We live in an Age of Legend.
After centuries of hiding beneath the earth, humanity has ventured out
into the sunlight to reclaim the world. Trolls, dwarves, elves, orks,
and humans live side by side with exotic races: the lizard-like
t'skrang, the small, winged windlings, and the stony
obsidimen. Creatures both magical and mundane dwell once more in the
forests and jungles. Arcane energies offer power to those willing to
learn the ways of magic.
Once, long ago, the land grew lush and green. Thriving forests
sheltered plants and animals, and people grew and prospered off the
land's bounty. Then the Horrors came, and drowned the world in
darkness. The world's flow of magic rose, and at its height dread
creatures from the darkest depths of the spirit world crosses into our
world, leaving suffering and destruction in their wake. The world's
inhabitants named these fell creatures the Horrors. They laid our
world waste in a terrible time now known as the Scourge. The lush
forests died. The cities fell. Beautiful grasslands and majestic
mountains became blasted, barren terrain, home to the Horrors' twisted
mockery of life.
The Horrors lusted to destroy all life, but they did not
succeed. Before their coming, the magicians of Leng warned the world,
and the people of the Earth took shelter under it. They built
fantastic underground cities, called Caers; their children and their
children's children grew up within these earthen encleves, never
seeing the light of the sun. For a thousand years the Horrors
roamed the land, devouring all they touched while the people hid in
terror, until the slow ebb of the world's magic forced these loathsome
creatures to retreat to the astral Hell that spawned them. The Horrors
departed before the magicians and wise men had believed they would;
the wary people emerged slowly from their caers, faving the world
half in hope that the Scourge had trouly ended, and half in fear that
the Horrors lingered. Though most of the Horrors have left this world,
many remain, inflicting cruel anguish and suffering on other living
creatures. As humanity struggles to remake the shattered world, they
must combat the remaining Horrors who seek to prolong the destruction
and despair of the Scourge.
Now heroes travel the land, rediscovering its lost legends and
exploring its changed face. For the world has changed, almost beyond
recognition. Many people died during the Scourge; the Horrors breached
some caers and destroyed their inhabitants. Other caers remain sealed,
from unknowable disaster or simple fear; their contents await
discovery by bold explorers. Should they find any folk still living
within, these brave adventurers may lead such dear-darkened souls out
to live again in the light.
In the Age of Legend, heroes band together to fight the Horrors and
reclaim the wounded world for those born in it. As they explore the
altered land, searching for legendary cities and treasures, they
become the legends that will light the coming days. As with those who
went before them, tales of their deeds will live forever in men's
hearts. From many paths, the heroes come to join in common
cause. Those who seek honor and glory come from the ranks of the
Magicians, the masters of magic, from the Fighting Orders, the
Disciplines, and from the Changing Breed, a gift from Gaia herself. A
band of heroes may include an Illusionist, a spellcaster who combines
deception and reality to confuse those around him; a Swordmaster, one
trained in the art of fighting with bladed weapons; and a Garou
Theurge, in mystic communion with the spirits of the world. The world
holds countless heroes, but all share one trait: a willingness to
fight to reclaim the world from that which threatens it. Through noble
deeds and sacrifice, the heroes of the world will forge its future.
The old flame is dim now -- the Golden Age is dead, but its spirit is
still with us. Humanity will prevail. We will push back the
alien invaders, and reclaim our world. We will once again reach into
the spirit world. We will tame the wild forces which now hold sway over our
lands. And until that glorious day...
We will survive.
The Book of the Scourge
Recorded by the Scribes of Caer Camrish
Twenty-fifth year after the Opening
There are four major choices available to players in this
campaign. The first is to play a mundane. Mundanes, quite frankly,
have a fairly low survival rate outside a Caer. It's possible to
survive as a mundane, but it's tough. Once you've made the decision to
go supernatural, you have three choices: Changing Breed (Béte),
Adept, or Magician. Béte Adepts or Magicians are possible, but
extremely rare. They tend to concentrate much more on the spirits. All
Béte revert to Human when not in an animal form -- there are no
Elvish Garou, for example. Béte Adepts are rare because Béte are
not Name-Givers.
Adepts and Magicians can, then, choose from eight races, called
``Name-Givers''. Magic in this world is very strongly based on the
concepts of names and patterns, so only those races capable of naming
things can use magic. There are intelligent non-Name-Giver races,
which are called ``humanoids''. Ogres, Giants, and Goblins fall into
this category. A Goblin may learn more than any Dwarf and be smarter
than any Human, but its brain just won't let it learn to use
magic. Some people claim that the humanoids are Horror constructs,
created in mimicry of the Name-givers. PC humanoids are possible, but
come with some pretty hefty social disadvantages.
