Environments

This section contains the rules for weird environments and examples of environmental features. These could be as simple as thin air at a great height or as complex as the environment of an outer planes of reality.

Altitude

The altitude charts assume a normal oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere. This can be useful in an alpine adventure or be critical if the referee decides to use bizarre topologies for a world, like what the natives of Edgar Rice Burrough's Venus series thought their world was shaped like. The various effects are cumulative as altitude increases.

There are several effects the above penalties can have. First of all, if a character's speed reaches -12 they are effectively paralyzed. They may crawl at a rate of 1" per round but not move normally, fight, or otherwise use their skills and powers. Second, any skill requiring the use of stamina or substantial strength, e.g. spell casting or blacksmithing, takes the same penalty as the penalty to hit bonuses. Anything that requires stamina when the character does not have stamina requires an unconsciousness save at -5 per missing stamina in addition to other penalties - remember the one stamina required for most spells.

The referee may wish to add other high altitude effects, hallicinations, visions, whatever.

Avalanches

These rules cover three sorts of avalanches, snow, mud, and rock. A character in the path of an avalanche may try to get out of the way. If he fails, roll on this table. The referee assigns a severity of the avalanch from 1-20. Roll this many d6 to get the severity modifier added to the roll on the avalanche table. This is rolled once for a given avalanche. The character(s) then make an agility save. The amount they make this save by is subtracted from the roll on the avalanche table. The character rolls each round they are in the avalanche. I denotes impact damage, C denotes cold damage. Effects a cumulative at thier level of first occurance and beyond. Getting out of the avalanche may be accomplished if topography allows. The referee should permit luck and or agility saves to permit escape or movement toward the edge of the avalanche. A character may also get buried, but this is left to the referee.

Extreme Cold

Extreme cold means environmental cold. The following table gives the degree at which a character takes dice of cold damage per minute when out in substantial cold. The character gets cold armor against this damage.

The following modifiers apply.

• A damp character acts as if the temperature is 4d6 lower, roll once.

• An character drenched with water acts as if the temperature is 8d6 lower, roll once.

• A naked (human) character acts as if the temperature is 4d6 lower, roll once.

• A character in warm clothing acts as if the temperature is higher by an amount equal to their constitution.

• A character in winter clothing adds twice their constitution to the temperature.

• A character in carefully designed artic clothing adds three times their constitution to the apparent temperature.

• recall that shelter modifies wind velocity.

Falling

A character that falls will take impact damage, or damage appropriate to the landing area, when he lands. If the character makes an agility save at -5 per inch fallen it goes versus stamina first, otherwise it is applied against overall impact armor and goes against hitpoints. The damage is as follows, rounding real distance normally. Subtract one inch of ``distance'' per three points the character makes an agility save by if falling into water. Diving skill may be used as a complimentary skill roll.

Herbs, Berries, and Plants

Name: Shrike Berry
Type: Magically created plant.
Description:

Shrike berry is a modification of a naturally thorny bush. It is easy to train into hedges. The leaves are dark green, the berries light green ripening to white, flowers are small and yellow, and the thorns are huge doing 2d6+1 of point damage, +d6 per inch of knock-back into the thorns. The magical modification is that the thorns secrete poison. It is insinuative doing 3d6 at 3d6 per round, stamina first, save to half damage. If a thorn is broken off of the plant it loses about d6 of potency per hour. The berries are bitter and have little virtue but are not poisonous. Shrike berry gains its name from the fact that shrikes love it as a place to store their prey. The plant breeds true and grows in temperate low and middle altitudes.

Tricks and Traps

This section contains examples of various traps and tricks that can be used when designing adventure modules. Some are for traditional adventures in a dungeon, others for town and country. Some are intended to showcase rules while pushing the envelop, others are quite simple. Take what you need and feel free to contribute cute ideas.

Name: Arch of Release
Type: Active, magical.
Description:

An arch of release is an arch or doorway with a Release spell put into it with a Shell spell. The release is triggered by opening the door. In a 3" radius, magic items release one charge of the spell nearest the top of their action diagram. Magic items with minds may make a stress save to resist the release spell. Spells for which this mode of triggering is inappropriate roll spell failure. The Arch of Release must be recast, but can be cast with some fixed number of activation before it runs out.

Name: Bar of Glass
Type: Passive, magical.
Description:

This trap requires a diagonal hole bored through a door into the frame. A glass cylinder, shorter than the hole, is inserted into it. The door is intended not to be opened except as a trap or else the glass must be drawn out with some power like telekinesis. The glass is easy to break. The glass has had a demon imprisoned in it with a bind demon spell. If the door is forced, the glass cylinder will break and release the demon. Selection of the demon is left to the referee, but an Arachnox might be a good choice.

Name: Contagious Floor
Type: Active, magical.
Description:

This trap requires an illusionist with the set piece Crystalize . It is cast on a quartz or otherwise crystaline stone in a cobbled floor and lasts until triggered. It causes the first person who steps upon the stone to appear to crystalize into stone the same color as the stone in the floor. The effect spreads slowly, about one inch per round, doing damage at a speed of 2d6+6 each round. The damage is 4d6 of magic damage, as per an illusion pain spell with a bonus of +30 versus perceptual integrity. There is an ominous crackling/creaking sound and a smell of blood and ozone. The texture of the transformed area matches the stone the set piece is bound to. To make the whole effect more annoying a Fool Arcane Senses component of the illusion makes the jem smell as if it has earth magic on it, not illusion. At the end of the duration, 6 rounds, all the effects fade. The duration can be doubled for each +1 mana. This trap must be recast to reset.

Name: Druid's Fireplace
Type: Passive, magical.
Description:

This trap appears as a sheltered camp-fire or, in an indoor setting, a fireplace with a fire laid. One of the logs is enchanted with the spell Exploding Stump from woodland lore. If the fire is lit, the log explodes 2d3 rounds after it ignites. The explosion does d100 points of impact damage in a 3" radius, 10 points less per +1".

Name: Exploding Flying Carpet
Type: magical.
Description:

This trap is a combination of a flying carpet and a big boom rug. The basic item is a flying carpet that can carry 360 kilos of stuff at 9"/round. When a trigger condition is met the rug explodes doing 12d6 of fire damage to itself and 9d6 in an 8" radius. This destroys the carpet which falls away as burning scraps and threads. The explosion is typically concealed so that careful examination (e.g. an Assay) is needed to detect it. This requires a very high level mage, e.g. a Stealth Item spell which is rank 6 in item smithy. The trigger varies but is typically selected to permit the rug to function as an assasination weapon.

Name: Explosive woodwork
Type: magical.
Description:

This trap has two parts, a small piece of wood, the trigger, and a larger piece that functions as a bomb. The trigger and the bomb are cut from the same piece of wood, linked by an Interspatial Wood spell. The bomb is then treated with a bombwood spell. The effect is that, if the trigger is ignited, the bomb explodes 2d3 rounds later, doing d100 of impact in a 3" radius. This trap can be employed in a number of ways. Consider puttying the trigger in a torch, for example. This trap requires a Wood Lore alchemist able to throw two rank four spells.

