest of their life. There are many reasons why someone might seek the power to kill, and Drake graduates can be found among adventurers, bandits, troubleshooters and organized criminals. In theory, the Way of the Drake has at its heart a strict code of conduct, emphasizing professional loyalty, courage, and obedience to orders. Some graduates take the code seriously while others treat it as a joke.

Required Skills: Body Control, Forward Observer, Innate Attack (Projectile), Judo, Riding (Horse), Soldier, Tactics.

Required Spells: Climbing, Ignite Fire, Shield.

Perks: Adjustable Spell (Spell Variation, Any attack spell), Area Spell Mastery (Rain of Fire), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intuitive Cantrip (Kindle), Intuitive Cantrip (Screen), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Mighty Spell (Any missile), Missile Spell Mastery, Power Casting (Any), Psychic Guidance (Any), Reduced Footprint 1, Secret Spell (The Eyes of Fire, Firestorm, Heavy Flame Burst), Secret Words, Special Exercises (FP my exceed HT by 100%).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved DX and IQ.

Advantages: Absolute Timing, Combat Reflexes, High Pain Threshold, Military Rank, Reputation (Tough Professional).

Disadvantages: Bad Temper, Code of Honor (Military), Pyromania, Reputation (Slaughterer of Humans), any Physical Disadvantage that can be explained by injury (e.g. One Hand, One Eye) or Mental Disadvantage that can be explained by trauma (e.g. Phobias, Flashbacks and Nightmares).

Skills: First Aid, Heraldry, Innate Attack (Jet), Symbol Drawing.

Apprentices are admitted at the level of Serpent, at which they are trained in basic military skills and basic defensive magic. An apprentice has access to the following ten spells.

Serpent

Apportation, Block, Climbing, Counterspell, Fear, Ignite Fire, Levitation, Shield, Suspend Spell, Ward.

The apprentice must learn 5 spells of Serpent level including Climbing, Ignite Fire and Shield before learning Salamander spells. Becoming a Salamander gives them access to the following twenty-four spells.

Salamander

Armor, Blade Turning, Create Fire, Deflect Missile, Extinguish Fire, Flight, Great Ward, Hardiness, Hinder, Magelock, Minor Healing, Missile Shield, Mystic Mist, Rain of Fire, Recover Energy, Reflect, Sense Observation, Shade, Share Energy, Shape Fire, Spasm, Terror, Turn Blade, Umbrella.

A Salamander is promoted to Basilisk after learning 8 Salamander spells, including Rain of Fire. This entitles them to learn any of the following twenty spells

Basilisk

Clumsiness, Fast Fire, Fireball, Fireproof, Flame Jet, Hawk Flight, Heat, Hold Breath, Major Healing, Reflect Gaze, Resist Disease, Resist Fire, Resist Pain, Resist Poison, Resist Water, Reverse Missiles, Rooted Feet, Slow Fire, Smoke, Stop Bleeding.

A Basilisk is promoted to Wyvern after learning 8 Basilisk spells, including Fireball. This entitles them to learn any of the following twelve spells.

Wyvern

Balance, Breathe Fire, Explosive Fireball, Fire Cloud, Flaming Armor, Great Healing, Iron Arm, Magic Resistance, Reflexes, Resist Lightning, Resist Sound, Warmth.

A Wyvern is promoted to Drake after learning 6 Wyvern spells, including Explosive Fireball. This entitles them to learn any of the following twelve spells.

Drake

Delay, Displace Spell, Dispel Magic, Enchant, Powerstone, Remove Curse, Resist Acid, Spellguard, Spell Shield, Spell Wall, Staff, Suspend Curse.

A Drake is promoted to Azure Wurm after learning 6 Drake spells, including Spell Shield. This entitles them to learn any of the following 8 spells.

Azure Wyrm

The Eyes of Fire, Firestorm, Hang Spell, Heavy Flame Burst, Link, Maintain Spell, Penetrating Spell, Reflex.

Secret Spell: The Eyes of Fire (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

Azure Wyrms can set people on fire just by looking at them, causing them to take 1d-1 fire damage per second until the flames are extinguished. No words or gestures are required, but the subject must be within (spell skill x 10) yards and the mage must be able to see them.

Duration: Instant.

Cost: 1.

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Firestorm (VH) Area

A flaming wind howls around the enemies’ position, causing 1d fire damage per second. A medium or large shield can be sheltered behind to provide 1 and 2 DR respectively, provided that it is not used for any other purpose.

Duration: 2 minutes.

Base Cost: 1 to cast (minimum 3). Same cost to maintain. For double based cost, it does 2d per second and shields are useless.

Time to Cast: 1 minute, 20 seconds.

Secret Spell: Heavy Flame Burst (VH) Missile

This feared spell produces a massive fireball. The Heavy Flame Burst is ½D 30, Max 60, Acc 1. It can be thrown at walls, floors and other easy targets at +4 to hit, in order to catch foes in the blast. The target and anyone within one yard of the target takes full damage. Those further away divide their damage by two times their distance in yards, rounding down.

Cost: 2 + any amount up to twice Magery level per second. Heavy Fire Burst does 1d+1 burning damage per full two points of energy.

Time to Cast: 1 to level of Magery seconds.

=Way of the Wolf =

Cost: 14 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 12+, Animal Empathy, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Way of the Wolf is the art of the hunter and it originated not in the library but the forest. None recall how the style originated as its students care little for history – they may have been roaming the woods for centuries or even millennia. While it is certainly a practical art for those who wish to keep their families fed, those who master it have generally moved on from such mundane concerns and seek to better understand their environment, or to protect it, or to exploit their skills for money. Mages of the Way of the Wolf school are often solitary creatures and may sometimes forget how to interact with other human beings. Out in the wilderness, they are free to grow as eccentric as they like and some of them are odd indeed.

Required Skills: Bow, Camouflage, Climbing, First Aid, Naturalist, Stealth, Survival (Forest), Tracking, Weather Sense.

Required Spells: Find Direction, Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, Keen Vision.

Perks: Intuitive Cantrip (Friendly Undergrowth), Intuitive Cantrip (Gut of the Dragon), Limited Energy Reserve 1-5, Magical Weapon Bond, Mana Compensation, Melee Spell Mastery (Any), Mighty Spell (Any melee), No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Secret Spell (Eye of the Predator, Hunter’s Tread or Survivor’s Purge).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved ST, DX, IQ and HT.

Advantages: Absolute Direction, Acute Senses (Any), Allies (hunting beasts), Combat Reflexes, Hard to Kill, Night Vision,

Disadvantages: Loner, any Physical Disadvantage that could indicate injury from a hunt gone bad (e.g. One Eye, One Hand).

Skills: Area Knowledge (Wilderness), Herb Lore, Traps, Veterinary.

Students begin their studies at the level of Walker in the Woods, entitling them to learn the following seventeen spells.

Walker in the Woods

Beast-Soother, Climbing, Detect Magic, Find Direction, Haste, Ignite Fire, Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, Keen Vision, Seek Air, Seek Earth, Seek Fire, Seek Food, Seek Water, Sense Danger, Tell Time, Test Food.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above, including Find Direction, Keen Hearing, Keen Taste and Smell, and Keen Vision, they become a Hunter or Huntress, entitling them to learn the following twenty spells.

Hunter / Huntress

Detect Poison, Great Haste, Hawk Vision, Hinder, Identify Plant, Identify Spell, Jump, Lighten Burden, Mage Sight, Mage Stealth, Might, Neutralize Poison, No-Smell, Purify Water, Quick March, Recover Energy, Seek Magic, Sense Observation, Silence, Tell Position.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above, they study the Tread of the Wolf, a discipline consisting of the following twenty-one spells.

Tread of the Wolf

Alertness, Analyze Magic, Beast Seeker, Boost Health, Boost Strength, Grace, Hide, Hide Path, Hold Breath, Hush, Know Location, Light Tread, Pathfinder, Plant Vision, Pollen Cloud, Prepare Game, Purify Food, Resist Poison, Seeker, Rooted Feet, Vigor.

When a mage has learned 8 of the above spells, they become a Shadow of the Forest, which entitles them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Shadow of the Forest

Balance, Boost Dexterity, Conceal, Delay, Eye of the Predator, False Tracks, Far Hearing, Forest Warning, Hang Spell, Hunter’s Tread, Invisibility, Link, Predict Weather, Reflex, Remember Path, Survivor’s Purge, Tangle Growth, Walk Through Plants.

Eye of the Predator (VH) Regular

The caster is at +2 to any bow shot fired at any living target who doesn’t know the caster is there. If the mage’s Eye of the Predator skill is at 15+, they are at +3, if at 20+, +4.

Duration: Until one arrow is fired, or the sun rises or sets.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 3 seconds.

Hunter’s Tread (VH) Regular

The mage is at -2 to detect in any way – whether by direct perception, tracking, or by magical means. This does not count as a spell “on”.

Duration: Until the sun rises or sets.

Cost: 6

Time to Cast: 1 hour.

Survivor’s Purge (VH) Regular, Resisted by HT

The caster must touch the subject’s bare skin with their bare fingertips for the entire time the spell is being cast. Resistance by HT is automatic. If the subject is not successful, they are very violently ill, taking 1 point of damage and being unable to do anything but vomit for HT/2 rounded down seconds, as sweat streams from their pores. Their system will be purged of all normal poisons, toxins or drugs. It will not cure an addiction, nor a hangover.

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 2 seconds.

=Weave of Balance =

Cost: 8 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Judges of Uhll, masters of the Weave of Balance style, claim to have once ruled the lost city of the same name. They say their rule was one of justice, peace and happiness. The Judges of Uhll dispense with the idea of codified laws on the grounds that every rule has an exception. Instead, they believe that it is better to consult a wise and just person to weigh the case and come to a considered decision. The Judges of Uhll generally consider themselves to be wise and just people, exactly suited to the task. Of course, Uhll no longer exists and the Judges have no official status anymore. This suits the philosophy of the order very well. Since they dismiss the idea of law in the first place, they have no qualms about illegally standing in judgment over anyone they can. Of course, such vigilante activity is dangerous, and some judges find that they prefer to just accumulate wealth and power. The Judges of Uhll rarely announce themselves as such. They usually have secondary trades, with the legal profession and organized crime being particularly lucrative.

Required Skills: None.

Required Spells: Apportation, Debility, Dull Sense, Fear, Foolishness, Itch, Levitation.

Perks: Elixir Resistance, Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intimidating Curses, Knower of Names, Mana Compensation, Sanctum 1-2, Scroll Reading, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Executioner’s Strike, Judgement of Uhll, Sinner’s Confession), Willful Casting.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Reputation (Vigilante Hero)

Disadvantages: Code of Honor, Enemies (Friends and Family of the Judged), Reputation (Murderous Vigilante).

Skills: Hiking, Riding (Horse), Streetwise, Symbol Drawing.

Apprentices begin to study the Weave of Balance at the level of Aspirant, requiring them to learn the following 7 spells.

Aspirant

Apportation, Debility, Dull Sense, Fear, Foolishness, Itch, Levitation.

After an Aspirant has learned these 7, they are promoted to the level of Advocate, entitling them to learn the following eighteen spells.

Advocate

Climbing, Daze, Disorient, Flight, Forgetfulness, Frailty, Hinder, Madness, Mage Stealth, No-Smell, Panic, Quick March, Recover Energy, Silence, Sleep, Spasm, Terror, Weaken Will.

A mage who has learned 8 Advocate spells in promoted to the level of Inquisitor, entitling them learn the following twenty spells.

Inquisitor

Clumsiness, Dullness, Hawk Flight, Fumble, Gloom, Hide Path, Hunger, Hush, Mass Daze, Mass Sleep, Mental Stun, Mindlessness, Pain, Permanent Forgetfulness, Permanent Madness, Rooted Feet, Strike Dumb, Stun, Tanglefoot.

A mage who has learned 8 Inquisitor spells is promoted to the level of Magistrate, entitling them to learn the following twenty-three spells.

Magistrate

Agonize, Choke, Control Limb, Deathtouch, Drunkenness, False Memory, Invisibility, Nauseate, Nightmare, Paralyze Limb, Peaceful Sleep, Retch, Roundabout, Sensitize, Sickness, Strike Blind, Strike Deaf, Strike Barren, Strike Numb, Thirst, Total Paralysis, Weaken Blood, Wither Limb.

A mage who has learned 8 Magistrate spells is promoted to the level of Watchman, entitling them to learn the following 9 spells.

Watchman

Corpulence, Curse, Delay, Executioner’s Strike, Gauntness, Judgment of Uhll, Link, Sinner’s Confession, Staff.

Secret Spell: Executioner’s Strike (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will and HT

The Watchman points a finger and accuses their target of guilt, with no other incantations or gestures being required. The target must first resist with their Will, with failure requiring a second resistance roll against HT. If the target succeeds in the HT roll, they suffer a second of pain, sufficient for a -2 Shock Penalty. If the target fails, they suffer a heart attack as described in GURPS Campaigns p.429. The target does not have to be guilty for the spell to work, but the GM may wish to have targets with a guilty conscience resist at a penalty.

Duration: Instant

Cost: 4

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Judgment of Uhll (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

Cast on a freshly decapitated head, the Judgment of Uhll prevents the head from dying. A head so preserved will continue to live unless destroyed by violence, having no more need for air, food, water, or blood. The heads cannot speak as they have no lungs, but they can move their eyes and lips. The head does retain use of mental skills and can cast any spells for which it needs neither incantations nor gestures. The heads are not undead and will not decay. The judges are known to use this as a punishment to intimidate people with.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 2

Time to Cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: Sinner’s Confession (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

When a Judge of Uhll casts Sinner’s Confession on someone, the Judge names something that the target must confess to, and the subject will thereafter confess to having done it whenever asked. The spell works just as well on the innocent as on the guilty. The target may know perfectly well that they didn’t do what they are confessing to have done but they simply cannot deny their guilt.

Duration: Permanent.

Cost: 6

Time to Cast: 30 seconds.

=The Wise Way =

Cost: 8 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Wise Way is said to have been taught to a family of peasants by fae folk, in thanks for their help in returning a stolen fae child. Whether this is true or not, it is certainly a peculiar art, one most often mastered by eccentric people. To outsiders, practitioners can seem sloppy in their studies, or even whimsical in their attitude towards magic. However, mastering the Wise Way takes a great degree of work and practitioners are very knowledgable. Graduates seeking to earn a living as a mage may decide to be secretive about their background, presenting themselves to the world as simple healers. In some worlds, such secrecy may be mandatory, depending on the public view of those said to traffic with the fae.

Required Skills: Dancing, Dreaming, Esoteric Medicine, Herb Lore, Hidden Lore (The Fae), Musical Instrument (any), Naturalist, Thaumatology, Weather Sense.

Required Spells: Beast Rouser, Beast-Soother, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Foolishness, Scryguard, Simple Illusion, Sound.

Perks: Afflicted Casting (Mystic’s Stupor), Better Magic items (Illusion), Blocking Spell Mastery (Any), Elixir Resistance, Far Casting (Any), Flexible Ritual (Any), Frightening Side Effects (Any), Huge Subjects, Intuitive Cantrip (Eye of the Storm), Intuitive Cantrip (Friendly Undergrowth), Intuitive Cantrip (Good with Animal, Any type), Knower of Names, Mana Compensation, No Gestures (Any), No Incantations (Any), Obscure True Name, Reduced Footprint 2, Sanctum 1-2, Scroll Reading, Secret Mage, Secret Spell (Eyes of Morning Dew, The Fair Speech or Paths of the Red-Eared Fox).

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Acute Senses (Any), Allies (Fae), Luck, Night Vision, Oracle, Outdoorsman, Patron (Fae), Voice.

Disadvantages: Alcoholism, Curious, Delusions, Enemies (Fae), Impulsiveness, Lecherousness, Overconfidence, Phobias, Reputation (Weird and Dangerous).

Skills: Area Knowledge (Rural), Artist, Occultism, Streetwise, Symbol Drawing, Tracking.

The student begins their study at the level of Apprentice, requiring them to learn the following 8 spells.

Apprentice

Beast Rouser, Beast-Soother, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Foolishness, Scryguard, Simple Illusion, Sound.

An apprentice who has learned the 8 apprentice spells may study the twenty-two spells of the Book of Autumn.

Book of Autumn

Amulet, Apportation, Conceal, Magic, Forgetfulness, Hinder, Identify Plant, Ignite Fire, Illusion Disguise, Illusion Shell, Madness, Mage Sense, Mage Sight, Phantom Flame, Recover Energy, Seek Plant, Sense Emotion, Sense Mana, Sleep, Talisman, Recover Energy, Voices.

A mage who has learned 8 Book of Autumn spells may study the twenty-three spells of the Book of the Morning Star.

Book of the Morning Star

Beast Speech, Bless Plants, Complex Illusion, Create Water, Dream Sending, Dream Viewing, False Aura, Fascinate, Hide, Hide Emotion, Hide Thoughts, Hide Path, History, Mass Sleep, Perfect Illusion, Permanent Forgetfulness, Permanent Madness, Scryfool, See Invisible, Seeker, Shapeshifting, Suggestion, Truthsayer.

A mage who has learned 8 Book of the Morning Star spells may study twenty-one spells of the Book of Spring.

Book of Spring

Ancient History, Blight, Create Food, Dream Projection, Dry Spring, Ecstasy, Enthrall, Glib Tongue, Hallucination, Lesser Geas, Lesser Wish, Lure, Mass Suggestion, Nightmare, Oath, Peaceful Sleep, Permanent Shapeshifting, Pestilence, Phantom, Shapeshift Others, Water to Wine.

A mage who has learned 8 Book of Spring spells may study the fourteen spells of the Book of the Evening Star.

Book of the Evening Star

Charge Powerstone, Charm, Create Object, Delay, Duplicate, Enchant, Great Geas, Great Hallucination, Great Shapeshift, Powerstone, Remove Aura, Remove Curse, Staff, Wish.

A mage who has learned 7 Book of the Evening Star may study the 8 spells of the Book of Summer.

Book of Summer

Curse, Eyes of Morning Dew, The Fair Speech, Great Wish, Hang Spell, Link, Paths of the Red-Eared Fox, Reflex.

Secret Spell: Eyes of Morning Dew (VH) Regular

By sprinkling their eyes with morning dew, a mage who has studied the Book of Summer can see invisible entities, such as fae, ghosts and spirits of nature. The morning dew need not be fresh. This does not count as a spell “on”.

Duration: 1d minutes.

Cost: 0

Time to cast: 1 second.

Secret Spell: The Fair Speech (VH) Area, Resisted by IQ

Anyone within the area who can hear and understand the mage and who fails to resist with IQ responds to the caster’s use of Fast-Talk or Public Speaking as if the caster’s skill was two levels higher. The caster must tell at least one lie, but it need not be a major one.

Base Cost: 2 to cast, 1 to maintain.

Time to Cast: 2 minutes.

Secret Spell: Paths of the Red-Eared Fox (VH) Regular

By following forest animals who have a touch of the fae about them (requiring a successful roll against Tracking or an appropriate magical substitute), the mage can find their way to the world of the fae, whatever that might mean in the campaign. The point of crossover from one world to another is never clear, as the forests of this world and the world of the fae are continuous. A number of people equal to (spell skill / 2) rounded down may follow the mage through for up to half an hour, provided that they can see the mage or otherwise track their movements (such as by the Tracking skill or following the only road). The caster does not get to choose who may follow, or whether anyone may follow at all. On the other hand, anyone with Magery who rolls Per + Magery will notice the crossing between worlds in time to turn back. The spell will only function in a forest that contain animals which, in the GMs judgment, could have had some association with the fae.

Cost: 4

Time to cast: 1d hours.

=Words of the Child of Rowan =

Cost: 19 points

Style Prerequisite: IQ 13+, Magery, (not One College Only).

The Children of Rowan are rural mages, falling under the heading of what are dismissively known as “hedge magicians”. While the power of such magics is often underestimated due to the number of dabblers in rural areas and anyone who expects a fully trained practitioner of the Words to be a bumpkin or a pushover is in for a rude shock. Words of the Child of Rowan requires years of hard study, practice and observation of the natural world and the mage who masters it is in a position to be a great benefit to their community, or a terrible curse, or to just leave home altogether for a life of adventure and use their formidable powers to grow rich. While many mages have strong codes of honor regarding the treatment of humans or nature, the school does not embrace any particular moral philosophy and practitioners with a callous or sadistic may be greatly feared for the curses they can inflict.

Required Skills: Animal Handling, Diagnosis, Esoteric Medicine, Exorcism, Farming, First Aid, Herb Lore, Hidden Lore (Folk Magic), Hidden Lore (Spirits), History (Folk Oral), Literature (Folk Oral), Naturalist, Physician, Survival (Forest), Veterinary, Weather Sense.

Required Spells: Beast Rouser, Beast Soother.

Perks: Afflicted Casting (Mystic Stupor), Elixir Resistance, Frightening Side Effects (Any), Intimidating Curses, Intuitive Cantrip (Aid), Intuitive Cantrip (Corpse Smart), Intuitive Cantrip (Eye of the Storm), Intuitive Cantrip (Friendly Undergrowth), Intuitive Cantrip (Good with Animal, any mundane), Intuitive Cantrip (Intuitive Illusionist), Knower of Names, Obscure True Name, Secret Spell (Laying the Ghosts of Winter, The Old and Venerable Rites of Spring, Raising Up the Spirits, or Whisper to the Angry Grave), Shaman’s Trance.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.

Advantages: Absolute Direction, Autotrance, Channeling, Luck, Medium, Night Vision, Oracle, Outdoorsman, Reputation (Wise Healer).

Disadvantages: Alcoholism, Appearance, Enemies (Other Hedge Mages), Enemies (Spirits), Gluttony, Lecherousness, Reputation (Witch).

Skills: Area Knowledge (Rural), Area Knowledge (Wilderness), Cooking, Symbol Drawing, any craft skill.

The student begins their studies at the level of Childe, entitling them to learn the following 7 spells.

Childe

Beast Rouser, Beast-Soother, Counterspell, Detect Magic, Final Rest, Foolishness, Simple Illusion.

A mage who learns 4 of the above spells including Beast Rouser and Beast Soother becomes a Brother or Sister, entitling them to learn the following fifteen spells.

Brother or Sister

Bless Plants, Blight, Detect Poison, Forgetfulness, Identify Plant, Minor Healing, Neutralize Poison, Night Vision, Recover Energy, Relieve Sickness, Sense Emotion, Sickness, Sleep, Stop Bleeding, Stop Paryalysis.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Father or Mother, entitling them to learn the following seventeen spells.

Father or Mother

Command, Major Healing, Mass Sleep, Persuasion, Relieve Paralysis, Relieve Sickness, Resist Disease, Restore Hearing, Restore Memory, Restore Sight, Restore Speech, Remove Contagion, Resist Poison, Strike Dumb, Truthsayer, Turn Spirit, Vexation.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes an Honored Father or Mother, entitling them to learn the following twenty-five spells.

Honored Father or Mother

Clouds, Cure Disease, Divination (Augery), False Memory, Fog, Great Healing, Forest Warning, Healing Slumber, Lesser Geas, Paralyze Limb, Pestilence, Predict Weather, Rain, Shapeshifting, Slow Healing, Stop Healing, Strike Barren, Strike Blind, Strike Deaf, Strike Numb, Total Paralysis, Turn Zombie, Weaken Blood, Wither Limb, Wither Plant.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Grandfather or Grandmother, entitling them to learn the following 7 spells.

Grandfather or Grandmother

Dispel Magic, Gauntness, Great Geas, Relieve Madness, Remove Curse, Storm, Suspend Curse.

A mage who learns 8 of the above spells becomes a Elder, entitling them to learn the following 7 spells.

Elder

Bless, Corpulence, Curse, Laying the Ghost of Winter, The Old and Venerable Rites of Spring, Raising Up the Spirits, Whisper to the Angry Grave.

Secret Spell: Laying the Ghost of Winter (VH) Area

If cast in the last half of winter, this functions as Bless Plants (GURPS Magic, p. 161), except where otherwise noted. At any time of year, the spell tends to annoy ghosts if the area of effect includes their burial grounds. Clever mages have been known to find ways to exploit this annoyance effect.

Base Cost: 0.5 of a FP.

Time to Cast: 2 Hours

Secret Spell: The Old and Venerable Rites of Spring (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

If the caster can transfer an item at least the size of a pin or a human hair from one individual to another, the receiver will fall in love with the original owner and remain in love for as long as they have the item in their possession. The victim must already know the person they are to fall in love with and reaction modifiers for beauty or ugliness should be applied to the spell skill. This spell does not generally cause people to change their sexual orientations and PCs should never be required to do so. For the purposes of this spell, the victim is only in possession of the item if they have a close association with it, such as by wearing it or keeping it at work or at home (or, for the rich, that area of work or home that you spend your time in). At the GMs discretion, class-conscious victims may add Status and / or Wealth to their resistance roll, depending on how snobby they are and about what. The GM may apply similar bonuses when the love crosses other social or personal boundaries. The victim does not necessarily fall out of love when the spell ends, but the relationship gets no more magical support.

Duration: Permanent

Cost: 1

Time to Cast: 3 seconds to cast the spell on the item to be transferred. The item must then come into the victim’s possession before the next moonrise.

Secret Spell: Raising Up the Spirits (VH) Regular, Resisted by Will

The subject is occasionally exposed to minor but frightening supernatural effects at night. The GM should be creative in coming up with fresh oddness. Objects may move without being touched, strange noises might emerge from the attic, animals may behave in an unusual way, or people may have strange dreams or weird hallucinations. Victims with feelings of guilt relating to the dead or to demons will suffer hallucinations formed by these feelings, tailor made for them. Victims with latent psychic powers who are suffering from guilt or self-disgust will have these latent powers turn against them, producing additional frightening effects. The spell will not take effect until the victim has received a warning from the caster, though the warning can be anonymous and as obscure as the caster likes.

Duration: Until the caster terminates it.

