SCENARIO 1
SCENARIO METHOD
This is a search and rescue scenario. A character or a
character's dependent NPC has been kidnaped for enslavement. The
characters task is to track down the kidnapers and then to rescue
the victim and others.
REAL WORLD BACKGROUND
In our world, in our day and age, the old-fashioned crime of
"white slavery" (the kidnaping and enslavement of young women in
brothels) is alive and well in Japan. The Japanese equivalent of
the mafia uses fronts, mostly in Thailand, to hire young women
for legitimate jobs in Japan.
When the women arrive they are picked up by the corporate
representative. Instead of overseeing the women's transition to
housing and her assigned job, the transfer man instead takes them
to the Ginsa district of Tokyo.
Upon arrival their passports and visas are taken away from
them, their personal belongings and luggage are sold, and the
women are subjected to several weeks of rape and torture. They
are then sold to brothel owners who often resell them. When
their useful life is over the women are disposed of.
All of this is against the Japanese criminal code, written
by Douglas MacArthur, and all of this is part of a long lasting
Japanese tradition of "divine right" justifying their actions
towards "lesser races" who are edified by any service of slavery
that the Japanese deign to give them.
The practice has a high profile. There is a common Japanese
term for it, several political parties have taken positions on it
and there are a few victims rights groups that have been started.
Even worse, television crews find it easy to do documentary style
reports on the practice. The government, dominated by an ex-
tremely corrupt and immoral cabal, has done nothing.
In fact, the opposite is true. The government has eased
visa renewal for slaves, countenances the presence of their
keepers (without slave-masters the girls are prone to run), and
at least one prime minister had as a plank in his election port-
folio the fact that he had close relations with the Japanese
criminal organizations.
As long as the criminal cartels concentrate their slave
taking on weak countries such as Thailand, little can be expected
in the way of international action. But imagine, just for once,
what would happen if a gang decided to expand into American soil
or to specialize in unusual slaves.
THE SET-UP
A Yakusa boss specializing in murder-sex (so-called snuff
sex using imported slaves whose useful careers are over) has
decided to expand the scope of his unusual wares and to offer
enslaved individuals who are not fully human.
His attention has been focused on one of the player-charac-
ters through a local news item that ended up on a satellite
broadcast and that an American affiliate saw. A team of his
kidnaps one of the player-characters or a dependent NPC.
THE KIDNAP
The Yakusa gang involved is known as Jaqkewlla (a non-ja-
panese name) and also as the Carrion Dragons. They have a secret
ritual which induces a form of chaos stained unNatural lycanthro-
py and which all of the members have undergone to one extent or
another.
All of the members have tattoos of half-dog, half-dragon
monsters with rotting carrion and dead human body parts trickling
from their mouths -- rather obscene and disgusting tattoos. Any
one familiar with japanese criminals will be able to identify the
gang members as part of organized japanese crime. Any witness to
the event will not be able to forget the vile tattoos.
As the victim is shopping, about twenty members of the
Jaqkewlla close in on them. Ten of them shape-shift into their
lycanthrope forms, five screen the event from any witnesses
(keeping the witnesses from being involved), three work magics
and two direct what is happening.
The Jaqkewlla should be able to subdue the victim. From the
kidnap the victim is transported to the Ginsa district by magical
means.
THE DISCOVERY AND INVESTIGATION
You can role-play the kidnap if you want to or you can just
inform the characters that it has occurred. They will have the
chance to talk to witnesses, the police and others and then will
have to decide what to do. This should not be a difficult part
of the scenario.
There will have been ten to twenty witnesses to the event.
Several will have remained to talk with the police. They will
describe seeing "a couple dozen" "oriental" tourists converge on
the kidnaped woman. "A lot" changed into horrible monsters,
several armed with "samurai swords" and the rest looking like "a
cross between a dog and the creature from the movie Alien."
Two or three will have been killed, their bodies were left.
They will be lower class Japanese, covered with tattoos, one
missing his little finger and dead from a knife in the back. All
carry travel papers from Bronze Moon Imports.
Any specialist on Japanese crime (with 10% skill or more)
will know that Bronze Moon is a Yakusa front and that Japanese
with heavy duty tattoos are Yakusa. The FBI, Interpol or a
contact with the California branch of DEA or Customs will identi-
fy the Yakusa as members of Jaqkewlla from the shape-changing
description or from the distinctive tattoo.
All will smile knowingly at the missing finger and the knife
wound in the back of the one man.
A talk with any member of the West Coast Japanese criminal
community or with someone streetwise to that community (60% or
better) will reveal that the Jaqkewlla is a medium size organiza-
tion that specializes in the Ice and Estascy trade between
Japan/Hawaii/California and in the prostitution/slavery trade.
The Jaqkewlla are known for their straight-forward violence
and lack of fear for the Japanese criminal law. Aside from Ice
houses and couriers to dealers, all of their strength is in the
"dank jumbles" -- an old area of the Ginsa district where two
generations of new buildings were built over the old ones rather
than replacing them. It is a sordid and smelly area completely
given over to drugs, gambling and prostitution.
FURTHER INVESTIGATION/BACKGROUND FACTS
The Jaqkewlla are in the middle of a massive "re-structuring
of power" that is going on in the Pacific basin criminal area.
Their strength is all gone from the Ginsa heartland which has ten
shapechangers, a number of non-combatant goons, card-sharps,
money-lenders, etc., twenty toughs, the "older cousin" Matura
Wasara, and two sorcerers.
That number is actually a formidable number of soldiers for
a criminal organization to keep busy.
The characters will find most of this information easy to
discover on the street in the Ginsa. Foreign tourists are always
incredulous and curious (though often lied to) and as long as
they keep paying local background information is cheap entertain-
ment. Many Yakusa members are coarse, stupid, arrogant and
boastful.
In addition, things like the new planned brothel of "spe-
cials" needs advertising and word-of-mouth is free.
THE RESCUE
The characters should find it easy to obtain tourist visas
or to enter Japan without visas. It is done all too often. They
will find the Ginsa district easy to locate, garish and confus-
ing. The "dank jumbles" is easy to find and is also local slang
for cheap sex (which may lead to some confusion at first).
Talking to any new Jaqkewlla prostitute will give one a good
idea that the kidnaped victim is being tortured in order to
soften her up for further abuse, rape and other problems.
[In reality, as the "specials" are seen as a delicate in-
vestment, the kidnaped individual will be suffering from isola-
tion, worry and the threat of torture. Nothing other than expo-
sure to food laced with small amounts of cocaine and ice has
befallen the missing character. Their biggest risk is marginal
cravings for the drugs.]
The characters will eventually be forced to a direct assault
of some sort. The faster they move the less trouble they will
have.
THE DENOUEMENT The Cast of Characters:
Bad Guys:
Typical above average tough
SIZ 11-
STR 16-
CON 12-
CHA 09-
APP 07-
DEX 13-
INT 10- 3 point leather and denim armor
POW 12-
SAN 40 Armed with 1d3+1 knife (at 90%)
WIL 1 or 2d3+3 22 cal. pistol (at 45%)
-SWP 90 or 2d6 spell crystal (POW v. POW or half damage)
(costs 2 POW per use) or familiar (see below) or magic
weapon (see below)
Familiar (slime frog)
SIZ 1...12 pounds total weight
STR 10...1d3 + 1d6 attack tongue rasp
CON 20...20 hit points
APP 3...ugly
CHA 17...high charisma/persuasive & charming
DEX 14...70% chance to hit with tongue
INT 13...13 point shapechange spell
POW 12...12 magic points available
1 point skin armor
5% defense
Can shapechange the tough into a carrion dragon. The tough
gains 12 to SIZ, 12 points of skin armor, claws that do 3d6+6
damage and a hideous jackel face.
Double hit points when in this form.
Magic weapon, jitte halbard
SIZ 3...heavy weapon 1d10 damage
STR 30...+3D6 damage (total 1d10 + 3d6 + character STR/SIZ
bonus)
POW 17...17 magic points available per day
20...chaos shaping power: 2d6 of armor to protect weilder
20...chaos shaping power: heal 1d6, once per melee round
costs 1 magic point per use.
Shapechanger
Same change as tough, better characteristics, does not
require help from familiar to make the change (instead, expends
12 magic points to make the change). One fourth of the shape-
changers can change on their own, the rest require the help of
the familiars.
SIZ 12-
STR 15-
CON 13-
CHA 14-
APP 07-
DEX 13-
INT 12-
POW 16-
SAN 30
WIL 4
-SWP 102
Sorcerer
One of the sorcerers will be available to help defend
against the character's assault. This one specializes in shaping
chaos.
He will be able to summon forth three chaos creatures from
his rings to fight for him, has a cloak of shaped chaos to pro-
tect him and has a wand.
Cloak:
CON 30/30/30 (3d6 defense in each spectrum)
POW 12, SIZ 14
Wand:
6d3 violet-white fire for 9 meters at 90% chance to hit
30 meters active infra-red vison at 20/20 resolution
3 point force wall
Sorcerer's Statistics
SIZ 9-
STR 13-
CON 19-
CHA 14-
APP 12-
DEX 13-
INT 17-
POW 19-
SAN 85
WIL 4
-SWP 116
Chaos demon jackels
SIZ 7 leap 27 meters
STR 14 jump 9 meters
CON 14 run 60 mph/100 kph
CHA 7
APP 7 bite for 3d6 + 2d6 acid saliva at 67%
DEX 14
INT 7 rubbery skin armor of 12 pts vs dull weapons
POW 7 6 pts vs edged weapons
reform at 1d6 hit points restored per every point
of size expended. (siz decreases as they heal)
If a second sorcerer is needed, he is similar to the first
and can be recalled from Hawaii.
"older cousin" Matura Wasara, the master of the Jaqkewlla
This man is a demon in human flesh. Matura Wasara joined
together with a demon and the two struggled for dominance in one
body. Matura is the survivor by virtue of his superior cunning,
evil and treachery.
