W elcome to the first companion product for the Rolemaster Standard System! Before you undertake the task of figuring out how to assimilate what is found within this tome into your game, a few words ofcaution and warning are appropriate.
This companion is "theme" oriented. That is, everything within this book centers around a single theme (in this case — Arcane magic). I f the concept presented in this theme is not appropriate to your game, do not use it! Do not presume that what is written upon these pages is law in the strictest sense. Instead, think of it as a text book from which you will learn how to incorporate certain new concepts into your game. It is possible that what you learn here will contradict the things that you want to pursue in your game. Remember that when anything is in doubt, you (the GM) and your game take precedence — not the rules.
The Arcane Companion is optional — everything within it is optional (the professions, the spell lists, etc.). As a GM, you must study what we present here and decide if the concepts are appropriate to your gaming world. Adopting the contents of this book into your game will change the power balance in your game. You (as the GM) must decide if this is good or bad for your gamt:. Because this companion is theme oriented, you will probably either adopt the theme (i.e., the whole book), or only adopt a very few select pieces o f it. If you only adopt select pieces of it (as opposed to the whole thing), be very careful when meshing it with the rest of the RMSS; all play-balance put into this book presumes that the whole book is being used (excluding one part might be excluding a balancing factor). In the end, the GM (not the players) must decide to use (or not use) the material present herein.
Players should keep the above discussion in mind when reading Arcane Companion; the GM may decide that this theme is not appropriate for his game. Pressuring the GM to adopt pieces of this tome might not only result in a fracturing of a delicate game balance, but could weaken or undermine his concepts for the world he has created. On the other hand, the GM has an o bligation to his players to make clear what the physical laws of his world entail (i.e., the game mechanics). Of course, there are always physical laws that are being discovered. A GM must strive to be consistent in his decisions and in his interpretations of the rules (this includes decisions about which rules to include and which to exclude). Without consistency, the players will eventually lose trust and confidence in the GM's decisions and his game. When this happens, a game loses much of its pleasure and appeal.
Note: For readability purposes, these rules use the standard masculine pronouns when referring to persons of uncertain gender. In such cases, these pronouns are intended to convey the meanings: he/she, her/him, etc.
Arcane Companion use the standard notation from the other products in the RMSS products: Arms Law, Spell Law, Rolemaster Standard Rules, and Gamemaster Law. Those products should be consulted for speicifc references (e.g., the spell lists all use the SL abbreviations and notation in the spell descriptions).
This part of the Arcane Companion discusses the concepts and premises behind Arcane magic. Every GM should read this section thoroughly before deciding on whether or not to incorporate Arcane magic into his game (as ideas and concepts provide the strong foundation for the introduction of any new element in to a game).
Within this book, we discuss many topics relating to Arcane magic including the history of Arcane magic, its concepts, and how it might be used within a campaign.
While some might think that Arcane magic is merely super-powerful wierd magic, its name implies much more. The word "arcane" is defined as that which is mysterious and secret. An additional connotation is that the arcane is intentionally kept so, to protect both the members of a minority and those outside that group. A prime example of "Arcanized" knowledge is the technology ofcomputers. If one were to ask most any person, age ten and older if they knew how to use a personal computer, they could reply "yes." If that same person was asked if they understood howacomputerworkedinageneralsense,abouthalfofthe time could they reply "yes." The other half might as well think that computers were, pardon the term, magic. I f this hypothetical average man were asked ifhe understood how a computer worked electronically, he could not answer "yes," in fact he would probably be bewildered by most of the concepts involved. Finally if asked if to construct a computer from the ground up, using only components that they had manufactured themselves, the average person would not succeed.
Computers, in our society, are a form of magic. The magicians of the modem world, computer programmers, could perform most of these aforementioned tasks with little effort. These men have a good working knowledge of the theory behind the applied science of computer programming. The fourth question, however, would still leave most stumped. The construction of computers requires more than a passing knowledge of physics or electronic theory. This construction requires the knowledge ofchemists, physicists, computer programmers, computer architects, metalworkers, electronic technicians, glassmakers, and aplethora ofengineers. One person could pnly hope to have a fraction of this knowledge and for this reason, the sum knowledge of computer design and construction could be called Arcane. Most of this knowledge is well hidden and kept so by men who have little knowledge ofit, but who work for those who do.
In the times before cities, nations,libraries, universities, and the three realms ofmagic, there were the primal forces. These primal forces were dangerous and unpredictable, much like the weather and the ocean; mankind looked upon Essence with awe as a parf of nature. Early CivilIzed men found that some amongst them could influence these forces, bending them, after a fashion, to their wills. However, the power was difficult to grasp and even more difficult to control.
These first spell users, ifthey can even be called that, had no understanding of what they were dealing with or of what they were doing. Many suffered mysterious ailments and perished from contact with "spirits" from which (to their perception), the power came. In hopes of avoiding a terrible fate and gaining a great power, these ancestors of all spellcasters entreated the "spirits" for aid. Subconsciously, the men seeking assistance sent out a mental summons to those attuned to the same forces that they were. In some lands, the "spirits" that responded were the Great Drakes, who expected gifts and worship in exchange for knowledge. In other lands, beings from "elsewhere:" Demons and their kindred answered, giving the men only the knowledge to release more demons from their extraplanar bondage. Occasionally, those who sought help with the power were answered by other men who had mastered the primal forces. These "masters called these forces "magic." These ancient masters had the writings of a previous civilization. These writings pertained to the "magic" that early men wished to control.
The peoples from whom the ancient masters had arisen were long since gone, but because of their power, the masters lived on. The tribes which had learned the magic from the masters grew into civilizations, while those who had learned from others were later to become helpless slaves to their evil "mentors."
The enthralled peoples formed dark cults and served their hideous masters for countless generations. Even to this day, their descendants plague the good peoples of the world with the horrors of dragons, demons, and other beings beyond even the knowledge of those creatures. These descendants are not normally versed in Arcane magic, but employ many of its powers. These groups became known by many names including the Dragon Cults, and the Demon Cults.
As civilizations grew, the men who could employ primal magic discovered that, because of the danger and complexity of their powers, only a very few individuals could ever master magic as it was known to them. So the masters began to search out those with the ability, hoping to find students who could continue working with Arcane magic. The new masters' understanding of the foundations of magic was still incomplete; many that the masters found to teach died, their inability to fully control the magic their undoing.
With the deaths of so many aspiring students, the masters suffered an emotional setback. Being perhaps altruistic, they did not wish the blood of so many on their hands, and they began to move their perspective back. Standing away from what they were working on, the masters had a broader view of magic and how it operated. More importantly, the masters began to see something new: magic was, in some way, a part of nature and must work in similar fashions.
The masters found that, like the weather, the primal magic was chaotic, and that is why it was so difficult to control. The masters began to ponder the nature of chaos, arriving at the conclusion that any force in chaos, while unpredictable, must still have rules that it must follow. The masters surmised that these rules would cause the primal magic to fall into patterns that would allow it to be more easily manipulated. The handful of masters began to experiment again with the forces at their disposal; finally unveiling these rules and the resulting underlying patterns. Once discovered, These guidelines were integrated into the spells of the masters, who began to seek out new pupils once again.
Many of those that the masters found to teach still had problems controlling the primal forces, and many still died. Set back a second time, the masters began to rethink their plan, deciding to separate the primal magic into its separate patterns. The masters worked for decades, finding that the Primal Essence (so they had named the magic) had three intrinsic parts. They termed these parts Channeling, Essence, and Mentalism. These three parts were far less chaotic than the source from which they came, being more confined in pattern. This confinement became the key to easier and safer manipulation.
The masters found that they lacked the knowledge to separate only one realm for use but could omit one, allowing the other two to be used for power. The distilling was incomplete, but still successful and the surviving pupils became the first Hybrid spell users, and the three realms of power were born of the order brought from the chaos of primal magic.
The pupils began to master the more refined magics and, after some time, they left to impart their knowledge upon a new generation of students. The masters, now growing old, began completing the record of their knowledge; putting it into vast tomes, for future men. The remaining masters, some of immortal stock, others just longer-lived, continued to work; learning, and cataloguing the primal magic.
As generations passed, the descendants of the original pupils specialized more and more in their own powers. Learning these powers became vastly easier as specialization increased. Eventually arriving at a point where a single realm of power could be accessed. The ancient magics were, as all of them knew, too dangerous for most to use, and the mastery of the knowledge required decades. The disciples of these new specialized magics went by a plethora of professional names but they all had a name for the old, original primal forces describing both its complexity and its rarity: Arcane magic.
Eventually, the numbers of Arcane masters began to dwindle. It is unknown whether the "easier" path of the three realms drew prospective spellcasters away, or whether the masters died of age and attrition, or whether the masters were extinguished by a war within themselves; but few of their numbers remain to teach new students. Those who seek to unlockthe secrets of Arcane magic more often than not, must find the knowledge in scattered and forgotten tomes, teaching themselves.
This work will discuss the quite dangerous world of Arcane spells, the professions adopted by the Arcane spell users, and the Arcane spells themselves. The Arcane Companion deals with integrating a balanced system for Arcane spells into the Rolemaster Standard System. The concepts put forth in this volume will allow GMs (and players) to decide which elements of the Arcane magic best suit their campaign.
Arcane magic is difficult to learn. As described above, Arcane magic is a power beyond the scope ofmany spellusers to comprehend. Many casters never master its intricate mechanisms, as they lack the ability to manipulate the multiple layers of power in the Arcane spells. Special rules will be defined within this volume for learning of Arcane spells.
Hybrid spell users, who utilize oftwo ofthe three realms of power (and thus deal with two-thirds of the Primal Essence) are logically the best students of the Arcane school. Hybrid spell users have the breadth of knowledge of magic and the proficiency at casting to fully utilize the Arcane lists. As will be defined later, members of some hybrid classes learn more quickly the Arcane lists than others.