Adepts and Magicians are divided into several Disciplines. These are
semi-cloistered monastic orders. Each discipline ranks its members by
Circle; novices are of the first 3 circles, competent fully-trained
members of the Discipline are of circles 4-8, and the great masters
of the discipline are of circles 9-15. See Earthdawn for more
information on Disciplines.
Dwarf Racial Package: 38 points
Dwarfs have ST+1 (10 points) and HT+2 (20 points), but their Move is
reduced by 1 (-5 points) due to their short stature. They have
Infravision (15 points), the ability to see heat, and a +1 skill bonus
with all Craft skills (6 points). As a race, dwarfs are Stubborn (-5
points), and have an Odious Racial Habit of being Patronizing (-1
reaction penalty, -5 points). They are noted for their quirk of
Loyalty (-1 point). Dwarves have a Karma Wild of 2 (3 points)
Elf Racial Package: 23 points
Elves have DX+1 (10 points) and IQ+1 (10 points) but HT-1 (-10
points). All elves have excellent Night Vision (10 points), and are
considered Attractive (5 points) by all races. They live greatly
extended lives (5 points). In general, Elves strive to live in harmony
with themselves and nature (-10 points). They have a Karma Wild of 2
(3 points)
Human Racial Package: 5 points
Humans define the norm in GURPS. They have a Karma Wild of 4 (5 points)
Ork Racial Package: 9 points
Orks are bulky humanoids, noted for their small tusks and coarse
hair. They have ST+2 (20 points), and HT+1 (10 points), but DX-1 (-10
points) and Weak Will -1 (-8 points). They are excellent runners, and
have the Running skill at HT (4 points). Orks have Night Vision (10
points) and Short Life-spans (-10 points). They are Impulsive (-10
points), which for orks is biological; an ork that resists his
impulses too often suffers from a heartburn-like ailment. They have
the quirk of Seize Life and Shake It (-1 point). Orks have a Karma
Wild of 3 (4 points)
Troll Racial Package: 33 points
Earthdawn trolls are tall humanoids with rough skin, tusks, and
horns. Trolls have ST+2 (20 points), HT+1 (10 points), and Strong Will
+1 (4 points). They have Infravision (15 points), Acute Vision +1 (2
points), and Short Life-spans (-10 points). Trolls have complex ideas
of personal, clan, and racial honor, and do not tolerate slights
easily (-10 points). They strive for a form of spirituality known as
jar'arak (-1 point quirk). Trolls have a Karma Wild of 2 (3 points)
T'skrang Racial Package: 29 points
T'skrang are reptilian beings, hairless with green or blue skin and
remarkable crests and tails. T'skrang have DX+1 (10 points) and HT+1
(10 points). Their tails are natural Strikers, with a 1-hex reach and
attacking at DX-1 (9 points). T'skrang have Semi-Functional Gills (5
points), and may stay underwater for up to HT minutes; they have
Swimming skill at DX+1 (2 points) by default. The vast majority of
t'skrang practice a philosophy called haropas, which involves
immediately and directly confronting one's fears and regarding
the universe as a challenge (-10 points). They have the quirk of
Flamboyance (-1 point). T'Skrang have a Karma Wild of 3 (4 points)
Obsidiman Racial Package: 58 points
Obsidimen are tall, heavy, rock-like beings. The details of their
physiology and sociology are generally a mystery to the other
races. They are noted for being phlegmatic and mystical. Obsidimen
have ST+3 (30 points) but DX-1 (-10 points). They
have 1 point of natural Damage Resistance (3 points), and 900lbs of
Increased Density (45 points), which gives another DR 9
versus crushing
damage. However, their Move is reduced by 2 (-10 points), and they
cannot swim (-5 points). The obsidiman life-span is extremely long (10
points); this different perspective makes them Composed (5
points). All obsidimen have the Geology skill at IQ-1 (2
points). Sunlight is part of their life-cycle, and they will fall into
a coma after several weeks underground (-5 points). They have a Sense
of Duty to their Liferock and Brotherhood (-5 points), and a
Compulsion to understand the Universe (-5 points). Obsidimen have a
Karma Wild of 2 (3 points).
