Amazing Adventures
Amazing Adventures
Amazing Adventures
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COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Amazing Adventures
A Siege Engine Pulp Roleplaying Game
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
OGL
Pulp Equipment
37
10
Pulp Armor
37
A Roleplaying Game
11
>Archaic Weapons
38
A Pulp Game
11
>Firearms
39
Literary Pulp
11
>Other Gear
40
Serial Pulp
12
Toolkit Approach
12
41
13
42
>A ttributes
14
42
14
Ace (Dex)
42
14
42
15
Medicine (Wis)
44
15
Tracking (Wis)
44
>SIEGE Checks
15
<>Two-Fisted
44
>Languages
15
45
Character Classes
15
<>Wealthy (Cha)
45
>The Arcanist
16
<>Weapon Finesse
45
The Gadgeteer
19
46
The Gumshoe
21
<>Character Backgrounds
46
The Hooligan
23
<>Determining Backgrounds
46
>The Mentalist
26
46
The Pugilist
27
46
The Raider
29
<>Using Backgrounds
47
The Socialite
31
<>Improving Backgrounds
47
>
Knowledge Skills
47
Multiclassed Characters
33
33
47
34
<>Adding Traits
48
Personality
34
48
>Alignment
34
<>Designing Traits
49
34
<>Roleplaying Traits
49
35
<>Trait Descriptions
49
>Fate Points
35
35
<>What Is Sanity?
56
36
<>Forbidden Lore
56
2 Amazing Adventures
Sanity
56
56
Mesmerism (Cha)
66
56
66
<>Sanity Points
57
Obfuscation (Cha)
66
<>Starting Sanity
57
67
<>Current Sanity
57
Psychometry (Int)
67
Pyrokinesis (Wis)
57
67
<>Maximum Sanity
Telekinesis (Int)
67
57
67
58
67
<>Going Insane
58
<>Maximum Sanity
58
68
<>Loss of Sanity
58
68
58
68
<>Severe Shocks
58
68
69
<>Insane Insight
59
69
<>Types of Insanity
59
<>Temporary Insanity
59
<>Indefinite Insanity
60
<>Permanent Insanity
60
61
<>Level Advancement
61
<>Story Awards
61
<>Mental Treatment
61
<>Immediate Care
61
<>Long-Term Care
61
<>Treatment of Insanity
61
<>Private Care
62
<>Institutionalization
62
68
69
69
69
Regaining MEP
69
69
Casting Spells
70
70
70
Bonus Spells
70
Emergency Spells
70
Spell Interference
71
Dragon Lines
71
Spell Tables
72
<>WEALTH
62
Int-Based Casters
72
63
Spell Descriptions
76
Psionic Powers
64
76
64
76
Psychic Backlash
64
Range (R)
76
64
76
64
Duration (D)
77
64
77
65
77
65
Components (C)
78
Clairaudience (Int)
65
Clairvoyance (Int)
65
65
65
Empathy (Cha)
66
66
The Grimoire
79
79
ACID ARROW
AID
AIR/WATER WALK
79
79
79
ALARM
ALTER SELF
ALTER SIZE*
ANIMAL GROWTH
ANIMAL MESSENGER
ANIMAL SHAPES
ANIMATE DEAD*
ANTI-ILLUSION SHELL
ANTILIFE SHELL
ANTIMAGIC SHELL
ANTIPATHY*
ARCANE BOLT
ARCANE EYE
ARCANE MARK
ARMOR
ASTRAL PROJECTIONl
ATONEMENT
AUGURY
AWAKEN
79
79
79
80
80
80
80
81
81
81
81
82
82
82
82
82
83
83
83
CONTROL WEATHER
CONTROL WINDS
CREATE FOOD AND WATER*
CREATE GREATER UNDEAD
CREATE UNDEAD
CREATE WATER
CREEPING DOOM
CURE CRITICAL WOUNDS*
CURE LIGHT WOUNDS*
CURE SERIOUS WOUNDS*
BANISHMENT
BIND ELEMENTAL
BINDING*
BLADE BARRIER
BLESS*
BLESS WATER*
BLINDING FLASH
BLINK
BLUR
BULLETPROOF
BURNING HANDS
DANCING LIGHTS
DARKNESS*
DAZE
DEATH WARD
DELAY POISON
DELAYED BLAST FIREBALL
DETECT CHAOS, EVIL, GOOD, OR LAW
DETECT ILLUSION
DETECT MAGIC
84
84
84
84
85
85
85
85
85
85
85
DETECT NEUTRALITY
DETECT POISON
DETECT TRAPS
DETECT SCRYING
DETECT SECRET DOORS
DETECT SNARES AND PITS
DETECT THOUGHTS*
DETECT UNDEAD
DIMENSION DOOR
DISCERN LIES*
DISCERN LOCATION*
DISINTEGRATE
86
C
CALL LIGHTNING
CHAIN LIGHTNING
CHANGE SELF
CHARM MONSTER
CHARM PERSON
CHARM PERSON OR ANIMAL
CLAIRAUDIENCE/ CLAIRVOYANCE
CLONE
CLOUDKILL
COLOR SPRAY
COMMAND
COMMAND PLANTS
COMMUNE
COMPREHEND LANGUAGES
CONE OF COLD
CONFUSION
CONSECRATE*
CONTACT OTHER PLANE
CONTINUAL FLAME
CONTROL PLANTS
CONTROL WATER
4 Amazing Adventures
86
86
86
86
86
86
86
86
87
87
87
87
87
88
88
88
88
88
89
89
89
91
84
89
89
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
DISJUNCTION
DISMISSAL
DISPEL CHAOS, EVIL, GOOD OR LAW
DISPEL ILLUSION
DISPEL MAGIC
DISTORT REALITY
DIVINATION
DREAM
91
91
91
91
91
91
91
92
92
92
92
92
92
92
92
93
93
93
93
93
93
93
94
94
94
94
94
94
94
95
E
EARTHQUAKE
EMOTION
ENDURE ELEMENTS
ENERGY DRAIN
ENHANCE ATTRIBUTE*
ENTANGLE
ERASE
ETHEREAL JAUNT
EXPLOSIVE RUNES
95
95
95
95
96
96
96
96
96
97
F
FAERIE FIRE
97
FAITHFUL HOUND
FALSE TRAP
FALSE VISION
FEAR
FEATHER FALL
FEEBLEMIND
FIND THE PATH*
FINGER OF DEATH
FIREBALL
FIRE SEEDS
FIRE SHIELD
FIRE STORM
FIRE TRAP
FIRST AID
FLAME STRIKE
FLOATING DISK
FLY
FOG CLOUD
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT
G
GASEOUS FORM
GATE
GEAS
GHOST SOUND
GLOBE OF INVULNERABILITY
GLYPH OF WARDING
GREATER RESTORATION
GREATER SCRYING
GREATER SHADOW CONJURATION
GREATER SHADOW EVOCATION
GUARDS AND WARDS
GUST OF WIND
97
97
97
97
97
97
98
98
98
98
98
98
98
99
99
99
99
99
99
HALLOW*
HALLUCINATORY TERRAIN
HASTE*
HEAL*
HEALING CIRCLE
HEAT METAL*
HOLD MONSTER
HOLD PERSON
HOLD PERSON OR ANIMAL
HOLD PORTAL
HOLY AURA
HOLY WORD*
HYPNOTIC PATTERN
HYPNOTISM
ICE STORM
IDENTIFY
ILLUSORY SCRIPT
ILLUSORY WALL
IMPRISONMENT
INFLUENCE
INSANITY
INSECT PLAGUE
INSTANT SUMMONS
INVISIBILITY
INVISIBILITY SPHERE
INVISIBILITY TO UNDEAD
IRONWOOD
JUMP
KNOCK*
107
KNOW DIRECTION
108
108
L
LEGEND LORE
LEVITATE
105
105
105
105
105
107
107
100
100
100
101
101
101
101
101
102
102
102
102
103
103
103
103
103
103
104
104
104
104
104
104
104
104
105
105
106
106
106
106
106
106
107
107
107
LESSER RESTORATION
105
INCENDIARY CLOUD
100
103
IMPROVED INVISIBILITY
LIGHT
LIGHTNING BOLT
LIMITED WISH
LOCATE CREATURE
LOCATE OBJECT*
108
108
108
108
108
108
109
109
109
M
MAGE HAND
MAGIC AURA
MAGIC CIRCLE
MAGIC JAR
MAGIC MOUTH
MAGIC STONES
MAJOR CREATION
MAJOR IMAGE
MASS CHARM
MASS HEAL*
MASS INVISIBILITY
MASS SUGGESTION
MAZE
MENDING
MESSAGE
METEOR SWARM
MIND BLANK
MINOR CREATION
MINOR GLOBE OF INVULNERABILITY
MINOR IMAGE
MIRAGE ARCANA
MIRROR IMAGE
MISDIRECTION
MISLEAD
MNEMONIC ENHANCER
MOVE EARTH
109
109
109
110
110
111
111
111
111
111
111
111
112
112
112
112
113
113
113
113
113
113
114
114
114
114
RESTORATION*
114
ROPE TRICK
NEUTRALIZE POISON
114
NIGHTMARE114
114
NONDETECTION
115
SANCTUARY
115
SCARE
O
OBSCURING MIST
115
OPEN/ CLOSE
115
115
115
PASS WITHOUT TRACE
115
PERMANENCY
115
PERMANENT IMAGE
115
PERSISTENT IMAGE
116
PHANTASMAL KILLER
116
PHASE DOOR
116
PLANE SHIFT
116
POLYMORPH ANY OBJECT
116
POLYMORPH SELF/OTHER
117
POWER WORD BLIND
117
POWER WORD KILL
117
POWER WORD STUN
118
PRAYER
118
PRESTIDIGITATION
118
PRISMATIC SPHERE
118
PRISMATIC SPRAY
119
PRISMATIC WALL
119
PRODUCE FLAME
119
PROGRAMMED IMAGE
119
PROJECT IMAGE
119
PROTECTION FROM CHAOS, EVIL, GOOD, LAW 120
PROTECTION FROM ELEMENTS
120
PURIFY FOOD AND DRINK
120
PYROTECHNICS
120
PASSWALL
120
Q
QUENCH
120
120
R
RAINBOW PATTERN
RAISE DEAD*
RAY OF ENFEEBLEMENT
READ MAGIC
REFUGE
REGENERATE
REMOVE BLINDNESS OR DEAFNESS*
REMOVE CURSE*
REMOVE DISEASE*
REMOVE FEAR*
REMOVE PARALYSIS
REPEL VERMIN
REPULSION
RESILIENT SPHERE
RESIST ELEMENTS
6 Amazing Adventures
120
121
121
121
121
121
121
122
122
122
122
122
122
122
122
123
123
123
SCREEN ILLUSION
SCRYING
SECRET CHEST
SECRET PAGE
SEE INVISIBILITY
SEEMING
SENDING
SEQUESTER
SHADES
SHADOW CONJURATION
SHADOW EVOCATION
SHADOW WALK
SHAPECHANGE
SHAPE STONE OR WOOD
SHATTER
SHIELD
SHIELD OF FAITH
SHILLELAGH
SHOCKING GRASP
SHOUT
SILENCE
SILENT IMAGE
SIMULACRUM
SLEEP
SLEET STORM
SNARE
SOLID FOG
SOUL BIND
SOUND BURST
SPEAK WITH ANIMALS
SPEAK WITH DEAD
SPIDER CLIMB
SPIKE STONES
SPIRITUAL WEAPON
STINKING CLOUD
STONE TELL
STORM OF VENGEANCE
STUN
SUGGESTION
SUMMON ANIMALS
SUMMON BEASTS OR PLANTS
SUMMON FAMILIAR
SUMMON GREATER MONSTER
SUMMON LESSER MONSTER
SUMMON MONSTER
SUMMON PLANAR ALLY
SUNBURST
SYMBOL
123
123
123
123
124
124
124
124
124
124
124
125
125
125
125
125
126
126
126
126
126
126
126
126
126
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
128
128
128
128
128
128
128
129
129
129
131
131
131
132
132
132
SYSTEM SHOCK
T
TELEKINESIS
TELEPATHIC BOND
TELEPORT
TELEPORTATION CIRCLE
TELEPORT WITHOUT ERROR
TEMPORAL STASIS
TIME STOP
TINY HUT
TONGUES
TRANSMUTE FLESH AND STONE
TRANSMUTE METAL TO WOOD
TRANSMUTE MUD AND ROCK
TRAP THE SOUL
TRUE SEEING
133
Exhausted
145
133
Fatigued
145
145
133
133
133
135
135
135
135
135
135
135
136
136
136
136
Combat
146
146
146
Combat Terms
146
Combat Round
147
Surprise
147
Initiative
148
Combat Actions
148
Attack
148
Cast Spell
148
Move
148
136
Use an Ability
148
UNDETECTABLE AURA
136
Use an Item
148
UNSEEN SERVANT
136
148
137
149
VANISH
137
Charging
149
VEIL
137
Melee Combat
149
VENTRILOQUISM
137
Ranged Combat
149
VISION
137
137
W
WALL OF FIRE
WALL OF FORCE
WALL OF ICE
WALL OF IRON
WALL OF STONE
WALL OF THORNS
WALL OF WIND
WARP WOOD*
WATER BREATHING
WEB
WEIRD
WHIRLWIND
WIND WALK
WISH
WORD OF RECALL
137
138
138
138
138
138
139
139
139
139
139
140
140
140
140
Firearms
151
Shotguns
151
Unarmed Combat
151
Grappling
151
Pummeling
152
Overbearing
152
Touch Attack
152
Situational Modifiers
152
Armor Class
153
Combat Maneuvers
153
Aim
154
Dodge
154
154
Disarm
154
Evade
154
141
Fighting Defensively
154
Attribute Checks
142
Flank Attack
154
142
Rear Attack
154
Aiding Others
142
Two-Fisted Fighting
154
142
Running Combat
155
143
Hit Points
155
143
Damage
156
145
Saving Throws
Weapon Damage
156
Magic Damage
156
Cave Pygmy
171
Subdual Damage
156
Couatl
171
Falling Damage
157
Crocodile (Alligator)
172
157
Dinosaur (Apatosaurus/Diplodocus)
172
Poison
157
Dinosaur (Pterosaur)
173
Disease
158
Dinosaur (Triceratops)
173
Healing
158
Dinosaur (Tyrannosaurus)
174
Reputation
158
Dinosaur (Velociraptor)
174
Movement
158
Eagle, Giant
174
Spell Resistance
159
Elephant
175
Vision
159
Fish-men
175
Time
159
Flamehood Stalker
176
Vehicle Combat
160
Frog, Giant
176
160
Ghast
177
160
Ghost
177
A Sense of Scale
161
Ghoul
178
Damage
161
Golems (General)
178
161
Clay Golem
178
Playing Chicken
161
Flesh Golem
179
Kamikaze
161
Iron Golem
179
Bootleg Stop
161
Stone Golem
179
Bootleg Turn
161
Green Slime
180
Sample Vehicles
161
Human
180
Lion
180
162
Lizard, Giant
181
Experience Points
162
Lycanthrope, Werewolf
181
Monsters
162
Lycanthropy
182
Money
162
Mummy
182
Story
162
Night-haunt
183
Roleplaying
162
OOZE
183
Gaining Levels
162
183
Treasure
162
184
163
184
164
184
185
164
Rat, Giant
165
Shadow
186
Shadow Worm
186
Advancing Creatures
165
Shen-Taq
187
Monster Creation
166
Shoggoth
187
THE BESTIARY
168
Skeleton
188
Alien (Gray)
168
Snake
188
Allip
168
Snake Men
189
Ant, Giant
169
Spawn of Shub-Niggurath
189
Ape
169
Spider
190
Banshee
170
Tiger
191
Bear
170
Vampire
191
Wight
193
8 Amazing Adventures
Wolf
193
Normal Wolf
193
Dire Wolf
193
HOOLIGAN
Winter Wolf
194
194
Les Smolenski
Wraith
Zombie
194
Expedition Backers
Carl Dettlinger
Samuel Kreider
195
Daniel Corwin
Introduction
196
Anthony Hunter
196
196
Mentalist
196
Greg Littlejohn
196
Frank Abraham
197
Michael Beacom
To Fight
another
Day
197
Cameron Willams
Lloyd Rasmussen
197
198
199
Chritopher Jackson
199
199
Thomas Smith
Quick Synopsis
199
Nicholas Weeks
Cut Scene
199
D Christopher Dawson
Act One
200
Tim Setzer
Act Two
201
Davis Cinabro
William De Franza
Rundown
201
Wes Frazier
Action
201
GUMSHOE
Visions
of the
Mad Arab
A New Client
Voodoo Land
Another Fine Mess
201
201
202
203
Brian Johnson
Michael Morales
Pat Bellavance
Troubleshooting
203
Timothy Brannan
Act Three
204
SOCIALITE
204
Rundown
204
Action
The Society
of
Ormazd
204
Michael Tapia
Kevin Cook
Troubleshooting
204
ARCANIST
Act Four
205
Doug Arteman
205
David Allen
205
Peter Engebos
205
205
Marvin Breig
Denouement
206
Vincent DiPaula
207
Matt Helms
Rundown
Action
Ghuls
The Black City
Kevin Fitgerald
Brett Easterbrook
Morgan Hazel
Donald Vey
Amazing Adventures
A Siege Engine Pulp Roleplaying Game
Introduction: A Pulp Roleplaying Game
What follows is a quick rundown on the nature of roleplaying games, for those who do happen to be new to them,
and a section on what we mean by Pulp.
10 Amazing Adventures
A Roleplaying Game
A Pulp Game
like Robert E. Howard practically invented the sword-and-sorcery subgenre of heroic fantasy. Men like H.P. Lovecraft and
Robert Bloch brought supernatural horror into its own; science
fiction found its first audience in the pulps. Guys like Raymond
Chandler brought hard-boiled crime fiction into the public eye
(no pun intended!). Without the pulps, authors like Kelley Armstrong, Laurell K. Hamilton, Stephen King, Clive Barker, and
Neil Gaiman might not be aroundor at least nearly as well
knownas they are today. It was in these cheap magazines,
which the general public often thought of as distasteful and
tawdry, that science fiction, horror, and fantasy literature came
of age and took on a life of its own.
This game makes no pretentions of bringing roleplaying to a
new level. Its just about fun. What were trying to do here is
look at a few specific subgenres of fiction often found in the
pulps, and at the common parlance usage of the word today.
No longer does pulp refer solely and specifically to old magazines. Rather, when people hear the term pulp today, they
think of high action, often set in the era during which the magazines were published (the 20s, 30s, and 40s), and often with
some small element of the supernatural. Pulp today speaks
of hard-boiled detectives, fedora-wearing action heroes, and
steampunk gadgeteers rocketing to battle with their jet packs
against bloodthirsty Thule cultists of the Third Reich.
Before you can begin a pulp game, you have to decide
what tropes youre going to use. There are two specific
subtypes of pulp we will be looking at here: literary pulp
and serial pulp, for lack of better terms.
Literary Pulp
Literary pulp tends to be very dark. It abounds in shades
of gray. Hard-boiled detectives working a series of grisly,
inhuman murder cases must often struggle with their own
personal demons as they track down the killer, who may
or may not be entirely human. This is the type of story
in which the femme fatale plays a major role; never trust
a woman with plump, red lips, spectacular gams, and
a skirt slit to her thigh. Protagonists in literary pulp are
more properly called antiheroes than heroes. Wealthy
businessmen by day are vigilante crime fighters at night,
be it through the use of gadgets or psychic powers enabling them to see the darkest corners of their preys heart.
Literary pulp is visceral, violent, and often gory. It deals
with personal turmoil as well as action and suspense.
In film terms, its more akin to a noir, or a psychological thriller than to lighthearted fun and adventure.
Frank Millers Sin City and Dark City from director Alex
Proyas are excellent examples of films using the tropes
of literary pulp. Theres always a twist, and rarely is
the twist good. Literary pulp tends to take the world
we know and turn it on its ear in a very crooked and
skewed way. This is because most literary pulp had a
message to convey about the darkest nature of humanity. Robert E. Howards fiction, both sword-and-sorcery
and supernatural horror, dealt with the constant struggle of barbarism within civilization.
Thus, if its dark and gritty youre after, this is the kind
of game youll want to run. Very likely in a literary pulp
Book 3
12 Amazing Adventures
o play the game, you first need to create a character. Your character is a
sort of archetype through whose eyes
you will see, whose ears you will hear,
and whose mouth you will speak in
the fictional world of the game. There
are several basic steps to creating a
character, with advanced options presented in Book Two: Advanced Character Customization.
The steps are as follows. Dont worry if it seems complicated;
itll break down pretty simply once you dive in.
Assign Attribute Scores
Choose Primes
Choose Languages
Choose a Character Class
Choose an Alignment (Optional)
Equip Your Character
>A ttributes
Attributes represent a characters physical and mental
traits. All characters have six attributes:
Strength (Str)
Dexterity (Dex)
Constitution (Con)
Intelligence (Int)
Wisdom (Wis)
Charisma (Cha)
Each attribute has a numeric score ranging from 3 to 18.
Each attribute score also has a corresponding modifier, which
is a bonus or penalty added to or subtracted from certain die
rolls during the game as detailed throughout the rules.
There are two types of attributes: primary and secondary. Of the six attributes each character has, the player
selects three to be primary attributes. The remaining attributes are secondary. The distinction is important when
determining the outcome of many actions in Amazing Adventures. When a character uses a class ability, such as
a hooligan attempting to pick a fat gangsters pocket or a
raider tracking a rival archaeologist through a dark forest,
an attribute check is rolled to determine if the action is
successful. Each class ability has an attribute check associated with it. If the class abilitys associated attribute
is one of the characters primary attributes, the character
has a greater chance of successfully performing the task.
The same principle holds true for the other aspects of the
game in which an attribute check is required.
14 Amazing Adventures
Characters
Optional: Random Generation Method
Some GMs and players like to randomly generate attributes. In this case, simply roll 4d6, keeping the highest three
scores. Do this six times, arranging the scores as you see fit.
2-3
4-5
6-8
9-12
13-15
16-17
18
-4
-3
-2
-1
+1
+2
+3
>SIEGE Checks
As mentioned before, the distinction between primary
and secondary attributes is important. Almost all noncombat actions (for which the Game Master deems a roll
is necessary to determine success or failure) are resolved
by an attribute check, or SIEGE check. To make a SIEGE
check, a character rolls a d20, adds any relevant bonuses, and attempts to equal or better a challenge class, or
CC. The CC is determined by adding the challenge base
(CB), which is always 15, to a challenge level (CL) determined by the GM. Checks made against primary attributes gain a +5 bonus, called the prime bonus.
A more thorough discussion of the rules and use of
checks, called the SIEGE engine, is located in the
Game Masters section of the rules. For now, it is just
important to understand that checks involving the use
of a primary attribute are far more likely to be successful than checks involving secondary attributes.
>Languages
Every character begins play with the ability to speak his
or her native language. That is, the language that is common to the region from which he hails. American characters speak English; German characters speak German,
etc. Beyond this, characters receive language bonuses
equivalent to their intelligence bonus, which they can
speak, read, and write fluently at the beginning of play.
Learning new languages is not something that can normally be done overnight. Characters should be encouraged to learn new languages during the course of play if
they desire, but unless they retire for a year or so to study,
they should not be allowed to read, write and speak the
language immediately. For example, Quinton, who speaks
only the Queens English, travels with Erik, a Romany
mentalist who speaks the Romany tongue fluently. The
player tells the Game Master that Quinton is going to
study the language while they travel; the Game Master
may allow him to get by with the new language within a
few months, but to not become fluent for several years of
travel. Languages can be an important part of the game
and can offer very challenging roleplaying obstacles if the
Game Master is not overly generous in handing them out.
Character Classes
The next step in creating a character is to choose a class,
or broad archetype, of the kind of character you wish
to play. In Amazing Adventures the character classes
are the arcanist, gadgeteer, gumshoe, hooligan, mentalist, pugilist, raider, and socialite. Each of these classes
represents a very broad and general picture of a classic
pulp archetype. The raider, for example, is the academic
explorer who plumbs ancient tombs and temples for lost
treasures. The gumshoe is the hard-boiled detective or
rough-and-tumble FBI agent battling organized crime.
If these archetypes seem too broad and general, fear not!
After you choose your initial class, you will be given a
chance to customize that class to your liking through Generic Class Abilities, Backgrounds, Knowledge Skills, and
Traits. For now, just choose the archetype that most closely
suits your character concept; well build on that later.
Finally, given the wide variety of styles and sub-genres
within pulp, players should check with their GM to ensure
the class they wish to play is appropriate; not all pulp
games feature mystical or supernatural abilities, and in
such games, the arcanist and mentalist are inappropriate, as may be the gadgeteer, depending on the amount of
super science or steampunk the GM wishes to include.
>The Arcanist
idden in plain sight are those who
strive to understand the oft-forbidden and widely feared arcane
magics of the multiverse. These few
must have no fear in their quest for
knowledge, as delving into the arcane involves powers and energies
poorly understood by those bound
to mortal planes. If not harnessed with care, unleashing
these magics can cause catastrophes of great proportion and slay those who dabble in this art. The reward,
however, for the diligence and willingness to plumb the
depths of these magical energies is potentially great
indeed. Arcanists bind themselves to this task, seeking to master eldritch sorceries and unravel the riddles
16 Amazing Adventures
Ability
Bonus Spells
Bonus MEP
13-15
Level 1
16-17
Levels 1 and 2
2 and 3
18
Levels 1, 2, and 3
2, 3, and 4
Spellbook: An arcanist must prepare spells before casting them by studying from a spellbook. While studying,
the arcanist decides which spells to prepare. Spellcasting and spell descriptions are covered in detail in the
Magic section (p. 67).
The number of spells arcanists have in their spellbook
at the beginning of play is equal to the number of spells
they can cast at first level. For example, a 1st-level arcanist with a 14 intelligence can cast four 0-level spells
and three 1st-level spells (2 + 1 bonus). So, the character begins play with a spellbook containing four 0-level
and three 1st-level spells. The spells in the spellbook
can either be chosen by the Game Master, the player, by
agreement between the two, or randomly (use the Spell
List Tables to determine).
At each subsequent level, the arcanist may add one new
spell to her spellbook, of any level up to the maximum
level she can cast. Thus, upon reaching 6th level, an
arcanist may add any one spell from levels one to three
to her spellbook.
Spells can also be discovered by scouring ancient tombs
and books of arcane knowledge in the course of play.
When finding a new spell, the arcanist may make a
spellcraft check with a CL equal to the level of the spell
being learned. Success means the spell can be entered
into her books; failure means she cannot yet understand the formulae before her and may try again upon
reaching a new level of experience.
Spellcraft: The arcanist can identify spells and magic
effects. The CL for spellcraft checks relating to various
tasks are generally based upon either the level of the
spell or effect being identified (in the case of lingering
or persistent effects), or the level of the arcanist who is
casting or maintaining the spell or effect (in the cast of
consciously maintained effects or those in the process of
being cast). A spellcraft check is always made using the
arcanists primary spellcasting attribute, and attempts to
identify spells or effects cast by arcanists with the same
spellcasting attribute are always made at a +2. A charisma-based caster, for example, attempting to identify an
effect cast by another charisma-based caster gains +2 to
his check. However, if the charisma-based caster was attempting to identify a spell cast by an intelligence-based
caster there is no special bonus to do so.
18 Amazing Adventures
HD
BtH
6 HP
EPP
d6
+1
d6
+1
5,201
d6
+1
10,401
d6
+1
20,801
d6
+2
42,501
d6
+2
85,001
d6
+2
170,001
d6
+2
340,001
10
d6
+3
500,001
11
+3 HP
+3
750,001
12
+3 HP
+3
1,000,001
13+
+3 HP
+250,000
0
2,601
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th
>The Gadgeteer
he gadgeteer, a superhero long
before the golden age of superheroes, uses toys such
as X-Ray goggles, ray guns,
rocket packs, and wrist radios. Whether he soars in
the blue skies with
his rocket pack,
takes down villains with his bronze
gamma ray gun, or sees through
walls with his incredible X-Ray
specs, this is the character whose
very name screams SCIENCE!
10
12
2
1
2
2
5
3
7
4
9
5
11
6
13
7
20 Amazing Adventures
The Gumshoe
town requires 1d4+1 checks before the gumshoe reaches the end of his search. A city increases the number of
checks required to 2d4, and a metropolis requires 2d6
checks. Even then, coming to the end of his search,
does not necessarily mean the gumshoe has captured
his prey. It could possibly mean the prey has fled to another community, though following a lead to its logical
conclusion always yields the most likely community to
which the prey has fled, thus initiating a new round of
checks when the gumshoe reaches the new area.
Condition
CL modifier
One-stoplight town
+0
Average town
+2
Small city
+4
Metropolis
+6
-1
+1
+4
+3
+2
-2
-3
This table of condition-based CL modifiers are only suggestions and not meant to be absolute or comprehensive.
a gumshoe can attempt both, but must make a successful hide and move silently check at-5. In this case,
movement is reduced to one-quarter the normal movement rate.
Move Silently (Dexterity): The gumshoe can move silently in urban areas with a successful dexterity check.
The gumshoe can move up to one-half the characters
normal speed at no penalty. At more than one-half and
up to the characters full speed, the character suffers
a -5 penalty. Its practically impossible (-20 penalty)
to move silently while running or charging. Gumshoes
may attempt to use this ability in wilderness environs,
but at an additional -5 penalty. A wisdom check by the
opposing party which beats the initial move silently
check may result in the gumshoe being detected.
While the descriptions seem similar, hiding and moving
silently are two different things. One is the ability to remain visually concealed, and the other is the ability to
move without causing noise.
Take Em Down: Gumshoes possess an extraordinary
ability to combat their most common foes, criminals,
due to intense training and study of the enemys fighting techniques. When fighting hooligans, thugs, or
other gumshoes, a gumshoe inflicts extra damage. This
damage bonus is +1 at 1st level, with an additional +1
gained at every level beyond 1st. For example, a 5thlevel gumshoe inflicts an additional 5hp of damage for
each successful hit against thugs, hooligans, or other
gumshoes.
Deadeye Shot: A gumshoes best friend is his snubnosed revolver, and one never knows when a shot that
takes out a chandelier can save the day. At 2nd level,
gumshoes gain a +1 to hit with a handgun at ranges
of less than 30 feet. At 4th level, the gumshoe reduces
all range penalties for hitting with a handgun by half.
At 7th level, when using a handgun, the gumshoe ignores any cover bonuses the target gains to AC. At 10th
level, the gumshoe gains an extra shot per round with a
handgun. At 12th level and every three levels thereafter,
the gumshoe may fire one extra (cumulative) bullet at
a single target with one attack roll, which may not be
combined with the extra shot granted at 10th level.
Face in the Crowd (Charisma): Beginning at 3rd level, through quick changes of clothing and posture, the
gumshoe can disguise or impersonate to blend into a
crowd. This disguise is not complete -- it is more of a
quick-change disguise used to throw off a tail, stalk
prey without being noticed, or other similar effects. Impersonating specific individuals is not possible with this
ability, though affecting a change in gender, race, or
even social class is possible. This effort requires 1d4
rounds to complete and can include an apparent change
of height or weight no more than one-tenth the original
(generally through standing straighter or on tip-toes,
or slouching). The Game Master makes the characters
check secretly so the character is not sure of is success.
Apply the following modifiers to a disguise check when
appropriate:
Sex difference
-2
Race difference
-2
Age difference
-2 per 10 years
Success indicates a disguise is good enough to fool normal observers, though those actively looking for such a
disguise are entitled to an opposed intelligence check
to spot the gumshoe. As such, this ability is generally
used to remain discreet and inconspicuous, rather than
for any sort of actual impersonation.
Adversary: At 6th level, the gumshoe has become famous (or infamous) enough to have drawn the ire of
a specific organization whose members or affiliates he
has plagued once too often. However, this can work to
the gumshoes advantage, as he becomes intimately familiar with the signs, tactics, and operations of this organization. When combating or dealing with members
of this organization, the gumshoe gains a +2 bonus to
hit and to AC in combat. Further, all attribute checks
related to dealings with this organization are made at
a +2 bonus. This includes all gumshoe class abilities.
The organization should be specific, but need not be
world-spanning or infamous. For example, a gumshoe
could have The Reds, a local gang in the East End of
Philadelphia, just as easily as he could, The American
branches of the Yakuza. Game Masters should monitor this choice to ensure the Adversary is appropriate to
both the character and the campaign.
PRIME ATTRIBUTE: Dexterity
HIT DICE: d10
ALIGNMENT: Any
WEAPONS: Small melee weapons, medium melee weapons,
handguns, sub-machineguns, rifles and shotguns
ARMOR: 3-piece suit, trench coat, fedora, scarf.
ABILITIES: Climb, cat and mouse, hide, move silently, take
em down, deadeye shot, face in the crowd, adversary.
Level
1
BtH
+1
EPP
0
d10
+2
2,001
d10
+3
4,501
d10
+4
9,001
d10
+5
18,501
d10
+6
36,001
d10
+7
72,001
d10
+8
145,001
d10
+9
290,001
10
d10
+10
580,001
11
+5 HP
+11
870,001
12
+5 HP
+12
1,120,001
13+
+5 HP
+250,000
22 Amazing Adventures
HD
10 HP
The Hooligan
A slick combination of mental acumen and hand-eye coordination, the hooligan is a foe to be feared and an acquaintance never to be trusted. Hooligans tend to be chaotic or
neutral in alignment, though there do exist thieves with
honor that have their own code, though the distribution of
abilities of this class makes practitioners of the shadow arts
that are of a lawful and good persuasion rare beyond rare.
>Abilities
Back Attack: A hooligan normally avoids face-to-face
combat if possible, preferring instead to use stealth to
catch an opponent unaware. A hooligan able to attack
an unaware opponent from the rear, gains a bonus to hit
and to damage. To catch an opponent unaware, a hooligan must make a successful move silently check to sneak
up behind the foe, or make a successful hide check while
behind the opponent. A hooligan succeeding in one or the
other of these can make a back attack at a +4 bonus to
hit. A successful hit inflicts double the normal damage.
When making a back attack, a hooligan must use a closequarters melee weapon. This weapon must be shorter
than the characters arm. A hooligan can only back attack living creatures having a discernible anatomy. The
hooligan must be able to see the target well enough to
pick out a vital spot, and then must be able to reach it.
As the hooligan gains experience, the damage inflicted
increases and can be applied with a ranged weapon,
such as a handgun. At 5th level, a back attack deals triple damage, and at 9th level a back attack inflicts quadruple damage or double damage with a ranged weapon
within 30 feet. A back attack cannot be combined with
the sneak attack ability.
Case Target (Wisdom): Using this ability, the hooligan
can determine information and weaknesses about a
potential opponent or target through detailed observation and deductive reasoning. A hooligan must spend
1d3x10 minutes observing an opponent before a check
is allowed. A successful check results in knowledge
of the approximate level or Hit Dice of the opponent
within 10%, alignment, hidden weapons, or unusual
items, distinguishing habits and mannerisms, and
any other details that might not be apparent to normal
observation. The Game Master must decide what the
hooligan can learn about the target and deems appropriate to convey. The CL of this check is equal to the
level or HD of the creature being observed. If used on
a location, the check can reveal security measures and
weaknesses, location and disposition of guards, entry
and escape points, etc.
Climb (Dexterity): This extraordinary ability allows a
hooligan to climb up, down, or across a slope, wall,
steep incline (even a ceiling with handholds), or unusually angled natural or man-made slope or incline
that others would find impossible to climb. When doing so, the hooligan moves at one-half the characters
normal speed. A failed climb check means the character makes no progress. A check failing by 5 or more
results in the character falling from the currently attained height and taking falling damage. Hooligans
cannot carry anything in their hands while climbing.
When climbing typical natural slopes and man-made
inclines, such as a cliff faces or steep steps, a hooligan
does not need to make an attribute check to climb the
surface. It is only when climbing very sheer and difficult grades where there are few to no hand- or footholds that a check needs be made.
Hide (Dexterity): Hooligans use this ability to conceal
themselves from others. A successful check means the
hooligan is hidden so well as to be almost invisible. The
hooligan can move up to one-half normal speed and remain hidden. Hide checks suffer no penalty in this circumstance. At more than one-half and up to full speed,
the character suffers a -5 penalty to the check to remain
hidden. Its practically impossible (-20 penalty) to hide
while running or charging.
If the character is being observed, even casually, he
cannot hide. If observers are momentarily distracted,
though, the character can attempt to hide. While the
observer averts its attention from the character, the
24 Amazing Adventures
HD
BtH
EPP
6 HP
d6
+1
1,801
d6
+1
3,501
d6
+1
7,001
d6
+2
14,001
d6
+2
25,001
d6
+2
50,001
d6
+3
100,001
d6
+3
200,001
10
d6
+3
400,001
11
+3 HP
+4
650,001
12
+3 HP
+4
900,001
13+
+3 HP
+250,000
>The Mentalist
26 Amazing Adventures
The Pugilist
he pugilist is the master of hand-tohand combat, either a professional
boxer, traveling martial artist, or
lowly pit fighter whose fists of iron
are matched only by the damage he
can soak up and still keep on going.
These characters tend to be simple, viewing the world in terms of
Good and Bad, but are often loyal and good to have
in your corner, especially when the fists start flying.
Unarmored
AC
Primary
Unarmed
Attack
10
1d4
11
1d6
12
1d6
40
12
1d6
40
13
1d8
13
1d8
1d4
50
13
1d8
1d4
50
14
1d8
1d4
50
28 Amazing Adventures
Secondary
Unarmed
Attack
Fast
Movement
40
14
1d10
1d6
50
10
14
1d10
1d6
60
11
14
1d10
1d6
60
12
15
1d10
1d6
60
HD
BtH
EPP
12 HP
+0
d12
+1
1,901
d12
+2
4,001
d12
+3
8,501
d12
+4
20,001
d12
+5
40,001
d12
+6
80,001
d12
+7
160,001
d12
+8
325,001
10
d12
+9
550,001
11
+6 HP
+10
750,001
12
+6 HP
+11
1,250,001
13
+6 HP
+ 250,000
The Raider
he Raider is an adventuring scholar
who plumbs deep tombs in search
of the treasures of lost worlds. Most
raiders are well-schooled, and many
hold positions as historical researchers or professors of ancient
civilizations or religions. They are
historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, and seekers of knowledge as well as of treasure
and fortune. But more than that, they live for the thrill of
adventure and the excitement of discovering something
new and never-before-seen. They spend their days waiting
for the chance toat least for a little whilehang up their
coat and tie in exchange for a leather jacket, work boots,
and their trusty .45 to seek some long-lost artifact that
could change the face of scholarship forever.
30 Amazing Adventures
The Socialite
>Abilities
Charm (Charisma): The socialite can attempt to charm
another person to do her bidding. This ability works exactly as the spell charm person, except that the socialite
must make a charisma check against a CL equal to the
level of the person she is attempting to charm. Her effective caster level for purposes of duration, effect, etc., is
equal to her socialite level. At 5th level, the socialite can instead of charming a subject, attempt to through subtle seduction and subliminal suggestion command the subject
as per the 2nd-level arcanist spell, if she desires. At 12th
level, if she so desires, she can attempt to mass charm
instead of charming or commanding a single target. This
ability can be used once per day at 1st level, twice per day
at 5th level, three times per day at 10th level; at 15th level,
the socialite can perform this ability at will.
Connected (Charisma): The socialite (or her family) has
friends and acquaintances everywhere. Whenever the PCs
need help, information, a friendly face, or resources, the
socialite can attempt to call in a favor from one of these
friends. This requires two checks. First, the socialite must
make a wisdom check to locate a friendly name or face in
the current area where the PCs are adventuring. Failure
means the socialites family has no friends in this area. Second, the socialite must make a charisma check to call in
the favor. The GM determines the CL of this check based
on the reputation of the socialite, the number of favors previously (and recently) called in, and other social factors at
the GMs discretion. Success means the acquaintance is
willing to help, but such help may (again, dependent upon
social factors at the GMs discretion) come at a price.
Exalt (Charisma): This is the socialites ability to inspire companions and listeners, allowing them to surpass their normal level of performance. Some socialites
invoke this ability through oration, while others use
battle cries or sheer acting and demeanor. With a successful charisma attribute check, a socialite can help
allies succeed at a task. The ally gets a +2 bonus on
any action requiring an attribute check, including class
ability checks, saving throws and standard attribute
checks. This ability does not affect attack rolls. The allies must be able to see and hear the socialite, and must
be within 60 feet. The Game Master may rule that certain uses of this ability are infeasible. The socialite can
use this ability once per day per level, and can maintain
the effect for a number of rounds equal to the socialites
level. As the socialite rises in levels, the bonus imparted
increases as well. It rises to +3 at 6th level, +4 at 12th
level and +5 at 18th level.
Embolden: At 3rd level, the socialites confidence and
fearlessness in the face of danger instills courage in their
companions and followers. Any companions or followers within 30 feet of the socialite gain a bonus of +1 to
strength, constitution, dexterity, and intelligence saving
throws, and a +2 to wisdom and charisma saving throws.
This ability can be used once per day and lasts a number
of rounds equal to the socialites level. This ability cannot
be used in conjunction with demoralize or exalt.
32 Amazing Adventures
HD
BtH
8 HP
+0
d8
+1
1,901
d8
+2
3,801
d8
+3
8,001
d8
+4
16,401
d8
+5
33,801
d8
+6
67,601
d8
+7
135,201
d8
+8
250,000
10
d8
+9
501,001
11
+4 HP
+10
751,001
12
+4 HP
+11
1,001,000
13+
+4 HP
+250,000
EPP
Characters
Multiclassed Characters
ot all characters will fit into the
mold of a single character class.
If this happens, you may want to
explore multiclassing. Multiclassing enables a player to combine the
abilities of two different classes, at
the expense of much slower progression. Any class may be combined with any other class, with two restrictions: First,
a character may not multiclass as two different types
of arcanist (i.e. no int-based spellcasting and wis- or
cha-based spellcasting in the same character). Second,
arcanists and mentalists may not multiclass, as their
powers are antithetical to one another.
Book one
Rounding out the Character
Personality
Now its time to put the pieces together. Youve got your
attributes and class abilities in place, and have chosen your primary attributes. But that gives you a general archetype with which to play. More important than
what your character can do is, who is he? You need a
good idea of your characters back story and history.
At very least, you should lay down a detailed sketch.
Who were his parents? Were they wealthy or poor? Why
does he do what he does? Is it for the thrill of the chase,
the adrenaline rush of crawling through deadly ancient
tombs, or is it for a sense of altruism, that his exploits
might educate or otherwise aid humankind?
Even mundane things can help with this sketch. What
does he look like? What color and style is his hair? His
eyes? Does he wear glasses? The more detailed your
character concept, the better off, especially in a game
with as open a system as the SIEGE engine. If, say,
your characters father was a doctor and he grew up
sitting in the exam room while his dad performed procedures, he may have picked up some basic first aid, or
even some more advanced techniques. This background
could, when it comes into play, provide bonuses to certain attribute checks, at the GMs discretion.
If your players are having difficulty coming up with a
concept, we point you to the optional Book Two: Advanced Character Customization section, where we
offer options for character backgrounds, traits, and
knowledge skills.
>Alignment
One way to quickly help define your character is to
choose an alignment. Alignment systems may seem a
strange addition to a pulp game, given the shades of
gray that generally exist within the genre. However,
there are certain subgenres of pulp in which it is essential to outline the heroic code of the protagonists,
particularly when looking at the representation of pulp
action we see in the classic Saturday morning serials
and modern homages to these films, like the Indiana
Jones series, or The Rocketeer.
Alignment represents the basic and most essential aspects of a characters worldview and moral outlook. Alignment is a description for the fundamental moral outlook
of every sentient creature. Is the character good or evil,
chaotic, lawful or even neutral? Alignment is a very basic
description and acts as an ethical and motivational guide
for characters, non-player characters and monsters.
Alignment should never be used as a box to limit the
character; rather, players should choose an alignment
whose moral and ethical compass best suits their characters outlook. Its a description more than a guideline.
Its not there to tell you how to play your character; rather
its there as a point of reference for other players and the
Game Master. Thats all. To that end, alignment categories
are fairly general, and there is much room for interpretation within each category of alignment. A lawful good
character may be a modern knight errant, adventuring
with the sole purpose of stamping out evil in the land. On
the other hand, a lawful good arcanist may devote himself
to acquiring ancient arcane magic in order to create a library for the benefit of all. A chaotic evil hooligan may be a
roving, murderous bandit robbing and murdering whomever and wherever he can for his own personal hedonistic
desires, or he could be a cultist devoted to the wanton
destruction of mans accomplishments and eradication of
those with whom he disagrees. There is great variation
within each of the nine alignment categories described below. They should be used as a general guideline for motivations, actions, ethos and worldview.
Still, Game Masters who dont want to lock their game
down with strict alignments can always feel free to
not include them in their game, and alignment should
generally be considered an optional addition. This will
make certain arcanist spells less useful (or at least require them to be re-defined), but other than that should
have little effect on overall game play.
There are nine possible alignments: lawful good, neutral
good, chaotic good, lawful neutral, neutral, chaotic neutral, lawful evil, neutral evil, or chaotic evil. Each alignment, except true neutral, is composed of two aspects.
Law and Chaos
The first aspect of alignmentlawful, neutral or chaoticgenerally represents a characters ideals and worldview. These, however, are broad categorizations that go
to the core beliefs of a character. Thus, all lawful char-
34 Amazing Adventures
Characters
acters are not the same, nor are all chaotic characters.
Each might exhibit traits typically associated with the
opposite. The following are general traits of each aspect.
Law implies honor, trustworthiness, obedience to authority and reliability, and above all, the idea that there
is (or should be) a defined order and structure to things.
On the downside, lawfulness can include closed-mindedness, reactionary adherence to tradition and a lack
of adaptability. Lawful characters tell the truth, keep
their word, respect authority, honor tradition, and judge
harshly those who fall short of their duties. Lawful characters can still follow their conscience and can favor new
ideas. Chaotic characters can still be honorable and
trustworthy. Just because someone values individual
freedom and pragmatism doesnt necessarily mean he
cant be trusted to have his friends back in a crisis.
Chaos implies freedom, adaptability and flexibility,
and a lack of structure and order. On the downside,
chaos can include recklessness, resentment toward legitimate authority, arbitrary actions and irresponsibility. Chaotic characters follow their consciences, resent
being told what to do, favor new ideas over tradition and
keep their word only if they feel like it.
Neutral implies a normal respect for authority, with
neither a compulsion to obey nor to rebel. Neutral characters are honest, but can be tempted into lying or deceiving others. Animals and other creatures incapable
of moral action are neutral.
>Good and Evil
Lawful Good: Characters of this alignment are dedicated to following the strictures of society, respecting
law and order. They act for the benefit of others and
society, placing great value on truth, honor and life.
Lawful Neutral: Characters of this alignment place
primary importance on ultimate order, structure and
regulation of behavior. Good and evil are largely irrelevant for characters of this alignment because everything flows from the order of law.
Lawful Evil: Characters of this alignment value structure and order, and they place no limit on attaining it,
especially if the goal is to their own benefit. They do not
value life or concern for others. Ultimately, they seek to
impose their ideals on others through strict regulation.
Neutral Good: Characters of this alignment have a healthy
respect for both law and freedom, typically choosing a road
betwixt the two in order to achieve benefits and mercy for all.
Neutral: Characters of this broad alignment typically
believe in a balance between law and chaos, and between good and evil. Some seek to maintain existing
social institutions, while others simply wish to keep to
themselves. Some engage in a crusade to preserve what
they view as the natural order of things. Others simply
follow their own code, which changes with the situation,
tending to favor those that benefit them the most.
Neutral Evil: Characters of this alignment mirror those
of neutral good, but they typically follow a road that
benefits themselves instead of others.
Evil implies hurting, oppressing, killing others and selfishness. Some evil creatures simply have no compassion
for others and kill without qualms if doing so is convenient. Others actively pursue evil, killing for sport or out
of duty to some evil deity. Evil characters and creatures
debase or destroy innocent life, whether for fun or profit.
>Fate Points
Fate points are a mechanic, which provides characters
with the means to affect game play in small, but significant ways. They represent the actions of cinematic
heroes, who always seem to make those dramatic comebacks, have sudden flashes of insight just in time, or
call upon inner reserves of strength to fell the villain
just when things look grim.
>Using Fate Points
A character always has a limited amount of fate points,
and while the character replenishes this supply with
every new level he or she attains, the rate of attrition
can far outstrip the rate of gain. As such, players must
Book one
use them wisely. A character can spend fate points to
do any of these things:
Fortunes Favor: alter a single d20 roll used to
make an attack, attribute check, level check, or a saving throw.
Mighty Blow: make a single, earth-shattering attack, which also stands a chance of smashing the characters weapon.
Sound the Charge!: Double the characters movement for the round.
Down But Not Out: Avoid death when reduced to
below -10 hit points
Providence Smiles: Gain a plot break
Fortunes Favor: When a character spends 1 fate
point to improve a d20 roll, add a die to the roll to help
meet or exceed the target number. The type of die rolled
is dependent upon the characters level, as shown on
the Fate Point Table (see below). A character can declare
the use of 1 fate point to alter a d20 roll after the roll
is madebut only before the GM reveals the result of
that roll (whether the attack or check or saving throw
succeeded or failed). When the dies highest number
is rolled (for instance, a 6 on a d6), the die explodes,
meaning you may roll again, adding the original roll to
the additional roll. Keep adding as long as the die explodes. The die does not implode on a roll of 1.
Mighty Blow: When a character spends 1 fate point
to make a single, earth-shattering attack, the attack
automatically hits and does double the maximum possible damage for the attack. However, the character
must then roll an unmodified d20; a result of 1-9 on the
d20 means that the weapon shatters as a result of the
mighty blow (firearms are ruined from blowback). This
ability is useful only in melee combat, and extra damage from special attacks such as sneak attacks do not
double. A fate point can be used to achieve this effect
only once per game session.
Sound the Charge!: A character can spend a fate
point to double his allotted movement for a single round.
This includes the ability to move full movement and still
attack, rather than half, as allowed in a standard attack.
Unlike a normal charge maneuver, characters spending a fate point can move up to their full base movement and attack, but do not gain a bonus to damage or
penalty to armor class. However, spending a fate point
to Sound the Charge effectively doubles the distance a
character can cover to take a charge maneuver in order
to gain this bonus and suffer this penalty (see Charge,
p. 149). In effect, this maneuver allows a character to
move up to their full base movement and make a normal attack, or to double the distance up to which they
may make a charge maneuver.
Down But Not Out: When a character falls to at
least -10 hit points or below, he is normally considered
36 Amazing Adventures
1st4th
1d6
5th9th
1d8
10th14th
1d10
15th20th
1d12
Characters
Pulp Equipment
Pulp Armor
Unlike in traditional fantasy games, one doesnt see characters (with the possible exception of gadgeteers) in the adventure
pulps running around covered in chain mesh or steel plates from head to toe. Indeed, in a pulp game it is looks that matter
most! The cooler a characters image, the less likely he is to take a bullet to the heart or a knife to the gut.
In a 1920s to 1950s pulp game, no character is assumed to be proficient with armor, and any traditional armor
donned will impart penalties. Rather, pulp characters gain AC bonuses to standard exploring or uniquely pulp
hero clothes. Sure, its not realistic, but it certainly is in-genre and a heck of a lot of fun! Standard AC bonuses
are as follows, as are the pieces that typically should be allowed to stack together to create costumes. No combination of clothing pieces, however, should ever yield more than a +6 AC bonus, regardless of how many costume
elements are stacked together.
In an RPG, mechanics and limitations are necessary to maintain play balance. The table stacks with column is designed
to aid in quickly putting together common sets of costume pieces. However, GMs can and should ignore the restrictions on
which pieces of clothing see their AC bonuses stack together, if a player has a really good costume concept. Just be careful
not to let AC ratings creep too high (the recommendation of limiting bonuses to +6 should stand). Yes, this will probably
result in players min-maxing to always try to get +6 to AC, but GMs can also deny access to this table, and assign costumebased ACs only after the player describes their characters costume. The table can also serve to help in situations where
players are not wearing their costumes, but may be wearing other fancy pulpy clothes. For example, players at a black tie
dinner will always be wearing tuxedos and evening dresses, and so would gain an appropriate AC bonus from these.
Clothing
AC Bonus
Cost
Stacks With:*
Fedora
+1
$5
Three-piece suit, trench coat, flight or bomber jacket, evening or formal clothes (men only), mask,
scarf, short gloves
Scarf
+1
$5
Fedora, trench coat, body suit, mask, evening or formal clothes (women only), flight or
bomber jacket, motorcycle jacket, short gloves
Mask
+1
$10
Fedora, trench coat, body suit, scarf, three-piece suit, ceremonial robes, motorcycle jacket, short gloves
Body Suit
+1
$10
Ceremonial Robes
+2
$15
+2
$15
Scarf (women), fedora (men), trench coat (men), long gloves (women) , short gloves
+2
$10
Long Gloves
+2
$5
Short Gloves
+1
$2
Safari Gear
+4
$20
Motorcycle Jacket
+3
$15
+1
$10
Trench Coat
+2
$15
Fedora, three piece suit, evening or formal clothes, body suit, mask, scarf, short gloves
*To combine AC bonuses, all pieces in a combination must stack; use the highest AC combination from stackable pieces. This means
that a character wearing Safari gear with a fedora and trench coat would gain only the highest AC bonus, from the safari gear, and
not the bonus from the fedora or trench. The GM, of course, can override this limitation for specific costume builds, if she desires.
Book one
>Archaic Weapons
Weapons in Amazing Adventures are divided into categories: small, medium, and large melee weapons; archaic
ranged weapons, handguns, sub-machineguns, rifles and shotguns, and explosives. Each class has a list of weapon categories in which they are proficient. Large melee weapons and archaic ranged weapons (with the exception
of the pistol crossbow) must always be used two-handed.
Weapon
Damage
Range
Cost
1d6
5 ft.
$3
Billy club/nightstick
1d6
0 ft./5ft.*
$3
Dagger/small knife
1d4
10 ft.
$2
Hand axe/tomahawk
1d6
10 ft.
$5
1d8
n/a
$20
1d10/1d6**
n/a
$5
1d4
n/a
$10
Katana/bastard sword
1d10/1d8**
n/a
$30
Rapier/saber/scimitar
1d6
n/a
$15
1d12
0 ft./2ft.*
$20
Spear
1d6
20 ft.
$5
Staff
1d6****
n/a
$2
1d8
100 ft.
$20
1d6
60 ft.
$15
Crossbow, heavy
1d8
80 ft.
$18
Crossbow, pistol
1d4
30 ft.
$15
*Suffers range penalty to strike whenever thrown, which increases per post-slash increment
**First damage value when using 2-handed; second if only wielding with one hand
***Not intended as a weapon; -4 to all to hit rolls
****May be used to make an extra attack as though fighting with a weapon in each hand; standard penalties apply. See Combat for details.
38 Amazing Adventures
Characters
>Firearms
Firearms pose an interesting problem in a game such as this. We want the game to remain fast and furious,
without excess rules to bog things down, but certainly it has to be acknowledged that firearms change the playing field quite a bit, and can do things that archaic weapons cannot; among these capabilities is the ability to fire
more projectiles, faster. For this reason, firearms have special rules concerning recoil and rate of fire. These are
detailed under the Combat chapter.
In the table below, Caliber represents the size of the cartridge fired. Range is the range increment for determining penalties to hit; for each range increment past the first, the weapon suffers a cumulative -2 to hit its target to
its maximum range, generally five times its range increment. Dam is the damage inflicted per shot. Rec is the
recoil penalty suffered (cumulative) for firing multiple shots, if possible. Acc represents a bonus to hit with this
weapon based on its accuracy, which can improve chances to hit, and helps offset recoil penalties. RoF represents
the number of shots that can be fired per combat round; a designation of B means the weapon is capable of burst
fire. A designation of A means it is fully automatic. Details on burst and automatic fire are found in the Combat
section. Receiver is general information about how and where the weapon loads. Cap is the number of bullets it
holds when fully loaded. Cost is self-explanatory, and Year is the year this weapon first became available to the
public, which is useful to GMs determining what weapons are available in their game.
For simplicitys sake, assume bullets cost roughly $5.00 per 25 rounds.
Weapon
Caliber
Range
Browning .25
.25 ACP
10
Walther PPK
.380 ACP
10
5.7mm
30
P-08 Luger or
Walther P38
9mm Para
Colt M1911A1
Browning 1910
Mauser 1934
or HSc
Dam
Rec.
Acc.
RoF
Receiver
Cap
Cost
Year
d8
Grip
10
$12
1905
d10
Grip
$15
1930
d12
Grip
20
$13
1935
30
d10
Grip
$25
1908, 1939
.45 ACP
30
d12
Grip
$13
1911
.32 ACP
30
d8
Grip
$10
1910
.32 ACP
30
d8
Grip
$10
1934
Mauser C96
Broomhandle
9 x 19 mm
30
d10
Grip
10
$25
1896
7.65mm ACP
30
d10
Grip
$14
1931
.45 ACP
30
d12
Revolver (DA)
$8
1917
.45 ACP
100
d12+2
3/A
Box or Drum
30 or
100
$50
1919
20 Gauge
10
d8
2/B
Individual
$35
All
Remington Model 11
12 Gauge
30
d10
n/a
Tubular
$37
All
Remington Model 17
20 Gauge
30
d8
n/a
Tubular
$42
All
12 Gauge Double
Barrel
12 Gauge
30
d10
2/B
Individual
$39
All
.30
200
2d8+6
Box
$50
1936
Pistols
Sub-machine guns
Thomson
Submachine Gun
(Tommy Gun)
Shotguns
Rifles
M1 Garand
KAR-98K
8mm Mauser
200
2d8+4
n/a
Clip
$60
1935
MAS 36
7.5mm MAS
200
2d8+4
Box
$55
1936
Sharps .50
.50
200
4d6
n/a
Cartridge
$40
1850
Springfield 1903
.30-.06
200
2d8+6
n/a
Box
$50
1903
Winchester 1873
.44-.45
200
1d12+2
Tubular
$40
1873
30-06
200
2d8+6
Box
20
n/a*
1917
Machine Guns
BAR M1918
Book one
>Other Gear
Finally, we have other useful equipment for adventurers. Clever readers will notice that this is far from
an exhaustive list of things someone living in the 20s
through 40s might own; since this is a pulp game we
are focusing on specialized gear that might come in useful to adventuring and heroic types. GMs should really
play fast and loose with the type of equipment available. Most pulp heroes have signature equipment, represented by a characters starting gear list, and access
to other resources based upon their day job, income,
or other factors. Keep your character backgrounds in
mind when determining what equipment a character
may have on hand in a given situation, but be careful not to undermine other characters, particularly in
the case of having a Gadgeteer in the party. On the table below, sizes are listed merely as Small, Medium,
Large, or Huge, as a general reference to the Game
Master and players.
Gear
Size
Cost
Binoculars
$30
Canteen, 1 quart
$1.75
$385.00
$8,000
$2,500
Cigarettes
$0.10
Cigarette lighter
$5.00
$25.00
Cooking/mess kit
$6.50
$10.00
Handcuffs
$2.00
Heavy blanket
$1.00
Lock Picks***
$10.00
$0.10
Medical case (Doctors black bag, including stethoscope, various medicine samples, a scalpel, sutures,
tape, a syringe, thermometer, etc.)
$25.00
Motorcycle
$95.00
$1.50
Pint of oil
$0.10
$1.00
$11.50
$8.50
$0.10
$30.00
Watch, wrist
$5.00
The prices above assume 1930s and 1940s era gaming. Game Masters are encouraged to research the prices
of the day for keeping with the spirit of the pulp era, keeping the exact decade (20s, 30s, or 40s) of their game
in mind. Knowing, for example, that a trip to the movies cost $0.75, or an uptown bus ride ran the rider $0.05,
adds a lot of background flavor to a game. Still, the exact prices of mundane entertainment and daily costs of
living are not essential to the kind of high-action gaming that the pulp genre entails.
40 Amazing Adventures
42 Amazing Adventures
Ace (Dex)
This character is either a classic wheelman or hot-dog pilot.
He can pull bootleg turns, storm barns, and work a vehicle
like Van Gogh worked with color. Instead of adding either
a vehicles dex bonus or his own when piloting, this character adds both the vehicles bonus and his own. Note: if a
vehicle has a penalty to an attribute, this still modifies the
characters bonus as normal (See Vehicle Combat Rules,
p.160). At 5th level, the character can treat any negatives to
a vehicles attributes as 0. At 10th level, the character adds
an additional +1 to all rolls when piloting a vehicle.
<>Animal Handling (Cha)
Pulp adventures are full of stories of heroes with loyal
animal companions. Where would the Lone Ranger be
without Silver, for example? Any player character can
choose to swap out any class ability and gain animal
handling in its stead. Any character choosing this class
ability should automatically begin play with an animal
of the players choice (subject to the GMs approval) that
is either trained in the maximum number of tricks possible, or trained for a general purpose.
Animal handling allows the character to get an animal to
perform various tasks with a charisma attribute check. The
CL for this check depends on what you are trying to do.
Task
CL
Handle an animal
Push an animal
Teach an animal a trick
5
1
2 to 51
3 to 101
5 + animals HD
CL
Friendly
CL 1
Indifferent
CL 2
Suspicious
CL 5
Antagonistic
Hostile, Cornered, or Afraid
CL 7
CL 10
<>Book Two
Medicine (Wis)
Tracking (Wis)
Adventurers often have to deal with allies who are poisoned or infected with some horrible disease, or face enemies who do not wish to be captured, sometimes to the
point of committing suicide rather than being brought
in for questioning. For this reason, it can be useful to
have a working and thorough knowledge of toxins and
pathogens, and how to slow or stop their effects. A player character can, at the cost of another class ability of
his choice, gain medicine in its stead. A character with
this ability undergoes years of study and training to
learn the signs, symptoms, and composition of poisons
used the world over; and of disease vectors, communicability rates, and cures, and so he may actually have
knowledge of a poison or infection he has never seen.
44 Amazing Adventures
When tracking or hiding tracks from enemies, a character receives a +2 bonus to the attribute check. The
Game Master may apply bonuses or penalties for varying conditions, such as the length of time elapsed since
the tracks were made, weather conditions, the number of creatures tracked, and the terrain the creatures
moved through.
A successful track check may also impart information about the creature(s) being tracked. Once a trail is
found, a track check can determine the general number and type of creatures being tracked. The number
of creatures tracked should be disclosed to the player
character in one of the following categories: individuals (1-6), band (6-30), troop (20-100), or army (100+).
A character can identify specific animal tracks with no
effort. After having tracked a particular type of creature several times, the character can later identify its
tracks. At 5th level, a character can identify the specific
type of prey being tracked, if belonging to a society with
which the character has had some interaction: a jungle
tracker, for example, may be able to spot telltale signs
of different local primitive tribes.
At a 3rd level, a character can ascertain distinguishing characteristics about the creatures tracked, such as
whether they are wounded, exhausted, carrying heavy
objects, or wearing certain armor. The character might
even be able to determine if a shaman or arcanist is in
the group being tracked. Only the Game Masters imagination and desire to provide or enhance the games
story elements limit what marks or characteristics the
player can determine with the tracking skill.
<>Two-Fisted
Characters with this ability can fight with a weapon in
each hand, so long as the weapon can be wielded in one
hand, including handguns as well as melee weapons.
This ability allows the character to make an extra attack each round with the off-hand weapon. Normally,
when attempting to fight with weapons in two hands, the
character suffers a -3 penalty with his strong hand and
a -6 penalty with his off hand. Characters with this
ability suffer a -3 penalty with each hand at 1st level. At
5th level, this penalty decreases to -2. At 10th level, the
penalty decreases to -1, and at 15th level, the character
may attack with a weapon in each hand at no penalty.
Characters seeking to take this ability should sacrifice
an appropriate combat-related class ability (at the GMs
discretion), or two class abilities tied to mental attributes
or social situations (again, at the GMs discretion).
<>Character Backgrounds
<>Determining Backgrounds
Two methods exist for determining character backgrounds. Method One -- the preferred method -- is to allow each player to script out his characters back-story
as he likes, and then work with the GM to choose an
appropriate background(s) based on that story. Method Two is to roll randomly for backgrounds, which is
a suitable method for players who prefer the gonzo
nature of random character generation.
In addition, every class should be assumed to have a
knowledge skill in their appropriate class. Thus, socialites have knowledge (socialite) and gadgeteers have
knowledge (gadgeteer); class-specific knowledge skills
likely encompass one or more of those listed below, but
are considered bonus knowledge based off of the characters chosen path in life.
46 Amazing Adventures
Knowledge Skills
Knowledge skills function similarly to backgrounds in
game, but represent more specialized areas of knowledge and skill. For every point of intelligence bonus a
character has, he can opt, in lieu of an extra language,
to take a knowledge skill. Knowledge actually encompasses a number of unrelated skills. Knowledge represents a study of some body of lore, possibly an academic
or even scientific discipline. Whereas backgrounds are
more widely applicable, knowledge skills grant slightly
more information. Ability checks using a knowledge skill
add +3 instead of +2. Bonuses from knowledge skills
and backgrounds never combine. The rationale behind
this is to keep bonuses from running away and making
checks too simple. At the GMs option in certain cases,
however, it may be possible to combine the bonuses.
Adjudicate this on a case-by-case basis. Players receive
one or the other, but never both. Thus, a player with an
archaeologist background with knowledge in myths and
legends does not gain +5 to discover the meaning of an
ancient scroll; in this case, the archaeology knowledge
allows him to assess the probable age and authenticity, adding +2 to the check to do so, whereas the myth
and legend knowledge would allow him to interpret the
meaning of the story on the scrolls, adding +3 to that
check. He cannot combine the two bonuses to one check.
Unlike backgrounds, knowledge skills are not improved
(other than by the characters level being added to the
check). However, when a character gains the option
to improve a background at levels 5, 10, 15 and 20, he
may instead choose to gain a new knowledge skill. A new
knowledge skill always begins at 1st-level experience. Any
ability checks with the new skill add +3 for the knowledge
bonus and +1 for being at 1st level (if they dont overlap
another classs ability). Players should keep track of new
skills and their effective level on their character sheets.
Some knowledge skills may overlap with class abilities.
Knowledge skills overlapping with class abilities, on the
other hand, impart an additional +2 to the use of said
class ability rather than the standard +5 on skill-specific ability checks. A character possessing a skill mimicking the abilities of another class (one of which the character is not a member) still gains +3 to relevant ability
checks, but does not add their character level to the
check. Skills are not a means to supplant class abilities;
rather they are designed to supplement character creation and help to provide a means of character customization. Where overlap occurs with a class or class ability is a gray area, so the GM is encouraged to err on the
side of the class rather than the skill: meaning if youre
not sure, dont allow the addition of character levels.
<>Typical Knowledge Skills
Below are listed typical fields of study. There are countless
more, and GMs should encourage players to come up with
their own unique ideas. Again, skills overlapping with class
abilities or which step on the toes of another class, should
not allow the characters level to be added to the roll. Thus,
a non-socialite with knowledge (high society) gains +3 to the
<>Book Two
check, but does not add character level. Likewise, knowledge skills do not add to backgrounds; characters gain the
benefits of one or the other on any given roll, not both.
Arcana: ancient mysteries, magic traditions, arcane
symbols, cryptic phrases, secret societies and magic theory
Architecture and engineering: buildings, aqueducts, bridges, fortifications
Diplomacy: etiquette, politics, confidence games,
information gathering
Geography: lands, terrain, climate, people
History: royalty, wars, colonies, migrations,
founding of cities
Local: legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws,
customs, traditions, humanoids
Military: heraldry, uniforms, military etiquette,
ranks, insignias, etc.
Myth and Legend: monsters, religious stories
and traditions, folklore, gods and goddesses, mythic history, ecclesiastic tradition, holy symbols
Nature: animals, plants, seasons and cycles,
weather, vermin
High Society: lineages, family trees, mottoes,
personalities and celebrity
Warfare: strategy, tactics, siege engines, etc.
In many cases, you can use one of these skills to identify monsters and their special powers or vulnerabilities.
In general, the CL modifier of such a check equals the
monsters HD. A successful check allows you to remember a bit of useful information about that monster.
Character Traits
Traits are aspects of a characters personality, background, or physique that make him better at some activities and worse at others. A character can have only
a limited number of traits, and each trait provides some
benefit. However, traits also carry a corresponding drawback. In addition to their game effects, traits suggest
characteristics about the characters personality that
might lead to interesting roleplaying opportunities. Together with a characters class and skill selection, traits
offer a way for game mechanics to encourage deeper
character backgrounds and consistent roleplaying.
Traits serve as an interesting starting point for roleplaying, reminding players of their characters most prominent
strengths and weaknesses. However, roleplaying a certain
aspect of a characters personality does not require possessing the trait. For example, a character can be honest
and forthright without the honest trait. The player should
roleplay the character consistently, even though the characters honesty has no effect on his skill checks.
A character can begin play with up to two traits, which the
player chooses at the time of character creation. Alternatively, the GM can require players to roll on Table 2-2: Character
Traits to determine the traits their characters possess. Keep
in mind, however, that some roll results might be wildly inappropriate for a given charactertheres no reason for anyone but an arcanist, for example, to gain spellgifted. In such
cases, the GM should always permit a re-roll.
<>Adding Traits
If the GM allows it, players may add traits to their characters after 1st level. The GM might allow a player to assign a trait to her character after she has roleplayed the
character in a manner consistent with the trait in question, or after a traumatic or life-changing experience (after
dying, a character might develop the cautious trait or the
aggressive trait). If the GM includes this option, a character should gain a new trait no more frequently than once
every five levels. Since traits add both bonuses and penalties, there is no cost for the acquisition of a new trait; the
players just need the GMs permission to add them.
<>Buying off Traits
As characters advance in level and ability, they might
want to discard traits they chose at the beginning of play.
This is not easy; changing ones personality requires a lot
of work and discipline. This costs a character experience
points. Buying off a trait with XP costs 2,000 XP per character level (the older you are, the harder it becomes to
effect change in your life). For example, an abrasive character can work on becoming more personable by spending
XP to buy off the abrasive trait; at 1st level, the cost to do
this is 2,000 XP. At 4th level, the cost to buy off this trait
would be 8,000 XP. This represents the character shifting
focus from advancing in her chosen career to making a
change in the core of who she is.
48 Amazing Adventures
Trait
d%
Trait
01-03
Abrasive
50-51
Nightsighted1
04-06
Absent-minded
52-54
Passionate
07-09
Aggressive
55-57
Plucky
<>Trait Descriptions
10-11
Brawler
58-60
Polite
Each trait in this section includes a benefit, a drawback, any special limitations regarding its selection by a
character, and roleplaying ideas for how to incorporate
it into your characters personality.
12-13
Cautious
61-62
Quick
14-16
Detached
63-65
Reckless
17-19
Dishonest
66-68
Relentless
20-21
Distinctive1
69-70
Saddleborn
22-24
Easygoing
71-73
Skinny
25-27
Farsighted
74-76
Slippery
28-30
Focused
77-78
Slow1
Benefit
31-33
Hard of Hearing
79-81
Specialized
34-36
Hardy
82-84
Spellgifted
37-39
Honest
85-87
Stout
Drawback
40-41
Illiterate)
88-90
Suspicious
42-43
Inattentive1
91-93
Torpid
44-46
Muscle-bound
94-96
Uncivilized
Roleplaying Ideas
47-49
Nearsighted
97-100
ABRASIVE
You are difficult and demanding in conversation, tending to rile those around you.
ABSENT-MINDED
<>Roleplaying Traits
If a player creates a character with one or more of the
traits described here, she has three basic choices for
how that trait affects the characters personality.
<>Book Two
mation about a subject, area, person, culture, etc. This
bonus stacks with the raider classs legend lore ability.
Drawback
You take a -1 penalty on wisdom checks to spot or listen. This penalty applies to the listen class ability and
to the case target ability.
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait might flit from idea to idea,
trailing off in mid-sentence or mumbling their way
through complex ideas. Conversely, characters with this
trait might be extremely articulate but still allow their
thoughts to move faster than the pace of a conversation.
BRAWLER
You naturally move close to your opponents when fighting, instinctively grabbing and punching rather than
striking with weapons.
Benefit
You gain a +1 bonus on unarmed attack rolls and grapple checks, and may inflict normal damage (1d4) with
unarmed attacks.
Drawback
You take a -2 penalty on all other attack rolls.
Special
The bonus from this trait doesnt apply to natural weapons and does not stack with pugilist class abilities. Pugilists are already natural brawlers. If a character with
this trait gains a level in the pugilist character class, he
loses this trait. This is an exception to the rule regarding the use of experience points to buy off traits.
Benefit
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait often disdain the use of weapons entirely, and some eventually learn more refined
martial arts based on their instinctive fighting techniques. Many brawlers might not even be consciously
aware they fight differently from other characters; they
simply know the best way to take someone out of a fight
is to grab him or punch him in the face.
AGGRESSIVE
Drawback
You take a -1 penalty to armor class.
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait are often hotheaded and quick to
anger or simply think the best defense is a quick offense.
CAUTIOUS
You are cautious in combat, even a bit cowardly, and you
take more care to defend yourself than others. However,
this caution renders you susceptible to fear effects.
Benefit
You gain an additional +1 dodge bonus to armor class
whenever you use the dodge combat maneuver, or when
fighting defensively (see p. ?).
Drawback
You take a -1 penalty on saving throws made to resist
fear effects.
Special
You cannot select this trait if you have immunity to fear
or fear effects. If you later gain immunity to fear, you
lose the benefit of this trait. This is an exception to the
rule regarding the use of XP to buy off traits.
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait might consistently urge talking rather than fighting, or they might do little to encourage their companions to avoid combat and simply
remain as far away from foes as possible, using ranged
weapons or spells.
DETACHED
You maintain a distance from events that keeps you
grounded but limits your reaction speed.
50 Amazing Adventures
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait might be more easily manipulated in interactions with NPCs, or they might simply
prefer not to argue and instead use their natural talent
to learn more about the world around them.
Roleplaying Ideas
FARSIGHTED
Characters with this trait are likely to be quiet and restrained, but they might be vocal when others falter in
their beliefs.
DISHONEST
You gain a +1 bonus on wisdom checks related to spotting things in the distance, or on the fly. This bonus
stacks with class or racial abilities to notice secret compartments, unusual stonework, or anything hidden.
Drawback
Benefit
Drawback
You have a -2 penalty on wisdom checks to search areas up
close. This penalty also affects to class or racial abilities to
search for traps, secret compartments, or anything hidden.
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait might be sensitive about it, or
they might simply be oblivious to its presence, having
never known any different way of experiencing the world.
FOCUSED
You can keep your attention on a task despite many distractions; however, events in the background pass you by.
Benefit
You gain a +1 bonus on attribute checks involving concentration. The GM determines the situations in which
this trait applies.
Drawback
You take a -1 penalty on wisdom checks to spot something hidden or out of place, or to hear unusual sounds
unless you are concentrating on the task of listening or
searching a specific area.
Roleplaying Ideas
Roleplaying Ideas
EASYGOING
You have a slight hearing impairment, and to compensate, you have become more in tune with your other
senses.
Drawback
HARD OF HEARING
Benefit
Benefit
Drawback
Drawback
You take a -1 penalty on charisma checks to intimidate
another, and on wisdom checks to detect falsehoods,
lies, or ulterior motives.
<>Book Two
HARDY
Benefit
You gain a +1 bonus on wisdom checks to spot something hidden or out of place, or to hear unusual sounds
unless the listening or searching requires patience and
concentration. You also gain a +1 bonus to all attribute
checks involving tasks that can be completed quickly
(excluding combat).
Drawback
Drawback
Benefit
You take a -1 penalty on attribute checks involving concentration or focus for more than a few moments, or on
ongoing tasks. Situations where this applies are at the
GMs discretion.
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait might flit from subject to subject in conversation, or they might seem typical in most
situations but leave most of their long-term projects
perpetually unfinished.
MUSCLE-BOUND
You are good at almost everything that requires
strength, but less adept than most at tasks requiring
coordination.
Benefit
Drawback
You take a -1 penalty on charisma checks to be dishonest or wisdom checks to sense dishonesty in others.
Drawback
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait might be naive and too unsophisticated to lie, or they might be aware of worldly
matters and simply choose to take a higher ground.
ILLITERATE
You cannot read, but you have devoted yourself to
learning other skills.
Benefit
Choose any one attribute that is designated prime for
your character. You gain a +1 bonus on checks using
that attribute.
Drawback
You are illiterate.
Special
You cant select this trait if your character is already illiterate because of race, class, or any other reason.
Roleplaying Ideas
INATTENTIVE
NIGHTSIGHTED
52 Amazing Adventures
PASSIONATE
Roleplaying Ideas
Benefit
RECKLESS
You naturally sacrifice accuracy to put more power behind your blows.
Drawback
You take a -1 penalty on wisdom-based saves.
Benefit
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait might be gruff and place extreme value on overcoming physical obstacles, or conversely, their weakness against magical enchantments
might leave them fascinated and fearful of such things.
PLUCKY
Roleplaying Ideas
Drawback
RELENTLESS
Benefit
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait might be annoyingly positiveminded, or they might only show their mental resilience
in times of dire need.
POLITE
You are courteous and well spoken.
Benefit
You gain a +1 bonus on charisma checks made to be
diplomatic.
Drawback
You take a -2 penalty on charisma checks when attempting to intimidate another.
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait might be honestly polite and
Benefit
You gain a +2 bonus on constitution checks and similar
checks made to continue tiring activities or to resist fatigue. In cases of level drain, you are entitled to a separate constitution check to avoid becoming fatigued from
the level drain. The CL of this check is equal to the HD
of the creature inflicting the level drain.
Drawback
Any effect or condition that would normally cause you
to become fatigued instead causes you to become exhausted (See Fatigue and Exhaustion, p. ?).
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait may see others as soft or weak,
especially anyone who complains about being tired or fatigued. They might openly scoff at others weaknesses,
or they might quietly encourage them to tough it out.
<>Book Two
SADDLEBORN
SLOW
You are a natural in the saddle, but you have little patience for handling animals when not riding them.
Benefit
Benefit
Drawback
You take a -1 penalty on attribute checks to handle,
train, or otherwise care for animals.
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait rarely bother to consider animals as good for anything other than mounts, but they
are extremely confident about their riding abilities.
Drawback
Your base movement is halved (round down to the nearest 5-foot interval).
Special
You must have a base land speed of at least 20 feet to
select this trait.
Roleplaying Ideas
Benefit
SPECIALIZED
SKINNY
Drawback
You take a -2 penalty on strength checks to
avoid over bearing.
Roleplaying Ideas
Skinny characters tend to be pushed around
by tougher types, so those with this trait might
be shy, or they might be very defensive when
faced with such situations.
SLIPPERY
You are less adept at grappling and wrestling
than others of your size and strength, but you
are adept at slipping out of anothers hold.
Benefit
You gain a +1 bonus on checks to escape a
grapple or avoid being grappled.
Drawback
You take a -1 penalty to attempt to grapple
another.
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait might fear close combat, knowing they are less adept grapplers than
most opponents. On the other hand, good escape artists with this trait might enjoy baiting
larger foes into grappling them, knowing they
can easily slip out of the grasp of most foes.
54 Amazing Adventures
Benefit
Choose one specific background or skill. You gain a +2
bonus on checks using the specified background or skill.
Roleplaying Ideas
Special
This trait is only available in campaigns using backgrounds or skills.
Roleplaying Ideas
Characters with this trait often see themselves as elite
artists or experts rather than mere professionals, and
they might regard their chosen vocation or study as
more useful or interesting than other tasks.
SPELLGIFTED
You have a gift for casting spells of certain type. Although your spells in this area are more potent than
those of other casters, you are not as effective at casting
spells from other schools.
Benefit
Choose a type of magic from the following list: conjuring/summoning, defensive, divination, elemental
(choose an element), enchantments/charms, illusion,
necromancy/healing, offensive (spells that cause direct damage), transmutation/alteration. Add 1 to your
caster level when casting spells of this type. Some spells
may be at the GMs discretion for the category under
which they fall.
SUSPICIOUS
You are naturally suspicious of everyone and everything.
While this trait makes you hard to fool, it makes others
slightly less likely to agree with you or find you threatening.
Benefit
You gain a +1 bonus on wisdom checks to detect lies,
falsehoods, or ulterior motives in others.
Drawback
You take a -1 penalty on charisma checks to be diplomatic or intimidate others.
Roleplaying Ideas
This trait might express itself as comic levels of paranoia, or it might make the character quietly cautious
about others.
TORPID
You are sluggish and slow to react to danger, but also
resistant to others commands.
Benefit
Drawback
Drawback
Special
Not all spells on the charisma spell list are considered
illusion spells. Color spray, for example, is an offensive
spell; fog cloud could be defensive or conjuring/summoning, and light could be enchant, transmutation, or
conjuring, at the GMs discretion. The GM always has
final ruling on what school a spell falls under.
Roleplaying Ideas
Benefit
You gain a +1 bonus on charisma checks to handle animals (See Animal Handling, p. ?).
STOUT
Drawback
You take a -1 penalty on charisma checks to bluff, gather information, or be diplomatic.
Roleplaying Ideas
Benefit
<>Book Two
Sanity
<>What Is Sanity?
Sanity is the natural mental state of ordinary life. Normal
mental balance is endangered when characters confront
horrors, entities, or activities that are shocking, unnatural, and bewildering. Such encounters cause a character
to lose points from his sanity score, which, in turn, risks
temporary, indefinite, or permanent insanity. Mental
stability and lost sanity points can be restored, up to a
point, but psychological scars may remain.
Insanity occurs if characters lose too many sanity points
in a short time. Insanity does not necessarily occur if
sanity points are low, but a lower sanity score makes
some forms of insanity more likely to occur after a character experiences an emotional shock. The characters
sanity may be regained after a few minutes, recovered
after a few months, or lost forever.
A character may regain sanity points, and may even increase her sanity point maximum. However, increasing
a characters ranks in the knowledge (forbidden lore) always lowers her maximum sanity by an equal amount.
<>Forbidden Lore
The sanity rules assume some knowledge is so alien to
human understanding that simply learning of its existence can shatter the psyche. While magic and nonhuman races form an everyday part of an Amazing Adventures characters life, even a seasoned adventurer
cannot conquer or understand some things. Knowledge
of these secrets and creatures is represented by a new
knowledge skill that goes hand in hand with a characters sanity score: Forbidden lore. Even if the GM
decides not to use knowledge skills or backgrounds in
game, if sanity rules are adopted, this particular knowledge should be included.
56 Amazing Adventures
This type of knowledge permanently erodes a characters ability to maintain a stable and sane outlook, and
a characters current sanity can never be higher than
99 minus the modifier the character has in the knowledge (forbidden lore) skill. This number (99 minus forbidden lore skill) is the characters maximum sanity.
<>Knowledge (Forbidden Lore)
You know That Which Should Not Be Known. You have
had horrible supernatural experiences and read forbidden tomes, learning truly dark secrets that challenge
everything you thought you knew. Since these revelations defy logic or commonly accepted fact, it does not
matter how intelligent or wise you are when using this
skillonly how much exposure to these dark secrets
themselves you have experienced.
<>Knowledge SIEGE Checks
The knowledge (forbidden lore) skill works identically
to other knowledge skills discussed in Amazing Adventures. In short, having a knowledge skill grants +3 to
any SIEGE check when using that knowledge. Each
improvement to the skill grants an additional +1.
<>Starting Sanity
A characters starting sanity equals his wisdom score
multiplied by 5. This score represents a starting characters current sanity, as well as the upper limit of sanity
that can be restored by the heal skill (see The Heal Skill
and Mental Treatment below). After creation, a characters
current sanity often fluctuates considerably and might
never again match starting sanity. A change in a characters wisdom score changes his starting sanity in terms of
what treatment with the heal skill can restore. Current
sanity, however, does not change if wisdom rises or falls.
<>Current Sanity
A characters current sanity score fluctuates almost as often
as (and sometimes much more often than) his hit points.
<>Maximum Sanity
A characters maximum sanity score is equal to 100 minus
his knowledge (arcana) bonus times 5. Thus, as soon as a
character gains the knowledge (arcane lore) skill, max sanity is reduced by 15, to 85. With each improvement granted
the GM grants thereafter, maximum sanity goes down by
an additional 5 points. This maximum is permanent, regardless of how much treatment a character has had; you
cannot unlearn the terrible secrets of the beyond.
This is even worse for arcanists, whose knowledge (arcane
lore) skill improves with their level (arcanists are the only
class to add their level to knowledge (arcane lore) checks).
Thus, for an arcanist who has picked up the knowledge
(arcane lore) sill, maximum sanity is equal to 100 (5 x
(3 + lore improvements + class level)), or put simply, every
time an arcanist with this knowledge gains a level, his
maximum sanity goes down by 5, above and beyond normal reductions from knowledge advancements.
<>Making a Sanity Check
When a character encounters a gruesome, unnatural, or
supernatural situation, the GM may require the player
to make a sanity check. This check is a wisdom-based
saving throw with a CL equal to 10 minus 10% of the
characters current SAN score, rounded down. Thus, a
character with SAN 90 makes a SAN check at CL 1 (109), while a character with SAN 50 makes a SAN check
at CL 5 (10-5). SAN loss creates diminishing returns.
On a successful check, the character either loses no sanity points or loses only a minimal amount. Potential sanity
loss is usually shown as two numbers or die rolls separated by a slash, such as 0/1d4. The number before the
slash indicates the number of sanity points lost if the sanity check succeeds (in this case, none); the number after
the slash indicates the number of sanity points lost if the
sanity check fails (in this case, between 1 and 4 points).
Sanity is measured in three ways: starting sanity, current sanity, and maximum sanity. Starting and current
sanity cannot exceed maximum sanity.
<>Book Two
<>Simpler Sanity Checks
A simpler method for making sanity checks is to
have a player roll percentile dice against his characters existing sanity score. A result under the characters current SAN is successful. This yields similar (though not mathematically identical) results to
the wisdom save, but does not require the GM to
figure out the CL for the save. On the other hand,
it is not a standard SIEGE method of resolution, so
for players insisting upon standardized task resolution, this method may not be ideal.
A characters current sanity is also at risk when the
character reads certain books, learns certain types of
spells, and attempts to cast them. These sanity losses
are usually automatic (no sanity check is allowed); the
character that chooses to undertake the activity forfeits
the indicated number of sanity points.
In most cases, a new sanity-shaking confrontation requires a new sanity check. However, the GM always
decides when characters need to make sanity checks.
Confronting several horribly mangled corpses at one
time or in rapid succession may call for just one sanity check, while the same corpses encountered singly
over the course of several game hours may require
separate checks.
<>Going Insane
Losing more than a few sanity points may cause a character to go insane, as described below. If a characters
sanity score drops to 0 or lower, she begins the quick
slide into permanent insanity. Each round, the character loses another point of sanity. Once a characters
sanity score reaches 10, she is hopelessly, incurably insane. The heal skill can be used to stabilize a character
on the threshold of permanent insanity (see The Heal
Skill and Mental Treatment below for details).
A GMs description of a sanity-shaking situation should
always justify the threat to a characters well being.
Thus, a horde of frothing rats is horrifying, while a single ordinary rat usually is not (unless the character has
an appropriate phobia, of course).
<>Maximum Sanity
Ranks in the knowledge (forbidden lore) simulate a
characters comprehension of aspects of the dark creatures at the edges of reality. Once gained, this horrible
knowledge is never forgotten, and the character consequently surrenders mental equilibrium. A characters
sanity weakens as his comprehension of these hidden
truths increases. Such is the way of the universe.
The first time a character gains knowledge (forbidden
lore), his maximum sanity score is permanently reduced
by 5 points. Thereafter, each improvement a character
gains in this knowledge permanently reduces a characters maximum sanity by 1 point: The more a character
58 Amazing Adventures
0/1d3
0/1d3
0/1d4
1/1d4+1
0/1d6
0/1d6
1/1d6
1/1d6+1
0/1d10
1/d10
2/2d10+1
1d10/d%
<>Insane Insight
At the GMs option, a character slipping into insanity may gain an insight into the situation or entity
provoking the insanity. The player needs to make
a CL 3 wisdom check to gain the insight. The GM
decides exactly what information such a sudden
burst provides, but it may include something about
a creatures origin or a fact about its nature (feeding habits, natural habitat, weakness, etc.), a clue
to the identity of a murderer at a murder scene, or
some hint at a location of great importance.
<>Types of Insanity
d%
Duration
01-80
Short-term
1d10+4 rounds
81-100
Long-term
1d1010 hours
Character insanity is induced by a swift succession of shocking experiences or ghastly revelations, events usually connected with dark gods or creatures from the Outer Planes.
Horrifying encounters can result in one of three states
of mental unbalance: temporary, indefinite, and permanent insanity. The first two, temporary insanity and
indefinite insanity, can be cured. Permanent insanity
results when a characters sanity points are reduced to
0 or below. This condition cannot be cured.
<>Temporary Insanity
Whenever a character loses sanity points equal to or
greater than one-half her wisdom score from a single
episode of sanity loss, she has experienced enough of a
shock that the GM must ask for a sanity check. If the
check fails, the character realizes the full significance
of what she saw or experienced and goes temporarily
insane. If the check succeeds, the character does not
go insane, but she may not clearly remember what she
experienced (a trick the mind plays to protect itself).
51-55
76-80
56-60
61-65
66-70
71-75
Effect
Character faints (can be awakened by vigorous
action taking 1 round; thereafter, the character
is shaken until duration expires).
Character has a screaming fit.
Character flees in panic.
Character shows physical hysterics or emotional
outburst (laughing, crying, and so on).
Character babbles in incoherent rapid speech or in
logorrhea (a torrent of coherent speech).
Character gripped by intense phobia, perhaps
rooting her to the spot.
Character becomes homicidal, dealing harm to
nearest person as efficiently as possible.
Character has hallucinations or delusions (details at the GMs discretion).
Character gripped with echopraxia or echolalia
(saying or doing whatever those nearby say or do).
Character gripped with strange or deviant eating desire (dirt, slime, cannibalism, and so on).
<>Book Two
81-90
Character falls into a stupor (assumes fetal position, oblivious to events around her).
91-99
100
11-20
21-30
31-40
41-45
46-55
56-65
66-75
76-85
86-90
91-95
96-100
Effect
Character performs compulsive rituals (washing
hands constantly, praying, walking in a particular rhythm, never stepping on cracks, constantly
checking to see if crossbow is loaded, and so on).
Character has hallucinations or delusions (details at the GMs discretion).
Character becomes paranoid.
Character gripped with severe phobia (refuses to
approach object of phobia except on successful
CL 10 will save).
Character has aberrant sexual desires (exhibitionism, nymphomania or satyriasis, teratophilia, necrophilia, and so on).
Character develops an attachment to a lucky
charm (embraces object, type of object, or person
as a safety blanket) and cannot function without it.
Character develops psychosomatic blindness,
deafness, or the loss of the use of a limb or limbs.
Character has uncontrollable tics or tremors (-4
penalty on all attack rolls, checks, and saves, except those purely mental in nature).
Character has amnesia (memories of intimates usually lost first, knowledge skills useless).
Character has bouts of reactive psychosis (incoherence, delusions, aberrant behavior, and/or
hallucinations).
Character loses ability to communicate via
speech or writing.
Character becomes catatonic (can stand but has
no will or interest, may be led or forced into simple actions but takes no independent action).
0115
1620
2125
2630
3135
Mood (manic/depressive)
3645
4650
5155
5670
7180
8185
8695
96100
60 Amazing Adventures
<>Indefinite Insanity
If a character loses 20% (one-fifth) or more of her current sanity points in the space of 1 hour, she goes indefinitely insane. The GM judges when the impact of
events calls for such a measure. Some GMs never apply
the concept to more than the result of a single roll, since
this state can remove characters from play for extended periods. An episode of indefinite insanity lasts for
1d6 game months (or as the GM dictates). Symptoms
of indefinite insanity may not be immediately apparent
(which may give the GM additional time to decide what
the effects of such a bout of insanity might be).
The Random Indefinite Insanity Table aids in selecting
what form a characters indefinite insanity takes. Many
GMs prefer to choose an appropriate way for the insanity to manifest, based on the circumstances provoking
it. These rules will not go into detailed breakdowns of all
different kinds of insanity; this isnt a psychology textbook, and the author feels that overly detailed rules and
strictures for portraying madness in a roleplaying game
interfere with the pulpy nature of these rules.
The state of indefinite insanity is encompassing and incapacitating. For instance, a schizophrenic may be able
to walk the streets while babbling and gesticulating, find
rudimentary shelter, and beg for enough food to survive,
but most of the business of the mind has departed into
itself: She cannot fully interact with friends, family, and
acquaintances. Conversation, cooperation, and all sense
of personal regard have vanished from her psyche.
As a general rule, a character suffering from indefinite
insanity should be removed from active play until she
recovers. At the GMs discretion, the player of the character might be allowed to use a temporary character
until the end of the story. Whether this stand-in character is an incidental NPC in the adventure, a character
of the same level as the rest of the group, one or two levels below the rest of the characters, or even a 1st-level
character, is up to the GM. Different GMs have different
ways of handling this transition.
If a character goes indefinitely insane near the end of an
adventure, the GM may decide to set the next adventure
to begin after the insane character has recovered.
After recovery, a victim retains definite traces of madness.
For example, even though a character knows she is no longer insane, she might be deathly afraid of going to sleep if
her insanity manifested itself in the form of terrifying nightmares. The character is in control of her actions, but the
experience of insanity has changed her, perhaps forever.
<>Permanent Insanity
A character whose sanity score falls to 0 goes permanently insane. The character becomes an NPC under
the GMs control.
A character with permanent insanity may be reduced to a
raving lunatic or may be outwardly indistinguishable from
<>Book Two
<>Private Care
The best care available is at home or in some friendly
place (perhaps a small church or the home of a wealthy
friend) where nursing can be tender, considerate, and
undistracted by the needs of competing patients. This
can include outpatient therapy sessions with a skilled
alienist (psychologist or psychiatrist) combined with
rest, relaxation, and natural recovery.
If mental healing or medications are available, roll d%
for each game month that one or the other is used. A
result of 01-95 is a success: Add 1d3 sanity points for
either mental therapy or proper use of medications,
whichever is used (a character can benefit from both
used together, increasing gain to 1d6). On a result of
96-100, the healer fumbles the diagnosis or the character rejects the alchemical treatments. She loses 1d6
sanity points, and no progress is made that month.
<>Institutionalization
The next best alternative to private care is commitment
to a good insane asylum. These institutions are of uneven quality however, and some may be potentially harmful. Some are creative places of experiment and therapy, while others offer mere confinement. In any setting,
concentrated and nourishing treatment by strangers
is rare. Therapy using the psychology background or
knowledge is usually the only treatment available, but
in some cases, primitive institutions offer no treatment
at all. Sometimes an institution can convey an uncaring
sense that undermines the useful effects of alchemical
medications, leaving the character with a sense of anger
and loss. He is likely to be distrustful of the organization and its motives. Escape attempts are common by
inmates, even in the most enlightened fantasy settings.
Roll d% for each game month a character is in the care
of an institution. A result of 01-95 is a success; add 1d3
sanity points if therapy with the heal skill was available,
or 1 sanity point if no treatment was present. On a result of 96-100, the character rebels against the environment. He loses 1d6 sanity points, and no progress can
be made that month.
<>WEALTH
The system for wealth in Amazing Adventures is fluid
and freeform; that is, there is no tracking of specific
funds, and in general, when a player wishes his or her
character to purchase something, its up to the GM to
decide whether thats possible. For those who wish a
more concrete method of purchasing and wealth, to
represent the treasure-hunting mentality of some pulp
heroes, we present this optional wealth system.
Rather than tracking every penny a character has, each
character has a Wealth rating based upon their class,
level, and any situational factors the GM deems appropriate. Whenever an expense is required, be it purchasing a car or bribing a prison guard, players make a
SIEGE check using their level and Wealth rating. The CC
62 Amazing Adventures
+2
Gadgeteer:
+2
Gumshoe:
Hooligan:
-1
Mentalist:
Pugilist:
-2
Raider:
+1
Socialite:
+3
Psionic Powers
Psionic powers are abilities imparting great and broad
power, but they are far more focused than the magic
arcanists wield. Mentalists may have far more control
over one or two areas of power, but they will never have
the diversity of effects available to them that their more
traditional magic-using counterparts have. Even still,
psionics is a gateway to vast power that creates suspicion and jealousy in more traditional magic users.
Many games use psionics as little more than another
form of magic: psionic power accomplishes many of the
same things that magic does, is broken down into spelllike lists of effects, and mentalists resemble little more
than arcanists or magi with a different flavor. Worse,
systems doing this fail to present psychic powers that
ring true of those described in many science fiction novels, and those that fall into the realm of what we grudgingly (and for lack of a better term) call believability.
Weve all heard of clairvoyance, E.S.P., telekinesis, or
even pyrokinesis. Outside of systems emulating standard magic systems, whoever heard of psychic teleportation or psychic time travel? This system presents a
psychic powers system differing from magic, but one
that remains in the realm of familiar insofar as what
psychic power is and what it can do.
Using Psionic Powers
Like all abilities in the SIEGE ENGINE system, psionic
powers work off of an attribute check. Psionic powers
have a challenge base of 15, and the caster may add +5
to the check for prime-based attribute checks. For this
reason, wisdom-based psionic powers are the most commonly encountered ones (given that wisdom is the prime
for the mentalist class), though human mentalists often
exhibit a range of powers dedicated across their three
mental attributes. Unless otherwise noted, any psychic
powers that affect others have a range of line of sight.
Since the range of effects possible with many psionic
powers is broad and varied, GMs and players are encouraged to invent new effects and manifestations of
their powers, using those listed as examples. The GM
decides upon the CL required to use these effects, as
well as whether an attribute check or a psychic attack
roll (see below) is required to activate the power.
Psychic Backlash
Any time mentalists attempts an ability beyond their current
expertise, there is a chance of suffering psychic backlash, a
sort of burnout for pushing their limits. If at any time a mentalist fails her roll to activate a psionic power, she suffers 1d4
points of subdual damage per CL of the power, and may not
access that particular ability for 24 hours.
64 Amazing Adventures
Example: Clara, a 3rd-level mentalist with an 18 wisdom, attempts to activate her pyrokinesis power to
mimic a fireball spell. Since fireball is a damaging spell,
3rd-level for arcanists, it has a CL of 6 (see Psionics and
Magic, below). This means the CC to activate the power
is 21 (base of 15 + CL 6=21). Pyrokinesis is a wisdombased ability (p. 63), a prime for mentalists. Hence, she
gains her prime bonus to cast the spell, and she may
add 5 to the rolls result. She rolls a 5 on the d20. She
adds her wisdom modifier (+3), her level (+3), and her
prime bonus (+5), getting a final result of 16. As 16 does
not equal the required 21 to activate the power, it fizzles. Clara suffers 6d4 points of subdual damage (CL
6 power; d4 per level), and she may not use her pyrokinetic abilities for another day. Perhaps she wouldve
been better off attempting burning hands.
Psionics and Magic
Despite our earlier assertion that psionics and magic
should be distinct and separate, there are inevitably
areas where the two overlap (pyrokinesis, for example,
has the ability to create flame effects similar to burning hands and fireball). In general, a power mimicking
an existing spell has a CL equal to the spell level +2
for non-damaging spells, and spell level +3 for combatoriented spells. The powers effect then functions identically to the spell it mimics. If a spell appears on two different tables, the psychic should always determine level
for CL based on the wisdom table first; if the spell is not
on the wisdom table, then check the charisma table,
with the intelligence table being lowest in the hierarchy.
Psychic Attack Rolls
In some cases, usually when an ability causes direct,
physical harm to an opponent (such as hurling an object
with telekinesis, or using pyrokinesis against a living opponent) a power will indicate the necessity for a psychic
attack roll. In this case, rather than a standard attribute
check, treat the powers usage as an attack roll, substituting the powers associate attribute for strength. Thus,
if a power is wisdom based, a psychic attack roll for that
power would be Wis bonus + BtH + 1d20.
The AC of the target of a psionic attack, for attacks
creating physical effects, such as telekinetic attacks,
equals the targets existing AC, unless the effect mimics
a spell, in which case the effect is subject to the same
restrictions as the spell it is mimicking (fireball, for example, doesnt require a roll vs. AC to activate; it goes
off based on the spells CL and is then subject to the
same restrictions and effects as the spell, meaning the
target is allowed a saving throw versus the spells effects). For effects such as biokinetic harm, which deals
damage by manipulating the victims biological processes, the targets AC equals the targets level + wisdom
bonus modifier + 10, with no armor bonuses applying.
As always, the GM is the final arbiter of the targets AC.
Resisting Psionic Powers
In most cases, an unwilling victim of a psychic power
resists with a wisdom-based saving throw. Generally,
the CL for this save equals the psychics level + the powers activating attribute modifier.
Clairvoyance (Int)
Paranormal
Book 3
possesses the Empathy power (see below) the psychic has
no way of knowing if he was successful in the use of this
power until he observes the targets behavior.
Easy Emotions:
Antipathy: the targets attitude is worsened by one step.
Good Will: the targets attitude is improved by one step.
Trepidation: the target is shaken, suffering a -2 morale penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving
throws.
Medium Emotions:
Amiability: the targets attitude is improved by two steps.
Discord: the targets attitude is worsened by two steps.
Fright: the target is frightened, fleeing as well as it
can. If unable to flee, the target is shaken and will
attempt to flee at the first opportunity.
Love/Lust: the target is charmed.
Rage: The target enters a blind rage and attacks the
nearest creature immediately.
Weariness: the target feels fatigued.
Hard Emotions:
Hopelessness: The target loses all hope and submits to simple demands from opponents, such as to
surrender or get out. If no foes are present to make
demands, there is a 25% chance that the hopeless
creature is unable to take any action except hold its
ground. If the creature remains free to act, there is a
25% chance that it retreats at normal speed.
Nausea: The target is unable to attack, cast spells,
concentrate, or do anything else requiring attention
or concentration. The target can do nothing on his
turn except move at standard speed.
Panic: The target becomes panicked and suffers a -2 morale penalty on all attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving
throws, and must flee at the first opportunity. If cornered,
the victim will simply cower. Generally, panic involves crying, screaming, begging, and other noisy factors.
Empathy (Cha)
Empathy allows you to detect the emotional state of a
single creature, gaining insight into the targets mood
and attitude. To perform this ability, you must spend
an entire round concentrating on the target and make a
Charisma Check with a CL equal to the targets Wisdom
bonus. There is no way to actively resist this ability. If
the roll succeeds, you receive a general description of the
targets emotional state. This ability grants the user a +4
bonus on all attempts to bluff, intimidate, charm, or otherwise non-psychically influence the target (this bonus
does not apply to the use of Empathic Transmission.)
66 Amazing Adventures
Paranormal
power is not actually invisible; she just telepathically
convinces anyone looking at her that she isnt, in fact,
there. Thus, she still may cast a shadow on a sunny
day, giving herself away. On the other hand, since this
invisibility is based on a form of mind control, successfully obfuscated Mentalists are invisible even to abilities
that normally allow one to see the invisible.
Psychic Defense (Wis)
Psychic Defense is a powerful psionic ability that builds
a mental wall up to protect the psychics mind and
emotions from intrusion. With this power, the psychic may substitute a Wisdom check for any attribute
saving throw that would normally require Intelligence,
Charisma, or Wisdom. Note this ability only works for
saving throws, not for other kinds of attribute checks.
This ability stacks with the standard Mental Resistance
ability granted by the Mentalist character class.
Psychometry (Int)
Psychometry is also often known as Object Reading.
This ability allows a psionic to detect properties, history, and abilities (if any) of any inanimate, nonliving
object she touches. In a fantasy game, its most common
use is to mimic the first-level spell identify. Identifying
the properties of a magic item requires an Intelligence
check at a CL of 3; success indicates the Mentalist divines 1d4 properties of the object in question. The read
can be repeated to learn more, though each subsequent
attempt adds 1 to the CL of the test.
Another use of psychometry is to discover secrets about
the items past. With an Intelligence check, the Mentalist can divine where the item has been, the ways in
which it has used, or even facts about its previous owners. The CL for this test is 1 per five years in the past
the Mentalist attempts to look. Thus, attempting to divine information about someone who owned the object
a century ago is a CC 20 challenge. Each successful
psychometry check will divine 1d4 pieces of information
about the items past or about a past owner.
Pyrokinesis (Wis)
Pyrokinesis is the destructive ability to control heat and
fire. Using this ability requires a Wisdom check; the CL
depends upon the effect the Mentalist is trying to generate.
Generally, an offensive use of this power (causing direct
damage to another in combat) uses a Wisdom-based psychic attack roll and allows a Dexterity save for half damage
by the opponent; the CL of this save is equal to the level (or
hit dice, in the case of monsters) of the Mentalist.
The effects of any fire-based arcane magical spell can
be duplicated by this ability; the CL of these effects is
equal to the spells level plus 3. Thus, to mimic Burning Hands, a first-level spell, has a CL of 4. Mimicking
Fireball, a third-level spell, has a CL of 6. In addition,
both of these effects, since they are offensive in nature,
would use a Wisdom-based psychic attack roll instead
of a standard Wisdom check.
Book 3
est; this requires a Wisdom check with a CL equal to the
level (or hit dice, if a monster) of the target. Attempting to go deeper is more difficult; attempting to read
the mind of a target in order to learn secrets requires a
Wisdom check as described above, but also grants the
target a saving throw with a CL equal to the Mentalists level (or hit dice, if a monster). Going even deeper,
to probe for the roots of phobias, childhood trauma, or
similarly blocked memories might impose even greater
CLs, at the GMs discretion.
wards one another, as well as perceive the general distance separating you (very near, far, hundreds of miles,
thousands of miles, etc.).
It is also possible to establish a permanent rapport between two individuals. This requires a full days concentration, a successful Wisdom check with CL 15, and the
expenditure of 500 XP by both the psychic and the target.
Mind Control (Cha)
Prerequisites: Mesmerism, Empathic Transmission
By making a Charisma-based Psychic Attack Roll, the
psionic can control the actions of any single intelligent,
humanoid creature through a telepathic link that she
establishes with the subjects mind. If the Mentalist and
the subject have a common language, the Mentalist can
generally force the subject to perform as the Mentalist desires, within the limits of its abilities. If no common language exists, the Mentalist can communicate only basic
commands, such as Come here, Go there, Fight, and
Stand still. The Mentalist knows what the subject is experiencing, but does not receive direct sensory input from
it, nor can it communicate with the Mentalist telepathically (unless an empathic or telepathic bond has been established with the creaturesee those abilities for details).
Once the Mentalist has given a dominated creature
a command, it continues to attempt to carry out that
command to the exclusion of all other activities except
those necessary for day-to-day survival (such as sleeping, eating, and so forth). Because of this limited range
of activity, an observer making a Wisdom check at CL 5
can determine that the subjects behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect.
This ability lasts for one day per level of the Mentalist,
and is resisted by the creatures Wisdom-based save. If
the creature is ever mistreated or is routinely placed in
danger or forced to do anything outside its nature, it is
entitled to a new save. An order to commit suicide or
engage in blatantly suicidal behavior entitles the victim
to a new save at +10.
It is possible to create a bond with more than one person simultaneously; for each person after the first added, the CL increases by 2.
While the bond is in effect, the joined parties can sense
each others emotional state, and general direction to-
68 Amazing Adventures
Paranormal
Two characters bound in this manner can call upon the
knowledge and experience of one another, allowing each
other to mimic intuition-based class abilities possessed
by either, though any class abilities not possessed by
the user are performed at half usual proficiency, using
the level of the character who knows the ability. Magical and spell knowledge is never shared in this manner,
however, as calling upon the spells of a friend would deplete that friends reserves for the day. In general, any
abilities that are based on physical attributes (Strength,
Dexterity, or Constitution) are not transferred, as these
require muscle memory as much as they do knowledge.
Any non-magical abilities based upon Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma can be shared.
the senses of the onlooker in another way. In this manner, the psychic can, with a Charisma-based Psychic
Attack Roll, mimic the effects of the spell Alter Self.
Alternately, she can choose to make the victim believe
something that isnt quite true; i.e. a quarter is actually
a dollar. Telemagry allows most types of illusory powers
to be used by the psychic. In general, and at the GMs
option, any spell with the illusion descriptor can be
mimicked; the CL for doing so is equal to the spell level
(using the Arcanist spell list) plus 3.
A side effect of this ability, however, allows the Mentalist to use Telepathic Communication as a 2-way power,
both transmitting and receiving telepathic communication with anyone within line of sight.
Telekinetic Defense (Int)
Prerequisites: Telekinesis, Psychic Defense
Telekinetic Defense allows the user to manipulate the
kinetic energy in the air surrounding himself or another, to the end of making the target harder to hit in combat. In effect, he creates an area of mild chaos in the
air surrounding his body, making weapons go astray as
they target him. In game terms, the character declares
the AC bonus he wishes to add to a target; double this
bonus to determine the CL of the Intelligence roll. The
ability isnt quite as taxing as other concentration-based
psychic powers, but does require a degree of attention,
so all actions performed while the psychic maintains
the shield are at -2. If the psychic creates more than
one telekinetic defense field, penalties are cumulative;
-2 per shield being maintained.
Another use of this power, albeit a far more difficult one,
is that of creating a telekinetic barrier. By making an
Intelligence Check at CL 10, the psychic creates an immobile wall of force that covers a 10x10 area, providing
9/10 cover from attacks coming from the direction of
the wall. Any creatures attempting to move through the
wall must make a Strength Check with a CL equal to
the psychics level + Wisdom modifier. Failure indicates
they have been repulsed. This ability requires a full
round to enact, and constant concentration to maintain, meaning the psychic loses all actions, loses Dex
bonus to AC, and suffers an additional -2 to AC.
Telemagry (Cha)
Prerequisites: Obfuscation, Mesmerism
This ability, an advanced form of Obfuscation, allows
the Mentalist to create illusions in the minds of her victims, so that she can appear as someone else, or fool
Book 3
ist class level, a character in a spell casting class gains
1d10 additional MEP. Multiclass characters only gain
MEP when they advance in the Arcanist class, not in
their non-spellcasting class.
If the check fails, on the other hand, the spell fails. The
MEP is still lost, and the caster suffers spell burn for his
troubles. Spell burn is equal to 1d4 points of subdual damage per level of the spell that was attempted and failed.
Casting Spells
Spell burn can also be applied to casters who fail spellcasting based on interference from another caster (see
Spell Interference, p. 79).
70 Amazing Adventures
Paranormal
However, the end result of this casting is that the caster
suffers 1d4 points of semi-permanent ability loss divided
as the player chooses between Constitution and his primary spellcasting attribute. Also, the moment the spell
goes off, the character is reduced to -1 hit points and is
unconscious (but automatically stabilizes). This permanent ability loss can only be recovered by resting for days
at a Site of Power (see below). If the spell requires the
caster to remain conscious for the duration, unconsciousness sets in immediately after the spell has completed its
intended function. The experience is quite harrowing for
the caster, and is not something to be undertaken lightly.
Still, there are times when it can save the day.
Spell Interference
In this system it is also possible for a spellcaster to interfere with another spellcaster by channeling personal
MEP. The process for this is simple: the caster attempting to interfere first makes a Spellcraft check, using his
primary spellcasting attribute (CL = the level of spell being cast). If the targeted spellcaster happens to be using
the same primary spellcasting attribute, the character
gains a +2 to all related spellcraft checks. If successful, he may devote a number of MEP up to his primary
attribute bonus + arcanist class level to interfering with
the spell, making it more taxing on the caster.
The caster must then make a Primary Spellcasting Attribute check (CL = the MEP spent to interfere, rounded down) to successfully cast the spell. If he is unable
or unwilling to make the check, his spell simply fails.
For Example: Martin the Mysterious finds himself and
his comrades in battle with a horde of skeletons led by
an evil Nazi necromancer. The necromancer begins to
cast a spell, and Martin makes a spellcraft check. The
GM secretly sets the CC at 17 (the necromancer, with
primary spellcasting attribute Charisma, is casting a
5th-level spell), and Martin, whose primary spellcasting
attribute is also Charisma, rolls a 16. However, since
he shares the same primary casting attribute as the
necromancer, he gains +2 to his spellcraft check, raising the result to 18. The GM says, The evil sorcerer is
casting a 5th-level spell.
Martin, being an eighth-level arcanist with a Charisma
score of 18, can devote up to 11 MEP to interfere with
this spell. Since MEP interference is rounded down,
spending 11 is pointless; Martin decides to spend 10.
The necromancer is caught off guard by Martins expenditure of power; his Charisma check is only a 16,
and he needed a 17. His spell fails, but Martin is now
down 10 MEP for his trouble. Combat continues
Dragon Lines
Magic energy is created by everything in the world, from
the smallest blade of grass to a rock to a human being. It
is a cosmic force generated by all matter. Dragon Lines
are lines of mystic energy that crisscross the world. It
is from these lines of magical energy that arcane casters draw their power. Dragon lines are invisible to the
naked eye, and can only be detected by arcane spell
Book 3
Spell Tables
Fog Cloud
Hallucinatory Terrain
Invisibility
Ice Storm
Knock
Locate Creature
Levitate
Locate Object
Mnemonic Enhancer
Magic Mouth
Polymorph Self/Other
Mirror Image
Remove Curse
Pyrotechnics
Resilient Sphere
Ray of Enfeeblement
Scrying
Rope Trick
Shout
Scare
Wall of Fire
See Invisibility
Wall of Ice
Shatter
5th-level
Web
Animate Dead
Prestidigitation
3rd-Level
Bind Elemental
System Shock
Blink
Cloudkill
1st-Level
Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
Cone of Cold
Dispel Magic
Explosive Runes
Faithful Hound
Fly
Feeblemind
Gaseous Form
Hold Monster
Glyph of Warding
Magic Jar
Gust of Wind
Passwall
Haste
Permanency
Hold Person
Secret Chest
Invisibility Sphere
Summon Monster
Lightning Bolt
Telekinesis
Telepathic Bond
Nondetection
Int-Based Casters
0-Level
Arcane Mark
Dancing Lights
Detect Magic
Detect Poison
Endure Elements
Ghost Sound
Light
Mage Hand
Mending
Message
Open/Close
Alter Size
Arcane Bolt
Burning Hands
Change Self
Charm Person
Comprehend Languages
Erase
Feather Fall
Floating Disk
Hold Portal
Identify
Jump
Protection
Evil, Law
from
Chaos,
Good,
Read Magic
Shield
Shocking Grasp
Sleep
Spider Climb
Stinking Cloud
Suggestion
Summon Lesser Monster
Tiny Hut
Tongues
Water Breathing
Summon Familiar
4th-Level
Unseen Servant
Arcane Eye
2nd-Level
Charm Monster
Acid Arrow
Bulletproof
Continual Flame
Darkness
Detect Thoughts
Enhance Attribute
Confusion
Detect Scrying
Dimension Door
Fear
Fire Shield
Fire Trap
Teleport
Wall of Force
Wall of Iron
Wall of Stone
6th-level
Antimagic Shell
Chain Lightning
Control Weather
Disintegrate
Geas
Globe of Invulnerability
Guards and Wards
Legend Lore
Mass Suggestion
Move Earth
Project Image
Transmute Flesh and Stone
72 Amazing Adventures
Paranormal
7th-level
Endure Elements
Shillelagh
Finger of Death
First Aid
3rd-Level
Greater Scrying
Know Direction
Light
Animate Dead
Instant Summons
Limited Wish
Purify Food/Drink
Mass Invisibility
Message
Phase Door
Prestidigitation
1st-Level
Sequester
Alarm
Fireball
Animal Friendship
Bless
Veil
Bless Water
Word of Recall
Command
8th-level
Antipathy
Binding
Detect Snakes/Pits
Clone
Detect Undead
Earthquake
Faerie Fire
Mass Charm
Invisibility to Undead
Maze
Magic Stones
Mind Blank
Obscuring Mist
Protection
Good, Law
Symbol
Teleportation Circle
Trap the Soul
9th-Level
Astral Projection
Disjunction
Gate
Imprisonment
Power Word Kill
Prismatic Sphere
Refuge
Shapechange
Temporal Stasis
Time Stop
Whirlwind
Wish
Wis-Based Casters
0-Level
Blinding Flash
Create Water
Detect Chaos, Evil, Good, Law
Detect Neutrality
Detect Magic
Detect Poison
Call Lightning
Continual Flame
Create Food/Water
Cure Serious Wounds
Dispel Magic
Neutralize Poison
Prayer
from
Remove Fear
Resist Elements
Sanctuary
Shield of Faith
Sound Burst
Evil,
Warp Wood
4th-Level
Air/Water Walk
Control Plants
Control Water
Discern Lies
Dismissal
2nd-Level
Divination
Animal Messenger
Freedom of Movement
Armor
Hallow
Aid
Healing Circle
Augury
Restoration
Charm Person/Animal
Quench
Consecrate
Repel Vermin
Darkness
Sending
Delay Poison
Sleet Storm
Detect Traps
Spike Stones
Entangle
Summon Animals
Fire Trap
Tongues
Heat Metal
Shatter
Scare
Lesser Restoration
Wall of Force
Produce Flame
5th-level
Remove Paralysis
Animal Growth
Silence
Speak with Animals
Speak with Dead
Atonement
Awaken
Book 3
Commune
Finger of Death
See Invisibility
Control Winds
Holy Aura
Shield
Mass Heal
Silent Image
Death Ward
Shapechange
Sleep
Summon Familiar
Ethereal Jaunt
Sunburst
Undetectable Aura
Fire Shield
Symbol
Unseen Servant
Flame Strike
9th-Level
Ventriloquist
Ice Storm
Antipathy
2nd-Level
Astral Projection
Alter Self
Energy Drain
Animal Messenger
Gate
Blur
Meteor Swarm
Burning Hands
Mind Blank
Continual Flame
Prismatic Wall
Detect Thoughts
Raise Dead
False Trap
Soul Blind
Fog Cloud
Storm of Vengeance
Hold Person
Banishment
Hypnotic Pattern
Blade Barrier
Word of Recall
Invisibility
Insect Plague
Plane Shift
Scrying
Summon Beasts or Plants
Transmute Rock and Mud
True Seeing
Wall of Fire
Wall of Thorns
6th-level
Create Undead
Cha-based Casters
0-Level
Arcane Mark
Dancing Lights
Detect Illusion
Detect Magic
Detect Undead
Ghost Sound
Magic Mouth
Minor Image
Mirror Image
Misdirection
Pyrotechnics
Remove Blindness/Deafness
Remove Paralysis
Scare
Silence
Influence
3rd-Level
Light
Aid
Control Weather
Magical Aura
Augury
Creeping Doom
Mage Hand
Blink
Fire Storm
Message
Charm Monster
Greater Restoration
Prestidigitation
Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
Greater Scrying
Stun
Dispel Illusion
Holy Word
1st-Level
Fear
Legend Lore
Refuge
Regenerate
Repulsion
Sequester
Transmute Metal to Wood
8th-level
Change Self
Charm Person or Animal
Color Spray
Command
Darkness
Daze
Erase
Animal Shapes
Faerie Fire
Command Plants
Hypnotism
Identify
Discern Location
Obscuring Mist
Incendiary Cloud
Read Magic
74 Amazing Adventures
Hallucinatory Terrain
Heat Metal
Illusory Script
Invisibility Sphere
Major Image
Nondetection
Produce Flame
Remove Curse
Rope Trick
Secret Page
Stinking Cloud
Suggestion
Paranormal
Tongues
4th-Level
Animate Dead
Confusion
Discern Lies
Dismissal
Dispel Magic
Emotion
Explosive Runes
Fear
Freedom of Movement
Illusory Wall
Improved Invisibility
Lightning Bolt
Minor Creation
Mirage Arcana
Phantasmal Killer
Rainbow Pattern
Seeming
Shadow Conjuration
Shout
Solid Fog
5th-level
Mislead
Permanent Image
Programmed Image
Repulsion
Shades
Veil
Wind Walk
7th-level
Create Greater Undead
Insanity
Mass Invisibility
Maze
Power Word Stun
Prismatic Spray
Sequester
Shadow Walk
Simulacrum
Vanish
Vision
Wall of Force
8th-level
Antipathy
Distort Reality
Antilife Shell
Create Undead
Death Ward
Dream
Faithful Hound
False Vision
Feeblemind
Greater Shadow Conjuration
Guards and Wards
Hold Monster
Major Creation
Mass Suggestion
Magic Jar
Nightmare
Persistent Image
Project Image
Sending
Shadow Evocation
Telepathic Bond
True Seeing
6th-level
Anti-Illusion Shell
Creeping Doom
Greater Shadow Evocation
Geas
Mass Suggestion
Spell Descriptions
Spell Description Format
As mentioned, each spell is defined by a description
of the effect it causes and a set of terms necessary for
game play. The spell descriptions appear after the ability-based spell lists. A summary reminder on spell format and terms appears prior to the spell descriptions,
but the following provides more detail and information
on spell terms.
Casting Time (CT)
Most spells take one round to cast. A spell that takes
one round (CT 1) to cast comes into effect during the
casters initiative turn for that round. Complex spells
may take more time to cast, and such casting times are
expressed in rounds (rd), minutes (min), hours, turns
(tn), hours (hr), or days. For relative understanding of
casting time, a round is 10 seconds.
Spells taking more than one round to cast come into effect during the casters initiative turn on the last round
of the casting time for the spell.
Most Game Masters make you announce at the beginning of the round whether you are going to cast a spell.
If so, and you roll a low initiative roll, then you have
a chance of being struck before the spell goes off. For
those Game Masters who do not require announcement,
some disallow any spell in the same round in which you
were hit before your initiative turn. For Game Masters
who do neither of the above, it would be more a situation of simultaneous swings with an enemy or some
sort of environmental or magical effect situation disrupting the spell.
For example, Carlos rolls a 6 for initiative and he
acts third in that round after his fighting companion, Quinn, and the giant ape they are fighting. Carlos casts a spell with a casting time of one round.
The spell takes effect that round. If Carlos chose
to cast a spell with a casting time of two, then the
spell would take effect in the next round of combat
during Carlos turn for the next round. So, if Carlos
acted first in next round, the spell would take effect
then, but if he acted last, then it would take effect
after all others had taken their action.
Range (R)
A spells range is the maximum distance from the character that the spells effect can occur, as well as the
maximum distance at which the character can designate the spells point of origin. The character aims a
spell by making some choice about the spells target
and where the spells effect is to originate, depending on
the spells type. If any portion of the spells area extends
beyond the range, that area is wasted.
Sometimes a spells range is only personal (affecting
only the caster) or touch (the caster must touch a crea-
76 Amazing Adventures
ture or object to affect it), as noted in the spells description. There are also four distance ranges in Amazing
Adventures: 50 feet (close), 150 feet (medium), 450 feet
(long), and unlimited (reaching anywhere on the plane
of existence). Some rare spells have no standard range
category, just a range expressed in feet.
Some spells create or summon things rather than affecting things already present. The character must designate where the summoned things are to appear, either
by seeing it or defining it. Range determines how far
away an effect can appear, but if the effect is mobile, it
can move without regard to the spells range.
Target or Area of Effect (T/AoE)
Spells not affecting the caster personally generally have
a target or an area of effect. This part of a spells description defines the number of creatures, dimensions,
volume, weight, and so on that the spell affects, if it is
not otherwise obvious from the spells description.
TARGETED SPELLS: Targeted spells are cast directly
on creatures or objects, as defined by the spell itself. In
most cases, the character must be able to see or touch
the target, and the character must specifically choose
that target. If the character casts a targeted spell on the
wrong sort of target, the spell has no effect. If the target
of a spell is the caster, the caster does not receive a saving throw, and spell resistance does not apply.
AREA SPELLS: Some spells affect an area. The character selects where the spell originates, but otherwise does
not control which creatures or objects the spell will affect.
Sometimes a spell describes a specially defined area, but
usually an area falls into one of several categories:
Burst: The character selects the spells point of origin, and the spell bursts out from this point, affecting
whatever it catches in its area.
Cone: The cone shoots away from the character in
the direction the character designates, starting directly before the character and widening out as it
goes, though some spells affect all creatures in an
area rather than individual creatures.
Cylinder: The character selects the center of a horizontal circle as the spells point of origin; the spell
shoots down from the circle, filling a cylinder.
Emanation: Some spells have an area like a burst,
but the effect continues to radiate from the point of origin for the spells duration. Some spells affect objects
within an area the caster selects. Some spells spread
out like a burst, but can turn corners; the caster selects the point of origin, and the spell spreads out for
a given distance in all directions.
OBSTACLES: Some spell effects like rays, bursts, and
cones are affected by obstacles. The character must
have a clear line of effect to any target that the character casts a spell upon or to any space in which the
Paranormal
character wishes to create an effect. The character must
have a clear line of effect to the point of origin of any
spell the character casts. For bursts, cones, cylinders,
and emanating spells, the spell only affects areas, creatures, or objects to which it has line of effect from its
origin (a bursts point, a cones starting point, a cylinders circle, or an emanating spells point of origin). An
otherwise solid barrier with a hole of at least 1 square
foot through it does not block a spells line of effect.
A caster aims a ray as if using a ranged weapon, though
typically the character makes a ranged touch attack
rather than a normal ranged attack. As with a ranged
weapon, the character can fire into the dark or at an
invisible creature and hope to hit something. The character doesnt have to see the creature he or she is trying
to hit, as the character does with a targeted spell. Intervening creatures and obstacles, however, can block the
characters line of sight or provide cover for the creature
the character is aiming at. If a ray spell has a duration,
the duration refers to the effect that the ray causes, not
to the length of time the ray itself persists.
Bursts and cones spread out from a point of origin to
a distance described in the spell. The effect can extend
around corners and into areas that the caster cannot see.
The caster must designate the point of origin for such an
effect if the spell description does not specify one.
Duration (D)
Duration measures how long a spells effect lasts. Many
durations are measured in rounds, minutes, hours, or
some other increment. When the time is up, the magic
goes away and the spell ends. Some spells have a permanent duration, and some require the caster to concentrate in order to maintain the spells effect. A character
can typically dismiss personal spells at will before the
duration ends, or if the spell description so states. A spell
requiring concentration is dismissible by its very nature.
Sometimes a spell lasts for a short time after the character ceases concentrating. In these cases, the spells effects
continue for the stated length of time after the character
stops concentrating. Otherwise, the character must concentrate to maintain the spell, but the character cannot
maintain it for more than the stated duration in any event.
If a spell affects creatures directly, the effects travel with
the subject for the spells duration. If the spell creates an
effect, the effect lasts for the duration. The effect might
move or remain still. Such effects can be destroyed prior
to their durations end. If the spell affects an area, then
the spell stays with that area for the spells duration.
Creatures become subject to the spell when they enter the
area and become free of it when they leave. Certain spells
last for a set duration, or until triggered or discharged.
Saving Throw (SV)
Most harmful spells allow an affected creature to make
a saving throw in order to avoid some or all of the spells
effect. The spell description details whether the spell al-
Book 3
spell resistance, if any, are applied first, and then the
creature may also make a saving throw against the spell
if it surpasses the spell resistance. In most cases, spell
resistance applies only when a resistant creature is targeted by the spell, not when a resistant creature encounters a spell already in place, such as a wall of iron.
The terms object and harmless mean the same thing
for saving throws. A creature with spell resistance must
voluntarily drop the resistance in order to receive the effects of a spell noted as harmless without the check described above. If a spell does not include a spell resistance
entry, then assume no spell resistance check is allowed.
Components (C)
A spells components line includes abbreviations for the
components required to cast the spell. Spells can have
verbal (V), somatic (S), material (M), focus (F), divine focus
(DF) components, any combination thereof, or any other
special components. If the components line includes F/
DF or M/DF, the arcane version of the spell has a focus
component or a material component and the divine version has a divine focus component. If the necessary components are not used, the casting fails. If a material component, focus or define focus has a monetary cost, the
cost is listed; otherwise the character can assume that the
actual materials involved have no significant monetary
value, unless the Game Master rules otherwise. Material
components are always consumed during the casting of
a spell; a focus or divine focus is not. If a special focus or
divine focus is required, it is unique to the spell and cannot be used as the focus for other spells.
That being said, pulp is a visceral genre of play, and
having fantasy-style spell slingers running around can
change the entire feel of the game. We recommend that
arcanist characters be required to keep careful track of
78 Amazing Adventures
all spell componentseven things as seemingly mundane as salt or as odd as fecal matterfor purposes of
having what they need to cast spells. Given the powerful nature of some of the spells herein, this will put a
cap on the potential imbalance and altered feel magic
can bring to a two-fisted pulp action game. When required to keep track of what components they have
handy, and to describe what theyre doing to cast their
spells, arcanists will become much more mysterious
and focused, and will play out as the strange outcasts
they are intended to be.
V (VERBAL): A verbal component is a spoken incantation. To provide a verbal component, the character
must be able to speak in a strong voice. A silence spell
or a gag spoils the incantation.
SOMATIC (S): A somatic component is a measured and
precise movement of the hand or some other part of the
body. The character must have at least one hand free to
provide a somatic component.
MATERIAL (M): A material component is a physical
substance or object that focuses a spellcasters energies
during the casting process. The component is generally
destroyed in the process of casting the spell.
F (FOCUS): A focus component is a prop of some sort.
Unlike a material component, a focus is not consumed
when the spell is cast and can be reused. As with material components, the cost for a focus is negligible unless
a specific price is listed.
DF (DIVINE FOCUS): A divine focus component is
an item of spiritual significance. The divine focus for a
faith-based arcanist is a holy symbol appropriate to the
characters faith. For an evil arcanist, the divine focus
is an unholy symbol.
The Grimoire
decided upon at the moment the spell is cast. A creature that speaks the password, also determined at the
time of casting, does not set off the alarm. The caster
may elect to have small animals not set off the alarm.
Ethereal or astral creatures do not trigger the alarm unless the intruder becomes material while in the warded
area. The spells area of effect is a 50-ft. diameter circle
and requires a small bell to activate.
A
ACID ARROW, Level 2 Int
CT 1 R 450 ft. D 1 rd.+1 rd./2 lvl.
SV none SR yes Comp V, S, M
A magical arrow of acid springs from the casters
hand and speeds toward a single target. The caster
must succeed with a ranged touch attack to hit the
target. The acid arrow deals 2d4 points of acid damage if it hits. For every two caster levels, the acid, unless somehow neutralized, lasts an additional round
and deals another 2d4 points each round (2 rounds at
3rd to 4th level; 3 rounds at 5th to 6th level; etc.). The
material components of this spell are a drop of acid or
corrosive substance.
AID, Level 2 Wis, Level 3 Cha
CT 1 R touch D 1 tn./lvl.
SV none SR yes (h) Comp V, S, DF
This spell allows the arcanist to heal, inspire, and raise
the morale of one creature. The subject gains 1d8 temporary HP, +1 to hit, and +1 on saving throws against fear.
AIR/WATER WALK, Level 4 Wis
CT 1 R touch D 10 tn./lvl.
SV wisdom negates (h) SR yes (h) Comp V, S, DF
This spell allows a single target creature to tread on air
or liquid as if walking on solid ground. The caster must
choose the version of the spell desired upon the initial
casting of the spell.
Air Walk: The maximum upward or downward angle possible is 45 degrees, at a rate equal to one-half the creatures normal movement. A strong wind (21+ mph) can
push an air walker along or hold the walker back. Each
round at the end of the walkers turn, the wind blows the
walker 5 feet for each 5 miles per hour of wind speed.
Water Walk: The creatures feet hover an inch above the
surface. Any liquid may be traversed, including mud,
oil, snow, quicksand, running water, ice, and even lava
(although creatures crossing molten lava or other harmful surfaces still take damage from the heat or other
harm). The creature can walk, run, charge, or otherwise
move across the surface as if it were normal ground.
If the spell is cast underwater (or while the subject is
partially submerged), the subject is borne toward the
surface at 60 feet per round until they can stand on it.
ALARM, Level 1 Wis
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 2 hrs./lvl.
SV none SR N/A Comp V, S, F/DF
The caster summons a small animal to watch over an
area. Each time a creature enters the warded area, a
mental or audible alarm is triggered. Whether the alarm
is mental or audible is left up to the caster but must be
WEIGHT
+10%
(X 1.1)
+30%
(X 1.3)
+20%
(X 1.2)
+70%
(X 1.7)
+30%
(X 1.3)
+40%
(X 1.4)
+50%
(X 1.5)
+120%
(X 2.2)
+170%
(X 2.7)
+240%
(X 3.4)
Book 3
HEIGHT
WEIGHT
10%
(X 0.9)
20%
(X 0.8)
30%
(X 0.7)
40%
(X 0.6)
50%
(X 0.5)
60%
(X 0.4)
80%
(X 0.2)
90%
(X 0.1)
80 Amazing Adventures
Paranormal
A skeleton can be created only from a mostly intact corpse
or skeleton. The corpse must have bones. If a skeleton is
made from a corpse, the flesh falls off the bones. A zombie,
however, can be created only from a mostly intact corpse.
The statistics for skeletons and zombies are detailed in
Book 5: Bestiary; undead created with this spell do not
return any abilities the creature may have had while alive.
Preserve Dead: This reverse version has two effects. First, the caster preserves the remains of the target corpses so they do not decay, for one day per level
of the caster. Doing so extends the time limit on raising
that creature from the dead. The spell works on severed
body parts and the like. Second, the spell permanently
prevents the target corpses from being animated by an
animate dead spell. If a target corpse is preserved, and
then raised from the dead or resurrected, the spell ends.
ANTI-ILLUSION SHELL, Level 6 Cha
CT 1 R person D 1 tn./lvl.
SV none SR see text Comp V, S.
This spell creates an invisible, mobile, 20-ft. diameter
sphere of energy around the caster that affects all illusions, whether created by spell, spell-like ability,
device, or supernatural ability. It suppresses any illusion used within, passing into, or cast into the area,
but does not dispel it. Time spent within an antimagic
shell counts against the suppressed spells duration.
The shell prevents the entrance of illusory creatures;
if the caster casts anti-illusion shell in an area occupied by such a creature, the creature is forced away.
Should the character be larger than the area enclosed
by the shell, any part of the characters person that
lies outside the barrier is unaffected by the field. Illusions created by creatures of demigod or higher status may be unaffected.
ANTILIFE SHELL, Level 5 Cha
CT 1 R person D 1 tn./lvl.
SV none SR y Comp V, S, DF
This spell creates a mobile, 20-ft. diameter sphere of energy
around the caster that prevents the entrance of all living
creatures, but not constructs, elementals, outsiders or undead. The shell is transparent, but it is not invisible. It moves
with the caster. This spell may be used only defensively, not
aggressively; an attempt to force the shell against a creature
normally kept at bay causes the shell to collapse.
ANTIMAGIC SHELL, Level 6 Int
CT 1 R person D 1 tn./lvl.
SV none SR see text Comp V, S
This spell creates a mobile, 20-ft. diameter sphere of
energy around the caster that is impervious to most
magical effects, including spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. An antimagic shell
suppresses any spell or magical effect used within,
brought into or cast into the area, but does not dispel
it. Time spent within an antimagic shell counts against
the suppressed spells duration. Likewise, the shell
prevents the functioning of any magic items or spells
Book 3
fected creature attempts to return to the area or object.
Sympathy counters and dispels antipathy.
ARCANE BOLT, Level 1 Int
CT 1 R 150 ft. D n/a
SV none SR yes Comp V, S
A bolt of magical energy flies from the casters hand and
unerringly strikes its target. The bolt deals 1d4+1 points
of damage. As long as the caster can see the target and
all the targets are in a 25-foot-diameter area, the bolt will
hit. Specific parts of a creature cannot be singled out.
For every two levels of experience past first level, the caster gains an additional bolt. The caster has two at 3rd level,
three at 5th level, four at 7th level, and so on. If the caster
shoots multiple bolts, the caster can have them strike a
single creature or several different creatures. The caster
must designate targets before rolling for damage or SR.
ARCANE EYE, Level 4 Int
CT 1 tn. R unlimited D 1 tn./lvl.
SV none SR none Comp V, S, M
The caster creates an invisible magical eye that sends
the caster visual information. The material component
for the spell is an eye. The arcane eye travels at 30 feet
per round, and sees exactly as the caster would see if
the caster were there. If the eye examines walls or ceilings, it moves at 10 feet per round. Solid barriers prevent the passage of an arcane eye, although it can pass
through a space no smaller than a small mouse hole
(one inch in diameter). The caster must concentrate to
use the eye. If the caster does not concentrate, the eye
becomes inert until the caster again concentrates.
The powers of the eye cannot be enhanced by other
spells or items (though the caster can use magic to improve the casters own eyesight). The caster is subject to
any gaze attack the eye encounters. A successful dispel
magic cast on the caster or the eye ends the spell. With
respect to blindness, magical darkness and other phenomena that affect vision, the arcane eye is considered
an independent sensory organ of the caster (including a
creature). Creatures with intelligence 12 or higher can
sense the arcane eye by making an intelligence check.
Spells such as detect scrying can also detect the eye.
ARCANE MARK, Level 0 Int, Level 0 Cha
CT 1 R touch D permanent
SV charisma negates (h) SR yes Comp V, S
This spell allows the caster to inscribe a rune or mark,
which can be no taller than six inches in height and consist
of no more than six characters. The writing can be visible or
invisible. The caster can etch the rune upon any substance
without harm to the material upon which it is placed.
If an invisible mark is made, a detect magic spell causes
it to glow and be visible. See invisibility, true seeing,
and the like allow their users to see an invisible arcane
mark. A read magic spell reveals the words, if any. The
mark cannot be dispelled, but it can be removed by the
caster or by an erase spell.
82 Amazing Adventures
Paranormal
astral copy of them and all they wear or carry onto the
astral plane. Because the astral plane touches upon other
planes, the caster can travel astrally to any of these other
planes as the caster wishes. The caster then leaves the astral plane, forming a new physical body (and equipment)
on the plane of existence the caster has chosen to enter.
When on the astral plane or another plane, the casters
astral body is connected at all times to the casters material body by a silvery cord. If the cord is broken, the
caster is killed both astrally and materially. Very few
things can destroy a silver cord. When a second body
is formed on a different plane, the incorporeal silvery
cord remains invisibly attached to the new body. If the
second body or the astral form is slain, the cord simply
returns to the casters original body, reviving it from its
state of suspended animation. Although astral projections can function on the astral plane, their actions affect only creatures existing on the astral plane.
The caster and the casters companions may travel
through the astral plane indefinitely. The spell lasts until the caster desires to end it, or until it is terminated
by some outside means, such as dispel magic cast upon
either the physical body or the astral form, or the destruction of the casters body (which kills the caster).
ATONEMENT, Level 5 Wis
CT 1 hr. + 1 hr./lvl. of recip. R touch D see description
SV none SR yes (h) Comp V, S, F DF
This spell removes the burden of evil acts or misdeeds from
the subject. The creature seeking atonement must be truly
repentant and desirous of setting right its misdeeds. The
spell removes the burden from a creature that committed
the evil act unwittingly or under some form of compulsion.
A suitable focus worth at least $50 and ceremonial components totaling $10 in cost are needed to cast the spell.
It may also be used to atone a creature that committed deliberate misdeeds and acts of a knowing and willful nature.
In such cases, the casters deity becomes directly involved
in the atonement. Such intercession has a debilitating effect on the caster. Upon completion of the spell, the caster
loses all spellcasting ability for one week and must rest for
one day before resuming normal, daily activity. Many casters first assign the atoning subject a quest or similar penance before casting the atonement spell on their behalf.
Atonement may be cast for one of several purposes:
Reverse Magical Alignment Change: If a creature has
had its alignment magically changed, atonement returns its alignment to its original status.
Book 3
B
BANISHMENT, Level 6 Wis
CT 1 R 50 ft. D permanent
SV charisma negates SR yes Comp V, S, F
Banishment enables the caster to force extraplanar
creatures within a 25-x-25-foot area, back to their
home plane. Up to 2 hit dice of creatures per caster
level can be banished. To target a creature, the character must present at least one object or substance that
it hates, fears or otherwise opposes. For each such object or substance, the creature suffers a -2 penalty on
its saving throw, and the caster gains +1 bonus on the
check to overcome the targets SR (if any).
BIND ELEMENTAL, Level 5 Int
CT 10 min. R 50 ft. D 10 min./lvl.
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, M
Upon casting this spell, the caster forcibly transports a
powerful elemental from one of the elemental planes to
the plane in which the caster is located. The type of elemental summoned must be designated by the caster
before the spell is begun. This elemental has 12d8 HD,
physical primes, a slam attack dealing 3D6 damage, and
is capable of casting any spell from any list that could be
directly associated with its element. As the elemental will
be a large specimen, fire and water elementals will require
a large source of either element in order to be able to take
shape. Earth and air are typically present in abundance.
The caster can use any item, which can reasonably be associated with the element being summoned.
The elemental does not come willingly, nor will it do the
casters bidding without a struggle. The caster must maintain concentration upon the elemental to force it to serve. If
the caster moves, speaks, takes damage, or performs any
other action other than concentrating on forcing the elemental to do his or her bidding, the elemental attacks the
caster immediately, and will not stop until destroyed. Control over the elemental cannot be regained. It will ignore any
and all opponents save for the sorcerer who summoned it.
The caster may release the elemental at any time.
BINDING*, Level 8 Int, Level 9 Cha
CT 1 tn. R 50 ft. D see below
SV charisma negates SR yes Comp V, S, M
A binding spell creates a magical restraint to hold a
creature. The target only gets an initial saving throw
if its HD is equal to at least half the casters level. The
caster may employ up to six assistants with the spell.
For each assistant who casts suggestion, the casters
effective caster level increases by +1. For each assistant
who casts a charm or other appropriate spell, the casters effective level increases by +2 (provided the target is
appropriate for the spell). All the assistants must join in
chanting the spell as detailed below.
84 Amazing Adventures
Paranormal
This spell creates a wall of whirling blades. The wall is
immobile, standing 30 feet tall, 60 feet long, and 5 feet
thick. Any creature passing through the blade barrier
takes 12d6 points of damage. Creatures within the blade
barrier when it is invoked take the damage as well, but
they can avoid the damage with a successful dexterity
check, provided they can and do physically leave the area
of the blades by the shortest possible route. Once the
barrier is in place, anything entering or passing through
the blades automatically takes damage.
BLESS*, Level 1 Wis
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 1 tn./lvl.
SV none SR yes (h) Comp V, S, DF.
The casters allies gain +1 to hit, and a + 1 on saving
throws against fear. The reverse spell, bane, causes the
casters enemies a -1 to hit and saving throws against fear.
BLESS WATER*, Level 1 Wis
CT 1 tn. R touch D permanent
SV n/a SR yes (object) Comp V, S, DF
This spell turns a flask (one pint) of water into holy water or unholy water. Holy water and unholy water have
special effects on certain creatures, such as undead and
evil outsiders, upon which a flask deals 1d8 points of
acid damage. The reverse is called curse water, and has
a similar effect on holy creatures and good outsiders.
BLINDING FLASH, Level 0 Wis
CT 1 R 10 ft./lvl D instant
SV Neg. SR no Comp V,S
This spell creates a blinding flash of light within 10
ft. per level of the caster. All characters within 10 feet
of the burst (including the caster and his allies) must
make a constitution-based saving throw with a CL
equal to the casters level + 1, or they are blinded and
disoriented for one round, suffering -6 to all actions. If
targets (ally or enemy) are aware the attack is coming
and know to close or avert their eyes, they automatically save against the spells effects.
BLINK, Level 3 Int, Level 3 Cha
CT 1 R n/a D 1 rd./lvl.
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S
This spell rapidly cycles the caster in and out of existence (into the ethereal plane). Blinking has several effects. Attacks against the caster are made at -10. If the
attacker, however, is capable of striking ethereal or incorporeal creatures, or can see invisible creatures, then
attacks are made at only -2. If the attacker can both see
and strike ethereal creatures, the attacker suffers no
penalty. Individually targeted spells have a 50% chance
to fail against the character while blinking unless the
attacker can target invisible or ethereal creatures. Area
attacks, such as fireball or a burst of bullets from an
automatic firearm, cause full damage.
The casters own attacks are made at -2. Likewise, the
casters own spells have a 50% chance to activate just
as the character goes ethereal, in which case they take
Book 3
C
CALL LIGHTNING, Level 3 Wis
CT 10 min. plus 1 rd per bolt R 450 ft. D 10 min./lvl.
SV dexterity half SR yes Comp V, S
If the caster is outdoors in a stormy area, this spell allows him to call bolts of lightning from the sky. The
caster can call down one bolt every 10 minutes, for the
spells duration. The character need not call a bolt of
lightning immediately. Other actions, even spellcasting,
can be performed during the spells duration. Calling a
bolt, however, takes the casters action for that round.
A bolt causes 1d10 hit points of damage per caster level.
It strikes in a vertical stroke at whatever target point
the character chooses, within the spells range. The bolt
takes the shortest possible unobstructed path between
a nearby cloud and the target. Any creature within a 10foot radius of the path or the point where the lightning
strikes is affected. This spell can only be used outdoors.
CHAIN LIGHTNING, Level 6 Int
CT 1 R 450 ft. D instant
SV dexterity save half SR yes Comp V, S
Bolts of lightning spring from the casters fingertips,
striking a target and then arcing to other targets within
50 feet of the prime target. The bolt deals 1d6 points
of damage per caster level on the primary target. After
the bolt strikes, the lightning can arc to as many secondary targets as the caster has levels. The secondary
bolts each strike one target and deal half as many dice
of damage as the primary (rounded down). All subjects
can attempt dexterity saving throws for half damage. The
character chooses the secondary targets, but they must
all be within 50 feet of the primary target, and no target
can be struck more than once. The character can choose
to affect fewer secondary targets than the maximum.
CHANGE SELF, Level 1 Int, Level 1 Cha
CT 1 R touch D 10 tn./lvl.
SV Intelligence negates SR no Comp V, S
The spell changes the casters appearance, including
clothing, armor, weapons and equipment. The caster can
seem one foot shorter or taller, thin, fat, or in between.
The character cannot change the characters race. Otherwise, the extent of the apparent change is up to the caster. The spell does not provide the abilities or mannerisms
of the chosen form. It does not alter the perceived tactile
(touch) or audible (sound) properties of the character or
any equipment. Creatures get an intelligence save to recognize the glamour as an illusion if they interact with it.
CHARM MONSTER, Level 3 Cha, Level 4 Int
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 1 day/lvl.
SV charisma negates SR yes Comp V,S
This charm makes a monster regard the caster as a trusted friend and ally. If the monster is being threatened or
86 Amazing Adventures
Paranormal
originals living body, with a volume of at least one cubic
inch. The piece of flesh need not be fresh, but it must be
kept from rotting. Once the spell is cast, the duplicate
must be grown in a laboratory for 2d4 months.
The clone has the personality, memories, levels, attributes, and abilities that the original had at the time the
piece of flesh was taken. The spell duplicates only the
originals body and mind, not its equipment.
CLOUDKILL, Level 5 Int
CT 1 R 150 ft. D 1 tn./lvl.
SV see text SR yes Comp V, S
A bank of yellowish-green poisonous fog billows out from
the point the caster designates and affects a 20 foot high
x 30 foot wide x 20 foot thick area. The fog obscures
all sight, including extraordinary vision, beyond 5 feet.
A creature within 5 feet has one-half concealment. Creatures farther away have total concealment. The fogs
vapors kill any living creature with 3 or fewer HD (no
save), and it causes creatures with 4 to 6 HD to make
constitution saving throws or die. Living creatures above
6 HD, and creatures of 4 to 6 HD who make their saving
throws, take 1d10 points of poison damage each round
while in the cloud. Holding ones breath doesnt help, but
creatures immune to poison are unaffected by the spell.
The cloudkill moves away from the caster at 10 feet per
round, rolling along the surface of the ground. Because
the vapors are heavier than air, they sink to the lowest
level of the land, even pouring down openings. It cannot
penetrate liquids, nor can it be cast underwater. A moderate wind (11+ mph) disperses the fog in four rounds;
a strong wind (21+ mph) disperses the fog in one round.
COLOR SPRAY, Level 1 Cha
CT 1 R 25 ft. D instant
SV wisdom negates SR yes Comp V, S, M
A rainbow cone springs forth from the casters hand,
causing nearby creatures to fall asleep. The spell can
affect a number of creatures equal to 1d4 + level. The
cone is 5 feet wide and 25 feet long, and the closest
creatures in the cone are affected first. The material
component are small colored objects.
The result of the spell depends upon the HD of the targeted creatures. Creatures of 2 HD or less are struck
unconscious for 2d4 rounds; creatures of 3 to 4 HD are
blinded for 1d4 rounds; and creatures of 5 HD or greater
are stunned for one round. Creatures of the same level or
HD as the caster, and all creatures with 5 HD or greater
may make a wisdom saving throw to shake off the color
spray. Sightless creatures are not affected by color spray.
COMMAND, Level 1 Wis, Level 1 Cha
CT 1 R 25 ft. D 1 rd
SV charisma negates SR yes Comp V
The caster utters a one-word directive, which the subject
or subjects, up to one creature for every 2 levels, obeys to
the best of their ability unless they make a charisma saving throw. The command must be clear and understood
Book 3
with an answer of yes or no will result in no answer
and will count against the casters maximum number
of questions. If a caster doesnt focus on the conversation, such as discussing answers with others, the deity
becomes angry or irritated, and ends the spell.
COMPREHEND LANGUAGES, Level 1 Int
CT 1 R n/a D 10 min./lvl.
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S
The character can understand the spoken words of creatures and read otherwise incomprehensible written messages. Note that the ability to read does not necessarily
impart insight into the material, merely its literal meaning.
Note also that the spell enables the character to understand
or read an unknown language, not speak or write it. Written material can be read at the rate of one page (250 words)
per minute. Magical writing cannot be read, other than to
know it is magical. The spell does not decipher codes or
reveal messages concealed in otherwise normal text.
CONE OF COLD, Level 5 Int
CT 1 R see below D 1 rd.
SV dexterity half SR yes Comp V, S, M
A cone of extreme cold shoots from the casters hand,
affecting an area 5 feet wide x 50 feet long, or from a
focus, causing 1d6 points of damage per caster level.
Water is needed to cast the spell.
CONFUSION, Level 4 Int, Level 4 Cha
CT 1 R 150 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV wisdom negates SR yes Comp V, S
This spell causes creatures in an area 50 feet x 50 feet
to behave randomly, as indicated on the following table:
1d10
1
2-3
4-6
7-8
9
10
Behavior
Wander away for 1 turn (unless prevented)
Attempt mundane task, like cooking, for 1
round
Do nothing for 1 round
Try to locate lost items for 1 round
Attack nearest creature for 1 round
Act normally for 1 round
Except on a result of one, roll each round to see what the subject does. Wandering creatures leave the scene as if disinterested. Any confused creature that is attacked automatically
attacks its attackers on its next turn.
88 Amazing Adventures
Paranormal
CONTACT OTHER PLANE
Saving Throw
Loss of
Plane Contacted
Challenge Level
Int
Cha
Elemental Plane
True Answer
Dont Know
Lie
01-35
36-65
66-85
86-100
Random Answer
Astral Plane
01-40
41-65
66-85
86-100
Outer Plane,
demigod
01-55
56-75
76-90
91-100
Outer Plane,
lesser deity
01-70
71-85
86-95
96-100
Outer Plane,
greater deity
12
01-90
91-92
93-100
True Answer: The character gets a true, one-word answer. Questions not capable of being answered in this
way are answered as unclear.
Dont Know: The entity tells the character that it doesnt know.
Raise Water: This use of the spell causes water (or any
similar liquid) to rise in height. Boats raised in this way
slide down the sides of the hump that the spell creates.
If the area affected by the spell is adjacent to land, the
water can spill over onto dry land.
Possible weather
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Book 3
ter so desires, and the character may choose to limit the
effect to any area less than the spells full area of effect.
Wind Direction: The caster may choose one of four
basic wind patterns to function over the spells area:
a downdraft blows from the center outward in equal
strength in all directions; an updraft blows from the
outer edges in toward the center in equal strength from
all directions, veering upward before impinging on the
eye in the center; a rotation causes the winds to circle
the center in clockwise or counterclockwise fashion; a
blast simply causes the winds to blow in one direction
across the entire area from one side to the other.
Wind Force: For every three caster levels, the character can increase or decrease wind force by one level of
strength. Strong winds (21+ mph) make sailing difficult.
A severe wind (31+ mph) causes minor ship and building
damage. A windstorm (51+ mph) drives most flying creatures from the skies, uproots small trees, knocks down
light wooden structures, tears off roofs, and endangers
ships. Hurricane-force winds (75+ mph) destroy wooden
buildings, sometimes uproot even large trees and cause
most ships to founder. A tornado (175+ mph) destroys
all non-fortified buildings and often uproots large trees.
CREATE FOOD AND WATER*, Level 3 Wis
CT 10 min R 50 ft. D permanent
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, DF
This spell creates simple food of the casters choice and a
volume of drinking water. The food decays as normal food,
but the water does not go bad. The caster can create enough
food and water to sustain three humans or one horse for 1
day per caster level. The reverse of this spell, spoil food and
water, makes the same amount of food or water inedible.
CREATE GREATER UNDEAD, Level 7 Cha, 8 Wis
CT 1 hour R 50 ft. (one) D permanent
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, M
This evil spell allows the caster to create powerful kinds
of undead if the arcanist is of the appropriate level:
mummy (13), spectre (15), vampire (17) or ghost (19).
The caster may create less powerful undead than the
casters maximum capability if desired. Created undead
are not automatically under the control of their animator. The caster may gain command of the undead as it
forms by making a successful Wisdom check with a CL
equal to the hit dice of the monster. This spell must be
cast at night and the caster must spend $100 per corpse.
CREATE UNDEAD, Level 5 Cha, 6 Wis
CT 1 hour R 50 ft. (one) D permanent
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, M
This evil spell allows the caster to create powerful kinds
of undead if the arcanist is of the appropriate level:
ghouls (9), shadow (10), ghasts (12), wights (14) or
wraiths (18). The caster may create less powerful undead than the casters maximum capability if desired.
Created undead are not automatically under the control of their animator. The caster may gain command of
the undead as it forms by making a successful turning
check. This spell must be cast at night.
90 Amazing Adventures
Paranormal
D
DANCING LIGHTS , Level 0 Int, 0 Cha
CT 1 R 150 ft. D 1 tn.
SV see text SR no Comp V, S
Depending on the version selected during casting, the caster creates up to four lights that resemble lanterns or torches (and provide the same amount of light), or up to four
glowing spheres of light (which look like will-o-wisps), or
one faintly glowing, vaguely humanoid shape. The dancing
lights must stay within 20 feet of each other, but otherwise
move as the caster desires (no concentration required): forward or back, up or down, straight or turning corners, etc.
The lights can move up to 100 feet per round. A light winks
out if its distance from the caster exceeds the spells range.
A creature that interacts with a dancing light gets a wisdom
saving throw to recognize it is an illusion.
DARKNESS*, Level 1 Cha, 2 Int, 2 Wis
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 10 min./lvl.
SV none SR none Comp V, M/DF
This spell causes an object or surface to radiate darkness out to a 20-foot radius. Not even creatures that
can normally see in the dark can see in an area shrouded in magical darkness. Normal lights do not work, nor
do light spells of a lower spell level.
The reverse of this spell is called daylight. Daylight causes an object or surface to shed light as bright as full daylight in a 60 foot radius. Creatures that suffer penalties
in bright light suffer them while exposed to this magical light. Darkness and daylight cancel each other out,
leaving whatever light conditions normally prevail in the
overlapping areas of the spells. Higher-level light spells
are not affected by darkness, and the reverse is true for
daylight. If either spell is cast on a small object that is
then placed inside or under a lightproof covering, the
spells effects are blocked until the covering is removed.
DAZE, Level 1 Cha
CT 1 R 25 feet D 1 rd.
SV intelligence neg SR yes Comp V, S, M
This enchantment clouds the mind of a humanoid creature with 4 or fewer hit dice so that it takes no actions.
Humanoids of 5 or more hit dice are not affected. A dazed
subject is not stunned, so attackers get no special advantage against it. A pinch of wool is needed to cast this spell.
DEATH WARD, Level 5 Cha, 5 Wis
CT 1 R touch D 10 min./lvl.
SV none SR yes (h) Comp V, S, DF
The caster imbues one subject with immunity to all
death spells and magical death effects. The spell does
not protect against other sorts of attacks, such as hit
point loss, poison, petrification or other effects even if
they might be lethal.
Book 3
The caster can determine whether one creature, one object or a 25 foot x 25 foot area has been poisoned or is poisonous. The character can determine the type of poison
with a successful wisdom check. The spell can penetrate
barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a
thin sheet of lead or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
92 Amazing Adventures
Paranormal
ards such as quicksand (registers as a snare), a sinkhole (pit), or unsafe walls of natural rock (deadfall). It
does not, however, reveal other potentially dangerous
conditions. The spell does not detect magic traps (except those that operate by pit, deadfall or snaring), nor
mechanically complex ones, nor those that have been
rendered safe or inactive. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin
sheet of lead or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
DETECT THOUGHTS*, Level 2 Cha, 2 Int
CT 1 R 50 ft. x 10 ft. D 10 min./lvl.
SV none SR yes Comp V, S, F, DF
The character can detect surface thoughts, and get a general impression of the level of intelligence involved. The caster
detects the presence or absence of thoughts (from conscious creatures with intelligence scores of 1 or higher) in
the direction the caster is facing, along a path 50 feet long
and 10 feet wide. The caster must spend one round concentrating along the path, although the caster may both
cast the spell and begin detecting in the same round as
the spell is cast. Once thoughts are detected, if the caster
concentrates an additional round, the general level of intelligence will be revealed as one of the following: animal, very
low, low, average, high, very high, genius, supra-genius, or
deific. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 2 feet of stone
or metal, 2 inches of common metal, a thick sheet of lead
or 5 feet of wood or dirt blocks it. The reverse of this spell,
hide thoughts, obscures a subjects thoughts and counters
detect thoughts. The spells component is a copper piece.
DETECT UNDEAD, Level 0 Cha, 1 Wis
CT 1 R 50 ft. x 10 ft. D 1 min./lvl.
SV none SR none Comp V, S, DF
By means of this spell, the caster can detect undead in
the direction the caster is facing, along a path 150 feet
long and 10 feet wide. The caster must spend one round
concentrating along the path, although the caster may
cast the spell and detect in the round the spell is cast.
The strength of the undead will be revealed as faint (1
HD or less), moderate (2-4 HD), strong (5-10 HD), or
overwhelming (11+ HD). The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin
sheet of lead or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
DIMENSION DOOR, Level 4 Int
CT 1 R 450 ft. D instant
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V
The caster instantly transports from the casters current
location to any other spot within range. The character always arrives at exactly the spot desired whether by simply visualizing the area or by stating direction. After using this spell, the character cant take any other actions
until the next round. If the character arrives in a place
that is already occupied by a solid body, the character
becomes trapped in the astral plane. All that the caster
wears and carries is teleported, up to 500 pounds.
DISCERN LIES*, Level 4 Cha, 4 Wis
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV charisma negates SR yes Comp V, S, DF
Book 3
94 Amazing Adventures
Paranormal
If the recipient is awake when the spell begins, the messenger can choose to remain in the trance or to awaken
(ending the spell). The messenger can remain in the trance
until the recipient goes to sleep, then enter the recipients
dream and deliver the message as normal. Creatures who
dont sleep or dream cannot be contacted by this spell.
If the messenger is disturbed during the trance, the
messenger awakens, and the spell ends. The messenger
is unaware of his or her own surroundings or the activities around him or her while in the trance. The messenger is defenseless, both physically and mentally (always
fails any saving throw, for example) while in the trance.
Despair: A lack of all hope crushes the targeted creatures morale. They suffer a -2 penalty to all saves, attacks, attribute checks, ability checks and damage
rolls. Despair dispels Hate.
Fear: Fear of the caster grips the hearts of the targeted creatures. They flee as if subject to a fear spell. Fear dispels Rage.
Hate: Fiery hate and bile rise in the targeted creatures.
They react poorly to others and may become antagonistic or hostile. They gain a +2 bonus to saves, attacks,
attribute checks, ability checks and damage rolls. Hate
dispels Despair.
Rage: Sheer blind fury and wrath engulfs the targeted
creatures, and they are compelled to fight, heedless of
danger. They gain a +2 bonus to strength and constitution scores, and a +1 bonus to saves against fear, but
suffer a -1 penalty to armor class. Rage dispels Fear.
ENDURE ELEMENTS, Level 0 Int, 0 Wis
CT 1 R person D 24 hrs.
SV none SR yes Comp V, S, DF
Protective magical energies merge with the casters
body, providing protection against natural elements.
The subject can withstand extreme temperatures, such
as sub-zero or extremely hot temperatures, or other
natural effects harmful to a normal person. For example, this spell allows the subject to travel through a
snowstorm wearing normal clothing.
ENERGY DRAIN, Level 9 Wis
CT 1 R 50 ft. D see below
SV constitution negates SR yes Comp V, S, DF
One of the most hated of all spells, this spell wracks the
unfortunate target, draining 2d4 levels of experience. If
cast on an undead creature, it gains 2d4 x5 temporary
HP for 1 hour.
Book 3
This spell removes writings of mundane or magical nature. The spell clears as much writing as might be found
on a scroll, or up to two pages of parchment. It even
removes explosive runes, glyphs of warding and arcane
marks, but does not remove symbols or illusory script.
Removal of dangerous magical writing such as explosive
runes, requires the caster to touch them and make an
intelligence check. Failure indicates that the effect of
the dangerous writing is triggered as it is erased. Nonmagical writings are automatically erased.
96 Amazing Adventures
Paranormal
F
FAERIE FIRE, Level 1 Cha, 1 Wis
CT 1 R 150 ft. D 1 tn./lvl.
SV no SR yes Comp V
This spell outlines creatures or objects with a harmless,
pale-colored fire in a 10 foot x 10 foot area. The fire is about
as bright as a candle, making the things outlined highly
visible in darkness. It also outlines invisible subjects and
those under such spells as blur. Attackers gain a +1 to hit
outlined creatures and objects. All creatures and objects
within the area of effect are outlined by the fire.
FAITHFUL HOUND, Level 5 Int, 5 Cha
CT 2 rd. R 50 ft. D 1 hr./lvl. (see text)
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, M
Arcane energy forms into a phantom hound dedicated
to guarding an area or the caster. The caster may order
the hound to do either at any time during the spells duration. The hound will consider party members as allies
unless ordered otherwise. Should a larger creature approach within 50 feet, the hound immediately lets out
a frightful and eerie howl. Those hearing the howl must
save versus fear or suffer a -2 to attacks and morale.
This also effects allies of the caster. If an intruder approaches to within 10 feet of the hound or caster, the
guard dog ceases barking and attacks with a vicious
bite. The hounds bite is considered a magical weapon,
and it attacks once per round. The hound gains a bonus to hit equal to the casters level, and it deals 2d6+3
damage upon a successful bite. It continues to attack
until the intruder retreats at least 25 feet away.
The most effective way to combat the hound is by dispelling it, but it can be hurt by magic and weapons. The
hound has an armor class of 18 and as many hit points
as the caster did when the spell was cast. If the caster is
ever more than 150 feet from the hound, the spell ends.
The spell lasts for 1 hour per caster level, but once the
hound begins barking, it lasts only 1 round per level.
To cast false trap the arcanist needs the shattered fragments of a deliberately distorted mirror ($5) placed in a
small bowl of water, and a pinch of powdered moonstone
($5) cast into the air. The caster cloaks one object with a
shroud of magic, making it appear trapped to any creature
seeking to detect traps by mundane means. If the creature
attempting to find a trap is of an equal or higher level than
the caster of the false trap, the creature gets to make an
intelligence check to detect the illusion. Any manipulation
or attempt to disarm the trap breaks the spell and dispels
the illusion. Magical detection will indicate that there is
no trap, possibly causing confusion if visual inspection
follows. It effects a 25 foot x 25 foot area.
FALSE VISION, Level 5 Cha
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 1 tn./ lvl.
SV see below SR see below Comp V, S, M
To cast false vision the arcanist needs the shattered fragments of a deliberately distorted mirror ($5) placed in a
small bowl of water, and a pinch of powdered moonstone
($5) cast into the air. The caster cloaks the area of effect
with a shroud of magic, making everything within undetectable to any scrying. Also, if the caster is aware of an
attempt to scry, they may concentrate on creating an illusory image with sound effects, which is what the person
scrying will see and hear. It affects a 25 foot x 25 foot area.
FEAR, Level 4 Int, 4 Cha
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV charisma negates SR yes Comp V, S
Panic and terror race through the hearts of the creatures affected by this spell, causing them to flee from
the caster as fast as possible. The creatures cower in
abject horror if cornered, and if forced to confront the
caster, any effected creature suffers a -2 penalty to all
rolls. It effects a 25 foot x 25 foot area.
FEATHER FALL, Level 1 Int
CT 1 R 150 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV no SR yes (h) Comp V
Creatures and objects affected by this spell fall gently,
drifting downwards through the air much like a feather.
Subjects affected by the spell take no damage from a fall
of any height. The spell may be cast with the utterance
of a single word, making it fast enough to save the caster
in case of an unexpected fall of any notable height. A
total weight of up to 1500 pounds can be affected. The
creatures and objects affected by the spell fall at a rate
of 50 feet per round. Should the spell end while they are
still falling, they fall normally from that point and take
damage only for the distance fallen. The spell works only
upon free-falling objects. It does not affect a sword blow
or a charging or flying creature. It might have effect upon
a ranged weapon or projectile, at the Game Masters discretion. It effects a 20 foot diameter sphere.
FEEBLEMIND, Level 5 Int, 5 Cha
CT 1 R 150 ft. D see text
SV charisma negates SR yes Comp V, S
Book 3
This spell drains the targets higher intellect, reasoning
and even base cunning, reducing the target to an intelligence below that of even some animals. Still, even at
such low intelligence, the spells target instinctively recognizes friends, and can follow them and protect them
in a very primitive manner. The unfortunate victim remains in this state until a heal, restoration, wish, or
equivalent are used to dispel it.
FIND THE PATH*, Level 6 Wis, 8 Cha
CT 3 R touch D 10 min./lvl.
SV none SR yes (h) Comp V, S, F
With unerring instinct, the subject of this spell can locate
the shortest, most direct physical route to a specified location on the same plane of existence, though this destination
must be a location, not an object or creature. The character can even sense the correct direction that will eventually
lead to the destination, indicating at the appropriate times
the exact path to follow or physical actions to take, enabling
the spells target to escape labyrinths, underground tunnel
networks and mazes, magical or mundane. This spell also
instantly counters and dispels the maze spell. The material
component of the spell is a Y-shaped stick.
The reverse of this spell makes the subject lost, no matter the place being sought. The subject wanders aimlessly, always straying off the path. The subject can be
led by someone else, or could even use a map if able to
normally do so.
FINGER OF DEATH, Level 7 Int, 8 Wis
CT 1 R 50 ft. D permanent
SV charisma partial SR yes Comp V, S
The caster points at one living creature and utters a death
curse, instantly killing the creature unless it successfully
makes a charisma saving throw. If the creature makes
its save, it sustains 3d6 damage +1 point per caster level.
FIREBALL, Level 3 Wis
CT 1 R 450 ft. D instant
SV dexterity half SR yes Comp V, S, M
With a gesture, the caster sends a small ball of fire hurtling through the air to detonate with a low roar at the
height and distance the caster desires, as long as it is
within the spells maximum range. The explosion fills
the area of effect with intense fire and heat, causing
1d6 damage per caster level to all creatures and objects
within the area. It ignites combustibles, damages objects and melts anything with a low melting point such
as bronze, copper, silver, lead or gold. The explosion
creates almost no pressure. It effects a 40 foot diameter
sphere. The material component is a small lump of coal.
The fireball follows a straight path, and if it impacts a solid
barrier prior to attaining the prescribed range, the impact
causes early detonation. If the caster attempts to send the
ball through a narrow passage, such as an arrow slit, the
character must hit with a ranged attack roll, or else the
bead strikes the barrier and detonates prematurely.
FIRE SEEDS, Level 6 Wis
CT 1 per seed R see below D 1 tn./lvl. or burst
SV dexterity half SR yes Comp V, S, M, DF
98 Amazing Adventures
The caster binds elemental fire into acorns or holly berries, making them into weapons that burst into flame
upon impact.
Acorns: Up to four acorns may be altered with this spell.
Each can be thrown with reasonable accuracy up to 50
feet. A successful roll to hit must be made. Each acorn
bursts upon hitting a firm surface, blossoming into flame
that deals 4d8 damage and igniting any combustibles.
Holly Berries: Up to eight holly berries may be altered
with this spell. They are normally placed by hand, but
they can be thrown up to 25 feet. The berries burst into
flame if the caster speaks a word of command from
within 200 feet. They ignite instantly, and each deals
2d8 damage to any creatures within a 5 foot radius. The
explosion will also ignite combustible materials.
FIRE SHIELD, Level 4 Int, 5 Wis
CT 1 R see below D 1 rd./lvl.
SV none SR see text Comp V, S, M
Wispy, colorful flame wreathes the caster, surrounding
the character like a cloak of fire. The fire may be freezing cold or burning hot, whichever the caster desires.
Any creature striking the caster with its body or handheld weapons deals normal damage, but at the same
time the attacker takes 1d6 points of damage +1 per
caster level due to the intense flames. Spell resistance
applies to this damage. Weapons with exceptional reach
do not endanger the attacker.
The flame-clad character gives off light like a dim torch,
the color of which is selected by the caster (blue or
green for a chill shield, violet or reddish-orange for a
hot shield). Characters surrounded by a hot shield take
only half damage from cold-based attacks, and no damage if the attack allows a save for half damage and the
caster succeeds. Chill shields operate exactly the same
way, but protect against heat/fire-based attacks.
FIRE STORM, Level 7 Wis
CT 1 R150 ft. D instant
SV dexterity half SR yes Comp V, S
Raging elemental flame fills the area of effect (10 ft. cubes/
level), causing 1d6 damage per caster level. The flames
do not harm natural vegetation, ground cover, and plant
creatures in the area, unless the caster so desires.
FIRE TRAP, Level 2 Wis, 4 Int
CT 10 min. R touch D until discharged
SV dexterity half SR yes Comp V, S, M
Set upon any closeable item, a fire trap erupts into flame
when anyone other than the caster, or any other caster-selected characters, opens the item that the spell is warding.
When triggered, a fiery explosion fills the area within 5 feet
of the item (10 foot diameter sphere). The explosion deals
1d4 damage +1 point per caster level. The item remains unharmed by the spell. A knock spell does not prevent the effects of a fire trap in any way. An unsuccessful dispel magic
spell will not detonate the spell. To cast the spell the caster
needs fragments of flint and a stick of charcoal, the latter
used to draw around the closure, the former scattered over
it, this process leaves no visible runes.
Paranormal
Book 3
G
GASEOUS FORM , Level 3 Int
CT 1 R touch D 1 tn./lvl.
SV n/a SR yes (h) Comp S.
The creature touched and all of the creatures gear becomes insubstantial, appearing as a misty, fog-like form.
While in this state, the character cannot be effectively
touched or physically interacted with, becoming immune
to any attacks that are not magical in nature (such as
the strikes of spells and clearly supernatural abilities).
The character cannot walk, but can fly at 10 feet per
round. The character may also filter through small holes
or narrow openings, even mere cracks, with all they were
wearing or holding, as long as the spell persists. On the
downside, the character gains no AC bonus due to material armor, cannot physically attack or affect others, cannot cast spells, cannot move more rapidly, may be blown
about by stiff winds and may not enter water or other
liquids. It effects one willing creature.
GATE, Level 9 Int, 9 Wis
CT 2 R 50 ft. D special
SV none SR no Comp V, S
A shimmering, mystical gate appears, hovering just
above the ground. The gate is an interdimensional portal
between the plane the caster is on and another plane of
existence. The caster chooses which plane to connect to
upon casting the spell, but must have some knowledge of
the other plane. The gate can be used in two ways.
First, the gate may be used as a means of travel. Anything or anyone moving through the gate instantly
transports to the other plane. The gate is 5 feet in diameter, but the caster can increase the diameter by 1 foot
per level. The caster may hold the gate open for no more
than 1 round per level, and must concentrate to do so.
Second, the gate may be used to summon an individual
creature or type of creature from the plane to which the
gate is connected. The caster names the creature individually or a specific creature type upon casting, and
the gate opens near the individual or creature. This spell
does not give the caster any control over creatures summoned through the gate. The actions of a summoned
creature vary depending upon the situation, the casters
motive, alignment and perhaps, additional spells that
may be active. Deities and other unique entities are under no compulsion to come through the gate unless they
choose to. An uncontrolled being acts as it pleases, often to the detriment of the caster, and may return to its
home plane at any time. When used in this manner, the
gate remains open only until the summoned creature(s)
passes through the gate. Neither the caster nor anyone
or anything on the casters plane may enter the gate.
Typically, the caster will ask a summoned creature to
perform a service. It is easier to gain service from crea-
Paranormal
the creatures normal constitution score. Failure means
the creature is disabled, unable to move or act beyond a
crawl. All of these effects end 1 day after the character
deliberately attempts to resume the quest.
A geas and its effects can be removed magically by remove curse (but only if the caster of the remove curse is
at least two levels higher than the level of the character
who cast the geas , and the caster of the remove curse
makes a successful charisma check), or a wish. Dispel
magic does not affect a geas.
GHOST SOUND, Level 0 Int, 0 Cha
CT 1 R 150 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV intelligence negates SR yes Comp V, S, M
Eerie rattles and wails, wolfish howls, warm laughter,
quiet conversation, the rumble of thunder and clash
of swords, the soft patter of bare feet; all these are
sounds that can be created with this spell, sounds that
can seem to rise, recede, approach or remain constant
as the caster desires. Virtually any type of sound can
be produced, emanating from anywhere within range,
though the volume cannot exceed as much noise as
four normal humans could produce. Small pieces of
earwax are needed to cast this spell.
GLOBE OF INVULNERABILITY, Level 6 Int
CT 1 R personal D 1 rd./lvl.
SV none SR no Comp V, S, M
When this spell is cast, a faintly shimmering 10 foot diameter sphere of arcane energy surrounds the caster. The
globe acts as an impenetrable field against any 1st, 2nd,
3rd, or 4th level spell, spell-like ability or spell-like effect,
even if the globe is located within the areas affected by
such spells. Spells and effects targeting or encompassing
the globe are not dispelled, but wash harmlessly against
and over it. Anyone in the globe, however, may cast spells
in, through or outside of the globe. Spells of 5th level and
higher are not affected by the globe, and the globe can be
brought down by dispel magic. The globe moves with the
caster. The caster needs a small, clear 1gp bead or sphere
and a tiny glass sphere (2sp) to cast the spell.
GLYPH OF WARDING, Level 3 Int
CT 10 min. R touch D until discharge
SV see text SR yes (to effect) Comp V, S, M
To cast a glyph of warding, the caster inscribes an area
or object with an invisible inscription that harms those
who enter, pass, open the warded area or object, or
otherwise break the conditions of the ward set by the
caster. It can encompass an area up to 25 feet x 25
feet. An ounce of oil ($1) mixed with incense ($5) and a
powdered gemstone of color appropriate to the casters
deity ($20) is needed to activate the spell. Glyphs can
be set to permit or ward against a specific individual
or individuals, or even entire species or groups of species. They can be set only to admit characters of certain
faiths or alignments, or carrying certain items, wearing certain garments, colors, or signs or uttering certain
passwords. Any creature violating the warded area is
subject to its magic.
Book 3
Any creature facing a choice in direction, such as a corridor intersection or side passage, becomes subject to a
minor confusion-type effect, making it 50% likely that
they will believe they are going in the exact opposite direction from the one they actually chose. SR: Yes.
All corridors within the area of the spell fill with an eerie
fog, obscuring all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5
feet A creature within 5 feet has one-half concealment;
creatures farther away have full concealment. SR: No.
The caster shapes quasi-real illusions, resembling monsters that can attack the casters foes. The shadow conjurations remain semi-solid, even to those who disbelieve
them. The caster can create one or more illusions whose
total HD are equal to the casters level. The caster chooses
what form the illusions take, be they lion, tiger, bear, Nazi
or flying pugilistey, but size is restricted to medium or
small. The shadow creatures have only 40% of the normal
or maximum hit points of a creature of the chosen type.
Characters interacting with these illusions believe them
to be real creatures, unless they make a successful intelligence save. If the saving throw fails, the creatures
deal normal damage and have all the normal abilities
and weaknesses of a creature of that type. If the saving
throw succeeds, the creatures special abilities, armor
class, damage and all other aspects will be only 40%
as strong as the real thing. Those who succeed at their
saves see the conjurations as transparent images superimposed on vague, shadowy forms.
GREATER SHADOW EVOCATION, Level 6 Cha
CT 1 R special D special
SV Int (see text) SR yes Comp V, S
The caster creates a quasi-real illusion, one possessed
of some substance and reality, that mimics one of the
following spells: cloudkill, cone of cold, fireball, ice
storm, lightning bolt, Arcane Bolt, stinking cloud, wall
of fire, wall of force, wall of ice, wall of iron, wall of stone,
or web. The mimicked spell has its full normal effect,
range, duration, saving throw allowances, SR, and so
on, unless the targeted creature(s) makes an Int saving
throw. A successful saving throw reduces the mimicked
spell to 40% of its normal damage, effect and strength.
GUARDS AND WARDS, Level 6 Int, 5 Cha
CT 30 min. R special D 1 hr./lvl.
SV see text SR see text Comp V, S, M
This mighty spell is a useful tool in the defense of towers, strongholds, and other dwellings. The caster must
be somewhere within the area being warded to cast the
spell. A strand of giant spiders silk ($2), an ounce of
fine wine $1, a small decorated silver key $2 and a page
of fine parchment to be lit (10 cents) a re the material
components needed to cast the spell. The spell radiates
out and away from the caster in a 20 foot/level diameter
All doors are subjected to the lock spell (see knock). SR: No.
One door per caster level is covered by an illusion to appear as if it were a plain wall, and may only be detected
through with a intelligence (disbelief) save. SR: No.
Webs fill all stairs from top to bottom, the strands identical to those of the web spell, except that they regrow
in 10 minutes if they are burned or torn away while the
guards and wards spell is in effect. SR: Yes.
The caster may also select one of the following:
A gust of wind in one corridor or room. SR: No.
A magic mouth in two places. SR: No.
A stinking cloud in two places. The vapors appear and
linger in the places the caster designates; they return
within 10 minutes if dispersed by wind while the guards
and wards spell lasts. SR: Yes.
A suggestion in one place. The caster selects a 10 x 10
ft area (or less), and any creature that enters or passes
through the area receives the suggestion mentally. SR: Yes.
Dancing lights in four corridors. The character can designate a simple routine that the lights will repeat for as
long as the guards and wards spell lasts. SR: No.
GUST OF WIND, Level 3 Int
CT 1 R 150 ft. D 1 rd.
SV strength negates SR no Comp V, S.
A powerful, howling blast of air originates from the caster in the direction they are facing, and extending out to
10 feet high and 10 feet wide. This gust automatically
extinguishes candles, torches, and similar small unprotected flames; it fans larger flames such as bonfires; it
scatters any small, light items such as a wind ordinarily
would; and it causes protected flames, such as those of
lanterns, to dance wildly, with a 50% chance that they
too will be extinguished. Small-sized flying creatures
must make a strength save to avoid being blown wildly
out of control by the spell, while small and mediumsized land borne creatures, as well as medium-sized
flying creatures, must make a strength save to successfully continue moving normally.
Paranormal
H
HALLOW*, Level 4 Wis
CT one day R touch D one year
SV none SR see text Comp V, S, M, DF
This spell sanctifies a large 150 foot radius area of a
holy site. The caster must have religious trappings
worth $100 to cast the spell. The spell has four effects.
First, the entire area operates as a magic circle against evil
(or good, chaos or law, as chosen by the caster). All warded
creatures in the area receive a +2 bonus to armor class and
saves against attacks by creatures of the selected alignment. Likewise, the spell blocks any attempt to possess or
mentally control a warded creature, and prevents bodily
contact by summoned or conjured creatures. The protection against contact by summoned or conjured creatures
ends if a warded individual makes an attack against such a
creature. Spell resistance can allow a summoned creature
to overcome this protection and touch the warded creature.
These effects are not cumulative with protection from evil.
Second, all attempts to turn undead gain a +3 bonus.
Attempts to command undead suffer a -3 penalty.
Third, any dead body interred in a hallowed site cannot
be turned into an undead creature.
Fourth, the character may choose to affix a single spell
effect to the hallowed site. The character must cast
the spell when casting hallow. The spell effect lasts for
one year and functions throughout the entire consecrated site, regardless of its normal duration and area
of effect. The caster may designate whether the effects
apply to all creatures, or only to creatures that share
the characters faith or alignment. At the end of the
year, the chosen effect lapses, but it can be renewed or
replaced simply by casting hallow again. Spell effects
that may be tied to a hallowed site include aid, bless,
cause fear, detect evil (good, chaos, law), detect magic,
dispel magic, endure elements, freedom of movement,
protection from elements, remove fear, resist elements,
silence and tongues.
The reverse of this spell, unhallow, provides the above effects,
but against good creatures. Any dead body buried in an unhallowed area, however, will rise as a zombie in 24 hours.
HALLUCINATORY TERRAIN, Level 3 Int, 3 Cha
CT 10 min. R 150 ft. D see text
SV intelligence SR no Comp V, S, M
The caster makes natural terrain look, sound and smell
like some other sort of natural terrain. Structures,
equipment and creatures within the area are not hidden or changed in appearance. The illusion persists until dispelled or disbelieved by an intelligent creature. It
effects a 10 foot x 10 foot area per level of the caster.
Book 3
and uncomfortable to touch but deals no damage. During the second and sixth rounds, burning heat or icy
coldness causes pain and 1d4 damage. In the third,
fourth and fifth rounds, the metal is searing hot or
freezing cold, causing disabling pain and 2d4 damage
per round. The disabling pain results in the hands and/
or body becoming totally disabled for a number of days
equal to the creatures constitution divided by 4.
Any heat or cold intense enough to damage the creature
negates heat or cold damage from this spell (and vice
versa) on a point-for-point basis. Underwater, heat metal
deals half damage and boils the surrounding water, and
chill metal deals no damage, but ice immediately forms
around the affected metal, making it more buoyant.
HOLD MONSTER, Level 5 Int
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV wisdom negates SR yes Comp V, S, M
This spell holds a single, non-human, creature rigidly in
place. It is aware and breathes normally but cannot take
any physical action. It can, however, execute purely mental actions. This spell can affect any monster or animal, be
it living, undead, constructed or magical in nature.
HOLD PERSON, Level 3 Int
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 1 rd./lvl
SV wisdom negates SR yes Comp V, S, M
This spell holds a single medium-sized or less humanoid target rigidly in place. It is aware and breathes normally but cannot take any physical action. It can, however, execute purely mental actions.
HOLD PERSON OR ANIMAL, Level 2 Wis
This spell holds a single medium-sized or less human or
animal target rigidly in place. It is aware and breathes
normally but cannot take any physical action. It can,
however, execute purely mental actions.
HOLD PORTAL, Level 1 Int
CT 1 R 50 ft. D see below
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S
This spell magically bars a door, gate, window, shutter of
wood, metal or stone. The magic holds the portal fast, just
as if it were securely closed and normally locked. A knock
spell or a successful dispel magic can negate the hold portal.
Portals held shut by this spell can still be battered down.
HOLY AURA, Level 8 Wis
CT 1 R see below D 1 rnd/lvl.
SV see text SR yes (h) Comp V, S, DF
A divine radiance surrounds all good-aligned subjects in the
radius (one creature/level in a 25 foot radius), protecting
them from attacks, granting them resistance to spells cast
by creatures, and blinding evil creatures when they strike
the subjects. The warded creatures gain a +4 bonus to armor class and saves, and a SR of 16 against evil spells and
spells cast by evil creatures. The spell also blocks possession and mental influence just as protection from evil does.
Finally, if an evil creature succeeds at a melee attack against
Effect
12 or more
Deafened
Less than 12
Blinded, deafened
Less than 8
Less than 4
Paranormal
reasonable. Each suggestion takes one round to communicate. If the suggestion is reasonable, it can influence the subjects actions, according to the discretion
of the Game Master. The Game Master may allow additional intelligence saves for the subject if the suggestion is less than reasonable. Even once the spell ends,
an affected creature retains its new attitude toward the
caster, but only with respect to a particular suggestion.
I
ICE STORM, Level 4 Int, 5 Wis
CT 1 R 150 ft. D see below
SV none SR yes Comp V, S, M
This spell causes snow and hailstones to pound the
area of effect, a 50 foot diameter cylinder that is 50 feet
tall. The storm inflicts 5d6 points of damage to anything
in the area. It also reduces subsequent movement in
the area by half, for 1 round per caster level. The spell
caster needs a small drop of water to cast the spell.
IDENTIFY, Level 1 Int, 1 Cha
CT 10 min. R 5 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV none SR no Comp V, S, M
This spell reveals a single function of one magic item for each
round it is in effect. The most basic functions are revealed
first, including how to activate that function or the item,
and how many charges remain. For a weapon, this will be
the plus to attack and damage. If a magic item has multiple
different functions that are equally basic, the Game Master
determines which is first identified. Multiple castings of this
spell may be cast at the same time, taking 10 minutes per
spell. After casting this spell, the caster becomes exhausted,
and loses 1d4 points of constitution. After resting for 1 hour
per each separate spell cast, constitution is returned to normal. The caster needs materials valued at $100 to cast the
spell. In a pulp setting, the Legend Lore class ability often
can make this spell unnecessary.
ILLUSORY SCRIPT, Level 3 Cha
CT 1 min. R touch D permanent
SV see text SR no Comp V, S, M
This spell writes instructions or other information on
any suitable writing material. The script appears to be
some form of foreign or magic writing. Only the person (or people) designated by the character at the time
of the casting are able to read the writing. The script
is completely unintelligible to any other character, although an arcanist will recognize it as illusory script.
Any unauthorized creature attempting to read the script
triggers a potent illusory effect and must make an intelligence saving throw, or become subject to a suggestion
implanted in the script by the caster. The suggestion
lasts only 30 minutes.
Book 3
This spell creates a cloud of roiling smoke shot through
with white-hot embers. The smoke obscures all sight,
including special visions, beyond 5 feet. A creature
within 5 feet has one-half concealment; creatures farther away have total concealment. The spell effects an
area 20 feet high by 30 feet and 30 feet thick.
In addition, the white-hot embers within the cloud deal
3d6 points of fire damage each round (half damage on a
successful dexterity save). A moderate wind (11+ mph)
disperses the smoke in 4 rounds; a strong wind (21+
mph) disperses the smoke in 1 round. The spell does
not function underwater.
INFLUENCE, Level 0 Cha
CT 1 R 25 ft. D 3 rd.
SV charisma negates SR yes Comp V,S
This minor charm makes one medium-size or smaller
humanoid regard the caster as a trusted friend and
ally. It lasts for three rounds (during which time another spell is often cast to gain better advantage of the
charms effect). If the target is being threatened or attacked by the caster or the casters allies at the time
of casting, the target receives a +5 bonus to its saving
throw. The spell does not enable the caster to control
the charmed creature as if it were an automaton, but
the subject perceives the casters words and actions in
the most favorable way. The caster can try to give the
subject orders, but must succeed at a charisma check
to convince it to do anything it wouldnt ordinarily do.
Any act by the caster or the casters apparent allies that
threatens the influenced creature breaks the spell. Note
also that the caster must speak the creatures language
to communicate commands.
INSANITY, Level 7 Cha
CT 1 R 50 ft. D permanent
SV intelligence negates SR yes Comp V, S
This spell causes a creature to permanently lose its mind,
becoming unstable and unpredictable. Creatures affected by this spell will behave randomly. Possible behavior
includes, but is not limited to, wandering away, staring
blankly into the distance, babbling incoherently, suffering
paranoia, or even acting normally, although any of these
behaviors may last anywhere from 1 round to several days
or years. Attackers are not at any special advantage when
attacking stricken creatures. Any creature that is attacked
automatically returns the attack on its next turn. Remove
curse does not remove insanity. Heal, limited wish, distort
reality, and wish can restore the creature.
INSECT PLAGUE, Level 5 Wis
CT 1 R 450 ft. D 1 tn./lvl.
SV see text SR no Comp V, S, DF
A horde of insects swarm forth from the spells point of
origin, in a 180 foot diameter thick cloud. The insects limit
vision to 10 feet, and spellcasting within the cloud is impossible. Creatures inside the insect plague, regardless of
AC, sustain 1 point of damage at the end of each round
they remain within it. All creatures with 2 or fewer HD
are driven from the cloud at their fastest possible speed
Paranormal
All creatures (including carried gear) within 10 feet of the
recipient vanish from all forms of natural sight, including
special visions. Items dropped or put down by an invisible creature become visible; items picked up disappear
if tucked into the clothing or pouches worn by the creature. Light, however, never becomes invisible, although a
source of light can become so (thus, the effect is that of a
light with no visible source). Any part of an item that the
subject carries but that extends more than 10 feet from
it becomes visible, such as a trailing rope.
For each subject, the invisibility ends if the subject attacks any creature. For purposes of this spell, attacks
include any spell that can inflict damage upon or otherwise negatively impact a creature, or any similarly targeted action undertaken with a magical item, such as a
wand, ring or scroll. Note that spells specifically affecting allies but not foes are not attacks for this purpose,
even when they include foes in they area.
Those affected by this spell cannot see each other or
themselves. Any affected creature moving out of the
area becomes visible, but creatures moving into the
area after the spell is cast do not become invisible.
An eye wrapped in tar. clay or the like is the only component used for this spell.
INVISIBILITY TO UNDEAD, Level 1 Wis
CT 1 R touch D 10 min./lvl.
SV none (See text) SR yes Comp S, DF
This spell completely shields the recipient from all perception by undead creatures. Nonintelligent undead are
automatically affected and act as though the warded
creature is not present. Intelligent undead are entitled
to an intelligence saving throw. Failure indicates that
they cannot perceive the warded creature, but if intelligent undead creatures have reason to believe unseen
opponents are present, it can attempt to find or strike
it despite failure of the save. If a warded character attempts to turn or command undead, touches an undead,
or attacks any creature (even with a spell), the spell ends.
IRONWOOD, Level 6 Wis
CT 10 min. + 1 min./lb. R touch D permanent
SV none SR no Comp V, S, M
By using this spell, the caster makes normal wood into
magical wood that is as strong, heavy and resistant to
fire as steel. Spells that affect metal or iron do not function on ironwood. Spells that affect wood do affect ironwood, although ironwood does not burn. Using this spell,
the character can fashion wooden items that function as
steel items, such as weapons and armors. However, the
wood to be transformed into ironwood must be shaped
prior to the transformation. The spell can be used to alter
5 pounds of material per level of the caster.
J
JUMP, Level 1 Int
CT 1 R touch D 1 tn./lvl.
SV none SR yes Comp V, S, M
One recipient may make astounding leaps and bounds,
launching up to 25 feet forward, or 10 feet backward
or upwards, although safe landing at the end of such a
magnificent jump requires a successful dexterity check.
The hind leg of a cricket or other leaping animal or insect is used in the casting of this spell.
K
KNOCK*, Level 2 Int
CT 1 R 50 ft. D permanent
SV none SR no Comp V
This spell opens stuck or locked doors, even magically
held ones. It slides bolts and lifts latches. It opens secret doors, as well as locked or trick-opening boxes or
chests, and also loosens shackles or chains that have
been employed to hold closures shut. Knocked doors do
not relock themselves once opened. Knock can not raise
portcullises or similar impediments, nor can it undo or
untangle knots. Each spell can undo up to two means
of preventing egress through a portal. If used to open
a magically locked closure, knock does not remove the
spell but simply inhibits its functioning for 10 minutes.
Book 3
Lock is the reverse of knock. It magically locks a single
portal, chest or box, preventing it from being opened
by any mundane means short of breaking or bypassing
the portal itself; any magical means of opening, such as
dispel magic or knock work normally. The caster can
freely pass the characters own lock without affecting it.
KNOW DIRECTION, Level 0 Wis
CT 1 R n/a D see below
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V
The caster instantly and unerringly knows which direction is north. The caster will retain this knowledge for
one day, or longer if the character can locate some external reference point to help keep track of direction.
L
LEGEND LORE, Level 6 Int, 7 Wis
CT see text R see text D see text
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, M
Great deeds, events and powers are writ large in legend,
and with this spell the caster can draw upon these great
tales, bringing to light knowledge about a legendary person, place or thing. If the person or thing is close at hand,
or if the caster is in the place in question, the casting time
is only 1d4 x 10 minutes. If the caster only possesses detailed information on the person, place or thing, casting
time is 1d10 days, and the resulting knowledge gleaned
is less complete and specific. If the caster knows little beyond rumor, casting time is 2d6 weeks, and the resulting
lore is vague and incomplete, though it may enable the
caster to locate more detailed information. While casting
this spell, the caster cannot engage in anything other than
routine activities such as sleeping and eating. Casting the
spell requires $25 of powdered gems, a magic item, incense, blank parchment, ink, quills or silver pens.
When completed, the spell brings the legends, if any exist,
about the individual, location or thing to the casters mind,.
The tales reveal themselves as long-forgotten and sometimes
cryptic memories, riddles or rhymes, regardless of whether
the legends are current, long forgotten or obscure. Subjects lacking legendary importance provide no information
whatsoever. As a rule of thumb, characters of 10th level and
higher are legendary, as are the sorts of creatures they strive
against, the major magical items they wield, and the places
where they performed their great or nefarious deeds.
LESSER RESTORATION, Level 2 Wis
CT 10 min. R touch D permanent
SV n/a SR yes (h) Comp V, S, DF
The strength-sapping touch of the ray of enfeeblement,
the fiendish attacks of certain foul creatures and the insidious effects of some poisons may sap a characters attributes, reducing strength, inhibiting constitution and
so on. Lesser restoration completely dispels any magical effects that have reduced the characters attribute
scores, but cannot reverse permanent attribute drain.
LEVITATE, Level 2 Int
CT 1 R personal/50 ft. D 10 min./lvl.
SV intelligence negates SR yes (h) Comp V, S, F
Levitate allows the caster to float up or down through the
air at a luxurious pace, moving no more than 20 feet up
or down per round. Alternatively, the caster may levitate
another creature or object weighing no more than 100
lbs. per level, although an unwilling creature is entitled
to a saving throw. Levitation does not enable horizontal
movement, although a levitating character could clamber along the face of a cliff or push against a ceiling to
move laterally (generally at half base speed). The caster
needs a slender gold wire worth 5pg to cast the spell.
LIGHT, Level 0 Int, 0 Wis, 0 Cha
CT 1 R 150 ft. D 10 min./lvl.
SV none SR no Comp V, F
This spell causes an object to shed light, clearly illuminating the area around it as much as a torch, albeit
with clear, white light. Although the effect is immobile,
it can be cast on a movable object. Light taken into an
area of magical darkness does not function. The caster
needs a piece of clear quartz crystal, natural, cut or
polished worth 5pg.
LIGHTNING BOLT, Level 3 Int
CT 1 R see below D instant
SV dexterity half SR yes Comp V, S, M
The caster unleashes a blinding, sizzling arc of forking electricity that deals 1d6 points of damage per caster level. The caster channels the electricity through a
small iron rod (1sp) that has been left out in a thunderstorm. The bolt is 10 feet wide x 50 feet long or 5 feet
wide x 100 feet long. The bolt erupts from the casters
fingertips, staff, rod or wand. It strikes creatures and
objects along its sinuous path and even a couple of feet
to either side, igniting combustibles, sundering wooden
doors and melting metals with a low melting point, such
as lead, gold, copper, silver or bronze.
If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters
or breaks through it, the bolt continues beyond the barrier to the extent of its range. If the bolt does not break
through or is deflected, it rebounds toward the caster
up the full length of the bolt or until it strikes another
barrier and rebounds again.
LIMITED WISH, Level 7 Int
CT 1 R n/a D see below
SV see text SR see text Comp V.
Though the scope of the wish granted by this potent
spell may be limited, much can be accomplished by the
imaginative caster within its strict bounds. This spell
may duplicate the effects of any Wis-based spell of 6th
level or lower, or any Cha-based arcanist spell of 5th
Paranormal
level or lower. It may also grant other effects in line with
the power of such spells, although any effects must be
approved by the Game Master. The caster must be cautious in phrasing the spell though, for the desires of the
greedy often end in disaster, and the spell is very literal
in its fulfillment of the casters wish. Duplicated spells
allow saving throws and spell resistance as normal.
LOCATE CREATURE, Level 4 Int
CT 1 R 450 ft. D 10 min./lvl
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, F
Using this spell, the caster may locate the nearest creature of a known type that they have encountered before
(such as a human or unicorn), or a specific individual
creature whom the caster has met, provided it is within
range. The caster must possess part of the creature type
sought (such as a Nazis tooth), or part or all of an item,
garment, or part of an individual creature sought (such
as a lock of hair, a strip of cloth from an individuals
cloak, etc. in order to use the spell. The caster slowly
turns on the spot after casting the spell, attempting to
sense the direction of the creature. The spell locates
the nearest creature of a given type if more than one
such creature is within range. Running water blocks
the spell, and it can be fooled by mislead, nondetection,
and polymorph spells. It cannot detect objects.
LOCATE OBJECT*, Level 2 Int
CT 1 R 450 ft. D 10 min./lvl.
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, F, DF
With this spell, the caster need never fear misplacing
his tower key again, for it enables the caster to sense
the direction of a well-known or clearly visualized object, including apparel, jewelry, furniture, tools, weapons or even such mundane implements as a ladder. All
the caster needs is a small 2gp glass lens or opaque
crystal. The spell may be used to search for general
items such as a stairway, a sword or a jewel, in which
case the spell locates the nearest such object within its
range, or the spell may be used to find a specific item,
such as a particular piece of jewelry. A unique object
(such as Gideon Thornes gold-plated quill) may not be
located unless the caster has observed that particular
item firsthand. The spell is blocked by lead, fooled by
polymorphing, and cannot detect creatures.
Obscure object, the reverse of this spell, may be cast on
an object, thereby preventing it from being located by
spells of this type, or by divinatory means such as scrying, for the duration of the spell.
M
MAGE HAND, Level 0 Int
CT 1 R 25 ft. D concentration
SV none SR yes Comp V, S
The caster points a finger at an object of 5 pounds or
less, and can then lift and move it at will from a distance. The caster can move the object up to 15 feet in
any direction in a round, though the spell ends if the
distance between the caster and the object ever exceeds
the spells range.
MAGIC AURA, Level 0 Cha
CT 1 R touch D n/a
SV none SR yes (object) Comp V, S, F
The caster makes an items aura appear magical, and
thus register to detection spells (and similar spells).
Identify or a similar detection reveals the aura as false.
The spell can effect 5 pounds per level of the caster.
MAGIC CIRCLE (against chaos, evil, good or law),
Level 3 Int, 3 Wis
CT 1 R creature touched D 3 rd./lvl.
SV none SR no (see text) Comp V, S, M/DF
This spell creates a magical barrier around the subject,
to a distance of 10 feet, that offers protection against
one axis of alignment (evil, good, chaos, or law) that is
decided at the time of casting. Only one such protective
spell can be in effect in one place at the same time, even
if each protects against a different alignment.
The barrier moves with the subject and grants a +2
bonus to armor class and saving throws against creatures of the chosen alignment. The spell prevents bodily contact by summoned or conjured creatures of any
alignment: the melee attacks of such creatures fail
and the creatures recoil from the protective magic. The
protection against contact by summoned or conjured
creatures ends if the warded creature makes an attack
against, or tries to force the barrier against, the blocked
creature. Spell resistance can allow a summoned or
conjured creature to overcome this protection and
touch the warded creature.
The magical circle also blocks any attempt to possess
or exercise mental control over the warded creature by
foes of any alignment. The protection does not prevent a
spell that gains mental control, but it prevents the caster of such a spell from mentally commanding the protected creature. If the protection ends before the mental
control does, the enemy caster would then be able to
exercise such mental control of the creature. Likewise,
the barrier keeps out a possessing life force but does
not expel one if it is in place before the spell is cast.
This spell has a special function that the character may
Book 3
choose when casting the spell. A magic circle can be
focused inward rather than outward. In this case, it
serves as an immobile, temporary magical prison for a
summoned creature. The creature cannot cross the circles boundaries. The caster must beat a creatures SR
in order to keep it at bay, but the bonuses and the protection from mental control apply regardless of an enemys SR. If a creature is too large to fit into the spells
area, the spell succeeds but for that creature only.
MAGIC JAR, Level 5 Int, 5 Cha
CT 1 R 150 ft. D 1 tn./lvl.
SV charisma save negates SR yes Comp V, S, M
By casting magic jar, the caster places their own soul
into a gem (which must be of at least $100 in value)
or large crystal, leaving the casters own body lifeless.
The caster may then attempt to take control of a nearby
body, forcing the targets soul into the magic jar. Then
the caster can attempt to take control of a nearby body,
forcing its soul into the magic jar. While in the magic
jar, the caster can sense and attack any life force within
10 feet per caster level (on the same plane). The caster,
however, cannot determine the exact creature types or
positions of these creatures. In a group of life forces, the
caster can sense a difference of four or more HD and
can determine whether a life force is positive or negative
energy. Attempting to possess a body is an attack, and
it is blocked by protection from evil or a similar ward.
The caster possesses the body and forces the creatures
soul into the magic jar unless the subject succeeds at a
charisma save. Failure to take over the host leaves the
casters life force in the magic jar, and the target automatically succeeds at further saving throws if the caster
attempts to possess its body again.
Paranormal
breaks the spell. Note also that the caster must speak
the creatures language to communicate commands.
The caster enchants three pebbles or rocks, no larger than sling bullets, to strike with great force when
thrown or slung. The creature using the stones makes
a normal ranged attack at +1 to hit. Each magic stone
that hits deals 1d6+1 points of damage. Against undead
creatures, this damage is doubled (2d6+2 points).
Book 3
spell can affect more creatures. The caster influences
the actions of the creatures by suggesting a course of
activity (limited to a sentence or two). The number of
creatures affected is equal to one per level of the caster
and all must be within a 25 foot area. The suggestion
must be worded in such a manner as to make the activity sound reasonable. The victim must understand
the language of the caster making the suggestion. Any
attempt to suggest an act that would be harmful to the
victim or something severely at odds with their behavior
will allow the affected creature to automatically break
the enchantment. The Game Master is free to factor in
penalties to the victims saving throw for quite reasonable suggestions as well as give the target bonuses to
their saves for unreasonable or harmful suggestions.
The suggested course of activity can continue for the
entire duration. If the suggested activity can be completed in a shorter time, the spell ends when the subject finishes what he was asked to do. The caster can
instead specify conditions that will trigger a special activity during the duration. If the condition is not met
before the spell expires, the activity is not performed. A
small piece of wool is needed to cast the spell.
MAZE, Level 8 Int, 7 Cha
CT 1 R 25 ft. D see text
SV none SR yes Comp V, S
The caster conjures up an extradimensional labyrinth,
and the subject vanishes into it. The subjects intelligence
score determines the time it takes to find a way out of the
maze: under 3 takes 2d4 days; 3-5 takes 1d4 days; 6-8
takes 5d4 hours; 9-12 takes 4d4 turns; 13-15 takes 3d4
rounds; 16-17 takes 2d4 rounds; 18 takes 1d4 rounds.
If the subject doesnt attempt to escape, the maze disappears in 10 minutes, forcing the subject to leave. On
leaving the maze, the subject reappears in the spot it
had been in when the maze spell was cast. If this spot
is filled with a solid object, the subject appears nearby.
Spells and abilities that move a creature within a plane
do not help a creature escape a maze spell, although the
character can escape by using spells to a different plane.
Minotaurs and the like are not affected by this spell.
MENDING, Level 0 Int
CT 1 R 25 ft. D n/a
SV n/a SP n/a Comp V, S
This spell repairs small breaks or tears in objects of no more
than 5 pounds in weight. In metallic objects, it will weld a
broken ring, a chain link, a medallion or a slender dagger,
providing but one break exists. Ceramic or wooden objects
with multiple breaks can be invisibly rejoined to be as strong
as new. A hole in a leather sack or wineskin is completely
fixed over by mending. The spell cannot repair a magic item.
MESSAGE, Level 0 Int, 0 Cha
CT 1 R 450 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S
The caster can whisper messages and receive a reply with
little chance of being overheard. The caster points a fin-
Paranormal
The smaller spheres have a 15 foot diameter spread,
and each deals 1d4 x 5 fire damage. They explode with
their target forming a pattern around the spells central point of origin (which the sorcerer designated upon
casting) of a box within a diamond or vice versa, with
each of the outer sides measuring 20 feet long. The
center has four areas of overlapping effect, and numerous peripheral areas have two or three overlapping areas of the spells effect.
Creatures who view the illusion believe it, and can suffer damage from it. The image disappears if the viewer
makes a saving throw.
MIRAGE ARCANA, Level 4 Cha
CT 5 min. R 150 ft. D see text
SV intelligence SR no Comp V, S, M
Book 3
within 5 feet of at least one other figment or the caster.
Observers cant use vision or hearing to tell which one
is the caster and which the image. Enemies attempting
to attack the caster or cast spells at the caster must select from among indistinguishable targets. Generally, roll
randomly to see whether the selected target is real or a
figment. Any successful attack roll against a figment destroys it. A figments armor class is equal to the casters.
An attacker must be able to see the images to be fooled.
MISDIRECTION, Level 2 Cha
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV wisdom negates SR no Comp S
This spell misdirects other spells that reveal auras and
information. On casting the spell, the caster chooses a
subject and another object (within range) to serve as the
decoy. For the duration of the spell, detection spells provide information based on the target rather than on the
actual target of the detection attempt, unless the caster
of the detection succeeds at a wisdom saving throw.
MISLEAD, Level 6 Cha
CT 1 R 25 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV intelligence (disbelief) SR no Comp S
An illusory double of the caster appears, and at the same
time, the caster is affected as if by an invisibility spell.
The caster is free to go elsewhere while the casters double
moves away. The double appears within the spells range,
but thereafter moves according to the casters intent at the
time of casting. The caster can make the figment appear
superimposed perfectly over the characters own body so
that observers dont notice an image appearing and the
caster turning invisible. The caster and the figment can
then move in different directions. The double moves at the
casters speed, can talk and gesture as if it were real, and
even smells and feels real. The double cannot attack or
cast spells, but it can pretend to do so.
MNEMONIC ENHANCER, Level 4 Int
CT 10 min. R n/a D see below
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, M, F
The caster prepares or retains additional spells. The additional spell or spells prepared or retained fade after
24 hours (if not cast). The caster requires a $5 item that
has a flat surface, such as a mirror, and a special ink
worth $5. There are two versions of the spell.
Prepare: The caster prepares up to three additional levels of spells. A 0 level spell counts as one-half level for
these purposes. The character prepares and casts these
spells normally.
Retain: The caster retains any spell up to 3rd level that
the caster had cast up to 1 day before casting the mnemonic enhancer. This version restores the previously
cast spell to the casters mind.
MOVE EARTH, Level 6 Int
CT see text R 450 ft. D
SV none SR no Comp V, S, M
This spell moves dirt, possibly collapsing embankments, moving hillocks, shifting dunes, etc. Rock formations cannot be collapsed or moved. The area to be
affected determines the casting time. For every 10 foot
x 10 foot area, casting takes 3 minutes. The maximum
area, 800 feet by 800 feet, takes 4 hours to move. The
earth moved cannot exceed10 feet. Casting the spell requires a handful of earth and a wand, rod or staff.
This spell does not violently break the surface of the
ground. Instead, it creates wavelike crests and troughs,
the earth reacting with glacier-like fluidity until the desired result is achieved. Trees, structures, rock formations and such are mostly unaffected except for changes
in elevation and relative topography. The spell cannot
be used for tunneling and is generally too slow to trap
or bury creatures. Its primary use is for digging or filling
moats or for adjusting terrain contours before a battle.
N
NEUTRALIZE POISON, Level 3 Wis
CT 1 R touch D permanent
SV constitution negates (h) SR yes (h) Comp V, S, DF
The caster detoxifies any sort of venom in one creature
or in one object touched. A poisoned creature suffers no
additional damage or effects from the poison, and any
temporary effects are ended. But the spell does not reverse effects the poison may have already inflicted, such
as hit point damage, temporary ability damage, or effects
that dont go away on their own.
This spell also neutralizes the poison in a poisonous
creature or object. A poisonous creature replenishes its
poison at its normal rate.
NIGHTMARE, Level 5 Cha
CT 10 min. R unlimited D see below
SV charisma negates SR yes Comp V, S
The caster sends a hideous and unsettling phantasmal
vision to a single specific creature that the caster names
or specifically designates. The nightmare prevents restful sleep and causes 1d10 points of damage. The nightmare leaves the subject tired and unrested, and unable
to regain arcane spells for the next 24 hours. Dispel evil
cast on the subject while the caster is casting the spell
dispels the nightmare and stuns the caster for 10 minutes per caster level of the dispel evil. If the recipient is
awake when the spell begins, the caster can choose to
cease casting (ending the spell) or enter a trance until the
recipient goes to sleep, whereupon the caster becomes
alert again and completes the casting. If the caster is
disturbed during the trance, the spell ends. If the caster
chooses to enter a trance, the caster is not aware of the
casters surroundings or the activities around the caster
while in the trance. The caster is defenseless, both physically and mentally, while in the trance. Creatures who
dont sleep or dream are immune to this spell.
Paranormal
O
OBSCURING MIST, Level 1 Wis
CT 1 R n/a D 1 min./lvl.
SV none SR no Comp V, S
and level
1 Cha
This spell creates a permanent illusion of an object, creature or force, as visualized by the character. Sound, smell
and thermal illusions are included in the spell effect. The
illusion can cover a 20 foot cubic area plus 10 cubic feet
per level of the spell caster. Creatures who view the illusion believe it, and can suffer damage from it. Hit point
damage is suffered from damage to the mind/psyche.
The illusion follows a script determined by the caster,
without requiring the casters concentration. The illusion
can include intelligible speech if the caster wishes. The
image disappears if an opponent disbelieves for some
reason and makes the required saving throw. The material component of this spell is a $10 lens.
Book 3
The caster and others (up to 8 creatures) are transported to another plane of existence or alternate dimension.
If several willing persons link hands in a circle, up to
eight creatures, including the caster, can be affected
by the spell. The spell transports the creatures to the
designated plane or dimension only. The subject of the
spell must creatures need to find other means to travel
back to the originating plane. Unwilling recipients of the
plane shift can resist the effect with a successful wisdom save. The Game Master determines whether the
caster reaches a specific destination and all other matter related to the travel and arrival on the other plane.
Paranormal
Upon changing back to his original form, the caster regains 1d4 hit points. If slain, the character reverts to
his or her original form, but remains dead.
The polymorphed caster acquires the physical and natural abilities of the new form while retaining his or her
own mental abilities and limitations. Physical and natural abilities include the natural size, armor class, natural weapon attack types and damage and similar physical qualities such as mundane movement capabilities
(like flying or swimming), and vision capabilities. Physical and natural abilities do not include magical flight
and other magical forms of travel, spell-like abilities,
supernatural abilities or other extraordinary abilities.
Moreover, a caster does not gain the ability to make
more attacks than is normal for the character just because the creature type transformed and naturally has
extra limbs, wings, or a tail. For example, a caster capable of one attack per round might polymorph into a lion.
A lion can make three attacks per round bite, and
two claws. The caster polymorphed into a lion, however, may make only one attack although the caster may
choose either a bite or a claw attack. If the attack succeeds, the damage inflicted is normal for a lion.
The caster can freely designate the new forms minor physical qualities such as hair color, hair texture and skin color
within the normal ranges for a creature of that type. The
new forms significant physical qualities such as height,
weight and gender are also under the casters control, but
must fall within the norms for the new forms species.
Unlike physical abilities, the caster retains his own
mental abilities, prime attribute designations when
applicable to the new form, level and class, hit points,
alignment and class to hit bonus. If the new form possesses strength, dexterity and/or constitution attributes, the new scores are applied and thus may affect
attack bonuses and attribute checks. The character retains his or her own type, extraordinary abilities, spells
and spell-like abilities. A character that can cast spells
needs a humanlike voice for verbal components and humanlike hands for somatic components.
When the polymorph occurs, the casters equipment, if
any, transforms to match the new form. If the new form
is a creature that does not use equipment, the equipment melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. Components and foci melded in this way cannot
be used to cast spells. If the new form uses equipment,
the casters equipment changes to match the new form
and retains its properties. Incorporeal and gaseous
forms cannot be assumed.
Alternately, the caster may cause another creature to assume the body, abilities and potentially the consciousness of another form or creature. An unwilling target gets
a wisdom save to resist the spell. Additionally, a creature
polymorphed into the form of another risks assuming the
consciousness of the new form. For every 12 hours spent
in the new form, the creature must succeed at a wisdom
save or become a member of the species in question in
both form and consciousness, forgetting everything associated with the prior form, including friends, family,
experiences and training. If the magic is dispelled, the
target regains its former memories and personality.
In all other regards, this spell acts like polymorph self.
Size can be no larger than twice the creatures normal
height. The caster retains control over minor physical
qualities and significant physical qualities. Upon changing back to an original form, the polymorphed creature
regains 1d4 hit points. If slain, the creature reverts to
his or her original form, but remains dead. The material
components of this spell are butterfly wings.
POWER WORD BLIND, Level 8 Int, 8 Cha
CT 1 R 50 ft. D see text
SV none SR yes Comp V
This one-word spell unleashes a torrent of power that blinds
one or more creatures within the area of effect to a maximum of 100 HD. It affects creatures with the lowest hit point
totals first, one at a time until the next target would put the
spell over the limit of 100. Creatures with over 100 hit points
are not affected. The duration of the spell depends on the
total hit points of affected creatures. A creature with up to 50
hit points is blinded for 1d4 minutes, while a creature with
51 to 100 hit points is blinded for 1d4+1 rounds. The area of
effect for this spell is 25 x 25 feet.
POWER WORD KILL, Level 9 Int, 9 Cha
CT 1 R 50 ft. D n/a
Sv none SR yes Comp V
This one-word spell can blast the life out of either a single creature or a group of creatures within the area of
effect. The caster must decide whether to target an individual creature or a group before the spell is cast. If targeted at a single creature, that creature dies if it has 70
or fewer hit points. If cast as an area spell effect, it kills
all creatures in the area of effect that have 15 or fewer hit
points, up to a total of 140 hit points of such creatures.
The spell affects creatures with the lowest hit point totals
first, until the next creature would put the total over the
limit of 130. The area of effect for this spell is 25 x 25 feet.
Book 3
effect for this spell is 50 feet. Everyone in this
area is effected.
PRESTIDIGITATION, Level 0 Int, 0 Wis, 0
Cha
CT 1 R 10 ft. D 1 tn./lvl.
SV n/a SR yes Comp V, S
The rudimentary prestidigitation spell is a
building block for arcane study, and enables
the caster to perform a variety of simple magical effects. This spell can clean, soil, or alter
the color of items in a 1-foot cube. It can chill,
warm or flavor 1 pound of nonliving material.
It can move up to 1 pound of matter. It can
create effects like a puff of smoke, very minor
illusions, sound effects or temporary change
in color. This spell can never inflict damage or
disrupt the casting of other spellcasters. Prestidigitation lacks the power to duplicate any
other spell effects. Any actual change to an
object (beyond just moving, cleaning or soiling
it) persists for only 1 hour.
PRISMATIC SPHERE, Level 9 Int, 9 Cha
CT 1 R n/a D 10 min./lvl.
SV see text SR see text Comp V
This powerful spell conjures up an immobile,
opaque globe of shimmering, multicolored
light that surrounds and protects the caster
from all forms of attack. The sphere flashes
in seven colors, each of which has a distinct
power and purpose. The caster can pass in
and out of the sphere without harm. Typically, only the upper hemisphere of the globe
is seen because the caster is at the center
of the sphere, so the lower half is beneath
ground level.
Paranormal
Order
Color
1st
Red
Effects of Globe
Negated by
Cone of Cold
2nd
Orange
Gust of Wind
3rd
Yellow
Disintegrate
4th
Green
Passwall
5th
Blue
Arcane Bolt
6th
Indigo
Continual Flame
7th
Violet
Dispel Magic
The sphere can be destroyed, color by color, in consecutive order, by various magical effects; however, the first
must be brought down before the second can be affected, and so on. A rod of cancellation or a disjunction
spell destroys a prismatic sphere, but dispel magic can
only work against the violet globe. Spell resistance is effective against a prismatic sphere, but the check must
be repeated for each color present. The area of effect for
this spell is a 20 foot diameter sphere.
PRISMATIC SPRAY, Level 7 Cha
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 10 min./lvl.SV see text
SR see text Comp V, S AoE cone 15 ft wide x 50 ft long
This spell causes seven shimmering, intertwined beams of
multicolored light to spray from the casters hand. Each
beam has a different power. Creatures in the area of the spell
with 8 HD or less are automatically blinded for 2d4 rounds.
All creatures in the area are randomly struck by one or more
beams, as determined by rolling 1d8 for each beam.
1d8
Color of Beam
Red
Effect
10 points damage
Orange
20 points damage
Yellow
40 points damage
Green Poison
Blue
Indigo
Violet
Book 3
Q
QUENCH, Level 4 Wis
CT 1 R 150 ft. D see below
Sv see text SR yes Comp V, S, DF
Quench extinguishes all nonmagical fires in a 50 foot
x 50 foot area or one magic item. The spell also dispels
fire-based spells in the area. In the latter case though,
the caster must make an intelligence check with a challenge level equal to that of the level of the caster of the
fire-based spell. Fire-based creatures within the spells
area take 1d4 points of damage per caster level.
Alternatively, the caster can target the spell on a single
magic item that creates or controls flame. The item temporarily loses all its fire-based magical abilities unless it
succeeds at an item saving throw. Artifacts are immune
to this effect.
R
RAINBOW PATTERN, Level 4 Cha
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV intelligence negates SR yes Comp S, F
A glowing, rainbow-hued pattern of interweaving colors
captivates those within a 25 foot diameter sphere. The
pattern captivates a maximum of 24 HD of creatures.
Creatures with the fewest HD are affected first. Among
creatures with equal HD, those who are closest to the
spells point of origin are affected first. Creatures that
fail their saves are captivated by the swirling pattern.
Captivated creatures cannot move away from the pattern, nor can they take actions other than to defend
Paranormal
Book 3
The target becomes suffuse with protective magical energies providing some measure of protection against one
element: acid, cold/ice, heat/fire, electricity/lightning
or sonic/air. The dweomer grants a +2 saving throw
bonus against the specified energy type, regardless of
whether the source of damage is natural or magical.
The spell protects the recipients equipment as well.
This spell frees one creature from the effects of any temporary paralysis or related magic, including a ghouls
touch, a hold spell, or a slow spell.
Paranormal
spell (it does not lose its attack, but must choose another target). If the warded character attacks or casts offensive spells then the sanctuary spell is negated. This
spell does not prevent the warded creature from being
affected by area of effect spells.
SCARE, Level 2 Int, 3 Cha
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV charisma negates SR yes Comp V, S, M
This spell causes creatures with fewer than 6 hit dice/levels to make a charisma saving throw or be overwhelmed
by a wave of terror. Success allows the target to control
its fear and react normally, while failure causes it to flee
in panic. If cornered, the target fights but with a -1 penalty to attacks and damage. Monsters with more than 6
hit dice/levels are immune to this spell. Arcanists, elves,
undead and planar creatures are unaffected. The spell
requires the flesh or bone of an undead monster to cast.
SCREEN ILLUSION, Level 8 Cha
CT 10 min. R 50 ft. D 1 day
SV see text SR no Comp V, S
This spell hides a 25 foot cube/level area from scrying and normal vision. The caster creates an illusion
of what will be observed in the spells area. Once these
images are set, they cannot be changed. Any attempts
to scry the area automatically detect the illusory image
with no save allowed; though direct observation may allow a save at the Game Masters discretion. Even entering the area does not cancel the illusion or necessarily
allow a save, assuming that hidden beings take care to
stay out of the way of those affected by the illusion.
SCRYING, Level 4 Int, 5 Wis
CT 10 min. R see below D 1 rd./lvl.
SV none SR no Comp V, S, M, F
Focusing on a mental image of a particular creature, the
casters minds eye may gaze upon the target, watching
and listening, regardless of distance. An astute character (intelligence 13+) may get the feeling they are being
watched upon a successful Int check. Successfully focusing the minds eye in this manner is difficult. It requires a gem worth at least $10 to channel the spell and
an intelligence attribute check with the roll adjusted by
the following cumulative modifiers:
Caster knows the target well: +5
Caster has only met the target: +5
Caster has only heard of the target: +10
Caster has no knowledge of the target: +15
Book 3
failure: comprehend languages, read magic, tongues;
the following spells have a 5% chance per caster level
of operating correctly: detect chaos, detect evil, detect
good, detect law, detect magic and message.
SECRET CHEST, Level 5 Int
CT 1 hr. R see below D 60 days
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, F
This spell allows the caster to hide a chest in the ethereal
plane and retrieve it as needed for up to 60 days. The
chest can contain up to 1 cubic foot of material per caster level, regardless of the chests actual size. To prepare
the spell, the caster must have a chest created by master craftsmen from rare and expensive materials costing
at least $500, as well as a perfect miniature replica of
said chest, costing $5. Once the chests are complete, the
caster invokes the spell with the result that the larger
chest and any contents are sent to the ethereal plane.
The caster uses the smaller chest to retrieve the larger
chest at will until the 60 days expiration. After 60 days,
the chest begins to deteriorate rapidly. There is a 5% cumulative chance per day it will be forever lost. If the small
chest is lost or destroyed, then the larger chest and its
contents will be irretrievable, absent a wish. Any living
creatures in the chest must eat, and will age normally.
Only one set of chests can be owned at a single time.
SECRET PAGE, Level 3 Cha
CT 10 min. R touch D see text
SV none SR no Comp V, S, M
This spell masks any information on a page or scroll
such that the page appears blank or covered with other
information. The spell can also disguise explosive runes,
allowing their effect without revealing their presence. The
caster may invoke a command word to reveal the hidden
information, and another command word to return the
illusion. Uttering the reveal command word permanently
dispels the dweomer. The caster needs a paste made of
ground jellyfish or similar animal worth at least $5.
Comprehend languages cannot by itself reveal the true
information unless cast with a true seeing spell. True
seeing cast alone will reveal that there is hidden information, but will not reveal what it is. Detect magic
reveals a dim magical aura, but not its nature. Dispel
magic will dispel the spell, but may affect the hidden
writing as well. Erase will remove both the illusion and
any other information being hidden by the spell.
SEE INVISIBILITY, Level 1 Cha, 2 Int
CT 1 R as normal vision D 10 min./lvl.
SV none SR n/a Comp V, S, M
This spell allows the recipient to see any invisible, ethereal or astral beings as if they were normally visible. The
dweomer does not allow the caster to recognize illusions
nor detect things hidden by means other than invisibility.
The spell requires a small pinch of dust, flour or powder.
SEEMING, Level 4 Cha
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 12 hrs.
SV none (int disbelieves) SR no Comp V, S
The caster causes the appearance, garb and equipment of the target(s), one creature for every two levels, to change to whatever the caster wishes, with the
following limits. The recipients must maintain their
basic forms (humanoid, horse, etc.), but can appear
either 1 foot taller or shorter, as well as up to 50%
lighter or heavier. The illusion provides the change in
appearance, but not any change in demeanor, class
abilities or other such manifestations. Furthermore,
the dweomer is a visual illusion only; armor disguised
as clothing will still creak and clink and will feel like
armor to anyone touching it. Those disguised by the
spell remain in the illusory form until the spell expires,
the target is slain, or anyone scrutinizing them makes
an intelligence saving throw.
SENDING, Level 4 Wis, 5 Cha
CT 10 min. R unlimited D see below
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, M, DF
This dweomer allows the caster to contact a single
creature with which the caster is familiar. The message may be up to 25 words long and can even be sent
to those with animal intelligence and the creature will
understand the message. The message, however, does
not create any compulsion to perform any act, and the
creatures reaction will depend on its relation to the
caster, its intelligence, alignment, etc. If the target and
the caster are not on the same plane of existence, the
caster must make a successful charisma saving throw,
or the sending will not be transmitted.
SEQUESTER, Level 7 Int, 7 Wis, 7 Cha
CT 3 R touch D 1 day/lvl.
SV see text SR no Comp V, S, M
This spell provides complete protection from divinization spells for one creature or object for the duration of
the illusion, and renders the affected creature or object
invisible to any form of sight , divination or scrying. The
spell does not prevent the subject from being discovered
by touch or through the use of magic devices. Living
creatures (and even undead creatures) affected by sequester become comatose, and are effectively in a state
of suspended animation until the spell wears off or is
dispelled. If the spell is cast upon an unwilling creature,
the target may resist the spell on a successful charisma
save. There is no save to see the sequestered creature
or object, or to detect it with a divination spell. The spell
requires a rare eye or eyestalk costing $50 or more.
SHADES, Level 6 Cha
CT 1 R 150 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV intelligence disbelieves SR no Comp V, S
The caster shapes quasi-real illusions resembling monsters that can attack the casters foes. The shades remain semi-solid, even to those who believe them to be
illusory. The caster can create one or more illusions of
creatures whose total HD are equal to the casters level.
The caster chooses what form the illusions take, be it
human, animal, or some other mythic beast, with size
no larger than 1 foot per caster level in height or length.
These shadow creatures, however, have only 60% the
normal HP of a creature of the chosen type.
Paranormal
Characters interacting with these illusions believe them
to be real creatures unless they make a successful intelligence save. If the saving throw fails, the creatures
deal normal damage and have all the normal abilities
and weaknesses of a creature of that type. If the saving
throw succeeds, the creatures special abilities, armor
class, damage and all other aspects are only 60% as
strong as the real thing. Those who succeed at their
saves see the conjurations as transparent images superimposed on vague, shadowy forms.
SHADOW CONJURATION, Level 4 Cha
CT 1 R 150 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV see text SR no Comp V, S
The caster shapes quasi-real illusions resembling monsters that can attack the casters foes. The shadow conjurations remain semi-solid, even to those disbelieving
them. The caster can create one or more illusions of
creatures whose total normal HD are equal to the casters level. The caster chooses what form the illusions
take, human, animal, or mythic beast, but the size of
the creatures must be small or medium. These shadow
creatures have only 20% the normal HP of a creature of
the chosen type.
Characters interacting with these illusions believe them
to be real creatures unless they make a successful intelligence save. If the saving throw fails, the creatures
deal normal damage and have all the normal abilities
and weaknesses of a creature of that type. If the saving
throw succeeds, the creatures special abilities, armor
class, damage and all other aspects are only 20% as
strong as the real thing. Those who succeed at their
saves see the conjurations as transparent images superimposed on vague, shadowy forms.
SHADOW EVOCATION, Level 5 Cha
CT 1 R special D see below
SV see below SR yes Comp V, S.
The caster creates a quasi-real illusion possessed of some
actual substance and reality, that mimics one of the following spells: fireball, ice storm, lightning bolt, Arcane
Bolt, stinking cloud, wall of fire, wall of ice, or web. The
mimicked spell has its full normal effect, range, duration, saving throw allowances, SR and so on, unless the
targeted creature(s) makes an intelligence saving throw.
A successful saving throw reduces the mimicked spell to
20% of its normal damage, effect and strength.
SHADOW WALK, Level 7 Cha
CT 1 R touch D 1 hr./lvl.
SV intelligence negates (h) SR yes (h) Comp V, S.
This spell allows for rapid travel along a shadow pathway. To cast this spell, the caster must be in an area of
heavy shadows. The caster and any creature touched,
up to 1 per level, are then transported along a swirling
pathway of shadowstuff to the edge of normal reality,
where it borders a plane of shadow. The effect is largely illusory, but the path is quasi-real. Travelers on the
shadow path move at a rate of up to seven miles every
10 minutes. Movement appears normal on the shadow path, but is in reality rapid relative to the material
plane. The caster is innately aware of location relative
to the material plane and therefore will know exactly
where the party will emerge. Any creature unwilling to
continue traveling with the caster will either wander off
into the plane of shadow, or return to a random spot on
the material plane (50% chance of each).
The spell may also be used to travel to other planes that
border the plane of shadow, but this requires the caster
to actually traverse the plane of shadow and face its
perils. Such a journey requires 1d4 hours to complete.
SHAPECHANGE, Level 8 Wis, 9 Int
CT 1 R see below D 10 min./lvl.
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, M
The caster assumes the form of any creature known to
the caster. The caster can change forms throughout the
duration of the spell. Each change takes one round. The
form is quite real, and grants the caster most of the
abilities of the creature formed. The caster retains his
own mind and intelligence, as well as wisdom scores
and hit points. Other attributes might change as a result of the new form. The character retains his or her
extraordinary abilities, spells and spell-like abilities.
The character can cast spells for which he or she has
components. The character needs a humanlike voice for
verbal components and humanlike hands for somatic
components. The caster does not gain the spell-like or
supernatural abilities of the new form, but does gain
the extraordinary abilities of the new form.
The size of the form being taken can range from a gnat
to any creature not more than 200 feet in length. Even
amorphous or gaseous states may be assumed by casting this spell. Upon changing, the caster regains 1d4 hit
points. If slain, the caster reverts to his or her original
form, but remains dead.
The spell requires a $250 wand created from a shapechanging creatures arm or leg bone, gilded with silver
and mystic carvings. This wand is not consumed in the
casting of the spell.
SHAPE STONE OR WOOD, Level 3 Wis
CT 1 R touch D see text
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, M, DF
By use of this dweomer, the caster can shape a piece of
stone or wood into any desired form. A stone or wooden
weapon or piece of furniture or any other item is possible. Doors can be reshaped to allow entry/exit, walls
parted with a passage, or anything else that the caster
can imagine and that fits within the range of material
that the spell effects is possible. It takes one round to
shape each 1 cubic foot of material. Note that the creations will inevitably be crude, as fine workmanship and
finishing are beyond the scope of this invocation. The
spells area of effect is 10 cubic feet +1 cubic foot per
level. Casting the spell requires a splinter of wood or
stone wrapped in clay.
Book 3
the sorcerer. The charge can be transmitted by touching a conducting material that the target holds, such as
a sword blade or length of metal wire.
SHOUT, Level 4 Int
CT 1 R see below D instant
SV see text SR yes Comp V
This spell enchants the casters vocal cords with mighty
power. The caster can then release a concentrated sonic
blast in a cone up to 10 feet wide and 50 feet long; the
sound deals 2d6 damage to any creature in the area of
effect. Additionally, those that fail a Con save are deafened for a number of rounds equal to the damage they
suffered. Any brittle substances in the path of this cone
are treated as if subjected to a shatter spell. A shout
spell will cancel a silence spell, but the cancellation also
negates any damage or deafening effect.
Upon the incantation of this spell, a transparent, mobile wall of force appears in front of the caster, protecting him from frontal attacks and Arcane Bolts. Against
melee and ranged attacks, the spell grants the caster a
specified armor class as follows: melee attacks and highyield projectiles (such as TNT or grenades), AC 16; device-propelled missiles such as arrows or bullets, AC 17;
hand-hurled missiles such as spears, axes and darts, AC
18. The casters dexterity bonus to armor class is added
to the armor class score granted by the spell. Attacks
from the side or rear are unaffected. The spell blocks and
provides complete immunity against Arcane Bolts. The
spell also grants a +1 bonus on all saving throws.
Paranormal
power through experience. It can be repaired by a complex process requiring at least 1 day, $10 per hit point,
and a fully equipped magical laboratory. If destroyed,
the simulacrum melts into nothingness.
This spell draws the soul from a dead body and places it
into a gem (of at least $500 value). The victim must have
been deceased for no longer than 1 round per caster
level. Once the soul is contained in the gem, it cannot
be returned to life via clone, raise dead, reincarnation,
resurrection, true resurrection, or even a miracle or a
wish. Only destroying the gem can free the soul.
Book 3
Upon invoking this spell, the caster summons and directs a maelstrom of thunder and lightning. Creatures
exposed to the storm must make a constitution saving throw or be deafened for 1d4 turns. If concentration
ceases, so does the spell. For each additional round the
caster concentrates after the first, the storm has the following additional effect. The area of effect for this spell
is a 750 foot diameter circle that is 300 feet tall.
Round Effect
Acid rains down in the area, dealing 1d6 points
2
3
4
5-10
Paranormal
finishes what it was asked to do. The caster can instead
specify conditions that will trigger a special activity during the duration. If the condition is not met before the
spell expires, the activity is not performed.
An empathic link forms between the master and familiars, granting special abilities to the master as detailed
below. The empathic link functions only if the familiar
is within one mile of its master.
d20
1-3
Cat
This spell resembles summon animals. The spell conjures one or more beasts or plants with total HD equal
to the casters level. Thus, a 9th level caster can summon one 9 HD creature, two 4 HD creatures plus one 1
HD creature or nine 1 HD creatures. The caster must
choose either beasts or plants; not a mixture of the two.
The caster chooses the HD distribution desired, and the
spell attempts to accommodate the request. The caster does not choose the specific type of creature summoned, but a request can be made (as with summon
animals). The types of beasts that can be summoned
are left to the discretion of the Game Master.
4-6
7-9
Hawk
Owl
10-12
Raven
13-15
Toad
16-18
Weasel
19
CK choice
20
Magical Beast
Familiar
Notes
Night vision, superior hearing,
move silently, hide
Enhanced vision, distance vision
Night vision, superior hearing
Enhanced vision, speaks one
human language
Wide angle vision
Superior hearing and smell,
move silently, hide
One of the above, or another
small animal such as a bat,
rat, small snake
Roll on magical beast sub-table, or CK chooses.
Some sample stats for the various creatures are included as a basis for the Game Master to build upon.
This spell calls a familiar, a unique companion and servant, and binds it to the caster. Doing so takes a day and
uses up materials costing at least $10. A familiar is a
magical, unusually tough and very intelligent version of
a small animal or magical beast. The creature serves willingly. A character may have only one familiar at a time.
Book 3
FAMILIAR BASICS
Use the basic statistics for a creature of its type, as appearing in the bestiary or, if you own it, Monsters &
Treasures, except for the following changes:
Hit Dice: Double the hit dice for a normal animal of the type.
Hit Points: The familiars hit point total is added to the masters own hit points, as long as the familiar is within one mile.
Saving Throws: The familiar uses the masters base saving
throw bonuses if theyre better than the familiars bonuses.
Intelligence: Animal familiars are unusually intelligent,
and will have an effective intelligence of 1d4+8 (9-12).
Magical beast familiars have an effective intelligence of
1d4+10 (11-14), unless a typical creature of its type has
a higher intelligence.
Special Abilities: Each familiar has its own special abilities,
or enhanced senses, as noted in the table. In addition, the
familiar can communicate with animals of approximately
the same type as itself, and the communication is limited
by the intelligence of the conversing creatures.
Empathic Link: The empathic link allows the master to
communicate telepathically with the familiar for up to one
mile. Although some familiars may be able to communicate verbally with their master, telepathic communication
is typically better in conveying meaning and intent.
Familiar
Special Abilities
1-12
Magical
13-14
Demon
See text
15-16
Devil
See text
17-19
Faerie
See text
20
Familiar Dragon
See text
MAGICAL BEASTS
Magical beast familiars are more independent than a
normal familiar. Each has its own unique special abilities. The master does not gain the special abilities of a
magical beast unless otherwise indicated.
Celestial and Fiendish Animals: A celestial (good or holy)
or fiendish (evil or unholy) version of an animal. The
Game Master should pick a type on the summoned familiar table, or roll again on it to determine the type of
celestial animal. A celestial familiar serves only goodaligned characters, and a fiendish familiar serves only
evil-aligned characters. These creatures have Spell Resistance of 15 plus their Hit Dice. A celestial or fiendish animal shares its spell resistance with its master as
long as the master is within 150 ft.
Demon: A small demon such as a quazit, or other demon
of the Game Masters creation. A demon familiar is one
of the most independent types, and it will only serve a
Paranormal
chaotic evil or chaotic neutral master. A demons special
abilities are determined by the Game Master or are indicated in the demons entry in Gods and Demons. They do
not share their unique special abilities with their master,
and are highly unlikely to fight to save their masters life.
Quazit (These minor demon vital stats are HD 2d8,
AC 14, move 40 feet or fly 60 feet. Their primary attributes are physical. They attack with either their
claws (1d2) or bite (1d2). They are able to cast the
following spells once per day at the 3rd level of ability; protection from good, darkness and pyrotechnics.)
This spell summons monsters to aid the caster. The monsters appear where the caster designates, within range,
and act immediately on the casters turn in the initiative
order thereafter. If the caster can communicate with the
monsters, the caster can direct them not to attack, to
attack particular enemies or to perform other actions. If
communication is not possible, the monsters will attack
any apparent enemies of the caster. Monsters attack opponents to the best of their ability. Summoned creatures
disappear at the end of the spells duration.
Familiar Dragon: A familiar dragon is a very small dragon about 2 to 3 feet in length. Some look like a miniature version of a larger, true dragon, while others have
no true draconic counterpart. Their special abilities
may mimic a true dragons, or may more resemble those
of a pseudodragon. Each familiar dragon is unique; and
the Game Master determines its details and special
abilities, and which of those abilities are shared with
the master (if any). They are extremely loyal. A familiar
dragon responding to the summons will always be the
same alignment as the caster.
Book 3
the casters level, but no monster can have a HD greater
than 6. Thus, a 12th level caster can summon two 6
HD monsters, or two 5 HD monsters plus one 2 HD
monster. For purposes of this spell, monsters include
anything that is living and not human.
The caster does not choose the specific type of monster
summoned, although a request can be worked into the
spells casting. More general requests, such as monsters that fly, magical monsters or fierce monsters are
more likely to be answered. The summoned monsters
come from the region where the spell is cast, and are
always determined by the Game Master.
SUMMON PLANAR ALLY, Level 8 Wis
CT 1 tn. R 50 ft. D see text
SV see below SR see below Comp V, S, DF
Beseeching their deity, the caster pleads for aid, prompting the deity to select and send assistance in the form
of a number of appropriate elementals or extraplanar
creatures totaling no more than 16 HD. The caster may
request a known individual creature beholden to the
deity, but the deity can ignore this request and send a
different creature. If the character serves no particular
deity, the spell is a general plea answered by a creature
sharing the characters philosophical alignment.
The caster may ask the summoned creature or creatures
to perform one task, and a summoned creature may request some service in return (as befits the creatures outlook, alignment, deity and the magnitude of favor asked).
If the caster agrees to these requests, the creature performs the task asked of them, reporting back to the character afterward if possible, then returning to their home
plane. The caster is honor-bound to perform the return
favor, and may lose any or all arcane abilities if they fail
to do so. This will last until such a point as the caster
properly atones, in whatever manner their deity sees fit,
for the breech of promise. A creature might accept some
form of payment, such as a magic item, in return for its
service. The creature might keep it or may deliver the
item to another member of the characters religion somewhere else where the item can help the religions cause.
SUNBURST, Level 8 Wis, 8 Cha
CT 1 R 50 ft. D instant
SV see text SR yes Comp V, S, DF
By use of this spell, the caster causes a brilliant sunburst
of light to explode soundlessly at a predetermined point.
Any creatures within the burst are blinded and take 3d6
hit points of damage. Those making a successful dexterity saving throw avoid blindness and take half the hit
point damage. Creatures to whom sunlight is unusual or
harmful take double damage. Undead who fail a dexterity save take an additional 1d6 damage per caster level
and those who are specifically destroyed or harmed by
sunlight (such as vampires) are automatically destroyed.
SYMBOL, Level 8 Wis, 8 Cha
CT 10 min. R touch D see text
SV see text SR yes Comp V, S, M
This spell allows the caster to scribe, either in the air or
Insanity: One or more creatures within 30 feet, whose combined total hit points do not exceed 150, become insane
unless they make an intelligence saving throw. Insane
creatures behave randomly, either wandering away for 1
minute (unless prevented), doing nothing for 1 round, attacking the nearest creature for 1 round, or acting normally for 1 round until the spell ends. The spell lasts until a restoration, greater restoration, heal, limited wish or
wish is cast on the creature. The symbol affects the closest creatures first, skipping creatures with too many hit
points to affect. Once triggered, the symbol lasts until it
has affected 150 hit points worth of creatures.
Pain: Creatures within 30 feet suffer wracking pains that
temporarily reduce dexterity scores by 2 and impose
a -4 penalty on attack rolls, dexterity saves and ability checks. A successful constitution save at -4 negates
these effects. The pain lasts 2d10x10 minutes. Once triggered, the symbol lasts 10 minutes per caster level.
Persuasion: All creatures within 30 feet must succeed
at a charisma save at -4 to resist. If the save fails, the
creature becomes the same alignment as the caster for
1d20 x 10 minutes. During this time, affected creatures
become friendly to the caster. The spell does not enable
the character to control the creatures as if they were
automatons, but the creatures perceive the characters
words and actions in the most favorable way. The caster
can try to give the creatures orders, but must succeed
at a charisma check (difficulty determined by the Game
Master) to convince the creatures to do anything they
wouldnt ordinarily do. The creatures never obey suicidal or obviously harmful orders. Any act by the character or the characters apparent allies that threatens
the creatures breaks the spell. Note also that the caster
must speak the creatures language to communicate the
characters commands, or else be good at pantomiming.
Sleep: Creatures within 30 feet fall into a catatonic
slumber if they have 8 or fewer HD (intelligence save
negates). Sleeping creatures cannot be awakened for
3d6x10 minutes. Once triggered, the symbol lasts 10
minutes per caster level.
Paranormal
T
TELEKINESIS, Level 5 Int
CT 1 R 100 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV see text SR yes Comp V, S
By concentrating, the caster can move an object or creature weighing 25 pound per level of the caster by mental command. Telekinesis can move a creature or object
weighing up to 25 pounds per caster level up to 20 feet per
round. A creature can negate the effect against itself with
a successful charisma save at -4, and against an object
it possesses with a successful strength save, or with SR.
The spell lasts up to 1 round per caster level, but it ends
if the caster ceases concentrating. The weight can be
moved in any direction, but not beyond the spells range.
The spell ends if an object is forced beyond the range.
Alternatively, if the caster chooses, the spell energy can
be expended in a single round. The caster can hurl, with
massive force, one object or creature (within range toward any target also within range). The caster can hurl
up to a total weight of 25 pounds per caster level. To hit
a target with a hurled item, caster must succeed at an
attack roll using the casters base attack bonus + the
casters intelligence modifier. Weapons hurled by the
spell cause double standard damage (with no strength
bonus). Other objects cause 1d6 points of damage per 25
pounds of weight. Creatures who fall within the weight
capacity of the spell can be hurled, but they are allowed a
charisma save to negate the effect, as are creatures that
hold targeted possessions. If a creature is hurled against
a solid surface, it takes damage as if it had fallen 30 feet.
TELEPATHIC BOND, Level 5 Int, 5 Cha
CT 1 R see below D 1 hr.
SV none SR no Comp V, S
The caster forges a telepathic bond among intelligent creatures. Only one creature per three levels of caster can be
effected and they must all be within 30 feet of the caster. All
the targets must have an intelligence score of 6 or higher.
Each creature targeted is linked to all the others. The bond
can be established only among willing subjects. All subjects can communicate telepathically through the bond,
regardless of language. Once the bond is formed, it works
over any distance, but not between planes of existence.
The caster sends forth a burst of energy that short circuits a targets nervous system. As such, this spell can
only be used on living targets that have nervous systems. If the victim fails a Constitution save, he suffers
1d4 points of temporary (subdual) damage and -2 to all
actions for the next round. A successful save negates
the effects of this spell.
Book 3
mental image, the more likely the teleportation works (see
table). Areas of strong physical or magical energies may
make teleportation more hazardous or even impossible.
Teleportation is instantaneous travel through the astral
plane; anything that blocks astral travel also blocks teleportation. To see how well the teleportation works, roll d%
and consult the teleport table below. Refer to the following
information for definitions of the terms on the table:
familiar
On Target
Off Target
Similar Area
Mishap
01-97
98-99
100
01-94
95-97
98-99
100
Studied carefully
01-88
89-94
95-98
99-100
Seen casually
01-76
77-88
89-96
97-100
Viewed once
01-52
53-76
77-92
93-100
Description
81-92
93-100
False destination (1d20+80)
Very Familiar: A place where the caster has been very often and feels at home.
Studied Carefully: A place the caster knows well, either because they have been there often or have used other means to study the place.
Seen Casually: A place that the caster has seen more than once, but with which the character is not very familiar.
Viewed Once: A place that the caster has seen once.
Description: A place whose location and appearance the caster knows only through someone elses description, perhaps even
from a precise map.
False Destination: A place that does not exist. When traveling to a false destination, roll 1d20+80 to obtain results on the table,
rather than rolling d%, since there is no real destination for the character to hope to arrive at, or even be off target from.
On Target: The caster appears at the desired location.
Off Target: The character appears safely a random distance away from the destination in a random direction. Distance off
target is 1d10 x 1d10% of the distance that was to be traveled. The Game Master determines the direction off target randomly.
Similar Area: The caster winds up in an area thats visually or thematically similar to the target area. Generally, the caster appears
in the closest similar place, but since the spell has no range limit, they could conceivably wind up somewhere else across the globe.
Mishap: The caster and those teleporting with the caster suffer one of the following: 1-3 scrambled; 4-5 appear above; 6 appear
below the intended destination. Scrambled travelers each take 1d10 points of damage, and the Game Master rerolls on the chart
to see where the travelers wind up. For these rerolls, roll 1d20+80 and each time mishap comes up, the characters take more
damage and must reroll. Characters appearing above do so 1d6x10 feet above the intended destination and suffer appropriate
damage if they fall. Characters appearing below do so 1d6x10 feet below the intended destination and either instantly die from
teleporting into a solid surface or appear in whatever open space exists underground.
Paranormal
Book 3
U
UNDETECTABLE AURA, Level 1 Cha
CT 1 R touch D n/a
SV none SR yes (object) Comp V, S
This spell allows the caster to mask a magic items aura
from detection. If the object bearing undetectable aura
has identify cast on it or is similarly examined, the examiner recognizes that the aura is false and detects the
objects actual qualities. The object so hidden can weigh
5 pounds per level of the caster.
UNSEEN SERVANT, Level 1 Int, 1 Cha
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 1 hr./lvl.
SV n/a SR n/a Comp V, S, M
The unseen servant is an invisible, mindless, shapeless
force that performs simple tasks at the casters command.
It can run and fetch things, open unstuck doors and hold
chairs, as well as clean and mend. The servant can per-
Paranormal
form only one activity at a time, but it repeats the same
activity over and over again if told to do so. It has an effective strength score of 2 for lifting purposes. It can trigger
traps and such, but it can exert only 20 pounds of force.
Its speed is 15 feet per round. The servant cannot attack
in any way. It cannot be killed, but it dissipates if it takes
6 points of damage from area attacks. If the caster attempts to send it beyond the spells range, the servant
ceases to exist. A 5gp gem is used to enact this spell.
V
VANISH, Level 7 Cha
CT 1 R touch D instant
SV none SR yes (object) Comp V
This spell works exactly like teleport, except only objects can be teleported. The caster can teleport up to
50 pounds or 3 cubic feet of matter per level. Creatures
and magical forces cannot be made to vanish. Mishap is
possible, just as in the teleport spell.
VEIL, Level 6 Cha, 7 Int
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 1 hr./lvl.
SV see text SR see text Comp V, S
The caster instantly changes the appearance of the target
creature and then maintains that appearance for the spells
duration. The caster can effect one creature per two levels
of experience. The recipients of the spell can not be more
than 30 feet apart. The caster makes the subjects appear to
be anything the caster wishes. The subjects look, feel, and
smells just like the creatures whose appearance the target
takes. Affected creatures resume their normal appearances
if slain. The caster must succeed at an intelligence check
at +6 to duplicate the appearance of a specific individual.
Unwilling targets can negate the spells effect by making
intelligence saves. Those who interact with the subjects
can attempt intelligence (disbelief) saves to see through the
glamour, but SR doesnt help to detect the illusion.
VENTRILOQUISM, Level 1 Cha
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 3 rd.+1 rd./lvl.
SV intelligence to disbelieve SR no Comp V, S
The caster can make his voice (or any sound that the
caster can normally make vocally) seem to issue from
someplace else. The caster can speak in any language
the caster knows. Anyone who hears the voice and rolls
a successful intelligence save recognizes the sound as
illusory (but still hears it).
VISION, Level 7 Cha
CT 1 tn. R n/a D see text
SV see text SR no Comp V, S
Vision quickly brings to the casters mind legends about
an important person, place or thing, but produces some
strain on the caster. The caster poses a question about
some person, place or object, then casts the spell and
goes to sleep. If the person or object is at hand, or if the
W
WALL OF FIRE, Level 4 Int, 5 Wis
CT 1 R 50 ft. D 1 rd./lvl.
SV none (see text) SR yes Comp V, S, M, DF
With a single bit of burnt wood, a blazing curtain or ring
of shimmering fire springs into existence at the casters
command. The wall can take two forms; either an immobile fiery wall, or a ring of fire surrounding the caster that
moves with the caster. In both cases, the wall is 20 feet tall
and only 1 foot thick. The fiery wall or curtain of fire measures up to 20 feet long per caster level (up to 100 ft long at
10th level). The ring of fire measures up to 10 feet wide per
every two caster levels (up to 50 feet diameter at 10th level).
One side of the wall, selected by the caster, sends forth
waves of heat, dealing 2d4 points of fire damage to creatures within 10 feet and 1d4 points of fire damage to
those between 10 and 20 feet. The wall deals this damage when it appears, and for each round that a creature enters or remains in the area. In addition, the wall
deals 2d6+1 point per caster level of fire damage to any
creature entering or passing through the wall. The wall
deals double damage to undead creatures. No saving
throw is allowed for any of the heat or fire damage.
If the caster evokes the wall so that it appears where
creatures are already present, each creature takes
damage as if passing through the wall. Each such creature can avoid the wall by making a successful dexterity
save. (If the creature ends up on the hot side of the wall,
it takes 2d4 points of damage, as normal.)
The caster may maintain the wall indefinitely by concentrating on doing so, or may forgo continued concentration,
in which case the wall will last 1 round per caster level.
Book 3
The wall can be attacked and cancelled by cold spells and
damage. If any 5 foot length of the wall takes 20 points
of cold damage or more in 1 round, that length goes out.
The caster can form the wall into a flat, vertical plane
whose area is up to 10 feet long per caster level, 20 feet
tall and 1 inch thick. Alternately, the caster can form
it into a sphere up to 1 foot per level in diameter, or a
hemisphere up to 2 feet per level in diameter.
WALL OF ICE, Level 4 Int
CT 1 R 150 ft. D 1 tn./lvl.
SV none SR no Comp V, S, M
Similar to wall of fire, this spell creates an anchored sheet
or hemisphere of ice. Unlike wall of fire, a wall of ice cannot form in an area occupied by physical objects or creatures. Its surface must be smooth and unbroken when
created. Fire can melt a wall of ice. Suddenly melting the
wall of ice creates a great cloud of steamy fog that lasts for
10 minutes. The details on the two versions follows:
Sheet of Ice: A sheet of strong, hard ice appears. The
wall may be created either vertically or horizontally/
slanting. Vertical walls anchor themselves to the floor,
while a horizontal or slanting wall must have two opposite surfaces to anchor itself. The sheet has two possible
measurements: (1) up to 10 feet per caster level long, 1
inch per caster level thick, and 10 feet tall/wide, or (2)
up to 5 feet per caster level long, 1 inch per caster level
thick, and 20 feet tall/wide. A horizontal sheet of ice
created in the air without two anchor points acts as a
sleet storm spell, but lasts only 5 rounds and covers an
area equaling one of the two possible measurements.
Each 10-foot length (for the former) or 5-foot length (for
the latter) has 3 hit points per inch of thickness. Creatures can hit the wall automatically, and a section of
wall whose hit points drop to 0 is breached. Even when
the ice has been broken through, a sheet of frigid air
remains that deals 1d6 +1 point per caster level of cold
damage to any creature stepping through it. Fire-using
creatures passing through this cold air suffer double
damage, while cold-using creatures suffer no damage.
Hemisphere of Ice: The wall takes the form of a hemisphere
of ice over the caster or a designated target. The hemisphere has a maximum possible diameter of 2 feet per
caster level. It is as hard to break through as the sheet of
ice, but it does not deal damage to those who go through
The wall of iron is 1 inch thick per four caster levels, and
up to 5 feet x 5 feet per caster level. The caster can double
the walls area by halving its thickness. Each 5 foot square
of the wall has 30 hit points per inch of thickness. Creatures can hit the wall automatically, but it is so hard that
the first 10 points of damage from each blow are ignored.
A section of wall whose hit points drop to 0 is breached.
If the wall is created where it cannot anchor itself, either
vertically resting on a flat surface or in the air, it falls
on creatures beneath it. An unanchored vertical wall is
50% likely to tip in either direction if left unpushed after
2 rounds. It can be pushed with a strength check (CL
10). Creatures with room to flee the falling wall may do
so by making successful Dex save. Creatures who fail
take 10d6 points of damage.
WALL OF STONE, Level 5 Int, 6 Wis
CT 1 R 150 ft. D permanent
SV see text SR no Comp V, S, M
This spell creates a wall of rock that merges into adjoining rock surfaces. To enact this spell requires a piece of
tone from a wall. The wall is 1 inch thick per four caster
levels, and up to 5 feet x 5 feet per caster level. The
caster can double the walls area by halving its thickness. The wall cannot be conjured so that it occupies
the same space as a creature or another object.
The caster can create the wall in almost any shape. The
wall need not be vertical, nor rest upon any firm foundation; however, it must merge with and be solidly supported by existing stone. It can be used to bridge a chasm,
for instance, or to form a ramp. For this use, if the span
is more than 20 feet, the wall must be arched and buttressed. This requirement reduces the spells area by half.
The wall can be crudely shaped to allow crenellations, battlements and so forth by likewise reducing the area.
Each 5 foot square area of the wall has 15 hit points per
inch of thickness. Creatures can hit the wall automatically,
but the wall is so hard that the first 8 points of damage from
each blow are ignored. A section of wall whose hit points
drop to 0 is breached. It is possible, but difficult, to trap
mobile opponents within or under a wall of stone, provided
the wall is shaped so it can hold the creatures. Creatures
avoid entrapment with successful dexterity saves.
Paranormal
A 10 x 20 foot high invisible vertical curtain of wind appears. It is 2 feet thick and of considerable strength. The
roaring blast is sufficient to blow away any bird smaller
than an eagle, and tear papers and similar materials from
unsuspecting hands. Small flying creatures cannot pass
through the barrier. Loose materials and cloth garments
fly upward when caught in a wind wall. Arrows and bolts
are deflected upward and miss, while any other normal
ranged weapon passing through the wall suffers a -6 to
hit and -2 points of damage. Massive ranged weapons like
catapult boulders, are not affected. Gases, most gaseous
breath weapons, and creatures in gaseous form cannot
pass through the wall (although it is no barrier to incorporeal creatures). While the wall must be vertical, the caster
can shape it in any continuous path along the ground.
Book 3
requires only one die roll; the other is more dynamic. Its
up to the GM to decide which works better for her game.
Under the active method of opposed checks, if the abilities of a defender can affect the outcome, both parties
make an Attribute Check, with the higher result winning the contest. In the example above, if the raiders
quarry were actively attempting to cover their tracks,
they might roll an Intelligence check, gaining a +3 bonus from the GM due to the 3 days time between their
passage and the raiders arrival. In this case, instead
of the Raiders CC being set at 15 + 3 for the passage of
time, it would be equal to the Hooligans check result (if
the Hooligans got a 20 on their Intelligence check, then
the Raider would need a 20 or better to track them).
Under the passive method, the CL of any check is set by
the level or hit dice and appropriate ability bonus of the
target. In the example above, the GM knows the Hooligans have an average hit die of 3 and, deciding that Intelligence is the appropriate ability to cover their tracks,
an Intelligence bonus of +1. The Raider would need
to make a CL 4 check (CC 19) to track the Hooligans.
This method is faster playing, but by removing a die roll
the players may feel that they have lost some control in
situations where the NPCs are making checks.
Aiding Others
Attribute Checks can also be used to represent multiple
people working together. When this occurs, decide who
the leader of the attempt is. That person will make the
Attribute Check that will determine the final outcome.
Before this, all those attempting to aid make Attribute
Checks. If they succeed, they add +1 to the leaders
check. If they succeed by more than 5, they add an additional +1 for every five points by which they succeeded.
Thus, if a pilot and co-pilot are trying to steer a bomber
through German anti-aircraft fire, the pilot would be the
leader, making a Dexterity check to steer the plane. His
co-pilot, however, could also aid himlets say the GM
rules through Wisdom, to spot openings in the wall of
flak ahead. The co-pilot makes his Wisdom check and
scores a 20! He would add +2 to the pilots Dexterity
check: +1 for making the basic success of 15, and +1 for
a superior success of 5 above the base. If the co-pilot
had scored 25, he would add +3 to the pilots check.
Exploding and Imploding Dice
Any time a player rolls a test of 1d20, if the result of the
roll is 20 before modifiers are added (a natural 20),
roll an extra d6 and add it to the total. Continue the
process until the die comes up a number other than 6.
So long as you keep rolling 6, keep adding to the total.
This is called an Exploding result.
For example, Luke is making a check against his 3rdlevel characters Strength of 18, a Prime for his character. He throws the bones and rolls a 20. He now rolls
an extra d6 to add to the total, and it comes up as 6,
must dodge the effects of a breath weapon, so a dexterity check is appropriate, but on occasions gaseous
clouds require a constitution saving throw.
CHARM (Charisma): Charm spells or spell-like abilities
allow a charisma saving throw to avoid being overcome
by the charm. A failed save means the character suffers
the effect of the charm spell.
Saving Throws
Categories
Strength
Paralysis, Constriction
Dexterity
Constitution
Intelligence
Magic, Illusion
Wisdom
Charisma
Variable
Spells
Book Four
below 0-level is instantly slain. Depending on the creature that killed the character, the character may rise
the next night as a monster of that kind. If not, the
character may at the GMs option rise as another type
of undead creature.
Lost levels or attribute scores remain until removed by
spell, such as restoration, or other means. Sometimes,
level or attribute loss is temporary and will return to
normal in a days time.
A creature gains temporary hit points each time it successfully uses a natural energy drain ability. Unless
specified otherwise, the creature gains the amount of
hit points that the victim loses. Energy drain through
spell or magic item does not grant temporary hit points
unless their description indicates otherwise.
FATIGUE OR EXHAUSTION (Constitution) Pushing
the body beyond its limits, contracting diseases, or being hit with certain spells or energy drain effects can
cause the character to drop from sheer exhaustion in
his tracks. For more information on how this works,
see Fatigue and Exhaustion, below.
FEAR (Charisma): Spells, magic items
and certain monsters can affect characters with fear. The character facing a
monster who emanates fear or who has
a spell cast upon him makes a charisma saving throw to resist the effect. A
failed roll means that the character is
affected by the fear, as detailed in the
spell or monster description.
GAZE ATTACK (Wisdom): Each character within range of a gaze attack must
attempt a saving throw each round at
the beginning of his turn. Generally
the character can avoid the gaze with
a successful wisdom check. In many
instances, the situation is more appropriately handled without a saving throw
through narrative and role playing. If
necessary, the Game Master may require a saving throw. Failure indicates
the character was unable to avoid the
gaze and suffers its effect.
MAGIC/ILLUSION (Intelligence or
Wisdom): This category is for spells
cast by creatures or from scrolls. It is a
catch all for magic not covered by one
of the other saving throw categories.
Arcane or divine spells cast by a magic item or other object, or a spell-like
ability possessed by a creature or item
usually allow a saving throw to negate,
lessen, avoid or resist their effect. If the
type of magic is arcane, then an intelligence saving throw is made. If divine,
then a wisdom saving throw is made.
Combat
uch of the excitement in playing Amazing Adventures occurs during the characters combat with monsters. Whether
a gadgeteer battling a horde of Nazi
cultists, a gumshoe facing off with a nefarious crime boss or an arcanist facing
down an ancient mummy, combat is often the climax of
many role-playing sessions. Combat is also the nexus of
many rules in Amazing Adventures. Managing combat
is often a challenging affair as the Game Master must
not only know the rules, but must also know how to apply the rules fluidly to maintain a sense of excitement
through description and action.
ATTACKER: The term used to refer to the character or monster making an attack on their turn during a combat round.
Book Four
Initiative
The order of action in a combat round is determined
by an initiative roll. Every creature or character participating in the combat round rolls a d10 to determine
their initiative each round. Those with the highest roll
take their action first, and the actions of others descend
from there. In the case of a tie, the one with the highest dexterity goes first. In the case of equal dexterity, a
simultaneous action occurs.
This method of establishing initiative may seem chaotic at
times, especially with large groups of creatures or characters. In those cases, the Game Master may find it necessary to require a group initiative instead, with the winning
party acting before anyone in the opponent party.
There is one exception to initiative: when a creature uses
a weapon with a reach of greater than 10 feet against an
opponent with a weapon with less than a 6 foot reach,
or when a large creature is fighting a medium or smaller
sized creature. In the first round only, the creature with
the more lengthy reach or of larger size is allowed to attack first, even if the creature with the shorter weapon
or the smaller creature won the initiative roll. This rule
only applies if the creature with the shorter reach or
smaller creature approaches within ten feet. Such action counts as the action for that round for the larger
creature or the one with the longer weapon.
For example, The Midnight Avenger draws his knife and
charges a rabid gigantopithecus who just crushed his
companion with a small tree trunk. Screaming in a rage
driven by revenge and loss, the Avenger leaps forward to
attack. He rolls a 9 initiative, and the ape rolls a 3. The
ape is large and the Avenger is medium. Thus, when the
Avenger moves within 10 feet of the ape, the ape is allowed
to swing first even though the Avenger won initiative.
Combat Actions
In a combat round, characters can perform a wide variety of actions. Every possible action, however, can be
categorized in one of the five types of actions that may
be performed during combat, which all have a chance of
failure. The five possible actions are attack, cast a spell,
move, use an ability or use an item.
Attack
A character or monster is allowed one attack each round
unless they possess a special ability allowing them to
exceed the limitation. Attacks include melee attacks,
either armed with a weapon or unarmed, and ranged
attacks with a missile weapon. An attack allows a character or monster to move up to one-half their movement
rate. Moving farther than one-half movement rate negates the ability to make an attack.
Cast Spell
A character or creature is allowed to cast one spell each
round. Some spells require two or more rounds to cast,
in which case the character must wait until the follow-
ing round for the effect of the spell to take place. The
magic section fully details how spells are cast and when
they take effect. A character may not move any distance
and cast a spell in the same round unless the spell description states otherwise.
Move
If no other action is taken, a character or monster can
walk a distance equal to their full movement rate. Full
movement also includes jogging (twice the normal move
rate) and running (quadruple the normal move rate).
Use an Ability
A character or monster may perform one class or special ability each round. Some abilities, like spells, take
more than one round to complete. Some monsters can
perform more than one ability per round. Ability may
involve movement, but in most cases the movement will
not exceed the normal movement rate. Otherwise, the
Game Master retains discretion as to whether any ability use involves movement.
Use an Item
An item that is carried and readied can be used. The
most common actions in this category are using or activating a magic item or piece of equipment. Such actions
include, but are not limited to, drinking a potion, using
a wand, casting a spell from a scroll, or casting a grappling hook. In most cases, no movement will be involved
or allowed when using an item. Readying an item is not
difficult, as long as it is easily accessed. Usually, the item
must be on a belt or hanging from a pack, and readying
it should not take more than a few seconds. Whereas, if
an item is in a backpack, it would take at least a round
to take off the pack, dig through it, and retrieve the item.
The Game Master and players must use common sense
in deciding whether an item is readily available. In some
cases, the Game Master may require the players to indicate on their character sheets which items are readily
available or how and where an item is being carried.
Non-Lethal and Multiple Actions
There is of course another broad category encompassing
non-lethal or otherwise mundane actions such as talking, standing still and doing nothing or picking up an
item. Such actions typically have no chance of failure,
however, so they are not considered combat actions.
No matter the type of action attempted, it is up to the
Game Master to adjudicate how long any action takes
and whether it can be performed in a single round. Most
actions occur in a single round, or if they take longer,
the rules for the specific action usually detail just how
many rounds the action takes to complete. The Game
Master may allow more than one action per round under special circumstances (if a character has a haste
spell cast on him, for example). Also, some non-combat
actions a character may take might not consume a full
round. This latter aspect is important and the Game
Book Four
For the 10-shot and 50-shot burst, if full cover is available (i.e. the target can dive behind a wall or car), the
targets Dexterity save can completely negate damage,
but this also results in the target being pinned and
unable to act for one full round (i.e. the target loses
their next action).
A 50 shot burst is called spraying an area and is treated
the same as a 10-shot burst, but effects a 10 wide path.
In this case, the attacker also gains +5 to his attack roll
when determining the CC of the Dexterity save. Rules for
multiple hits apply as per 3- or 5-burst fire, above.
Shotguns
Shotguns are a special case. If using solid slugs, treat
a pump-action shotgun as any other single-action gun.
If using shot, the shotgun imparts a +2 to hit, but deals
half damage at any range other than point blank. At
point blank range a shotgun with shot deals double
damage. Double-barreled shotguns are able to make an
additional shot each round, but suffers its recoil penalty to the second shot, or can fire both barrels simultaneously. Treat this as a burst (above) if using solid
slugs, or as an area effect burst (below) if using shot.
Emptying both barrels of a double-barreled shotgun
should not be treated as a burst when using slugs.
Rather, the attack simply does double-damage but requires a full round to reload the weapon. In addition,
shot does double damage at point blank range, normal
damage at first increment, and half damage beyond the
first increment. Slugs do normal damage at any range
increment. Finally, as a clarification, the +2 to hit using
shot should be treated as increasing the weapons accuracy rating by 2 when using shot as opposed to slugs
- the tradeoff is less damage at ranges beyond point
blank, since the shot scatters.
Unarmed Combat
Unarmed combat is similar to armed combat, only the attacker is not using a melee weapon, but natural weapons
instead, such as claws, hands, fangs or even the whole
body. Many monsters employ unarmed melee attacks, as
do pugilist characters. In most cases, the success of these
attacks are determined as with a normal melee attack.
The attacker rolls 1d20 and adds the basic to hit bonus
plus any strength modifier. A (nonhuman) monsters basic to hit bonus is equal to its total number of hit dice (a
3d8 hit dice creature adds a +3). If the total is greater than
or equal to the defenders armor class, the attacker has
successfully hit the defender and inflicts damage as determined by the class ability or monster description.
There are also special unarmed attacks of an entirely
different nature and effect: grappling, pummeling, overbearing and touch attacks. Each type follows the same
basic principle but with different modifications to the to
hit roll and damage inflicted. For example, characters
that are not of the pugilist class who wish to punch or
kick are attempting a pummeling attack.
Book Four
Grappling
Grappling involves grabbing and holding a defender, as
with classical wrestling or a snake constricting its body
around its prey. Grappling is directed at holding an opponent and subduing them. The attacker rolls 1d20 and
adds any strength modifier. The Game Master may or may
not deem the basic to hit bonus an appropriate modifier.
The armor class of a defender in an overbearing attack
is different than normal. A standard armor class of 15
is used for all defenders, as armor has little effect on
the capacity to defend against this type of attack. The
armor class is modified by the strength and the dexterity modifier of the defender, as well as the size difference between the two opponents. For each size difference larger, add +2 to the defenders armor class. For
each size difference smaller, a -2 penalty is imposed on
the defenders armor class.
For example, a gigantopithecus attacks a socialite to grab
her to carry her up the Empire State Building. The socialite has an armor class of 15 and, due to a strength of 14
and a dexterity of 14, adds +1 to each for a total of 16. But
the great ape is two sizes larger, so a -4 adjustment to the
socialites armor class results in an armor class of 12.
Should an attack be successful, the defender is held
and cannot act except to attempt to break the hold. The
defender is considered prone and defenseless. The defender can break the hold by making his own successful grappling attack.
Pummeling
Pummeling involves the use of fists, feet, knees, elbows
or other body parts to inflict damage on an opponent
with the intention of knocking them out or otherwise incapacitating them. The attacker rolls 1d20 to hit, adding
any strength modifier plus any other modifier the Game
Master deems appropriate. The Game Master may or
may not deem the basic to hit bonus an appropriate
modifier. If the total equals or exceeds the defenders
armor class, the pummeling inflicts 1-2 hit points of
subdual damage. Damage is modified by strength.
A pugilists unarmed combat ability and monsters natural weapons are not considered pummeling attacks.
Characters who are not pugilists who wish to use handto-hand combat are subject to the pummeling rules.
Overbearing
This type of attack is used to knock an opponent down.
This is a tactic used in wrestling and other types of
hand-to-hand combat, as well as when an animal
charges and knocks someone over. The attacker rolls
1d20 to hit and adds any strength modifier or other
modifier that the Game Master deems fit. The Game
Master may or may not deem the basic to hit bonus an
appropriate modifier.
As with grappling, a standard armor class of 15 is
used for all defenders. For overbearing, however, only
strength and size difference modifies the standard armor class. For each size difference larger add +2, and
for each size difference smaller subtract -2.
If a hit is successful, the defender is knocked prone for
the remainder of that round. An attacker cannot knock
over a defender two sizes larger. In addition, the defender takes 1-2 points of subdual damage.
An attacker attempting to overbear suffers a -2 penalty to armor class because they are more exposed than
usual. The penalty remains to their armor class for the
combat round.
Touch Attack
A touch attack is one in which an attacker is simply trying to touch an opponent. This often occurs with spells
that require a touch to be successful. With a touch attack, a standard armor class of 10 is used for all defenders, adjusted only by dexterity of the defender and
special modifiers resulting from, for example, magic
items or spells.
Situational Modifiers
Situational modifiers are somewhat nebulous and, for the
most part, those that the Game Master deems appropriate. There are often those situations that are impossible
to set a rule or would involve such complex rules as to fill
up an entire tome. In these instances, the Game Master
must use reason, common sense or narrative development
to determine what modifier is applied to the to hit roll. For
example, should a hooligan, after a long night of carousing,
be barreling across town hanging out of his car window,
driving with one hand and brandishing a Tommy gun with
the other, decide to take a spray at a rival crime boss as
he drives by, the Game Master must decide upon the appropriate modifier to the to hit roll (or an attribute check to
determine if it is even possible to make the attack).
In general, combat to hit modifiers can be broken down
into three categories: easy, difficult and heroic. For tasks
that are easy, up to a +/-5 modifier should be imposed.
Difficult tasks would range from +/- 6 to 10, and heroic
acts would range from +/- 11 or above. The instance described above may seem ridiculous, but players attempt
all manner of actions with their characters - something
that should be encouraged. However, the Game Master
is left with the task of deciding the modifier to be applied
to a situation. What the hooligan in the example above is
attempting is not heroic, but it most certainly is not easy.
In this instance, the Game Master should probably err
on the high side of difficult since the hooligan is inebriated. A -10 to the attack roll would not be unreasonable.
Some situational modifiers can be applied with regularity. These are listed below and can be used to help in
making decisions about other unusual situations. Concealment includes those circumstances where nothing
physically blocks an attack, but there is something that
interferes with the attackers accuracy. The other modifiers should be self explanatory. The modifiers are cu-
mulative. In all instances, attackers must know of a defenders presence, though not their exact location. Also,
the Game Master should add to this list and keep track
of decisions that are made in the game in order that
they can be made with some regularity and consistency.
SITUATIONAL COMBAT MODIFIERS
Defender prone or blind:
Defender prone and defenseless:
Defender at lower elevation:
Defender stunned or cowering:
Defender invisible or attacker blind:
+5
+10
+1
+2
10
+2
10
Armor Class
Armor class is representative of a defenders ability to
avoid damage. Armor class results from a combination of
armor, dexterous avoidance of attacks, and ability to absorb the shock of a damaging blow or roll with it. Armor
class takes into account an active defense (aware of the
attacker), the armor worn and a general ability to withstand or avoid attacks. It does not represent armor alone.
In Amazing Adventures it takes into account your characters signature outfit and the clothes shes wearing as
well! Indeed, for game purposes, outfit is the primary determinate of armor class, as it is the most easy to quantify.
In game terms, the Armor Class (AC) of a character is
the target number required to hit a character in combat.
Armor class begins at 10. A person wearing normal
clothing has a 10 armor class. Armor class can increase
as much as modifiers allow. In rare cases, modifiers can
result in an armor class less than 10, though never below 1. The following rules should be taken into account
when determining the armor class of a defender. It is
not an exhaustive list and the Game Master is encouraged to develop her own adjustments as needed.
Armor: Each piece of pulp clothings adjustment is described in the equipment list. A trench coat, for example, has a +3 adjustment to armor class. This gives the
individual wearing it a 13 armor class (10+3).
Shields: At some point, someone might grab a small
chair or table, or trash can lid and hold it up to help
fend off an attack. This is a primitive shield. Every
shield has a +1 modifier to armor class, but the size
of the shield determines how many opponents the +1
modifier applies against. Small shields only offer the adjustment against one attacker, medium shields against
two attackers and large shields against three attackers.
+2 AC
cover:
+4 AC
cover:
+6 AC
Full cover:
+10 AC
Book Four
all the possibilities and it is unproductive to try and do so.
These generally fall into a category of combat maneuvers.
Some of the more common combat maneuvers and their
effects are listed and described below. These rules can
be considered optional as they are not necessary to game
play. They are provided to allow the Game Master and
players more options in combat and to introduce the
concept of amending and adding rules to fit a groups
style of play. They should be introduced slowly and with
practice to insure that they meld with the style and tempo of play desired by both the players and Game Master.
less away from their opponent and they can disengage from
combat. The character suffers no penalty to armor class,
but they cannot take any other action in the round.
Disarm
A character can disarm an opponent. The character
must successfully hit an armor class equivalent of 18
plus the hit dice or level of the defender to successfully
disarm them. For example, a Raider would need to hit
an armor class of 23 to disarm a 5 hit dice creature or
5th level opponent. The defender receives a dexterity
bonus to this armor class, if applicable.
Aim
A character might decide to take his time and get a very
careful bead on his enemy before firing, in an effort to
get a more accurate shot. In game terms, taking careful
aim delays a characters shot until the end of the round,
but confers a +2 to hit his target. This +2 remains in effect even when accounting for recoil penalties with guns
that have a rate of fire greater than one. For example, a
gun with a rate of fire 3 and a recoil penalty of 2 would
normally fire at 0, -2, -4. But if the character takes aim,
the gun would fire at +2, 0, -2 instead.
Dodge
In this case, a character can dodge up to three attacks
in a round that originate from attacker(s) they are facing and are aware of. If dodging, the character sacrifices
their action in that round. The character cannot attack,
cast spells, move or use an ability or item. To dodge, the
character makes a standard Dexterity check, and uses
that check to replace their normal AC for the round.
Armor bonuses to AC do not apply when dodging. A
character can dodge every round should they desire. A
dodge can be declared at any time in a combat round
as long as the character has not taken any other action.
Disengaging from Combat
Disengaging from combat is a dangerous maneuver
since it exposes the character to attacks. If disengaging,
a character can take no other action. The character is
only allowed a movement, which is part of the two types
of disengagement. Monsters and non-player characters
can disengage from combat. They can also opt to follow
those disengaging from combat.
A hasty disengagement is one in which the character or
monster attempts to leave combat and expends all effort
to do so. A character disengaging hastily may move as far
as possible up to their maximum running distance, but
they suffer a -2 to armor class and their opponent gets an
attack against them as they run away. This is a free attack
and does not count against the opponents other action in
the round, although the opponent may not make a second
attack against the fleeing character. The armor class adjustment lasts throughout the combat round and applies
to every attack against the fleeing character.
A fighting disengagement is a more carefully executed withdrawal from combat. By performing a fighting disengagement, the character moves one-half their movement rate or
Active Disarm
If the GM wishes to make resisting a disarm attempt more active on the defenders part, the CC to
disarm can be equal to the Dexterity check of the
defender instead of 18 plus hit dice.
Evade
This maneuver is a desperate attempt to avoid being hit
and involves using all ones energies to dodge and parry
blows but remains engaged in combat. The character
doing this is allowed to evade one opponent they are
facing. Evade confers a +4 bonus to armor class for that
round against that opponent, but results in -2 to armor
class against all other opponents.
Fighting Defensively
Fighting Defensively is a combat maneuver that allows a
character to remain cautious while in combat, keeping
his guard up and taking only the most well-considered
attempts to injure his opponent. Fighting Defensively
normally provides +2 to the AC of the character, while
inflicting a -4 penalty to attacks the defensive character
makes that round.
Flank Attack
This is an attack that takes places to one or the other rear sides of a defender. When using flank attack
rules, they should be used consistently for monsters
and characters alike. The defender may or may not be
aware of the attack, but in any case, is less capable of
defending against the flank attack than those from the
front. A flank attack confers a +1 bonus to hit.
Rear Attack
An attack to the rear of an opponent gives the attacker
a +2 bonus to hit. The hooligan does not get this in addition to her back attack bonus, as it is already considered in her class abilities.
Two-Fisted Fighting
At some point, characters will attempt to fight with a
weapon in both hands. This is a difficult skill to master, and it takes much experience to do it well (see the
Good descriptions help pace a combat, and keep players lively and excited. It is important to note that characters should be allowed to participate in the narrative
description. A Game Master who spends 15 minutes describing or setting up a scene can easily lose a hard-won
audience. Players should be allowed and encouraged to
bring their own descriptive subtext to combat. The best
and most common example of this is the called shot. If
a character wants to strive for the heroic chance against
all odds, they should be allowed to do so. Calling a shot,
or any extraordinary act such as leaping out of your
biplane into the empty copilots seat of the one below,
generally throws out all the rules and the Game Master must wing the encounter, allowing for chance, while
seeking to achieve the most dramatic narrative possible.
Many factors must be considered, from the reasonable
chance of success to the characters ability to do so, from
the needs of the party to the games need for realism, consistency and fun. This is where the art of running a good
combat reaches its most demanding height, and where
the rules are utterly subject to the narrative. The Game
Master must decide what is best for the game, the group
and the individual player. A bored, frustrated player can
be won back in seconds by a good call from the Game
Master. Even if Luther the gumshoe misses with his called
shot, his bullet may knock over a lamp that encumbers
or trips the enemy, casting them to the ground and thus
buying precious time for the rest of the party to act. Leaping from one plane to another is no easy task and is perhaps the most deadly of maneuvers, but even if a character attempts such a thing and fails miserably, it may be
the distraction needed for the rest of the party to retreat
and survive to fight again another day.
It is important to note that the Game Master must be
careful not to run one-sided fights. Characters can do
the same damage that monsters do. When Luthers bullet strikes home it pierces the very eye of the sneering
villain, driving him backwards and to the floor in an explosion of red mist and gray matter! Running a combat
in a narrative fashion is difficult, but fun. Engaging the
players and keeping them such is one of the most rewarding experiences a Game Master can have, but doing so means that the Game Master must understand
the rules and when to bend them.
Hit Points
Hit points represent the amount of damage, physical
and mental, a character, non-player character or monster can take before passing out or dying. A characters
hit points are a mere abstraction and are not a numeration of the characters physical being. It is generally a
representation of the overall health of the individual.
The higher the hit points, the healthier the individual.
Hit points are determined by a character or monsters
hit die. There are several hit die types: d4, d6, d8 and
d12. Class descriptions list the hit die type for that class.
Monsters have various hit die types also. These are listed
with the monster descriptions as given in the Bestiary.
Book Four
Hit points for the classes are acquired by level. At each
level, the hit die type is rolled and added to the previous
levels total. The constitution modifier is added or subtracted from this roll. At 10th level, all classes acquire
hit points at a specified rate. Constitution modifiers are
added to or subtracted from this. In all cases, a character gains at least 1 hit point for each level advanced.
Monster hit points are specified in the monster description.
Monsters receive a number of hit die types for hit points.
Some rolls are adjusted. For example, 3d6 indicates that
three, six-sided dice are rolled and added together for that
monsters hit point total. A 3d12+4 indicates that three 12
sided dice are rolled and 4 added to each die rolled.
In some instances, such as with a socialites inspire
ability, characters or monsters can gain temporary hit
points. Temporary hit points are added to a characters
current hit points. In combat, temporary hit points are
the first to be reduced due to combat, spells or other
instances in which damage occurs. When all temporary
hit points are gone, they are removed from the characters normal hit points. For all intents and purposes,
temporary hit points act as real hit points as long as
the spell or ability is in effect. The only exception is that
temporary hit points cannot be healed or cured.
Hit points can be reduced by weapons, magical spells,
exhaustion and poisons amongst other things. These
are detailed in the following section. Once damage is
taken, it must be healed for the hit points to be restored
to their maximum level. Hit points can never be healed
beyond what they were before taking damage.
erful and forbidden magic (or bribes to the Game Master) can remedy death.
Damage
If a hit is successful, damage is assessed for the opponent and its hit points are reduced. Damage delivered
from a blow by a weapon depends on the weapon being used or as described in the monsters description.
Damage is applied immediately. If a character or monster dies as a result of damage inflicted, it gets no opportunity to swing, cast spells or anything else. There
are several categories of damage that need examining.
From this, the Game Master should determine the type
and nature of any damage inflicted on a character if not
specifically described in the rules.
Damage takes its toll in a variety of ways: a sword cutting
an arm, a club bruising an arm, a flesh wound from a
Saturday night special, or simply physical exertion during the course of a difficult or long combat. The Game
Master should not automatically assume that damage
causes flesh to be shorn from limbs and bones crushed.
Four points of damage to a 3rd level raider could simply
be bruising on the arm, a series of small cuts or exertion. Alternately, it could be a mortal blow that fells a
character. In general, it is not wise to break bones, lop
off limbs or inflict significant organ damage, as healing
times for these types of wounds are significant and complete recovery often impossible. Being creative with the
type of damage inflicted should enhance combat rather
than detract from game play. Be sure to keep it that way.
Weapon Damage
At 1 to 5 hit points, the character or monster is unconscious and grievously wounded. They require bed rest to
recover, unless magically healed. A character so wounded must rest 24 hours before the process of healing begins, unless magically healed (See Healing, p. 158).
At 6 to 9 hit points, the character or monster is mortally wounded and loses one hit point per round after
reaching -6 hit points. Aid administered to the wounds
(as with the Medicine generic class ability or Knowledge
skill; see Chapter Two) stops the hit point loss. This
takes at least one full round, during which no hit point
is lost. After 24 hours have passed, the normal healing
process as described for -1 to -5 hit points begins.
At 10 hit points death occurs immediately. Only pow-
for the first 10 feet, 2d6 damage for the second 10 feet,
3d6 damage for the third 10 feet, and 4d6 damage for the
last 10 feet, for a total 10d6 points of damage.
Critical Hits and Fumbles
Whenever an attack roll comes up an Exploding result,
this is a critical hit. The attack automatically hits, regardless of the armor class of the opponent. In addition, the value of all exploding dice is added to the total
damage from the attack.
For example, Luke rolls a d20 to attack his opponent
and it comes up 20! This is a critical hit. Luke continues rolling; his first exploding die comes up 6. His
second comes up 6 again! His third comes up 3. Luke
would add 15 to his total damage.
Likewise, when a character rolls a natural 1, this is a
fumble. The GM should adjudicate this as any other
imploding result: a disastrous failure, though at very
least it should cost the character one round of action
from being thrown off balance, dropping (or throwing)
his weapon, or something similar. For truly horrible
results that roll down more than once, weapons could
break, guns could explode, etc, at the GMs option.
Poison
Poisons come in five varieties, varying in intensity from
minor to lethal. Someone subjected to poison must
make a constitution save. A successful save halves
the listed damage for first round effects and there are
no effects in the following rounds. A failed save on the
first round delivers the damage indicated below and the
character becomes ill, suffering a -1 to all physical attribute checks and a -1 to hit and damage for ten minutes. First round effects always occur immediately.
Ten turns, or 10 minutes after the initial ingestion, another constitution save must be made to avoid the further effects of the poison. A successful save indicates
the poison has been fought off. A failed save causes the
onset of the effects listed below and the character must
make daily saves thereafter until the poison is successfully fought off or runs its courseor the character dies.
Type
Save CL
First
Save
Second Save
Duration
1d2
1 week
1d4
1 week
1d6
1-2 weeks
1d8
1d8, incapacitated
1-4 weeks
10
1d10
Death in 2-8
rounds
not long
Book Four
another day. Additionally, the character loses 1 point of
constitution. The same second save process is followed
for each successive day until the character successfully
saves and fights off the poison. For every five points of
constitution lost, one point is lost permanently. Should a
characters constitution ever reach zero, it is dead.
Game Masters are cautioned to carefully adjudicate the
use of poison, as deadly toxins such as cyanide and
strychnine are cheap and readily available in the pulp
era, though certainly the technology exists to identify
and trace these substances. More exotic, untraceable
substances are likely far less available and may be prohibitively expensive.
Disease
The game effects of disease are identical to those of poison (see p.157), though the duration is longer. The first
save should be made upon exposure to the disease, determined by the GM rolling percentile dice against a diseases estimated communicability rate; some examples
are listed below:
Disease
Type
Communicability
Influenza
Type 2
75%
The Common
Cold
Type 1
80%
Pneumonia
Type 3
0%*
Type 2
(CL 10 save)
22%**
Type 4
0%+
Tuberculosis
Malaria
For example, a pugilist is mauled by a werewolf and reduced to -1 hit points. Before healing begins, the pugilist
must wait 24 hours. However, a local priest, an arcanist of
goodly intent with knowledge of mystical healing decides
to share the grace of his god with the gallant warrior, and
casts cure light wounds. The cure is for 8 hit points, but
the pugilist is only brought back up to 0 hit points. However, healing can proceed as normal thereafter and any
further magical healing utilized will have full effect.
Damage suffered via poison, disease, or a monsters
special attack, will heal at one point per day.
Reputation
As characters increase in level, their deeds tend to precede
them as storytellers and socialites spread tales of their
exploits. Any time there is a chance of a character being
recognized, the GM makes a Reputation Check using the
Intelligence bonus of the NPC, plus the level of the character being recognized. A separate check should be made
for each character, unless the party is more important (i.e.
a legendary group such as the Knights Templar). In the
case of a party Reputation Check, use the average level of
all characters in the party, +1 per party member present.
This Reputation check has a CL based on how far from
their usual base of operations the party is, and whether
or not the character(s) are actively trying to remain discreet. If the check succeeds, the character(s) is recognized, providing a +2 to efforts to be diplomatic, intimidating, or social, or in the cases of infamy, may result
in the immediate notification of the proper authorities,
or may cause all manner of other troubles for the group,
at the GMs discretion.
Game Masters may also assign bonuses to reputation
checks for characters that perform great or evil deeds.
Players who receive these bonuses should note them on
their character sheet, keeping track of bonuses for fame
and bonuses for infamy.
Table: CL Modifiers for Reputation
Circumstance
Less than a mile from normal base of operations
CL Mod.
-5
-2
+1
+2
+3
+5
+10
+20
+30
+1 to +5*
-1 to -10*
Lantern:
30-60 feet
Campfire:
20-40 feet
Moving silently occurs as per class description. Moving silently does not mean that the character is moving without
making a sound. Moving silently means that the character
is attempting to move and make as little noise as possible.
If successful, this means that the character has moved
in such a manner that no one within hearing range has
heard him. Some creatures have a more acute sense of
hearing so adjustments to the roll might be necessary.
For example, a wolf can hear better than a human, so the
Game Master may want to adjust the challenge level by +2
or more. Further, it is easier to move silently in certain areas. For example, moving silently across a carpet is much
easier than moving silently across a dry forest bed full of
leaves and twigs, so adjustments can be made for this
environment also if the Game Master chooses.
In much the same manner, moving while invisible
does not mean the character cannot be detected. If the
character makes noise, this can be heard. Further, all
creatures smell and the odor of a sweating body can
be detected. Bear in mind, many creatures use sonar
or other abilities to determine the location of prey and
this can reveal the presence of an invisible creature. An
invisible creature does not leave a heat signature.
Spell Resistance
Spell resistance is a special defensive ability. A defenders spell resistance is like an armor class against magical attacks. If a spell is being resisted by a defender with
spell resistance, the caster of the spell must make a
check (d20) at least equal to or greater than the creatures SR for the spell to effect that creature. Spell resistance applies even if a given spell also allows a creature a saving throw. The effects of spell resistance, if
any, are applied first, and then the creature may also
make a saving throw. In most cases, spell resistance
applies only when a resistant creature is targeted by the
spell, not when a resistant creature encounters a spell
that is already in place, such as a wall of iron.
Vision
Light sources provide vision for creatures unable to see in
the dark. The radius of vision depends on the light source.
Match or lighter:
5 feet
Torch:
40 feet
Time
In Amazing Adventures, time is represented in two simple equations: a round is 10 seconds and a turn is one
minute. This allows the Game Master a logical solution
to the unfolding of events in combat or role-play. That
said, the Game Master should be flexible in his interpretation of the round. In normal circumstances, actions are pretty simple. Greg the pugilist attacks Sly the
hooligan. Greg wins initiative and swings. Sly takes his
swing. Both being high rollers they crack each other on
the head. But throw in parrying, dodging, other combatants, the register of gunfire, spells and psychic powers; not to mention the shouting that innovative players
do, the calls for help or curses upon the unlucky blade,
the wounded and dying and it all adds up to one chaotic
ball of action, consequence and inaction.
Book Four
The Game Master has to be very flexible and willing to
move with events and the actions of their players. Tracking off seconds of the round can slow the pace of a well
run combat and disconcert players who are immersed in
the cacophony of sound and sight described by the Game
Master. Greg is struck hard by Sly, with what appears
to be a mortal blow. On the next round, Greg tries to
bandage his wounds, swing his meaty fist and trip Nard.
Needless to say this is far too many actions. But if Greg
wants to roll and throw up his sinewy arm to ward off the
blow at the same time, though hes lost initiative, such
an action would not be impossible and might earn him
some bonus AC points from the Game Master.
Vehicle Combat
Whats a pulp game without gangsters speeding by the
hideout of a rival syndicate and blasting away with Tommy guns? Or hotshot pilots zooming to the rescue of
their heroic mercenary squadron? In order to handle
these elements, its necessary to have in place a set of
vehicle rules. Combat between two vehicles works exactly the same as combat between two characters. A vehicle has Dexterity and Constitution scores, and AC and
Hit Points, just like characters do. Vehicles also have
a fourth Attribute, Speed. A vehicles Speed (Spd) attribute works exactly like a Player Character Attribute,
using the same table for bonuses and penalties. Its a
rough representation of the real-world speed
comparison between any two vehicles. Its
not a direct conversion of actual miles-perhour. If you really need to find out the mph
(or kph, in Europe) of a vehicle, a web search
should fix you up, fine. It shouldnt be necessary for this game.
Most tasks in vehicular combat are going to
be resolved with Dexterity rolls by the driver or pilot of the vehicle. When piloting a vehicle, a character uses either his Dexterity
score or the vehicles, whichever is higher.
However, if the vehicle has a negative Dexterity score, this negative acts as a penalty
to the characters Dex.
For example, a player with an 18 Dexterity (+3) piloting a Motorcycle (Dexterity +2)
would use his Dexterity bonus of +3 when
making piloting rolls. However, that same
character piloting a Ford Model T (Dexterity
-1) would gain only +2 on piloting rolls, as the
-1 reduces his own Dexterity.
Combat proceeds between two vehicles exactly as in normal combat, rolling a d10
and adding Dex bonus for initiative, and
using d20 and Dexterity for ranged attacks
from the weapon. In this manner, player
characters can interact seamlessly with
vehicle combat. Remember, the pilot of a
vehicle uses his Dexterity score or the vehicles, whichever is lower.
Kamikaze
While were on the subject, if a player or NPC decides
to be suicidal, they can simply drive their vehicle into
another one. Make a Wisdom check. If you succeed,
youve got the guts to pull this off. Make a Dexterity
check opposed by your opponents Dexterity check. If
you win, you drive (or fly) your vehicle into your opponent, and both vehicles (and all occupants inside) suffer
1d10 damage times the ramming vehicles Speed bonus
to all occupants. A Constitution or Dexterity save halves
this damage; in aircraft, a Dexterity save indicates youve
managed to bail out (if youve got a parachute).
Bootleg Stop
This maneuver can only be performed in a ground-based
vehicle. Its when a pilot attempts to skid to a sudden
halt, turning his vehicle broadside as he does so, often
to give passengers a chance to open fire on an oncoming vehicle, or to dive out, presenting that vehicle with
an immanent collision. This maneuver calls for a brake
slam, as detailed under Acceleration and Deceleration,
above, increasing the CL of the Dexterity check by double its normal brake slam level. Thus, for a car traveling
at speed 15 (+1), the Dexterity check would be at CL 2. A
car traveling at speed 16 (+2) would invoke a CL 4.
Success means the passengers immediately get one free
action, be it to fire on their opponents or to dive out of
the car! Oh, and the oncoming pilot had better hope he
can decelerate fast enough to avoid hitting his target!
Bootleg Turn
Here are a few easy combat maneuvers that pilots of vehicles can attempt, with rules for each and any restrictions or exceptions listed. Unless otherwise stated, these
maneuvers take one standard action to accomplish.
This is when two vehicles are heading towards one another and one vehicle attempts to spin around and get into
anothers blind spot for a combat advantage. The attacker
attempting the Bootleg makes a Dexterity Check, opposed
by his opponents Wisdom Check. If the opponent wins,
the attacker is unable to bootleg. If the attacker wins,
hes on the opponents six (if in the air) or in his blind
spot (if ground-based) and may make one round of free
attacks, against which the attacker cannot defend (the vehicle loses its Dexterity bonus to AC). However, when a
vehicle performs a bootleg turn his vehicles current speed
is immediately reduced by 3d6, to a minimum of 1.
Playing Chicken
Sample Vehicles
Book Four
Vehicle
Dex***
Con***
Spd
AC
HP
Weapons
Era
Ford Model T
-1
+1
-1(8)
18
30
n/a
ALL
Jeep, Military
+1
+1(11)
13
20
Machinegun 2d10*
1930s-?
Mercedes Benz
+1
0(13)
17
25
n/a
1930s-?
Motorcycle
+2
+1(14)
10
15
n/a
1930s-?
+1
+1
+2(16)
17
30
n/a
1950s
WWII Fighter
+3
+1
+3(18)
15
40
1940s-?
Tank
-2
+5
-1(8)
23
WWI Biplane
+2
+2(16)
12
Machinegun 3d6
1930s-?
1920s-1940s
Gaining Levels
Experience Points
To gain a level, the character must accumulate enough experience points to meet the next levels experience point progression (EPPs). The EPPs for each class are located in the
appropriate class description. Experience points are gained
by successfully completing an adventure, killing foes, successfully performing actions, collecting treasure and as rewards for good roleplaying. The Game Master awards experience points as described in the rules but always has the right
to add or subtract experience points for whatever reason.
Monster experience points are located in the monster
manual. Experience points awarded for treasure acquired
is equal to the dollar value of all the treasure picked up in
the course of adventuring. Optionally, the Game Master
may not allow this or only some percentage of the treasures value, as this may speed up the rate of level progression depending on the amount of treasure acquired.
For experience points awarded for defeating monsters and
roleplaying see the Bestiary. Bear in mind that the Game
Master does not have to award this amount if the player
did a poor job of roleplaying, but can if he wants to.
Once enough experience points are acquired to advance a
level, the character must train for the number of weeks equal
to the level reached before receiving the benefits of that level.
For example, a 6th level arcanist, upon acquiring the experience points necessary to reach 7th level, must train for 7
weeks before receiving the benefits of that level. Once training is completed, the character gains the extra hit points,
spells or abilities that that level confers upon the class.
Treasure
Treasure can consist of any, some or all of the following:
money, jewels, art objects, mundane items, treasure maps,
ancient codices and scrolls, even magic items. Treasure
can be found in lost tombs, hidden in a crime lords mansion, or serve as the goal of a chase across the world.
AC: The creatures armor class. See the Combat section on p. 158-75 for details.
Beast: A beast is a creature with no real-world equivalent. It is a vertebrate creature with a reasonably normal anatomy and no magical or unusual abilities.
Bestiary
Giant: Giants are large-sized humanoid creatures of
great strength and bulk.
Humanoid: A humanoid is a medium-sized creature
that is anthropomorphic: they have two arms, two legs,
one head, and a human-like torso.
Magical Beast: Magical beasts are similar to beasts
but can have intelligence of inferior or better. Magical beasts
typically have supernatural or extraordinary abilities.
Monstrous Humanoid: These are humanoid creatures
with monstrous or animalistic features, occasionally
possessing supernatural abilities.
Ooze: An ooze is an amorphous or mutable creature.
Extra-planar: An extraplanar creature is a non-elemental that originates from another dimension, reality, or plane.
Plant: This type encompasses all plants and plant-like creatures.
Shapechanger: This type of creature has a stable
body but can assume other forms.
Vermin: This type includes insects, arachnids, other
arthropods, worms, and similar invertebrates.
Undead: Undead are once-living creatures animated
by spiritual or supernatural forces. Undead are immune
to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, etc.)
and to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
XP: The experience value of the creature, expressed in a
base value plus a number of XP per hit point of the creature. Thus, a creature listed as 7+1 gives 7 XP, plus 1 per
hit point. If the creature had 5 hit points, it would give a
total of 12 XP. As with the HD field, an average value is
listed in parentheses for quick reference.
Monster Experience Points
HD
Base
Per HP
II
III
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
5
10
20
40
80
120
180
250
400
600
750
950
1200
1500
1900
2100
2300
2600
2900
3250
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
2
5
10
20
40
60
90
125
200
300
375
425
600
750
900
1000
1200
1300
1500
1700
4
7
15
30
60
90
135
200
300
450
550
650
900
1100
1400
1500
1800
2000
2200
2500
5
10
20
40
80
120
180
250
400
600
750
950
1200
1500
1900
2100
2300
2600
2900
3500
Monster Creation
ventually, every Game Master comes
to the realization that a new monster
must be created. The circumstances
behind this may differ; one Game
Master might simply feel creative and
imaginative, and another might need
to create something new out of necessity. After many years of gaming,
some players may become jaded or complacent, and the
inclusion of a new challenge can keep them on their toes.
Creating monsters is both fun and challenging, whether it
is a hybrid, a genetically enhanced human, or something
completely new and altogether terrifying. While creating
new monsters, the Game Master should be mindful of a
few basic concepts and design elements. After balance
and technical concerns, there is no limit to what imagination and creativity can do.
Bestiary
After considering these factors, the Game Master must
write the description. This portion of monster creation
is vital, as it will set the tone for how the monster is perceived at the gaming table. Remember to detail aspects
like color, size, shape, and even smell. To add flavor,
you might describe its breath and the shape of its eyes,
for example. A monster with yellowed teeth and fetid
breath will have a far greater imaginative impact than
a monster that is simply gray and shaped like a lizard.
