All Under Hero: BECMI D&D To Hit progression

Karameikos has always been the starting point of my understanding of Mystara; the first Gazetteer was my first realization that it was its own setting.

And since the Gazetteer states that Karameikos was designed as being designed to accommodate the rulebook classes, I've decided to assume that the D&D cyclopedia classes and levels are sort of 'rules of thumb' to build Mystaran characters -- and even to use as NPC templates for customization in the course of play.

So -- let's look at the To Hit tables for the classes (which include demi-humans)!

Progression Insights

According to this table, we can see that:

• Character classes are a cut above normal humans (even magic users), with a +1 to their To Hits at 1st level. 
• Fighters improve their To Hit chances by +2 every 3 levels.
• Clerics, Thieves, and Druids improve their To Hit Chances by +2 every 4 levels.
• Magic Users improve their To Hit Chances by +2 every 5 levels.
• Demi-humans progress a little bit differently (see the letters).

This can easily be done in HERO with equivalent bonuses to the PC's OCV per level.

Why not make these straightforward Skill Level purchases? Well, there are a couple of things that might complicate matters:

• reflecting hit points: rather than a straighforward boost to BODY, STUN, or PD / ED, allowing a bonus to CV instead of just OCV could reflect how higher level characters are just better at combat in general (as a guideline).
• weapon mastery rules: these also have an effect of boosting your skills, and any characters with this should have these reflected as skill levels with their chosen weapons; implementing with skill levels instead of a straight OCV bonus might confuse matters.

So, I'll proceed on this basis for now.

All Under Hero: HEROic D&D

Mystara has been a setting that fascinates me, due to the long-lingering influence of the Gazetteers on my fantasy gaming life. One of the reasons I attempted, years ago, to do a "HEROic" conversion of D&D (see the following old links), was partially due to the setting.

HEROic D&D - Part 1
HEROic D&D - Part 2
HEROic D&D - Part 3
HEROic D&D - Part 4
HEROic D&D - Part 5

Someone asked my why I would attempt such a thing, given how well HERO does fantasy, and the fact that I was obviously a HERO fan, and knew Fantasy Hero. I answered the following:

"to convert various NPCs, PCs and monsters into HERO characters and then play straight using HERO rules. 

It's not REALLY a system re-creation, but two things:
(1) primarily a way to rationalize in my head how these conversions would be done;
(2) very secondarily, a way to explore how HERO deviated from the original ruleset -- as I think I've hinted at here by how I handled stats."

Looking back, I would have to say that it was probably more of a combination of the first sentence, and #2 of the last paragraph.

To be honest, it seems to me that #2 of the last paragraph was a major part of it -- I wanted to explore why the ruleset of HERO resonated so strongly with my own mental model of how the world works, as opposed to my occasional hesitations when remembering the abstraction choices made in D&D rules (like the abstract Armor Class approach, which combines difficulty in hitting someone with the ability to penetrate armor / do damage).

At the same time, I also felt that Mystara had hidden depths that I could best express in HERO system (which I think echoes in my own explorations of magic systems elsewhere on this blog). I wanted to have a depth and breadth of fighting builds for characters, and a way to express how different magical / mystical systems could be realized in the world -- and why those differences matter when recognized by players.

That being the case, I'm returning to this project with a different perspective, perhaps to ground my explorations more. I'm going to begin building components for the Mystara / Enigmundia world in HERO to see where they bring me in terms of the ideas for the setting.

Border Wardens: An Ancient Evil, A Stirring Tide

My last post (A Balance of Monstrous Intentions) posited one option: that the Caves of Chaos are actually a chokepoint of encroaching chaos denizens that the Keep must keep (heh) in check. There is another option that we might invoke, however.

Option 2: The Rim of Chaos

That symbol on their chests and shields -- a lidless eye, wreathed in flame?
Nah, couldn't be.

Perhaps the creatures of the caves follow a leader -- inasmuch as these chaotic ones follow any one -- and it is a charismatic leader. Perhaps a chieftain, or a cleric, or a witch doctor... or a madman with dreams of conquest.

This thought was stirred up by noticing some similarities between T1 - The Village of Hommlet and B2 - The Keep on the Borderlands: the evil priest of Chaos as a main villain who somehow infiltrates the bastion of civilization (or at least spies on it), the torture chamber, the undead, and the temple in the dungeon.