Strangely enough, the Non spell users are, in a relative way, fast learners. The mindset of a Non spell user was never segregated to a specific realm of power and can thereby learn somewhat more easily, ifat his own slow rate, a few arcane spells.
Pure spell users have the advantage of having a background in magic, but the disadvantage of being pigeonholed into a specific realm of power. The dlstinctions between learning rates become the most pronounced in the pure spell users.
Semi-spell users have the most difficulty in learning the Arcane magic. Their professions are already going in several directions at once and many have the additional restrictions of a corresponding pure profession.
Arcane magic is ancient and powerful. The first spells were created by inhuman hands. Before the first men walked the soils of the earth, unimaginable beings manipulated arcane forces. These beings left behind their knowledge and long after their disappearance (death? evolution?), men continued to study their work.
Arcane magic predated the three realms of power because it is descended from the raw power that all magic comes from. This raw power is now part of all things: living, dead, and never living. Rocks, trees, and air contain this power (though not in equal amounts). When the world was created, it was imbued with power; like water, this power collects in rivers, wells, and oceans of pure energy waiting to be used. The caster of arcane spells utilizes this energy in a fundamentally different way than the casters of the three realms.
One easy way to understand at this power is the metaphor ofwater. In one sense, the three realms of power (especially Essence) use power in much the same way as a firehose uses water. The water comes from its resting place by a convoluted route. First, the water must reach a reservoir by river, rain, or canal. Next, the water may be purified, so that it does not "pollute" what it touches. The water, purified or not is drawn by pump into a complex system of pipes and mains where it eventually arrives at a receptacle for distribution and use, such as a faucet, spigot, or hydrant. The mage attaches his hose (the only work the mage really has to do) to the hydrant and turns it on and voila: a magical effect. The firehose has the benefits of being relatively easy to control (compared to the original source of the water) and the mage has the ability of being able to cut the flow of water when he wishes. Only rarely does the hose get away from the mage, and then only from a weak mage; making this usage of magic safer than the "ocean" of the raw magic.
The user of Arcane powers, however, does away with both fine control and low power. Magic is the river; and the caster, he's the dam. Using his mind and body, he weaves magical power into a stop point where he can it to convert its power into his power. The caster makes his body the dam, the generators, and the entire power grid. The Arcane spell user uses this self-converted power to perform his tasks at a far greater power level than the normal mage, but at a greater risk. The normal spell user can, at the first sign of trouble, tum his hose off. The Arcane spell user has no such option. If the river rises, he must make the dam bigger and stronger, or drown. The water will not just stop if he wills it.
The power to create the dam comes from both the mind and body of the Arcane spell user and therefore, if he becomes weary, the dam cracks. No normal man can stop the river and the Arcane spell user, being just a man, must know when to get out of the way and onto dry land.
Arcane magic is esoteric. Due to the power at their command, many ofthe authors ofarcane tomes were hated and distrusted. In the dawn of human civilization, superstition and fear caused many of the first Arcane spell users and their works to be destroyed. Moreover, many works were limited by the media on which they were transcribed. Paper and cloth lose their strength with the passage eons, and many books did not survive to the present day. Famally, because of ambition and greed, many men (desiring an edge over their rivals) destroyed volumes and tomes after finding and learning a bit of information.
Most of the books that have survived into the present day are not available to just anyone. Now, those who need the knowledge will not destroy it (too much was lost before and important bits are still missing). Immense private collections are scattered across the world, their contentsjealously watched by whatever forces their powerful owners might conjure.
When the original masters sought out new pupils, It was discovered that the talent for using Arcane magic was very rare. Maybe one in one hundred thousand humans has the potential to use it. Even fewer ever get a chance to learn it, for the number of willing teachers is even smaller than the number of prospective pupils. Finding one of these reclusive individuals is difficult, and convincing them to train someone is near impossible. In the distant past it is possible that the talent was more common (possibly influenced by breeding), but this is no longer the case.
The reason for the lack of masters who are willing to teach is somewhat clear. The immense amount of lore required to be learned, and the extreme patience and fortitude needed to manipulate the primal essence takes decades to master. Humans find that, even with the age reducing effects of power, their limited life span is usually fully spent in research. Many human users of Arcane magic have been found face down, quill in hand, on the last page of their final work. Elves have a different problem stemming from the length of their lifespan and lifestyle. Living an eternity causes a lack offocus, so an elvish Arcanist may set a century worth of work aside, never to pick it up again. Also, whereas a human student might spend his entire life devoted to a single pursuit, working at it daily, an elvish student might only pick up his studies once in a year, leading observers to conclude that elves take far longer than humans to master the Arcane arts, if they are ever mastered at all.
Arcane magic is chaotic. The world came from the void, and so did magic. Like the world, the primal essence is chaotic, and here lies the difficulty in controlling it.
The world has many chaotic elements to it: water, wind, and weather; in fact nature in general is chaotic. This unpredictability is prevalent, and as weather has patterns and rules that it must follow, so does magic. The rules that govern these forces are so broad that their continuous activity throughout the ages has made their next move difficult to determine. Casting spells involves using these rules to the caster's advantage. An arcane spell user must first master these rules before hoping to ever master the most powerful of all magic.
Man could not hope to fully control the weather. The variables are too large and the scope too broad. But he can utilise its power. Using his knowledge of the laws that govern nature, man can control small, isolated pockets of the weather to great effect. Magic uses similar rules and therefore has a similar level of power.
The three realms of power use their specialization to circumvent the rules (and full potential) of magic. Asstated before, the normal spell user makes use of a small, limited portion of the primal essence. The caster of these spells is not required to learn all of the rules of magic, as they depend upon the magic being already packaged for their use when they need it. This is the final difference between Arcane magic and the three realms of power. Arcane users have a greater working knowledge of magic, where the users of the three realms of power sacrifice this understanding for control.
If an Essence caster was to be asked why does a Fire Bolt (or any other spell, for that matter) work, the only answers that he might possibly have would be: "because I recited the proper incantations" or "because it does." An Arcane user is able to trace the exact steps that occur in the formation of the Fire Bolt and how that spell differs from other spells. Arcane magic is more powerful than standard magic. Arcane users employ the most powerful spells, being of the primal force that spawned all other magic. Arcane spells are clumsier than standard magic. Because of the chaotic forces that the caster is dealing with, arcane spells frequently cannot be controlled with enough accuracy for intricate effects. Arcane forces are dangerous to manipulate. The power in the three realms of power pales in comparison to that within Arcane spells and therefore, so does the danger. This risk is not restricted to the caster. The danger in Arcane spellcasting is reflected in the consequences of the failure to properly cast an Arcane spell.
Some Gamemasters (GMs) may wish to fully define the origins of magic within their individual campaigns. One possible way to define magic, especially with regards to Arcane magic, is by the definition of a magical source. A magical source is a pool of magical energy that may be drawn upon by spellusers. The relation of this source to the three realms of power differs from realm to realm, but generally, all power comes from the same source. Channeling users patron dieties draw from the source and pass it on to their followers. Essence users draw from the main body of the source. Mentalism users draw from the small portion of the source that resides within them. The source is simultaneously all pervasive within and completely separate from the world.
These rules and concepts are intended to allow GMs to more fully flesh out the magic system oftheir campaign, by detailing the method in which the spell users draw their power. As the GM develops the nature of the magical sources for his campaign, he defines its character. By adding depth to the source ofmagic in a campaign, he adds to the feel and flavor of his campaign.
This list of definitions is given to aid GMs in defining (or describing) sources of magic in his campaign. These definitions will also be used in the next section which pertains to source species.
Limited: The power source has a finite amount of power. Once consumed, this source is forever powerless (barring the infusion of power into the source by the original means). Magical items may be used as limited sources of magic.
Unlimited: The power source has an infinite amount of power available to it (from the perspective of the characters). The source may be used again and again without ever fully exhausting it. Sources of Primal Essence and gods are unlimited sources of power. Gods fall into this category because a single user could not hope to ever use all of the power contained within a god.
Tappable: The power source can be accessed via a Tap Source spell, allowing a spelluser to replenish his personal reserve of energy. This should not be confused with the normal access to the source of power.
Dichotomous: Two (or more) species within the source are of opposing natures and preclude spellusers from using more than a single segment of the source.
Nondichotomous: The regions of the source are of a character that permits a user to use more than one at a time. The portions may still be of opposing natures, but not such that prevents a caster from using another.
Canceling: The nature ofthe species ofthe Source are such that they cannot coexist simultaneously and in equal proportions, neutralize each other.
This section is given as an aid to GMs who wish to fully flesh out all aspects of their campaign world. This material has little bearing on the actual rules of the game, but rather gives GMs some thing to think about. A staple concept of fantasy is that ofeach world having unique magical sources and this section attempts to summarize some methods for GMs to define his world's magic.
The power within the source may not be homogenous, being all of the same type. The vast store within the source may be subdivided into several different species. Frequently, the source is partitioned into two species along apparently diametrically opposed lines: good opposes evil, order opposes chaos, darkness and light, even male and female.
Further divisions might yield three or four distinct species in the source. Three divisions usually gives two vastly opposed with a middle ground between the two as the third. Four divisions yields an interrelated set of four with two sets of opposites, such as the four alchemical elements. Further combinations of these will be discussed later.
The source may divided along many lines. Each ofthese separates the source into broad classifications of magic which may exclude the other divisions. Divisions which normally exclude a caster from using both (if only one division exists) of them are dichotomous. Examples of dichotomous from those given above: male-female and good-evil. Nondichotomous Sources also exist, being sources that a character might draw from both halves of. An example of a nondichotomous source is a good and evil source that allows neutral casters to draw from both the good and the evil.