SIZ 19-
STR 16- Fist of stone (4d6) 85% chance to hit
CON 16- Grapple (6d6) 75% chance to hit
CHA 14- Carrion jackal breath (1d6 magic points per use)
APP 3- 4d6 damage cloud, causes 2d6 strike rank stun
DEX 11- over a 3m x 3m by 9m area
INT 16-
POW 14- Slime covering: 14 pts armor vs radiation
SAN -- 3 pts armor vs electric
WIL 4 14 pts armor vs kinetic
-SWP 109
Mutating and unstable shape, 1d3/2d6 to SAN to see
Will go berserk if challenged or attacked by non-Japanese.
The By-standers
These will include customers, patrons, slaves, a federal
express delivery man, the police (but only after everything is
over), and a multi-media crew doing a live "shock/confrontation"
documentary of the "scandal and shame of Japan" using a Thai crew
with some Korean and Chinese triad members to add spice to a dull
night's news on "Satellite Channel 99 -- Your door on the world."
TIMING/EXECUTION
The characters will probably force a door or a wall to enter
the core of the area for newly arrived girls "coming to Japan"
(as it is known on the street).
The characters should encounter a few toughs, probably one
or two of each kind, as they work their way into the rotten core
of the Ginsa's cess-pit, and they should hear and see girls
locked into rooms.
The kidnap victim the scenario is about is held in the
middle of the building in an area advertised as soon to be a
place where customers will be able to come and watch slaves being
made.
After the first few encounters the characters should break
into a large area under construction. Several floors have been
cleaned out and a re-inforcing structure placed in. The new
construction has not yet started.
In the middle of the room will be the sorcerer, the older
cousin and the chained down missing character. Three toughs
should also be present.
General melee and rescue ensue. As the melee winds down,
have the television crew break into the room, with cameras run-
ning, questions shouting and toughs and thugs battling. Scream-
ing girls should be running all over as they run in all direc-
tions, not knowing which way is out and following the camera crew
in hope of rescue.
From the opposite side of the room a Federal Express em-
ployee should enter with a package. That should be a clue that
he just came in a way that is also a way out. He will take one
look, stutter, consult his two-way connection, drop the package
and run.
The characters can choose to follow him or to join the
melee. If any have inspiration or the ability to receive hints,
they should feel like running.
As they leave, the police will enter, following the tele-
vision crew. There will be no investigation, no matter how many
dead bodies are left. The police only want to stop the broad-
cast.
Following the rescue the news will be filled with stories of
how the drug wars have been carried back to Japan with the total
destruction by Koreans of a major player: the Jaqkewlla empire.
SCENARIO 2
SCENARIO METHOD
This is an opposed quest/exploration culminating in a puzzle
with an armed conflict at the end.
REAL WORLD BACKGROUND
This scenario does not have a real world back-ground. It
takes place in other realms.
THE SET-UP
In the pattern that broke the Teynd there are a number of
trinities. For example, fox/coyote/wolf are the three brethren
that are the trinity of the untamed dog. Wolf had been taken
over by the wild magic, Coyote had allied with the Teynd and Fox
was an outcast trickster who had become a non-member of the Teynd
when everything began to break loose.
Things were grim. Coyote tricked and enslaved Wolf as a
part of a plan to gain more power for his conflict with Raven
(the unDying one) who was the surety for the last Teynd, and Fox
was a targeted victim for a fell fate.
As a result, when a misled and betrayed young man in Nebras-
ka was deluded into becoming the Teynd sacrifice, Fox allied with
the one who attempted to save him. Fox was looking for his/her
own survival and was also acting as an agent of the nine in this
endeavor.
The final result was the breaking of the Teynd, the dissolu-
tion of Coyote and the freeing of Wolf.
Coyote has been reborn free of the taint the last Coyote
had. (Coyote is fond of getting himself killed in order to get
out of messes he has gotten himself into). Wolf is not free.
The unMaster of Carrion is attempting to possess Wolf and
the wild magics. Fox is unable to intervene directly if he is to
shield the "new" Coyote from the consequences of the "old" Coyo-
te's sins (this Teynd business he joined only a few score years
ago turned out to be a much trickier trap than even Coyote was
ready for and much stickier than even death).
So, Fox has come to some of the characters for help. Fox
will open a gate into the dark side of the dream realm, provide a
spirit guide and give his blessing. If the characters succeed,
Fox will be grateful, if they fail, the demon Wolf will be un-
leashed as was direly threatened by the coming of the Fimbul
season.
THE INITIAL ACTION
Fox appears to the lead character in a dream.
THE DISCOVERY AND INVESTIGATION
The characters group up, check some tomes in the library and
find the dream gate.
The diaries/journals/ancient records will not give much
direct knowledge but will give a fair amount of general knowledge
about the existence of the dream realms and the sweat lodge and
purifying rituals. A good preparation period should be rewarded
with the general outline of the quest.
FURTHER INVESTIGATION/BACKGROUND FACTS
The characters journey to the backside of the dream moon's
third twin <the moon has four twins in dream time, full, empty,
two quarters and half> empty. From there they follow a trail
through parts of the asteroid belt and then down, dancing past
the perils of the twins, to the old tower on Mars.
If they have accumulated the tokens on the path, not lost
too much dancing past the moons of Mars, and taken the right
steps entering the dream world, they are ready for the confronta-
tion with the Demon that has possessed the wild wolf dream.
THE ACTION
The characters must enter the tower, by-pass, face down or
overcome the guardians, and face the wild wolf dream.
THE DENOUEMENT
The characters engage in a series of three contests with the
wild wolf dream. The results of the three contests will deter-
mine what kind of conflict they will have.
The characters then have a final battle with the demon and a
chance to control the direction the wild wolf magic takes after
the battle. The Cast of Characters:
Bad Guys:
the demon
several failed races dwelling on the dream trail
the cats of saturn
the moon beasts
Good Guys:
the wild wolf magic
the shadow fox dream guide
By-standers:
misc. dream dwellers
the guardians of the tower
TIMING/EXECUTION
The characters need to pay attention on the quest. The
tokens they can obtain will temporarily increase their powers,
help them continue on the quest, by-pass guardians, and unlock
the tower.
To prepare the characters should purify themselves with a
sweat lodge, study the materials and the tomes available to them,
equip themselves and commit themselves to doing right.
The first upon entering the dream world step is the seeming-
ly meaningless peril that every dreamer on the dark side faces.
Here the characters face moon beasts and the cats of saturn.
This step is referred to in writings as the barrier at the
threshold and symbolizes the natural dangers and antipathy of
dreams.
The next seven steps are the seven magic steps of the quest
and occur along the dream path. Each occurs during its related
travel segment. Intermixed with these steps are encounters which
can be turned to steps on the quest.
Zero: The Moon
In this step the characters enter the dream realm and find
their way to the moon. The characters know that they have to get
to the moon, travel to the back side, and find the sky trail
while avoiding the perils naturally to be found along the way.
One: The Trail
In this step the characters have to find the correct trail
and follow it. It is a riddle game with time pressure from the
pursuit from the Moon's natural perils.
Two: First Rock
This is the first stop along the way. First Rock is the
first stop this trail makes as its way through the asteroid belt.
It is a small realm (which is why it is referred to as "first
rock" -- it is too small to be called much else) with a campsite.
Another group already holds the campsite. If the characters
negotiate and deal fairly with them they will give some informa-
tion and trade for the first token -- a bag of rust.
Three: Second Rock
This is the second stop. It is a fortress. In it the
characters will be approached by a young man who claims he is a
captive and who asks for rescue. The characters will need to
untangle truth from lies and to follow the path of virtue.
Success will result in the second token -- three glass
marbles and a warning not to stop on third rock.
Four: Third Rock
This is an anchor point for the trail. The characters need
not stop here, and should not. If they stop, they will be as-
saulted by Seidthra dark masters (minor sorcerous beings) and may
loose virtue as well as some characters.
If they progress past third rock and press forward, even
though the trail appears to stretch too far forward without a
break, they will gain endurance for later use.
Five: Fourth Rock
This is a nunnery. It has three sides. Pure, defiled and
mixed. The characters actions will decide which they see.
Fourth Rock is a chance to improve the characters' ability
to pass by the guardians and to gain a token (six shriveled seeds
and three leaves) or a chance to improve some skills and loose
virtue.
Six: The Twin Moons
The characters must dance past terror and madness.
Seven: The Stairs
The characters descend to Mars while losing possessions and
equipment. The stairs are treacherous. The characters will have
to decide what to keep and what to do without for the later
confrontation.
Eight: Finding The Tower
This should be fairly easy. There will be a sand storm,
some conflict with sand devils, and some possible confusion, but
melee should only occur if the characters have really done poorly
or if they are looking for conflict (if their desires and dreams
are bringing conflict to them).
Nine * * *
The final quest step (the ninth or master step) is the
tower. Ideally the characters have purified themselves so that
the guardians can get no hold on them, have the tokens so that
they can enter the tower without breaching its containment
strengths, and are ready to face the Demon wolf.
Facing the wolf in three contests, the characters have the
chance to tame the wolf inside, weaken or channel the demon and
prepare for combat. Ideally the characters can take turns and
rest while the demon is forced to endure all three
contests/trials.
At the final confrontation the characters will beat the
demon if they've succeeded at a majority of the previous steps.
Without extreme luck they will not have the ability to do so
without severe casualties if they have failed.
They have the equivalent of a second chance, if they win, as
the "tamed" wild magic can bring one character back from death
and give that character a second chance at a virtuous life.
NOTES
The initial storyline has John Storm rescue his brother and
break the Teynd. Following that, John Storm, Mark Gold and
James Kay are introduced by Fox and begin this quest.