Name: False sword
Type: Passive, mechanical+magical.
Description:

This trap requires both skill with manufacturing physical objects and the ability to make powerful potions. The mechanical part of this trap is a bottle shaped like a sword, with the cork or stopper being the hilt. The sword is hung on the wall so that it is natural to pull it off the wall by the hilt. When the attempt is made the hilt comes off with a ``pop'' and the potion is released. The poition can either be something gassified and obnoxious or a distilled creature. In either case, gas pours out of the sword causing chaos. A gassified creature condenses in a round from gas - use a suprise save to check and see if a reaction is feasible.

Name: Flagstones of Justinian
Type: Passive, magical.
Description:

This devisement combines absorption with gassification to whacky result. The Flagstones of Justin are the invention of a nefarious alchemist with skill in both essences and potions. A gassified potion is absorbed into a flagstone with the trigger condition for release that someone other than the alchemist walk on the stone. Roll on the table below or select an appropriate flagstone for the amusement and early death of your players.

5 The mixed laughter and ill resolve potion drain 5d6 from the victim's stress save and then for them to save versus stress of laugh. This laughter can kill: the character can only defend themselves at -30 or half elusivness (whichever is smaller). The save comes back one per round after ten minutes. 7 Paralysis potion dains d6 speed per round fo 6 rounds from all non spirit speeds. The drained speed comes back at one per ten minutes. 8 Berserker potion makes a person go bersek, as the skill, if they get in a fight. It induces an agreesion that lasts 3d6x10 minutes. 9 The mixed panic and ill resolve potion drain 5d6 from the victim's stress save and then for them to save versus stress or panic. If possible a panicing individual will flee but they may fight in an insane manner if cornered. The save comes back one per round after 10 minutes. 11 The potion of clumsiness drains 10d6 from the victim's agility save. It comes back at 1 per round after 40 minutes. 11 The potion of glass jaw drains 8d6 from the victim's agility save. It comes back at 1 per round after 20 minutes.

Name: Flour, twice: Room trap
Type: Passive, mechanical, complex.
Description:

This trap is a barrier between everything else and uninhabited rooms that might contain something. The room exploits natural features of the world to work and should have two doors, entrance and exit. A lit candle in the room beyond the exit is required. There is an odd smell near the door, like rotten eggs. Once the entrance is open the room displays a jet of flame (natural gas jet) coming from a crack in the floor, enough to light and warm the room, and shelves on both walls without doors, just above head height. On the shelves are burlap sacks. A clever device rigged to the exit door with ropes will cast the bags down from the shelves if the exit door is opened. The rope is concealed in a channel cut into the boards, covered with bee's wax, and varnished to match the shelves.

The bags are slit on the side against the wall and full of fine flour. If one or more are pulled down or cast down abruptly the will *poof* out flour and the natural gas jet will ignite and explosion doing 8d6 fire damage and 6d6 impact damage. The explosion also blows out the natural gas jet. If it is re-ignited immediately, intentionally or by burning objects blow waist level, there is no problem. The gas builds up 2d6 of potential fire damage per round until it reaches eight. At round two an unconsciousness save (natural gas replacing air) at +30 is requires. At round three a normal unconsciousness save is required. At round four, just before the explosion, an unconsciousness save at -15 is required. At that point the lit candle beyond the exit door will ignite the gas, re-lighting the jet.

This trap was used with spectacular success at a role playing club at the University of Kansas in 1982. A player first dragged a sack down and then later opened the exit door, setting off the flour explosion and the reignition explosion twice each. Many thanks to Kevin McCaan for exposing the true potential of this trap.

Name: French Door
Type: Passive, Mechanical.
Description:

This trap is named in honor of the gullotine incorporated into it. This door appears as an iron bound oak door. It may be locked or not but when opened the gullotin is ready. Stepping on a pressure plate under the position of the door when shut trips the gullotin. The gullotin does d100 points of edge damage, agility save to half damage, with half again for each 30 the save is made by. This trap requires about five minutes and two stong (size zero) creatures to reset.

Name: Joy Knob
Type: Active, Magical.
Description:

This trap requires an air mage who can cast (or has an item that casts) Bind Lightning and the spell Shock. It permits a metal doorknob to deliver a 6d6 electrical shock when the knob is touched. Note that this requires a roughly a rank 5 mage (to get the spells off) and yet is non-lethal. The two reasons this trap might get set are (i) the mage merely wishes to discourage people or (ii) a low ranking mage got ahold of an item with bind lighting in it and this is the best he can do. This spell must be recast to reset.

Name: Kurien's Torch
Type: Passive, Magical.
Description:

Kurien's Torch is a normal torch first treated with a 10 mana Aconsumption spell that lets it burn for 32 days before burning down in the normal fashion. After the aconsumption is placed in it a Bind Fire is used to place a burning wind in it. The condition for triggering the burning wind is for the torch to be extinguished or burn down. The burning wind is 10" long, 3" wide, and does 8d6 forcing an agility save or CET. Since no mage is available to concentrate on the burning wind it forms and disperses. The direction can be set accurately if the torch is not moved but is randomized if the torch is moved.

Name: Pit I
Type: Passive, mechanical.
Description:

This pit is covered with a fur rug, about three feet across, and is 3" deep. Lead weights are sewn into the edge of the rug to keep the fur from sliding into the pit. If a player character steps on or across the rug they must save versus agility; cautious characters make a normal save, walking characters save at -30, charging or fighting characters save at -60. If enemies that are familiar with the pit are in the area, alert characters may make a perception save to notice the enemies are avoiding the rug. The pit has sharp, rusty iron spikes at its bottom that do 5d6 point damage direct to hits. Roll d6 (1-3 one spike, 4-5 two spikes, 6 three spikes) and roll hit location for the spikes. A character taking hitpoint damage from a spike gets a chance to have tetanus, described in the section on diseases.

Name: Roof Trap
Type: Passive, Mechanical.
Description:

This is a very simple and traditional trap. A pressure plate on the floor releases a large rock in the celling. Depending on the size of the rock it does 8d6 to 16d6 of impact damage. A surprise save at -0 to -20 (depending on the subtlety of the trigger) makes the damage stamina first. The damage is direct to hits if the character fails the surprise save. The honest referee will work out how the trap was set and will be reset. An interesting monster may suffice.

