Eclipse d20 – Kartikeya, Level Six Vedic Warrior

Today it’s a sample character that I helped set up for (someone else’s) Eclipse game set in the Forgotten Realms – however it was apparently set around a Nexus of Reality in the High Forest, and so allowed characters to wander in from all kinds of places. In this case, we have a Spearman from the battles of the Rig Veda with a fair number of oddities because – after all – it’s rather expected that anyone running an Eclipse-based game will customize things a bit. I’ve rummaged him out to help with some recent questions about how Presence can be used, since he makes extensive (or near-abusive) use of it. 

Kartikeya

• Level Six Vedic Master Of The Divine Spear.
• Male, Age 17, Black Hair, Green Eyes, Swarthy Skin, 5’9, 115 Lb, Patron Deity: Agni.

Species Template: Homo Sapiens Sapiens: Tribal Endurance Hunter, Projectile Predator (31 CP / +0 ECL):

• Bonus Feat (6 CP): Humans get their usual bonus feat at level zero.
• Fast Learner, Specialized for reduced cost/skills only (3 CP): | Humans get (Level + 3) bonus skill points.
• Tribalism (6 CP): +2 Morale Bonus to Attacks, Damage, Saves, and Checks when defending members of their immediate tribe or family – or such close personal friends as the game master feels qualify. They will qualify for this bonus while hunting down and fighting a monster that’s been attacking their village or kin, but not when simply looting or generally protecting civilization or some such.
• Projectile Predator (3 CP): +1 Racial Bonus to attacks with projectile weapons.
• Heat Tolerance (6 CP): +4 Racial Bonus on saving throws to resist the effects of fatigue, heat exhaustion, and similar difficulties.
• Enduring Traveler (4 CP): +20′ ground movement only for use in calculating long-distance travel ranges.
• Heritage (3 CP plus one Disadvantage): Their choice of a six CP benefit derived from their family background.

Available Character Points: 168 (L6 Base) + 10 (Disadvantages: History, Obligations, Hunted by Asuras (evil spirits)) + 30 (Racial, L1, L2, L4, L6 Bonus Feats) +12 (Duties to his Patron Gods) = 220 CP.

Basic Attributes: Str 14 (+2 Level +4 (First Vedic Yoga – Mantra, hereafter VY) = 20), Dex 14 (+4 VY +6 Enh = 24), Con 14 (+2 Wealth +4 VY +6 Enh = 26) , Int 14 (+4 Enh = 18), Wis 12, Cha 12.

Basic Purchases (132 CP):

• Base Attack Bonus: +6 (36 CP)
• Hit Points: 48 (L1-6d8, 24 CP) ) +16 (4d4, VY / Biotech) +12 (2d6 Immortal Vigor) +156 (12 x (Str Mod + Con Mod)) +1 (Wealth) = 233 HP (DR 3/- due to Armor)
  • Advanced Improved Augmented Bonus: Add (Str Mod) to (Con Mod) for HP calculations. Specialized and Corrupted/only the first six hit dice. (6 CP).
  • Reflex Training with +4 Bonus Uses, Specialized in Defensive Actions (such as dodging an attack) (6 CP).
• Saving Throws:
  • Fortitude +3 (Purchased, 9 CP) +8 (Con) +2 (Mor) = +13.
  • Reflex +3 (Purchased, 9 CP) +7 (Dex) +2 (Mor) = +12.
  • Will +3 (Purchased, 9 CP) +1 (Wis) +2 (Mor) = +6.
    • Luck with +4 Bonus Uses, Specialized in Saving Throws (6 CP).
• Proficiencies: All Simple Weapons (3 CP), Light Armor with Smooth (6 CP).
• Skill Points: +0 (0 CP) +36 (Fast Learners) +36 (Int) +2 (Wealth) = 74 SP
  • Adept: Half cost for Acrobatics, Athletics, Perception, & Martial Arts (6 CP).
  • Adept: Half cost for Background, Stealth, Survival, and Thievery (6 CP).
  • Upgrade Human Fast Learner to Double Effect (3 CP).
  • Fast Learner, Specialized in Skills for Double Effect (+8 SP at L1, +2 SP per Additional Level) (6 CP).
  • Access to Occult Skill: First Vedic Yoga – Mantra (Biotech) at Base Cost (Party Template, 0 CP).
• Armor Class: 10 (Base) +14 (+9 Full Plate +3 Enh +2 Wealth) +4 (Shield) +7 (Dex) +3 (Natural) = 38
• Initiative: +7 (Dex) +5 (Nerveskitter) +3 (VY) = +15
  Movement: 30′ +30 Enh = 60.

Favored Attacks:

• Spear (Melee): +21/+21/+16 (+6 BAB +4 (BAB Comp) +5 (Str), +2 Mor, +2 Enh +2 Wealth), 2d10 +1d6 (electrical) +10 (+5 Str +3 Enh +2 Wealth), Crit 20/x3 +2d10 electrical. Considered Adamant, 25′ Reach, +2 in Special Abilities. 8 Attacks of Opportunity, 2d6 Sneak Attack.
• Spear (Thrown): +23/+23/+18 (+6 BAB +4 (BAB Comp) +7 (Dex), +2 Mor, +1 PP +1 Enh +2 Wealth), 2d10+8 (+5 Str +1 Enh +2 Wealth), 20′ Range Increment, Crit 20/x3. Considered Adamant, +1 in Special Abilities, 2d6 Sneak Attack
• “Unarmed” (Light Mace): +18/+18/+13 (+6 BAB +5 Str +2 Wealth +2 Mor, +2 MA +1 Enh), 1d10+8 (+5 Str +2 Wealth +1 Enh), Crit 20/x2, Ghost Touch, Considered Adamant, Considered Armed, 8 AoO. Can inflict various (slashing, blunt, nonlethal, piercing) damage types at will.

Bloodrune Spear Style: All items in this list are Specialized and Corrupted / only one-fourth (Three) of them can be used at any one time, thus each costs 2 CP. Where relevant save DC’s are (13 + Con Mod) = 21 (24 CP).

Several of these styles are built around Presence, Specialized and Corrupted for Triple Effect (a third level spell effect) / only takes effect once per round, only affects a single opponent who was just hit by one of the user’s melee attacks, only one such effect can apply with any one effect, although the user may choose which one (if any) if more than one is possible (6 CP). This is a bit cheesy – but it will mean that a fighter using these tricks will be as effective as a mid-range spellcaster. That’s probably a good thing.

• Blades Of Blood: Presence/all enemies within 10′ are attacked by Persistent Blades (and so are automatically flanked. As a L1 spell effect, this has no special requirements),
• Bloodstrike: +2d6 Sneak Attack.
• Bloodsong: Awareness. The user cannot be caught flat-footed
  • Bloodsong Symphony: The user cannot be flanked (requires that Bloodsong Awareness be in use).
• Beasts of Blood (Presence, as above): Summons a Dire Wolf to fight for you (As per Summon Nature’s Ally in general, Caster Level = Your Level) when you wound an opponent. If you happen to be fighting an undead creature the wolf will look either starving or skeletal, and if you happen to be fighting a construct it will seem to be made of metal, stone, or whatever, but the difference is only cosmetic. This is a great way to keep crowds back and to flank opponents though.
• Drink The Heartblood (Presence, as above): Vampiric Touch upon the creature struck.
• Baleful Bloods Call (Presence, as above): Attempt to inflict Bestow Curse on the creature struck (most commonly in the form of a disabling wound)
• Blood Poisoning (Presence, as above): Attempt to inflict a Poison spell on the creature struck.
• Blood Infusion Stance (Presence, Specialized and Corrupted (applies to the user only, only while free to move to use martial stances) for Increased Effect / Two unrelated L1 effects that apply to the user only. His Armor is affected by Chitin Mail (Lighter, fewer penalties, no movement penalty. On this blog) and his Weapons do damage as if they were one size category larger.
  • Note that this – thanks to the character having developed both Chitin Mail and a Spear Boosting effect as innate enchantments – is now mostly redundant. He will probably wish to retrain this maneuver at some point.
• Invigoration Of The Blood: Presence (as with Blood Infusion: Two unrelated L1 effects that apply to the user only. Floating Disk (the user may run a few feet above the ground – or above water – and Resurgence (the user gets a second chance on a saving throw once per round).
• Vigorous Flowing Blood: Opportunist / Each time the user makes an attack he or she may take a 5′ Step, Note that this applies to Attacks of Opportunity as well.
• Rage Of Blood (Presence, Specialized and Corrupted for Increased Effect; Applies the L3 Awesome Wrath (The Practical Enchanter) spell to the user: +4 Morale Bonus to Str and Con, +2 Morale Bonus to Will Saves).

This is basically one of the Eclipse methods of building freeform Magical Martial Styles, similar to those found in the Tome Of Battle. If you’re going for reasonably high-end combatants, taking some of these is probably a good idea.

Skills (All +4 Competence,+2 Morale, add +2 Masterwork Tools whenever relevant)

• Acrobatics: +9 (4* SP) +7 (Dex) = +22 (Tumble +25)
• Arcana: +1 (1 SP) +4 (Int) = +11 (+14 on Stances).
• Athletics:+9 (4* SP) +5 (Str) = +20 (Jump +32 from Move).
• Background: +9 (4* SP) +4 (Int) = +19
  
  • Perform (Dance), Weaponsmith, Armorsmith, Mason, Teacher
• Deception: +1 (1 SP) +1 (Cha) = +8
• Endurance:+9(9SP) +8 (Con) = +23
• Handle Animal: +1 (1 SP) +1 (Wis) = +8
• Insight : +1 (1 SP) +1 (Wis) +2 (We) = +10
• Linguistics: +1 (1 SP) +4 (Int) = +11
  
  • Chondathan (“Common”), Chessentic, Akalaic, Illuskan, Draconic, Jotun
• MA/Kalarivel (Vedic Spear): +9 (4* SP) +7 (Dex) = +20 (No Morale)
  
  • Strike, Power III, Sneak Attack II, Reach II, Inner Strength. Wrath (Cold).
• MA/Malla-Yuddha (“Unarmed” Combat): +9 (4* SP) +7 (Dex) = +20 (No Morale)
  
  • Attack II, Power II, Versatility, Battlecry (Will DC 18), Breaking, Mind Like Moon, Inner Strength, Ki Block.
• MA/Hatha Yoga (Purifying Meditations): +9 (4* SP) +8 (Con) = +21 (No Morale)
  
  • Strike, Toughness IV, Instant Stand, Mind Like Moon, Inner Strength x2, Healing Hand, and Light Foot.
• Perception: +9 (4* SP) +1 (Wis) = +16 (Spot +19)
• Persuasion: +1 (1 SP) +1 (Cha) +2 (We) = +10
• Religion: +1 (1 SP) +1 (Wis) +8 (+11 Patron Pantheon)
• Scholar: +1 (1 SP) +4 (Int) = +11
• First Vedic Yoga – Mantra +9 (9 SP) +6 (Con, excluding it’s own modifier) (No Morale) = +19
• AKA Occult Skill/Biotech. +4d4 HP (3), +4 Str (3), +4 Con (3), +4 Dex (3), Immunity (Negative Energy, 3), +3 Initiative (3), Extended Lifespan (1).
• Stealth: +9 (4* SP) +7 (Dex) = +22
• Survival: +9 (4* SP) +1 (Wis) = +16
• Thievery: +9 (4* SP) +7 (Dex) = +14
• Use Device: +3 (3 SP) +1 (Cha) = +10

*Adept, Half Cost
+3 Skill Specialties: Stances, Patron Pantheon, Spot, Tumble (4 SP).
Specific Knowledges (0 SP):

This character is using a condensed skill list, and – as such – is a fair skill monkey. I have seen a few characters using an Immunity to use a condensed skill list in games that normally use the basic skill list. That’s worthwhile for any skill monkey if the game master lets you get away with it. 

Innate Enchantments (26 CP):

Innate Enchantment, Specialized for Increased Effect / no eternally-directed effects, requires an hour of meditation and practice each day to operate, runic tattoos give the effects away to knowledgeable observers (Arcana DC 20). Up to 11,500 GP Value (6 CP). In general, Spell Level One x Caster Level One x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x .7 Personal Only (Where applicable).

• Martial Mastery (Spear): +4 Comp. Bonus to BAB for Spears (1400 GP).
• Fast Healing I: Heals 20 points/HD/day at 1 HP/Turn (1400 GP).
• Immortal Vigor I: +2d6 bonus HD (12 HP plus Con bonus x2) (1400 GP).
• Sustenance: 1/4’th need to eat, sleep, drink and breathe (1400 GP).
• Nerveskitter: +5 bonus on Initiative Checks (1400 GP).
• Personal Haste (The Practical Enchanter), +30′ Enhancement Bonus to Movement Modes, +1 attack at highest BAB when making a Full Attack (2000 GP).
• Chitin Mail (This blog): User’s armor is treated as being one category lighter. The maximum dexterity bonus increases by two, the armor check penalty is reduced by two, arcane spell failure goes down by 15% (to a minimum of 5%), and the speed penalty is eliminated (2000 GP).
  
  • Due to Wealth and Chitin Mail all Armor -2 weight categories (to Light).
  • Due to Smooth Modifier Light Armor has no penalties.
• The Blessing Of The Wanderer (97 GP worth of mundane “equipment” as natural abilities).
  
  • Cold and Hot Weather Outfits with Poncho and Boots (17 GP). Wanderers are very tolerant of bad weather and never need shoes.
  • Cooking Kit (3 CP): Wanderers can cook anywhere as if they had suitable tools.
  • Cot and Nice Bedroll (2 GP): Wanderers can sleep comfortably almost anywhere.
  • Folding Chair and Table (5 CP): Wanderers always seem to be able to find a comfortable place to sit and a good place to set a plate and glass.
  • Gauntlets/Brass Knuckles/Light Maces (15 GP): Any pair of gloves a Wanderer wears acts as if they were weapons of any of the types listed. That still isn’t much in the way of a weapon, but a wanderer is never helpless. These will work with unarmed martial arts styles though.
  • General Artisans Tools (15 GP). Wanderers can perform basic craftswork with nothing but a handful of twigs and stones.
  • Leather Armor (10 GP): +2 Armor Bonus. Should a wanderer choose to use this ability, their tough and weathered hide counts as Leather Armor.
  • Sling (-). Wanderers can throw rocks as if using a sling.
  • Thieves Tools (30 GP); Wanderers are incredibly resourceful, and can improvise the tools they need. .
• Leaves 403 GP unallocated.

Double Enthusiast, Specialized and Corrupted for Increased Effect / Points are only usable for Innate Enchantments (+6 Floating CP/12,000 GP, 6 CP)

• • Master’s Touch: Grants proficiency in any armor worn (x.5 modifier on base price, 1000 GP).
  • Force Shield I: +4 Shield Bonus, immune to Magic Missiles (1400 GP).
  • Personal Heroism: (+2 Morale Bonus to Attacks, Saves, and Checks (SL 1 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated = 2000 GP).
  • Remove Fear (SL 1 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.7 Personal Only = 1400 GP).
  • Benign Transposition (See Below), (SL 1 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.7 Personal Only = 1400 GP).
    
    • Summon Monster 0 with one level of Increased Range, Coupled with Benign Transposition, Creature only exists to provide an exchange point within medium range for Benign Transposition (SL 1 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.5 restrictions as noted = 1000 GP).
  • Lesser Restoration, 1/Day/Level, x.5 only to restore Martial Arts Inner Strength (1d4/Level/Day) (1000 GP).
  • Feather Fall: you are immune to falling damage (1400 GP).
• Immunity to XP cost for L0 and L1 innate enchantments (1 CP).
• Immunity to dispelling and antimagic for innate enchantments (9 CP).
• Reflex Training with +4 Bonus Uses, Specialized and Corrupted / only to use Benign Transposition.7/Day when needed, if at a maximum of once per round (4 CP).

Mantles and Other Abilities (38 CP):

“Mantles” are Presence effects, generally Specialized and Corrupted for Increased Effect / has no social effects, applies to the user only, shows obvious signs of their effects to the mystically aware (Arcana or Spellcraft DC 20 to get a good idea of what the powers are). This generally means one L3 effect, a pair of L2 effects, or up to three L1 effects. They cost 6 CP Each.

And yes, this is cheese. If it wasn’t for the fact that the character was in a group with a grossly over-optimized mage, an ubercharger using a Minotaur Greathammer, and a dragon, the game master would have been well advised to ask some pointed questions. On the other hand, in a group like that… allowing the spearman a nice big slice of cheese to become a Vedic Warrior seemed pretty reasonable. Moreover, most of these are “I fight good!” – much less disruptive than, say, flight and invisibility. 

• Of the Chaturanga:
  • Greater Invocation of Eldritch Weapon. This makes any Spear the user wields either +1 with a +1 special ability, +2, or – if already magic – adds a +2 special ability (6 CP).
• Of the Gaulmika:
  • Blood of the Ferret (Bite of the Wererat): +6 Dex, +2 Con, +3 Natural Armor, all Enhancement. No physical changes.
  • Spear Mastery: The user’s spears act as if one size category larger and gain +5′ Natural Reach.
• Of the Gajadhyaksha:
  • Enhance Attribute / +6 Enhancement Bonus to Con. (6 CP)
• Of the Digvijaya:
  • Enhance Attribute: +4 Enhancement to Int
  • Skill Mastery (General): +4 Competence Bonus to All Skills (6 CP)

Other Abilities:

• Lunge (6 CP). Specialized in Shortspears for Double Effect (+10′ Reach).
• Reflex Training (Combat Reflexes Variant, 8 AoO) (6 CP).
• Rite of Chi, Specialized and Corrupted / only to restore Martial Arts Inner Strength (2 CP)

Magical Items:

This stuff is a bit pricey for level six – but apparently it was loot. It’s probably not really worth it – the same amount of cash could buy a lot of useful stuff (such as the ever-popular Healing Belt) and, as an Eclipse character, Kartikeya has plenty of tricks already – but the player apparently wanted to keep it.

• Armor Of The Brazen Tower: +3 Adamant (DR 4/-) Full Plate.
• Spear of the Ancients: +2 Shocking Burst Spear (1d8 base, +1d6 Electrical, Critical: 20/x3 plus 2d10 electrical damage on a critical hit. Five charges/day:
  
  • 2 Charges – Part of the Attack Action – Add 3d6 Electrical Damage for 1 round
  • 3 Charges – Part of the Attack Action – 10′ burst of 3d6 Electrical Damage
  • 5 Charges – Standard Action – Lightning Bolt 6d6 damage, save DC 16

Charms:

• Astrolable: +5 on relevant checks.
• Amulet of the Stallion: Enhances male potency.
• Bracers of Force: Minor fields that keep off the rain and such
• Dust of Illusion: Creates very minor illusions.
• Elfin Rope: 150′ of very good rope.
• Resounding Horn: Can be heard at great distances.
• Shadow Vellum: Allows instant forgery.

Talismans:

• Tulthara (Shortspear): Whenever the user needs one, a shortspear will appear in his or her hand. These are considered magic and will vanish shortly after being released. The given combat statistics are assuming that he throws these, not the Spear of the Ancients.
• Helm Of War: 7 Charges, regain 1/Week. Spend one (not an action) to prevent extra damage from a critical hit, sneak attack, or similar event.
• Rune Weapon (Gloves). +1 Ghost Touch.

Party Template: Guardians of The Nexus Of Reality

Party Disadvantages:

• Hunted: The forces of Nidhogg the Devourer, the Beast which brings Oblivion. In its quest to destroy the cosmos, Nidhogg finds the various Guardians of the equally-various Nexi of Reality, a dreadful pain – and so it tends to try and send trouble (whether it’s own horrifically twisted creatures or easily-manipulated groups such as the Zerg) against them.
• Obligations: While the Guardians may be entangled in cosmic affairs, they remain people – and as such are bound to the common folk of the nexus as well as to the defense of the Nexus of Realities.
• Accursed: Like it or not, the great powers often meddle with the Guardians. They get shifted through time, charged with dealing with ancient curses, visited by gods, and otherwise harassed – rather like the classical heroes of greek mythology.

Template Effects:

• The Guardians are deeply bonded with the Nexus Of Reality. No matter how lost they may become amidst the myriad planes of reality – or even the planes of the afterlife – should they wish it, they will always find their way back to the nexus eventually. (Returning, Specialized and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / may take months or years at the option of the game master, 2 CP).
• The Guardians are the allies of the Fey of the High Forest, and enjoy the right of Free Passage through it’s depths. Within the forest they will not be randomly attacked by wild beasts, be delayed by faerie rings and similar distortions of time and space, and will always find food, water, and pleasant places to camp. This does not, however (at least as yet) extend to being allowed to freely transverse the Straight Ways of the Fey – although they may be led upon them on occasion (Minor Privilege / Hospitality of the High Forest, Corrupted for Reduced Cost / Does not include access to the fey paths 2 CP).
• The Guardians stand at the balance-point of Aebir-Toril and its myriad timelines. As such, they may shift the balance of the world and open the hidden ways (1d6 Mana with Reality Editing / Specialized and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / Only for Reality Editing, Users have no conscious control of the process, only to affect what worlds currently connect through the High Forest and what emerges from them. Thus, if the Heroes gossip and speculate about – say – entering a mystical tournament, or encountering the Tomb of the Sleeping King, or going hunting for Pokemon… such a thing is quite likely to happen. (Thus giving the GM an excuse for indulging player speculation a bit. 2 CP).
• All the myriad lines of time pass through the nexus of reality as well, and so the Guardians are constants, braced against changes in those timelines. Thus, if they visit the distant past, and save hundreds from the ancient Fall of Netheril – they will remain unchanged, as will those near the nexus, although Aebir-Toril beyond the High Forest may well show some subtle changes, historical notes, and a slightly revised history. Similarly, their origins may lie in either the possible pasts or futures of Aebir-Toril without difficulty (Infusion / Temporal Energies, Specialized and Corrupted / only to gain immunity to Paradoxical Effects and Historical Revisions (2 CP).
• The Guardians are attuned to the High Forest, and to the whispering voices of the Fey that shape it. They thus gain a Specific Knowledge (The Hidden Places and Wonders of the High Forest, 1 CP).
• The Guardians stand at the Nexus of Reality, and so can draw on the exotic talents of distant realms – each finding their own unique secret of the cosmos. They gain access to any one GM-allowed Occult Skill (3 CP) at normal cost (+3 CP).

Wealth Bonuses:

The Wealth Templates from The Practical Enchanter apparently wouldn’t normally apply to this game – but the optimized mage apparently purchased access to one, then boosted it up to near the maximum, and used the ability to support others at a slightly lesser wealth level to hand out wealth bonuses all around. This is another bit of cheese, but since it was another characters cheese…

• Armor and Shields are treated as one category lighter for movement and special ability purposes, have their armor check penalties reduced by two (zero minimum), and gain +2 bonuses.
  
  • In combination with the Chitin Mail effect and buying the “Smooth” modifier for light armor, this means that even heavy armor is treated as light armor and causes no penalties whatsoever.
• The use of seven Charms and three Talismans (The minor items from The Practical Enchanter)
• Mounts, pets, and familiars gain special bonuses if and when you get some. (I think this was a big part of what the mage was after; giving several companion creatures massive boosts apparently gave him a lot of guardians to hide behind).
• +2 to Persuasion and Insight.
• Is considered to be using masterwork tools and references wherever this is relevant.
• Get +2 SP and +1 HP at this level and per each succeeding level while this wealth template applies. (This is permanent even if he loses the other benefits since it’s considered to be a training effect).
• Get +2 to any single attribute of their choice.
• Weapons get a +2 bonus and may be considered Adamant, Silver, or of other non-planar special materials.
• Need not worry about minor expenses and basic supplies.

If it matters, these are “Wealth” bonuses, and will stack with pretty much everything.

Heritage – Feybrew

In an attempt to keep his Grandfather’s drinking under control Kartikeya learned to brew supernaturally powerful drinks from strange and marvelous components, for when his Grandfather demanded distilled visions of the outer planes, or hallucinogenic soma, or something similar.

• Create Artifact: Specialized and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / only to create various sorts of potions, inks, and lotions. albeit usually in multi-dose flasks, always produces (2d6) doses at random (2 CP). Note that this is not limited to spell-potions. If you want to brew an “Elixir of Frost” to stop fires, create walls of ice, and so on, you are free to do so.
• Immunity/Any need for a potions lab to brew his exotic formulas (Uncommon, Minor, Trivial, 1 CP).
• Specific Knowledge: Exotic “Potion” formulas (1 CP)
• Major Privilege, Specialized and Corrupted / Unless actively prevented the user will always be able to find enough ingredients to keep (Int Mod) moderately-potent concoctions ready to go, but the GM gets the final say as to what you have the ingredients to keep ready each month. It is presumed that concoctions derived from this privilege get used up during downtime if not used up during the month.
• The Associated Drawback is Obligations (Every so often the Fey, who taught you this art, will ask that you locate a few ingredients and brew something for them – although there is rarely any rush).

This is essentially first edition potion-making – back when you might need giant octopus ink, basilisk ichor, rare herbs, and the quill of a cockatrice to scribe a scroll of Protection from Petrification or a sliver from a Unicorn’s shed horn to brew healing potions. It does not, however, cost experience points or require spells. The exotic ingredients and a little time is all that the user requires.

Kartikeya is a quasi-divine hero of the mythic age – a wielder of several supernatural martial arts, enduring enough to fight for days on end, and capable of holding off a small army of normal soldiers. He probably carries some divine blood (hence his being hunted by evil spirits), will be sent on quests by the gods, and should be able to keep up with most other reasonably well-optimized characters – which isn’t easy for a fighter type.

Terra Elves of Modun

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Hello all, it’s Spellweaver81 again!  Looks like the group is going to be switching to my new WIP campaign setting of Modun for one of our games, so in preparation for that, we have the Terra Elves to go along with the already posted Ignis and Aqua Elves.  Hopefully I will get more time in the immediate future to be able to get the rest of the races posted (Ventus Elves are next) and then get the general background info written up.

The Terra Elves of Modun

Frequently also known as Cave Elves, Platinum Elves, Giant Elves, and Elves of the Kassarang Desert, and especially as Terra Elves, they hail from from the ancient dried Kassarang sea now known as the Kassarang Desert. On the surface, the desert is a desiccated wasteland of scorching black sands that will kill the unprepared explorer in mere hours. Yet beneath the surface in the immense limestone sinkholes and caves the temperatures are cooler, water collects from aquifers into subterranean rivers and lakes, and life thrives. It is in this immense network of underground oases that the Terra Elves make their home.

Appearance wise, the Terra Elves look quite similar to the Aquatic Elves save for the immense difference in size and build. Terra Elves have been documented being anything from ten to sixteen feet tall (although the average is around fourteen feet in height). Weight can similarly vary between a thousand pounds to as much as two tons for particularly large and well built individuals. In addition to the difference in size, Terra Elves are much more muscularly built than their elven brethren and frequently sport arms and legs as large as entire members of smaller races. As such, they are well known across Modun for their immense strength both on and off the battlefield. Male Terra Elves also are the only elves known to sport significant facial hair.

The Terra Elves make their homes in the immense network of deep limestone sinkholes and caverns that criss-cross beneath the Kassarang Desert. There the temperatures are much cooler and the water table becomes exposed. Labyrinthian caverns carved by ancient subterranean rivers connect the various caverns and sinkholes together into a single three dimensional network that snakes its way underneath the Kassarang Desert before emerging into the Glowing Forest as the mighty Rose River. A vast, luminous mycelium network permeates the limestone and channels light gathered from the harsh surface into the underground spaces. This light, plus the nutrient and mineral rich waters, support a vast array of plant and animal life far from the scalding temperatures of the surface. Indeed, many of the plants root deeply into the mycelium networks and form a close symbiotic relationship with each other like a form of lichen.

It is in this immense complex of subterranean spaces that the Terra Elves build their cities, farm their food, and largely isolate themselves from the outside world. They carve and shape the stone to form many layered terraces for irrigated crops, large water control networks for sluice box mining, and build their houses into the rock faces or amongst the giant stalactites that hang from the ceilings of the larger caverns. Their cities and the surrounding farming caverns are three dimensional structures that make efficient use of space while simultaneously being difficult for outsiders to navigate or invaders to penetrate. Entire armies of the Ignis Elves have entered the caverns to assault the Terra Elves only to never be seen or heard from again. These days, the Ignis Elves don’t even bother to try anymore.

The Terra Elves uses large sluice complexes to harvest the alluvial sediments of the subterranean rivers that are rich in iron and various other metals, particularly platinum. It is this platinum that gives the Terra Elves the moniker “Platinum Elves” amongst the other races. While not as ostentatious with it as the other elves are with their precious metals, the Terra Elves do make judicious use of an alchemically treated form of platinum to write preservation charms into anything that they desire to protect from corrosion or decay. They are particularly noted for using alchemical platinum leaf extensively in their books for resistance to protect the books for centuries. Alchemical platinum is also forged into their weapons and armor to vastly increase the mass of said equipment. While this does have the side effect of slowing them down significantly compared to more normal armor and weapons, it gives them immense advantages in terms of damage and resisting efforts to be moved against their will.

As a society, the Terra Elves are an orderly and practical people. There are procedures for controlling the flow of water, determining which cavern walls are safe to dig into, ensuring proper ventilation, and many other aspects of their lives. Much of this has to do with the potential for mistakes to cause catastrophic flooding, collapses, or explosions which then create further flooding or collapses. Thus, this is a society that values, rules, procedures, clearly defined decisions makers, and established responsibilities. This makes them feel there is not much point in seeking divine guidance on matters that are clearly within the realm of mortal affairs. The Terra Elves also have a fiercely independent and at times even isolationist streak to their culture. Which isn’t to say that they are hostile towards outsiders, just that they rarely feel the need to involve themselves in the affairs of the other races. Visitors are welcome to come by, but are expected to follow the rules.

Being a largely subterranean society, the Terra Elves do not have a clearly defined day/night cycle to how their society is organized. Many establishments will rotate in shifts during the day, presuming that they have sufficient staff to remain open. This frequently leaves other races with the impression that Terra Elves never sleep, but this is as much a myth as the tales of their cities being constructed entirely out of precious metals.

Like other kinds of elves, the Terra Elves have a rare few born with the talent for shaping earth. Those with this ability possess great ability to move and shape stone, dirt, and metal into whatever forms they can imagine. Most with this ability find employment further expanding and reinforcing the cavern systems their settlements are constructed in. Still others seek employment amongst the other races acting as builders and defenders.

Basically the Earthbending package seen here.

Shaping (6 CP), Pulse of the Dragon (6 CP), and Heart of the Dragon II (18 CP), Specialized and Corrupted for Triple Effect (produces effects of up to level three)/strictly limited to a particular element (Earth), requires gestures, requires training (at least one martial art techniques in a relevant martial art per level of effect which can be produced). That’s 30 CP – in general, a +1 ECL template. Basic recommendation for martial arts is Adamantine Fist – a style focusing on toughness and powerful strikes.

The Terra Elves have a long established symbiotic relationship with a breed of mammoths. Believed to have been inhabitants of the long gone Kassarang grasslands, the moved underground with the elves to find water and cooler temperatures where there is respite from the scorching sun. These days the mammoths help to pull heavy carts, reach higher fruits and flowers on the many vines the dangle from the walls and ceilings of the cavern, and process food and other plant waste into fertilizer. The long lives and excellent memory and intelligence of the mammoths work well when learning the routines and in-and-outs of the labyrinthine layouts of Terra Elven cities.

Terra Elven magical traditions see inspiration in the endurance and strength provided by regular structure of crystals and metals and have learned to weave similar structures into their spells using specially crafted jewelry to channel the spells through. This allows them to produce spells with greatly expanded durations compared to the spells of other races. The most proficient at it can even make many spells last nigh indefinitely.

Basically, this is a package feat Terra Elves can purchase.

• Persistent Metamagic – Specialized: Requires a specially crafted ring to act as a focus that costs 10,000 GP per level of the base spell to be modified. Said ring must be worn on a free hand while casting the spell. (3 CP)
• Streamline Metamagic (Persistent) – Specialized: One reduced spell level applies to only the Persistent Metamagic feat. (3 CP)

Terra Elves are also known for living alongside mammoths in their cities. The mammoths assist with gathering and hauling goods such as fruits and ore, using their immense strength to pull carts and their long trunks to reach high into the vines that hang throughout the city. The significant intelligence of the mammoths makes them easy to train to perform a variety of tasks and many even will perform trained routines unsupervised. The high sociability of the mammoths also means that they form deep bonds with their handlers and are even viewed as part of the family by those that take care of them. A rare few are even trained and armored for being ridden into battle, and the sight and sound of a charge of armored mammoths has broken the spirit of the enemy on many occasions.

Relationships to Other Races:

• Aqua Elves – The Terra Elves view the Aqua Elves with a mixture of respect and frustration. They admire the egalitarian ways of the Aqua Elves and their adaptability to challenging circumstances. However, they find the outgoing and cheery nature of their smaller brethren to be tiring. The lack of refined structure to their society is also confounding as it can be hard to discern what is the proper protocol to be followed in various circumstances. It is also felt that the Aqua Elves make friends just a bit too easily to be entirely prudent.
• Ignis Elves – While the Terra Elves appreciate the redrawn and calculating nature of the Ignis Elves, the massive racial superiority complex is off-putting. It is felt that the Ignis Elves are their own worst enemy and that sooner or later the Ignis Elves are going to provoke an alliance of many of the other races against them. What the Terra Elves should do in that scenario is an ongoing debate, with many advocating for at least being open to sheltering refugees when the inevitable happens.
• Ventus Elves – The Ventus Elves are as mysterious to the Terra Elves as they are to most of the other races of Modun. Their ability to fly is a thing of wonder and amazement as are their goods made with amber, silk, and exotic woods. They also appreciate that what the other races consider rude when interacting with the Ventus Elves is really just a cultural misunderstanding regarding etiquette as the Ventus Elves value honesty to a fault and have a highly organized society similar to the Terra Elves. Still, the idea of living so high up in the trees that the ground can be hard to see is more than a bit terrifying.
• Dwarves – Dwarves are seen as both kindred spirits and utterly weird. The emphasis on the materials of the earth in their culture is immediately relatable and the two cultures have had significant trade of such things for a long time. The clan nature of the dwarves is difficult to keep track of and more than a few times things have gotten tense because the Terra Elves committed the faux pas of presuming two different dwarves were part of the same clan. As a result, it is considered best to leave negotiations to experts.
• Humans – To the Terra Elves, the Humans are easier to get along with than the dwarves despite having a similarly fractious nature. Perhaps it is that in some ways they are even more fractious than the dwarves and thus their associations with others (real or presumed) just don’t carry the same emotional weight. They do make excellent trading partners, although their greed can be a bit much to deal with.
• Gnomes – The gnomish tendency to move about in caravans with no fixed home is considered to be quite alien to the Terra Elves. Their obsessions with the motions of planets and stars, the fundamentals of alchemy, and making ever more complicated clockwork mechanisms can seem pathological at times as well. Still, they are friendly enough even if their relationships with others can be a bit transactional at times.
• Halfings – The Terra Elves know little about halflings beyond the rumors and stories shared by the other races. The idea of a race able to conjure poisons, summon forth nightmares, and seemingly vanish into the shadows sounds to the Terra Elves like something best kept at a distance.

Terra Elves

-Attribute Shift (+2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma) (6 CP)

-Self-Development (+2 Dexterity) (12 CP)

-Immunity / Sleep Effects (Uncommon, Minor, Major) (3 CP)

-Infrasound Hearing (4 CP) Specialized and Corrupted: User can be deafened by sounds others can’t hear, can be impaired by effects that impact normal hearing, information content is limited compared to normal hearing

-Innate Enchantment (7500 GP) (6 CP)

• Enlarge Person (Always On x.5, Personal Only x.7 = 700 GP)
  • Uses the Practical Enchanter Version of the Spell
  • +8 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con
  • +2 Natural Armor
  • -1 Attacks and AC
• Make Whole (2000 GP)
• Healthful Rest (1400 GP)
• Foundation of Stone (1400 GP)
• Know Direction (1000 GP)
• Light (1000 GP)

-Immunity: Innate Enchantment Initial XP Cost (1 CP)

-Skill Bonus: Craft +2, Perception +2, Survival +2 (6 CP)

-Racial Weapons Glaives, Bows, Greatswords, Warhammers (3 CP)

-Languages: Elven (1 CP)

42 CP / Corrupted 28 CP

Disadvantages:

Large: Terra Elves are significantly larger and heavier than other races. As such, buildings and furniture built for and by other races may prove difficult for Terra Elves to use and may even break under the strain applied. Most often this comes up via doors and ceilings far too low to be at all comfortable, but at times even the floor may not be up to the task of supporting their immense bulk.

Reclusive: Terra Elven society is highly isolated from the wider world, with most Terra Elves never having even seen a member of another race in their lives. This often means that when interacting with someone they’ve never seen before, the Terra Elves will resort to stereotypes they’ve heard from stories as guidelines for social interaction. This isn’t done out of malice, just ignorance.

Eclipse d20 – Runebearers

The idea that words and symbols have power is pretty fundamental to magic. Ergo, symbols on the skin should also offer power. Comics have Possession or various forms of magic, Naruto has Seals, Rifts has Tattooed Men (Underpowered? Overpowered? Who knows? It’s RIFTS), Legend of the Five Rings (and it’s d20 version) have Tattooed Monks (Not too horrible in the original Legend of the Five Rings game, pretty poor in d20), and D20 had it’s Dragonmarks.

The d20 versions in particular were somewhat underwhelming. Sure, there were – as usual – a couple of exploits, and there were uses in a few fairly specific builds, but for the most part being a Tattooed Monk or Dragonmarked character was a waste of precious resources. It mostly got you stuff that actual spellcasters could laugh at in fairly short order. So lets rebuild things:

The Primal Runes are expressions of primordial principles, aspects of the divine powers of creation, or archetypes extending across many realities – but regardless of their exact origin, their expressions always follow the same pattern – one reason why they are always considered Specialized and Corrupted.

• Attuned: Each Rune is attuned to a particular principle – a manifestation of one of the foundations of the cosmos. While Runebearers may choose between a modest list of sub-affects, they are always within the nature of the Rune, always have the same limitations, and are always set up by the game master. The GM should preset the list of runes available in a setting.
• Blatant: The runes mark their bearers, usually with stylized sigils, which are fairly readily recognized. Since the markings expand and become more intricate as the user masters higher level effects, a knowledgeable observer can often figure out the user’s precise abilities – often at range with effects as simple as “Detect Magic”.
• Destiny: Runes are foci of destiny, nexi of probability, and manifestations of prophecy. Bearers of well-developed runes will invariably be drawn into quests, feuds, and disputes that will often divert them from their own business. Strange things will happen, unlikely setbacks will occur, and various narrative tropes will keep turning up.
• Hereditary: Runebearing tends to run in families – although mixing such bloodlines is, for some reason, likely to result in a child or two bearing the Destruction or Shadow Rune. Very few wielders can safely use two or more Runes, but very little is truly impossible.
• Influential: The runes influence their bearers. The bearer of a Storm Rune likely smells of ozone, is a bit flighty and impulsive, tends to prefer a sudden unplanned onrush to other tactics, likes to go out in the rain, and so on. Bearers who do not fully live up to such influences may have to make Will checks to avoid acting on such impulses at the whim of the GM up to three times per session.
• Signs: Runebearers show minor physical tell-tales. Those with the rune of Fire tend to have red hair and reddish skin, often feel hot to the touch, and may occasionally accidentally set things on fire.
• Social Expectations: Runebearers form a natural aristocracy. Coupled with the tendency for runes to run in families, this means that any Runebearer will be claimed as a member of a particular clan, be subjected to social expectations and duties, and will be watched and tracked. The Destruction and Shadow runes are often exceptions, carrying  massive social stigmas and suspicion instead.
• Well-Known: Almost everyone understands the nature of the primal runes and the capabilities of their wielders.
• Willful: The runes are difficult for mortals to control. Despite their effects reduction in effective level via Mana and the Compact Metamagic, users of levels beneath (2x the base level of the effect they are using -1) can have difficulties as set by the GM.

The Runebearer Package (18 CP, optionally -6 CP for the Disadvantages given above, for a total of 12 CP):

• Shaping, Specialized and Corrupted for Increased Effect: Produces a maximum of fifteen first-level spell effects related to a particular theme, each usable once per day (three times a day for any Cantrips taken). All spells must be chosen from the lists given for each allowed theme, although individual spells may be chosen more than once. The user may select four options from the Cantrips and Level One spell options, two of each higher level through level six, and one seventh level effect (6 CP). Sadly, effects which require expensive material components or which have XP costs still have those costs.
  • Level Two effects are reduced to Level One through the expenditure of One Mana. Safe to use at level 3+.
  • Level Three effects are reduced to Level One through the expenditure of Two Mana. Safe to use at level 5+.
  • Level Four effects are reduced to Level One through the expenditure of Three Mana. Safe to use at level 7+.
  • Level Five effects are reduced to Level One through the expenditure of Three Mana and the use of an Expensive Material Focus. Safe to use at level 9+.
  • Level Six effects are reduced to Level One through the expenditure of Three Mana, the use of an expensive material focus (unique to each spell, usually 500-5000 GP, depending on GM whim), and owing a favor to the enabling powers. Safe to use at level 11+.
  • Level Seven effects are reduced to Level One through the expenditure of Three Mana, the use of an expensive material focus, and owing a favor to the enabling powers, and suffering 4d6 damage and becoming Fatigued in the casting (GM’s may permit extremely evil users to damage the creatures, plants, ecosystem, and environment in a fair radius. Such damage, while subtle, can take many years to heal). Sadly, this is the limit in possible reductions. Safe to use at level 13+.
• 2d6 (8) Mana with Spell Enhancement, Specialized and Corrupted for reduced cost / only for Spell Enhancement, only for boosting the shaping effects above (4 CP).
• Rite of Chi with +8 Bonus Uses, Specialized and Corrupted for reduced cost / only to recharge the pool above (6 CP).
• Innate Enchantment, Specialized and Corrupted for reduced cost / only gets one of the following six options. (The 56 XP cost can be ignored) (2 CP).
  • Skill Mastery (Skill Group) (SL 1 x CL 1 x 2000 GP x .7 Personal Only, 1400 GP). A +3 Competence Bonus to four skills set by the Rune’s Theme.
  • Immortal Vigor I (+12 + 2 x Con Mod HP, 1400 GP as above).
  • Enhance Attribute: +2 Enhancement Bonus to an Attribute set by the Rune (1400 GP as above).
  • Magic Armor: The user’s armor and/or shield is treated as +2 if not already +2 or better (1400 GP as above).
  • Magic Weapon: The user’s weapons are treated as +1 weapons (1400 GP as above).
  • Aura of Light (or Darkness). Gain a +1 Sacred (Profane for some runes) bonus to Saves (1400 GP as above).

Naturally enough, the basic package can be expanded:

• Rune Mastery (6 CP): Either add a second (or third or fourth) set of spells from those associated with your existing rune or – with game master permission – add an additional rune to your repertoire with it’s own set of spells (this may require an Immunity to the usual restrictions). In either case you will want…
• Runic Empowerment (6 CP): Add +2d6 Mana and +4 Bonus Uses of Rite of Chi to your existing pools.
• Runic Infusion (6 CP): Select four more Innate Enchantments from the list above. While these do not directly stack, characters with more than one Rune may select Skill Mastery or Enhance Attribute for differing Skills or Attributes.
• Runic House (6 CP): Major Privilege. A full member of an established Runic House is an up-and-coming member of a major organization with both political and economic power. They will receive subsidized equipment, medical treatment, legal assistance, and other backing – especially when they are on house business. While this is far less important at high level, it can be a major advantage – or absolutely vital – at lower ones. Of course, they are also expected to undertake various tasks and missions for the house – but since the house wants them to come back successful, such missions tend to be within the characters limits and are often fairly profitable.

Obviously enough, a Rune could be improved in hundreds of other ways or be used to power (and thus render cheaper via Specialization or Corruption) a variety of other abilities – but these are the most obvious and common ways to build on them.

So here are some sample runes:

For the notes on the runes. It’s assumed that Runebearers are reasonably common in the setting, that getting to level three to five is not too uncommon for NPC’s with special abilities, and that the game master isn’t too restrictive about characters pushing things a bit on occasion (not strictly necessary, but useful) – and so there will be social effects. After all, if the runes are just another source of power available to occasional adventurers, that won’t have much of an effect – and there’s not a lot of point in bothering with runes if you aren’t going to make them an important part of your setting.

Creation Runes:

Creation / Crafting:
Skills: Craft (All). This includes Spellcraft.
Attribute: Wisdom
L1) Crafter’s Fortune, Mending (3/Day), Repair Light Damage, Psionic Minor Creation, Golem Strike, True Skill (The Practical Enchanter).
L2) Make Whole, Produce Kit (Hedge Wizardry), Force Ladder, Quick Potion
L3) Channel The Gift, Eldritch Armor III (The Practical Enchanter), Greater Laborer’s Word (1 Day of Work), Repair Serious Damage.
L4) Master’s Song (1 Week of Work), Metal Melt, Eldritch Weapon III (The Practical Enchanter), Treasure Stitching
L5) Equivalent Exchange (Sell or Purchase Items), Fabricate, Major Creation, Renovation
L6) Animate Object, Hammer of Mending, Wall of Gears, Wall of Stone.
L7) Create Demiplane (Lesser), Simulacrum.

Presumably the first Rune, and the primordial font of all other runes. The gift of the Creation Rune is – appropriately enough – civilization. The ability to easily create and maintain the tools and structures that form the basis of towns and villages. Certainly, the higher level powers are near-miraculous, but even the lower-level ones allow the easy creation of masterworks, swift maintenance for walls, wagons, weapons, and aqueducts, and the easing of a myriad tasks. If one wishes to build in the dangerous wilds of a d20 universe… your best hope of success is to find a high-level character to act as a patron – or to find even a low-level wielder of the more practical aspects of the Creation and Earth Runes. Where many are gathered together, there is industry – a font of practical supplies. Wealth and political influence tends to follow.

Destruction / Malignance:
Skills: Bluff, Perform, any one Knowledge, and Use Magic Device.
Attribute: Strength.
L1) Barbed Chains, Cause Fear, Curse Water, Death Knell, Doom, Murderous Command.
L2) Agonizing Rebuke, Blindness/Deafness, Commnd Undead, Whip Of Spiders.
L3) Animate Dead, Bestow Curse, Gloomblind Bolts, Possession.
L4) Caustic Blood, Create Soul Gems (two target version), Enervation, Phantasmal Killer.
L5) Bestow Threefold Curse (lay three curses at once), Feast On Fear, Mass Repair Undead, Unholy Sword (Weapon).
L6) Create Undead, Greater Curse Terrain, Planar Ally, Swarm Skin.
L7) Disintegrate, Plague Storm.

While the power of the Destruction Rune can be turned to the defense of civilization, it’s constant call is to tear things down – to reduce the lands to a howling wilderness, to make the wilderness a decaying haunt of the undead, and to ultimately return all things to nothingness. While, to some extent, the old must pass to make way for the new… by it’s nature the Destruction Rune does not discriminate. Most cultures will see the Destruction Rune as evil, a power to be feared and ostracized. Given that the runes have psychological effects on their wielders… that belief is not without justification.

Preservation / Guardian:
Skills: Concentration, Sense Motive, Intimidate, and Listen.
Attribute: Constitution.
L1) Endure Elements, Keep Watch, Lionheart, Mage Armor, Shield Of Faith, Warning Shout
L2) Force Shield II (The Practical Enchanter), Protection From Arrows, Shield Other, Lesser Spell Immunity
L3) Magic Circle (any one), Protection From Energy, Mass Resurgence, Eldritch Weapon III (The Practical Enchanter)
L4) Lesser Globe Of Invulnerability, Emergency Force Sphere, Delay Death, Battlemind Link
L5) Aura Of Evasion, Psionic Mind Blank, Village Veil, Wall of Stone
L6) Banishment, Forceful Hand, Globe of Invulnerability, Perceive Betrayal.
L7) Age Resistance (Greater), Spell Turning.

In the Preservation Rune lies safety. In civilization it is the sign of guardians who place themselves between the common folk and what would harm them. Travelers rely on it’s wielders for protection. Settlers rely on them to stand guard while their homes and defenses are built. Wealthy nobles rely on guards wielding the Preservation Rune. Justified or not , Preservation Runebearers are commonly seen as the quintessential heroes – but it is not uncommon for them to have a more quixotic bent or a more mercenary mindset.

Transformation / Primordialism:
Skills: Disguise, Profession (any one “primitive” profession), Survival (Includes Use Rope), and Tumble.
Attribute: Strength.
L1) Aspect Of The Wolf, Claws of the Bear, Embrace The Wild, Lions Charge, Speak With Animals, Sufefooted Stride,
L2) Bite of the Wererat, Animalistic Power, Personal Vigor, Create Treasure Map,
L3) Alpha Instinct, Bite of the Werewolf, Greater Magic Fang, Jaws of the Wolf.
L4) Battlemind Link, Bite of the Wereboar, Freedom Of Movement, Summon Stampede
L5) Bite of the Weretiger, Commune with Nature, Release The Hounds, Replay Tracks
L6) Bite of the Werebear, Leader Of The Pack (as per Danse Du Pack, The Practical Enchanter, but only 10 minutes/level), Primal Regression, Summon Flight Of Eagles.
L7) Changestaff, Greater Polymorph.

Unlike the other three Primordial Runes, the Transformation Rune has few cultural implications, and is seen more as a thing of the wilderness – wielded by explorers and rangers, but equally by wildmen and primitives. As is perhaps befitting, the Rune of Change is seen as fundamental to both advancement and regression, a thing of both invention and shapeshifters. Great warriors often wield the Transformation Rune – whether for good or for ill. To the content, they bring danger and disorder. To the oppressed, liberation and the hope of change. As such… they are never entirely welcome to those in power, who see no reason for change.

Elemental Runes:

Air / Storms:
Skills: Balance, Diplomacy, Listen, and Perform (any sound-focused form).
Attribute: Dexterity.
L1) Air Bubble, Endure Elements, Feather Fall, Fog Cloud, Shocking Grasp, Updraft.
L2) Binding Winds, Eagle Eye, Gust Of Wind, Wind Wall.
L3) Call Lightning, Downdraft, Sleet Storm, Wind’s Favor.
L4) Air Walk, Blast Of Wind, Greater Aggressive Thundercloud, Ice Storm.
L5) Call Lightning Storm, Control Winds, Fickle Winds, Storm Touch.
L6) Blazing Rainbow, Dispel Magic (Greater), Path Of The Winds, Plague Storm.
L7) Control Weather, Storm Tower.

While there are a few benign uses for the Air Rune, most of those are the province of truly powerful wielders, simply because they usually call for massive areas of effect. Such powerful wielders are immensely valuable in ship-based trading, in agriculture, and in many other areas. Control of the Weather aids in growth and harvest, ends droughts, and breaks storms. It may not still earthquakes, calm volcanoes, or stop tidal waves – but such things are rare, while destructive storms, dangerous blizzards, and shortages of rain are all too common. Families with strong links to the Air Rune tend to focus on training more than most, teaching their members to access those powerful – and oh, so profitable – effects. They are often trained as ship crewmen, in anticipation of them developing their greater powers.

Earth / Plant:
Skills: Appraise, Climb, Move Silently, and Survival (Includes Use Rope),
Attribute: Strength
L1) Enhance Herb (Paths of Power II), Entangle, Goodberry, Expeditious Construction, Hail Of Stone, Pass Without Trace,
L2) Bull’s Strength, Forest Friend, Full Pouch, Heat/Chill Metal,
L3) Chameleon Stride (Greater), Feather Step (Mass), Plant Growth, Stone Shape
L4) Commune With Nature, Jungle Mind, Land Womb, Sturdy Tree Fort
L5) Hungry Earth, Transport Via Plants, Wall of Stone, Wall Of Thorns.
L6) Binding Earth (Mass), Dust Form, Move Earth, Transmute Rock to Mud (Reversible).
L7) Master Earth, Animate Plants.

The Earth Rune is the rune of foundations, of agriculture and growth. With it even a relatively minor wielder may cause the fields to yield more, can feed and heal the folk of a settlement on simple herbs and berries, and may plow and dig wells, canals, and channels. With a bit more experience, they can discover all the riches of the earth and erect sturdy outposts from which folk may gather that wealth.

Fire / Plasma:
Skills: Craft (Alchemy or any fire-related), Disable Device, Heal, and Sleight Of Hand.
Attribute: Intelligence.
L1) Blades of Fire, Burning Hands, Campfire Veil, Kelgore’s Firebolt, Resist Energy (Fire Only), Wall of Smoke.
L2) Hearthfire (Hedge Wizardry), Pyrotechnics, Scorching Ray, Balor Nimbus.
L3) Fireball, Fire Spiders, Fire Wings, Flashburst.
L4) Firestride Exhalation, Fire Shield, Firestride, Wall Of Fire.
L5) Cone of Cold (Fire), Daltim’s Fiery Tentacles, Firebrand, Greater Fireburst.
L6) Fire Spiders, Fires of Purity, Scalding Mud, Summon Elementals (1d3 Huge Fire).
L7) Prismatic Spray, Sunburst.

Fire is one of the foundations of civilization. Yet the Fire Rune is primarily a sigil of war – for should you wish to cook, to scare animals away from your camp, to provide light, to smelt ore or forge metal, to brew potions, to drive a steam engine, or simply to provide warmth… a Hearthfire spell (and perhaps Resist Fire) will do. Certainly, you might want to use an explosion (Fireball) to help mine, or to extinguish a fire with Pyrotechnics – but even a minor Runebearer can accomplish such tasks. The greater spells of fire are almost always weapons of one sort or another. Still, a fire specialist is a welcome aide in battle.

Life / Renewal:
Skills: Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, and Speak Language.
Attribute: Charisma.
L1) Cure Light Wounds, Lesser Restoration, Lesser Vigor, Remove Sickness, Polypurpose Panacea, Youthful Appearance
L2) Calm Emotions, Close Wounds, Delay Poison, Stabalize.
L3) Cure Serious Wounds, Neutralize Poison, Remove Disease, Vigor.
L4) Cure Critical Wounds, Panacea, Remove Curse, Restoration.
L5) Breath Of Life, Heal, Monstrous Regeneration, Raise Dead.
L6) Dual Heal (two targets), Greater Good Hope (double effects), Heroes Feast, Inspiring Recovery.
L7) Resurrection, Restoration (Greater).

The Life Rune is usually the template for any healer’s emblem in a setting. Whatever form it tends to take – whether Rod of Asclepius, Eye of Horus, Healing Hand, Renewing Serpent, Medicine Bear, Antahkarana, Om, Yin-Yang, Medicine Wheel, Lotus, Tree of Life, Hamsa/Hand of Miriam, Dharma Wheel, Flower of Life, Reiki Symbols, or Spiral Sun – will become emblematic. Runebearers of Life, as powerful physicians and healers, are welcome almost everywhere, their services are coveted by the wealth and sought by charities. Even the most generous will generally be well supported by donations and grateful patients. While it can obviously be used in support of evil, It is rare that any wielder of the Life Rune will be regarded with anything save great respect – unless their personal habits are utterly odious.

Shadow / Darkness / Oblivion:
Skills: Bluff (includes Forgery), Gather Information, Hide, and Move Silently.
Attribute: Intelligence.
L1) Disguise Self, Insightful Feint, Minor Image, Net Of Shadows, Shadow Anchor, Shadowfade.
L2) Blindsight, Darkness, Dark Whispers, Searching Shadows.
L3) Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Gloomblind Bolts, Scrying, Shadow Enchantment.
L4) Bestow Curse, Greater Invisibility, Shadow Conjuration, Shadow Form.
L5) Cloak of Shadows, Mislead, Prying Eyes, Shadow Walk.
L6) Greater False Vision, Greater Scrying, Shadow Evocation, Shadow Memory.
L7) Project Image, Shadow Conjuration (Greater).

Popularly – if somewhat unfairly – seen as the Rune of Thieves, Assassins, Spies, and Rogues, the Shadow Rune has always been as much about what might lie within the shadows as of the darkness itself. Still, given that fundamental uncertainty about its nature, it is not surprising that the Shadow Rune bestows powers that are far more flexible than those of any other rune. Of course, that same flexibility – and it’s inclusion of mental effects – only adds to the reasons why others find the Shadow Rune and its wielders so suspicious. Sadly, given that the influence of the rune on their minds, all too many Shadow Runebearers fully justify that prejudice.

Water / Swamp:
Skills: Disguise, Escape Artist, Survival (includes Use Rope), and Swim.
Attribute: Wisdom.
L1) Align (Bless, Curse, Etc) Water, Corrosive Touch (as per Shocking Grasp, but Acid), Detect Poison, Fogsight, Hidden Spring, Obscuring Mist.
L2) Chill Metal, Cure Moderate Wounds, Fog Cloud, Warp Wood.
L3) Poison, Neutralize Poison, Quench, Water Breathing.
L4) Control Water, Holy (or Unholy, etc) Storm, Raise From The Deep, Rusting Grasp.
L5) Airy Water, Control Currents (1 Hour / Level), Insect Plague, Summon Nature’s Ally VI (Water Elemental Only).
L6) Blazing Rainbow, Drown, Summon Elementals (1d3 Huge Water). Tidal Surge.
L7) Submerge Ship, Vortex.

The Water Rune is surprisingly subtle and versatile, if only because it is one of the few runes that offers even limited healing powers in addition to both utility powers and combat functions – if no particular defenses. Still, basic offense, concealment, minor healing, the ability to explore the depths, and raise or hinder ships, makes a bearer of the Water Rune welcome aboard any vessel or in any coastal settlement.

Archetypical Runes:

Communication / Writing / Runecraft:
Skills: Autohypnosis, Any one Knowledge, Decipher Script, and Speak Language.
Attribute: Dexterity.
L1) Amanuensis 3/Day, Ancient Knowledge, Arcane Mark 3/Day, Comprehend Languages, Incendiary Runes, Instant Portrait.
L2) Activate Item (Wand, scroll, staff, whatever), Lesser Arcane Seal, Speaking Stones, Whispering Wind.
L3) Illusory Script, Secret Page, Sepia Snake Sigil, Tongues.
L4) Amnesia, Bit of Luck, Contingent Scroll, Sending.
L5) Commune with Texts, Greater Dispel Magic, Greater Harrowing, Mage’s Decree.
L6) Chains of Light (Runes), Demanding Message (Mass), Greater Seal (The Practical Enchanter), Planar Ally.
L7) Banishment, Limited Wish.

In all language – in speech, in gestures, and in writing – there is an echo of the Primal Runes. A strength that can bind and shape the deep energies of creation, bringing order from chaos. The Communication Rune is the bridge over which that echo passes, the language which helps define what the world IS instead of simply reflecting thoughts about it. It is tied deeply into the foundations of what it means to be intelligent and capable of passing on lessons to younger members of your species – to have a culture. Wielders of the Communication Rune are found as messengers, clerks, judges, grand viziers, and commanders – anywhere where there is a premium on the ability to communicate, to support the official niceties that maintain society, and to understand large amounts of information. At their peak, a wielder of the Communication Rune can speak reality into being, although – as mere mortals – there are severe limits to this ability.

Defense / Traps / Wards:
Skills: Balance, Craft (Traps, etc), Disable Device, and Search.
Attribute: Dexterity.
L1) Alarm, Dispel Ward, Hidden Ward, Mage Armor, Resist Energy, Sanctuary.
L2) Arcane Lock, Fire Trap, Misdirection, Rope Trick.
L3) Dispel Magic, Explosive Runes, Glyph of Warding, Nondetection.
L4) Emergency Force Sphere, Magic Circle (Select), Reverse Arrows, Ruin Delver’s Fortune.
L5) Chromal Barrier (as per Prismatic Wall, but only one color), Mages Private Sanctum, Scry Trap, Zone Of Respite.
L6) Greater Glyph Of Warding, Guards and Wards, Sign of Sealing, Hide The Path.
L7 Refuge, Teleport Trap.

The Defense Rune is, of course, most valued by those with places and items that need to be protected or secured. While relatively few of it’s powers are particularly mobile, it offers a wide variety of protections – especially if someone learns to imbue areas with personal protections. A structure – whether shop, moneychangers, or fortress – protected by a skilled wielder of the Defense Rune can be difficult to even locate, much less damage or penetrate.

Investigation / Curiosity / Search:
Skills: Decipher Script, Gather Information, Open Lock, and Search.
Attribute: Wisdom.
L1) Bloodhound, Detect Secret Doors, Heightened Awareness, Instant Search, Lay Of The Land, Residual Tracking.
L2) Blood Biography, Circle Dance, Locate Object, Share Husk.
L3) Allied Cloak, Aura Sight, Helping Hand, Seek Thoughts.
L4) Dungeonsight, Implacable Pursuer, Legend Lore, Locate Creature.
L5) Contact Other Plane, Geas/Quest, Mages Private Sanctum, Mind Probe.
L6) Find the Path, Mass Fleeting Memory, Psychic Asylum, Unerring Tracker.
L7) Retrocognition, Vision.

The questions have rung out across the centuries: “What happened?” “Why did this happen?” “Who did this?”. Those who wield the Revelation Rune can usually find out. While there tends to be communication and cooperation between it’s wielders, they rarely gather in one place, for their curiosity – and the questions of their patrons – tend to lead them in many directions. Still, while “truth” is widely sought, this is also the rune of blackmailers and spies. Others are bounty hunters, rangers, and hunters of wild beasts – searching out their prey as the “more sophisticated” bearers search out truth.

Revelation / Divination / Senses:
Skills: Appraise, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot.
L1) Detect Magic 3/Day, Detect Poison 3/Day, Ebon Eyes, Embrace The Wild, Investigative Mind, Ancient Knowledge.
L2) See Invisibility, Discern Shapechanger, Know Vulnerabilities, Eagle Eye.
L3) Akhasic Communion, Arcane Sight, Identify (Pathfinder Version), Oracular Vision (Any divination effect of level two or less).
L4) Detect Scrying, Divination, Echolocation, Legend Lore.
L5) Dragonsight, Dream, True Seeing, Zone of Revelation.
L6) Analyze Dweomer, Immediate Truth (Use one “True” (strike, skill, etc, see The Practical Enchanter) spell as an immediate action), Prophetic Lore, Telepathy.
L7) Arcane Sight (Greater), Scrying (Greater).

The Revelation Rune reveals much, if rarely all – but those looking for forgeries, or counterfeit money, or poisoned food, or infiltrators, or are seeking justice, or who wish to learn about some ancient relic… would do well to find a bearer of the Revelation Rune.

Symbiosis / Beastmaster / Animal Husbandry:
Skills: Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Ride.
Attribute: Charisma.
L1) Calm Animals, Charm Animal, Commune with Birds, Speak with Animals, Enrage Animal, Invisibility to Animals.
L2) Bestow Curse (Domestication, Desexing, or similar veterinary “work” only), Hold Animal, Summon Swarm, Nature’s Favor.
L3) Dominate Animal, Greater Magic Fang, Cure Critial Wounds (Animals Only), Master Animal (Permanent Train Animal)
L4) Animal Growth, Summon Nature’s Ally V (Animals Only variant, -1 level). Breeders Blessing (improves results, especially over generations).Winged Mount.
L5) Awaken, Heal (Animals only), Release The Hounds, Summon Nature’s Ally VI (Animals Only variant, -1 level).
L6) Dragonblood Beast, Share Skin, Summon Nature’s Ally VII (Animals only variant, -1 level), Summon Stampede.
L7) Animal Shapes, Atavism (Mass).

The gift of the Symbiosis Rune is prosperity. For even at it’s lower levels it offers dominion over the beasts of the fields and the ability to produce improved strains of them. Strong and docile plowhorses and packhorses, fierce warhorses, improved mastiffs for defense, training the great cats and elephants for war, more productive cows, healthier and better-laying chickens… the second half of the agricultural revolution, and all the wealth it brings, lies in the province of the Symbiosis Rune. Moreover, they can obtain results that would take other breeders a thousand years or more within a few decades.

Travel / Movement:
Skills: Climbing, Jump, Survival (includes Use Rope), and Tumble.
Attribute: Constitution.
L1) Abjuring Step, Benign Transposition, Expeditious Retreat, Jump, Mount, Updraft.
L2) Dimension Leap, Dark Way, Baleful Transposition, Swift Fly.
L3) Conjure Carriage, Fly, Mass Feather Step, Phantom Steed.
L4) Dimension Door, Flight of the Dragon, Planar Adaption, Wind At Back.
L5) Ether Step, Overland Flight, Plane Shift, Teleport.
L6) Find The Path, Mass Planar Adaption, Wind Walk, Word of Recall.
L7) Teleport (Greater), Walk Through Space.

The Travel Rune does not greatly change the world at lower levels, where it’s basic effects are mostly short ranged and personal, however useful such tricks are to an adventurer. Still, masters are greatly valued as emissaries, couriers, and traders in relatively small amounts of high-value goods. If you want to move a thousand tons of rice, you send it by ship. If you want to move five tons of artwork, send it by airship. If you want to move a briefcase full of precious stones quickly and securely… call in a master of the Travel Rune.

Wanderer / Pilgrim / Explorer:
Skills: Diplomacy, Knowledge (Local or Geography), Speak Language, Survival (includes Use Rope).
Attribute: Intelligence.
L1) Mage’s Comfort, Purify Food and Drink (3/Day) Prestidigitation (3/Day), Unseen Servant, Dawn 3/Day, Second Wind.
L2) Clothier’s Closet, Hearthfire (Hedge Magic), Hide Campsite, Peacemaker’s Parley.
L3) Bit of Luck, Create Food and Water, Hedge Mastery (cast two levels worth of Hedge Magic spells within the next hour), Servant Horde.
L4) Bountiful Banquet, Good Hope (10 Minutes/Level), Grove of Respite, Secure Shelter.
L5) Greater Age Resistance, Greater Hut, Hidden Lodge, Life Bubble.
L6) Heroes Feast, Superior Resistance, Transport Via Plants, Word Of Recall.
L7) Bestow Planar Infusion III, Mages Magnificent Mansion.

The Wanderer Rune is a force of rest and comfort – useful to wanderers whether they possess it themselves or whether they are merely staying with someone who does possess it. In either case, the promise of rest and sanctuary can be a precious thing – while even a relatively low-level wielder can easily set up a small inn or traveler’s rest and make a comfortable living wherever people pass. While the Wanderer Rune is notably inoffensive compared to many others, solving logistic issues is no small contribution to travel, exploration, and military expeditions can be invaluable – enough so that many treat anyplace run by a bearer of the Wanderer Rune as neutral territory.

Mages Comfort (Bard I, Sorcerer/Wizard I, Illusion (Shadow), Casting Time 1 Minute, Components V, S, Area: Special, Duration Two Hours Per Level, Saving Throw None (Harmless), Spell Resistance No).

Mages Comfort makes an area (campsite, apartment, extradimensional space, etc) pleasant to stay in with blankets, cushions, comfortable chairs, endtables, beds with nice mattresses, and other “real enough” furnishings. Anything removed from the area will, however, vanish instantly and none of the items can be effectively used as weapons, restraints, or for purposes other than comfort.

Greater Hut (Bard 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 5). An upgraded version of Tiny Hut, with a radius of up to thirty feet – sufficient to shelter an entire expedition. The outside blends into the local environment. Anyone attempting to get in without permission must save (Will, one try) or be unable to enter. The shelter will collapse if the caster leaves for more than ten minutes and Disintegration destroys it.

There are other ways to use runes of course. For example, you could set up a world where all magic depended on the Runes, and thus was inherently limited. Allow each spellcaster access to – say – three runes, perhaps forbidding some combinations. (For example, Destruction would likely be incompatible with the Creation, Life, and Defense runes). That would still limit spellcasters a great deal – eliminating most problematic spells and greatly reducing the complexity inherent in a vast spell list – while simultaneously allowing hundreds of unique magical combinations.

If even that is not enough… it should not be difficult to add additional runes. A few – such as Enchantment and Conjuration – are problematic for obvious reasons, Illusion would be entertaining, if ultimately a bit limiting. But Radiance, Metal, Insects (or Spiders), Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, a set of Martial Maneuvers, Shamanism? Mystic Archery? Infernal or Celestial Magic? All those little fields that are a bit too narrow and specific to build a character class around can easily become Runes. What will that red dragon do when the fighter suddenly activates his Ice Magic Rune and takes the stance of the Unrelenting Glacial Advance style?

Dungeon Keepers and Cores for Eclipse d20

“Dungeon Keeper” or “Dungeon Core” is a fairly specialized genre. Nevertheless, I’ve been asked how to build one.

Brompton Cemetery by Thomas Nugent is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0build one.

So… how do you build a personal dungeon full of monsters, traps, rooms and chambers with chasms, furnishings, and puddles of fire, and various (relatively minor) treasures and keep building it up?

Like any other form of base, the starting point is the Sanctum ability / feat. This also helps avoid the primary trap of this kind of setup; it’s passive nature. A dungeon keeper or core may run the dungeon – but generally must wait for people to come into the dungeon and has little to do if they decide to leave again. If the game involves other players (as most do) much of the time a pure dungeon keeper or dungeon core character would have nothing to do – and even when adventurers visit a dungeon, they’re the active ones.

Ergo, being a Dungeon Keeper needs to be cheap enough – at least in terms of character-building resources – that your Keeper can go out and adventure, or intrigue, or whatever, with the rest of the group without being at a massive disadvantage. Ergo, Sanctum, which provides 24 CP to build with for a mere six CP with the proviso that those resources are fixed, and only operate in a particular location.

Dungeons, of course, are places of magic. They spawn and respawn monsters and treasures, they create huge, and insufficiently supported, underground areas, they have breathable air in long-sealed vaults, they fail to fill with water even when built under bodies of it, the connections between their levels often make no sense at all, and you never see a vast pile of dug-out earth and stone next to them. Fairly often they have local laws of nature that don’t seem to apply elsewhere or ignore rules that should apply. Dungeons are set a bit apart from reality. That’s a major clue; they’re extra-dimensional spaces.

The Dungeon Core / Keeper Sanctum Build:

• Action Hero (Crafting), Specialized and Corrupted for Increased Effect (+50% points for a total of (3 + [level x 1.5] action (“Dungeon”) points per level, rounded up – so 5 at level one), covers both time and costs) / only to create dungeon facilities – the Dungeon Generator, Dungeon Populator, Raid Generator, and other optional items listed below (6 CP).
  • At first level a Dungeon Keeper or Core will have a mere 5 Dungeon Points to spend; just enough for a simple one-level goblin cave, or a crypt with a few skeletons, or some such. That might not be too elaborate, but it will do for a start.
• Create Item (Wondrous Items), Specialized for Increased Effect (the prerequisites are irrelevant) and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / only to allow the creation of the “items” given above under Action Hero via Action Hero (4 CP).
• Privilege: Dungeon facilities – and their functions – may be purchased in discrete and functional steps. For example, the Dungeon Generator – the “item” that creates basic dungeon levels – costs 15 Action (Dungeon) Points and can make four normal levels and three expanded levels. Ergo: 2 DP for L1, +1 DP per additional level, +2 DP for each of the three possible level expansions. That’s still a total of 15 DP, but this means that a starter dungeon can purchase a first level – perhaps a warren of kobold tunnels – for a mere 2 DP (3 CP).
• Leadership (Contractors and Evolutions), Specialized for Increased Effect (applies to each floor) and Corrupted for Reduced Cost (4 CP) / can only be applied to Dungeon Creatures – although this may include one outside creature per level that has taken up residence in the dungeon – ceases to work outside the dungeon, only to give creatures of the dungeon both levels and special “evolutions” (templates) and to grant similar minor boosts (almost always including greatly extended lifespans and Returning) to the Contractors.
  • Leadership, of course, does not really work below level four – but this allows higher-level dungeon keepers and cores to go ahead and give their basic monsters a variety of unique upgrades and to lure in assistants. Unfortunately, while Contractors can leave the dungeon, the benefits of their contract will be in abeyance until they come back.
• Returning, Specialized and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / only to restore Dungeon facilities created through Action Hero (2 CP). It may take some time to re-establish a dungeon, but unless the Keeper or Core is destroyed, the digging always starts again – and soon enough the dungeon will be back.
• Privilege: The dungeon Keeper or Core receives a little bit of Experience – and the occasional extra “Dungeon Point” – when adventurers spend time visiting, exploring, or adventuring in their dungeon. This is, however, Specialized / said adventurer’s presence must be voluntary and their level must at least equal the level of the dungeon that they are visiting for this to be of any actual benefit to the Core / Keeper (1 CP).
• Occult Sense (Dungeon Awareness): The Core or Keeper is always aware of what is going on in his or her dungeon. Corrupted / the user is only fully aware of what is going on in one level at a time. The Keeper or Core only gets a vague idea of what is going on on the other levels (4 CP).

A Keeper who makes a habit of wandering off may want to purchase Mystic Link, so that they can maintain this awareness – and give orders – when outside the dungeon.

Basic Facilities:

The two Basic Facilities – the Dungeon Generator and the Dungeon Populator – are pretty much required for any dungeon.

• Dungeon Generator: Spacewarp (L2 Base) with Barriers (+1 Level, doors (including the entryway), obstacles, and passages may have various rules/challenges/etc), Furnished (+1 level to add bridges, murder holes, minor wildlife, guard posts, bodies of water, fountains, chasms, lava pools, groves of trees, mushrooms, quicksand, bridges, secret doors, tapestries, chests, and other dungeon furnishings. This stuff tends to quickly decay away if removed from the dungeon), Hidden (+1 level, even transdimenional divinations about the place and it’s contents generally fail), Increased Size (+1 level for 30,000 cubic feet per caster level available per floor), Stable (+1 Level, other extradimensional spaces may be created or used inside without difficulty), and Renewable (+1 Level). Spell Level 8 x Caster Level 17 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.4 only ten instances of the spell may be maintained at a time and they may be arranged in no more than seven floors, x,8 Layout may only be changed somewhat when the spell gets it’s daily renewal, x.8 changes may only be made while the floor is unoccupied by outsiders, x.8 floors cannot be simply sealed off, a route through must always be available (even if it can be extremely hard to manage) x.5 Immobile = 28,000 GP. Purchasing with DP: 2 for L1, 1 per additional level, 2 for each of the three possible level expansions.
• Dungeon Populator: Summon Monster VII (Custom List Option; Four Monsters and Four Traps for each level) with the Renewable option (+1 Level), Base Duration of 1 Minute/Caster Level (+1 Level), Includes minor special equipment for “evolved” followers / trap concealment (+1 Level), Three Levels of Built-In Metamagic (-1 Level): Spell Level 9 x Caster Level 17 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use Activated x .4 Effective level of the summoning spell is equal to that of the floor the creatures are being summoned to, x.7, Renewal effects only maintain the monsters and traps existence until no outsiders are on a floor and they can reset .7, Each Floor may only be given 4d4 Minor Creatures Or 2d4 of two types), 1d4+1 Average Creatures, and 1 Major Creature, as well as 4 Minor (two types available), 2 Intermediate (must be of the same type), and 1 Major Trap, x.7 Monsters may not leave their floors (or go outside) more than very briefly x.9 Monsters are generally obliging to the Dungeon Keeper or Core, but aren’t necessarily very bright about it and do have instincts, x.5 Immobile = 19,000 GP. It should be noted that each level usually has a theme; a fiery level will have fire monsters, a goblin fort level will have goblins and humanoids, and so on. Purchasing with DP: 3 for L1, +2 per additional level.
  • So each floor gets up to 510,000 Cubic Feet. with three extra blocks of that much space to add to particular floors if you want a forest or something. Each floor will be inhabited by 4d4 Minor, 2d4+2 Average, and 1 Major monster – and will have 2 Minor, 2 Average, and 1 Major trap as well as assorted minor obstacles and challenges. To define “Minor”, “Average”, and “Major”.
    • Level One (Summon II Base): Minor is CR 1/3 or less, Average is CR 1/2 or less, and Major is CR 1 or less.
    • Level Two (Summon III Base): Minor is CR 1/2 or less, Average is CR 1 or less, and Major is CR 2 or less.
    • Level Three (Summon IV Base): Minor is CR 1 or less, Average is CR 2 or less, and Major is CR 3 or less.
    • Level Four (Summon V Base): Minor is CR 2 or less, Average is CR 3 or less, and Major is CR 5 or less.
    • Level Five (Summon VI Base): Minor is CR 3 or less, Average is CR 5 or less, and Major is CR 6 or less.
    • Level Six (Summon VI Base): Minor is CR 5 or less, Average is CR 6 or less, and Major is CR 8 or less.
    • Level Seven (Summon VII Base): Minor is CR 6 or less, Average is CR 8 or less, and Major is CR 9 or less.

Thus, for 5 DP, a first level Keeper or Core can have a first floor and some basic creatures and traps to put on it. They won’t be able to afford anything fancy until later on however.

It’s important to note that things like basic pits, slippery floors, and similar terrain hazards can be added for free. Things can also be added through normal means; if a Dungeon Keeper wants to go out and buy some bear traps (2 GP each) and hide them under a scattering of straw, they may do so. They’ll just have to maintain and reset them manually, while traps created ny a Dungeon Population maintain and reset themselves.

Optional Facilities:

Engines Of The Deeps: This facility generates Unseen Servants with an Extended Range (anywhere in the Dungeon, SL 3 x CL 5 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x .5 Immobile) – and can thus maintain about 3000 of them at a time, delivering about 250 Horsepower. That’s more than enough to straighten the place up, to support moving bridges of floating cobblestones, to run elevators, to power and reset mechanical devices and traps, to hold up floating platforms, to pump water, to move items and prisoners about, to hold covers over pits, and to collect any stray goodies that adventurers leave laying about, among other things. With a net cost of 6 DP there isn’t a lot of point in breaking this one up – but if you want to any individual set of specialized effects is 1 DP until you hit a total of 6 and go unrestricted.

Yes, this covers things like sliding blocks and walls, floating bridges that assemble themselves when triggered, stairs that turn into slides, hanging nets, returning the sand to the shaft that dumps it on top of people, and so on. Anything particularly elaborate will still have to be purchased somehow – whether by a Dungeon Populator or actual cash – but this will suffice to harass people endlessly.

Throne Of War: Greater Invocation of Eldritch Weapon VII, Renewable (+1 Spell Level) for SL 9 x CL 17 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.5 Immobile x.5 (weapons may not be given a higher bonus than the level they are found on, no more than a few will be found on any given floor, and only occasional weapons will retain “their” magic after their user is defeated. = 76,500 GP. Installing a spark of the local War God in the depths will allow a dungeon to place a few magical weapons around the place – usually being used by various monsters. Most such will disappear when the monster is defeated, but every so often one will remain as a reward or “loot drop”. Such weapons can have any combination of enhancement bonuses and special functions up to their total bonus limit. There’s an upper limit of 1700 enhanced weapons (or bundles of enhanced ammunition at a time, but this should pretty much never be a worry – so dungeon keepers or cores can have personal weapons and can hand out weapons to friends and allies. As an epic item this costs 21 DP – but can be purchased in installments of +1 maximum per +3 DP.

Aegis Of The Guardian: The companion to a Throne Of War, this uses an Eldritch Armor effect – although since that spell is one level lower than the corresponding weapon enhancement this item can be purchased for +2 DP for levels 1-6, with level 7 costing 3 DP.

The Throne Of War and Aegis Of The Guardian will allow a well-developed dungeon to keep an associated party well-stocked with magical weapons and armor. Of course, a well-developed dungeon requires rather a lot of design work, regular maintenance and adjustment, and dealing with the attention and adventurers it will attract.

Secondary Core: This modification gives the Dungeon an intelligence of it’s own, albeit one that is responsive, rather than communicative. It, in turn can imbue the dungeon with a wide variety of effects. This is a Ward Major effect, as found in The Practical Enchanter, and has a cost of 3 DP for Rank-1, 2 DP per additional level to a maximum of level seven.

In theory it wouldn’t be that expensive in terms of DP to install an Epic Ward – but at that point the dungeon would almost certainly be smarter, wiser, more charismatic, and more willful than any reasonable Core or Keeper – and would probably just take over it’s own enchantments and go it’s own way. That’s how you get megadungeons.

Reality Fixator: Limited Wish L7 x L13 x 2000 GP + (50 x 1500 GP) = 257,000 GP x .4 (One subdividable charge per day) x .4 (only usable to produce goods with a maximum total value of 750 GP – 50% of the cost of the spells 1500 GP material component) x.5 Immobile = 20,560 GP. A Reality Fixator gradually makes a dungeons furnishings real – allowing adventurers to steal those fancy tapestries, for those bottles of fine wine in the storeroom to get taken into town, for ropes and other basic goods to persist outside the dungeon. Given time, a Reality Fixator will begin to stock the dungeon with minor treasures – bits of coinage, small gems, minor potions and scrolls, and so on – although the dungeon monsters can use those too. You may even see common livestock, simple mounts, and occasional cheap wands and wondrous items and such, a process which will speed up as more DP are invested. 1 DP per 75 GP/Day.

A dungeon can generate rather a lot of wealth. Of course, a lot of it will be in difficult-to-manage forms and most of it is used internally – but no sensible dungeon keeper is going to be short of basic supplies.

Raid Generator: Summon Monster VI (custom summons list, generally two choices each of minor mounts, minor hunting beasts, average minions, major boss), +4 levels of Persistent (24 Hour Duration), -2 levels / requires an elaborate dedicated staging area to launch the raid from, -1 Level / it requires up to ten minutes to ready a raiding party, +1 level raiding parties come with suitable gear. Spell Level 8 x Caster Level 15 x 1800 GP Unlimited Use Command Word Activated x .3 (Three Uses per Week) x .8 (All three uses are automatically expended at the same time to get a set of 5 Minor Mounts / Hunting Beasts, 4 Average Raiders, and one Major Raid Boss (Minor/Average/Major as defined above), x.7 (Creatures summoned are appropriate to the second-“deepest” level the dungeon has achieved – so a two-level dungeon summons a L1 raiding party, while a seven level dungeon can summon a sixth level raiding party. First level dungeons cannot summon raiding parties even if they somehow have a Raid Generator)x.5 Immobile = 18,144 GP. A Raid Generator allows a dungeon to summon up a raiding party – either to pursue fleeing adventurers, to conduct raids / resource grabs against some nearby target, to provide support for some operation, or to generally roam the countryside and make a statement. It costs 5 DP to install a Raid Generator capable of producing a first level raiding party, +1 DP per additional level to a maximum of a level six raiding party.

A Raid Generator will quickly attract attention. A dungeon without one is a mere attractive nuisance; it may lure in the occasional fool or little group of would-be adventurers, but simply staying away from the place is pretty much complete protection. Once it starts sending out raiding parties, however, that will quickly change.

Benison Generator: Create Magic Tattoo (L2), Renewable (+1 Level), Double Effect (+4 Levels), Nondispellable (+2 Levels), One Minute Casting Time (+1 Level), No Check Required (+1 Level), 9 levels of built-in Metamagic (-3 levels) = Spell Level 8 x Caster Level 15 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.5 Immobile x.7 Rank four benisons may only be awarded on level seven, rank three on level five and up, rank two on levels three and up, and rank one on any floor = 84,000 GP. Another fairly obviously epic-level toy, it costs 21 DP – or 7 DP per rank – to get a Benison Generator.. Possible Benisons include…

• (Rank) Resistance Bonus to Saves.
• (Rank) Competence Bonus to Attacks.
• (Rank) Enhancement Bonus to an Attribute.
• Recall (Rank) levels of cast spells daily, as if using a Pearl Of Power. Sadly, even with multiple
• Benisons, the maximum level of spell recalled is four.
• (Rank x 6) Spell Resistance.
• (Rank / 2) Luck Bonus to Attacks
• (Rank / 2) Deflection Bonus to AC
• (Rank / 2) Bonus to Effective Caster Level

Dungeons are notorious for having magical pools which grant benefits, monsters having magical trinkets, and so on. While unique items have to be purchased or crafted normally, a Benison Generator allows a dungeon to dispense a bunch of generic stuff – although no single recipient can have more than three such Benisons at a time. Note that creatures of the dungeon can also receive Benisons (whether as Marks, Draughts, Talismans, Etc), although no more than one each. A Benison Generator can only support 1440 Benisons in total, but this is not normally a noticeable limitation. Defeated monsters may leave Benisons as “Loot Drops”, but this is only at the option of the dungeon

Benisons are about as classic as it gets and have always been one of the major reasons that characters go into dungeons; they want that “Phat Loot!”.

Star Of Destiny: Wish Spell Level 9 x Caster Level 17 x 1800 GP Unlimited Use Command Word Activated + (50 x 25,000 GP) = 1,525,400 GP. X.05 once per month x 5 Immobile x.8 can only be added to the seventh level x .7 only for “Dungeon Business” – moving the entrance to a new location, allowing characters in a lower-level game to find a magic pool that can resurrect their lost companion, granting some special reward such as a companion creature or major change in a character (these are usually handled as bonus feats, see “Inherent Bonuses” in The Practical Enchanter) x.9 maximum of three uses to provide inherent bonuses per target = 19,220 GP. A dungeon equipped with a Star Of Destiny can grant rewards that are normally unavailable – allowing a character who was seeking a draconic steed to rescue and hatch a dragon egg (Grant Feat: Draconic Companion), or let someone learn secret techniques from some ancient spirit, or reveal a lost gate to some secret location, or letting a young paladiness bond with a unicorn, or any of hundreds of other things. And if no one is being rewarded this month the dungeon might add another entrance, or a special linke between the floors, or hide a sublevel minigame within a painting that allows entrance to a secret crypt, or some such. Installing a Star Of Destiny costs 15 DP. Upgrading it to 1/Week costs another 6. Unfortunately, there’s no good way to subdivide this; until the full price is paid the Star Of Destiny will not manifest.

A Star Of Destiny makes a dungeon a place of mysterious powers, where wonderful things can happen. Personally, I’d advise any dungeon with seven floors to install one as soon as possible.

Spectral Forge: Spectral Hand (L2) +1 Level (Anywhere in the Dungeon), +1 Level (No HP Cost). Spell Level 4 x Caster Level 7 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x .5 Immobile = 28,000 GP. A Spectral Forge allows a Core or Keeper to manifest their spells and similar abilities anywhere in the dungeon – although accurate targeting will require that the user be focusing on that level at the time. 15 DP and – once again – there really is no good way to subdivide this cost.

The Glorious Egress: Planar Drop (L2) Spell Level 2 x Caster Level Three x 1800 GP Unlimited-Use Command Word Activated x.5 Immobile = 5400 GP. Planar Drop is a relative of Dispel Magic (albeit with Touch or Short range) that simply ejects its target from a relatively limited extra-dimensional space at the point where they entered it if they fail to save. While rather narrowly specialized, this is occasionally used to eject ill-mannered guests from Mage’s Magnificent Mansion or to escape from spells like Create Pit or Maze. Unfortunately, demiplanes and such are too large to allow it to function – but it will allow a Dungeon Keeper or Core to either provide a shortcut to the surface for those who reach a designated exit and wish to leave or to try and throw people out – although the low save DC means that it will probably take several tries to get this to work. It’s usually installed in the final chamber, but the effect can be manifested anywhere in the dungeon with a Spectral Forge. 6 DP, and, once again, there is no good way to subdivide this cost. Still, it’s small enough that there generally is no need to bother.

While other facilities are possible (in fact, almost required at high levels since there will be plenty of DP left over at that point), those twelve cover most of the things a dungeon needs to function. It should be noted that there is nothing preventing a dungeon from buying such items more than once. Although there is no point with some of them, monster-heavy dungeons often double up on their Dungeon Populators and Raid Generators.

Dungeons are very powerful, and very cheap – although they take a lot of design time on the part of the player and a lot of time leveling up to build up that power. This, of course, makes developed dungeons into coveted targets. Many an individual and organization will want to claim and control a powerful dungeon – putting any player character who wants that power either up against the dungeon’s current master or very much on the defensive. Of course, that’s arguably just the way that it’s supposed to be.

With any luck things here will now be coming off hiatus and I can start posting semi-regularly again.

Eclipse D20 – Playing Possessed Items

And here we have another question…

The idea of possessed weapons is pretty old. Seriously, you can find that sort of thing in a bunch of ancient myths. The tales of the Gān Jiàng and Mò Yé swords or some weapons from the Vedas are some of the oldest examples I’m aware of, but the idea almost certainly predates the historical record. I can practically guarantee that, at some point, at least one stone age tribesman decided that their favorite weapon was haunted by someone’s spirit and was somehow lucky. Rather a lot of people have lived since the species evolved so somebody is sure to have come up with a basic bit of magical thinking like that.

More modern takes vary a lot, but ideas like “an old or crippled mentor imbues a weapon with his skills and passes it on to a student” or “a spirit is bound to a weapon until it is used to avenge its murder” turn up in a wide variety of books and films. So occasional players want to play such a weapon – or some other enchanted object. This… is awkward. To start with:

• RPG’s are social events. A character who has limited – or potentially no – communications is problematic.
• RPG’s stress player agency. A character who can’t move and act on their own is problematic.
• RPG’s stress keeping everyone involved. If you have a character who can’t reasonably participate in things like going to a bar, meeting the king, having a meal, and being social – and lets face it; the blood-dripping cursed axe of doom is not going to be welcome everywhere – the GM must choose between abandoning many of the elements that make it a RPG or leaving the enchanted object player out of much of the game. It’s problematic either way.
• RPG’s normally try for some sort of character equity. This will be awkward. Either the character will simply lose out on the physical abilities their character will normally have or – in resource-allocation / ability purchase systems will be able to dump all of the resources that would normally go into making an effective character into some overwhelming advantage – often relying on it’s bearer for all of that stuff. This is problematic.
• RPG’s tend to make NPC’s at least somewhat independent and the PC’s very independent. If the item character gets to override the bearers decisions it’s unsuitable for a PC, and turns a NPC into property as a puppet – an advantage that cannot be taken away without leaving the player out of the action. If the enchanted object can’t control the bearer, then much of the time the player will wind up having their decisions ignored or not getting to act. In either case, this is problematic.
• RPG’s tend to count on characters having needs, weaknesses, and social connections. Most need oxygen, food, and drink. They have metabolisms to be affected by poisons and diseases. They need sleep. They can be affected by (or gather information from) scent, and taste, and touch. They have families, and are usually interested in things like sex, fine food, comfortable living conditions and so on. Items, however, tend to be immune to a lot of things like that. This is problematic again since it – once again – cuts off a bunch of in-game options for motivating and challenging the characters.

So there are a lot of problems with this notion even before picking a game system. It’s not like playing a robot or a vehicle that can drive itself or even – as a few players have done in various games – playing a Shellborg or an Artificial Intelligence in cyberpunk-themed games. Those characters can either direct their own bodies or direct drones or just serve as the group hacker. There are still some problems, but it’s not too bad since such settings are set up to accommodate such characters and the people playing such characters had a good deal of fun with them.

Still, the game I mostly cover here is Eclipse d20 – and it can be used to build pretty much anything. So how to build such a character in Eclipse in a typical high-fantasy setting?

For the actual racial template:

Sentient Item Racial Template: Note that this is generally applied to a medium-sized item. Anything smaller than that has a hard time holding enough magic to support a spirit, anything larger is just too unwieldy. That doesn’t mean that it’s impossible; just that it’s generally a lot more trouble.

First up… judging by the stories I’ve seen that involve such items they’re normally supposed to be being used by bumbling students, or untrained young heirs, or something similar. After all, characters who have their own skills and abilities to rely on don’t need to be led around by the nose by a possessed item. Ergo the abilities of the item – including abilities that it cannot personally use – supplant the abilities of the user. The only exception is going to be a selection of background skills and the most minor racial items. The Staff that contains the soul of Archmage Vilsamos almost certainly is better than some farmer’s kid or craftsman’s apprentice at everything related to adventuring, but Vilsamos very likely knows nothing about farming or woodcarving or potting or whatever the kid did before picking up the Staff – and is going to be somewhat limited on how much power he can push through a kid. This doesn’t necessarily have to have a cost since it’s a voluntary agreement on both sides – but it will be simplest to represent it as a Specialized and Corrupted version of Blessing (only works on someone touching or using the item, suppresses the target’s natural abilities greatly, must be voluntarily accepted, only works as an ability package, damage to granted attributes and abilities directly affects the user) though, which would make it cost (2 CP).

No Constitution score. This includes immunity to ability damage [including all poisons], ability drain, energy drain, and effects requiring fortitude saves unless they work on objects or are harmless. Items do not breathe, eat, or sleep, cannot tire and can move, work, or remain alert indefinitely. Items cannot be Raised or Reincarnated and are instantly destroyed at 0 HP (0 CP), Note that the original constitution score should be recorded (and not be mined for points to build up other attributes), since it will still limit the user and will modify the base HP being passed on to them. Why would such an item possibly weaken the user this way? Well, it has to draw energy from SOMEWHERE – and allowing an item to dump its physical attributes with no consequences unbalances things.

Leadership, Specialized and Corrupted / only covers a single wielder at a time, only to level them up so that – when they part company with the item – they will have learned a good deal from the experience, can only grant abilities very similar to those that the item or other characters in the party possess (2 CP). With this a youngster or non-adventurer will come out of the time spent with the item as a powerful and capable individual – reward enough for letting the item steer you through some adventuring.

Occult Sense (Low-Light Vision, 6 CP). This is one of the usual features of Constructs in d20, so I’m throwing it in – but it is a bit dubious. Of course, the general assumption that everything is roughly equivalent to a normal human unless noted otherwise that d20 is built around is odd anyway; how does the item see with no eyes?

Occult Sense (Darkvision, 6 CP). Another standard feature of d20 Constructs, and another item that really isn’t strictly required.

Immunity to things which affect biological processes (Very Common/Major/Legendary, Specialized: cannot heal naturally; they must be repaired or use other special abilities, does not apply to the “user” (unlike almost everything else), This includes paralysis, stunning damage, nonlethal damage, diseases, death effects, critical hits, and necromancy effects (22 CP).

Returning, Specialized / only when another willing wielder takes up or reconstructs the item in question (3 CP).

Efficient Siddhisyoga, Specialized / the money saved by the “Efficient” upgrade (generally a sixth of the total) goes to the user, to be spent on personal expenses, sent to their family, or be put into standard personal items (6 CP). Items don’t generally use more items, but they upgrade themselves given the resources – and their user’s will want SOMETHING for themselves.

Imbuement (6 CP). Note that variants are allowable. Armor can provide armor bonuses, tools can be enhanced (and likely to greater values than the base for weapons, since such bonuses are of less game importance), and so on. While this only affects the item it is not considered Corrupted or Specialized, since – if the item is not in use – this ability will not be functioning in any case.

Innate Enchantment: (6 CP, up to 5500 GP effective value)

• Healing Belt, x.8 (Only works on the items user-avatar, 600 GP). While every item character has at least a modest ability to heal it”s user-avatar, if they were really that good at self-healing, what are they doing stuck in an item?
• Repairman’s Belt (Variant Healing Belt that repairs damaged items instead, x/8 only works on the item, 600 GP). Every item character has at least a modest ability to repair itself. It’s fairly basic though.
• Unseen Servant (SL1 x CL1 x.6 (3/Day) x2000 GP (Unlimited-Use Use-Activated = 1200 GP). Item characters have at least a limited capacity to drag themselves around and to affect the immediate environment a bit. It’s not very GOOD, but at least it lets them try to get themselves found if they get stranded somewhere.
• Fortifying Stone, x.8 (affects the item only and is not transferable, 800 GP). Item characters item forms get +5 Hardness and +20 HP. As an innate enchantment, this is a permanent modification.
• Immortal Vigor I (SL1 x CL1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated, x.7 (only affects the bearer-avatar form = 1400 GP). +12 +2 x (Con Mod) HP is always useful.
• That leaves 900 GP available for personalization or just allowing the item to function as various mundane items. Does the Gauntlet of Zaros allow you to do things as if the wearer had appropriate tools? Add a Travelers Any-Tool function. Make it Masterwork and add a minor Weapon Crystal. Add a secondary form; perhaps the staff comes apart into a three-sectional staff?

Immunity / The XP cost of Innate Enchantments, Specialized and Corrupted / only applies to innate enchantments in this template, this limitation cannot be bought off (Uncommon, Minor, Trivial, 1 CP).

Double Enthusiast, Specialized and Corrupted for Increased Effect (Provides 6 CP) (6 CP): Only to provide points for Innate Enchantment, can only be changed when a new user is selected, only to represent the user’s prior personal abilities that the item’s abilities do not supersede – most commonly things like boosts to a set of skills such as Farming, Carpentry, Perform (Folk Music), cooking, racial ability boosts, and so on. In effect, this represents the carryover from the bearer-avatar since the item’s abilities otherwise override theirs right down to their racial template. (This also means that the item does not get “free” powers by picking a bearer-avatar of some powerful race). This pays for 6000 GP worth of Innate Enchantment,commonly including Skill Mastery (Group) (SL1 x CL1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.7 Personal Only = 1400 GP) granting a +3 Competence Bonus to a group of “civilian” skills – perhaps Fishing, Sailing, Swimming, and Cooking (as in Food Preservation for salting, pickling, drying, and otherwise preserving various seafood products) for a fisherman’s kid. If the host is a dwarven smith you might want Enchant Tools (Smithing), +2 Con, and something else relevant. If it’s an Aquatic Elf, you’ll likely want a +1 Leather (for Scales) (1020 GP) and a Greater Crystal Of Aquatic Action (3000 GP), Maybe some built in swim-fins and such too.

Accursed: If the item wants the user to do something which is flatly insane, suicidal, or grossly offensive to the user said user may refuse or even abandon the item. Similarly, the user will tend to insist on “having a life” – going out drinking, trying out foods, and so on. Outside of that, it can usually be assumed that the item has an agreeably leadable user, and is essentially in control (-3 CP).

Accursed: Since such characters can gain levels, they can lose them too. That means that they CAN be affected by negative-energy based ability damage, ability drain, and energy drain, as well as by death and necromancy effects which target the soul, since they do have.one. Fortitude saves versus such effects are, however, replaced by Will saves.

That results in a net cost of 60 Points. The entire template is, however, Specialized: The bearer must intentionally allow the items abilities to supplant his or her own to let it function, the item on it’s own is effectively inanimate – lacking arms, legs, and senses of scent, taste (although they often have a limited sense of touch), independent mobility, and often even the ability to speak when not working through a host. That results in a net cost of 30 CP – a +0 ECL Template.

And there we have it; a sentient / possessed item template that – while it offers a few advantages – loses out on most basic racial advantages and remains compatible with other characters. While such items can specialize – like any other character – they can’t simply disregard their “physical” attributes because their users/hosts/avatars will still need them. If someone wants to play such a character… simply apply the racial template to whatever character build they come up with.

The Powers Of Poppins

And for today, it’s another question:

I’m trying to come up with a sort of “magical housewife” NPC, i.e. a character who manages a fairly large estate while the head of the household is out adventuring, using magic to safeguard the peace and prosperity of the place.

Leaving aside the use of Sanctum or Leadership (since they’re a caretaker, rather than the person in charge of the estate), I’m curious what sort of supernatural/spellcasting abilities would be appropriate. So far I’ve come up with Rune Magic/hearthcrafting (which I believe includes hedge magic), certain skills (mostly various Profession skills, along with some Knowledge, Perform, and Craft) that use either Stunts or Immunities to go beyond what’s typically possible, and a selection of buff/healing/defensive spells (including things like heroes’ feast, craft magic tattoo, restoration, etc.).

What would you add to that list, or otherwise look to expand upon for such a character?

-Alzrius

Well, there are a number of possibilities there. I’m going to assume that the caretaker is relatively low level, rather than being at the point where they simply – for example – relocate the household into a pocket dimension of their own design. Some of these possibilities will involve things like Sanctum or Leadership, but only in rather limited ways. You’ve already mentioned Rune Magic (Hearthcrafting), so here’s some of the more exotic stuff:

The Neutral Zone (2 CP).

• Melding, Specialized and Corrupted / only to provide culturally-appropriate greetings, food, and lodgings for visitors to your household and to avoid social errors when hosting such visitors (2 CP)
• Touchy foreigners, prohibitions against certain foods, being unwilling to eat with members of the opposite sex, being mortally offended unless all rooms are appropriate color-coded, will start a war if their hosts don’t always adhere to using their (lengthy) proper titles? That sort of thing is not a problem for a host or hostess with this ability. Admittedly you’ll mostly want this sort of ability if you host a lot of diplomatic events, so most people can get along without it.

Warden Of The Innocent (3 CP):

• Occult Sense/Children: The user is automatically aware of the current activities, location, and condition of all children and teenagers who need watching in a considerable radius. Specialized / only applies to those youngsters on or nearby the house, estate, school, or manor (3 CP).
• This is pretty powerful for an Occult Sense – capable of keeping track of dozens or hundreds of targets over a considerable area – but in d20 terms it isn’t a terribly useful field of information. Even if you’re running Hogwarts or an enormous harem or something… kids may be troublesome, but it generally isn’t adventurer-level troublesome. It’s nanny-level troublesome. Ergo this is relatively cheap. On the other hand, it’s probably something that pretty much every parent in the world has wished that they had at some point.

Wisdom Of The Ancestors (6 CP).

• Lore (Household). You know the recipes, the spices, the herbal remedies, how to nourish the soil, how to farm, how to mend roofs, how to build stoves, houses, and greenhouses, how to crossbreed plants, how to deliver babies, and a thousand other things. Specialized for Increased Effect / only applies to household activities, but can be rolled even when an appropriate Craft, Heal, or Profession check would otherwise be required (6 CP).
• This is useful simply because it’s universal. You need to preserve meat, graft fruit trees, make bricks, fix plumbing, deliver babies, counsel upset children, treat a broken leg, build a house, make clothes, or any of a thousand other things? Well, you know what to do, generally with a fair degree of competence.

Rites Of The Fey (3 CP):

• Leadership with Exotic Followers, Specialized and Corrupted / only to have the services of a swarm of classical household spirit/small animals/minor fey, who do laundry, mend various things, harvest fruit, and otherwise handle minor manorial tasks (3 CP). Leadership normally calls for the user to be fourth level before they can start getting followers, but these “followers” have no measurable CR or real game effect at all, so you can reasonably rule that CR limitations do not apply.
• From fey-related blessings to Disney Princesses, a house full of friendly animals, or brownies, or various other minor spirits that perform tasks, is a pretty classic way of glossing over all the hard, dirty, and almost endlessly repetitive work that goes into maintaining a household or manor without modern technology or a swarm of servants.
• You could also take this as a privilege, or in any of several other ways at a similar cost. It’s not like it actually matters much.

Seignior (8-14 CP):

• Innate Enchantment: Specialized and Corrupted / only works in and around place where the user has resided for some time, requires a selection of minor foci – one per function – set up around the place. 18,500 GP effective value (19 CP base, Net 6 CP).
• Action Hero/Crafting, Specialized and Corrupted / only to pay the costs of Innate Enchantment (2 CP).
• Obviously you could use this to get a lot of things – and you can still put in another 6 CP worth of Innate Enchantment, thus getting things up to 36,500 GP in total. Personally, I would probably start off with Ward Major III (Manor-Sized, Cheap, 11,375 GP value, three minor powers).This alone would be invaluable – and it still leaves 7125 to 25,125 GP for a selection of city-type magics. Those are mostly priced in the Industrial Wrights and Magic articles, starting HERE .
• These 8-14 CP can provide some serious, if fairly subtle, power. Even the minor abilities of a Ward Major can be exceptionally convenient – Industry? Longevity? Military Skills? Daily crops? Excluding undead? Supernatural health? Good weather despite some horrible location? Being forgotten by all outsiders? Sign me up now please! Throw some stationary city magic from the Industrial Wights And Magic series (Starts HERE) such as City Stores (Free supplies every day, 8225 GP), a Perpetual Fountain (Endless water, 250 GP), a Composting Chute (Waste disposal or sanitation, 250 GP), a Cleansing Fountain (Cleaning and minor mending, 62.5 GP), and Endless Skein (Endless supplies of fiber, 250 GP), an Eternal Flame Brazier (Free safe lighting, 3000 GP), a Bone Vault (Law enforcement, 6500 GP), and Dark Rampart (Prevents undead spawning, 6500 GP) and you have a well-protected core for an affluent settlement. Perhaps there is a good reason for that dragon, dark lord, or noxious witch to abduct the beautiful princess and keep her imprisoned in their lair, stronghold, or tower.
• Alternatively, if you’re looking for Adventurer support… A Marvelous Tattoo Parlor (Again, from the Industrial Wights And Magic series) costs 24,000 GP. That’s a lot – but if the game master lets you either work with someone else with this talent or lets you be REALLY cheesy and use the Investment rules like Granny does, and equip part of your household… you can grant some important benefits.
• A high level manager may just go in for Granny’s Money Management perk or Occult Skill (Dream Binding) (3 CP + Skill Points) – allowing them to simply dream needed equipment into being for a while. It can be awfully convenient to be able to simply dream up some plow-beasts and plows when you need them and have them disappear again before the tax assessor comes around.

Priestess Of Húsvættir (8 CP):

• Shaping (Specialized and Corrupted / only for Hedge Magic (2 CP).
• 1d6 (4) Mana with Spell Enhancement, Specialized and Corrupted / only for spell enhancement, only with Shaped Hedge Magic (2 CP)
• Rite of Chi with +4 Bonus Uses, Specialized and Corrupted / only to restore the Spell Enhancement pool above, user must whistle or sing and bustle around doing household chores, caring for children, cooking, and so on to make it work (4 CP).
• This 8 CP package is good for a good deal of Hedge Magic every day, although it lacks the item-crafting function of taking that ability directly. Still, for problems ranging from broken teeth to hungry kids this is an instant solution – as well as being extremely flexible since few or no household tasks call for high level spells. It’s not so overpowered as Lady Holder, but that’s often a good thing. Being worth close to 40,000 GP can make you quite a target.

Heir Of Privilege (3 CP):

• Privilege (Grant of Land, 3 CP): Thanks to an ancestral bequest or some such, the user need not pay taxes on their home (up to a modest manor) and enjoys a sufficient income in goods and services for a family to live comfortably.
• This one is pretty obvious. Taxes, rents, and basic income usually aren’t a big thing in d20 anyway though, so it would probably be fair to count this as Specialized (Has no significant game effect) and only charge 1 CP for it. When was the last time that a character in your game worried about property taxes on their house?

A variation on Amulet Crafter or Favor Of Prometheus would work quite nicely (See: https://ruscumag.wordpress.com/2021/05/28/character-defining-feats/ ). Either of these abilities is only 6 CP. While the Amulet Crafter is basically another form of relatively minor primitive magic, it works well for roaming tribes and tribal settings where having a shamanistic family member is very convenient. Favor Of Prometheus would need some minor tweaks to apply to a particular household rather than a campsite, but that’s mostly in the special effects and the wording of the limitations. They would work best for a higher-level character though.

Mystic Architecture (4-12 CP).

• While this is a potentially very powerful discipline for fixed locations – see Castle Hieronymus and Caercrwydryn – it’s also mostly for higher level characters since you’ll need a decently high skill total to make it work effectively. I’d leave this one for later.

Favored Of Hestia (8 CP):

• Enormous Favors (Local Household God or Goddess), Specialized for Increased Effect (Need not be repaid) and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / only for things related to the household, only in and about the household (8 CP).
• This is pretty limited with respect to the world at large – but putting direct divine intervention on tap is about as big a household trump card as you can get. Need a kid resurrected, or the estate saved from a citywide fire, or a tidal wave blocked, or an army to bypass you? Why not? After all, Odysseus wound up with Athena perching in the rafters of his house and personally sniping his enemies. Getting a minor miracle that keeps your house from burning down is pretty small next to that.

Kitchen Ritualist (6 CP):

• Ritual Magic, Specialized and Corrupted / Fairly minor Household and Protective Rituals only (2 CP)
• Skill Specialty (Performing Ritual Magic with whatever skill is relevant, 1 CP).
• Skill Emphasis (Skill used for Ritual Magic), Specialized and Corrupted for Increased Effect (only for performing fairly minor household and protective rituals) (+6 Total, 3 CP).
• With a total base bonus of +(9 + Relevant Attribute Modifier) for minor household rituals, a Kitchen Ritualist can be expected to keep pests away, ensure good harvests, fix leaky roofs, keep wild animals under control and greatly reduce monster attacks, ensure easy childbirth, fix infertility and birth defects, ensure that the farm animals do well, cure common diseases, and a thousand other things. After all, a kitchen ritualist isn’t doing the kind of rituals that call for dragon fangs, a demonic chorus, and rare incense. Their rituals tend to call for a chicken leg, a snoozing puppy, and a cup of soup. And the puppy can have the soup afterwards.

Witchcraft (Varies).

• Really, this is full of possibilities for low-powered household magic. Minor healing, instantly getting work done, persuading awkward guests to go away, brewing antitoxins, improving the weather, chasing away ghosts, blessing the area with prosperity, divining where the lost sheep have wandered off to… there is pretty much no end of applications. Witchcraft, after all, is not really a primary power base. It’s a way to supplement a non-spellcasters abilities in a hundred useful ways. It is no surprise that it can augment a homesteaders abilities just as effectively – or even more effectively given the low level of mundane abilities it will be boosting.

The Lesser Paths (Varies)

• Almost everything on this list would work – Skill Magic, Lay Priest, Wood Witch, use of Charms and Talismans, Spirit Allies, and more are all only 6 CP each. Admittedly, none of those are very powerful by the standards of adventurers, but villagers don’t generally need adventurer-level powers. If they want to go up to 12 CP… Houngan Conjurer or Basic Shamanism (via buying a Companion with the Spirit Fetch template from Eclipse II or here) are both good. Obol Maker or Mastery is probably the most versatile package in this range, but only works if the game master allows Obols in the first place. (Obols present a drastic price break on versatile one-shot magic, almost on the level of “purchasing” spells using a Supply Pouch. This is mostly because – as the rules stand – making or buying potions (the standard one-shot usable by anyone item) is far too expensive for what you get unless you go in for a bunch of specialized boosters to make them worthwhile. Thus, even if you find some you’re generally better off just selling them to help pay for something worthwhile. Ergo, Obols. Whether or not they work in any particular game is up to the game master though).
• I probably wouldn’t be using Skill Stunts, although they’re certainly a possible route. They tend to call for very high skill levels. Those are common enough among adventurers, but are rare among lower-level types.

Martha Stewart Living (10 CP):

• Executive, Specialized and Corrupted / only for directing manorial workers (2 CP).
• Assistance, Specialized and Corrupted / only for manorial tasks (2 CP).
• Immunity to the time normally required to accomplish skill-based tasks (Common, Minor, Major, Specialized and Corrupted / only for manorial tasks, 2 CP). This doesn’t actually negate the time required for performing household tasks, but does vastly reduce it, allowing the user to work on multiple projects at a time or to extend Assistance to many workers. As a natural law immunity this requires special permission from the game master, but I can’t see any real reason not to allow this one…
• Luck, Specialized in Skills (Roll twice and take the best result), Corrupted / only for manorial tasks (4 CP).
• This package is more or less mundane, but still turns the user into one of those horrifying people who somehow take charge, seem to be good at everything, are unnaturally efficient, and make everyone that they’re assisting – often several people at once – seem like fumbling idiots. Wherever they are WILL be terrifyingly well-run however. It also combines ridiculously well with Wisdom Of The Ancestors (above) and Serenity (below).

The Gossip Network (4 CP):

• Deep Sleep with Cosmic Awareness, Specialized and Corrupted / only to become aware of things that may affect the household.
• With this ability – whether it represents prophetic dreams or simply associating with the local gossips and informers – the user will always be aware of things that might affect their household. They will know when the tax assessors are coming, when to have the boys be too sick to be taken for the army, when to have the prettier girls out gathering berries in the woods, when a raiding party will be showing up, when a great storm is coming… Forewarned is forearmed, and few things are more useful for normal people than having time to prepare. This goes very well with Kitchen Ritualist.

Pedant (3 CP).

• Leadership, Specialized for Reduced Cost / may only recruit youngsters of level one or below, it requires at least three months (and usually longer) per level to promote them, any promoted to level three or above will automatically graduate and leave class, these are students, not minions (3 CP).
• D20 has a general problem with generational succession. In reality, people pass on their skills, their knowledge, and their techniques through teaching younger people. When one engineer, or ruler, or painter passes on… their students and apprentices can usually carry on quite creditably. In d20, however, those things are tied to level. The next generation needs to get some levels SOMEWHERE or things are going to fall apart. With this ability – possibly further upgraded to allow it to operate at lower levels – you can at least train the kids up to a reasonably acceptable standard. Admittedly, this is another application of Leadership, and the user will want to be level six (or, say, level three and be paying the extra 3 CP to specialize it for double effect) to take full advantage of it – but it isn’t one that will tend to dominate events in a campaign.

Beacon Of Life (6 CP):

• Returning with Improved (Group) Blessing, Specialized and Corrupted / only applies within the household and only against natural perils (6 CP). No one in your care ever suffers a serious accident, major illness, or similar problem. They may chop down trees, live in the midst of a plague-stricken area, and be spared from natural disasters without peril.
• This is stretching the rules more than a bit – but, of course, it is another fix for problems that generally don’t appear in d20 games save as the backdrop for a specific adventure. In life, accidents happen. In d20… rolling that Profession (Lumberjack) check doesn’t generally involve any peril at all, even if it does in real life. D20 runs more towards “Died fighting a dragon” than “A tree he was cutting down fell on him”.

A Knack With Animals (3 CP):

• Inherent Spell (Bestow Curse) with +2 Bonus Uses, Specialized and Corrupted / only to “curse” animals with domestication, animal must be reasonably restrained for at least ten minutes (3 CP). This is pulling Bestow Curse from a specialized spell list to get it at level three, but with those limits that is a fairly minor bit of cheese.
• Another incredibly convenient power for someone on a farm or manor but generally unimportant in d20 terms. Of course, it can be applied to normally wild animals almost as readily – so if you want to domesticate a tiger, or a hippopotamus, or an alligator, or anything else that isn’t normally trainable… then this is the power for you. A Corrupted, rather than Specialized version could also be used to curse people to think of themselves as property, and to tend to obey orders, and so on, making the user an unusually effective slaver – but that’s generally not a household task.

Graceful Aging (1 CP):

• Timeless Body, Specialized / requires a regular regimen of baths, beauty treatments, exercise, and herbal treatments (1 CP).
• This one actually has some basis in reality. While, even with modern medicine, wealth and influence doesn’t do all that much to extend life – quite a few rich celebrities die young regardless – back in the preindustrial era unrelenting work, poor food, lack of rest, pregnancies, lack of effective medical care, and injuries often made commoners wear down a lot faster than aristocrats did. In d20, of course, PC’s practically never die of old age unless the player was taking “venerable” to get attribute bonuses while somehow evading the usual penalties.

Serenity (3 CP):

• Presence (Aura of Serenity), Specialized for Reduced Cost and Corrupted for Increased Effect (covers the entire house or manor – wherever the user has left his or her mark on the place – but only works where the user has been in charge for some time and has ordered the area to their liking, 3 CP). As the usual first-level side effect all members of the household or manorial staff gain a +2 Morale bonus to household-related rolls.
• Again, this isn’t a major power – but a calm, happy, and smoothly-operating household where the kids are polite and cooperative, the servants aren’t having a private war behind the scenes, where no one is spitting in your soup, and it’s a pleasure to live there is something that much of the world can only dream of.

Feng Shui (3 CP):

• Mystic Artist / Housekeeping, Specialized for Reduced Cost / takes a long time to set up, so the effect is fixed until the user undertakes another round of household organization or prepares for a feast or undertakes some spring cleaning or some such (3 CP).
• OK, this is basically a form of immobile, if fundamentally temporary, art – so it remains in effect until the user opts to spend time changing it or the housekeeping is seriously upset. Unfortunately, this still relies on having a decently high skill level to accomplish much, so it’s really only useful to fairly accomplished users.

Sanctum (Perhaps via a temporary relic creation ability like Houngan Conjurer, above) is entirely appropriate really – a caretaker who commands special powers within the area that he or she is attuned to (whether or not it actually belongs to them) is very classic – and there’s nothing preventing two or more people from claiming the same area as a sanctum. Still, the request was to avoid that, so I’ll simply note the possibility.

Papers And Paychecks (0 CP).

• If your caretaker happens to help run the bureaucracy of a kingdom or some such they may find Craft (Policy) useful. Honestly it’s completely irrelevant to most games, but sinking a few skill points into it might be useful sometime.

Finally we have…

The Devotions Of Celestial Mercy (18 CP):

• The Devotions: 6d6 (21) Mana with Reality Editing, Specialized and Corrupted/can only be used for a set of specific reality edits, below (12 CP). The greater the level of the edit used, the larger the area and/or the more dramatically supernatural the effect:
  • Blessing: A blessed child is effectively under the care of a skill 15 Healer at all times until adulthood. If less than one year of age, the child may reroll it’s lowest attribute, although this will never result in lowering it. More powerful blessings may either apply to greater groups or result in low-grade magical assistance (User’s Cha Mod) times before adulthood – a but of direct healing, or protection from a house fire, or some such.
  • Escape: Threatened women, children, and other noncombatants can be offered a chance to take refuge in ways ranging from a passing driver being willing to give them a ride on through room being found on an evacuation train – and up to a giant turtle-island coming by to offer a them a lift.
  • Guardian: The Devotions can allow a willing individual to place himself or herself between an area – whether that is a humble temple where the villagers are hiding on the low end or a city-state on the high end – and an attacking force. While he or she bars the way and withstands the onslaught, no member of the attacking force may reach the guarded area or harm it’s people.
    Nativity: The celestial powers can grant children to those who wish for them – in ways ranging from simply granting easy conception and pregnancy to a couple who have been having trouble through opportunities for adoptions and on to outright supernatural events, such as a child (and likely future hero) emerging from a peach.
  • Panacea: A Healing spell gains the capacity to remove one or more additional conditions, such as Crippled (lost limbs, damaged organs, birth defects, and similar), Negative Levels, Attribute Drain and Damage, Petrification, Mind Control, and similar problems (see: Break Enchantment). In general, expanding a Heal spell to do a couple of those is a minor edit, expanding a Cure Light Wounds spell to remove a bunch of conditions is more Grandiose.
    • Yes, Regeneration is in the SRD as an independent level seven spell. – making it harder to restore a limb than to raise someone who’s been dead for a week. It’s a legacy spell anyway of course, given that d20 normally hasn’t GOT any rules for long-term crippling injuries. Worse, you can just take Monstrous Regeneration from Magic of Faerun – a spell which turns everything but fire and acid damage to nonlethal damage, heals nonlethal damage at 4/round, and allows the user to regrow limbs (even if the short base duration hinders this) – at level five. Evidently Regeneration is not so big a trick after all, which is why it’s relatively easy to add.
  • Serenity: The Celestial Hand can calm the turbulent powers of nature in ways ranging from calming a flooding stream on up through ending droughts, stopping avalanches, calming a mighty storm, or stilling an erupting volcano. Secondary problems – fires, collapsed buildings, injuries, and so on – will remain, and must be dealt with normally.
  • Sustenance: For the next seven days the common folk and creatures of an area will be able to find – with effort – enough to eat and drink, and sufficient shelter and warmth to survive, despite any famine or food shortage, water shortage, sweltering heat, or arctic cold.
• Rite of Chi with +8 Bonus Uses, Specialized and Corrupted/only usable to restore Mana for The Devotions Of Celestial Mercy, above. (6 CP).
• Exactly how powerful are The Devotions Of Celestial Mercy? Well… this is Reality Editing, and so it depends on how well any particular edit fits into the setting and the storyline. Secondarily, of course, d20 is generally a game of heroic fantasy; the characters are usually expected to fix whatever problem they’re presented with. In those terms… why did the oncoming horde choose a route full of chokepoints where a small group could hold them back for lengthy periods anyway? Especially knowing that bands of high-level adventurers are notorious for stunts like that?
• The Devotions Of Celestial Mercy allows the game master to present the characters with some overwhelming problem – whereupon the players can invoke a Devotion to cut it down to something they can deal with. So you have stilled the volcanic eruption? There are still injuries, fires, people lost down the crevices that opened up, avalanche victims to be rescued, and the bunch of bad guys who will move in to loot the place. But those are problems that a small group can deal with. They generally can’t deal with thirty square miles of territory being blasted by a pyroclastic cloud short of trying for a major miracle.
• The Devotions appeared once before, but they seemed worth adding here.

And I hope that helps!

Eclipse – Building Spell Progressions

And for today it’s a question…

I just discovered your Eclipse d20 RPG the other day – clearly I am very late to the party – I was just wondering – how would one go about generating a new Spellcasting slot table – such as the one the Duskblade uses?

-Darkholme

Interestingly, while I recall a lot of requests for specific conversions, I don’t remember a prior request for how to build spell progressions in general – although it’s been touched on a few times for specific builds. In fact, there is an article discussing how to build an Eclipse clone of the Duskblade up over here. It uses Specialization and Corruption to tweak an existing progression to fit. Of course, this being Eclipse there are a LOT of other ways to build spellcasters and fighters with magical boosts to their combat styles. There’s a sub-index of some of the ways to do that (and how to build various types of martial characters in Eclipse) over here, with the articles in the series indexed at the start and related materials indexed at the end. Still other builds – such as the Bokor, the Gleaner and the Nymic Mage – have used entirely different methods.