While they are on the quest, Ari is kidnaped by the charac-
ters in the last scenario who sever her contacts with John. John
knows something is wrong, but is needed on the dream quest. Mark
Gold is not allowed to progress past the Moon's twin and is
called back by Charle. Since his duties and bindings hold him to
earth, he agrees to investigate Ari's problems.
The two remaining characters progress to Mars. James Kay is
confident that given the shape of the contests the tokens can be
made to force, he can overcome the Demon. At the same time Mark
reports back that he is barred from Japan by influences on the
native Kami. Someone was prepared for one of the paladins.
James goes on to face the Wolf, John plunges into the Ginsa
alone. There, in the Ginsa, the Yakusa have prepared silver
torture implements, having learned the hard way that Ari is a
more powerful shapechanger than they suspected. They refuse to
back down from their purpose.
Alone, tortured, cut-off from magic and from rescue, Ari
refuses to give up hope. This is not yet the worst she has
endured.
John enters the Ginsa, ungloved and accompanied by his two
retainers. Death follows as he penetrates to the damp jumbles as
unstoppable as the divine wind.
He engages in several short, sharp melees, each of which
ends as John lays his hand upon his opponents. A riot breaks out
and he breaks into the headquarters.
In the middle he confronts the "older cousin" and his chief
sorcerer. The melee breaks the main support beams for the build-
ing (a 40 story structure) and the sorcerer's blood breaks the
restraining pentagram. Ari breaks free and bodies are shattered.
The "older cousin" is gripped by a berserk rage and his
tutelary spirit comes upon him granting him sufficient POW to
avoid death by touch for three passes. Then the jackal dragon is
slain (and with it goes the shapechanging power of that Yakusa
clan) and all of its familiars decline into slime.
The "older cousin" is slain, the building finally begins to
collapse, and Ari and John escape while the police and the camera
crews engage each other in a fierce melee.
A land spirit, one of the Kami, attempts to bar John's
passage and is bound (but not rent or slain). John is then able
to teleport home.
Following this, John and Ari meet the other Characters from
Shadows, are attacked at "home," (the catamaran) and move on to
separate endeavors following the the adventures in Shadows.
In the progress of those adventures, these characters are
accumulated and engage in the scenarios in this volume. They
were not a part of the other Shadows campaign, though they did
meet and interact with the characters in that campaign from time
to time.
SCENARIO 3
PREFACE
After the last two scenarios, the characters went on to run
through the perils laid out in Shadows. That was a terrible and
difficult path that they took and several were permanently slain.
After the dust settled, the Storm's moved on to matters outside
of the main storyline and mostly concerned with trying to raise
two children safely in the new world. They should be retained as
NPCs and resources for the PCs as John began to teach at a State
university and they retained ties (and their catamaran) near the
nexus point.
James Kay's shadow was fully independent at this point and
James was called constantly away on government business. The
characters available in the campaign were the shadow, the charac-
ters on this disk {who had joined in during the various adven-
tures}, and the surviving characters from the first disk {all of
whom had developed outside interests that turned them into part-
time members of the group}.
The active core was much younger, less wise and less direct-
ed when the next major problem came to the attention of their
sponsors. All of the new young members of the active core had
become a part of the group in order to be protected, trained or
helped and none had been recruited by the group sponsors.
On the other hand, the sponsors had defeated the Nameless,
saved the world, and done a number of important things. They
could not be blamed for not recruiting and maintaining an active
force of agents in the world.
As they retained to their "normal" labors, they took steps
to place the characters in a home in Coos Bay, Oregon -- a place
that Monkey felt bore watching and one resplendent with natural
beauty. The faceless shadow made them a gift of property, land
and related furnishings shortly after the last two scenarios.
SCENARIO METHOD
This is a general setting with lots of clues, tag-ends and
plot movers. The GM can stir the action up any way that the GM
desires. Coos Bay is a natural campaign setting.
REAL WORLD BACKGROUND
Coos Bay is an incredibly beautiful port city in Oregon.
Freshly created by legislation and innovative ideas, Coos Bay is
an open slate for creating a fictional background.
THE SET-UP
Assume a wonderful deep water bay -- one of few on the West
Coast. Assume no commercial development. What a wonderful place
for both Deep Ones and Dark Young to slumber and prowl (the first
in the bay, the second in the woods and mountains beyond the
bay).
Toss in a sleeping Indian guardian spirit, marijuana growers
in the mountains (both isolated patches and commercial organized
crime), a few survivalists, Tongs (society members from the
mainland, Triads (society members from the islands and free
ports), criminal Chobal and Yakusa, a demon spawned biker gang
war, a Seid Alfar gate to the dream depths of the Earth's core
and a few mountain-top alters connecting Korlinth and Lios Alfar
and you have a witches brew.
Keep all of the groups small at first. There should be
several layers of small groups. The Deep Ones and Dark Young
should have half-human and human spawn, unmutated human seeming
young, small cults and several sites for each. Their conflict
should build slowly.
The Alfar conflict should also build slowly, mostly in raids
in the forest as the Seid Alfar seek to control the mountain tops
and the Lios Alfar seek to locate, and then control, the dream
depths gate.
The survivalists and the pot farmers should have conflicts
that spill over into town, as should those two groups and the
growing hiking, horseback riding and ultralight flying indus-
tries.
The criminal elements should have different goals. One set
should be trying to take over the local teamsters. Another set
should be trying to import cocaine without too much being stolen
by the teamsters. A third group should be hired by the teamsters
to get the criminals off of their backs. Two outside groups (one
bikers, one Yakusa) should be in non-cocaine (bikers in meth and
ice, Yakusa in ice and heroin). A few locals should be in the
protection, prostitution and numbers business.
Finally, you should have a few druids, indian groups (all
hoping to reclaim the guardian spirit) and normal biker wars.
This is a good deal of action, all of it more-or-less unrelated,
and all of it building very slowly.
Each item of conflict should peak at a different time, and
some clues should be mis-directions.
THE INITIAL ACTION
The Read.me1 file suggests using The Terror From Space,
restructured to fit Oregon. You can do that, using some of the
property belonging to the characters as a contact point and
letting the scenarios develop as a part of the settling in pro-
cess.
Once the characters are back from that and have had an
interlude to look about Coos Bay some more, begin the next
scenario.
This one, Scenario.003 involves the Alfar. The Seid Alfar
or Swartz Alfar's dark dream gate is a place of power that is
suitable for use as a center of power in a Kar-Manta
change/growth ritual. It is natural to assume that someone or
something will try to use it.
Simply put, a potential vampire master, 10/12ths of the way
through transformation, comes to town looking to pin down the
location of the gate and make use of it. She will get involved
in at least one of the struggles, seeking the help necessary to
take possession of the gate, and her involvement will set up
ripples that the characters will notice.
THE DISCOVERY AND INVESTIGATION
Play these out for each set of conflicts.
You can obtain an incredible amount of background data by
asking the State of Oregon for information on Coos Bay.
FURTHER INVESTIGATION/BACKGROUND FACTS
The characters can travel up to Portland (where the Storm
family is), east to Medford and environs (where Mark Gold's
estate is), South to San Francisco (where all sorts of things are
going on) or out to sea.
THE ACTION
The characters get in on a vampire hunt in the first set-
ting.
THE DENOUEMENT
The characters face down the vampire in a place of power.
They also encounter the dark alfar.
TIMING/EXECUTION
These vary for the scenarios generated by this setting.
NOTES
If these were put together as a series of novels, the first
set of stories would be the Storm's story. Starting with this
scenario, this is the story of the next generation.
The Coos Bay setting allows the characters to get their
teeth cut. By the end of it the characters will be familiar with
a number of mundane problems in the world as well as having
adventured fully in the shadow worlds.
The characters will also be aware of the Deep Ones and of a
hideous conspiracy that is brewing. The next several scenarios
following establishing this setting are the story of the charac-
ters as they find a place in this world and as they fight against
the plots of the deep ones and the frightful fate those have
planned for the world.
SCENARIO 4
Scenario.004 Against the Deep Ones.
This is a series of adventures. In sub-sets it is:
(a) Coos Bay
(b) Alfar interlude
(c) Michigan
(d) Chicago
(e) interlude with Dark Young
(f) interlude with Yakusa
(g) The Heart of the Matter//Washington D.C.
SCENARIO METHOD
This is a full fledged campaign series and is intended to
flex the characters to the limits.
REAL WORLD BACKGROUND
The Deep Ones are the fruit of a parasitic virial life-form
that invaded Earth shortly after the Teynd binding. An unNatural
tainted sentient force from the Swarm, it lost sentience with the
Teynd and the counter-stroke.
The virus is a gene-splicing form that mutates its hosts
genetic matter to pass on the virus to the next generation. The
next generation is also horribly shaped and mutated. Take the
general requisites for the host species and modify as follows:
STR +4d3
CON +d6
SIZ +2d3
INT -d3
POW -d3
DEX -d3
CHA -2d3
APP -3d3
The mutated offspring will begin life appearing to be normal
members of the host species -- identical in appearance to the
normal children of the parents.
At 16 + 3d6 years of age the corrupted genes will begin to
manifest, slowly changing the lifeform into an aquatic reptile
with oversized hands and feet, claws, elongated and serrated
teeth, and rough green or orange/blue scales.
Such offspring will breed true with each other or will, with
others of the host race, produce children like they were.
Each generation of the "pure" mutations grows less intelli-
gent, less magically powerful and more animalistic. Add a d3 to
SIZ and a d3 to STR each generation, subtract 2 points from INT
(until INT = 2d2) and 1 from POW (until POW = 1d3+3 points total
POW).
This aging and alteration of generations also affects the
infected as they grow older. Every 16 + 3d6 years the parents
alter and grow more beastal along with their children. Without
fresh infusion of new breeding blood the race will lose all
sentience. Members of the race regularly rise from the depths
seeking new breeding stock.