After a solid description is completed, the Game Master must give the creation a life in the context of the
game. This is accomplished by creating its vital stats:
its hit dice, armor class, attacks, and the like. Consider
the level of character that this monster is supposed to
challenge, and create statistics based on that sort of
challenge. Existing monsters are the best guides. Low
level monsters, like fish-men and giant frogs, have few
extraordinary skills and are generally fairly weak in
combat situations. Monsters like giant eagles and allips
are more powerful, and have abilities that are more of a
THE BESTIARY
Alien (Gray)
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-20
SIZE: Medium
HD: 5d10 (30 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft.
AC: 13
ATTACKS: By weapon or psionics
SPECIAL: Mentalism, Gadgets
SANITY: 1d4/1d6
SAVES: M
INT: High
ALIGNMENT: Unknown (Any)
TYPE: Extraplanar
XP: 200+5 (350)
The classic Invaders from Mars, these mysterious
creatures appear as short (4 to 5 ft. tall) humanoids,
extremely slender, with large, egg-shaped heads, huge
black eyes, long limbs, and light gray skin with the
texture of marshmallows. They appear to have no noticeable nose or ears, simply possessing holes in the
sides of their heads and small nostrils in their faces,
and their mouth is tiny and lipless. Often, they travel
naked, but have no discernible anatomy to differentiate secondary sexual characteristics. They are clearly
alien, though whether they come from another planet
or another dimension is a matter of some debate, as is
their agenda in coming here.
The grays act in secret, rarely making intentional contact
with human beings, save to abduct humans from their
lives, perform medical and scientific experiments on them,
and return them, often with little to no memory of what
occurred during this lost time. Most encounters describe
their mode of transportation as being silver, saucer-shaped
vessels with no visible means of propulsion. These vessels emit a quiet and constant hum and can apparently
shed blinding white light. They are believed to be behind
thousands of abductions across the world, as well as the
mutilation of livestock. They are viewed as a tangible threat
by many world governments, who feel the grays are gearing up for an invasion of Earth. There are rumors that one
or more governments have entered into clandestine agreements with the grays, but to what end nobody knows.
Those grays that have been captured or encountered
in situations where communication has been possible
have never spoken. Rather, they are powerful psychics
who use telepathy and empathy to communicate their
intentions and responses. One gray, being held captive
by an amateur scientist and his paramilitary friends,
threatened, I am here because it suited me to be here.
You should let me go, now, or suffer the consequences.
The next day, only the scientist was found, gibbering
madly in the smoldering ruins of the compound, all of
his friends little more than charred remains.
Combat: grays shun direct confrontation, but when provoked attack either with ray-guns of alien origin (these weapons deal 4d6 damage and the grays are at a total of +10 to hit
with them) or using their formidable psychic powers.
Gadgets: grays should be treated as having the abilities of a gadgeteer with 1d10 levels of experience. In
addition, they have access to any advanced technology
the GM wishes (though seriously advanced technology
should increase the XP value of the creature accordingly).
Mentalism: all grays have the abilities of a tenthlevel mentalist. Their abilities tend to be telepathic, empathic, and pyrokinetic in nature.
Allip
NO. ENCOUNTERED: Solitary
SIZE: Medium
HD: 4d12 (26 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft. (fly)
AC: 15
ATTACKS: Touch (ability drain)
SPECIAL: Wisdom Drain, Babble, Madness, Darkvision
60 ft., Incorporeal
SANITY: 1d4/1d6
SAVES: M
INT: Average
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil
TYPE: Undead
XP: 170+4 (274)
An allip is a magical, echoing remnant of a spirit gripped
by madness, generated when a mentally troubled being commits suicide. Vengeful and hateful, allips seek
to draw the living into their eternal insanity. An allips
lingering, haunting voice constantly shares the inner
thoughts of a lunatic.
An essence of paranoia and schizophrenia surrounds
an allip, and those unfortunate enough to meet its
touch find a piece of their consciousness slipping into
the allips abyss of permanent delusion. Allips are never
encountered in groups.
Combat: Allips are incapable of causing physical harm
to their opponents, but they are deadly foes nonetheless.
They rely on their mind-numbing rambling to confuse
their prey, and then use their touch to drive foes insane.
Wisdom Drain: An opponent touched by an allip
must succeed at a wisdom save to avoid a temporary
loss of 1d4 points of wisdom. Each time an allip causes
this loss, it heals a number of hit points equal to the
wisdom loss x 2. Creatures with animal intelligence or
lower are not affected by this attack. Creatures reduced
to zero wisdom points by this attack are driven permanently insane. This insanity can be cured by a heal
spell. If using the Sanity rules, an allips touch drains
1d4/1d6 Sanity points instead of draining wisdom.
Babble: An allip constantly mutters, whines, and talks
to itself. Anyone within thirty feet that can hear the creatures ramblings must make a wisdom save or become
hypnotized (as the spell hypnotism) for 2d4 rounds.
Once hypnotized, the opponent will be commanded to
embrace the allip and join its unending madness. The
allips babble transcends language, and creatures can be
affected regardless of the language the allip uses.
Bestiary
Madness: Any effect that is telepathic, mind-controlling, or mind-affecting that targets an allip causes the
originator to lose 1d4 points of wisdom for 1 turn (or
0/1d4 Sanity), with no save allowed. An allip is immune
to all such effects.
Incorporeal: Allips are incorporeal creatures, and
normal weapons pass through them harmlessly. Only
magic and mentalism can affect them (though at the
GMs option, some gadgeteer devices may work).
Ant, Giant
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 10-60, 100-1000
SIZE: Medium
HD: worker 1d6 (3 hp), soldier 2d8 (8 hp), queen 5d8 (20 hp)
MOVE: 50 ft., 20 ft. (climb)
AC: 16
ATTACKS: Bite, worker (1d3),
soldier (1d4+1), queen (1d8)
SPECIAL: Acid Sting
SANITY: 0/1d4
SAVES: P
INT: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Animal
XP: worker 5+1 (8), soldier 20+2 (36), queen 80+5 (180)
Giant ants live in underground colonies. The mounds
leading to the underground network of tunnels and
caverns average five feet in height. Unlike their smaller
cousins, giant ants tend to exhaust their local food supplies, so colonies tend to be small, averaging around sixty. However, monstrous warrens do exist, usually near or
under large cities. Giant ants range from one and a half
(workers) to three feet (soldiers) in length, and are broken
down into three types, workers, soldiers and the queen,
only having one of the latter within the colony.
The workers are the bulk of the population, accounting
for three-quarters of their number. Workers are not aggressive but will defend the nest. Soldier ants are very
aggressive. The queen is monstrous compared to her
subjects, ranging in size from five to eight feet.
Combat: Giant ants possess collective instincts within
the colony. If threatened worker ants immediately return to
the warren to defend the entrance and the queen; soldier
ants attack whatever creature or creatures are threatening
the warren, regardless of size or number. Soldier ants have
mandibles much larger than the workers, and stingers.
Worker ants do not have acid sting or improved grab.
Acid Sting: A giant soldier ant has a stinger and an
acid-producing gland in its abdomen. If it successfully
bites an opponent, the following round it can attempt
to sting the unfortunate victim (+3 attack bonus). A hit
with the sting attack deals 1d2 points of damage and
1d4 points of acid damage (constitution save for half).
While using its stinger it cannot bite, and its grip can be
broken with a successful strength check.
Ape
Great
Gigantopithecus
NO. ENC.:
Solitary, Family
Solitary
of 4-16
SIZE:
Medium
HD:
MOVE:
AC:
14
17
ATTACKS:
2 Claw (1d3),
Bite (1d6)
2 Claw (1d6),
Bite (1d10)
SPECIAL:
SANITY:
None
SAVES:
INT:
Animal
Animal
ALIGNMENT:
Neutral
Neutral
TYPE:
Animal
Animal
XP:
30+3 (66)
180+6 (378)
0/1d4
P
Book Five
Banshee
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1
SIZE: Medium
HD: 7d8 (28 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft. (fly)
AC: 20
ATTACKS: Chilling Touch (1d8)
SPECIAL: Keening Wail, Immune to Cold and Electricity,
SR 10
SANITY: 1d6/1d8
SAVES: M
INT: High
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
TYPE: Undead (Extraordinary)
XP: 720+7 (916)
The banshee, often referred to as a wailing spirit, is the
angry ghost of a woman whose undying spirit has lingered in the land of the living. These creatures are destined to haunt their homeland with their unholy presence. Banshees are often found in swamps and moors
in rural areas, but can also be found haunting ruined
buildings they once inhabited in life. Legends whisper
that the maiden must have performed many wicked
deeds in her life to be cursed with such a dire form, and
this malicious desire to do evil is what allows them to
continue their existence in the world of the living. She
usually appears during the night, and her appearance
reflects the visage she wore in life. However, her body
is translucent, and glows faintly with its necromantic
power. The very sight of a banshee causes all who view
her to make a successful charisma save or suffer the
effects of a fear spell. This effect manifests only once
per encounter, so a successful save indicates that the
character viewing the banshee need not make the save
again until another encounter.
Combat: A banshee is normally insubstantial like a
ghost and thus cannot be harmed by normal weapons,
though magic and psionics have full effect. She will usually try to harm opponents with her unearthly touch, doing
1-8 points of damage per strike upon a victim. If combat
begins to go against her, the banshee emits a low, hollow
sounding wail, akin to a song or dirge. This keen builds in
tempo, eventually affecting everyone within 30 feet.
Keening: Whether or not the lady spirit desired her
current undead existence or not, such an unliving state
inflicts despair upon her mind and soul. This angst can
be concentrated into a wail of anguish and torment,
driving all who listen to it into a confrontation with their
own mortality and its tenuous state. Any living creatures
within 30 feet of a banshee when she keens must make
a successful charisma save or die instantly. Those who
save take no physical damage, but automatically lose
their next initiative roll due to its lingering horror. The
banshee may keen only once per day, so the wail will be
used only in circumstances when her destruction is imminent. Due to their tragic state, a banshee is immune
to both cold and electrical attacks of all kinds. However,
a successful restoration (touch attack as if the banshee
were corporeal) cast upon her will sunder her connection to the mortal realm, obliterating her instantly.
Bear
Black
Brown
(Grizzly)
Cave
NO. ENC:
1-4
1-6
1-4
SIZE:
Medium
Large
Large
HD:
MOVE:
40 ft.
40 ft.
40 ft.
AC:
13
15
15
2 Claw (1d6),
ATTACKS:
Bite (1d8)
2 Claw (1d8),
Bite (1d12)
2 Claw (1d12),
Bite (3d8)
SPECIAL: Hug
Hug
Hug,BloodRage
SANITY:
None
None
0/1d4
SAVES:
INT:
Animal
Animal
Animal
ALIGN:
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral
TYPE:
Animal
Animal
Animal
XP:
40+3 (76)
280+6 (424)
500+8 (884)
Bears are omnivorous creatures that inhabit most temperate or arctic climes. The male bear is almost always
solitary. If more than one is encountered, the group
consists of a mother and one to three cubs. Once a year
black and brown bears gather along the banks of rivers
feeding on salmon as they swim upstream to spawn.
Bears generally try to avoid contact with humans or
like creatures. Brown bears dwell in cold, forested environments, and are encountered in families of up to
six members. Much like their kin the black bear, they
travel in small family groups. Brown bears are particularly strong, aggressive, and very hard to kill.
The cave bear is a prehistoric bear of monstrous size.
They stand up to 14 feet tall on their hind quarters and
can weigh several tons. These creatures are rare, living in mountainous environments far from civilization.
They live together in groups of up to four members. The
cave bear is very territorial and fears nothing. They attack any creature they perceive as a threat or a meal.
Combat: Bears are not generally aggressive, but if a
bear feels threatened, it will attack by rushing an opponent, attempting to knock it over and grasp it in its
huge claws. Once pinned, the bear bites at the victims
head and face until it is satisfied that creature is immobilized or dead. Cave bears always drag their victims
back to their lairs and eat them.
Hug: The bear is able to hug an opponent in a vice-like
grip. If both of the bears claw attacks are successful
in a single round, the bears foe must make a strength
save or be caught in the bears crushing hug. The victim
can attempt to break free of the hug during subsequent
rounds by making additional strength saves. The bear
can bite a hugged victim automatically each round.
Bloodrage: A cave bear can continue attacking until it is reduced to -10 hit points, at which point it dies.
Once the bear is reduced to negative hit points, it gains
a +2 bonus to all attack and damage rolls.
Bestiary
Cave Pygmy
Couatl
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1
SIZE: Large
HD: 9d8 (36 hp)
MOVE: 20 ft., 60 ft. (fly)
AC: 21
ATTACKS: Bite (1d3),
Constriction (2d8)
SPECIAL: Constrict,
Poison, Spells, Magic,
Darkvision 60 ft.,
Ethereal Jaunt,
Telepathy 90 ft.
SANITY: 1d4/1d6
SAVES: M, P
INT: Superior
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral
TYPE: Extraplanar
XP: 2225+9 (2,549)
Cave pygmies are short, vicious, and thoroughly evil creatures who were once, long ago, human but have since
degenerated into a bestial, cannibalistic state. They have
large bulbous heads, large eyes covered with cataracts, and
typically have pinkish, white or gray skin tone as a result of
their subterranean existence. They are prodigious diggers,
living in warrens and cave networks carved out of hillsides,
mountain slopes, beneath the roots of trees, or wherever
else they settle. Their warrens can grow to monstrous size,
dark fulsome depths, and maddening complexity.
Cave pygmy tribes can number up to 400 warriors, with
several tribes sometimes making up a great cave pygmy
horde. While most cave pygmy warriors are simply one hit
die with no special abilities, one in 10 will be elite warriors
1st level hooligans and approximately one in 100 will
be a clan chieftain a 2nd to 4th level hooligan. Tribes
with 200 or more warriors will also be led by a tribal king,
a 5th to 7th level hooligan. The lair will also be home to a
number of females equal to 120% of the males, juveniles
equal to 150% of the warriors, and whelps equal to 200%
of the warriors altogether, a single cave pygmy warren
can hold upward of 2,000 cave pygmies.
Combat: Cave pygmies only attack if they are confident
of victory, whether by greater numbers, or some infallible
trap. They carry all manner of stone-age arms, particularly favoring axes, clubs, mallets, and spears, but most
often fight with their hardened claws and teeth.
Pounce: Cave pygmies automatically move silently
and surprise their victims on a roll of 1-5 on a d10,
and if successful also gain automatic initiative the first
round, during which their victims lose any dexterity bonus to armor class.
Echolocation: Due to their evolution suited to a
pitch dark underground environment, they have the
ability to echolocate, sensing movement and sound in
the darkness, giving them the equivalent of darkvision
up to 60 feet; however, this sense can be foiled by loud
noises, which cause them pain and require the pygmy
to make a wisdom save or be stunned with pain for the
duration and 1d4 rounds after the noise stops. The
pygmy may make a new save each round to fight off the
effects for that round (or end the stun effect entirely if
the sound has stopped).
Book Five
list). For purposes of bonus spells a couatl has an effective intelligence of 17, wisdom of 18, and Cha of 18.
Crocodile (Alligator)
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 4-36
SIZE: Medium
HD: 3d8 (12 hp)
MOVE: 20 ft., 30 ft. (swim)
AC: 15
ATTACKS: Bite (2d4), Tail Slap (1d12)
SPECIAL: Roll, Twilight Vision
SAVES: P
SANITY: None
INT: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Animal
XP: 30+3 (66 hp)
Crocodiles dwell in swamps, marshes or river banks, often gathering in groups of 4 to 36. They are stealthy and
hunt almost any prey. They live in large communities
and tend to feed together. If one attacks a target, it is
shortly joined by any others in the area. Alligators typically measure 8 to 15 feet in length and weigh 500 to
1,200 lbs.; crocodiles are slightly larger, and measure
from 10 to 20 feet and weigh 1,000 to 2,000 lbs.
Combat: Crocodiles stalk their prey by approaching
slowly under water. They blend perfectly with their environment and almost always surprise an opponent.
They attack with a sudden lunge, grab their victims,
pull them into the water and attempt to drown them.
Roll: After a successful bite attack, the victim must succeed at a strength save or be dragged underwater and held
by the crocodile. The crocodile spins itself and the prey in
a barrel roll as they sink together, making escape difficult.
On subsequent rounds, the reptile deals bite damage to
Dinosaur (Apatosaurus/Diplodocus)
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 2-16
SIZE: Large
HD: 16d8 (64 hp)
MOVE: 60 ft.
AC: 18
ATTACKS: 2 Stamp (2d6), or Tail (1d12)
SPECIAL: Trample, Twilight Vision
SANITY: None
SAVES: P
INT: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Animal
XP: 270+7 (466)
These gigantic, quadruped, herbivore dinosaurs represent some of the largest land animals that ever existed,
with an average length of 75 ft. (23 m) and a mass of
at least 25 tons. They are tremendously large, longnecked, and possess a long whip-like tail. Their forelimbs are slightly shorter than their hind limbs. They
possess a single large claw on each forelimb, with the
first three toes on the hind limb possessing claws. The
claws, however, are rarely used in combat, as the creature is too unwieldy on two legs to do so, and rather,
use the claws for balance and possibly digging up roots
on which to feed. The skull is small in comparison with
the size of the animal. The jaws are lined with chisellike teeth, suited to their herbivorous diet.
The animals are relatively docile and travel in
herds, much like modern elephants or cattle.
They feed on plants and their long neck makes
them particularly adaptable, enabling them to
feed from high trees or roots that they dig up with
their claws.
Combat: Apatosaurus and diplodocus are exceptionally docile creatures and generally do not
engage in combat unless threatened. Even then,
their first instinct is to stampede, and woe betide
any smaller creature (which includes most everything save the Tyrannosaurus) who gets trampled
by an apatosaur stampede. When they are forced
to fight, they generally rely on their whip-like tail
and their ability to stamp on most creatures.
Trample: An Apatosaurus can flatten anything
smaller than itself that gets in its way. Any such
victim suffers 6d8 points of damage. A successful
dexterity save reduces this damage by one half.
Bestiary
Pterosaurs can move about on all four limbs on the
ground, but do so slowly, as their bodies are adapted
better for flight than ground locomotion. They sleep
by hanging from ledges, much as do modern bats and
gather in communities like modern birds and bats.
These communities are called flights.
Dinosaur (Pterosaur)
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-20
SIZE: Large
HD: 10d8 (45 hp)
MOVE: 15 ft., 100 ft. (fly)
AC: 18
ATTACKS: 2 Claw (1d4), Bite (2d8)
SPECIAL: Darkvision 60 ft., Dive, Twilight Vision
SANITY: 0/1d4
SAVES: P
INT: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Animal
XP: 900+10 (1350)
Technically not a dinosaur, the pterosaur is a huge flying reptile with membranous wings, small rear legs, and
elongated, beak-like snouts. They resemble, to the uninformed, dragons. They have toothless beaks, similar
to those of modern birds, were made of solid, bony margins that project from the base of the jaws. The beaks
are long, slender, and end in sharp points. The upper
jaw is longer than the lower jaw and curves upward.
The most distinctive characteristic of Pteranodon is its
primary cranial crest, consisting of skull bones projecting up and back from the skull. Their primary diet is
fish, though a hungry flight of pterosaurs are not above
attacking groups of land animals if they feel they have
the advantage or are threatened.
Dinosaur (Triceratops)
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-10
SIZE: Large
HD: 16d8 (64 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft.
AC: 18
ATTACKS: 3 Horn (1d12)
SPECIAL: Powerful Charge,
Trample, Twilight Vision
SANITY: 0/1d4
SAVES: P
INT: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Animal
XP: 4175+16 (5199)
A triceratops is a large dinosaur with a bony crown,
having three protruding horns: two of equal size, and a
center, larger horn. They live in open and spacious temperate areas, and eat ferns and other vegetation. They
are nonaggressive herd animals.
Combat: An angry triceratops charges into battle with
its head lowered, using its horns as lances.
Powerful Charge: When it charges, a triceratops
deals triple damage with all of three of its horn attacks.
Trample: A triceratops can flatten anything smaller
than itself that gets in its way. Any such victim suffers
6d6 points of damage. A successful dexterity save reduces this damage by one half.
Book Five
Dinosaur (Tyrannosaurus)
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-4
SIZE: Large
HD: 18d8 (72 hp)
MOVE: 40 ft.
AC: 15
ATTACKS: Bite (5d8)
SPECIAL: Swallow Whole, Scent, Twilight Vision
SANITY: 0/1d4
SAVES: P
INT: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Animal
XP: 5900+18 (7196)
The tyrannosaurus rex is an impressive carnivore, though
not particularly intelligent. They are massive, bipedal saurians, growing to as much as 50 feet long and 24 feet high.
They can be found in almost any temperate or tropical terrain, but they prefer to roam scrublands where they can
use their speed to stalk prey. They have poor hearing, but
a keen sense of smell. Their eyesight is poor, but they are
able to detect the slightest movement at great distances.
Combat: A tyrannosaurus engages its victims by biting
them, lifting them, and swallowing them. If this fails, the dinosaur will shake the victim violently, trying to fling it apart.
Swallow Whole: If a tyrannosaurus is larger than its
prey, and rolls a natural 20 on its attack roll when biting,
the tyrannosaurus will swallow the victim whole. Digestion begins immediately. Powerful corrosive stomach acids
will cause 4d6 hit points of damage each round, and will
destroy non-metal goods and equipment. A victim with a
small edged weapon can attempt to cut free of the beasts
gullet. These attempts automatically hit, but suffer -3 to all
damage rolls due to the confining and constricting space.
Dinosaur (Velociraptor)
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-10
SIZE: Medium
HD: 5d8 (44 hp)
MOVE: 60 ft.
AC: 17
ATTACKS: Talons (1d10),
2 foreclaws (1d6) and bite (1d10)
SPECIAL: Pounce, twilight vision, scent
SANITY: 0/1d4
SAVES: P
INT: High Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Animal
XP: 180+5 (400)
A velociraptor is bright green along its back and flanks,
with a much lighter shade of the same color on its underside. The body has darker spots or stripes. Its tail extends
straight out behind itself, held aloft by an intricate structure of bony supports, thus allowing its weight to be carried entirely by the back legs. It weighs about 600 pounds.
Eagle, Giant
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-4
SIZE: Large
HD: 4d10 (20 hp)
MOVE: 20 ft., 100 ft. (fly)
AC: 16
ATTACKS: 2 Talon (1d8), Beak (2d6)
SPECIAL: Dive, Twilight Vision, Improved Sight, Detect
Falsehood
SANITY: None
SAVES: P
INT: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Animal
XP: 60+4 (140)
Giant eagles inhabit high mountain regions. They are large,
often with 24 feet wingspans. They live long lives, sometimes to 300 years of age, and are very intelligent for birds,
able to understand rudimentary language if exposed long
enough, though like most birds they lack the vocal chords
to properly speak the tongues of man. They are territorial
and clannish. A giant eagle nests in the same area for all
of its life unless it is driven from its home. They are aloof,
and avoid other creatures whenever possible. Giant eagles
can see great distances, and are usually very well informed
about the happenings in their realms.
Bestiary
Combat: The giant eagles preferred method of attack
is to dive, scoop up its prey in its mighty talons, and
carry it to its nest to be killed and devoured. If it wishes
only to kill the prey, the eagle carries the creature to
great heights and drops it.
Dive: A giant eagle can dive at an opponent, gaining
a +4 bonus on its attack roll. However, the beast must
move at least 50 feet in one round. A successful strike
means that the prey takes damage from both claws, and
must make a successful dexterity check to avoid being
grasped in the talons of the eagle. If the check fails, and
the victim is 200 lbs. or less, the eagle picks it up and
carries it into the air. In two melee rounds, the eagle
will drop the creature from 100 feet in the air. If a victim manages to stab or otherwise harm the eagle before
that time, the eagle drops it immediately from whatever
height it managed to attain.
Detect Falsehood: Giant eagles have the ability to
scrutinize people to determine the truth of their statements. Any person that attempts to lie to a giant eagle
(say as an arcanist using speak with animals) must
succeed at a charisma check with a challenge level of
4 (equal to the hit dice of the giant eagle), or the eagle
detects the falsehood.
Elephant
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 2-16
SIZE: Large
HD: 7d8 (28 hp)
MOVE: 40 ft.
AC: 15
ATTACKS: 2 Tusk (2d8),
or 2 Stamp (2d6), or Trunk (1d6)
SPECIAL: Twilight Vision
SANITY: None
SAVES: P
INT: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Animal
XP: 270+7 (466)
Fish-men
(Spawn of Dagon, Spawn of the Deep)
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 20-80
SIZE: Medium
HD: 2d8 (8 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft., 60 ft. (swim)
AC: 16
ATTACKS: Weapon (by weapon), Talon (1d4), Bite (1d4)
SPECIAL: Breeding, Darkvision 60 ft., Freshwater Sensitivity, Light Blindness, Speak with Sharks, Water Dependent
SANITY: 1d8/1d10
SAVES: P, M
INT: Average to High
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil
TYPE: Humanoid
XP: 15+9 (87)
Also known as Spawn of Dagon, and Spawn of the Deep,
fish-men are aquatic humanoids that dwell in oceans and
saltwater seas. They are roughly the height of humans,
but their bodies are thin and gaunt. They have wide, luminescent eyes, which enable them to see in dark ocean
depths. Their ears are long and fin-like, behind which are
their small gill slits. Their hands and feet are webbed, and
their skin is scaled. They are usually dull blue or green
in color. Fish-men culture reflects the concept that might
determines right, and they are sadistically cruel to weaker
beings. They are the bane of fishermen and mariners, as
fish-men are always on the hunt for plunder and war. They
show little mercy and leave few survivors behind.
Fish-men build underwater communities constructed
of rock and coral where they worship their degenerate
sleeping god, Dagon the lord of sea serpents. They live
in communities of 20 to 80 in number. On rare occasions, large coral kingdoms are created by a fish-man
warlord that rules over several hundred fish-men.
Book Five
an horrific transformation upon his or her twenty-first
birthday, changing into a full-blooded fish-man.
Freshwater Sensitivity: A fish-man in freshwater suffers a -2 penalty on all attacks, damage, saves, and
armor class. Prolonged exposure to fresh water kills fishmen. They cannot live more than a few days in freshwater.
Light Blindness: Abrupt flashes of light, as from
exposure to the daylight spell, blind a fish-man for 1
round. It then suffers a -2 on all attack rolls and armor
class for 1d4 rounds afterwards.
Speak with Sharks: Fish-men can communicate
telepathically with sharks up to 150 feet away. The
communication is limited to fairly simple concepts such
as food, danger, and enemy. In this way, they can
summon sharks to their aid.
Water Dependent: If removed from water of any
type, a fish-man will die in 1d8 hours.
Flamehood Stalker
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1
SIZE: Large
HD: 7d8 (32 hp)
MOVE: 40 ft.
AC: 13
ATTACKS: Bash (1d8) or Stinger (1d10)
SPECIAL: Immolate, Poison
SANITY: 1d8/1d10
SAVES: P
INT: Low
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil
TYPE: Extraplanar
XP: 450+7 (674)
The flamehood stalker appears as a hunched, bipedal rodent standing nearly eight feet tall, and covered with a
rancid, viscous goo matted all through its sickly dark gray
fur. The creature gives off a fetid odor that comes from its
constant wallowing in and feasting on undead and decaying animal matter. When angered, threatened, or engaged
in battle, the skin on the back of its neck inflates to form
a hood, not unlike that of a cobra. Its source is unknown,
but certainly it is not of terrestrial origin.
Thankfully exceedingly rare, the stalker can be found in
dark areas amongst rotting matter. It prefers charnel
houses, marshes and bogs and often feeds on ghasts,
ghouls, and zombies, but also has a taste for fresh human meat. Its entire existence is geared towards killing
and feeding, and it will attack on sight, without mercy
and it is one of the few creatures that ghasts fear.
Immolate: The oil on its fur is flammable and it has the
ability, through biochemical reactions, to produce enough
bio-thermal energy that it bursts into flame. These flames
do not hurt the creature and burn for 1d8 rounds, after
which the creature cannot immolate for another 24 hours.
While immolated, whenever it hits an enemy (or is hit by
an enemy) that enemy takes an additional 1d6 fire dam-
Frog, Giant
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 2-24
SIZE: Medium
HD: 2d8 (8 hp)
MOVE: 10 ft., 30 ft. (jump)
AC: 12
ATTACKS: Tongue (1d4)
SPECIAL: Swallow
SANITY: 0/1d4
SAVES: P
INT: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Animal
XP: 15+2 (31)
Giant frogs inhabit marshlands, the banks of large rivers, fens and other wetlands; they are found in both
tropical and temperate climates. Armies of these colossal amphibians congregate together, and feed on almost
any living thing that they can swallow. They are expert
swimmers, are adept at blending with their surroundings, and can leap great distances when threatened.
Combat: Giant frogs conceal themselves in deep water,
muck, and deep reeds, waiting for prey to approach the waters edge. When attacking, giant frogs will strike with their
tongues and attempt to pull victims into their huge maws.
In this manner, they can swallow small creatures whole.
Camouflage: Giant frogs can conceal themselves
exceptionally well in their normal environment. When
concealed and motionless, they receive a +5 bonus to
hide checks, and +10 to surprise checks. At night, this
ability can be negated by light, for their huge, bulbous
eyes shine brightly in the dark.
Swallow: If a giant frog strikes with its tongue, it inflicts
1d4 points of bludgeoning damage. The target must succeed at a strength save, or the tongue wraps around the
victims waist or one of the victims limbs. If the creature is
small in size, the frog will instantly pull it into its maw and
swallow it. Giant frogs can only swallow small creatures,
such as dogs, cats, and birds, though extremely short (under 3 tall) humans can be targeted, and giant frogs have
been known to feed upon children. If a giant frog successfully swallows a creature over 3 feet tall, it takes 2 full
rounds for it to choke the creature down. During this time
it is very vulnerable to attack. Its movement is halved, and
its armor class is reduced to 10. Any creature swallowed
Bestiary
by a giant frog suffers 2d8 points of damage per round. A
creature trapped inside a giant frogs gullet may attack only
with a dagger that was readied in hand; if such attacks do
total damage equal to at least half the hit points of the giant
frog, the frog dies, and the victim is freed.
Ghast
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-6
SIZE: Medium
HD: 4d8 (18 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft.
AC: 17
ATTACKS: 2 Claw (1d4), Bite (1d8)
SPECIAL: Stench, Paralysis, Ghoul Fever, Darkvision
60 ft., Vulnerability: Cold Iron
SANITY: 1d6/1d8
SAVES: P
INT: High
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
TYPE: Undead (Extraordinary)
XP: 150+4 (222)
Reeking of decay and rotting thoroughly, these creatures
appear as ghouls. Like ghouls, they haunt desecrated
holy sites, unconsecrated burial grounds, battlefields,
and similar desolate and evil areas. Any place where
great suffering or loss has occurred, but has not been
mended through divine power, is subject to infestation
by ghasts. Unlike ghouls, ghasts are exceptionally intelligent creatures. Their cunning makes them quite useful
as eternal minions in the service of powerful evil forces.
Combat: Ghasts always attack in ravenous small
packs. They are always watching and waiting, lurking
in the shadows of their haunts on the look out for living creatures. Ghasts rarely leave the confines of their
haunts, fearing wide open spaces, light and the unknown. The ghasts fall upon any poor unfortunate that
is unlucky enough to enter a ghasts haunt. The victim
is torn to shreds, devoured and their remains left to rot.
Stench: Any creature within 30 feet (farther if there is a
strong wind) of a ghast is assaulted by the scent of rotting
flesh. This nauseating stench causes the unfortunate victim to retch continuously, reducing their effectiveness. If
they fail a constitution save, they suffer 1d4 points of subdual damage from initial contact, and suffer a -2 penalty
on all attack rolls. This penalty persists until two rounds
after the victim is no longer able to smell the stench.
Paralysis: Any creature struck by a ghast must
make succeed at a strength save or be paralyzed. This
paralysis lasts 1d4+1 turns.
Ghoul Fever: If a creature dies from wounds sustained
by a ghasts claw and bite damage, and is not eaten by
the foul creature, it will rise again as a ghoul or ghast
in 2d4-1 days unless the corpse is blessed before interment. The victim will rise as a ghoul if it has less than 4
levels or hit dice, and as a ghast if it has a 4 or more levels or hit dice. The new undead is controlled and generally mindless, though there is a 1 in 20 chance that the
victim retains much of its memory, intelligence, and 30
Ghost
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1
SIZE: Medium
HD: 10d8 (25 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft.
AC: 20
ATTACKS: Slam
SPECIAL: Touch of Death, Frightful Moan, Telekinesis,
Incorporeal
SANITY: 0/1d4
SAVES: M
INT: Average
ALIGNMENT: Any
TYPE: Undead (Extraordinary)
XP: 1750+10 (2000)
Ghosts are the restless undead spirits of the tragically
or evil deceased. Generally, in life, these people committed some crime or act (or series of acts) that doomed
them to forever walk the earth, never finding rest. Many
were cruel, vindictive, and visited needless suffering
upon others. Others were so consumed with anger,
sorrow, or other emotions at the moment of death that
their spirits were forced to remain bound to the physical
world in perpetual torment. Ghosts are as good or evil
as they were in life, and they stalk the forgotten places
of world hoping for some form of release.
Combat: Ghosts are morbid, morose spirits. Sadistic
and malevolent, most take great pleasure in cruelty and in
the suffering of others. They enter combat often and with
grave determination. Ghosts long for a final death. They
will taunt, antagonize, and otherwise force combat upon
any creature they think may be able to grant this boon.
Touch of Death: A ghosts touch drains the life
energy of the victim, whether through pure fear or by
sucking in the victims psychic force into its insatiable
ectoplasmic gullet. This touch literally takes years off of
the victims life. Victims age 1d4 decades.
Incorporeal: Ghosts exist only partially within the
mortal realms, most of their essence resides in the ethereal. A creature on the mortal realms cannot attack a
ghost except with magic, mentalism, or weapons forged
of cold iron, though a creature in the ethereal can attack the ghosts manifestation there with normal weapons.
Frightful Moan: Ghosts can wail their eternal grievances, evoking the darkest and most morose sentiments.
This horrific moan causes a cacophonic noise that unsettles the mind. Any creature hearing this noise must
succeed at a wisdom save, or suffer the effects of fear, as
the spell. A successful save grants that individual immunity to that particular ghosts moan for 24 hours.
Book Five
Ghoul
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-8, 2-24
SIZE: Medium
HD: 2d8 (8 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft.
AC: 14
ATTACKS: 2 Claw (1d3), Bite (1d6)
SPECIAL: Paralysis, Darkvision 60 ft.
SANITY: 1d6/1d8
SAVES: P
INT: None
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
TYPE: Undead (Common)
XP: 30+2 (46)
Ghouls are rotting undead incarnations of gluttony and
greed. Perpetually hungry, they endlessly stalk the living for flesh to devour. They are most often found in
cemeteries or battlefields where 2-24 are encountered.
This is particularly the case where dead have been buried in unconsecrated ground.
Combat: Ghouls are mindless, and attack with a wild
ferocity akin to that of rabid animals. They are always
hungry, and will often stop in the middle of a battle to
feast upon a fallen foe.
Paralysis: Any living creature that is clawed or bitten
by a ghoul must make a strength save or be paralyzed.
This paralysis lasts 1d4+1 turns, or a remove curse or
remove paralysis spell is cast upon the victim.
Golems (General)
Golems are magically constructed creatures. They are created by sorcerers and arcanists, who use them to serve as
guardians of holy sites, treasure vaults, or place of similar importance. Golems are usually mindless, and unless
noted in the text below, they should be treated as such.
Magic is fickle, and the process required to make a
golem is risky. Therefore, every golem can potentially
turn against its creator. Each time that the golem is engaged in combat (once per combat) it must make a mental save against the level of the character controlling
it, and, at -2. If this save is failed, the golem remains
under the characters control. If the golem succeeds,
the bonds between it and the character are temporarily
severed. The golem then rampages, trying to kill anything living that it encounters. The round following a
successful save, the controlling character can make an
intelligence save at CL 4 (with the golems hit dice added
to the challenge base). If this save succeeds, the golem
stops its rampaging, and falls under the characters
control again. If the character that created the golem is
killed, the golem immediately goes berserk.
If a golem goes berserk, it gains a +2 to all hit rolls.
Clay Golem
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-4
SIZE: Large
HD: 9d10 (45 hp)
MOVE: 20 ft.
AC: 22
ATTACKS: Slam (3d10)
SPECIAL: Berserk, Immunity to Magic
SANITY: 1d4/1d6
SAVES: P
INT: None
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Construct
XP: 800+9 (1,205)
A clay golem is a humanoid creation, born through potent magic that forever forms a bridge between the clay
form and the elemental planes. The process for making
clay golems is expensive ($1,200, at least) and complex,
but involves the use of resurrection, animate object,
commune, prayer, and bless, as well as the expenditure
of a great fortune, making these creatures very rare.
When created, a clay golem is directly controlled by the
arcanist that created it.
Combat: Clay golems are very powerful foes that are impervious to magic. They are able to inflict grievous wounds
with their two fists, slamming opponents in concert.
Immunity to Magic: Clay golems ignore all spells and
spell effects except as follows: move earth inflicts 3d12
points of damage to a clay golem, and drives it back 36
feet, disintegrate affects the clay golem as the slow spell,
and inflicts 1d12 points of damage (physical save negates),
earthquake, when cast directly at a clay golem, prevents it
from moving and inflicts 5d6 points of damage.
Bestiary
Combat: Iron golems engage opponents with steadfast
determination, turning away all but the most powerful
attacks, and ignoring nearly every spell. It can breathe
a devastating attack upon its foes, releasing a small
portion of the cloudkill spell required to construct it.
Flesh Golem
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-4
SIZE: Medium to Large
HD: 7d10 (35 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft.
AC: 18
ATTACKS: 2 Slam (2d8)
SPECIAL: Berserk, Immunity to Magic
SANITY: 1d6/1d8
SAVES: P
INT: Animal to Low
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Construct
XP: 270+7 (515)
Flesh golems are a grotesque collection of stitched body
parts, sewn together to form a macabre humanlike
appearance, and then animated by powerful rituals.
These creatures possess a rudimentary level of intelligence, slightly higher than that of a domesticated animal. Flesh golems do feel pain, and are aware that they
are alive. If a flesh golems master insists on sending it
into situations where it can be injured, they gain a +4
on their saving throws to resist control. If they go berserk, they try to flee the area. Flesh golems are made
by evil arcanists. It takes a great deal of wealth ($1,000
at least) and power to fashion such a creature. At minimum, the following spells are needed: wish, polymorph
any object, geas, protection from normal missiles, and
strength.
Immunity to Magic: A flesh golem is immune to all
spells and spell effects, except as noted here: All spells
that inflict fire or cold damage to any degree act as a
slow spell for 2d6 rounds; spells that inflict electrical
damage will instead heal the golem; the golem will heal
1 hit point per die of damage.
Iron Golem
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-4
SIZE: Large
HD: 14d10 (70 hp)
MOVE: 20 ft.
AC: 30
ATTACKS: Slam (4d10)
SPECIAL: Breath Weapon, Berserk, Immunity to Magic
SANITY: 1d6/1d8
SAVES: P
INT: None
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Construct
XP: 8000+14 (8,980)
These powerful and enormous metal humanoids are
typically the bodyguards of very powerful sorcerers, created to guard their most precious and secure areas and
items. Iron golems are under the complete command of
their creators, having absolutely no mind of their own.
The process to build an iron golem is expensive ($1,500
at least) and requires the following spell effects: wish,
polymorph any object, geas, and cloudkill. Iron golems
are practically immune to all magic.
Book Five
Green Slime
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-6
SIZE: Variable
HD: 4d8 (18 hp)
MOVE: 0 ft.
AC: 10
ATTACKS: None
SPECIAL: Devouring Assimilation
SANITY: 0/1d4
SAVES: None
INT: None
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Plant
XP: 120+4 (192)
Green slime is an algae-like growth that feeds on moisture
and any organic or metallic material it comes in contact
with. The foul scum can grow anywhere, including at the
bottom of water pools or wooden furniture or paneling; so
long as there is organic or metallic matter for it to feed upon.
The slime occasionally grows on the ceilings or support
beams in a mine or cave complex and any vibrations
upon its perch will shake globules of the slime free of the
main colony to drop upon any unlucky creatures below.
Combat: A green slime does not attack its victims,
only reacts when any creature or substance makes
contact with the slime colony. As it grows and converts
more matter to its slime-like state, it can create major
hazards for any creatures in proximity to their location.
Devouring Assimilation: When the slime comes
into contact with living flesh, it adheres to the creature
and convert its substance to more green slime, doing
2d6 points of constitution damage to the victim. Alert
victims can quickly scrape the slime away to avoid this
damage, but a successful dexterity check is necessary
to scrape away the filth before it adheres to its body or
gear. In such a case, the scraper will doubtlessly need
to be discarded to avoid further contamination.
Green slime will devour wood and metal as well, but
it consumes such matter at different rates than flesh;
requiring 10 turns to transform 1 inch of wood to slime
and devours metal in 1-2 melee rounds (if enchanted
armor is attacked by the slime, an additional round
per magical plus is necessary before the sludge eats
through the armor). It does no damage to stone or ceramic materials. It can be destroyed/cured by the use
Human
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-1,000+
SIZE: Medium
HD: Variable, or 1d6 (4 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft.
AC: 13
ATTACKS: by weapon or firearms
SPECIAL: Spells, Tracking,
Survival, Climb, Hide, Move Silently
SANITY: None
SAVES: P or M (Choose one)
INT: Average
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral
XP: 7+1 (11) or by HD.
These statistics represent a general representation of
human adversaries and cover everything from pygmy
jungle-dwellers to Australian aborigines to Bedouin warriors or generic street thugs. Any so-called mook the
characters encounter could be represented by this entry.
Combat: Humans attack by weapons, generally in
modernized societies using firearms or knives and small
swords dealing 1d6 damage, or using bows or spears
(also dealing 1d6) possibly tipped with paralytic poison
in primitive societies.
Class Abilities: Most mooks possess one or more of
the following class abilities: Tracking (generic; see Book
4), Survival (Raider), Climb (Hooligan), Hide (Hooligan),
Move Silently (Hooligan). For purposes of using these
abilities, treat physical attributes as Prime and the number of hit dice the mook has as its level equivalency.
Spells: Shamans or cultists may have some spellcasting ability as a Wisdom or Charisma-based arcanist.
Special: Mooks can be made tougher simply by adding extra hit dice, increasing base XP value to double the
previous level, rounded to the nearest five, plus the number of hit dice per hit point. Thus, a 2 HD mook is worth
15+2, a 3 HD mook is worth 30+3, a 4 HD mook 60+4, etc.
Lion
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-12
SIZE: Large
HD: 4d8 (16 hp)
MOVE: 40 ft.
AC: 15
ATTACKS: 2 Claw (1d4), Bite (1d10)
SPECIAL: Rake, Twilight Vision
SANITY: None
SAVES: P
INT: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
XP: 60+4 (124)
Bestiary
Lions are large cats that inhabit scrub lands and savannah. They travel in prides of up to 12 members, consisting of one male, 6-7 females, and 3-4 cubs. Lionesses
always do the hunting for the pride, and work together
in groups. The male lion defends the pride from interlopers and other predators.
Combat: Lionesses fight as a group, while males fight
singularly, but they use the same tactics. When possible, they will leap upon an opponent, attempting to
clamp their powerful jaws around the throat or head.
The powerful bite will maul and suffocate the victim,
while their forelegs and hind legs rake the victim.
Rake: If a lion successfully bites, it can make two rake
attacks with its hind legs. These attacks have an additional +3 bonus to hit, and inflict 1d4+2 hit points of
damage each.
Mountain lions, or cougars, are slightly smaller than
the savannah lion. They hunt singularly or in small
groups. They have 4d8 hit dice (16 hp), an armor class
of 14, and attack with 2 claws (1d4+1), and a bite (1d8).
They have the rake ability as well. In addition, a mountain lion can suddenly leap upon a foe during the first
round of combat. This pounce is a normal claw or bite
attack. If the attack is successful, the mountain lion
can immediately make an extra attack of the same type.
Lizard, Giant
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1, 2-12
SIZE: Large
HD: 4d8 (16 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft., 30 ft. (climb)
AC: 16
ATTACKS: Bite (2d6)
SPECIAL: Twilight Vision, Poison (only certain species)
SANITY: 0/1d4
SAVES: P
INT: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
XP: 40+4 (104) or 80+4 (144) with poison
Giant lizards are found in tropical or desert climes. They
are very large, averaging 24 ft in length, and are capable
of moving very quickly on their powerful legs. They may be
responsible for the ancient legends of dragons, and can be
dangerous foes in their own right. Though they are solitary hunters, some varieties of giant lizards will travel in
packs, hunting and eating together. Giant lizards can be
captured, tamed, and trained, and unconfirmed reports
from the Dark Continent exist of jungle-dwelling pygmy
tribes using these beasts as riding animals.
Combat: Giant lizards will lie still for many long hours
waiting for prey to come within striking distance. When
prey approaches, a giant lizard will launch from its hiding
place and attack the smallest member of a group. If successful in slaying their quarry, a giant lizard will not remain
in the area to fight. It will flee, carrying its meal with it.
Poison: Not all giant lizards have this ability, but
many monitor lizards such as the komodo dragon inject
a kind of poison with their bite (actually, its just a multitude of volatile and fast-acting bacteria). On a successful constitution save, this poison inflicts 3d6 damage to the victim and causes paralysis for 1d2 days. On
a failed save unless treated with powerful antiseptics
and anti-venom, within 1d4 hours the limb will become
irrevocably septic and require amputation to avoid the
poison spreading further; the victim will die in 1 day
unless the bite is treated and/or the limb amputated.
Lycanthrope, Werewolf
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 3-18
SIZE: Medium
HD: 4d8 (16 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft., 50 ft. (as wolf)
AC: 16
ATTACKS: Bite (2d4)
SPECIAL: Curse of Lycanthropy, Wolf Empathy, Trip,
Alternate Form, Twilight Vision, Protect
SANITY: 1d6/1d8
SAVES: P
INT: Average
ALIGNMENT: Varies as human, chaotic evil in wolf
form
TYPE: Humanoid
XP: 120+4 (184)
Werewolves are thoroughly tainted by evil, and in animal form, they are among the most wicked of creatures.
Their animal form are massive, far larger than a typical
wolf. They dwell in dark forests and prowl only at night.
Werewolves are very protective of their domains, and of
each other, rallying to any howl of distress. These creatures always hunt in packs of 3 to 18.
Combat: Werewolves are cunning hunters. They will
utilize pack tactics and harassing techniques before
closing in for a kill. They are cunning, and very dangerous, but will flee in the face of capable opposition.
Trip: A werewolf can attempt to drag an opponent to
the ground when it makes a successful bite. The opponent is allowed a dexterity save to resist being pulled
to the ground. Opponents pulled down in this manner
automatically act last in the next round.
Curse of Lycanthropy: The wounds inflicted by a
lycanthrope are infected with a magical pathogen that will
eventually cause the victim to be transformed into a lycanthrope. The form assumed will be the same as the lycanthrope that inflicted the wound. At the end of any combat
encounter with a lycanthrope, human combatants that
were damaged by the beast must make constitution saves
at a penalty equal to 12 the amount of damage that the
beast inflicted. This penalty is assigned on an individual
basis a character that suffers more damage from a lycanthrope has a larger penalty. If this save is failed, the victim
will become a lycanthrope in 28 days. Over that period, the
victim will notice changes in mentality, strange traces of fur
in his bedroll, an appetite for raw meat, or other symptoms.
If a cure disease spell is applied before the 28th day, the
lycanthropy is prevented. After the 28th day, nothing can
reverse the disease short of a wish.
Book Five
Mummy
Wolf Empathy: Wolves empathize and enjoy the company of werewolves. Werewolves can telepathically communicate with any wolf within 1 mile. In addition, the werewolf
can summon 1d6 wolf to its location if the wolf are within 1
mile. The wolves will begin to arrive 2d6 turns later.
Lycanthropy
Lycanthropy is a supernatural disease that afflicts only humankind. It is the cause and creator of were-beasts, transforming its unwilling victims between human and animal
forms. There are many classifications of lycanthropes, but
the most commonly encountered are the dreaded werewolves. Though these creatures can be of any alignment
while in human form, they are very aggressive in animal
form, assuming a different consciousness of sorts. It is not
unusual for a lycanthrope to be unable to distinguish between friend and enemy when in animal form.
Lycanthropes are very susceptible to silver weapons,
taking double damage whenever they are hit by any
weapon made of silver. Weapons that are specially coated with a layer of silver affect lycanthropes as well this
vulnerability is not to solid silver alone.
Greater
1
Medium
8d12 (48 hp)
30 ft.
21
Slam (1d12) or by
ATTACKS: Slam (1d12)
weapon
Despair, Mummy
Despair, Mummy
Rot, Darkvision
Rot, Darkvision
60 ft., Fire VulnerSPECIAL:
60 ft., Fire Vulnerability, Subject ability, Subject to
Raising, Magic
to Raising
SANITY:
1d6/1d8
1d8/1d10
SAVES:
P
P, M
INT:
Low
High
ALIGN:
Lawful Evil
Any Evil
TYPE:
Undead
Undead
XP:
720+7 (1,014)
825+8 (1,209)
A mummy is an undead creature usually wrapped in divine
bandages and urged to existence through prayer and ceremony. Mummies are bound to their tombs and are encountered in their vicinity, which is most commonly the deserts
of Egypt, though mummies have been encountered in Central and South America and in arctic, desert, and jungle
climes the world over, where conditions are right for preservation of the body. Any creature that defiles or loots the
tomb of a mummy is doomed to face the mummys wrath.
Their connection with the artifacts of life and the resting
places of the dead are tremendous, and they punish grave
looters with unmediated violence. The process required to
create a mummy gives the creature powerful protections
against physical damage. However, the most terrifying aspect of a mummy is not its ability to withstand damage or
doggedly pursue its quarry, but its lingering effects upon
those that managed to escape. The touch of a mummy instills a disease that causes a victims body to slowly wilting
and rotting away into a useless mass of pulpy flesh. These
creatures are often created in pairs, but the most unholy
sanctums can be guarded by up to eight.