Windling Racial Package: 21 points
Windlings are 18"-tall humanoids with wings similar to a
dragonfly. Windlings have DX+1 (10 points) and IQ+1 (10 points), but
ST-3 (-20 points). They are capable of
Winged Flight (30 points), and have the Flight skill at DX by default
(0 points). However, when walking their Move is reduced by 2 (-10
points). They are 18" tall, and thus have the Inconvenient Size
disadvantage (-15 points). Windlings have a mystical Awareness (10
points, reduced from the standard 15) of magic use, magic items,
spirits, et cetera, Acute Taste and Smell +3 (6 points), and Charisma
+1 (5 points). They are Curious (-5 points) and Xenophilic (-5
points), and have the quirk of Exuberance (-1 point). Windlings have a
Karma Wild of 5 (6 points)
This campaign is set long before the madness of the Weaver and the
sundering of the world. Animals, Name-givers, and mixed breeds have
lived in harmony in the caers for thousands of years. Five types of
Changing Breed are common - wolves, spiders, bears, ravens, and
cats. The were-coyotes, the Laughter of Gaia, stayed outside the
caers, hiding deep within the spirit world. Common sense says that
they're long dead, but travellers sometimes claim to have encountered
one, far from civilization, and still laughing.
The Teeth of Gaia are the least closely connected to Name-giver
civilization. They are divided into several tribes. These are less
structured groupings than the Disciplines, and are built as much on
lineage as they are on philosophy. Non-Garou are not likely to know
much of the tribal divisions, though they may have heard rumors of
political dissent within the Garou Nation.
Those wishing to play Garou (or other Béte) PCs should talk to the
GM about point costs and mechanics.
- The Daughters of Gaia
- An all-female tribe, which exalts the Earth-mother
as the primary force in the universe.
- Hidden Kings
- A Garou faction which believes that the Fangs have
grown weak with age. They plot their coups in secret.
- Longrunners
- These spirit-messangers chafed during the long
confinement of the Scourge, but have now taken up their ancient duties
with a strange glee. They carry messages anywhere, for a price.
- Silver Fangs
- The oldest tribe, the Fangs are the royalty of the
Garou.
- Get of Fenris
- The Get consider themselves to be the Ultimate
Warriors. They take no prisoners, give and ask no quarter, and suffer
incompetence in their own ranks even less than in that of their
enemies. They are vicious, intolerant, and cruel.
The Wisdom of Gaia are said to be immortal. Individual Ananasi have
been stabbed, decapitated, burned, or hung, and yet returned later to
confront their attackers. They consider themselves to be the direct
descendants of Grandmother Spider, the Great Weaver. Ananasi have one
great flaw -- they are incapable of digesting normal food in any of
their larger forms. Most therefore eat in their spider form, though
they can digest blood if necessary.
The Ananasi Queen was lost in the early days of the Scourge. Her
children swear she is out there, somewhere, and that they will find
her soon. What she may have become, influenced by the Horror presence
in the world, is not fully known.
The Health of Gaia are renowned for their strength, control, and persistant
connection to the spirit world. Many of the Gurahl, rather than drain
the resources of the caers, placed themselves into hibernation to
sleep away the Scourge. Those who remained conscious, or were born
during the Scourge, are currently seeking their sleeping ancestors.
The Messengers of Gaia are as contradictory as the crows they become:
solitary and omnipresent, secretive and talkative. But hey, they can fly.
The Eyes of Gaia are everywhere. During the Scourge, their feline
breed almost died out. They are recovering now, and beginning to
repopulate the wilds.
There are nine Disciplines which are commonly practiced in the
area. Each of them is listed below with a brief description of its
philosophy and a list of the Talents which it is particularly
proficient in. It is possible for an Adept to gain training outside of
his Discipline, but it is difficult. Warrior Talents don't easily fit
into the world-view of most Archers, and the Warriors aren't eager to
part with their most powerful secrets.
Clear sight and aim
Animals are at least as important as humans. Very closely tied to the
Béte.
You and your mount are one.
Follow the Path.
Honor above all.
Flair and style.
Stealth. Hide. Take interesting things - not everything, only things
worthy of being stolen. And don't tell anyone about it.
Classic Bards
The Beauty of Combat
Forge yourself as you forge your blades
There are four Orders of magicians; each one specializes in a
particular area of magic. Wizards are by far the most versatile,
though it could be argued that Illusionists are the most powerful in
terms of raw mana potential, or that Elementalists are unequalled in
combat-magic, or that Nethermancers have an uncanny tendency to
outlive their rivals. Each Order has a brief description and a list of
the Paths of magic in which it is particularly strong or weak. These
are not mechanics-related - it's just unlikely that an Elementalist
would be trained in Gate magic, for example.
