Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc From: [p--e--x] at [mentor.cc.purdue.edu] (Neale Davidson) Subject: AQ Zine #02 Date: Fri, 1 Jul 1994 14:50:34 GMT +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ Issue #2 AQZine July 1994 The Only Magazine Dedicated to Adventure Quest +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ [ 1] Editing Away Again on the Keyboard - Neale Davidson News of the first two issues. [ 1] RPG Rumor Mill - Neale Davidson Hot Topics of conversation in the RPG world. [ 2] AQDry Gulch - Neale Davidson Part two of a five part series on AQ adventures in the old American West. [ 7] Beasts and Denizens - Neale Davidson The ship's sinking and - hey what's that chewing sound? [ 9] There Always be Alternatives - Neale Davidson Stacked skill rolls. [10] Myths and Legends - Neale Davidson A regular series of religions and lore for AQJearn and other fantasy campaigns. The God of Venegence is highlighted this month. +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ Adventure Quest, AQ, and related items are Copyright (c)1994 by Lafayette Simulations. AQZine is an independent periodical and is not affiliated with Lafayette Simulations, Incorporated. +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ AQZine #2 1 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ Editing Away Again on the Keyboard by Neale Davidson --------------=====--------------- Wow, second issue. It seems like only a month ago when I was writing up the material for the first issue. My how time flies. Anyway, on the first point of order, I want to aplogize to everyone who read AQZine #1 electronically on a non-IBM system. I used some of the extended characters for nice formatting and some parts of the Zine went kinda wacko. We'll be avoiding those problems in the future, and sticking into characters that most everyone understands. As for going to actual print, there aren't any current plans yet, but that is definately something I'm looking at doing in the future. At the current rate, probably somewhere around issue four or five. But, again, there are no definate plans. This issue also sees the continuation of the AQ/Dry Gulch game (I am told that the '/' is required between the AQ title and any games in the line.) Fortunately, this is the last issue of the basic rule repeats from AQ/Jearn (there's that slash again). The upcoming issues will be all new material on AQ/Dry Gulch, starting with the Indian spirits in issue three, the town of Dry Gulch and the basic setting in issue four, and the GM's section in issue five. The most commonly asked question this far has been, "Is AQ/Dry Gulch going to be released as a full-fledged game?" Well, don't hold your breath for it. I'll not say one way or the other. Certainly, if there is enough interest in it, perhaps LSI may be interested in releasing it, but that's not a decision that I have a hand in, and you probably don't want to bother LSI about it either. At least not until issue five. If you've got some material you'ld like to share with others, simply mail it AQZine, PO BOX 187, West Lafayette IN, 47906. If you've got a computer, and would like to submit your work on disk, please make the submission in plain text with no special formatting characters. Also, please keep in mind that this material is all freely distributed, and we cannot make any promises on future payment. Maybe, if this magazine expands somewhat, maybe then we'll talk money, but until then, we don't got it, so don't ask for it. RPG Rumor Mill By Neale Davidson ----------------- Mayfair games has apparently lost the license for DC comics. While this news isn't altogether stunning, it does seem that Mayfair is going ahead with its focus on non-RPG material. This comes after news that Mayfair will not be doing a new Star Trek RPG as believed. TSR is indeed ditching the Basic D&D line this year. The main Basic D&D setting, Mystara, has already been converted into an AD&D setting, and the old D&D line will officially be dropped after a new boxed set and supplement set is released. Other news at TSR, Buck Rogers is getting yet another rewrite. Third Edition is supposed to be such a simplistic system that it makes the old MSH game seem infinity complex by comparision. Personally, after two false starts, I'd put my money back on the old Star Frontiers line from a few years back. AQZine #2 2 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ AQDry Gulch / Adventures in the Old West Playing an Adventurer - By Neale Davidson ----------------------------------------- An Adventure Quest game session revolves around the interaction between you, other players, actos, and your Game Master as events unfold during play. This chapter presents some of the rules you and the GM need for a smooth running game. Your job as Player You must bear one thought in mind when playing Adventure Quest: your GM has gone to much effort to learn and adjudicate the adventure. All his decisions are final and should not be challenged during the game. If you disagree with any of these decisions, take the GM aside after the game and talk it over. He may have acted upon information that you don't know, or slightly changed some rules to make the game different, more exciting, or less predictable. Your GM is under no obligation to explain any result, as the explanation could reveal information that your adventurer should not have. Use of Dice Dice with different numbers of sides are required to play AQ. At a minimum, you'll need to d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and a d20. Percentile rolls can be rolled with two ten-sided dice, with one dice representing the tens digit and one the one's digit. Usually, when you roll percentile, the darker die is the ten's digit. Playing Modes Play occurs in one of three modes, which are mainly defined by their time-keeping requirements during play. SUMMARIZED ACTIONS MODE. When adventurers must perform a series of mundane actions that are not pertinent to the plot or enjoyment of the adventure, the GM may simply state these things are occuring, thus briefly summarizing a long time passsage. If a player feels it's important to clarify an action during this time, the GM may switch to Free Action Mode. FREE ACTIONS MODE. For most of an adventure session you will play in near real time. The GM freely accepts actions stated by the players and gives the results of those actions. This mode of play is suspended only when a GM decides to summarize a long time period or when melee is initiated. MELEE ACTIONS MODE. When adventurers, creatures, and actors come into conflict with each-other, the GM places the game into melee mode. Time is broken down into four second combat rounds. Each round, the GM hands out information about the combat, asks for adventurer actions, and reports the results. This cycle is repeated until the melee ends, at which point the GM switches to Free Action Mode. AQZine #2 3 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ Combat DISTANCE. When the opportunity exists for adventurers to encounter other creatures or actors, your GM will determine at what distance you are from them. You adventurer must have Line of Sight (LOS), an unobstructed viewing path, to see his opponents. Indoors or underground, this generally means he must be in the same room or corridor. Outdoors, the prevailing light conditions, the type of plant life, and the general terrain are all factors that the GM must consider. ORDER OF MELEE. A Round is an exchange of blows between two or more opponents. A round lasts four seconds, 15 rounds per minute, and is the time unit of combat. The following Order of Actions imposes order on an inherently chaotic situation: 1) Determine Initiative. Initiative indicates the order in which each side plans and performs its actions. A representative from each group rolls 2d6 and the results determine the order, highest to lowest, in which actions are taken. If a tie results, the players (not the GM) always wins. 2) Informational Questions. The GM takes questions from the players about the current situation and answers them according to the adventurer's knowledge at the time. Players may talk with each-other about the situation, about playing style and rules questions, but may not talk to each-other about their next actions. 3) Action Preparation. The GM asks all players to prepare their actions. Each player must decide what his adventurer will do during the upcoming round. Players may not talk to each other during this time. 4) Statements of Actions. One at a time, the GM asks each player what his adventurer's actions are for the round. Since these actions are occuring simultaneously, the order of the call is unimportant. As each action is revealed, the GM asks the player to make any needed rolls. The player should roll the requested dice and announce the results. 5) Results. After all actions have been stated and resolved, the GM announces the results of the actions phase. This includes people or creatures falling to the ground, incidental noise, movement, or visions. The players may ask questions here if the results are unclear, but the GM may refuse to answers those questions for whatever reasons. 6) Outcome Phase. After all actions have been stated and resolved, the GM also announces the outcome of any occurances that are not the direct result of adventurers, actors, or creatures involved in the combat. This includes things like large falling objects, explosions, and other disasters. SURPRISE. When two groups meet, they may not notice one-another immediately. If this is true, and the non-surprise groups attempts a combat action, the GM will allow the surprisers a free round of action. When the surprised party does notice, the GM will start the combat as normal. Actions Of course, there are many different actions an adventurer may take during a round, but they usually fall into one of a few different classes. Each of these is described below to give you and idea of what your adventurer may do during melee. AQZine #2 4 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ MOVEMENT. It is often neccessary to maneuver during combat. Each adventurer has a Movement Rate that is the distance he may move in a round when not in direct melee. Normal movement rates for people in clothes is 45 feet per round. This can be modified by your GM according to terrain, obstacles, or circumstances. STRIKING. When two opponents are within five feet of each-other, they are considered "in melee", trading attacks with intent to harm. To determine if a hand-to-hand attack is successful, the attacker rolls 1d20, adds his Combat Modifier, plus any other appropriate bonuses, to the result, and compares that total to the Combat Defense Value of the opponent. The total must equal or exceed the CDV to score a hit. HITTING. Missile weapons, such as bows, are used very much like HTH weapons, except that you use the Missile Modifier against the Defender's Missile Defense Value. SHOOTING. Projectile guns, such as shotguns or pistols, use the Projectile Modifier against the Defender's Projectile Defense Value. DAMAGE. If a hit has been scored, either by Hitting, Striking, or Shooting, then damage will result. The Attacker rolls the die indicated by his weapon and then the Defender subtracts that amount from his running DP total. GRAPPLING. Whenever an adventurer is within melee range of an opponent, he may attempt to grapple rather than strike at the opponent with a weapon. The adventurer must drop anything he is holding at the beginning of the round so that both hands are free. The Attacker then rolls 1d20 and adds his Grapple Modifier against the Defender's Grapple Defense Value. If the grapple succeeds, the defender is held. The Defender cannot act until he breaks free of this hold (a 4d6 STR check.) Each additional person adds one die to this check. If this check fails, each additional attempt to break free is made at one additional die harder. The attacker may grapple-to-throw, if he so desires. To do this, the attacker first grapples his opponent. The thrower then determines which direction he is throwing the victim. The GM determines how much damage occurs and how far the victim was thrown. Using Skills in AQ When your adventurer must perform a specific task during play, success or failure is determined by a skill check or a stat check, Having an applicable skill gives him a better chance of succeeding, and the higher the skill value, the greater the chance for success. To check skill use, your GM will ask you to roll some six-sided dice. If you roll your adventurer's skill value or less, he has successfully applied that skill. Simple tasks require a roll of 1d6. Moderately difficult tasks will require 2d6, and difficult tasks will require 3d6 or more. The GM is the final authority on needed rolls and can apply any modifiers he feels appropriate. Defaulting a Skill If your adventurer attemps to use a skill he doesn't have, or fails at an acquired skill, he may skill try, but the check is against that skill's associated stat. This is called defaulting. The total number of d6 to be rolled is that given by the GM, plus the number of extra dice shown for that skill. AQZine #2 5 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ Resistance Checks Resistance Checks (RC) are a measure of your adventurer's resistance to various effects. When you are subject to such an effect, your GM will state what the effect is, which stat to check against, and how strong the effect is by announcing how many dice you need to roll to resist that effect. Roll that many dice, and if you roll equal to or lower than your rank in the appropriate stat, you succeed the resistance check and the effect is weakened or negated. Dying and Falling Unconscious If you fight you are very likely to get hurt! When an adventurer is damaged he must temporarily subtract that number of damage points from his damage point total. If the total goes below zero, the adventurer dies immediately. If an adventurer's DP total is between zero and five, the player must roll his current DP total or more to remain conscious. If he fails this roll, the adventurer immediately falls unconscious. When, and if, an unconscious adventurer recovers DP through natural or mystical healing, he may reroll to wake up. This is automatic once six DP is reached. Weapons and Their Effects Adventurers may employ many different weapons in combat. Each weapon is unique in the amount of damage it can do. Weapon Type is the broad class of each weapon as Edged, Pointed, Blunt, or Defensive. The Range column indicates the weapon's maximum range, if there is any. The damage column indicates the amount of damage which is inflicted on the target. The style of weapon indicates whether CDV, MDV, or PDV is used for this weapon. Weapon Type Range Damage Style Bow/Arrow Pierce 160' 1d8 MDV Cannon Pierce 500' 5d10 PDV Club Blunt - 1d6 CDV Knife (held) Edged - 1d4 CDV Knife (thrown) Edged 25' 1d2 MDV Pistol Pierce 100' 1d10 PDV Rifle Pierce 200' 1d8 PDV Critical Hits On any attack roll, a roll of one will always miss, and a roll of twenty will always hit for double the stated damage. A natural twenty is referred to as a 'critical hit'. Weapon Specialization Skills You may increase your adventurer's ability to use specific weapons by buying the appropriate weapon specialization skill. You buy this skill seperately for each weapon you wish to specialize in. Skill in any weapon gives you additional options during combat for multiple attacks, better accuracy, and higher damage. Generally, a bonus of plus one is provided for each dice sucessfully rolled under a skill. AQZine #2 6 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ Stressing Stats If desired, adventurers can push themselves beyond the normal limits of their stats by stressing. This means that one point of the stressed stat is permanently expended to gain some effect. A single stat may not be stressed more than once in a melee, and two stats may not be stressed at the same time. Stressing may be done at any time, but is mostly done during melee and does not count as an action. Stressing cannot not be used for any skill checks, even for default rolls. To stress a stat, state to the GM that your adventurer is stressing this round. STRENGTH. Stressing STR during a combat round means your adventurer is making a heroic effoert against his opponent. He gains a +10 modifier to both his to-strike and damage rolls for that round. HEALTH. Stressing HEA will enable the adventurer to automatically remain conscious when he is between zero and five DP. All statistics except for Comeliness may be stressed to improve Resistance Checks by two dice. Between Adventures Your adventurer does not disappear from existance at the end of an adventure, and the reappear at the beginning of the next. While there are many things he may do which are of little consequence to the ongoing adventures, your GM may allow you to specify some ofhis actions between adventures. Here are a few of the activities in which he may be involved. EMPLOYMENT. Your adventurer may pick a particular skill, such as barber, to be his profession. He can earn money in this employment which both pays for living expenses and provides him some extra cash. To be hired on a skill, that skill must first be at rank seven. From then on, each game week between adventures, he profits his rank in cents, multiplied by one tenth of the base cost of that skill. STUDYING. Your adventurer may also want to study certain skills while not adventuring, such as cartography. Adventurers in study gain 1d6 times 100 experience points per game month he is out of play. Next Month Next issue will provide details on the Indian Tribes and their spritual powers. Future installments will see the town of Dry Gulch explained in detail, along with its surroundings, and GM's rules for running Western-style adventures. AQZine #2 7 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ Beasts and Denizens Creatures of the Deep - By Neale Davidson ----------------------------------------- Sailing along, innocently, on the seas of Jearn is not a simple thing to do. You see, there's life under the waves, and not all of its is friendly. As your neighbouring Lizardman can tell you, some things that are down there just aren't worth meeting, though they can be tasty on a plate. PIRANHA Size 8" to 10" long Weight 2 pounds Move Land none / Air none / Sea 50' DP 2 MOD CM 10 / MM 0 / GM 0 DV CDV 6 / MDV 9 / GDV 15 DMG 1d6 Habitat Tropical Waters, usually rivers Skills Frequent Eating 5 Tracking (Blood) 10 Multiple Attacks 5 Piranha are nasty creatures which do only one thing, and do it quite well. They eat, quickly, efficiently. Pirhana are amoung the most feared predators of warm water climates. There have been several instances of humans unfortunate enough to be caught in Piranha infested waters being eaten alive and stripped to the bone in minutes. While individual Piranha do little damage in one strike, they strike often and usually in numbers of twenty or more. Piranha are basically stupid creatures and will act only to eat or track blood. They enter feeding frenzies when in contact with blood. Piranha in frenzy will attack one-another as well as the victim. GIANT SQUID Size 60' Weight 2 tons Move Land none / Air none / Sea 20' DP 48 MOD CM 4 / MM 0 / GM 8 DV CDV 3 / MDV 3 / GDV 15 DMG 2d10 (Teeth), 1d6 (Tentacle) Habitat Any Deep Waters Skills Constricting 3 Ink Jet 4 Multiple Attacks 12 (Tentacle) Mostly a predator of giant fish, Giant Squid have been known to attack large game, such as humans, who are unfortunate enough to venture near them. Giant Squids generally use their tentacles to subdue its prey, before taking it into their mouths. Each of a Squid's tentacles can act independantly, but do so usually only to constrict a large object, such as a ship. A Tentacle of a Giant Squid can be removed once it has suffered 10 points of damage. Once the Giant Squid has lost a tentacle, or has suffered great damage from its intended prey, it will project a strong masking cloud of ink and jet away to its home. Because of their sheer size, Squids make easy targets for both combat and missile weapons. AQZine #2 8 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ URCHIN Size 3' Weight 25 pounds Move Land 35' / Air none / Sea 35' DP 8 MOD CM 3 / MM 3 / GM 0 DV CDV 6 / MDV 6 / GDV 15 DMG 1d4 (up to 30' range) Habitat Warm Coastlines, shallow waters Skills Multiple Attacks 8 Lethal Poison 3 Urchins, like oysters, have the ability to create pearls. That said, it is understanable why some adventurers make it a habit of hunting down these rather dangerous creatures. Urchins are covered in a number of spines which generally carry a strong, often lethal poision. The poison lowers the victim's HEA by one point per round unless an antidote is given. HEA lost in this way is recovered at one point per day. Once the victim's HEA reaches zero, they are dead. A 3d6 save against HEA will negate the effect of the poison. Urchins are most dangerous because of their ability to launch their spines up to thirty feet away at an attacker, and have a virutally unlimited supply of ammo. Urchins, fortunately, are largely scavengers and seldom strike out against a large being unless threatened. JELLYFISH Size 2' Weight Ounces Move Land None / Air none / Sea 25' DP 1 MOD CM 0 / MM 0 / GM 0 DV CDV 6 / MDV 6 / GDV 6 DMG 1d2 Habitat Tropical shallow waters Skills Rash Poision 5 (or Lethal Poison 5) Stealth 10 Jellyfish are simple creatures, and a wonder to behold. Their beautiful forms bring a majesty to the seas as they gently guide on the currents, eating plankton. The are, in general, harmless creatures, unless attacked or accidently run into. Jellyfish are nearly invisible from a distance, and if they are approached from any speed. This is most unfortunate for the poisons of the Jellyfish are quite strong, and more than one person has died due to an accidental collision. Most Jellyfish have an irratant poison, which will simply cause the victim to suffer one die penalties on his actions for one hour. A 5d6 roll against HEA will negate this effect. Some Jellyfish, however, have a much stronger posion, which is very quick to act. This poison will halve the target's HEA per round until it reaches zero, at which point the target dies. Each round, the target must roll 5d6 against his HEA to negate this poison, which obviously gets harder as time passes. Cures to this poison do exist. Jellyfish are normally docile creates, and can be best be slain at a distance with spells such as lightning bolt (for schools) or minibolt (for a single target). AQZine #2 9 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ ELECTRIC EEL Size 2' long Weight 2 pounds Move Land none / Air none / Sea 70' DP 4 MOD CM 5 / MM 0 / GM 0 DV CDV 6 / MDV 9 / GDV 15 DMG 1d10 Habitat Deep Waters Skills None Electric Eels are more impressive to look at than anything else. By their nature, these eels generate a strong electric current which sometimes causes their bodies to glow with a soft pale light. Their usual prey is smaller fish, though they have been known to attack larger creatures. The attack of the electric eel is its shock, which it can generate at will when it strikes an opponent. The shock causes some damage, which can be halved by a 3d6 resistance check against HEA. Electric eels care little about their prey, and will eat whatever is easiest to defeat, as such, it will leave larger prey alone if something smaller is in the area. There Always be Alternatives Stacked Skill Rolls - By Neale Davidson --------------------------------------- There has been the argument placed, by several people, that the skill system should work more like R Talisoran's Cyberpunk game. What it means is this, the skills should directly modify their base stats, and skill rolls should be made in one roll, instead of potentially two. There is a relatively easy mechanic to use for this case, it is called (at least, by me,) stacked skills. Basically, stacked skill rolls work like this, add the stat and the skill together, then roll the number of dice indicated by the GM. If the die roll is lower than or equal to the stat plus skill, the roll is successful. With this rule, all stat and skill checks are made the same way, with no need for defaulting or extra dice. Default rolls are stat checks with no modifiers. Skills which cannot be defaulted cannot be rolled against since some knowledge of the skill is needed for the attempt. The only major change the DM has to use is that his skill checks will need to be made from one to two dice harder than before. For convience sake, a small chart of dice and difficulty is presented here. Trivial - 1d6 Medium - 3d6 Hard - 5d6 Easy - 2d6 Difficult - 4d6 "Impossible" - 6d6 The system works, and its fairly easy. It will, however, shift the way some of the default works as compared to 'canon' AQ. Skills with several extra-dice (like three or four) will be much easier to default upon than before. The GM, as always, has final say on the rolls. AQZine #2 10 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ Myths and Legends Tost, God of Vengence - By Neale Davidson ----------------------------------------- Domain Tost stands for justice taken to the extreme. Law has been forgotten in his eyes, and compassion is spent on the weak. Vengence is an ice-cold hand which is hard as iron and as sharp as a razor. History Tost, according to legend, was once a high-ranking priest of T'or. He had conquered several lands, defeated some of the most powerful constructs of Rudri, and had fast grown to be one of the most powerful mortals on Jearn. But Tost has made many enemies along the way, from both those he fought actively, and some of the more jealous members of his own church. As news of Tost's victories reached home, his very brothers plotted against him. As he defeated his known enemies, his secret foes had stolen his lands, and usurped his power. Tost returned to Karfelon to find his position in the priesthood stolen by a rival. Tost merely drew in a deep breath and looked upon the treacherous one with disdain. Enraged, the betrayer went to Tost's home with the intent to kill him. Tost himself was not there, but his family died in the assault. When Tost learned of the attack, he demanded that the treacherous one reveal himself. But the corruption of the church kept the murderer's identity hidden. Enraged beyond comparison, Tost cursed the Priests of T'or, whom had secretly already lost their power, and swore that he would never again serve a god who would allow such vile men to serve him. Tost began serious and grim, exactly justice swiftly and coldly, striking terror into his enemies. Justice alone was not enough. The guilty, in his eyes, must be made to suffer. Tost's thrist for vengence became legendary. Tost's quests gave him more power, and in a short time he no longer needed the powers and discipline of T'or. Tost honed his new abilities and became powerful enough to challenge even T'or. When battle ensued, Tost's rage shook the very planet. It is believed that T'or won the battle, because T'or's prominance did not diminish, but that Tost had, as a result of the battle, ascended to godhood himself. Now Tost serves as a constant reminder to those who defy T'or. Where T'or shows mercy, Tost does not. He has become the ultimate punisher, and the deliverer of death. Motivation Tost's motto is "On the wicked, kindness is no virtue, and cruelty is no vice!". In essence, that is what all of his minions believe. The wicked should be punished, severely, for their crimes. While the minions of Tost only hunt down what they consider as evil, their actions upon that evil are vicious and cruel. In their view, the wicked deserve to learn the pain of hell before they are sent there. AQZine #2 11 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ Structure Each priest is represented within the temple by a following of other priests or 'civilians'. These followers swear loyalty and obedience to their master and will follow his orders strictly to the letter. The priest with the most followers in the Citadel is called the Grand Master. ORGANIZATION. The Grand Master is the sole ruler of the Citadel. He is chosen by his followers in a ceremony where Tost himself is said to show his favor. The Grand Master commands the Generals, who then command the lower ranks. Actual rankings of the priesthood are shown by the color of the gloves and cape. Initiatives wear white, captains wear beige, majors wear tan, generals wear brown, and the Grand Master himself wears red. REQUIREMENTS. Those aspiring to be priests of any rank in the Citadel of Tost must be both strong and hearty (a STR and HEA of 15 will suffice). They must be shown to be honorable and obedient. They are then tested by dispensing justice on a captured criminal. The handling of the dispatchment of vengence will determine the eligibility of the would-be priest. DUTIES. The single purpose for all priests of Tost is to hunt down and slay (if the condemned is lucky enough) criminals. In particular, Tost priests will hunt down any construct of Rudri. Tost priests have also sworn to aid Anubis by sending his followers to him. Priests are also expected to aid other followers and to obey the commands of their superiors. Advancement Advancement comes to the priest when his superior considers him an equal. This is generally measure in skills, but can also mean in manner and presence. An intelligent and honorable priest is more likely to advance than a merely powerful one. An honorable and powerful priest is likely to go far. The position of Grand Master is only replaced upon his death. Traditions Order is, if possible, even more important to the Tost Priests than it is to the T'orites. The Tost Priests have view laws, and they are strictly obeyed. The condemned deserve no mercy, and should be given no quarter. If you must choose between slaying the condemned, and saving an innocent, then slay the condemned so that no more innocents need suffer. The condemned should suffer for every sin he has commited, and for every victim he has tortured. The Priests of Tost will use whatever means neccessary to defeat the condemned, so long as no other persons are involved. There should be no needless complexities in their duty, and the cold hand should strike firmly. AQZine #2 12 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ CLOTHING. Priests of Tost almost always wear armor, usually of leather and plate. The armor is generally adorned with the traditional ranking marks of the gloves and cape. The cape itself is optional, as it tends to get in the way at times. These Priests can use any weapon, though long swords are preferred. Worship Worshiping ceremonies are generally brief and very profound. Simple prayers to watch over the innocent and to punish the condemned are offered at morning-rise. DONATIONS. Some donations are accepted to maintain the Citadel itself, but it is hardly lavish. Most funds are kept by the Priests to maintain their gear and rations. Avarice is frowned upon. OBLIGATIONS. All priests are expected to answer to the Grand Master when needed. Generally, priests will remain with their smaller groups, with one higher ranking preist, and perform their duties and hunts on their own. PENANCE. Those Tost Priests found to be one of the condemned are tortured for days on end, sent to hell a bit at a time, to atone for the shame he has brought on his Citadel. This act of penance has rarely happened. HOLIDAYS AND CEREMONIES. The Priests have only one holdiay and formal ceremony, and that is when a new Grand Master must be chosen. This is a somber occaision, filled with mourning Priests. The end of the ceremony sees the sword of the Grand Master pointing to his successor. Spells The main distinguishing mark between T'or and Tost is that the priests of Tost use spells. They are limited in their spell selection, however, having access to only three groups, and then only to rank ten in each. Those spells in the Penance group are at double cost. SWORD. These are the weapon (offensive) spells of the Priest. Each of these spells manifest through the weapon of the priest, so he must have a weapon to cast them. 1) Hone CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Weapon TGT : Self DUR : 4 R EFF : Bonus to Strike Upon casting this spell, the caster's weapon will strike for one additional point of damage per round and will have a +1 on all to-hit rolls. The weapon must be a combat weapon and must remain in the caster's hands for the duration. 2) Disrupt CT : 1 R RC : 3d6 HEA AREA : 1 Target TGT : Touch DUR : 4 R EFF : Disrupt SU When this spell is cast, the caster's weapon will disrupt the spell energy of the opponent, as well as cause damage. When the weapon strikes, it will cause equal damage to the target's SU as the DP. The weapon must remain in the caster's hands for the duration. AQZine #2 13 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ 3) Flame Blade CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Weapon TGT : Touch DUR : 6 R EFF : Flaming Weapon The caster's weapon, with this spell, becomes encased in red hot flame for the duration of the spell. While the caster himself suffers no damage, when the weapon strikes, it will cause an additional 2d6 damage from flame. The weapon must remain in the caster's hands for the duration. 4) Razor CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Weapon TGT : Touch DUR : 6 R EFF : Double Damage When this spell is cast upon his weapon, all successful strikes with it will cause double the indicated damage for the duration. The weapon must remain in the caster's hands for the duration. 5) Scramble CT : 1 R RC : 3d6 WIL AREA : 1 Weapon TGT : Touch DUR : 8 R EFF : Reduce WIL, PWR When this spell is cast upon his weapon, any strike with the weapon will reduce the target's WIL and PWR by one point. (A 3d6 RC against WIL will negate this effect.) WIL and PWR lost in this way can be regained one point per day of rest. If WIL or PWR reach zero, the victim dies. The weapon must remain in the caster's hands for the duration. 6) Eldritch Bolt CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Weapon TGT : Touch DUR : 8 R EFF : Fire Shards The caster's weapon, with this spell, becomes encased in red hot flame as per Flame Blade. The blade can also shoot forth 1d10 energy bolts at a range of 60' for the duration of the spell. To-hit rolls are needed for the energy bolts to strike their taget. The weapon must remain in the caster's hands for the duration. 7) Sleepbringer CT : 1 R RC : 4d6 HEA AREA : 1 Weapon TGT : Touch DUR : 8 R EFF : Unconsciousness This spell will temporarily enchant the caster's weapon so that each hit with it will force the target to succeed a 4d6 RC against their HEA or fall unconscious from the sheer pain. The weapon will otherwise cause normal damage and must be in the caster's hands for the duration. AQZine #2 14 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ 8) Dispel Magic CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Weapon TGT : Touch DUR : 6 R EFF : Nulls Magic This spell will temporarily grant the caster's weapon with the ability to destroy any magical effects with 8 SU or lesser on contact with the weapon. If striking a person, 8 SU from that person are lost. The weapon will otherwise cause normal damage and must be in the caster's hands for the duration. 9) Firebringer CT : 1 R RC : 4d6 HEA AREA : 1 Weapon TGT : Touch DUR : 6 R EFF : Intense Flame This spell acts much the same as Eldritch Bolt, but the weapon is encased in white hot flame. Combat strikes cause 3d10 damage from flame, and the energy bolts strike for 2d10 damage for the duration of the spell. No to-hit rolls are needed for the energy bolts to strike their taget, but the target can roll a 4d6 HEA RC to halve the damage from the bolts. The weapon must remain in the caster's hands for the duration. 10) Deathbringer CT : 1 R RC : 5d6 HEA AREA : 1 Weapon TGT : Touch DUR : 6 R EFF : Death Blow A frieghtining spell, this will enchant the caster's weapon so that each hit with it could kill the target if he fails a 5d6 RC against his HEA. The weapon will otherwise cause normal damage and must be in the caster's hands for the duration. SHIELD. These are the defensive spells of the Priest. Each of these spells manifest through the shield of the priest, so he must have a shield readied to cast them. 1) Aura CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Shield TGT : Touch DUR : 10 R EFF : Weak Force Field The caster, through his sheild, can generate an energy Aura for the duration of this spell. On the first round, this aura can absorb ten points of damage. On the second round, nine points, and so on, until it fades to nothingness. The caster must be holding on to his shield for the duration of the spell. 2) Defender CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Shield TGT : Touch DUR : 6 R EFF : +3 to DVs This spell will enchant the caster's sheild natural ability to protect the caster from damage. When cast, the caster's CDV, MDV, and GDV all increase by three point, making him harder to hit. The caster must be holding on to his shield for the duration of the spell. AQZine #2 15 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ 3) Deflect CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Shield TGT : Touch DUR : 6 R EFF : Deflect Attacks The caster, with this spell, can deflect any oncoming combat and missile attacks. To do this, he needs to roll higher on a d20 than his attacker. The deflected attack causes no damage. The caster must be holding on to his shield for the duration of the spell. 4) Flame Shield CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Shield TGT : Touch DUR : 8 R EFF : Fire Shield Through his sheild, the caster generates a swirling flame sheild around him. Persons striking this sheild will suffer the full damage from their own attacks while the caster suffers only half damage. This does not protect against magical effects. The caster must be holding on to his shield for the duration of the spell. 5) Force Wall CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Shield TGT : Touch DUR : 8 R EFF : +5 to DVs This spell will enchant the caster's sheild natural ability to protect the caster from damage. The CDV and MDV of the caster are raised by five points and the caster cannot be grappled. The caster must be holding on to his shield for the duration of the spell. 6) Improved Aura CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Shield TGT : Touch DUR : 10 R EFF : Force Field Simliar to the Aura spell, except that the spell starts with twenty points of abosorption power and reduces at a rate of two per round. The caster must be holding on to his shield for the duration of the spell. 7) Reflection CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Shield TGT : Touch DUR : 8 R EFF : Bounce Attacks Through his sheild, the caster generates a swirling mist sheild around him. Any physical attack striking during this time will be reversed on the attacker. Magical attacks of less than 7 SU will be turned back upon the attack. Greater magical attacks will either be halved in damaged or resisted at two die easier than normal. The caster must be holding on to his shield for the duration of the spell. AQZine #2 16 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ 8) Energy Shield CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Shield TGT : Touch DUR : 8 R EFF : Force Field This spell will create a force field which surrounds the caster and an area of 30' radius around him. The force field can absorb 10 points of damage for the duration of the spell. Persons outside of the sheild must cut through by causing more than ten points of damage at the shield's radius. The caster must be holding on to his shield for the duration of the spell. 9) Absorption CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Shield TGT : Touch DUR : 6 R EFF : Absorp SU This spell will enable the caster to absorb an recharge from any magical attack directed against him of 9 SU or lesser. The spell aimed at him will not manifest, and will instead go to recharge the priest's SU points. The caster must be holding on to his shield for the duration of the spell. 10) Invulnerability CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Shield TGT : Touch DUR : 6 R EFF : Protection The casting of this spell will enable the caster to be completely immune to all physical attacks for the duration of the spell. In addition, a magical attacks designed to cause damage are automatically halved. Other magical attacks can be resisted at two dice easier than normal. The caster must be holding on to his shield for the duration of the spell. PENANCE. The Penance group represents the abilities of the preist to detect and conquer evil and the unjust. All spells manifest with line of sight, and cause the victim to fear some degree of fear, regardless of his power. 1) Chill CT : 1 R RC : 3d6 WIL AREA : 1 Person TGT : 60' LOS DUR : 6 R EFF : Mild Fear With this spell, the victim will become flustered and nervous in battle against the caster. All of the victim's combat rolls against the priest are made at a negative five penalty for the duration of the spell. 3d6 against WIL negates. 2) Know Patron CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Person TGT : 60' LOS DUR : Instant EFF : Detect Religion With this spell, the caster can 'sense' which deity the victim worships. This effect is visible only to the caster and does not tell the power of the victim. The target may roll a 4d6 WIL RC to resist the effect of this spell, but doing so usually tips off the priest that something is amiss. AQZine #2 17 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ 3) Pain Strike CT : 1 R RC : 3d6 HEA AREA : 1 Person TGT : 60' LOS DUR : Instant EFF : Cause Pain The caster, by staring at his opponent, can cause 3d6 damage in pure pain. This effect can be halved by the victim passing a 3d6 HEA RC. 4) Cold Spine CT : 1 R RC : 3d6 WIL AREA : 1 Person TGT : 60' LOS DUR : 8 R EFF : Fear With this spell, the victim will succumb to overwhelming fear. All of the actions of the victim are either at -10 (for d20 rolls), or at a penality of two dice on any skill checks (this does not affect future RCs). 3d6 against WIL negates this effect. 5) Agony CT : 1 R RC : 4d6 HEA AREA : 1 Person TGT : 60' LOS DUR : Instant EFF : Cause Pain The caster, by staring at his opponent, can cause 5d6 damage in pure pain. In addition, the victim will lose one point of HEA. This HEA is regained at the rate of one point per day of rest. The effects of this spell can be avoided by the victim passing a 4d6 HEA RC. 6) Know Spirit CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Person TGT : 60' LOS DUR : Instant EFF : Detect Backgrnd With this spell, the caster can 'sense' if the victim is a warrior, priest, mage, or other background. He will also get a vague idea of the power of the victim. The more powerful, the brighter the glow. The target may roll a 4d6 WIL RC to resist the effect of this spell, but doing so usually tips off the priest that something is amiss. 7) Fear CT : 1 R RC : 3d6 WIL AREA : 1 Person TGT : 60' LOS DUR : 8 R EFF : Massive Fear The victim of this spell will feel the overriding urge to run as far from the caster as possible. The victim cannot take any other action except for run away. Cornered victims will become catatonic. 3d6 against WIL RC will reduce this effect to that of a Cold Spine spell. 8) Penance Stare CT : 1 R RC : 4d6 HEA AREA : 1 Person TGT : 60' LOS DUR : Instant EFF : Unconsciousness The caster, by staring at his opponent, can cause the victim to pass out from pain, reducing the victim's DP to zerp in the process. The victim can avoid this fate altogethre by passing a 4d6 HEA RC. AQZine #2 18 +-----------------------------========-------------------------------+ 9) Know Comdemned CT : 1 R RC : None AREA : 1 Person TGT : 60' LOS DUR : Instant EFF : See Stats With this spell, the caster will know everything about the victim he needs, such as exact stat values, DP and SU, which spells are known, what deity he worships, skills known, and other such information. The caster will not learn the history or motives of the victim, but will know effectively everything statistically relavent. The target may roll a 4d6 WIL RC to resist the effect of this spell. 10) Destruction CT : 1 R RC : 5d6 WIL AREA : 1 Person TGT : 60' LOS DUR : Instant EFF : Destroy Soul With this spell, the victim's soul will be permanently removed from his body, killing it. A successful RC will negate this effect. Adventurers killed in this manner may never be resurrected in any form.