A pair of divisions splits the source into three distinct regions. A race having three sexes might perceive a three-way divsion, each sex drawing from its corresponding region. A world might have a source with a good region, an evil region, and a separate neutral region.
A pair of divisions may also split the source into four regions, each having a different domain. These four might be in diametric opposition within pairs or may have a system of checks and balances, where region 1 limits region 2, 2 limits 3, 3 limits 4, and 4 limits 1.
The species of the Source may be of the same magic or of wholly different origins. A situation where the aspects of the Source oppose each other is referred to as canceling, as the two (or more) species act to limit each other.
This example shows how a source might be integrated into a world system. The four elements are a canceling Source with four sections, which arise from two divisions.
Example
On the world ofUrth, power is divided along the lines of the ancient alchemical elements: earth, wind, fire, and water. Every spellcaster derives his ability from one or more of these, with some spellcasters being stronger in some of the elements and weaker in others. The most powerful spellcasters are strong in many or all of the elements. Conversely, the weakest have ability in only one element, and not much ability in that element.
Various spells have specific portions of various elements in them. Healing spells are high in water and earth, while weather control spells consist of wind and water. A character's profession and statistics dictate which elements he is able to use. Magicians would be moderately strong in all elements, while lllusionists might have trouble with the more tangible elements like earth and water.
Canceling another mage's spells involves finding the opposite elements to those used in the creation ofhis spell. Fire opposes water (and vice versa) and earth opposes wind. The key to a successful canceling is finding the exact amounts of each element to counteract the same amounts of the opposite elements in the spell to be neutralized. Spells which contain all four elements are very difficult to dispel.
This technique is assumed to be automatically performed by the dispeVcancel spells of a given caster. At the discretion of the GM, a character might have to cast appropriate spells or use special skills to determine the nature of a spell being dispelled. This may be more to the GM's liking, as it prevents a caster from tossing around "blanket" dispels which can sweep up a good number of opposing spells.
The four elements exist outside of time and space, from where the Urthling spelluser calls them to do his biddding. The four elements seem to have minds of their own, with vague personalities which correspond to the nature of their element. Fire is petulant and consuming, water is slow and calculating, earth is patient, and wind is wild and unpredictable. Persons strong in a single element are prone to taking on the personality of their element. It is unknown to Urthling scholars whether or not people with these personality traits are more prone to these elements or become more like them with use.
This section delves into the many phenomena surrounding the manifestations of magic. These manifestations are the geographical aspect of the source of all magic and are therefore not so much things as places. As these places all radiate great volumes of magical energy, they have an affect upon the surrounding area. This sections details the manifestations ofmagic and the effects which are observed at the manifestations. The manifestations are the points at which a spell user will perform the physical act of Tapping.
The Earthblood is magic as it is stored within a planetary body. The Source radiates magic out into the environment by some means (spellcasting, absorbtion and radiation by living things, etc.). Some of this energy slowly sinks to the core of the Planet and accumulates. When enough "blood" accumulates in a region of the core, a bubble of Earthblood will rise to the surface on a convection current until it reaches the surface. These "bubbles" permeate the crust and sometimes irradiate it, forming magical minerals. At or near ground level, these "bubbles" are known as Earthnodes.
Ley Lines are lines of magic energy that follow the lines of magnetism of a world. Like Earthblood, this is a manifestation of the planet's own magic. Ley lines intersect and form geometric shapes. These intersections and shapes mark places of great power on a world.
Essence Flows are a side effect of an extradimensional power source. The Flows snake across the landscape of the world like rivers of power, forming an additional obstacle for the inhabitants to deal with. This obstacle has its good points, however, as it can be manipulated to awesome effect.
Science Magic is the manifestation of magic as seen in the forces of physics. Magical scientists use arcane devices to manipulate raw power from nature into useful forms. The forces of nature exist in harmony with each other, forming a balance. This balance can be tipped to the advantage of one who can build the proper device that can make use of this advantage.
Earthnodes are collection points of magical power from deepwithin the planet and they are very rich in this power. Earthnodes allow OMs to create regions of intense power without increasing the overall magic level of his world. The earthnode may be used to have areas where special rituals may take place, outside the scope of normal magic. These include: as the enchanting of powerful objects, centers for magical organizations, the lairs of great creatures, a planetwide magical transportation system, etc.
Earthnodes are usually spherical in form (Non-spherical (or, non-circular) Earthnodes are very rare and are commonly unstable...). and have two distinct variations, major and minor. Major Earthnodes are those whose focus rests on or above the surface of the earth. Minor Earthnodes are those whose centers rest below the surface of the earth. In time,dependingupontheageofanearthnode,Minornodes will rise to the surface (becoming Major nodes); Major nodes will sink back into the earth from whence they came, becoming again Minor nodes.
Major earthnodes are detectable (see the Power Law spell list). Minor earthnodes are undetectable by spells unless one is within its borders. This makes finding a Minor Earthnode difficult, as only a chance passing of a caster through or a mass group of searchers might detect it.
An interesting trait ofEarthnodes is the regular occurence of strange items, people, beings, and resources at their sites. Powerful men and creatures seem attracted to the magical power contained within the Earthnode. It is suggested that each and every Major Earthnode have a strange occurence and at least 30% of all Minor Earthnodes have one.
Valuable Herbs: Especially rare and noteworthy herbs occurring in relative abundance (or in an uncharacteristic environment). It is possible that this herb is of an entirely new species, first appearing in the node or only able to grow in the node. This herb will grow within this node with a frequency and abundance determined by the GM.
Valuable Ores: Rare ores, primarily of magical materials such as Laen, Eog, Mithril, etc.
Major City: A city that is a leader in trade and commerce, the seat of a great empire, the home of a great center of learning, etc.
Ruins: The remains of a lost civilization.
Lair: The abode of a powerful beast, such as a Dragon or Lich, or the complex lair of a large group of humanoid creatures such as Orcs.
Castle: Home to a great warrior, powerful magician, etc. could be the seat of a famous order of monks, healers, animists, etc.
Shrine: A place holy to a specific diety, being, or principle. Shrines are often uninhabited, being used by the local populace, pilgrims, or passers-by. This shrine may not always be recognizable as a shrine.
Temple: A place much like a shrine but with a full-time staff, employing personnel and offering full services.
Rare Creatures: Lammasu, Ki-lin, etc. can be found wild here.
Supernatural Site: The home of a powerful being such as a Titan, Angel, Demon, etc. could be the resting place of a powerful artifact.
Lord: Dwelling of a being of great power who may not always be recognised as such.
Reality Distortion: An eddy in the time/space continuum, including rifts, areas of free chaos, etc.
Magical Terrain: Pool, streams, rivers, fountains, geysers, etc. having magical properties can be found here. Strange city: Dwelling of rare or forgotten creatures: faeries, dinosaurs, etc.
Earthjar: A powerful being has been imprisoned here. may be benevolent, malevolent, or neutral, but it always knows someone or something of present or previous importance.
A powerful spell user may at some time establish a fortress or holding of some kind within the confines of an Earthnode. The caster may then designate a guardian to defend his home (and his Earthnode). An Earthguardian is a person who has submitted of his own free will to become an undying defender of the spelluser. The recipient ofthe Earthguardian spell must make some sacrifices when he enters into this contract with the caster, however.
The Earthguardian must defend his master with his life, must submit to the whims of the caster; and may never leave the confines ofthe Earthnode. After submitting to the spelluser, the new earthguadian's aging stops completely and all damage heals at an accenerated rate. If the guardian, for one reason or another, decides that he no longer wishes to be an Earthguardian, he may break the contract and leave, at which point his aging resumes at the point which it stopped. If the contract is broken, the Earthguardian may never again become an Earthguardian.
As stated above, characters may wish to use an Earthnode as a place ofresidence. Several points must be made so that the player and GM may better decide the consequences of placing a personal domicile in such an area. These points are:
Another manifestation of primal magic is the phenomena known as Ley Lines. Ley Lines are intangible lines of magical force that crisscross the surface ofa world, slowly shifting with the passage oftime and running parallel to the ground. Ancient Chinese sorcerers referred to this effect as the "Dragon lines". These lines correspond to the lines of magnetism which run over the surface of a world and depend upon magnetism for definition. Those mages who know how to tap Ley Lines may use them in a similar fashion to Earthnodes, but with different effects.
A single ley line may pass through civilization and never be noticed by the uninitiated. The Ley Line serves as a tappable Source of magical power, for use with specific source spells. Ley Lines also intersect with other Ley Lines. The patterns formed by multiple lines meeting are more important than the powers of a single line.
Intersections are the crossing of two or more Ley Lines. The contact between the two (or more) lines serves to amplify the ambient power of both lines; causing them to radiate power outward. The intersection can be classified in several ways: complete intersections consist of all lines passing through the same point, incomplete intersections consist of all lines (three or more) intersecting very close, but not at the same point.
The power of intersections can be quite considerable and like any other kind of power, can corrupt the wielder. The powerofanintersection can also affect those who live in its environment. Like Earthnodes, intersections attract strange happenings and powerful creatures, Also like Earthnodes, intersections affect the development ofliving things within its region. In the same way that strange new herbs spring up in an Earthnode, strange things are created by intersections. The power of the Ley Lines is from that contained within Earthnodes, however, as the Ley Lines are tied to lines of magnetic force. This magnetic force, coupled with the power of the lines, can affect the local populace in a far different way than the power of an Earthnode.
Spellusers who continuously tap the Ley Lines may suffer from a variety of maladies related to the exposure to intense magnetism and power. Every time that someone uses the power of a Ley Line, he risks losing his sanity due to the corrupting influence of the lines. The continued use of a Ley Line guarantees the user's mental instability.
Mages using the power of a Ley Line will always get a feeling that they are getting "too much' power. This sensation will never abate and it is nearly impossible for anyone to get used to this feeling. The mage using the Ley Line will normally experience a feeling of euphoria. The sensation of tapping a Ley Line makes doing so even more dangerous; the risk of corruption from the power and a risk oftap addiction.
The region around a Ley Line is also subject to this influence. The strange occurrences of intersections are very similar to those of Earthnodes but unlike the relatively common Earthnodes, several powerful beings may be in area of the rarer intersections.
This wierdness, however, is not confined to the intersectionsthemselves. Sometimes, Ley Lines may partition a large area of land up into smaller, geometrically shaped sections which exhibit widespread "strangeness." Areas like the Bermuda Triangle may be created by the shapesofLeyLines. TheGMmustdecideifanareacreated has strange behavior, and what this behavior is. A partial list of ideas includes:
Sometimes, the power of magic is just too much for the human mind and burnout occurs. Sometimes the power of magic is too much for the human psyche and insanity occurs. Magic is a force beyond the ken of mankind and to use it is to become fully absorbed in it. This power may alter the mind of the mage.
Specifically, at sites of power, where the force of magic is greater than the caster can usually wield is the risk of damage the greatest. If a caster uses too much ofthe power, he may become mentally deranged or addicted to using these places of power to cast spells. GM's are encouraged to be creative in administering mental instabilities that are appropriate to his campaign. Normally for spellcasters these might include megalomania or delusions.
Before answering the question of how available Arcane magic is in a campaign, the GM must answer another question: How available is normal magic? Arcane magic should be at least an order of magnitude more rare than normal magic. The specific Arcane professions (as presented elsewhere in this book) should be at least an order of magnitude more rare than that.
Example: If one out of every 10 people in the world uses magic ofsome sort; one out ofevery 100 people might use Arcane magic; and one out o f every 1,000 people might actually be an Arcane profession. Of course ifonly one in 100 people use normal magic, only one in 1,000 should use Arcane, and only one in 10,000 should actually be an Arcane profession.
What is given below are some guidelines on ways to restrict the availability of Arcane magic (as well as the kinds of places that player are likely to search to gain access to this powerful magic).
The most obvious way to introduce Arcane magic into the game is through the villians that the characters will be facing. If this is the case, make sure that the Arcane knowledge is kept from the characters. However, if the player characters capture and interrogate the villian, he might describe some evil pact he had to make with a demon lord to get access to the powerful magic. Or the villian could direct the characters to some old hermit (who happens to be the villians evil mentor). Lots of story possibilities can be seeded with this approach. See Section 5.0 for more on how to incorporate Arcane magic into your stories and campaign.
It is possible that characters will see to find Arcane magic in such mundane places as a library. To give guidelines on this, some definitions must be made.
Any collection of writings or written materials is a library: from the stack of magazines next to the recliner in a living room, to the multi-level library at a large university. What sets libraries apart is their content. Basically, a library can be said to have three things that define it (in terms of research): content, quality, and accesibility.
Content of a library indicates the number of different topics covered by the writings in the library. Content is important in that it dictates what can be found in the collection. For example, a person looking for the name of a particular muscle might look in a collection containing books on anatomy or physiology, not a collection containing only books on economics.
The size of a collection does not neccesarily dictate the content. A small library might have a lot of topics (though this necessarily means that each topic has only a little bit of information). However, a large library might only have a few topics (with each topic covered in detail). The trick is to find the library that covers the topic you want.
The quality of a library indicates how well a given topic is covered by the writings in the library (including the amount of material, the accuracy of the material, and the depth of the material). A GM should determine the quality of the material in any given library.
Accessibility is merely how easy a collection may be perused. This is affected by a number of things including the language of the writings, the form of the writings, and the disposition of the owner of the library. Even if the library has the correct content with good quality, the information may be hard to access (causing the character to bend over backwards in order to gain even a small bit of information).
Language inaccessibility is obvious. For example, our hero, Phred is looking for an article contained within a twelve-thousand year old issue of Time magazine. Looking through the stacks at the Temple of Knowledge Humane, Phred tracks down his quarry, but is unfortunately unable to use it because he cannot read English. However, it is also possible to have a barrier because of the specific writing style of the author. If the author is partially (or fully) insane, his writings may be indecipherable or at least vastly confusing (more than helpful).
Form inaccessibility happens when the form of the knowledge is such that the it unrecognizable or unusable. For example, the knowledge is stored on a computer disk and you have no computer. However, it is could also be that the knowledge is only partial and is meaningless (or misleading) without all ofthe knowledge. For example, the knowledge could be written on small ceramic tiles and only a few of the tiles are in any given library.
Disposition is the most difficult of the obstacles a researcher must overcome (especially when the researcher knows that the information is there, he just cannot get to it). At a private library (which most medieval libraries were), the owner o f the library decides who may and may not have access to the works. In many cases, the visitors to the library are not allowed to actually handle the books. They simply issue a request and then a researcher finds the books, researches the topic. and provides an answer. Handling the disposition of the library owner is a great opportunity for role playing.
Finding magical tomes in a library should not normally be a common occurance. However, if this is a possiblity in your gaming world, Arcane tomes should be the most rare of rare magical tomes. Such research maneuvers would be modified by at least -30 (for Open Arcane spells). In Part II of this book, specific rules for research at libraries is presented.
Most of civilizations knowledge has been passed down through word of mouth at one time or another. I f one was to ask a dozen high school graduates about the civil war, a significant amount may be learned. Also, when speaking arid teaching, many people also assert things which they learned by experience, an asset not acquirable through reading alone. A researcher may attempt to interview experts on the subject in order to enhance his own knowledge. He must approach the expert and quiz him on the subject, attempting to memorize or write down all that the expert says. This method may appeal to gamemasters who wish to make their players work to get some things by having them to roleplay the interview. Also, this might be a good way to hide more powerful spells, such as the powerful arcane rituals from the characters who might not use them in the way that the gamemaster intended.
However, because most people interject their personal views and opinions when simply talking, the seeker of Arcane will have to sort between truth and opinion. Because ofthe fractured nature ofinfonnation gained through an "interview" type process, this method might result in the creation of Macro lists of spells (see Part II for more on Macro lists).
The primary way that most spell users learn their trade by apprenticeship. The prospective student seeks out or is sought out by a more knowledgeable (or powerful) teacher. The teacher spends a period of time imparting his knowledge onto the student. This service is rarely free, as the teacher often has better things to do than teach a new of spell user. Only the most altruistic of tutors, wishing to impart knowledge for the sake of knowledge, would do this.
Possible fees for the service of schooling might include:
The benefit of having a mentor is the continued access to his library in most cases. Evil spellcasters might actually "inherit" their mentor's library due to the usual fonns of advancement inherent to evil orders. The GM should carefully detennine which spells that the mentor has and which he is willing to share with his pupil (remembering that Arcane magic is the most rare of all magics).
The most important consideration of any GM in using the Arcane Companion is the place of Arcane magic within his story. GMs must place each small piece of Arcane power within his world carefully, so that it has the feel of Arcane magic. The GM must decide who posesses Arcane knowledge, where Arcane knowledge might be found, how Arcane magic is viewed, and how this knowledge came to be "Arcanized."
When makig all of the these considerations and decisions, there is one driving goal a GM should keep in mind: Arcane must be kept mysterious and must be kept rare. Do not allow every player in a campaign to play one of the Arcane using professions. Even allowing everyone to have access to Arcane lists is too much. If you do this, players will view Arcane as simply another kind of magic. This should never be the case.
Below, are some specific story elements that should be considered by all GMs before adopting Arcane into their story.
Generally, most GMs have magic "recorded" in some written fashion. This has become known as spell books. When dealing with Arcane magic, GMs should be very careful about how Arcane knowledge is passed from teacher to student. At least 50% of the cases should not involve spell books; instead having the teacher simply teach (remember that the teacher could be a power extra-dimensional creature who would never give up a book when he can get a "student").
This is most important when dealing with villians who have Arcane powers. Do not simply allow the player characters to kill off a villian and then have free access to his spell books! The whole process must be much more difficult than that (or Arcane loses its mystique). Make the books written in some sort of demonic language or better yet, make the villian' s knowledge ofarcane undocumented (he learned from some other teacher).
The decision of which persons within the milieu of the campaign have some knowledge of the Arcane is one that requires some thought. The GM must ask himself several questions when deciding if a given NPC knows Arcane spells.
It is important that Arcane spells never become common within a campaign. In fact, arcane spells should always be very rare. Arcane knowledge should be placed in unlikely spots. It is suggested that it be as likely to find the Arcane in a library as to find it on an archaeological dig. Arcane fragments should rarely be found in recognisable forms. More likely, they should be depicted as wierd, almost alien things such as odd monuments and books composed of strange materials.
The Arcane "volumes" often contain only a tiny fragment of information, being a piece of a separated whole. Clever characters will be able to track down other fragments using spells and other, more mundane research methods. Characters must be made to work for this knowledge.
The GM should use the rules presented in this book to help him restrict and contain the usage of Arcane magic. For example, be sure and use Spell Risk and Corruption rules when using Arcane magic. Make it dangerous to use the powers that Arcane magic grants. This may require you (as the GM) to create some very power nemesis for the characters who will monitor all usage of Arcane (either to recruit or to destroy).
If you use all of the rules presented here, you (as a GM) will be armed with all you need to restrict and contain the use of Arcane magic in your campaign.
This section deals with the rules for integrating Arcane magic with the Rolemaster Standard System.
The tables and charts presented in Arms Law are not affected in any way by Arcane magic.
Magic, as defined in Spell Law is divided into three realms: Essence, Channeling, and Mentalism. The three realms represent the present state of magic in the game universe. The three realms, however, do not each represent one-third of the total magic of the universe. Each realm of a large possiblity of applications of its magic while lacking the raw power to perform the really Earth — shaking effects that powerful Arcane spells do. This means that the three realms are, in fact, greater than one-third of the whole in scope but less than one-third in pure power.
Essence, the living field ofthe world, is the most bluntly powerful of the three realms. Essence users may, by becoming attuned to this field, manipulate it in a temporary manner. Essence users rely on being surrounded by the living, however, and cut if cut off from those things living the user's power wanes.
As stated in the earlier water analogy, an Essence user relies on being near his 'faucet.' I f anything gets between the Essence user and his 'faucet,' he cannot effectively use his magic. Moreover, if anything blocks the Magician's (or Illusionist's) method of delivering his 'water,' he cannot cast his spells. These blockages, in the terms ofthe Essence user, are nonliving or inorganic objects. The longer dead and more inorganic, the greater the inhibition. Essence users, therefore live under the limitations of their source, while reaping its benefits.
Channeling, the power channeled to a spellcaster by a deity or powerful being, can heal, harm, help, or hurt depending upon the conduct and demeanor of the providing deity. The greatest feats of channelers involve Lifegiving, the rejoining of soul and body. Therefore, power of gods does not need a living host and nonliving objects do not interfere with the casting of channeling spells. Still, inorganic objects are much beyond the power of most channelers and prevent them from tapping their deities power effectively.
In the bounds of the water analogy, with water standing for magic, the channeler depends upon another for his water. The being that the channeler must go to for water usually demands a certain conduct from the caster and is much, much more powerful than him (in principle, the being is a well of power). If a channeller does not live up to the expectations of his provider, he gets no water. The god may also limit the amount of water, change the ration of water from day-to-day, or magnanimously give more water than usual.
Mentalism is the power ofthe mind. Actually, mentalism is the power of the body and soul manipulated by the mind. A Mentalist is therefore very self-reliant for power. Mentalists are not as capable of vast effects as the other two realms but they offer the compensation of having a subtlety of power that Essence and Channeling cannot match. The only limitation placed upon a mentalist is of his mind. Head covering, especially inorganic head covering, interferes with the user's ability to project his power to others.
Mentalists use their own water. Whatever they can store, they can use if they can figure out how. It is important to note that in the confines of this analogy, a mentalist has a well of personal power in much the same way that a deity does.
The lists and tables presented in Spell Law are not affected, except for the Basic Spell Attack Table (Attack Table 5.1). The new Basic Spell Attack Table has two new columns (for Arcane spells). The new Basic Spell Attack Table can be found in Section 14.
Also found in Section 14 are the new tables for Arcane spell casting (four new attack tables, two new critcal strike tables, and one new spell failure table). These tables include the Mana Ball Attack Table, Mana Bolt Attack Table, Void Ball Attack Table, Void Bolt Attack Table, Mana Critical Strike Table, Void Critical Strike Table, and the Arcane Spell Failure Table.
Listed below are the specific changes and additions to the Rolemaster Standard Rules that should be used when incorporating Arcane magic with the RMSS. If a particular rule is not listed below, all normal rules apply when using Arcane magic.
The only changes to the Cultures and Races presented in RMSR are PP Deveopment progressions for the realm of Arcane. Replace Table T-1.1 with the table above.
There are four new professions presented in this book. With these professions, there is now a new realm to choose from: Arcane. Non spell users can choose Arcane as their realm (subject to GM approval, of course). There are now two more Pure spell users (both are pure Arcane users) and two more Semi spell users (both with Arms and Arcane as their realm).
There are two Pure spell users who use Arcane magic: the Arcanist and the Wizard.
Arcanist - The Arcanist is a pure Arcane spell user who is intimate with the raw power that Arcane magic provides. His spells deal with manipulating and controlling the raw power of Arcane magic.
Wizard - The Wizard is a pure Arcane spell user who has made it his life-study to know about spell and their effects. He uses Arcane magic to manipulate both his own spells and the spells of others.
Prime Stats: Empathy, Intuition, Presence, and Self Discipline
There are two Semi spell users who have the realm of Arms and Arcane: The Chaotic and the Magehunter.
Chaotic - The Chaotic is the wild talent, the uncontrollable, untrained mage who has only mastered his power through sheer force of will. The Chaotic is a Semi spell user combining the realm of Arms with Arcane. The Chaotic's base lists give a number ofabilities and powers that he has learned on his own.
Magehunter - The Magehunter is a Semi spell user combining the realm of Arms and Arcane. The base lists of the Magehunter aid in the tracking and controlling of spell users (especially rogue mages, see Section 6.3.10).
Prime Stats: Constitution, Empathy, Intuition, and Presence
The Profession Table T-1.4 should be expanded to include the profession bonus entries for the four new professions (see above for the entries).
There are no new rules for stats when using Arcane magic. However, remember that the professions presented in this book have four prime stats; each of which must be 90! GM's should not be lenient and give a player more stat points just because he wants to play an Arcane profession. The stat limitations are one way that the system represent the rarity factor of Arcane professions.
There are no new rules for skills when using Arcane magic. However, there are some new modifiers for the Spell Casting Static Maneuver. Section 14 contains a new version of Table T-4.6 (the specific modifications are shown in the table following page). In addition, there are now three categories for developing spells in the Arcane Realm. The Skill Summary Table T-2.5 should have three new lines added to it (see the table below for the new lines).
Finally, there are new costs for the three categories. The Standard Skill Category Development Point Cost Table T-2.8 should have three lines added to it (see the table on page 24 for the new lines). See Section 10 for the Skill Category costs for the new Arcane professions.
There are several new things that fall under the category of miscellaneous factors.
Arcane spell users figure their power points like other spell casters. However, their "realm" stat is actually an average of their Empathy, Intuition, and Presence stat bonuses. Arcane spell users suffer PP Exhaustion in the same manner as other spell users. They also recover PPs in the same fashion as other spell users.
When resisting against Arcane spells, the RR is modified by the sum ofthe target's Empathy, Intution, and Presence stat bonuses.
No race should have Arcane spell lists available as hobby ranks.
The new professions have their standard DP costs listed with them (see Section 10). The Spell Lists DP Cost Table T-2.4 should be expanded to include all of the Arcane spell lists and the Arcane professions (see page 22 for the expanded table).
In addition, there are six new Training Packages presented in this book. The table on page 23 shows the new Training Packages and their costs. Full descriptions of these training packages can be found in Section 11.
There are three different ways to view the cancelling and/or dispelling of Arcane magic (note that the same arguments apply to cancelling and/or dispelling hybrid spells). The GM should choose the option below that best fits his view of his world.
Option 1: Arcane magic is inherently more powerful and different than any of the magics presented in Spell Law. Thus, it can only be dispelled by an Arcane dispelling spell (found in the Arcane lists like Realm Law). If no option is specified by the GM, this option should be presumed to be in effect.
Option 2: Arcane magic depends upon the nature of all three realms and thus, can be cancelled/dispelled if subject to a Cancel/Dispel for each realm (e.g., Cancel Essence, Cancel Channeling, and Cancel Mentalism).
Option 3: Arcane magic, though more powerful than all three realms, is also more fragile. It can be cancelled! dispelled if subject to a Cancel/Dispel spell from anyone of the three realms (e.g., either a Cancel Essence, Cancel Channeling, or Cancel Mentalism).
Because of the complexity and primal nature of Arcane magic (in comparison to the three realms presented in Spell Law), users of the standard three realms are at a disadvantage when using Arcane spells. All non-Arcane professions must always make a Spell Casting Static Maneuver when casting spells from the Arcane realm (with the modifiers shown on the Revised Spell Casting Modifications Table T-4.6, on page 21).
The Magehunter has as a primary goal, hunting "rogue mages." The exact definition of a rogue mage should be tailored to fit a given GM's world, but the defintion presented here provides GMs with an idea of what a rogue mage could be.
In general, Magehunters would be used by Arcane spell users to keep Arcane a secret. Alternatively, Magehunters could be a self-tailored "magic policing" group, who have made it their cause to hunt "violators" of the Arcane codes. Rogue mages (not to be confused with either the Rogue or the Magician) might be defined as any character who ...
Manifestations of Arcane magic (e.g., Earthnodes, etc.) provide the GM with a great deal of interesting story possibilities. In this section, specific rules for how to handle Earthnodes are given. For story ideas and concepts behind Earthnodes, see Part I.
The power of an Earthnode comes from deep within the earth, rising to the surface (forming nodes in the process). The node rises straight up to the surface, riding upon the convection currents of 'the planet. The sphere of a node does not have be wholly upon the surface before it's effects are noticable. As a node rises from the core of the earth, it slowly passes through the underlying rocks, imbuing them with power and magic as they are bathed in its magic. The node strugglesto rise to the surface and radiate its magic, and sink back to the core. The node therefore spends much of its lifetime on the surface ofthe planet. The time for this cycle of rising, radiation, and sinking can be measured in thousands of years (with the radiation taking the majority of this time). An Earthnode that has risen all the way (i.e., can grow no larger in radius) to the surface of the planet is called a Major Earthnode. An Earthnode that is still below the surface, but has some portion of its radius above the surface (i.e., is still growing) is called a Minor Earthnode.
An Earthnode far beneath (more than a mile) the surface, ofthe earth is known as a Deep Earthnode. Deep Earthnodes are associated with magical ores (such as Eog and Laen) and strange beasts (it is rumored that Earthnodes were the cause of the creation of the Drakes). The power of a Deep Earthnode is not a accessible (as the planet keeps the magic bubble intact until it approaches the surface)'; However, the knowledge of its location could be important (as it will eventually rise high enough to tap into its power).
Within the Arcane spell lists, there are spells that will detect the presence of an Earthnode (though the caster must be within the radius of a Minor Earthnode to detect it). However, some GMs may wish to allow characters to develop a skill that will give anyone a chance at detecting the massive power that can be found within an Earthnode. In this case, the GM should allow the skill of Power Perception to sense the presence of the Earthnode. However, as the age of an Earthnode increases, it becomes harder to sense. The skill difficulties for accomplishing this task are:
If the GM has not predetermined the size of the nearest Earthnode, he must determine the size of the Earthnode. Making an open-ended roll, the GM consults the tabels below. Three tables are provided: one for Major Nodes, one for Minor Nodes, and a consolidated table for GMs who haven't determined if the node is Major or Minor.
Earthnodes were initially discovered by spell users within the nodes who discover that their spells require significantly less power than normal, and that recovery of power occurs very swiftly (nodes can still be detected this way).
Spells cast while within the radius ofthe Earthnode only require 75% of their regular PP cost (all fractions are rounded up). Thus, a 4th level spell costs 3 PPs, a 7th level spell costs 6 PPs, an 8th level spell also costs 6 PPs, and a 20th level spell only costs 15 PPs. A spell user also recovers spell points more quickly within an earthnode. All PP recovery rates are doubled. These abilities are the only abilities that a non-Arcane spell user can access. The true power ofan earthnode may be accessed by the spells on the Arcane spell lists (see Part III).
The effect of Ley Lines on spell casting are different than the effects of Earthnodes (though similar in nature). First of all, there is no direct effect of simple Ley Lines; instead, the spell user must seek out Ley Line intersections (where the I real power is). The only effect a simple Ley Line has is that !I spell users have a 25% per casting attempt of noticing that ! they are in (or near) a Ley Line. To find the PP cost for spells cast within an intersection, divide the normal cost of I the spell (in PPs) by the number oflines intersecting. Thus, if at an intersection of two lines, the cost of a spell will be divided by two (i.e., halved).
The power of intersections can be quite considerable and like any other kind ofpower, can corrupt the wielder. The power of an intersection can also affect those who live in its environment. Like Earthnodes, intersections attract strange happenings and powerful creatures. Also like Earthnodes, intersections affect the development of living things within its region. The power of the Ley Lines is innately different from that contained within Earthnodes, however, as the Ley Lines are tied to lines of magnetic force on a world. This magnetic force coupled with the power of the lines can affect the local populace in far different ways than the power of an Earthnode.
Casters who continuously tap the Ley Lines may suffer from a variety of maladies related to the exposure to intense magnetism and power. Every time that one uses the power of a Ley Line, he risks losing his sanity due to the corrupting influence of the lines. The continued use of a Ley Line guarantees the user mental instability. See Section 9 for more on Tap Addiction and the other effects of such power.
Once placed on an item, a Bladerune may be activated in the same fashion as a normal rune. The user simply declares the activation. In the case of runes that affect an attack (or action during an attack), the rune may be acti- vated at anytime, and will remain in "hold" until the next attack made by the weapon. Once a rune is activated, it is gone... no longer imbedded into the aura of the item.
Bladerunes are short-lived enchantments placed upon the exterior of an item's aura. Every item has an aura. Mundane items, like a simple tool or weapon have a simple, smooth-faced aura which is ideal for the emplacement of Bladerunes. Complex, nonmagical gadgets like sextants, heavy crossbows, dart pistols (Kaltas), etc. have more complex, woven auras than simple items. The more complex the item, the more complex the aura. Magical items have an aura of varying size, depending upon the traits of the device. The power of a magical object greatly influences the shape of its aura. The shape and complexity of an items aura is of importance because it determines how easily Bladerunes can be applied and how many Bladerunes can be applied.
Each item has a bladerune capacity, which are listed below. The item's capacity reflects a only a general idea of how many Runes an object might hold, as some bladerunes take up more 'space' on an aura than others (each Bladerune is given a "size" rating... see the Bladerunes spell list for a sample of sizes) . These numbers give the total number of spaces of runes that an item can hold.
These numbers should be halved for Modest and Potent magical items, as their auras do not have as much usable space as a normal item's might. Most potent items should use 25% of this number, and Artifacts should use 10% of this number. Intelligent items will never submit to having Bladerunes placed upon them (these are after all, "lesser" enchantments) and Holy items and relics force the rune to make a RR in order to be placed (level of the rune vs. level of the item's creator).
Option: If the GM finds that this explanation does not fit his campaign world, he may use the explanation that magical items cannot carry as many Bladerunes as normal items because the "fixed" enchantments interfere with the "temporary" enchantment.
Arcane magic carries with it, some innate risk. This section deals with the rules on how to reflect this risk through the mechanics of the game.
The magic manipulated by an Arcane user is far more dangerous than the magic used by a standard spell user. Where the danger in casting an Essence, Channeling, or Mentalism is primarily to the caster, an Arcane caster puts all nearby at some risk. The Arcane user must make sure to keep a tight reign on the source, for a single mistake might cost the lives of his companions.
When an Arcane spell is "automatic" (i.e., no Spell Casting Static Maneuver is required), the spell will still fail on a 04 or less (not a 02 or less like normal spells). In addition, any failed Arcane spell should use the appropriate Arcane Spell Failure table (see Part III). In general these spell failure effects are more severe than those for normal spells.
Finally, anytime an Arcane spell fails, the effects of the failure will affect all nearby folk. Apply the same results that the caster suffers to everyone with a radius equal to the level of the spell (i.e., a 5th level Arcane spell that failed would affect everyone within 5 feet of the caster). Every person in the radius may make an RR (versus the level of the spell with a special-50 modifier to the roll) to resist the failure effect.
The Human body and mind are a fragile things. Either can be damaged, altered, or destroyed by a relatively small trauma: the cut of a sword can end the time of the body, the death of a loved one may irrevocably alter the mind. In the scheme of the universe, these are very small things. The universe cares little about the death or changing of a single man. But men, for all of their frailties, are able to manipulate the great powers of the cosmos. Of course, this power could extinguish the life or mind of a man faster than any sword. If a man draws too much of the power of the universe, he runs the risk of reducing his mental faculties. This loss of ability is known as burnout.
In addition, men can tap into their own physical reserves to help them control their spells. This can result in sickness and loss of health. The tapping of one's own physical resources to help with spell casting is termed Power Drain.
Channeling may result in Burnout (even successful channeling). If a spell user has received a spell or power points via Channeling skill or spell, he must roll d10o (open-ended) and add the number of power points that he has received (or the level of the spell he has received). If this total exceeds 100, the spell user suffers burnout (though any channelled spell is resolved before the burnout is resolved).
If Channeling Burnout urnout has occurred, roll 2d10 and subtract the sum from the spell user's temporary Memory. Repeat the process for temporary Reasoning. If, at any time, either statistic drops to 0 (or below), the character falls into a coma (and will remain in coma until the stat rises above zero, healing the coma will result in raising the stat to a 1) If both statistics drop to 0, the character looses all accrued experience and skills (and may begin again as a first level character if subsequently healed).
There are a few Arcane spells that will temporarily increase a spell user's normal ability to hold power points (as well as spells to increase the number PPs in a spell users available pool). In addition, it is possible to actually attack someone with raw Mana (filling them with more mana than they can normally use). If at anytime, a person has more mana inside them than they can normally handle (i.e., they have more PPs than their normal PP maximum), they suffer Power Burnout.
When Power Burnout occurs, make an open-ended roll for the character and add two times the number of PPs that the character was over his normal maximum. If the roll exceeds 100, the character suffers from Power Burnout.
If the unfortunate character has suffered from Power Burnout, he will be in great pain. Roll 2d10 and subtract that many concussion hits and PPs from the character. In addition, roll 2d10 for each of the realm stats (Empathy, Intuition, and Presence), subtracting the sum from each stat. If the PPs is still above the normal maximum (remember that the normal maximum may have changed with the drop in realm stats), check for Power Burnout again! This process continuees until either the character has a stat drop to 0 (when he falls into a coma, see Channeling Burnout for further effects), or the PPs finally falls below the character's normal maximum.
Option 1: This is too lenient. Roll 3 dice instead of 2.
Option 2: This is too harsh. Roll only 1 die instead of 2.
As long as a caster has at least 1PP, he can still cast any spell. However, for every PP he drops below 0, he will lose 1 point of temporary Constitution. If his Constitution drops to 0 (or below), he enters a coma. He will remain in a coma until his Constitution rises above 0 (healing the coma will raise his Constitution to 1).
There are certain Arcane attack spells (e.g., Void Bolt and Void Ball) that drain PPs from a target. If the target is drained of more PPs than he has available to drain, he will suffer from Power Drain (as described above).
Sometimes the power of magic is too much for the human psyche and insanity occurs. Magic is a force beyond the ken ofmankind and to use it is to become fully absorbed in it. This power may alter the mind of the mage.
While tapping into the great power of Earthnodes or Leylines, the caster will always feel that power beyond his control is pushing upon him. Specifically, at sites ofpower, where the force of magic is greater than the caster usually wields, the risk of damage is the greatest. If a caster uses too much of the power, he may become mentally deranged or addicted to using these places of power to cast spells. Once again the OM is encouraged to be creative in administering mental instabilities that are appropriate to his campaign. Normally for spellcasters these might include megalomania (especially for magicians) and delusions (a cleric is 'told' by his deity to run for president).
For each spell cast while using a great source of power, the spelluser must roll a d100 and add the level of the spell. If the result is over 100, the caster now has a level I addiction to using this power. Note that there is a euphoria that accompanies this addiction (very similar to the euphoria associated with most other kinds of addiction). The GM should treat this addiction just like a chemical addiction (see GM Law for specific rules on addiction). Note that any great source ofpower will fulfill the need for the addiction.
Arcane magic is ancient and powerful. In fact, Arcane magic is so ancient and so powerful that evil forces will actively seek it (and its practitioners) out over vast distances. To restrain the vulgar use of Arcane magic, GMs are greatly encourage to employ the Spell Risk and Corruption rules (originally presented in Section A-9.3 in RMSR). However, certain modifications should be made when using these rules with Arcane magic.
Replace the Risk Factor Chart (found in Section A-9.3 in RMSR) with the following charts when using Arcane magic. The Arcane professions (e.g., Arcanist, Magehunter, etc.) should use the first chart and non-Arcane professions should use the second chart. In addition, any encounters generated from this Risk check have a minimum result of an attempt to find and capture the spell user for questioning (or recruiting).
One of the key reasons that Arcane is not widely use is because the power of Arcane magic is vastly more corrupting than normal magic. In normal situations, any failed Arcane spell will generate double the normal number of corruption. Also, all Corruption Checks involving Arcane magic use the character's RR versus Arcane magic (not versus Essence). In addition, magic items with Arcane abilities use the normal corruption rules, except that if a character ever fails a corruption check, that item will always receive one CP each time he uses that item.
One other side-effect of corruption from Arcane magic is that it is almost tangible. For a number of days equal to the number of CPs just gained, the caster will detect as "evil" (and might be sensed by folks and animals sensitive to such things). Most normal animals will try not to let the character ride them. Finally, all attacks from Undead will be directed at the character.
Casting spells while in Earthnodes or Ley Lines has an effect on Corruption. Because of the insanity inducing nature of Ley Lines, a caster must make a Corruption Check every time he casts a spell while under the influence of the Ley Line (not just when he fails to cast a spell). However, the number of CPs gained while within the Ley Line is only 25% of normal. Because Earthnodes are tied to the forces of nature (and have a stabilizing effect upon magical power and spells), all CPs gained while in an Earthnode are halved.
This section contains a one-page description for each character profession.
The following infonnation is provided for each profession:
The standard rules for Training Packages apply to all Training Packages presented here. However, there is one special note concerning these packages. Most of the packages award ranks in a spell list (either a specific list or a list ofthe player's choice). The list must be selected as one of the character's base lists (if at all possible; i.e., the character is a pure spell caster who has not selected his four extra base lists); otherwise, the list may be developed as an Open List.
For convenience, the key to the Training Package Entries is repeated here.
Each training package gives a character one or more of the following benefits/disadvantages. In addition, each training package costs a different number of development points (based upon the character's profession)
Example: If a character has a +5 SD bonus, he would gain the benefits ofa training package 15% earlier than someone with a +0 SD bonus (i.e., 85% o f the normal time). However, if the character has a -5 SD bonus, he would take 15% longer to gain the benefit (i.e., 115% of the normal time).For starting characters, total the amount of time spent in training packages and add it to the normal starting age to determine the starting age of the character (see Section 17.1 in RMSR).
Note: There is one notation unique to the packages: d10(open-ended). This means roll d10; if the result is 1 to 9, keep the result; if the result is a d10, roll d10 again and add it to 9; continue until a 10 is not the result.If the training package is developed after Apprentice level, the starting money does not apply. When generating starting money, either the GM should make the rolls; orthe player can simply take 51 (for each d100roll) or 6 (for each d10 roll).
Note: The GM may choose to allow every character who develops a training package to have the last item in the list (even ifprevious items were gained).
Example: Kohrist takes the City Guard training package. This package awards him 2 ranks in 1-H Edged Weapons. However, he already has 9 ranks; this means that he only gains 1 more rankfrom the training package.
The idea of a macro spell list is to provide Gamemasters with a way to limit the availability of some very powerful spells without taking all spells away. This way, the GM can allow "parts" ofa list to be developed, but not the parts that he deems unbalanced for his game.
This section deals with the mechanics of macro lists. In addition, a sample macro-list is provided as guidelines on how to use macro-lists in your campaign.
It may not be obvious to any given character that a spell list he is developing is actually part of a macro-list, until he finds spells to fill in the missing holes in the list. Thus, when the first piece of a macro-list is developed, the list is developed just like any other spell list. However, when subsequent portions of the spell list are discovered, the spell user only has to develop the spells he is missing (i.e., he doesn't have to "re-develop" the portions of the list that he already knows). If there are two spells designated at a given level, the spell user must choose which spell he wants to know at that level (i.e., he cannot learn to use both).
Example: Edan the Black (a Wizard) has learned the Shard Creation portion ofEntity Mastery all the way to 20th level (developed as a Base List; paying a total of 80 DPs). Later, he discovers the Kaeden Creation portion of the spell list. He choose to develop the first three spells (at 6th, 10th, and 13th level); paying only 12 more DPs (4 per spell).
This macro-list involves the creation of Artificial Life forms. The creation of all of these creatures requires the construction of an incubator-like mechanism known as a Tank. The Tank may be of any configuration, but it is generally a tube big enough to hold the mature creature's body and is full of a magical liquid. The quality of a Tank dictates the maximum level of creature that can be created within. The quality is solely based upon the amount of money invested in the tank. When a better quality tank is desired, the old tank cannot be upgraded; a new tank must be built from scratch. The chart below shows the investment needed (in gold) to create tanks of various quality levels).
Every creature has its own specific physical and genetic makeup and no simple formula is going to work for the creation of all of these beings. Each must be designed independently. The designer must know both the Biology and the Chemistry skills (to at least 5 ranks each). The time and difficulty ofdesigning the tank is directly related to the quality level of the tank. To design/build a tank, the spell user must first make a maneuver using the lesser of his Biology and Chemistry skills. Look up the result on the chart below (remember or record the modified total for use later). The same tank can be used to "grow" many life-forms, but the user must wait for one to finish growing before starting another one.
To determine how long it took to create the tank, look up the base time on the chart below and divide this time by the total modified maneuver roIl for creating the design.
Example: Sebrial the Arcanist is preparing his tank to create a N'ng for target practice. The last few N'ng weren't tough enough, so Seb decides to create a tougher one: tenth level (needing a tank quality o fIII). Sebrial has a skill bonus of+51 in Biology and +46 in Chemistry, he has sucessfully created these before (+30) and has notes on creating N'ng, a series of Do-It-Yourself books on Creation, and several cadaverous 'normal' N'ng (+10). Sebrial makes his roll: a 39. To 39, Sebrial adds 46 (his skill bonus), 30 (created N'ng before), and 10 (for his notes, etc.), resulting a total of 125, success! The time needed to desing/build the tank was 96 weeks (12,000 divided by 125). Hopefully, N'ng created in this tank will give a betterfight.
The actual time to grow a given creature is one month per level of the creature grown.
Shards are 'Amalgams;' horrible combinations of enchanted organic parts and mechanical constructs. Immortal and nearly indestructible, Shards can (luckily) never reproduce. Terrifying opponents, these demented arboreal creatures are second to none in speed and agility (with the slowest speeds being over 70 mph).
Shards are similar in build to humans, but posessing featureless faces and a thick greenish hide. All shards are nocturnal suffering severe penalties in daylight.
Shards have a rigidly defined social structure; groups of six known as "lats." Each lat consists offive lesser and one greater shard. The five lesser shards of a given lat must be infused before the greater is infused. If many lats are together, they are grouped into "I-lats" consisting of 11 lats each. Each I-lat is governed by a Lord shard. Ofcourse, only a truly twisted individual would create an entire I-Lat of shards, as Lord shards have a tendency to usurp control away from weak creators. The significance of the Shards 'social' organization is unknown and lost with the identi- ties of the sick men who first created (discovered) them.
Shard bodies are extremely expensive to assemble, once designed (the bodies must be designed separately from the tanks used to grow them; use the same maneuver chart to determine the time needed to design the shard body). The total cost of the parts, gems, poisons, and strange compounds is 2,250 gp (for lesser shards) or 6,250 (for greater shards).
Another diabolical creation, Kaeden (sometimes known as Maazhat) have the visage of anthropoid insects. Somewhat larger than men, kaeden stand approximately seven feet in height and have an awesome array of offensive capabilities. Like the Shards, Kaeden are more or less 'parodies' ofliving creatures and may even be some kind of evil combination of men and something else.
In addition to strength greater than that of an average human, Kaeden have several special ablities. Heightened senses allow Kaeden to see, hear, and smell as well as a dog. They have the ability to change color much like a chameleon, but with a greater capacity for doing many different colors at once (mottling). Poison injectors and web spinnerettes are also present in all Kaeden. Leaders have additional capabilites, including limited flight and a breath weapon.
Kaeden have a caste society much like that of hive insects (e.g., ants or bees). A hive of Kaeden is ruled by a Queen, with lower leaders and warriors beneath her. The Queen is at least twenty feet tall, with a bulging abdomen and enormous pincers. Each leader oversees about five warrior kaeden.
The cost of constructing Kaeden larvae depends upon the type of kaeden created and the level of that Kaeden. The larva is placed into the tank to grow. Warrior kaeden cost 45 gpo Leader kaeden cost 450 gpo Queen cost 4,500 gpo This cost is paid in addition to the cost of the tank(s) (though there is ano additional designlbuilding time).
Neng, or N'ng are demonic creations, beings composed of otherplanar organic material. These terrible beasts possess a wide, almost eclectic range of abilities, including an acidic spit and the ability to turn movable objects invisible.
Being composed of alien flesh, Neng creation requires special skills from their human creators. The caster/creator must have Biology skill bought specifically for Demons and a Demon Lore skill rank of five or better. The caster must also possess some portion of a Neng before he can create a new Neng.
This section lists all of the spells associated with the Arcane realm. All of the standard rules, restrictions, and notations from Spell Law are used here. For convenience, the spell description key is repeated here.
