New versions of broken spells

ALCHEMY

Overview
Alchemy is the science of binding magical energies into mundane substances, allowing anyone to use or benefit from the spell. Alchemist spells are, in essence precast and carried around in the form of expensive potions and powders which must be consumed or thrown to activate the effects. The materials vary in their volatility, but all eventually become inert if not used.

Creating alchemical items.
Cost to produce an alchemical item is either explicitly listed for purely alchemical spell, or, for items binding Standard (non-mystery) spells, the circle of the spell. Most alchemy spells create a potion, compound or powder that holds the desired spell until activated, or until its effective life expires.
If successfully cast, the final effect is allocated among its main effect, and to several optional variables: duration, effective lifespan,and limits on use.

The main effect is described in the spell in question, but is generally proportional to the effect points allocated to power.

Points added to duration extend the potion by one hour per point.
Points allocated to lifespan increase the amopunt of time the compound can be stored by a week per point.
Limitations are a set of words that limit who can use the compound. Each point allows one word. Example: “me”(1 point) “my friends”(two points) “elves or dwarfs”(three points) “anybody but that tool, Bilbo” (5 points). All have defaults if no points are allocated.
Alchemical items are thus quite flexible and can be used by anyione (within stated limits); the downside of the convenience is that, as required by genre conventions, a spellcasting failure causes an explosion proportional to the intended power.

NOTE: Duration,effective life and limitations need not be allocated points, (which would reduce the power of the final compound), in which case, use the default values for the potion: duration is one hour (or less, by spell), the effective life one day, no limits.

Enhancement of the material form
Cost: 100silver x 2d6 x maximum points chosen.
Difficulty: the chosen maximum Characteristic boost.
Time to prepare 1 day per point of maximum
This spell allows an alchemist to create potions or other medicines that temporarily increase the users natural characteristics by the allocated power. To cast, choose a characteristic from STR, DEX, END, or INT. If successful, note the final effect. The caster may allocate effect points to the power of the compound, its duration, effective life or any limitations.
Failure causes an explosion, doing damage equal to 1d6 plus the negative effect (treated as positive for all you clever Nellies). With a blast radius of 1 yard per point of negative effect. Additionally, the cost of the casting is lost.

Note: compounds increasing INT are often highly addictive for spellcasters*. When an INT boost compound expires, a spellcaster user must succeed in an INT test vs. dice equal to the boost or immediately attempt to consume another INT compound within (2d6 – boost) hours if available. If after that time a compound was not available, the spellcaster suffers a minus to all spell rolls equal to half the boost (rounded down) for a number of days equal to half the boost (retain fractions). This effect is not directly ameliorated by INT potions, but is affected by magical cures.
*defined as anyone who learns or can inherently cast a spell.

Resistance of the elements
This spell allows the alchemist to create potions that protect the imbiber from harm. The spell is effective against damage caused by the 4 classical elements plus mineral animal and vegetable. As an example, weapon damage is generally protected against by mineral protection (iron/steel), but the classic pointy stick would require vegetable protection, and a simple stone would require earth. Each element includes its opposite, where appropriate. Thus, protection against fire includes both heat and cold. When cast, choose one element from earth, Air, Fire, Water, Animal, Mineral, Vegetable. The final power of the compound is number of damage points that will be ignored from any such.
Failure causes an explosion, doing damage equal to 1d6 plus the negative effect (treated as positive for all you clever Nellies). With a blast radius of 1 yard per point of negative effect. Additionally, the cost of the casting is lost.

Pyrotechnics
This spell allows the alchemist to create a highly reactive substance that explodes with great noise, dazzling light, dense smoke and potentially great damage. Three types exist: flash, smudge and blast. Flash creates an exceedingly bright flash and deafening noise, which stuns and/or temporarily blinds viewers. Smudge is silent, but creates a dense dark smoke cloud, which obscures vision in a specific area. Blast causes noise and flash, although not to the level of flash, its main effect is a highly destructive explosion. All three can be created to activate when set afire or shocked by impact. The final effect roll can be allocated to its power, duration (for smudge), visibility (flash), or blast area (blast), as well as effective life.
Smudge; for each power point, smudge creates a dense obscuring cloud in a 10yd x 10 yd area. Basic duration is one combat round, with each point of increase allowing the charge continue smoking for an additional combat round, producing a larger cloud.
Flash. All sighted and unprotected creatures within 10 yards must make an END with dice equal to the power of the charge failure results in being stunned and blinded for a number of rounds equal to the power. This flash will ignite flammable materials. Basic duration is one combat round, with each point of increase allowing the charge to continue burning for an additional combat round and increases the sight range by 10 yards. This may also be used to create non blinding or stunning pyrotechnic displays of amazing complexity, in which case duration is treated as type III.
Blast does 1d6 damage to all within the blast radius (5’), halved if a DEX test is successful on dice equal to half blast power. Blast duration is effectively instant; for purposes of allocating effect points, this spell may increase the blast radius instead of duration. Lifespan and limitations are unaffected. Each point added to the blast area increases the radius by 1 yard

Failure to create any of the three types casues it to immediately take effect.