As it is, its older members are horrendous and fearsome
creatures, often as much of a peril to their own communities as
to outsiders. Breeding needs continue to drive the folk and
often entire ships are carried away from the sight of man.
Prior to the Teynd this entire process was a great deal for
the virus. It created strong, enduring hosts who bred themselves
into potent mindless hulks without the INT or the POW to resist
their possessors.
The Teynd and the Counterblow robbed the virus of sentience.
Now it rests as a possessing force of drives, hungers, needs and
crazed impulses, ever chafing at the shape of normal space and
burned by the sun. With the return of magic the virus did not
regain sentience, but it did cause the unNatural taint to grow
stronger. (Each Deep One has a 33% chance of having a chaos gift
or equivilent).
THE SET-UP
The Deep Ones have a great city in the Bermuda Triangle. It
is there that they have their gate to the Sargasso Sea, a dream
realm filled with dead ships, undead ghouls, and human victims
hunted as food by the ghouls and breeding stock by the Deep Ones.
The triangle is used to slip selected ships and other craft
into the Sargasso Sea when the mystic modes are right and then
the Deep Ones and the Ghouls compete for prey.
The Deep Ones have a contact in the Bio-Chem Warfare Project
at the Pentagon. The Pentagon is experimenting with a super-
soldier virus that will create natural soldiers who will always
follow orders, feed themselves between wars, and cost nothing to
raise and train. The Deep One virus looks to be the solution --
at least so they have been duped and mis-lead into believing.
In addition, there is a project to create fresh water Deep
Ones. This is a new varient to be used to infiltrate the North
East waterways of the United States and the rivers of the
U.S.S.R.
Finally, the third layer of the onion, there is a program
afoot to place Deep Ones in several U.S. colleges and for the
Deep Ones to seek diplomatic identity and military aid against
racial enemies. (cf Drgg Rockeater). Their enemies have a magic
based floresent light that causes larvel and pre-change Deep Ones
to glow yellow and are selling it through new age religion stores
as a spiritual aid.
Create lairs for play in:
(a) Coos Bay
Typical Deep One citadel near Coos Bay with fresh and salt
water areas. Coos Bay, back when it was just a swamp/marsh and
wild life habitat, was quiet, out of the way, ignored and consid-
ered a perfect place for a deep water access land site.
The State of Oregon surprised more than conservationists
with its move to build the port and start changes.
The dead Deep One will have a map to the Coos Bay citadel,
the fresh/salt water pens and a flight corridor to a lake in
Michigan (though that will take some descipering). He will also
have a whistle that summons a wind creature that is 85% likely to
carry one to a named destination . . .
(b) Michigan
The Deep Ones are hiring out in the AFL-CIO/Mafia problems
and they have one of their two fresh water hatcheries in Michigan
where they are able to breed by spawning. Per sexual act this
results in thirty or fourty larvel Deep Ones who grow to maturity
in a matter of weeks, rather than a chance at one larvel Deep One
who will take nine months and 16 + 3d6 years to mature.
Fresh water Deep Ones are a terrible peril and could be an
unstoppable plague.
(c) Chicago
This hatchery is the fall-back position for the Deep Ones.
Thousands await hatching and growth in fetid pens. The charac-
ters must locate the hatchery, penetrate and cleanse it. Indus-
trial waste dumping can be a friend or foe as can crooked politi-
cians, more Union troubles and the politics of Chicago.
(d) The Heart of the Matter//Washington D.C.
Both Michigan and Chicago have had clues that there is some
connection to Washington, D.C. Then, in addition to the clues, a
miracle spritualism occurs on TV as a charge d'affairs in the
Pentagon is turned floresent yellow by a new age healer.
The healer was using the same lights that the characters saw
being shipped through the Coos Bay freeport and learned to use to
identify Deep Ones.
Several levels of interaction with the government will
occur. The peril may or may not be totally stopped and hundreds
of unsuspecting G.I.s may find themselves injected with bio-
engineering viruses when they are expecting routine flu shots.
THE INITIAL ACTION
The characters encounter a dead Deep One in the mountains
near Coos Bay. Investigation will show that it "breaths" fresh
water and not salt water.
THE DISCOVERY AND INVESTIGATION
The characters locate and fight with some Deep Ones at a
cult house in North Coos Bay, gather clues and decide that more
is afoot than they guessed.
They should deciper the map and guess that it bodes ill for
the State of Michigan. They should also note new agers in the
Free Port, the sale of weird lights to Deep One cultists and a
number of other clues for later use.
FURTHER INVESTIGATION/BACKGROUND FACTS
Will vary by scenario frame.
The characters should discover that anti-unClean methods
will "cure" the Deep One virus of its supranormal (chaos gift)
powers, that most anti-virals will stop the progress of the Deep
One taint in those whose genes are contaminated, and that salt
and fresh water are good weapons.
Several Deep One specific spells related to breeding, re-
verse evolution and similar matters will surface, Deep One life
cycles will be revealed in obscene and mystic clues, and several
one use, single purpose magical tools will be noted (though
probably not obtained) by the characters.
Always note that the Deep Ones have never overwhelmed the
land because they have a number of weaknesses, enemies and mystic
barriers to their progress.
THE ACTION
Mostly detective work, some melees, at least one magical
battle.
THE DENOUEMENT
A conflict of will, magic and physical force in a waterfront
Cult/Crack House in the D.C. slums. It should involve a sorcerer
and several very old deep ones.
TIMING/EXECUTION
Feel free to modify and alter events, tieing in seasons and
interludes in order to keep the characters on the seeming edge of
disaster or delay.
NOTES
None.
SCENARIO 5
HOME IS THE HUNTER, HOME FROM THE SEA
AND THE SAILOR, HOME FROM THE HILL
I. BACKGROUND
The characters had struggled through a reprise on the Masks
of Nyrlathotep. Just as the earlier adventurers had faced the
dark one, these characters had come face to face with the powers
of the Nameless. They were deeply unsettled -- what other tag
ends had been left unresolved, what other mistakes might the
earlier characters (and the sponsors!) have made?
Hopefully none, and there were no obvious clues, so the
characters headed home.
II. THE SET-UP
The characters returned to a wonderful deep water bay -- one
of few on the West Coast. By now it had full scale commercial
development (just as it has in our world). While the Deep Ones
had been driven off, Dark Young remained to slumber and prowl
second in the woods and mountains beyond the bay).
The sleeping Indian guardian spirit had woken, marijuana
growers in the mountains (both isolated patches and commercial
organized crime) had begun to fight with a few survivalists,
Tongs (society members from the mainland, Triads (society members
from the islands and free ports), criminal Chobal and Yakusa, and
a demon spawned biker gang.
The Seid Alfar gate to the dream depths of the Earth's core
and a few mountain-top alters connecting Korlinth and Lios Alfar
were active again (these would show up more fully in Shattered
Isle which the characters explored next).
The groups in conflict had been small at first. The Dark
Young had half-human and human spawn, unmutated human seeming
young, small cults and several sites breaching a conflict with
the Alfar. The conflict had built slowly.
The Inter-Alfar conflict was also building in raids in the
forest as the Seid Alfar sought to control the mountain tops and
the Lios Alfar sought to locate, and then control, the dream
depths gate. The vampire had brought out everyone's attention.
The survivalists and the pot farmers conflicts spilled over
into town, as did those two groups and the growing hiking, horse-
back riding and ultralight flying industries.
The criminal elements clashed as their goals conflicted.
One set took over the local teamsters and got bounced by a "big
foot" squad. Another set imported cocaine and begain a war by
trying to keep too much being stolen by the rival gang run team-
sters. The "big foot" group left them intact. The third group
was hired by the local teamsters to get the criminals off of
their backs and got side-tracked into fighting with the second
set (after all, the "big foot" took care of the criminals).
Two outside groups (one bikers, one Yakusa) started non-
cocaine imports (bikers in meth and ice, Yakusa in ice and her-
oin). A few locals toughs got into the protection, prostitution
and numbers business. The player-characters had cleaned those
out.
The characters had left town prior to the teamsters fight
and came back after it was over -- just in time to meet some
druids and competing indian groups who were all hoping to "re-
claim" the guardian spirit.
This is a good deal of action, all of it more-or-less unre-
lated, and all of it building very slowly.
At this point I chose to peak the conflict that the charac-
ters (and their players) had shown the most interest in.
III. POTENTIAL PLOTS
A. Corrupt commercial development/dangerous polution.
B. Prowling Dark Young and Indians (or Alfar) hunting them.
C. The Indian guardian spirit vs. marijuana growers in the
mountains (both isolated patches and commercial organized crime).
D. The marijuana growers vs. the survivalists, Tongs (society
members from the mainland, Triads (society members from the
islands and free ports), criminal Chobal and Yakusa, and a demon
spawned biker gang. (A small war in this scenario).
E. The Seid Alfar vs Korlinth and Lios Alfar conflicts.
F. An unNatural plot to take over the city and state govern-
ments. This would be the Dark Young with their half-human and
human spawn, unmutated human seeming young, small cults and
several sites making a political move.
G. The Dark Young breaching a conflict with the Alfar.
H. The survivalists and the pot farmers vs. the growing hiking,
horseback riding and ultralight flying industries.
I. Non-cocaine drug wars involving two outside groups (one
bikers, one Yakusa) (bikers in meth and ice, Yakusa in ice and
heroin).
J. The few locals toughs get into the protection, prostitution
and numbers business and cross friends of the characters. This
is an excellent "short afternoon" scenario or a long one.
K. Druids and Indian groups competing to "reclaim" the guardian
spirit.
L. Other incursions into Coos Bay by one of the outside races.
IV. METHOD
Pick the plot that the characters have shown the most inter-
est in. (Clues from all of the plots should appear as the char-
acters come home, talk to friends, pay bills, take in some re-
creation, go to dinner, etc.). Determine interest by which clues
the characters follow up on.
