Sean_RDP

So one of the big chapters I am working (slowly) on is the Smithing Chapter. I feel like it is very important to not just list some magic items and explain how to make them, but to make it important to the game. Much of that comes from the influence of the M. Scott Rohan's Winter of the World series, which has leaked (happily) into what I am doing with Skaerune'. Forging a weapon, even one without any magical abilities will be a powerful symbol in the world. Actually finding such an item will be rare, but finding instructions or special materials for doing so will be part of treasures. One fundamental difference I have enjoyed if the difference between something that has magic in it or something that is inherently magical. I am less inclined towards the latter as those should be unique and rare indeed. Magic Items Spiral Magic. Requires a Craft Iron or Copper of at least 60%. Craft Leather 50%. Craft Wood for spears and bows and wood carvings, 60%. Also requires a Tattoo skill of 75%, so a Master at the art of making the spell matrices. I think the purity (potency) of the material used would set the limit on total number of magic points worth of Weirds OR in the case of Fetishes, how many magic points it an hold. For Spiral Magic, the roll to activate would be based on the POW of the creator, not the user. So it would be a set number not dependent on the POW of the user. Soul Magic. These would be artifacts and relics. They would have to have been touched by the god they are dedicated to (or designed to oppose). i.e. The Old One Bob once sneezed on this tree. Its bark and wood and leaves have been "blessed" by Bob. It would not even require craftng, but a high Ritual skill and the sacrifice of power. Conditions would have to be set for its use - Only by worshipers of the god; only by those opposed to the god; only by fish people etc.. Sorcery. This is where it gets complicated. An object that has a Sorcery spell on it vs. one that is powered by sorcery vs. one that has a soul or creature bound in it vs. one that is a creature. Speaking of... Crow Demons. The crow demons are malevolent tricksters who delight in turning themselves into objects and letting others work chaos and evil through them. They happily support any action that creates conflict even if destroys others who pursue chaos. So far these are just some ideas. I am not 100% sold on anything yet other than that this will be a major part of the specific setting of Skaerune'.

May have to grab CF on payday, am very interested in what you did with the Bard.

Curiously I did some searching. Part of the problem is the conflation of games and names that happens, since "Magic World" often references Magic tG. I have a group I am a part of on the facebooks who might be able to help.

Thanks :)

What format is it in? Seems I am having a bit of an issue getting it to open

This is the first cult write up. Rites (also called Forms) are the Soul (Divine) magic spells. Soul Magic can be pretty powerful at higher magnitudes as it uses the Aura of the character as a base for its power. For instance Healing/Harming Rite 2 would heal or harm 50% (rounded up) of the character's AUR, but only costs 2mp. Although rites are paired, it is possible to teach only one part of the rite. For example, the Cult of the Nine Crones teaches the Exorcism rite, but not the associated Possession rite. Heathen Gods (also called Daemon (pr. Day-mune) ) are the second tier of gods for Skaerune'. These are the gods that manifested from the spirit world or from powerful mortals turned myths or brought with those who came to Skaerune' with the appearance of their city in the world. Cult of Nine Crones When the Old Man came to the land that would house the First City, nine women came with him. They were more than consorts to him; they were teachers and protectors of the people who followed him. Over time each of the Crones became wife or consort to a powerful god of the Old World. Indeed the First Crone, Ebelle, married the sun (Palas) and resides with him in the sky. In many ways the Nine are seen as the true leaders of the First City as the Old Man was often away on his adventures. Each of the nine districts of Kepaya Luki is named for one of the Crones and the Temple of the Nine dominates the city, such as it is. This cult is arguably the first Heathen cult although those who follow the White Dragon argue that in fact their cult was the first. Whoever was first is irrelevant however, as it is the Cult of the Nine who set the tone for what a southern Heathen cult looks like in form and function. They are typically powerful social forces built around central temples and the Nine Crones is no different. Cult Power: Heathen God Worshipers. The Cult is divided into two groups of people. Those born in the lands of the First City are the orthodox community, holding to the old traditions of the cult. The second group are those in other lands, mostly women, who see the Nine as powerful feminine symbols. They value traditions less as those are not their traditions and concentrate on philosophical ideals of behavior and the role of women in history and present society. In an ironic twist, several female Rakshasa have begun to patronize new temples of the Nine in their own domains. As a general rule the Nine do not have any enemy cults, save the Cult of Vhos who see women and females as dumb animals. The two cults have engaged in holy wars from time to time since Vhos manifested in the later stages of the Second City's reign. Duties of the Faithful. Worshipers of the Nine are expected to be community leaders and create families. Above all they put their community before themselves, even their close family and children. The clergy act as public servants as well counselors and advocates. Any skill that can help the community is accepted as a gift to the Nine. All are required to celebrate a high mass on each of the nine feast days. No hungry, poor, or wounded person is turned away regardless of their religious beliefs. The Ordained. Those who are clergy of the Nine eschew the common titles of their position and follow a set of titles of their faith. All are known as “Husbands” even if they are female. To become an Adept, one must have Religion (Nine Crones) at 40% and one other skill of use to the community at 50%. Each additional level requires 10% more knowledge in Religion(Nine Crones) and an additional skill of 50%. In this way the priesthood is kept flexible, well rounded, and learned. Seventh Husband (Adept) Sixth Husband (Acolyte) Fifth Husband (Ordained) Fourth Husband (Priest) Third Husband (Oracle) Second Husband (Hierophant) – There are only nine of these in the faith, on for each Crone. Rites. The Cult of the Nine has the following rites: Major (6pt) Rites: Heal – Harm; Bless – Curse; Consecrate – Desecrate; Offer Communion – Excommunicate Minor (4pt) Rites: See – Obscure; Enhance – Decay; Exorcise; Summon – Banish; Divine Intervention

Well I do actually, but I don't want to get caught up in it. So Word Press may be the way to go for me on this until I can pay a website admin. Which could be a while And yes progress was good last week. A lot of things fell into place as far as mechanics that I wanted to change or tweak from OQ and other d100 games.

So the first location description for Salt Island is done. It will need some cleaning up, but overall I like it. It shows off a few elements of the world. Eastern Ranches (The Eastern Plains) On the eastern side of the Dust Mountains is a large plane of high grasses and sparse trees. The region is protected on the west by the mountains and the north by Blackfish Bay. With a favorable climate and stable temperatures the region is the most pleasant on the island. Before the coming of the Fourth City, the wealthiest citizens of the Third City had their plantations here, growing grey poppies and chraffa beans. Even with over two hundred such plantations there was still plenty of unused land. Once the Rakshasa took control of the island, they claimed the unused land and have been systematically expelling Nuroni families. Very few of the Third City noble families are left. In the place of the previous plantations are broad ranches, each owned by a Rakshasa and raising herds of oxen or groats. Although the Rakshasa use slaves in other endeavors, they feel slaves make poor ranch hands and herdsmen. They have imported several families of centaurs from the Northern Wastes as well as more than a few groatsmen from the Windland Isles. The Rakshasa land owners pay their herdsmen well and provide to them the best equipment and supplies. Even many of the Nuroni left are treated well with their children hired (once they reach sixteen years) to tend ranch gardens and continue some chraffa and poppy fields. Although there are few relics of previous ages here, the Eastern Plains are still dangerous for the unwary. There are many dangerous snakes on this side of the island, acclimated to a dryer land with little temperature variation. It is easy to come across a poisonous ring viper or red tomb snake in the high grass if you are not careful. Closer to mountains in some of the gentle hills and played out eastern mines a group of Bokemono have moved in. These pests have been here since the last days of the Second City, though no one is sure where they come from. Bokemono do not come from the myths of either the Second or Third Cities. At night Bokemono raiding parties sneak out of deep dens and raid herds, making the life of herdsmen dangerous indeed. Two areas even the Bokemono stay away from are Ostrich Grove and the unfinished Temple of the Sisters. Ostrich Grove is a grove of low trees that bear a strange green fruit. It is the province of the Heathen God Goromontu, a large and powerful Ostrich who protects his flocks and travels mostly unseen across the Eastern Plains. They say the best way to meet Goromontu is to try not to meet him as he is something of a trickster and knows when someone is actively avoiding him. Another sure way to meet him is to hunt ostrich or ostrich eggs. Goromontu will often show up to teach such poachers and thieves a lesson. Before the fall of the Third City, a small cult of rich Nuroni were building a moon temple here. Although a minor cult in the pantheon of the Third City, it did include many rich nobles both within the ranks of the Nuroni and without. The cult members were the last military hold outs on the island, but the Rakshasa and their berserker army overwhelmed the cult and their temple defenses. The unfinished temple was burned and looted and the bodies of the cultists left unburied. This had lead to a cursed feeling to all those who walk in the temple area and a number of undead creatures reported. Ruled over by kh'Raaja Armuark from the fortified town of South Falls, the Eastern Plains are among the wealthiest province in the Glorious Empire and one of the smallest. They are also the most peaceful and pleasant. South Falls is the only settlement aside from the odd village of poor Nuroni or pacified Bokemono “workers”.

I think I am still on target, time wise. Rough Draft of Design Document - 100% Soul Magic - 100% Sorcery - 50% Spiral Magic - 50% Hit Points & Hit Locations - 100% Armor, Weapons, & Equipment - 75% Salt Island - 5% SRD/Design Doc - 10% EDITED TO ADD: Skaerune' Setting: 30% Getting a Domain and perm website.. 0.001%

Looks fantastic. I feel you have the time period down beautifully.

Well because you are including such a wide variety, there was a series of books about the Tripods that was serialized in Boys Life (yes I was a Boy Scout) and apparently a TV series in the UK. These are not Wells' Martians. The Masters make great villains. A question about real world animals. Lately in a home campaign (not BRP based) I created small snakes whose poison did damage over time. I was amazed at how well small normal sized snakes worked against experienced players and characters. Our own world is full of small stompable creatures who none the less can kill us. Do you think there any reason to put mundane SIZ 1 poisonous or otherwise dangerous creatures in with the beasts? Or just one as an example? Been contemplating this one myself for my own creations. Oh and the classic (burial) Wight is always a good one. And space Vampires (movie Life Force and an episode of the 80s TV series Buck Rogers... campy as hell but fun)

At this point I am open to any input. I have no illusions that what I put in for Sorcery in Skaerune' will be THE DEFINITIVE sorcery for BRP but I want it to be interesting and have enough variety. So the more ideas, the better.

I will take a look, thank you.

How many spells do players really need? I tend to think you need a variety to cover most styles of play and making new ones up should not be hard for people. But how many spells feels about right?

So having brought up Clark Ashton Smith the other day, some of the comments have been peculating in the back of my mind. I have been very focused on Skaerune' and the focus is paying off in a big way. I solved my Strike Rank / Initiative issue tonight AND have turned my new attribute Aura into a very potent and useful bit (where before it was on the verge of being out). So this makes me happy. So, having accomplished a huge amount of work on the design doc, I prepared to log off and was letting my mind toy with other ideas when it hit me. I am enjoying Return of the Sorcerer and I was imagining where a Sorcerer might return from? How might that be interesting? What if the battle between all the forces stretched not just through time, but through space as well? What is there was an Earth unknown to use that had been destroyed by these forces? And what if in the late 1930s these people co-opted fascism and used events to their own purpose? And what if there is a future where instead of allowing humanity to expand, Wormholes and advanced tech reveal themselves to be more easily corrupted and leads to a hopeless diaspora where colony worlds are feeding grounds for dark alien gods? Two potential names come to mind: Princes of Earth & Time; A Tale of Three Earths. A GM could focus on one setting, but a character could exist in all three and even perhaps campaigns could swing from time to time to time. It might be wonky but it could be an interesting take on some CAS work mixed with too little Mt. Dew tonight. I probably should not devote any time to this tonight. (Grabs notebook).

Are the heroes doomed, never able to save the worlds or are they just down on their luck and there is a cure out there somewhere?I like the setting a great deal, very original.

As a late comer fan of his work (reading Return of the Sorcerer right now), I am curious how much influence Smith's work has had on official CoC material? I know not all of his work is public domain yet, but some of it is. Really just curious.

Is there an option to be a Lunar who is trying to stop it? Just saying... :)

Well a revival of Questworld was where I was going with that. Though considering open licences and such, and so many d100 games now it could be a moot point.

Obviously there is going to be a great Glorantha connection here, but is RQ2 going to be setting specific or will there be room for other settings? Clearly individuals can use it (or other systems) for their home brew stuff, so I am meaning published settings?

So this is something I have been thinking about for a while. Basically it will go like this: Roll or Buy Stats (STR etc...) Choose Culture (Skaerune' = First City, Second City, Third City, Fourth City) Each Culture has a cultural skill Roll, Buy or Choose Social Faction (Culture dependent, but things like Noble, Goatherd, Farmer..). Social Factions gives the character some initial skills Life Event 1 - this is a random roll Roll, Buy or Choose Apprenticeship. This gives some skills, money, gear, potentially magic. While not city specific, each city only has certain ones. A character can travel (% chance for successful travel) to another city and apprentice there. For instance, there is no indigenous Spiral Magic in the Glorious Empire (Fourth City). To learn those skills would require traveling. Joining a specific Cult might require travel as well. Life Event 2 - this is a random rol Choose Profession. This is the last part. Again not every profession is available in every city so some travel might be in order. The Life Path is noted on the character sheet. Something like this: Born in Second City, to a family of Shepherds. Learned some of the family business Sister married a noble. This made traveling or joining the thanes easier. Became Apprentice Thane Involved in a dispute with rival family. Captured and ransomed. Traveled to First City to join their Rangers. Accepted. So this young man or woman from the Second City was born to shepherd parents, but trained as a warrior and for some reason chose to join the Rangers and protect the southern forests. Players will have a selection of points to purchase their preferred paths, except Life Events which are random. Unspent points can translate into extra gear, spells, or money once CharGen is over.

So I realize how much work goes into a game and I have to be patient. I want to be there RIGHT NOW lol. Progress is going well though and finding and participating here is helping me greatly just through osmosis. At least now everything seems to be falling into place.

So some more from the bestiary The Ghoul (A Mythical) The Leiche (pr. leek) (An Undead) Ghoul.pdf leiche.pdf

And if they survive, they may learn something of the Zero People*, those that lived on Skaerune' before the coming of the First City. *Zero People is kind of a place holder for now.