Cost: 8

Time to Cast: 8 hours

Secret Spell: Whisper to the Angry Grave (VH) Regular

The caster causes a dead body to rise from the grave and seek revenge in a manner of its own choosing. Dead people who don’t want revenge for anything will not rise and the caster has no control over what the subject wants revenge for. The caster may tell truths at the gravesite in order to convince the subject that it should want revenge. For example, an otherwise peaceful corpse might grow angry to learn that its only child has been murdered. The caster must be touching the corpse, the coffin, or the grave for the spell to function. The subject will have all of the abilities it had before it died as well as +5 ST, +5 HT, +10 FP (may not be used to power spells), Night Vision 9, Very Fit, no need to breathe, eat, drink or sleep, and an immunity to bleeding, stun and shock. The risen will be single-minded in pursuit of revenge. They can be informed but they cannot be negotiated with and are not likely to listen to anything not directly related to their vengeance. Risen who get their vengeance just want to go back to their graves.

Gamavoo

2014-06-16T05:08:26Z

Wayland: D20 Fantasy is a subcategory of Fantasy genre

[[Category:D20 System]]
[[Category:D20 Fantasy]]

This is a place for the Gamavoo D&D game campagin.

So far we have played one session and the Campain Setting is still being nailed down.

== Characters: ==
[[Ervin]] A Gnomish Palidin ready to set the world right.

[[Orville]] A Half-Orc Barbarian the strong and not so silent type.

[[Emikorth]] A Elven Cleric fresh from the woodland temple.

[[Zyyyverk]] A Dwarven Fighter with the Axe to prove it.

== NPCs: ==
[[Marcelo]] Cousin and scout for the Hyland Family.

== Adventures: ==
[[A Dark and Stormy Night]] In a land where the weather can and does kill our heros take questionable shelter.

Fantasy City Project:Main Page

2014-06-16T05:07:47Z

Wayland: Fixed Fantasy Genre

[[Category:Fantasy genre]]

The ''Fantasy City Project'' is a shared world project to create the ultimate fantasy city, complete with inhabitants, locations and adventure seeds. I invite everyone to add to the city.

At this point I am only begining to build the skeleton of the city. I don't even have a name yet (let's discuss that on the discussion page). I have started a list of guidelines for [[Fantasy City Project:Location Building|Location Building]]. This should be a generic, self contained city and not contain anything specific to a published world.

==About the City==
This is a megopolis with 150,000+ inhanitants. It is an old city, of 3000+ years. It is ruled by a city council consisting of elected members of the upper class and a ruling Concilator who is chosen by the council.

== History ==
*[[Fantasy City Project:Foundation|Foundation]]: Who, when, what, why, where, and how was the city created?
*[[Fantasy City Project:Civil War|Civil War]]: The war that lead to an overthrow of elven supreme power
*[[Fantasy City Project:Creation of the Council|Creation of the Council]]: Why, when, and how the council was created.

==Districts==

The main districts of the city are:
*[[Fantasy City Project:Governmental District|Governmental]]: The city council are located here, along with the meeting houses for the guilds, and the hall of records.
*[[Fantasy City Project:Academic District|Academic]]: The University and library both exists here.
*[[Fantasy City Project:Wharf District|Wharf]]: The docks and shipyards, plus a rough and tumble area of housing, bars, shaops and inns for the dockworkers and visiting crew. Very rough and tumble.
*[[Fantasy City Project:Merchant District|Merchant]]: A large area adjacent to the warfs and near the city gates where traders gathers. There is a large open air market and shops here. Criminals recieve justice in front of this area, including public humiliation and execution.
*[[Fantasy City Project:Common District|Common]]: The lower class district. Crime and gangs are not uncommon here.
*[[Fantasy City Project:Middle District|Middle]]: This is the community of the middle class.
*[[Fantasy City Project:High District|High]]: This is where the wealthy and noble of the city reside.
*[[Fantasy City Project: Justice District|Justice]]: The public court is here, as is the jails and the guard barracks.
*[[Fantasy City Project: Mage District|Mage]]: The guild halls of the mages and their private guild halls, homes and librarys are here.
*[[Fantasy City Project: Sewers District|Sewers]]: The Sewers are below the city and may have exits in any district above.

Outside the the walls is considered the [[Fantasy City Project:Farming District|Farming]] district. Villas and their inhabitants receive protection from the city.

==Maps==

Woot, I will ceratnily put this to good use!

Elements Game System

2014-06-16T05:07:09Z

Wayland: Fixed Fantasy Genre

== Introduction ==
This system is still under construction and, among other things, seriously needs playtesting. If you do playtest this system, please post your thoughts on the discussion page.

=== Goals ===
This system is being designed with the following goals in mind. Regardless of anything else, these goals should take top priority in design decisions.

* This system should be able to handle quick games easilly. Time spent on anything other than telling the story is wasted in a quick game and should be kept to a minimum.
** The time required to make a playable character should be as short as possible. The ideal would be to start with a completely blank character sheet, but anything that can be covered within about 30 minutes or less is acceptable.
** The game mechanincs should, as much as possible, keep from slowing the game down.
*** There should be as few seperate mechanics as possible so that there's less to remember and less to look up.
*** Tables are useful, as long as they can all be fit on one or two pages. Cross-referencing tables takes longer and longer with each reference and should be kept to a minimum.
*** All contested actions should be resolved through a single mechanic. This applies to combat and magic too, at least for the most part.
* This should not (necessarilly) be a universal game system. A more focused system can better satisfy the main goal than a more generic system, at least within its specified genres.

=== Limitations ===
Based on the goals above, there will be some limitations to this system.

* While it can be adapted to other genres, it is focussed on the fantasy genre, although the time period is left undefined.
* The system is also focussed on mainly humanoid PCs and NPCs. Other races can be represented, but they may not be balanced as PCs.
* It doesn't aim to represent anything more accurately than it needs to. Some tradeoffs have been made for speed and playability over accuracy.

== The Elements ==
Much of this game is built around the idea that everything relates to one of a few elements. This system was built using a set of six elements, arranged in a circle: Light, Air, Water, Dark, Earth, Fire. Elements opposite each other on the circle are antagonistic to each other, and elements adjacent to each other on the circle are allied. Six elements is convenient in that each element can be placed on one face of a standard d6, but, if you want, choosing a different set of elements is easy. The mechanic that most heavily relies on the choice of elements is magic.

Any other system of elements needs to specify two things. First, and most obviously, is the set of elements. Second, is how the elements relate to each other. In general, all elements should be symmetrical. That is, if one element has one opposing element and two allied elements, so should all other elements. Also, if one element relates to another in a certain way, the other should relate to the first in the same way. This symmetry isn't always necessary, but it is one way to help ensure that things remain balanced. If you feel that you can balance the game with a non-symmetric set of elements, don't let this paragraph stop you.

Some examples of other sets of elements:
* The four classical elements arranged into two opposing pairs with no other relationships: Earth/Air and Fire/Water.
* A version of the five Chinese elements arranged in a circle: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water. Neighboring elements are allied while the remaining two are opposed.
* The three elements Creation, Equilibrium and Destruction, with no special relationships between the three.

== The Dice ==
The dice mechanic used for this system is based on a d6-d6 roll. When a roll is called for, the player will roll a number of d6s and add the total to their skill, then roll the same number and subtract this from the previous total. (Or, if you have two colors of dice available, you can roll both at once.) Unlike most, if not all, other games, the player chooses how many dice they want to roll (before rolling, of course). This is basically choosing how much risk they're willing to take in their current action. Fewer dice mean the worst they can do is higher, but the best is lower. Under most circumstances, there will be a minimum number of dice they must roll. This represents a minimum amount of risk and uncertainty that the character has no control over. Depending on the group playing, there may also be a maximum number of dice that can be rolled, although this would have more to do with keeping the game moving than with any in-game reasons.

Though the game is designed around the d6-d6 roll, it's easy to adapt to other methods of randomization. There are two important properties any such method should have though. First, and most important, is that any number of rolls (or draws for cards) should have an average of 0. The reason for this is simple; if the average was above 0, players would always roll as many dice as possible, and if it were below 0, they'd roll as few as possible. (If you enforce a small enough maximum number of dice, an average of slightly more than 0 may be acceptable.)

The second property the dice mechanism should have is that the minimum and maximum result of a single roll should be close to one degree of success (5 by default). The minimum and maximum of a d6-d6 is -5 and +5. It's possible to circumvent this by changing the value of a degree of success to match the dice mechanism, but this would also require changing how skill points are assigned.

Some examples of other randomization mechanisms (each is for one roll or draw, and the player can choose how many rolls to make):
* 2d6-7 (This is the same as a d6-d6, but some people may find the math easier this way.)
* 2d8-8, 2d10-11, etc. (The range on these will be significantly different than a d6-d6, so these may require other changes.)
* A single die marked with the six elements. Your element would be +5; your allied elements +1; your opposed element -5; the remaining two would be -1. (This is fairly similar to a d6-d6 and would require no other major changes. It could, though, make the magic system easier. These can be made by either putting stickers on a plain d6, or by buying small wooden cubes and drawing in the symbols.)
* A deck of playing cards, with reds counted as negative. (The face cards may need to be removed, counted as 0 or dealt with specially. Also, the minimum and maximum values are -10 and +10, so skill points and the range of a degree of success should be doubled.)
* A deck of tarot cards. (Again the face cards may need special treatment. The major arcana would definitely need special treatment, but may provide interesting results.)

The choice of a randomization mechanic should be made with consideration for the choice of elements. Something involving d6s is especially appropriate when there are six elements. Playing cards and tarot cards are appropriate when using a system of four elements.

== The Character ==
Making a charater is very simple. Begin with a blank character sheet:
# Briefly describe what the character had been doing with their life up to this point.
# Choose an element appropriate to your character.
# Fill in any appropriate traits, usually totalling 4 positive traits and 1 negative trait. The exact number is up to your GM.
# Distribute some or all of your skill points, usually 15-25, on various professions. Again, the exact total and how many you are allowed to leave undecided is up to your GM.
# Begin play.

NPCs are built in the same way as characters, although often with fewer points, but with access to more varied traits.
The rest of this section describes how to use the sheet you now have to play the game.

=== Skills ===
Almost all dice rolls made in this game will be skill rolls. Skills are divided first into professions, then into individual skills, then into specialties. Professions should be considered a general term. Although they can often be actual professions, they could also be any other convenient label for a set of related skills. The important thing is for the player to think of a reason their character might have training or experience in that category of skills. A good rule-of-thumb would be to spend 1-2 points for each active year of your characters life before now on the profession the character was most active in during that year.

Generally, each profession should consist of at least 4 or 5 skills, and each skill should consist of at least 4 or 5 specialties. Don't worry too much though if you can't think of that many though and remember that, while most professions have one primary skill, there are often many other skills learned doing that job. A good example of this is a chef. At first it might seem like the only skill under chef would be cooking. Here are some example skills and specialties under chef.

{| border="1"
! Skill !! Specialty !! Notes
|-
| Cooking || French Foods || An example specialty
|-
| Cooking || Leftovers || An example of another specialty under cooking
|-
| Organization || Scheduling || For organizing when to begin cooking what so they all finish at once
|-
| Organization || Stocking || For organizing the pantries and refrigerators so that specific items can be found easily
|-
| Appraising || Seafood ||
|-
| Merchant || Auction ||
|-
| Merchant || Haggling ||
|-
| Driving || Volkswagen || Most modern jobs require some form of commute. See the section on difficulty levels to get an idea of how many points you'd have in such a skill.
|}

==== Using Skill Points ====
When creating a character, the player assigns skill points only to their professions. For every point assigned to a profession, they can assign one skill point to any skill within that profession, and for every skill point assigned to a skill, they can assign one point to any specialty within that skill. These assignments can be made at any time, especially right before the player is about to make a roll involving that skill. The character always had these skills, but they are just now making use of them. This is kept balanced by the fact that the player can only do this until they run out of skill points, which cannot be reassigned.

To make a skill roll, the player needs to pick a profession that they might have learned that skill from. The GM should be lenient on this as long as the player has a good (or entertaining) excuse, but no one profession should cover all of a characters skills. Second they need to pick the appropriate skill. This will often be fairly obvious, but if not, make up anything that sounds reasonable. Finally they need to decide on an appropriate specialty. All skill rolls should allow for specialties. If the a specialty isn't entirely obvious, make something up. As long as a skill covers at most 1 of 5 things someone might do within the profession, and the specialty covers roughly 1/5 the uses of that skill, everything's fine. Finally, add the number of skill points spent on the profession, the skill and the specialty. This is your effective skill for this roll. Various things can further modify this number, especially traits (see below). Decide on how many dice you want to roll (the GM will let you know if there is a minimum, but it's usually at least 1), roll them, and add that to your effective skill. This is you skill roll.

==== Difficulties ====
The difficulty is the number a character is attempting to beat with a skill roll. After all modifiers and dice rolls, if the skill roll is greater than, or equal to, the difficulty, the action succeeded.

The base difficulty should be set roughly as follows:
{| border="1"
! Difficulty !! Description !! Example
|-
| -5 || Something no ordinary person is likely to fail || Writing an informal letter to a friend
|-
| 0 || An everyday activity, roughly 50/50 for someone with 0 experience with this || Everyday driving (though a crowded highway might be a bit harder)
|-
| 5 || Something someone with a little experience (a hobbyist for example) could handle 50/50 || Playing a decent game of chess against (in an informal setting)
|-
| 10 || Something difficult without real training, but fairly easy for a professional || ''Example needed''
|-
| 15 || Something 50/50 for a professional || ''Example needed''
|-
| 20 || Something difficult for a professional; best left to an expert || ''Example needed''
|-
| 25 || Tasks that are not guaranteed even for an expert || ''Example needed''
|-
| 30 || Tasks that generally require a true master for a reasonable chance of success || ''Example needed''
|}

Note that if the effective skill plus modifiers is equal to the difficulty plus modifiers, the chances of success are somewhat better than 50/50 unless the player is allowed to roll 0 dice (for a very unstressful situation, for example), in which case success is guaranteed (with only the minimum degree of success though).

The above difficulties assume that the character is attempting the action with the proper tools and without any special limitations or hinderances, but without any special preparation. If one or more of these is untrue, modifiers should be applied to the difficulty. Better tools, careful preparation or a helping hand can reduce the difficulty where as distractions, shoddy equipment or rushing the job can raise it. In general, +/- 1 is a very small change (working with particularly unfamiliar, but still appropriate, tools; working under a tight, but reasonable, deadline), +/- 3 is a moderate change (working with poor or inappropriate tools; working under a somewhat unreasonable deadline), and +/- 5 is a major change (working with improvised tools; working under a very short deadline). Simply total all applicable modifiers and add the final total to the difficulty. Sometimes, in the interest of keeping the game moving, it may be more appropriate to simply guess at a final total. In that case, use these numbers as a guideline. Note that adding to the difficulty is the same as subtracting from the skill, so if the math is easier for you that way, use that instead.

You may notice that with 20 skill points, a character can get an effective skill of up to 60 in one specialty. Such a character would have a 40 in other specialties within that skill and 20 in other skills in that profession, but would have a 0 in skills from any other profession. Generally, no one is that focussed on that narrow of an activity. Still, with 20 points to spend, any character is likely to reach the expert level (around 25-30) in at least one specialty, which is, more or less, the point. For less skillful characters, the GM can enforce some maximum of points for professions during character creation, or simply give fewer points in the beginning. With a total of 15 points in the beginning, the maximum drops to 45 in one specialty. (For reference, if a player with 20 points spends about 2/3's of the available points in one profession, skill and specialty [about 14, 10 and 7 points] they would have a 31 total.)

==== Degrees of Success ====
When making a skill check, it is sometimes important to know more than whether or not an action succeeded. Sometimes it matters how well the action was done. For each 5 points the skill roll reaches above the difficulty, they have achieved another degree of success. Each such degree means the task was done better, faster, cheaper, etc. depending on the what's appropriate for the task. If it's important, the same applies to failures.

For some actions, it may be appropriate to set a low difficulty, but require a higher degree of success for complete success. This would be appropriate for something like a roll to gather information about someone. The base difficulty may be fairly low, in that anyone can attempt it without much chance of a real failure, but only someone either lucky or skilled would gain much useful information.

==== Contested Actions ====
There are two ways in which an action can be contested; either passively or actively. A passive contest is when one of the participants doesn't know the are in a contest, or when they can only react to the other contestant. An example would be sneaking past a guard. The sneak is actively trying to get past the guard, but the guard doesn't know the sneak's there (yet). Passive contests are simple. The active participant simply uses the effective skill of the passive participant as the difficulty of their roll. In the previous example, the sneak would roll his sneaking skill versus a difficulty equal to the guards perception skill. (This is one of the benefits of using a randomization system with a 0 average.)

Active contests are for when both participants are actively participating, or when two people are trying to do the same thing to see who does better. An example would be playing a game. In an active contest, all participants roll against the appropriate skill, and whoever has the highest total wins. If degree of success is important, it is usually based on how far above the lowest roll the other contestants rolled. (Each 5 points above is another degree of success.)

==== Extended Actions ====
Extended actions are an optional way of better modelling task resolution for tasks that would take a long time, giving room to make and then fix errors. In an extended action, the GM needs to decide four things:
* The difficulty each roll will be made against. This is how hard it is to make progress overall.
* The number of successes required to complete the action. This is how long the project is overall.
* How long one roll represents.
* The consequences of failing a roll.

When rolling, each degree of success above the first may count as an extra success, allowing a more skilled person to complete the project faster. The GM should also decide if this is appropriate, but it usually is. Also, in general, a failed roll does not ruin the project, but simply wastes a roll. Failure by 5 (or 10) though might ruin the project or cause setbacks (cancelling out a previous success). Extended rolls use a lot of play time on something that can sometimes play better with a role-playing, or even with a single skill check. It is up to the GM to determine which is the best option.

==== Other Actions ====
''For the moment, I forgot what I was planning on putting here. :P''

=== Traits ===
In addition to skills, characters have traits. This covers everything that isn't a skill and can't be learned. Traits can be positive or negative or, rarely, both. Traits simply provide a fixed bonus or penalty to skills that would benefit or be hindered by that trait. By default this would be either +3 or -3, although if the range of a degree of success was changed, this will need to be changed too.

Most characters will start with up to 3 positive traits plus one more if they take a negative trait. The simplest way of dealing with traits that can be both positive and negative is to split it into two traits, one positive and one negative. The GM needs to be wary of traits with too many applications. If a trait will affect most or all rolls within one profession, it should have little impact outside of that profession. Also, many traits will have implications beyond skill rolls. These should not be ignored when considering whether a trait is appropriate or not.

Some examples of positive traits: Strong, Smart, Government Contacts, Magically Sensitive

Some examples of negative traits: Weak, Illiterate, Sickly, Wanted, Ugly, Permenant Injury

An example of a trait that could be both positive and negative would be Thieves Guild Member. It would give you bonuses to most

If the GM is willing to deal with it, some traits might be bought in levels. Each level adds +3 to relevant rolls. Strong II, for example, would add +6 to most lifting or throwing rolls (among others).

In addition, some traits may grant access to skills (possibly combat or magic skills) that a normal character would have no chance of learning. These traits will be racial traits (see below). A good example of this would be Clawed. Any creature with this trait would take a penalty on tasks that require fine manual dexterity but would gain access to the weapon skill Claws. Finally, a few traits might imply the opposite of this; that some skill is off limits to a character with that trait. Note that a trait either grants a bonus to a skill or grants access to that skill, but rarely both (though a combination of traits could do both).

==== Other Races ====
Being focussed on the fantasy genre, it is inevitable that many games will include beings of other races. What seperates one race from another usually falls into two categories: those things they can do better or worse than average and those things they can/can't do that a normal person can. Both of these things can be represented by a racial package of traits. Simply list out all of the traits that apply to an average member of that race and label the whole package as one trait. You should aim for these packages to total between -1 and +2 levels to keep things relatively simple. A player making a character of one of these races simply spends that many traits on race and the remainder on whatever else. In the case of a total of 0, the player simply says they are a member of that race. (For races totalling -1, it's up to the GM if this counts against the maximum number of negative traits.) In all cases, the package as a whole only counts as a single trait regardless of what it's composed of.

An example may be useful. I'll use the stereotypical fantasy elves. They are generally good at magic, and their long years of experience mean they know how to handle themselves in social situations, but they are physically frail. This translates into two positive traits (Magically Apt and Eloquent) and one negative trait (Frail), none of which are levelled. This means the package as a whole is worth one trait, so any elves will start with one less trait than a human would. (Depending on the prevalence of magic in your campaign, Magically Apt may be too broad. If so, elves are likely to have something along the lines of Nature Magic Focus instead.)

This all works best for races that are fairly similar to humans, but the basic idea still works for other races too; however, such races are unlikely to be suitable for PCs.

== NPCs ==
There are two important types of NPCs, at least from the perspective of preparing for a game: those that could be PCs and those that can't. For the NPCs that could be built as if they were PCs, those with no races or powers unaccessible to the players, there is little to say. They can be built with a lesser or greater number of skill points and traits to tailor the level of challenge they'll provide the players.

=== NPCs like PCs ===
There may be little to say about how to build such an NPC, but there's plenty to say about how to build one [i]quickly and easily[/i]. Since the system as a whole is designed around playing characters with a minimum of start-up, take advantage of this for the NPCs too. One thing to be wary of though; the NPC is unlikely to use nearly as many skills as a PC. This means they can afford to speciallize much more heavily that a PC, so, generally, NPCs should have fewer skill points (try around 2/3 or 3/4 of what was given to the PCs).

This is only a guideline, but when building an NPC, think of what the primary challenge they'll provide the players is. For a guard, for example, this would usually be spotting the players (if it comes to a fight, the guard can usually call for backup). Whatever that challenge is, assign between 1/2 and 3/4 of their skill points to a profession appropriate to that skill. For the example guard, the profession Guardsman would certainly be appropriate. While you could probably stop there, it may speed things up to go ahead and spend around 2/3 of those points in the desired skill. As far a specialties go, it's probably best to spend most of the available points on a single specialty. After all, they aren't likely to get the chance to use more than one. This only applies, though, if they had fewer overall points than a player, otherwise, they might become too much for the players to handle. In the end, the best comparison will be with the players' skill levels.

=== NPCs unlike PCs ===
For NPCs that couldn't be played by a player, things are somewhat different. It becomes more important to know in more detail what they are capable of. The creature's race provides most of this information, but that is often a little to vague. It can be important to decide ahead of time what skills (in general terms, at least) are permitted or restricted by what traits. Inevitably, the question "would that creature be able to do that?" will arise. You should be able to point out what trait answers that question. The same should be true of any other creature with the same trait, or you should be able to point out which trait overrides the previous answer. (The question of how conflicting traits work can be tricky. My best advice would be to make a decision, but be consistent. If the same question comes up again, give the same answer.) Additionally, an NPC race isn't restricted to the -1 to +3 range of a player race, so there may be quite a few more traits to deal with.

An example may help clear up any confusion. A wolf is a fairly common enemy in many fantasy games, so we'll prepare one. First, the wolf race. Wolves have the traits Animalistic, Fangs (they may not have actual fangs, but this is as good a name as any), Quadruped and Pack Tactics. Animalistic prevents them from using or learning most mental and language skills (at least as far as most humanoid races understand them), but might provide a bonus when instinct would be better anyway. Fangs gives them a natural weapon (the stats of this will have to be decided which will be handled in the section on combat and weapons), allowing them to improve the skill to use it. Quadruped prevents them from using any skills that require hands, but means they get a bonus to tasks requiring balance. Pack Tactics gives them a bonus to any actions where they can work together. There are more traits that may be appropriate, like Endurance or Clawed, but this will do for now. How detailed you get with this process really only depends on how detailed you want to get.

With the race decided, the next question is skills. For most animals, it'll be hard to find more than one profession to give them. For our wolf, this would be Being a Wolf. Don't worry about this too much, but if you need to split it up for balance reasons, you could consider Being a Wolf Pup, Being a Wolf and Being a Tame Wolf (if appropriate) to be three different professions. We'll assume that a character with 20 points and some combat training will have an effective skill of approximately 15. A lone wolf vs. a lone fighter should be a close match, so we'll aim for an effective Bite skill of 15. (Note that if that was the only skill you wanted from your wolves, you could simply say that was their Bite skill and leave it at that.) The other skill we're interested in for this wolf is Tracking. Both fall under Being a Wolf, so, after considering the numbers, we'll give the wolf 10 ranks in that, 3 of which go to Natural Weapons and 3 more go to Tracking with 3 points in both the specialties Bite and Tracking by Scent. We'll leave the other 4 points unassigned in case these wolves need to do something we haven't anticipated. That gives them a final Bite of 16, which is fine.

== Combat ==
''Note: Combat needs a lot of work, and even more play testing.''

At this point, you should have all the tools needed to run some types of games. There is still two major pieces missing though. The first such piece is combat. While almost everything comes down to a skill roll, there is at least one thing that can't be described as such: injury. There is no skill to withstanding injury, although equipment and certain traits might can affect the results.

=== Injury ===
''Note: I'm not at all sure about the limits for a human in this system.''

There are two types of injuries in this system: stunning and lethal. All attacks potentially cause both types of injury, although many attacks might cause 0 lethal, or occasionally 0 stun. A normal human can withstand 10 stun damage before passing out and 10 lethal damage before dieing. Certain traits can raise or lower these numbers. Stubborness, pain tolerance, willpower, etc. can raise how much stun a creature can withstand, while increased size can raise both.

=== Combat Sequence ===
# The attacker picks a combat skill to attack with, based on what they're trying to do. This should be obvious for most weapons, but such skills also include Improvised Weapons and Martial Arts.
# The defender picks a combat skill to defend with, based on what's appropriate for the attack. Most attacks can be dodged if you know it's coming. Many attacks can also be blocked or parried if you have something to block or parry with.
# The two players make a contested roll of the attackers skill vs. the defenders skill.
#* If the attacker wins, the attack hit and deals damage (see Weapons and Damage below).
#* If the defender wins, they were successful in dodging, blocking, parrying or whatever and take no damage.

=== Combat Skills ===
Most ordinary people don't know much about combat. A few professions cover combat skills though. (Things like Knight, Thief, Soldier, etc.) Even if a character begins with no combat skills, they are likely to pick up a few during their adventures. After all, the profession Adventurer covers a good number of otherwise hard to obtain skills (just don't let it cover everything).