V. THE ORIGINAL CAMPAIGN
The characters ran accross several Druid groups trying to
reclaim the Indian Guardian Spirit which had been woken by the
drug farmers. The Spirit and the pot farmers were in a war.
One of the groups of Druids turned out to be Dark Young.
The characters saved the Spirit from the Dark Young and released
it. They traced the Dark Young to a breeding site and faced down
a Seid Alfar breed master of the Dark. In his notes they found
clues to the political strategy.
The characters acted quickly enough to foil an attempt to
kidnap/eat the govenor and replace him with a Dark Young look-a-
like. The State Police took the matter from there while the
characters got embroiled in a Lios Alfar/Seid Alfar conflict.
The Alfar were acting as mercenaries in a biker/yakusa war.
After a great deal of fighting and running, the characters dis-
covered that there wasn't a good side to the conflict and got
out. Both sides were consumed by the conflict and the renegade
lios alfar mercenaries all moved on.
Some of the characters had opted out of the war early and
found themselves facing off a crooked developer and his Dark
Young allies (who were back for revenge). They were able to
invoke the Indian Guardian Spirit. This scenario finished off a
couple characters and the last of the Dark Young.
At this point all of the plot lines were resolved and the
surviving characters were ready to be retired.
GLOSSARY -- Artifacts
Basics rules for artifacts:
First, gather raw material. That is, gather chaos, shadow,
dream or spirit. [this is done by role play, use of special
skills or by GM fiat]
Second, apply the appropriate skill (shape chaos, form
shadow, weave dream, invoke spirit). [the percentage is usually
a combination of basic or innate chance + experience + training
{generlly determined by player points invested in the skill}]
Third, check innate capacity. [capacity is determined by
checking the relevant characteristics/requisites. For chaos
shaping it is generally the sum of all characteristics, for
shadow forming it is generally {POW*5}+INT, for dream weaving it
is generally {INT*5}+{POW+CHA}/2, for spirit invocation it is
usually {CHA*5}+{INT+POW}/2]
Fourth, limit effects by chance and knowledge. [some re-
sults are affected by random factors and all results are limited
by whether or not the actor knows the path to the result sought.
Often this will take a research roll or a consultation with an
authoratative text such as a grimoire]
Fifth, factor in the results of any affinity spent. The
affinities are:
chaos: elan
spirit: grace
dream: imagination
shadow: eclat
[these are all gained by role play and may be used to modify
results or as a replacement for luck]
SUGGESTED USES
The scenarios were set up to be used as follows:
Scenario.001 The Carrion Dragon
This is an introduction to play. Basically some simple
tracking and travel spaced with straight forward combat.
Scenario.002 The Dream Journey
This is a heroquest pattern in the dream realms.
Scenario.003 The Move to Coos Bay//The Kar-Manta
Terror from the Stars
This is a commercial product available for $6.95 from Chaos-
ium. It is not necessary, but it is a great introduction to
Chaosium products.
Scenario.004 Against the Deep Ones.
This is a series of adventures. In sub-sets it is:
(a) Coos Bay
(b) Alfar interlude
(c) Michigan
(d) Chicago
(e) interlude with Dark Young
(f) interlude with Yakusa
(g) The Heart of the Matter//Washington D.C.
Reprise
Recast characters,
(most campaigns will need to re-cast and re-align
the characters at this point)
Rest (shopping expedition, marriages, etc.)
Terror Australis
Send the characters to Australia to help out on a clue and a
request by a family friend.
This is series uses another Chaosium Product. I advise
using the CITY BENEARTH THE SANDS first, then PRIDE OF YIRRIMBUR-
RA, and for some local flavor, spin off a couple or so characters
to run through OLD FELLOW THAT BUNYIP.
Treat the Australian Dreaming as the Australian extension of
the Dreamworld (skip the contrary language in the scenario) and
update the scenario to present day Austrailia.
For good reference, read the book That Fatal Shore.
Reprise
Scenario.005 Home to Coos Bay (Home is the Hunter).
Clean up any loose ends and wrap them into the story line.
I used this as a campaign closer to transition the characters
back to base and take a rest. Use any background elements the
characters/players have shown strong interest about.
Final Adventure
The Shattered Isle
This is a good wrap-up to the set and a fine Chaosium Pro-
duct. It is set in the Eternal Champion Cycle. For a good
introduction to the scenario, have the characters end up there
instead of their intended destination on the return from Austrai-
lia. A warp in space swallowing an airplane is better than a
mis-guided teleport, but feel free to use any method that fits
your campaign.
I used a gate in the Mountains near Coos Bay to introduce
the characters into this scenario set as they tracked down some
reports of strange creatures molesting wildlife and hikers. I
also used it as the last scenario in the set.
Remember that the demons, etc. are reduced in power in
Tragic Millinium Earth.
CHAOS SHAPING
Rules for Chaos Shaping, Part 1.
I. INTRODUCTION
There are two kinds of chaos: that natural to the world and
that which is unNatural. The natural sort has filtered into our
world through shadow and is the raw potential framed by chaos
shapers, dream masters and shadow dancers. It is the stuff that
is pulled up into the realms of spirit and that is returned as
matter.
The second sort of chaos is the unNatural. This is raw
chaos stuff pulled in from outside. The unNatural demons are
made from this raw stuff and their deliquescing flesh bears often
vocal testimony to the improper intrusion of that non-matter into
our worlds.
This essay deals with the shaping of the first sort of chaos
and the rules that govern chaos shaping.
II. BASICS
Chaos is gathered and then mastered by imposing the will of
the chaos shaper on the stuff of chaos gathered from the fabric
of the world. The character's requisites that can be used to sum
the chaos shaper are added together and the total produces a
number that is used to determine the amount of chaos that can be
shaped by the individual at any one time. In the Precursor
rules the "-" character marks each requisite to be totaled in
finding the number.
For example, the rules give the Shannella the following
characteristics:
A. Shannella (Shannallin Shapers)//humanoid lios alfar
SIZ 6+2d6- (8-18)
STR 3d6- (3-18)
CON 7+2d6- (9-19)
CHA 3+3d6- (6-21)
APP 3d6+6- (9-24)
DEX 6+2d6- (8-18)
INT 12+2d6- (14-24)
POW 12+2d6- (14-24)
SAN {(POW + INT)/3}*5%
WIL 2d6 (2-12)
LUC 1d6* (1-6)
PTS 2d3 (2-6)
SIZ, STR, CON, CHA, APP, DEX, INT, and POW are all marked
with the "-" character. SAN, WIL, LUC and PTS are not. To
determine the chaos shaping capacity of a member of the Shannella
race, you would total the marked requisites. The possible totals
range from 71 to 166.
Once the chaos shaping capacity is determined, the native
ability or Chaos shaping skill is determined. In general, native
skill is equal to (POW + INT)/10. 2.8% to 4.8% would be the
range for the Shannella. Native skill is where the chaos shaping
skill of the individual starts and can be increased as any other
skill is increased.
Chaos shaping skill limits the total number of points that
can be shaped. If one has a capacity of 120 and a skill of 45%,
the maximum number of points that can be shaped is 45 -- regard-
less of the capacity.
Chaos capacity is determined by summing the requisites as
shown above.
III. USING THE BASICS
A. Amount of chaos to be shaped:
For a chaos shaped effect with a POW of 1d6, the maximum
number of points to be shaped is limited by Chaos shaping skill x
1 or 1/3 of capacity, whichever is less.
For a chaos shaped effect with a POW of 2d6, the maximum
number of points to be shaped is limited by Chaos shaping skill x
1 or 2/3 of capacity, whichever is less.
For a chaos shaped effect with a POW of 3d6, the maximum
number of points to be shaped is limited by the Chaos shaping
skill or chaos capacity, whichever is less.
For a chaos shaped effect with a POW of 4d6, the maximum
number of points to be shaped is limited by the Chaos shaping
skill x 1.5 or 4/3 capacity, whichever is less.
And so it goes, 5d6 = 5/3 capacity or x2 skill, 6d6 = 6/3
capacity or x2.5 skill , 7d6 = 7/3 capacity or x3 skill , etc.
(That is, #d6/3 capacity or {#-1)*.5 skill).
B. Chance of successfully shaping the chaos:
To shape chaos requires winning a POW v. POW struggle for
each d6 of POW of chaos shaped. Thus for a 5d6 shaping, five POW
v. POW struggles would have to be won.
For each struggle won, the shaper is allowed to make a
shaping skill roll. For every point of chaos less than the
capacity that is shaped, add 1 to the shaping skill. For every
point over capacity that is shaped, subtract 1.
For example, with a capacity of 120, a skill of 75 and a
chaos shaping of 3d6, the maximum number of points would be 75.
If 70 points were to be shaped with 3d6 POW, then three POW
v. POW rolls would be required, each to be followed by a shaping
roll. Since the points (70) are less than the capacity (120),
the skill rolls are at a bonus (120-70 or 50% points). The
shaper would have a 125% chance each round to impose his or her
will on the shaped chaos.
If all the POW v. POW rolls are made, chaos has been bound
and shaped. If any roll fails, the chaos dissipates.
For each shaping roll that succeeds, that proportion of the
bound and shaped chaos is shaped according to the shaper's will.
For example, in a 4d6 POW binding of 120 points, if three out of
four shaping rolls were successes, the 3/4ths of the points (or
80 points) would be shaped as the shaper desired and 1/4th of the
points would assume a random or unfinished aspect.
C. Controlling bound and shaped chaos:
The finished product is controlled by the shaper or by any
subsequent person attuned to it who is both attuned and who has
dominated or bound the item. Attunement can be determined by
making a (CHA + INT) v. POW attack. For each point the attack
succeeds by, equal points of the shaped chaos are attuned. One
might generally spend some time in attunement.
Following attunement, one has a POW v. POW struggle. A win
results in domination or binding. A failure results in a back-
lash. At the worst a backlash exposes the target to the full
effect of the shaped chaos, at the best a backlash dissipates
itself on wards and guards.