Name: Thanatic Moss
Type: Passive, magical, complex.
Description:

This trap requires that a powerful alchemist do something medium stupid. The idea is to modify moss with potion venom (vital alchemistry) using the potion (elixir of undead, gasified) and then ratify the modification to be heritable. By referee's privilege this turns the moss somewhat undead and so intolerant of the least amount of sunlight. This in turn requires it develop an alternate food source, in this case heat. The result is a moss that emits a pale blue fog occasionally (different patches of the moss at different times if a continuous supply is required by the scenario's plot). This fog has the effects of elixir of undead. In brief it heals undead and restores stamina to the living with a shock save or turn undead for each health healed. This latter function, involuntary return of health with some danger of becoming undead, is the essence of the trap. Details are in Alchemistry : Potions. By fiat this moss is highly flammable and creates poison smoke of a grade to be determined by the referee when it burns.

Name: Wrong Way Door
Type: Passive, mechanical.
Description:

This trap appears as a wooden door with a handle. If the handle is firmly grasped the door can be slid into the wall to the left (there is a recess for the handle). Pulling out or pushing in on the door triggers a spray of flammable oil. If the party is using torches, it will ignite doing 3d6-5d6 to those in front of the door, damage decreasing d6/round. If the party is not using torches the oil will merely require agility saves to hold weapons and move faster than a walk.

Shops

This section contains examples of shops that your referee may wish to include in his campaign.

Big Boom Doors

Owed by Big Boom Bob, a retired adventurer, Big Boom Doors is a security firm. Their specialty, as one might deduce, is exploding doors. Exploding doors are not their only product, however. They also make exploding rugs and treasure chests. Thier technicians can enchant an existing door or chest at your site and they also stock rugs and small and medium chests at their sales location. Echoing the wisdom of Mr. Henry Ford who said ``The customer can have any color he wants as long as its black'', the explosion in a big boom door is always a fireball. A big boom product is created using a bind fire spell and a fireball spell. The only things that vary are the size of the fireball, the trigger conditions, and the option of fireproofing the item. The item, trigger conditions, and size of fireball are filled in on an order form before the product is ordered. Big boom doors does sell a couple of other products: fireproofing and extinguishment services.

Order Form, Big Boom Door
Client Name:
Delivery To:
Item:	Door	Chest	Box	Rug	Other
(check one)
Boom Condition
(may not be
too complex)
Boom Size	Big	Bigger	Extra	Super	Supreme
(check one)
Fireproofing
(number)
Salesman
					Paid
Price

Rock bottom prices for big boom items are given below. The salesman gets half the amount above rock bottom that he charges a customer and so products are almost never sold at rock bottom prices.

The extinguishment device douses all natural fires in a 10" radius when it is exposed to temperatures a third higher than a really hot summer day. Fire proofing can be aplied to the boom item or other nearby items and lasts indefinitely.

The Sign of the Violet Toad

The sign of the violet toad is the retail outlet of the alchemist's guild. The proprietor is Algram Berzelius an elderly but skillful alchemist. The building is made of solid blocks of stone, mortar laid. It has an entrance on the street of weavers and a shop open to the public. The potions are all sealed and most are correctly made. A door from the shop opens into a store room with more of what's in the stock room and a bed from the shop-master. An arch from the stockroom leads into a lab area which has one vault-like door and two arches. The lab area has a couple of workbenches and a good work setup for two alchemists; mostly things are not made here except for special orders. The alchemical setup doubles as a kitchen. There is a hearth on the side of the lab across from the entrance. The vault-like door leads into the strong room where really cool potions, cash, and anything purchased at the shop but not identified is kept. The arches lead into a pair of store rooms. The left one is cold, closed with a heavy curtain and kept cold with blocks of ice. The right one is kept very dry and tends to have a couple of open trays of dessicants as well as many corked bottles of alchemical substances.

The shop has a number of potions and candles they sell as a matter of course, some that may be special ordered, and some that are occasionally available. The lists of potions given below are the ones normally kept in stock. Potions costing 500 or more silvers are kept in a very secure strong room. Any potion on the lists may be special ordered, in theory, if the ingredients are available and a price and delivery time can be agreed with the shopkeeper. If the seal on a potion is broken its spoilage time begins to pass. Any potion has a percentage chance of being good. Roll at the time of purchase, bad potions require the referee to read the description of the potion in potions and figure out a spell failure. Some potions are sold to anyone, others a sold only to guild members. There are also customer badges, earned by being a loyal customer or by bringing in something for sale the guild really wants to buy. These badges are ``good'' and ``excellent'' customer badges. They are made of steel with complex designs on them that identify and describe the customer. These badges are given at the discretion of the shopkeeper, Algram Berzelius, or guildmaster. Guild members may buy those things available to good or excellent customers.

The potions, oils, and essences sold to anyone are almost always in stock. Putting them out of stock requires that something go seriously wrong, e.g. very heavy demand. There are age limits on a few potions; Love Potion is sold only to those who appear to be 16 or older, for example.

Oil of wounding and sharpness are not sold to those who have been branded by a sherrif for brawling, evn if they are good customers. All these items are likely to be in stock. Essential gold is often solf to businessmen that are not yet good customers.

The items for excellent customers are in stock about half the time. They can be special ordered in a matter of a day or two.

There are items, sympathetic with potions, that are difficult to obtain. The following is a list of things that the proprietor of the sign of the violet toad is always looking for. Typically anything that might spoil must be fresh or magically preserved.

Potion Stall

This is the description of a generic potion stall run by an alchemist who cannot yet afford a real shop. It assumes he knows the area of potions and it helps if he knows some other things. The stand has a table in back with a couple of unfolding case-shelves, a counter in front with shelves at the height of the proprietor's knees, and a tent with wooden poles over everything to supply security (mostly from the weather). Unlike the sign of the violet toad or big boom doors, this shop is run by a player character. The player rolls and the referee interprets as best they can. Many of these encounters are hooks into an adventure. Roll 5d6 to start and then look up the result.

beginquotation

5 A powerful customer who is ignorant of alchemistry wants a dose of elixir viti. Half the time he will not know its proper name.

If the alchemist is able to fill the order the customer will offer 2000+10xd100 silvers for the dose. He may bargain a little but is desperate. Every time the alchemist attempts to bargain roll a stress save for the customer. If the customer makes the save he agrees to at least a modest increase. If the customer blows the save he tries to think of a way to take the elixir viti away. This will depend on who he is and what resources he has. A powerful warrior might draw his sword, a town councilor might threaten or hire thugs.

If the alchemist is unable to fill the order the customer makes a stress save at +30. If he makes the save he leaves politely. If he blows the save by less than thirty the customer is bitter and mean. If he blows it by more than thirty then threats or an attempt to search the stall will occur.

6 A customer wanting to play a joke tomorrow asks the alchemist for a sealed vial of laughing potion.

If the alchemist is able to fill the order by the following morning the customer will offer 50+3d6 silvers and can be bargained up another 2d6. He will be moderately persistent about trying to purchase the potion. If the alchemist is unable to fill the order the customer will derisively ask is an alchemist for the name of someone who knows how to brew simple potions.

7 A customer who looks an awful lot like a vampire will come by either on a very cloudy day or just after sunset. He will ask the alchemist, using all sorts of circumlocutions, for elixir of undeath. It is up to the referee to determine if the customer is in fact undead or just dressing to intimidate. The elixir is made using a ritual, not an alchemical spell.

If the alchemist is able to fill the order the customer will offer to buy the elixir for a good price, 6d6 hundreds of silvers, and bargain up at least some. He may also come back.

If the alchemist is unable to fill (or understand) the order the customer will suggest strongly that the alchemist learn how to make some or learn to sleep with his eyes open. The threat may or may not be empty.

8 A drunken customer with a visible full purse wants a healing potion ``just in case something goes wrong later''. He's not up to anything, he's just drunk.

If the alchemist is able to fill the order the customer will pay d100 percent too much for the potion (check with the referee for the market price). If the alchemist is unable to fill the order the customer will insist on buying something and will not leave until he has it. Payment for something is pretty random.

9 Local thieves try to rob the stand. Their level of competence is left to the referee. They may try a distract and grab, slit the canvas and sneak in, or just ask to look at a potion and then run like crazy. If they get something they will take it to the local fence.

10 A customer who is either a mage or a mages flunky comes by wanting a Eumana potion boosted to last at least 5 hours (that's +5 mana for 32x duration).

If the alchemist is able to fill the order the customer will offer 100+5d6 silver and thanks. The price is firm but so is the thanks. If the alchemist is unable to fill the order then the customer will express regrets, ask for the name of someone else who might be able to fill the order, and depart quickly.

11 A deformed or diseased beggar comes to the stall asking for alms.

Any amount of money, even a brass farthing (1/4 penny), will cause him to depart. Food or drink may work in a similar manner. Failure to pay or demonstrate other charity will cause him to stay, begging and scaring off foot traffic until the alchemist caves in, makes a credible threat, or until the watch come buy.

 
 3 - 2d6 ghoul's claws.   
 4 - A vial of vampire dust. 
 5 - Giant insect chitin, a large  
     chunk of beetle carapace. 
 6 - A basket of St. John's worts. 
 7 - A basket of flowers of sulphur. 
 8 - A bundle of bay leaves. 
 9 - A bundle of dried willow bark. 
10 - A basket of oyster shells. 
11 - A basket of cherry pits,  
     carefully cleaned and dried. 
12 - 2d6 grams of small, flawed opals. 
13 - The skin of a weasle 
14 - d3 small blind fish in a bucket. 
14 - A basket of giant ant stings. 
16 - A vial containing d6 lark's tounges. 
17 - A vial of fire elemental ichor. 
18 - A vial of air elemental icor. 

13 The watch, a d6+1 man group led by a corporal or sergeant, comes by to inspect the stall. They are angling for a bribe and will intimidate potential customers, aggressively check permits, and generally act obnoxious until bribed or credibly threatened. Acceptable bribes include silver enough for one each and three for the leader, a potion of love or healing.

14 A young gentleman will come in demanding a love potion right away to make the most wonderful girl he's ever seen pay him proper attention.

If the alchemist is able to fill the order promptly the young man will pay 50+2d6 x 10 silvers (a high price) and depart. If the alchemist is unable to fill the order the young may will try to talk him into it for a while and then leave.

15 The local mob, thieves guild, or whatever will come by and demand protection money. Not much, they will be satisfied with 3d6 silvers. If you don't pay what happens is kind of variable.

16 A customer wants a healing potion and can pay fill price.

17 A customer wants something from the chart below (see the poison rules for details) and can pay full price. This is profitable but probably not something the watch would approve of.

 
1 - Barmaid's Virtue 
2 - Endotoxin 
3 - Tummy ache tonic 
4 - Assasian's friend 
5 - Dart dip 
6 - Ghoul Claw 

If the alchemist can fill the order he closes a deal, if he cannot then a luck save is needed. If the luck save is blown by 30 or more then the customer will become obstreperous, threatening or arguing with the alchemist as if he has the goods.

18 Customer wants something from the chart below and will pay the price given, can be talked up to 10 percent more. On a 5 or 6 on d6 they will want the potion sealed (+50 silvers to the price). They will be polite if the alchemist cannot supply the potion.

 
 1 - Healing potion, 75+3d6x5. 
 2 - Poison antidote I, 25+3d6x5. 
 3 - Strength potion, 75+3d6x5. 
 4 - Potion of Warmth, 50+5x5d6. 
 5 - A pot of glue, 10+2d6 silver. 
 6 - Smelling potion, 20+3d6x5 silver. 

19 A customer comes in to ask about a large complex order that's supposed to be ready. He has a fat purse. Turns out its an order for a different alchemist.

20 A young lady comes by (roll below) and wants to purchase a love potion. She will not be difficult if the alchemist cannot supply the goods.

 
 1 - Young noble woman, 100+d100  
     silvers offered, a small  
     increase can be negotiated  
     but not too much. 
 2 - Goodwife seeking to fire up her  
     husband, she offers 5d6+10 silvers  
     and has no more. 
 3 - Beautiful but ragged woman, has  
     only 10+2d6 silver, really cute,  
     really wants the potion. 
 4 - Older woman, looks wealthy,  
     embarrassed to be there.  Will  
     offer 80+5d6 silver and can be  
     talked up but only if done  
     quickly. 
 5 - Very angry looking woman, pretty  
     good looking, and dressed as a  
     harlot.  Plans to use the potion  
     for revenge, offers 30+5d6 silver,  
     can be talked up another 5d6. 
 6 - Young, homely woman, offers  
     20+3d6 silver and has no more. 

21 A customer wants the alchemist to gassify a sealed vial of poison he has with him. He will pay 200+3d6x30 silvers for the service and will leave quickly if refused. The alchemist may use brew poison skill (if he has it) to identify the poison: 1-3 Endotoxin, 4-5 Fogel's venom, 6 Ladrack.

22 A customer wants two sealed annular potion of ill resolve, made annular for them self. The will pay 500+5d6x10 silvers for the pair.

23 A former customer will come in and demand a refund for a potion that did not work, usually a healing potion, sometimes love. The customer is lying, somewhat transparently, but will be loud and obnoxious unless the caster can muster some intimidation.

24 A member of the watch comes by in a fluster and says he needs a healing potion right now because one of his fellow watchman is down and first aid didn't quite turn the trick (true). He also has about four coppers. If the alchemist doesn't have a potion then the watchman will run off. If the alchemist gives him a healing potion he will give the alchemist a token. The token can either be redeemed, reluctantly, for 50 silver (``that's the standard price for the watch'') or may be used to get the watch to take your side, skip a shakedown, etc. A luck save will also generate gratitude.

25 A somewhat crazed looking young gentleman will come in requesting a berserker potion. He can describe the effects but does not know the name of it. He has a purse with 100+5d6 silvers in it and will offer this on arrival. It's all the money he has and if the deal if not closed quickly he will flee.

26 A wealthy looking gentleman comes in and offers 400+5x5d6 silver for a vial of aphrodisiac. If the alchemist cannot manage it the gentleman leaves. If the alchemist can manage it the gentleman pays and may well come back for more.