There are two ways to handle combat skills, as far as grouping them goes. Either things like Sword and Block are skills or they are specialties. I think it's best for them to be specialties under the two skills Offense and Defense, but there are many more possibilities (such as having each weapon type be a skill, and specific weapons be a specialty, or having weapon categories be skills and weapon types be specialties). Which choice you make will change the feel of combat, but shouldn't have a large impact on the mechanics of it. Most players will focus on a single attack and single defense specialty in any case. The biggest difference will be in the range of other weapons they'll also gain proficiency in.

=== Weapons and Damage ===
If you can attack someone with something, it's a weapon. All weapons have three important stats, their power, their lethality and their range. Optionally, each weapon could also have an associated element. Power determines the base damage a weapon deals. Each degree of success on the attack roll adds 1 to this basic damage. This is how much stun damage the opponent takes. If stun damage is 0 or less, the base lethal damage is 2 less than the stun damage. If the stun damage is greater than 0, use the 10<sup>1/3</sup> exponential table, in Numerical Tables below, to find the base lethal damage. Look up the largest number smaller than the stun damage in the 10<sup>1/3</sup> column; the same row in the Linear column gives the base lethal damage. For small numbers this works out to: 1 stun -> 0 lethal, 2-4 stun -> 1 lethal, 5-9 stun -> 2 lethal and 10-19 stun -> 3 lethal. Finally, add the weapons lethality to the base lethal damage.

An example would be helpful at this point. If Alice attacks Bob with a 3 power, -1 lethality melee weapon (maybe something like a baseball bat; more on range in a minute) and succeeds on the attack roll with 1 degree of success, the base stun damage would be 4. This then gives a base lethal damage of 1 and a final lethal damage of 0, so Bob takes 4 stun damage and no lethal damage. If Bob then attacks Alice with a 1 power, 2 lethality melee weapon (something like a dagger) and gets no extra degrees of success the stun damage is 1 and the base lethal damage is 0. With the weapon's lethality, the final lethal damage is 2.

In addition to the damage, weapons also have a range.

=== Healing ===

== Magic ==
''Work in progress''

== Specific Situations ==
''Work in progress''
=== Chases ===
=== Poisons ===
=== Diseases ===
=== Exhaustion ===
=== Suffocation ===
=== Starvation ===
=== Assisted Healing ===

== Useful Tables ==
Sometimes it's important to be able to approximate certain formulas without a calculator. For that, see the [[Numerical Tables]].

=== Tarot Tables ===
''Tables for the 22 major arcana when using tarot cards for task resolution''

{| border="1"
!   !! Arcana !! Overview !! Safe Skills !! Dangerous Skills !! Attacks !! Defences !! Magic
|-
|   || The Fool || || || || || ||
|-
| I || The Magician || || || || || ||
|-
| II || The Priestess || || || || || ||
|-
| III || The Empress || || || || || ||
|-
| IIII || The Emperor || || || || || ||
|-
| V || The High Priest || || || || || ||
|-
| VI || The Lovers || || || || || ||
|-
| VII || The Chariot || || || || || ||
|-
| VIII || Justice || || || || || ||
|-
| VIIII || The Hermit || || || || || ||
|-
| X || The Wheel of Fortune || || || || || ||
|-
| XI || Strength || || || || || ||
|-
| XII || The Hanged Man || || || || || ||
|-
| XIII || Death || || || || || ||
|-
| XIIII || Temperance || || || || || ||
|-
| XV || The Devil || || || || || ||
|-
| XVI || The Tower || || || || || ||
|-
| XVII || The Star || || || || || ||
|-
| XVIII || The Moon || || || || || ||
|-
| XVIIII || The Sun || || || || || ||
|-
| XX || Judgement || || || || || ||
|-
| XXII || The World || || || || || ||
|}

[[Category:Game System]]
[[Category:Fantasy genre]]

Dice & Glory

2014-06-16T05:06:41Z

Wayland: Fixed Fantasy Genre

=== Author ===
Robert A Neri Jr - Published by Ranger Games

=== Pitch ===

Dice and Glory is a complete, self-contained universal role-playing system for those not afraid to be creative. This book provides all of the basic parts of the D&G system to craft your own unique worlds. This game system was designed to be ultimately flexible for any campaign type able to function in either sci-fi or high fantasy settings or in any other imaginable setting! The system was designed modularly allowing for game masters to "drop-in" portions of the core system or rather parts into other systems if they don't want to make use of it in its entirety. It was also written with maximum customization of all characters in mind allowing Players almost complete freedom in customizing their own characters. Characters are built from initial basic 'skeletal' character classes which generalize the character's role in the campaign and from there the player evolves them by spending experience points earned to gain class & combat levels and feats.
The overall D&G system consists of:

*The unique Experience point system puts the power of character creation back into the hands of the player letting you build fully customized characters bit-by-bit and gain points for such actions as playing in character.
*Simplified character classes which are: Brick, Fighter, Adventurer, Rogue, Mage, Psychic and Clergy. It allows for actual level zero characters!
*A detailed but easy-to-use Combat system using its own class-like level system.
*A skill system that is easy to use and adapt to any situation.
*A unique and in depth Magic system which allows for custom Player-made or Game Master-made spells.
*And the skill based Psionics system distinguishes itself from the magic system no longer relegating psionics to "a poor man's magic system"!
*The system also incorporates a detailed uncanny abilities system used for creature abilities or for use as powers in a super-hero campaign and a full chapter on constructing monsters and races for Game Masters.
*And many other different options for you to pick & choose from!

For those Game Masters and Players that yearn for more flexibility and who feel that the rules for other systems are limiting and unrealistic,the D&G system is what you are looking for!

=== Summary ===
A generic rule system where action resolution uses 1d20 + skill versus difficulty though it is not a D20-based system there are also rules for percentile based "proficiency checks" in certain situations.
The system has a simplified character class mechanic using "skeletal" classes which determines only the most basic class bonuses allowing for zero level characters. Character creation uses random-roll of attributes, choice of class, and point-bought skills. The generic classes are: Brick, Fighter, Adventurer, Rogue, Mage, Psychic and Clergy.
The magic system uses a casting check to determine if a known spell was cast or not and is designed modularly allowing players and Game Masters to write their own spells. It has a turn-based combat system which uses base attribute modifier driven rolls along with combat manuevers, moves such as flying kick or uppercut. The combat system also has a level system independent from that of character classes. The psionics system is skill based separating individual psychic powers into attribute based skill checks. Psychics can attempt various effects and their success is gauged by the psionic power check. Weapons are primarily constructed from several statistics allowing for a wide range of weapon types. Weapons are also partly based on attribute modifiers. The armor system uses a Damage Reduction and Hit Point system allowing armor to protect but to also take damage. All other supernatural abilities are termed Uncanny Abilities and are presented in a modular fashion breaking down these abilities into statistics. These powers are based on skill type attribute dependent "power checks". Uncanny abilities are built from general categories determining their nature and filling in the varying statistics needed for gameplay. The experience system is point reliant but uses them in a "cash-in" system. That is allowing players to "buy" certain perks such as feats, combat and class levels which expends experience points.

=== History ===
Dice & Glory is a tabletop pen & paper roleplaying game first published as a "Lite" version in late 2006 and later the Core Rulebook in Febuary 2007 by Ranger Games.

=== Resources ===

*[http://www.rpgnow.com/default.php?manufacturers_id=2794 Ranger Games Storefront at RPGNow.com]
*[http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?cPath=3871 Ranger Games Storefront at DriveThruRPG.com]
*[http://nearbygamers.com/tags/Dice+%26+Glory NearbyGamers]
*[http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/encyclopedia/alphabetical/D.html Darkshire.net RPG Encyclopedia]
*[http://www.story-games.com/codex/index.php?title=Dice_%26_Glory Story Games]
*[http://rangergames.sinistergaming.com Ranger Games Website]

[[Category:Dice]]
[[Category:GM]]
[[Category:Multiversal]]
[[Category:Universal System]]
[[Category:Character Creation]]
[[Category:Fantasy genre]]
[[Category:Game System]]
[[Category:Game Mechanics]]
[[Category:Martial Arts]]
[[Category: Magic]]
[[Category:Monsters]]
[[Category:Supers]]
[[Category:Sci-Fi]]
[[Category:Dice&Glory]]

Chit system

2014-06-16T05:05:09Z

Wayland: Added category

This is the system for use with [[The Castle]].

This document is very much a work in progress.
==Bead Bags==
The Castle system uses Bead Bags for task resolution to add a level of randomness, unpredictability and potential doom to the proceedings.

You will need two bead bags – one for task resolution and another for wounds. These can be physical bags, bowls or whatever takes your fancy. The “bags” should be filled with an appropriate number of chits – beads, coins, tokens, small sweetmeats imported from a Prague confectioner, whatever comes to hand or feels the most atmospheric. The only important thing is that you will need quantities of three different colour of your chosen product.
====Bead Bag weightings.====
Pick your colours and divvy up your chits as follows into two separate piles (with the traditional colours shown). These tables define the ratios of colours in each bag. There should be at least five times this number in each bowl (the more sets the better, but the statistics are only effected by a small amount).

The Wounds bag is weighted:

<table>
<tr><th>Result</th><th>Number</th><th>Colour</th></tr>
<tr><td>Light</td><td>5</td><td>White</td></tr>
<tr><td>Serious</td><td>2</td><td>Blue</td></tr>
<tr><td>Deadly</td><td>1</td><td>Black</td></tr>
</table>

The Task Resolution bag is weighted:
<table>
<tr><th>Result</th><th>Number</th><th>Colour</th></tr>
<tr><td>Poor</td><td>3</td><td>White</td></tr>
<tr><td>Average</td><td>4</td><td>Blue</td></tr>
<tr><td>Good</td><td>2</td><td>Black</td></tr>
</table>

==Skill Levels==
There are 3 basic skill levels. Characters are either Disadvantaged, Average or Advantaged at anything they attempt. Unless they are specifically Advantaged or Disadvantaged, as selected as a particular Advantage or Disadvantage (see the Characters section), then all tasks are considered Average.

The skill level you have at a particular task dictates how many beads you draw (or which bag you draw from)…
====Disadvantaged====
Draw two beads from the resolution bag and take the worst.

====Normal====
Draw 1 bead from the resolution bag.

====Advantaged====
Draw 2 beads from the resolution bag and take the best.

==Combat==
Can run from very narrative to very detailed, though essentially comes down to how much description is put into each draw of the beads.

===Rounds===
There is no such thing as initiative, though if there is a need to resolve who goes first, the person with the higher skill goes first. In the event of a draw, characters with “Quick” advantage go first.

Each “round” (combat isn’t really split into rounds) describes a single action by the character (which may take more than one “round” – such as loading a pistol), or an exchange of blows between combatants. This may be a single swing of a sword or a series of lightening fast parries and ripostes. This all depends on the descriptive style of the GM. Both combatants describe their actions draw beads according to the skill which they are using in the combat. The one with the better result scores a hit and determines damage accordingly. A draw indicates a stand off (locking of blades, series of parries, etc).

In general, we suggest that for particularly significant duels to the death with hated foes, each draw of the beads represents a small sequence or even an action, and for more “filler” combats, each draw of the beads represents an entire series of exchanges or even the entire combat. Play it by ear and see what suits your style.

Remember, the focus of The Castle isn’t dungeon crawling combat. Fights in The Castle and intended to be potentially deadly affairs which characters do not enter into lightly.
===Combat Skills===
A number of Advantages have bearing on combat.

Generally, all characters are Average at fighting.
Mighty weapons are the exception to the “Everyone’s Average” rule.
Unless you are specifically skilled, you are disadvantaged.

====Non Combatant====
Non combatants are Disadvantaged at combat with most weapons and don’t really understand how to even begin to lift a Mighty weapon.

====NPCs====
Only combat trained NPCs are Average at fighting.
It might be Keep on the Borderlands, but it’s assumed that Characters are a cut above the average!
In general, Named NPCs are Average at fighting, unnamed ones are Disadvantaged unless they have a specific reason not to be.
====Mighty Weapon====
Allows a character to use a mighty weapon at Average level.
====Specialist====
Allows the character to draw as Advantaged when fighting with a single weapon type.
This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, Swordsman, Spearman, Knife-fighter, Pugilist, Wrestler, Archer and Crossbowman.
Skills for Mighty Weapon use require having the Mighty Weapon skill first, these include, Pole-axeman, Zweihandler.
<strike>
====Fencing====
Fencing skill represents the defensive training that a student of the martial arts receives. This grants 1 to 3 gives points of virtual armour – so, it’s possible to have fencing 2, but not Swordsman skill, thus be a very good defensive fighter, but still draw from the Average bag to attack. It’s also possible to be a Swordsman, yet have no ranks in Fencing, so be an offensive fighter, or a slasher who uses a broadsword and wears armour.

However, it is impossible to get Fencing 3 without first having Swordsman skill.

Fencing can ONLY be used with fencing weapons. You can’t fence with an Axe!
</strike>

<strike>
====Dodge====
Advantaged at a voiding being hit – draw 2 take the best when you are just trying to avoid being hurt and not do any damage back. Dodge can’t be used offensively.
</strike>

====Shorter weapons====
''Size Does Matter''
If you are using a weapon that is significantly shorter than your opponent, the first success you achieve lets you close – but it doesn’t wound. Once you’ve closed, the other person can still fight using their skill, just now you can do damage. If they win the next draw, then they distance themselves, meaning you’re back to square one.

This means that if you try to take on a halberd wielding guard with your rapier while trying to ransack a Lady’s bed chamber, or engage a sword wielding Cossack while escaping unarmed from a foetid, dingy jail, then you are in big trouble !

<strike>
===Fencing Moves===
Since it’s all about fencing, here’s a series of special Fencing skills to learn to delight and surprise your opponents…
====Main Gauche====
An off shoot of fencing skill. You must have Fencing 1 to take Main Gauche. By carrying a weapon in your off hand, you can make one re-draw every fight. So, if you begin duelling a Parisian fop and draw a Poor result while he rather shockingly draws a Good result, you can use your Main Gauche to swiftly try to turn the result in your favour by redrawing your result. But just once for each combat.
====Disarm====
If you successfully hit an opponent, you can opt not to wound them, but to disarm them instead. Requires Fencing 1.
====Riposte====
Once per combat, in the event of a draw, you can redraw for that action. If you draw worse or the same, nothing changes, but if you draw higher, then you riposte and wound your opponent. Riposte requires Fencing 2.

====Botte di Serge====
The ultimate secret of any Fencing style, the Botte di Serge allows you to deliver a Mighty Blow (draw 2 take the highest damage) once per combat. See the film Le Bosseau for details on how to deliver such a strike with appropriate finesse.
</strike>

===Ranged Combat===
Crossbows and Bows have close range and maximum range. These ranges are not expressed in feet or yards, but are more conceptual in nature and vary according to the weapon you wield.

At Short Range an average result hits. At Long range a good result is needed.

===Shields and Bucklers===
A shield required the “Shield” skill to use properly, otherwise it’s just a heavy lump of wood that you keep tripping over. A shield provides one point of armour.
===Armour===
Armour is really useful stuff. It soaks up one hit per point, up until the point where you are injured. Once you’ve been injured, then your armour refreshes and can soak up a whole load more damage.
===Damage===
Weapons do the following damage…

<table>
<tr><th>Weapon</th><th>Draw</th></tr>
<tr><td>Knife, Fist</td><td>Disadvantaged</td></tr>
<tr><td>Sword, Axe, Bow</td><td>Normal</td></tr>
<tr><td>Zweihander, Crossbow</td><td>Advantaged</td></tr>
</table>

Some especially well made items, such as a rapier crafted by the master swordmaker of Toledo, may do additional damage.
====Wounds====
There are three levels of wound : Light, Serious and Deadly.

Characters have an overall wound level. For multiple wounds, 2 lights make a serious, 2 serious make a deadly, deadly plus serious means you’re dead on the spot, so fighting on while seriously wounded means that you could get yourself instantly killed.

Characters who are seriously wounded are one level disadvantaged at everything.

====Brawn====
Reduce a wound by one level, instantly.

====Toughness====
Toughness raises the wound threshold by one, so the character can take 3 lights before it becomes serious and 3 serious before it becomes deadly.

====Optional Rule====
For cinematic campaigns, un-named characters go down on whatever wound they receive. This should only be used for cinematic 3 musketeers style games, not for horror style games.

===Healing===
====Physicians====
Doctoring/Surgery draws a bead and takes the new result as the new damage level, but it takes a few minutes to half an hour of treatment.

Each wound doesn’t heal individually – you heal the wound state - so someone who has taken 2 serious wounds is just seriously wounded. Healing will reduce this to light.

====Natural healing====
Light wounds heal overnight, Serious wounds drop to light after a week of rest, deadly wounds drop to serious after a month of rest.

==Magic==
Spellcasters have 3 levels of mastery, which dictates the power bead they draw. They need to draw equal or higher to cast a spell. Failure indicates fatigue, putting them out of spellcasting action for the rest of the scene. This means that all spellcasters can blast off first level spells at will, but casting higher level ones is harder and can be taxing.

Overcasting – a caster may opt to take a wound to cast a spell – the spell works, but they draw either 2 take best, one or 2 take worst depending on the level of spell – this is VERY risky for 3rd level spells, which is good.

Casters have a “Power Level” – the maximum level of spell they can cast in each sphere, and a “Fortitude” or whatever – the rating for the draw to cast the spell (disad/average/adv)

All Spell type spells rated on Unproven/proven/renown BR scale – with different names – Cantrips/Spells/Rituals, etc.

The actual spells can be a bit more visual than in LRP, but not massively so. Things like transformation, turn to stone, create wall of thorns etc – things which fit the fairy tale vein.
==Stuff not yet worked out ==

===Progression===
Some slightly harder rules for gaining advantages will probably be necessary
===Fate===
Possibility of some kind of Fate points – redraw beads, etc ?
===Bad Luck===
I always liked the good and bad luck cards – not sure if they work here?
===Doom===
Each character has a doom ? Not sure what to do with this one. Tie in to disadvantage ? It would be nice to make all advantages double edged, but I don’t think this will work. Could work in the way that Hubris works in Seventh Sea – where the player picks it and the GM gets to activate it at times – things like Loyalty work – these should all be double edged swords, bringing both fame/Rewards and Danger. Have to think carefully about this area. Possibly the character can opt to have a Doom – this could be Grimm’s Gift – you choose it, then choose a sub-set, like Loyalty, Honour, Love, etc, all of which are core to your Tale and drive stories ??? e.g. if you are in Love, you will be driven to great feats in your Love’s name, but will also be capable of greatness because of that love – yet will also get into trouble because of it.
===Characters===
====Skills====
Need to review the Ads/Disads list to tidy them up for tabletop.

[[Category:The Castle]]

Card system

2014-06-16T04:56:37Z

Wayland: More specific category

[[Category:The Castle]]
This is the system for use with [[The Castle]]. It is designed to accompany the [[Chit system]]

This document is very much a work in progress.
==Experience==
Starting characters typically have 10xp and so 4 cards.
In the [[Chit system]] it costs between 1 and 4xp to buy an Advantage.

==The Hand==
Players will have a number of Action Cards in their hand dependent on the character's experience.
===Number of Action Cards Allowed===
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3">
<tr><th>xp</th><td>1</td><td>3</td><td>6</td><td>10</td><td>15</td><td>21</td><td>28</td><td>...</td></tr>
<tr><th>Cards</th><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>4</td><td>5</td><td>6</td><td>7</td><td>...</td></tr>
</table>
===Gaining Cards===
Starting characters draw a number of Action Cards from the random pack dependent on their starting experience.
At the start of each session each player draws an Action Card from the random pack and adds any other cards based on Assets the character may have.
Before play starts, the player must discard cards down to their allowable number of cards.
===Character Sheets===
Given the simplicity of the [[Chit system]] the character sheet can be printed or written on one or two cards and held in the hand with the Action Cards.

==Assets==
Assets are traits of that the character has that allows them to draw additional cards at the start of each session.
*Charm
*Contacts
*Fencing
*Marksman

==The Cards==
''There needs to be at least 40 different cards before we start.''
===Playing Cards===
When a card is played it is either handed to the ref. The ref may vito any card play.
===The Cards===
The italic list for each card are the Assets to which they are relevant.
If possible cards should be made disposable, so that they can be written on by the player. e.g. when drawing a cards against the Contacts Asset, the player should note that it is relevant to a certain type of contact.
====Assist====
You provide assistance to another character that makes their current action Advantaged.
====Chance Encounter====
Someone turns up that you know. ''(Contacts)''
====Encourage====
You provide encouragement to another character that makes their current action Advantaged.
====Feat of Strength====
You perform a act of strength as an Advantaged action. ''(Very strong)''
====Intimidate====
You words or actions are found at least unsettling by someone else.
====Riposte====
Following a failed attack, you get a free attack on your assailant. ''(Fencing)''

Category:D20 Fantasy

2014-06-16T04:55:35Z

Wayland: Fixed Fantasy genre category

[[Category:D20 System]]
[[Category:Fantasy genre]]

Category:The Castle

2014-06-16T04:55:19Z

Wayland: Created with parent categories

[[Category:Game System]]
[[Category:Fantasy genre]]

The Castle

2014-06-16T04:54:28Z

Wayland: More specific Category

[[Category:The Castle]]
[[Image:The Castle Keep on the Borderlands.jpg|right|500px]]
This is a roleplaying game for use by a small group of Nottingham based roleplayers.

The basic concept for the setting was, "If Joss Whedon were to do a cool Fantasy TV setting, then what would it be?". Whether we have got/will get there is beside the point. It was a starting point and if we end with something that is playable by us then that's all that matters.

The setting has taken its name from [[The_Castle:Keep on the Borderlands|Keep on the Borderlands]] for nostalgia purposes, but other than the name has nothing to do with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Keep_on_the_Borderlands the original D&D module (B2)].

The system used is the [[Chit system]] for central mechanics and the [[Card system]] for special mechanics. The group has been playing a systemless modern day game for several years now and so has falled out of the habit of using them. Any system needs only be a guide for the GM and the story, rather than a strict set of rules.

There is a list of helpful [[The Castle:Resources|resources]] for the game.

Category:D20 Fantasy

2014-06-16T04:52:44Z

Wayland: More specific categories

[[Category:D20 System]]
[[Category:Fantasy Genre]]

Deathless

2014-06-16T04:51:53Z

Wayland: D20 Fantasy is a subcategory of Fantasy

[[Category:D20 System]]
[[Category:D20 Fantasy]]
[[Category:Setting]]
A setting by Random Goblin and Racticas

'''History'''
An aeon ago, earth was ruled by the Eldraan. The Eldraan were powerful warriors and mighty workers of magic who conquered the planet and grew in their hubris. Rising in power, they deigned even to challenge their gods, and through might, forethought, and cunning, the Eldraan were victorious. The gods were banished and their planes were sealed away for all time. With the gods out of the way, the Eldraan went unchallenged and grew decadent.

In the elemental planes, four great elder elementals plotted to bring about a great change. The gods left a power vacuum in the cosmos that, despite their might and glory, the mortal Eldraan could never hope to fill. The elemental lords, though, had a chance.

Working in agreement, the forces of the elements struck suddenly, toppling and enslaving the Eldraan, warping them with elemental magic into new races. However, the treaty between the elemental lords was inherently unstable, and even before the Eldraan were completely defeated, the elements began to fight with each other. As it was, the war against the Eldraan was barely an introductory footnote in the cosmic conflict that ensued, as each of the elements tried to gain control of the material plane, tipping the perfectly-balanced cosmic scales firmly and forever in their favor.

Earth eventually proclaimed itself victorious, but the âvictoryâ was neither total nor systematic. Earthâs domination over the material plane was tenuous at best. Eventually, the other three elements banded together to topple earth, and its reign was brought to an end. The result was a world scarred by a thousand years of cosmic war, but still no definitive winner. The boil of war cooled to a low simmer. All the elements became factionalized. Conflict was still the norm, but not on the scale of earlier times.

Now, in this ravaged world, there is a glimmer of hope. The elemental planes were not the only cosmic sources of power. What was oft-forgotten is that the material plane, before it was subverted by the Eldraan, was once called the plane of Balance. Its lords were finally rising from slumber, its agents were beginning to walk the land, and it was beginning to reclaim its own at long last.

'''Races'''
Eldraan- supposed to be extinct, once ruled earth. Cruel and arrogant, but beautiful and terrible. There could still be some left, probably exiles wandering the planes.

Elemental Races- four races, All Eldraan enslaved and warped by the elemental powers into something new:
Sylph (Air) â flying or just gliding? Probably with a patagia for gliding. .Frail-looking, willowy, quick.
Salamander (Fire)- tall and scaled, the salamanders are fierce warriors, quick to anger, but lacking determination and drive.
Undine (Water)- somber with broad, webbed hands and feet, the undines are more at home underwater than on the surface.
Gnomes (Earth)- squat and powerful, with dark skin and eyes that glitter like gems, the gnomes are lords of the deep places and masters of the forge

Humans- A new race with mysterious origins, humans came forth from the forests led by priests who worshipped the balance. Humans are as a race connected to no individual element, although they do have humors, so they can be drawn in one direction or another.

(Some other race or races?)- once slaves to the Eldraan, many have survived the cataclysmic millennia of war. Probably one giant-type race (not specifically MM ogres or giants, but something along those lines), maybe a weak servant race (goblin/kobald-ish?), and maybe warriors (orc-esque? Maybe not so bestial? Maybe more bestial?). Others? Or only one? I dunno.

'''Alignment'''
Alignment is by humors that are tied to the four elements. Humors dictate behavior, not the other way around. If you try to act contrary to your humor, the DM can force you to make a will save modified by the dominant humorâs prevalence (maybe something like DC 10+dominant humor score). Humor points come from races, some classes, maybe other ways. Probably every character gets x (say, two) humor points per level to do with as he pleases, either to keep it balanced or to weight it one direction.