If you want to build a new spell progression from scratch, instead of simply using Specialization and Corruption to tweak an old one, the basic building block is generally Mana as 2d4 Generic Spell Levels (averaging 5 generic spell levels per purchase. If you’re buying a lot, simply take it as 5)

• So the Duskblade gets a total of (6 x 1/2) + (10 x L1) + (10 x L2) + (10 x L3) + (8 x L4) :+ (6 x L5) = 125 Spell Levels. So that’s 25 purchases of Mana as Generic Spell Levels. Of course, that purchase should be considered Specialized, since it is divided up into a specified progression with a maximum spell level of five. So 75 CP.
• They get Twenty Base Caster Levels specialized in Duskblade Magic. That’s 60 CP.
• They get to know 21 Spells as Spontaneous Casters. That’s 42 CP. You could buy cantrips this way as well, but it’s cheaper to purchase Occult Talent, Specialized for Increased Effect (8 Cantrip Slots, but no first-level spell slots, runs off the Duskblade Magic Pool rather than providing it’s own slots, slots are acquired gradually based on level and intelligence, 6 CP).
• They get to trade around a few spell slots as they level up, but that’s just a Specialized version of Rewrite (normally found under Returning), Specialized / only works to allow changing out 2 CP worth of spells when leveling (3 CP).
• They get bonus spell slots for having a high attribute: that’s Magician (found under Rune Magic, 6 CP).

That gives us a Duskblade-style spell progression at a base total of 192 CP. Of course, we’re going to be working with a very limited spell list – a Corruption that cuts it down to 128 CP.

That is 8 CP more than simply adjusting an existing spell list as the original build did – but if you spread the cost evenly over twenty levels and round down as usual, you get the same thing. Existing spell lists normally get a slight price break simply for being standardized in any case.

And that is both how to build new spell progressions and an illustration of the major problem in actually doing so. Theme and focus are generally as important as how many spells of what levels you get. After all, a Sorcerer who was limited to Divination Spells will have some useful effects – but we could hardly say that they were as effective as one who was limited to Illusions and Divination or even just Illusion. And neither will be nearly as useful to the party as a full-access Sorcerer played with a reasonable level of competence (and yes, a “reasonable level of competence” includes not making really, REALLY, poor spell selections).

In Eclipse, such things are represented with the magic level limitations from page eleven and by Specialization and Corruption. That Diviner would almost certainly count as Specialized and Corrupted (6 CP / Level). Illusions and Divination… well, there are a fair number of useful spells in those groups, but it’s still going to be at least Specialized (9 CP/Level). If the list has a good variety of spells available to suit a particular purpose, but a fairly limited number overall… it’s Corrupted. For a fairly recent example we have the Piscin, and their extremely limited spell list.

Unfortunately, there’s no easy mechanical way to decide just how restrictive and limiting a given spell list is. Since the actual and perceived effectiveness of any given list will vary between settings and game masters that’s always a judgement call. Even worse… it will vary enormously depending on the secondary abilities any given user develops. That’s what makes the Classical Illusionist build work.

And for a few more references…

• For general information on building spellcasters, there’s an article over here.
• Making Skill-Based Partial Casters is addressed more extensively in a pair of articles over HERE and HERE.
• Martial Disciplines like you find in the Book Of Nine Swords can be built this way:
  Stances (which are usually more versatile in Eclipse than in the Book of Nine Swords are covered over HERE.
• Building all-out Martial Maneuvers is covered in this article. Watch out for this one; these maneuvers are designed to compete with Wizards and such.
• Entreaty Magic is for (classical) Dr. Strange style spellcasters – calling on various entities and owing them favors.

And hopefully that helps!

Hero System Power Packages III: the Staff Master, Cartoon Powers, the Revenant, the Staff Of Wizardry, and Nanite Infusion.

The Staff Master

An archetype which predates Homo Sapiens, the Staff Master has a stick, and knows how to use it. And… that is enough.

40 Staff Master

15 Staff Martial Arts; Extra Time: full phase, -½; Extra Time Required (Must expand staff before use): Only At Startup, ½; OAF (Staff): -1

• (4) +2 DC for Martial Attacks
• (1) Legsweep (OCV +2, DCV -1)
• (2) Killing Strike (OCV -2, DCV +0)
• (2) Nerve Strike (OCV -1, DCV +1)
• (2) Defensive Block (OCV +1, DCV +3)
• (2) Martial Escape (OCV +0, DCV +0)
• (1) Martial Grab (OCV -1, DCV -1)
• (1) Martial Throw (OCV +0, DCV +1)

(19) Staff Multipower (68-pt reserve); Focus (Staff): Obvious Accessible, -1; Gestures: Instant Power, -¼; Generic Limitation (Staff Powers Only): -1; Extra Time: full phase, -½; Extra Time Required (Must expand staff before use): Only At Startup, ½

• u-1 Missile Deflection (All Ranged Attacks, None, OCV 8); Deflect Attacks: Adjacent, +½; Deflection Bonus: 5, 10). 0 End.
• u-1 Force Wall (10 PD/10 ED); May only protect area behind spinning staff: -½; Reduced END: Half, +¼; 2 End.
• u-2 Superleap (+40″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End
• u-2 Basic Staff Combat (Combined Powers Slot):
  • (2) Stretching (2″, NC: 2); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×1, +-5; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End
  • (8) +12 DEX; Doesn’t Affect Figured: -½; OCV and DCV Only: -½.
  • (7) +6 DC for Martial Attacks (Only for Staff Martial Art).

The Staff Master is actually extremely dangerous. +4 OCV, +4 DCV, 2′ Stretching, and +8 Damage Classes on a fair set of martial maneuvers actually puts them into serious martial arts hero territory. Not quite the sort who shows up in anime (those usually have superhuman durability too) – but definitely the sort who show up in the martial arts movies that don’t dip too far into C’hi Magic. In fantasy terms that is only to be expected; the older the roots of a style, the stronger it tends to be. And the roots of hitting things with a stick… well, few martial arts styles can claim roots that go back for millions of years before “humans” were a thing.

Cartoon Powers

No, this doesn’t really make any sense. It’s not supposed to. If you actually want to be Donald Duck or some such however, it’s a decent start.

40 Cartoon Powers

(4) Elemental Control: Cartoon Powers (10-pt reserve); General Cartoon Character Powers Only: -½; Visible (You’re a cartoon): -¼; Always On: -½

• a-5 Armor (7 PD/7 ED);
• b-8 Regeneration (1 BODY/min.); Regenerate: From Death, +20.
• c-3 Images: Background music and sound effects (Hearing, 8″ radius); Range: 110; Observer PER Penalty: 0, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; No Conscious Control: -2.
• d-9 Life Support (total)
• e-4 Power Defense (20 pts)
• f-7 Cartoon Immunities (Combined Powers Slot).
  • (1) Looking Good: Immunity to being messed up for more than a few seconds; Frequency: Fairly Common
  • (1) What Gravity? Immunity to Falling until lack of support is brought to the characters attention
  • (1) In My Pocket, Why? Immunity to having to have pockets to carry stuff in.; Frequency: Common
  • (1) Sure I’m Perfectly Normal (Immunity to Species Prejudice): Gets treated as just another human in most non-comedic ways; Frequency: Common
  • (1) Clothing? Immunity to being considered insufficiently dressed; Frequency: Fairly Common
  • (1) Rated G: Immunity to Indecent Exposure; Frequency: Fairly Common
  • (1) The Sounds of Harmony: Immunity to the need to compose or practice topical songs; Frequency: Fairly Common
  • (1) I Can Handle That: Immunity to not having normal hands; Frequency: Common
  • (0) All Devouring: Immunity to reasonable limits on how much they can swallow at one time.; Frequency: Rare
  • (0) There’s A Hole: Immunity to solid matter provided that it LOOKS like there is a hole in it and the user is not responsible for that.; Frequency: Rare
  • (1) Yes, It’s Suitable: Immunity to having to wear appropriate clothing to stay warm, dry, etc.; Frequency: Fairly Common
  • (0) It’s a permanent: Immunity to hair damage save by bladed weapons; Frequency: Rare
  • (1) Immunity to Over-Indulgence, Hangovers, and Similar Consequences; Frequency: Fairly Common
  • (1) Immunity to Communications Problems (Cartoons can be understood in any language provided they speak slowly, gesture, etc) ; Frequency: Common
• g-5 2d6 Aid to Equipment Allowance (Fade/day, Max. 30); Range: 0; Extra Time: 1 hour, -2½; Only to pay for role-appropriate, provided, or generally available gear: -1; Activation: 11-, -1; Reduced Endurance Cost Zero +½; Affects Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Only GM-Approved Equipment): -1.

OK, this one breaks a BUNCH of rules. Why would I allow this? Because – fundamentally – it’s mostly kind of useless. This package makes you a little tougher to hurt and almost impossible to kill – but most of it is things like background music, or compensating for being a cartoon. You could do the same basic thing – and at less than half the price – with a simple aid power: 2d6 Aid (To Cartoon Powers) (Fade/hour, Max. 30); Range: 0; Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1; Always On: -½; Generic Limitation (Personal Only): -½; No Conscious Control: -2; Affects: All Powers of Special Effect, +2; Visible (You’re a cartoon): -¼; Activation: 11-, -1 (17 CP). That’s cheaper, and it provides a bunch more powers – you can sprout cartoon wings, produce a harp, and use extradimensional movement to fly to heaven, or squeeze through tiny holes, or produce a big hammer to hit people with, or a thousand outer things. Cheaper. Double it up, and you have a pretty decent start on being The Mask. The trouble with that is that it’s even worse than a Variable Power Pool. It’s grossly overpowered, it will rapidly drive the game master nuts – and the other players may not be too far behind.

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Revenant Powers

Vampires, ghouls, revenants, dhampirs, mummies, the stronger zombies, wraiths, and many other forms of undead all tend to drain vitality from living people, consuming their blood, flesh, or life force, they are strong, tough, and fast, they have power over minds (sometimes simply inducing sheer terror, but just as often paralysis or suggestions), they appear and disappear unexpectedly, and they are difficult to damage. Many can shapeshift to some degree – taking the forms of wolves, or leopards, or carnivorous apes, or whatever. This particular build is for Vampires, Half-Vampires, and Vampire Spawn (which probably covers a hundred different monsters right there), but it isn’t hard to tweak it a bit. Changing out the last “transformation” slot is almost mandatory.

40 Revenant Template

• (3) END Reserve (30 END, 0 REC/turn)
• (17) Multipower; Vamphyric Powers (30-pt reserve); Vamphyric Powers Only: -½; Visible (Pallid, chill hands, vampire signs): -¼
  • u-1 Blood Drain; Concentrate: 0 DCV, -½; Must hang onto victim: -½
    • (8) 1d6 Transfer; Body to End Reserve (Returns 5/turn, Maximum: 6); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Concentrate: 0 DCV, -½; Must hang onto victim: -½. 0 End. Note that this is not a particularly effective offensive power – but it can actually be strangely pleasurable or even addictive. The “Return Rate” is by normal healing.
    • (3) 1d6 Mind Control; Experience is pleasant for victim.; Communication: Verbal, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Concentrate: 0 DCV, -½; Must hang onto victim: -½; 0 End.
  • u-2 2d6 Aid; All physical attributes (Fade/turn, Max. 12); Range: 0; Affects: All Powers of Special Effect, +2. 3 End.
  • u-1 6d6 Mind Control; Communication: Verbal, +0; Requires eye contact or mental link: -½. 3 End.
  • u-1 15″ Teleportation; Turn To Mist & Reform (Long Range 15″); Increased Range: ×1, +0; Long Range: 15″; Long Range (miles): 0.02; Mass Multiplier: ×1, +0; Fixed Locations: 0; Floating Locations: 0; Cannot pass thru solid objects; must have a crevice to move thru.: -½; 3 End.
  • u-1 Force Field (8 PD/5 ED); Reduced END: Half, +¼; Uncontrolled: +½; Hardened: ×1, ¼; Trigger: Set, +¼; Not vrs Fire or Light attacks.: -½; 1 End.
  • u-1 5″ Flight (NC: 10″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; 1 End.
  • u-1 4d6 Telepathy; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Only works on animals: -1. 0 End.
  • u-1 Wolf Form; Cannot use equipment in wolf or partial-wolf form.: -½;
    • (4) ½d6 Killing Attack (HTH) (Total 1d6+1); Range: 0. 1 End.
    • (4) Running (+3″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½. 0 End.
    • (4) Tracking Scent;
    • (6) Clinging (Clinging STR +0); Extra Time: full phase, -½; Extra Time Required: Only At Startup, ½; Costs END: -½. 1 End.
    • (5) Infrared Vision

This, of course, represents a rather minor entity – capable of a modest selection of superhuman tricks, but with a very limited pool or energy that is wholly reliant on draining others to refill and a long ways to go on developing further powers. Still, a few more points on the End battery (and even a very slow recovery rate), and a few more points in the Multipower (extend the time on the Aid, get the “Force Field” to 0 End so it can stay up, add some self-healing and another couple of tricks), and you’ll have a fairly creditable mystical being.

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Staff Of Wizardry

This, of course, represents the “I found/created/repaired/was given a high-powered mystic/psychic/alien/supertech device and it does all kinds of neat things!” archetype. Knights with magic swords, warlocks with wands of darkness, helms of telepathy, cosmic control rods, and more all fall into this general group. Most such characters have some minor powers even if their item is taken away, usually because of their long exposure to it – but that sort of thing is usually pretty minor.

40 Staff Of Wizardry

(17) Staff of Wizardry Multipower (60-pt reserve); OAF (Staff): -1; Variable Limitations: -½, -¼; Generic Limitation (Occasionally requires recharging rituals, sometimes short of charges in one or more slots at the option of the GM.): -½; Gestures: Instant Power, -¼; Incantation: Instant Power, -¼; Visible (Blatantly obvious to magic detection and mages): -¼

• u-2 Force Field: (Sphere of Protection) (12 PD/12 ED); Charges: 64, +1¼; Active Points: 60; Continuing Charges: 1 Minute, -3 lev; Hardened: ×1, ¼; 0 End.
• u-2 Hand-to-Hand Attack (Arcane Smite) (10d6); Range: 0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Armor Piercing: 1, +½; 0 End.
• u-2 1d6 Killing Attack (RKA) (Disintegrate); Range: 300; No Normal Defense: +1; Champions Advantage (NND Does Body vrs Force Fields): +1; Autofire (Vrs Inanimate Objects Only): 5 shots, ½; Charges: 64, +½; .0 End.
• u-2 6d6 Entangle (Web) (DEF 6); Range: 300; Charges: 16, +0; .0 End
• u-2 Images (Phantasmal Force) (Hearing, Sight, 16″ radius); Range: 300; Observer PER Penalty: 0, +0; Charges: 32, +1; Continuing Charges: 1 Minute, -3 lev; Active Points: 60; 0 End.
• u-2 Force Wall (12 PD/12 ED); Range: 300; Width: 12″, +0; Charges: +8, +0; Continuing Charges: 1 Turn, -2 lev. 0 End.
• u-2 Missile Deflection (Warding Aura) (All Ranged Attacks, None, OCV 8); Uncontrolled: +½; Charges: 12, +½; Continuing Charges: 1 Minute, -3 lev; Deflect Attacks: Normal, +0; Deflection Bonus: 5, 10; OCV: 8; 0 End.
• u-2 8d6 Energy Blast (Fireball); Range: 300; Versus: ED; Explosion (Extended Area +0″/DC): +½; Charges: 16, +0; 0 End.

(7) Change Environment: Minor amounts of ambient Mana make small magics easy. (2″ rad.); Effect: Fixed, +0; Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1; No Range: -½; Concentrate: 0 DCV, -½; Extra Time: 1 min., -1½; Extra Time Required: Only At Startup, ½ 0 End. This allows endless small tricks – changing the color of things, producing cigarettes, lighting fires, heating pots of tea, floating small objects, breaking falls, altering clothing, making small illusions,ominous special effects, and so on – but nothing exceeding 5-10 active points.

Relying on a single gadget makes a character pretty vulnerable; if it gets taken away, they are pretty much out of action, But the mechanics of the game tell us that an OAF should be a problem pretty regularly. Ergo, such things tend to get taken away a lot – but mostly by merely being knocked away from their user so that they have to spend a few phases getting their toy back again. Moreover, that’s pretty much arbitrary; enforcement of disadvantages is up to the game master. That’s important to note with all these packages; those disadvantages WILL come up.

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Nanite Infusion

Nanite Infusion is basically the super-spy, transhumanist, or humanlike android package – relatively subtle enhancements meant to inconspiciously augment the user. Several limited-use weapons systems are included, mostly because that’s how people are – but that’s at least partially because nanites simply do not have the resource reserves that larger systems do. On the other hand, there’s something to be said for systems that require microscopic examination to find.

40 Microcybrenetic Equipment

9 Nanotech Reinforcement; Briefly negated by electrical attacks: -½

• (3) +5 PD
• (3) +5 ED
• (3) Damage Resistance (5 PD/5 ED)

(20) Nanite Multipower (30-pt reserve). Loses one function at random each time the user takes Body damage from an electrical attack (-.25), visible to appropriate instrumentation (-.25).

• u-1 Clinging (Clinging STR +0)
• u-1 1d6 Drain: Body (Disassemblors) (Return/5 min.); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power, +0; Continuous: +1; Charges: 6, +0; Continuing Charges: 1 Minute, -3 lev. 0 End.
• u-1 6d6 Energy Blast: Electrical; Range: 150; Versus: ED; 4 Charges:-1. 0 End.
• u-1 2d6 Flash (Retinal Inversion) (Normal Sight); Range: 100; 4 Charges; -1. 0 End.
• u-1 Hand-to-Hand Attack (Hardened Striking Surfaces, +5d6); Reduced END: Zero, +½. 0 End.
• u-1 Invisibility (Cloaking Field) (Radar, Sight); Concentrate: ½ DCV, -¼; Produces “bubble effect” in translucent media: -½. 3 End.
• u-1 Instant Change; Clothes: Any Set, (Nanite Fog) 10
• u-1 Missile Deflection (All Ranged Attacks, None, OCV 3); Deflect Attacks: Normal, +0; Deflection Bonus: 0.
• u-1 2d6 Energy Blast (Toxin Injection); Range: 0; Continuous: +1; No Normal Defense: +1 (Toxin resistance, inhuman metabolism, robot); No Range: -½; 4 Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, +0. 0 End.
• u-1 1d6 Transform (Nanite Fog): “Air” to small items of equipment. Restructuring Nanites (Major, Anything); Range: 150; 8 Charges:;-½. 0 End.
  u-1 4d6 Medical Implant Standard Healing (Self Only); Trigger (When below 0 Stun or Body in a phase): Set, +¼; Generic Limitation (Self-Only): -½; 32 Charges; +¼ (0 End)

It’s easy to add various slots to this, and a dozen or so cheap utility slots are entirely appropriate. A temporary boosting aid would be nice too. Boosting the reserve doesn’t really fit in though, at least not unless you set it up to simply run two low-end powers at once. After all, the key theme here is flexible, low-level power.

Hero System Power Packages II: the Trick Archer, the Technopath, the Cunning Man, the Mystic Telepath, and the Hexcrafter.

The Trick Archer

The Archer was a serious warrior for many centuries – but once bows went from tools of survival and weapons of war to things for hobbyists and trick shot exhibitions (and the chance of being killed by a bowman basically dropped to zero) the bow became a thing for flamboyant exhibitions of fancy shooting. And while gadget-bullets were obviously silly, arrows were large enough, subjected to much smaller forces (so they didn’t break or deform in impact), and were fired in much smaller numbers. So gadget (or magic) arrows made an excellent gimmick for comic book heroes – and made them very relatable. Becoming Superman was impractical. Becoming very good with a bow and getting some fancy arrows? That was pretty reasonable in comparison. The Arrow (1938) led the way into comic books, but by now there are hundreds or possibly even thousands of examples, even if some of them are just “thugs with bows”.

40 Trick Archer

• (16) Bow and Trick/Magic Arrows (60-pt reserve). OAF (Bow, -1), Variable Limitations (-.5 Per Slot, 8 Charges unless otherwise noted) -.25, Gestures (-.25), All powers must work on charges (-.25), Real Archery: will not work underwater, hindered by strong winds, etc (-.25), Arrow and “Trick Arrow” effects only (-.5). Given that everything is on charges, nothing costs endurance.
• u-1 4d6 Killing Attack (RKA); Range: 300
• u-1 12d6 Stun Energy Blast: Blunt Arrow; Range: 300; Versus: ED
• u-1 6d6 Entangle Paste Arrow (DEF 6); Range: 300
• u-1 3d6 Flash Arrow (Normal Sight); Range: 300; Area Effect (Radius): 3″ radius, +1
• u-1 Missile Deflection: Weighted Arrow (Arrows, None, OCV 13); Deflect Attacks: At Range,
• +1; Deflection Bonus: 10, 20; OCV: 13
• u-1 4d6 Aid to All Damaged Characteristics, Healing Arrow (Fade/turn, Max. 24); Range: 0; Affects: All Powers of Special Effect, +2
• u-1 Darkness Arrow of the Night (Normal Sight, 1″ radius); Range: 225; Area Effect (Radius): 250″ radius, +1; Increased Area: ×125, +1¾; Active Points: 45; Charges: +8, +¾; Continuing Charges: 1 Hour, -5 lev; Activation: 14-, -½
• u-1 Tunneling: Disintegrating Arrow (12″ through DEF 12); Tunnels: Left Behind, +0; Charges: 8, -½. Generally only usable at short range, although it won’t really hurt anything if the GM ignores that it.
• u-1 8d6 Energy Blast Incendiary Arrow; Range: 300; Versus: ED; Explosion (Extended Area +0″/DC): +½; Charges: 8, -½
• u-1 12d6 Suppress Flight/Gravity Arrow; Range: 300; Affect: Single Power, +0; Charges: 3, -½; Continuing Charges: 1 Minute, -3 lev
• u-1 16d6 Dispel Magic Arrows; Range: 300; Affects: Any Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Charges: 8, -½ (If technological, these are EMP arrows that dispel technological effects).
  u-1 Extra-Dimensional Movement: Astral Arrow; Dimensions: One, +0; Mass Multiplier: ×1, +0; Usable Against Others: ×1 mass, 1; Ranged: +½; Usable by Others Number: 4, +½; Charges: 16, +0
• u-1 12d6 Energy Blast: Lighting Arrow; Range: 300; Versus: ED; Charges: 8, -½
• u-1 6d6 NND Energy Blast: Magic Disrupting Arrow; Range: 300; Versus: ED; No Normal Defense (Not being a creature of magic): +1; Charges: 8, -½
• u-1 2d6 Drain vrs All Characteristics, Enervation Arrow (Return/turn); Range: 0; Affects: All Powers of Special Effect, +2; Charges: 8, -½
• u-1 Stretching: Grapple Arrow (12″, NC: 24); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Charges: +4, -¼; Continuing Charges: 1 Minute, -3 lev; Activation: 15-, -¼

(8) +4 level w/With Bow; Generic Limitation (Offensive Use Only): -½

The Trick Archer is a surprisingly straightforward hero – or perhaps it isn’t surprising given the age of the concept. He or she is most often a perfectly normal human who 1) happens to be good with a bow, 2) has some free time, and 3) has a source of trick arrows or some ability to empower them him- or her-self. Variants are basically just a matter of trading out a few multipower slots. Most of them dabble a bit in detective work, or martial arts, or just having money, but still on a perfectly normal human scale.

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Technopathy

The Technopath can control, enhance, or destroy machinery -a power that’s invaluable in a research lab or aboard a ship, is useful in a city, and entirely useless in the wilderness. It is good for constructing bases and personal equipment though, which is something. As a rule, unless they’re a cyberpunk hacker, a Technopath is very much a team player.

40 Technopathy

• (20) Technological Control Multipower (45-pt reserve); Generic Limitation (Technology-Control Powers Only: Quite useless in natural areas.): -½; Extra Time: full phase, -½; Only in Hero ID: -¼
  u-2 Technic Mastery I: Combat Driving, Combat Piloting, and Mechanics Operation, all Ranged, with No Range Penalty, and two levels of Increased Maximum Range, with +8 levels with those skills for net 19-.
• u-2 Technic Mastery II; Bugging, Lockpicking, and Security Systems, all Ranged, with No Range Penalty, and two levels of Increased Maximum Range, with +8 levels with those skills for net 19-.
  u-2 Technic Mastery III; Electronics, Demolitions, and Systems Operation, all Ranged, with No Range Penalty, and two levels of Increased Maximum Range, with +8 levels with those skills for net 19-.
• u-2 Technic Mastery IV; Computer Programming, Cryptography, and Invention, all Ranged, with No Range Penalty, and two levels of Increased Maximum Range, with +8 levels with those skills for net 19-.
• u-2 Change Environment (8″ rad.); Effect: Variable, +1; Reduced END: Half, +¼; 2 End. Can manipulate technological devices – powering them, selectively turning them on or off, and so on – within range. Thus he could stop a car, turn off a security system, or jam an elevator.
• u-2 ½d6 Killing Attack (RKA); Range: 225; No Normal Defense (Non-Technological Items Unaffected.): +1; Champions Advantage (NND that does Body.): +1; Uncontrolled: +½; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Invisible (Sight): One Sense Group, +½; 0 End. It’s slow, but the user can destroy technology readily enough.
• u-2 1d6 Transform Technology (Major, Limited Class); Range: 225; Cumulative: +½; Reduced END: Half, +¼; Continuous: +1; 2 End.
• u-2 2d6 Aid / Boost Machinery (Fade/5 min., Max. 20); Range: 0; Autofire: 5 shots, ½; Reduced END: Zero, +1; Affects: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; 0 End.
• u-2 3d6 Aid (to Equipment Allowance) (Fade/month, Max. 20); Range: 0; Active Points: 44; Affects: Single Power, +0; 4 End.
• u-2 3d6 Aid (to Bases and Computers) (Fade/month, Max. 18); Range: 0; Active Points: 45; Affects: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; 4 End.

  The Technopath is playing fast and loose with the rules there. Putting skills in multipowers is very much a “special permission” sort of thing – but it’s hardly unprecedented, ezpecially when those skills have power modifiers applied to them. And really… how often will it be useful to do remote lockpicking? Or to take over a plane from a distance? Sure, they’re great at getting through technological security systems, disarming doomsday devices, and so on – but when it comes to a fight scene with powers, a twenty-point equipment allowance, even with a boosting touch worth 20 active points, is not going to get them very far. Upgrading a team base is pretty handy though. That’s good, because there is only so far you can get by running your enemies over with passing cars.

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The Cunning Man

Cunning Men are classical hedge wizards, capable of providing potions and charms, of taming beasts, of improving your social life, of having reasonably reliable visions, of calling up the spirits of nature, of taking on the forms and abilities of animals, and of protecting themselves and their allies from limited amonts of injury. They aren’t, however, particularly combative.

0 Cunning Man Powers

(7) Armor (5 PD/5 ED); Focus (Costume): Obvious Inaccessible, -½; Not cumulative with further physical armor.: -½
(17) Hedge Magic Multipower (75-pt reserve); Extra Time: full phase, -½; Focus (Medicine Bundle/Components Pouch): Obvious Accessible, -1; Concentrate: 0 DCV, -½; Gestures: Instant Power, -¼; Incantation: Instant Power, -¼; Activation: 11-, -1

• u-1 5d6 Aid (Equipment Allowance – Magical Talismans) (Fade/season, Max. 30); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power, +0; Generic Limitation (Takes hours to make the stuff): -½; 7 End. A cunning man can “Aid” equipment allowances (With minor charmed objects, potions (Charged, Does not recover, fragile focus, etc, etc, etc), turn animals into loyal companions (Aid Followers), provide charms which enhance attributes, enhance weapons, and so on. Despite the “All abilities” modifier, no individual can be aided in more then five categories, and each use works on only a single one.
• u-1 5d6 Aid (Base Enchantments) (Fade/season, Max. 30); Range: 0; Generic Limitation (Points must be distributed between bases.): -1; Affects: Single Power, +0; Generic Limitation (Takes hours to paint runes and such all over): -½. 7 End A hedge wizard can “Aid” bases, granting them a variety of benefits.
• u-1 Clairsentience (Mystic Visions) (Hearing, Sight); See: Future and Past, +40; Dimensions: Current, +0; Range: 350″; No Conscious Control: -2; 7 End. This goes off when the GM feels that the character needs a vision of some sort.
• u-1 Summon Nature Spirit (1 100-point creatures); Range: 0; Summon: Limited Group, +¼; Concentrate: 0 DCV, -½; Works only when Touching Ground: -½; 6 End. Note that these generally won’t go above the summoners total points, 100 is an upper limit, but not the minimum.
• u-1 Shape Shift; Animal Forms (Limited Group); Reduced END: Zero, +½; Uncontrolled: +½; 0 End.
• u-1 2d6 Aid; To all powers relevant to current form (Fade/hour, Max. 20); Range: 0; Affects: All Powers of Special Effect, +2; Reduced END: Zero, +1; Trigger; By Shapeshifting.: Set, +¼; Autofire: 5 shots, ½; All powers disappear instantly when returning to normal form: -½; No Conscious Control; Must take animal powers – including disadvantageous ones.: -2; Side Effects; Gets animal Instincts, may need ego rolls.: 30/Half, -½; Side effects cannot be avoided.: -½; 0 End.
• u-1 Force Field (10 PD/10 ED); Usable By Others: Simultaneous Use, +½; Usable by Others Number: 8, +¾; Charges: 6, +1; Continuing Charges: 1 Day, -7 lev; Invisible (Sight): One Sense Group, +½; Focus (Protective Amulet): Inobvious Inaccessible, -¼; 0 End.
  u-2 15d6 Standard Healing; 7 End.

(3) Paramedic 11-
(2) Knowledge; Nature 11-
(1) Animal Handler 8-
(1) Perk; Respected as a Mystic & Spiritual Advisor.

The Cunning Man is a fantasy-oriented archetype, and usually serves more as an enabler, councilor, and supplier of heroes than as a hero himself or herself. Still. in pulp settings, the ability to turn yourself into a tiger is not bad. It’s fine for combating mooks, and smaller forms do allow for a lot of sneaking and hiding and such. They’re also using one of the better ways to use shapeshifting effectively– that “aid” power – rather than using Multiform to achieve similar results. Their animal forms will not be terribly powerful, but then, on the superheroic scale, real animals aren’t really all that powerful either. When it comes to serious superhero’s shapeshifting is not flying through the air blasting energy beams at things, or lifting trains, or controlling hundreds of tons of earth and stone. “Form of a Triceratops!” might be more impressive – but they’ll need a fair number of upgrades to pull that off.

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The Mystic Telepath

The Mystic Telepath has developed a formidable set of mental powers through adherence to some extraordinary discipline – but that same discipline means that those powers are essentially fixed. Worse, unlike most comic book telepaths (who are generally built on a lot more points), the Mystic Telepath requires time, and mudra, and mantras. They can’t just quietly and secretly mindwipe inconvenient witnesses. Telepaths really ought to have some extra Ego, and probably more Mental Defense than is included in the package – but in most settings telepaths are rare, and defenses against telepathy are even rarer. After all, if they aren’t very rare an awful lot of social assumptions and institutions are going to need changing.

40 Mystic Telepath

(16) Mystic Telepathy (65-pt reserve); Concentrate: 0 DCV, -½; Extra Time: full phase, -½; Gestures: Instant Power, -¼; Incantation: Instant Power, -¼; Visible (Easily recognized by knowledgable mages and psychics): -¼; User must undertake occasional quests for the enlightened ones: -½; Will not work against creatures that tap into the same power source: -¼; May not be expanded upon or altered later: -½

• u-1 13d6 Telepathy; Charges: 4, +0; Clips: 2; Continuing Charges: 1 Minute, -3 lev; 0 End.
• u-1 1d6 Transform: Any Psychological modification (Word Of Revelation) (Major, Limited Class); Range: 320; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Penetrating: +½; Cumulative: +½; Continuous: +1; Uncontrolled: +½; 0 End.
• u-1 10d6 Mind Control; Communication: Telepathic, +¼; Charges: +12, +0; Clips: 2; 0 End.
• u-1 6d6 Ego Attack; Charges: +12, +0; Clips: 2; 0 End.
• u-1 13d6 Mental Illusions; Charges: +12, +0; Clips: 2; 0 End.
• u-1 11d6 Mind Scan; Attack Roll Bonus: 5, 10; Number of Minds: 10,000,000,000; Charges: 4, +0; Clips: 2; Continuing Charges: 1 Minute, -3 lev; 0 End.
• u-1 Invisibility (Detect, Sight, Hearing, No Fringe); Only works on observers within 15″, does not work versus things without ego scores.: -½; Does not work against observers with ECV 9+ or Mental Defense 20+. : -½; Charges: 6, +¼; Clips: 2; Continuing Charges: 1 Minute, -3 lev; 0 End.
• u-1 2d6 Energy Blast Telepathic Storm; Range: 325; Based on EGO Combat Value: vs. ECV, +1; Area Effect (Radius): 500″ radius, +1; C Increased Area: ×125, +1¾; Reduced Endurance Cost 0: =1 Selective Target: +¼; Autofire: 5 shots, ½; 0 End.
• u-1 Extra-Dimensional Movement (Astral Plane); Dimensions: One, +0; Time Travel: None, +0; Mass Multiplier: ×2, +5; Carrying Mass: 100; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Leaves Physical Body Behind): -1; 0 End,
• u-1 2d6 Drain Ego (Return/month); Range: 325; Ranged: +½; Affects: Single Power, +0; 6 End

(5) Mental Defense (Base +5 pts);
(9) Mind Link; Minds: One Specific Mind, +5; Number of Minds: 4, +10; Concentrate: ½ DCV, -¼; Extra Time: 1 turn, -1; Extra Time Required: Only At Startup, ½; Distance: Single Planet, +0; Dimension: Current, +0; Link with: Anyone, +0

Telepaths are very handy to have on your team, but they also tend to wreck a lot of plots. It is probably best to ask the GM if they will have problems with it before you opt to play one.

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The Hexcrafter

A Hexcrafter gives his or her enemies bad luck. Passively this provides occasional strokes of good fortune and reduces the effects of attacks against them, throwing opponents just a little off. Actively however… at it’s simplest a hex can get it’s target tangled up in available rubbish – curtains and tablecloths landing on them, stepping on roller skates or into buckets which then get stuck, and so on. While this “entangle” is easy enough to break out of, it can waste time and is passive once triggered. Actively however… Opponents can be made to loose weapons, tripped up, get slammed by random objects, suffer cramps and pains, get held by loose wires and debris, or be knocked off their feet by an enormous variety of bizarre coincidences and accidents.

40 Hexcrafting

(14) Luck Control Multipower (36-pt reserve); Extra Time: full phase, -½; Restrainable: -½; Activation: 14-, -½

• u-1 Telekinesis (STR 10); Range: 185; Manipulation: Coarse, +0; Area Effect (One-hex): 1 hex(es), +½; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Only for use with “Accident Style”: -1; No Range Penalty: +½;  0 End.
• u-1 2d6 Entangle (DEF 2); Range: 175; Area Effect (One-hex): 1 hex(es), +½; Reduced END: Half, +¼;  1 End.
• u-1 Force Field – Lucky Evasion (8 PD/8 ED); Reduced END: Zero, +½; Uncontrolled: +½; 0 End.

16 A Series Of Unfortunate Events – Accident Style; Only for use with telekinesis: -½; Extra Time: full phase, -½; Generic Limitation (Restrainable): -½

• (2) Martial Disarm (OCV -1, DCV +1).
• (1) Martial Throw (OCV +0, DCV +1).
• (1) Basic Strike (OCV +1, DCV).
• (2) Nerve Strike (OCV -1, DCV +1)
• (1) Martial Grab (OCV -1, DCV -1)
• (1) Legsweep (OCV +2, DCV -1)
• (8) +5 DC for Martial Attacks

(7) Luck (4d6); OAF (Various Lucky Charms): -1; Extra Time: 1 min., -1½; Extra Time Required (Putting charms on): Only At Startup, ½

The Hexcrafter is primarily combat oriented, with much of the entertainment coming from the weird and wonderful number of ways they can describe their attacks – but they are actually quite effective, will (since they “attack” an area) connect most of the time – and can easily buy up the effects of their attacks. At 8 CP per +5 DC… a mere 8 CP further will make them a major powerhouse – and 18 CP will see them running around with twenty-die attacks. Upgrade to a larger area of effect – possibly with an option for Selective Targeting – and you have a character who can easily take down a small army. Telekinesis-base martial arts are potentially terrifying. Few of the other characters on this list are quite so readily turned into strategic weapons.

Hero System Power Packages – the Cowboy, the Werewolf, the Cartomancer, the Eldritch Horror, and the Giant Land Octopus – with system commentary.

And for a few posts it’s forty-point Hero System power packages – either “pulp hero” powers or highly limited superpowers to be wielded by fairly normal people. That’s pretty atypical for the Hero System, where characters tend to be fairly well-rounded, with a mix of heightened attributes, defenses, and powers – but it’s perfectly typical for settings revolving around people who have some fairly specific ability and who are otherwise fairly normal. We’re using fourth edition, but it’s fairly easy to translate between editions – so for today we have…

The Cowboy

The Cowboy – at least as commonly portrayed – is borderline mythological. And, as usual with legends… the power of those myths can be tapped into. This particular version doesn’t have a gun. He (or she) doesn’t need one – he can use his rope (of which he carries extra coils) in pretty much every way imaginable. He’s got no need to shoot his target when he can just land a noose around said target’s neck and give it a haul. A gun is not nearly so versatile. Sadly, however, ropes aren’t that much use as armor, so that light armored clothing has a heavy load to carry.

So why are some things on charges? It’s because they use up rope – so eventually you’ll have to stop using those effects until you get some more rope. The character is set up to have lots of rope available though. So it shouldn’t be uch of a problem.

40 Cowboy Powers

(15) Rope Multipower (45-pt reserve); OAF (Rope): -1; Only things you can do with a rope: -½; Activation: 14-, -½

• u-1 4d6 Entangle (All Tied Up) (DEF 4); Range: 200; Charges: +12, +0; Clips: 2; 0 End.
• u-1 Missile Deflection (Rope Spin) (All Ranged Attacks, None, OCV 8); Deflect Attacks: Adjacent, +½; Deflection Bonus: 5, 10; OCV: 8; -½ 0 End.
• u-1 Hand-to-Hand Attack (Rope Lash) (10d6); Range: 0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• u-1 Telekinesis (STR 20); Range: 225; Manipulation: Coarse, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; -½ 0 End.
• u-1 Swinging / Zip-lining (+25″, NC: 100″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×4, +5; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• u-1 3d6 Killing Attack (RKA) (Noose); Range: 225; Charges: +12, +0; Clips: 2; 0 End.
• u-1 2d6 Energy Blast (Strangulation); Range: 225; Versus: ED; Continuous: +1; No Normal Defense (Need not Breathe,,Hard Neck Coveringm Force Field): +1; Uncontrolled: +½; Reduced END: Zero, +½; No Range Penalty: +½; 0 End.
• u-1 7d6 Energy Blast (Whip); Range: 220; Versus: PD; Reduced END: Half, +¼; 1 End.
• u-1 3d6 Suppress (Movement) (Entanglement); Range: 225; Affect: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Continuous: +1; Charges: 12, +¾; Clips: 2; Continuing Charges: 1 Minute, -3 lev; 0 End.
• u-1 3d6 Suppress (Dexterity) (Entanglement); Range: 225; Affect: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Continuous: +1; Charges: 12, +¾; Clips: 2; Continuing Charges: 1 Minute, -3 lev; 0 End.

(6) +2 Skill Levels with Rope
(3) Follower (Horse) (1, 42 pts, -25 Disad. = 17 Points, /5 = 3 Point net cost); Number: 1, +0
(6) Armor (4 PD/4 ED); Activation: 14-, -½; Focus (Leathers): Obvious Inaccessible, -½

17 Horse
(2) Attributes: Attributes: Str 10 (39), Dex 11, Con 13, 9 (12) Body, 3 Int, 3 Ego, 15 Pre, 15 Com, PD 5, ED 3, Spd 3, Rec 8, End 26, Stun 28 (31). Net Cost: 2 Points. Net Cost: 2 Points.
(2) Elemental Control: Horse Powers (10-pt reserve); Always On: -½; Side Effects (Is a horse. No hands, no human language, no civil rights, everyone knows what a horse is, trained property, etc.): 60/All, -1; Horse Powers Only: -1; Side effects cannot be avoided: -½
a-5 Growth-3 (×8 mass, ×2 height); Mass: 480 kg/1,056 lbs; Height: 344 cm/11’3″; Extra STR: 15; Knockback Reduction: -3; Extra BODY: 3; Extra STUN: 3; DCV Penalty: -2; PER Penalty: +2; Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1; 0 End.
b-6 Running (+10″, NC: 40″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×4, +5; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Visible (Horses running are fairly noisy): -¼; Vastly reduced on unsuitable surfaces: -½; 0 End.
c-2 +14 STR; Reduced END: Zero, +½; No manipulative limbs -½, 0 End.
d-3 Hand-to-Hand Attack (Hooves, 5d6. 11d6 total); Range: 0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
e-3 Enhanced Perception (all) (+7 to PER)

(2) Immunity to Mild Weather Extremes; Frequency: Fairly Common
(8) Armor (4 PD/4 ED); Focus (Tack): Obvious Inaccessible, -½
(5) Mind Link (Rider); Minds: One Specific Mind, +5; Number of Minds: 1, +0; Distance: Single Planet, +0; Dimension: Current, +0; Link with: Anyone, +0
(2) Professional Skill: Horse Tricks 11-
(2) Professional Skill: Riding Animal 11-
(-25) Disadvantages: It’s a horse. Pick whatever limitations you don’t include in the elemental control side effects. There are PLENTY.