Several types ofcodes may follow the spell names in the listings: area of effect, duration, range, and type. In addition, some descriptions will explain that a particular spell has an RR Modification (shown with the notation [RR Mod: #]). This section presents a key to those codes.
[RR Mod #] - Any RRs against the effects of this spell are modified by #.
* — Instantaneous; spell does not require preparation rounds.
• — Spell does not require power points.
‡ — Part of a set of spells that must be thrown in conjunction with other spells continuously to be effective (or fully effective).
E — Elemental spell. These spells use the force ofthe spell to manipulate physical elements (heat, cold, wind, light, water, earth, sound, smell, taste, touch). These elements (and not the spell) are used to either create a phenomena that can affect the physical environment of the target (e.g., a "wall" spell) or the sense of the target (e.g., an "illusion" spell). Because the elements are real, no Resistance Rolls are normally allowed.
BE — Ball Elemental spell. These are elemental spells that attack an area with one of the physical elements.
DE — Directed Elemental spell. These are elemental spells that directly attack a target with one of the physical elements. Such attacks are resolved on one of the "bolt" attack tables.
F &mdesh; Force spell. These spells involve the direct manipulation of matter, energy, the elements, or living beings through the use of a spell's force. If the spell has a target capable ofresisting, the caster make an attack roll on the Spell Law Basic Spell Attack Table 5.1 to determine the RR modification for the target. Determine the type of armor the target is wearing and roll on the appropriate column of the table (using the Other column if nothing else applies). After determining the RR modification, the target makes an RR (on Table 5.10 in Spell Law, using the target's level and the attacker's level as the indices).
P — Passive spell. These spells usually only indirectly or passively affect a target. Thus, if an RR is allowed (GM' s discretion), its purpose is only to determine if the target is aware of the spell. Many detection spells are of this type.
U — Utility spell. These spells only affect the caster, a willing target, or a target incapable of resistance. Thus, RRs are not usually necessary. A willing target who is capable of resisting may still be required to make an RR (GM's discretion), but it is modified by -50 (i.e., he mostly likely will not resist successful). Most healing spells are of this type.
I — Infomlational spell. These spells involve gathering information through means that do not require RRs.
s &mdesh; Subconscious spell. These spells are capable of being cast (or triggered) by the subconscious. The caster can always cast a spell of this type as a normal spell; and ifhe is unconscious (or is asleep or in a trance), a spell of this type can be cast by the subconscious as necessary (starting with the highest level spell needed). An exception to this is the Stun Relief spell. This spell may (at the option of the caster) be cast by the subconscious while the caster is stunned.
m — Mental Attack spell. These spells affect the target's mind and are subject to mental defenses.
x target(s) — The spell affects x number of targets.
x target(s)/lvl — The spell affects a number of targets equal to the caster's level times x.
distance R - The spell affects all within a radius equal to distance in size.
distance R/lvl — The spell affects all within a radius equal to distance times the caster's level in size.
area — The spell affects all within a fixed area of effect. Sometimes area will be specified as a specific target (e.g., 1 herb, 1 limb, etc.).
caster — The spell affects only the caster.
" — " — The spell has no area of effect.
varies — The exact size ofthe area ofeffect depends upon some other aspect of the spell.
time — The spell has a fixed duration equal to time.
C — Concentration is required. Concentration takes 50% of the caster's normal activity. The caster cannot cast any other spells while concentrating.
duration (C) — Concentration is required, except the period ofconcentration cannot exceed the duration given. The caster can stop concentrating and the spell effect will stop. If the duration has not expired, the caster can concentrate again and the spell effect will resume.
P — Permanent. The spell has a permanent effect (in the sense of creating a "permanent" physical or mental condition). The effects of permanent spells that manipulate matter and require concentration will disperse according to the normal physical laws once concentration is no longer applied (e.g., a frozen body of water will melt normally, a bowl of boiling water will cool). A spell with a permanent duration may be affect by outside forces. For example, the spell may be dispelled, cured, or otherwise disturbed by enchantment, physical force, etc.
varies — Variable. The exact duration depends upon some other aspect ofthe spell.
" — " — No duration. The effects of this spell required no duration and are applied immediately.
time / level — The duration is the time multiplied by the level of the caster.
time / # fail — The duration is based upon the difference between the target's modified RR and the minimum roll required to resist the spell (see RMSR Section 23.6). The duration is equal to this difference divided by # and then multiplied by time.
Example: 1 rnd/10 fail would mean that ifthe RR is failed by 20, the spell would lastfor 2 rounds.
self — The spell can only be cast upon the caster himself
touch — The caster must touch the target to create the effect.
distance — The caster can be no further than distance to the desired area of effect.
distance/lvl — The distance to the area of effect can be no further than distance times the caster's level.
unlimited — There are no limitations placed upon the distance to the area of effect.
varies — The distance to the are of effect depends upon some other aspect of the spell.
This section contains this introduction, a key to all of the tables in this section, 5 spell attack tables, 2 critical strike tables, and 1 spell failure table. At the bottom of each table there is other pertinent information for the special attack (including which critical tables are used with the attack).
There are three different types of attack tables in this section. There are two tables that are used for area attack spells (Mana Ball and Void Ball). There are also two different types of directed (targetted) spell attacks (Mana Bolt and Void Bolt). The other table is meant to replace the Basic Spell Attack Table from Spell Law.
To resolve an area attack spell, the caster must roll an attack roll (not open-ended). I f the original roll is 01 to 04, the spell has failed and the attacker must roll on the Spell Failure Table 6.6 (in Spell Law) or the Arcane Spell Failure Table (using the Elemental column. If the original roll is between 96 and 00, the spell is practically perfect and the results from the table are applied (cross-indexing the roll with the target's AT). On any other result, the attacker applies the modifications shown on the attack table and any other modifiers that apply (see Table 5.9 in Spell Law) and cross-indexes the modified roll (with a maximum result of 95) with the target's AT.
To resolve a directed (targetted) attack, the attacker must roll an attack roll (open-ended high). If the attack roll (before modifications) is a 01 or 02 (05 for Arcane spells), the attacker must roll again on the Spell Failure Table 6.6 (in Spell Law) or the Arcane Spell Failure Table (using the Elemental column). If the attack roll (before modifications) is 00, the perfect spell has been cast and the results from the table are applied (cross-indexing 00 with the target's AT). On any other result, the attacker applies the modifications shown on the attack table and any other modifiers that apply (see Table 5.9 in Spell Law) and cross-indexes the modified roll with the target's AT.
To resolve all other types of attack spells, the caster should roll d100 (not open-ended). If the result is a 01 or 02 (04 for Arcane spells), the attack has failed and the caster must roll again on the Spell Failure Table 6.6 (in Spell Law) or the Arcane Spell Failure Table (using the column that matches the spell type). If the attack is between 96 and 00, the nearly perfect spell has been cast (use the results from the table). On any other result, apply the modifications shown on Table 5.1 (in Spell Law), and cross-index the modified roll with the appropriate column. The table is divided into four sections (one for each realm of casting); use the section that applies to the realm of the caster. For hybrid spells, use the column that is least advantageous (as indicated by the failure range). Each section has three columns, use the column that applies to the target's armor.
here are two different types of results that can be generated from these tables. One type is generated from the elemental attack tables; a different type is generated from the Revised Basic Attack Table.
There are four possible results on the elemental attack tables: a failure (i.e., "F"), a miss (i.e., "—"), a normal hit (e.g., "3"), or a critical hit (e.g., "5B"). If the result is a failure, the attacker should roll on the Spell Failure Table 6.6 (in Spell Law) or the Arcane Spell Failure Table. If the result is a miss, the attack does no damage. I f the result is a simple hit, apply the number in the table as concussion damage to the defender. If the result is a critical hit, apply the number portion of the result as concussion damage and roll a second roll on the indicated critical table and column. Which critical chart to use will be indicated a the bottom of the attack table.
The Basic Attack Table works differently. There are only two different types of results on the table: a failure (i.e., "F") or success (i.e., +20 or -15). If the result is a failure, the attacker should roll on the Spell Failure Table 6.6 (in Spell Law) or the Arcane Spell Failure Table. If the spell succeeds, the resulting number will be used as a modification to the target's Resistance Roll.
The attack tables cover three different types of spell attacks and resolution. The directed (targetted) spell attacks should use their appropriate table (e.g., a Fire Bolt should use the Fire Bolt Attack Table). The area attack spells should use the most their appropriate tables (e.g., a Cold Ball should use the Cold Ball Attack Table). Any spell that requires the target to make an RR, should use the Basic Attack Table (e.g., a Sleep spell, a Charm Kind spell, etc.).
Some attack tables can generate critical results better than an 'E'. When this occurs, a note at the bottom of the table will direct you on how to handle the critical result.
If two criticals are delivered from the same attack, always roll one number and look up the same number in two different columns on the critical chart(s).
To resolve most critical hits, roll dl00 (not open-ended) and cross-index the result on the appropriate column of the chart.
To resolve a spell failure, simply roll a dl00 (not open- ended) and cross-index the result with the type of spell attack that generated the fumble. Each column on the table corresponds to a type (or types) of spells. Use the column that corresponds the type of spell being cast.
All of the tables in this section have two different types of information: descriptions and mechanics.
+ßH- - ß҉-ß﹅-ß(-α)- B(+α)- ±(ßd10-)Pwhere α, ß, and are numbers. In general:
Sometimes, the second and third items are combined (reading as ). Also, sometimes the third item is re- placed with B(X-a) (there can never be both a@ and a X entry). Below is a more detailed explanation of the entries.
This appendix provides two things. The first is a character creation checklist (with RMSR page number references). The second are replacement pages for RMSR. These pages are presented here so that you may replace the pages with errors upon them. In some cases, rule changes were made, though in most cases, the pages simply clarify the material that was already there.