Date:         Sun, 13 Feb 1994 23:14:00 BST
Sender: Mythus Fantasy Roleplaying Game List <[MYTHUS L] at [BROWNVM.brown.edu]>
From: "John R. Troy (JRT--Mad Demiurge of Vargaard)"              <[j troy] at [genie.geis.com]>
Subject:      Magick Item and General Commen
         .
    Okay, just for you guys, I'm giving you a sample of one of my Enchanted
Equipment Submissions that I'd normally send to Mythic Masters Magazine.  I
DON'T DO THIS OFTEN, nor plan to, but I want to make Matt feel valued.  I
also saw another Journey Master worried about personas with strong Heka
armor this week...this might solve your problems.
         .
    I strongly recommend all of you go the distance and subscribe--or at
least purchase each issue seperately.  Save money going to other RPGs if
you can.  Remember, Frank and Gary *don't get paid*--they do this stuff for
a living!  $50.00/year isn't that much when you think about the fact that
other games release 4-12 supplements a year going for over $12!  Put that
new game down and buy this supplement--please.
         .
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     HERE WE GO:  TEXT BEGINS
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Palano's Pellet of Penetration
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History:  Palano was a minor apocathary who lived in a small village in the
county of Myffed of Lyonesse, far from most large towns and villages, c.
644-694 AAF.
         .
    Palano's village was being terrorized by an evil Mage, who was
extorting the villagers for "protection", every month collect fees and
goods from the village--and enforcing them to keep this secret from their
lord.  Not having a lot of magickal talents in the village--Palano being
the only one with any real proficiency--the villagers were powerless to
stop him.  One thing the "black one" loved to do was goad young people into
attacking him, while he just let their futile attempts bounce off his
powerful shields and blasted them with magicks.  Even Palano's few attempts
were futile.
         .
    After 6 months of this treatment, Palano decided to take action.  He
locked himself in his abode for close to a months time, only coming out to
gather materia...then came the fateful day when "the black one" returned.
         .
    When the villagers were bringing their "tribute", Palano confronted the
Mage, armed with a crossbow.  The black one laughed derisivly, taunting the
apocathary to "go ahead, hedged one, shoot!"...which he did.  A pellet
struck the mage's shield, and it fizzled out...stunned, the Mage begain a
casting, but before he could make a move, another missle, this one a
crossbow bolt from Palano, shot him dead in the chest.
         .
    Palano was a hero.  Soon after, Palano shared his secrets with many of
the alchemists in the county...he gained fame for this invention amonst
alchemical circles.
         .
    The pellet is known mostly by Alchemists in Avallonia, as it has had
time to be dissiminated amonst the alchemical circles and fraternitis
there.  It is less common outside of this area, although some of the more
heka-powerful nations such as Francia and AEgypt have likely learned or
duplicated the invention.  Note that it is costly and hard to make, and it
will be rare that there is more than one missle available.
         .
Appearance:  This alchemical creation is composed of a packed powder,
enclosed in a 1" fragile glass shell, made for hurling or projecting with a
sling or a crossbow.  Aural reading determines reveals heka of a (weak)
negative nature (negative plane).
         .
Powers:  This pellet must be thrown or hurled via a device at a target.
The pellet can be thrown as a rock, slung with any form of sling, or even
projected from a crossbow.  Use the normal combat rules for range and
determining whether or not the target hit the subject.
         .
    When the pellet comes into contact with a hard object--including
magickal barriers--the pellet breaks and the powder is released.  The
missle does no damage, but will be disruptive to any form of Heka-
engendered Armor.  It reacts differently to the type of heka-protection
surrounding the caster.
         .
    If the Heka-Armor is *non-renewing* (such as that from most castings),
it will weaken the armor by 12D10 points.  If this damage brings the armor
down, it will not do damage to the target--the pellet *drains* heka-energy
from armor, it is not P damage per se.  If the Heka-Armor is *renewing*
(such as that protecting certain Supernatural creatures), it will not bring
the armor down, but will *half* the power of the protection for 2D10 CTs.
         .
    Note that this will only affect heka-armor if it protects from Physical
Damage.  If the armor protects from Mental and/or Spirtual Damage, the
pellet will not work unless the heka-armor *also* protects from Physical
damage.  Thus, it won't disrupt an "Armor, Mental" casting, but would
disrupt an "Armor, Full Persona" casting.
         .
Cost:  <I don't know...because I make Gary Gygax price my items>
         .
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   END ITEM
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         .
    RE:  MYTHUS PRIME...I have it.  Bascially, there's no new information in
it at all...just some alterations of stuff like K/S areas to fit the Prime
rules and concepts.
         .
    Well...gotta run.  Please, Please, PLEASE...give me feedback and
criticism of my articles and submissions for MMM...nobody's done that yet,
save one person on GEnie.  If I'm going to get any skill as a writer, I
need it.
         .
    John R. Troy
    [j troy] at [genie.geis.com]
    "The Mad Demiurge of Vargaard"