OK, it amused me to make a multipower full of the things you can do with rope. This, in fact, dates back to first edition where questions like “how much do I have to pay for rope?” came up surprisingly often (the multipower for “things you can do with a knife got very long indeed). Regardless, rope is surprisingly versatile. How many other inventions are still in regular use after thirty to fifty thousand years? (Fifty thousand is believed to be the earliest known trace, but thirty thousand is pretty definite. Still, who knows how far back into prehistory rope goes before that?).

The Werewolf

Werewolves are very classic. Almost passe. Everybody knows what a werewolf is. They usually have some animal instincts or behaviors, a bit of a reputation, tend to be agitated during the full moon, and do have some minor vulnerabilities to silver and/or fire which are already included below. They aren’t, however, necessarily monstrous. They’re basically big wolves crossed with humans – and wolves with human tendencies are better known as dogs. Dogs and wolves are generally pretty loyal to their friends and families. That’s one of the major reasons that werewolves make perfectly good pulp heroes. On the other hand… they aren’t all that dangerous to even a minor superhero or a serious SWAT team; they’re about as formidable as a bear in a fight, although their regeneration and resistance to body damage will let them last longer and recover more quickly. Their biggest asset as heroes isn’t their fighting ability; it’s their enhanced senses. “Animal Powers” are a popular idea, but who are you going to bet on? The guy with the “Power Of A Lion!” or Iron Man?

40 Werewolf Powers

(2) Elemental Control; Werewolf Powers (5-pt reserve); Mystically conspicuous, classical werewolf indicators in human form: -¼; Always On: -½; Werewolf powers only: -½; Powers reduced by roughly 50% in full human form.: -0.25

• a-4 Armor (7 PD/4 ED), only 50% effective versus Fire; -0.25
• b-6 Regeneration (1 BODY/5 min.); Regenerate: From Death unless slain by Silver, +20; Activation: 11-, -1;
• c-4 Density Increase (Gets slightly bigger and much bulkier)-2 (×4 mass); Mass: 240 kg/528 lbs; Extra PD: +2; Extra ED: +2; Extra STR: +10; Knockback: -2″; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0
• d-2 Combined Powers Slot – Supernatural Senses;
  • (2) Enhanced Perception (all) (+2 to PER);
  • (2) Ultraviolet Vision;
  • e-4 Enhanced Scent;
  • (4) Tracking Scent;
  • (2) Discriminatory Sense (Smell); 0
• g-3 Running (+4″, NC: +8″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0
• h-7 1d6 Killing Attack (HTH) (Total 2d6); Range: 0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0
• i-2 Power Defense (10 pts); Automatically protects against any attempt to remove werewolf disadvantages or abilities only: -½;.
• j-2 +5 CON;
• k-2 +5 BODY;

Why are there limitations for the types of powers allowed in the Multipowers and Elemental Controls? It’s because those ARE pretty limiting. Compare what you can put in a multipower full of “spells” or “the power cosmic” (almost anything, like the Cartomancer below) and one that is restricted to “Rope” or “Werewolf Powers”. Is this fair to people who don’t buy a Multipower or an Elemental Control? No it isn’t. And that’s is a good thing. This way Multipowers and Elemental Controls reward character builds that have a coherent theme and which have enough limitations on their powers to leave the other player characters with something to do. Even characters who are just “big, tough, and strong” should have something to back up those high attributes.

The Cartomancer

The Cartomancer draws on the power of ancient archetypes. This version uses the Major Tarot, but versions using runes, or the heiroglyphic symbols of ancient egyptian gods, or dozens of other variants work just fine. While Cartomancy is prone to backlash, and difficult to use, it is also one of the most powerful and versatile abilities on this entire list – allowing it’s users to heal wounds, raise the dead, summon forth mythic vehicles, cast illusions, bind targets in the chains of hell, peer into the past, create mighty barriers, alter the environment in weird and wonderful ways, and much more – even being able to raise the dead. Unfortunately, however, Cartomancers require foci for their powers, cannot move around or evade attacks while bringing them into play, and can be seriously injured by the backlash of their own misbehaving powers if (when!) they fumble a spell. That makes them relatively poor solo heroes, but potentially decisive backup for a group.

40 Cartomancer

(18) Multipower (83-pt reserve); Focus (Tarot Cards): Obvious Accessible, -1; Focus Applicability: Personal; Focus Breakability: Breakable; Fragile Focus: -¼; Extra Time: full phase, -½; Concentrate: 0 DCV, -½; Incantation: Instant Power, -¼; Activation: 15-, -¼; Side Effects (6d6 Energy Blast): 30/Half, -½; Visible (Hold up magical card): -¼

• u-1 The Fool, Infinite Potential: 13d6 Healing ; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; 0 End.
• u-1 The Magician, Potential Given Form; Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev;
  • (9) 2d6 Aid Magic (Fade/min., Max. 20); Range: 0; Continuous: +1; Affects: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; This basically allows the user to tap into minor effects – temporarily gaining any one magical power of up to twenty active points or boosting some other mages abilities. 0 End.
  • (5) Force Field (8 PD/8 ED); Active Points: 24; Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; 0 End.
• u-1 13d6 The Emperor Mind Control; Communication: Verbal, +0; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; 0 End.
• u-1 The Chariot – Summon Vehicle (1 120-point creatures); Range: 0; Summon: Limited Group, +¼; Vehicle vanishes after one hour unless resummoned.: -¼; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; 0 End.
• u-1 The High Priestess – 13d6 Mental Illusions; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; 0 End.
• u-1 The Empress – 1d6 Transform Environment (Major, Limited Class); Range: 0 End; Cumulative: +½; Area Effect (Radius): 128″ radius, +1; Autofire: 10 shots, ¾; Increased Area: ×64, +1½; Charges: 10, +½; Clips: 32; Only affects the environment. This can make walls, turn the area into a jungle, dump ten feet of snow, or turn the floot to lava, but it doesn’t directly affect characters.: -1; No Range: -½; 0 End.
• u-1 The Hierophant – 10d6 Telepathy; Charges: 1, +¼; Clips: 16; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; 0 End.
• u-1 The Hermit – 3d6 Aid to Bases, Computers, and Equipment (Fade/season, Max. 20); Range: 0; Active Points: 80; Affects: All Powers of Special Effect, +2; The supplied points are treated as a pool,. The spell will provide a total of 20 points worth of improvements to a base, 20 points worth of a computer, and 20 points worth of gear – but no more, no matter who you cast it on or how often.: -1; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; 0 End.
• u-1 The Lovers;
  • (8) 2d6 Aid to Social Perks (Fade/season, Max. 20); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; Adds only one perk per casting, perks are treated as a pool, and only go away with the changing seasons, so if you need police contacts or a drivers license, they go against the total of 20 until the season changes and they go away: -1; 0 End.
  • (5) +15 PRE; Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev;
  • (3) +20 COM; Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; 0 End.
• u-1 Strength (Combined Powers Slot):
  • (11) Density Increase-8 (×250 mass); Mass: 15,000 kg/33,000 lbs; Extra PD: +8; Extra ED: +8; Extra STR: +40; Knockback: -8″; Charges: 1, +¼; Clips: 16; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; 0 End.
  • (4) Force Field (8 PD/8 ED); Charges: 1, +¼; Clips: 16; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; 0 End.
  • (2) 5″ Flight (NC: 10″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Non-Combat (MPH): 37; Charges: 1, +¼; Clips: 16; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; Only to reduce the user’s effective weight to normal: -½; 0 End.
• u-1 Death 1d6 Transform (Creatures to other creatures) (Major, Anything); Range: 410; Active Points: 82; Cumulative: +½; Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; Continuous: +1; Penetrating: +½; Armor Piercing: +2, +1; Activation (Rolled each phase): 11-, -1; 0 End.
• u-1 The Devil – 5d6 Entangle (Infernal Chains of Sin) (DEF 5); Range: 375; Area Effect (One-hex): 1 hex(es), +½; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; Activation: 15-, -¼; Side Effects (Summon Minor Devil): 30/Half, -½; 0 End.
• u-1 The Tower – 5d6 Killing Attack (RKA); Range: 375; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; No Knockback: -¼; 0 End.
• u-1 The Star – Telekinesis (STR 28); Range: 325; Manipulation: Fine, +10; Charges: 1, +¼; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; 0 End.
• u-1 Temperance – Force Wall (4 PD/4 ED); Range: 400; Width: 16″, +0; Variable Special Effects (ED, PD, Power, Ego, and Flash Defense): Certain Group, +¼; Autofire: 10 shots, ¾; Charges: 30, +2; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; All force walls must be stacked on each other: -1; 0 End.
• u-1 The Hanged Man 17d6 Dispel (Magic); Range: 320; Affects: Any Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; 0 End.
• u-1 Justice – 2d6 Flash (Hearing, Sight); Range: 375; Area Effect (Radius): 12″ radius, +1; Increased Area: ×4, +½; Side Effects (User must pursue Justice): 30/Half, -½; Side effects cannot be avoided.: -½; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; 0 End.
• u-1 The World – Clairsentience (Hearing, Sight); See: Past, +20; Dimensions: Current, +0; Active Points: 81; Range: 2,000″; Charges: 2, +¼; Clips: 16; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; Extra Time: 1 turn, -1; 0 End.
• u-1 The Last Judgement – Regeneration (1 BODY/Turn); Regenerate: From Death, +20; Transdimensional (Across Time): Group of Dimensions, +¾; Usable By Others: Power Lost, +¼; Ranged: +½; Charges: +3, +0; Continuing Charges: 1 Hour, -5 lev; Changes do not manifest until the current time: -½, Extra Time: 1 turn, -1. 0 End. This basically reaches into the past to bestow the Regeneration ability on your target just before their death. This, in turn, means that they never actually died – but the spell avoids paradox by being limited so that the change in status does not actually manifest until the time the spell is cast.
• u-1 The Moon – Images (Hearing, Sight, 16″ radius); Range: 360; Active Points: 72; Observer PER Penalty: 3, +9; Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; Variable Limitations: -½, -¼; 0 End.
• u-1 The Sun – 5d6 Energy Blast; Range: 375; Versus: ED; No Normal Defense (Immunity to High Heat, Ice Powers, Darkness Powers): +1; Area Effect (Radius): 5″ radius, +1; Charges: 3, +0; Clips: 32; Works only in Daylight: -¼; 0
• u-1 The Wheel Of Fortune – Invisibility (Smell, Sight, Hearing, No Fringe); Charges: 3, +½; Clips: 32; Continuing Charges: 5 Minutes, -4 lev; Variable Limitations: -½, -¼; 0 End.

A resurrection effect is actually fairly easy to build in the Hero System, at least if you get a little bit inventive about it – but a lot of game masters dislike the idea. If you want to complicated the whole “coming back to life” thing a bit go ahead and throw in some complications, such as the side effects including a trip to the underworld to bring back the desired soul, or Death demanding some sort of price, or some such.

Actual character death is pretty rare in a full-fledged superhero game anyway. The Hero System encourages it’s characters to do the comic book thing and fight at the drop of a hat by making the defenses cheaper than the attacks and by encouraging the purchase of spot defenses. Did some villain give them trouble through clever use of the “Drain” ability? The PC’s will soon find a reason to purchase some Power Defense, so that it does not happen again. After a while they start getting pretty hard to affect much in any reasonable way and the bricks – who are basically built for long slugging matches – tend to come into their own again.

The Eldritch Horror

The Eldritch Horror was either summoned by some eldritch tome or dread artifact (it doesn’t have to be the Necronomicon) or is the result of some foolish mortal meddling with such a thing. That focus may be hidden, but must always reside in a ritual space dedicated to the Outer Ones – and is thus an IIF. If someone finds it, and either destroys, contains, or simply removes it… the power of the Eldritch Horror will fade away. While it remains, however, the Eldritch Horror possesses considerable abilities. An Eldritch Horror doesnt have to be EVIL, but they are generally more than a bit incomprehensible, often cannot speak or otherwise interact normally, and rarely quite understand humans. Their power can have all kinds of side effects on them, and they’re rarely helpful socially. On the other hand, if the eldritch, unkillable, protoplasmic mass wants to devour the tainted souls of serial killers, I’m not going to get in it’s way. Even if it didn’t eat me for being in the way, it would just go around.

40 Eldritch Horror

(4) Elemental Control; Formless Body (15-pt reserve); Always On: -½; Side Effects (Attracts monsters, hunted by heroes, terrifying special effects, genderless, being made of goo, most medical treatments no working, vulnerable to holy magic, etc. ): 60/All, -1; Side effects cannot be avoided: -½; Visible (Eldritch Horror. Slenderman at BEST.): -¼; Focus (Necronomicon): Inobvious Inaccessible, -¼

• a-4 Regeneration (1 BODY/Turn); Regenerate: From Death, +20;
• b-4 Stretching (4″, NC: 8); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• c-4 Force Field (10 PD/10 ED); Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End. OK, being made of goo is an unusual special effect, but so be it!
• d-4 Shape Shift (Imitate Humans) (Limited Group); Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• e-4 +20 STR; Doesn’t Affect Figured: -½; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• f-5 Hand-to-Hand Attack (7d6); Range: 0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• g-3 +30 PRE; Only for Presence Attacks: -1.
• h-4 Running (+10″, 75″, NC: 150″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Non-Combat (MPH): 74; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• i-4 Clinging (Clinging STR +30); Reduced END: Zero, +½; Costs END: -½; 0 End.

  The Eldritch Horror pulls a fast one there; normally you have to have the various powers Persistent to take the Always On limitation – but these are mostly active effects, and so are not persistent. What the Always On effect does is make it impossible to turn off all those antisocial disadvantages: the Eldritch horror is ALWAYS a semi-formless lovecraftian monstrosity of writhing tendrils, oozng black slime, and alien horror. That seemed sufficient to qualify of “-1/2”. If you want to be technical. do what I used to do and call the limitation “physical” – real and permanent changes to the body which can’t be taken away readily. Basically the same way that you can’t do an area-effect “drain breathe in unusual environment” and kill all the fish in an area. After all, if that worked – if you could drain a creatures ability to live in it’s natural environment – you could build cheap, near-instant, large-scale, “kill everyone” effects. It’s not a good idea to allow that.

The Giant Land Octopus

The rare (we think) Giant (for an octopus; lacking Growth, they’re about human sized) Land Octopus has an unusually wide environmental tolerance and a deceptive nature that transcends an Octopus’s usual limits to deceive those who see or hear them – making everyone who lacks the ability to pierce it’s illusion hear it “speaking” normally and see it as just another normal human- allowing them to mingle readily with human societies. As for what they do… they’re strong, they’re stretchy, and they stick to things with suction cups. They’re good at camouflaging themselves and can squeeze through very small places. They’re also surprisingly good with children, almost always being able to spot what they’re up to and invariably having a spare “hand” to stretch out and grab them with to keep them out of trouble.

40 Giant Land Octopus Powers

• (2) Tentacles – Extra Limbs (4); Number: 4; Side Effects (You’re an octopus. Cannot speak normally (relies on illusions to communicate), no fingers, etc)): 60/All, -1; Side effects cannot be avoided: -½; Always On: -½
• (5) Rubbery Flesh and No Bones – Damage Resistance (5 PD/5 ED)
• (4) Elemental Control: Landgoing Octopus Powers (15-pt reserve); Side Effects (You’re an octopus. Cannot speak normally (relies on illusions to communicate), no fingers, etc)): 60/All, -1; Side effects cannot be avoided: -½; Always On: -½; Octopus Powers Only: -1
  • a-4 Stretching (4″, NC: 8); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
  • b-4 Swimming (+20″, 22″, NC: 44″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Non-Combat (MPH): 30; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
  • c-3 Clinging (Clinging STR +60); Actually limited to Str+30: -½;
  • d-3 Life Support (total); Only somewhat beyond what is reasonable for an octopus and doing OK on land: -1;
  • e-6 Images (Hearing, Sight, 1″ radius); Range: 0; Observer PER Penalty: 5, +15; Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1; Only to make people see the user as a normal person: -2; No Conscious Control: -2; No Range: -½; 0 End.
  • f-3 Invisibility (Normal Sight); Reduced END: Zero, +½; Camouflage Only, +10 to Stealth when moving slowly: -½; 0 End.
  • g-4 +20 STR; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
  • h-2 Shrinking-2 (DCV +4, Reduced END: Zero, +½; Only for squeezing through small openings due to their lack of bones and rubbery flesh, no other effects: -2; 0 End.
  • i-2 Darkness (Normal Sight, 3″ radius); Range: 0; Charges: +3, -¾; Continuing Charges: 1 Turn, -2 lev; No Range: -½; Works only in Water: -1½; Active Points: 30; 0 End.
  • j-3 Enhanced Perception (Normal Sight, +15 to PER); Actually only +8: -½;
  • k-3 1d6 Killing Attack (HTH) (Mildly toxic bite) (Total 2d6); Range: 0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Penetrating: +½; Only on targets that are currently grabbed.: -1. 0 End.
• (0) Knowledge: The Sea 8-
• (-8) Running (-4″, 2″, NC: 4″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; 0 End.

Now this sort of thing is why superhero worlds tend to have ever-changing histories. Lets say that some player decides that he wants to play a resident of Atlantis, or a Giant Land Octopus, or a Demigodling Son Of Uller, from Norse Mythology – but the setting has never made any provision for such things. Now what can you do?

• You can tell the player (or comic book writer) that there is no room for their nifty new idea. They may not take it well. There will certainly be at least whining if some other players ideas get accepted later on. Things become less fun.
• You can quietly assume that the player/writer (and possibly the character) are wrong about what they are and where they came from If you tell them, see #1. If you remain silent until later… now the player/writer is invested in their idea and it’s part of all their plans. This guarantees an angry explosion.
• You can accommodate the player/writer and quietly re-arrange some chunks of the setting and its history to fit in with their new idea. This can be a headache when it comes to continuity, and can clash with other player/writers ideas later – but it purchases peace NOW at the low, low, cost of agreeing that Giant Land Octopuses have been hanging around for thousands of years, and that there is a long history of sailors surviving two-hundred-mile swims to shore after shipwrecks, and of mysterious bystanders fishing people out of rivers, and so on that no one has ever paid any attention to because “it’s always been that way”.

Usually people wind up going with #3. It’s so much easier in the short run, and who cares that – likely after your game or job is over – there will need to be yet another reset?

Eclipse d20 and Memento Mori

For today, it’s a requested conversion – a PL10 Mutants and Masterminds character – May Midori, A.K.A “Memento Mori” – a heavily cyborged super-agent inhabitant of a cyberpunk world.

Into fantasy / d20 modern /d20 future terms. This will get a bit weird.

For some basics… well, she’s apparently from a cyberpunk world, ala Shadowrun or Cyberpunk or a dozen other settings. I’m going to assume a vaguely “Shadowrun” style, so both magic and technology fits in and it’s possible to be a very violent businesswoman without setting off endless metal detectors. That makes her a…

Dystopian Survivor Human (30 CP / +0 ECL). These have the racial traits of:

• Highly Adaptable: Gain one Bonus Feat / 6 Bonus CP (6 CP).
• Birthright: Choice of +2 to an Attribute or another 12 CP ability package derived from your background.
• Quick to Learn: Fast Learner, Specialized in Skills for +2 SP/Level (Level x 2 + 6 total, 6 CP).
• Tested Immunity: After the global pandemics and pollution crises everyone who didn’t inherit this is dead. Immunity to toxins, pollutants, and disease (Common, Major, Trivial, for a +2 bonus on relevant rolls, 3 CP).
• Projectile Predator: +1 BAB, Specialized in Ranged Attacks (3 CP).

Attributes first:

Mutants and Masterminds: Strength 4 [8p], Stamina 7 [14p], Agility 8 [16p], Dexterity 0, Fighting 5 [10p], Intellect 4 [8p], Awareness 4 [8p], and Presence 0.

Most of those translate to d20 attribute modifiers – so net Str 18, Constitution 24, Dexterity 18 (Agility + Dexterity / 2 since M&M subdivides the functions of Dexterity), Intelligence 18, Wisdom 18, Charisma 10, and BAB +5. Of course in M&M that is after enhancements are applied. Obviously this character is going to need a lot of bonuses.

Secondarily, the character is described as being incredibly beautiful – apparently due to having “attractive” as a fairly minor advantage – although even the original description could be read as putting the character squarely in the uncanny valley and that advantage simply provides a +2 circumstance bonus on Deception and Persuasion checks “to deceive, seduce, or change the attitude of anyone who finds the characters looks appealing”. Well, almost all semi- superhero characters look good. It’s only the actual game impact that matters. Given that a fantasy world involves a lot of nonhumans with very different ideas of what is attractive… I’ll translate this to some simple skill bonuses in the skills section.

So: d20 Attributes:

• Strength 18 10 Base +4 Eq +4 Armor
• Dexterity 18 14 Base +4 Eq
• Constitution 24 14 Base +4 Eq +2 Race +1 Level +1 Purchased (12 CP), +2 Enh
• Intelligence 18 14 Base +4 Eq
• Wisdom 18 14 Base +4 Eq
• Charisma 10 10 Base

That’s Pathfinder 20 point high fantasy point buy attributes. The 2×10 and 4×14 pattern is generally good for a generalist.

For Skills the M&M version had… Acrobatics 8 (Agi 8), Athletics 6 (4 Str + 2 ranks, 1p), Close Combat: unarmed 15 (5 Fgt + 10 ranks, 5p), Close Combat: everything else 5 (5 Fgt), Deception 12 (12 ranks, 6p), Expertise (Business) 8 (4 Int + 4 ranks, 2p), Expertise everything else 4 (4 Int), Expertise (not specified?) 6 (4 Int +2 ranks, 1 Sp), Insight 4 (4 Awe), Investigation 6 (4 Int + 2 ranks, 1p), Perception 8 (4 Awe + 4 ranks, 2p), Stealth 12 (8 Agi + 4 ranks, 2p), Technology 10 (4 Int + 6 ranks. 3p), and Treatment 4 (4 Int).

That’s… pretty poor. 46 skill ranks in total, and nothing higher than +12 in total? For a super-secret agent? Even given that M&M combines a few skills, that’s kind of weak. At least it gives us a level estimate… I’m going to call it six.

Converting to d20…

Available Skill Points: 8 (8 CP) + 36 (Int Mod x 9) +18 (Racial Fast Learner) + 18 (Bonus Feat Fast Learner) = 80 SP.

• There are a lot of different d20 skill lists out there. So I’m going to throw in Immunity (The normal skill list; gets to use THIS condensed skill list regardless of the list in use in the current game. (Common, Minor, Great, 12 CP). I’ll also buy her two instances of Adept (Acrobatics, Athletics, Perception, and Stealth, are all half cost, 6 CP, Engineering, Persuasion, Stealth, and Thievery are all Half Cost, 6 CP) and a +2 Skill Emphasis on Deception and Persuasion (6 CP) to cover her bonuses from being “attractive”,

General Skills:

• Acrobatics +15 (4* SP +4 Dex +2 Mor +2 MW). May take 3d4 damage to pull off a nigh-impossible stunt.
• Athletics +15 (4* SP +4 Str +2 Mor +2 MW). May take 3d4 damage to pull off a nigh-impossible stunt.
• Deception +13 (9 SP +0 Cha +2 SE +2 Mor)
• Engineering +15 (4* SP +4 Int +2 Mor). +2 when Travelers Anytool applies. May specify three quasi-magical special gadgets to routinely carry.
• Heal +12 (4 SP +4 Wis +2 Mor +2 Belt).
• Linguistics +9 (3 SP +4 Int +2 Mor). Speaks seven languages plus the “common tongue”. That ought to do even for international business.
• Perception +15 (4* SP +4 Wis +2 Mor). +1 Synergy Bonus on Reflex Saves.
• Persuasion +13 (4* SP +0 Cha +2 SE +2 MW).
• Profession (Business) +17 (9 SP +4 Wis +2 Mor +2 MW).
• Profession (General) +6 (+4 Wis +2 Mor).
• Socialize +17 (9 SP +4 Wis +2 Mor +2 MW). Provides four useful Contacts. In her case, likely corporate.
• Stealth +17 (4* SP +4 Dex +2 Mor +2 MW). Grants the equivalent of a built-in Handy Haversack.
• Thievery +17 (4* SP +4 Dex +2 Mor +2 MW). May be used as a free action up to four times per day.

*Half cost due to Adept. MW: Masterwork Tool. Mor: Morale. SE: Skill Emphasis.

Martial Arts Skills:

• Iron Hand Style: +18 (9 SP +7 Con +2 Mor)
  • Attack 4, Power 2, Breaking, Combat Reflexes, and Expertise (Attack Bonus to Damage Bonus).
• Gun Kata Style: +15 (9 SP +4 Dex +2 Mor)
  • Attack 3, Defenses 2, Expertise (Attack Bonus to Damage Bonus), Quick Draw, and Rapid Shot.

Now that is MUCH better. It also covers a bunch of things that the original character wanted to improve. It is a bit cheesy – although the level of cheese depends on the skill list in use in whatever game she wanders into. Condensing the skill list makes each skill – and thus skill enhancing abilities – substantially more powerful. That’s well worth those 12 CP.

In M&M this characters major powers included a variety of melee-attack based “poisons” and bunch of cyberware – presumably what gets her attributes so high. This, of course, is a fairly normal thing in d20 future, but not otherwise. It’s exotic even in most superhero settings. To get it, we will want an Immunity to the settings normal technology levels and – to pay for it – some Innate Enchantment. Due to the fact that d20 future prices are a lot lower than d20 fantasy prices, and thanks to a 20-to-1 Credits-to-GP conversion ratio this is a bit of an exploit, and might well qualify this character for a +1 ECL adjustment.

• Advanced Tech Access: Innate Enchantment can normally be used to buy the equivalent of mundane equipment – but it’s rarely worth bothering with in fantasy based games. With that 1-to-20 GP-to-Credits conversion ratio and both d20 Modern and Future in play however… mundane equipment is suddenly a LOT more attractive. Still, even superheroes don’t automatically have access to super-technology, so I’m going to treat having access to the d20 Future lists to “buy” stuff from as a an Immunity / normal limits on equipment availability (Very Common, Major, Great (for +4 Tech Levels over the usual PL4 base), Specialized / only for Innate Enchantment purposes, 15 CP)
• Immunity / the XP or other special costs of Innate Enchantment: Uncommon, Major, Major, 6 CP).
• Immunity / the usual side effects of cybrenetics: Uncommon, Major Major, 6 CP).

Innate Enchantment (Cybrenetics) (Up to 11,500 GP Value, 12 CP).

• Multi-Optics Goggles (Low-Light, 80′ Darksight, Microscopic, Tesescopic, HUD, Flash Protection, 200 GP)
• SmartPhone (5 GP)
• Neural Recorder (25 GP): Can record sensory information and thoughts so others can experience them.
• Soundbox (175 GP): May mimic voices, play music, shout as loud as sixteen men, etc.
• Gas Mask (10 GP):
• Universal Communicator (2 GP): Send and receive audio, visual, and digital information.
• Chemical Air Analyzer (250 GP). Gain Scent, may make a DC 15 Wisdom check to identify common chemicals and organic compounds. A DC 20 Wisdom check allows the user to distinguish the exact chemical makeup of anything he or she smells.
• Artificial Muscle Fiber II: +4 Eq bonus to Str (600 GP)
• Twitchwire II: +4 Eq bonus to Dex (600 GP)
• Redundant Organs II: II: +4 Eq bonus to Con (325 GP)
• Neuron Boosters II: II: +4 Eq bonus to Int (450 GP)
• Proverb Chip II: +4 Eq bonus to Wis (1000 GP)
• Boost Armor with Gravlight (Max Dex +1, Armor Check -2), Improved Defense III (+3 Armor), and Increased Range of Motion I (+1 Max Dex), Rigid (+1 Armor Check Penalty). Total +7 (+3 Improved Defense = 10) Armor, +4 Max Dex (+1 IRoM, +1 Nimbleness = +6), Armor Penalty 3 (+1 Rigid -2 Gravlight -2 Nimbleness = 0), Speed +10, +4 Str, +2 Reflex Saves. (1000 GP).
• +2 Masterwork Karatends (Combat Guantlets, used as Unarmed, 1d8 Bludgeoning, Crit 19-20, DC 18 Fortitude Save or Stunned (electrical effect, so relevant resistences or immunities reduce the effect), (425 GP)
• Poison Touch: Rattlesnake Venom (Unlimited Use Glands, 1d6/1d6 Con, Fort DC 17, 1000 GP). May combine with karatends, kisses, or other “unarmed” attacks.

That’s 6067 GP

Innate Enchantment (Magic for where there are no technical equivalents listed, still tech though)

• Face Dancer (Transmutation): SL 1/2 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use Activated x.7 Personal Only x.5 (Ambient Magic, one minute to use) = 350 GP. Allows you to change your features to look like someone else of your race or a slight variant thereof. While this does allow you to duplicate finger and retinal prints, you need to know the prints you want to copy to do so. Provides a +10 bonus to Disguises (under Stealth).
• Traveler’s Any-Tool (250 GP) Acts as masterwork tools for Craft and most Profession skills.
• Relieve Poison: SL 1 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.7 Personal Only = 1400 GP. A spell from the Hedge Wizard list on this blog that greatly reduces the effects of poison.
• Enhance Con +2: SL 1 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.7 Personal Only = 1400 GP
• Personal Heroism: SL 1 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated = 2000 GP
• Hot and Cold Weather Outfits (16 GP).

That’s 5416 GP

Total: 11,483 GP

The big benefit here lies in 1) getting a +4 on five different stats (normally costing some 80,000 GP) and a good AC (+10) which normally requires either pretty good armor or something like a force armor / force shield combo. Most of the rest is fairly readily available to anyone. That is pretty good – but is it worth the 21 CP it costs to gain access? Or the possible +1 ECL adjustment on top of that? And hitting the usual limit on Innate Enchantment? Honestly, it’s debatable. This character isn’t very reliant on most of those attributes, and could easily make up for them being lower with a few general bonuses to skills and such – But nice high attributes are just so shiny.

Miscellaneous Stuff:

• +6 BAB (36 CP) (One more than the base build, but we want iterative attacks).
  • Ranged Attack (Gun): +6 BAB +1 Projectile Predator +4 Dex +2 Mor +2 Masterwork +3 Martial Art, +1 Laser Sight, -2 Rapid Fire = +17/+17/+12, +2 Masterwork Silenced Beretta 92F Semiautomatic Pistol (2d6+1 (Enhancement)), Crit 20/x2, 40′ Range Increment, 15 Shot Magazine, 3 Lb, Small Size, with Laser Sight, 225 GP. 50 Bullets, 1 GP).
  • Melee Attack (“Unarmed”): +6 BAB +4 Str +2 Mor +4 Martial Art +2 Masterwork = +18/+13, Damage 1d12+6 (+4 Str + Masterwork), Crit 20/x2, plus Poison (Fort Save DC 17 or 1d6/1d6 Con Damage) plus Fort DC 18 or Stunned.
• Saves: Originally Fortitude +10 (3 Ranks +7 Sta), Dodge (Reflex) +11 (3 Ranks +8 Agi), and Will +10 (6 Ranks +4 Awe). Now Fortitude +13 (+3 (9 CP) +7 (Con) +2 (Mor) +1 (Res)), Reflex +13 (+3 (9 CP) +4 (Dex) +2 (Mor) +2 (Armor) +1 (Res) +1 (Sy)), and Will +11 (+4 (12 CP) +4 (Wis) +2 (Mor) +1 (Res))
• Hit Points: Toughness 9 translates into about 81 HP. So… Advanced Improved Augmented Bonus (Adds Dex Mod to Con Mod for HP Purposes, Specialized and Corrupted / only for the first six hit dice, 6 CP). Call it six six-sided hit dice for 26 (6d6, maximum on first die, 12 CP) +66 (6 Hit Dice x [Con Mod + Dex Mod) = 92 HP.
• Armor Class: M&M uses Defense Class, which is terrible, meaning that most attacks hit and you need to resist their effects. In d20, Armor Class lets you avoid the attacks instead. So… Armor Class 10 (Base) +10 (Cyberarmor, see below) +4 (Dex) +1 (Deflection, see Equipment) = 25. 27 when in ranged combat. Much better.
• Move: 30′ (Base) +10 (Armor) = 40′
• Proficiencies: Small Arms (6 CP)
• Initiative: +4 (Dex)
• The original character had “Jack Of All Trades” in M&M, allowing the use of all skills unskilled. Given the greatly improved skills above, this is meaningless save for Profession; she HAS all the other skills that can’t be used unskilled. All right then: Immunity/not being able to use Profession skills unskilled (Common, Minor, Trivial, 2 CP). This makes her a reasonably competent lawyer, fisherman, blacksmith, and web page designer.
• Tracking (M&M Sense Unspecified). Since this doesn’t really say how she tracks people, I shall call it Financial (allowing her to track people through banks, credit card use, and similar) and to find hidden financial details) and by Scent. (3 CP each. 6 CP in total).
• Trick – Toxic Strike (Save DC Fort 20, Induces Fatigue, then Exhaustion, then Sleep – but this requires a kiss to use (it’s specialized circumstance). This is rarely practical in combat and the relatively simple circumstances corresponds nicely with the limited effect (6 CP).
• Doubled Damage (Rattlesnake Venom, when delivered with a kiss, 6 CP).
• Grant of Aid with +2 Bonus Uses (9 CP). This isn’t a part of the base build, but super-types – which she undoubtedly is – tend to recover fast.

To look back at the original sheet, it had…

Advantages [7p]: Attractive 2 (Now general skill bonuses), Equipment 1/Smartphone (Now cyberware), Improved Power Attack (In her martial arts), Improvised Tools (covered by Traveler’s Anytool), Jack-of-All-Trades (Covered by use of all Profession skills unskilled), and Tracking (covered by Tracking).

Designer Daughter (cybernetic) [19p]

• Cosmetic Biosculpt. Continuous Standard-Action Morph 2: similarly-built humans. [8p] (Covered by Face Dancer).
• Detox Gland. Immunity 1: poison. [1p] (Covered by Relieve Poison).
• Expanded Optics. Senses 4: infra-, ultra-, low-light and microscopic visual. [4p+2a] (Covered by Multi-Optics Goggles)
• Alt: Auditory Augmentation. Limited 1 Senses 5: accurate(close only) analytical danger-sense extended auditory. [4p] (Covered by enhanced Perception)
• Alt: Chemical Analysis. Senses 4: acute analytical olfactory-type. [4p] (Covered by Scent and the analytical package).
  Miscellanea. Features 4: embedded radio, fingerprint falsifier, sensory recorder, voice reproducer. [4p]
• Subcutaneous Armor. Protection 2. [2p] (Covered – and vastly improved – by Cyberware Boost Armor).
• Poisonous Personality [20p]
  • Kiss Goodnight. Distracting Grab-Based Progressive Subtle Triggered(variable) Affliction 15: fatigued/exhausted/asleep. [18p+2a] (Covered by Trick)
  • Alt: Kiss of Death. Distracting Grab-Based Progressive Subtle Triggered(variable) Weaken 15: stamina. [18p] (Covered by Doubled Damage on Rattlesnake Poison)
  • Alt: Poison Spur. Improved-Critical Subtle Damage 1; Linked to Improved-Critical Progressive Subtle Weaken 5: stamina. [18p] (Covered by Rattlesnake Poison)

Defense [18p]

• Dodge 11 (8 agi + 3 ranks). [3p] Reflex Save, now +13. Also improved, see “Armor Class”.
• Parry 11 (5 fgt + 6 ranks). [6p]> Vastly improved; AC 25, 27 in Ranged Combat.
• Toughness 9 (7 sta + 2 protection). Equates to roughly 81 HP, now 92 and far less likely to be hit.
• Fortitude 10. (7 sta + 3 rank). [3p] Fortitude Save, now +13
• Will 10 (4 awe + 6 ranks). [6p] Will Save, now +11. About the same, but nothing about the build says “resistant to mental effects” – and the discription doesn’t exactly say “independent and willful”. According to the Complications, she’s kind of impulse driven.

Well, that’s all covered.

So how is this all adding up?

• Race: 0 CP.
• Attributes: 12 CP.
• Skills: 8 CP Direct Purchase, 6 CP Fast Learner, 12 CP Immunity to the Normal Skill List, 12 CP Double Adept, 6 CP double Skill Emphasis = 44 CP.
• Cybrenetics: Advanced Tech Access (15 CP), Immunity XP Cost (6 CP), Immunity Side Effects (6 CP), Innate Enchantment (12 CP) = 39 CP.
• Miscellany: 113 CP

That’s 208 Character Points.

So how many do we have available?

Available Character Points: 168 (L6 Base) + 10 (Disadvantages: Compulsive (Killer), Accursed (Hackable Systems), and Insane (Transhumanist, thinks everyone needs cyborging, it is a universal panacea)) +12 (Duties to Mother Her Corporation) +18 (L1, 3, 6 Bonus Feats) = 208 CP.

OK, I added the Grant Of Aid to make things come out right, but it was quite close anyway.

That leaves us with equipment: Level six grants a 16,000 GP (or roughly 320,000 Dollar or “Credit”) equipment allowance, which can reasonably be expended as follows:

Healing Belt/Advanced First Aid Kit (750 GP), Cloak/Light Protective Clothing Of Resistance +1 (1000 GP), Ring Of Protection/Microshield Generator +1 (2000 GP), Chronocharm of the Laughing Stranger (500 GP, 1/Day reroll a Deception or Persuasion check), Chronocharm of the Fateweaver (1/day reroll one Acrobatics or Athletics check, 500 GP), Chronocharm of the Celestial Wanderer (1/day reroll one Perception check, 500 GP), Chronocharm of the Horizon Walker (1/Day take a half move as a swift action, 500 GP), BMW M3 Sports Coupe (1750 GP), Masterwork Tools (Power Suit; +2 to Profession/Business and Persuasion, Fine Shoes; +2 to Acrobatics and Athletics, Chameleon Coat; +2 to Stealth, Jewelry;+2 to Socialize, Gripper Gloves; +2 to Thievery, total MW items 350 GP), Demolitions Kit with Charges (50 GP), Search and Rescue Kit (10 GP), 1000 Bullets (20 GP), Tactical Flashlight (10 GP), Camping Gear (50 GP), Trail Rations (120 meals, 30 GP), Concealed Carry Holster (2 GP), Gun (225 GP, +2000 GP to be +1), Permanent “Upscale Hotel” lifestyle (2750 GP), Grappler Gun (3 GP), Expense Account (30 GP / 600 Dollars/Day unquestioned, 3000 GP). Most of this stuff (well, except the car) can easily fit in her personal Handy Haversack effect.

She also gets those three Gadgets from Engineering, but I don’t know what she’d want. Maybe a “Cyberdeck” for hacking (perhaps +3 to Engineering for the purpose), an expanded magazine so she can keep shooting, and a set of Blackout/Teargas bombs for escape?

Cut Features & Advancement Plans

• 1. Improve Skills. For a super spy a 10 is pathetic! Done. She is far more skilled now.
• 2. Mobilize. A good way to get out of danger will take us far! I can’t find Mobilize or Mobility in second or third edition, or a reference online. Might be Mobility (the d20 feat), Uncanny Dodge (which is at least related), Reflex Training (in Eclipse) or just wanting faster movement. For the moment, she has a Chronocharm of the Horizon Walker (1/Day take a half move as a swift action) – which should help out. Perhaps a teleportation item later on?
• 3. Sensible Senses. They’re not expensive and always useful! Another item I cannot find although I’d assume that it just means more special senses. Still, it is easy enough to get more senses in Eclipse. This character already has a fair array of senses anyway.
• 4. Git Gud at Guns. If nothing else, it’ll save on dry-cleaning bills! Done. She has much better skill with guns now. And, for that matter, has a gun.

Equipment

• 1. Suppressed Light Pistol. Subtle Diminished-Ranged Damage 3. [6ep]. Done. You can just buy guns in d20 and this version has an appropriate martial art and a pistol with a sound suppressor (“Silencer”).

Designer Daughter (cybernetic)

• 1. Cognitive Coprocessor. Limited (mental) Quickness 2 [1p] This gets mental tasks done more quickly. You could buy this – or just take advantage of the higher skills and raise the DC to get done faster.
• 2. Healing Stimulator. Regeneration 1 [1p]. Done. That’s what the Grant Of Aid ability is all about.
• 3. Omniglot Implant. Limited Comprehend 3: read/speak/understand common business languages. [3p]. Well, this character already speaks eight languages (counting “common”), so this is probably covered.

Overall… this character is a decent to good skill monkey and a reasonably effective fighter. She doesn’t do all that much damage, but forcing a save against poison and a save against being stunned at decent DC’s every time she hits a target is actually quite potent – at least until she’s fighting a construct, or an undead, or a swarm, or an ooze that is resistant to poison and electricity, or someone in a mecha, or quite a few other things – against which she is fairly useless. A warrior-type of similar level dedicated to damage is a lot more generally effective. A serious skill monkey will have more skill bonuses and – almost certainly – more skill boosters and things like “luck” so they can always succeed if they feel that they must. She won’t be able to match them either. So a competent generalist, best suited for semi-stealthy missions against other relatively normal beings. That… seems reasonable enough really.

The Phases Of The Moon Part II – Kasvael, Usskuu, and Nature Spirits

Isilmë’s four secondary aspects take unmerciful advantage of a cheap Multiform power to take rather specialized power packages – although, since they only get fifty points in total, they are all pretty much normal people otherwise.

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Kasvael, The Summer Moon (50 Points)

Kasvael. the aspect of the waxing moon, is a fairly powerful shaman, a master of runes, rituals, and spirits – but he is very much a support character. He can heal, he can remove disabilities, he can scout around in astral form, he can transport allies, he can scry on relatively nearby locations, he can call up nature spirits* to help out, and he can create low-grade barriers and bridges – but his only major offensive ability is Ritual Magic. And while he can prepare a few major “spells” in advance, it requires a very long time and his supply is strictly limited. Basically, his magic is slow and almost entirely utilitarian. He’s very helpful to have around, but field operations are not his forte. He appears as a wiry, middle-aged to old green-eyed amerindian man dressed as a shaman, with him comes a faint whisper of drums, and flutes, and chanting voices.

*These could, in theory, go up to 97 points – but his are built on 50 points since they can’t exceed his total. If his total later goes up, so will theirs – although, honestly, they are powerful enough already to do what they are supposed to, which is to scout, to answer questions, and to mildly boost his allies and/or hinder enemies.

Val Char Cost
10 STR 0
11 DEX 3
10 CON 0
10 BODY 0
13 INT 3
11 EGO 2
10 PRE 0
10 COM 0
2 PD 0
2 ED 0
2 SPD 0
4 REC 0
20 END 0
20 STUN 0

Characteristic Rolls: STR: 11-, DEX: 11-, CON: 11-, INT: 12-, EGO: 11-, PER: 12-
Run: 6″, Swim: 2″, Jump: 2″, Lift: 100kg

18 Shamanic Magic Multipower (74-pt reserve); Concentrate: Throughout & 0 DCV, -1; Extra Time: full phase, -½; Focus (Rune-Inscribed Wand): Obvious Accessible, -1; Focus Applicability: Personal; Focus Breakability: Breakable; Gestures: Instant Power, -¼; Incantation: Instant Power, -¼

• u-1 10d6 Generic Healing; Reduced END: Half, +¼; 2
• u-1 Extra-Dimensional Movement (Fictional Worlds); Dimensions: Any, +20; Time Travel: None, +0; Mass Multiplier: ×4, +10; Carrying Mass: 200; Reduced END: Half, +¼; 2 End. Yes, he can take a small group on a trip into a television program, or book, or movie, or other work of fiction. Don’t let the villain follow you home,
• u-1 Extra-Dimensional Movement (Astral Projection); Dimensions: One, +0; Time Travel: None, +0; Mass Multiplier: ×1, +0; Carrying Mass: None; Generic Limitation (Leaves physical body behind): -1; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End. This is a major scouting ability, but – if you do run into something that can target you – leaves you entirely on your own.
• u-1 Summon Nature Spirits (1 97-point creatures); Range: 0; Summon: Limited Group, +¼; Usually Friendly (Usually will perform three services or one errand): +¼, Nature Spirits can only exist in their domain and only one can be manifested at a time: -1; 7 End.
• u-1 2d6 Ritual Magic Aid (Fade/turn, Max. 90); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Trigger: Set, +¼; Points fade instantly after power used: -½; Maximum of three rituals per day and seven prepared effects.: -1; Active Points: 73; 1 End. This is POWER. It lets you pre-prepare up to seven ninety active point one-shot effects to be unleashed later. Go ahead. Summon a major demon, teleport hundreds of miles, speak a word of doom… but be very sure that it’s what you want, because you’re not going to get rid of it without another ritual or two.
• u-1 Force Field (9 PD/9 ED); Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1; Uncontrolled: +½; Invisible: To All Senses, +1; Active Points: 63; 0 End. Basic protection, but any solid hit will still take Kasvael down – even if this makes him FAR more likely to live through it.
• u-1 10″ Teleportation (Long Range 1,250″); Increased Range: ×125, +35; Long Range: 1,250″; Long Range (miles): 1.55; Mass Multiplier: ×4, +10; Fixed Locations: 0; Floating Locations: 0; 2 End. Not a lot of use in combat, but great when combined with Clairvoyance for a classic scry-and-die combo.
• u-1 5″ Flight (NC: 625″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×125, +30; Area Effect (One-hex): 1 hex(es), +½; Non-Combat (MPH): 488; 1 End. Very handy for carrying a group across the english channel on your flying carpet.
• u-1 1d6 Transform (Major, Anything); Range: 225; Cumulative: +½; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Active Points: 45; 0 End. It’s slow, it will revert back if the magic is dispelled, and you can’t do much at a time – but if your gadgeteer needs a special tool, well you can provide.
• u-1 2d6 Aid (Buy Off Disadvantages) (Fade/year, Max. 30); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Additional Extra Time – One Minute: -1; Active Points: 66; 3 End. Yes, this allows him to remove – or at least suppress for quite some time – up to thirty points worth of disadvantages for any one target. Want to get rid of that nasty Hunted? A proper ward will keep them away. Go berserk to often? Terrified of confined places? All easily fixed.
• u-1 Clairsentience (Normal Sight, Hearing); See: Present, +0; Dimensions: Current, +0; Range: 1,600″; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End.
• u-1 Force Wall (8 PD/8 ED); Range: 300; Width: 12″, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; 0 End. Useful, but a rifle shot could bring it down. Best used for a bridge, a slide to let people escape from a fire, and as a short-term barricade.

Others Powers:

• 2 5″ Gliding (NC: 10″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Non-Combat (MPH): 8; Generic Limitation (Only breaks falls and allows sitting in the air while meditating or spellcasting): -1
• 1 +10 Arcane Reserve – END; Concentrate: 0 DCV, -½; Generic Limitation (Only for spellcasting): -1; Extra Time: full phase, -½; Gestures: Instant Power, -¼; Incantation: Instant Power, -¼
• 7 Detect Life (+0 to PER); Time Required: Instant, +2; Range: Ranged, +5; Focus (Eye Amulet): Obvious Accessible, -1; Addition (Discriminatory): +5

Cost Skills, Talents, Perks Roll
2 Knowledge: The Occult 11-

OCV: 4; DCV: 4; ECV: 4; Mental Def.: 0; Phases: 6, 12, PD/rPD: 11/9; ED/rED: 11/9

Costs: Char: 8 + Powers: 42 = 50 Points.

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Nature Spirits (50 Point)

Nature Spirits are reasonably effective, but are generally only willing to provide a few short-term services or run one errand – although they usually don’t count basic conversation or talking about their domain a bit as a service. On the other hand, they are fairly limited; a city spirit will not and cannot leave the city, a forest spirit will not and cannot leave the forest, and so on. Just as importantly, they cannot stick around past dawn or sunset and only one can be on call at any given moment- although those on errands to not count as being on call. If you send a city spirit out for pizza, it won’t count if you actually need a sky spirit for something important.

While spirits can attack on their own – well enough to handle normal people fairly readily – their real utility lies in scouting, providing information, and boosting their summoner and his or her allies. Sure, -2 on your enemies OCV’s isn’t overwhelming – but it’s a very nice edge and will tilt a fight very nicely. Similarly, changing a few street signs during a car chase isn’t very dramatic – but it can easily lead a fleeing target into a dead end. Even better, asking for that kind of assistance is generally only one service for an entire fight.

Val Char Cost
5 STR -5
14 DEX 12
8 CON -4
5 BODY -10
8 INT -2
8 EGO -4
8 PRE -2
0 COM -5
2 PD 1
2 ED 0
3 SPD 6
3 REC 0
8 END -4
12 STUN 0

Characteristic Rolls: STR: 10-, DEX: 12-, CON: 11-, INT: 11-, EGO: 11-, PER: 11-
Run: 6/0″, Swim: 2″, Jump: 1″, Lift: 50kg

5 Elemental Control: Nature Spirit Powers (23-pt reserve); Generic Limitation (Only functions in the spirits domain): -½; Generic Limitation (Only effects appropriate to the domain): -½; Side Effects (Cannot Leave Domain, Cannot Remain In Physical Plane Past Dawn Or Sunset, powers only function in its domain.): 60/All, -1; Generic Limitation (Side Effects Cannot Be Avoided): -½; Visible (Blatantly obvious to any mage): -¼; Always On: -½

• a-5 Change Domain Environment; Effect: Fixed, +0; Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1; Personal Immunity: +¼; Notable Effects (Cause Minor Modifiers up to +/-2): +¼; Variable Special Effects: Certain Group (Domain-Related Effects), +¼; Area Effect (Radius): 24″ radius, +1; Increased Area: ×8, +¾; Selective Target: +¼; No Range: -½. For example, a Sky Spirit might hinder enemies by blowing dust and minor debris around them (-2 to their OCV), or help someone hide by creating distractions, or make clouds to hinder vision, or use light rain to help fight a fire, A City Spirit might control traffic lights and street lights instead, drop pots on people, and so on.
• b-17 6d6 Mental Illusions; Area Effect (Radius): 24″ radius, +1; Increased Area: ×4, +½; Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1; No Range: -½. Everyone within the influence of the spirit is affected by it’s “mental illusions” – generally sufficient to change details – altering signs, twisting paths and directions, and making the position of objects seem a little different. It won’t affect anyone with a strong will though. At the automatic level this tends to show the domain as the spirit thinks it OUGHT to be, but it can be consciously changed.
• c-13 Shrinking-4 (DCV +8, Height 10 cm/4″); Mass: 0.012207 kg/0.03 lbs; Knockback Increase: 12; PER Bonus: -8; Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1. Spirits are tiny floaty things.
• d-6 Force Field (11 PD/11 ED); Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1; Hardened: ×1, ¼. Being mostly immaterial, spirits are difficult to damage – but are fairly easily disrupted if you manage to get past that.
• e-8 7″ Flight (NC: 112″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×16, +15; Non-Combat (MPH): 125; Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1.

  11 Domain Control Multipower (46-pt reserve); Only functions in the spirits domain: -½; Only effects appropriate to the domain: -½; Extra Time: full phase, -½; Side Effects (Cannot Leave Domain, Cannot Remain In Physical Plane Past Dawn Or Sunset): 60/All, -1; Generic Limitation (Side Effects Cannot Be Avoided): -½

• u-1 Telekinesis (STR 15); Range: 240; Manipulation: Fine, +10; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Only domain-relevant targets: -½.
• u-1 6d6 Energy Blast; Range: 225; Versus: ED; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Generic Limitation (Only functions in the spirits domain): -½. The form is appropriate to the spirit. A storm spirit might use lightning, a water spirit great waves, a city spirit might drop bricks on your head.
• u-1 3d6 Entangle (DEF 3); Range: 225; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Only using available domain appropriate materials: -½.
• u-1 6d6 Mind Control (Cause Fear or Confusion); Communication: Verbal, +0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Generic Limitation (Only to cause fear or confusion.): -½.
• u-1 4d6 Aid (Movement Powers) (Fade/5 min., Max. 24); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Reduced END: Zero, +½. A city spirit can accelerate ground vehicles, a land spirit running, a sky spirit air vehicles, and so on.
• u-1 2d6 Drain (Movement Powers) (Return/5 min.); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Reduced END: Zero, +½. A city spirit can slow ground vehicles, a land spirit running, a sky spirit air vehicles, and so on.
• u-1 Clairsentience (Answer questions about domain) (Normal Sight); See: Present, +0; Dimensions: Current, +0; Range: 400″; Reduced END: Zero, +½.
• u-1 3d6 Aid (Knowledge/The Domain) (Fade/day, Max. 18); Range: 0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Trigger (When summoned): Set, +¼; Affects: Single Power, +0. This is a bit of an oddity – but a city spirit can tell you all about it’s cities history, where to find the best pizza, who the important people are, what gangs are around, and so on. A water spirit might tell you about sources of pollution, where sunken ships are, where the fishing is best, about naval battles that took place nearby, and where the smugglers hang out.

  6 Regeneration (1 BODY/Turn); Extra Time: 1 week, -4; Regenerate: From Death, +20 Basically, even if “killed” a nature spirit comes back in a week.
  -12 Running (-6″, 0″, NC: 0″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2= 0. Spirits don’t run. They’re tiny.

OCV: 5; DCV: 5 / 13; ECV: 3; Mental Def.: 0; Phases: 4, 8, 12, PD/rPD: 13/11; ED/rED: 13/11

Costs: Char.: -17 + Powers 67 = 50.

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Usskuu, the Winter Moon  (50 Points)

Usskuu, the aspect of the New Moon holds the aspect of Winter, of the cold radiance of starlight over snow. Her pale skin and long pallid hair are the white of frostbite, her lips are blue, and her hair and white fur coat flow gently in the perpetual winters wind which chills the area about her. When her armor of ice is active, she appears frozen and crystalline, with a chill – and somehow rather offputting and severe – elfin beauty. The radiance of the moon shines upon her and her mere presence is a bane to creatures susceptible to holy areas.

Usskuu is, of course another specialist – in this case in ice powers. Against vulnerable targets she can be something of a terror, leaving large groups almost instantly hypothermic and unconscious. Against opponents who are not so vulnerable, or if conditions are not conducive to the use of ice powers, she is moderately effective at best and entirely worthless at worst.

Val Char Cost
8 STR -2
11 DEX 3
10 CON 0
10 BODY 0
10 INT 0
10 EGO 0
10 PRE 0
10 COM 0
2 PD 0
2 ED 0
3 SPD 9
4 REC 0
20 END 0
18 STUN -1

Characteristic Rolls: STR: 11-, DEX: 11-, CON: 11-, INT: 11-, EGO: 11-, PER: 11-
Run: 6/16″, Swim: 2″, Jump: 2″, Lift: 76kg

Cost Powers END/Roll

22 Winter Multipower (50-pt reserve); Gestures: Instant Power, -¼; Incantation: Instant Power, -¼; Not in extremely hot conditions: -¼; Not in extremely dry conditions: -¼; Variable Limitations (Usually an OIF (Crystal Necklace)): -½, -¼

• u-2 8d6 Energy Blast (Frost Bolt); Range: 250; Versus: ED; Reduced END: Half, +¼; 2 End.
• u-2 2d6 NND Energy Blast (Winter’s Breath); Range: 0; Versus: ED; Reduced END: Zero, +1; Area Effect (Cone): 28″ long, +1; Increased Area: ×4, +½; Autofire: 5 shots, ½; No Normal Defense (Force Field, Life Support (Vrs Cold), Need Not Breathe): +1; No Range: -½; 0 End. This is an exploit: having no range area effect eliminates the “hard to hit with” part of Autofire and making in NND eliminates the “weak attack” aspect – making this a powerful 10d6 all-or-nothing attack against many targets.
• u-1 2d6 Transform (Air to Ice) (Minor, Limited Class); Range: 150; Active Points: 30; Reduced END: Half, +¼; 1 End. This, of course, allows her to make 2d6 Body worth of Ice Constructs at range – creating minor barriers, blocking line of sight, holding up collapsing roofs, tripping people up, making areas slippery, and so on. Not a lot of power, but decent utility.
• u-1 Running (Ice Slide) (+10″, 16″, NC: 32″); Non-Combat Multiplier: ×2, +0; Non-Combat (MPH): 22; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Visible (Leaves a very obvious trail): -¼; 0 End. The classic ice-powers movement trick.
• u-2 Force Field (Ice Armor) (10 PD/10 ED); Reduced END: Zero & Persistent, +1; Uncontrolled: +½; Active Points: 50; 0 End. She’ll normally activate this as soon as she takes this form, although flame attacks will bring it down.
• u-1 Telekinesis (STR 20); Range: 185; Manipulation: Coarse, +0; Reduced END: Half, +¼; Only works on water and ice): -1; 1 End.
• u-2 Change Environment: Cold, Holy Moonlight (16″ rad.); Reduced END: Zero, +½; Uncontrolled: +½; Effect: Fixed, +0; No Range: -½; Always activates in this form: -¼; 0 End. Basically, the area around her is always cold and holy.

3 Life Support: Intense Heat/Cold

Cost Skills, Talents, Perks Roll
5 +1 level w/Multipower

OCV: 4; DCV: 4; ECV: 3; Mental Def.: 0; Phases: 4, 8, 12, PD/rPD: 12/10; ED/rED: 12/10

Costs: Char: 9 + Powers 41 = 50 Points.

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Kasvael and Usskuu are definitely in the “needs a team” category. They both have some quite effective powers – but will need support to make them at all effective. Without support, going up against similar characters is likely to come down to “who gets in a hit first” and going up against full-powered super-types is probably going to wind up with them unconscious before they get to do anything at all.

The Phases Of The Moon; Hero System Competent Normal Heroes (Part I)

Isilmë – and several other characters – are the result of a challenge-question; “what kind of hero system superheroes can you build on 50 CP and up to 25 CP worth of disadvantages?”

That’s the allowance for “competent normals” – and if you go light on attributes (a HUGE point sucker) and skills (a much smaller one) while going heavy on the power limitations… you can build some fairly impressive powers. They will, however, be being wielded by fairly ordinary, and often fairly vulnerable, people. Do you have the power to generate light? You are likely to have dazzling radiance, simple illusions, and an energy-blasting attack. If it fits into your idea you might have a low-powered uncontrolled zero endurance force field crammed into your multipower, but it’s not going to provide a lot of protection. If you don’t… well, if someone is likely to be shooting at you you’ll want a kevlar costume. Even if the protection is fairly minimal, it’s priceless when you don’t have any other defenses.

Well, I haven’t done any hero system characters for some time, and there’s been some interest in such a game – so here we go:

Maa’ringid – the circles of the world – had fallen, the pillars of heaven broken. Already the final void gnawed upon the edges of the world and the seas and atmosphere streamed into nothingness. It’s surviving folk had fled into distant realms, and closed the gates behind them. The last life of the world would soon pass. The Council Of Jade met a final time, while a little magic remained. The Sunlord, the Lady Of The Moon, the Twilight Maiden, the Queen Of Life and the Iron Hag of Death. The five Elemental Dragons. the Lord Of Beasts and the Lady Of The Lands.

They gathered the last threads of Maa’ringid’s magic about them. Much of theit power had been spent wearing away the strength of the Enemy, and more would be lost between the worlds – but power could be gained anew, their strength would return to them long before the Enemy struck at the gates of the next realm in the Chain Of Creation – and it was the nature of the destroyer that it could only weaken, never grow. Still, the ritual would make some slight effort to fit them into their new world; they would not be completely adrift. With them would come magic, either to enrich a world already magical or to plant it’s seed in a world that did not yet know it.

And in a realm which had dreamed of a new light… a name awaited. Isilmë Ilmarinen, a simple mage-smith – but other aspects of the moon would stir. Isilmë is of indeterminate ethnicity (perhaps closest to Indian or Mexican) – dark haired, olive complexion, green eyes, a slender build, demure features… showing little sign of the power that flows into the world through her. While Isilmë has few “direct” powers, hers is the ability to bind magic to the mundane, allowing her to cast her influence upon her environment – turning a simple apartment into a gateway to a pocket world, boost a junker into a high-performance vehicle, or allow her to carry a certain amount of equipment. Still, when trouble stirs… one of the more specific aspects of the moon must be called upon, for going out to deal with problems in her base form would be quite foolish.

Isilmë’s greatest weakness is simple – she is indeed being built as a Competent “Normal”, on a mere 50 base CP and twenty points worth of disadvantages. Even using a high-efficiency build with many limitations… she and her aspects have few secondary abilities, their primary abilities are highly restricted, and their attributes are barely above average. They have a reasonable amount of raw power, but little to back it up with.

Täiskuu, the aspect of the Full Moon, is the most purely divine – and in some ways the most potent – of the four aspects. She can only manifest while the moon is in the sky, usually riding high in her Lunar Chariot. Hers are the powers of sleep and dreams, either visiting that realm or bringing those qualities into the waking world. Unfortunately, her powers will – if fairly rarely – fail to remain stable, as is the way of dreams, releasing small aspects of dream into reality – perhaps bringing forth an entity, perhaps causing dreamlike events, perhaps causing strange dreams, and perhaps twisting the reality of the city towards dream. Who can say? Chaos is the nature of dream. While Täiskuu can usually banish such things quickly enough, that may sometimes call for time she does not have. Täiskuu is a dark-skinned figure with black hair and cat-slit green eyes, crowned with stars and -when her defenses are up – wearing shining silver armor moonlight transmuted into metal.

Kahanev, the Waning Aspect, internalizes the fading lunar magic, mastering the martial arts of the Withered Moon Heart and Lunar Orbit Kung Fu. In him is the strength of the moon holding back the night. He is old and weathered, dressed in orange and yellow robes over black pants, his beard is long and white – a Chinese elder martial arts master straight out of any number of bad martial arts movies. He has a somewhat silly tendency towards exaggerated sound effects and announcing the names of his attacks. Kahanev can be called forth at any time, regardless of the state of the moon. Kahanev wields no weapons and needs none, his power is sufficient to combine any two of his martial disciplines at a time – allowing him to move with speed, evade all but the most skillful attacks, launch and withstand mighty blows, and to accomplish any of a wide variety of other feats.

Kasvael. the Waxing Aspect channels the growing magics of the moon, he is a magician or shaman of the west, a master of runes, rituals, and the spirits of the land. His magic is relatively slow and can be applies in only one way at a time, but is potent and versatile if mostly utilitarian. Secondarily, he calls upon the lesser spirits of the land, sea, air, and man, to manipulate the forces of nature in small ways (similar to the Nature Spirits of Shadowrun). With him is the whisper of drums and flutes, the chanting of voices. His wiry aspect has the aquiline features of the Amerindian bloodlines, the browned skin of a tribesman long exposed to the sun, black hair, and the unchanged green eyes of Isilmë. Sadly, his wisdom does not yet match his power; his rituals can have great effects upon the world, but he does not yet have the wisdom or lore to foresee what secondary effects they may have. Still, like the other secondary aspects, he can be called forth at any time.

Usskuu, the New Moon holds the aspect of Winter, of the cold radiance of the moon over snow. Her pale skin and long pallid hair are the white of frostbite, her lips are blue, and her hair and white fur coat flow gently in the perpetual winters wind which chills the area about her. When her armor of ice is active, she appears frozen and crystaline, with a chill – and somehow rather offputting – elfin beauty. The radiance of the moon shines upon her and her mere presence is a bane to creatures susceptible to holy areas. Usskuu can project that cold, create and manipulate ice, move about on ice, and – perhaps most potently – drain the heat from considerable areas, extinguishing ordinary flames and plunging many unprotected folk into hypothermic unconsciousness. She is severe and sometimes carries a blade of ice, although – at the moment – it is purely decorative.

Isilmë’s power is not yet complete. While it will grow with time… at the moment her powers are specific, limited, and difficult to call upon, she is short of secondary powers – such as Kasvael’s spirit-sight and -speech, and his contacts with various spirits, Khaanev’s skills, c’hi projections, and dragon-steed, Usskuu’s wider range of winter powers, and Täiskuu’s body of dreams – and her personal attributes are at fairly ordinary mortal levels. Still, if she survives, she will slowly regain her full power, and perhaps more – until she is ready to do battle with the great enemy once more, perhaps this time to reduce it to insignificance.

Or, if she and her allies cannot defeat their foe this time… to fall back to the next world in the chain of creation and stand ready to defend it. Against a foe that cannot heal it’s wounds or regain it’s strength, if they can but endure long enough, they will eventually prevail.

As noted, Isilmë is an atrocity of power for a competent normal; building her around a cheap, fairly limited, multiform lets her have access to several different power sets in forms that need nothing in the way of social skills. But even so… a standard full-powered superhero build could probably resist almost all of her abilities (if she could hit them at all) and take her down with one shot. Standard Hero System heroes will have much higher speed and dexterity, better defenses, and will be able to take multiple hits. They will go first, hit harder, and be far, FAR, more accurate.

Name: Isilmë Ilmarinen (Runesmith)

Val Char Cost
10 STR 0
11 DEX 3
10 CON 0
10 BODY 0
13 INT 3
13 EGO 6
13 PRE 3
17 COM 3
2 PD 0
2 ED 0
2 SPD 0
4 REC 0
20 END 0
20 STUN 0

Characteristic Rolls: STR: 11-, DEX: 11-, CON: 11-, INT: 12-, EGO: 12-, PER: 12-
Run: 6″, Swim: 2″, Jump: 2″, Lift: 100kg

Cost Powers END/Roll

• 6 Multiform (50 Point Forms); Form: Second, ×2; Extra Time: full phase, -½; Extra Time Required: Only At Startup, ½; Concentrate: 0 DCV, -½
• 6 Four Additional Forms; Extra Time: full phase, -½; Extra Time Required: Only At Startup, ½; Concentrate: 0 DCV, -½
• 5 Doesn’t Eat, Excrete or Sleep
• 3 Immune to Disease
• 3 Immune to Aging

  6 Mystic Artificer Multipower (30-pt reserve); Extra Time: 5 min., -2; Focus (Magical Supplies): Obvious Accessible, -1; Focus Type: Base, -1

• u-1 2d6 Aid (Base) (Fade/season, Max. 12); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power, +0. 3 End.
• u-1 2d6 Aid (Vehicles) (Fade/season, Max. 12); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power, +0. 3 End
• u-1 2d6 Aid (Equipment Allowance) (Fade/season, Max. 12); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power, +0. 3 End.
• u-1 2d6 Aid (Repair Things) (Fade/season, Max. 12); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power (Object Body), +0. 3 End
• u-1 Detect (Artifacts and Devices) (+7 to PER); Costs END: -½; Time Required (To use after activating): Half Phase, +0; Range: Touch, +0; Addition (Discriminatory): +5; Addition (Analytic): +5 (3 End)
• u-1 6d6 Standard Healing (Potions). (3 End).
  

  12 Equipment Allowance (From Aid, no actual cost):

  • (7) Armor (Discreet Kevlar Armor) (4 PD/2 ED); Focus: Inobvious Inaccessible, -¼

  • (1) High End SmartPhone (Computer)

  • (1) High-Power Flashlight

  • (1) Quality Pocket Multitool

  • (1) Commercial Pepper Spray

  • (1) Credit Cards (Wealth 1)

    0 Smartphone

• (-32) Computer: Int 8, Dex 0, Spd 1 (-32 Points)

• (2) Elemental Control: Electronics (3-pt reserve); Usable By Others: Power Lost, +¼, All abilities Conventional Technology (-1)

  • a-2 Radio Listen and Transmit; Champions Advantage (Datalink): +½; Generic Limitation (Cellular/WiFi/Bluetooth Service Only): -1.
  • b-2 Eidetic Memory; Always On (Memory is either perfect or utterly gone): -½; Extra Time: full phase, -½; Generic Limitation (Limited Storage Space): -½.
  • c-2 Images (Normal Sight, 1″ radius); Range: 0; Reduced END: Zero, +½; No Range: -½; Generic Limitation (Screen Only): -4; Observer PER Penalty: 0, +0.
  • d-6 Pocket Secretary and Remote Control / Telekinesis (STR 10); Range: 220; Manipulation: Fine, +10; Reduced END: Zero, +½; Generic Limitation (Strength 0 Only): -2; Generic Limitation (Maximum range of 6 Hexes. ): -¼; Generic Limitation (Only functions as a remote control): -3.
  • e-5 2d6 Aid: Programs/Databases (Fade/week, Max. 12); Range: 0; Affects: Single Power of Special Effect, +¼; Extra Time: 1 min., -1½; Activation: 11-, -1; Must have program available to load: -2; Reduced END: Zero, +½.

• This allows the user to load maps (area knowledge), mission information, and so on. All of it should be Usable By Others/Power Lost, so you can load a total of 10 points worth of information.

• f-7 Basic Computer Functions. All Usable By Others: Power Lost, +¼.

  • (2) Absolute Time Sense.
  • (2) GPS/Bump of Direction.
  • (2) Lightning Calculator.
  • (1) File Loading / Speed Reading; Generic Limitation (Computer Files Only): -1.
  • (0) Camera (Eyes).
  • (0) Microphone (Ears).
  • (0) Voice (Speakers).
  • (2) High Fidelity Playback / Mimicry (11-)
  • (0) Touchscreen (Touch).

• g-6 Standard Software.

  • (2) Security Features / Immunity To Unauthorized Use; Frequency: Common.
  • (1) Voice Mode: English (Or language of choice) (Fluent Conv.); Literacy: Standard, 0.
  • (1) Office Software / Professional Skill: Secretary (11-)
  • (1) Media Library / Knowledge Skill Digital Media (11-)
  • (1) Games Library: Professional Skill / Entertainer (11-)
  • (1) Map Database / Knowledge Geography (11-)
  • (1) Virtual Object/Image/Map Generator / Professional Skill Artist (11-)

• (0) For Translation, use “Aid” to load a Language.

OK, there really is no point to working out the cost of a Smartphone, but it did amuse me for a few minutes.

Isilme’s base form isn’t much of a superhero. She’s an artificer who supports other heroes – even if they happen to be her alternate forms.

Cost Skills, Talents, Perks Roll
3 Linguist
3 Jack of All Trades
3 Immunity (Out Of Context Problem, Unpredictable and Alien Power Source, difficult or impossibe to use precognition or power analysis on); Frequency: Common
2 Convincing Identity
2 Professional Skill: Mystic Artificier (12-)
1 Contact (Cover Employer); Usefulness: Normal, +0 (8-)
1 Base (Apartment): 7 Point Base
1 Follower (PC with Internet) (1, 7 pts, 0 Disad.); Number: 1, +0
1 Vehicle (Minivan): 7 Point Base
0 Money (Middle-Class)
0 Knowledge (Campaign Setting) (8-)
0 English (Imitate Dialects); Literacy: Standard, 0
0 Climbing (8-)
0 Concealment (8-)
0 Conversation (8-)
0 Deduction (8-)
0 Paramedic (8-)
0 Shadowing (8-)
0 Stealth (8-)
0 Small Ground Vehicles Familiarity (8-)

50+ Disadvantages
10 Extradimensional, No Records Or Real ID (Infrequently, Greatly)
10 Vulnerability (Dimensional Attacks( (2× STUN); Attack: Uncommon, +5

OCV: 4; DCV: 4; ECV: 4; Mental Def.: 0; Phases: 6, 12
PD/rPD: 6/4; ED/rED: 4/2

Costs: Char: 18, Disad: 20, Powers: + 52, Base: + 50, Total: = 70.

Runesmith can turn a small apartment into a reasonable base for a hero – even if it is more “a few hidden rooms and some facilities” rather than the Batcave or the Avengers Mansion. Similarly, she can turn a basic car into a good one with a few special perks, but it isn’t going to be the Batmobile or a Quinjet either. Finally, she can equip herself with a little equipment – but her allowance for that sort of thing is small enough that it’s going to be the kind of stuff that most game masters just assume. None of that is BAD – in fact, any number of groups would find it INCREDIBLY useful – but it certainly doesn’t qualify her base form for superheroic activities. It’s her other forms that are going to be doing the heavy lifting. 

Skills Of The Eclipse – Namegiving, Sealing, and Superlatives (Variants: Backstory and Flashbacks).

And for today it’s a few more Occult Skills – skills from odd corners of the multiverse that are not normally available in most settings, but which can be accessed (presuming the game master is agreeable) by taking the Occult Skill ability and paying a few extra skill points.

In most cases, of course, Occult Skills could be built in other ways – but doing that can get quite complicated, and is often far more trouble than it’s worth. Secondarily, a number of recent Party Templates have included granting access to an Occult Skill – so here are a few more to play with.

Occult Skill (Namegiving, Cha)

To give a True Name is to set something apart, to give it an identity and a destiny all it’s own. No longer is that mountain the “Tall one over there”, it is Mount Myrlun, Gateway between the Worlds, perhaps home of a secretive order of mystics, and one of the places that will withstand the armies of the abyss at the passing of the age.

Or maybe not. That’s a big name, and it will take a very powerful namegiver indeed to bestow it. On the other hand, naming a sword “Bloodthirst” is considerably simpler, and will probably result in a moderate enhancement of some sort. Naming a newly forged sword Caliburn, the Sword of Rulership is harder, but still within the capacity of mortals.

• Naming an infant (a small ceremony, skill fatigue 1) allows it to reroll it’s lowest attribute (this cannot result in lowering it further) and grants it an appropriate bonus feat. Most parents would LOVE to have a Namegiver naming their children.
• Naming an item (a dramatic moment, skill fatigue 2) effectively transforms it into a type of Relic. Sadly, these variants are powered by their users charisma modifier plus any disadvantages they carry; if your (Cha Mod) is +3 and the item in question carries one disadvantage worth (3 CP), it will grant a total of (6 CP) worth of powers. Worse, that’s an upper limit on the use of such items; those points from your Charisma may only empower one such relic at a time (although if you happen to have a fabulously high Charisma modifier you may split the points up between multiple relics of this type).
• Naming a Tale (by naming and reciting it, skill fatigue 1) will preserve it – often as an epic poem – across the centuries. This has a minimum level of four to pull off AND the GM must feel that the tale is of interest. Even with a Name, the tale of “how little Timmy pulled his sisters hair” is unlikely to be recalled outside of family reunions or Dr Seuss style books for children.
• Granting a creature a Title – basically an extra name – grants it the equivalent of an Office (See: Dominion, Skill Fatigue 2). This has a minimum level of eight to pull off – but at level fourteen it becomes possible to add a Title to a Relic, as above (skill fatigue 3) – which is where things like “Caliburn” (the basic name) “The Sword Of Rulership” (it’s title) come from. At epic levels it becomes possible to give titles to places (skill fatigue 4), although – if it currently has one – that title must be destroyed first.
• Naming a place (skill fatigue 1-4 depending on the scale of the place plus 1-4 depending on it’s level of significance) will cause it to function as a generic Sanctum, granting 6, 12, 18, or even 24 CP – but the GM tends to set up the details and determine the total. Sadly, this has a minimum level equal to the number of CP that the sanctum grants to pull off. It becomes even more difficult if the place already has a popular name (Constantinople did not become Istanbul easily) and is impossible – short of destroying the place entirely and remaking it into something different – if a Namegiver has already named it.

Namegiving is limited by a form of Skill Fatigue; the skill total is restored each week (divided up between the days of the week), but is depleted by the stress of granting names. Namegiving (minus any skill fatigue penalties) may be actively rolled to identify the meaning of a name or to determine the name of an inanimate object that happens to have one.

Namegiving tends to add lore to a setting, because if it’s a common skill, or even uncommon but available… anyplace important is likely to grant modifiers to the people there. Powerful items will tend to have unique names and powers. Particular personal names (which usually mean something in their original language) may be associated with one or another kind of bonus feat – and the game master should keep a notepad handy, since, while it is easy to make up such details on the spot, keeping track of them is likely to involve some note-taking.

Occult Skill (Sealing, Dex):

This is the art of entrapping things in dimensional pockets, anchoring said pockets in some focus – which varies from user to user, with known examples including pots, paintings, poke balls, cell phone aps, knots, tattoos, and gems. Unfortunately, keeping something bound requires that the user devote points from the skill to it – and the more powerful or important the thing sealed, the more points (as determined by the game master) it will require. Worse, entrapping something requires an opposed will check. You want to seal up a tub complete with hot water, sponges, soap, and a rubber duck? It’s probably only a few points (although the larger and heavier the item(s), the harder it becomes). Hiding a hold-out weapon in a tattoo? Easy. You want to trap a major demon, a tornado, a pyroclastic flow, or one of Naruto’s Tailed Beasts? That’s going to be EXPENSIVE.

• Sealing away really powerful things tends to “leak”. Seal an archdemon into something? You probably have a powerful cursed item that keeps trying to take over it’s user’s minds.
• An unsuccessful attempt at sealing something depletes the points that would have been invested in that seal for twenty-four hours. Success, of course, depletes those points until the seal is released.
• Anything in a seal experiences only the beneficial aspects of time; it will heal normally, but not get hungry, can sleep and recover from being tired, but will not again become tired while so confined, and so on. Inanimate targets do not experience time at all.
• Users may spend extra points to tweak the nature of the dimensional pocket (see the Spacewarp spell template in The Practical Enchanter for some possible modifications), to set various release conditions, and (for +3 points) to be able to demand a short-term service from a released creature (but not an inanimate object).
• User’s may spend 1/2 extra points to use a slightly/notably different anchor. If you normally use clay pots, but wish to use a rice cooker, canteen, or plastic jug instead, that will cost an extra point. Using a clay statuette or a galvanized garbage can will cost two extra points.
• If the user dies, his or her seals will remain until opened.
• Creatures that have been defeated, are unconscious, are paralyzed, of suffer from similar disadvantages are easier to seal away. Willing creatures rarely cost more than one point to seal.
  Optionally, making sacrifices to create a seal will make it cost fewer points to create and maintain.
• If you seal things in expensive gems which shatter when the seal is broken, your seals will be cheaper. Human sacrifices – whether as the container or as a component – can make things a lot cheaper, but dying to create a seal is rarely worthwhile.
• It is possible to pass seals on to others. They will still count against the user’s total sealing ability unless the recipient has Sealing as well, and takes over maintaining the effect.

Variations are, of course, possible. After all, the multiverse contains many versions of this, and every other, occult skill. Specializations and Corruptions are also possible: if you really MUST be a pokemon trainer, Specialize it for increased effect (only works on loyal monsters, but monsters are automatically recalled into the seal when a killing blow is struck against them rather than actually taking the lethal damage) and there you are. Presuming you can befriend some pocket monsters, you can carry a batch of them around to help you out on the cheap.

Sealing quietly turns a lot of assumptions upside down if it’s commonly available. After all, even a first level novice could easily seal away – say – their money, their valuable tools, and a quantity of expensive raw materials. Sailors can carry along a private stash of trade goods and supplies, banditry and burglary becomes much less practical, a trusted friend can smuggle someone out of danger with relative ease, perishable foods can be easily stored for later use. Gravely wounded comrades will heal, but never get worse. If Sealing is common in a society, it will be changed in innumerable ways – so unless the GM feels like dealing with that challenge, it’s probably better left as an occult skill.

Occult Skill (Superlatives, Cha) (Variant, Backstory or Flashbacks, Wis):

Each permanent level of this skill allows a character to adopt a descriptive trait – “Fast”, “Clever”, “Noble”, “Sneaky”, “Valiant”, “Determined”, or whatever. Observant NPC’s can easily pick up on those traits, even if they get sarcastic about them because the character is well-known for the opposite trat. Thus “Brave Sir Robin” is still known as “Brave Sir Robin”, even if accuracy would suggest quite another appellation and the sarcasm gets pretty heavy…

Traits can also be tapped once each per day, with characters of levels 1-5/6-12/13+ able to expend 1/2/3 Traits on any given relevant action, gaining…

• 1 Trait) +4 on a roll or an effect equivalent to a first level spell or a minor reality edit.
• 2 Traits) +8 on a roll or an effect equivalent to a second level spell or a notable reality edit
• 3 Traits) +12 on a roll or an effect equivalent to a third level spell or a major reality edit

Traits may also be noted without being tapped. For example, “I am wise enough to know that this is a terrible idea!” The character may be noted for his or her wisdom – but there’s no roll here and nothing is actually being done. Ergo, the Descriptive Trait (“Wise”) is not tapped. Now, if the character is trying to use Diplomacy to persuade an NPC that what they’re doing is terminally stupid, then the Wise trait could be tapped for that extra +4 (or to get what they’re saying across a language barrier, or to invoke the equivalent of some persuasive effect or ventriloquism or some such).

• “I am gentle enough to catch the falling child without harm!” – likely equating to a Feather Fall effect.
• “I am clever and knowledgeable enough to crack this code!”. This could be a simple skill boost, but it could also indicate that the user is getting the effect of some sort of translation effect.
• “I am strong, determined, and mighty enough to break these pillars and pull down the temple!” is not really likely to produce a magical effect unless there’s a demolitions spell in play – but a simple boost to the strength check or some reality editing would likely suffice for this stunt.

Any use of a trait must, of course, be in line with the nature of that trait. You may be able to outargue a lawyer with your cleverness, but you will find it of little use in lifting a huge block of stone.

The most common variant form of this ability is “Backstory” or “Flashbacks” (Wis) – allowing characters to get some benefit out of all those incredible incidents and skills that were mentioned in their backstory, but were never actually implemented in their character. With this variant, each permanent level of the skill allows the user to note one element of their backstory – making it a part of their personal tale, having it mentioned by minstrels and storytellers, and being allowed to tap it for extra power. Have you empowered the backstory elements that you were Apprenticed to a Master Alchemist, are a Demolitions Expert, and are Wanted For Pyromania in Twelve Cities? Then you can – if you are level 13+ – combine those to generate an impressive Fireball, or some similar stunt.

Common availability of this one has surprisingly little effect, simply because most non-adventurers have better uses for their skill points than picking up a particularly high level of Superlatives. They may dabble – it’s worth a skill point or two to get “Master (Profession)” or “Master Craftsman (Craft Skill) since that +4 translates directly into a higher weekly income – but it’s not like most games pay much attention to how prosperous the common NPC’s are and PC’s have many ways to get dice bonuses.

Alewelian Orcs

Orcs are the last of the major races, and are widely (if not entirely justly) considered the least of them. Tribal, primitive, and uninterested in civilization, Orcs tend to exist on the fringes of the Empire, usually acting as “barbarian auxiliaries” for more organized imperial forces. They didn’t group up with anyone else during the last cataclysm either, instead isolating themselves in hidden tribal encampments – rather like hornets. Harmless enough if left alone, but if you find and disturb an orc colony, the swarm will come boiling out to attack – but unlike most primitives, they come pouring out driving a wide variety of heavily armed vehicles.

Orcish vehicles are death traps. They offer little to no protection to the driver, they have to be steered, they tend to flip over and/or explode, and their range is relatively short even if they are pretty fast. They tend to be covered in spikes, and skulls, and bolted-on weapons. Oh so many spikes and weapons. They aren’t really for serious TRAVEL. They’re for riding into battle and pursuing fleeing enemies, for launching attacks from, for making quick escapes, and for fighting duels on top of (no matter HOW insane that is).

Orcs tend to treat their vehicles as creatures rather than as mechanisms – and that’s because that is exactly what they ARE. They’re usually elemental spirits taking temporary forms to go roaring around the landscape having a bit of excitement. That’s why Orcs don’t need complicated maintenance, or to spend a lot of time on repairs and finding fuel, or even a large garage to keep them in. Instead they just come boiling out of their camps and caves riding a variety of absurd-looking contraptions that certainly should not work – but which nevertheless roar around firing huge rocks and spears and alchemical flame and such. Think Mad Max: Fury Road. That’s what fighting Alewelian Orcs is like.

So some orcs survived. They rapidly rebuilt their population by simply breeding faster than everyone else – a consequence of being fully adult at 12, and considered venerable at 40. Their conception of the world seems to be almost entirely animistic, which (in their view) basically allows them to arm-wrestle the spirits of the world to make them do what they want.

Annoyingly to most scholars, this seems to work to some extent, which allows orcs to obtain a variety of services and favors from various spirits – whereby even orcish children can usually claim the occasional favor from minor elemental spirits. While some of them try to extend this notion to things like City Wards (in hopes that defeating the city spirit will make them king of the city) this has never been known to work. The fact that some of them keep on trying tends to make their reputations even worse.

Orc Racial Template:

• Witchcraft III: Provides (Str + Dex + Con)/3 Power, Save DC’s (13 + Cha Mod) where relevant (18 CP). Seven basic abilities as follows:
  • Glamour, Specialized and Corrupted for Reduced Cost: Orcs gain a +6 bonus to Intimidate, a +3 bonus on the Save DC’s against their Warcries, and – when shouting orders – can always be clearly understood if they’re using an appropriate language; battle-noise does not interfere. While these effects have no cost, orcs cannot use Glamour in other ways.
  • Hand Of Shadows: Specialized and Corrupted / only for crafting and labor, Orcs are a stone age people. That does not stop them; d20 does not call for any specific tools or materials for Craft and Profession skills – and for an Orc, that loophole is wide open. Do you want ceramic-composite lamellar armor, an adamntine vibro katana, and a lasgun? As long as those are allowed in the setting, an orc can turn them out, starting with a pile of rocks for tools, raw materials, and workspace and accomplishing a weeks worth of work without penalty each day at no cost.
  • Healing: Specialized and Corrupted for Increased Effect (Double Effect, auto-triggered when the user suffers incapacitating injuries or sleeps, only works on the user, only usable when auto-triggered. Orcs are nigh-impossible to put down save by truly major attacks, fighting on despite massive injuries and swiftly recovering from poisons and such.
  • Hyloka: Specialized and Corrupted / only to use a personal version of Awesome Wrath (The Practical Enchanter, Morale Bonuses of +4 Str, +4 Con, and +2 to Will Saves, but the same basic limitations as a Barbarian’s Rage), lasting up to one minute per level for 1 Power.
  • Infliction Specialized and Corrupted for Triple Effect / requires specialized weapons to use, each with specific infliction effects, user’s can only carry (Str Mod +1, 2 minimum) types of infliction-based weapons at a time, weapons are prone to “running our ammo” on a “1″ or jamming (becoming unusable until a full-round action is spent fixing the weapon) on a “2″. Thus an individual Orc capable of carrying three types of infliction weapons might thus be carrying a “firegun” that projects single-target bolts of flame, a quiver full of exploding (small radius effect) sonic javelins, and a set of lightning gauntlets (touch, only with a metal weapon attack or touch) to boost melee attacks. These may either allow saves or require attack checks.
    • Since Infliction allows a free choice of damage types, Orcs can select weapons (usually nets) that inflict “subjugation” damage; if a creature would be reduced to (-HP) via subjugation, it will become docile for a few days, and then start responding according to how it was treated while subjugated.
    • They are quite free to carry normal weapons as well.
  • The Inner Eye, Specialized and Corrupted / only to read the spirits of armor, weapons, and vehicles. The user may learn the provenance and history of such items automatically and reduces the level of proficiency needed to use such items by one level, two levels if they were crafted by an orc. This effect has no cost.
  • Witchsight: Specialized and Corrupted / only to provide Darkvision, either at 60′ at no cost or 120′ for one power for ten minutes.
• Witchcraft Pacts:
  • Gateway: Orcs are living anchors for Spirits, and their mere presence will allow spirits to occasionally manifest themselves into the physical world (-6 CP).
  • Spirit: The spirits of deceased orcs tend to wander off and join one spiritual faction or another, making them quite hard to Raise, Reincarnate, or Resurrect (-6 CP).
• Advanced Witchcraft:
  • Summoning, Specialized for Reduced Cost and Corrupted for Increased Effect / only to quickly and easily invoke spirit favors, but there is no cost for “placing the call” (3 CP).
  • Spirits Of The Deep: Specialized for Increased Effect (half power cost) and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / only works on spirits who are doing the user a favor, only to apply a “vehicle template” (at a cost of 3 Power), this always results in “orcish vehicles” (4 CP). Note that “destroyed” vehicles simply return to spirit form, rather than actually being “injured”.
  • Mana (2d6) as +6d6 Power, Specialized and Corrupted / only to power Infliction and Hyloka effects (4 CP).
  • Mana (1d6) as +3d6 Power, Specialized and Corrupted / Only to power Healing and Witchsight Effects (2 CP).
  • Mana (1d6) as +3d6 Power, Specialized and Corrupted / only to power Spirits Of The Deep and Infliction Effects (2 CP).
• Fast Learner, Specialized and Corrupted for Increased Effect (+3 CP/ Level)/ only for Favors and Connections, only from/with Spirits, user must always have more favors of each lower level than of any higher level (6 CP). Orcs often dream of the spirit realm, and there encounter various spirits, drink with them, wrestle with them, and attempt to defeat them in contests. While this suffices to gain minor favors, gaining major or great favors tends to require ritual spirit questing, performing some deed to gain the favor of the spirits, making offerings, or going out and confronting spirits – which is why many Orc tribes “trade” with others to gain the favor of spirits that are less common wherever they live. After all, spirit favors and
• Immunity, needing to pay Spirit Favors back at full value. (Common, Minor, Major, 6 CP). Orcs can get minor favors in exchange for nothing much – and while they must repay larger favors, they do so at one rank less. Thus Minor Favors need not be repaid, Major Favors are repaid as Minor Favors, and Enormous Favors are repaid as Major Favors.

Orcs are actually surprisingly versatile and powerful shamans; even their children – however feral they may be – have fairly formidable weapons and minor spirit favors to call upon. Unfortunately, their short lifespans tend to leave them with little time to learn, extremely immature attitudes, and rather crude social skills. They are noisy, impatient, and all too inclined to summon spirits and get violent whenever frustrated. Unsurprisingly, this makes them unwelcome in most settlements – further limiting their social relationships.

Innate Enchantment (Up to 6500 GP / 7 CP).

• • Psychic Focus (Infliction): Reduces the cost of using a specific psychic ability by 1 power (to a minimum of 1 power) once per round up to three times within the next minute. Characters may only employ one Psychic Focus effect at a time and can never learn to boost more than (Wis Mod +1, 1 Minimum) specific abilities in this fashion. SL1 x CL1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.8 Abundant Magic x.7 Personal Only = 1120 GP.
  • Immortal Vigor (+12 + 2 x Con Mod HP): SL1 x CL1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.8 Abundant Magic x.7 Personal Only = 1120 GP.
  • Enhance Attribute (+2 Enhancement Bonus to Strength): SL1 x CL1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.8 Abundant Magic x.7 Personal Only = 1120 GP.
  • Enhance Attribute (+2 Enhancement Bonus to Constitution): SL1 x CL1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.8 Abundant Magic x.7 Personal Only = 1120 GP.
  • Resistance (+1 on each save, SL1/2 x CL1 x2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.8 Abundant Magic x.7 Personal Only = 560 GP.
  • Inspiring Word (+1 Morale Bonus to Attacks, Saves, Checks, and Weapon Damage). : SL1 x CL1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.8 Abundant Magic x.7 Personal Only x.8 requires war-cries and loud announcements of their intentions to inspire friendly spirits to help them out. Such spirits sometimes throw in dramatic heavy metal background music as well to boost the drama, no matter how hard this is on stealth = 896 GP.
  • Bony Hide: Masterwork Studded Leather Armor (150 GP): +3 Armor (treat as Natural Armor due to immunity to stacking limits), Max Dex Bonus +5, Spell Failure 15% (An Orc may spend 1 CP to apply the “Smooth” modifier / Specialized in Bony Hide only) to negate both of these problems).
  • Armor Augment Crystal – Least Restful Crystal (x.8 Abundant Magic = 400 GP). Orcs do not suffer penalties for sleeping in their “armor”.
• The Inward Fire: Immunity / Stacking limits when combining racial innate enchantment effects with external effects (Common, Minor, Trivial (only covers L0 and L1 effects), 2 CP).
• Immunity/Dispelling and Antimagic (Common, Minor, Great, Specialized and Corrupted/only protects innate enchantments that provide personal augmentations, only protects the basic racial abilities, 4 CP).
• Immunity/the normal XP cost of Innate Enchantments (Uncommon, Minor, Trivial [only covers first level effects at caster level one], Specialized/only to cover initial racial abilities, 1 CP).
• -2 Intelligence (-6 CP). Sadly, thanks to their early maturation, orcs tend to miss out on a good deal of the childhood learning, and development of advanced reasoning, that most other intelligent races get.
• Disadvantages (-10 CP):
• Accursed: Rapid Aging. Orcs are fully mature at ten, and elderly at forty.
• Incompetent (Diplomacy). Like it or not, Orcs never really get past the “playground taunts” level.
• Uncivilized: Orcs tend to act like impulsive kids, glorify battle, and solve their problems with physical force. They don’t fit into cities well.

Orcs are not the best when it comes to magic, or organized armies – but when it comes to individual beat downs, they are really very good at it. Sure, an elf may be better with a blade, a dwarf will have more items, and so on – but when it comes to smacking things, bring an orc.

As usual with Alewelian races, Orcs are really quite powerful. They may be on the low end of the social scale when it comes to the major races, but it’s really only the lack or organization that holds them back. Sadly, they don’t to as well in the Imperial Military as might be expected; they don’t do adapt easily to such a structured environment.

Orcish Cultural Package Deals include:

Stoneheart Orc (Earth Spirit Affinity):

• War Paint: Double Enthusiast, Specialized and Corrupted for Increased Effect / only to buy additions to their Racial Innate Enchantment, only to buy enhancements to their Bony Hide (Armor Enhancements, Armor Templates, Armor Crystals, and Armor Upgrades) (6 CP). While this is only 6000 GP worth of extra benefits, item slots are not a worry – so they can use as many “armor crystals” as they like.
• Immunity / The distinction between improvements made on their Bony Hide and racial abilities: Uncommon, Minor, Minor (Covers up to 12,000 GP worth of boosts, 2 CP).
• Proficiency with all Simple Weapons, Corrupted / only those primarily made of metal or stone (2 CP). Note that, in conjunction with their Inner Eye effect, this allows them to use all Martial Weapons made of Metal or Stone proficiently, as well as allowing them to use all Exotic Weapons made of metal or stone that were crafted by orcs proficiently.
• Proficiency with Light Armor, Corrupted / only armors primarily made of metal or stone (2 CP). As with Weapons, this allows them to use all Medium Armors made of metal or stone proficiently and allows them to use all Heavy Armors made of metal or stone by orcs proficiently.

Blood Tide Orc (Sea Spirit Affinity)

• Presence, Specialized for Increased Effect (level two effect: Death Knell) and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / only affects targets whom the user has just reduced to 0 HP or less via melee combat (4 CP).
• Witchcraft / Wrath Of The Sea (6 CP).
• Access to Occult Skill / Vehicles, Corrupted for Reduced Cost (2 CP) / only to grant upgrades to seagoing vessels they command.

Fireheart Orc (Fire Spirit Affinity)

• Witchcraft / Leaping Fire (6 CP).
• +3d6 Mana as 9d6 Power, Specialized and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / only for use with the Leaping Fire ability (6 CP).

Warcrier Orc (Sky Spirit Affinity):

• Mystic Artist (Voice) (6 CP): Orcs shout warcries, and the names of their attacks, and such things all the time – and some few have learned to add some magic to that.
• Witchcraft / Windforge (as per Witchcraft / Nightforge, but solidified air instead of darkness) (6 CP).

Finally, we have the possibly-mythical Wyldborn Orc package deal. Note that this option makes Orcs insanely dangerous.

Wyldborn Orc (Chaos Spirit Affinity)

• Witchcraft / Ridden By The Loa, Specialized for Increased Effect (the user generally remains in control) and Corrupted for Reduced Cost (4 CP) / only to take on a specific “super soldier” or “power armor” template, the user becomes fanatical on some topics.
• Witchcraft / Mouth Of The Earth (6 CP). Boosting their “Infliction” weapons to use d8’s or to cause other horrible effects makes a Wyldborn Orc extremely dangerous.
• 1d6 Mana as +3d6 Power, Specialized and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / only to be used with the two disciplines given above (2 CP).

Unusually, it is not uncommon for Orcs to learn additional package deals if and when they have the extra character points available; all of them are pretty good.

Unlike most of the other races, Orcs apparently handled cataclysms the same way that they handle things like dragon attacks: some go roaring out to fight, some fill their lair with traps and obstacles, and some go zooming off at high speed in their ridiculous vehicles (either to start a new tribe in another location or to hook up with another force) – and while those are most often ground vehicles, air vehicles construction equipment, and tunneling machines do turn up. This makes it almost impossible to catch them all, even if their lair is almost entirely surrounded by a far superior force – and the rate at which they breed makes it certain that for every colony you smash, there will be a dozen more in just a few years time (although once they start feeling crowded they do tend to fight each other). It’s not the most dignified of strategies, and it doesn’t do much to preserve civilization – but almost any other fighting force on the disc can use a bunch of no maintenance required high speed self-propelled armored personnel carriers full of formidable fighters. If there’s a war on, and a bunch of Orcs turn up and want to join your forces… any sensible commander says “ORCS! BE WELCOME! THERE WILL BE GOOD FIGHTING!” loudly and joyfully!

Eclipse / League Of Legends: Jinx

The request here is for an Eclipse version of Jinx from League Of Legends and/or “Arcane”.

The first problem here is that I don”t happen to play League Of Legends and I haven’t seen “Arcane” – so I’m going to have to go by the Wikis. So going by those…

Powder / Jinx

• Was a criminal, and presumably has a variety of rogue-style skills. I don’t know if these ever actually come up in LOL (it doesn’t look like it), but they do come up in RPG’s fairly often. so I’m going to include them. Fortunately, that’s not a big problem since a mere “+4” in a skill is a solid professional level in d20.
• Was enhanced by “Shimmer” while being treated for injuries, (possibly) increasing her Strength and “Durability” (Constitution in d20), maybe with a bit of Damage Reduction or Self-Healing to represent a bit of carryover from the genre conventions (as noted below).
• Is good at inventing and building weapons, and is presumably fairly bright. Of course, she probably isn’t allowed to invent new weapons in the actual game, so this is more of a background detail there. In an RPG it will actually mean something.
• Wields a variety of powerful ranged weapons with limited battlefield control options (I’d guess that they are considered “hextech” in-game). These include:
  • A powerful, area-effect, missile launcher.
  • What seems like a small minigun or machine pistol (her basic attack).
  • An electrical beam weapon which stuns and reveals it’s targets.
  • Grenades with cover a wide area with flame and what seems like some sort of short-term “entangle” effect – her area control option.
  • In a RPG she’ll probably have a melee option, even if she’s not very good at it.
    • She also has an even bigger missile which builds up damage as it travels, but the descriptions across the wikis are a bit contradictory; I’d guess that it’s either very expensive to use, has changed somewhat with patches, or is only available under certain conditions. In an RPG, where an awful lot of combat takes place in close quarters, this will probably simply wind up as extra damage.
    • Our primary problem is where she gets all those high-powered weapons at relatively low level. D20 just isn’t much for that kind of thing. She is also listed as having an armor value, although her depiction does not seem to be wearing such a thing. That may be normal for League Of Legends (I haven’t looked at enough pictures to be sure), but I will presume some discrete armor, because – for a relatively mundane combatant in a no-holds barred deathmatch – going entirely without is rather foolish.
• Her history mentions demolitions, but that also apparently isn’t mentioned in actual play. Probably a background skill and perhaps an item (a demolition kit and/or charges).
• Gets a short-term speed boost (movement and attack rate) whenever she takes down a major target. In d20 that’s probably a basic Haste effect.
• Her racial template is a bit of a mystery. The obvious assumption is “Human” – but there are lots of local variants on humans, as well magical girl, elf, cat-girl, and other versions. Of course, they’re mostly just skins, and don’t seem to make all that much difference (there might be small modifiers, I don’t know), so one or another version of “human” is probably the way to go. But then there’s the chemical or alchemical augmentations – which are probably a minor acquired template in addition to the racial template. As usual in Eclipse, any ECL adjustment will be based on the total value of the Racial Package plus Templates.
• Her basic social background is “criminal underworld” – but the various variants given for her imply that any given version might come from a magical society, from a technological interstellar civilization, and from pretty much everything in between. Her background details are pretty much up for grabs, so there’s not much point in addressing them in any detail.

Now there are a few League conventions – such as having a healing rate measured in seconds, using Mana (which also comes back fast) to fuel certain weapons rather than (say) ammunition, and getting to “come back” for the next battle even if killed (or possibly in the same battle? The Wiki’s seemed to assume that you knew most of the basics already) – but those are pretty much world laws, since they generally apply to every League Of Legends Champion. I will include something along those lines, but it’s not going to be so quick and unlimited.

As a “Champion”, she generally takes multiple hits to kill – but that is a standard feature of both combat video games and RPG’s, since otherwise you’d have to keep changing characters all the time. Still, she’s likely past first level in her appearances and has a decent number of hit points – but she’s still described outright as being the epitome of a glass cannon. LOL items and levels do not carry over from session to session however, and RPG character developments definitely do. So unless you’re using a “Summon Jinx” spell, this version will be using d20 advancement. Summoned versions are, of course, the same each time. Thus, while LOL does seem to have some sort of skill advancement, it only seems to apply to attacks and goes away between games. In Eclipse that’s going to be learning a Martial Art – but she apparently doesn’t start with any, so that’s going to be a design-your-own situation for later advancement.

Considering her attributes…

• Strength: She is strong enough to carry multiple weapons, but (judging from the pictures) doesn’t apparently use armor and doesn’t seem to have much in the way of melee options. There was that mention of improved strength though, so let us be generous and call it Str 14
• Dexterity: It’s important with ranged weapons, and for people who don’t wear armor, but – again – there’s no mention of it being really unusual or of her having acrobatic skills or anything. So it is probably good, but not particularly overwhelming. Dex 14
• Constitution: Well, you want this for hit points, and to keep running around in combat, but the Wiki’s don’t imply her being exceptionally durable. So this is probably (once again) good but not particularly amazing. Con 14.
• Intelligence: Important for skills and somewhat related to weapons-making. There isn’t much ground for it otherwise since the characters in combat games rarely solve puzzles (although there are some for the players sometimes) or show off their knowledge much – so Int 14.
• Wisdom: She’s a bit of a loony and has no listed hyper-alertness, boosted perception, or mental defenses (presuming that’s a thing in LOL, which it probably isn’t other than, perhaps, as a bit of description) and her Will save is likely low. Wis 10
• Charisma: She’s apparently supposed to have standard female video game character good looks – but she’s no great leader or socialite (the insanity and tendency to blow things up is hard on your social skills), which is Charisma’s real function. Cha 10.

That’s 28 Points in 3.5 (slightly over the standard 25 point allotment) or 20 points in Pathfinder – the standard “High Fantasy” allotment. Fair enough. It would be quite reasonable to assume that this already includes the effects of her chemical boosts since those numbers are way above “ordinary person” stats already – but I may include another small boost because why not?

Basic Attributes: Str 14 (+4 Eq = 18), Dex 14 (+2 Template +2 Eq = 18), Con 14, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 10.

Racial Template: Runeterra Human (12 CP):

• Homo Sapiens: Fast Learner, Specialized in Skills for Double Effect (+2 SP/Level, 6 CP)
• Highly Adaptable: +1 Bonus Feat (6 CP).
  • That’s a tiny bit better than a baseline 3.5 d20 human – the natives of Runeterra are supposed to be a little special apparently – but only by 3 CP. That’s worthwhile, but not terribly important.

Acquired Template – Alchemically Augmented (18 CP).

• Innate Enchantment, up to 9500 GP net value (10 CP).
  • Adrenalin Rush: Personal Haste, Specialized for half cost (+30′ Move, +1 Attacks at full BAB with a full attack/only lasts three rounds, only triggers after taking down a major target (1000 GP).
  • Immortal Vigor I (+12 + 2 x Con Mod HP), Personal-Only (x.7) = 1400 GP.
  • Attribute Boost (Enhance Dexterity +2, x.7 Personal-Only = 1400 GP): +2 Dex
  • Resistance (+1 Resistance Bonus to Saving Throws, x.7 Personal-Only = 700 GP).
  • Force Shield I (+4 Shield Bonus to AC) (Personal-Only, x.7 = 1400 GP).
  • Weapon Mastery (Machine Pistol, +4 BAB with Machine Pistol, does add to iterative attacks) I (Personal-Only x.7 = 1400 GP).
  • Skill Mastery (+3 Competence Bonus to Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, and Spot) (Personal Only x.7 = 1400 GP).
  • Restorative Touch – Cure Light Wounds, Lesser Restoration, Polypurpose Panacea, and Relieve Poison (Hedge Wizardry) 1/Day each (800 GP).
• Immunity/Stacking limits when combining innate enchantment effects with external effects (Common, Minor, Trivial – only covers L0 and L1 effects, Corrupted / only covers effects in this template, 1 CP).
• Immunity/Dispelling and Antimagic (Common, Major, Great, Specialized and Corrupted/only protects innate enchantments that provide personal augmentations, 6 CP).
• Immunity/the normal XP cost of Innate Enchantments (Uncommon, Minor, Trivial [only covers first level effects at caster level one], Specialized/only to cover initial racial abilities, 1 CP).
  • That’s three natural-law immunities, which would be a major “caution!” flag, but in this case they’re not particularly wide-ranging and shouldn’t be too big a problem.

At a total of 30 CP, this is a +0 ECL combination.

Package Deal: League Of Legends Champion (0 CP)

• Grant Of Aid with +4 Bonus Uses, Specialized in Hit Points (6 CP).
• Returning, Specialized / must be mystically summoned to join a battle, is obligated to fight in that battle for the summoner (3 CP).
• DR 2/-, Specialized in Physical Damage for Double Effect (4/-) (3 CP).
• Disadvantages: Accursed / Summonable (A Champion of the League can expect to be summoned into combat regularly, no matter how inconvenient this may be for them), Inept (Diplomacy), and Insane / Combative (A Champion tends to see violence as the first resort, rather than the last).

Available Character Points: 120 (L4 Base) + 10 (Disadvantages: Insane/Reckless, Hunted, Obligations to gang) +18 (Racial, L1, L3 Bonus Feats) = 148 CP.

Basic Abilities (68 CP):

• Hit Points: 12 (L1d12, 8 CP) +9 (L2-4d4, 0 CP) +12 (Im. Vigor) +36 ([Con Mod + Dex Mod]x 6) = 69 HP.
  • Evasive Combat: Advanced Improved Augmented Bonus, Adds (Dex Mod) to (Con Mod) when calculating hit points, Specialized and Corrupted / only applies to hit dice gained through L6 (6 CP).
  • Jinx starts with 630 Health in LOL, and it looks like Hit Points should roughly equate to Health/10. So a slight upgrade here.
• Skill Points: 6 (Purchased, 6 CP) +14 (Int Mod x 7) +28 (Fast Learnera) = 48 SP
  • Fast Learner, Specialized in Skills for Double Effect (Racial Bonus Feat, 6 CP).
  • Adept (Buys Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, and Spot at half price, 6 CP).
  • This, of course, is pure guesswork. As a fighting game LOL generally doesn’t do much with non-combat skills although it does have a system for leveling up the characters special abilities during a fight (that resets afterwards) – but in an RPG setting they give Jinx something to do when no one is fighting.
• BAB: +3 (18 CP)
  • This is hard to sort out; in LOL the player generally controls the targeting and hits if they connect with a figure, with armor providing DR rather than reducing the chance of being hit effectively. Still, Jinx’s history involves crimes and laying traps rather than massive combat, and she is a rogue-type. So 3/4 BAB seems reasonable enough. Most of her accuracy as a starting Champion comes from her Dexterity and Augmentations. She can always buy more as she gains levels.
• Saves:
  • Fortitude: +1 (Purchased, 3 CP) +2 (Con) +1 (Race) +1 (Res) = +5
  • Reflex: +4 (Purchased, 12 CP) +4 (Dex) +1 (Race) +1 (Res) = +10
  • Will: +1 (Purchased, 3 CP) +0 (Wis) +1 (Race) +1 (Res) = +3
  • Jinx’s LOL Magic Resistance (which, as far as I can tell, reduces magic damage) isn’t all that high. D20, of course, has saves for that job. LOL also doesn’t have long-term mind control (and most of what it does have a fairly simple) because you can’t mind-control the player who’s providing the control inputs even if you can override or block them for a bit. I doubt that there’s a way to actually seize full control of someone else’s units since that comes far too close to an “I Win!” button for a competitive game. So the Will save bonus is more than a bit arbitrary. Given Jinx’s insanity… there’s no reason to make it high.

Combat Information (21 CP):

• Proficiencies: Proficient with all Simple Weapons and her Personal Gadgets (9 CP).
• Initiative: 1d20+4 (Dex) +8 (Improved Initiative II) = 1d20+12
  • Improved Initiative II (12 CP).
• Move: 40′ (70′ when Adrenalin Rush applies).
• Armor Class: 10 (Base) +4 (Dex Mod) +4 (Armor) +4 (Shield) = 22
• Usual Weapons: See Gadgets, Below. In general:
  • Ranged Attack: +3 (BAB)+4 (Dex) +4 (Smartlink) = +11 (+15/+10 with Machine Pistol)
  • Melee Attack: +3 (BAB) +4 (Str) +3 (Quality) = +10
    • All of these get another attack at her full BAB when Adrenalin Rush is active and she is making a full attack.

Special Abilities (59 CP):

• Buy off Specialization and add +4 Bonus Uses to her Package Deal Grant of Aid (12 CP).
• 6d6 (21) Mana with Reality Editing, Specialized and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / only for reality editing, only for “I reloaded!” (2 Mana, reloads a weapon), “This gadget isn’t really damaged” (4 Mana), and “Here comes my SPECIAL missile!” (8 Mana, boosts a missile to a 30′ radius, adds +2 worth of weapon enhancements (does not require a base enhancement bonus) or any one of Blown Away, Dazed (1 round), Dazzled, Deafened, Fatigued, Knocked Down, or Sickened (Save DC = 14+Cha Mod), and doubles the base damage) (12 CP).
• Rite of Chi with +12 Bonus Uses, Specialized and Corrupted / only to restore the Reality Editing pool above, requires at least one minute and a break in combat to use (8 CP).
• Occult Skill Access (Federation-Apocalypse Gadgetry, Tinker Version, 3 CP).
  • Skill Emphasis (+2, 3 CP)
  • Skill Focus (+3, 6 CP).
    • In most d20 games this is heavy-duty cheese; giving a fantasy character reliable access to gadgetry from an advanced interstellar civilization is kind of absurd. On Runeterra, where the standard is “Hextech”, this is far more reasonable – if still a bit much.
• Reflex Training, Specialized / only to allow her to change weapons as a free action (6 CP).
• Favors, Minor (The Criminal Underworld, 3 CP).
• Action Hero (Stunts) (6 CP). Probably why she is still alive.

Skills:

• Climb +2 (2 SP) +4 (Str) +4 (SC) = +10
• Disable Device +7 (3* SP) +2 (Int) +3 (Tem) +2 (Tools) = +14
• Disguise +6 (6 SP) +0 (Cha) +4 (SC) = +10
• Gadgetry (FA version, Tinker variant); +7 (7 SP +3 SP Surcharge) +4 (Dex) +2 (Skill Emphasis) +3 (Skill Focus) +2 (Synergy/A&E) = +18
• Heal +0 (0 SP) +0 (Wis) +2 (Belt) = +2
• Hide +7 (3* SP) +4 (Dex) +3 (Tem) +4 (SC) = +18
• Knowledge/Architecture and Engineering: +7 (7 SP) +2 (Int) = +9 (+14 for Demolitions checks)
• Listen +6 (6 SP) +0 (Wis) +4 (SC) = +10
• Move Silently +7 (3* SP) +4 (Dex) +3 (Tem) +4 (SC) = +18
• Open Locks +1 (1 SP) +4 (Dex) +2 (Tools) = +7
• Perform/Dance +2 (2 SP) +0 (Cha) = +2
  • I’d probably let her get away with using Dex instead, but it doesn’t really matter.
• Spot +7 (3* SP) +0 (Wis) +3 (Tem) +4 (SC) = +14
• Swim +0 (0 SP) +4 (Str) +4 (SC) = +8
• Use Magic Device +1 (1 SP) +0 (Cha) = +1
  • She’s not good at this, but she IS crazy enough to try anyway sometimes.

Skill Specialties: Architecture and Engineering/Demolitions (+3, 1 SP).

Equipment:

Smartclothes (Gadget-5 In Total):

• Military-Grade Protective Functions (Gadget-2): +4 Armor, DR 4/-, Energy Resistance 4,+4 to Climb, Disguise, Listen, Spot, Hide, Move Silently, and Swim, +2 to Unarmed Damage, +4 on stabilizing while dying, +4 on saves versus chemical exposure, twelve-hour life support (air, comfortable from arctic to tropical desert temperatures, allows space survival until the air runs out).
• Computer Functions (Gadget-1): Encrypted radio communications, personal-computer and HUD functions, +4 to hit with Smartlinked weapons.
• Sensory Enhancements (Gadget-1): IR, UV, Low-Light, Magnification, and Flash Suppression for Vision, personal and environmental monitoring, +4 on Saves vrs sensory overloads.
• Exoskeletal Functions (Gadget-1): +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, and +10′ Movement
  • There is little or no justification for this, but if you’re going to be using Federation-Apocalypse gadgets, Smartclothes are THE obvious gadget to take.

Miscellaneous (Gadget-4):

• Smartlink Adapter: Allows all her gadget-based weapons to be considered Smartlinked (+4 bonus to Attack rolls) (Gadget-2).
• Demolitions Kit (Gadget-2). Contains assorted supplies and tools for blowing things up or disarming bombs. Provides a +2 to any required checks.

Weapons (Gadget 9):

• Machine Pistol (Gadget-1): One-Handed Small Arm, Enlarged Magazine II, Selective Fire. 3.2 lb, 100 shots, 2d6 piercing damage, Crit 20/x2, 40′ range increment, selective fire (1).
  • +4 Magazines (1).
  • Selective Fire, by the way, can do double damage or affect a small group or grant a +4 bonus to the attack. Simple abundance of ammunition makes this Jinx’s most commonly used attack.
• Heavy Missile Launcher (Gadget-1): Heavy Gyroc Small Arm, Reduced Magazine, No Criticals, Increased Damage I, Explosive III, Special I (Sparks illuminate the area as per Daylight for 2d4 rounds and may start small fires). 24 lb, 5 Shots, 5d12 force damage in a 10′ Radius, 120′ Range Increment (1).
  • +4 Missile Packs (Gadget-1).
  • 325 LOL damage is more than this is supposed to do, plus you can get more than one attack per round with it. Of course – with Mana – it also stands in for the Super Mega Death Rocket, which works fine.
• Bolter (Lightning Rifle) (Gadget-1): Two-Handed Small Arm, Explosive I, Special II (Stunning 1 Round, Faerie Fire 1 Minute, DC 20 Fort to resist being stunned), 8 Lb, 25 Shots, 3d8 electrical damage, Range Increment 80′,
  • +4 Battery Packs (Gadget-1).
• Phosphorous Web Grenades (Gadget-1): Mini-Grenade Launcher: One-Handed Slugthrower Small Arm, Decreased Magazine (5 Shots), Cannot Critical, Explosive III, Special I (Victims are caught in the net and on fire until they escape or it burns away in 3 rounds): 2.5 lb, 5 Shots, 4d6 fire damage in a 10′ radius, 40′ range increment (1).
  • +4 Grenade Packs (Gadget-1).
  • This doesn’t throw out five grenades at once. On the other hand, it entangles everyone in an area rather than a single person who steps on them, affects what looks like a wider radius (judging from a quick look at the animation, so I could be wrong), you can get multiple shots per turn, and they do twice as much damage.
• Forceblade (Longsword) (Gadget-1), 2d8+7 (+3 Quality, +4 Strength) (Force, Slashing), Crit 19-20/x2, +3 Quality Bonus to Attacks.
  • There’s no canon justification whatsoever for her having a melee weapon, but an RPG character needs to be ready for a much wider variety of fights than LOL offers.

d20 Equipment and Magic Items:

• Cloak of Resistance +1 (1000 GP). An obvious choice.
• Handy Haversack (2000 GP). For someone carrying this many weapons, a near-necessity.
• First Aid Kid (Healing Belt, 750 GP). Not including this would be stupid, particularly when you’re expecting near-constant combat.
• Boots Of The Cat (1000 GP). Jump off a cliff – or from a plane – and take little damage? Priceless.
• I’m going to assume Masterwork Thieves Tools (100 GP), Rope, a Grapnel, and a wide variety of other basic gear – probably about 250 GP in total.
• That leaves 1000 GP to customize or prepare for missions with.
  • LOL characters can be equipped with various special items. D20 characters are fully expected to be equipped with a wide variety of magical items. There’s no need for anything special here.

As is more or less expected for an advanced technology user, Jinx has a substantial edge at lower levels – but has far fewer options for upgrades and occult tricks as she goes up in level as her weapons are already as advanced as they’re going to get. Enchanting them is possible, but will cost her quite a lot since she uses so many different ones. Dedicated combatants will outdo her later on, spellcasters will become far more versatile, and social manipulators will do their own thing – but there is something to be said for simply blasting the area.

For further advancement, something along the lines of the Pulp Hero template would be an effective advancement path for her, but the basics she will want – BAB, HP, AC, Saves, some Martial Arts, and bigger skill bonuses all around – should be quite familiar.

Alewelian Gollins:

Nobody trusts the gollins. In fact, no one is quite sure that the gollins are entirely REAL. After all… they were wiped out at least once – but then re-emerged, apparently from the Wyld. Sure, they can get through anti-wyld wards, but there is still some grounds for doubt. Even powerful divinations and Commune effects have failed to resolve the matter – and if the gollins know themselves, they are not telling.

On the other hand, they tend to come back as undead if killed – and can create quasi-real partial copies of themselves, which can act a lot like normal people (and possess people, although they rarely admit that). Some of the more paranoid scholars wonder whether undead gollins (or undead halflings with suitable abilities*) simply generated partial – quasi-living – copies of themselves and bred a new race of gollins with themselves as the forefathers. It would explain a great deal.

*Note that mentioning this theory to a halfling OR a gollin is usually taken as a mortal insult.

Gollin Racial Template (31 CP / +0 ECL):

• Create Item, Specialized and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / only as a prerequisite (2 CP)
  • Harvest of Artifice, Specialized for Reduced Cost / XP can only be used in conjunction with Shadow Casting (3 CP).
• Negative Energy Channeling, Specialized / Only as a Prerequisite (1 CP).
  • Dark Awakening, Specialized for Reduced Cost / only to come back as an undead if killed (3 CP).
  • Shadow Casting, Specialized for Increased Effect (x15 EXP Multiplier, no HP cost) / no more than (Con / 3) shadows may exist at any one time (6 CP)
• +2d0 Hit Dice, Specialized for Reduced Cost / Only to increase the user’s hit dice for Shapeshifting purposes (4 CP).
• Cloaking, Specialized /. Gollins are ominous mysteries as far as any form of divination goes, but are obviously Gollins, evil, and attuned to negative energy. Undead often ignore them (3 CP).
• Occult Sense (Darkvision, 6 CP).
• Innate Enchantment (Up to 7500 GP Value, 8 CP). :
  • Sustenance: SL1 x CL1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.8 Abundant Magic x.7 Personal Only x.5 Only to get along on minimal food = 560 GP.
  • Immortal Vigor I (+12 + 2 x Con Mod HP): SL1 x CL1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.8 Abundant Magic x.7 Personal Only = 1120 GP.
  • Reduce Person; Size Small. +2 size bonus to Dex, a -2 size penalty to Str, +4 to Hide, +1 to attack and AC. SL1 x CL1 x2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.8 Abundant Magic x.7 Personal Only = 1120 GP.
  • Mindlink (Psionic), Variant – only between Shadows and their Creator, but continuous while they are on the same plane. SL1 x CL1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.8 Abundant Magic x.7 Personal Only (weird, but in this case… it applies) = 1120 GP.
  • Skill Mastery x2: +3 each to two (permanent) groups of three skills. SL1 x CL1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.8 Abundant Magic x.7 Personal Only x.5 GM selects skill groups x2 taken twice = 1120 GP. Note that each Shadow-Self gets random groups.
  • Negative Energy Mastery (Produces cantrip-level negative energy effects, such as Bleed, Brand, Daze, Disrupting Touch (1d4 damage), Grave Words, Intimidate (+3 Bonus), Lullaby, Pain (causes a sharp pain), Penumbra, Putrefy Food And Drink, Ray Of Frost, Snuff (puts out small fires, cools objects a bit, makes a target feel chilly), Sotto Voice, Touch Of Fatigue, Vice (Undead gains 1 temporary HP). SL1 x CL1 x 1800 GP Unlimited-Use Command Word Activated (must whisper disturbing chants) x.8 Abundant Magic = 1440 GP.
  • Resistance (+1 to Saves): SL1/2 x CL1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.8 Abundant Magic x.7 Personal Only = 560 GP
  • Masterwork Gear: +2 to Move Silently (55 GP), +2 to Hide (55 GP), +2 to Ride (55 GP), Haramaki (+1 Armor, 3 GP), Unholy Symbol (1 GP), Hot and Cold Weather Gear (15 GP), 10x Air Bladders (1 GP), Compass (10 GP), Light Mace (5 CP). Total:= 200 GP.
• Flame Of Udun: Immunity / Stacking limits when combining racial innate enchantment effects with external effects (Common, Minor, Trivial (only covers L0 and L1 effects, 2 CP). As with the other Alewelian races, this is a natural-law immunity – and, like most such, has an impact on the game far beyond it’s point cost. As usual, this should stay a “GM only” sort of thing, even if it is kind of required to make them competitive with those “build your own tailored race” humans.
• The Dark Is Rising: Immunity/Dispelling and Antimagic (Common, Minor, Great, Specialized and Corrupted/only protects racial innate enchantments that provide personal augmentations, 4 CP).
• Black Blood: Immunity/the normal XP cost of Innate Enchantments (Uncommon, Minor, Trivial [only covers cantrips and first level effects at caster level one], Specialized/only to cover initial racial abilities, 1 CP).
• Shapeshift, Specialized in Canine Forms (3 CP).
• Speak Language +1 (Grave Argot) (1 CP).
• Attribute Penalty: -2 Charisma (-6 CP).
• Racial Disadvantages (-10 CP):
  • Untrustworthy. People don’t trust gollins. Usually for good reason.
  • Blocked: Gollins cannot be good, or even neutral. They must be evil.
  • Broke: Gollins always start off poor. After all… they’re shopping for a group.
  • Accursed: Gollin “shadows” always get the Wolfrunner package deal, regardless of their creators intentions.

Wolfrunner Gollin Cultural Package Deal:

• Upgrade Shapeshift with Growth to allow Medium and Large Forms, still Specialized in canine forms only (1 CP).
• Upgrade Shapeshift with Hybrid Form, Specialized in canine forms only (3 CP).
• Upgrade 2d0 Hit Dice for shapechanging only to 3d0 Hit Dice for all purposes (8 CP). This allows even a first level Wolfrunner to take Worg form.

Black Shaman Gollin Cultural Package Deal:

• 1d6 (3) Mana with Spell Enhancement, Specialized and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / Only for Spell Enhancement, only for Innate Enchantments, only for Immortal Vigor (Spend 1/2/3 Mana to gain +12/24/36 temporary hit points for ten minutes), Resistance (Spend 1/2/3 Mana to raise save bonuses to +2+/3/+4 for one minute), Skill Mastery (Spend 1/2/3 Mana to raise the bonuses to +7/+8/+10 for a single skill group for ten minutes), and Negative Energy Mastery (Spend 1/2/3 Mana to produce an effect of spell level 1/2/3).
• Rite of Chi with +2 Bonus Uses, Specialized and Corrupted / only to refill the spell enhancement mana pool above, requires at least ten minutes to use (3 CP).
  Uncorrupt Dark Awakening, so that it can be used to create undead (3 CP).
• May purchase the Occult Skill (Minions) at Normal Cost, Specialized for Half Cost / only for undead minions (3 CP).

Gollins cast shadows – a group of secondary gollins who are basically aspects of the first one. They can supply their creations with an effective total of 1500 XP per month, although the levels of their creations cannot exceed their own level. Destroyed shadows can be slowly recreated, or old ones upgraded, as time passes. Still, while a gollin and his or her shadows can be very effective at low levels, at higher levels the shadows are usually most useful as spies and agents, rather than direct combatants. The ill-informed often think that there are lesser and greater gollins simply because there is an entirely reasonable tendency for gollin Shadows to be far weaker than the original and because they tend to be rather cheaply equipped. After all, why waste money equipping disposable copies with fancy gear?

Gollins are generally pretty unwelcome in the Empire. Sure, they’re a major race, and quite numerous – but it’s a bit like dealing with the Ferengi or the Romulans in Star Trek. They’re greedy, obnoxious, inclined towards backstabbing (and gossip), and have few if any scruples. If you want some thugs, or someone to lay a few curses, or some such… any passing Gollin can probably hook you up. If you’d rather not have your new puppy snatched up and eaten, you don’t want any Gollins moving into YOUR neighborhood.

While they don’t like to talk about it very much, Gollins are actually fairly prominent in the imperial military. There they serve as communications specialists (sending a gollin shadow along with a patrol, or detachment, or assigning one to an outpost, provides an instant communications link or a small network thereof), scouts, spies, and assassins (being able to possess small animals, and become noncorporeal, and sneak well, is very useful), as torturers, interrogators, and executioners (having no scruples at all is handy when you want your minions to follow reprehensible orders), and in a variety of other roles.

Gollin Shadows also serve as deniable operatives – especially since, once one dissipates, their cloaking ability makes it virtually impossible to trace down the original. Of course, that means that a few gollins on the take can create a criminal cabal that – if captured or killed – will simply fade away, to be replaced in a few months. In fact, a perfectly respectable military gollin who can create one or two more shadows than his or her superiors know about can work for the military while at the same time being part of a gang of criminals that the military is trying to catch – and usually get away with it.

Scholars are not entirely sure that having gollins in the Empire is a net benefit, but they are pretty sure that pushing them out of it would be a great deal worse to have to deal with.

Finally, unlike many of the other major races, the Gollins do not have tales of how they, and they alone, were responsible for preserving civilization through the cataclysms. They do have lots of tales of how their Shadows led various enemies in circles, of individual heroes, of bringing back vital intelligence, of assassinating enemy commanders and mages, and of bizarre escapes – but every group of gollins tends to have their own tales, none of which seem to present any solid statements about their origins, how they ultimately survived (or returned), or much of anything else. This has led some scholars to speculate that there are several different species with their own histories being lumped together as “gollins” – but the fact that they all possess a very similar package of racial abilities has led most scholars to believe that they are simply inveterate liars who like to tell tall tales.

The Divine Lawful Republic Of Laurelin Part VI – First Impressions and Fireball Apprenticeships

Ailwellian Cities – Visitors First Impressions

The Cities tend to be a study in contrasts – the teeming and densely packed block-apartments of the Underclass sprawling around the edges (constructed and maintained by Construction Wagons) and pressed against the limits of the Wards, the fortifications of the military / administration (including the Skyship Docks and major facilities), the professional districts of the minor nobility, and the well-spread estates and parklands of the (relatively few) villas and mansions of the greater nobility at the center. The great Insula tend to almost be domains of their own, masses of spell-reinforced stone and timber towering a dozen or more stories, housing thousands, and – what with magical supplies and waste disposal – almost independent of the outside world. What need for transport when there is almost nowhere to go?

That is one of the things that leads to the low – and not entirely formalized – “age of majority”: a kid is old enough to live on their own whenever they can persuade some Insula manager that they should have a (free) apartment – whereupon they can simply live off the dole. Competent orphans have been known to get along just fine on their own very young indeed, even if they are very vulnerable to social predators.

By current standards, the Empire is fairly decadent. Why not? Work requirements are minimal to nonexistent, all the basics are essentially free, disease and basic medical care are not issues, and minor magic includes reliable contraception and easy abortion or childbirth. Drugs are common, there’s no such thing as a “drinking age”, and there are no really puritanical faiths (Well, OK – a few demon cults are against all pleasure simply because they want everyone miserable, but who pays attention to THEM?). Given magic, slaves, and huge personal power and wealth differentials. it’s not too surprising that the Greater Nobles do as they please and the rest of the world tends to follow along as best they may.

There are urban legends of Monstrous Insula – structures where creatures of the Wyld have gotten in and established hidden colonies, preying on the folk moving in and maintaining a facade of normality even while sealed-off foundation levels are devoted to colonies of horrors – but if such a thing was ever found… surely the military would let everyone know about it promptly!

Cities do tend to be very large; the teeming, and generally uncounted, Underclasses may number in the hundreds of thousands or even millions – but the functional near-independence of the great Insula (lower floor business / upper floors apartment buildings) means that most of them pass unremarked and that there is little need for in-city transportation of either people or raw materials. Still, there is a reason why most new Sparks rise from the Underclasses; they simply outnumber everyone else fabulously.

Sadly, truly long-range transportation is almost entirely by Skyship. While an active caster can compensate for it, the shifting energies of the Wyld and the inherent instability of the disc itself render long-range teleportation gates and magical transport artifacts unreliable at best – sharply limiting their range and scale. That’s why Ring Gates are about the most powerful available teleportation systems, and even they are quite limited. Roadway networks exist, but rarely go anywhere near the frontier, usually being strictly limited to the interior of the disc.

Developing Sparks, “Fireball Syndrome”, and “Fireball Apprenticeships”.

Why do Adventurers – or “Sparks” on Ailwellia – find it so easy to locate followers, henchmen, and similar hangers-on? Sure, there’s their incredible wealth, and tendency to pay high – but still, working for an adventurer is pretty much just asking for it. So why are people apparently so eager to do it? Well, here we have one possible reason.

Lawful Sparks like Order, Stability, and Security. They tend to join the Imperial military, which is well aware of how to husband it’s resources. While that means that most of them live, their power-growth tends to be rather slow, and commonly peaks out at relatively low level – although there are always a few top talents who go on to be high-level war wizards or imperial generals or spymasters or some such.

Neutral (at least with respect to order and chaos) Sparks tend to do a little light adventuring (especially when young), but usually stick to the semi-civilized areas, leaving the deep wilds for for the crazy folk who want to take insane risks. They die young more often than military Sparks, but usually retire to more dependable (and conventionally profitable) jobs fairly early on. They average slightly higher level – if less efficiently trained – than the military types and are often found as local magical specialists, merchants, caravan guards, and leaders of various civilian groups.

Chaotic Sparks tend to gravitate to the wyld zones on the fringes of the imperial border, and to be far more willing to gamble in pursuit of fast wealth and power. An awful lot of them die young – but the survivors tend to expand their power explosively. There aren’t ever that many of them, but they tend to make up the empires “Major Nobility” – the people with huge amounts of personal power.

Thus the Empire remains tolerably well balanced – it’s far more numerous defenders, and their much more organized and cooperative attitudes, tend to be quite sufficient to channel much of the energy of the chaotically-inclined sparks (who are almost always working at cross-purposes anyway) into more acceptable directions, such as dealing with disturbances on the fringe of the Empire – in many ways a chaotic sparks natural home anyway.

Which brings us to what the Military calls “Fireball Syndrome”. While few in the Empire know the name… quite a lot of them have heard enough stories to get the general idea.

• Lawful sparks tend to hoard their hard-earned power. They expend it on carefully-optimized growth, on abilities known, reliable, and broadly useful.
• Neutral Sparks may indulge in a few whimsies as youngsters, but are usually fairly sober by the time they’re adults and are using their powers in society. They tend to specialize more, but still tend towards the more profitable abilities.
• Chaotic Sparks however… particularly the ones who undertake insane adventures in the wilderness and grow explosively – are often profligate with their power. After all… it didn’t take long to acquire, and they tend to feel like it won’t take long to get more! They’re the ones who are willing to spend their power buying weird abilities, to invest it in pets and companions, and to use it in insane ways. After all, just drawing on all that wild power tends to make them a bit crazy.

Just as importantly, that same explosive growth tends to have effects on them. They don’t have time to adjust their perspective as slower growing sparks do, and thus still tend to measure all things against themselves. Fireball Sparks unconsciously compare normal people and creatures to their current abilities… and so they adopt tigers, and grizzly bears, and giant kraken as cuddly pets, empower them even further, and let them roam around their houses. They treat alien entities of vast power as benign relatives – and they fairly often tend to treat normal folk and normal youngsters like they were dogs and puppies. After all… the gap between a kid and his pet dog is far, FAR, smaller than the gap between a Spark who’s undergone (or is still undergoing) explosive growth and a normal person. It’s rarely really a conscious thing, but – given that the Empire includes plenty of indentured servants / slaves – a Fireball Spark is fairly likely to acquire a bunch of them (whether legally or just de facto) and treat them as domestic animals; useful for small chores and errands, company around the place, and general housekeeping. Young males often tend to treat them as harems as well, but that’s always been a fairly common thing for any powerful young male to do and usually isn’t terribly unpleasant. Any Fireball Spark that wants a harem usually applies enough enhancement magic to the project to ensure that everyone involved is willing and eager.

Regardless of the details, Fireball Sparks rarely lack for volunteers for their service. After all… Fireball Sparks often imbue their servants with rather a LOT of their power. As they pour power into their servants to make them more useful, the gap in power tends to narrow and their servants acquire various useful abilities. Even more importantly, as they speak and interact with – and play with – those servants… they almost inevitably start to see them as people again, gaining some prospective. Eventually… the servants terms of service will be up, or the Spark will grow bored with them (often a fairly quick process for a Chaotic Spark), and they will get turned loose in favor of picking up (and empowering) new playthings.

But power bestowal is generally permanent. When a Fireball Spark turns his or her servants loose they will quite commonly come out if it with more personal power than a normal human being could ever expect to gain – quite enough to attain a decent social rank (usually placing among the “Minor Nobility”) pretty much immediately, Sure, it’s a bit of a gamble – serving a Fireball Spark is rarely entirely safe – but the odds are actually quite good. Far better than the odds of a normal person attaining a decent social position in any other way.

And that is why “Fireball Apprenticeships”, no matter what the details, (unless they’re utterly grotesque of course) are generally highly valued, are often competed for, and are subject to a certain amount of military supervision. They’re just too tempting for most normal youngsters to turn down.

Exotic Martial Arts – Lightning Strike, Feathered Serpent, Pacifist Fist, Shadowed Gaze, Care Bear Stare, Pipes Of Doom, Hajimari Mo Shori, Torchfighter, and Robber Baron

And for today it’s a nine exotic martial arts. As is to be expected, none of them are particularly reasonable. Some of them aren’t even particularly sane. Nevertheless, here they are.

• Lightning Strike: The Eclipse version of Iajitsu.
• Feathered Serpent: For when you want to use your bow in close combat.
• Pacifist Fist: The art of last-minute negotiation.
• Shadowed Gaze: Attacking with Photon Manipulation.
• Care Bear Stare: Yes. Go ahead. Combine it with Pacifist Fist.
• Pipes Of Doom: For inflicing mayhem with your music.
• Hajimari Mo Shori: When the staredown decides the battle.
• Torchfighter: Who needs a real weapon? Beat them up with a torch.
• Robber Baron: An economic warfare style.
• As a bonus, there’s a discussion on using Witchcraft was a weapon, an example of a player being awkward, and the War Torch, an unusual simple weapon.

Lightning Strike Style (Dexterity):

While great beasts, armored juggernauts, and men of valor may withstand many blows, many a lesser foe may be dispatched with a single swift strike – all the more thoroughly if they are yet unready. Ignore an opponents arms. What use are they if they do not get to wield them? Be prepared to strike instantly and with true killing intent. Victory may not be yours, but your foes shall feel your wrath.

• Requires: BAB +4 or more, Dex 16+, having fought at least one duel. Employs a chosen one-handed weapon.
• Basic Techniques: Attack 2, Power 4 (+4 Damage), Defenses 2, Synergy (Initiative/Specialized in Formal Duels for Double Effect (+4)).
• Advanced and Master Techniques: Double Damage versus Flat-Footed Opponents, +3d6 Sneak Attack.
• Occult Techniques: Inner Strength x2, Vanishing Technique, Ki Focus (+4 Initiative).

This, of course, is the Eclipse version of Iajitsu Focus or Pathfinder Iajitsu Strike. Unlike those, it maxes out at +(6d6+8) instead of (9d6) – but it also doubles the user’s base damage. Also unlike those styles, it simply requires a flat-footed opponent – not that the weapon have just been drawn, so if you really want to build a character around it you don’t have to sheathing and unsheathing your weapon. You just need to keep your opponent flat-footed or at least fulfill the conditions for sneak attacks.

Feathered Serpent Style (Dexterity):

The bow is a power that lets an ordinary men reach out and strike down beasts that move at speeds no man can match, that plucks birds from the air, that brings death to the predators that would devour their families, that makes any high place into a defended fortress. It struck without the risk of closing to charging ranges that bedeviled spears and stones. It pierced deep – and, unlike the magic that few could master, it made tribes, rather than individual heroes, strong. Mastery of the Bow is bred into blood and bone and calls forth the valor of men – although few now walk that ancient path.

• Requires: BAB +4, Dex 16+, use of a particular type of bow.
• Basic Techniques: Attack 2, Defenses 2, Power 2, and Strike.
• Advanced And Master Techniques: Mighty Blow, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, and Ki Arrow*
• Occult Techniques: Inner Strength II, Touch Strike, and Focused Blow.

*) Ki Arrow: Presence, Specialized for Double Effect/Only affects the user, two first level spell effects, Gravity Bow and Arrow Mind.

Yes, it’s yet another bow style. This time around, it’s set up to allow the use of the bow as a primary weapon in close combat. That’s not especially reasonable (which is why it’s in a collection of exotic martial arts), but this is d20.”Reasonable” went out the window when the word “Magic” came up.

Pacifist Fist Style (Charisma):

The Art Of War is often said to be Diplomacy continued by other means. Practitioners of the Pacifist Fist Style see war as a failure; the only righteous use of force is in defense – and so they have developed the art of giving peace another chance, even when most folk would say that battle has already begun.

• Requires: Diplomacy total of +8 or more.
• Basic Abilities: Defenses 3 (Adds to Will Saves), Strike (Voice, causes self-realization damage versus Charisma), Synergy (Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Intimidation, and Gather Information)
• Advanced and Master Techniques:
  • Katsujinken: This ability allows it’s user’s to negotiate even at the very last moment, giving them a last-ditch opportunity to avert death and disaster. Even as swords and bows are being drawn, or guns are brought to bear, the user may draw forth the time for a brief conversation from the tides of war. Reflex Training with +1 Bonus Uses (four/day total), Corrupted for Increased Effect (allows lots of free actions) and Specialized for Reduced Cost (4 CP) / Only to allow conversations and negotiations with opponents or potential opponents, plus Blessing, Specialized and Corrupted / only to share the Reflex Training ability to have conversations with an opponent (2 CP).
  • Opportunist: The user may switch to another martial arts style if negotiations fall through.
  • Immunity to Those Who Completely Refuse to Negotiate (Very Common, Major, Trivial, grants the user DR 5/- against all attacks (including energy and attribute damage) by such opponents, +2 to all Saves against them, and a +2 to their AC against them.
  • Mindspeech, Specialized and Corrupted for Increased Effect (ignores language barriers and works on anything down to animals that can communicate normally, even if not in words) / only to attempt negotiations during Katsujinken.
• Occult Techniques: Inner Strength x2, Healing Hand, and Ki Focus (+4 Sacred Bonus to Charisma)

All right. The odds of talking your way out of most fights in d20 is about zero, Nevertheless, if it is in character to try here’s a way to do so without just conceding the initiative to your opponent.

Shadowed Gaze Style (Dexterity):

Whether surrounded by glittering motes, afterimages, or a simple blur, the rare individual who masters the use of Shadowweave in combat gains a wide variety of useful options, even if the raw power available is less than overwhelming.

• Requires: Witchcraft (Shadowweave)
• Basic Abilities: Defenses 4 (Corrupted for Increased Effect / not effective against True Sight or non-visual targeting senses), Power 4, and Strike.
• Advanced And Master Techniques: Whirlwind Attack, 3d6 Sneak Attack.
• Occult Techniques: Inner Strength x2, Light Foot, and Vanishing

A few – mostly online – players have tried desperately to turn various abilities into instant-win buttons – usually by trying to claim that (generally misapplied) real-world scientific rules somehow make those abilities incredibly lethal or powerful. (The ones who are really focused on this approach rarely play for long; they tend to get frustrated). One of the most recent was trying to use Witchcraft.

The first attempt was made assuming that – since the “hard science” default for the Shadowweave power manipulates photons – Shadowweave can instantly generate lethal beams of radiation and / or cook things with microwaves throughout its ten minute default duration.

The answer there, of course, is that Witchcraft uses personal energy. While it is entirely possible for a skilled Witch (presumably with a technical background of some sort) to upgrade ambient photons into gamma rays or microwave radiation, the power output is still only the usable fraction of that of the physical body and it’s applied indirectly. Thus such attempts are about as effective in doing damage as a decently skilled punch or kick – about 1d4 to 1d6 damage (almost always “Fire” damage in d20 although Electrical is possible).

Now that is highly efficient in terms of power to damage – it only costs 1 Power for ten minutes of activity, in which time you could do a hundred dice of damage – but 1d6 a round? That really isn’t much more effective than using a club or torch – and might be far less effective if you have a good strength bonus or get more than one physical attack. Time matters too. Still, this is going to be a ranged touch attack, so there’s that.

The second attempt was using ambient energy sources – wanting to create a Solar Lens and hurl beams of superheated radiant death around.

Now that IS somewhat more promising; after all, solar furnaces exist, and using Shadowweave to redirect light is still nice and cheap. Moreover, the first reported use of a solar furnace in combat was ascribed to Archimedes during the Second Punic War (218-202 BC) so the concept is almost certainly available in most fantasy settings – even though testing has shown that the mechanisms described were probably unworkable, and the report was likely referencing a theoretical idea rather than a working system. In this case, however, we’re dealing with a set of psychic abilities – so it really is the thought that counts.

The actual temperature achievable is necessarily limited to the apparent temperature of the local sun measured from the planetary surface (which automatically accounts for absorption, and so is a more reliable guide than the Solar Constant would be)

Since that information is not available in most settings, but the worlds are often quite earthlike, the simplest approach is to look at the temperatures achievable by existing solar furnaces. The Odeillo solar furnace is the world’s largest, at 177 ft high and 157 ft wide. While that is not a continuous reflective area, it is still more than twenty times the area a witchcraft-based lens can be expected to cover. Odeillo can reach temperatures of up to 6330 F.

House fires vary, but the average temperature is reported to be a bit over a thousand degrees F. Looking at the rules on environmental hazards… that’s 1d6/Round. Being hit by a blob of Lava at about 2000 F is 2d6, likely in part because it will stick and continue to cause damage, which is simply rolled into the 2d6,

The d20 damage rules are not linear however, which is why a direct hit with a one megaton fusion weapon only does 16d8 damage and why a hit with a colossal mace (12 x 12 x 12 times the mass, traveling 12x the distance in the same time, and thus able to transfer 12 to the fifth power (248,832 to be precise) times as much damaging kinetic energy to the target) does not inflict thousands of times the damage of a hit with a normal mace.

So… the “solar beam” will affect a relatively small area and (unlike lava) will not stick, will create an ionization layer where it hits which will dissipate part of the available energy, and is only three times as hot. Being generous and ignoring the ionization problems while applying d20’s logarithmic damage multipliers (the math can be found on the site), that gives us 1.6 times the damage of lava an average of 11.1 points. So to get that average… 3d6+1. Presuming, of course, that you have a nice clear day, the sun is high in the sky, and you can concentrate on maintaining the effect. Since it will start to spread out at range, you’ll probably lose a d6 or so over some increment – probably over 40 to 80 feet since the collimation will be affected by the radius of your initial lens effect. For simplicity the GM might just give it medium range. Its going to be a ranged touch attack again though, which is something.

So this approach works, but it isn’t really a beam of ultimate burning death in d20 terms. It is comparable to other modern-style energy weapons from d20 future however, which is probably quite appropriate. Still a very useful tool though!

At this point the player blew up, announced that no one else understood anything at all, that he was being malignantly cheated of his powers, and that everyone should concede to his brilliance. When this did not work, he rage-quit.

That’s too bad since he didn’t get to the idea of using fine control – which must be there to make images – to inflict damage directly to vital organs or (possibly!) to interfere with the electrical impulses of the nervous system. That doesn’t really work in d20 because d20 doesn’t actually pay any attention to biology at all (there are some articles on that around), but you certainly CAN buy precision damage to use with Witchcraft, and actually accomplish something useful with your incredibly cheap, if very small, fire or electrical attack. Even better, since you can effectively flank people with Witchcraft with great ease, your sneak attack will work much of the time. And it will still be a ranged touch attack.

Witchcraft really isn’t very good at inflicting massive damage, but versatility has a power of it’s own – and, like anything else, if you invest in enough upgrades, you can build a reasonably effective character around it.

Care Bear Stare Style (Charisma):

Love and compassion have a power of their own. While few indeed are those with the spirit to make such things a focus of their abilities, there are always those few.

• Requires: Witchcraft (Glamour and Healing)
• Basics: Power 4 (Increases the DC of saves versus Glamour-induced Charming, Calming, and similar effects, increases amount healed by direct healing), Toughness 4, and Synergy (Diplomacy and Heal).
• Advanced and Master Techniques; Improved Disarm, Sneak Attack II (Boosts Healing rather than damage), Advanced Witchcraft (Dismissal).
• Occult Techniques: Inner Strength II, Iron Skin, and Ki Block.

OK, this is silly. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with being silly. This also seriously stretches the whole idea of a “martial art”, and some of the rules for them – but Eclipse explicitly allows weird variations and it this variation is hardly likely to break the game.

Pipes Of Doom (Charisma):

A skilled instrumentalist can play beautifully- or can produce a cacophony that seems capable of driving a sonic spike straight through their victims bleeding ears into their brains. A very few can do both at the same time, turning music into a deadly weapon of it’s own. Despite the name, any kind of instrument can be used with this style, although user’s are limited to a particular category of instruments unless they learn another type.

• Requires: Perform (Instrument Type) 8+
• Basic Abilities: Strike (Sonic, 1d4 base, range 30′ touch attack, no save), Power III, Synergy (Perform Subskill), Synergy (Perform Vocal), Defenses II (Sonic Deflection Shield).
• Advanced And Master Techniques: Whirlwind (allows an attack on a 20′ radius), Opportunist (can maintain a musical Mystic Artist effect while making musical attacks), Weapon Kata (Voice), Change Of Key (Metamagic/Elemental Manipulation (Specialized and Corrupted/only to alter the elemental effect of the musical attack from Sonic to Force, Fire, Electrical, Cold, or Acid, 2 CP), plus Metamagic/Amplify (Specialized and Corrupted / Only to add (Cha Mod) to the base damage, 2 CP), plus Streamline (Specialized and Corrupted / only to let the Amplify effect be added for free, 2 CP)).
• Occult Techniques: Inner Strength x2, Paralysis, and Wall Of Sound (Ki Block).

Pipes Of Doom won’t make a performer into a particularly powerful combatant, at least not without some major enhancements – although, since this style makes a musical instrument into an effective weapon, it can be enchanted or enhanced as such – but it can give them something to do while they (presumably) enhance the rest of the group.

Hajimari Mo Shori (Wisdom)

Two warriors stand, motionless, yet already joined in battle. By the time that blades are drawn, the victor has already been decided. Such is that art of Hajimari Mo Shori – Victory at the Onset. This is a weapon form, but the user may opt to learn the art for use with any single type of weapon.

This art is Specialized for Double Effect: may only be focused on a single opponent at a time, user must spend an action making an opposed Will check against said opponent, with the art only becoming effective if he or she wins.

• Requires: Will Save Bonus of +4 or more, commitment to some form of warriors code, Weapon Focus on the chosen weapon or point-buy equivalent.
• Basic Techniques: Attack 4, Defenses 4, Toughness 2
• Advanced and Master Techniques: Mighty Blow (Double Effect provides a +4 bonus on the roll to confirm a critical), Dodge, Improved Disarm (Double Effect prevents the return disarm attempt if you fail to disarm an opponent), and Expertise (AC and Damage, Corrupted for Triple Effect, one way only; -1 to -5 AC for triple that amount of bonus damage).
• Occult Techniques: Inner Strength x2, Light Foot and Resist Pain.

A powerful style for duelists, Hajimari Mo Shori can – if you win the contest of wills – grant an enormous edge on your opponent. Even if they are using a martial art of their own, doubling the effect of your own is a powerful advantage. Of course, if you lose, you’ve wasted time and will have to wait until the next round to switch to a more useful style. A skilled opponent will doubtless make good use of that time.

Torchfighter Style (Strength):

The Torchfighter has one basic strategy; you are holding what is basically a burning club; hit things with it and set them on fire. If they are just out of reach, lunge with fire. If they are further away than that, threaten to set them on fire.

It isn’t pretty and it isn’t fancy, but people have been waving burning sticks at dangerous things to hit them, set them on fire, and hold them back, for quite some time. The reflexes needed are pretty well instinctive by now.

• Requires: Str and Dex 14+
• Basic Abilities: Attack 2, Defenses 2, Power 4, and Synergy (Intimidation).
• Advanced And Master Techniques: Blinding Strike, Improved Bull Rush, Mighty Blow, and Reach.
• Occult Techniques: Inner Strength x2, Serpent Strike (force opponent to breathe flame, Con only but only costs 1 Con Point to use), and Wrath (All damage becomes fire damage, fire resistance 12 for 3d6 rounds, 2 Con Points to use).

Building A Better Torch:

The base rules are that a medium-sized Torch, when used as a weapon, does 1d3 damage +1 Fire Damage and normally counts as an improvised weapon (-4 to Attack Checks, throwing range of 10′). Of course, torches are normally relatively short, light, lengths of wood with an end wrapped in oiled, pitch-soaked, or waxed rags and set alight. Anyone actually intending to use a torch as a weapon will want a heavier piece of wood and more fuel (thus eliminating the “improvised” part). If they want to get really elaborate, a metal end (so that you can reuse your torch), with short stud/spikes on it to help hold the rags and fuel (a “War Torch”) is in order.

• Torch: 1 CP, 1 Lb, 1d3 (+1 Fire) damage if used as a weapon, Critical 20/x2, burns for one hour. -4 to hit. May set a creature on fire on a critical hit.
• Heavy Torch / Flaming Club: 3 CP, 1 Lb, 1d4 (+2 Fire) damage if used as a weapon, Critical 20/x2, burns for two hours, may set a creature on fire on a critical hit.
• War Torch: Really, this is basically a light mace with studs that serve as anchorage for wrapping it in strips of cloth that happen to be on fire. Using Pathfinders weapon design rules this is a One-Handed Simple Weapon (6 DP), Hammer Weapon Group, Improved Damage (1d4 Bashing, 1 DP), Secondary Damage (1d4 Fire, 2 DP), Improved Critical Range (19-20, 3 DP), Tool (It’s a torch. Thanks to being heavier it will normally burn for two hours before more pitch must be applied, although it will need a fresh dip after each combat in which it is used as a weapon). 5 Lb, 6 GP.
  • Net: War Torch: 1d4 Bludgeoning + 1d4 Fire, Crit 19-20/x2, 5 Lb, each successful hit requires a DC 15 Reflex save from the victim to avoid catching on fire.

That’s actually pretty effective in the early game, where catching on fire for 1d6/round is something to worry about, but will lose it’s menace later on. Of course, the Torchfighters occult techniques may be relatively easy to resist, but 2d4 Constitution Damage is a fairly deadly threat even late in the game.

Robber Baron Style (Intelligence):

Business can be just as cutthroat and vicious as any battle with blades or spells, as the Robber Baron well knows. With ruthless tactics a practitioner of the Robber Baron style can often drive those with less business acumen into quick bankruptcy.

• Requires: Economic Warfare Proficiency, Control of a business.
• Basic Abilities: Strike (Yes, literally inducing an opposing businesses employees to leave), Power 3 (increasing the number of lost employees), Toughness 4 (the “Company Town” effect; keeping your employees in debt to you makes it very hard for them to leave), and Synergy (the user’s primary business skill).
• Advanced and Master Techniques: Mighty Blow (On a critical Strike the opposing business must spend a turn reorganizing and reopening stores rather than acting), Whirlwind Attack (You may strike at up to seven opposing businesses or storefronts at once), Improved Bull Rush (you may attempt to place opponents in an unfavorable business position, driving their operations out of the most profitable areas), and Deflect Arrows (you may attempt to avoid a legal entanglement, summons, order, or similar difficulty).
• Occult Techniques: Inner Strength II (Only adventurers normally become skilled enough to use Occult Business Techniques, and they normally have resources from adventuring beyond the reach of normal businessmen), Healing Hand (bringing those hidden resources into play), and Paralysis (Through legal action you may render an opponent temporarily unable to do anything to stop you).

All right, economic warfare rarely comes up in my games, and I’d be willing to bet that it almost never comes up in most games – but if somebody wants to invest some skill points in it, why not? A clever player can always find somewhere to put it to use.

Eclipse D20 – The Piscin

Piscin (63 CP / +1 ECL racial template)

Piscin, also known as Hexcats, Witch-Cats, or (in adventurous cases) “Pawdawans” are bobcat sized humanoid felines, typically found hanging around human civilizations – usually taking basic positions in pest control, personal service, babysitting, cooking, and similar jobs where they can live comfortably on irregular, and poorly-paid, work since their personal expenses and living requirements tend to be pretty minimal. They are slightly larger and heavier than a typical house cat, usually have tufted ears, are comfortable moving on both all fours and standing up, and have frontal paw-hands. With a fairly impressive racial knack for a modest selection of useful spells they also make excellent adventuring companions or squires, although they are not the best in direct combat.

Personally, they tend to act a lot like any other cat; rubbing against friends (and thus scent-marking them), regarding most attempts to get them to go away as invitations to play, climbing things to peer down at people, sleeping wherever they please (and in positions that would snap a humans spine), pouncing on small prey, and alternating between collapsing in an apparently boneless puddle and bounding around wildly.

On Ailewelia Piscin are a new species – the creations of epic-level alchemy and an assortment of other magics. Why did the characters invest time, money, and magic in this project? Because one of the players likes tales about helpful cats – Puss In Boots, Magnifi-Cat, The Game Of Rat And Dragon, and many more – and decided that his character wanted some cute little cat-people aides of his own. And so the party – who are all willing to throw immense amounts of magic and not a little money into basically random projects – made it happen. This is, of course, why they’re rather highly magical; they were designed by some powerful mystics instead of being sculpted by gods or evolving naturally.

Ability Modifiers: +2 Dex (12 CP in Template). Unsurprisingly for a feline, Piscin are fast and agile.

Shrinking I, Corrupted / Reduces base movement to 20′ (8 CP). Piscin are on the lower end of the “Small” size range, and generally stand about two and a half feet to three feet tall (76-91 CM) (plus tail if measuring length) and weigh in at about fifteen to twenty pounds (7-9 KG). -2 Str, +2 Dex, +1 to AC and Attacks, +4 to stealth related skills and any knockback suffered, -4 to grappling, smashing doors, and similar checks.

Natural Magic: Piscin start off with three levels of Charisma Based Spontaneous Bardic Spellcasting, Corrupted for Reduced Cost (Extremely limited spell list, 16 CP), choosing their spells from the following list.

• L0: Dancing Lights, Know Direction, Mage Hand, Mending, Prestidigitation, and Spark.
• L1: Color Spray, Escaping Ward, Inspiring Word, Lesser Vigor*, Snapdragon Fireworks, and Shadow Trap.
• L2: Cure Moderate Wounds, Full Pouch, Lesser Thunderclap (As per Great Thunderclap, but 5′ Radius), Resist Energy, Summon Swarm, and Vortex Of Blades (Melee Attack all desired foes within [Reach + 5]).
• L3: Campfire Wall, Greater Pyrotechnics (no fire source required), Summon Unicorn, Prayer, Stinking Cloud, and The Laborer’s Word (Hedge Magic, this site).
• L4: Cure Critical Wounds, Fireball, Greater Mirror Image, Hold Monster, Ruin Delver’s Fortune, and Secure Shelter.
• L5: Cursed Gaze (as Bestow Curse but Medium Range), Greater Blink, Greater Heroism, Mislead, Panacea, and Restoration
• L6: Cloudkill, Dirge Of The Victorious Knights, Greater Shout, Heal (5 Points/Level, 100 maximum), Hero’s Feast, and Raise Dead.

Why is this only corrupted? A total of 42 spells to pick from – six of them being Cantrips – is downright pathetic! And yes, yes it is. Still, most of those are fairly good spells – and they include a fair variety of damaging, condition-inflicting, buffing, healing, utility, and defensive options. While it isn’t power overwhelming its not at all a bad support package.

Innate Enchantment (Up to 7500 GP Value, 8 CP):

• Boots Of The Cat (1000 GP): Piscin take the minimum possible damage from falls and always land on their feet.
• Speak With Animals (x.5, felines only, 1000 GP).
• Mule Cords (1000 GP). Piscin can carry surprising amounts of gear around despite their small size.
• Personal Haste (2000 GP). Piscin are actually quite fast (+30′ Movement, 50′ Total) and gain one extra attack at full BAB when making a melee attack. What do you expect? They’re CATS.
• Embrace The Wild (x.8, always Low-Light Vision and Scent, +2 to Listen and Spot, 1600 GP). Unsurprisingly, Piscin have catlike senses. This is a cheap way to get it,
• Endure Elements (1/Day, Personal-Only, 280 GP). They’ve got fur – but do not shed.
• Lesser Restoration (1/Day, Personal-Only, d280 GP). Piscin tend to recover quickly.
• Lesser Vigor (1/Day, Personal-Only, 280 GP). Piscin tend to heal quickly.
• Explorer’s Outfit (10 GP). Piscin don’t actually need clothing or shoes. They do kind of like hats.
• Bedroll (.1 GP). Piscin tend to sleep comfortably almost anywhere.

On Ailewelia, where the Abundant Magic (x.8) modifier applies, that leaves 1568 GP left over. So Piscin there get Personal-Only Skill Mastery (+2 on each of their Adept Skills, 560 GP), a +1 Competence Bonus to BAB with Questionably Practical Weapons (as described below, Personal-Only Weapon Mastery, 560 GP), and a Pin Of Perfume (user is always nice and clean and smells nice too, 200 GP).

Immunity to the XP cost of their Racial Innate Enchantments (Uncommon, Minor, Trivial, 1 CP).

Immunity to Antimagical, “Dead Magic”, and Dispelling effects (Common/Minor/Epic, Specialized and Corrupted / only to protect Innate Enchantments, Only those that come with being a Piscin, 6 CP).

Adept: Cat Style Martial Art, Hide, Move Silently, and Tumble (6 CP).

• Cat Style +5 (2 CP): Defenses 2, Strike. Fighting as cats, Piscin can do 1d4 + (Str Mod) damage (lethal or nonlethal, always considered armed) with their claws and gain a +2 bonus to their AC. While this isn’t particularly incredible by adventurer standards, it’s a reasonably effective defense for a small cat. Given that most Piscin have a decent dexterity bonus, they usually have another boost or two in here.
• Hide +3 (1 CP). Note that this stacks with the +4 bonus for being Small.
• Move Silently +5 (2 CP). Also stacks with the +4 bonus for being Small. Piscin can be quite sneaky when they want to be.
• Tumble +3 (1 CP).

Cat Style (Dex):

Honestly, this shouldn’t really need any description.

• Requires: Being in the form of a cat.
• Basic Abilities: Defenses 4 (Treat as Natural Armor), Power 1, Strike, Synergy (Climb) and Toughness 4.
• Advanced and Master Techniques: Instant Stand, Mighty Blow, Weapon Kata (Any one questionably practical weapon), and Blind-Fight.
• Occult Techniques: Inner Strength II, Light Foot, Vanishing Technique.

* “Questionably Practical Weapons” include things like weaponized dueling cloaks with bladed edges and/or weights sewn into them, gunblades, double-ended spears, lantern shields, coup sticks, entrenching tools, pendjepit, whips, aclys, full moons, mongwanga, hinged scythes, wind fire wheels, lajatang, urumi, and various other tools, implements, and personal items which someone has decided make great weapons when that position is – when looked at objectively – really, REALLY, doubtful. The only good things about most of them is that no one in their right mind will consider them to be serious weapons and that many of them can also be used as effective tools of some type, which is sometimes useful.

Piscin Gadgets: Piscin (save for Pawdawans) rarely have the money for any notable magic. They can, however, cause various minor tokens and curiosities to manifest a little bit of magic, at least in their paws. This is their version of Shaping (Use of Charms and Talismans version, 6 CP). (See The Practical Enchanter for details on Charms and Talismans)

Racial Disadvantages:

• Incompetent (Intimidate). Piscin are just too cute. Who could be scared of them?
• Accursed (Cute and Cuddly). Piscin are cuddly and find it near-impossible to resist being glomped. They all too often find themselves taken out of action by random people who decide to hug them, pet them, scoop them up and cuddle them, or scratch their ears.

With a net cost of 63 CP, Piscin are a +1 ECL species – although it is not uncommon for them to spend 32 CP from their first level point allotment to buy off their ECL adjustment.

I believe that helper cats are an important part of a video game called “monster hunter”, which may be the root of some of the items that the requesting player wanted them to have – but since I’ve never played any monster hunter it is hard to be entirely sure.

As a synthetic race (and one meant to be usable in other settings) the Piscin lack the biggest special advantage of most Ailewelian nonhumans – getting to stack their Innate Enchantments with external magics. On the other hand, few of their innate enchantments actually need to be able to stack with anything to remain effective – and their built-in spellcasting progression can be completed by ECL 15 (level fourteen if they buy off their ECL) for a mere 91 additional CP. Sure, that’s a chunk – a good quarter of their base CP at that level – but it’s probably well worth it.

Sadly, the Piscin have no package deals on Ailewelia yet. There aren’t even any full ADULTS there yet – but something roguish seems most likely. As might be expected for a player design, the Piscin are a fairly high-efficiency build – but, unlike many such, are not particularly game-breaking, Just really, really, helpful.