- Strong:
- Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Plant, Making & Breaking
- Weak:
- Meta-Magic, Knowledge, Communication & Empathy,
Protection & Warning, Necromancy, Healing, Body Control, Food, Illusion,
Creation, Light & Dark, Mind Control, Gate, Tech, Movement, Sound
- Strong:
- Illusion, Creation, Light & Dark, Mind Control,
Movement, Sound
- Weak:
- Meta-Magic, Knowledge, Communication & Empathy,
Protection & Warning, Necromancy, Healing, Body Control, Food, Air,
Fire, Water, Earth, Gate, Tech, Plant, Animal, Making & Breaking
- Strong:
- Necromancy, Healing, Body Control, Food, Animal, Gate
- Weak:
- Meta-Magic, Knowledge, Communication & Empathy,
Protection & Warning, Illusion, Creation, Light & Dark, Mind
Control, Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Plant, Sound, Movement
- Strong:
- Meta-Magic, Knowledge, Communication & Empathy,
Protection & Warning, Tech, Making & Breaking, Gate, Creation, Mind
Control, Movement
- Weak:
- Necromancy, Healing, Body Control, Food, Illusion,
Light & Dark, Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Plant, Animal, Sound
- I'm not sure how to deal with the issue of attributes. At the
moment, I'm leaning towards the second choice, with a strong cap of 13
on attributes. The Béte can switch forms if they need to be more
pumped, and the Adepts have Talents which can close the gap. I want to
emphasize that what makes Adepts is not natural speed or strength, but
determination bordering on insanity. In a world ravaged by astral
nightmares for longer than their civilization can remember, they're
willing to pull astral energy into their own bodies, touch it, bathe
in it, and then try to bend it to service. And don't get me started on
Magicians...Béte have a different issue: being one doesn't actually
make you any spiffier than normal in your human form. It's possible to
go for most of your life as an out-of-shape, perfectly normal human,
then discover that you're in fact a Garou...and still not want
anything to do with working out or combat.
- Buy all skills as if the relevant attributes were 10. Then, compute IQ
as follows: add up the number of points spent on Pure Mental skills
and divide by two. Calculate IQ as if this many points had been spent
on it. Social and Esoteric skills (those which do not receive full
benefits from Eidetic Memory) count for no more than 2 points
each. The same thing is done for DX: add up the number of points spent
on all Physical skills, divide by 2, and spend this on DX.
- Buy attributes as normal. Skills are bought somewhat
differently, however. All defaults are now modified to be relative to
half of the relevant attribute. So something which defaulted to (IQ -
5) now defaults to IQ/2, while something which defaulted to (DX - 6)
now defaults to (DX/2 - 1). If your attributes are all 10, all the
numbers will come out the same, but high attributes no longer make it
trivial to be an expert in many skills. See 2.1.
Table:
Physical Skills
Table:
Mental Skills
| Level |
Easy |
Average |
Hard |
| Default |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| (Default+DX)/2 |
1/2 |
1/2 |
1/2 |
| DX-2 |
- |
- |
1 |
| DX-1 |
- |
1 |
2 |
| DX |
1 |
2 |
4 |
| DX+1 |
2 |
4 |
8 |
| DX+2 |
4 |
8 |
16 |
| DX+3 |
8 |
16 |
24 |
| DX+4 |
16 |
24 |
32 |
| +1 Beyond |
+8 |
+8 |
+8 |
| Level |
Easy |
Average |
Hard |
Very Hard |
| Default |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| (Default+IQ)/2 |
1/2 |
1/2 |
1/2 |
1/2 |
| IQ-2 |
- |
- |
1 |
2 |
| IQ-1 |
- |
1 |
2 |
4 |
| IQ |
1 |
2 |
4 |
8 |
| IQ+1 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
12 |
| IQ+2 |
4 |
6 |
8 |
16 |
| IQ+3 |
6 |
8 |
10 |
20 |
| IQ+4 |
8 |
10 |
12 |
24 |
| +1 Beyond |
+2 |
+2 |
+2 |
+4 |
|
- We're using the ``Frequency of Submission'' rules from the front
of Compendium I. Also, because Will is so important to magical
effects, it must be bought as a seperate attribute. Perception, also,
has been seperated from IQ. Acute Senses and Alertness are now bought
from a base of 10.
These are operating under very different Rage and Gnosis mechanics.
The cultural problems which twentieth-century Bete encounter are
changed. There is no Delerium, no Veil. There are also no Wendigo, no
Children of Gaia, no Rokea...As it is for humans, the spirit world
is now a very dangerous place. Travelling without a Moon Bridge, or to
an unprotected destination, is unwise. Travelling alone under such
conditions is suicidal.