More online research revealed the work of Unfrozencavemandicechucker, who had already thought about and posted on many related things that will find their way into Border Wardens, such as:

• the other similarities between B2 and T1 that is grist for the adventure mill;
• the importance of uniforms, and the symbol of the new master, to the growing organization;
• the cult of the fiery eye, the crimson opal, and the emergent template of a rather sneaky religious organization in the sample dungeon, the abandon moathouse (and possibly the caves of chaos?);
• the backstory of the chief villain being far from cut-and-dried (Lareth was a Paladin? Perhaps a lover of Lolth? Perhaps a dupe for an older, more powerful deity?)

Option 3: The Crimson Shallows

This idea was triggered by the stray thought that Lareth was corrupted by a power that was neither god nor devil, but by something primal yet outside the natural order of things -- and by the fact that the "Chapel of Evil Chaos" is made out of red stone, with a tapestry depicting a landscape of terrible desolation and shadowy figures delighting in the destruction of humanity.

This might be a good opportunity to insert setting elements of Kevin Crawford's Red Tide Campaign Setting. This would certainly add to a more long-term mystery, that even the scholars of this world's deities and mysteries would be hard-pressed to figure out -- as the influence comes from another doomed universe.

It might also give additional twists to the appearance of these demi-humans, if the origins for these creatures in the Red Tide setting are used.

Border Wardens: A Balance of Monstrous Intentions

A border-based campaign really starts with some thought on the dangers that the PCs will face, and the mysteries that they'll encounter and unravel.

The Caves of Chaos
by Michael Kormarck (2005)

The first thing that really triggers in my mind as an influence is B2 - The Keep on the Borderland's main source of monsters: the Caves of Chaos!

You have a cave network teeming with non-human monsters, some with uneasy alliances, others at careful detente with one another. To get away from the 'monster killing zoo' feel that might mar some campaigns, some thought should be given to the rationale for these creatures -- and how the cave network might be refreshed for future returns.

Option 1: the Chokepoint

A more *ahem* mundane approach would be to have the Caves of Chaos to be the part of a natural funnel, a bottlenneck, that the lands of Chaos feed into. This has been beneficial to the empire of humanity and demi-humanity, because any one of these monstrous hordes might threaten its civilization -- and may yet do so in the future.

Possible Adventure Hooks

1. Testing the balance -- the PCs are sent into the Caves of Chaos to investigate the balance of power. What are the factions, how are they allied or opposed? In the process, they may get in over the heads, forcing a confrontation and leading into the next hook...
2. Upsetting the balance -- the PCs kill an important monster leader, decimate the numbers of a particular faction, or steal a powerful magical item that may have kept one or more of the vanguards of the monstrous hordes in check, and now they have to fight against the forces of a growing power...
3. Resetting the balance -- the PCs must find a way to weaken the dominant force through assassination, or aiding another monstrous faction, or to shut down the path to the lands of that monstrous race to bring the region back into a delicate state of balance

A future Border Wardens post will be a close reading of B2's material to see how it might flesh out this particular aspect of the setting. But for now, this will be the broad strokes treatment of the monsters of the Caves of Chaos.

Other Ideas

• loot from different caves (stolen, taken, or found) may provide a hint about future events in the Caves of Chaos, or perhaps turn out to be a powerful McGuffin;
• rumors from the various monsters of the networks may reveal a hidden secret about the Caves' history
• the PCs are not the first adventurers and explorers in this region -- perhaps the last resting place of a former hero may be hidden deep in the cave network.

Border Wardens: The Benefits of a Border Setting

Some people might dismiss a Borderlands-like setup out of hand because the sheer number of gamers who've gone through this type of initial setting has made it a trope (and in some cases worse -- a cliche).

But there are many benefits to this type of setting; here are few:

1. the law is only as strong, and is as omnipresent, as its enforcers -- A lot of new players, especially those that tend toward the 'game' side of RPGs, rather than the 'story' or 'roleplaying' sides, focus on racking up kills. In a city, the city watch will not countenance rampant (unsanctioned) criminal activities -- especially activities witnessed by citizens. On the border, the representatives of the law are stretched thin, cannot see everything, and certainly will only expend resources to hunt down fleeing criminals in extreme circumstances. This can cut your players' character some slack in the early days of gaming, before you lay down the law.
2. the wilderness has a different set of rules, a different kind of justice -- On the other hand, this deficiency on the part of the reach of law means that other sentients besides the players' characters can also take advantage of lapses and weaknesses. And things like honor, reputation, one's word, friendship, family, and vendetta are things that are not taken lightly by humans and demi-humans struggling to carve out their existences in the wild.
3. the border is a wild, unexplored, unpredictable reality -- Few records are kept, most knowledge is based on limited archives, rumors, and stories from travelers and adventurers who saw things days, weeks, months ago. And on the border, where boundaries are blurred and negotiable, where the bold venture out to better their fortunes with cunning and might of arms, where wielders of strange magics may walk, where travelers from other lands may arise, and where prophets of strange gods may yet be found, few things can be certain.
4. civilization is a distant, ghostly memory -- If unwilling to read up on the main empire or civilization
   
   (or one hasn't been chosen yet), then the DM can paint it in the broadest terms, with a few choice details to keep it from being a very vanilla fantasy setting. Here at the edge of civilization, where everyone may have a different (and perhaps utterly flawed) view of the politics, economics, customs, and players of the capital, you can shape your world as you desire. If you ever finalize things, your players can find out the hard way, on the road to the capital, how badly they've been misinformed. And isn't that how a lot of these rural, farmland-based chosen one heroes in many a fantasy novel find out about the world anyway?

Border Wardens: Adventures on the Edges of Civilization

There's something about being on the frontier, or at the edge of a known civilization that makes it right for adventure. Finished goods are hard to come by, but some raw materials are plentiful. People rely on family and neighbors for food, shelter, clothing and other necessities -- and hope for protection and aid from the representatives of the law.

And there are things to fight against, the enemies of civilization, of law, of order. Beasts and intelligences that rail against the affront to chaos, or live in fear of this encroaching empire on their lands, their borders.

The Border Wardens campaign notes series will be a bunch of posts on how to cobble together a campaign along these lines, based on classics like B2 - The Keep on the Borderlands, B5 - The Horror on the Hill, B10 - Night's Dark Terror, and perhaps even a bit of T1 - The Village of Hommlet.

It'll probably be based in Mystara, but can also be transplanted to Enigmundia (or any other setting with a similar setup).

Tracing the Wheel Kingdoms: Setting Wishlist

In my past posts on the Kingdom of the Wheel & other Wheel Kingdoms, I mentioned how different cities were included in these kingdoms, sometimes with different Saeculum governing the abilities and magic of theses places.

This was really meant to give me a kind of way to tie together some of my favorite D&D settings (and other fantasy settings) in my very own kitchen sink setting.

But what settings would I include? Off the top of my head:

• Mystara -- of course, as a classic inspiration to many of the worlds and arguably one of the major players in the War for the Wheel Kingdoms.
• The City from Weird Adventures -- although, perhaps, the true connection to the Wheel Kingdoms would be one of the older cities in the world.
• Red Tide -- a nice, tightly contained setting that is also a threat that might infect the rest of the realms of the Wheel Kingdoms.
• Poryphyry: World of the Burn -- a setting that I must convert from its current system eventually, but is very rich with potential for fantasy post-apocalyptic adventuring, and different types of magic.
• Carcosa -- a walled-off segment of one of the Broken Wheels, but still accessible by occasional intersections of the Grand Orrery.
• Enigmundia -- a cobbled together setting of my own, based on a fantasy Philippines being colonized by fantasy equivalent of Spain.
• All the Blackmoors -- each Blackmoor would house a greater key of the Wheel Kingdoms.
• Megadungeons -- rationale needed for them as ruins or fallen or secret points on the Wheel Kingdoms.

Well, that's it for now. Time to read and think.

Armchair Review: The War of Horus and Set

Reference books on history, mythology, and warfare hold a special place in the gamer's heart -- they provide inspiration for many a character or game.

How wonderful therefore that Osprey Publishing's The War of Horus and Set delivers on all three!

Here's my review as it appears on RPGNow:

First off, please note that this version is in ePub format and not in PDF.

