Lhankor Mhy Home Brew Rune Magic

[RHW]

Lhankor Mhy came in second to Eurmal in my last poll, so let's do him next. Because there's a little truth in every great lie.

LHANKOR MHY

(God of Knowledge, Lightbringer)

Another of the Seven Lighbringers, Lhankor Mhy is associated with the runes for Knowledge (Truth) and Stasis.  Lhankor Mhys know things.  Lots and lots and lots of thing.  Lhankor Mhys vow never to lie to other Lhankor Mhys.  They’re usually honest to other people, too.  Just not as honest as Humakti.  All Lhankor Mhys have beards.  Female LM worshippers wear false ones.  Most Lhankor Mhys spend their entire lives locked in vicious academic debates with their lifelong enemies… other Lhankor Mhys with opposing theories.

Most Lhankor Mhy Rune Levels are Priests.  Becoming a Priest in LM is very difficult.  Priests must have 2 Lore Skills at 90%+, 90%+ in Read/Write (script), and must know Mythology of LM at 50%+, in addition to other requirements.  Freakishly, the god of nerds also has a subcult that has Rune Lords (see Hevduran the Sword Sage, below).

CULT PERSONALITY SKILLS:  Exacting, Lawful, Studious, Truthful

CULT SKILLS:  Craft Writing Supplies, Talk For Hours, Academic Debate, Library Research, Mythology (Any God), Mythology (Lhankor Mhy), Mythology (Lightbringers), (Subject) Lore

CULT SPIRIT SPELLS: Befuddle, Detect (Any), Farsee, Mindspeach, Insight.  Lhankor Mhy’s specialty spell is Insight.

Insight (Spirit Magic, Touch, Stackable, 1 pt.)  Each point of Insight increases the target’s knowledge bonus by +5%.  Insight also gives the target +5% to Resistance vs.  Befuddle spells per point.

COMMON RUNE MAGIC:  All

LHANKOR MHY’S COMMON RUNE MAGIC

(available to all worshippers regardless of subcult)

KNOWLEDGE RUNE MAGIC

ANALYZE MAGIC, CLAIRVOYANCE, FIND (SUBSTANCE), MIND READ, RECONSTRUCTION, TRANSLATE, TRUTHSPEAK

FIND OBSCURE FACT (Rune Magic, Self, Non-Stackable, 1 pt.)  Gives the Caster +100% to his next use of any Lore or Research skill.

SEARCH LIBRARY (Rune Magic, Ranged, 1 pt.)  Gives the caster the range and distance of a specific book, text or document, so long as the caster knows the specific title.  Can be used for the duration of the spell so long as the caster concentrates.

TRANSLATE DOCUMENT (Rune Magic, Ritual, Touch, 1 pt.)  This spell must be backed by MP. It gives the caster a perfect translation of a document (max pages = MP spent).  The spell takes 1 minute to cast per page of the document.

STASIS RUNE MAGIC

DUPLICATE DOCUMENT (Rune Magic, Ritual, Touch, Stackable, 1 pt.)  This spell must be backed by MP. This spell perfectly duplicates a document (max pages = MP spent).  Each additional pt. creates one additional duplicate.  The spell takes 1 minute per page copied to cast.

RECONSTRUCT DOCUMENT (Rune Magic, Ritual, Touch, Stackable, 1 pt.)  This spell reconstructs a single page of a document from fragments.  Each pt. of the spell allows for reconstruction of 20% of the original.  The caster must have at least 20% of the original document to cast the spell.  The entire document can be reconstructed either through multiple castings (which could take weeks) or by stacking the spell.

UNFADING LETTERS (Rune Magic, Ritual, Touch, 1 pt.)  This spell must be backed by MP. This spell protects a document from fading or damage from moisture (but not immersion) or other effects of aging.  Max pages = MP spent.   The spell takes 1 minute to cast per page of the document.

[soltakss]

3 minutes ago, RHW said:

CULT PERSONALITY SKILLS:  Exacting, Lawful, Studious, Truthful

You missed off Dull, excellent in combination with Talk for Hours ...

[RHW]

1 hour ago, soltakss said:

You missed off Dull, excellent in combination with Talk for Hours ...

One of my Lhankor Mhy's favorite skills was Explain Things to Idiots. So much knowledge. So much (lightly) veiled condescension.

[RHW]

CHERNAN THE SEEKER

Oh they call him the Seeker, he’s been searching low and hiiiii-iiigh…  This is the Lightbringer aspect of Lhankor Mhy.  Following Chernan requires leaving the library and going into the field.  Most Lhankor Mhy find this idea completely insane.

CULT PERSONALITY SKILLS:  Independent

CULT SKILLS: Climb, Run, Dodge, Tumble, Balance, Jump

CULT WEAPON SKILLS: Dexterous Whip. Whip Attack, Whip Parry

Dexterous Whip:  When wielding a whip, this skill can be used by Seekers to augment Climb, Tumble, and other Agility skills per normal augment rules, or to grab an object of ENC 1 or less within range (3m) or to entangle an opponent's weapon, shield, or hit location. On the next SR, the Seeker can attempt to disarm the opponent with a STR vs STR resistance roll or she can keep the weapon, shield, or hit location entangled in which case the whip is not usable to attack or parry, but the entangle weapon attacks and parries are halved. If a hit location is entangled, Dodges are halved, melee attacks and parries with the location are halved, and the target cannot move more than 3m away from the Seeker unless they make a successful STR vs STR roll in which case the location is freed.

WHIP: Melee Weapon, SR 3, Range 3m, 1d6 slashing, 10 hp. On a special hit, entangles the location stuck or the parrying weapon. See Dexterous Whip.

HARMONY RUNE MAGIC

DODGE FALLING OBJECTS (Rune Magic, Self, 1 pt.)  For the duration of this spell, the caster gets +100% to Dodge for the purpose of dodging naturally occurring falling objects (such as from a collapsing cave) or objects dropped by a trap.  This does not protect the caster against projectiles fired by sentient beings or animals (anything using a Ranged Weapon skill), but it would protect against a boulder being rolled down a hill or similar situations.

REMOVE DUST (Rune Magic, PBAoE=10m, Stackable, 1 pt.)  This spell clears the AE of dust and old spider webs and soot and similar detritus.  Each additional pt adds +10m to the radius.

TRUTH RUNE MAGIC

DARKVISION (Rune Magic, Touch, Duration = 6 hours, 1 pt.)  Grants the target full vision even in complete or magical darkness.  This spell does not cancel blindess or other negative sight modifiers from sources other than darkness.

SENSE DANGER (Rune Magic, Ranged, Self, 2 pts.)  This spell makes the caster instantly aware of any danger within the AE, including danger from traps, natural hazards, or enemies.  The specific source of the danger is not indicated, but the caster is alerted, so she cannot be surprised.  The caster is alerted as soon as the source is within range, which usually gives her a chance to make perception rolls, dodge, take cover, etc.

STASIS RUNE MAGIC

WATERPROOF PACK (Rune Magic, Ritual, Touch, Duration = Until dropped, 1 pt.)  This spell makes a pack, pouch, sack, jar, or other container completely waterproof.  It lasts until the caster drops the spell willingly.  This spell cannot be renewed while it’s in effect.

CHERNAN’S SECRET

(TRUTH RUNE MAGIC)

SEE HISTORY (Rune Magic, Ritual, Ranged, 2 pts.)  This spell takes one hour to cast.  At the conclusion of the ritual, the caster can see any the entire history of an object or location (within spell range).  The spell puts the caster in a trance state and only he can see the history.  The caster can speed up or slow down the pace of the replay, but the spell only lasts 15 minutes and the history starts at the very beginning.  It can be difficult to assimilate the entire history of many objects and places in such a short time, however, if the caster is looking for a specific sequence of events, he has a reasonable chance of finding it.  Make an appropriate Lore skill check to find specific information.  A normal roll applies if the object or place has a short history, -20% if the history extends years, -30% if it extends decades, -40% if it extends centuries, 50% if it goes back to the beginning of Time, and 60% if it existed before Time began.

 

 

Edited May 31, 2019 by RHW
Whips!

[RHW]

HEVDURAN THE SWORD SAGE 

The Fightin’ Lhankor Mhys!  Seriously.   Stop laughing, I mean it.  You know that book, “50 Ways to Kill a Man with Your Hands?”  Hevduran wrote that book.  “History of Warfare in Central Genertela”  That one, too.  “The Variations in Tang and Hilt Embellishment Among the Grazelanders, with a Special Emphasis on Solar Symbolism”  Not only did Hevduran write that, some of his followers have actually read it.  When they have insomnia.  Works like a charm.

Rune level Hevduran subcultists are Rune Lords called Sword Sages.  To qualify, they must have a POW of 15+, have any 1h Sword at 90%+, Mythology of Lhankor Mhy at 50%+, must be literate (50%+ Read/Write), have 2 Lore skills with a military application at 90%+ and have 2 additional skills at 90%+ from the following: Battle, Yet Another Lore Skill, (Enemy) Tactics, Tactics, Speak (Enemy Language), Read/Write (Enemy Language), Dodge, Any Parry, Brave.

CULT PERSONALITY SKILL:  Brave

CULT SKILLS:  Talk While Fighting, Tactics, (Enemy) Tactics

Talk While Fighting (Communication Skill) This skill allows the character to use Fast Talk or Orate or another Communication Skill as a free action while fighting.  The character’s communication skills are limited by the Talk While Fighting skill.

CULT BATTLE MAGIC:  Bladesharp, Protection, Shimmer.  Bladesharp counts as a specialty spell for Hevduran worshippers.

DEATH RUNE MAGIC:

GREAT PARRY

ARTFUL BLADE (Rune Magic, Self, 1 pt.)  While under the influence of this spell, the Sword Sage may augment his sword or dagger damage with an appropriate Lore Skill/5 as a free action.  (Human Lore for humans, Animal Lore for Animals, Plant Lore for giant sentient swamp moss monsters, etc.)  This counts as an augment (stacks with Bladesharp, etc.)

DISTRACT WITH WORDS (Rune Magic, Self, 1 pt.)  While under the influence of this spell, the Sword Sage adds her Orate or Fast Talk/5 to her Dodge and Parry skills as a free action, so long as she can speak and her target can hear.  This counts as an augment (stacks with Shimmer, etc.)

FIND WEAKNESS (Rune Magic, Self, 1 pt.)  While under the influence of this spell, the Sword Sage’s crit range and special hit range are doubled.

SURPRISE ATTACKER (Rune Magic, Self, 1 pt.)  As soon as she casts this spell, the Sword Sage can make move and an immediate melee attack against an enemy in movement range.  Casting the spell, making the move, and making the attack are a single action. This attack may not be interrupted by held actions, etc.

SECRET

DEFEND KNOWLEDGE (Rune Masgic, Self, 2 pts) While defending a library, books, or any other source of knowledge and under the influence of this spell, the Sword Sage attacks and parries are raised to 150% of base.  This counts as a morale effect and does not stack with Fanaticism, Morale, Berserk, or other similar spells or conditions.

Edited January 15, 2023 by RHW
Fixed a mistake in a spell

[RHW]

TORVALD THE ALCHEMIST

God of Alchemy.   In order to join the subcult of Torvald, Lhankor Mhy initiates or Rune Levels must join the Alchemists Guild, which costs them 1000 sp.  Outsiders may join the Alchemists’ Guild for 2000sp and the sacrifice of 1 POW. They are essentially initiates of Torvald but not of Lhankor Mhy. Members tithe the Guild 10% of all profits made by selling potions.

Benefits of Membership:  Can learn all the skills taught by Torvald.  Can sacrifice for cult Rune Magic as per initiate.

Master Alchemist:  A Master Alchemist is a special devotee of Torvald.  A Master Alchemist must know five of the following skills at 90%+, Brew Potion Base, Brew Poison, Brew Antidote, Brew Healing Potion, Plant Lore, Animal Lore, Mineral Lore, or Craft Alchemical Gear.  Master Alchemists may learn all the cult spells (but not his Secret) as if she were a priest, but may not learn any other Lhankor Mhy magic. 

Professor of Potions: Requirements are as above, but the Alchemists must also be an initiate of Lhankor Mhy with no other subcult, have a POW of 15+ and Mythology of Lhankor Mhy at 50%+. A Professor of Potions is a Rune Lord of Lhankor Mhy with all the normal benefits and obligations and may sacrifice for all of Torvald's spells, including his secret.

Grandmaster Alchemist:  A Grandmaster Alchemist must be the head of an Alchemists Guild division.  He must have at least 50 Alchemist followers.  Grandmaster Alchemists can learn all of Torvald’s spells at normal cost, regardless of their cult affiliation. Grandmaster Alchemists may also learn Torvald’s Secret.

CULT PERSONALITY SKILLS:  Obsessive, Detached

CULT SKILLS:  Brew Potion Base, Brew Poison, Brew Antidote, Brew Healing Potion

Brew Healing Potion (Manipulation Skill):  Healing potions require special ingredients that can be gathered via Plant Lore. Potions heal Skill/15. Each additional potion made in the same batch (provided sufficient ingredients) reduces the potency by 1. EXAMPLE: Trix Dangerfoe has a skill of 85%, enough to make a Heal 6 potion. In one batch, he can make 1 Heal 6 potion, 2 x Heal 5 potions, 3 x Heal 4 potions, 5 x Heal 2 potions or 6 xHeal 1 potions.

Brew Antidote (Manipulation Skill):  Antidotes require special ingredients that can be gathered via Plant Lore or Animal Lore.  Antidotes only work against the specific venom of the source ingredients. Antidotes include Scorpion (and Scorpionman) Antidote, Spider Antidote, Snake Antidote, Blade Venom Antidote, Elf Poison Arrow Antidote, etc. Antidotes have a potency = Skill/5. Each additional potion made in the same batch (provided sufficient ingredients) reduces the potency by 3.  EXAMPLE: Trix has a skill of 75%, enough to make a potency 15 antidote. In one batch, he can make 1 Pot 15 antidote, 2 x Pot 12 antidotes, 3 x Pot 9s, etc. On a crafting fumble, the alchemist is exposed to the source poison.

Brew Poison (Manipulation Skill):  Poisons require special ingredients that can be gathered via Plant Lore or Animal Lore.  Poisons have a potency = Skill/5. Each additional poison made in the same batch (provided sufficient ingredients) reduces the potency by 3, as per antidotes above. On a crafting fumble, the alchemist is exposed to the source poison. This creates an imbibable poison only. For contact poison (aka Blade Venom) see below.

Brew Potion Base (Manipulation Skill) Allows the crafter to brew a potion base. Ingredients for Potions are rare and expensive, usually costing approximately 50s per point of potency. Once the potion base if finished, the Alchemist can imbue it with IMBUE POTION. See below. Max spell power = Skill/15. Each additional potion made in the same batch (provided sufficient ingredients) reduces the potency by 1.  See Brew Healing Potion above. Each potion requires a separate casting of the spell, so brewing 3 Shimmer 4 potions cost 12 magic points and 600s.

TRUTH RUNE MAGIC

ENCHANT ALCHEMISTS STONE (Rune Magic, Ritual, One-Use, Stackable, 1 pt.)  This 24 hour long ritual creates an Alchemist’s Stone.  For each pt of the spell used, the resulting Stone adds +5% to all the Alchemist’s Brewing skills, so long as it is in her possession.  Later castings can increase the strength of the Stone, so 1 pt of Enchant Alchemist’s Stone can be used to turn a +15% Stone into a +20% Stone.  An Alchemist’s Stone is only usable by the Alchemist who created it.

IMBUE SPELL POTION (Rune Magic, Ritual, 3 pts) This spell must be cast on a dose of Potion Base created by the Brew Potion Base skill.  This allows the caster to imbue the Potion with a single spell, either Battle Magic or Divine, which is cast upon the drinker when the Potion is imbibed.  The caster must either know the spell himself or have the assistance of someone who does.  Magic points are spent normally and Divine spells are considered cast and must be recovered normally.  One-Use Divine spells are consumed. If the spell is harmful, it only works on a resistance check of the base strength vs POW of the imbiber. For this reason, spell potions are usually beneficial. Examples: Shimmer, Vigor, Protection, Countermagic, etc. The Base must have a potency of 1 for every point of Battle Magic or Sorcery imbued, 2 for every point of Divine Magic imbued.

IMBUE RESTORATIVE POTION (Rune Magic, Ritual, Stackable, 1 pt) This ritual takes an entire day.  The caster casts this spell on a Potion Base, then spends MPs equal to the potency of the Potion Base.  When drunk, the Restorative Potion will restore MPs equal to its potency.  MPs expended to make the Potion are regained normally. The caster may imbue multiple potion bases created in the same batch per the batch rules above, with the MP cost equal to the total points on the batch. So 1 x MP Restoring 6 Potion costs 6 MP,  but 3 x Restore 4 Potion cost 12 MP. Also, each additional potion costs 1 extra point of IMBUE RESTORATIVE POTION.

REFINE BLADE VENOM (Rune Magic, Ritual, Stackable, 1 pt)  This spell must be case on a single dose of poison and takes 24 hours to cast.  It turns the poison into Blade Venom.  Blade Venom may be applied to any weapon with cutting or puncturing surfaces (including spiked or phlanged maces or mauls).  If the weapon strikes a living target and does damage, the Poison affects the target as if it had been ingested, with the same potency and delay (generally 1d4+1 rounds).  Each extra point allows for the creation of an additional dose during the same ritual.

TORVALD'S SECRET

(Stasis Rune Magic)

BREW ELIXER OF LIFE (Rune Magic, Ritual, One-Use, 3 pts)  The Alchemist must have an Alchemist’s Stone to cast this spell.  Through intense concentration and focus and over the course of an entire week, the Alchemist creates a potion that has two basic effects.  If drunk by a living person, that person will not age for a number of seasons equal to the potency of the potion (potency = Alchemist’s Brew Potion Base skill/5).  Alternatively, the Alchemist can pour the potion into the mouth of a recently dead person.  So long as the person is only mostly dead (dead for less than the Elixer’s potency in hours and the body is relatively whole, head, chest and abdomen attached to each other and with at least 1 positive HP each), the person will return to life. If the corpse had negative HP,  the revived target will have 1 total HP. If the caster fumbles his Brew Potion Base skill while casting this spell, he dies instantly and the spell fails and is lost. On a crit, the Elixer is created and the spell may be regained as if it were reusable, without additional POW sacrifice.

Edited June 4, 2019 by RHW
Edits per peer review.

[RHW]

Here are my last bits and pieces for Lhankor Mhy. Note that I didn't do rules for LH sorcery since it wasn't really a thing when I wrote this.

Less adventurous subcults:

THE GRAY ONES

One of Lhankor Mhy’s mainstream subcults.  These are the dusty guys in the great libraries.  They say Shhh a lot.

CULT SKILLS:  Craft Map, Memorize Details

LITERACY RUNE SPELLS:  Copy Text Perfectly, Draw Accurately, Dry Ink, Erase Error, Illuminate Text Beautifully

SECRET:  Show Me the Way

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LHANKOR KNOWING

The other mainstream Lhankor Mhy subcult.  God of Judges and Lawspeaker and Lawyers. What do you call fifty Lhankor Knowing initiates at the bottom of the Marsh?  A good start!  Worth noting, Lhankor Knowing’s Secret makes people tell the truth whether they want to or not.  Other than that?  Lawyers, blech, who needs ‘em? 

________________________________________________________________________

LHANKOR MHY HERO CULTS

Lhankor Mhy has a handful of hero cults.  The most well-known (to adventurers anyway) is:

DILFAR DEEPSIGHTED

REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN:  Always charge 20s to cast Analyze Magic, even to your friends, your clan, your family or yourself (Since Priests tithe 90% of profits to the cult, pay 18s to the cult when you cast it for yourself).

KNOWLEDGE RUNE MAGIC:  Analyze Magic

TRUTH RUNE MAGIC

ANALYZE MAGIC (Rune Magic, Touch, Instant, Stackable, 1 pt.)  This spell gives one true statement per point about the magical function of the touched magic item, entity, or substance. 

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LHANKOR MHY’S SPIRIT OF REPRISAL

Lhankor Mhy’s Spirit of Reprisal is the Knowledge Eater.  This is a spirit which attempts to possess the offender.  If successful, the Knowledge Eater destroys 1 rank of a random Knowledge Skill known by the offender per day.  This lost Knowledge cannot be restored, only relearned.  The Knowledge Eater continues to destroy Knowledge until it is either exorcised, the offender repents and makes compensation, or it destroys all ranks of Knowledge skills known by the offender.

The easiest ways to offend Lhankor Mhy are lying to fellow cultists or destroying knowledge.  Some people theorize that Knowledge Eaters were used to destroy the God Learners’ Secret at the end of the Second Age. 

Edited June 7, 2019 by RHW