Rage is now a power, costing 5 points/level, with an associated M/H
skill. The average Lupine has a Rage of 2-6. (Rage Power) is added as
a penalty to stepping sideways rolls. A Rage skill roll lets you
remove Rage Power seconds from shifting. With a Rage skill roll, Rage
power can be added to HT on a roll to stay conscious or avoid
death. You can also make a number of Rage rolls each turn equal to
your Rage power; each one you make lets you take another physical
action (think of it as Full Coordination). Rage also makes it harder
to interact with humans; Half of Rage power is used as a modifier to
all reaction rolls - positive for intimidation, negative for aid, and
so on. Any Rage roll made by 5 or more leads to Frenzy, and any time
when Rage would normally be "spent" or otherwise used requires such a
roll, just in case. This margin can be widened at half attribute cost
(5,5,5,7.5,7.5,...). Rage rolls to check for Frenzy are also made when
entering combat, when first wounded, and whenever under stress.
Gnosis has also been reimplemented as a power/skill combination,
though the skill is based off of Will. You make a Gnosis (Will:M/H)
skill roll every time you would have spent a point of Gnosis under the
WW system. You have to accumulate twice as many points of success as
you would have spent points - this can be an extended roll. You can
make such a roll every (Gauntlet)/(Gnosis Power) minutes. If you get
extra points of success, then assume the're evenly distributed. So if
the Gauntlet is 8, your Gnosis power is 4, and you need 2 points of
success but get 4, it takes 1 minute.
Every use of Gnosis builds up Taint. Taint decays at a rate of 1
per week, on a failed Taint roll (the more you've got, the slower it is
to fade); a ritual similar to an Adept's Karma Ritual will increase
this by half the margin of success on a check against the Karma Ritual
(M/H) skill.
Gifts are also changed; most gifts are now M/H skills. Some very few
are M/VH - check with your GM. Rites and Rituals now default to the
Path of Accord, Path of the Caer, Path of Death, Path of the Umbra
(was Mystic Path), Path of Punishment, Path of Renown, and Path of
Seasons at a penalty equal to twice their White Wolf level. Each of
these Paths then defaults to Ritual Magic (Garou) at -6.
Packages for the various shapeshifters can be found elsewhere. Talk to
your GM. In general, Wolves, Bears, Spiders, Cats, and Crows are
available. Béte are not Name-givers.
Adepts are those people brave and crazy enough to draw the raw essence
of magic into themselves and use it to power particular
tricks. Some Name-givers can store different amounts of this magic
(called Karma) within themselves. The mechanic for this involves
a new statistics: Taint Points. Though the characters view themselves
as channelling Karma from astral space, the mechanics are focused on
the Taint which acrues to the Adepts' bodies.
The uses for Karma are varied -- it can be spent to improve the
chance of succeeding at a task (``Wild Karma''), to make an action
magical in some way (``Chanelled Karma'') or to fuel certain magical
abilities, called Talents.
When a character is about to perform an especially difficult or
important action in a discipline-appropriate field, the player
may choose to use Karma on that action. This causes the character to
gain a point of Taint, but any occurances of the ``Karma Wild'' number
in the resulting roll are wild, and may be set to any number of the
player's choosing. This may only be done once per die roll, however.
Sometimes simply being lucky isn't enough, and a character needs to
perform in a superhuman fashion -- running straight up a wall,
jump-kicking 3 guards in one second, folding a lethal dagger out of a
sheet of paper, or walking invisibly through a crowded room. Any skill
that the character has points in (no defaults) may be extended beyond
its limits with Karma but only if used in a
discipline-appropriate field. An important thing to note is that
nearly the exact same result can be derived from utilizing any number
of Channelled Skills. There are limits to using this technique: while
one could conceivably use Karma Light Walk to walk on water, one could not
use the same skill to cross a gap between rooftops. Of course, if it's
a foggy night and the GM so chooses, he may allow Karma Light Walk to walk
on mist... but such an effect would be expensive in terms of Taint.
Karma-generated skills cannot be taught to anyone, they are
physical-magical improvisations upon a theme. If such a skill is
formalized into a Talent, it may then be taught to others.
When attempting a use of Karma to enhance a skill, the Adept must take
at least one turn to Concentrate. Then he will roll against (mundane
skill-3) and gain a minimum of 1 Taint per effect, whether
or not the roll succeeds. At the GM's discretion, a higher Taint cost
may be levied for more difficult effects.
If a character is consistently using the same Channelled Skill and
effect, it would be appropriate to define it as a Talent. Compare
Stealth and Invisibility Art, for example. One could make the argument
that Invisibility Art started out as Karma Stealth. The new skill
should have strict limits on the duration and effect. The player and
the GM should work together to set the name, skill difficulty,
prerequisites, skill description, concentration time, effects, and any
additional requirements (Taint accumulation, acupuncture needles, pure
elements, etc.) needed for the skill. Some handy rules of thumb: M/H
skills tend to require (20-skill level) turns of concentration; M/VH
skills tend to require (25-skill level) turns of concentration; and
prerequisite skill levels should be a minimum of 12+.
Many Talents are already defined, and are listed in a different
section of this document. Which Talents are available to a given
character will depend on which Disciplines he is a member of and what
Circle he has acheived. These are purely social requirements, of
course - it's just that Archers don't normally teach all of their
neat tricks to people who don't believe that Clear Sight is the
driving goal of all mankind.
Taint normally reduces itself by one point per week, on a failed Taint
roll (the more you've got, the slower it fades). Performance of the
Karma Ritual (M/H) taught by the appropriate Discipline will reduce it
by half the margin of success.
There are several groups of magicians, each of whom structures their
magic differently. However, to keep things simple, most of them will
use the same mechanics. Spells are small, simple patterns woven in
astral space. Each spell pattern is composed of a certain number of
threads. Each thread takes a few minutes to weave into the spell's
pattern, though very skilled mages can weave faster, at the cost of
some sloppiness with respect to acquiring Taint. Once a magician has
finished weaving a spell pattern together, it remains attached to his
pattern until he activates it.
When a spell pattern is activated, threads whip out, connecting it to
the pattern of the target. The spell threads fill with mana, and
something magical happens. This connection to astral space has a
chance of attracting something nasty to the magician's vicinity; the
mechanic for this is called Taint. Whenever a magician hurries his
weaving of a spell, he increases his Taint rating by the cost of the
spell. When the Taint rating gets high enough, Bad Things happen.
It is well known that Bad Things happen more in the areas where
Horrors were prevalent. You have been warned.
To play a magician character, you must buy the ``Unusual Background:
Magician (10)'' advantage. This grants no bonuses to learn spells or
magical skills, but it does provide a very rudimentary ability to
sense enchantments and changing mana levels on a Thaumatology roll.
Magicians learn spells in related groups called Colleges. No College
skill may ever be known at a level higher than the magician's
Ritual Magic skill, which represents his general familiarity with
magic. All Colleges default to Thaumatology(Tradition)-6. All Colleges
are M/VH skills.
Individual spells are learned as maneuvers off of whatever college
they're a member of, at a penalty which depends on their cost to cast
(See 2.4). Most spells are Average Maneuvers; M/VH
spells become Hard Maneuvers (See 2.4). You still
must meet all the prerequisites for a spell before you can study it,
and you can never raise it above the level of its
college. Prerequisites which refer to levels of Magery now require an
appropriate level of Thaumatology: 15 for Magery 1, 18 for Magery 2,
21 for Magery 3.
| Spell Type |
Default Penalty |
| Regular (M/H) |
Cost to Cast + 1 |
| Regular (M/VH) |
Cost to Cast + 2 |
| Area |
Base Cost
2 |
| Variable Cost (e.g. Missile) |
Adjusted Cost to Cast +1 or +2 |
Table:
Maneuver Costs
| Level |
P/*/A |
P/*/H |
M/*/A |
M/*/H |
M/VH/A |
M/VH/H |
| Default |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Def+1 |
1/2 |
1 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
1/2 |
| Def+2 |
1 |
2 |
-- |
1/2 |
1/2 |
1 |
| Def+3 |
2 |
4 |
1/2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| +1 Beyond |
+2 |
+2 |
+1/2 |
+1/2 |
+1 |
+1 |
|
Hurrying the casting process, or ``fast-casting'', generates
Taint. So what happens when your Taint builds up? The same thing
that happens to Béte or Adepts: it is applied as a penalty to all
tasks involving creativity, innovation, or hope. It is applied as a
bonus to any roll for a Horror to notice or target you. High Taint is
Bad News. Low but non-zero Taint may be a reasonable price to pay for
a particular effect, however.
A few other changes to the system:
- Magicians may learn the Thaumatology skill, which substitutes
for an IQ roll when trying to innately detect magic. It also allows a
roll before any casting as the mage considers ways to take advantage
of the natural mana flows. Acting on the advice of such a roll adds a
bonus equal to half the margin of success to the Ritual Magic roll.
- All successful spells have added to their margin of success the
margin of success (minimum 0) on an unmodified Will roll. This is
important both in resisted spells, where it gives a strong-willed
caster a very large advantage, and in damaging spells, where the
margin is also added to damage.
- The long-distance modifiers are applied to spells, as are the
multiple-targets, area-effect, and fast-casting modifiers from GURPS
Voodoo.
- It is possible for a mage to cast a number of spells, one at a
time, and have them last for an extended period of time. For example,
a cautious mage might cast several warding and detection spells, all
lasting for several days, so that he might not be ambushed by his
enemies. It is difficult to do, however. For each spell that is "on"
at a given moment, there is a -1 penalty to cast new spells. For each
spell that requires the caster's active concentration, there is a -3
penalty to each new spell. These spells are noted in their
descriptions. Spells with permanent effects, like "Purify Water",
carry no penalties. Hanging spells are cast just like normal spells,
with an added duration penalty. If the spell is successfully cast, it
will "hang", sitting ready to be used in an instant by the mage.
Hanging spells are the most common form of combat magic, and count as
"maintained spells". All maintained spells are detectable by spells
which detect magic or auras. Additionally, they will taint the mage
who uses them, as long as they remain hanging. But see the section on
Spell Matrices, below.
- Magicians may create ``Charms,'' a level of enchantment even
quicker and dirtier than usual. These are usually one shot, almost
disposable enchantments. Basically, the mage simply casts a "hanging"
spell on an object, with a specified duration. This item can then be
given to anyone, used by anyone, or stored for later use. This ability
is easily abused, but represents a major source of income for
magicians. "Charms" have the property of "shelf-lives". This is how
long the charm will last before it dissipates uselessly. Use the
duration penalties for shelf life. For example, a mage might cast a 5d
"Fireball" (Fire -6) on a golf ball with a 1 week duration (-4), for a
total -10 penalty. But he can cast them at his leisure, and carry them
or sell them, with no penalties for maintained spells. The items do
carry the Taint of the spells on them, however, and this will blend in
with the aura of whoever is carrying them. Note that charms may have
both duration and shelf life. For example, a mage might cast "Breathe
Water" (Water -5) on a ring, intended to last 1 day (-2), with a shelf
life of 1 week (-4). This is a total penalty of -11, but now he has a
way for his fighter friend to reach that Lost City Under the Waves.
- Enchanters creating items using the Quick and Dirty method must
be made in a single ritual, with each participant putting a number of
points of power equal to his margin of success into the item each
duration. Assuming 20-minute rituals, a moderately skilled mage can do
quite well as an enchanter. The lower of each mage's Enchant spell and
the spell being enchanted are used.
- Enchanters using the Slow and Sure method may each put their
modified skill in Energy Points into an item each day. Thus, three
casters with skills of 12, 15, and 17 would put in
(12-2)+(15-2)+(17-2) = 38 points per day. The lower of each caster's
skill with Enchant and the spell being enchanted is used.
- Powerstones do exist, and work pretty much as normal - each
point of power from a powerstone gives a bonus of +1 to one casting,
and takes a day to recharge.
- All magic items are priced at between $1 and $2 per point of
energy, plus costs for materials, rare knowledge, secrecy, and
legality.
- Magicians can cast spells from grimoires, written magical
formulae. The caster uses the lower of his own skill with the spell,
which may be at default, or the "skill" of the grimoire, which is
determined when it is written. A magician cannot use a grimoire
without normally being able to improvise the spell! Spells cast from
grimoires cannot be cast in less than full time. Most Grimoires will
be written with a particular method of magic in mind. GMs can rule
that spells written for the Arcane Flautists cannot be cast without
the skill Musical Instrument: Flute.
- For every rank of the ``Spell Matrix (5)'' advantage which the
magician posesses, he may leave one spell hung without counting its
Taint against his total. Spell matrices may only be attuned through
full-time slow casting. Certain magicians are known to use ``Spell
Matrix Objects,'' embedding the patterns for their spells into their
robes and staffs.
- Augury
- M/VH, default(SK:Theology-4, SK:Occultism-3), page(CI137)
- Autohypnosis
- M/H, page(CI137)
- Blind Fighting
- M/VH, needs(ADS:Trained by a Master | ADS:Weapon Master), page(CI138)
- Blinding Touch
- M/VH, needs(SK:Pressure Points=15, ADS:Trained by a Master | SK:Pressure Points=15, ADS:Weapon Master), page(CI138)
- Body Control
- M/VH, needs(SK:Breath Control, SK:Meditation, ADS:Trained by a Master | SK:Breath Control, SK:Meditation, ADS:Weapon Master), page(CI138)
- Breaking Blow
- M/H, needs(ADS:Trained by a Master | ADS:Weapon Master), page(CI138)
- Change Control
- M/H, needs(ADS:Multiple Forms), page(CI138)
- Chi Treatment
- M/H, default(IQ-6), page(CI138)
- Dislocating
- P/H, needs(SK:Escape=15, ADS:Trained by a Master | SK:Escape=15, ADS:Weapon Master), page(CI138)
- Dreaming
- M/VH, default(IQ-10), page(CI139)
- Drunken Fighting
- P/H, needs(SK:Judo=16, ADS:Trained by a Master | SK:Karate=16, ADS:Trained by a Master | ADS:Weapon Master), page(CI139)
- Persuade (Enthrallment)
- M/A, needs(SK:Bard=12, ADS:Charisma), page(CI139)
- Sway Emotions (Enthrallment)
- M/A, needs(SK:Persuade (Enthrallment)=12, ADS:Charisma), page(CI139)
- Suggestion (Enthrallment)
- M/H, needs(SK:Persuade (Enthrallment)=12, ADS:Charisma), page(CI139)
- Captivate (Enthrallment)
- M/H, needs(SK:Suggestion (Enthrallment)=12, ADS:Charisma=1), page(CI139)
- Fire Walking
- M/H, default(Will-5), page(CI140)
- Flying Fists
- M/VH, needs(SK:Karate=20, SK:Power Blow=16, SK:Breaking Blow=16, SK:Mental Strength=16, SK:Meditation=16, ADS:Trained by a Master), page(CI140)
- Flying Leap
- M/H, needs(SK:Power Blow, SK:Jumping, ADS:Trained by a Master), page(CI140)
- Hand of Death
- M/VH, needs(SK:Breaking Blow=20, SK:Pressure Secrets=20, SK:Power Blow=20, ADS:Trained by a Master), page(CI140)
- Hypnotic Hands
- M/H, needs(SK:Hypnotism=15, ADS:Trained by a Master), page(CI141)
- Immovable Stance
- P/H, needs(ADS:Trained by a Master), page(CI141)
- Invisibility Art
- M/VH, needs(SK:Hypnotism=16, SK:Stealth=16, ADS:Trained by a Master), page(CI141)
- Kiai
- P/H, stat(HT), needs(ADS:Trained by a Master), page(MCI141)
- Light Walk
- M/H, needs(SK:Acrobatics=15, SK:Stealth=15, ADS:Trained by a Master), page(CI142)
- Lucid Dreaming
- M/E, default(Will-4), page(CI142)
- Meditation (Cinematic)
- M/VH, page(CI142)
- Meditation (Realistic)
- M/H, default(IQ-5), page(CI142)
- Mental Strength
- M/H, needs(ADS:Trained by a Master | ADS:Weapon Master), page(CI142)
- Mountain Heart
- M/VH, needs(SK:Body Control=15, ADS:Trained by a Master), page(CI142)
- Muscle Reading
- M/VH, needs(SK:Physiology, SK:Psychology, ADS:Trained by a Master), page(CI143)
- Nei Tan
- M/VH, page(CI143)
- Power Blow
- M/H, needs(ADS:Trained by a Master | ADS:Weapon Master), page(CI143)
- Precognitive Parry
- M/H, needs(ADS:Trained by a Master, ADS:Danger Sense, SK:Precocognition=15, SK:Weapon=20, | ADS:Trained by a Master, POWER:ESP=3, SK:Precocognition=15, SK:Weapon=20), page(CI143)
- Pressure Points
- M/H, default("SK:Yin/Yang Healing"-4), needs(ADS:Trained by a Master), page(CI144)
- Pressure Secrets
- M/VH, needs(SK:Pressure Points=18, ADS:Trained by a Master), page(CI144)
- Push
- P/H, needs(ADS:Trained by a Master), page(CI144)
- Ritual Magic (specialize)
- M/VH, page(CI144)
- Shapeshifting
- M/H, needs(ADS:Morph, ADS:Planar Travel), page(CI144)
- Sonar Imaging
- M/A, needs(ADS:Sonar Vision), page(CI145)
- Throwing Art
- P/H, needs(SK:Throwing=16, ADS:Trained by a Master), page(CI145)
- Yin/Yang Healing
- M/H, default(IQ-6), page(CI145)
- Zen Archery
- M/VH, needs(SK:Bow=20, ADS:Trained by a Master), page(CI145)
The Book of the Scourge
This document was generated using the
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The translation was initiated by Brian T Sniffen on 1999-09-13
Brian T Sniffen
1999-09-13