NO. ENC:
SIZE:
HD:
MOVE:
AC:
Lesser
1-4
Medium
7d12 (42 hp)
20 ft.
20
Combat: Mummies enter combat without fear. Mummies of the lesser variety do not take prisoners, and do
not bargain or communicate. They batter their foes until
victorious, or the mummies themselves are destroyed.
Greater mummies, on the other hand, are masterful tacticians, plotters and schemers and may employ all manner of tricks, traps, and henchmen in the furthering of
their plans and schemes. Sleep and charm spells, as
well as poison and paralysis, have no affect on mummies.
They can only be hit and damaged by magical weapons.
Bestiary
Despair: The mere sight of a mummy causes an opponent to become unnerved, shaken and repulsed. This
affect is identical to the spell fear. In addition, an additional wisdom save is required by all opponents. If
the save fails, that victim is paralyzed by the mummys
presence, and remains so for 1d4 rounds. Humans gain
a +2 bonus to resist this effect. There is safety and security in numbers, however. All individuals in a group will
gain a +1 bonus if group members outnumber mummies present by at least 6 to 1. This bonus is cumulative to the bonus given to humans. For example, if two
mummies are present, 12 group members are required
to gain a +1 bonus, giving humans a total of +3.
Mummy Rot: A victim stricken by this horrible affliction contracts a dreadful disease that resists natural
methods of healing. Only the spell cure disease can remove Mummy Rot. Each time a victim is struck by a
mummy, a successful constitution save is required to
resist the mummys scabrous touch. Failure indicates
that the creature has been afflicted with the Rot, and no
further saves are allowed. While afflicted with Mummy
Rot, magical spells and effects that restore hit points do
not function on the victim. Methods of natural healing,
including regeneration, are 10 times slower. In addition,
a victim of Mummy Rot loses two points of charisma
each month, permanently, culminating in the victims
death 1d6 months after exposure and contraction.
Subject to Raising: A mummy targeted by a raise
dead spell must succeed at a physical save or be restored from undeath. Most will be transformed into a
human of 7th level, but a mummy will typically assume
the race and class it had in life. However, the corruption
of undeath lingers, and these individuals will almost always retain the lawful evil alignment. Greater Mummies
may make a Wisdom save against raising.
Spell Casting: Greater mummies are intelligent,
often the remains of deceased priests or leaders. These
creatures always have the abilities of at least an eighthlevel Arcanist, generally with spells from the Wisdom or
Charisma list. Some may be as high as twentieth level; for
higher level arcanist-mummies, the Game Master should
increase hit points (and experience) proportionally, granting 6 additional hit points per arcanist level above eighth.
Night-haunt
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-4
SIZE: Medium
HD: 3d10 (17 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft., 60 ft. (fly)
AC: 14
ATTACKS: 2 claws (1d6) or tail (1d4)
SPECIAL: Poison, Bond, Darkvision 60 ft., Twilight Vision
SANITY: 1d8/1d10
SAVES: M
INT: High
ALIGNMENT: Any (see below)
TYPE: Extraplanar
XP: 60+2 (94)
OOZE
The various species of ooze are found primarily in dank,
dark, subterranean environments. They move very
slowly, but have a voracious appetite, and seek to devour everything in their paths. All oozes have the following two abilities in common:
Slam/Acid: Oozes secrete a digestive acid that dissolves any material except stone and magic items. Any
constriction attack from an ooze drenches the victim
with acid. The victims armor and clothing dissolve and
become useless during the first round. Heavy armor requires 2 rounds to dissolve. Once the skin is exposed,
the acid damage begins to take effect. Magical equipment is not destroyed, but the acid soaks through or
flows around it, and will damage the victim on the third
round of constriction.
Constrict: Oozes will attempt to flow over their victims to digest them. A dexterity save is allowed, and if
successful, negates the attack. If the save is failed, the
ooze engulfs a part of the victim and immediately begins
secreting acid. Each round, a new save is allowed to
escape. It takes 4 rounds for an ooze to completely engulf a man-sized creature. When this occurs, the victim
suffers double damage from the acid and can suffocate.
Ooze (Black Pudding)
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-2
SIZE: Huge
HD: 10d10 (55 hp)
MOVE: 10 ft.
Book Five
AC: 3
ATTACKS: Acid (3d6)
SPECIAL: Acid, Constrict, Split, Immunity (full): Cold
and Electricity
SANITY: 1d8/1d10
SAVES: P
INT: None
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Ooze
XP: 1500+10 (2050)
A black pudding is an amorphous blob of oily-looking
goo made of caustic acids, scouring the underworld, devouring refuse and slime. They are not sentient creatures, and never actively pursue other creatures bent
on killing them. However they consume anything that
comes within their grasp, living or not.
Combat: Black puddings, like most oozes, will simply
try to engulf and digest their prey with a mindless determination. However, they are quick compared to other oozes, and this can startle those who are attacked by them.
Bestiary
ple of the worm are ever found singularly. Rather, they
travel in packs of thousands whenever they arrive in a
new place. Their M.O. is to send out scouting parties of
1-4 worms, who are generally small enough to avoid detection. These scouting parties will find slumbering hosts,
and make their way into the victims bodies through the
ear or nose. When the worm reaches the brain, it begins
to feed, engaging in parthenogenic reproduction as it does
so; its spawn also feed and reproduce themselves. When
the brain is consumed, the worms move on to other parts
of the body, until eventually the entire host is consumed
by the worms, which take on the form and function of
whatever body part they have eatenthus, brain worms
adapt the form of the victims brain, while bone worms appear as bones, and so forth. The process is fast, requiring
less than eight hours to complete.
Rat, Giant
Rats are highly resilient rodents that are found in every climate and every terrain. They shy away from light, but become very bold in the dark. They dont generally attack other
healthy creatures, but will feed on almost anything that is
wounded and unable to defend itself. The common variety,
possessing 1 hp and biting for 1d3 damage, are encountered
in groups of up to 100; a small percentage (about 10%) will
be carriers of a disease. The giant variety is far more dangerous, with 40% carrying a disease; fortunately, giant rats are
exceptionally rare. Occasionally a pack of giant rats, up to
ten in number, may be encountered.
Combat: Rats are skittish and avoid combat at all
costs, fleeing whenever disturbed. They may try to bite
and eventually eat anyone that is wounded and vulnerable. Large swarms of rats become emboldened, and
may even attack partially wounded people.
Disease: 40% of giant rats are disease carriers. Every disease has a strength vector, which is expressed as
a penalty to saving throws against the illness. Thus, a
strength 5 disease will impart a -5 penalty to constitution
saves against it. The exact effects of any disease are up to
the individual game master, but generally they include an
incubation period (usually 1d4 hours or 1d4 days) during
which no symptoms are manifest. This period is followed
by the actual effects of the disease, which could be anything from fever, nausea and shakes for the duration (1d6
days to 1d6 weeks, dependent upon the disease) to attribute damage over the course. If a disease inflicts attribute
damage, be it daily or weekly, and this damage causes an
attribute score to reach 0, the victim dies of the illness.
Book Five
Shadow
Shadow Worm
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1
SIZE: Large
HD: 15d10 (82 hp)
MOVE: 20 ft., 20 ft. (burrow), 10ft. (swim)
AC: 19
ATTACKS: Bite (2d12), Sting (2d4)
SPECIAL: Swallow Whole, Poison
SANITY: 1d12/1d20
SAVES: P
INT: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Magical Beast
XP: 5700+15 (6930)
There are few subterranean denizens as feared and reviled as shadow worms, and few that encounter one
live through the experience. Voracious carnivores, they
are incredibly huge, inky black creatures that are covered in a viscous goo. Their bodies terminate in a huge
maw on one end, and a long, finely pointed stinger on
the other. A shadow worms mouth resembles that of a
monstrous leech: it has three jaws that, when closed,
are almost impossible to force open. At the base of the
stinger is a gland that produces a deadly poison.
These creatures dig and live in wide tunnels far underground. They are hated and feared by cave pygmies and
other races that make their homes beneath the earth.
They are solitary creatures, and with reason: their appetites make it impossible for one area to support the
feeding needs of more than one worm.
Combat: Shadow worms burrow under their prey to attack by surprise, engulfing and swallowing victims with
one quick motion. It uses its tail stinger to defend from
those who would attack it from behind, as it is unable to
attack with both bite and stinger in the same direction.
The burrowing of a shadow worm often causes localized
earthquakes that grow stronger as the creature approaches. This is a telltale sign that an attack is imminent.
Swallow Whole: When a shadow worm makes a
bite attack, and the roll is a natural 19 or better, the
victim must succeed at a dexterity save at a -10 penalty
to avoid being swallowed whole. Once swallowed, the
victim enters the worms crushing, acidic digestive system. Each round spent inside the worm causes 1d20 +
10 points of damage, and 10 points of acid damage. A
victim can attempt to cut its way out of the worm by using a light slashing weapon to deal 30 points of damage
to the creature (armor class 17). If a victim manages to
cut free of the worm, peristalsis and other muscular actions close the hole, and other swallowed victims must
cut their own way out.
Poison: Any creature struck by the shadow worms
stinger suffers 2-24 points of damage. A successful constitution save reduces this damage by half.
Bestiary
Shen-Taq
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-6
SIZE: Large
HD: 7d12 (45 hp)
MOVE: 20 ft., 60 ft. (fly)
AC: 18
ATTACKS: 2 Claw (1d4), Bite (2d8) or Sting (1d6)
SPECIAL: Poison, Darkvision 60 ft., Immunity: Sleep
and Paralysis, Twilight Vision
SANITY: 1d10/1d12
SAVES: P
INT: Low
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil
TYPE: Dragon
XP: 540+7 (855)
Shen-Taqs are large, foul smelling, winged reptiles with
oily black scales, the heads of horses, and a few tufts of
greasy feathers scattered over their forms. They have thin
bodies, long arms and legs, very large wings and a lengthy
tail that ends in spike. They have mean tempers and are
always hungry. They do kill to eat, but mainly kill for
sport, eat what they need, and leave the rest to rot. They
are not creatures of this earth, but of the Deeper Dark,
where the Old Ones reside. Sometimes, powerful and evil
sorcerers may summon them to serve as steeds. They
normally gather in small groups of about six individuals.
Combat: As befits their lack of intelligence, shen-Taqs
will attack anything. They sweep over their prey, stinging it with their poisoned tail. Once it is immobilized,
they fall upon it and devour it.
Poison: A victim struck by a shen-Taqs sting must
make a successful constitution save or suffer 2d6
points of damage and be paralyzed for 4d6 rounds. A
save halves the damage and negates the paralyzation.
Shoggoth
SIZE: Large
HD: 17 (d10)
MOVE: 20 ft. (n/a)
AC: 20
ATTACKS: 12 Tentacles (1d12),
Bite (5d10; special, see below)
SPECIAL: Constrict,
Swallow Whole, Poison,
Darkvision 60 ft., Twilight Vision,
Sanity-Blasting Visage
SANITY: 1d6/1d12
SAVES: P
INT: High
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil
TYPE: Magical Beast
XP: 11700+17
Book Five
will drop onto the victim, wrapping their coils around it,
and squeezing it mightily until it dies. Then, the snake
will unhinge its jaw and slowly swallow the victim whole.
Skeleton
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-10
SIZE: Medium
HD: 1d12 (7 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft.
AC: 13
ATTACKS: Weapon
SPECIAL: Undead
SANITY: 1d6/1d8
SAVES: P
INT: None
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Undead (Common)
XP: 10+1 (17)
Skeletons are the animated remains of dead creatures.
Their bodies are little more than bone and sinew held
together by vile sorcery. They move with a slow gait,
but sometimes have the strength to wield weapons and
wear armor. Skeletons are mindless, but are aware of
living things and always attack them. They are often
encountered under the command of an evil arcanist.
Combat: Skeletons attack silently and with a very
frightening intensity, killing anything living in their
path. Because of their boney nature, any slashing or
piercing weapons do half damage, while blunt weapons
do normal damage.
Snake
NO. ENC:
SIZE:
HD:
MOVE:
AC:
ATTACKS:
SPECIAL
SANITY:
SAVES:
INT:
ALIGN:
TYPE:
XP:
Constrictor, Giant
1
Large
6d8 (12 hp)
30 ft., 30 ft. (climb),
30 ft. (swim)
15
Bite (1d4),
Coil (2d6)
Constrict
None
P
Animal
Neutral
Animal
210+6 (282)
Venomous
1
Small
1d4 (2 hp)
20 ft., 20 ft. (climb),
20 ft. (swim)
13
Bite (poison only)
Poison
None
P
Animal
Neutral
Animal
9+1 (11)
There are many species of snakes, venomous and nonvenomous. They are found in most warm and temperate
climates, and have adapted to most terrain. They are
shy creatures that generally avoid contact with larger
animals. They will strike if cornered or threatened. Only
the giant constrictor actively hunts man-sized prey.
Combat: Snakes usually avoid combat altogether unless they feel extremely threatened. Giant constrictors are
exceptions. They will lay in wait, perfectly still, shrouded
in foliage until prey passes underneath them. Then, they
First Save
Second Save
Duration
1-2
1d2
1d2,double effects of
illness
1 week
1d4
1 week
1d6
1-2 weeks
1d8
1d8, incapacitated
1-4 weeks
1d10
not long
Bestiary
Snake Men
Spawn of Shub-Niggurath
Other variations may exist beyond the two listed here; Game
Masters are encouraged to use these as templates when
designing your own sanity-blasting, grotesque, amorphous
horrors with which to terrorize your player characters.
Book Five
petually hungry, and will eat anything organic that it can
reach. The flesh-spawn of Shub-Niggurath survives in
thick, dark forests and subterranean environments, feasting easily on the unwary, as it cannot be spotted easily.
Combat: To avoid attention and ambush potential
meals, a flesh-spawn of Shub-Niggurath waits silently,
its eyes and mouths closed. When something approaches, they lunge forth suddenly, spitting, biting, and producing a bewildering assortment of odd noises.
Gibbering: Flesh-spawn of Shub-Niggurath can vocalize a strange plethora of smacks, grunts, shrieks,
and other noises from its multiple mouths, effectively
acting like a confusion spell. All opponents within hearing distance of a flesh-spawn of Shub-Niggurath must
make a successful wisdom save to avoid suffering from
this effect. A new save is required each round.
Spittle: Flesh-spawn of Shub-Niggurath are able to
spew an acidic digestive chemical, spitting it at any opponent up to 30 feet away. If the target is successfully hit
it takes 1d4 points of acidic damage, plus must make a
dexterity save or be struck in the eyes. A victim that fails
the saving throw is blinded by the acid for 1d4 turns.
Blood Drain: The mouths of a flesh-spawn of ShubNiggurath have incredible strength. Whenever an opponent is bitten, the mouth clamps down and holds.
This hold automatically inflicts 1d3 points of damage
from blood drain on each successive round, unless the
hold is broken by a successful strength save (CL 3). If
a victim has more than one mouth attached to it, the
strength save Challenge Level is increased by 1 per
mouth, to a maximum of Challenge Level 15.
Engulf: If an opponent is struck by 3 or more bite
attacks in the same round, the flesh-spawn of ShubNiggurath will attempt to pull that victim to the ground
and flow across it. The victim is allowed a strength save
(CL 6+1 per successful bite above 3) to avoid this effect. If the save fails, the target falls to the ground, the
flesh-spawn of Shub-Niggurath rolls over it in the same
action, and next round it makes 12 bite attacks against
the helpless opponent, which is held in the equivalent
of a Challenge Level 9 grapple.
Spawn of Shub-Niggurath
(Plant, greater)
Spider
NO. ENC:
SIZE:
HD:
MOVE:
AC:
ATTACKS:
SPECIAL
SANITY:
SAVES:
INT:
ALIGN:
TYPE:
XP:
Small
2-5/10-20
Small
1d4 (2 hp)
10 ft., 10 ft.
(climb)
14
Bite (1d4)
Poison,
Web, Twilight Vision
None
P
Animal
Neutral
Animal
11+1 (13)
Medium
2-5/1-10
Medium
3d8 (12 hp)
30 ft., 20 ft.
(climb)
15
Bite (1d6)
Poison,
Web, Twilight Vision
0/1d4
P
Animal
Neutral
Animal
52+3 (88)
Large
2-5/1-10
Large
5d8 (20 hp)
40 ft., 20 ft.
(climb)
16
Bite (1d8)
Poison,
Web, Twilight Vision
1d4/1d6
P
Animal
Neutral
Animal
240+5 (340)
Bestiary
Giant spiders are aggressive predators found in most
temperate and tropical climates. They can be as small
as a rabbit, or as large as an antelope. On rare occasions they grow to monstrous sizes. There are as many
species of giant spider as there are of their smaller kin
and they are found in a variety of colors.
Tigers are great predatory cats that inhabit tropical climates, particularly favoring mountainous jungles. They
are generally solitary creatures, so if more than one is
encountered, it will be a mating pair, or a mother and
her two cubs. Tigers are the largest of the great cats and
are aggressive hunters.
First round
Small
1d2 damage
Med
1d6 damage
Large
1d10 damage
Second round
1d2 damage, 1-2 points of
strength loss for 1d12 hours
1d4 damage, paralyzation for
2d6 hours
1d8 damage, paralyzation for
3d6 hours
Tiger
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-3
SIZE: Large
HD: 5d8+5 (25 hp)
MOVE: 40 ft.
AC: 14
ATTACKS: 2 Claw (1d4); Bite (1d10)
SPECIAL: Rake, Twilight Vision
SANITY: None
SAVES: P
INT: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
XP: 180+5 (205)
Vampire
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1
SIZE: Medium
HD: 8d12 (48 hp)
MOVE: 40 ft., 60 ft. (fly), 20 ft. (climb)
AC: 20
ATTACKS: Slam (1d6)
SPECIAL: Blood Drain, Children of the Night, Dominate,
Create Spawn, Energy Drain, Alternate Form, Gaseous
Form, Entourage, Electrical Resistance (half), Spider Climb
SANITY: 1d8/1d10
SAVES: M, P
INT: Average to Genius
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
TYPE: Undead (Unique)
XP: 1885+8 (2269)
Vampires are legendary undead predators, feared and reviled by all. Formerly human, these foul creatures have become completely corrupted, lurking in a state between life
and death, and requiring warm, fresh blood for sustenance.
They prowl at night, through decrepit city streets, seeking
healthy but unsuspecting victims. Unlike other undead,
vampires are not ghastly or decayed in appearance. To
most observers, they appear quite normal, and some are
rather attractive. They often have pale skin that takes on
a less pallid tone after they feed. All vampires must retreat
to the safety of their lairs as the sun rises, as sunlight is
fatal to them. They tend to make abandoned crypts and
tombs their homes. They are vulnerable when resting
during the day, sleeping in coffins and sarcophagi, and
therefore rely on remote, avoided locations in which
to lair. Up to four vampires may share a single location. However foreboding their chosen shelter, they
always choose a place that is relatively close to cities and settlements. This provides them with easy
access to a food supply.
Vampires are very intelligent, even those who
were not particularly bright before they were
turned. This helps prevent discovery and allows the hunting ground to be used for a
longer period of time. Vampires are freakishly strong. This innate toughness ena-
Book Five
bles them to turn aside mundane weaponry and they are
susceptible only to silver, piercing weapons made entirely
of wood, holy water and artifacts, and garlic.
Combat: Vampires are aggressive, but not foolhardy,
when stalking prey. They stalk targets traveling alone,
weak stragglers, drunkards, and other vulnerable targets.
They are not favorably disposed to prolonged combats, as
they realize dangers to them despite their own great power. To avoid battle, they will try to mentally dominate other
creatures. If that fails, and they are pressed, they will call
their nocturnal allies to aid them in the fight. If a battle
goes poorly for them, they will change shape and flee.
Blood Drain: If a vampire successfully strikes an opponent with its fists (slam), the target must succeed at a
strength save or be held in the vampires grip. If the save
fails, a vampire will use its great strength to bring the victim to its mouth, where it will bite it and begin to drain it
of blood. This attack automatically inflicts 1d4 points of
damage per round. For each point drained from a victim, a
vampire will heal one hit point. If a vampire is able to drain
a victim of 36 hit points in this way, it is satiated, and will
release its grip. A victim of this bite does not experience
pain; instead, they become euphoric during the process,
and some may become addicted to it. Once a victim is bitten, it will not struggle to escape the vampires clutches. A
vampire must use this ability every few weeks, or it will die.
Energy Drain: Along with the blood drain, living creatures hit by a vampires bite attack instantly lose one level
or hit die. Thereafter, for every round that the vampire is
able to continue feeding, the victim loses one level or hit
die until the creature has perished. This loss is permanent unless reversed with a restoration spell or a wish.
Vampires can choose not to drain energy, or to do so more
slowly so as to prolong their feeding on a given subject.
Children of the Night: Vampires are able to summon other night-time predators, having a special bond
with these creatures. A vampire can summon a swarm
of bats, rats, or 3d6 wolves. They can summon only once
per day, but success is guaranteed. Summoned creatures
will arrive 2d4 rounds after being called by the vampire.
The summoned creatures obey the
vampire without reservation, and
remain until killed or released.
Dominate: The intense gaze of
a vampire is intoxicating, as overwhelming feelings of both fear and
lust cross the victims mind. A creature that looks into a vampires eyes
must make a charisma save at a -2
penalty. Failure results in the victim
suffering the effects of a permanent
duration charm person spell. However, a person charmed in this manner will defend the vampire at all
costs, even against former allies.
Create Spawn: If a vampire
chooses, it can drain the blood or
energy of a human victim in such
Bestiary
Wight
Wolf
NO. ENC:
SIZE:
HD:
MOVE:
AC:
ATTACKS:
Normal Wolf
4-24
Small-Medium
2d8
50 ft.
13
Bite (1d6)
Energy Drain: Living creatures hit by a wights attack lose one level. For each such level lost, the wight
heals five hit points.
Dire Wolf
2-12
Medium-Large
4d8
50 ft.
14
Bite (1d8)
SANITY:
SAVES:
INT:
ALIGN:
TYPE:
XP:
0/1d3
P
Low
Neutral
Magical Beast
60+4
None
P
Animal
Neutral
Animal
10+2
Winter Wolf
1-6
Large
6d8
50 ft.
15
Bite (1d10)
Breath Weapon, Trip, Freezing
Bite, Darkvision 60 ft., Immunity to Cold (half), Twilight Vision,
Vulnerability to Fire, Scent
1d4/1d6
P
Low
Neutral Evil
Magical Beast
280+6
Normal Wolf
Dire Wolf
Wolves range in size from small to medium. They are ferocious predators and often hunt in packs. They will bring down
any prey they sense is weak or alone. There is always a dominate male and female in wolf packs. At times worgs or winter
wolves lead large packs of wolves. They are found in many
environments. Wolves have a superior sense of smell and can
use it to track prey with a Wisdom check. For purposes of
scent tracking only, treat Wisdom as a Prime attribute.
Book Five
Winter Wolf
Winter wolves are large, semi-intelligent wolves. White or
light gray, they can stand 5 feet at the shoulder. They are
found in the high mountains, arctic areas or any snowy
wasteland. They are able to communicate with other wolves
and sometimes lead packs of them. Winter wolves can also
comprehend basic human speech if exposed long enough.
Trip: As the dire wolfs ability of the same name.
Breath Weapon: Once per day, a winter wolf can
exhale a frigid slush of frost and ice, dealing 4d4 points
of damage to any creature directly in front of it. Save
versus dexterity for half damage.
Freezing Bite: A winter wolfs bite is chilling, creating a frost that deals an extra 1d4 points of damage.
Vulnerability to Fire: Winter wolves are extremely sensitive to fire and take double damage from
any fire based attack.
Wraith
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-4
SIZE: Medium
HD: 5d12 (33 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft., 60 ft. (fly)
AC: 15
ATTACKS: Incorporeal Touch (1d6)
SPECIAL: Energy Drain, Create Spawn, Incorporeal,
Darkvision 60 ft., Daylight Powerlessness, Unnatural Aura
SANITY: 1d6/1d8
SAVES: M
INT: High
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Evil
TYPE: Undead (Extraordinary)
TREASURE: 5
XP: 280+5 (450)
Wraiths are powerful wights (q.v.) who have forged a
more powerful bond with the negative material plane.
A wraith is incorporeal, having shed all connections of
the flesh. They haunt only the darkest of shadows and
never venture near sunlight or the open. Dungeons or
deep crypts are their most common haunts. Like their
weaker cousins, wraiths despise all living things, and
being filled with a great wrath towards the living are
always bent on destroying it.
Combat: A wraith is normally insubstantial like a
ghost or spectre and thus only magical weapons of +1 or
better can affect her ectoplasmic form. A wraith attacks
by passing through objects to attack their foes unawares. They strike, disappear back through an object,
and return again. They slowly whittle a foe to death.
Energy Drain: Living creatures hit by a wraiths attack lose one level. For each such level lost, the wraith
heals five hit points
Create Spawn: A human victim killed by the wraiths
Zombie
NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-10
SIZE: Medium
HD: 2d8 (8)
MOVE: 20 ft.
AC: 12
ATTACKS: Slam (1d8) or grapple and bite (1d6 + 1d4/
roundsee special) or by weapon
SPECIAL: Slow, Feed, Create Spawn (only certain varieties)
SANITY: 1d6/1d8
SAVES: P
INT: None
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil
TYPE: Undead (Common)
XP: 15+1 (23) or 25+1 (33) (species that can create spawn)
Zombies are undead humanoids, reanimated corpses that
stalk the earth with little purpose or reason. They typically
appear as shambling, rotting bodies, complete with ragged clothes and rusted mail. They are unable to use complicated weapons like guns, cast spells, or even communicate, though they can use rudimentary clubs, blades,
and other primitive stabbing and bashing weapons. They
possess only a vague instinct to gather in groups, find
living creatures, and kill them. They are shambling and
slow, but have a powerful attack. A zombie is mindless,
fearless, and only seeks to kill and devour living flesh.
Slow: A zombie never gains initiative and always acts
last in any given round.
Feed: Following a successful grapple check, a zombie
bites its victim for 1d6 damage. Thereafter, every round
the grapple is maintained, the zombie automatically
deals another 1d4 damage from chewing on the flesh of
its victim. A victim may break the grapple with an opposed Strength check.
Create Spawn: In some campaigns, zombies may be
able to infect others with their bite, slowly turning the
infected into zombies. In such a case, the victim bitten
must make a constitution save at -2 or be infected. Infected victims will lose 1d4 points of strength and constitution each day until one of the two abilities reaches
0, at which point the victim dies, rising within 1d4 minutes as a new zombie unless the body is destroyed (often
through decapitation or other destruction of the head)
his section will function as a Game Masters guide to running a pulp game. It
will carefully lay out a formula for creating pulp adventures, and follow that
with a complete scenario to get you off
and running!
Lester Dent, creator of Doc Savage and one of the foremost pulp adventure writers in history, wrote an essay
containing a master plot formula for a 6,000-word pulp
story that according to him, never failed to produce a
yarn that didnt sell. There is absolutely no reason why
his formula cannot be adapted to writing adventure scenarios for role playing games, and thats exactly what
the formula were giving you here is based upon and
inspired by. For anyone wishing to read Dents original
article, we direct you to http://www.miskatonic.org/
dent.html where the article is reprinted in its entirety.
Establish the Adventure
The first thing you need to do to create a pulp adventure
is establish your primary hook. Every adventure has to
start with a hook, and an obstacle for the heroes. This
obstacle should consist of at least two of four possible
elements: An unusual crime, an unusual item or artifact that the villain seeks, an exotic location, or a grand
and shadowy threat of some sort.
The unusual or exotic need not necessarily be completely unique; rather, it could be a twist on a common theme. Take, for example, your unusual crime.
A shooting in the city is not unusual. But what if the
shooting was performed with a poisoned blowgun dart
akin to those used by South American cannibal tribes,
and nobody saw the shooter?
How about combining that with your unusual location?
A restaurant is not unusual; at least, not if its your
everyday greasy spoon. But a posh nightclub where the
wealthy and elite of society mingle, with a Caribbean
theme? Suddenly the mundane becomes exotic.
What about an unusual item? A pen is about the most
mundane item one can imagine, but what if it were the
gold-plated favorite pen of Nicola Tesla, and rumor has
it hes hidden plans inside it for an energy source of
such vast power that it could become a doomsday device in the wrong hands?
Now, just to throw all four elements in, a shadowy menace: the shooting victimwho of course supposedly had
Teslas pen on his personsuddenly gets up and begins
eating people as a ravenous, mindless zombie! The poison on the dart was a type of burundaga powder from
the Caribbean that has a mystical element, raising the
bodies of the dead.
Put those four elements together, and set your scenario
in, say, New York, 1935, and suddenly youve got the
setup for a fantastic adventure.
In the end, their struggles lead them to a second physical confrontation. This one should further the plot even
more, leading the adventurers to a revelation or another
plot twist, this one more major, that puts them squarely on
the road to resolving the problem (or so they think, at least).
another
Day
But how, youre wondering, can I ensure that the villain escapes without railroading the players?
Good question. The answer is that theres no real foolproof answer. You cant prepare for everything your
heroes are going to do, and if they do something brilliant that ends the scenario early, run with it! As long
as everyones had a good time, thats whats paramount.
Book Six
onto a grate above which a heavy chandelier hangs. Encouraged by the socialite, one well-placed shot from the
gumshoe drops the chandelier, which combined with
the weight of the dinosaur collapses the grate, dropping the beast into a deep well, where it drowns. All the
while, the hooligan in the group works at the locks on
the doors, his unique talents as a locksmith freeing the
heroes from their prison. Your job here, as GM, is to set
the scene and provide options, then let the players and
their characters come up with clever ideas to use their
own talents to get out of the jam theyre in.
By the same token, dont forget the rules are there for a
reason: the players are not their characters and no matter
how well you set the scene, they might miss something
that would be plain and obvious to someone in the situation youve laid out. If the players seem stumped, dont be
afraid to call for Intelligence or Wisdom checks which yield
hints if successful. For example, a successful Intelligence
check from the gadgeteer yields, Gee, that dinosaur
seems irritated with you, swatting at you like a fly. Youre
driving it to distraction. A Wisdom check by the gumshoe
reveals, Hey, theres a huge, iron chandelier hanging just
above that grate. Youd bet the grate couldnt hold both
the dinosaur and the chandelier
Now it becomes a race against time to solve the problem before everything goes south. The characters fight
their way through scads of bad guys or chase the villain
through an exotic locale: through the mountains, across
rooftops, etc., to a final conclusion. There should be
one big reveal left at this point, something thats been
held over till now. The villain isnt who he appeared to
be, or works for someone even higher up. The treasure
turns out to be more or less than originally thought, or
just something completely different. Hit the characters
with one last big plot twist, a real, Wow, that was cool!
or even a (light hearted) Man, that sucks! moment.
Shortly after this big reveal, the villain is defeated, and
the episode winds down, but there should always be a
punch line to end things. If a more lighthearted game,
the hero kisses the girl or rides off into the sunset. If a
darker, more sarcastic, or even comical game, the hero
never gets his just due. Someone makes a snide remark
that the hero was probably the cause of the whole mess,
or someone else gets credit. Or, the punch line could
be one more clue that the villain they just defeated was
only a little fish in a big pond of badness, and theres
dark clouds on the horizon. Whatever direction you go,
make sure to end it on a note that gets either a cheer or
a collective (again, light hearted) groan.
Plot vs. Railroad
This is an important issue to address, especially when
dealing with a formulaic structure for creating adventures. Never, ever forget the cardinal rule: your players
will think of things you did not. They will attempt tactics you did not anticipate. You absolutely, positively
must be able to think on your feet. Dont ever force
them on a path they dont want to take. Dont ever
make them feel like they have no choice or cant have
an effect on your world.
Quick Synopsis
Amanda Seymour approaches the group seeking help in
solving her husbands mysterious disappearance. Martin Seymour vanished during the night after working
late in his study a week ago. She found him missing in
the morning and he has not been seen since. There is
evidence that Martin was engaged in much research lots of cryptic references and what appears to be several
attempts to crack a code of some kind.
The truth is that Martin has become possessed by Abd
Al-Hazred and is making for the Black City of Irem in
the Arabian Desert, for some nefarious purpose the PCs
do not yet know. The PCs must pursue Martin to Irem
and beneath it, and stop the Mad Arab from acquiring
the ancient and powerful Heart of Yhtill.
Cut Scene
Amanda was having a dream. A nice dream, about
beaches and Mai Tais. There were bikinis and sun involved, and Amanda had the body shed had when she
was 18. Martin looked like an athlete, and to Amandas
knowledge, Martin never looked like an athlete in his
life. In Amandas dream, life was good.
Book Six
Then something changed. Dark clouds rolled in, a vortex of blacks and grays inter-shot with flashes of yellow, red, green, and colors she had never imagined,
let alone was able to identify. Out of the dark vortex, a
face emerged, Arabic, but not Arabic, the nose and ears
cut off so that the face was a leering skull with leathery skin, grinning at her. It swooped down on her and
Martin, and she felt ecstasy and agony unlike anything
shed ever imagined.
When the darkness passed, Martin was gone. Everyone was gone, except Amanda, and the writhing masses
of tentacles, flesh, and reproductive organs all around
her. First she was terrified, then sick, then utterly calm,
accepting of her fate, welcoming it.
Amanda sat up in bed, breathing heavily. Her bedclothes looked as though theyd been left out in a storm;
she didnt realize a person could sweat that much.
What a strange dream, she muttered, then turned to
Martinwho wasnt there.
Amanda shuddered and squinted into the darkness.
Sure enough, a thin beam of light leaked out from beneath the door of Martins study. She threw on a robe
and approached the door.
Martin? Martin, you promised youd be to bed soon. Its
nearly 3 AM.
She raised her hand to knock, and at her first gentle
tap the door swung open with the creak of hinges long
overdue for oiling. She padded in and looked around.
Martin was nowhere to be seen. His room was a shambles, filled with notes and scribblings, most of which
looked like nonsensical gibberish. Amanda couldnt
make heads or tails of any of it.
A quick peek out the window confirmed her worst fears.
Martins car was gone.
Act One
Act one begins with a murder most foul. As our heroes
mingle at the Club Cayman, a posh Caribbean-themed
nightclub in the heart of New York, minor chaos erupts
when a woman screams and her companion sinks to
the floor, holding his neck. By the time the heroes get
to him, hes quite dead. Checking over the body reveals
what appears to be a small needle or dart in his neck.
His lips are blue and his complexion ashen.
Questioning the crowd doesnt reveal much, though a
CC 20 Charisma check will garner several witnesses who
saw a waiter with what appeared to be an odd-looking
tube or reed, make haste through the kitchen doors just
before the woman screamed. Chasing the man is fruitless; hes gone by the time the PCs make it into the back
alley. However, a Wisdom Check at CC 20 will turn up a
dart in the alleyway identical to that which killed Jimmy.
Closer examination of the dart will reveal the dual-lightning bolt symbol of the SS engraved into it.
Nobody else turns into a zombie, even if the zombies manage to kill any more bystanders. This should lead the PCs
to believe that it was, in fact, something on the needle that
created the undead killing machines. GMs may wish to
give the characters a Wisdom check to note that Jimmy
stabbed the cop with the needle before biting him, if the
PCs dont figure it out on their own. If any arcanists or
characters with medical or chemistry backgrounds want
to get blood samples or anything else, try and roll with
them. Give them an opportunity to do so, just as long as
theyre not stupidly obvious or blatant about it.
Eventually the police will want to clear the scene, and
the PCs will be asked to leave after giving a statement.
Act Two
Rundown
The PCs get a visit from a frightened Amanda Seymour,
whose husband has been missing for a week. Their investigations yield a mysterious connection to the lost city
of Irem, where the mad Arab Abdul Al-Hazred gained
much of his forbidden knowledge. A visit from Nyarlathotep makes the PCs uneasy, as his visits tend to do.
Action
Visions
of the
Mad Arab
Sometime that night, any characters with psychic abilities (arcanists or mentalists) who make an appropriate
ability check share a psychic vision: a man, slender and
gaunt, looking like he might once have been attractive,
but now is malnourished and obsessed, pours over a
collection of ancient books, scribbling feverishly in one
of a thousand notebooks on his desk. The vision shifts;
Amanda Seymour tosses and turns in her bed, in the
throes of a nightmare. The vision returns to the man,
muttering in strange tongues as he reads and translates.
Suddenly, a vortex opens in the office. Papers blow everywhere, and the vision is shot with bursts of red, yellow,
green, and purple lights, as well as lights in colors our
psychic heroes have never seen before. A manat least, it
seems to be a mansteps forth from the portal and into the
light. The man is Arabic, and yet somehow not Arabic. He
wears a head wrap and the robes of a nomad, and sports
a thick black beard, but his nose and ears have been cut
off, leaving him to resemble a skeleton with skin. He approaches the man, puts his hand on the mans shoulder,
grins, and says, It is time, Martin. The Fire awaits.
Perhaps most horrifying is that the man speaks Arabic,
but the characters understand him clearly even if they
do not. If they do, in fact, speak Arabic, they will know
he is speaking Arabic, but will hear him in English (or
whatever their native language is).
Then, the two men merge into one, the Arab vanishing into
the body of Martin, who hastily collects a couple sheets of
paper, throws on his coat, and walks out into the night.
The vision ends, and the characters wake up. Its roughly 3 am.
A New Client
Book Six
Marie Laveau: (this 5 -level LN Wisdom-based arcanist has vital stats HD 5d6 (18 hp), AC 13 (ceremonial
robes and Dex 15), move 30 ft. Her primary attributes
are Dex 15, Wis 18, Cha 16. She attacks by spell or dagger dealing 1d4 damage (BtH +1). Her special abilities
are MEP 35, 0-level: Detect Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, First Aid, Purify Food/Drink,
Prestidigitation; 1st-level: Bless, Cure Light Wounds,
Detect Undead, Faerie Fire, Invisibility to Undead; 2ndlevel: Aid, Charm Person/Animal, Speak with Dead)
th
Book Six
Act Three
Rundown
The PCs head to Saudi Arabia on the trail of Martin Seymour, where they encounter The Society of Ormazd, a
group of nomads sworn to protect the secrets of Irem, lest
the evils contained therein be unleashed upon the world.
Action
The PCs catch a flight to At-Taif, south of Mecca. This
portion of the episode mostly revolves around their efforts to find the Nameless City, which is entirely motivated by the PCss actions.
If the PCs simply start asking people about Abd Al-Hazred, Irem, The Nameless City, or anything else they find
in the Necronomicon, the response will be cold at best.
Mostly, the locals will kiss their Tawiz talismans and
turn their backs, muttering prayers to Allah. Such open
queries will definitely lead to a confrontation with the
Society of Ormazd (see below).
However, with appropriate Charisma checks (determine CL
and CC based on the tact and tactics used by the players)
they can learn that Martin has caused some trouble at a
temple in Mecca. This is a perfect place for a Gumshoe to
use his Cat and Mouse ability. People are reporting frightening supernatural events occurring in the north of the
city, and even though the trail is somewhat cold in a metropolis, Martin has caused quite a stir with his actions and
the populace definitely counts as hostile towards himthe
man has no friends here. In addition, investigations of this
sort will likely turn up the fact that a small group of Nazi SS
agents have been asking similar questions.
If the group charters a vehicle and goes north to investigate, they can discover that Martin walked into the great
temple at Mecca, announced that the Old Ones were returning, cut off his nose and ears, stabbed several people,
then lifted off the floor and flew out through a hole in the
ceiling! Anyone who participated in the study of the Necronomicon can make an Intelligence check at CC 16 to
realize that Martin is emulating Abd Al-Hazred, who had
his nose and ears cut off before being castrated by an angry sultan after Al-Hazred violated the sultans daughter.
Martin may simply be mad, but given the things theyve
witnessed, its not outside the realm of possibility that the
man has been possessed by the spirit of the Mad Arab.
The Society
of
Ormazd
At some point during their investigations (outside the temple is ideal), the group will encounter and possibly be attacked in an alley by a group of men who have the holy
symbol of the Zoroastrian god Ormazd tattooed on their
bodies. Use stats for Thule Cultists to represent these guys,
though they are not the same and indeed are staunch enemies of Thule. The exception to the stat block is that Society of Ormazd cultists are CG instead of NE. Any characters
with a mythology background or Legend Lore class ability
can make an Intelligence check to recognize the symbol of
Ormazd and know that this is a good god of the Zoroastrian
religion, opposed to the evil Ahriman.
Taking one alive is difficult, as the agents all wear poisoned rings and have false tooth caps with cyanide capsules in them: suicide devices. Still, it should not be
impossible, especially if the PCs dont have anyone with
them who can speak with the dead. Indeed, with proper
tactics and diplomacy, the PCs may even avoid a conflict
altogether. Upon realizing that the PCs may not be evil, a
handsome Persian man named Arad Hassani might even
allow himself to be captured and questioned. Indeed,
this could be a great opportunity for the PCs to gain allies that they might sorely need later, if they have someone with strong social skills amongst them. The revelation that the Nazis are also looking for the Black City
will certainly win points in the favor of the PCs, as the
Ormazd society is well aware of the evils of the Nazi regime, though they will require that the PCs swear sacred
oaths to protect the citys secrets even unto death.
If they dont manage to get one alive for questioning,
this might be a time to call upon Marie Laveaus assistance once more.
If the PCs can engage in diplomacy, capture a prisoner or
summon the spirit of one of the men back, they can learn
that the mysterious men are members of a group called
the Society of Ormazd, whose sacred duty it is to protect
the location of the Black City. Even the members of the
Society dont the exact location of the city, but it is rumored that if one follows the rising sun into the center of the
desert for two weeks, the city will appear behind them in
the last rays of dusk. Members of the Society swear their
lives to protecting the secret from the world, and none can
claim to ever have entered the accursed place. Hidden
within the city, the captive reveals, is a gem called the
Eye of Ashurbanipal, or the Heart of Yhtill. The captive
surmises that perhaps if Al-Hazred gets the gem, he can
resurrect himself, but warns that there is a legendary and
horrific guardian at the temple that will devour those who
try to remove the gem from the priest Xuthltan, who is
cursed to hold it in his dead fist for all eternity.
Arad Hassani (This 3rd-level LN human has vital
stats HD 3d10 (16 hp) AC 14, move 30ft. His primary
attributes are Dexterity 16 (+2), Intelligence 14 (+1),
and Wisdom 16 (+2). He attacks by a .308 rifle for
2d8+4 damage or a khopesh desert sword for 1d8.
His special abilities are Survival (as per the Raider
ability) and Hide/Move Silently (as per the Hooligan).
Troubleshooting
If the PCs find themselves at a dead end, unable to
question the Ormazd agents, give them a chance to
make a basic Intelligence or Wisdom check to remember a strange, out-of-context passage in the Necronomicon referring to A fortnights journey toward the rising
desert sun, the goal achieved by turning away at twilights last stroke.
Act Four
Rundown
The PCs race against the Nazis to the Black City, where
they face down with Martin, possessed by the Mad Arab
Abdul Al-Hazred, who has come to Irem to retrieve the
Heart of Yhtill. While in the Black City, they must do
battle with the guardian of the Heart, unleashed when
someone tries to take the jewel from the hand of the King.
Action
From here, it is likely the PCs will acquire camels, horses, or a jeep and try to head into the desert to follow the
instructions given by their prisoner. If they do this, wing
it, keeping in mind the difficulties of surviving in the desert. There are all manner of demons, ghouls, and creatures to plague the PCs, as well as the Thule Society (and
potentially the Society of Ormazd, depending on how the
party handled themselves) who will certainly seek to stop
them from finding Irem. See Book Five for inspiration
regarding monsters with which to harass the heroes.
Here the GM is encouraged to wing it, allowing the adventure to go on as long as he likes, checking for random (or even not-so-random) monster encounters at
least once every other day over the course of the two
weeks. The most likely encounters will be ghuls, spirits, nomads, and cultists, as well as desert animals like
snakes, jackals, and other predators.
Ghuls
Ghuls make for interesting desert encounters, and add
to the unnatural feel of the overall scenario. To keep
players on their toes, the GM is encouraged to portray
ghuls as wild, but canny and intelligent creatures who
use pack hunting tactics and can employ rudimentary
technology such as ranged weapons. Ghuls use the entry for Ghouls, but instead of being rotting undead,
are diseased, mutated degenerates who were once humans that turned to cannibalism in the service of their
master, who they know only as the Dark Man. They are
more likely to aid Al-Hazred than the PCs, but could potentially be bought with trinkets or meat. Any Arcanists or characters who have read the Necronomicon can
make an Intelligence check to recall important information about the ghuls, including the theory that if bargained with, these creatures may be able to lead them
to the Black City. Bargaining with the ghuls, however,
stands to be a tricky and risky prospect.
The Black City
However, you decide to handle the journey through the
desert, it is suggested that it become a wild chase, with
the Party fleeing from a group of SS officers and Thule
Cultists, perhaps either aided by or further harried by
packs of ravenous ghuls. At the end of two weeks of
this, just as twilight approaches, the party find themselves at a standoff, hidden behind a small dune while
the Thule cultists take shelter behind another. Suddenly, after perhaps a few rounds of ranged combat,
Book Six
a mummified figure sits upon a throne, clutching a fistsized glowing yellow diamond: the Heart of Yhtill. Martin races for the Heart, and just before the PCs catch the
man, a gunshot rings out (perhaps with a bullet whizzing
past one of the PCs ears, and striking the black marble
wall ahead) and a female voice yells, Stop right there!
The Cast turn to see about twenty to thirty SS officers
(Thule cultists), guns trained on the group. The leader of
the SS group, a woman veiled and clad in a traditional
sari, orders the PCs surrounded and gloats over their
inevitable victory, calling the gem a great prize for the
fuehrer. She then steps forward and removes her veil to
reveal that she is Amanda Seymour, and her real name
is Alice Diamond. She used the power the Voodoo Queen
gave her to rise to the status of a wealthy socialite, but
wanted more. She knew Laveau would never teach
her the true secrets to power, so she faked her death,
murdering another young girl who bore a superficial resemblance to her, and absconded north. She has sold
her people out to the Nazis in exchange for great power.
When her husband stumbled upon the secret of the gem,
she manipulated him into this little quest. When the PCs
interfered with her zombie experiment at the club, she
knew they had to be either removed or used.
At gunpoint, she commands Martin/Al-Hazred to take
the gem and bring it to him. The horrifically mutilated
man gives a grotesque grin and moves to the altar.
If the PCs do not react at this point, its time to spur the
scene into action. More gunfire erupts; the Ormazd society
has followed the PCs, and the place erupts in chaos. Martin reaches for the gem. The PCs are surrounded by Thule
cultists and likely dont have time to get there to stop him
(though one can never discount incredible die rolls).
Theres no way to predict how the next few rounds of
combat will go, but if anything happens that causes
the gem to be removed from Xuthltans fist, the temple
quakes, and the walls split open, and a horrific tentacled thing emerges, wreaking havoc amongst the combatants, many of whom pass out in sheer horror. The
creature is a black, fetid, fleshy mass of tentacles, eyes,
and hundreds of tooth-filled mouths. The PCs must
each make a Wisdom save to avoid being knocked unconscious from the sanity-blasting visage of the thing.
The Temple Guardian is a shoggoth, whose entire existence is dedicated to ensuring that nobody removes the
Heart of Yhtill.
The Temple Guardian (Shoggoth) (this 5th-level
NE monster has vital stats HD 17d10 (94 hp), AC 20,
move 20 ft. Its saves are P. It attacks by 12 Tentacles
(1d12), Bite (5d10 plus swallow whole). Its special
abilities are Constrict, Swallow Whole, Poison, Darkvision 60 ft., Twilight Vision, Sanity-Blasting Visage)
This creature is beyond the ken of the PCs to battle,
and theyll know it. Their only chance is to find a weakness or attempt to flee, with or without the gem, though
Denouement
The PCs emerge from the city along with seven surviving agents of the Society of Ormazd, their goal hopefully
achieved, and possibly with the Heart of Yhtill in hand.
The Society realizes that the party are not threats, and
are not evil, and if the party agrees to let (or help) the
Society bury the Heart deep in the sand, and forever
keep the secret of the Black City, they will be named
brothers in the Society, and allowed to go their own
way. They may return to civilization, having completed
their first heroic adventure.
Of course, somehow or another, Alice Diamond has survived this little disaster, and shell eventually be back, with
a vengeance. After all, every set of heroes need an archenemy, a nemesis who becomes a thorn in their side, the
heel of their greatest victories, and the hammer of their
greatest defeats. Alice and the Thules are set up to fulfill
this function, if this scenario is used to begin a campaign.
Of course, youre free to have this be a one-shot to get
things going and devise your own villains, cults, and other
adversaries, too. In the end, so long as youre enjoying
the high-flying, two-fisted action, go with it!
CHARACTER NAME
Player Name
Class
Alignment
Level
Traits
Benefits
Drawbacks
Costume
Mod
AC
DEX
Mod
Other AC
Mods
HD
Con
Bonus
BTH
Other HP
Mods
Hit Points
Ability Scores
ATTRIBUTES
SCORE
SAVING THROWS
CATEGORY
MOD
STR
DEX
CON
STRENGTH
DEXTERITY
CONSTITUTION
INT
TN
Costume Description
INTELLIGENCE
WIS
WISDOM
CHA
CHARISMA
MOD
+ lvl. >
CC
Wealth Mod
BTH
Weapon/Gadget
MOD
WEAPONS
TO HIT = D20 +
Damage
BtH
+
misc.
+
> AC
Notes
WEAPON IN HAND
Fate Points
POSSESSIONS
ITEM
LOCATION
WT
ITEM
LOCATION
WT
PSIONICS
EXPERIENCE POINTS
Basic
ITEM
LOCATION
WT
AMMUNITION
Advanced
MONEY/ASSETS
SPELLS
LEVEL
0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
MEP/GADGET POINTS
FEATURES
DESCRIPTION
HEIGHT
SEX
HAIR
WEIGHT
AGE
EYES
do hereby make the following requests, to be executed in the event of my untimely demise: