Path: dziuxsolim.rutgers.edu!uunet!news2.uunet.ca!uunet.ca!geac!ionews.io.org!cpinto From: [c--in--o] at [io.org] (Chris Pinto) Newsgroups: rec.games.design Subject: This is a new net RPG! Message-ID: <2ao9ee$[h 5 v] at [ionews.io.org]> Date: 28 Oct 93 11:12:14 GMT Organization: Internex Online - Toronto, Canada (416) 363-3783 Lines: 2499 NNTP-Posting-Host: internex.io.org Realms of Adventure Copyright 1989 - 1993 Chris Pinto Shareware Version 1.5 Contents ---------- Shareware Notice Introduction The Game Design Style of Play Design Goals Quick Start Rules Example of Play Required Materials Playing The Game Rules Common Sense Adventure Setting Character Sheets Physical Abilities Skills Skill Use Adjustments Skill vs. Skill Combat Damage Armor Magic Use Spell Casting Magic Items Start Play! Standard Rules Speed AD&D Storytelling Suggestions Fun Speed Believability, Impartiality Realism, Depth More on Impartiality Setting Encounters Impartial Extemporaneous Storytelling Bringing The World Alive Mapping Secrecy Mystery Participation Adventure Suggestions Key Points to Remember Common Sense Player Character Creation Character Creation Methods Starting Death Precreated Characters Random Standard Method Calculating Skills Childhood Starting Spells Point System Physical Abilities Primary Abilities Strength Dexterity Constitution Appearance Power Secondary Abilities Mana Health Luck Improvement Non player Character Abilities Use Skills Role Playing Skill Use Adjustments Great Feat Fumble Great Fumble Skills > 100% Degree of Success Skill vs. Skill Experience Experience Chart Learning Rate Skill vs. Skill Combat Training Techniques & Technology Learning Adjustments Simultaneous Training Similar Skills Teachers Stress Intelligence Long Lived Races Examples Combat Skill Effectiveness Quick Combat Combat Round Combat Skills Defensive Skills Melee Skills Melee Combat Unarmed Combat Two Weapons All Out Defense Multiple Defenses Thrown Weapon Attacks Arrow Attacks Damage Great Feat Armor Unconsciousness Bleeding to Death Death Healing AD&D Tactical Combat Magic Branches of Magic Priests Domains Divine Magic Adjustments Other Adjustments Play Balance Bards Mana Mana Dead Objects Priest Magic Mana Ability Sensing Magic Spells Imprint Magic Resistance Magic Resistance Magic Defense Successful Resistance Great Feat Fumble Great Fumble Magical Damage Resistance Magic Protection Spells Boost Against -Branch- Boost Against -Effect- Counter -Spell- Other Protection Spells Skill Spell Casting Fast Casting Chanting Adjustments Encumbrance Times of Power Places of Power Nexuses Holy Places Items of Power Casting Failure Curses Accidental Discovery Sustaining a Spell Additive Effects Counter-Magic Instability Experience Specialization Use Practice Spell Research Enchantment New Spells Books Adventure Ancients Buying Books Traps Spell Descriptions Example Spell Two Part Spells Spell Description Parts Spell Research Time Cost Spell Level Determination Spell Power Spell Effects Casting Time Range Duration Area of Effect Material Component Gems, Jewels, Crystals Sacrifices Purity Gesture Component Incantation Component Psychic Component Dodge ability Block ability Resistibility Risk Accidental Discovery Permanenting Magic Items The Use of Magic Items Destruction Recharging Enchantment Potions, Elixirs, Powders Scrolls Enchanting Items Time Cost Enchant Object Enchantment Failure Uncontrolled Magic Adjustments Runes/Glyphs Special Objects Material Components Enhancement Spells Standard Enchantments Activation Enchantments Price Per Spell Per Day Immortality Demographics Magic Items Magic Item Cost Magic users AD&D Compatibility & Conversion Conversion Abilities Magic Money Combat Compatibility Magic System Combat & experience Other Games Magic Items Spell List Skill List Monster List World Setting Demographics Economics Money Economics of Magic Ancients The Universe and Beyond Deities More information on RPGs Designer's Notes Future Product Plans Trademarks ---------- Realms of Adventure is a Trade Mark owned by Chris Pinto Other companies trade marks are mentioned throughout this book. Such use does not imply endorsement of this book. Shareware Notice ---------------- Copyright 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Chris Pinto If you enjoy this game please uploaded it to BBS's and give copies out to your friends. Free copies may be made and distributed only on the condition that this game is not altered in any way and that this complete notice is on the copy. Individual stores may make copies and sell them at any price, but only to in store customers, a store may not mail/ship copies(no mail order sales permitted). Copies of this game may not be otherwise sold(that is no publisher may publish this game). Introduction ------------ Realms of Adventure is an Interactive Adventure Fiction Game also called a Role Playing Game(RPG). In an RPG you adventure in a fictional world. You play a character in an interactive adventure story. You control the actions of your character while another person the Storyteller impartiality controls the story setting and all non-player characters. Other players each control a character of their own. The idea of the game is to imagine yourself in the place the Storyteller describes, then you decided what you will do there, then the Storyteller tells you the results of your actions and updates his description. You continue thus and adventure throughout a fantastic fictional world! (See "Example of Play" for more information.) This game is set in the medieval era, with castles, magic, and fantastic creatures. You can play a knight, a wizard, a rogue, a crusading priest, or any other character you chose. Realms of Adventure is designed to be compatible with the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. To my taste AD&D has problems(too complex, too slow, too unrealistic, and many other problems) which motivated me to design a better more fun game. Dungeons & Dragons was the 1st RPG with is origins dating back to 1974. As a result over the many years a great amount of useful supporting material has been published for it: adventure settings, world settings, monsters, spells, and magic items. So Realms of Advent ure has been designed to take advantage of them and is fully compatible with those supplements. THE GAME DESIGN ------------------ STYLE OF PLAY There are many styles of play. Generaly RPGs are played for the fun of a combination of adventure, drama, stratigy, acting, and/or mayhem. Differnt games emphisise differnt qulitys. EMPHISIS REALMS OF ADVENTURE GURPS AD&D 1st Adventure Acting Equile parts Acting, Drama, Adventure 2nd Drama Drama Mayhem 3rd Strategy Adventure - Stratigy Optional Acting - Mayhem Equile parts Acting, Drama, and Adventure may sound great, but in reality comprimises are made interfearing with and diminishing the adventure experience. So Realms of Adventure has been designed to emphisise adventure first with no comprimises! DESIGN GOALS Other game designers say that they just create rules that "feel right". For a better game Realms of Adventure has been engineered toward spicific goals based on fundemtals that contribute to making games fun. The design goals achieved in this game design are listed below: -AD&D compatible. -Very high playability. -Fast paced. -Very realistic. -Total Impartiality. -Short to the point rules(quick to learn). -Minimum number of rules. -Fast start. -Simple as possible. -Depth. -Reduce complexity, size, and learning curve of rules by: Single rules that handles multiple things. Use of the same or similar systems and the same or similar dice usage for different rules. Building onto simple base rules with simple additional rules to handle additional related things. -No need to look up rules during play. -Minimum abstraction. -No charts in the heavily used game systems. -All charts should be simple and easily memorable. -Minimum number of charts. -Minimum die rolling. -No break points. -Standardization, minimum rule exceptions. -Conventional Measurements. -Support for extemporaneous Storytelling. -Rules separate from storytelling suggestions and game setting. -Balanced and Realistically handled fictional elements(e.g. magic system). -Consequences and effects of fictional elements in game world to be fully worked out. -Realistically balanced non-fictional elements. -Opportunity for strategies and tactics. -Adjustable game systems(for different settings, realism, complexity, detail, depth, challenge, etc.). -Number systems with Intuitive meaning. -Generic - expandable to other settings(least important]. -Modular rules - so rules can be removed and added easily to change settings and styles of play. -Use a base of standard rules for most common setting/styles of play, and optional rules for others. Because most others usually have many elements in common with the common type setting/styles. -No rules were common sense is as good or better. -Rules which enhance the game setting. -Magic rules should add to sense of mystery. -Emphasis on Adventure. -Emphasis on sense of mystery. -Emphasis on sense of wonder. -Better then other Role Playing Games(meaning the rules must attain the other design goals to a higher degree then other Role Playing Games). QUICK START RULES ----------------- To play the game, one player must be the impartial Storyteller. The Storyteller should read the rules while the players select their characters. The Storyteller can then teach the players the rules during play. To start just read the players the introduction and tell them they can expect their characters actions to result in EXAMPLE OF PLAY ----------------- (The use of dice rolls is explained later in the game. Note "I" is frequently used in place of the more correct "my character" because it is faster.) The text in quotes is what the player's character says in the game world. Players: Sean: The Storyteller Bob: Sir Conrad, knight, 3rd son of Duke Validimar. Paul: Ignacy, wizard. Dave: Jake, rouge. Ed: Sir Arthur, Knight The story so far: A century ago the northern kingdom of Norland was over run by a horde of barbarians. The king's youngest son escaped to the kingdom to the south, were his wealth bought him a small duchy. Sir Conrad is the great great grand son of that duke. As the 3rd son he will inherit little so he has set off with his friends on an adventure to recover the ancient king's treasure that family legend says was never found by the barbarians. His Grace Duke Validimar has given Sir Conrad a map to the hidden vault that holds that treasure. GM: After weeks of trekking through dense forest you have arrived were the over grown kings road meets the great river Vidion. In the distance looms snow toped mountains. And before you stands a large city, walls crumbing and breached in a dozen places. The city itself has been gutted by fire and over grown by weeds and vines. The few buildings of brick have mostly collapsed to their 1st story. Threw the devastation you can clearly see the ancient castle of Sir Conrad's ancestors atop a hill in the ce nter of the city. It looks to have faired better then the rest of the city. The gate house is before you and still stands, though the gate has been smashed in. Ed: "Looks like those barbarians kicked ass here." Bob: "Ya, lets go see if they left the treasure." I ready my lance and head in. Dave: "Wait, there could be anything hiding in that gate house." I'll enter the city through one of the breaches in the wall. (No one disagrees so all are presumed to follow Dave through the breach.) GM: You enter onto a rubble strewn street. The road has been used recently, the weeds on the street have been trodden down. (The GM draws a quick map of what the player characters can see and gives it to the players.) Paul: Is the weed growth much lighter on the road then else were? GM: Yes. Paul: Then "Someone or something lives in these ruins and regularly uses this road!" Dave: I head to the castle keeping behind cover and out of sight as much as possible, moving slowly and looking around carefully as I proceed. Ed: I draw my sword and follow. GM: About 1/2 way to the castle you hear what sounds like children running, to your left past a partly collapsed building. The ground story of the building is still standing. (GM updates map.) Dave: I avoid the sound, backtrack to there(Bob points on map). Then continue to the castle. GM: After some time you reach the outer castle wall. The wall is in good shape. Dave: Are there any breaches in the wall? GM: Non. The only entrance is the main gate which is open. Dave: "If we enter threw the main gate were bound to meet whoever lives in this city and I don't think they will be inclined to just let us walk in and out with the treasure. So we got to go over the wall." Ed: "Ya, but climbing up there we'll be seen from 1/2 the city so we got to wait till night." Paul: Soon as its fully dark I cast a levitate. Then levitate up to the top, tie off my rope and drop the other end down. GM: Okay its night, roll for your spell casting skill. (Paul rolls the dice and fails, tries again and succeeds.) GM: 2 tries. That used up most of your mana. Your now on a walk way at the top of the wall. At both ends of the walk way are towers. One with a closed door the other one to your right has an open door leading into the tower. The court yard is over grown with plants, but is other wise empty. You can see the entrance to the main palace building from here and there is light shining out of the broken windows. You can hear dogs barking and growling from inside. (GM draws a map.) Paul: How many dogs? GM: You can't tell that from this distance. Bob: I use the rope to climb down to the court yard, then I head to the back of the palace away from the lit area. GM: As you round corner to the back of the palace you come face to face with an ugly short creature that definitely isn't human. You can't be sure in the dark, but the way the moon light is hitting it you'd swear its skin is a sickly yellow-orange in color. Its about 4' tall and is standing on a stone block making its red eyes even with yours. At the sight of you it lets out a startled yelp that sounds like a dog's bark. (GM updates map.) Dave: "Goblins! Run!" Bob: "Ha! A true belted knight fears no goblins! For God and Norland! Attack!" Ed: I attack! Dave: "Damn!" All right I follow and attack. Paul: I ready a sleep spell! GM: The goblin swings the small mace it was holding at bob before bob can draw his sword. Bob: I block with my shield. (Bob and the GM make a dice roll... the goblin wins. The GM rolls damage...) GM: Solid hit! Lucky your warring that plate mail! Bob: Now I attack! (Bob and the GM roll... both miss.) GM: Ed your in range to attack now. (Ed and the GM roll... Ed wins. Ed rolls damage...) GM: Ooh, nice hit! And one dead goblin! Too bad a dozen more are piling out of the door way 20' away. Paul: I blast them with a sleep spell! (Paul rolls dice against his spell casting skill... and succeeds! Then he rolls dice to see how many goblins are effected.) GM: 6 goblins drop and are snoring away. 5 are still charging at you. 1 has stopped and is trying to awaken 1 of the sleeping goblins. You just used up the last of your mana. The game continues on in the same manner. REQUIRED MATERIALS -------------------- The rules. Make copies for each player and the Storyteller. An adventure setting(Expert Storytellers can create this on the spur of the moment). A set of polyhedral dice consisting of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 20 sided dice. Extra 6 sided dice and at least one extra 10 sided dice will be useful. A set of dice for each player and the Storyteller is useful. Polyhedral dice are available from most game and hobby stores. Paper, pencils, and an eraser. Graph paper is useful for mapping. Tracing paper is highly useful for copying maps by the Storyteller for the players as the players explore. Physically the players should be comfortably seated facing the Storyteller. Table/desk space is needed for paper, dice, maps, the rule book, snacks and drinks. The Storyteller needs extra space shielded from player view for his adventure notes and maps. PLAYING THE GAME ------------------ The game is played verbally. The Storyteller describes the area and the situation that the player's characters are in. The players state what the actions of their characters are and quote anything their characters say. The Storyteller then tells the players the results of the actions of their characters and updates the situation description. The game then continues on in this manner. Maps and some times pictures are used to assist the Storyteller in his descriptions to the players. Players each have a character record sheet on which is recorded a detailed description of their character including profession, background, physical abilities, skills, equipment, spells, magic items, and combat advantages. Maps of areas explored are also kept. Players roll dice for their characters when appropriate to determine the results of actions. The Storyteller rolls dice for everything else when appropriate. The Storyteller uses an adventure setting booklet(which describes the adventure setting including pictures and complete maps for the Storyteller's eyes only) to run the adventure. Experienced Storytellers can create their own adventures a head of time or on the spur of the moment. The Storyteller impartially controls all non-player characters encountered, having them take actions and quoting what they say based on the non-player characters identity, profession, personality, and the situation. The Story teller uses the rules, dice, and common sense to impartially determine and resolve story elements. When using a published adventure setting the Storyteller reads the complete adventure setting a head of time. Then at the start of play the Storyteller reads aloud the player introduction which includes a description of the area and the starting situation of the player characters. The players then make their first move stating the actions of their characters. When the player characters reach each encounter location the Storyteller reads aloud the boxed initial player description for that location. Bas ed on the Storyteller description of the encounter location the Storyteller handles any further description updates of that location to players himself. The Storyteller is responsible for updating the player's maps as new areas are explored. Were the Storyteller's map is complex, tracing paper should be used to speed up the updating of the player's map. To keep track of character locations during combat a quickly sketched enlarged map of a location can be used. Impartially Determining Events Most of the time a combination of the player character's actions and/or the adventure setting including non-player character personalities dictate what will occur. However some times an important event could easily go more then one way. In that case the storyteller should quickly assign a probability to each possible event then roll dice to determine which event occurs. Do not roll for every little thing. You should only roll for important events. Example: If a situation arises were its not clear if a non-player character would attack or not attack a player character then quickly assign probabilities and roll. In a situation were a non-player character host would offer beer or offer wine to the player characters don't slow the game down by rolling, just chose which one! RULES ------- The rules normally apply to both player characters and non-player characters equally. Dice rolls are noted like this: 3D10 + 2. That means roll 3 ten sided dice and add them up, then add 2. 1D100 percentile(%) rolls are made by rolling 2 ten sided dice and counting one dice as the ones, the other as the tens, with a roll of "00" being 100. Many statistics in the game are rated as a %. When a rule says apply "-10%" to that statistic you -10 from that statistic, not -10% of the statistic from the statistic. Common Sense -------------- The rules cover common situations that will occur during adventures, they provide assistance to the Storyteller in impartially resolving the situations. Common Sense should be applied to all rules and especially in situations not specifically covered by the rules. Adjustments to rolls or the rules them self should be applied as appropriate by the Storyteller. To keep the rules brief areas were common sense would sever just as well or better have not been defined in the rules. Adventure Setting ------------------- An introductory adventure for beginners is included. This is for the Storyteller's eyes only. Character Sheets ------------------ Each player chooses 1 character sheet from the sheets provided with the introductory adventure. Most of the character sheet should be self explanatory. Physical Abilities -------------------- The physical abilities of a character are strength, dexterity, constitution, appearance, and power(magical). Rated from 3-18, with a rating of 10 being that of an average human. For successful use roll 3D6 <= the ability, with adjustments determined by the Storyteller. Example: Forcing open a stuck door could be a roll vs. strength with a +3 to the dice roll. There are 2 other physical abilities: health, and mana(magic energy controllable) which change in current amount during play. Health is reduced by damage and increased by healing, magical or natural(at 1 point per 4 days rest). Mana is reduced by spell casting at the rate of points = spell level for each spell cast. Full mana is regained by 8hrs sleep. Skills -------- Each skill is rated as a %. The % is normally 1-100, but can exceed 100%. Example Skills: broad sword fighting, blacksmithing, swimming, running, cooking. SKILL USE Successful use of a skill is 1D100 <= skill + adjustments. The Storyteller assigns the difficulty adjustments. ADJUSTMENTS A skill's % is rated based on what would be a hard(that is a 50% failure/success rate) task for a person with 6 months experience(that is 40%) and an average dexterity(that is +10%). The common use of many skills is not hard and so an adjustment is applied to the skill before rolling to check success. The adjustment for each difficulty rating is counted from the number on the left to but not including the number on the right. DIFFICULTY SKILL ADJUSTMENT % SPREAD Simple/Chore >=+50 Easy/Routine +30 to +50 20 Challenging +10 to +30 20 Hard/Complex -10 to +10 20 Very Hard -30 to -10 20 Extremely Hard -50 to -30 20 Impossible <=-50 SKILL VS SKILL All directly competing skills are rolled for. The highest successful roll wins. Equal successful highest rolls result in a tie win. Combat -------- Combat takes place in 10 second rounds. For melee combat(e.g. sword & shield) a Skill vs. Skill dice roll is made, melee skill vs. melee skill each round. The winner of a round rolls the damage done to the loser. For thrown weapon attacks a Skill vs. Skill roll is made, thrown weapon(e.g. throwing knife) vs. defensive skill(e.g. shield block). The winner of a round rolls the damage done to the loser. For bow & arrow attacks only the attacker rolls in a simple Skill Use roll. If successful the damage done is rolled for. Adjustments are applied for cover including shield cover(10% for small shield, 20% for large shield, 30% for tower shield). DAMAGE Each weapon has a damage dice roll rating(e.g. 1D8+1). Damage done = weapon damage roll + adjustments(for strength and magic) - targets armor. ARMOR Characters and monsters have armor ratings, the higher the value the stronger the armor, with 0 being no armor. Magic Use ----------- There are 2 types of magic, wizard magic and priest magic. Mana totals are kept track of for each type. Each type is split into 8 branches: Sorcery/Theurgy Conjuration Necromancy Healing Illusion Possession Divination Enchantment Priests and wizards have separate skills for each branch and spells in each branch. For spells of more then 1 branch of magic use the lowest skill in those branches. CASTING SPELLS Only known spells can be cast. Current mana = current mana - spell level of spell cast. If casting the spell would put the wizard at below 0 mana their is insufficient mana to cast that spell. The success of the casting is determined by: a Skill Use roll - (10% * spell level). Failure results in no spell effect. MAGIC ITEMS Magic items have been enchanted with a spell effect permanently on, or to cast forth a spell effect upon command(secret command word must be known). Start Play! ------------- Start the adventure! Skip the Standard Rules for now. STANDARD RULES -------------- The rules normally apply to both player characters and non-player characters equally. Players roll all dice rolls for their character. The Storyteller rolls all other dice rolls. Dice rolls are noted like this: 3D10 + 2. That means roll 3 ten sided dice and add them up, then add 2. 1D100 percentile(%) rolls are made by rolling 2 ten sided dice and counting one dice as the ones, the other as the tens, with a roll of "00" being 100. In charts and tables number ranges are counted from the left number to but not including the right number(e.g. "10 to 30"). SPEED When a rule can't be calculated and applied quickly then quickly estimate it instead. Example: Don't calculate a non-player character's Throwing Range Strength Adjustment during play, instead estimate it. If your unfamiliar with that rule don't worry about it, just wing it. The players should have calculated their character's adjustment before play. AD&D The "AD&D:" headers are rules for converting the AD&D game to the Realms of Adventure game. If your not converting from AD&D then you can ignore these sections. Common Sense ------------- The rules cover common situations that will occur during adventures, they provide assistance to the Storyteller in impartially resolving the situations. Common Sense should be applied to all rules and especially in situations not specifically covered by the rules. Adjustments to rolls or the rules them self should be applied as appropriate by the Storyteller. To keep the rules brief areas were common sense would serve just as well have not been defined in the rules. Storytelling ------------ For basic information on how to run a game see Quick Start Rules - Playing the Game. For a great game good storytelling is equily as important as knowing the rules! Suggestions ------------- FUN Never forget that the whole reason for playing RPGs is to have fun! SPEED Speed keeps the story exciting. To run the game fast paced don't waste time during the game to look up rules if possible(after a couple games you should have the core rules memorized). During the adventure concentrate on the interesting, skip the boring, briefly summarize the mundane. BELIEVABILITY, IMPARTIALITY For a good story you need to make the players imagine that their character, the fictional world, and the adventure is real. If you can achieve this then you will create an engrossing, fulfilling, fun story. If they lose their suspension of disbelief then their disbelief will intrude upon their imagination and the story will seem fake, implausible, and generally not enjoyable. Highly important is to run the game setting totally impartially! Never alter dice rolls or events to make for a better story!! All non-impartial interference and alterations of the story will take away from the stories believability. Also most players want their adventure to be a fair challenge so non-impartial judgments will cause the players to feel cheated. REALISM, DEPTH Keep the game world as realistic as possible and add as much depth to your world as you can handle. Lack of realism and depth will stress a player's suspension of disbelief. The players will notice the little things that are unrealistic. Like when there are too many huge carnivorous monsters and not a big enough food supply to feed them in the area, when finely crafted armor and weapons are available for sale in backward villages, and when noble lords ask peasant player characters for help. Above all non-player characters must behave in a realistic and plausible manner. Depth includes making short notes of things happening behind the scenes that cause some of the encounters the players have. As the players investigate more deeply the reasons for the encounters should normally become more apparent. MORE ON IMPARTIALITY Setting The basic premise of the over all adventure setting should be non-impartially selected so that it provides opportunity for interesting adventure. The setting details should be impartially created based on the setting selected and any setting details that have already been created. That still leaves a wide range of creative options for new setting details. Just create what you like, but remember to keep it realistic. If you are creating the setting details without any regard to the player characters th en you are creating it impartially. Encounters If you just create challenging encounters to fill the players time they will soon realize this and that would ruin their imagination of the story being real. If you impartially create encounters based on the story setting the story will seen very real. All non-impartial interference and alterations of the story will take away from the stories believability. Impartial Extemporaneous Storytelling This is easily done. Just think in very general terms of what the important places and areas around the player characters are. Then if the player characters visit that area you have something to impartially base encounters on. BRING THE WORLD ALIVE The best way to bring the game world alive in the players imaginations is to add background details in your description of encounters. Describe the tile work in the floor, the items of clothing non-player character's are wearing, the color and types of flowers near the players, the change in smell as the players enter an alleyway, note the weather or the cold draft the characters feel. Give priority to background details that convey an appropriate impression of the encounter. Don't waste a lot of time on it. Note only one or two background details for each encounter, unless the players request a full description. All together they will bring the world alive! MAPPING Describe an area then map it, so players imagine the place instead of just looking at a few lines on a piece of paper. Don't describe the exact dimensions of the room and the locations of the structural features as that would confuse players and they will be getting that information as soon as you update the map. Rather simply say something like "You see a huge pillared room with 3 pairs of great wooden doors exiting it, and a winding stair case leading up."(along with what's in the room), then map it. SECRECY If a common appearing item is secretly something special don't mention it unless you otherwise would if it were not something special or players will become suspicious and you'll have given away the secret. Example: Say the players are exploring the basement of a temple and you have previously noted there are torch holders on the walls with lit torches and then didn't mention it after that. If players enter a room were the torch holder is a lever for a secret door don't mention the torch holder unless t he players ask. If the players decide to search the room they may ask you for a list of the contents of the room, then mention its presence(but not its secret purpose of course). When players ask for a detailed list of what they see, hear, or otherwise sense, give it to them, list everything. That way they won't be able to easily pick out the secretly important items. MYSTERY Another important element is mystery. You should try to keep a sense of mystery about your world and its magic. If your players are beginners, then you got it easy. Keeping that sense of mystery is harder when your players have read every standard spell, magic item, and monster. I suggest including lots of rumors, legends, and stories of distant lands from non-player characters when appropriate so the players know there is a much bigger world out there beyond what little they have seen, and that the farthest of those lands are wondrous and far different then the local area. Start with rumors of the near by villages and baronies, with a few snippets from distant reaches of the kingdom. As they travel keep local news the most common as it should be, but add some news of near by k ingdoms. Every once in a while include a rumor of some far distant land(e.g. of china, a new land the Vikings are rumored to have found, or the tartar invasion of Russia.) Include rumors of adventure possibilities: wizards towers, evil temples, dragon sightings, humanoid bandit raids, the baroness's jewels stolen, etc. Keep your world maps secret. They may be colorful and pretty, but showing them to your players will ruin their sense of wonder at what is beyond the local area. Of course you can create maps that player characters can get a hold of, but they should normally be limited in scope, inaccurate, and in places plain wrong. If your using a published world setting I suggest you don't even tell your players which one, and also change the names of land marks they would recognize. PARTICIPATION Keep the game exciting for all the players by trying to share out the action evenly. If one player isn't participating as much keep asking him what his character does. Require that the PCs normally stay together in 1 group. Otherwise the over all progress of the adventure will be cut in half or worse, which will reduce the game pace, and excitement and reduce the over all fun. ADVENTURE SUGGESTIONS Some times players especially new players will run out of adventure plans or will get stuck in a rut of repeating an adventure type that has grown boring. When this happens you as the Storyteller should suggest to the players opportunities they have over looked. You should not artificially alter the game world to present such opportunities, nor should you have non-player characters tell the player characters what they should do. Suggest many different adventures open to the players and let them chose. As long as players are doing fine on their own don't suggest adventures to them because choosing their own paths and adventures is part of the fun of the game. Key Points to Remember: ------------------------- FUN SPEED BELIEVABILITY, IMPARTIALITY REALISM, DEPTH BRING THE WORLD ALIVE SECRECY MYSTERY PARTICIPATION It is very important to remember this list while storytelling a game. Every thing you do as a storyteller should take into account these goals. Player Character Creation ------------------------- Each player(except the Storyteller) creates and plays 1 character at a time in the game. A simple character includes a name, physical characteristics, skills, and a list of equipment owned. A more developed character also includes a detailed background noting such things as events threw out childhood, friends, family, and which activities gained the character each skill. A character's information is written down on a character sheet(a blank character sheet is included at the end of game manual). Detai ls on the physical characteristics and skills follow the character creation methods. The Storyteller decides which character creation methods players can use. CHARACTER CREATION METHODS 1)Precreated Characters: Players chooses from precreated characters. 2)Random: Randomly created based on profession of chose. 3)Standard System: Players create character they want, negotiated with Storyteller. 4)Point System: Players create characters by point allocation. STARTING Most games should start with inexperienced adventures, novice characters with skills obtained from their mundane lives off on their 1st adventure. There is a much greater challenge in playing novice adventures and its more gratifying seeing them progress then in starting with a great hero. Further characters which survive to become veteran adventures have a much more detailed and colorful past which leads to more exciting adventures. DEATH When a player character dies in the game create a new character! As soon as possible after the group is out of immediate danger(within 10 minutes maximum) the Storyteller should fit the new character into the adventure so that the new character may join the other player's characters even if it requires an improbable situation(if necessary a failed teleport spell lands the new character in the group's midst). When all the player characters are killed in an encounter, its time to start a whole new group of characters. They can restart the adventure or go on a new adventure. Usually its better to start a new adventure else the players will know things about the adventure that their characters wouldn't know. PRECREATED CHARACTERS ----------------------- To speed the start of a game session up the Storyteller may write up a bunch of characters before the game and let the players chose among them. This method has a draw back - if players create their own character they will value the character more and take a greater interest in the character and from the character a greater interest in the adventure. RANDOM -------- You can get this feature by purchasing the non-shareware enhanced edition of the game. This edition is forthcoming. Look for future announcements! STANDARD METHOD ----------------- Each player creates his characters background first. The background is the players choice, anything he likes. Then the player calculates his characters skill from the characters background using the Experience Point Award Chart. The player should chose his characters abilities, equipment, and other things based on his characters background. The Storyteller can set some general limits on allowable characters so characters created are appropriate to the adventure setting the Storyteller has prepared. If players manage to design inappropriate characters anyway then the Storyteller and player should negotiate changes to the player's character to get an appropriate character. The Storyteller should set as few limitations as possible and require the minimum number of changes. CALCULATING SKILLS Calculate the number of days worth of experience for each skill by figuring the time spent using each skill / 8 hrs. Then use the Experience Point Award Chart to figure out the skill rating from the number of days worth of experience. Example: If the character spent on average 1 hour per day 6 days a week for 4 years practicing his broad sword skill then he would have 52(weeks per year) * 6(hours per week) *4(years) / 8(hours) = 156 days worth of experience in broad sword skill. At the rate of 1 exper ience point a day that would = 156 experience points for a skill rating = 40% + Dexterity. The time spent using skills should be reasonable and realistic. CHILDHOOD In general, up to age 3 no useful skills are learned(not counting such basic things as walking and talking). From age 3 to 6 physical skills like running, climbing, stone throwing, are learnable(exp. gained at 1/4 normal rate). From age 6 advanced skills are easily learn able(exp. gained at 1/2 normal rate). From age 9 a methodical, logical method of learning is used by the child with an increased attention span(exp. gained at full rate). STARTING SPELLS A wizard starts with the spells his master teaches him, thus the starting wizard is limited to the spells his master knows. Due to the obsessive secretiveness that magic afflicts upon powerful wizards normally only low powered spells(relative to the master's skills) would be taught. This would include spells that are useful for the master, and a few defensive spells that don't pose a risk to the master. A mid-powered spell(relative to the master's skills) or two may be taught if they are especially us eful to the master for the apprentice to have(e.g. enchantment type spells or a type of spell the master wants more research done on). Additionally other spells that the master thinks his apprentice needs for his training would be taught. A wizard character normally starts with a number of spells that have spell levels that add up to be equal to his mana + the number of branches of magic the wizard has skill in. POINT SYSTEM -------------- You can get this feature by purchasing the non-shareware enhanced edition of the game. This edition is forthcoming. Look for future announcements! Physical Abilities ------------------ Primary Abilities: Strength Dexterity Constitution Appearance Power(Magical) Secondary Abilities: Mana Health Luck(Optional) Normally a PCs intelligence is = to the player's intelligence. This avoids many problems that would other wise occur when role playing characters with a higher or lower intelligence then the player. Non-player character's do have ratings and modifiers. (Optional) However some times its fun to try role playing a character of intelligence different then that of the player. To do this use the rules for non-player character intelligence for the PC. This will result in more roll playing and less role playing. PRIMARY ABILITIES ------------------- Usually range from 3-18(i.e. 3D6). STRENGTH Skill adjustment = +1% per Strength point for Strength based skills(Note: each 1% can be equal to 128 days worth of training so this is a significant advantage!). Damage adjustment = +1 per point of Strength beyond 10, and -1 per point of Strength below 10. Range adjustment on thrown weapons is = Strength / 10 * Range. Bows get a range bonus only if they were specially made for the higher strength. All bows get a range minus if Strength is under 10. A character can bench press his strength rating squ ared in pounds. Bench STR Press 1 1 2 4 3 9 4 16 5 20 6 36 7 49 8 64 9 81 10 100 11 121 12 144 13 169 14 196 15 225 16 256 17 289 18 324 19 361 20 400 AD&D: The AD&D combined damage and to hit bonuses are = to the REALMS OF ADVENTURE damage bonus. The strength rating is converted based on the bonus. Thus ADD:RA is 8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15 = 10, 16 = 11, 17 = 12, 18 = 13, 18/01-50 = 14, 18/51-75 = 15, 18/76-90 = 16, 18/91-99 = 17, 18/00 = 19. DEXTERITY Skill adjustment = +1% per Dexterity point for Dexterity based skills(most skills). CONSTITUTION Skill Adjustment +1% per Constitution point for Constitution based skills(e.g. long distance running, swimming). Health = Constitution. APPEARANCE The effects of this characteristic are obvious. POWER Mana = Power / 10 * Base Mana. All creatures have a chance of 1D20 <= Power of resisting most magic cast directly on them. Spells note if they can be resisted or not in their description. Successfully resisting the magic negates or reduces its effect on the target creature as noted in the spell's description. Magic resistance is automatic, and requires no effort or attention(e.g. an unconscious creature will still resist magic). A creature can drop its magic resistance at will. AD&D: This takes the place of a saving throw. SECONDARY ABILITIES --------------------- MANA Mana represents the amount of magical energy that can be controlled. It is increased though improving magic skills. It determines the number of spells that can be cast. A spell uses up a number of mana points = to the level of the spell. Example a 5th level spell uses up 5 points of mana. Mana is based on the character's highest magic skill. Mana for characters and creatures is kept track of separately for wizard and priest spells. Mana is kept track of in 3 or 6 totals: (3 if only wizard or only priest) Base Wizard Mana - mana before Power adjustment. Total Wizard Mana - full Wizard Mana level, after Power adjustment. Wizard Mana - current mana, used during play. Base Priest Mana - Priest mana before Power adjustment. Total Priest Mana - full Priest Mana, after Power adjustment. Priest Mana - current mana, used during play. All start with 1 base wizard and priest mana point. Base Mana increases = (skill - 45) / 5. Total mana = Power / 10 * base mana. Mana is = total mana - spells cast, reset to total mana amount after a nights sleep. SKILL INCREASE TOTAL 0 1 1 50 1 2 55 2 4 60 3 7 65 4 11 70 5 16 75 6 22 80 7 29 85 8 37 90 9 46 95 10 56 100 11 67 105 12 79 110 13 92 115 14 106 120 15 121 125 16 137 130 17 154 135 18 172 140 19 191 145 20 211 150 21 232 etc. HEALTH Health = Constitution - injury's. Restored by healing at 1 point per 4 days rest or by magical healing. LUCK(Optional) Not used in standard(realistic) play. This option lets players have the luck of the great heroes from myth and legend at the cost of some realism. Legendary heroes have more then great prowess they also have great luck, another warrior of equal prowess would have not 1 chance in a hundred of succeeding at the same feats and surviving. This option is for players who want to play a great hero and would rather not play a hundred characters with less luck to get one. Luck = highest magic or melee skill / 10. For every luck point used one dice roll(using any number of dice) can be rerolled. Rerolls of rerolls can be made at the cost of 1 luck point each. The choice to reroll a dice result must be made before anything else happens in the game and before any other roll is made. Luck points are regained at the rate of 1/day. Either all player characters use the heroic Luck option or non of them do. If the luck option is used then all monsters and most non player characters do not have heroic luck, but rare non-player character's that are heroes do have heroic Luck. AD&D: AD&D is a game system were heroic luck is built in to all characters. So if you want an AD&D feel to your game you should use this option. IMPROVEMENT ------------- New ability value - Genetic Advantage * 10 = the number of days of training that is required to raise Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution by 1 point. Constitution, Dexterity, and Strength can each be trained up to a maximum of 15 + Genetic Advantage. A days training is a 1/2 hour if the new ability rating is 11 or less or 1/2 hour per point if its above 10. Appearance will improve by 1 point for every 3 points of Constitution + 3 points of Strength that is raised. Constitution will be raised 1 point for every 2 points strength is raised. Strength will be improved by 1 point for every 3 points constitution is raised. Dexterity will be raised 1 point for every 3 points constitution is raised. Power can not be improved by training. Only extremely powerful magic can alter a characters Power. NON PLAYER CHARACTER ABILITIES -------------------------------- INTELLIGENCE Intelligence is equal to an IQ of 10 * intelligence rating. Example 10 INTELLIGENCE = 100 IQ. Experience point adjustment: experience points = Intelligence / 10 * base experience points. ABILITY USE ------------- Successful use = 1D20 + adjustments <= Ability rating. Skills ------ Each skill is rated as a %. The % is normally 1-100, but can exceed 100%. Example Skills: Broad sword fighting, blacksmithing, swimming, and cooking. ROLE PLAYING Normally PC's have no skills of a type that could be role played by a player. This is to avoid roll playing. Examples: bribing, lying, bargaining. (Optional)However it is some times fun to play a character of different ability in such skills then the player has, in which case use the nonplayer character rules for these skills for the PC. SKILL USE Roll 1D100 <= skill + adjustments for successful skill use. Storyteller assigns the difficulty adjustments. ADJUSTMENTS The % of a skill is rated based on what would be a hard(that is a 50% failure/success rate) task for a person with 6 months experience(that is +40%) and an average dexterity(that is +10%). Common use of many skills is not hard so in those cases an adjustment is applied to the skill before rolling to check success. DIFFICULTY SKILL ADJUSTMENT % Simple/Chore >=+50 Easy/Routine +30 to +50 Challenging +10 to +30 Hard/Complex -10 to +10 Very Hard -30 to -10 Extremely Hard -50 to -30 Impossible <=-50 GREAT FEAT If doubles(both dice being the same number) are rolled during a successful skill roll(only the winner in the case of skill vs. skill) then a great feat has been accomplished. The Storyteller determines the exact results of such feats. FUMBLE If a skill roll is > skill and doubles are rolled then a fumble has occurred. Normal fumbles include such things as becoming off balance or out of position during combat, breaking a lock pick, and a craftsman damaging his tools. The Storyteller determines the exact results of fumbles. Great Fumble If a fumble occurs roll again. If a second fumble is rolled then a great fumble has occurred. Great fumbles include such things as dropping a weapon or slipping and falling to the ground during combat, breaking a lock while attempting to pick it, and a craftsman injuring himself. The Storyteller determines the exact results of great fumbles. SKILLS > 100% If the skill is greater then 100% then the success roll = 1D100 + 10% for each full 10% the skill is over 100%. DEGREE OF SUCCESS The higher a successful roll the better, exception: a great feat is always better then a normal success. SKILL VS SKILL All directly competing skills are rolled for. The highest successful roll wins. Equal successful highest rolls result in a tie win. Experience ---------- Skill rating is determined by Experience Points(exp.) which are gained from skill use, training, and practice. When a certain amount of exp. have been gained in a skill that skill will receive an improved rating as noted in the chart below. When determining a character's skill ratings take into consideration that: Most people spend most of their time at unskilled activities, manual labor, or relaxing on their time off, etc. In the middle ages children started working and learning their trades at a much earlier age then in modern times. EXPERIENCE CHART BASE SKILL EXP. PER 1% TOTAL EXP. TIME PER 10% TOTAL TIME 1-10% 1 10 10 days 1 week 11-20% 2 30 20 days 1 month 21-30% 4 70 1.3 months 2.5 months 31-40% 8 150 2.6 months 0.5 year 41-50% 16 310 5.3 months 1 year 51-60% 32 630 10.6 months 2 years 61-70% 64 1270 1.7 years 4 years 71-80% 128 2550 4 years 8 years 81-90% 128 3830 4 years 12.2 years 91-100% 128 5110 4 years 16.3 years 101%+ 128 6390+ 4 years+ 20.5 years Note: Exp. per 1%: Each time the noted amount of experience has been accumulated by the character his base skill improves by 1%. Time per 10% & Total Time: The normal work week is counted as 6 days out of a 7 day week. LEARNING RATE People normally average 1 exp. per work day(8 hours) with a few maintaining 0-5 point averages. 1 point per day is gained by a normal full days work in a skill. More complex use of a skill will gain more experience points. Example one will learn more from fighting a knight then a peasant. EXPERIENCE POINT AWARD CHART EXP. COMPLEXITY % OF SUCCESS SKILL DIFFERENCE SPREAD 0 Very Simple > 100 <=-50 >=1 1 Easy/Routine 80 to 100 -50 to -30 20 2 Challenging 60 to 80 -30 to -10 20 3 Hard/Complex 40 to 60 -10 to +10 20 4 Very Hard 20 to 40 +10 to +30 20 5 Extremely Hard 0 to 20 >=+30 20 Note: The % of Success is the characters skill after situation adjustments(e.g. 35% skill + 10% bonus makes a task Hard). What is easy for one person may be hard for another. The Skill Difference is used for skill vs. skill contests and is measured by his opponent's skill advantage/disadvantage. SKILL VS SKILL For skills which are normally used competitively under the skill vs. skill rules: Practice alone without an opponent is rated as Easy/Routine and so experience is at the rate of 1 exp. per day. Training against an opponent depends on the opponents skill as noted in the Experience Point Award Chart. At a high skill it usually becomes a problem finding a challenging opponent so skill improvements slow. COMBAT TRAINING Combat experience is gained by the Skill vs. Skill rule. Training in combat skills is different then real combat for safety reasons. This causes a -1 to exp. per day of training. TECHNIQUES & TECHNOLOGY The skill rating is independent of technology. Skill is rated for technologies known. An increase in skill does not directly cause the person to learn new technologies(like smiting watered steel). Thus new technologies can not be self thought without some guide, or long experimentation. LEARNING ADJUSTMENTS Not all skills are equally hard to learn. Sword combat and Sorcery are the skills used for the base complexity, having 0 adjustments. For skills which are more or less complex an adjustment is applied as follows: Calculate experience points to skill as per the standard chart, then * the adjustment then drop the fractions. The adjustment is set by the rules or by the Storyteller. SIMULTANEOUS TRAINING Some skills are used and thus learned simultaneously with other skills. For example a knight would train with sword & shield at the same time, or horse ridding & lance & shield at the same time. Full experience is gained in all skills used simultaneously. Skills which are used during the same day but not simultaneously gain only partial experience, equal to the time spent on them. SIMILAR SKILLS A character will have skill in closely related skills at -20%(Example: broad sword - short sword). A character will have skill in similar skills at -40%(Example: broad sword - most melee weapons). They can improve those skills from that point by experience. TEACHERS Characters will learn faster from a teacher of greater skill. Exp./day = 1 for each 20% the teachers skill is higher then the students + 1 if being tough one on one. STRESS In life and death or high stress situations skill experience is gained on a per use bases, not on the normal per day bases. Combat, disarming an unknown trap, picking an unknown lock, moving silently to sneaking up for an attack, and casting spells during a melee are all high stress situations if the situation is dangerous and if the skill must be used quickly in a limited time. Example: Moving silently sneaking up upon a friend to surprise him is not dangerous and thus is not a high stress use of the skill. For combat skills experience points are awarded on a per opponent bases. So in a fight in which 3 opponents were each fought 3 exp. awards would be gained. That includes opponents fought for only 1 attack/defense exchange. INTELLIGENCE Non-player characters with a high intelligence or a high natural talent will learn faster and thus gain an experience point adjustment: experience points = Intelligence / 10 * base experience points. LONG LIVED RACES Members of long lived nonhuman races normally don't have astoundingly high skills. They don't maintain an intense interest in a single skill area for centuries. After a few decades they grow bored and move into new professions. After some time they become out of practice, out of shape, and forget details of their past profession. Their skill in their past profession is reduced. They often have many high skills in many areas. A few nonhumans will develop an intense interest in one field of endeavor. They will spend 2 to 3 times as long in intense work in that field before they move onto a new profession. They will then continue to spend some time in that field keeping those skills in practice. Such nonhumans will have significantly higher skills in that field then their normal human counter parts, but not astoundingly higher. There is an exception, some races have some skills that they are particularly good at because of an inborn interest, or cultural causes. Dwarf's live in underground mines and as a result spend a great deal of their lives mining, and smithing mining tools and ore for sale. So they have astoundingly high skills in mining and smithing. Elves live off the land as plant gathers and so develop great skill in plant lore. EXAMPLES A guard trains against equally skilled guards 1 day a week and spends the rest of his time on duty guarding, so he gains 4 experience points a week in combat skills. 2 are in a weapon and 2 are in a defensive skill which is learned simultaneously. A Knight trains for 1/3-1/2 a day 6 days a week and so gains 8-12 exp. a week in combat skills. If he trained on horse back he'd also gain some additional experience points in horsemanship. On his own lands at his manor house he may not have an equily skilled opponent to train against so his training could become "easy" reducing his experience earnings in half. A Champion trains a full day 6 days a week and so gains 24 exp. a week in combat skills. If he trained on horse back he'd also gain some additional experience points in horsemanship. A mercenary who seeks out wars and frequently gets in fights to the death could maintain a higher exp. average, until he gets killed(many player characters are in this category). A village blacksmith who spends 1/2 his day smithing and 1/2 his day doing chores like gathering iron ore, fire wood, etc., gains on average 1/2 an exp. per day 6 days a week for 3 exp. per week in blacksmithing, and some minor experience in mining, prospecting, etc. A Master craftsman who leaves all chores of the job to apprentices and spends all his working day in the direct use of the skill will average 1 exp./day for 6 exp./week. A Master craftsman-artist who works on challenging projects all of his time will gain 2 exp. per day, 6 days a week, for 12 exp./week. Combat ------ There are 2 combat systems, the standard(Quick Combat) system and a detailed(Tactical) combat system. Each player may switch between the systems at will, choosing at the beginning of each combat round. The fast paced Quick Combat system should be considered the standard system. The Tactical Combat system is less abstract letting players chose the actual combat maneuvers their character use(e.g. "punch snap sword attack to the head") at the cost of a slower game pace. Skill Effectiveness A 10% advantage in skill may not seem like much, but the advantage is cumulative each round that the combat lasts. In the upper skill range(30%-100%) a 10% advantage will result in a 2.5:1 win/loss ratio(a major advantage!). QUICK COMBAT -------------- COMBAT ROUND Combat rounds are 10 seconds in length in the game(not related to real time). During the 10 seconds multiple attack and defense attempts take place, the die roll result is a summery of those actions. The time used for other actions is determined by the Storyteller. COMBAT SKILLS Each weapon has its own skill. Defensive Skills The learning adjustment for shield block is 1.5. The learning adjustment for parrying is noted for each weapon. Example: Long Sword is 1(that being no adjustment). Dodging is part of the defensive skills of parrying and shield block, but were neither is used dodging as a separate skill has a learning adjustment of 0.5. Melee Skills Melee skills are a combination of offensive and defensive skills. Examples: broad sword(attack) + shield, long sword(attack) & long sword parry(same weapon), short sword(attack) + dagger(attack) + short sword parry. Melee skill = the % of the skills added together / number of skills. Dexterity is not applied directly to melee skills. MELEE COMBAT Each round 2 opponents make a melee skill vs. skill roll. The opponent with the highest successful roll hits and damage against the loser is rolled for. If both are successful and the roll is a tie both hit the other and do damage. Unarmed Combat Health is reduced 0-1 for punch, 1-2 for kick. TWO WEAPONS When using a weapon in each hand if the Melee Combat roll is won then roll a 2nd time at -10% against the defenders 1st roll(his only roll) and if successful a 2nd hit is made and damage is then rolled for both hits. ALL OUT ATTACK Concentrating only on attacking and taking no other actions makes attacking easier and it is rated as challenging for a +20% attack skill adjustment. In an all out attack the character still evades opponent attacks were possible, but is taking big risks to get the best attack. No dodge skill is allowed, but an opponent's attack is still rated as hard(no adjustment). If both opponents use an all out attack then use simple Skill Use rolls to resolve them. If the all out attacker's opponent uses a melee skill his attack and defense are resolved differently using the same dice roll. The defense is a skill vs. skill, melee skill vs. the all out attacker's attack skill. Only if the all out attacker wins does he hit and damage is rolled for. The all out attacker's opponent resolves his attack using his melee skill in a Skill Use roll, not a skill vs. skill roll. If successful he hits and damage is rolled for. ALL OUT DEFENSE Concentrating only on defense and taking no other actions makes defense easy(relatively speaking) with a +40% defensive skill adjustment. MULTIPLE DEFENSES For defensive actions against additional opponents don't use the melee combat skill rather use the defenders defense skill - 20 % per additional defense and the attackers attack skill in a Skill vs. Skill contest. THROWN WEAPON ATTACKS A Skill vs. Skill roll, thrown weapon skill vs. defensive skill. If successful damage is rolled for. ARROW ATTACKS A single skill roll is made to determine success. If successful damage is determined. Adjustments are applied for cover including shield cover(10% for small shield, 20% for large shield, 40% for tower shield). DAMAGE Damage = weapon damage roll + strength adjustment + magic adjustments + other adjustments - (targets armor + targets magical armor adjustments). Minimum damage is 0. Weapon Damage Each type of weapon has a set dice combination for is damage range. Great Feat A great feat results in * 2 damage. ARMOR Armor reduces damage sustained. Each type of armor has a damage resistance value. Monsters have their own armor rating. Magic can modify armor ratings. ARMOR RATINGS 8-9 Full Plate 6-7 Plate 4-5 Plate Mail 3-4 Chain/Scale Mail 1-2 Leather armor 1 Thick layered winter clothing UNCONSCIOUSNESS A character goes unconscious at 0 Health. BLEEDING TO DEATH A character at 0 or less health will bleed to death at the rate of 1 point of damage per minute unless helped. DEATH A character reduced to 0 or less health will slowly recover if helped and if he wins a constitution check(1D20 < Constitution). If he fails the check he has suffered a fatal injury and will die within 1D6 days unless healed by magic. A character dies immediately when damage = 2 * health is sustained. HEALING A character heals at the rate of 1 health point every 4 days. AD&D Combat Skills Melee Combat skill, Weapons skills, and Defensive skills: (20 - THAC0) * 5% + (Dexterity if known, else 10%). Player characters have skill in each weapon the player character has proficiency in, in both attack and parry. They also have skill in dodge, and shield if their class can use it. Apply learning adjustments. Use the All Out Attack rule rather then the Melee Combat rule for monsters. Also they gain full benefit of their armor rating(consider it an abstracted representation of their defensive abilities). Armor is = 10 - Armor Class. Health = Hit Dice * 2 + Hit Dice Plus + (Constitution if known, else 10 for short). TACTICAL COMBAT ----------------- You can get this feature by purchasing the non-shareware enhanced edition of the game. This edition is forthcoming. Look for future announcements! Magic ----- The magic in Realms of Adventure is based on magic in legends and popular fiction, while maintaining compatibility with AD&D spells and magic items. The normal laws of nature exist in REALMS OF ADVENTURE worlds. Magic is an additional force that humans have found they have direct but limited control over. Wizards use raw natural magic for their spells. Priests use magic granted by gods for their spells. Wizards and Priests use magic through casting of spells or through use of enchanted magic items. Magic items include enchanted wands, swords, staffs, rings, potions, scrolls, amulets, armor, etc. Most magic items can also be used by persons not trained in the arcane arts. An important aspect of casting and experimenting with magic spells is that it effects a Wizards mind, causing him to become obsessively secretive and possessive of his magic and greedy for more magic. The more powerful the magic the wizard uses the stronger those emotions become. As a result very few people are trained in the arcane arts of magic so the number of wizards is low. Since there are so few wizards around and only the most powerful wizards can enchant magic items such items are very rare. NOTE: "Magic user" refers to wizards, priests, and magic using creatures. Branches of Magic ------------------- There are 8 different branches of magic. The invocation of each type of magic requires significantly different incantations, gestures, and psychic focusing. As a result each branch of magic is a separate skill. Each spell uses one or more branches of magic. The branches are as follows: Sorcery/Theurgy Conjuration Necromancy Healing Illusion Possession Divination Enchantment PRIESTS Priest spells take the form of prayers naming and calling upon the priest's deity or a powerful servant or saint of the deity to grant the spell. Some religions that have more then one god allow the calling upon of other gods friendly to the priest's deity. The magic itself is the same as wizards use, but it is channeled and focused threw the named being. Some magic is easier to cast for priests then for wizards and some magic is harder to cast, as noted below. Each deity has one or more domains were his power is greatest and this enhanced power is passed on to his priest's spells. For effects out side of the Deity's domains his priests will have a much harder time successfully casting their magic. Divine servants and saints of the god have their own domains. Servants and saints can only grant minor spells up to 3rd level or up to 5th level in their pr ime domain. For example the domain of a god of war would be war. Regardless of the branch of magic cast if the effects are directly related to war a priest of a god of war will have a greater chance at successfully casting the spell then a priest of a god of an unrelated domain would. The domains of a god are not based on any physical laws of nature, rather they are based on human conceptions of the domains since the gods were once human. The power of the god is subconsciously concentrated in their domains by their personality, beliefs, and interests. It is a side effect of the divine state and all gods are so effected, or at least all formally human ones. Priests are less effected by the mind effecting side effects of magic, but to be granted the more powerful spells by a deity requires a stronger piety and truer adherence to the tenets of the faith by the priest. As a result priests are generally taught all the spells of a new level by higher ranking clerics when the priest is thought to be ready. If the priest deviates from the tenets of the faith the deity or a servant of the deity is likely to refuse to bestow high level spells until the priest makes proper atonement. Priests use the same spells as wizards with the following adjustments: Priests have versions of wizard spells Domains: +20% Prime domain +10% Secondary domain -20% Unrelated to Domains Divine Magic Adjustments: +40% Healing -10% Necromancy -20% Sorcery/Theurgy -20% Possession -20% Divination -30% Conjuration -40% Enchantment -50% Illusion AD&D: AD&D Priest spells are used without a Divine Magic Adjustment, but are used with the Domain adjustment. Other Adjustments: -10% Calling upon a God friendly to the priests deity. Normally Impossible - Calling upon a Non-friendly god(this generally includes all gods of other Pantheons). Play Balance In the prime domain of their god priests are about as powerful as wizards. In Holy Places priests are significantly more powerful. BARDS Bards with magical training can cast spells threw their songs. Most musicians do not have such training. Bards have a +10% bonus on casting possession spells and a -40% on casting all other spells. Successful casting of a spell requires successful skill use rolls for singing, musical instrument use, and spell casting. If a listener of a spell being cast is not trained in the magical arts he'll not know the spell is anything more then a song at least until the spell effect occurs. Mana ------ Mana is magical energy. Normally all things contain mana. The mana of a thing is affected by the what the thing is. This results in special mana properties unique to the thing(here after referred to as its "essence"). These essences are frequently used by spells. MANA DEAD OBJECTS Mana can be drained from a thing. It then becomes a "mana dead" thing. The use of a thing as a material component for a spell is one cause of this. Magic users will sense when a thing is mana dead if they touch it. A mana dead thing can not be used as a material component for casting a spell. A spell can be cast on a mana dead thing. PRIEST MAGIC The mana of priest magic is altered as it is channeled by the priest's deity and can clearly be detected as priest magic by those capable of detecting magic. MANA ABILITY The mana ability of characters and creatures represents the amount of magical energy that character or creature can control. Mana is kept track of separately for wizard and priest spells. A character's mana rating determines the number of spells that can be cast. A spell uses a number of mana points = to the level of the spell. Example a 5th level spell uses up 5 points of mana. The amount of mana a character has is based on his highest magic skill and his magical Power. All characters start with 1 base mana point. Base Mana increases for every 5% of magic skill beyond 45%. A character's base mana points are multiplied by his Power characteristic / 10 so from 0.3 to 1.8 or in very ra re cases more. Sensing Magic --------------- Magic users will always sense all active spells of their own casting that they are within range of. Range varies from spell to spell as noted in the Spell Description - Range rules. During spell casting and on completion of the casting when the spell is cast forth near by mana is disturbed and radiates a strong magical aura. Magic users will sense spells being cast around them. If the caster is entirely behind cover then the spell casting will not be sensed during the casting. If the caster is entirely behind cover, but the area of effect of the spell is not obscured by cover then the spell will be sensed when it is cast forth. The magic user will sense if the spell is of priest or wizard origin. The branches of magic of the spell will always be detected. The specific spell type can be detected with a successful Skill Use roll. Roll using the lowest branch skill of the branches of the spell. Only the spell type will be determined, not the version or power of the spell. So only a "Magic Bolt IV" could only be detected as a "Magic Bolt" spell. When the spell is casting is completed and the spell is cast forth the power of the spell, the amount of its mana will be detected. Active spells only slightly disturb nearby mana causing very weak magical aura radiation. So active spells can't be sensed by most magic users without the aid of some sort of detect magic spell. Expired spells leave little magical trace except a depletion of the mana in the area at the point of casting. This lower mana level will be equalized with the surrounding environment after a number of days equal to the mana used by the spells. A battle field were armies of magic users fought could be depleted to low mana levels for years! SPELLS The are detection spells that provide more detailed information. IMPRINT Wizards and priests leave a faint imprint of their essences in all spells that they cast. Each wizards essence is unique. This imprint can be detected by other wizards and priests by the use of a Detect Imprint spell. If the essence has been detected before then it will be recognized. Detection of an imprint does not tell who's imprint it is. Magic Resistance ------------------ Magic Resistance, Magic Defense, and Magical Damage Resistance can all be used by magic users at all times, even when the magic user is casting a spell. MAGIC RESISTANCE All creatures have a chance equal to their Power(Power <= 1D20) of resisting most magic cast directly on them. Spells note if they can be resisted or not in their spell description under the heading "Resistible". Successfully resisting the magic negates or reduces its effect only on the resisting creature as noted in the spell description. Magic resistance is automatic, and requires no effort or attention. An unconscious creature will still resist magic. A creature can drop its magic resistance at wi ll. AD&D: This takes the place of the saving throw. MAGIC DEFENSE In addition to using their magic resistance magic users can use their skill or their natural Magic Defense to defend against magic. Magic Defense applies to all spells fully. The spell description parameter "Resistible" doesn't apply to Magic Defense. The resisting magic user must win a Skill vs. Skill check else the spell effects him. For the Skill vs. Skill check use each magic user's lowest branch-of-magic skill out of the branches of magic of the spell. If the magic user is skilled in both priest and wizard magic then use which ever skill in each branch is highest, either his wizard skill or his priest skill. For magic using creatures use their noted Magic Defense ratting for the Skill vs. Skill check or their wizard or priest skill, which ever is highest. When the magic is not a spell just cast and when the magic user who previously cast the magic is not within range of the magic then use 10% * spell level for spell rather then the casting magic users skill. Once resistance is successful against a spell the magic user will continue to successfully resist that spell. If a magic user fails to successful resist a spell he can make additional attempts to resist that spell once every round(10 seconds), until successful. If the magic user is unconscious he will always attempt to resist magic. Successful Resistance Successful resistance negates the spell effect upon and at the magic user. It does not normally dispel the entire spell. If the entire spell would only effect the magic user then the entire spell is negated which causes it to be dispelled. Permanent spells enchanted into something other then the resisting magic user himself can not be dispelled by Magic Defense, but they can be negated temporarily. Otherwise when the magic user moves, the magic of the spell will instantly flow back into the area the m agic user was at. Examples of successful resistance: The magic user can walk through a magic force field, but no one else can follow him through nor slip through beside him. A magic lightning bolt would stop upon hitting him and be dispelled. A magical fire ball radiating from a point of explosion would not effect the magic user and would not effect that which is in his shadow. A magical carpet of fire(not radiating from a point) would not effect the magic user but would effect everything around and behind him. As the wizard walked through the roaring carpet of fire the flames would spring back instantly as he moves from his previous past location. AD&D: This takes the place of AD&D magic resistance. For AD&D monsters with a magic resistance > 0% Magic Defense ability is = 100% + the magic resistance of the AD&D monster. Great Feat The entire spell is dispelled. Fumble A fumble causes the defending magic user to fail his Magic Resistance roll. Great Fumble As per Fumble and additionally the spell has double effects on the defending magic user. MAGICAL DAMAGE RESISTANCE If the spell damage upon the magic user is not fully negated some or all of its damage can still be reduced at the cost of mana. After the magic damage is rolled the magic user can spend mana = his Power to reduce damage at the rate of 1 point of damage reduced per 1 point of mana expended. Its the magic users choice of how much mana he spends. If the magic user is not conscious the maximum amount of mana up to the damage amount will be expended in defense. MAGIC PROTECTION SPELLS There are a variety of spells that provide some protection against magic. All have advantages and limitations. The following is an over view of a few of those spells: Boost Against -Branch- There are Boost Against Branch spells in each branch of magic for that branch of magic such as Boost Against Necromancy, which is a necromancy spell. They boost Magic Defense skill against a single branch of magic = 5% * spell level. It also boosts damage resistance against the same branch of magic. It only effects in coming spells which at least partly have the same branch of magic. Multiple Boost Against spells are not cumulative. Only the most powerful Boost Against spell that is effective against an incoming spell will take effect upon that incoming spell. So the magic user makes his Magic Defense roll using his weakest branch skill with his strongest Boost Against spell, which are not necessarily of the same branch. Boost gives magic non-users a temporary Magic Defense skill. The spell expires when it is discharged in defense against any spell of the same branch. The spell is less effective against magic of touch, self, and 0 range as noted in the chart: Spell Defense Touch Level Damage Bonus Damage 1 -5 +5% -1 2 -10 +10% -2 3 -15 +15% -3 4 -20 +20% -4 5 -25 +25% -5 6 -30 +30% -6 7 -35 +35% -7 8 -40 +40% -8 Boost Against -Effect- There is a separate Boost Against -Effect- spells for each type of spell effect. Examples: fire, mind control, cold. Boosts Magic Defense skill against a single type of magic effect = 5% * spell level. It also boosts damage resistance against the same type of magic effect. It only effects in coming spells which at least partly have the same type of magic effect. Multiple Boost Against spells are not cumulative. Only the most powerful Boost Against spell that is effective against an incoming spell w ill take effect upon that incoming spell. Boost gives magic non-users a temporary Magic Defense skill. The spell expires when it is discharged in defense against any spell of the same type of magic effect. This spell is not less effective against magic of touch, self, and 0 range as noted in the chart: Spell Defense Touch Level Damage Bonus Damage 1 -20 +20% -20 2 -40 +40% -40 3 -60 +60% -60 4 -80 +80% -80 5 -100 +100% -100 6 -120 +120% -120 7 -140 +140% -140 8 -160 +160% -160 9 -180 +180% -180 Counter -Spell- A different specific Counter -Spell- is required to counter each different spell. Different versions of the same spell effect, such as Magic bolt I vs. Magic Bolt II require different counter spells. A counter spell will dispel its target spell. That causes the counter spell to be discharged and to expire. Counter spells are 1/2 the level(round up) of their target spells. Other Protection Spells There are many other useful protection spells. SKILL ------- Spell Casting --------------- A list of common spells follows the rule section. To cast spells wizards, priests, and other spell casters call forth the magic by exactly following a unique formula of psychic concentration, incantations, and ritualistic gestures for each spell. Each spell causes its own specific effects. Spells are of varying power. Spells are rated in levels of power. The standard Skill Use rule is used to determine the success of each spell casting with an adjustment of -10% * spell level. For a spell of more then one branch of magic the caster's lowest skill out of those branches is used. Spell effects can not be delayed(so as to enable effecting a target not in range due to long casting time, etc.). AD&D: Spells effects are limited by magical Power, general intelligence, or physical size rather then by Hit Dice. SPELL CASTING TIME AD&D: Were the spells in the AD&D books have a casting time not equal to their spell level they are considered to already have fast casting and chanting adjustments applied to them. So further use of fast casting or chanting should take this into account. Fast Casting A magic user can force a spell to be cast forth faster by applying more mana. The fast cast spell becomes a higher level spell as more mana is added to the casting. So for each 1 additional point of mana there is an additional -10% adjustment applied to the casting skill for the Skill Use roll. The magic user must expend 1 mana point for each 10 seconds(1 round) that casting time is reduced. Chanting A magic user can chant a spell over and over again building up its power and focus before casting it forth. This increases the casting time and reduces the spell level. Increasing casting time to 1 minute for spells of 5th level and below lowers the spell level by 1. Increasing casting time to 10 minutes for spells of 50th level and below lowers spell level by 2. For long duration spells(one or more hours, but not exceeding a week) a casting time of 10 minutes for spells of 50th level or below lowers spell level by 3. A casting time of 1 day per spell level will lower spell level by 3. ADJUSTMENTS Apply to skill rating before making Skill Use dice roll. Encumbrance If a spell has a gestures component and the caster is encumbered such that his spell casting gestures are hindered but still doable then the spell will be harder to cast as follows(adjustments are cumulative): -10% Wearing minimally bulky armor(leather). -20% Wearing bulky armor(plate armor, chain mail, padded armor, or scale mail). -30% Wearing very bulky armor(plate mail). -10% Carrying a bulky load. -20% Carrying a very bulky load. -10% Carrying a heavy load. -20% Carrying a very heavy load. Times of Power There are astrological times of power when celestial bodies are in proper alignment. During these times spells are more likely to be successful. These times of power occur on average at the frequency noted below, times of greater power are rarer. +5% 1/month (full moon) +10% 1/quarter(Halloween, etc.) +15% 1/year +20% 1/decade +25% 1/century +30% 1/millennia +Cumulative bonus if more then 1 event happens at the same time. Places of Power They occur naturally were the mana of an area is much stronger then normal. The power can be generalized or can exhibit a special property which only effects magic of similar essences(e.g. fire magic). In rare(1 in 1D10) cases the power can exhibit itself as a spell effect. The average occurrences of such sites are: 1 site per x square miles +5% 100 +10% 1000 +15% 10000 +20% 100000 +25% 1000000 +30% 10000000 +35% 100000000 Sites of power are not easy to find. They can not be magically detected from a distance. They can only be detected within the area of the site. The area of a place of power is normally about 10' in diameter. Larger areas of power are rarer at the rate directly equal to their increased size. Example: 10 times rarer for an area 10 times as large. In some cases(1 in 1D6) the center of a large area is +5% more powerful. NEXUSES: Some(1 in 1D20) places of power are in fact nexuses between planes. In rare(1 in 1D10) cases such nexuses can open up gates between the planes were one may walk threw. Holy Places Temples are usually built upon places of power. Additionally holy places improve the spell casting of priest spells for the priests of the deity that the site is dedicated to, as follows(cumulative): +5% Consecrated Ground +5% Temple +5% Inner Sanctuary +5% Major Holy Site Example: The Inner Sanctuary of the 3rd most holy temple of a deity which sits upon consecrated ground gives a +20% to priests of that deity. Items of Power There are special magic items created by the greatest of Wizards or the Gods themselves which enhance the casting abilities of Wizards. Usually these items are only for a single branch of magic. Such items usually only improve casting by 5% to 15%, but in very rare cases more. CASTING FAILURE If a magic user fails to successfully cast a spell that spell may have unintended side effects as noted below. Failed priest spells are as per magic users spells except priests don't suffer curses(instead the spell has no effect). After completing the failed spell the magic user will "feel" that some thing has gone wrong with the magic, but will not immediately know exactly what. If the spell is failed by 10% or less the magic user will "feel" something is wrong in time to safely abort the spell(his ch oice). If spell is not aborted then handle as a failure of more then 10%. Further the magic user will not be able to end a failed spell effect early as he could do with a successful spell. He has a 1 in 1D2 chance of losing control of a normally controllable spell. Spell Failure Tables(roll 2D6): Power/Target 1)Curse\Normal 2)No Power 3)Erratic 4)*1/2 5)*2 6)Miss Target Effect 1)Curse\Normal 2)No Effect 3)Partial 4)Different Related 5)Opposite 6)Weird 1st Roll: (Spell Power) The standard amount of mana is used regardless of the power of the miscast spell. 1)Curse: Only if both rolls are a 1 does the caster suffer a curse. Otherwise normal power, different effect. 2)No Power: Nothing happens. No need to make the second roll. Other wizards will sense that the spell was not cast forth. 3)Erratic Power: Normal power level but the power of the spell functions erratically. The spell's effects can go on and off at random times, or some effects can go on while other effects of the spell go off. 4)1/2 Power: The effects are halved in power. Such as: half damage, half range, half duration, half area of effect, and half amount of effect if applicable. 5)*2 Power: All effects are doubled in power. 6)Miss Target: If the spell was directed at the caster the spell miss targets else were. If the spell was directed else were then it miss targets on the caster. 2nd Roll: (Spell Effects) 1)Curse: Only if both rolls are a 1 does the caster suffer a curse. Otherwise normal effect, different power. 2)No Effect: Raw mana is cast forth but has no effect. Other wizards will sense that a spell has been cast. 3)Partial Effect: Only part of the normal spell effect occurs. 4)Different Related Effect: The normal effect does not happen, instead a different but related effect occurs. The relation can be to any part of the normal effect of the spell, and can deviate widely. A fire storm could result in a smoke cloud, or wall of fire, or a burst of light. 5)Opposite Effect: The opposite of the normal effects of the spell happens. Example: A fire storm spell could result in a snow storm. 6)Weird Effect: 1st thing that the Storyteller thinks of happens, within the limits of the power level of the spell. Curses All side effect curses are magical, permanent, incurable, and undispellable by anything short of a wish or the power of a God, or Demon Prince. The effects may however be temporarily negated in an anti-magic field. Warts: On nose, hands, or else were. Aging: 10 years. Crippled: A limb, hand, hunch back, humped back, loss of hearing, blindness, etc. Ugliness: -1D6 from appearance. Weakness: -1D6 from strength or endurance, 50/50 chance. Clumsiness: -1D6 from Dexterity. Nocturnal: Sunlight or bright light causes pain and temporary blindness. Lycanthropy: Magic user becomes a werewolf. Avoidance: 100' radius Aura causing animals to avoid the magic user. Even tamed animals will violently avoid the magic user unless the animal succeeds at a magic resistance roll. Distrust: 10' Aura causing distrust by all who fail magic resistance roll. Radiance: 10' Aura causing a feeling of raw magical power emanating from the magic user and causing body hair to stand on end and a tingling sensation to all but the magic user. Chill: 10' Aura causing a temperature drop by 20 degrees(magic user is immune). Heat: 10' Aura causing a temperature increase of 10 degrees(magic user is immune). Accidental Discovery The magic user has a chance of being able to duplicate the accidental effect = to skill - (spell level * 10%) / 10. If successful the magic user has learned a new spell. *2 and *3 power spells are higher level spells. Curses can be duplicated, but the spell will only effect the caster. Success will also result in a doubling of the curses effect on the magic user if possible for the given effect. SUSTAINING A SPELL A spell can be continued as long as the magic user has the mana to keep it going. The magic user must expend mana = to the level of the spell to continue the spell for an additional amount of time = to its standard duration. Mana is used up at the point of duration extension(not at casting time). Only spells with a non instantaneous duration can have their duration extended. Spells cast from magic items can be sustained by magic users. Sustaining a spell does not interfere with spell casting nor any other activities. ADDITIVE EFFECTS If multiple spells of the same effect are operating in the same area only the most powerful magic will function. The weaker spell will be dispelled unless it is permanently enchanted. A permanent enchanted spell of weaker strength will remain non-functional until the stronger spell ceases. Spell power is not additive. Example: Magic armor(which is enchanted to strengthen the armor) and a magic ring which increases the strength of the warrior's clothing(armor) will result in only the more powerful of t he two magic taking effect. However different effects can be additive towards the same result. Example: A magical sword increases damage, and magical strength will also add to the damage. INSTABILITY Magic is inherently unstable. Even perfectly cast spells will fluctuate on the average of once every two years, turning off for a few hours. 50% chance per year. Enchanted permanent magic is much more stable, with a 50% chance of fluctuation each 1000 years. Fluctuation is sudden and it is not possible to detect it a head of time. Experience ------------ The standard skill and experience rules are used with the following additions: At an absolute minimum to learn magic, skills training is required until a spell has been successfully cast. After that learning any magic skill can be self taught. Much more extensive training is the norm. SPECIALIZATION While there are significant differences in casting spells of the different branches of magic there is also much that is the same. So specializing in 1 or more branches of magic(that is a skill in 1 or more branches which are more then 10% higher then the lowest skill) requires 2 times the normal experience for improving those skill ratings(divide all experience point awards for those skills by 2). USE Magic users gain experience at the rate of 1 exp. a day in 1 branch of magic any time they use more then 1/2 their mana during that day. They gain the 1 exp. in the most used branch. PRACTICE Magic users gain experience at the rate of 1 exp. a day in 1 branch of magic. Practice requires using more then 1/2 their mana during that day. SPELL RESEARCH Magic users gain 1 exp. a day in each branch of magic that the spell they are researching uses or 2 exp. a day if the spell is of 1 branch only, in that branch. ENCHANTMENT Magic users gain 2 exp. a day while enchanting magic items, brewing magical potions, or scribing magical scrolls. NEW SPELLS Magic users get 30 exp. per spell level for each new spell learned. This is in addition to researching the spell if the spell was gained by research. BOOKS Books, grimoires, and tomes of magic contain much more information then a simple spell does and are far more valuable to magic users. Books on magic are frequently the experimentation notes of a magic user from spell research, maybe the diary of a magic user, or a manual for beginners written for apprentices by senior apprentices. Extremely rare are grimoires, tablets, or runes chiseled into temple walls dating back to the time of the ancients who were much more powerful and less secretive with their ma gic. Since experimentation journals and magic users diaries are the personal notes of a magic user, not written for others to read, and are of a very complex subject the reading and understanding of such texts can take some time. Such books can take from a few weeks to several months to read and understand, but give a magic user knowledge worth 10 exp. a day. The total ranging from 10 exp. to 2000 exp. from a single book(the majority being under 500 exp.)! Manuals for beginning apprentices are easier to read, but contain less information, and are written by mere senior apprentices whose understanding of magic is far from complete(Master Magic users have better things to do then write tutorials and doing such tasks are what apprentices are for). Such manuals are worth 1D6 * 100 exp. and take 2 weeks to read and understand, but only for those under 50% in skill. Beginner manuals are worthless(no exp. value) to accomplished magic users of greater then 50% sk ill. Magic writings dating from the time of the ancients are usually only recovered as fragments of complete works, but even those fragments are extremely valuable! They may reveal secrets and truths lost to modern magic users. If the magic user knows the language of the ancients the fragments are worth 50 exp. a day with totals ranging from 50-5000 exp.(the majority being under 2000 exp.). A complete work could be worth 10 times that amount! Split the experience points for books into the branches of magic covered by the book. Books generally contain the same spread of knowledge the authoring magic user possessed. Adventure Seeking out sources of magical knowledge is a major source of adventures especially for magic user characters. Such adventures are almost always dangerous and sometimes extremely so. Most non-player magic users won't risk their lives on such adventures, and thus never obtain great power. Obtaining books on magic is not easy, nor cheap. No magic user will willing let his journals be sold. So most journals on the market are from dead magic users. Getting a dead magic users journals is no easy task, magic users abodes are frequently hidden, normally trapped and protected by summoned creatures, and the journals them self are always well hidden, protected, and often trapped to self destruct. ANCIENTS: Expeditions to seek out the knowledge of the ancients are by far the most dangerous. Intact sites dating back to the ancients are in distant uninhabited isolated inaccessible places otherwise they would have been pillaged centuries ago. Many ancients sites are protected by great magic, and powerful guardians. Having survived the ages the writings of the ancients are usually found on clay or stone tablets, carved into temple walls, or upon magically protected materials. Buying Books Generally only an equally powerful magic user can successfully gain and read a dead magic users journals. Once gained that magic user will keep the book and its secrets to himself. If a mere merchant did come into possession of a book of any significance and knew it to be so, as soon as he tried to sell it a magic user would buy or steal the book and all copies of the book for himself and himself alone. At best a merchant might posses a beginners manual, or copies of one. A scribe untrained in magic w ill invariably make mistakes when trying to copy a book of magic, so such books are harder to read and worth less experience(twice the reading time and half the experience). FAKES: Most books on magic that are for sale are in fact fakes. Most are obviously fakes to the trained eye. Some are not so obvious to beginning magic users(roll vs. skill +50%). Others may fool even experienced mages(roll vs. skill), and will then only be found out after some perusal of the work and testing out of its claims. The better books have been written by skilled magic users to get money without having to give away any secrets, or to miss lead other magic users. Traps Many magical writings contain passages to miss lead unwelcome readers into casting harmful spells(To avoid: roll vs. skill). Reading of a book on magic requires some testing and experimentation to comprehend(and to gain the exp. award), it is this testing for which traps are often laid. The odds of such a trap very with the situation, but in general: 1% Beginners Manuals 2% Ancients 20% Other Writings The ancients were much more open and sharing of their magic, but their traps are harder to detect(To avoid: roll vs. skill -50%) and far more lethal. SPELL DESCRIPTIONS -------------------- Example Spell --------------- Jolt Level: 1 Branches: Sorcery, Enchantment Components: I, G, M Casting Time: 10 seconds Dodgeable: Yes(Yes) Range: Touch(Touch) Blockable: Yes(Yes) Duration: 1 hour(Instant) Resistible: No(Yes) Area of Effect: Metal Weapon(Any) Damage: No(1D6) Description: A weapon with a metal end is touched. Then the first thing that metal end touches is subjected to an electric jolt doing 1D6 damage. The jolt will pass threw metal armor to the wearer. The jolt will also stun the victim for 1 round. The weapon is so energized for a maximum of 1 hour or until some thing is touched. Two Part Spells ----------------- Jolt is a 2 part spell. First its magic effects a metal weapon charging it with the second part of the spell. Second the magic effects a target jolting it. The parameters of the second effect are noted in parenthesis. Spell Description Parts ------------------------- Name The names used for spells in the standard spell list are descriptive of the effects of the spell. Spells from individual magic users usually have more colorful names. Level Level is the power rating of the spell. Branches Spells can be of any number of branches. Casting Time The time is listed in seconds, minutes, hours, etc. Range Range is the maximum distance from the spell caster to the center of the point at which the spell effects begin at. Spell effects come into existence at a point of caster's choice within range. "0" range spells start at the caster. "Touch" range spells effect whoever or whatever the spell caster touches. In the case of a creature the caster must touch the creature and not merely its armor or clothing. "Caster" range spells only effect the caster of the spell. To control a controllable spell the cast er must be within range of it. Range is limited by intervening solid objects. Spells can be cast threw narrow openings(if the spell caster can see the opening to aim at it). Spells can only be cast in a strait line from the caster(i.e. they may not be cast around corners). Spells cast beyond a solid intervening object will come into existence on or just before the object depending on the spell(i.e. if the spell has no effect on that object then it will occur just before the object). Duration Measured in seconds, minutes, hours, etc. "Permanent" spells last until dispelled. "Instantaneous" duration spells last less then one second. If the primary purpose of a spell is to cause a permanent non-magical result a "Permanent+" will follow the duration noted for the magic. Spells give no sign of when they are about to end. The caster can end his spell so long as he is within range of the effects of the spell. Area of Effect Lists the volume, weight, creatures, objects, etc., affected in conventional measurements. If the spell affects a limited number of targets, then targets nearest the center point were the spell occurs at will be affected first, based on the spell parameters. Components "I" stands for Incantation, "G" for Gesture, "M" for Material Component. All spells also have a psychic focusing component. All components listed for a spell must used for the spell to be successfully cast. If the caster is silenced(e.g. magically, or physically) he can not cast a spell with incantations as a component. If the caster can not freely move(e.g. he is in a very confined space, bound, or magically paralyzed) he can not cast spells with a Gesture component. If the caster does not have the required Material components or a suitable replacement he can not cast the spell. Attempting to cast a spell without all its components will result in absolutely no magical effects being caused. Incantations must be spoken in a clear commanding voice. They may not be whispered or yelled. If it can not be so spoken the spell can not be cast. Gestures require that the caster can freely move his whole body. A caster with a missing limb can still cast spells after he has adapted to his loss(1 day of practice required). Material components have their mana drained from them when the spell is cast. They become mana dead objects and can not be reused as spell components. The object is not otherwise changed. To drain mana from a living creature it must be killed, failure to kill the creature during the casting of the spell will result in absolutely no magical effects being invoked. Some spells slowly drain mana from the material component over the duration of the spell(this will be noted in the spell description text). In slow drain spells if the material component is destroyed the spell will be dispelled. The standard material component may be substituted with a material with a similar essence. This will always cause side effects. The Storyteller should adjust the effects of the spell to reflect the slightly different essence of the substituted material. The adjustments should usually be slight, but materials with powerful essences could cause major changes to a spells effects. Resistible Notes if a creature's magical Power will enable him to resist a spell. "1/2" means a successful resistance roll results in 1/2 effects or 1/2 damage. A creature which successfully resists a spell will feel a definite magical force and will feel him self resisting and will know that it has been successfully resisted against. A spell caster who is the target of a spell has a chance equal to his lowest magic skill to determine the type of the magic. A creature's carried possessions are considered safe if it has successfully resisted the spell. Failure results in the carried possessions being open to the effects of the spell. Dodgeable "Yes" notes that the effects can be completely avoided if the target dodges the spell. "No" notes that the spell is not dodgeable. "1/2" notes that successful use of the dodge skill results in 1/2 effects or 1/2 damage. Any adjustments to the skill are noted. A creatures carried possessions are considered safe if it has successfully dodged the spell. Failure results in the carried possessions being open to the effects of the spell. Blockable "Yes" notes that the effects can be completely avoided if the target shield blocks the spell. "No" notes that the spell is not blockable. "1/2" notes that successful use of the shield block skill results in 1/2 effects or 1/2 damage. Any adjustments to the skill are noted. A creatures carried possessions are considered safe if it has successfully blocked the spell. Failure results in the carried possessions being open to the effects of the spell. Damage To targets health. Description Normally split into a detailed specification of the effects and a general description of spell. Exceptions to the spell rules will be noted for individual spells in the description. SPELL RESEARCH ---------------- Most spells are past down through the ages. The few new spells that are discovered are done so through dangerous experimentation. The problem with making this magic system compatible with AD&D spells is that the AD&D spell levels are set mainly by play-balance and have little self consistent bases within the game setting itself. In keeping with the ideal of impartiality REALMS OF ADVENTURE spell levels should NOT be set based on play balance. If a player invents a spell which is highly effective in combat or for any other purpose, but is of low power then it will be of low level. Spell power being things such as range, duration, game world effects, etc. Time ------ The time to successfully research a new spell = 1D10 * 1D20 months / ((skill - 10 per spell level) / 10(drop fractions]). Research can be stopped and restarted at any time. Success will only be achieved when full time has been spent. The Storyteller rolls and only the Storyteller knows how long the research will take. This includes the time it takes to get basic experimental material and common spell components, but does not include the time it takes to obtain any special spell components the spell us es. In the standard game world magic is rare. For other worlds use the following chart: MAGIC INTERVAL Near Mythical Decades Very Rare Years Rare Months Uncommon Weeks Common Days AD&D: For results closer to the AD&D method use weeks in place of "months". Cost ------ The cost is living expenses + 100p per spell level per month for experimental material and spell components + one set per month of any special spell components the spell uses. Spell Level Determination --------------------------- SPELL POWER In general spell power increases linearly, a 4th level spell is = in power to a 3rd level spell + a 1st level spell. A single spell effect can't be split into 2 spells. The minimum spell level is 1. If a single spell invokes more then 1 spell effect then add the spell levels of each spell effect together to get the spell level of the whole spell(add fractions then round up to the next level). Most spells only have 1 main effect. Each spell effect(e.g. teleportation) becomes fully possible at a base spell level determined by the spell examples in the spell catalog. If a spell effect is totally new then the Storyteller sets the base spell level for that spell effect. Each base spell effect has a base casting time, range, duration, area of effect, components, dodge ability, block ability, and resistibility. These very widely from spell effect to spell effect. Calculate the spell level of each spell effect starting from the base spell level of each spell effect. From that point doubling the power of a spell effect doubles the level of the spell effect. Fractional increases in power result in fractional increases in level. Doubling the effect, range, duration, or area of effect is a doubling of the spells power. If the spell effect can't be measured numerically then a logical doubling of the effect or the next logical improvement of the effect = a doubling of the power of the spell effect(e.g. from levitate to fly). Spell effects might be possible below the base spell level, but such effects will be very limited and only slightly below the base level in level(e.g. a Wish spell vs. a Limited Wish spell). So when taking advantage of the adjustments that are noted below that reduce spell level the spell level must still be equal or greater then the base spell level or the spell effect will be very limited or may not even function at all. The only exception is material components with strong essences which can adjust t he level below the base level of the spell effect by replacing the casters mana with its own mana. SPELL EFFECTS Often doubling the spell effect doubles the damage of the spell. CASTING TIME Base casting time is usually = 10 seconds * spell level. There are rare exceptions. RANGE Increasing range from "caster" to "touch" doubles spell level. Increasing range from "touch" to "10 feet" doubles spell level. Each doubling of range doubles the spell level. Decreasing range from 10 feet or less to "touch" reduces spell level by 1. Decreasing range from "touch" to "caster" reduces spell level by 1. DURATION Instant duration may not be increased. Each doubling of duration doubles the spell level. Each halving of duration reduces spell level by 1. AREA OF EFFECT Each doubling of the area of effect doubles spell level. Each halving of the area of effect reduces spell level by 1. MATERIAL COMPONENT The standard spell components a spell needs are discovered by research and experimentation(The Storyteller chooses them). Standard spell components are such things as bat wings, spider webs, snail shells, rat droppings, and snake scales. Local materials are used, unless the magic user chooses otherwise. No material component adjusts spell level by +0.5. A magic user may chose to take advantage of a material with a powerful essence to increase the power of his spell. The level adjustment of material components is not cumulative. Similarity A material component must be similar in essence to the spell that uses it. The stronger the similarity the more power for the spell. LEVEL ADJ. SIMILARITY -1 Strong similarity +1 Weak similarity Examples: SPELL WEAK STRONG flying feather wing fire ash fire ice polar bear fur ice/snow If a component's essences do not match all the essences of the spell then it is automatically a "weak similarity". Multiple components of equal strength can be used to obtain a "strong similarity". Example: SPELL WEAK STRONG wall of fire fire fire + a brick Strength The strength(amount of mana) of the essence of a material effects the spell level as follows: MAGICAL MATERIAL LEVEL POWER EXAMPLE(PART OF) -7 Divine Entity Blood of a god -6 Divine Plane, Lord Horn of a duke of hell -4 Divine Plane, Very Powerful Major Demon, -3 Divine Plane, magical Demon, Angel, river Styx -2 Divine Plane Rock, Plant, anything -3 Very Powerful Unicorn Horn, -2 Magical Dragon scale, vampire fang NATURAL MATERIAL LEVEL RARITY EXAMPLE -3 Unique Worlds largest diamond/gold nugget -2 Extremely rare Red diamond -1 Very rare Gold -0.5 Rare Silver 0 (Un)common Copper, bat wings, snake ------------------------------------------------- +0.5 Nothing Nothing Gems, Jewels, Crystals They have great mana and strongly focused essences which give a -1 to the spell level. Sacrifices Great mana is released when a creature dies. Spells requiring sacrifices during spell casting increase power thus: LEVEL ADJ. SUBJECT -0.5 Animal -1 Intelligent or magical being -2 Creatures from the Divine Planes For creatures from the divine planes the true body of the creature must be killed, not merely the earthly projection. PURITY: Virgins have a purity of essence which strengthens their mana. Adjust spells by -1 level if they require a virgin be sacrificed. Intelligent creatures only. Animals do not posses such purity, and creatures from the divine planes always possess such purity and so it has already been calculated in the listed adjustments. GESTURE COMPONENT No gesture component adjusts spell level by +0.5 levels INCANTATION COMPONENT No incantation component adjusts spell levels by +5 levels. PSYCHIC COMPONENT Relying on psychic will power alone to call forth a spell with no incantations, gestures, nor material component adjusts the level of the spell by +10! DODGE ABILITY Is set by what the effect is. BLOCK ABILITY Is set by what the effect is. RESISTIBILITY 1/2 Changing resistibility from "Yes" to "1/2" damage for damage causing spells doubles the spell level. Changing "1/2" damage to "No" resistibility for damage causing spells doubles the spell level. Changing "Yes" to "No" for other spells doubles the spell level. An exception in each of the above 3 cases is when the range is "touch" then the spell level is increased by * 1.5. RISK Experimentation is necessary in spell research and can be dangerous. Normally experiments are limited and controlled, but magic is not entirely controllable nor predictable. Accidents will happen. Accidents researching non-dangerous spells will usually not be too harmful. But accidents researching combat spells and other dangerous spells can easily be lethal so magic users will almost never do such research unless they have 100% or greater skill at the spell level of the spell. The chance for an accident is: Casting Skill - (spell level * 10%) per week. Accidents are to be treated the same a miss casting a spell, except the magic effect can deviate farther from the intended effect. Accidental Discovery Standard Spell Casting - Accidental Discovery rules apply during spell research. PERMANENTING Spells that create effects which are not normally possible in the natural world must be sustained magically. They vanish when the duration of the spell expires or when dispelled. Example: Invisibility, Flying, etc. Spell effects that can exist naturally can be caused by a spell which magically causes a permanent non-magical change or they can be caused by a spell which continuously sustains the effects magically. Permanently sustaining a spell effect is normally done by casting a spell to be permented then casting a permenting spell upon it. A combined spell would be of a higher level. Casting 2 lower level spells is easier then casting 1 higher level spell. Magically causing non-magical changes is accomplished by a single powerful spell. So causing permanent non-magical changes is usually harder then permanently magically sustaining a spell effect. Permanenting magic which magically sustains a spell effect becomes possible at a base spell level of 9. This 9th level permanenting spell permanents person effecting spells of up to 3rd level, continuously controllable spells of up to 3rd level, and other non continuously controllable spells of up to 9th level. Higher level spells can be permanented with higher level permanenting spells: The spell level of a permenting spell = the spell level of person effecting or continuously controllable spells * 3, or the spell level of other non continuously controllable spells * 1. Magically causing permanent not magically sustained changes to persons has a base spell level of 8 for the simplest changes(e.g. changing eye color). Other permanent spells vary widely in level from a base level of 1(e.g. mending an item together). Instantaneous spells can't be permanented. Permanent side effects don't effect the spell level(e.g. the results of a fire started from a lighting bolt). MAGIC ITEMS ------------- Magic items are items which have been enchanted with spell powers. The Use of Magic Items ------------------------ The spell effects from a magic item use standard spell rules, except as otherwise noted. Unless otherwise noted in an item description its powers are permanent and continues. Permanent powers can be turned off/on only when noted in the item description. Other spell powers are charged and their powers only have effect when a charge is used. Activation/deactivation of a spell effect is done by a command word unless otherwise noted. The command word is set by the magic user who enchanted the item and it can be any word or short phrase. If the secret command word is not known the power can not be used. Other common activation methods are by 1)Wearing the item, 2)Mental Command, 3)Physical means. Example Magic Item: Magic Sword Damage Enhance I Permanent Skill Enhance I(sword attack) Permanent Damage Enhance I adds +1 to damage. Skill Enhance I adds +5% to a single skill, in this case to sword attack skill. Both are 1st level spells. Destruction Magic items other then potions and scrolls can not be dispelled. Destroying the basic physical form of an item permanently destroys its magic. It will still radiate a faint magic if detected for. Dints, scratches, and nicks have no effect on the magic. If the item has multiple enchantments and if a part(e.g. a jewel) of the item is broken off which was the primary essence(the biggest jewel) upon which some enchantments were made then those enchantments are destroyed. The part broken off will not have any magical powers, but will radiate a faint magic if detected for. Recharging Rechargeable items are recharged by casting the same spell(s) they are enchanted with into them. By prefixing a short incantation a spell caster can cast a spell so it doesn't take effect but instead is absorbed into a magic item. If there is no magic item to charge there will be no effect. If the magic item hasn't been enchanted with that spell, the spell will not be absorbed and there will be no effect. Items with individual charge storage require 1 spell per charge. Items with a general charge sto rage require 1 of each of the spell powers to be cast into the item to get 1 charge. Casting more then 1 of one spells before casting 1 of each spell will have no effect. ENCHANTMENT ------------- Magic items are created by the gods, magic users, priests, some magical creatures. Creating a magic item requires an enchantment skill. Potions, Elixirs, Powders --------------------------- They take 1 day per spell level to make. Potions are made by the use of alchemy(roll vs. skill - (spell level * 10%)), and a spell casting(roll vs. skill - (spell level * 10%)), both skill rolls must be successful. Every potion requires at least 1 component of high power, it must be rare and magical(e.g. pixy wings, vampire fangs, dragon blood, crushed diamond). Any magic user of any skill level can attempt to make potions. Scrolls --------- Take 1 day per spell level to make. Scrolls are made by the use of illumination(roll vs. skill - (spell level * 10%)) and a spell casting. Both skill rolls must be successful. Material components are required. Every ink requires at least 1 component of high power be mixed in, it must be rare and magical(e.g. pixy wings, ground vampire fangs, dragon blood, crushed diamond). Many other locally found components are mixed in. Any magic user of any skill level can attempt to make scrolls. Enchanting Items ------------------ Successful creation of a magic item depends upon a magic users skill and luck. Many things effect the success of an enchantment. Magic users create an item by casting an enchant item spell upon the item to prepare it, then casting the spells to be enchanted into the item along with any enhancement spells(like Permanent) upon it. Priests pray to their god to bestow powers upon an item. First the priest must purify himself according to the rituals of his religion. Next the item must be sanctified according to the rituals of the his religion. The priest then performs a special prayer(6th level spell) to request to his deity to bestow an enchantment upon the item(equivalent to a magic users enchant item spell). Further prayers(spells) are made for each spell power to be enchanted. TIME The time it takes to enchant an item is 1 day per mana point of magic enchanted into the item. The long casting time required is due to enchantment spells being chanted over and over until the magic is finally absorbed into the item. All spell mana is counted, enchant item, enhancement spells, and spell powers. COST The cost to the magic user to enchant an item is his living expenses during enchantment, and the cost of the item and all of its special material components, and the cost of all the spells material components. ENCHANT OBJECT First the item to be enchanted must be obtained. A base preparatory spell Enchant Object is cast upon the item. This prepares the object to receive the magic. If the magic user fails to successfully cast the enchant spell then the enchantment attempt has failed and standard Casting Failure rules apply, but normally the result is that the item is completely unable to receive further enchantment. A failed item with radiate a faint magical aura of an indistinguishable type. It must first be disenchanted before another attempt at enchanting the object i s made. Spells to enhance or to adjust the spells to be enchanted are cast first, if any. Examples being permanented, replenishing, encharged, and setting special activation methods. Then the first spell to be enchanted is cast in to the item endowing the item with that spell power. This enchants the object with 1 charge of that spell. During the casting the magic user calls out the name of the command word to activate that spell power. Any number of additional spells may be enchanted into the item by the same method as used for the first spell power. The enchantment must continue uninterrupted until complete, a minimum of 8hrs per 24hrs. If the enchantment is interrupted at any point for a period greater then 24hrs then the item will no longer accept any further enchantments of any kind(unless the item is disenchanted first). ENCHANTMENT FAILURE If the magic user fails to successfully cast any spells during the enchanting the readiness of the object to receive enchantments is ruined and no further spells can be enchanted into the item. Except as noted under the "Uncontrolled Magic" rules or until the item has been disenchanted, draining the item of all its powers and the enchantment is started all over. The standard casting failure rules apply with the following modifications: Failure of enhancing spells can result in nasty stuff like interfering with other enchantments, permanenting the wrong spell, activation method activating the wrong power, or activation method activating two powers simultaneously, etc. The odds of this are 1 in 1D6. Otherwise failure will only effect the spell being enchanted. There is a 1 in 1D6 chance that a failure of the enchanted spell will result in the spell going off(taking immediate effect rather then being enchanted). Also apply standard Casting Failure results. UNCONTROLLED MAGIC After the first enchantment failure further spells can be enchanted into an item only at grave risk to the caster and will cause serious side effects in all the items powers. All further spells that are cast automatically fail(by greater then 10%) and follow the Enchantment Failure rules for determination of effects. If either casting failure roll is a 1(curse) the Magic user suffers a curse and rolls on the casting failure curse table. The odds of a curse are thus a 1 in 6 instead of 1 in 36. ADJUSTMENTS Runes/Glyphs For each spell that the magic user permanently marks magical runes or glyphs onto the object he gains a +10% adjustment in the casting/enchanting of those spells. Any other magic user seeing the item can read the runes and by them tell what powers it contains. Special Objects Certain objects have special effects on magic enchanted into them. RINGS: Give a +20% bonus on permanenting a power if only 1 spell is enchanted. Gives a +10% bonus on permanenting powers if more then 1 spell is enchanted. WANDS: Stores 300 mana. Limited to 9th level magic. Limited to 1 type of magic(fire, cold, chaos, etc.). STAFFS: Stores 100 mana. Gives a +5% bonus on permanenting powers. Material Components Spells require their normal material components, additionally enchanted spells are effected by the essence of the materials the item is made of. Use standard Spell Research - Material Component rules, with each spell level adjustment giving a 5% spell casting adjustment during enchantment. ENHANCEMENT SPELLS Standard Enhancements Encharge Single Encharge Multiple Rechargeable Replenish 1/month Replenish 1/week Replenish 1/day Permanent(single spell only) Activation Enhancements Deactivation/activation of a permanent power. Upon will(telepathically) [9th level since its continuously on(permanent).] Physical manipulation(pressing a button, etc.) Spell ---Replenish--- --Encharge-- Level 1/month 1/week 1/day Single Multiple Rechargeable Permanent 1 2 3 1 1 4 2 2 5 3 3 6 4 1 4 1 1 7 5 2 5 2 2 8 6 3 6 3 3 1 9 7 4 1 7 4 4 10 8 5 2 8 5 5 2 11 9 6 3 9 6 6 12 10 7 4 10 7 7 3 13 11 8 5 11 8 8 14 12 9 6 12 9 9 4 15 13 10 7 13 10 10 16 14 11 8 14 11 11 5 17 15 12 9 15 12 12 18 16 13 10 16 13 13 6 19 17 14 11 17 14 14 20 18 15 12 18 15 15 7 21 19 16 13 19 16 16 22 20 17 14 20 17 17 8 23 21 18 15 21 18 18 24 22 19 16 22 19 19 9 Charged Either 1 charge per 1 mana point or each charge may be set to equal more then 1 mana point. If each charge is equal to more then 1 mana point then each spell requires the minimum number of charges with mana equal to or more then the level of the spell. Descriptions for such magic items usually note the number of charges each spell power uses. Replenish This draws mana from the surrounding environment to replenish the mana storage in the item. Mana will be restored faster in high mana areas. Each +5% under Places of Power in the Spell Casting rules doubles the rate of recharge. The spell power can also be made rechargeable. Encharge 2D10 mana worth of charges per Encharge level(that is spell level - 2 or - 5). Spells may be enchanted into Single or Multiple storage not both. It is possible to have a Multiple charge storage for 1 set of spells and Single spell charge storage areas in the same items for different spells. Eternal 10th level spell. Item retains its powers even if shattered or broken apart. Indestructibility 15th level spell. Item is indestructible by any normal means. Disenchantment Trap Takes effect if a disenchant spell is tried. Race Specific Only A special spell to limit use to only one race, or other group. Regenerating Power Draws the mana from specific things near or touching it. Stuff like recharging by moon light, by sacrifices, gems, rare materials, etc. The stronger(as per material component rules) the mana source the faster the recharge. Enchant Living 12th level spell. Required for enchanting any spell effect upon a living thing. PRICE Based on supply(magic users) and demand(wealth). Per Spell For a successful casting. 10sc per spell level to 10th level. 100sc + 40sc per spell level above 10th level. Dangerous spells are normally only cast with a 100% chance of success at a cost of 100sc + 40sc per spell level. Per Day Long term employment of magic users is based on the magic users highest magic skill at a cost of 10sc per 10% skill to 100% skill, above 100% skill the cost is 100sc + 40sc per additional 10% skill. Non specialist magic users charge twice as much. Cost for enchanting magic items is at the long term employment rates. The cost for a guaranteed successfully created item is 3 times the cost of hiring a magic user for 1 attempt with 50/50 odds. IMMORTALITY ------------- Only the greatest of magic users can magically extend their lives for more then a short time. Those few are transformed into the undead by the enchantment spell "Enchant Living" and a powerful necromancy spell. Failure results in immediate and permanent death. Magic users that are incapable of enchanting the living are limited to normal magic which is unstable. A magic user dying of old age related causes with only a few weeks left to live might for example polymorph himself into the body of a young man, but within a year on average the spell will fluctuate and for a few hours the magic user will return to his aged body, now a year older, and quickly die. Should a dispel magic be cast upon him before that then he could die even sooner. At most the magic user can hope for a few extra years if he is lucky. DEMOGRAPHICS -------------- In the standard REALMS OF ADVENTURE game setting magic is rare. For other settings adjust magic item availability, cost, etc., by magnitude of 10. These demographics include everyone down to simple village witches. MAGIC USER PER EMPOWERED PRIESTS PER MAGIC PEASANTS KNIGHTS PEASANTS KNIGHTS near mythical 100000 1000 25000 250 very rare 10000 100 2500 25 rare 1000 10 250 2.5 uncommon 100 1 All common 10 All ALL: All priests are capable of casting spells. AD&D: For a setting closer to AD&D use magic as uncommon. MAGIC ITEMS On average 1 person in 100(i.e. each knight) has 1 permanent magic item(mostly weak items). The average magic item lasts 200 years before breakage. 1/2 of all magic items are made by magic users, and 1/2 by priests. 1 in 60 magic users is powerful enough to enchant permanent magic items, and on average spends 1/3rd of each year enchanting such items, creating 3 such items per year. Factors in determining number of items possessed: Ability to make items. Power to order items made. Wealth to buy items. Direct access to enchanter(human civilization). Indirect access is at a 600% markup in price. Robbery. Powerful magic items require powerful magic users to create them. MAGIC ITEM COST SPELL LEVEL SILVER 1 4000 2 8000 3 16000 4 32000 5 64000 6 128000 7 256000 8 512000 9 1024000 10 2048000 Example Magic Item: Magic Sword Damage Enhance I Permanent Skill Enhance I(sword attack) Permanent Damage Enhance I adds +1 to damage. Skill Enhance I adds +5% to a single skill, in this case sword attack skill. Both are 1st level spells. So the sword would cost 8000 silver to have it made by a wizard. MAGIC USERS 1/2 of magic users are generalists known simply as magic users. 1/2 are specialists. 1/2 of the specialists are dual enchanters/specialists. Specialists 40% Sorcerers 20% Healers 10% Conjurers 10% Diviners 10% Illusionists 5% Possession Practitioners 5% Necromancers AD&D Compatibility & Conversion ------------------------------- Realms of Adventure has been designed to be compatible with AD&D so that characters can be transferred from one game to the other with a fair and equal representation of all their abilities in each game. Further all AD&D characters, monsters, magic items, spells, adventure settings, and world settings can be used in REALMS OF ADVENTURE. Most AD&D stuff can be used directly without any conversion. The few numbers that do need to be converted can be done quickly without any reference to the rules during play. AD&D usage, conversion, and compatibility notes are listed threw out the rules, headed by "AD&D:". Conversion ------------ All statistics not listed may be used directly with Realms of Adventure. ABILITIES Dexterity and Constitution stay the same. Power = Intelligence or Wisdom(which ever is highest). Appearance = Charisma or Comeliness in AD&D1 UA. As for Strength: the combined damage and to hit bonus is = to the REALMS OF ADVENTURE damage bonus. The strength rating is converted based on the bonus. Thus ADD:RA is 8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15 = 10, 16 = 11, 17 = 12, 18 = 13, 18/01-50 = 14, 18/51-75 = 15, 18/76-90 = 16, 18/91-99 = 17, 18/00 = 19. Health = Hit Dice * 2 + the Hit Dice Plus + (Constitution if known, else 10). Saving Throws There are no saving throws in REALMS OF ADVENTURE. An ability or skill may be used in place of a saving throw as appropriate. MAGIC AD&D Magic user level = 40% skill + 5% skill per level in all branches of magic except Healing. AD&D Priest level = 40% skill + 5% skill per level in all branches of magic except illusion. Spells AD&D Magic user spells can be directly used by magic users. AD&D Priest spells can be directly used by Priests. Priests can use AD&D Magic user spells with the standard priest adjustments. If a Magic user successfully researches or otherwise obtains a magic user version of an AD&D priest spell the level will be adjusted as follows(minimum of level 1): Healing + 6, Necromancy +1, Divination 0, Enchantment -2, Possession 0, Sorcery 0, Conjuration -1, Illusion -3. Exception: Magic user spell versions al ready noted in the AD&D books should be used at the level stated(the differences in divine and natural magic result in some differences in individual spells). RA BRANCH OF MAGIC AD&D SCHOOL OF MAGIC Sorcery/Theurgy Evocation, Invocation, Alteration, Abjuration Necromancy Necromancy(undead effecting only) Healing Necromancy, Abjuration(healing spells only) Enchantment Enchantment(object effecting only) Possession Charm, Enchantment(life effecting only) Conjuration Conjuration, Summoning Divination Divination Illusion Illusion, Phantasm Casting time in segments(6 seconds each) is converted to combat rounds(10 seconds each). There is no 1 spell per minute limitation. Magic Resistance: See the Magic Resistance rules. MONEY Realms of Adventure uses sliver as its standard coin rather then gold. In the middle ages gold simply wasn't available in the vast quantities it is in AD&D. Even with all those dwarves and gnomes digging gold up its still too common in AD&D for my liking. Conversion of money is simple: 2pp = 1 gold coin 1gp = 1 silver coin 2ep = 1 sliver coin 1sp = 1 copper coin 10 cp = 1 copper coin COMBAT Melee Combat skill, Weapons skills, and Defensive skills: (20 - THAC0) * 5% + (Dexterity if known, else 10%). Player characters have skill in each weapon the player character has proficiency in, in both attack and parry. They also have skill in dodge, and shield if their class can use it. Apply learning adjustments. Use the All Out Attack rule rather then the Melee Combat rule for monsters. Also they gain full benefit of their armor rating(consider it an abstracted representation of their defensive abilities). Armor The types of armor in REALMS OF ADVENTURE and AD&D are rated close enough that the AD&D armor class ratings can be used with a simple conversion: Armor is = 10 - Armor Class. Comparison ------------ MAGIC AD&D Casting is always successful, were REALMS OF ADVENTURE is 35%-40% successful(in highest AD&D spell level). AD&D spell levels are approximately = to mana(excluding Power adjustment) until 16th level then REALMS OF ADVENTURE is more. Power helps even up successful spell casting rate. AD&D requires prechoosing of spells before each day were REALMS OF ADVENTURE allows choice at time of casting(an advantage). I think both systems produce roughly equally powerful characters. COMBAT & EXPERIENCE The greatest factor in AD&D melee combat is hit points. A 2nd level fighter on average has twice the hit points as a 1st level fighter. In Realms of Adventure skill is the main factor in combat and it matches up in its rate of increase with the rate of increase in AD&D in hit points. A 1st level fighter has a 5% skill and a 2nd level fighter has 10% which is twice that skill. OTHER GAMES ------------- MAGIC ITEMS Judging the power and suitability of magic items from non-REALMS OF ADVENTURE/AD&D game settings should be simple and fast once the magic item and spell creation systems are understood. So feel free to use such sources. Spell List ---------- You can get this feature by purchasing the non-shareware enhanced edition of the game. This edition is forthcoming. Look for future announcements! You can also get a free book of spells called the Net Spell Book, available from the usenet and many BBSs. Skill List ---------- One for each weapon type. Acrobatics Alchemy Animal Handling Armory Art Astronomy Blacksmith Boating(small craft) Brawling Calligraphy Climbing Cooking Dancing Disguise Falconry Farming Fishing Forgery Gambling Heraldry History Hunting Hypnotism Jeweler Jumping Languages(individual) Law Leather working Literacy Literature Lock picking Locksmith Masonry Mathematics Miner Musical Instrument Navigation Parry(by weapon type) Pickpocket Poetry Politics Pottery Prospecting Riding Running Seamanship Sculpting Singing Sleight of Hand Sports(by type) Stealth Survival(by type) Swimming Tailor Throwing Tracking Traps Ventriloquism Woodworking Writer Monster List ------------ You can get this feature by purchasing the non-shareware enhanced edition of the game. This edition is forthcoming. Look for future announcements! You can also get a free book of monsters called the Net Monster Book, available from the usenet and many BBSs. The World Setting ----------------- The world is much like earth in the 15th century, minus gun powder, with magic and fantastic creatures added in. The normal starting setting is in a Europe like area. This area has a feudal system. There are many Kingdoms, Principalities, independent Dukedoms of varying size. DEMOGRAPHICS 1 Knight 100 Peasants 1 Baron 10 Knights 1 Count 100 Knights 1 Duke 1000 Knights 1 King 10000 Knights/1,000,000 peasants 1 Emperor 100000 Knights/10,000,000 peasants ECONOMICS Peasants need to replant 1/3rd of grain crop(in comparison 1/50th is replanted in the modern real world). Yeomen taxed 1/2 harvest, no hunting allowed on a lords lands. Thus only 1/6th is available for consumption during a normal year. Most Transportation is by river. Most transportation over land is by muddy winding trails, with mules that need to be loaded and unloaded 3 times a day, the trails being unsuitable for wagons. Trade is normally by barter, coin is rare. A hired laborer gets food + rent for himself & family + 1 silver coin(or equivalent). Peasant farmers work 1/2 their time on their lords fields and 1/2 on their own fields. Peasants sell on average 1/10th of crop to merchants, and 1/10th of that money they may donate to the church. 1 Silver coin buys: 1 days food for family of 4. Mostly grains and maybe a little fish. Or 1 days food at Inn for 1 person. Or 1 days rent at Inn for 1 person. MONEY Money is coins of copper, silver, and gold. Money is valued by weight, with the following exchanges: MONEY BY WEIGHT Copper:Silver ??:?? Silver:Gold 1:50 Gold coin is generally 5 times smaller then silver coin thus: MONEY BY COINS Silver:Gold 10:1 ECONOMICS OF MAGIC In the primitive medieval era of the game there is a great demand for the healing powers of the priests. There is great risk in the casting of healing spells if should they fail and back fire. So those magic will only be used in service to the cause of the church. Of course great amounts of gold would be of service to the church. Very few priests are powerful enough to cast strong healing magic with no risk. People will travel far and wide seeking out those few miracle workers who can freely cast healing magic without risk. ANCIENTS Millennium ago magic users were far more powerful then magic users of today. Many of the secrets of magic known to the ancients have been lost to modern magic users. While their magic may have been strong their technical arts were not as advanced as today. Even so they built great buildings out of huge stone blocks. Some say such building were erected with magic, others point to the murals carved into temple walls and say that they were built with tens of thousands of slaves. Most of the ancient site s discovered contain evidence of great evils: temples dedicated to devils, statues of demons, stone murals of human sacrifices, etc. The Universe and Beyond ----------------------- In this version of Realms of Adventure the configuration of the Universe and Beyond is mostly up to the Storyteller. You can make it up or use one of the settings available for other RPGs. Only a few points need be made: The following rules create a setting were most fantasy and science fiction stories can be set in with a single set of rules. Rules that are self consistent, make sense and don't give me a head ache(which is more then I can say for similar rules for other games). Many other possible configurations of the Universe and Beyond are possible, its up to the Storyteller and players how they want it. These rules are also set up for play balance. For example they stop a magic user from simply traveling to a hig h technology world grabbing a nuke then traveling to mount Olympus and wasting a whole pantheon of gods. The laws of physics are as in the real universe. Magic is an added force or forces. Scientific understanding and technological control of magic is only attained by elder races billions of years old. Races on the verge of ascending beyond the confines of the universe. Inhabited worlds are rare. Of those worlds which are inhabited the vast majority never discover magic. Of those which do discover magic the vast majority never develop advanced science. Worlds with both high technology and magic are possible. However there are a number of factors which make them rare: Mana concentrates and pools in relatively small areas of the universe, most areas of the universe are low mana areas or mana deserts. Entire galaxies are often mana deserts. It is impossible to discover magic in even a moderately low mana world(a person with 1 mana point can't cast a 1st level spell(requires 2 mana points) and so can't gain the experience necessary to gain a 2nd mana point.) Although a powerful magic user visiting a low mana world could cast spells, at a reduced amount. It is to the advantage of the gods to keep their worlds in the dark ages. Scientific awakening of a world will result in less respect for, and worship of the gods and a corresponding drop in their power. In advanced worlds the gods may come to be viewed as parasites and leaches of peoples souls and as a result shunned. A world which has discovered magic will come to rely upon it and have less of a need to develop science and technology. Magic tends to strengthen the feudal system and suppress democracy since its power is in the hands of only those who can weld it and the very wealthy who can afford it, mainly the nobility. This results in the suppression of capitalism and the corresponding market forces which drive technology. To prevent science and technology from gaining a foot hold demons are sent to kill inventors and destroy all trace of their inventions(of course the gods themselves may make use of such inventions, putting them slightly above the technology level of their world). News in the middle ages traveled very slowly so it would be easy for a god to stop the spread of the knowledge before it had been too widely spread to suppress. Scientists could even be hunted down and burned as witches by the gods followers. Certainly any scientific knowledge which conflicts with the churches doctrine will be suppressed. In worlds with both magic and advanced science magic is used for technological short cuts, enabling amazing things but magic has its limitations. Magic can not be mass produced so it is not cost effective for many things. It is dangerous. It is less effective then technology in such things as combat(compare the speed and range of an automatic rifle compared to the casting time and range of a lightning bolt spell, then compare fighter jets, tanks, etc. to a magic user). And the obsessive secrecy of mag ic users is as strong as ever. Each world has its own pantheons of gods. Very few gods have followers on 2 worlds. An alien god invading another world in search of more followers at the expense of local gods would most likely start a war of the gods. When gods war gods die, and they did not become immortal by throwing their lives away. There are no gods from worlds which have not discovered magic. The gateways between inhabited worlds are not well understood nor well traveled even by the Gods. Such lack of understanding usually results in passage threw such gateways being one directional. Exceptions do exist were groups of worlds have well mapped out gateways and even interplanetary commerce but this is very rare. Gateways are more numerous(although still very rare) between stronger mana worlds. Gateways from a world will most frequently occur to another world of equal strength mana. The are n o magical gateways in mana desert areas of the universe. So the odds are a gateway leads to another world with magic and low science. Deities ------- From the plane were the gods exist the gods can look down upon the lands of their followers, viewing what ever and whom ever they wish at any time. Most gods pass much of their time watching the events in the world of men(like watching TV). The gods can only watch one seen at a time, but they can instantly switch what they are scrying. By expending some of their power they can effect what they view in a limited way. There is also the serious aspect of maintaining the support of their worshipers and ga ining more followers. Gods gain their power from their worshipers and those who pray to them. The more worshipers a god has the more powerful the god becomes. People normally have 1 god who they primarily worship(perhaps the god of their city, trade, ideals, or by family tradition), but they will pray to other gods when the need arises. They would pray to a god of healing for health when they are sick, of death at a funeral for the safety of the deceased's soul, of luck while gambling, etc. Only fanatics devote themselves wholly to a single god and never call upon other gods. The followers of the god give the god a steady flow of mana(1 point of mana/day from basic followers, 2 mana/day from the devout, 4 mama/day from fanatics and priests). Additionally each prayer made to the god gains the god 1 point of mana. A worshiper can transfer to the gods a maximum number of mana points = power per day in worship and prayer. Such transfers are automatic, and men untrained in magic are not continuously aware of the transfer, they will feel no different. Gods feed on this mana, and store excess mana. Gods hear prayers to them like faint whispers in the background, which are generally ignored. When the god is board or other wise unoccupied something about a prayer may catch the gods attention apparently at random and the god will focus upon the worshiper. There are a few things which add in attracting attention, a very strongly felt emotional appeal, a worshiper right on the verge of losing faith, a life and death situation, a prayer from a fanatically devoted follower, etc. Even with all these adva ntages the odds of gaining the god's attention is slight. At any moment there are probably thousands of people praying to the god. From the plane of the gods a god can cause limited effects upon the world of men, and these effects cost great amounts of mana. So the god can't respond to any but a small portion of the prayers made to him even if he wanted to. Generally the god will expend his mana to gain more followers, increasing his fame(resulting in more prayers from non followers), to keep moral of followers high, any other things the god wants(like a great holy magical artifact), and just for the god's entertainment. The gods have their favorable mortals, whom they find the most interesting, and watch the most often and some times help. The gods can not directly control the will of a human. With great expenditure of mana gods can cause earth quakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts, plagues, tidal waves, and monsoons, but the mana cost could take decades to recover. So the gods generally act in much more limited ways helping human agents(who may or may not be aware of the help) to achieve desired ends. Examples: Converting a King, supporting a messiah, performing a miracle in front of crowds of the faithful, sending an angel, sending a holy magic item, speaking in a booming voice. The legends of men say the gods can't be killed by mere mortals, but this is not true. Gods are extremely powerful beings, a man would do better battling an entire flight of dragons then a single god. But they can be killed, and for this reason the gods almost never travel to the world of men. Rather they act from a far, through human agents, or by sending demons/angles to do their biding. More information on RPGs ------------------------ RPGs just like books can be based on many themes - fantasy, science fiction, spy, western, mystery, war, etc., but mostly with an emphasis on adventure. The game can be anything from one short adventure, a few related adventures, to a continuing saga across a world or universe. The magic and fantastic creatures in this and all RPGs are entirely fictional. The same as it is in fictional novels and Movies. It is not real. This should be obvious all sane people. I mention this because some people and the press have believed otherwise. Designer's Notes ---------------- STYLE OF PLAY My personal philospy is that if I wanted drama I'd read a book. If I wanted to act I'd join a theater group. If I wanted stratigy I'd play a war game. If I wanted mayhem I'd play a video game. When I want adventure I play Realms of Adventure!! Future Product Plans -------------------- Realms of Adventure Rules Will be continuously updated and improved. There will be a new version every few months. Realms of Adventure Computer Game This will be a major advance in the state of the art of computer RPGs! Most of it I classify right now as a trade secret, but I will tell you this: It will support VESA Super VGA graphics - from VGA to 1600 * 1280 resolution! 256 colors. It will be fully multiplayer with a version that runs on multiline BBS's. Lots of other stuff. MAILING ADDRESS My mailing address is: Chris Pinto, 115 Sciberras rd., Unionville, Ontario, Canada, L3R 2J5. My electronic mail address on the internet/usenet is "[c--in--o] at [io.org]". I am a very busy person and I don't have time to answer questions about the game.