27 An accident befalls the stand. Maybe a brawl, maybe a runaway cart, but each vial of potion in the stand needs to make a save equal to the alchemist's luck save +30 or get broken.

28 A local fence comes by with a vial of elixir viti. He's never seen it before and wants to know what it is. Potions casting roll at -30 to recognize it.

29 A lean fit customer dressed in black with long drooping mustaches will drop by at night (or in contained haste) and ask to buy a dose of black lotus. He will pay 1000+d100x10 silvers. If the alchemist cannot supply the item he will fade away into the marketplace with a threatening look.

30 A completely ignorant yokel comes in with a sealed crystal vial of black lotus. He found it in the mud on a road just outside of town. He's come to ask the alchemist what it is. The stopper on the vial actually has a small black lotus flower enameled into it. The alchemist will probably recognize it (use any excuse) as at least a deadly poison.

endquotation

Starting Magic

The color rules contain all the semi-optional stuff that a referee may or may not want. This section contains starting magic items that characters may buy with initial design points. Some of them duplicate example magic items from the mage rules, some are things that can only be made by accident. Each comes with a design point cost. These character, it the referee permits, may purchace initial magic items from this section. The character's conception must have a reason that the character has the item. These can span a wide range and may lead to other disadvantages. If the item is stolen from a master or past employer, for example, that employer may be an enemy. If the item is really cool it may cuase the character to be viewed as treasure. If the item was stollen from the cult of the spider god, well, you get the idea. Here are the items.

Flask of Unending Vileness
Spells : Regenerating Food+Draft of Annoyance-Vanity+Spell Failure.
Type : Permanent.
Mana : 30.
Intrinsic Save : 150.
Activation Points : 30.
Complexity : 6.
Source of Complexity : permanent item.
Action Diagram : Function continuously.
Cost as starting item : 1 point.
Description :

Originally created to be a tool of pleasure and diplomacy for a great emperor, the flask of unending vileness is a everfull beaker gone wrong. It is silver with a complex logo engraved on it and posesses an ornate stopper. As government projects often do, this one got out of hand. The project included Drafts of Annoyance, Camaraderie, Embarrassment, Euphoria, Honesty, Indigestion, Loathing, Loquacity, Sorrow, Thirst, and Vanity (see Gustomancy), as well as a variety of drinks. There was supposed to be an ability to sense what the person pouring the vial wanted as well a system for making sure there was always something to regenerate. The thing was too complex and a spell failure transformed the flask so that it pours out fluids at random. Roll 6d6 on the following table. The flask can be poured from safely every five minutes or so and produces a mugful, i.e. one dose of beer, two of wine, three of hard liquor, and four of everclear. The various gustomancy draft require an additional roll, and you can get multiple drafts superimposed that way. The number of drinks refers to the amount of alchohol for purposes of computing dunkeness, see the section on addictions.

Sword, +1.
Spells : Rune of Wounding, Rune of Accuracy.
Type : Permanent.
Mana : 6.
Intrinsic Save : 30.
Activation Points : 6.
Complexity : 0.
Source of Complexity : none, rune based permanent item.
Action Diagram : function continuously.
Cost as starting item : 5 points.
Description :

This magic item is a modification of a standard blade, adding +1 damage and +5 to hit to the weapon. It has no other properties. This item would enter play as an heirloom of the character's family.

Making Poison

The skill brew poison allows a character to brew poisons but does not actually detail how this is done. Those rules are explained in this section of the color rules. A character with brew poison skill may learn new poisons by expending a number of DPs equal to three times the nominal brewing time of a poison. Inventing a poison requires a skill roll equal to the character's brew poison roll for that poison and takes a number of DPs equal to eight times the nominal brewing time of the posion.

Specifying a Poison

A poison is defined by several statistics listed below. Antidotes may be brewed with brew poison skill and with similar minuses to those used to brew the poison; use the intensity and speed of the poison, but not it's type or special effects modifiers. Modifiers for rarity or perishibility of ingredients may or may not affect antidotes. Some poisons don't have antidotes.

Intensity

A poison's intensity is the total amount of damage it does in d6s. The dice done per round require that you also know the poison's speed. As long as a poison does less that fifteen dice per round, you do the damage in d6's. Any round in which a poison does 15d6 or more of damage per round the poison does d100 for each 15d6 with leftover dice done in d6's. This rule is intended to increase the variability of very powerful poisons.

Speed

Speed is the rate at which a poison does damage in dice per unit time as shown on the speed table. Speeds vary in both dice and time units and the referee may wish to interpolate.

Slow Poisons

Posions with speed I-V are called slow poisons . They do their damage slowly enough that the character could recover from their per-time period damage, completely overriding them, by regaining stamina or hits at the usual rate. When being affected by a slow poison a character cannot recover the type of damage they are currently taking. A slow poison can thus prevent a character from recovereing stamina or hits so long as the poison has done at least one point of such damage. Spells that restore stamina or hitpoints (not spells that accellerate healing or regaining stamina) function normally in the face of slow poison.

Fast Poisons

Poisons with speed VI or more are fast poisons . They do damage faster than a character can naturally recover from it and so are simply allowed to do their per round damage as other damage is done. They do not block healling. Note that a cocktail of slow and fast poison may be extra leathal.

Brewing Modifier

A brewing difficulty which is a modifier to the Brew Poison skill roll. It is computed with the tables given in the next section.

Extra Dose Modifier

An extra dose modifier, which is the modifier to the poison skill roll per dose after the first. The extra dose brewing roll is one twenty-fifth the brewing roll penalty of the poison to a maximum of -8 per extra dose and a minimum of -1 per ten extra doses.

Brewing Time

This is the amount of time it takes to make a poison. Brewing time is stated as a setup time plus a time per extra dose. Normally a poison takes a number of DPs equal to one tenth its brewing roll penalty but for each multiplier of 1.1 to the DPs required for the brewing roll (which must drive the time up by at least 1 DP) may be made 5 better. These modifiers are used last, after all others. Time per extra dose is one tenth the brewing time with a minimum of one per 8 doses and a maximum of 5 per added dose.

Poison Type

A poison's type is tied to its method of application, ingestive, insinuative, inhalitive, or contact, and to its way of doing damage, not at all, stamina only, stamina first, or direct to hits. Poison that does no damage is used for its side effects. A poison may have multiple types, e.g. ingestive and insinuative. Contact poison is automatically considered ingestive and insinuative.

Ingestive Poison

Ingestive poison is typically applied by concealing it in food and must be eaten to have an effect. The skill food taster is relevant. Ingestive poison may also be poured into a victims throat if they are entirely within their tormentors power. If takes a few d3's of rounds for ingestive poison to have an effect after consumption.

Insinuative Poison

Insiuative poison is typically harmless if eaten, unless the person that consumes it has open sores in their mouth of some such. To have its effect it must be inserted in the victim by a blow that does hitpoint damage. Typically insinuative poison goes on the blade of a knife of the tip of an arrow.