Being aligned via humors carried benefits and drawbacks. Benefits include increased ability to work magic and to command elemental beings, and maybe other mechanical benefits. Drawbacks include forced behavior, and maybe youâre harder to heal with regular healing magic (which is tied to the balance). Maybe if your humors get REALLY out of balance, you can eventually be considered an elemental.

'''The Deathless'''
The greatest weapon at the disposal of the elemental powers was the Deathless. These servants were created from mortals by opening a small portal directly into their soul, suffusing it with elemental stuff. Thus they become incarnate champions of the element that feeds them, and they can never be destroyed while the portal remains open, because they are constantly being regenerated by the elemental planes. (By the way, keeping the portal open is not hard, and closing it is almost if not impossible) They need not sleep or eat. They also have elemental powers and can command lesser elemental beings.

You can become a Deathless in one of three ways:

1: An elder elemental can make you into a deathless. This is done deliberately to create a champion, and was how the first Deathless were created. Needless to say, the deathless who have been around the longest are the most powerful and the most feared.

2: The elemental races are tied to the elemental planes, and thus every now and then one of them is simply born deathless, with a living portal already inside them.

3: Rumor speaks of apotheosis rituals that can make a supplicant into a Deathless at their own bidding, i.e. to force it from this side instead of from the other.

Now, the champions of Balance have begun to create their own Deathless, fed by the very raw stuff of this plane. Although the material/plane of balance has been weakened by a thousand years of cosmic strife, the proximity of the Deathless of the Balance to their own plane makes them fearsome and formidable.

Is being Deathless a blessing or a curse? Both, either, and maybe neither.

Deathless have humors weighted strongly in one direction, and actually lose points from their other humors until they become an elemental. Creature type that is. They still are a Deathless.

'''Magic'''
Most magic is elemental and cast by esorcery, i.e. though the use of elemental familiars. The skill of the esorcerer lies not in his own power, but in his ability to command an elemental to do his bidding. An esorcererâs humors scores are somehow tied to his ability to work magic, and as an esorcerer rises I levels, his dominant humor score increases dramatically. Esorcerers are often of the elemental races, but certainly human esorcerers exist.

There is also True Magic, a secret that died with the Eldraan, but some rumors say it still exists, and its secrets cans till be re-discovered. If any Eldraan are still alive, then this theory must be true.

Priests of Balance are nature-oriented, like druids. They are usually human, but they donât have to be.

Perhaps there are also devotees of the Old Gods hanging around somewhere. Maybe preserved by some (one?) of the Eldraan slave-races. They seek to bring the gods back to the Material plane.

Real healing magic comes fro the balance only. The elemental magic has similar things, but not right on the button. Increased temporary hp, for example, or maybe the ability to stay alive despite your wounds until you can heal naturally. Or maybe elemental magic can only heal elementals of the right kind.

'''Cosmology'''
There is the material plane, surrounded by the astral, nearby float the elemental planes, connected to each other by what is explained as a mass of tangled strings of irregular pearls, which are lesser elemental planes, subplanes, tertiary elemental planes, evil elemental planes, good elemental planes, and paraelemental demiplanes. Beyond the elemental planes is the Ring of Shadow, where mortal souls travel to and collect. Through the ring of shadow and far beyond are the far realms, the lands of the gods, long since sealed and/or abandoned. They are not broken down by element, nor is there a specific number o them. The material plane is actually the plane of Balance. There really is no positive or negative elemental planes, ethereal plane, or plane of shadow. Not like in the MotP at least.

'''Factions'''
The elements are split and factionalized. Factions range from marauding war-hosts led by ancient Deathless to sublime courts of elemental enlightenment. Cabals of philosophy, cosmic guilds, and all kinds of organizations. Also many factions that arenât definitive organizations but simply consist of an elder elemental and their friends, servants, and followers.

Detailing some of these factions might make for much interesting gameplay as they can be patrons to the PCs, enemies to the PCs, or completely ignored.

There are also kingdoms and nations and tribes on the Material of all description. I havenât detailed any of them. Keep in mind, though, that this is a world still at war, so a mighty trade empire of humans may not be appropriate.

'''Monsters'''
Certainly not all monsters from the MM, because that involves changing the setting to accommodate monsters that may not fit. Original monsters are better. No undead? No need really. Outsiders may also be irrelevant, although they may exist because not all of the far realms of the gods are sealed off; the gods just are.

Most monsters would fall into one of three categories:

1: elemental creatures of all kinds, on the elemental planes as well as on the material

2: Creatures of the balance, more ânaturalâ beasts and animals including dinosaurs and prehistoric beasts and such. Fey also?

3: more magical creatures that are a throwback to or survivors from the age of the Eldraan. Dragons would fit here.

Beneath Castle Everglory

2014-06-16T04:50:53Z

Wayland: Fantasy genre category

[[Category:GURPS]]
[[Category:Fantasy genre]]
[[Category:Campaign Resource]]
[[Category:Resources]]
[[Category:Short Adventure]]

=BENEATH CASTLE EVERGLORY=

'''An Adventure for GURPS Dungeon Fantasy'''

[[Image: Drum_Skeleton.jpg]]

[http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10971026/Beneath%20Castle%20Everglory.pdf Download as a PDF]

==TABLE OF CONTENTS==

1. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Beneath_Castle_Everglory:_INTRODUCTION:_Into_the_Dungeon INTRODUCTION: Into the Dungeon]

2. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Beneath_Castle_Everglory:_SET-UP:_The_Stained_Green_Map SET-UP: The Stained Green Map]

3. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Beneath_Castle_Everglory:_THE_TOWN_OF_LAND’S_END THE TOWN OF LAND’S END]

4. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Beneath_Castle_Everglory:_CUTNOSE_ORCS_AND_BLOOD_AXE_BUGBEARS:_A_Primer CUTNOSE ORCS AND BLOODAXE BUGBEARS: A Primer]

5. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Beneath_Castle_Everglory:_INTO_THE_WOODS:_Travelling_to_Castle_Everglory INTO THE WOODS: Travelling to Castle Everglory]

6. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Beneath_Castle_Everglory:_CASTLE_EVERGLORY CASTLE EVERGLORY]

7. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Beneath_Castle_Everglory:_LEVEL_1:_Lair_of_the_Cutnose_Orcs LEVEL 1: Lair of the Cutnose Orcs]

8. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Beneath_Castle_Everglory:_LEVEL_2:_Vault_of_the_Scribes LEVEL 2: Vault of the Scribes]

9. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Beneath_Castle_Everglory:_LEVEL_3:_Vault_of_the_Servants LEVEL 3: Vault of the Servants]

10. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Beneath_Castle_Everglory:_LEVEL_4:_The_Garden LEVEL 4: The Garden]

11. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Beneath_Castle_Everglory:_LEVEL_5:_The_Palace LEVEL 5: The Palace]

12. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Beneath_Castle_Everglory:_LEVEL_6:_The_Prison LEVEL 6: The Prison]

13. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Beneath_Castle_Everglory:_LEVEL_7:_The_Tomb LEVEL 7: The Tomb]

14. [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Beneath_Castle_Everglory:_MAPS Maps by Kuroshima]

Wiley

2014-06-16T04:44:27Z

Wayland: Cleaning Fantasy category

A character in the PbP game [[The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen: Tome 1 - The Sword of Lost Hope]].

[[Image:Wiley.png|Wiley]]

== Synopsis ==
Wiley seems to be a common thief. He is sneaky, has incredibly quick hands, is a skilled acrobat, and is extremely dangerous with a knife. Wiley also runs cons; few can resist his winning smile, and he can sell snow to Eskimos. However, he loves taking risks and he gives freely to others, so he’s always short on money and in and out of trouble. Wiley is utterly fearless, surprisingly altruistic, and works as a secret revolutionary against the evil Drakkar. Between his generosity and effortless flair, Wiley is revered by the street children and common folk of the city.

== Keywords ==
<u>Common Thief M3</u>
* Breaking & Entering
* Con Artist
* Quick Hands
* Pickpocket
* Sneaky

<u>Secret Revolutionary 17</u>
* Cell Organization
* Forgery
* Rumors
* Sabotage
* Secret Communications

== Other Abilities ==
* Acrobat 13
* Altruistic 13
* Effortless Flair 15
* Fearless 13
* Knife 19
* Salesman 15
* Winning Smile 15

== Resources and Relationships ==
* Common Folk 13
* Street Children 13

== Flaws ==
* Compulsive Generosity 17
* Risk-Taking 17

== Followers ==
n/a

== Notes ==
Keywords are <u>underlined</u>. Supernatural abilities are in ''italics''.

Wiley has 2 unspent hero points.

[[Category:PBP]]
[[Category:The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen]]
[[Category:Character]]

Prince Frederick

2014-06-16T04:44:27Z

Wayland: Cleaning Fantasy category

A character in the PbP game [[The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen: Tome 1 - The Sword of Lost Hope]].

[[Image:Frederick.png|Frederick]]

== Synopsis ==
Prince Frederick is dashing, noble, and handsome. He is skilled and popular at court, but somewhat out of his depth in the practical world (which our farmgirl will mock him for). He is a master with his rapier in a controlled, sporting duel, but severely disadvantaged in a real fight, where fencing rules are thrown out of the window.He was helped in escaping the castle of his father Eral the Just, by his old nursemaid Miriam, when his [u]evil uncle Erasmus[u] sold the kingdom out to Drakkar the Corrupter, and has sworn a terrible revenge to avenge his father!

== Keywords ==
<u>Prince 19</u>
* Knows how to behave in polite society
* Able to assume the duties of a prince
* Flattery, intrigue, and eavesdropping

<u>Duellist 17 </u>
* Made quite the name for himself among his peers and fencing instructors
* Expert with a rapier in a formal duel
*

== Other Abilities ==
* Dashing, noble and handsome '''15''' Charming, with a regal bearing, and a desire to do the right thing
* Master with a rapier 15 In a fair and formal duel he is almost unbeatable*
* Avenge his father 15 Determination and drive
* Well read in history and mythology 13 Book learning and epics, not folklore and old wives tales

== Resources and Relationships ==
* Nursemaid Miriam 14 Pure and good. Raised me well, and may still be able to help out
* True subjects '''14''' Frederick was popular with the peasants, and many subjects would prefer him on the throne to the Overlord

== Flaws ==
* Disadvantaged in a real fight 17 Not prepared for opponents with no idea of a fair fight
* Out of his depth 17 No country lore beyond organised stag hunts

== Notes ==
Keywords are <u>underlined</u>. Supernatural abilities are in ''italics''.

Noble, Dashing and Handsome raised by 1 point (cost=1hp).
Relationship with True Subject raised by 1 point (cost=1hp).

4 Hero points remain

[[Category:PBP]]
[[Category:The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen]]
[[Category:Character]]

Hope

2014-06-16T04:42:45Z

Wayland: Cleaning Fantasy category

A character in the PbP game [[The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen: Tome 1 - The Sword of Lost Hope]].

[[Image:Hope.png|Hope]]

A tall, hearty young woman who has obviously spent her life doing manual labor, and is perfectly fine living that life. While the hard life has made her look a bit rough around the edges, tanning and lightly scarring her skin to a golden tan and somewhat bleaching her dark brown hair, she has a wholesome beauty to her that could turn a few heads if she ever decided to clean up.
== Synopsis ==
Hope is a farmer’s only child, a fairly earthly and a little crass sort, keeping her feet on the ground and eyes looking forward. Her upbringing has left her without schooling; the only writing she knows is a family prayer that has been passed down from generation to generation. Like everybody in her village, she knows how to talk to Earth Spirits and knows a few sacred rites. While she is stubborn and loyal, once she is knocked off balance, it is hard for her to get up again alone. She treasures her father’s staff and can use it well.
== Keywords ==
<u>Farmgirl 17</u>
*Endurance
*Lay of the Land
*Time/Season Awareness
*Wholesome Looks
*Animal Ken
*Farming
*'Women's Work'
<u>The Chosen One 20 1M</u>
* We'll find out eventually.
== Other Abilities ==
*Feet on the Ground 13
*Family Prayer 19
*''Communes with Earth Spirits 13''
*''Sacred Rites 15''
*Stubborn 15
*Staff Fighter 13
== Resources and Relationships ==
*Dugiel 15
*Father's Staff
== Flaws ==
*Crass and Unschooled 17
*Needs Help 17
== Followers ==
=== Dugiel, Sidekick ===
* <u>Earth Elemental 20</u>
* Make Sure a [[Hope|Certain Idiot Farmgirl]] Lives 19
* My Real Name is Audible Passing Crescendo for a Reason 16
A ball of earth and rock in the form of a Hedgehog and rather pretentious. He has been keeping an eye on Hope since she was about 13, after the two met when she had tried summoning a powerful spirit to help her with her farm work so she could take a break. It didn't work and he basically keeps an eye on her (and possibly tabs for the Earthly Spirit Courts). He has an ability that allows him to speak and possibly hear across long, long distances, hence his name.

== Notes ==
Keywords are <u>underlined</u>. Supernatural abilities are in ''italics''.
=== Mountain Town Stuff ===
Mountain Town was once called Lodestone, and was a dwarven mine, but the only relics of that time are the statue in the middle of the village square and the surname every native of the village has, Lodestone. There is still odd little magic in the village beyond the exposure to spirits, which show up as talents or appearance quirks, usually jewel tone eye colors. The people there are very down-to-earth (haha) and no nonsense. The actual townsfolk are more friendly than the outlying farms and normally better educated in more worldly things. The differences can be a bit of a source of tension in town as well, as the farmers think that magic that can't be used for practical things to be a waste of time, while the townsfolk consider their outer relatives to be boorish.
===Hope's Parents===
[http://public5.tektek.org/img/av/0910/d09/1124/dced164.png Flint] is fairly mundane looking, with an amazing sense of direction, allowing himself to orient himself to north whenever he desires. Because of this, he and his family lives a bit farther away from the village than normal, as he is able to find Mountain Town easily. Flint is technically not a local, but a foreigner who lost his parents to illness soon after coming to Mountain Town when he was young. People don't comment on it much as he has meshed very well and doesn't look too different beside the brown eyes. They ''have'' commented that it's odd that Hope has the same color, as she was born here. [http://public5.tektek.org/img/av/0910/d09/1149/f50e634.png Chrysoprase], Hope's sweet tempered mother, was born with strands of hair the shade of her namesake but is otherwise ordinary. As she has aged, her hair has started turning brown and she considers it to look rather pretty. Her family has been there since it was a mine, and her brother is something of the village priest.

[[Category:PBP]] [[Category:Character]]
[[Category:The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen]]

Tefton Silversmith

2014-06-16T04:42:13Z

Wayland: Cleaning Fantasy category

A character in the PbP game [[The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen: Tome 1 - The Sword of Lost Hope]].

[[Image:Tefton.png|Tefton Silversmith]]

== Synopsis ==
X is a Y and a Z, and can do A, B and C, and is very FOO yet quite BAR. Etc.

== Keywords ==
<u>1st Keyword XX</u>
* Ability A
* Ability B +y
* Ability C

<u>2nd Keyword XX</u>
* Ability A
* Ability B
* Ability C +y

etc.

== Other Abilities ==
* Ability A xx
* Ability B yy
* Ability C zz

etc.

== Resources and Relationships ==
* Ability A xx
* Ability B yy
* Ability C zz

etc.

== Flaws ==
* Ability A xx
* Ability B yy
* Ability C zz

etc.

== Followers ==
=== 1st Follower (sidekick/retainer) ===
* <u>Keyword XX</u>
* Ability A xx
* Ability B yy
Description.

Etc.

== Notes ==
Keywords are <u>underlined</u>. Supernatural abilities are in ''italics''.

[[Category:PBP]]
[[Category:The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen]]
[[Category:Character]]

Caerron na Daith-Alhannan

2014-06-16T04:41:54Z

Wayland: Cleaning Fantasy category

A character in the PbP game [[The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen: Tome 1 - The Sword of Lost Hope]].

[[Image:caerron.png|Caerron na Daith-Alhannan]]

== Synopsis ==
Caerron na Daith-Alhannan is a proud elven noble from the lost kingdom of Camorra, a master archer of the Royal Guard sent out on a quest to find and aid the hero of prophecy. He is elusive as a shadow and keenly perceptive, highly skilled in glamour magic, and armed with two swords and his ancestral spirit bow, the Black Peacock. (He also plays string instruments!) The very image of elegance, he is famous for his good looks and graceful manner. Caerron is a kind soul, courageous and absolutely loyal to his companions, but also unwittingly arrogant and terribly vain.

== Keywords ==
<u>Elven Noble 18</u>
* Archery
* Beautiful +2
* Elven History
* Elven Language
* Goblin-Fighting Lore
* Graceful +2
* ''Longevity''
* Nature Knowledge
* ''See in Darkness (outdoors)''
* Singing
* Woodland Survival
* Woodland Warfare

<u>Royal Guard 21</u>
* Archery
* Awareness
* Discipline
* Fletchery
* Hide
* ''Magic Arrow''
* Move Silently
* Run Far
* Run Fast
* Skirmish Warfare

== Other Abilities ==
* Courageous 13
* ''Glamour 13''
* Kind-Hearted 13
* Play String Instruments 13
* Proud 13
* Two-Sword Fighting 17

== Resources and Relationships ==
* Master of [[Caerron na Daith-Alhannan#Followers|The Black Peacock]] 15
* Find and Aid the Hero of Prophecy 15
* Loyal to Companions 15

== Flaws ==
* Despised by Goblins
* Unwittingly Arrogant 17
* Vain 17

== Followers ==
=== The Black Peacock (sidekick) ===
* <u>Spirit Retainer of the House Alhannan 20</u>
* Hate Goblins 20
* ''Black Rainbow Plumage 15''
A powerful asymmetric recurve bow, made of delicately carved ebony, that's been in the family for countless generations. Caerron talks to it. It talks back, in the respectfully patronizing tones of a senior advisor and family guardian. It is as proud and vain as any elf.

== Notes ==
Keywords are <u>underlined</u>. Supernatural abilities are in ''italics''.

=== Elves ===
Pale, willowy creatures, with pointed ears and large, almond-shaped eyes. Though not immortal as such, they are all but immune to disease and indefinitely long-lived - they change with time, as all things do, but will not grow old or die of old age though a thousand years go by. Elves are mostly nocturnal by preference, and congregate in woods and forests the same way humans tend to gather around waterways. Most of them live as hunter-gatherers, like they have done since the dawn of time, or tinkers, bards, traveling mercenaries - anything that lets them be here now, there tomorrow and stars know where then. A handful of elven cities exist, wondrous sprawling works of magic and craft honed through centuries, with populations of anything up to a million souls at any moment, but they have very few permanent residents and more inns than private homes, since most elves simply prefer to wander semi-randomly rather than settle down in any one place. They love beautiful things, almost seeming to draw sustenance from music and poetry, and many indulge in various arts and crafts with a passion.

[[Image:Alyara.png|frame|alt=Queen Alyara|Her Unfading Majesty, Queen Alyara the Everwise]]
=== Camorra ===
Fabled Camorra, the ancient homeland of elves, is a secret realm hidden by the mighty spell known as Queen's Veil. For centuries, no human has set foot in Camorra, and even the knowledge of its approximate location is quickly becoming the stuff of old wives' tales. But legends still speak of its enchanted gardens and woods of marvellous beauty, the crystalline twin rivers Fëall and Fion whose human names are long forgotten, and a soaring castle of pearlescent white stone beside the inland sea Thalanna, where the sorcerous Queen resides with her husband protectors and weaves the magics that keep Camorra sealed from the world.

=== The Royal Guard ===
The Royal Guard of Camorra is an elite legion unrivalled in their mastery of stealth, surveillance and ranged combat. They are tasked with protecting the royal family and patrolling the borders to ensure that Camorra remains lost.

=== Hero Points Spent ===
* Dec 15th, 2009: 2HP to increase <u>Elven Noble 17</u> to 18; 2HP to increase <u>Royal Guard 20</u> to 21

[[Category:PBP]]
[[Category:The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen]]
[[Category:Character]]

Belthenor the Blue

2014-06-16T04:40:35Z

Wayland: Cleaning Fantasy category

A character in the PbP game [[The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen: Tome 1 - The Sword of Lost Hope]].

[[Image:Belthenor.png|Belthenor the Blue]]

== Synopsis ==
Guy with a beard and a pointy hat

== Keywords & Hero points ==
<u>HP</u>: '''2'''

<u>Wizard! 3M</u>
* Kerpow!
* Zap!
* Bloody Clever
* Now there's a tale in that
* I'm actually older than the Hills (aka "Do you know how old I am? I'm three-thousand one hundred and thirty-two")
* I know strange languages
* And hidden lore too
* Raise Quizzical Eyebrow

<u>Of the People 18 </u>
* Pipe smoking
* You'd never guess I was one of the most powerful people on the planet
* Peasant-Pleasing Prestidigitation

== Other Abilities ==
* one 13
*

== Resources and Relationships ==
* Staff 18
* Pointy hat and Blue cloak 13
* All those humble folk 18

== Flaws ==
* Many Ancient Enemies 17
* I Love my Brother (you'll never guess who he is!) 17
* Sucker for Humble folk 17

== Notes ==
Keywords are <u>underlined</u>. Supernatural abilities are in ''italics''.

Last spend (early Dec): 4 to raise each keyword by 1 point each, leaves 2
[[Category:PBP]]
[[Category:Character]]
[[Category:The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen]]

Category:The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen

2014-06-16T04:39:40Z

Wayland: Created category

[[Category:Fantasy genre]]

The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen: Tome 1 - The Sword of Lost Hope

2014-06-16T04:38:53Z

Wayland: Made a category for this game

A PbP game of "Totally Epic Fantasy Shit", classic fantasy tropes played straight. Powered by HeroQuest 2.

== The Story Begins... ==
<blockquote><p>New hope springs forth from the gathering dark<br>
New stars rise to shine in the night<br>
A hero is born bearing destiny's mark<br>
To rekindle the faltering light</p>
<p><i>-- Ancient Prophecy, writer unknown</i></p></blockquote>

The evil overlord is Drakkar the Corrupter, who is rumored to be the ancient demon Krazz'akk reborn into human flesh. His most important minions are the Hanged Knights. Their order were once the protectors of the kingdom, but it is said that Drakkar spoke ancient words of enchantment into their ears; they became possessed by the spirits of history's greatest traitors and they slew the old king (Eral the Just) at Drakkar's behest. Now they wear black armor and a hangman's noose around their necks. We must find the ancient sword of the great hero Valinus, forged by an archangel, with which he slew Krazz'akk. It is rumored that Valinus will also be reborn into the world to wield the blade...

== The Game ==
* [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=475964 Recruitment thread]
* [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=476240 Out-of-character thread]
* [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=478231 In-character thread]

== The Cast ==
The Dramatis Personae of our story:

=== Player Characters ===
* [[Hope]] - the heroic farmgirl
* [[Prince Frederick]] - the valiant prince
* [[Wiley]] - the cunning scoundrel
* [[Caerron na Daith-Alhannan]] - the noble elf
* [[Tefton Silversmith]] - the doughty dwarf
* [[Belthenor the Blue]] - the wizard and mentor and beardie know-it-all

=== Non-Player Characters ===
* [[Drakkar the Corruptor]] - The Usurper King who through treachery, sorcery, and murder stole power.
** [[Drakkar the Corruptor#The Hanged Knights|The Hanged Knights]] - Undead warrors, the seven betrayers of Valens.
* [[The Priestess]] - Who is the Priestess and what does she want?
** [[The Priestess#Babyface, Drakar, and the Triplets|Babyface, Drakar, and the Triplets]] - Southland scouts who claim to be Kingsmen but want to capture Hope for the Priestess

=== Other Major Entities ===
* [[Valinus]] - the ancient hero of legend

== Notes ==
Add notes, descriptions, maps and other such miscellaneous stuff here.

== Resources ==
* [http://www.tvtropes.org TV Tropes]
* [http://www.tektek.org/dream/dream_free.php Dream Avatar chibi generator]
* [http://www.glorantha.com/products/samples/ISS2001_sample.pdf HeroQuest 2 quickstart rules]

[[Category:PBP]]
[[Category:The New Chronicles of Krazz'ak the Risen]]

FANGS: Using Skills

2014-06-16T04:36:19Z

Wayland: Uncluttering some categories; the FANGS category is a subcategory of these now.

[[Category:FANGS]]
[[Category:Skills]]
{{Template:FANGSHeader}}

==Using Skills==

This section explains how skills work in FANGS.

==Skill Ranks==

Each of your character's skills is represented by a number. The higher the number, the better the skill.

A skill of 0 means the character has no knowledge of, talent for, or any experience with that particular skill. In fact, a character with a skill of 0 doesn't even know where to begin!

Skills ranked from 1 to 4 are that of a raw beginner to that of an apprentice. The character knows the basics of the skill just enough to perform it, or be dangerous with it!

A skill between 5 and 8 means that the character has learned a basic competency with the skill. However, their use of the skill would still be considered below average of that of someone who uses that skill daily, or in their profession.

Skills ranked from 9-11 are just average for a professional or performing this skill on a regular basis -- most folk never exceed this amount of skill.

A skill of 12 to 14 means that the character shows some talent with the skill, though nothing that might be considered extraordinary.

Someone with a skill between 15 and 17 would be considered an expert at that skill, and occasionally shows extraordinary ability or flashes of insight when using the skill.

A character with a skill of 18 or 19 would be considered a master of that particular skill. Those that know of that skill might seek the character for service and instruction.

A 20 represents a skill that has been learned to the level of a grand master. There ae few, if any, with greater skill.

A skill of 21 or higher would be considered legendary, or even mythical. Though still within mortal bounds, tales of the character's prowess in that skill might live long after he is gone.

==The Skill Check==

In order for your character to succeed in a skill, roll a 20-sided die (abbreviated 'd20') and add your character's skill plus any bonuses, penalties and difficulty modifiers-- if the total is greater than or equal to 20, then your character has succeeded in his Skill Check.

It is possible to have a skill greater than 20, but this does not mean that your character automatically succeeds. (See the sections on Skill Modifiers, Failure & Fumbles below.)

:Example: ''If Gru wishes to climb a tree, you would roll against his Climb skill. Gru's ability to climb is 9, a low average. Thus if you rolled an 11 or greater, adding the skill of 9, Gru would succeed in climbing the tree.

A Skill Check under 20 means that Gru did not succeed -- however, lack of success with a roll less then 20 does not mean that Gru failed! (See the sections on Failure & Fumbles below.) ''

==Skill Modifiers==

'''Multiple Rolls''' -- Depending on the situation, the GM may require multiple rolls, or assign a bonus or penalty to a Skill Check.

:Example: ''For instance, the GM may decide that the tree is tall, and require that Gru roll against his Climb skill twice. Gru would have to roll 11 or better two separate times, to succeed in reaching the top of the tree.''

'''Skill Bonus''' -- The GM may assign a bonus to the Skill Check.

:Example: ''If instead, Gru desired to climb a tree with many branches within reach, and having many large limbs, the GM may decide to give Gru a +4 bonus to his Skill Check for the comparative ease of the task. In this case Gru would have to roll 7 or higher (7+4+9 = 20) to climb the tree.''

'''Skill Penalty''' -- Or the GM may assign a penalty to the Skill Check:

:Example: ''If Gru wished to climb a tree that is so bare of branches as to be almost a telephone pole, the GM may decide to give Gru a penalty of -4 to his Skill Check due to the difficulty of the task. Gru would have to roll 15 or higher (15-4+9 = 20) to succeed in climbing here.''

==Difficulty Modifiers==

The GM may apply the following difficulty modifiers if a situation is particularly easy or difficult.

<table border=1 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=3>
<tr>
<td style='background:#9CC;'>'''Difficulty'''</td>
<td style='background:#9CC;'>'''Skill Modifier'''</td></tr>
<tr>
<td style='background:#FFF;'> heroic </td>
<td style='background:#FFF;'> -10 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style='background:#FFC;'> hard </td>
<td style='background:#FFC;'> - 7 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style='background:#FFF;'> difficult </td>
<td style='background:#FFF;'> - 4 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style='background:#FFC;'> moderate </td>
<td style='background:#FFC;'> - 1 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style='background:#FFF;'> average </td>
<td style='background:#FFF;'> 0 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style='background:#FFC;'> easy </td>
<td style='background:#FFC;'> + 1 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style='background:#FFF;'> very easy </td>
<td style='background:#FFF;'> + 4 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style='background:#FFC;'> extremely easy </td>
<td style='background:#FFC;'> + 7 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style='background:#FFF;'> trivial </td>
<td style='background:#FFF;'> +10 </td></tr></table>

==Combining Skills==

In some cases, two or more skill rolls may be required to perform a task. The GM can decide the skills are independent and must be rolled independently, or that the skills are linked and must be rolled in combination.

'''Independent Skills''' -- Some skill checks do not depend on the success of other skill checks.

:Example: ''Gru decides that he want to climb silently, he rolls independently for Climb and Stealth. If he succeeds at his Climbing roll, it does not help his Stealth roll. If Gru did not succeed at his Climb roll, it does not affect his Stealth roll either (unless he Fumbled!)''

'''Linked Skill''' -- Other skills checks depend on the success of another skill check first.

:Example: ''Gru decides to take a running start to able to jump easier across a wide crevasse. The GM rules that Gru should first check his Run skill. Each point that he exceeds his Skill Check by 20 he gets to add as a bonus to his Jump skill.

If Gru rolled 13 on his Run Skill Check (needing at least a roll 11 or better,) he gets to add a modifier of +2 (13+9=22, 22-20=2) to his Jump Skill Check. Thus normally also requiring a roll of at least 11 for his skill of 9 to succeed, now he needs to roll at least an easier 9.

If Gru had rolled a 10 on his Run skill roll (needing to roll 11 or better to beat 20 with his skill of 9), he would not get any bonus to his Jump skill, thus succeeds only if he rolls a 11 or better on Jump alone.''

In some tight situations, the GM may even give a penalty when a linked skill is not successful.

:Example: ''For instance, in the above situation Gru may have a penalty subtracted from his Jump roll, giving the subsequent Jump roll a penalty of -1 (20-19=-1), making it a much more difficult 12 to succeed.''

==Specials & Skill Marks==

If you roll particularly high you may have a success that is considered '''Special'''. This means that you have performed the skill as cleanly or as smoothly as possible, and '''may''' be entitled to bonus.

For a '''unmodified''' skill of 9 or under, only a natural roll of 20 is considered a Special success. If the skill is an unmodified 10 through 20, a roll of a 19 or a 20 is considered Special. I.E. if the skill has a single digit, a roll of 20 is a Special success; and if the skill has two digits, a roll or 19 or 20 is a Special success.

:Example: ''If Gru rolls a 20 on his Climb skill of 9, he has earned a Special. In this case the GM may rule that the Gru does not have to roll again to climb further, or has climbed particularly fast.''

'''Skill Mark''' -- If the Special occurred during a life-threatening or stressful competitive situation, your character could earn a Skill Mark which may be used later to see if he can increase his ability with that skill. You may never have more then one Skill Mark in a single skill. (See the section on Increasing Skills & Experience below.)

:Example: ''After his climb, the GM consider if Gru may have learned something from his Special success, since Gru's climb was a possible life-threatening situation as Gru was being chased by a bear. The GM desides that Gru earned a Skill Mark on his Climb skill, allowing him to possibly increase his Climb skill at a later date.''

'''Specials with Lower Skills''' -- Obviously, a success when using an unmodified skill ranked from 0 to 4 (typically a rank beginner or apprentice) is more likely to be a Special success than with a higher skill because a natural 20 is needed more often to have any success at all. In these cases, the GM should rule that the character gets a Skill Mark, but no other bonus.

==Critical==

In critical situations, a character who has earned a Special may also be allowed by the GM to test to see if the success is a Critical one. A Critical means that the character has been extremely successful, and may be entitled to some type of bonus.

To see if Special success is also critical, roll again. The success is Critical if your roll and your '''unmodified''' skill are 20 or better on this second roll.

A roll of two 20's in a row is always a critical, no matter how little skill your character has (unless the skill is negative through modifiers!) This means that there is almost always one quarter of 1% chance of miraculously succeeding at a skill. A "Critical" of 2 rolls of 20 can even turn an impossible skill roll (where the skill is a negative number) into a “just barely” success.

'''GMs Choice''' -- It is entirely up to the GM if he allows a Special success to be tested to see if it is Critical. Many situations are not deserving of a Critical success.

:Example: ''If Gru rolls a 20 on his Climb roll, he has earned a Special. The GM then allows Gru to test for a Critical success. If Gru then rolls a 11 or better on his Climb skill of 9, he has earned a Critical.

Like a Special success, the GM may rule that Gru does not have to roll again to climb further, or that Gru has climbed particularly fast. However, if Gru was also trying to climb silently using his Climb and Stealth Skills at the same time (which would normally be considered two unlinked skills,) the GM could rule that Gru gets to add +4 bonus to his Stealth Skill roll. Or something even more spectacular could happen!''

'''GM Option''' -- As a roll of 20 followed by a roll of 20 is extremely rare (1 in 400), the GM may consider allowing the player to roll a further Skill Check, allowing for even more spectacular successes and even more interesting things to occur.

==Failure==

'''Lack of Success''' -- Lack of success in rolling your character's skill does not necessarily mean that he has failed. It depends on the situation.

:Example: ''If Gru rolled 5 on his second Climb roll, he does not fall to the ground, he just does not climb further without trying again.''

'''Failure''' -- Most situations, however, lack of success to roll under your character's skill means failure.

:Example: ''If instead Gru had rolled 5 using his Jump Skill to cross the deep crevice, it '''is''' a Failure (but not a Fumble.) In this case the GM will usually allow Gru the opportunity to use one of his other skills (such as Climb) to grab the other side before falling down, or use a Luck Roll to see if a limb, vine, or friendly hand helps him up the other side.''

'''Roll of 1''' -- A natural roll of 1 is never considered a success, no matter how high the character's skill, though, as described above, such a roll not always a failure.

==Fumble==

If you roll particularly low, your character may have Fumbled. This means that he may have messed up and have seriously failed.

For an '''unmodified''' skill between 10 and 20, only a roll of 1 is possibly a Fumble. Unmodified skills of 9 or less may be a fumble on a roll or 1 or 2. I.E. if the skill has a single digit, a roll of 1 or 2 is a potential fumble; and if the skill has two digits, only a roll of 1 is potential fumble.

To test if one of these rolls could possibly be fumble, roll again. This second roll determines if it is fumble if your Skill Check fails, i.e. your roll plus your '''unmodified skill''' is 19 or less.

A roll of two 1's in a row is always a fumble, no matter how much skill your character has (even 20!) This means that there is always at least one quarter of 1% chance of miserably failing a skill roll.

'''Fumble with a Lack of Success''' -- Because a lack of success does not automatically mean failure (see the section on Failure above,) when a Fumble occurs in a situation with a Lack of Success, the GM may, or may not, allow the character to use another skill or his Luck attribute.

:Example: ''If during Gru's climb you roll a 1, then, testing for a Fumble, you roll a 5, then Gru falls to the ground, but he does have a chance to roll against his Luck to prevent himself from falling too far. However, if Gru rolled a 1 followed by another 1, there is nothing he can do -- no skill or Luck can prevent him from falling!''

'''Fumble with a Failure''' -- A Fumble in a more dangerous situation is much more serious.

:Example: ''In the case of Gru's jump across the crevasse, a failure occurs at any roll under a 11, but an ordinary failure would possibly allow him to use another skill or Luck to survive. However, a Fumble means that there is nothing Gru can do to prevent himself from falling. A 1 followed by a 1 is worse, and in this case could mean that Gru may take maximum damage, or in fact there are spikes or other nastiness at the bottom!''

'''GM Option''' -- As a roll of 1 followed by a roll of 1 is extremely rare (1 in 400), the GM may consider requiring the player to roll a third Skill Check to prevent an even greater disaster from occurring!

==Taking 10, Taking 20==

'''Taking 10:''' If your character has a plenty of time and is not distracted, you may choose for him to "Take 10". This 10 replaces the roll of d20 in the Skill Check -- thus any character with a skill of at least 10 automatically succeeds. If you "Take 10", there is no chance of a special or critical success, nor a fumble.

'''Taking 20:''' If your character has ample time, is rested (has at least half of his FP) and is not in a rush (has all morning, all afternoon, all evening, all night, etc.) and the skill attemped is has no penalty for failure, you may choose for him to "Take 20". This 20 replaces the roll of d20 in the Skill Check, thus automatically succeeds. If you "Take 20", there is no chance of a special or critical success, nor a fumble.

'''Time Check:''' With both "Take 10" and "Take 20", the GM may still request that you do a Skill Check -- the amount you fail or succeed by may affect the amount of time before you complete your success, but you will eventually succeed.

==Skill vs. Skill==

If two skills are pitted against one another, the GM must decide if the skills are independent or linked.

'''Independent''' -- Most skills are independent. If two characters throw rocks at each other, their success or lack of it does not affect the other player's roll.

'''Linked''' -- However, sometimes two skills are linked. The GM first decides which skill is rolled first. This roll determines if the other skill roll gets a bonus.

:Example: ''Gru decides to hide to avoid a passing troll who is looking for him, so he rolls using his Hide Skill of 4. If he is successful (total is 20 or greater), then he is hidden -- but this does not mean the troll can't see him. If Gru's total was 22 (2 greater than what he needed,) the troll has -2 modifier on its Perception Skill to see Gru. If it still makes the roll (20 or more) Gru has been found!

If Gru's Hide Skill roll did not succeed, that does not mean that the troll saw him -- nor does it add to the chance that the troll can see him (unless Gru fumbled!)''

'''Specials and Fumbles''' -- The only exception to this method of linked skills is with Specials and Fumbles.

:Example: ''If Gru fumbles, the troll does not have to roll to see Gru. If Gru has a Special with his Hide Skill, the GM may rule he cannot be seen unless the troll has a rolled a Critial.''

'''Criticals and Specials''' -- A Critical always succeeds against against a Special, as if the Special was a failure.

:Example: ''If Gru has a Critical, he cannot be seen even if the troll has a Special -- the troll utterly fails to notice Gru. ''

'''Ties''' -- In the case of a tie, or where there is some question as to which skill is performed first, ties always fall in favor of a player character, or the character with the highest luck if both are player characters.

:Example: ''If Gru has a Critical, he cannot be seen even if the troll has a Critical -- the troll need not even roll! ''

==Characteristic & Attribute Checks==

Sometimes you are asked to check against a particular Characteristic or Attribute. These checks are treated just like Skill Checks, the roll plus the Characteristic or Attribute must be 20 or greater for success. Criticals and failures are calculated in the same fashion as with Skill Checks.

'''Characteristic Roll''' -- A roll may be checked against a characteristic.

:Example: ''Gru did not succeed (but did not Fumble) his jump across the crevasse. The GM rules that he was close, and allows him to check against Agility of 12 to catch the edge of the other side. Gru succeeds (rolling 8 or better) so GM then asks Gru to roll against his Strength of 15 to pull himself up. Gru succeeds (rolling 5 or better), and pulls himself up onto the ledge to the other side.''

'''Attribute Roll''' -- A roll may be checked against an attribute.

:Example: ''During Gru's climb up the tree the GM thinks that one of the limbs might break. The GM rules that there is a only small chance this will happen, thus asks Gru to roll his Luck +5. Gru's Luck Attribute is below average (only 8,) but with a +5 modifier it should be an easy 7 on the Luck roll. Gru only rolls an 2 however, and the limb breaks. If Gru had rolled a 1 followed by an 3 (a Fumble!) the GM could judge that the whole tree fell down! On top of Gru!''

==Characteristic vs. Characteristic==

In many cases a Characteristic is pitted against a Characteristic. Again, the GM must determine if the rolls are independent or linked, and a third possibility; resisted.

'''Independent''' -- If the characteristic rolls don't depend on each other, they are "Independent" and rolled separately.

:Example: ''if Gru and Saul were trying to seduce a comely tavern wench. The GM asks them both to check vs. their AP. If they both fail, the wench chooses neither of them. If they both win, well... ''

'''Linked''' -- If the characteristic is applied directly against another active characteristic, they are "Linked" and rolled together.

:Example: ''Gru arm wrestles with Saul for the tavern wench. The GM asks both for checks vs. ST. The player with roll highest over what is they need wins. When Saul tries to strike Gru with his fist in anger another linked roll is made. Gru rolls his Dodge, and if successful subtracts the difference from what was rolled vs. what was needed from Saul's roll vs. ST. ''

'''Resisted''' -- If an active characteristic is applied against a passive characteristic, they are "Resisted" and only one roll is made.

:Example: ''Gru tries to pick up a SZ 13 anvil to hurl at Saul. The difference between Gru's ST (15) and the anvil SZ is +2 (15 - 13 = +2,) which Gru gets as a bonus to his roll vs. ST -- this means Gru has to roll 3 or better (a roll of 3 + ST 15 + 2 bonus = 20) to be able to hurl the anvil without hurting himself.

If Gru tried to pick up SZ 20 stone, the penalty to his roll would be -5 (15 - 20 = -5,) requiring him to roll 10 or better to succeed (roll of 10 + ST 15 - 5 penalty = 20). If Gru tried to pick up a SZ 27 boulder, his penalty would be -12, meaning he could only succeed if he rolled two 20's in a row (a 0.25% chance!) However, if Gru rolls a 1 he automatically fumbles! If Gru tried to move a SZ 28 boulder the modifier to his roll would be -13, meaning that his modified roll could never be greater than 19, an impossible feat with no criticals allowed. If Gru tries anyhow, he can still Fumble! ''

'''GM Option''' -- If a player rolls three 20's in a row on a modified negative roll, you may want allow him a miraculous success.
:Example: ''If Gru rolls three 20's in a row, Gru picks up the anvil and throws it through the door and into the street. The wench is quite impressed.''

ALVATIA: City of Wedburgh

2014-06-16T04:35:57Z

Wayland: Fixed Fantasy Genre

[[Category:Alvatia]]
[[Category:Setting]]
[[Category:Fantasy genre]]
[[Category:FANGS]]

[[Image:ALVATIA-City_of_Wedburgh_(unfilled_small).gif|Small Map of Wedburgh (297x225)]]

=The New City of Wedburg=

==Maps of Wedburgh==

* [[Media:ALVATIA-City_of_Wedburgh_(unfilled_small).gif|Small Map of Wedburgh (JPG thumnail, 297x225px 300dpi)]]
* [[Media:ALVATIA-City_of_Wedburgh_(unfilled_medium).gif|Medium Sized Map of Wedburgh (JPG b/w 2867x2241px 300dpi)]]
* [http://www.rpg.net/sites/fangs/images/Wedburgh%20(cleaned,%20streets%20labeled,%20no%20shop%20names,%202974x2253px%20300dpi%20bitmap).psd Map of Wedburgh (Photoship bitmap, cleaned, streets labeled, no shop names, 2867x2241px 300dpi)]
* [http://www.rpg.net/sites/fangs/images/Wedburgh%20(original%20scan,%202974x2253px%20300dpi%20bitmap).psd Map of Wedburg (Photoshop bitmap, original scan, 2867x2241px 300 dpi)]

The original city map that this was scanned from was drawn by [[User:Michaelb|Michael Blum]], who is well known for his beautiful city maps for RuneQuest II and other games. They have been adapted by me for the Alvatia campaign setting.

I'm hoping that I can get some artists to create some more versions of these maps, in particular, converting the map to use Photoshop layers for text and adding ship names. If someone is really ambitious, converting the files into an Illustrator document would be fabulous.

==Street Names & Locations, indexed by Street==

;<div id="AppleLaneWest">'''Apple Lane, West'''</div>
:''Barber''
:''Weaver''
:''Ratter''

;<div id="BayRoadOutside">'''Bay Road'''</div> ''(outside walls)''
:'''Grain Mill'''
:'''Mill Pond'''

;<div id="BellGate">'''Bell Gate'''</div>
:'''Bell Tower'''
:''Coursours''
:''Stables''
:''Ostler''

;<div id="BywardWay">'''Byward Way'''</div>
:'''Baths-Public'''
:''Cartwright''
:''Scivener/Scribe''
:''Baker''
:''Grocer''
:''Importer''
:''Tinker''
:''Shrine''

;<div id="Commons">'''Commons'''</div>
:''Ropewalk''
:'''Livestock'''
:'''New Church'''
:'''Earthen Wall'''

;<div id="CooperStreetLeft">'''Cooper Street''' ''(left side)''</div>
:''Sharpener''
:''Tinker''
:''Vintner''

;<div id="CooperStreetRight">'''Cooper Street''' ''(right side)''</div>
:''Money Changer''
:''Tavern''
:''Cooper''
:''Cofferer''
:''Papermaker''
:''Inker''
:''Carpenter''

;<div id="EarthenStreetLeft">'''Earthen Street''' ''(left side)''</div>
:''Stonecutter''
:''Corwainer''
:''Pavior''
:''Mason's Yard''
:''Tiler''

;<div id="EarthenStreetRight">'''Earthen Street''' ''(right side)''</div>
:''Potter''
:''Bricker''
:''Painter''
:''Mason''
:''Bath''

;<div id="EryndolTrailOutside">'''Eryndol Trail''' ''(outside walls)''</div>
:''Sawmill''
:'''Forest Shrine'''

;<div id="GranaryRow">'''Granary Row'''</div>
:''Granaries''
:''Felmonger''
:''Baker''
:''Cooper''
:''Fortunes''
:''Salter''
:''Distiller''
:''Pastrier''

;<div id="HillStreetLeft">'''Hill Street''' ''(left side)''</div>
:''Brewer''
:''Harnessmaker''
:''Herbalist''
:''Limner''
:''Outfitter''
:''Carpenter''

;<div id="HillStreetRight">'''Hill Street''' ''(right side)''</div>
:''Carter/Porter''
:''Stonecutter''
:''Sharpener''
:''Lanternmaker''
:''Tinker''
:''Purser/Pouchmaker''
:''Leatherworker''

;<div id="HorseAlley">'''Horse Alley'''</div>
:''Farrier''
:''Horse Trainer''
:''Ostler''
:''Stables''

;<div id="LordsRoadLeft">'''Lord's Road''' ''(left side)''</div>
:''Jewler/Gemcutter''
:''Cabinetmaker''
:''Gildersmith''
:''Pawnship/Moneylender''
:''Draper''
:''Cheesemonger''
:''Apothecary''
:''Hospital''

;<div id="LordsRoadRight">'''Lord's Road''' ''(right side)''</div>
:''Glassblower''
:''Pepperer/Garbler''
:''Broderer''
:''Innkeeper''
:''Mercer''
:''Armorer''

;<div id="MarketGround">'''Market Ground'''</div>
:''Dairy''
:''Cobbler''
:''Mender''
:''Fruiterer''
:''Candler''
:''Ropewalk''
:''Greengrocer''
:''Boxmaker''

;<div id="MountainRoadOutside">'''Mountain Road''' ''(outside walls)''</div>
:'''Potter's Kilns'''
:''Woodcutter''

;<div id="OakStreetLeft">'''Oak Street''' ''(left side)''</div>
:''Spinner''
:''Joiner''
:''Sign Painter''
:''Bowyer''
:''Barber''

;<div id="OakStreetRight">'''Oak Street''' ''(right side)''</div>
:''Carver''
:''Horner''
:''Cobbler''
:''Fletcher''

;<div id="OldGate">'''Old Gate'''</div>
:''Barracks''
:''Merchant's Warehouses''
:''Fishmonger''
:''Tanner''

;<div id="OldMarket">'''Old Market'''</div>
:''Greengrocer''
:''Mason''
:''Carter/Carrier''
:''Baker''
:''Weaver''
:''Innkeeper''
:''Fuller''
:''Felter''
:''Tavern''

;<div id="ShamblesOutside">'''Shambles''' ''(outside walls)''</div>
:''Charcoal Burners''
:''Butcher''
:''Butcher''
:'''Fuller's Shed'''

;<div id="StenchAlley">'''Stench Alley'''</div>

;<div id="StreetSpinnersLeft">'''Street of Spinners''' ''(left side)''</div>
:''Fuller''
:''Tailor''
:''Spinner''
:''Sacker''
:''Haberdasher''

;<div id="StreetSpinnersRight">'''Street of Spinners''' ''(right side)''</div>
:''Tapicer/Carpeter''
:''Carder''
:''Tailor''
:''Spinner''
:''Hosier''
:''Upholder''
:?
:?

;<div id="TowerHillInnerBailey">'''Tower Hill-Inner Bailey'''</div>
:'''Lower Yard'''
:'''New Tower'''

;<div id="TowerHillKeep">'''Tower Hill-Keep'''</div>

;<div id="TowerHillOuterBailey">'''Tower Hill-Outer Bailey'''</div>
:'''Old Church'''
:'''Barracks'''
:'''Silos'''
:'''South Tower'''

;<div id="UpriverOutside">'''Upriver''' ''(outside walls)''</div>
:'''River Altar'''
:'''Cliffs'''
:'''Ruined Mill'''
:'''Old Plinths'''

;<div id="WallStreetLower">'''Wall Street, Lower'''</div>
:''Laundry''
:''Mender''
:''Dyer''
:''Currier''
:''Skinner''
:''Tanner''
:''Chapemaker''
:'''River Tower'''

;<div id="WallStreetUpper">'''Wall Street, Upper'''</div>
:''Fortunes''
:''Mason''
:''Dicing''
:''Ironmonger''
:''Blacksmith''
:''Trapper''
:''Bladesmith''
:''Baths''
:''Merchant's House''
:'''Cliff Tower'''

;<div id="WeaversLaneWest">'''Weavers Lane, West'''</div>
:''Linenweaver''
:''Spinner''
:''Shearer''
:''Woolweaver''
:''Carder''

;<div id="Woodtown">'''Woodtown'''</div>
:''Woodcutters''

==Street Names & Locations, indexed Alphabetically==

;'''A'''
:[[#AppleLaneWest|Apple Lane]]
:''Apothecary,'' [[#LordsRoadLeft|Lord's Road ''(left side)'']]
:''Armorer,'' [[#LordsRoadRight|Lord's Road ''(right side)'']]

;'''B'''
:''Baker,'' [[#BywardWay|Byward Way]]
:''Baker,'' [[#GranaryRow|Granary Row]]
:''Baker,'' [[#OldMarket|Old Market]]
:''Barber,'' [[#AppleLaneWest|Apple Lane, West]]
:''Barber,'' [[#OakStreetLeft|Oak Street ''(left side)'']]
:'''Barracks''', [[#OldGate|Old Gate]]
:'''Barracks''', [[#TowerHillOuterBailey|Tower Hill-Outer Bailey]]
:''Blacksmith,'' [[#WallStreetUpper|Wall Street, Upper]]
:''Bladesmith,'' [[#WallStreetUpper|Wall Street, Upper]]
:''Baths,'' [[#EarthenStreetRight|Earthen Street ''(right side)'']]
:''Baths,'' [[#WallStreetUpper|Wall Street, Upper]]
:''''''Baths-Public''','' [[#BywardWay|Byward Way]]
:[[#BayRoadOutside|Bay Road]]
:[[#BellGate|Bell Gate]]
:'''Bell Tower''''','' [[#BellGate|Bell Gate]]
:''Bowyer,'' [[#OakStreetLeft|Oak Street ''(left side)'']]
:''Boxmaker,'' [[#MarketGround|Market Ground]]
:''Brewer,'' [[#HillStreetLeft|Hill Street ''(left side)'']]
:''Bricker,'' [[#EarthenStreetRight|Earthen Street ''(right side)'']]
:''Broderer,'' [[#LordsRoadRight|Lord's Road ''(right side)'']]
:''Butcher,'' [[#ShamblesOutside|Shambles ''(outside walls)'']]
:''Butcher,'' [[#ShamblesOutside|Shambles ''(outside walls)'']]
:[[#BywardWay|Byward Way]]

;'''C'''
:''Cabinetmaker,'' [[#LordsRoadLeft|Lord's Road ''(left side)'']]
:''Candler,'' [[#MarketGround|Market Ground]]
:''Carder,'' [[#WeaversLaneWest|Weavers Lane, West]]
:''Carder,'' [[#StreetSpinnersRight|Street of Spinners ''(right side)'']]
:''Carpenter,'' [[#CooperStreetRight|Cooper Street ''(right side)'']]
:''Carpenter,'' [[#HillStreetLeft|Hill Street ''(left side)'']]
:''Carter/Porter,'' [[#HillStreetRight|Hill Street ''(right side)'']]
:''Carter/Carrier,'' [[#OldMarket|Old Market]]
:''Cartwright,'' [[#BywardWay|Byward Way]]
:''Carver,'' [[#OakStreetRight|Oak Street ''(right side)'''']]
:''Chapemaker,'' [[#WallStreetLower|Wall Street, Lower]]
:''Charcoal Burners,'' [[#ShamblesOutside|Shambles ''(outside walls)'']]
:''Cheesemonger,'' [[#LordsRoadLeft|Lord's Road ''(left side)'']]
:'''Cliff Tower''', [[#WallStreetUpper|Wall Street, Upper]]
:'''Cliffs''', [[#UpriverOutside|Upriver ''(outside)]]
:''Cobbler,'' [[#MarketGround|Market Ground]]
:''Cobbler,'' [[#OakStreetRight|Oak Street ''(right side)'''']]
:''Cofferer,'' [[#CooperStreetRight|Cooper Street ''(right side)'']]
:[[#Commons|Commons]]
:[[#CooperStreetLeft|Cooper Street]]
:''Cooper,'' [[#CooperStreetRight|Cooper Street ''(right side)'']]
:''Cooper,'' [[#GranaryRow|Granary Row]]
:''Corwainer,'' [[#EarthenStreetLeft|Earthen Street ''(left side)'']]
:''Currier,'' [[#WallStreetLower|Wall Street, Lower]]

;'''D'''
:''Dairy,'' [[#MarketGround|Market Ground]]
:''Dicing,'' [[#WallStreetUpper|Wall Street, Upper]]
:''Distiller,'' [[#GranaryRow|Granary Row]]
:''Draper,'' [[#LordsRoadLeft|Lord's Road ''(left side)'']]
:''Dyer,'' [[#WallStreetLower|Wall Street, Lower]]

;'''E'''
:[[#EarthenStreetLeft|Earthen Street]]
:'''Earthen Wall''', [[#Commons|Commons]]
:[[#EryndolTrailOutside|Eryndol Trail, Outside]]

;'''F'''
:''Farrier,'' [[#HorseAlley|Horse Alley]]
:''Fletcher,'' [[#OakStreetRight|Oak Street ''(right side)'']]
:''Felmonger,'' [[#GranaryRow|Granary Row]]
:''Felter,'' [[#OldMarket|Old Market]]
:''Fishmonger,'' [[#OldGate|Old Gate]]
:'''Forest Shrine''', [[#EryndolTrailOutside|Eryndol Trail ''(outside walls)'']]
:''Fortunes,'' [[#GranaryRow|Granary Row]]
:''Fortunes,'' [[#WallStreetUpper|Wall Street, Upper]]
:''Fruiterer,'' [[#MarketGround|Market Ground]]
:'''''Fuller's Shed''','' [[#ShamblesOutside|Shambles ''(outside walls)'']]
:''Fuller,'' [[#OldMarket|Old Market]]
:''Fuller,'' [[#StreetSpinnersLeft|Street of Spinners ''(left side)'']]

;'''G'''
:''Gildersmith,'' [[#LordsRoadLeft|Lord's Road ''(left side)'']]
:''Glassblower,'' [[#LordsRoadRight|Lord's Road ''(right side)'']]
:'''Grain Mill''', [[#BayRoadOutside|Bay Road ''(outside walls)'']]
:''Granaries,'' [[#GranaryRow|Granary Row]]
:[[#GranaryRow|Granary Row]]
:''Grocer,'' [[#BywardWay|Byward Way]]
:''Greengrocer,'' [[#MarketGround|Market Ground]]
:''Greengrocer,'' [[#OldMarket|Old Market]]''

;'''H'''
:''Haberdasher,'' [[#StreetSpinnersLeft|Street of Spinners ''(left side)'']]
:''Harnessmaker,'' [[#HillStreetLeft|Hill Street ''(left side)'']]
:''Herbalist'', [[#HillStreetLeft|Hill Street ''(left side)'']]
:[[#HillStreetLeft|Hill Street]]
:''Horner,'' [[#OakStreetRight|Oak Street ''(right side)'''']]
:[[#HorseAlley|Horse Alley]]
:''Horse Trainer,'' [[#HorseAlley|Horse Alley]]
:''Coursours,'' [[#BellGate|Bell Gate]]
:''Hosier,'' [[#StreetSpinnersRight|Street of Spinners ''(right side)'']]
:''Hospital,'' [[#LordsRoadLeft|Lord's Road ''(left side)'']]

;'''I'''
:''Importer,'' [[#BywardWay|Byward Way]]
:''Innkeeper,'' [[#LordsRoadRight|Lord's Road ''(right side)'']]
:''Innkeeper,'' [[#OldMarket|Old Market]]
:''Inker, [[#CooperStreetRight|Cooper Street''(right side)'']]
:[[#TowerHillInnerBailey|Inner Bailey, Tower Hill]]
:''Ironmonger,'' [[#WallStreetUpper|Wall Street, Upper]]

;'''J'''
:''Jewler/Gemcutter,'' [[#LordsRoadLeft|Lord's Road ''(left side)'']]
:''Joiner,'' [[#OakStreetLeft|Oak Street ''(left side)'']]

;'''K'''
:'''Keep''', [[#TowerHillInnerBailey|Inner Bailey, Tower Hill]]

;'''L'''
:''Lanternmaker,'' [[#HillStreetRight|Hill Street ''(right side)'']]
:''Laundry,'' [[#WallStreetLower|Wall Street, Lower]]
:''Laundry,'' [[#WallStreetLower|Wall Street, Lower]]
:''Leatherworker,'' [[#HillStreetRight|Hill Street ''(right side)'']]
:''Limner,'' [[#HillStreetLeft|Hill Street ''(left side)'']]
:''Linenweaver,'' [[#WeaversLaneWest|Weavers Lane, West]]
:'''Livestock,''' [[#Commons|Commons]]
:[[#LordsRoadLeft|Lord's Road]]
:[[#WallStreetLower|Wall Street, Lower]]
:'''Lower Yard''', [[#TowerHillInnerBailey|Inner Bailey, Tower Hill]]

;'''M'''
:[[#MarketGround|Market Ground]]
:''Mason's Yard,'' [[#EarthenStreetLeft|Earthen Street ''(left side)'']]
:''Mason,'' [[#EarthenStreetRight|Earthen Street ''(right side)'']]
:''Mason,'' [[#OldMarket|Old Market]]
:''Mason,'' [[#WallStreetUpper|Wall Street, Upper]]
:''Mender,'' [[#MarketGround|Market Ground]]
:''Mender,'' [[#WallStreetLower|Wall Street, Lower]]
:''Mercer,'' [[#LordsRoadRight|Lord's Road ''(right side)'']]
:''Merchant's Warehouses,'' [[#OldGate|Old Gate]]
:''Merchant's House,'' [[#WallStreetUpper|Wall Street, Upper]]
:'''Mill Pond''', [[#BayRoadOutside|Bay Road ''(outside walls)'']]
:''Money Changer,'' [[#CooperStreetRight|Cooper Street ''(right side)'']]
:[[#MoutainRoadOutside|Mountain Road]]

;'''N'''
:'''New Tower''', [[#TowerHillInnerBailey|Inner Bailey, Tower Hill]]
:'''New Church''', [[#Commons|Commons]]

;'''O'''
:[[#OakStreetLeft|Oak Street]]
:'''Old Church''', [[#TowerHillOuterBailey|Tower Hill-Outer Bailey]]
:[[#OldGate|Old Gate]]
:[[#OldMarket|Old Market]]
:'''Old Plinths''', [[#UpriverOutside|Upriver ''(outside walls)'']]
:[[#TowerHillOuterBailey|Outer Bailey, Tower Hill]]
:''Ostler,'' [[#BellGate|Bell Gate]]
:''Outfitter,'' [[#HillStreetLeft|Hill Street ''(left side)'']]

;'''O'''
:''Painter,'' [[#EarthenStreetRight|Earthen Street ''(right side)'']]
:''Pastrier,'' [[#GranaryRow|Granary Row]]
:''Paper maker,'' [[#CooperStreetRight|Cooper Street ''(right side)'']]
:''Pavier,'' [[#EarthenStreetLeft|Earthen Street ''(left side)'']]
:''Pawnship/Moneylender,'' [[#LordsRoadLeft|Lord's Road ''(left side)'']]
:''Pepperer/Garbler,'' [[#LordsRoadRight|Lord's Road ''(right side)'']]
:'''Potter's Kilns''', [[#MountainRoadOutside|Mountain Road ''(outside walls)'']]
:''Potter,'' [[#EarthenStreetRight|Earthen Street ''(right side)'']]
:''Purser/Pouchmaker,'' [[#HillStreetRight|Hill Street ''(right side)'']]

;'''R'''
:''Ratter,'' [[#AppleLaneWest|Apple Lane, West]]
:'''River Altar''', [[#UpriverOutside|Upriver ''(outside walls)'']]
:'''River Tower''', [[#WallStreetLower|Wall Street, Lower]]
:''Ropewalk,'' [[#Commons|Commons]]
:''Ropewalk,'' [[#MarketGround|Market Ground]]
:'''Ruined Mill''', [[#UpriverOutside|Upriver ''(outside walls)'']]

;'''S'''
:''Sacker,'' [[#StreetSpinnersLeft|Street of Spinners ''(left side)'']]
:''Salter,'' [[#GranaryRow|Granary Row]]
:''Sawmill,'' [[#EryndolTrailOutside|Eryndol Trail ''(outside walls)'']]
:''Scivener/Scribe,'' [[#BywardWay|Byward Way]]
:[[#Shambles|Shambles]]
:''Sharpener,'' [[#CooperStreetLeft|Cooper Street ''(left side)'']]
:''Sharpener,'' [[#HillStreetRight|Hill Street ''(right side)'']]
:''Shearer,'' [[#WeaversLaneWest|Weavers Lane, West]]
:''Shrine,'' [[#BywardWay|Byward Way]]
:''Sign Painter,'' [[#OakStreetLeft|Oak Street ''(left side)'']]
:'''Silos,''' [[#TowerHillOuterBailey|Tower Hill-Outer Bailey]]
:''Skinner,'' [[#WallStreetLower|Wall Street, Lower]]
:'''South Tower''', [[#TowerHillOuterBailey|Tower Hill-Outer Bailey]]
:''Spinner,'' [[#OakStreetLeft|Oak Street ''(left side)'']]
:''Spinner,'' [[#StreetSpinnersLeft|Street of Spinners ''(left side)'']]
:''Spinner,'' [[#StreetSpinnersRight|Street of Spinners ''(right side)'']]
:''Spinner,'' [[#WeaversLaneWest|Weavers Lane, West]]
:''Stables,'' [[#BellGate|Bell Gate]]
:''Stables'', [[#HorseAlley|Horse Alley]]
:[[#StenchAlley|Stench Alley]]
:''Stone Cutter,'' [[#EarthenStreetLeft|Earthen Street ''(left side)'']]
:''Stonecutter,'' [[#HillStreetRight|Hill Street ''(right side)'']]
:[[#StreetSpinnersLeft|Street of Spinners]]

;'''T'''
:''Tailor,'' [[#StreetSpinnersRight|Street of Spinners ''(right side)'']]
:''Tailor,'' [[#StreetSpinnersLeft|Street of Spinners ''(left side)'']]
:''Tanner,'' [[#WallStreetLower|Wall Street, Lower]]
:''Tanner,'' [[#OldGate|Old Gate]]
:''Tapicer/Carpeter,'' [[#StreetSpinnersRight|Street of Spinners ''(right side)'']]
:''Tavern,'' [[#OldMarket|Old Market]]
:''Tavern,'' [[#CooperStreetRight|Cooper Street ''(right side)'']]
:''Tiler,'' [[#EarthenStreetLeft|Earthen Street ''(left side)'']]
:''Tinker,'' [[#BywardWay|Byward Way]]
:''Tinker,'' [[#CooperStreetLeft|Cooper Street ''(left side)'']]
:''Tinker,'' [[#HillStreetRight|Hill Street ''(right side)'']]
:[[#TowerHillInnerBailey|Tower Hill]]
:''Trapper,'' [[#WallStreetUpper|Wall Street, Upper]]

;'''U'''
:''Upholder,'' [[#StreetSpinnersRight|Street of Spinners ''(right side)'']]
:[[#WallStreetUpper|Wall Street, Upper]]
:[[#UpriverOutside|Upriver]]

;'''V'''
:''Vintner,'' [[#Cooper StreetLeft|Cooper Street ''(left side)'']]

;'''W'''
:''Wall Street
:'' ''Weaver,'' [[#AppleLaneWest|Apple Lane, West]]
:[[#WeaversLaneWest|Weaver Lane]]
:''Weaver,'' [[#OldMarket|Old Market]]
:''Woolweaver,'' [[#WeaversLaneWest|Weavers Lane, West]]
:''Woodcutter,'' [[#MountainRoadOutside|Mountain Road ''(outside walls)'']]
:''Woodcutters,'' [[#Woodtown|Woodtown]]
:[[#Woodtown|Woodtown]]
:

==People, indexed by Street==

==People, indexed Alphabetically==

Alter Aeon

2014-06-16T04:35:28Z

Wayland: Fixed Fantasy Genre

[[Category:Game System]]
[[Category:Game]]
[[Category:mud]]
[[Category:screen reader]]
[[Category:visually impaired]]
[[Category:blind]]
[[Category:Fantasy genre]]
[[Category:diku]]
[[Category:english language]]
[[Category:Role playing Game]]
Welcome to Alter Aeon!

Advanced and new players are both welcome. New players will find custom low level areas and quests specifically designed to help and teach newbies, as well as extensive on-line help and FAQs at [http://xirr.com/ Alter Aeon's Website].

== Game Development and Platform ==
'''Alter Aeon''' is a
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-user_dungeon multi-user dungeon],
or text based adventure game, which has been running since 1996.
Alter Aeon has support for blind and visually impaired players using screen-readers.
A custom client for the sighted with enchanced map support is also available on the web site, however the game can still be played using telnet or ordinary MUD clients.

The game is hosted by the creator and developer "Dentin" on a dedicated co-located server in Texas. The code base, DentinMud, is completely original with inspiration from Diku and Merc. The code is currently at v2.05 and maintains a stable and cohearent gameplay enviroment while being regularly updated and expanded. All players may view recent changes with the in-game command [http://dentinmud.org:8080/help?helpfile=changes "changes"]
or the web page
[http://dentinmud.org:8080/changelog "Alter Aeon Recent Changes and Additions"].

== Game Play and Features ==
Alter Aeon is a medieval fantasy [[role-playing game]], with occasional sci-fi and other fantasy references.

The character system is multi-class, level-based. The classes are the standard magic user, cleric, thief, and warrior, and may be leveled at any time.

The skill and spell system is broken up into elemtal and functional groups , with a large number of isolated standalone spells and skills.

There is in-game support for clans and clan property. Players in most cases can create clans and modify clan areas without administrative support.

Player killing is only allowed on an 'opt-in' basis. There is both temporary player killing without major consequences, and permanent player killing for a full-time player-vs-player enjoyment.

The game supports server-side spam filters variables and aliases. Making your character portable and usable from most any computer or tty.

The communication system allows for player-created channels which support access lists, password protection, and player ownership.

== External links ==
*The official [http://www.dentinmud.org/ Alter Aeon] web page.
*[http://banished.dentinmud.org/ Banished Lands], forked in 1995 from Alter Aeon's code base.

FANGS: Skill Pool

2014-06-16T04:34:44Z

Wayland: Uncluttering some categories; the FANGS category is a subcategory of these now.

[[Category:FANGS]]
[[Category:Character Creation]]
[[Category:Skills]]
{{Template:FANGSHeader}}

==Skill Pool==

Any Character Points left after allocation of Characteristics, Advantages and Disadvantages fall into your characters Skill Pool. Your character can draw from the Skill Pool to increase ability in his basic skills or even create new skills.

==Basic Skills==

Every character knows a number of basic skills, at no cost to your character's skill pool. These skills were learned as play during childhood and polished during adolescence. The basic skills are: Climb, Fist, First Aid, Hide, Jump, Kick, Knife, Local Lore, Perception, Persuasion, Run, Throw, Sneak, Swimming and Wrestle.

Each character has different ability in each skill, depending on his initial Characteristics. Each Characteristic can add, or subtract from the characters starting ability. Any fractions are rounded up to the nearest whole number.

<table border=1 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=3>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Skill'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Starting Value'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Average'''</td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Climb </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( AGx2 + STx2 - SZ ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">6 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Fist </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">= ( ST + AG + SZ ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">6 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">First Aid </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( INx2 ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">4 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Hide </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">= ( AGx4 - SZx2 - PW ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">2 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Jump </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( AGx2 + STx2 - SZ ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">6 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Kick </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">= ( ST + AG ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">4 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Knife </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( ST + AG ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">4 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Local Lore </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">= IN </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">10 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Perception </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( IN + PW + CO ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">6 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Persuasion </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">= ( IN + PW + AP ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">6 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Run </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( AGx2 + STx2 - SZ ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">6 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Throw </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">= ( ST + AGx2 ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">6 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Sneak </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( AGx4 - SZx2 - PW ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">2 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Swim </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">= ( ST + AG ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">4 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Wrestle </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( ST + AG + SZ ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">6 </td></tr></table>

==Cultural Skills==

Depending on the culture the Character comes from, or the game setting, the GM may give a character a number of additional basic skills at no cost to the skill pool.

For instance, in a medieval/fantasy setting, characters might start with:

<table border=1 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=3>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Skill'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Starting Value'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Average'''</td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Craft (Type) </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( IN + AG ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">4 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Ride Horse </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">= ( AG + PW ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">4 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">1H Melee Weapon </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( ST + AG + SZ ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">6 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Shield Parry </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">= ( ST + AG ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">4 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Short Bow </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( AG ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">2 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Survival, Woods </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">= ( IN + PW ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">4 </td></tr></table>

In a contemporary setting characters might have instead:

<table border=1 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=3>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Skill'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Starting Value'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Average'''</td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Drive Car </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( IN + AG + PW ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">6 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Literacy </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">= ( INx3 ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">6 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Mechanic </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( IN + AG ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">4 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Pistol </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">= ( AGx2 ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">4 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Streetwise </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( IN + PW ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">4 </td></tr></table>

In a space setting characters might start with:

<table border=1 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=3>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Skill'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Starting Value'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Average'''</td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Literacy </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( INx3 ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">6 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Computer Ops </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">= ( INx2 ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">4 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Free Fall </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( AG + CO ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">4 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Stunner </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">= ( AGx2 ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">4 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:FFF;">Pilot Aircar </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">= ( IN + AG + PW ) / 5 </td>
<td style="background:FFF;">6 </td></tr></table>

The cultural skill set that a character receives is entirely up to the GM, but typically is 24 points of skills for an average (10) character, divided among a professional skill (such as Craft, Mechanic, or Computer Ops,) a weapon skill (1H Melee Weapon/Shield Parry/Bow, Pistol, Stunner,) an environment oriented skill (Survival, Streetwise, Free Fall,) a transportation skill (Ride Horse, Drive Car, Pilot Car) and, if appropriate, Literacy.

==Basic Skill Descriptions==

These descriptions depend on the description of how Skills work that follows. Readers should familiarize themselves with the basic rules for Skill Use before studying these descriptions.

For many of these Skills, there is no need to roll them under normal circumstances. Climbing an easy slope does not need a roll, jumping over a small ditch does not need a roll. Some Skills, like Knife and First Aid, always need a roll.

'''Climb''' -- This is the Skill of finding handholds and footholds in a vertical surface and ascending or descending it. Normal progress is 1 pace per combat turn. Equipment such as pitons and ropes and boot spikes can increase the Skill number. One can never Take 20 with this Skill. There is always the chance of falling. A character engaged in combat while Climbing cannot move and fight. His fighting abilities (attack, parry, defend) can be no higher than his Climb Skill. The GM may rule that various weapons are impossible to use while climbing the particular surface.

'''Fist''' -- This is the Skill of fighting with bare hands in combat. This Skill is used for both attack and defense. See the Combat rules for the effects of bare handed fighting. Damage done with this attack is equal to the character's Damage Modifier.

'''First Aid''' -- While this name is relatively modern, the skill dates back to the first primitive hunters who thought that they might be able to relieve the suffering of a tribe member.

This deals with stabilizing traumatic wounds. The Skill takes at least one full combat round to accomplish, and the GM may rule that the severity of the wound calls for more time. The Skill user must have equipment handy, though this can be improvised, such as tearing up a tunic for bandages/tourniquets. Except under extreme circumstances, this skill does not replace Health Points, it just stops the victim from losing more.

'''Hide''' -- This is the skill of not being seen, and it includes concealment, camouflage, and smoke and mirrors. It is generally a Resistance roll to a Perception roll, though things could go the other way depending on the circumstances.

This Skill is used when the Hiding person/object is not moving. Avoiding notice while moving is Sneak. See below.

'''Jump''' -- Anyone can make a horizontal running jump over a gap equal to the characters STR+5 - SIZ. A character can also jump half that distance flat-rooted, or vertically with a running jump. No roll is necessary unless the Jumper is surprised by the necessity to make the jump. Any wider gap calls for a roll. The Skill is reduced by 1 for every pace in excess of the above amount.

Example Gru has a STR of 15+5-SIZ of 11 = Jump distance of 9. He has to jump over a 12 pace wide cleft in the glacier. Coincidentally, his Jump Skill is 9, so he needs to roll a 14 or more to make the roll. (12-9 = 3, 9 - 3 = 6 + 14 = 20).

Jump can also be used to subtract from the damage from falling. If falling, every point the character's Jump roll is made by is subtracted from the damage done.

Example: Gru missed the Jump roll above and is now falling down a 10 pace deep cleft. His player makes another Jump roll and this time rolls the 14 he needed earlier. Added to his normal roll of 9 equals 23. The GM rolls 1d6 for the damage from the 10 pace fall and gets four, which is what Gru gets to subtract (23-19 = 4). So Gru says "Oof," picks himself up, dusts himself off, and looks for someplace to use his Climb Skill to get out of the cleft.

Jump can often be used when something like acrobatic maneuvers are necessary.

'''Kick''' -- This is attacking with the foot. Since a kick generally has more power behind it than a fist, the damage done is the usual Damage Modifier plus 2. However, a Kicker cannot move at all while using this maneuver and can only Parry or Dodge, not both. The Fist Skill above is used for Parrying unless the character actually has a shield or weapon to parry with.

'''Knife''' -- This is the skill of using the knife in combat (or to do a really good job of carving roasts). The same Skill is used for Attack and Parry.

'''Local Lore''' -- This is general knowledge of the local area and local bases of knowledge. It starts the same as an Idea Roll, but can be improved like any Skill. There are also two other forms of Lore Skill.

'''Foreign Lore''' -- This is general knowledge of surrounding lands and peoples, often gained through traveler's tales and suspect news sources. The formula is (IN + PW)/5, modelling the luck one must have to be listening to the right sources for foreign news. In more advanced societies, Local Lore and Foreign Lore are the same, the boundaries just change. In a modern society, Local Lore is knowledge about the Unites States (for an American) in general, Foreign Lore is about the customs and laws and geography of lands across the sea. In a space-going society, the Foreign Lore deals with things beyond "Known Space", including races not normally interacted with, etc.

'''Special Lore''' -- This is specific knowledge of one type of learning, such as physical science or magic theory or rocket engineering. This has to be chosen as a New Cultural Skill, see rules further along. Basic ability, once the Skill is bought, is IN/3.

'''Perception''' -- This is the Skill of finding what you are looking for, seeing what others do not want you to see, and noticing things that normally would not be noticed. It depends on Intelligence (IN) to realize that the item should be looked at, Power (PW) for being lucky enough to notice it, and Constitution (CO) for having the healthy eyesight, hearing, taste, smell, or whatever needed to notice the situation.

Generally this Skill is used with Skills like Hide and Sneak Resisting the Skill. In such cases, the Perception user has to exceed the successful Hide or Sneak rolls by 1 to spot them. Of course, a successful Perception user sees unscuccessful Hide and Sneak users.

If the user is trying to simply see something concealed, or notice something that might or might not be seen (such as a rider on the horizon). a simple Perception roll is all that is necessary unless the GM adds modifiers for clever concealment or atmospheric conditions.

Many times the GM should make the Perception roll, concealing the result, so the Player doesn't know whether his character saw anything or not. See GMing Advice.

'''Persuasion''' -- This Skill encompasses Conversation, Oratory, Bargaining, Fast Talk, Seduction, and Interrogation. It is the Skill of getting what you want out of someone by talking to them. It can also involve other methods of "persuasion," like torture, threats, and physical intimidation.

In general, Player Characters can use this skill against NPCs but NPCs cannot use it against players. Exceptions include using the Skill to determine how long the PC can last before he spills his guts while being tortured, or bargaining for goods with a merchant. It can also be used as a benchmark when an NPC is trying to flimflam the player characters and the players know what is happening, even if their characters don't.

'''Run''' -- This Skill, like Swimming, Driving, Piloting and Riding, and even Climbing, is not necessary to roll under normal circumstances. This is used when the character is trying to both Run and do something else, or when determination of comparative skill in running is necessary.

If the Runner is attacked, he cannot normally fight or dodge or parry unless he stops running. See the Combat rules for more details.

If a race needs to be decided, or a pursuit resolved, all the participants roll their Run Skill. Those who simply succeed maintain the same relative distance with the others that they had before. Those who fail drop a pace behind. Those who Fumble fall 5 paces behind. Those who Special gain a pace. Those who Critical, gain 5 paces. See the Combat chapter for explanation of these terms.

Run can also be used to determine whether a character can increase his movement. For every 2 points one makes a Run roll by, the character can run an additional pace. Round the roll up, so that a roll that just makes a 20 still gets 1 extra pace of distance. This can only be used for a full move, a retreat, or a charge move. See the Combat chapter for explanations of these terms.

'''Throw''' -- This is the Skill of throwing things with one or two hands that are easy to throw. It is the Starting Skill for using thrown weapons, but those must be increased on an individual basis. See Increasing Skills.

Example: Gru has a Throw of 8. If he wants to be able to improve his skill with throwing dagger, he must increase that Skill. His Skill with Throw Rock remains at 8.

'''Sneak''' -- This is the Skill of moving unseen and silent. It is generally a Resistance roll to Perception, but this situation can be reversed, as when infiltrating a stronghold. The Sneaker's Sneak is the Skill facing the Resistance of the Guard's Perception.

'''Swim''' -- Like Run and the other movement skills, this doesn't need to be rolled for unless the user is in extreme circumstances or, in this case, wants to make some progress. Anyone can float and tread water; making progress (usually 1 pace per combat round) calls for a roll. Like Climbing, a roll must be made to make any progress. Fumbles can result in drowning. Swimming is also used for fighting in water if the Swimming roll is less than the combat skills of the fighter, getting out of armor (each point of armor reduces the Swimming roll by 1), and pursuing someone in the water.

'''Wrestle''' -- This is grappling with someone to immobilize them and perhaps choke them or break a bone. The Skill is used to both Attack and Parry other Wrestlers. This is described in more detail under Hand-to-Hand combat in the Combat Section.

==Cultural Skills Descriptions==

The following Skills are specific to some culture or era. If taken by someone from the wrong era, they cost points from the Skill Pool. And of course Skills cannot be taken from a future era. Thus, someone from a space setting might pay out of his Skill Pool to take Ride Horse as a Skill. The Medieval character cannot take Computer Ops...

'''Craft (Type)''' -- This is a professional skill that the character can perform at Journeyman status. The character may not actually be good enough to be a journeyman (or might be of Master quality, for that matter), but journeyman is his social status with the skill and determines what kind of recompense he can expect for working at the craft. Sample crafts include Blacksmith, Swordsmith, Tailor, Weaver, Cooper, Brewer, etc.

'''Ride Horse''' -- Depending on the actual world involved, this might be some other riding animal. If there is a variety of possible riding animals, pick one. Like other movement skills, such as Run, this Skill comes into play when the character is in extremis. Any combat skill higher than the Riding Skill is reduced to the level of the Riding Skill when in combat on animal-back. Unlike self-propelled movement skills, the character can move and fight while using this skill, but ability in fighting is limited to the Riding Skill.

Like Running, Riding is often used in Racing and Pursuit situations.

'''1H Melee Weapon''' -- This attack skill can be exchanged for 2H Melee Weapon as long as the following Shield Parry is exchanged for 2H Weapon Parry with the same weapon. Only one weapon can be chosen for this Skill. Any other weapons have to be paid for from the Skill Pool or picked up later in the game.

'''Shield Parry''' -- This can actually be Weapon Parry, and applied to a two handed weapon, an offhand parrying weapon, or even a single handed weapon also used for Attacking. In the first and last instances, it must the same weapon as picked for Weapon Attack.

'''Short Bow''' -- This can also be Sling rather than short bow. It is the Skill of using a domestic ranged weapon used as much for hunting as warfare. Only members of cultures okayed by the GM can take Longbow or crossbow for this Skill.

'''Survival, Woods''' -- Depending on the culture, Survival Mountains or Survival Desert or Survival Fishing Culture can be substituted for this Skill. Essentially the ability to find food, find direction, and find shelter in the wilderness named. Things like tracking game and building simple shelters are part of the skill.

'''Drive Car''' -- Modern day equivalent of Ride Horse. Some other civilian vehicle or civilian aircraft or civilian watercraft can be taken instead. Used for desperate maneuvers, racing, and pursuit.

'''Literacy''' -- In modern and future games, this is mostly for getting the meaning out of obtuse language, vast mounds of research, and/or archaic forms of the language. Anyone can be expected to read the newspaper/faqscreen comics.

For pre-modern games, this skill can be assumed to be present for those who come from educated backgrounds, such as wizards, clergy, and educated nobles, plus any craftsmen of the clerk or scribe type. For others, it is an extra skill and must be paid for as such.

This Skill is also used to test whether the character is familiar with common literary characters and situations. Want to know how well you know Romeo and Juliet? Check the Literacy skill. Not just the ability to read, but the fact of having read. This also applies to illiterate characters who might have a very good knowledge of the hero legends of his people. In any case the skill has to be bought as an extra skill in a non-literate culture.

'''Mechanic''' -- Like Craft, this could instead be machinist, or electronics technician, or photocopier repairman. Or it could be a profession like Journalist or technical writer. It's a profession that someone could be expected to make a reasonable living off of.

'''Pistol''' -- This could have rifle or shotgun substituted. Essentially a ranged weapon attack skill. The character could take archer as an alternate.

'''Streetwise''' -- Survival in the wilderness of the modern city's mean streets. The character could also take one of the previous era's survival skills. Streetwise lets you find the people you need, find where jobs are to be found, and find where shelter can be found in the city. The GM may limit this to one city, or to the cities of one country or climatic zone or ethnicity.

'''Computer Ops''' -- Any futuristic setting that includes computers has computers that are no more complicated to use than opening a book. This Skill has to do with programming computers and fixing them. It does not include Hacking, which would be a special skill that has to be paid for.

'''Free Fall''' -- This is the skill of moving and working effectively in Free Fall. Like other Personal Movement Skills like Swimming, combatants in Free Fall have to use Free Fall for combat skills if their normal combat skills are better than their Free Fall. Because of the unrestricted nature of Free Fall, a character can move and fight using Free Fall.

'''Stunner''' -- Use of a simple futuristic stunning weapon. A GM may allow substitution of a blaster, hand-held laser, or old-fashioned slugthrower.

'''Pilot Aircar''' -- Skill of piloting a hovercraft or contragravity or ducted jet vehicle. Similar to Driving, Running, and Riding, it is used for extreme circumstances, racing, and pursuit.

==Increasing Initial Skills==

You may draw from your characters' Skill Pool to increase your character's ability with a skill.

To increase a basic or cultural skill your character already has costs 1 point from the Skill Pool for each 1 point increase in ability.

For example, Gru is very disappointed with his First Aid skill of only 3, so he puts 4 points into this skill. This raises the skill to a more reasonable skill of 7.

==Other Initial Skills==

In addition to any basic and cultural skills, you can draw from your characters Skill Pool to learn a new skill.

'''"Out of Period" Cultural Skills''' -- In some games, particularly exotic fantasy realms such as a world where a magical culture has been overlaid over a former technological culture, a character who normally has a medieval background could also have access to futuristic ray weapons, or be literate at any level of society. In such cases, cultural skills from other eras can be taken by the character at the normal 1 point gets 1 point of skill rate.

'''New Cultural Skills''' -- To increase a common cultural skill that your character does not have because the character possesses a parallel skill (such as another Craft, or a different weapon), but would be considered a common cultural skill, costs 2 points from the Skill Pool for each 1 point increase. The skill starts at the usual beginning skill level for the character. The player must spend to increase the skill at least 1 point past beginning level.

:Example: ''Gru covets the Sword skill, but he already is using a Mace as his primary cultural 1H Melee Weapon. To learn the additional skill of Sword he must expend 2 character points for the minimum skill of his normal melee weapon skill plus 1. To have an ability equal to his 11 points in Mace would cost a total of 6 points from Gru's skill pool.''

'''Additional Skills''' -- There are many other possible Skills, such as ancient history, boat, sleight of hand, pick locks, additional languages, fast draw, etc. These will normally gained during game play by training, however, you can choose to use points from the Skill Pool so that your character starts with more Skills.

To create a non-standard Skill for your character costs 3 points from your characters Skill Pool for every 1 point desired in the new skill. Use a similar skill on the list to determine the starting point value. Again, at least 3 points must be spent to acquire the skill at starting level plus one (+1).

:Example: ''Gru gets great pleasure stomping ducks. To create this skill he spends his remaining 6 points, giving him the skill 'Stomp' at a skill of +2 to his normal starting skill, which the GM decides, not surprisingly, is Kick.''

You must have approval from the GM before creating any new skills. The GM determines what normal skill the new skill is to use as a base. If necessary, the GM can make up a new set of starting attributes. [http://www.forexstrategysite.com/hedge-funds-forex-strategy-forex-fundamental-strategies/ Karoline Signor]

FANGS: Simple Combat

2014-06-16T04:31:38Z

Wayland: Uncluttering some categories; the FANGS category is a subcategory of these now.

[[Category:FANGS]]
[[Category:Combat]]
{{Template:FANGSHeader}}

==Simple Combat==

The GM can choose to use a simple combat when the situation requires it -- in particular when there are few combatants, when the dramatic pace of the game needs to be picked up, or when players are new to the game.

Combat takes place during combat rounds. Each combat round is approximately 6 seconds, and there are 10 to a minute. Combat tends to be fast and furious.

At the beginning of each round, check to see if anyone has a missle weapon readied from a previous round. This generally means they did not fire in the previous round. Modern and futuristic games, of course, don’t have to worry about reloading and are always ready as long as they have been drawn and have not exhausted their clips/powerpacks/ whatever.

At the beginning of each round the combatants move, starting first with individuals having the highest AG. A character can move ¼ his movement attribute in paces (roughly 1 yard or meter) during a round and still be able to attack, or half his movement in paces and only be able to defend himself. A character can also run his full movement in paces in a round, but is defenseless from any attacks.

After all combatants finish moving, those with missile weapons out but no ready attack -- again, highest AG attacks first. Each target has a chance to dodge if attacked, no matter how many times they are attacked at range.

Next, those with melee or natural weapons attack, highest AG attacking first. Each target has a chance to parry if they are hit.

All attacks are considered to be simultaneous, thus any damage is resolved after all the attacks have been completed. (See Damage Rolls and [[FANGS:_Combat_Resolution|Combat Resolution]].)

==Simple Combat Table==

<table border=1 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=3>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Phase'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Order'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Notes'''</td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Missile'''</td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">AG Order'''</td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Only READIED missile weapons can be fired.</td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Move:'''</td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">AG Order </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Anyone moving more than 1/4 his MV in paces can't attack </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#:#FFC;;">  </td>
<td style="background:#:#FFC;;">  </td>
<td style="background:#:#FFC;;">Anyone moving more than 1/2 his MV in paces can't defend </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Missile:'''</td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">AG Order </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Each target that can attack can attack once </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#:#FFC;;">  </td>
<td style="background:#:#FFC;;">  </td>
<td style="background:#:#FFC;;">Each target that can defend can dodge once </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Melee:'''</td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">AG Order </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Each target that can attack can attack once </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#:#FFC;;">  </td>
<td style="background:#:#FFC;;">  </td>
<td style="background:#:#FFC;;">Each target that can defend can parry once </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Damage:'''</td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Simultaneous </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Each successful attack results in damage </td></tr></table>

FANGS: Normal Combat

2014-06-16T04:31:28Z

Wayland: Uncluttering some categories; the FANGS category is a subcategory of these now.

[[Category:FANGS]]
[[Category:Combat]]
{{Template:FANGSHeader}}
==Monsters ==

==Normal Combat==

There are four phases to combat round using Normal Combat:

* Initiative
* Missile
* Melee
* Post-Melee

The Missile, Melee, and Post-Melee phases each have:

* Attack Rolls
* Defense Rolls
* Damage Rolls

==Initiative==

Each combatant moves through the following phases in AG order, highest first. A combatant can always Hold an action to see what slower combatants are doing. The held action can be taken any time later in the combat round, pre-empting or even interrupting (such as attacking someone in the middle of a move) the action of a slower AG combatant. Once the intention to break the Hold has been stated, the character must act. To pre-empt or interrupt a faster AG who has also held and is now acting, each combatant must make an AG roll and the highest result acts first. But both must still act or lose their turn entirely. A Held action cannot be one that would take the entire round to perform, such as Change Weapons, Retreat, Run, or Charge.

''Example: Fast Eddy, with an AG of 17, is the highest AG in the combat. His player Holds. Dagmar the Deadly at AG 15 is the next highest AG, her player also Holds. Later in the round, Fast Eddy decides to attack Pirate Jenny as Jenny moves past him. Dagmar attempts to intervene. Both players roll d20 and add it to their AG. As it happens, they both roll 8, making Eddy's roll a 25 and Dagmar's a 23. Fast Eddy gets to attack Jenny without Dagmar stopping him. Dagmar must still attack Eddy, since the intention to intervene was stated. ''

To add variety to the rounds when there are only a few participants, the players can roll a d20 and add it to their AG at the start of each round (or perhaps just once per combat) to determine the initiative for that round (or combat). GM and players must agree to use this option.

The possible maneuvers in a combat round are Draw Weapon, Change Weapon, Move, Engage, All-out-Attack, Attack, Dodge, Melee Dodge, Disengage, and Retreat.

==Maneuvers==

A character performing any of these maneuvers may always Dodge if attacked before he performs the maneuver, even if he starting to perform the maneuver, such as engaging an enemy. The Dodge negates the maneuver and the maneuver can be attempted again the next round. Exceptions are noted in the maneuver descriptions. A Dodge may be used against either melee or distance attacks. A parry can only be used against melee attacks.

When a character is described as being able to parry with his shield, this refers to shields, parrying weapons, barstools, capes, or whatever he may be holding in his off hand. It can even mean his bare hand, though the hand will take damage except under special circumstances. If the character is using a two-handed weapon, it may be used twice if the character is allowed to parry with weapon and shield during the maneuver, but only once if the character can only parry. See maneuver discussion below. A parry can only be used against melee attacks.

* '''All-Out-Attack''' -- Choose a target for the character and he gets to attack it twice. However, the character cannot parry or dodge. The character can move only 1/4 his MV in paces. A character intending an All-Out Attack cannot hold his attack. An All-Out Attack must be started on the character’s normal initiative. If using a melee weapon, he must be already engaged with his target. The Two Weapon ability allows a 3rd attack. This maneuver cannot be used with weapons that have an extended reload time, such as heavy crossbows or single-shot firearms.

* '''Attack''' -- Choose a target and the character gets to attack it once. (But see two weapon attacks below.) The character can parry one attack with his weapon and one attack with his shield, but he may not Dodge. Alternately, he can Dodge once, but not Parry at all. If he is using a melee weapon, he must be engaged with his target. The character can move only 1/4 his MV in paces to engage an opponent on the same round he attacks.

* '''Change Weapon''' -- The character is dropping or sheathing one weapon, and drawing another. If he is attacked during this round he may Dodge, but the weapons do not change. He may move only 1/4 his MV in paces. He cannot Hold to change weapons. You can only Hold to do something that does not take a full round to accomplish.

* '''Charge''' -- A character can move up to his MV in paces and attack once. He may parry his target's attack - no one else's. He cannot Dodge or make use of a second attack, even if he has the ability. The character must be free of engagement at the start of the round, and the character cannot Hold a Charge. If the Charging character attacks and misses, or does no damage, his target gets a free attack.

* '''Disengage''' -- The character attempts to disengage from melee from his attacker. He can parry one attack with his weapon and one attack with his shield, but he may not dodge or attack. The character must be free to move to his rear, or he must use the Dodge maneuver. He can move up to 1/2 his MV in paces. The character cannot Hold to Disengage.

* '''Melee Dodge''' -- The character defends itself against melee attacks without attacking. He can dodge any and all melee attacks, but he may not parry. You may also choose for the character to attempt to move past an attacker, however, the attacker gets one extra chance to attack the character as he tries to slide past. The character can move up to 1/2 his MV in paces.

* '''Draw Weapon''' -- The character is drawing a weapon for use in combat. If he is attacked during this round, he may parry once with his shield/parrying weapon, but not with the weapon he is drawing, and he may not dodge. The same restrictions apply to readying a Parrying weapon/shield. He may move only 1/4 his MV in paces. For convenience of play, a character who does not move at all can be considered to get from empty-handed to completely ready for combat in one round. Similarly, changing from one combat set (such as a bow and arrows) to another (such as sword and shield) also takes one round. In neither case can the character either parry or dodge while making the transition.'''

* '''Dodge, Melee''' -- The character defends itself against melee attacks without attacking. He can dodge any and all melee attacks, but he may not parry. You may also choose for the character to attempt to move past an attacker, however, the attacker gets one extra chance to attack the character as he tries to slide past. The character can move up to 1/2 his MV in paces.

* '''Dodge, Missile''' -- A character who is only facing missile fire can attempt to Dodge missiles as many times as necessary. The character can move up to 1/2 his MV in paces. If facing an autofire weapon, he must make the Dodge by as much as the attacker made the Attack, or take the difference in successful hits.
::Example: ''Gru 738 attempts to Dodge the Troll-Martian’s autofire attack. Gru makes a Dodge roll of 24. The Troll-Martian makes an Attack roll of 27. Gru 738 is hit three times.''

* '''Engage''' -- Choose a target for the character to close in on in order to attack it (if it hasn't already closed in on the character.). He may move up to 1/2 his MV in paces in order to engage his target. If the character is attacked during this round he may parry once with his weapon and once with his shield/parrying weapon. An Engage Move can be Held.

* '''Move''' -- If the character is not engaged, he can move freely up to 1/2 his MV in paces. If attacked, he can parry once with his weapon and once with his shield/parrying weapon (or twice with a two-handed weapon), and he may dodge once. If he is engaged, the character must use the Melee Dodge or Retreat maneuvers instead. A Move can be Held.

* '''Retreat''' -- The character runs from his attacker up to his MV in paces. The character may not dodge, but he can parry one attack. The character's attacker has a +2 bonus to hit the character during this round. However, the character escapes being re-engaged by his target during the next round. The character must be free to run from the attacker, or he must use the Dodge maneuver instead. A Retreat maneuver cannot be Held.

* '''Run''' –- If the character is not engaged, he can run his full MV (plus more if a successful Run Skill roll is made – see Skills) as long as he doesn’t run into something or someone. A Running character can Dodge but not Parry.

* '''Run and Dodge ''' –- The character can Run 1/2 his MV and Dodge all incoming attacks. He cannot attack or parry.

==Maneuver Tables==

<table border=1 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=3>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Maneuver'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''If using Melee Weapon…'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Move'''</td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFF;">All-Out-Attack </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Must be Engaged </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">1/4 his MV in paces </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Attack </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Must be Engaged </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">1/4 his MV in paces </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Change Weapon </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Anytime </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">1/4 his MV in paces </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Charge </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Must not be Engaged, Free to Move </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">His MV in paces </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Disengage </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">must be Engaged, Free to Move </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">1/2 his MV in paces </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Dodge </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Anytime </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">1/2 his MV in paces </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Draw Weapon </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Anytime </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">1/4 his MV in paces </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Engage </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">must be within 1/2 his MV in paces of target </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">1/2 his MV in paces </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Move </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Must not be Engaged </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">1/2 his MV in paces </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Retreat </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Must be Engaged, Free to Move </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">His MV in paces </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="">Run</td>
<td style="">Must not be Engaged</td>
<td style="">His MV in paces</td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Run & Dodge</td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Must not be Engaged</td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">1/2 his MV in paces</td></tr></table>

 

<table border=1 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=3>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Maneuver'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Attacks'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''W/Parry'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''S/Parry'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''& Dodge'''</td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFF;">All-Out-Attack </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">2 </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">No </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">No </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">No </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Attack </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">1 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">1 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">1 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">1 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Change Weapon </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">None </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">No </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">No </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">No </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Charge </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">1 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">No </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Only target </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">No </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Disengage </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">None </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">1 </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">1 </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">1 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Dodge </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">None </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">No </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">No </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">All </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Draw Weapon </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">None </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">No </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">1 </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">No </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Engage </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">None </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">1 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">1 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">1 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Move </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">None </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">1 </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">1 </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">1 </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Retreat </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">None </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">No </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">1 </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">No </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="">Run</td>
<td style="">None</td>
<td style="">1</td>
<td style="">1</td>
<td style="">No</td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Run and Dodge</td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">None</td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">No</td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">No</td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">All</td></tr></table>

==Phase Order Table==

<table border=1 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=3>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Phase'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Process'''</td>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Order'''</td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Initiative:'''</td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Actions </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">AG Order </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">  </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Move </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">AG Order </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Missile:'''</td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Attack Rolls </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">AG Order </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">  </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Defense Rolls </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">As Attacked </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFF;">  </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Damage Rolls </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">As Attacked </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Melee:'''</td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Attack Rolls </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">AG Order </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFF;">  </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Defense Rolls </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">As Attacked </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">  </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Damage Rolls </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">As Attacked </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#9CC;">'''Post-Melee:'''</td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">2nd Attack Rolls </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">AG Order </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFC;">  </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">Defense Rolls </td>
<td style="background:#FFC;">As Attacked </td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFF;">  </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">Damage Rolls </td>
<td style="background:#FFF;">As Attacked </td></tr></table>

==Attack Rolls==

* '''Missile Phase''' -- After movement, but before melee combat is resolved, missile attacks of non-engaged combatants is calculated. If more than one attacker is using missiles, the combatant with the highest AG attacks his target first. Defense Rolls and Damage are calculated. If a character with a lower AG is damaged beyond being able to act (see Damage) he loses his action. This attacker is then followed by the combatant with the next highest AG, which continues until the combatant with the lowest AG attacks with a ranged weapon. Any character using ranged weapons cannot use melee weapons in the same round. Legitimate targets include any target who '''started''' the round unengaged, even if his movement has brought him to an engaged situation before missiles are resolved. A missile user may fire into a melee situation (two combtants who have been engaged for one round) but the GM is free to adjudicate a chance (based on relative size and positions) that the attack will hit the wrong target.

* '''Melee Phase''' -- Next the attacks of engaged combatants is calculated. The combatant with the highest AG attacks his target first. Defense Rolls and Damage are calculated. This attacker is then followed by the combatant with the next highest AG, which continues until the combatant with the lowest AG attacks. Again, a combatant with a lower AG who is damaged beyond fighting capacity before his turn takes place loses his turn.

* '''Post-Melee Phase''' -- Any second attacks are done during this phase; such as the second attack of an All-Out-Attack, a second weapon used in an off hand, or the extra attack due to a Dodge Past. If there are multiple attackers able to attack twice, the attacker with the highest AG attacks his target first. No humanoid attacker can attack more than two times during a round except when using the two weapon Advantage. If an attacker has a dagger or a second weapon in their left hand and has not used it to parry during this round, the player can choose to attack with a penalty of -10 using the weapon.

* '''Two Weapon Work''' -- A character who has the two weapon Advantage can attack twice in a round and still parry with each weapon. If the character is Ambidextrous, there is no penalty to his skill. If the character is not Ambidextrous, one attack is at normal skill and the other attack, the character's choice, is at -4, rather than the -10 penalty normal combatants get for a second attack and parry.

==Special Defenses Against Attack==

* '''Disengage Maneuver''' -- If a target tries to Disengage before being attacked (based on AG order,) the attacker loses his attack and has two choices -- move up to 1/2 his MV in paces to re-engage the target for an attack during the next round, or allow the target to disengage. In either case the attacker may not attack or change his target this round. A disengaging character cannot be Charged by his opponent in the same round he disengages.

* '''Retreat Maneuver''' -- If the target Retreats before being attacked (based on AG order,) the attacker has three choices.
** The attacker can attack the target with a +4 bonus to hit as he leaves, but may not engage the target on the next two rounds unless he Charges.
** Or the attacker can chase the target up to 1/2 his MV in paces and attempt to engage on the next round, or the attacker can just stay where he is and allow the target to retreat. The attacker may not otherwise attack or change his target this round.
** Or the attacker cannot Charge on this round, though he can do so on the following round.

==Defense Rolls==

* '''Missile Defense''' -- Missile attacks can only be (1) dodged or (2) thrown (but not shot) missiles can be parried with a shield, not with a weapon.

* '''Melee Defense''' -- If the attacker succeeds in his attack roll, the target has the opportunity to defend unless the target chose Change Weapon, Retreat, or the All-Out-Attack maneuver.

* '''Dodge''' -- With the Move maneuver the target can dodge one attack. With the Dodge maneuver, he can Dodge any and all attacks against him during that round. A Dodge is rolled for each attack separately, and if successful, the attack misses. If not, the target takes normal damage. Remember, each SP of armor of the target character is wearing is a penalty of -1 from his Dodge skill.

* '''Dodging Past''' -- If the target tries to Dodge past his attacker, the attacker gets 2 chances to hit (the target can try to dodge both) before the target can pass. If the first dodge is a Special and the attack normal, the target slips by his attacker without an additional dodge roll.

* '''Parry''' -- Usually the target parries or attacks once with his shield, and parries once with his weapon.
** Each one-handed weapon or shield used with another weapon or shield in the other hand can only parry one attack during a round.
** However, a shield or weapon used alone can be used to parry twice because the user can concentrate on the single weapon’s use.

* '''Shield Parry''' -- If the target successfully parries with his shield, he successfully blocks some damage from the attack with the shield. See Damage Rolls.

* '''Weapon Parry''' -- If the target successfully parries using his Weapon Parry Skill, the target successfully blocks some damage from the attack with his weapon.

* '''LH Weapon Parry''' -- A knife in the left hand (main gauche) or some other weapon can be used to parry if the target is using LH Knife (Weapon) Parry Skill. The weapon may be used in an attack with a penalty of –10 to to Attack and to Initiative. See rules above on Ambidexterity and Two Weapon Talent.

* '''Monster Parry''' – Unintelligent, non-humanoid creatures have a "monster dodge" ability that is the equivalent of a parry and is treated as such. The monster does not lose Stun or Hit Points from this parry.

==Damage Rolls==

* '''Successful Attack''' -- If an attack was successful, damage is rolled based on the weapon and the attacker's damage modifier. This damage is subtracted from the target's Stun Points. One-half (50%) of these points are also subtracted from Hit Points (rounded up). For instance, if 11 points of damage are rolled, that's 11 points of Stun and 6 points of Hit Point Damage.

* '''Armor''' -- If the target is wearing armor, the SP of the armor is subtracted from the damage received after Stun and Hit Point damage is calculated. Each is applied against the armor separately. Armor does not lose SP like weapons and shields do. (Although the GM may require players to repair their armor to maintain its SP from adventure to adventure.) For instance, if 11 points of damage hit 4 points of armor, the Stun that gets through is 7 (11-4) and the hit points are 2 (6-4).

* '''Dodged Attack''' -- If an attack was dodged, the target does not take any damage.

* '''Parried Attack''' -- If an attack was parried, roll the damage. If the SP damage is equal to or exceeds the SP of the weapon or shield, the remaining damage is subtracted from the target's Stun Points. Then 50% (1/2) of these remaining points (rounded up) are subtracted from Hit Points. If the Stun damage exceeds the SP of the weapon or shield, it is 'nicked' and looses 1 SP. A weapon with less than 50% of its SP is unusable as a weapon, but the character may still parry with it. A weapon or shield with 0 SP is shattered and unrepairable. If the HP of an attack exceeds the SP of the parrying item, the entire difference is subtracted from the SP of the item.

* '''Special Attack''' -- If there is a Special with a weapon (a roll of 20 for a skill of 0-9, or 19 or 20 for a skill of 10 or greater) and the weapon cannot impale, the weapon does maximum normal damage (100% against SP and 50% against HP) less any armor the target is wearing. If the weapon can impale, 100% of the rolled damage is taken against both Hit Points and Stun Points (less any armor), and the weapon is stuck in the target's body. It takes a check against STx2 (for the attacker) or STx1 (for the target) to remove the weapon. However, for each round the weapon is impaled the target takes normal rolled damage (100% against SP and 50% against HP) with no additional attack rolls necessary and no effect from armor. This extra damage can be avoided by holding very still and not moving. This is unlikely on a battlefield, but a character impaled and then left for dead might be able to manage it.

* '''Critical Attack''' -- If there is a Critical with a weapon (a Special followed by a successful second Skill Check) the damage from the Special Attack ignores armor. It does not ignore magical defense spells (or superscientific force fields) but it still ignores any underlying armor.

* '''Special or Critical Attack vs. Dodge''' -- This is treated the same as a successful (non-Critical) attack.

* '''Special or Critical Attack vs. Special or Critical Dodge''' -- This is treated as a miss.

* '''Special or Critical Attack vs. Parry''' -- If there is a successful parry to a Special or Critical attack, the weapon does maximum damage and the parry blocks the damage as with a normal attack. However, the full excess damage is subtracted from the parrying weapon or shield rather than the usual 1 SP. Also, if the attack was parried with a weapon and more than 50% of its SP is lost, the weapon breaks. If the attack was Critical and it was using an impaling weapon and it was parried by a shield, the weapon is impaled in the shield, and it requires a ST check to remove the weapon.

* '''Attack vs. Special Parry''' -- With a Special parry to a successful (non-Special) attack, the target takes no damage, but the attacking weapon takes damage to its SP (this is the only time a shield can do damage to a weapon.)

* '''Attack vs. Critical Parry''' -- With a Critical parry to a successful (non-Critical) attack, the target takes no damage, but the attacker takes normal damage (100% against SP and 50% against HP) from the shield or parrying weapon as if it was an attack.

* '''Special or Critical Attack vs. Special or Critical Parry''' -- This is treated like a successful parry to a successful (non-Critical) attack.

* '''Fumbled Attack''' -- A Fumble with an attack usually means that the attacker has failed miserably. The GM decides if the attack hits another player, hits the attacker himself, or if he just drops the weapon (usually determined by a Luck Roll.)

* '''Fumbled Dodge or Parry''' -- A Fumble with a Dodge or Parry against a normally successful attack means that the attacker gets to do damage as if he had done a successful Special attack, roll normally to see if the Special is a Critical.

* '''Special or Critical Attack vs. Fumbled Dodge or Parry''' -- This is not good at all -- the target takes max. damage to both HP and SP ignoring armor. If the weapon can impale it impales. If it was a Dodge the target stumbles to the ground. If it was a fumbled Parry, the parrying weapon or shield is broken.

==Tactical Maneuvers==

A combatant can also attempt to control the effectiveness and damage done by an attack by manipulating the combat values of the attack.

* '''Trading Skill for Power''' -- An attacker can announce that he is reducing his chance of hitting by any number up to his actual Skill with the weapon. Thus, if Gru has a normal 12 with his Sword, and 7 of that is actual Sword Skill rather than natural ability, his player can announce that Gru is reducing his attack by up to 7 points. If the attack is still successful, Gru gets to add those 7 points to the damage done by the attack. This works just like a Damage Modifier and is added '''directly to the DM. '''

'''Example''':''' Gru normally has a DM of +1. He adds the 7 points of Skill to the DM to get +8. This means he can add the roll of a d8 to his damage if he hits.''

There are, of course, limits. The additional damage cannot be more than the normal maximum damage of the weapon. A Broadsword, for instance, has a maximum damage of 10 points. So Gru could not put more than 10 Skill Points toward damage. The limit is the base damage of the weapon. Normal adds for damage bonus or magical enchantment do not count toward the base damage, though some very special magical weapons might contradict this rule. And, of course, magic does add to the increased damage, just as it would normally.

* '''Trading Defense for Attack''' -- The attacker can also increase his chance of hitting by reducing his Parry chance. Again, only the actual Skill points can be exchanged, not the natural ability. And the attack chance can be increased by no more than the base attack Skill, no matter how much Parry the character has. The increase in attack lasts for one attack. The reduction in Parry lasts until the character's next initiative AND ALSO REDUCES THE CHARACTER’S DODGE BY THE SAME AMOUNT FOR THE SAME TIME. Note that this works in reverse. A character can reduce his Attack Skill and apply the points to the Parry Skill with the same durations as given before.
* Parry points CANNOT be switched to Attack and then converted to damage as above. However, a character CAN split Attack points to damage and Parry. A character can also put Attack Points toward damage and Parry Points toward Attack.

==Bare Handed Combat, Subdual Combat==

Inevitably, PCs get into situations that do not call for killing. Bar fights, captures of witnesses who need to talk, and subduals of animals/creatures for resale later are all situations that call for an attack that doesn't kill the target.

In these situations, the GM should rule that only the Stun component of attacks are kept track of. Any Health damage is strictly temporary and can be recovered quickly and need not really be kept track of. There are some points to keep in mind, however.

* Using weapons causes Health damage. This can be avoided by specifying that the attacker is using the "flat of the blade" or the haft or the pommel, whatever, so the business end of the weapon doesn't come into contact with the target. However, the user does not get the benefit of the damage done by the weapon. Instead, the attacker is using the equivalent of a club, either one or two-handed, and only gets the equivalent damage of that kind of weapon.

* A Fumble with the weapon can, if the GM thinks it would be good dramatically, turn into a health-damaging strike that might even kill the target, particularly if keeping the target alive is the point of the combat.

==Grappling==

Wrestling with an opponent is a special case that needs a few extra notes.

* A Grapple can only be Parried with the Grapple Skill. A Dodge works normally.

* A successful Grapple attack binds two limbs (including the head as a limb) of the target. The other limbs can still be used with allowances for awkward situations. Grapplers with more than two manipulative limbs (tentacles, extra arms, prehensile tails, etc.) can bind as many other limbs as they have extra limbs.

* Once Grappled, a target must break free by making a higher Grapple roll than the attacker does. This takes place on the target's normal initiative.

* A Grappled target cannot Dodge or Parry (assuming the parrying limb has been Grappled).

* A Fumbled attack on a Grappled target by a third party probably hits the Grappler or vice versa if, for instance, attempting to kill an octopus grappling a comrade (GM's decision).

FANGS: Mass Combat

2014-06-16T04:31:22Z

Wayland: Uncluttering some categories; the FANGS category is a subcategory of these now.

[[Category:FANGS]]
[[Category:Combat]]
{{Template:FANGSHeader}}

==Mass Combat==

The intention of Mass Combat is to allow either a) a combat situation between two large adversarial groups to be determined faster if role-playing or drama demands speed, or b) handle war sized combat situations. This combat system is still being designed, and hopefully should be available by the release of a future version of Basic FANGS.

There are three approaches to mass combat resolution, each depending on the importance of the PCs to the mass combat.

==Just Another Grunt System==

In this situation, the PCs are just soldiers in the battle. They might be highly regarded soldiers, but they have no command responsibility.

This is simple to run, because the GM only has to run a simple combat, pitting the PCs against opponents roughly their equivalent. Depending on the size of the opposing armies and relative expertise of the troops, the opponents might be better trained (have higher skill with weapons) or more numerous. They can even be less numerous and less trained.

However the individual battle between the PCs and the opponents goes, so goes the big battle.

Example:

The PCs are a party of five high-powered PCs who have thrown in with the Baron of High Crags. The Baron is being invaded by an army of nomadic barbarians. The Baron's family has been fighting off the barbarians for centuries. His military is highly skilled, but way outnumbered.

Becaue the PCs are even more skilled than the Baron's troops, the GM puts them in the van of his defending army in a good defensive position. He then describes the onrushing barbarian horde charging down on the defenders.

First there is an exchange of missile fire. The GM has created 15 barbarian NPCs who are about half as good as the PCs. They shoot at the PCs and the PCs shoot (and/or throw spells) back. Then the remaining barbarians close. The GM runs that fight alone, keeping track of how well the PCs do and occasionally throwing in comments about the rest of the battle, based on how the PCs are doing.

When the last NPC of the 15 is down or fled, or the last PC goes down, the GM can describe how the whole battle went.

If the PCs are killed or captured, their army is slaughtered or captured.

If the PCs flee the battle, so does the army.

If the PCs send their opposite numbers packing, the enemy army flees.

If the PCs slaughter their foes, their army celebrates a decisive victory, with enemy leaders captured and their ability to field another army notably reduced.

==Warband Commanders==

In this situation, the PCs are in command of elements of the army. There may be one or more units of troops who look to an individual PC for leadership.

There are three steps to this resolution:

A. Determine the Tactics Skill of the PCs. This is a new Skill, and it varies depending on the troops being led. This means if the PC is leading more than one kind of soldier, it can vary per unit. The formula is simple. INT/5 + Character's Skill with main weapon of the unit. If the unit is a mounted unit, substitute the character's Ride Skill if it is higher.

Example: Saul, one of the five PCs cited above who distinguished himself in the fighting against the barbarians has been given command of some of the Baron's elite troops. Now he has to lead them against the Ice Demons who drove the barbarians out of their homelands.

Saul has been given command of several units. He has 2 Companies (100 men each) of spearmen, 1 company of archers (another hundred), and 1 troop each of light horse (50 men) and heavy horse (another 50). Saul's skill with Spear is 11, his archery is 10, and his riding skill of 10 is superior to his lance (8) but not his sword (12). His IN is 10. So his tactics with the spearmen is 13 (10/5+11). with the archers is 12, with the light horse (sword users) is 14, and heavy horse (lance users) is 12 (having deferred to his riding skill).

B. Fight the battle abstractly or put out slips of paper on the tabletop (each slip is a unit, or perhaps a trooper) or get out the miniatures and scale terrain and set up a full scale battle. The Tactics Skill is both the Attack and Defense Skill of the Commander. If a Commander "hits" compare the maximum damage done by the unit's weapon (assuming all the soldiers are STR 10, or the minimum to use the weapon) against the armor worn by the defenders. If the attacking weapon is more, subtract a number of troopers from the unit equal to the difference. Every time a unit takes 10% of its original complement in casualties, make a PW roll for the commander. If unsuccessful, the troops break and run.

Example of Unit Damage and Defense

The archers do 12 points with long bow and wear leather jacks for 2 points of armor. The Spearmen do 9 points of damage and wear 5 point Scale armor. The light horse use broad swords for 10 points and wear 5 point mail. The Heavy Horse lances hit for 11 and they wear 8 points of armor.

The Ice Demons do 10 points of damage and can stop 5 points of damage. Their Attack and Defense Skill adds up to 11.

Saul has 400 soldiers all together. There are 800 demons bearing down on him in groups of 50. Saul essentially has to protect his archers with the spearmen, rain down death on the ice demons, and be prepared to smash infiltrating demons with the heavy horse and chase down fleeing demons with the light horse.

Good luck, Saul.

For speedy resolution where the Commander has many more than one unit, assume that any damage to a unit destroys it as an effective force.

If one side rolls a Critical on the Tactical Skill roll (either in attack or defense), then the other side's PC Commander has been caught in battle and normal damage from the attacking weapon should be rolled against him.

C. For more tactical detail, Modifiers can be used to help resolve the battle results.

• Fighting from cover adds one (1) to a unit's armor value

• FIghting from a height advantage adds (1) to a unit's armor value

* A Charge adds 1 to the charging troops' Damage

• Set vs Charge adds 1 to the defending troops' Damage

• Horses add 1 to Charging Troop's Attack Skill

• Horsemen cannot Set vs Charge

• Attacking from non-shield side adds 1 to Damage value of attacker

• Attacking from behind adds 2 to Damage value of Attackers (Note that this applies to attacking fleeing troops, who do not get the benefit of shields, either)

==Army Commander==

For those situations where the PC is in charge of an entire army, perhaps with other PCs as his immediate aides and sub-commanders, the resolution can be very quick and abstract, or very long and detailed. For the latter, there are a number of fine miniatures rules (and boardgames) for sale that will let the players resolve the combat. Or of course they can use the Warband Commander rules with lots and lots of units.

For the former, abstract, system, evaluate the opposing armies. We must assume that the GM has a good idea of the scope of the armies or this situation would never have happened in the game. Compare the units in the armies and match those units that seem the same on each side. For every Elite Heavy Horse on one side, find an Elite Heavy Horse on the other, etc. Ignore all the matched units.

For the remaining units on each side, evaluate them numerically as follows.

• 2 pts for every Elite Unit

• 1 pt for every Veteran Unit

• -1 pt for every Peasant or Conscript Unit

• 1 pt for every Heavy Unit (Well-armored with high damage weapons)

• 1 pt for every Horse Unit

• 1 pt for every missile Unit

In this fashion, an Elite Heavy Horse unit would be 4 points. Veteran bowmen would be 2 pts. Etc.

Add all these points together and compare the two numbers. Subtract the lower from the higher. Add the result to the Base Tactics (Int/5) of the winning army's commander.

Then roll the Tactics Skills of the two commanders. If more than one PC is involved, then each can command a wing or battle or regiment, opposed by a wing commander on the other side, and the above calculation has to be done with each set of opponents.

Winner of the Tactics Roll (which subsumes all considerations of terrain and position and morale) wins the battle. Winner is determined by who rolls highest on D20. If several commanders are involved, then each set of battles must be resolved, and further battles resolved if commanders on opposing sides win.

Example:

Saul and Gru and Esmeralda are Commanding the High Lord of Anaztria's troops. They are opposing the Troll Armies of Urgbek. They have them outnumbered, but the Trolls are ALL heavy Units.

Comparisons show that Saul's Center forces have a 4 point advantage over the third of the Troll Army they are fighting. Saul has never commanded troops before, so his Base Tactics Skill is 2 (for his INT/5), to which he adds his 4 point advantage. The Wily Troll Commander opposing him has experience but is not much more intelligent, so he is using his Tactics of 5 against Saul's 6.

Gru's Tactics is actually 3, because he has some experience. However, his troops match up almost exactly with the Trolls he is facing, whose commander also has a 3. They are evenly matched.

Esmeralda is a High Priestess with almost no experience in battles, but she has an IN of 17, so she has a Base Tactics of 4. She also has a couple of contingents of Elite Jadherian Pikes, which has kicked up her superiority in units to 7. Her opponent is the dimmest of the Trolls, whose Tactics is 3 because of experience. So she has an 8 point advantage.

The battle joins. Saul's player rolls 14, for a total of 20. The Troll commander rolls 8, for a total of 13. The center holds and the Trolls are sent reeling.

On the left Flank, Gru has his usual luck and rolls 18, for a total of 21. The Troll gets 12, for a total of 15. The left battle is victorious.

On the Right Flank, Esmeralda strides forth to smite her foes with her superior forces, and her player rolls a 3, for a total of 14. Her opponent seems to have the luck of the Troll gods behind him, and rolls an 18, for a total of 21.

Esmeralda's overconfident right flank reels back in disarray. As the Trolls opposing her send up their victory yells, they realize that there are now two more battles of humans bearing down on them. They wheel to face Saul, whose numbers for the purpose of abstraction remain the same. The Troll Commander rolls a 14. Saul's player rolls 11. Neither rolled 20, so they continue in battle. But Gru then attacks the Trolls. With his usual luck, Gru's player rolls 18 for a total of 21. The Troll's player rolls 7. The Troll Army is broken and fleeing.

This is necessarily abstract. A lot of detail involving individual units defeated and refiguring of the combat values could be done, but every step increases the time the battle takes. However much the players want that result they may pursue it.

FANGS: Introduction

2014-06-16T04:31:07Z

Wayland: Uncluttering some categories; the FANGS category is a subcategory of these now.

[[Category:FANGS]]
{{Template:FANGSHeader}}

== Origin ==

=== Christopher Allen's Story ===

In early 1976 I heard about a game called Dungeons & Dragons from a newspaper article called "Fantasies Come True". They mentioned that it was being played weekends at a local hobby shop. A long time fantasy and science fiction reader, I had to stop by.

The Game Master (GM) was a local Society for Creative Anachronism armorer (he specialized in chainmail and helmets), and quite a charismatic individual. He helped me roll up a character -- a dwarven fighter of the first level. I can remember now the head rush when I went into my first combat versus kobolds, and survived.

Several games later, I finally made 2nd level -- I was so proud! Then a few weeks more of gaming, I made 3rd! Of course, by this time I thought the extra 14 hits would make me invincible, so I went first into a 5 foot wide corridor. No one told me it led to the orc city. 35 dead orcs later (a streak of pure luck!), I died a hero's death.

My experience since that time has been mixed.

On the bad side I have experienced Monty Haul dungeons ("Congratulations, you have just gained 4 levels!"), unrealistic events ("I grab the fireball wand out of the bottom of my sack and shoot the onrushing dragon" or "I'm a 12th level fighter, I can attack 12 kobolds per round", etc.), arbitrary GMs ("Gorf the demon appears, grabs the chest in front of you, and disappears"), grabby players ("It's mine, I saw it first!"), weird dice system ("First throw a d20, subtract a d6, divide by 4, rounding up unless it...") and other travesties of good game play.

On the good side I have learned much from a number of good GMs and great roleplayers. I have had opportunities to examine many different gaming systems, and see how they affect game play. I have seen how good GMs can work around the rules to keep a game balanced and enjoyable. I've seen how realism can be use constructively in a game system, and yet know how to avoid getting bogged down into details.

With Basic FANGS I have tried to re-create that original experience, that "head rush" for myself, and for others when I GM. I also am trying to create a system that prevents many of the perils of poor game play. This has not been easy--my first GM spoiled me.

The first version of Basic FANGS was initiated on CompuServe's Gamer's Forum in 1985 with a discussion of goals and initial rules proposal. Later FANGS was playtested on AOL's Gamer's Forum and in their Red Dragon Inn chatroom. This culminated ultimately in version 1.4 of the rules released in April 1991 (pdf version available here). This was the last public release of the rules.

In the early 90's I played with the rules off on and on, including a major revision that used d20 instead of d100. Later in the 90s, when AD&D 3rd Edition system was released with an updated d20-based system I realized that that some of the concepts from Basic FANGS could be useful. In my version of FANGS low rolls on a d20 were good, but in AD&D 3rd high rolls were good. By turning my FANGS rolls upside-down, I realized that I could use my more skill/experience based d20 rules with existing "d20" brand modules. This resulted in version 1.6 of the rule.

In 2003 I talked Steve Perrin, one of original authors of Call of Chthulhu and RuneQuest 2nd edition, into stepping on board to make Basic FANGS even more professional. He has made a number of positive changes to it and has been play testing it with his gaming group in Orange California for several years.

Now proud to make this current version of Basic FANGS available online, not only under an open content Creative Commons license, but also made available in Wiki form so that players and game masters can contribute to the game system. I'm look forward to seeing how it evolves.

=== Steve Perrin's Story ===

(tbw)

== Design Goals ==

Design Goals
I set some goals when creating Basic FANGS:
* First and foremost, keep the game FUN!
* Allow the GM to create fast-paced and dramatic situations.
** The GM should be able to change the "granularity" of realism . This allows the GM to increase the realism in order to create more drama in a situation, or decrease the realism to speed up the pace. For example, combat can resolved fast when it needs to, or more detailed when the situation requires it.
** The GM can choose combat to be one-on-one, many-on-one, or many-on-many, depending on the dramatic circumstances.
** The GM who needs a reasonable way out of a difficult situation with the Luck Roll and/or the Idea Roll.
** The GM has available a magic system that is truly mysterious to the players, and learning about magic is an important challenge.
* Keep game as simple as possible, and rules consistent.
** Keep the player rules under 64 pages (hopefully).
** Limit the character sheet to one page of game vital information, though background information can be on another page.
** Preserve a solid relationship between Characteristics and Skills.
** Keep dice rolls consistent, where high numbers mean success, and low numbers show failure. The same method is used for combat, spells, saving throws, and for the performance of a skill.
** Keep the number-juggling to a minimum, so that a player can understand exactly what she can do by looking at the character sheet.
*Use Rules that are fair to all players.
** All characters start the game as balanced as possible-no dice are used.
** Anyone may attempt ANY skill; learning a skill just improves the odds.
** Magic is just a type of skill.
* Make role-playing easy and intuitive for the players.
** Imbed role-playing rules into the system with Advantages and Disadvantages.
** Avoid character classes; all characters have different skills.
** Avoid levels; characters increase skills by using them.
* Be flexible and allow for easy expansion:
** The game should be able to be played synchronously (like in a Conference Area of a BBS or a live game), or asynchronously (like a game in a Message Area of a BBS, or play-by-mail).
** Initial skills, advantages, disadvantages, weapons, and items are available, and there are simple rules for the GM or players to create more that do not unbalance the game.
** Design a small but sophisticated adventure, and describe how and why that adventure was created.

I have not completed or succeeded with all of these goals, however, I have made significant progress over the years that I've worked on the system.

== Credits ==

Given the explosion of experimentation in RPG systems in the 80's and 90's, it is tough to design a system that is not somewhat similar to other gaming systems. Personally, I found myself learning as much from their mistakes as their successes.

But I must give credit where credit is due. From "The Fantasy Trip" I first adopted the idea of an system based on skills derived from characteristics (several systems have done this since, but TFT was the first I ran into). An obscure system called "Wizards' Realm" inspired the specific technique I use to derive starting skills from characteristics. From "Champions" the idea of separating body damage from stun damage. From "Fantasy Hero" and "GURPS" the idea of character points, advantages and disadvantages. From "RuneQuest" I have adopted an advancement system based on skills, not levels. From "Tunnels & Trolls" inspired my many-vs-many combat technique, and the luck roll. From Chaosium's "Basic Role-Playing" the idea roll, and basic combat theory.

Of course, I must also give some credit to Gary Gygax and the original Dungeons & Dragons for starting it all.

Finally, I would like to thank the members of the online role-playing forums on CompuServe, GEnie, America Online, RPGnet, as well as the computer-moderated RPGs such as Skotos' Castle Marrach, Island of Kesmai and Gemstone, and my ASMRB friends here in Berkeley.

I originally started Basic FANGS in 1986 on CompuServe, and I must credit my original inspiration to some ideas from members there. Since that time many players from CompuServe, GEnie, America Online and some local BBSs have helped. Thus the "Networked" in the FANGS name, "Fantasy Adventure Networked Gaming System." This game system is dedicated to these GMs and players.

== Version Notes ==

* Version 1.6.1 (Started September 3, 2003 -- in progress) -- Steve Perrin's review and update of the 1.6 rules.
* Version 1.6 (September 23, 2002) -- After an eight-year hiatus, I have started modifying the game again. Some changes:
** Since release of 1.5, there is now D&D 3rd Edition which has a new d20-based system, and an 'open gaming content license' allowing others to release "d20" branded games. Basic FANGS d20 technique in 1.5 is very different, with low rolls being better, but in D&D 3rd Edition d20 high rolls are better. I have attempted to make changes to the Basic FANGS d20 techniques to be more compatible so that they may be used with existing "d20 brand" modules -- there may still be a few errors that I didn't catch.
** I am switching the text version from .etx text format setext@tidbits.com to wiki format
** I have a better equation for balancing attribute costs, resulting in a number of changes. If you want to know the deep dark depths of game balance, the formula for this curve is success%=(.031831*(tan^-1(0.31831*.1*(actorskill-targetskill)))+0.5 or in Excel =ROUND(0.31831*(ATAN(0.31831*.1*(A1-B1)))+0.5,2)
* Version 1.5 (January 26, 1994) -- Major update, including converting from a d100 based skill system to a d20 skill system.
* Version 1.4 (August 17, 1991) -- Final release of wizard and priest rules
* Version 1.3 (March 23, 1991) -- Limited release of wizard and priest rules.
* Version 1.2 (August 16,1990) -- Changed font & layout of printed version. Lowered basic knife skill to 40%. Different calculation for initial defense Skills. Increased coin multipliers for Wealth and Rich advantages (again!) Changed the value of the copper piece to 100 coppers for each silver piece; this should make it easier to calculate when purchasing equipment. Price lists are changed accordingly. To convert old prices to new; multiply old cp prices by 4 for cb. New requirements of ST and AG when using shields. New bonus when using both hands to wield a melee weapon. Skills can be practiced up to 75%. You can increase Characteristics up to a maximum of 20 during play (still limited to 18 during character creation.) Added simple combat system. Polished standard combat system. Attack with second weapon is now at -50% penalty. Added optional rules for non-human races as a form of Advantage or Disadvantage. Added Index to printed version.
* Version 1.1 (February 5, 1990) -- First version for wide release. First release of Skills & Combat sections. Added Stun Points (SP.) Changed calculation of Hit Points and Dodge. Changed initial values for hide & sneak skills. Increased coin multipliers for Wealthy and Rich advantages. Added Hunted advantage.
* Version 1.0 (July 12, 1989) -- First limited release.
* Version 0.1 (April 18, 1986) -- Project initiated on CompuServe's Gamers Forum; goals discussed and initial rules proposed.