IV. THE SHAPES OF CHAOS
A. Unintelligent shapes:
1. Weapons/Chaos as a tool of Assault.
Weapons that make contact have a POW v. POW struggle and
then do 1d6 extra damage for every 10 pts of STR the weapon has.
Thus a weapon with 30 points of STR would have a 3d6 damage
bonus.
2. Armor/Protection
Armor grants 1d6 of protection for every 10 pts of CON. The
armor itself can also has one hit point for every 10 pts of CON.
Thus armor with 30 points of CON would provide 3d6 points of
protection and would have 3 hit points.
3. Wards/Defense
1d6% reduction in ability or perception or chance to contact
per 10 pts of DEX. Wards hide and defenses avoid. Thus a ward
with 30 points of DEX would be minus 3d6% to any searching for
the item hidden by the ward. A defense of 30 DEX would reduce
the chance to hit of an attacker by 3d6%.
4. Buildings/Structures
10*1d6 cubic meters are formed for every 10 points of SIZ.
Buildings and structures can be made from extremely thin chaos
shaped material. The pre-shapes for buildings are similar to
complicated and detailed blue-prints and the binding cost is
often paid by the person who intends to live in the building.
30 points of SIZ in building would result in 30d6 cubic
meters of extremely strong and tough building material.
5. Portals/Teleportation/Gating
One location per 10 pts of INT, one point SIZ moved per
point of STR, 1d6% chance of safe arrival per point of DEX (30
points = 30d6% chance of safe arrival or 30% to 180% chance).
Thus with 20 points of INT, 30 points of STR and 40 points
of DEX the telportal or chaos gate would have two locations
served, could move up to 30 points of SIZ and would have a 40d6%
chance of safe transportation between the two locations.
6. Transportation/Wings/Vehicles
Speed is 1d6 mph per 5 pts STR, carriage = SIZ, length of
movement is 1d6 hours per 10 pts CON. With a STR of 20, a SIZ of
30 and a CON of 10 the chaos shaping could travel 4d6 mph, carry
30 SIZ points and could move for 1d6 hours between recharges.
7. Knowledge/Awareness
1d6% to one specific knowledge or skill area's rolls per 10
pts of INT. Can be bound into items that then have an increased
success rate when used. A typical jewelers headset with 60
points of INT would add 6d6% to a specific area of knowledge.
8. Desire/Passion
1d6 of SIZ or 1d6 hit points of healing per 10 points con-
sumed (desire/passion is transformed into other things in use).
60 points of chaos shaped into the stuff of desires could be
formed into 4d6 SIZ worth of food and 2d6 restored hit points (or
some similar combination).
B. Intelligent shapes:
These are the same as the unintelligent shapes, with true
intelligence added. These are self-willed, sentient and thinking
vs mechanically intelligent. The following kinds of intelligence
can be shaped with chaos:
1. Individuals shaped with chaos upon them (i.e. the
transmogrified, etc.). These are the typical character or indi-
vidual who has been reshaped with chaos into something non-human
and beyond.
Those shaped with chaos find their personalities, attitudes,
etc. remain the same. Aging retainers, loyal servants, and such
are often shaped with chaos to cheat death and to continue to
serve. Being reshaped by chaos is risky as it can result both in
transmutation and alteration by chaos gone wild and it also
remakes the individual into one who can be bound and subjected as
any other chaos tool or thing.
2. Intelligences summoned into chaos
Not a good practice. This is done by shaping chaos and
binding an intelligence to fill it. The intelligences often come
from spirits of the dead, sacrificed individuals, etc. and are
not always the ones expected or desired.
3. Raw intelligence invoked into chaos
Mechanical, uncontrolled and/or not-sentient intelligences.
Often these can evolve into true intelligence over time. This is
the most common type of intelligence in a chaos shaping and can
be used solely to hold points of spells or equivalents equal to
the points of INT.
Such INT has no other game use or purpose and is generally
described when considering unintelligent chaos shapings <e.g.
those in the section just before this one that have INT as a
controlling feature.>
4. Animals invested with chaos
Again, just as humans invested with chaos, the personali-
ties, attitudes, etc. remain the same, though the level of intel-
ligence is often raised. Familiars are a common example. There
is no guarantee that increasing the tools with which to think
will result in intelligence that you or I would appreciate -- and
there is surprising varience within members of a species.
This process merely adds a great deal to the raw mental
power available to the animal so manipulated and does not in-
crease the knowledge or change the instinctive patterns and
habits of the animal.
C. Specials
The average chaos shaping has a d6's worth of impact per 10
points of shaped chaos. A weapon does 1d6 of extra damage per 10
pts of STR, armor does 1d6 of protection per 10 pts of CON,
knowledge adds 1d6% to an area/skill per 10 pts of INT, etc.
Special effects generally cost 20 pts per d6 of effect.
Thus, a d6 damage to CON attack (temporarily drain d6 of CON
following contact and a POW v. POW struggle) would cost 20 pts.
A 3d6 attack on INT would cost 60 points, a 2d6 to STR attack
would cost 40 points.
All manner of special effects can be calculated or created
by pricing them at twice the cost of the value of the effect.
See Rules.007 for more.
V. LIMITS ON CHAOS SHAPING
Chaos shaping is limited by the need to gather chaos or find
an area rich in chaos stuff, the time it takes to shape the chaos
(approximately one week in preparation for every d6 POW to be
shaped), the expense of supporting materials (the pre-shape
preparation requires a material matrix for the chaos to be shaped
against) and the POW and CHA of the shaper.
This is because each chaos shaping retained after all other
steps are taken requires the permanent sacrifice of one point of
POW by the shaper or a participating assistant. In addition, no
shaper can have more than one half of CHA in currently bound
shapes and no more than (CHA + INT) in currently attuned shapes.
To be a subsequent binder of an item requires the permanent
sacrifice of one point of POW after attunement and binding. The
point of POW passes into the item and increases it by one point.
A chaos shaping can be bound to itself.
CHAOS SHAPING Part Two
Special Effects in Chaos Shaping
Rules for Chaos Shaping, part two.
I. INTRODUCTION
Special effects in chaos shaping are seen in two places.
The first is in the work of master chaos shapers. The second is
in involuntary chaos shaping. This article discusses the second
method and goes over the most common special effects and the
rules that can be used to simulate them in gaming.
II. INVOLUNTARY CHAOS SHAPING
Most individuals have a base chaos shaping skill, somewhere
between 1% and 4%. In times of great stress some individuals
instinctively seek to chaos shape. If chaos is present and if
the individual has a critical success, then it is possible for
them to shape chaos instinctively in a manner that will preserve
them.
The mechanics are relatively simple. If an individual with
no chaos binding experience or training is subjected to great
stress and is facing death, then check for the presence of chaos.
If any chaos stuff is present (as is usually the case in times of
great turmoil or great natural disaster), the individual has a
chance to shape chaos. If they have a critical success, then
they have succeeded in shaping chaos into a form that will pre-
serve their life. If they fail, they die.
From such great natural disasters occassionally come indi-
viduals with great supranormal powers and abilities. You can
create these by giving them (1d6) * (chaos shaping capacity)
[alternatively, for player characters and NPCs in scenarios, you
can assign a level from 1 to 6 and then multiply the level times
the capacity to create a character at the level of power you
desire] points of shaped chaos.
Generally this chaos should be in the form of special chaos
shapes or powers with which the character is invested. Each
level counts against the total number of chaos shapings that the
character can bind.
III. TECHNICAL NOTES
Chaos shapings are often defined in terms of characteristics
-- just like characters are. Magic and other forces that will
affect a particular characteristic will often affect any chaos
shaping defined or based on that particular characteristic.
Most chaos shaping results are given in terms of a range,
such as 1d6 or 1d3 per 10 points of chaos shaped. This is be-
cause of the fact that even shaped chaos is often in flux. The
results can be fixed rather than changing. For such results one
takes the low average on each range. E.g. a teleportal with a
30d6% chance of safty could be changed to a teleportal with 30 *
(d6//average down from 3.5 to 3) or 90% chance of safety, 4d6 of
armor could be changed to 4 * (d6//average down from 3.5 to 3) or
12 points of armor, etc.
III. THE SPECIAL POWERS
1. Armor
Treat the special power of the same normally as chaos shaped
armor or protection: 1d6 points of armor per 10 points of chaos
shaped. In addition, it costs one point of shaped chaos per
point of SIZ covered by the Armor.
Protection is based on CON, size of the armor is based on
SIZ, hit points (when appropriate) are determined by .1 CON.
2. Darkness
For 10 points a field of darkness affecting a d3 meter
radius all normal senses and three additional spectrums can be
created at will and can be maintained at the cost of one force
point per melee round after creation.
The following is a chart of the available spectrums or
special senses that darkness can be shaped to block.
BIOLOGICAL Down Up
radiation infravision ultravision
electric magnetic field sense electrical potential sense
kinetic lateral line sense sonar
MAGICAL
radiation powersense supertaste
electrical aura sensing awareness
kinetic danger sense super scent
MECHANICAL
radiation radiation vision x-ray vision
electric depth perception radar sense
kinetic pressure sense super touch
All senses have active and passive modes.
3. Gravity Manipulation
Gravity manipulation is a form of dream magic and is not
generally affected by chaos shaping.
4. Intangibility (the up side of by-pass forces)
For 40 points one can become intangible to kinetic, electri-
cal or radiative forces. For each 40 points add an additional
type of force. For 120 points one is intangible for all three
types of forces.
One cannot use offensively a force to which one is intangi-
ble. Intangible individuals can become tangible by expending one
force point per melee round of tangibility (as in eating meals).
4. Invisibility (the down side of by-pass forces).
20 points of chaos will shape invisibility to any three
sense spectrums or special senses in a fashion similar to dark-
ness. Thus, for 20 points, one could be invisible to sonar,
radiation vision and danger sense.
40 points of chaos shaping will render one invisible to all
normal senses for as many melee rounds as one desires to expend
the one force point per round that such a shaping requires to
fuel it.
5. Perception modes
aura sensing
This sense is magical/down/electric in its three axis. It
is the ability to sense or perceive the bio-electric auras gener-
ated by all living things. These auras are generally seen as
having color, brightness or intensity, and grain or fineness.
The color usually reveals the person's controlling emotion
or aspect, the brightness the intensity of feeling and strength
of personality and the grain or fineness the quality of the
spirit or maturity of the individual.
The sense may confer this information by other means.
awareness
This is a general information sense that is magical/electri-
cal/up in its axis.
Awareness provides a general knowledge of events about equal
to a major regional newspaper or special interest newspaper (such
as THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, or THE DALLAS
MORNING NEWS) or special publication (such as PC MAGAZINE, THE
HARVARD LAW REVIEW, or SPORT AVIATION).
Each area of awareness atunes the individual into that level
of reality and requires between 5 and 50 chaos shaping points
depending on scope and depth of knowledge. The GM and the player
should designate the reference publication and reach an agreed
cost.
danger sense
Magical/kinetic/down in axis, this is the warning feeling of
impending doom.
Danger sense warns only of immediate dangers. Each point of
chaos shaping results in 1d3% chance of a warning feeling when
there is immediate danger (such as an ambush or a trap). Thus 30
points would result in 30d3% chance to feel danger coming.
A character can get a general sense of the source and direc-
tion of the danger in a manner similar to the children's game hot
and cold. If one feels danger and backing up reduces the feel-
ing, then obviously the danger is something to the front.
Etc.
Note that often the warning (as in an ambush) does not allow
significant time to respond or prepare.
depth perception
a/k/a range finding, this sense is mechanical/electrical/up
in axis and is necessary for many ranged weapons (and is found on
all American main battle tanks).
electrical potential sense
This is the same sense that many electrical eels have and is
biological/electrical/up in axis.
This sense allows one to sense the electrical potential of
one's surroundings and of buried wires and conduits. For 10
points one gains a range of one meter and a resolution of +/- 1
ohm, +/- 1 volt. +/- 1 centimeters.
Each additional 10 points of chaos shaping adds one meter to
range and doubles the quality of the resolution. Thus 80 points
gives a range of 8 meters, and resolution of ohms, volts and size
to the nearest .0078125 unit of measurement, 120 points to the
nearest .00048828125 unit of measurement and 12 meters, and so
forth.
infravision
This sense is biological/radiation/down in axis.
Infravision is the ability to see and interpret infrared
light. 15 points of chaos shaping creates a halo that focues and
resolves the infrared light that is generated by heat and allows
one to see at 20/60 vision into the infra-red spectrum with
general black and white resolution (the equivilent of gaining IR
sensitive rods in one's eyes).
An additional 10 points can give one descrete spectrum
senses (the ability to distinguish between narrow differences in
the infrared spectrum -- had by certain Northern European steel
workers, this sensory reach into the infra-red spectrum gave them
a distinct economic advantage in steel production). (the equivil-
ent of gaining IR cones and color vision in one's eyes).
For each additional 10 points increase resolution by 5
points (thus 20/55; 20/50; 20/45; 20/40; 20/35; 20/30 which is
true "normal", to 20/20).
Limits apply past 20/20 vision (to wit, there is no incre-
ment from 20/5 to 20/0 . . .).
lateral line sense
This sense, had by most fish and almost all RQII dwarves, is
biological/kinetic/down in axis.
The lateral line sense is a form of pressure sense that is
most effective in liquids and fairly effective at short ranges in
gasses. The lateral line sense detects and correlates variations
in pressure, using them to orient movement and direction.
It has a range of 1 meter (.1 meter in gasses) per 10 points
of chaos shaping and a resolution grid of 2 centimeters per 10
points (thus 20 points would have a range of 2 meters and a
resolution of 1 centimeter, 30 points a range of 3 meters and a
resolution of 1 centimeter, 40 points a range of 4 meters and a
resolution of 1 centimeter, etc.).
magnetic feild sense
Electrical/down/biological in orientation, this sense is had
by some birds. It is the ability to sense and orient along
magnetic feilds. In its roughest form it is what makes a compass
work. In finer increments it allows one to sense the magnetic
feilds of force present from the Earth's rotation or from any
magnet's presence.
5 points of shaped chaos creates the equivilent of a rough
internal compass that can be thrown off by metal, magnets or bad
weather.
An additional 10 points generates a general awareness of the
presence of electrico-magnetic fields and an internal compass
equal to any boy scout compass ever built.
After the first 15 points, an additional 15 points will
allow one to see magnetic fields at a range of 6 meters and a
resolution grid of 1 meter. 15 more points doubles the range to
12 meters and increases the resolution to 1 decameter. 15 more
points increases range to 18 meters and resolution to 1 centimet-
er. Range and resolution increase at that ratio.
powersense
This is the ability to sense and identify the major power
present in any chaos shaping. It is magical/radiative /down in
orientation.
The cost is 10 points for the basic ability to sense the
presence of chaos, 10 more points to identify the major power
present in a chaos shaping (that is, the power to which the most
points are allocated.
The character must have seen the power before or have seen
it in action to identify it).
For each additional 10 points the next step down can be
identified. (e.g. assume an individual with 300 points in shaped
chaos. For 10 points one could sense the presence of the chaos.
For an additional 10, 20 total, one could sense the power that
has the most points of shaped chaos.
For 30 total one could tell the two powers with the most
points, etc.).
In addition, the total points of shaped chaos in this sense
gives the %tage chance one has of identifying not only the power
but the strength of it and any focus it might have. Thus with 30
points in powersense a character would have a 30% chance of
identifying the strength of the major power as well as seeing
what it is.
pressure sense
This is the ability to sense pressure in increments of 10
millibars at a cost of 10 points. For each additional 10 points
increase sensitivity by a factor of two. (So at base cost, sense
pressure at +/- 5; at 20: +/- 21; at 30: +/- 11; at 40: +/-
0.75; etc.)
radar sense
This is the ability to sense vague outlines by radar fields.
For 10 points the grid of sensory input is 3 meters, the range is
90 meters, with limits on sensing some sorts of materials. May
either double range or halve sensitivity for every additional 10
points.
radiation vision
This is the ability to see the natural background radiation.
It is usefull in areas where nuclear contaminants have been
released, in handling fusion reactions and in a number of special
circumstances.
For every 5 points allocated to spectrum give the ability to
sense a specific type of particle or radiative mass. For every 5
points allocated to precision, halve the perceptive grid, start-
ing at 2 centimeters.
sonar
Normal sonar such as is had by bats, porposes, etc.
superscent
For 10 points one gains the ability to track by scent at 20%
skill. All other skill increases are had as normal skills are
increased.
supertaste
For 10 points one gains the skill taste analysis/detect
poison at 20%. All other skill increases are had as normal
skills are increased.
supertouch
This is the ability to feel at distances beyond the surface
of the skin, 1 meter per 5 points. Tactile resolution may be
increased by 50% for each additional 5 points spent (thus doubled
for 10 points, tripled for 20 points, quadrupled for 30 points).
ultravision
As infra-vision except it uses ultraviolet radiation which
is much less common. This is generally an active sense with a
higher resolution and better range than infravision.
Ultravision does not have naturally appearing light sources
and does not penetrate normal mist, fog and smoke as does infra-
vision.
x-ray vision
The ability to see x-rays. X-ray vision is useful for
seeing inside of things. It has a base cost of 15 points and a
range of 1 meter per 5 points. It has a base resolution of 10
points per inch, doubled for every 5 points. (Thus for 15 points
base cost: 10ppi; +5: 20ppi; +10: 40ppi; +20: 160ppi; +25:
320ppi -- or about the resolution of a good photocopy machine or
dot matrix printer).
NOTES on active and passive senses.
All senses can be either active or passive. Using normal
senses, a man with a flash light has active sight. He provides
both the light to see by and the sensory organs to respond to the
light. Many deep sea fish have active vision.
Another common example is sonar. Most sonar is active,
where the porpose or bat produces the sound used for the sense to
work.
The advantage to active senses is that they are always
available (the user never has the worry of being "in the dark").
The disadvantage is that any being with a similar sense can tell
when a user of an active sense is present. Some animals stalk
their prey by zeroing in on their active senses.
Generally, active senses do not work without the active
element being brought into play. Passive senses do not work
where there is no background source (just as our passive sense of
sight does not work in darkened rooms). By doubling the cost an
active sense can be bought that also works passively or a passive
sense can be bought that works without an energy source. These
factors are designed and designated when the chaos is shaped for
the sense.
6. Projection
This is the ability to project ranged attacks using one of
the six-fold matrix identities.
For each 10 points of shaped chaos a 1d3 attack with a range
of 3 meters at 100% chance to hit is created. Chance to hit goes
down by 10% per 3 meters (at 3: 100%, at 6: 90%, at 9: 80%, at
12: 70%, at 15: 60%, at 18: 55%, at 21: 50%, etc.).
30 points of shaped chaos would allow a 3d3 attack, 80
points of shaped chaos would allow a 8d3 attack.
The matrix points have the following identities and relevant
colors and attributes:
spirit VIOLET WHITE DISSASSICIATIVE FORCE (radiation up)
This is pure radioactive dissassociation, the dissolution of
bonds and pure destructive force.
fire RED FIRE (radiation down)
This is pure heat.
air BLUE LEVAN (electrical up)
This is electrical force.
liquid GREEN LIGHTNING (electrical down)
This is pure electromagnetic force.
earth BROWN EARTH (kinetic up)
Tangible physical energy.
crystal BLACK ICE (kinetic down)
Pure cold, anti-kinetic in nature.
7. Psionics
Psionics are usually spirit skills and are covered under
those rules.
8. Regeneration/Healing
For every 20 points of shaped chaos dedicated to this power
either 1 point can be regenerated or 2d6 points healed. Regener-
ation occurs once per 10 melee rounds until all damage is healed,
healing occurs once per day.
For double the cost this regeneration will operate even
after negative hit points are reached.
9. Shapeshifting
Temporary Shapeshifting, which usually includes size chang-
ing, density alteration, stretching and so-forth is a form of
dream magic. Permanent shifts in shape is part of chaos as is a
loss of immutability of shape (where a person's shape is in
constant flux and flow -- generally with little or no control by
the person). See the dream magic rules for more details and
costs.
10. Snarl
This is the power to snare, web or tangle. 1d3 STR of
snarls or tangles are created for every 10 points of shaped chaos
used. The tangles can be spread over a maximum space of 1 cubic
meter per 1d3 of tangle and can be cast up to 3 meters at 90%
chance to hit.
60 points would produce 6d3 STR of tangles. Tangles work by
applying their strength against the STR of the target. If the
snarl wins a STR v. STR battle the target remains snarled and
stuck for the next melee round. If the target wins, the target
has broken free.
Tangles lose 1d3 of STR for every round a target struggles
against them.
11. Transmutation
While also a dream magic, transmutation is the premier chaos
shaping mastery. The transmutation special power is the same as
the desire power, allowing temporary creation of substances or
temporary healing equal to the total number of points allocated
to this area as if allocated to a chaos shaping of desire or
passion.
12. Transportation
See the various chaos shaping rules on transportation.
13. Weapons
See the various chaos shaping rules on weapons.
IV. GENERAL NOTE
The special notes above are in addition to the general chaos
shaping rules, not in place of those rules and are designed to
provide guidelines and advice for designing characters who have
shaped chaos instinctively and who are more likely to have chaos
shapings with the so-called "special" powers than are more struc-
tured chaos shapers.
Always feel free to refer to the general chaos shaping rules
for guidelines and advice.
Also note how involuntary chaos shapers resemble metabolic
or natural chaos shapers, such as the Dtagga, when creating one
for a character.
DREAM WEAVING
DREAM WEAVING ILLUSIONS
The basic rules for illusions. Related to the similar
wizardry.
III. SHAPESHIFTING DREAMS
A. Shape (stretching/extra limbs/etc.)
B. Size (growth/shrinking)
C. Appearance (costumes, masks, fur, scales, etc.)
D. Density (increase/decrease)
E. Abilities/Powers (flying, gravity control, etc.)
IV. TRANSMUTATIONS
A. Alterations
B. Buildings
C. Creations
V. WOVEN DREAM GARMENTS
A specific sub-set of transmutations.
MANIPULATION OF POWERS OF THE SPIRIT
There are four basic types of manipulation of the powers of
spirit. The first is embodying spiritual essences or ideals into
forms on the material plane. This was covered earlier. The
second is the power of the mind (psionics). The third is the
apotheosis of man to spiritual being and the fourth is the un-
Faithful twisting of spirit or anti-spirit. This portion of the
Rules covers psionics.
Psionic effects have the following modifiers: range, mass,
area of effect, degree of control.
Range is modified as follows: -5% per range increment,
calculated at (y)^(x-1) and given as .2 meters as the 0 incre-
ment, 1 meter as 1 (-5%), 2 meters as 2 (-10%), 4 meters as 3 (-
15%), 8 meters as 4 (-20%), etc. Thus a psionic activity at 8
meters from the actor would be at -20%.
In addition, each range increment costs 5 points.
Mass is calculated in the same manner, with the following
basis, .2 grams as 0, 1 gram as 1, 2 grams as 2, 4 grams as 3, 8
grams as 4, 16 grams as 5, 32 grams as 6, etc., with the same -5%
per increment.
Area of effect is actually the volume of effect where the
measurement equals 2*radius, and where the increments run as
follows: 1 centimeters, 10 centimeters, 20 centimeters, 40 cen-
timeters, etc., with the same -5% per increment.
In each case, modify the success roll as per the following
example:
Skill of 90%, range of 8 meters (-20%), lifting 32 grams (-30%)
in an area of 10 centimeters (-5%) or (90%-55%) 35% chance of
success. If a 20 was rolled, 3 points of results were inflicted.
That is (skill + additives + advantages) - (difficulty
factors + defenses + disadvantages) = %chance. (%chance - %tage
rolled)/5 = points of effect.
PSIONIC POWERS
Each power is an area of mental activity that is seperately
acquired and which has a seperate skill roll. Thus all psionic
skills have the master limit of Psionic Skill (limited by spirit-
ual capacity) and then are rolled against for specific sub-
skills.
For example, an individual may have basic psionic skill of
80 (generally determined by (POW + points of will spent)*5%.
That individual may then buy/learn psionic skills up to 80%,
learning each skill seperately (thus telekinesis does not give
one telepathy). Within each area are sub-skills and powers.
These require 5 points each to acquire but are not learned se-
perately.
Telepathy
Skill name (modifier): effect
Shield (-0%): this skill allows one to add a portion of
one's total psionic skill as a defense against telepathy or
empathy attacks. There is no modifier for the use of this skill
and no cost to use this skill. Points of effect are the margin
of success.
E.g. A person has telepathy at 65% and 80% psionics and
decides to raise a mental shield. If they roll a 15%, then they
get (65-15) 50% subtracted from any telepathy that involves them.
The person can keep rolling and each success is added to the
shield to the limit of 80% (total psionic skill). Each failure
is subtracted from total shield strength (minimum of 0%).
Awareness (-10%): detect sentient life
Receive Emotions (-20%)
Send Surface Emotions (-30%)
Receive Surface Thoughts (-40%)
Impose Emotions (-50%) (in addition, costs 5 points per type
of emotion)
Send Surface Thoughts (-60%)
Read Surface Memories (-70%)
Impose Surface Thoughts (-80%) (suggestion)
Read Memories (-90%)
Control Surface Thoughts (-100%)
Read Deep Memories (-110%)
Stop Thought (-120%)
Clairvoyance
+10 pts per sense
+20 pts for active sense
Telekinesis
Per general guidelines. Skill/controll modifiers as fol-
lows:
Awareness (self)
Slow bodily function
Speed bodily function
Strengthen bodily function
Accellerated Healing
Neutralize Poison
Neutralize Viral Action
Regeneration
Neutralize Cancers
Neutralize Immune System Disorders
Counter Aging
Neutralize Aging
Alter Bodily function/size
Awareness (others)
As above, but for others. Time limits, increased difficul-
ty, migration of effect.
Teleportation
Truth
Relative truth (simple "truth sense")
Knowledge/Memory
Absolute truth
Inspiration/Knowledge
Pre-cognition
Sense Immediate Danger
Identify Immediate Danger
Sense Immediate Occurance
Predict Immediate Occurance
FINAL NOTES
I. INTRODUCTION
There are multiple levels of reality in the Shadows3 uni-
verse. Reality begins with chaos, filters in through shadow, is
set in the material world and extends out into dream and spirit
through to its final goal. All of these levels of reality can be
worked, invoked, shaped or otherwise subjected to control or
alteration just as technology controls the material world.
Rules.006 and Rules.007 concerned chaos shaping, Rules.008
discussed invoking spiritual essences, Rules.009 concerned dreams
and illusions, Rules.010 discussed shadows and spells and
Rules.011 covers spirit and psionics.
All of these rules provided a number of descriptions of how
a power of one sort or another is obtained.
II. GAME MECHANICS
However, from a player's viewpoint, the following steps
should be taken to obtain any power available under the rules.
FIRST, the GM decides if the power is available in the GM's
campaign.
SECOND, the GM decides under what heading the power is available
to the players (note that many powers can be made available under
a number of different headings, methods or explanations).
THIRD, the GM decides on the cost to the character. Cost should
have the following components:
a) esthetic. (more later)
b) functional. This is the cost in player points and
reflects the game value of the power gained. All effects should
have a cost equal to or greater than their base-line impact.
For example, a d6 of damage or other effect has a base-line
cost of 10 points. A character should thus pay at least 10
points for any impact equal to a d6 of damage.
c) thematic. This is the cost in character actions and
reflects the character play necessary to obtain a benefit. E.g.
to obtain a suit of clothes a character has to go to a store and
buy a suit of clothes. To shape chaos a character has to obtain
chaos to shape.
Some times the cost in character actions is much higher for
some results than it is for others. All spiritual powers require
obtaining spiritual elan or grace to spend in the obtaining of
the powers. All chaos powers require gathering and shaping chaos
in addition to "spending the player points necessary."
Most chaos shapings are much more expensive than just going
out and buying a technological or mechanical equivilent.
d) Rules related. This is the "rolling it up" that occurs when
one attempts to get a result.
FOURTH, the GM decides how (and if) to play it out.
III. PLAYING WITH THE RULES
Anyone should feel free to play with and to alter these
rules. As a general rule of thumb, create a table of powers or
effects and then assign costs. Give the players between 300 and
400 points to start out with to build a character with. Follow-
ing that, give the players one or two points per well-played
session.
Encourage the players to alocate about half of the points to
luck and about half to will. To slow down character progression
make life more dangerous (requiring more luck points), to speed
it up give out more points and make life easier. Let the charac-
ters spend the will under whatever limits you are comfortable
with.
Always feel free to reduce costs for powers. The costs for
powers reflected in the Rules are costs that are "too expensive"
for mere play-balance and which are given to generate a world for
play with the flavor that I wanted. That is, natural power
gaming tendencies would work to force the characters into proper
roles and decisions consistent with my setting's ethos.
There is nothing wrong with only charging player-characters
the play-balanced cost for powers if you want a different flavor.
Let the player-characters develop out of the ordinary as long as
it is fair.