Binding of the arcane essence.
Cost: See below table
Duration: instant/as per spell
Life: base 1 day+1 week per allocated effect point.
This allows the Alchemist to bind standard spells into alchemical compounds. The spell must be either known by the alchemist, or be provided during formulation by a capable spellcaster. The spell must be successfully cast, and the final effect recorded and allocated as appropriate to the spell description. Once the bound spell is cast, the alchemist must succeed in an Alchemy task check, modified by the difficulty of the bound spell.
Success indicates the compound and spell are successfully bound. Extra effect points may be allocated to effective life and limitations as per Enhancement of the material form. Otherwise, the default life of the compound is one day, with no limitations.
If the roll fails, the compound (and costs) are lost, and the bound spell immediately takes effect as if cast at the Alchemist and helpers. Assume that all working on the formulation are within 3’ of the spells point of effect, allow all but the casting Alchemist a DEX test to jump to cover and take ½ effect.

Costs of compounds are 100 x 2d6 gold coins or Solidii
In addition, any costs associated with the bound spell must be paid up front, and any physical effects upon the caster occur as listed to whoever provided the bound spell.

When consumed (or used –one could bind a spell into some odd ointment) the user may and must immediately cast the bound spell. The user of the compound does not suffer any effects related to casting the spell. Cool, huh?

broken mechanics in new spells.....

heh. Who is a nerd ? I'm a nerd. Y'know why ? I woke up in the midddle of the night with the clear thought running through my head: "the rules for the new alchemy spells are broken because difficulty modifies effect, and taking a high difficulty means taking a lower effect, so why bother." Granted I didn't shout it out loud, waking wife and kids, nor did I dash to the keyboard in unstockinged feet; but I did jot it down on the notepad by the bed, the existance of which, I admit is further proof of my nerdiness.

So, I'll be fixing the rules presented in the last post. Stay tuned.

Update for Alchemy spells.

ALCHEMY

Alchemy is the science of binding magical energies into mundane substances, allowing anyone to use or benefit from the spell.  Alchemist spells are, in essence precast and carried around in the form of expensive potions and powders which must be consumed or thrown to activate the effects.  The materials vary in their volatility, but all eventually become inert if not used.

Cost to produce an alchemical item is either explicitly listed for purely alchemical spell, or, for items binding Standard (non-mystery) spells, the circle of the spell.  Most alchemy spells create a potion or powder that holds the desired spell until activated, or until it becomes stale.  In general, the caster chooses any options required or desired, and allocates effect point to several variables.  Generally, all compounds can have their duration of effect increased, as can the time before it becomes useless, and who can use it. Points added to duration extend the potion by one hour per point. Points allocated to life increase the life of the compound by a week.  Limitations are a set of words that limit who can use the compound. Each point allows one word.  Example:  “me”(1 point) “my friends”(two points)  “elves or dwarfs”(three points) “anybody but that tool, Bilbo” (5 points). If no points are allocated to these variables, the duration is one hour (or less, by spell), the shelf life one day, and usable by anyone.   Note that the downside of the convenience is the fact that, as required by genre conventions, an alchemetical failure causes an explosion proportional to the intended power.

Resistance of the elements

This spell allows the alchemist to create potions that protect the imbiber from harm.  The spell is effective against damage caused by the 4 classical elements plus mineral animal and vegetable.  As an example, weapon damage is generally protected against by mineral protection (iron/steel), but the classic pointy stick would require vegetable protection, and a simple stone would require earth.  Each element includes its opposite, where appropriate.  Thus, protection against fire includes both heat and cold.  When cast, choose one element from earth, Air, Fire, Water, Animal, Mineral, Vegetable.  Specify a number of damage points that will be ignored from any such source this is the difficulty for creating the compound.  If successful, note the final effect.  If the effect of the success is less than or equal to the protection chosen, the compound boosts the characteristic by only that If the final result exceeds the maximum, the caster may allocate effect points to duration, effective life and any limitations.  

Failure causes an explosion, doing damage equal to the maximum points chosen plus the negative effect (treated as positive for all you clever Nellies). With a blast radius of 1 yard per point of negative effect. Additionally, the cost of the casting is lost.

Pyrotechnics

This spell allows the alchemist to create a highly reactive substance that explodes with great noise, dazzling light, dense smoke and potentially great damage.   Three types exist: flash, smudge and blast.  Flash creates an exceedingly bright flash and deafening noise, which stuns and/or temporarily blinds viewers. Smudge is silent, but creates a dense dark smoke cloud, which obscures vision in a specific area. Blast causes noise and flash, although not to the level of flash, its main effect is a highly destructive explosion. All three can be created to activate when set afire or shocked by impact. The final effect roll can be allocated to its power, duration (for smudge), visibility (flash), or blast area (blast), as well as effective life.

Smudge; for each power point, smudge creates a dense obscuring cloud in a 10yd x 10 yd area. Each effect point allocated lets the charge continue smoking for an additional combat round, producing a larger cloud.

Flash.  All sighted and unprotected creatures within 10 yards must make an END with dice equal to the power of the charge failure results in being stunned and blinded for a number of rounds equal to the power. Each point added to visibility increases the effective visibility/hearing range by 10 yards,

Blast does 1d6 damage to all within the blast radius (5’), halved if a DEX test is successful on dice equal to half blast power. Each point added to the blast area increases the radius by 1 yard

To create these substances, the caster chooses the type, the activation method and the maximum power. If successful, note the final effect.  If the effect of the success is less than or equal to the protection chosen, the compound boosts the characteristic by only that If the final result exceeds the maximum, the caster may allocate effect points to duration, effective life and any limitations. 

 

Anything But Adventurer Rules Friday: Black Hobbits of Antillia !

This is for Jeff, @ Jeffs Gameblog ....Tell me to steal a campaign, will you !.......

Much of what is known as the great western ocean is in fact dotted with numerous small and often lightly inhabited islands; one, unfortunately, is neither small, nor lightly inhabited: Antillia. 

Antiallia is a very large and oddly rectangular  island, with seven major cities, and is densely and almost exclusively inhabited by a race known colloquially as black hobbits. Named for their temper and disposition rather than their skin tone or coloration, the black hobbits of Antillia have been a perpetual thorn in the side of mariners and coast dwellers since time immemorial.
Unfortunately, Antillia is on several important trade routes, is rich in mineral resources, and quite poor agriculturally. The net result is a dangerous island full of short hungry comic-opera pirates and shady ‘merchants’ that nonethess constantly attracts merchant adventurers, hoping to trade food and textiles for gold and silver. It is suspected that in addition to mines, Antillia has ancient ruins and/or a connection to the underworld, due to the frequent circulation of ancient and strange coins, often of a squid headed or bat winged variety. Merchants can make considerable profit, particulalry on pies, but are advised to travel in strongly defended convoys, and go nowhere alone, and certainly not with a pie. Attempts have been made to suppress the constant low level piracy that surrounds the island, and has occasionally been successful, but it invariably returns quite quickly, at least partly due to the constant influx of merchant ships that “go missing”.

Attempts to blockade the island, or at least cut off trade have all failed. When the island runs low on food, it disgorges a vast horde of black hobbits in boats and ships of all sizes which swarm off the island looking for "grub".  Though many are sunk or turned back, far too many survive to raid and terrorize other islands and especially the coasts of the continent. Thus, creating such a situation  is generally resented by those nations not involved in the blockade or war. Invasions tend to fare even worse, due to the distances to Antillia, the huge population, and the logistical problems in a land where guerilla activity frequently involves short partisans leaping into the army food barrels and eating their way out; plus everyone else is raising the prices for everything, including water and dirt. Plus, trying to kill you.

It is conjectured that the well known dislike of water and boats by common Hobbits is due to their cousin’s tendency to invade coastal provinces, and insisting on visiting for extended periods of time when they find long lost cousins.

Black Hobbits: Trait: Small. (3d6 DEX, 1d6 STR & END) . Size : 1 meter tall, 25-50 Kg. Appearance. When fed, generally happy and having an eye kept on them: indistinguishable from common hobbits; when hungry, hungover, or generally cheesed off: Unkempt filthy mad-eyed Hobbit in a leather posing pouch, spiked or horned helmet waving a two handed axe or sword*, plus some kind of bow or javelin; generally running at you off of a cheap imitation longship screaming “GimmiesomeeatsyoubigbastardAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGHHHHDIEDIEDIEIDE!”

Culture:Savage/Physical/Urban , net modifiers; +2 END ; -1 SOC and EDU
Typical stats: 4A8655:
Base skills: Choose one of, Farming or Trade, plus one weapon (usually two handed)*
Typical City: C or E 794637



*well, two handed for them. Treat as blade or hatchet.

Bummed by the OSR kafuffle. Plus, busy.

Sigh.  Nothing today, too damn busy.  [deleting previous post about the details of the recent OSR kafuffle; its done (mostly), and who needs more griefing in the form of someone flying off the handle about people flying off the handle about who was a punk before who.]
Tomorrow,  probably some spells.  may indulge myself with Statting up the Dramavore -an insidious creature that sits in a small pond and sucks the life out of the hapless inhabitants....

Its been a busy, annoying week.  Glad to see the ass-end of it.