With that out of the way -- this is a fantastic resource for RPG gamers. The writing has a nice balance between providing succinct summaries of the history and general flow of the myth and history of this particular focus area in Egyptian myth and in providing telling details about the variants and nuances of these conflated stories to provide a lot of game inspiration and adventure hooks for GMs. 

The Chapter titled "Gods and Their Realm" gives a good grounding in the cosmology of Egyptian gods and a list of the major players in the pantheon.
In "The Jealous Brother", there is an sympathetic portrayal of Set before the troubles between him and his brother, Osiris, began the inexorable slide into generational family feuding and tragedy. Of particular interest is the scene where Osiris is tricked into a deadly trap in full view of an audience. 

"The Vengeful Nephew", focuses on the war between Horus and Set from the revelation of what Set had done to Horus's father, through the various clashes overseen by the gods, right up to their final conflict. It is not bits and pieces of myth, but a fully described, flowing narrative. 

The Chapter titled "History and Warfare" peels back the curtain behind the narrative to discuss the often contradictory sources and variants of the myths that have been woven together for this book, to elaborate on real world warfare that paralleled the unfolding myths, and to detail aspects of Egyptian warmaking. 

"Enduring Legacy" talks about how these myths have influenced the modern day, crossing over into other religions or are echoed in other modern stories. 

All in all a rich source of material for a GM and her playing group.

Usage in Mystara

Given the existence of the Nithian culture in Mystara, it's hard not to want to use this resource as a way to twist and fill in the histories there with material from this book. I like the references here to Osiris as the First Mummy and to Geb as the source of the reanimating spell as a basis for that culture's resurrection spell. I love the references to the challenges between the gods Horus and Set (who may also be Seth or Sutek), and the way that the rulers of the land and the gods interact and ally.

I also like how they talked about Osiris's powers as lord of the Underworld and the ability to unleash chaos-spawned beings as a possible source of magics.

Also, given my past posts on the merging of gods (with Pflarr perhaps an echo of Hermanubis), there's no reason why this can't be an ongoing struggle between their allies and offspring.

Watching the Heard: No More Princess Ark

A time for endings, it seems.

According to Bruce Heard's "Bye-bye, Princess Ark" post on his blog, there will be no further writings using that particular bit of intellectual property. As his discussions with the IP manager of WOTC revealed:

"There was no interest in anything involving a transfer of rights, a sale, a license agreement, a permission to publish, or any other option--as a matter of policy.  From what I'd heard of WotC, I knew this going in."

So, no new Princess Ark fiction, and perhaps a curtailing of the Mystara-related posts that had been fleshing out one of my favorite settings from D&D.

I do look forward to the future work of Bruce Heard, in particular his upcoming supplement for The Secret Fire RPG.

The Secret Fire RPG was Winner of the 2012 Innovative Game Design Award from I-CON 31, and is an RPG that apparently blends old school gameplay with storytelling. With Heard's involvement in a supplement, I may just revisit it out of curiosity.

And what of my own posts on Mystara & Enigmundia?

Well, my early instincts to differentiate Enigmundia from its inspiration (Mystara) seems to have made sense. To be honest, it was more because I didn't want to confuse my own wildly divergent ideas from being confused with canon. But in light of this, there'll be a clearer distinction in the future.

Enigmundia: War of Plagues

A quick idea I had after listening to the recent "Ken & Robin Talk About Stuff" Podcast involves the cause of the holocaust in the semi-default post-holocaust fantasy world implied by D&D.

It involves a War of Plagues. Future posts will detail some of those plagues, but the snatches of idea that came to me:

• mysterious plague doctors appearing at the time of an outbreak
• plague(s) responsible for decimating or wiping out intelligent, highly advanced races or cultures (like the multitude of elf subraces)
• plague memory responsible for the isolationist stances of some races and cultures
• plague zombies are one of the feared plagues
• caused heal & cure spells becoming so prevalent with clerics 
• prompted mass potion creation for same spells 
• returning to civilization still requires a benediction and cleansing by clerics (and a tax / fee)

That's all for now. More to come.

Hats in Enigmundia

Coming back from a trip to the beach, I have a new appreciation for the usage of hats in a fantasy setting. Aside from the more modern association with fashion, hats do provide a certain kind of utility.

The tricorne hat, for example, seen in many historical films, performs a very useful function during seasons of rain by channeling rainwater away from the wearer's face to the shoulder areas (often also covered with raincoats).

Therefore in my fantasy setting, inspired by many an old school setting and my own learnings and research about Philippine history, there would definitely be a tricorne equivalent -- perhaps for the conquering settlers of the land of San Lazario -- during the rainy season of the two-season land. Interestingly, the tricorne (according to Wikipedia, anyway) originated from Spanish soldiers evolving the use of the standard broad rim hat, and was brought to France in the 1660s during one of the wars.

And it would have both functional and dress versions of the same structure. As for the decorative colors, it's hard to say.

This also means that there would have to be places to hang hats in homes and in public places -- preferably areas that you would not mind getting wet.

Of course, the Enigmundian Inspancialo aren't the only source of hats. The locals have a variant of the salakot, a hat that has kept the sun and the rain out of the locals' faces for many years. It is usually made from rattan wood or perhaps woven from reeds. But there are wonderfully decorated versions worn by the headmen of the various barangays and tribes -- decorated with embossed silver and precious gems and coins and metals.

But the common folk should have a variety of designs that they will wear, and perhaps hang on walls when they enter. There must be some kind of cultural approach that deals with ownership, sharing, and borrowing hats, particularly for long trips.

And, perhaps even some magical hats in the future. But for now, it's a nice cultural touch to add.

"Not all that matters is monstrous..."

The rationale for many an adventure is that the party has discovered a rumor / been assigned a quest to some mysterious out-of-the-way place where terrible monsters guard a fabulous treasure, or perhaps to destroy an slowly stirring ancient evil.

But some adventures can start because the location itself is the target of the interest of the dominant civilization -- which might clash with the longtime residents.

Three ideas along these lines:

• defending the borderlands;
• there's gold in them thar borderlands;
• oh, how lovely the borderlands are this time of year.

Defending the Borderlands

The forces that are assigned here (or happen upon it, or are rescued by it) are tasked with standing against any incursion of enemy forces. These could be hordes of rabid elves, barbarous halfling hordes, or even cunning, well-disciplined orc legions.

Short of actual mass combat, adventures here could be scouting sorties, raids into the wilderlands, or even assassination attempts on key leaders of the enemy.

There's Gold in them thar Borderlands

This is less about some underground complex, but a discovery that valuable resources -- like gold, or orichalcum, or hard-to-find magical reagents -- is located adjacent to the current country's land holdings in some unclaimed or contested area.

Adventures here could be about adventurers helping the country lay claim to the land, clearing out stubborn pockets of local residents or integrating them into the society, discovering the secret to the land's wealth, or claiming a small slice of the land for themselves or their patron.

Oh! How Lovely the Borderlands are this Time of Year!

In this scenario, the value of the land is its breathtaking vista. Perhaps there's a striking feature of the landscape that makes of a nice view, or an lovely old ruin from a past civilization (supposedly long cleaned out). There could be interesting restaurants with mouthwateringly good local cuisine that showcase the view, nice little trinkets (that came from the old ruin over there, completely safe). There could be festivals that re-enact old tribal rituals in more conqueror-friendly, tourist-friendly ways.

Adventurers of all alignments and all levels come to this new darling of the travel scene; what could possibly go wrong?

Enigmundia: Spheres, Magical Fields, and Outsiders

In a gamer's life -- especially a young one playing D&D and seeing stats for a god in a D&D sourcebook -- there often comes a time when one chooses to measure one's self against these gods, perhaps even engage them in combat, perhaps even win.

This can be attributed to an improper appreciation of scale. After all, most game systems tend to a handle a relatively tight range of characteristics, and appeals to 'players just die' tend to smack of either killer DMing -- with players sometimes asking to see the written down stats.

But let's take a look at where players are coming from: the point of view the gods and outsiders are just really high level PCs (usually on a more or less linear progression of characteristics and spell abilities). The expect a chance against other PCs.

They don't see them as forces of nature -- which is what gods have been defined by some. If they did, they would treat them like that series of death saves some PC must make when trying to survive being crushed by the pressures of the deep, deep ocean while avoiding suffocation (hopefully with a magic item or a spell without a verbal component).

This is my rationale of such beings, as well as the various magical fields and disciplines, in Enigmundia -- a rationale that hopefully will help players understand what they're playing with when tackling gods and outsiders and other things that operate on a planetary and even universal scale.

This is the Magical Field of Enigmundia

Okay, it's actually a representation of the magnetic fields of the Earth, but it's my starting point. The reason that there are conflicting tales about Enigmundia's Hollow Earth is because the 'center' of the world actually a collection of spheres that roil and revolve and rotate inside Enigmundia's aetheric core.

What are in the spheres? Some are Ages, preserved spheres of magical reality that act as reservations for races, zoos for creatures, and prisons for gods, titans, demons, and other terrible creatures. Others are pure spheres of magical principle. Others are broken remnants of realities, dimensions, and universes, and perhaps a dead or dormant god or three. Despite their seemingly chaotic dance within the aetheric core, they have settled into a semi-regular pattern for certain intersections with the material plane, resulting in cities and worlds that intersect with Enigmundia on constant, daily, nightly, weekly, monthly, yearly cycles, or the occasional weird every 100 years.

Their movement and interaction has made possible the current, mostly stable set of magical laws that work on a relatively thin layer of the world's material and aetheric atmosphere that eventually shift and even get chaotic as you go further out. There are, of course, nodes of strange magic that wander here and there, and (very) occasional catastrophic changes in the overall magical field due to some inherent instability in the Dance of Ages, leading to (if lucky) the subtle changing of magical rules to (if unlucky) a rewriting of the rules of reality.

However, the existence of this field protects us from the outsiders, who -- try as they might -- cannot penetrate this powerful, chimeric, chaotic field of energy borne from the fierce interactions between powerful sources of reality bending Ages, spheres, and realities. They covet the fragile and bountiful world of Enigmundia, and seek to sear their influence on us as multiple suns would sear life from our world through multiple barrages of solar wind.

The gods of Enigmundia, are parts of this massive mechanism -- some more aware of their role in the grand defense of the world from outsiders, some its secret architects from long forgotten and rewritten eras and eons -- and they fragment their attentions to occasionally deal with the mortals of Enigmundia.

Enigmundia: Lords of the Kingdom of the Wheel

Not to scale. Use at your own peril.

Further thoughts on megadungeons, the Kingdom of the Wheel, and a strange intersection with the God in the Machine campaign premise brought me to this:

• The OverKing ruled over the Kingdom of the Wheel
• Portions of the Kingdom of the Wheel were ruled by the KeyLords. The KeyLords were masters of the arcs, tangents, secants and chords. They were also wielders of the Keys -- strange magical wands, rods, and staves resembling oversized tuning forks that hummed with strange eldritch energies

Then came the war with Discord.

• It shattered the Kingdom of the Wheel, sundered hubs from spokes, splintered arcs, shredded important segments of the architecture of the Grand Wheel.
• It fractured the unity of the Council of Sleep. A maddened handful of KeyLords wished to awaken the Keys before their time and were punished and banished from the Hub.
• It scattered and isolated the Congress of KeyLords across the broken remnants of the Grand Wheel.

Ultimately, the Kingdom of the Wheel was broken and the Core of the Wheel, the seat of the OverKing's power was lost.

Those who know of its history struggle to unearth its ancient secrets. Ancient allies and enemies struggle to recover artifacts from this plane-spanning civilization.

But it is rumored that a few surviving KeyLords are quietly gathering the lost Keys. But to what end?

A Menagerie of Megadungeons

I've been trying to get back to the concept of the Kingdom of the Wheel from my older posts -- the idea of well-known megadungeons, with regular parties of adventurers mapping segments of it, sharing it with several rival mapping guilds, contributing to a dungeoneering town or city that has sprung up around the economy of adventurers and their quirks.

To that end, I encountered a new resource -- www.megadungeons.com -- which only started up this year. I also rediscovered a post from Blood of Prokopius about a solo game called How To Host A Dungeon which, sadly, seems to only be available in PDF form to those of us living outside of the Americas.

I've also been eyeing Doomed Slayers by Jurgen Hubert for a neat take on the culture of adventurers -- one that may not necessarily be adopted country-wide, but certainly take effect in the areas near these megadungeons.

I've also been looking at my old purchased megadungeon material... not sure where I'm going with this yet, but there's interest, and I'm hoping that going through this stuff will trigger something.

There are certainly products that have come out in the past about cities with megadungeons beneath them -- Undermountain is one. In fact, in the heyday of the D20 craze, there was a 'dungeonworld' type supplement. In the OSR realm, there was the completed 'Greyhawk' levels and various experiments in megadungeon design and construction. And let's not forget those fabulous web-based geomorphs online.

So what is it? What are you trying to tell me, brain?

Enigmundia: Cantrips of the Faithful (RQ6)

In Enigmundia, the faithful followers of the Pio Familia (Holy Family) and the powerful Tres Hermanas (Three Sisters) faction in particular, were taught rote prayers that would aid them in their daily lives. While ostensibly calling on the power of the Tres Hermanas, they only seem to work easily (+25 to +05% to skill roll depending of the size and holiness of the relics that consecrate the locations) within a certain distance of a city or town or shrine consecrated to them.

Beyond that, it becomes more difficult to call upon these effects (standard roll), and in wilder areas less frequented by mortals, they do so at a penalty (-5% to -25%).

In RQ6 terms, this is a reskinned Folk Magic skill with the following prayers (spells) associated with the Pio Familia. The format: prayer name (RQ6 Folk Magic spell) -- other spell notes.

• Prayer to the Watchers of the Threshold (Alarm) - a plea to the Watchers -- messengers of the Pio Familia set over a house or home -- to aid mortals who must guard doorways or homes.
• Prayer against the Evil Eye (Avert) - a call to the power of the Tres Hermanas to banish curses.
• Prayer for Peace (Calm) - an appeal to the Tres Hermanas for the triumph of reason over rage.
• Prayer for a Watcher's Aid (Coordination, Might, or Mobility) - a plea to the Watchers to guide one's hand or enhance one's skill.
• Prayer for a Watcher's Strength (Might) - a plea to the Watchers to lend a portion of their strength to mere mortals.
• Prayer for a Watcher's Wings (Mobility) - a plea to the Watchers to lend a portion of their fleetness to mere mortals.
• Prayer for Protection from Harm (Protection) - a plea to the Tres Hermanas to cloak the target in the safety of their robes.

Enigmundia: Pagan Spells of Mercury -- 1st Level

Past posts in this series will be refined and reformatted; for now, I'll tackle the last two pagan spells from the pagan god Mercury.

Now, Mercury is a slippery fellow. He is worshiped by messengers, travelers, traders, thieves, mages, and other lesser known groups and cults. He has dealings with many gods as their Messenger, and is rumored to communicate with mortals either directly or through their dreams (courtesy of Somnus and Morpheus). Perhaps his strong showing in the pagan spells, and his invocation in many spells to other pagan gods, shows just how important he is now in the waning influence of this fading pantheon.

Floating Disc (1)

It allows the caster to transport items on an invisible disc of force. Movement is said to be accompanied by the faint flutter of wings; an echo, perhaps, of the wings that adorn Mercury in his many depictions across ruins and hidden cults.

Ventriloquism (1)

The messenger of the gods lends the ability to send messages through the air in one of his most trivial of applications of power. However, it is one of his favored spells -- possibly due to the great deal of mischief that has been, and will be done, with this spell.

And that wraps up the 1st level spells of Labyrinth Lord. I'll try to clean all the past entries up and make them more consistent soon. Also, I think I'll shift the actual spells into my Mystara interpretation in the coming months, as Enigmundia seems to be RuneQuest-bound in my mind. However, I do enjoy the research of these 'pagan gods', so the essence of the cults and their ties to spells will remain in Enigmundia.

Inspiration: Hunt for Dragons -- Part II

In my hunt for inspiration, I never stray far from the religious or mythical aspect of creatures -- especially now that I'm looking at dragons specifically.

In the Roman Catholic tradition, St. Michael is often appealed to for aid "against the wickedness and snares of the Devil". And aside from being referred to as a serpent, Satan (who, in my campaign, would not be a devil, but The Devil) is also referred to as 'the dragon'.

According to the Book of Revelations 12:7-9 it is stated that:

"...there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven."

Note the definite article 'the'. Much like 'The Devil', 'The Dragon' seems to be another term used to reference 'The Adversary'.

In any case, I think it's a great reason to have images, like the one below, be plastered on the walls of the temples of Enigmundia -- at least those temples consecrated to the Pio Famila.

A mosaic in the Basilica di San Marco.
Photo taken by Carolina Victory (from her Flickr album).

Interestingly enough, I've read a line in Malachi Martin's Hostage to the Devil (his infamous book on five successful exorcisms and one failed exorcism) referring to St. Michael as a dragon too. I'd have to dig out the book again, but it allegedly quoted the demon possessing a victim referring to St. Michael (who was being invoked in the exorcism) as "that dragon".

This seems to imply that the term dragon is (a) generally used in a derogatory manner; or (b) all angels, archangels, thrones, powers, principalities, etc. have a form in the material realm as a dragon -- but is a form associated with unstoppable wrath and terrible power.

For a game setting, I'd choose the both options!

Enigmundia: "Priests of the Devil" part 02

Art by Ian Balba.

4. Mankulam: fire and witchcraft

"There are conflicting reports concerning the mangkulam or mancolam. In some, this fell priest is a purveyor of sympathetic magiks, often using fallen hair or cut nails from a victim affixed to a crude effigy in order to torture them with illness or madness or outright pain.

In other accounts, this priest performs a monthly ritual of bursting into flame beneath the stilt-houses that are common to natives of this land. It is said that such an event marks the resident of the house for a painful death, and that extinguishing the flame early will cause immediate death to the target.

Still others mark the mangkulam as a mortal agent of Sitan -- though why such a creature of such prestigious position would be associated with wallowing in the filth that is sometimes associated with the undersides of these houses is beyond me.

Like Sitan's other agents, the mangkulam presents himself or herself as a traveling priest-doctor."

5. Mambarang: cursed insects

"Often conflated with the mankulam, the mambarang is cited as another priest of the damned who utilizes beetles and other insects to effect and inflict curses of illness and death. More than one cursed native delivered by the agency of the Pio Famila has experienced tiny ants or roaches pouring forth from their mouths or nostrils like rats deserting a burning ship."

6. Hukloban: enchantress

"The last of the four agents of Sitan is called hukloban or hocluban depending on the dialect one is answered in. The hukloban is a powerful witch capable of shedding her guises like a snake sheds its skin. Death is her specialty, as she can strike people down with a raised hand or simple salute; but she can cure or raise those she's slain with another simple gesture.

Or can she? Some of the more learned elders intimate that those afflicted can only be cured in the manner that they were cursed. Those enchanted by imbibed poisons or potions or smoke can only be cured by similar charms."

Enigmundia: "Priests of the Devil" part 01

(image taken from the 1st episode of Amaya)

In Zan Lasario, there is much talk of the indigenous wielders of magic and witchcraft. Studies by the priests and the learned of the Pio Familia churches throughout the lands have compiled the following list of names and archetypes:

1. the Katolonan or Baylan -- "Apparently a high priest or priestess of sorts, held in high regard by the natives. They are wise women, keepers of ancient wisdom and, according to locals, are on good terms what they believe to be the spirits of their ancestors who are called anitos and the spirits of the land who are called engkantos, but are clearly demons and devils in disguise -- perhaps from the lowest circles and arcs of the infernal layers as per Fr. Diego Lopez's writings. Many are women, but some appear to be male with mannerisms and affectations of femininity. Characteristic of their look is long hair; it is apparently a measure of their dedication to their pagan beliefs."
2. the Mangauay -- "Seem to be witches that specialize in healing, but are also suspected of spreading illness and deadly diseases among the populace. As per our beliefs that true healing can only come from the Blessed Family, it is likely that these evil practitioners merely transfer illness from petitioners to new victims. Interestingly, there is a whispered tale of a mortal servant of the native's evil god that goes by the same name, and apparently has similar abilities. The mortal agents are apparently important because the thresholds of lives and homes can only be violated by mortals or spirits being invited in."
3. the Manisilat -- "A foul witch that supposedly specializes in matters of the heart, but seems to specialize aiding women to ensnare married men (and visa versa) thus breaking up what passes for married couples in these pagan lands. It is only right that we have come to these lands to sanctify their homes and lives and defend them. Curiously, there are rumors that these witches are all the same creature -- a single 'mortal agent' of an over-devil of sorts known as Sitan."

More to come in part 02