Inhallative Poison

Inhallative poison must be inhaled to have an effect. After a container is opened or activated (by uncorking, heating it, etc.) it fills roughly a radius of one hex per dose and lasts about 3d6 rounds. It is tricky to use inhallative poison correctly.

Contact Poison

Contact poison works by touching bare skin or permeable covererings. It is oftem placed on doorknobs, items of treasure, or glasses or silverwear. Typically is can poison one person and then a luck save is needed to have it have effect again.

Saving Throw Type and Modifier

A poison may have a save to no damage, half damage, or no save at all as well as potentially having a modifier to the saving throw. When making up a poison the ingredients, the cost of ingredients, the finished product cost, and the spoilage time and decay path should be specified as well. It is nice if the poison's color, odor, and other miniutia are also specified to enhance the simulation of reality in play.

Details of Brewing

When brewing a poison, you get the ingredients, set up your lab, and have at it. The amount of time and probability of success are subject to many modifiers specified in the following section. The basic chance of success is the Brew Poison skill roll detailed in the section on skills. The modifiers to the poison brewing roll are given as ``penalty'' in the various tables in this section.

Poison Saving Throw Modifiers

There are at least two saves commonly associated with poisons, a poison save to reduced damage and a perception save to detect the poison in food, wine, or in the air in the case of inhalitive poison.

Poison Side Effect Table

A poison may have side effects if it has a minus to its brewing roll as supplied by the referee or from the following table. For poisons that just do their side effects and do no damage choose the "poison does no damage" option for type, remembering that the damage the poison would have done is used to compute the side effect. While binary poisons have no minus they do have the problem that both halves must be brewed, requiring two brewing rolls. When a poison requires a save it is made only once, usually when the poison first does damage, unless otherwise specified in the description of the side effect.

Poison Freshness and Ingredients

If a poison requires perishable or rare ingredients or must be used very quickly then it is usually a little easier to brew. Likewise a poison that lasts a long time is harder to brew. An unmodified poison remains fresh for about three months.

Poison Spoilage

Unless otherwise specified, at the end of its freshness time or spoilage a poison loses one speed class per day or d3 points of intensity per day until it is an inert compound. Deviations from this give modifiers to the brewing roll.

Poison Failure

If you fail a poison brewing roll then roll on the poison failure table adding the amount you blew the roll by as a modifier. The result should not be used verbatim in all cases but rather should be interpreted in the context of the poison being brewed.

Poison List

This is a list of poisons that may be available "on the market", at least the cheaper ones, and are intended to serve as examples. Some are available only to members in good standing of the assasian's guild. Poisons with an (A) after their name have an antidote that is is often available from the same source as the poison.

Ingestive Poisons

Barmaid's Virtue(A).

Barmaid's virtue is a gray powder that dissolves in alcoholic beverages. It has a bitter taste and is well known (food tasting skill gets a +20 bonus to detect it). It is usually used on a customer in a bar who is severely persona non grata (and blotto enough to miss the taste). A normal human will feel quite ill if he makes his save and need nursing for weeks if he blows it; it stands an even chance of knocking out a victim. The powder retains it's potency for about a year. Once dissolved it looses it's potency in a few hours.

There is a antidote (that must be taken at least ten minutes in advance) that gives the person that takes it +30 save vs Barmaid's Virtue and makes the save negate damage; the damage is halved if the save is blown by less than thirty. The relevant stats for the antidote are Brewing Roll -26, added dose penalty -1, cost 5-8, 3 DPs plus 1 per three doses to brew. The antidote is a clear, water soluble, syrup that lasts for about three months. Barmaid's virtue spoils by losing an intensity class per day.

Endotoxin

Endotoxin is brewed from a red mushroom with white spots that must be harvested fresh. It is an ingestive poison that makes most people sick without killing them. It is frequently used by alchemists as a starting point for truth drugs or sleeping drafts.

Fogel's Venom

Fogel's venom is brewed from a number of ingridients. It modifies a snake venom so that it can be absorbed through digestive tissues. It is an ingestive poison that makes people very sick but seldom kills them. It is frequently used by alchemists as a starting point for truth drugs or sleeping drafts.

Ladrack

Ladrack is named for the waxy green leaf that is the most voluminous of the raw materials. It severely injures or kills in about a day (depending on the victims save). The victim appears dies of cardiac arrest or has a severe attack of angina. There are no overt signs the poison was used. It is stored as a green powder with small yellow specks that retains it's potency for 2-3 years. Ladrack looses d3 points of intensity per day when it spoils.

Tummy Ache Tonic

This potion causes a noticable but not debilatating tummy ache. The name of this posion is thus a not-too-funny joke. It also does 3d6 of stamina only damage per round, save to half, for five rounds. If the victim runs out of stamina then they must save versus unconciousness each round at minus the amount of stamina they did not have. This penalty accumulates. This poison requires gallstones which are removed from the body of dead people making it a little tricky to get the ingredients.

Insinuative Poisons

Assasian's Friend.

Assasian's friend is a common poison just good enough to give an edge in a knife fight. If it is doing stamina damage, it feels like extreme fatigue; when it starts to do hits it feels like very sore muscles. It is sold in one to three dose vials of pale blue fluid. The fluid is painted onto a knife and dries clear. The stuff remains good for about three months if the container remains sealed. It is made from a special selection of 27 herbs and spices. Assassin's friend loses d3 intensity per day as it spoils.

Assasian's Sting.

This poison does three dice of damage when it hits, no save. It is typically used by assasians and reserved for high value targets. The price is an internal guild price. If for some odd reason it is sold to outsiders it will cost more. The puffer skin is from a fairly rare fish that any save fisherman throws back.

Black Angel Brew.

Black angel brew is made from a rare black mushroom (black angels) found in the underworld, usually near the longtime haunts of the undead. It requires the mushrooms be soaked in spirits, reduced, and then thickened as a gravy with starch and powdered anthracite coal. The resulting poison is jet black, almost odorless, and tends to numb wounds. Black angel brew does 3d6/round for 5 rounds. It spoils by losing d3 intensity classes per day.

Bluestar Spider Venom

Bluestar spider venom is quite deadly but keeps only a week. In addition the main ingridient is venom that must be milked from blustar spiders. These are large, dark brown spiders with a blue star on their backs. This poison is mostly used by the Arachnoi who keep such spiders as pets.

Chantrell Noir

Chantrell Noir is brewed by infusing strong brandy with chopped black chantrels (a very rare mushroom found in warm, damp parts of the underworld). The resulting liquor is a strongly flavored ingestive poison that tends to induce vomiting (doesn't work well). It is then dried with small amounts of olive oil producing a poison appropriate to use with knives. It does 4d6 per round for four rounds. Chantrell Noir spoils by losing one speed class per day.

Dark Brothers Brew

This poison is a specialty of the Dark Brotherhood, a demonically inspired and controlled society of assassians and mages. It is a yellow paste made from hellbore, goat's blood, mandrake root, and flowers of sulphur. It has an obvious smell, discolors wounds bright purple, and is fairly painful. The purchase price is a formality and the poison is usually not sold to non-members. This is a useful poison in a knife fight and lasts about six months. Dark brothers brew spoiled by loosing d3 points of intensity per day.

Dart Dip

Dart dip is brewed from nightshade berries and white wood ashes. It is a sickly purple and is applied to a dart or dagger by dipping just before throwing or stabbing. It looses it's potency within ten minutes of drying but lasts for about three months in the tarred or waxed pouch it is usually stored in. It has a distinctive, though not strong, odor and causes a bluish discoloration in a wound if the wounded fails their poison save. It also stings like hell when it hits. Dart dip spoils by losing one speed class per day.

Demon Fang

Demon's fang is a standard fat based poison but instead of an alkaloid plant poison it uses ground demon's teeth. The exact properties of the poison may vary with the particular demon that supplies the teeth. This poison lasts fairly well, spoiling by losing a speed class per week until it becomes inert, starting with the thirteenth week after it is made. It is also a very heavy duty poison doing 6d6 per round for three rounds. It tends to be brightly colored, in the red-yellow-orange part of the spectrum and has a sulphurous smell. Demon fang spoils by losing d3 points of intensity per day.

Dragon's Fire

Dragon's fire is a golden fluid that dries rapidly to a pale yellow translucent skin. It is a remarkable efficient poison doing 3d6 per round direct to hits without a save for four rounds. Dragon's fire glows slightly in the dark before it spoils, which, together with its ingredient, gives it it's name. Dragon's fire is a favorite of the rich and is often preserved by alchemists as the main ingredient is hard to find. The other ingredients, pig lard, cedar shavings, pine sap, and saltpeter are standard parts of an alchemists collection. These ingredients must be combined, in an ambelic, with the poison dripping free of the pipe. Dragon fire spoils by losing d3 points of intensity per day.

Ghoul Claw

This poison is moderately effective as a poison, doing 2d6 per round for six rounds, though it has a distinctive smell that can warn victims. It is valued because it possesses the ability, common to ghouls, of inducing paralysis or at least slowing its victims. If this poison makes it into a victim's system they loose points off of all speeds (save spirit speed) equal to one tenth of the total damage they have taken from Ghoul's claw. The speed returns at a rate of one per minute. It requires roughly one to one-and-one half ghoul's claws to make a dose of this poison. The tissue is reduced slowly in butter or lard and a green residue skimmed off the molten fat. The residue is than thickened and stabilized with standard ingredients. Ghoul claw spoils by loosing d3 dice of damage per day, starting on the eighth day after it is manufactured.

Ghoul's Slash

This poison is a variation of ghoul's claw. It does not poison its victim doing "no damage" but is far more efficient at reducing speed. The posion does twelve dice of non-damage at 3d6 per round to those stabbed with an envenomed weapon. One third of the total is drained from their non-spirit speeds. The lost speed returns one per minute. This potion is typically made by an alchemist and sealed to prevent spoiling as it does not retain freshness well. After a day it loses d3 dice of damage per day until inert.

Kelstain Sting

Kelstain sting is prepared from the skin of a blind subterrainian fish that lives in still water and hunts with neurotoxin spray. The preparation requires that the skin of several kelstain be kept in hot fat until the neurotoxin dissolves in the fat. The fat is then reduced and thickened to form the poison. Kelstain sting does 4d6 the round it hits and, if the victim does not save (and is not immune to poison), he must save versus unconsciousness at minus the damage done. Kelstain sting is pale orange and has a sharp but not unpleasant odor reminiscent of pine and citrus. Kelstain Sting loses one speed class per day when it spoils.

Kiare's Venom

Kiare's Venom is prepared from the venom of the black viper but rather than decaying in a few hours (as the raw venom does) it lasts a couple weeks. The assassins guild and some alchemists maintain a cage of black vipers for raw materials. Kiare's venom is milky white and dries on blades to an almost invisible coating. The venom causes extreme pain when it makes contact. Kiare is the alchemist who devised the process for stabilizing the venom. Kiare's venom loses d3 points of intensity per day when it spoils.

Pepperpot

Pepperpot is an insinuative poison that can also be used, in very small quantities, as a hot spice. Used as an insinuative poison pepperpot stings like hell, forcing an unconsciousness save (at the end of the round) at minus the damage done that round. It is distilled from a rare desert pepper plant. It spoils by losing d3 intensity levels per day until it is inert, starting on the fifteenth day after it is manufactured.

Rockvenom

Rockvenom is made by treating a blue clay and a red earth with mineral spirits in a black iron pot with animal fat. The result is a pale blue cream that can be used and blades and arrows. It has a strong odor like burned fat. Rockvenom does 3d6/round for 3 rounds. It spoils by losing one speed class per day.

Shrikeberry Preparation.

Shrikeberry preparation, also called white death, is prepared from the crushed thorns of the shrikeberry plant. It is not too powerful but quite fast and it lasts quite a while even when on a blade or trap. The preparation is opaque white and is painted on and allowed to dry which takes a few minutes.

Stunvenom.

This poison is brewed from tangmill berries. These are available only in the fall unless grown in a greenhouse. The stored berries do work but preserving the berries requires space, quite, cool, and care. The poison does 2d6/round for 4 rounds, save to half, to stamina only. Stunvenom turns the victim a unique shade of shell-blue by the end of the round in which it hits. Stun venom spoils by losing one speed class per day.

Yellow Slime Dip.

Yellow slime dip is distilled from a slimy yellow fungus that grows in wet caves where there is a supply of sulphates. It must be mixed with nitrates, boiled, cooled, and then leavened with alkaline ash or potash and pressed. It has a distinctive but faint scent and is quite painful and causes violet or purple wounds. Yellow slime dip does 2d6 per round for four rounds. Yellow slime spoils by losing d3 intensity classes per day.

Contact Poisons

Black Lotus.

Black Lotus is derived from the black lotus flower and is a fine black powder lethal to the touch. Its preparation is invariably difficult and poison brewing failure may cause the brewer to take 2d100 points of damage. Black Lotus lasts pretty much indefinitely. It does d100 on two successive rounds. The powder is insoluble. Attempting to dissolve it ruins it, yielding an intensity 14 speed IV ingestive poison.

Knob Lotion

This posion must be kept in a closed container to prevent it from drying in place. It is typically painted on a doorknob or valuable object. Touching it with bare skin causes an annoying reaction that does d6 hitpoints per round for six rounds, save to half damage. If it doesn't dry out it stays good forever.

Touch-me-not

This poison must be kept in a closed container to prevent it from drying in place. It is typically painted on a doorknob or valuable object. Touching it with bare skin causes a tingling numbness that does 2d6 hitpoints per round for five rounds, stamina first. It remains potent for about ten years.

Inhallative Poisons

Assasian's Air Freshener.

This potion is unusually kept in a sealed but fragile container. It is made by refining giant wasps stings with ether and spirits of wine. It evaporates rapidly doing d6/round for twelve rounds without a save to those that have inhaled at all. A radius of 1" per does is typical. A perception save may permit a character to hold their breath. This poison lasts a week and then loses d3 points of intensity per day.

Log Lotion

This poison is brewed from a very rare type of mushroom. It must be burned to activate it. The most usual method is to soak it into a log so that a fire made with the log poisons. One dose fills seven hexes, +1 hex radius per +1 dose. The burning will smell odd but, unless a perception save and dive for cover are made the damage will happen. The initial inhalation does the damage.

Rules for Diseases

Disease act in a number of ways. The main ones are to reduce saving throws, to place an upper bound on a consumable state, to reduce a consumable stat, or reduce a basic stat with effects on derived stats. In addition diseases may temporarilly impair a person while they are actually ill yielding to hit, saves, and speeds. This section of the rules defines diseases and gives the rules for describing them. There is no particular nod to the germ theory of disease here. The diseases are caused by disease agents which might be germs, mephitic vapors, a curse, a spell effect, or anything else appropriate to the fantasy genre. Try to map disease effects onto appropriate modifications of stats. A disease that has hideous purple blotching drains beauty - blotches need not be made an effect. Likewise for any particular effect of the disease map this onto appearance and feel. A disease that lowers the upper bound on a stamina make the character ``tire easily''. Hopefully you get the idea.

Disease Definition

Diseases hare defined by the following quantities. To create a disease, just pick off the lists and, if you are planning to use the disease as an arcane attack, compute the cost. Diseases can also exist in nature and cost is typically in proportion to rarity.

Contraction Mode.

The contraction mode of a disease is the way you get it. When exposed to a disease through its contraction mode, there is a chance you will get it, determined by other statistics. Typically this chance is expressed as a save, possibly with modifiers. If you make the save, you don't get the disease. A disease may have multiple contraction modes, and if it does it pays for the most expensive, plus half the next most, plus a quarter the next most, etc.

The possible contraction modes are as follows. Airborne - the disease is spread by airborne particles emitted by the disease carrier. Typically this sort of disease requires an area of effect and hang-time. If purchases as an arcane attack, purchase an area of effect. Hang time is handled by having the save go up by +5 per round. The time for this +5 can be moved, for +5 points per step, along the scale round, minute, ten minutes, hour, day, month, year, decade. Compound - the disease is a later phase of a disease you already have. Contact - the disease is spread by skin contact with the disease agent. For arcane attacks this is the Aura advantage. Fluid transfer - transferred through transfer of saliva or blood from an infected creature. Sharing food or a kiss are examples of sufficient contact to spread such a disease. Ingestive - requires the disease agent be swallowed. Insinuative - requires direct insertion through a wound either by a disease carrier doing it intentionally, e.g. biting or accidentally when the disease agent contaminates a blade - a hit for hitpoint damage is required. Magical - requires a spell or curse to create the disease - typically a targeted magical attack or overt act that must be performed to trigger the disease. For an arcane attack this is the default ranged/targeted attack. Parasite - the disease is spread by a parasite, e.g. mosquitoes. Possessional - the disease is caused as a side effect of either possession or ending possession. Such a disease depends on the possession ability if it is bought as an arcane attack. Sexual - the disease is transmitted by sexual contact, something fairly intimate is required. Spiritual - the disease is caused by contamination of the spirit plane. Spiritual disease only affects creatures with souls which pass through the spirit plane of the material plane corresponding to the location of he contamination.

The saves to avoid contracting a disease are -3 per +1 point to the cost of the disease.

Incubation Time.

The incubation time is the delay between contracting the disease and getting any symptoms. When an incubation time has a range then time depends on the health of the subject and the degree of exposure to the disease. The default incubation time is d3 days, better or worse times have a cost.

Time Scale.

A disease typically does something to a person or creature that contracts it once its incubation time has passed. A disease has a basic time scale on which it has those effects. The effects may happen many times or only a few, that is purchased separately. The default time scale is 6 hours, other time scales have a cost.

Repetitions.

Once its time scale is known a disease has its effect multiple times. The number of repetitions of a disease measure this. After a repetition the sick individual is allowed a save, typically versus shock, to avoid the next cycle. This shock save goes up by +10 per cycle after the first. It is also -5 per 2 points spent on the quality repetitions .

Clearing Time

After you have had a disease, there is a clearing time in which you grow no worse but you cannot heal certain effects of the disease. The default clearing time is zero - you can start to heal as soon as you make your shock save at the end of a cycle of the disease. The cost of various clearance times is given below.

Acquired Immunity

One of the few nice things about chicken pox is that it is hard to catch it again . With a disease in realm of the powers there are four possible states of affairs. First, surviving a disease confers complete immunity forever. Second, surviving a disease confers immunity for a limited amount of time. Third, surviving a disease confers no immunity. Fourth, having had a disease decreases the saves against contracting the disease. These states act as cost or power advantages for the disease, as follows.

Treatment

The effects of treatment vary. Typically treatment consists of keeping the character with the disease warm, comfortable, and treating them with proper technique, e.g. water on the forehead for high fever, broth for nourishment, etc. There are diseases where failure to treat the disease makes it much worse. Others, failure to treat the disease makes little difference. This character of a disease is treated as a power or cost advantage and is modified by a treatment level.

Effects

Various effects a disease may have are listed below together with their cost. They are followed by various modifiers. Lost upper bounds return at a rate of one design point worth of upper bound per one-tenth of base disease cycle time. Other lost statistics are ``healed'' normally, possibly during, possibly after the disease. Lowered upper bounds do not include damage. If the upper bound on your health is lowered by two you have not lost those points of health - rather you have them and cannot use them until the upper bound comes back. When an upper bound is lowered fractional points of a statistic, however close to 1, are ignored.

Compound Disease

A compound disease is created by buying several disease. The first has a contraction method that starts the whole thing. Each disease after the first has compound as its contraction method. The cycles of compound disease may not use the shock saves the way other diseases do. Either the shock save is used normally and each disease passes through cycles but making the shock save by 30 ends the disease instead of starting the next phase or each disease, except possibly the last, cycles exactly once, save that the last disease behaving normally. In the latter case, single cycle, each disease receives a +1/4 cost advantage.

Special Properties

Here are a number of special properties a disease may have. When a disease is contemplated as an arcane attack they are treated as cost or power advantages. The list below is not exhaustive - its what I thought of off of-the-cuff. A perusal of a diagnostic manual of health encyclopedia may give you other ideas.

Examples of Diseases

Here are examples of diseases created with the above rules. The information in the headers is repeated in the description of the common cold to help make the meaning and intent of the disease rules clear. