Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Weapons of less destruction (GLOGtober Challenge 1 #4)

GLOGtober Challenge #1: Rolled a 4, Magic items that are unintentionally also magic weapons.

Cleansing Rod.

A failed mage was known for washing not as often as they should. They had a distaste for the sense of water flowing over them and therefore decided to solve this problem as their graduate project. The rod cleansed them quite effectively, however as their graduation approached they began to lose weight, they got pale and started to grow sickly despite eating well. When they passed away the chirurgeon concluded that he had cleansed his humor's and thus doomed himself to a slow death.

The Cleansing Rod can be used, over 1 minute, to cleanse a person of all filth. Thus rendering them clean and even smelling pleasantly of  lavender (giving a +1 to social checks). However the cleansed person can no longer benefit from Recovery or rations and will begin to starve. 
A highly skilled medical practitioner may be able to come up with a cure: drinking a healthy persons bile or other digestive fluids.

Cursed Tome
The librarian had noticed a distinct trend, the romance novels were disappearing at a staggering rate, however none were being booked out. So he decided to make a trap to catch the horny thief.

This tome appears to be a cheaply bound romance novel attached to a length of rope. Whoever touches the tome will find whatever parts of them touched it covered in a in invisible in that glows in the dark. This ink transfers on touch to other objects or places allowing one to follow the trail.
The tome acts as a flail, however on a hit the target is marked and they can be followed by their trail as long as it is dark enough to see the glowing ink.


Telekinetic Sewing Kit
They became quite common nearby the magic school, many students would make them for a quick profit. A simple telekinesis spell on a sewing kit, the tailors would pay top dollar to be able to sew with two free hands. It all ended however with the Seamstress Murder's where an assassin earned fame by using poisoned needles from the kits to fulfil their contacts. Now they are black market items, purchased by both assassins' and tailors wherever they can find them.

This sewing kit contains 2d6 needles inside that can be guided by a user with mental commands (Sewing kit gives +1 to all related checks). These needles can be flung as if by a magic missile spell at enemies, dealing 1d4 damage each. Unlike magic missile these needles can be poisoned.


Hedge Mages Spells*

The hedge mages are known for being a practical folk, some are known for their incredible skill with a wide range of spells. Most however are just simple craftspeople, using utility spells to support people. Some people, with less sense than muscles, attempt to take from them like they were simple craftsmen, they are quick to learn that simple utility magic can have other effects.

Cantrip: Mending
With 10 minutes of time any minor damage, like tears or cracks,  no larger than your hand can be seamlessly repaired. Skilled users can use it to weld two identical materials together (skill check to do successfully)

1: Light
Slow, visible point, instant 
When cast creates an incredibly bright light, if fired into the air lights up everything in 100ft. If fired close to the ground all creatures within 30ft. must save or be blinded for 1 minute (f) or 3 turns (p). This also creates long shadows that give a +1 bonus to any attempts to hide on the battlefield.

2: Cooktop
Slow, [dice] Nearby pieces of metal, Concentration
You cause [dice] pieces of metal you can see to glow cherry red allowing you to cook atop it like a camp-fire. If cast on weapons the opponent must drop it or take [sum] damage each turn you maintain the spell. Casting on armor generally is ineffective due to it's size and padding worn beneath it.

3: Green Thumb
Slow, Nearby plants, Instant
You gently nurture plants, sustaining them with magical energy, you can grow plants up to [dice] times their initial volume over 10 minutes, shaping them however you want. You can also release it in a burst to grow plants quickly and entangle anyone in them, entangling up to [dice] opponents standing among plant life. These plants have [sum] HP and take double damage from fire.

4: Condensation
Slow, A nearby point or character, Instant
By pulling the air together you can condense the air around into fog and then into liquid. You can fill [dice] waterskins with water over 10 minutes. You can instead conjure this fog about a person, they must save or lose their turn (f) and be blinded (p) as they choke on the fog.

5: Longsight
Slow, Self, [dice] rounds
You bend the air around a ring, such as one made by your circled fingers, that ring now acts as a telescope letting you see incredible distances or observe the stars. This removes penalties from ranged attacks past your weapons range and grants a +1 bonus on checks to see distant details.

6: Birdcall
Fast, Nearby point, Instant
You can create illusionary sounds of any animal or voice you have heard. The sounds lack resonance however and intelligent beings will not be fooled unless the sound is disguised somehow (such as being muffled). Beasts however can be easily startled and scared by the sounds of their predators.
If cast directly into a characters ears they must save or be deafened for [sum] rounds.

7:Unseen Servant
Ritual (2), Nearby Location, [sum] hours
You summon an invisible, intangible servant. It will do your bidding and can perform any and all unskilled mundane tasks at the speed a human could perform them. It  cannot go further than the range of the spell away from the location where the spell was cast and can only take a single harmful action, dealing [sum] damage maximum and being dispelled.

Monday, October 16, 2023

I know a guy (Downtime rule & contacts)

Relationship Rules

Relationships of NPC’s with the party can be characterized by the relationship level system. The system defines how a character will help or hinder the party. When attempting to persuade, barter or otherwise negotiate with the NPC the characters roll a number of dice modified by their relationship level with them.

These relationships also apply to Factions the larger groups that interact with characters.

Level

Name

Effect

-3

Rival

Will actively seek out the party to obstruct them

-2

Enemy

Will obstruct the party if they come across them, even it it inconveniences them

-1

Opponent

Will deny the party help unless they have a strong motivation, will obstruct the party if it requires little effort.

0

Neutral

Will not help or hinder the party without reason

+1

Acquaintance

Will help the party in easy ways unless they have a reason not to

+2

Friend

Will help the party unless it heavily disadvantages them

+3

Ally

Will actively help the party in whatever way they reasonably can

Downtime: Carouse

When you Carouse, you spend your money making friends and earning favors. You may get drunk at the bar, buying everyone drinks, getting into trouble and helping others get out of trouble, or you may find invite the local librarians out for a nice dinner for some enlightening conversation. Maybe you even go and do some gardening with the local druids. Either way you meet new people and earn Favors.

To Carouse you:
- Describe how you're getting to know new people
- Decide on what skill is most relevant for what you are doing
- Roll your skill check, adding a +1 bonus for each coin you spend

If your result is a:
  • Full Success, you earn 2 Favors from the people you met.
  • Partial Success, you earn 1 Favor 
  • Failure, you earn 1 Favor but a Complication Arises.
Using Favors
Favor's earned by carousing can be spend in two ways:
I know a guy. When the party needs a contact for some service like selling rare goods, purchasing ingredients, or discreet information, you Know a Guy who can help, gaining a +1 to your relationship with them for your first meeting.
Call in a Favor. When the party needs a help quickly or without being able to pay the normal price they can call in a favor from a character they already know. Characters being called on for a favor will help as if they are 1 relationship level higher than they are. This can be pushed to 2 higher at the cost of a -1 to the relationship after as they feel the party has forced their hand.

Complications: 
  1. Your Favor is in trouble, such as debt or imprisonment, and needs some help before they are able to help with anything.
  2. You manage to make an enemy with a character, a faction or character you have a neutral relationship with will become an opponent until you appease them.
  3. You attract attention from the law, you must either pay a coin in fines or hide until they forget your face.
  4. You are blacklisted from your venue, you'll have to find a new location before you can carouse in that manner again.
  5. You owe someone else a favor, which they will call in before you can use the favor you earnt.
  6. You've managed to catch a disease, curse or ailment that while benign now, will get worse each downtime until you find a cure.


Those who hunt leviathans (GLOG Class: Levithan Hunter)

Based of the Whalers and void powers from the dishonored series, this class is a supernatural rogue and assassin. They get their powers from the magical blood of the creatures found in the deep sea, powering the entire economy of the northern coast this glowing blood holds a massive amount of power for those who can retrieve it.

The Void Sea to the north of Neria is considered a place that can never be passed, a seemingly endless ocean where vast creatures destroy anything that sails the seas. That is except for the Levithan Hunters, sometimes called Whalers. These brave individuals sail in vast boats forged from steel and hunt the vast creatures, dragging their corpses back to the shore. The Hunters themselves are feared and respected by many, both because off their skill and the odd powers their exposure to the creatures gives them.

A hunter can be recognized by the tattoo's covering their arms, each glowing with the blood of a leviathan. This blood gives them strange powers, ones often inexplicable to the mages who attempt to study them. Some hunters go further still, ridges on their tattoo's showing where they've placed the bone of a Levithan they've slain. Though seen rarely outside of Grine, where the factories harvest the bodies of these beasts, some hunters travel in land, seeking other signs of the void and other hidden creatures to slay.

A Whaler vessel, the iron body being one of the few things able to survive the onslaught of a Levithan (source: Dishonored: The Dunwall Archives)

Levithan Hunter

Starting Equipment: Heavy leather coat (light armor), A shortblade (light melee weapon), A pistol or hand crossbow (Hand Weapons), A mysterious gift from a god of the void.

Background Question: What drove you to the sea?

XP Trigger: Find occult shrines and secrets.

Expert: Pushing yourself only costs 1 stamina.

Stamina: 6

A:

Voidborne Power (2), Bone Charms

B:

Runes, +1 VD, +1 Power

C:

+1 VD, +1 Power or Rune

D:

+1 VD, +2 Powers and/or Runes

A: Voidborne Powers

The blood of leviathans has mystical powers, the hunters who survive are given tattoo's from their kills. Grating them unique powers. Select 2 powers to begin with.

You have 3 void dice (VD) that you can expend to active a power. At the end of each round of combat you regain 1 void dice. You gain 1 additional void dice with each template.

Powers:

  1. Blink: You may instantly move [dice] ranges without provoking attacks of opportunity. This movement can occur in any direction and can end in mid-air. You do physically move this distance and so solid objects and hazards may obstruct you.

  2. Dark Vision: You may see in perfect darkness for the scene however you cannot see color. If 2 [dice] are invested you may see living beings even through walls. If 3 [dice] are invested you may see magic and magical materials.

  3. Pull: You may pull small objects of [dice] encumbrance to you. You can pull near characters of less than [dice] HD 1 range closer to you.

  4. Wind Blast: You can call on the screeching winds of the void and push [dice] close creatures back a range. If they collide with any solid objects, not including the floor, they take [sum] damage. Certain creatures may be able to resist or save against this.

  5. Swarm: You call upon a swarm of void creatures that have the appearance of vermin. This swarm has they has [sum] HP can attack with [dice]d to hit and deal damage equal to a third their remaining hp d4s. They will follow some commands but they hunger for flesh.

  6. Possession: You leap into the body of an animal with less than [dice] HD and can control their actions.

  7. Domino: You bind [dice] characters together and whatever effects one, such as attacks or spells, will also effect the other identically.

  8. Doppelganger: You summon [dice] illusionary duplicates, you can control both as if they were you and only reveal which one is real when you wish to physically interact with the world or would take damage.

  9. Bend Time: You may take 1 additional action for [dice] turns.

A: Bone Charms

You can use the bones of the void creatures you have slain to craft minor magical artefacts. You can maintain 2+[template] bone charms at once. You may take apart and assemble new charms when you take downtime.

Shadowkill: When you kill an enemy you may chose to instantly reduce their body to smoke.

Beast Whispers: Vermin and creatures near to the void can speak to you.

Apprentice: By granting this charm to another and expending a void dice as long as they hold it you may allow them to use one of your powers with 1 VD.

Fading Light: You regain a VD when you kill a character.

Fragments of Elmira: A womans voice whispers to you, it can guide you toawrds places where silver can be found.

Song of Inspiration: This charms sings quietly, the words can be made out to reroll a dice check once per session.

Bloodlust: When blood is shed you gain +2 stamina on top of your normal stamina this expires when you end combat.

Yearning of the Leviathan: Calls to creatures of the sea, allows the user to breath underwater.

Silence: Absorbs sound around the holder, you may reroll 1s on attempts to hide or sneak.

B: Runes

Runes carved from bone like a charm and embedded under the skin enhance the powers of the void. You may select one of these runes to enhance an existing power when you gain this ability and may choose to gain a power or rune for each template you gain

(Blink) Translocation: Blink now transports you through the void, you no longer pass through the physical world and teleport to the target location. You can only transpose to locations you can see or know well.

(Darkvision) Void Gaze: You can see magical materials and spell when using dark-vision. Void entities and artifacts can be sensed from miles away.

(Windblast) Shockwave: Windblast also effects all engaged characters.

(Possession) Human Possession: You may posses human characters, however your control is poor, you may not speak and will appear inebriated to others. Worthy characters may be able to save to resist this.

(Doppelganger) Deadly Shade: Your doppelgangers may make 1 attack each as if they were you without revealing themselves.

(Doppelganger/Blink) Transposition: When you blink you may switch places with any of your duplicates.

(Slow Time) Stop Time: When you use slow time time completely stops for you, You may make an additional attack action on your turn and your movement can no longer be seen, only the effects of your actions.

Moving Day

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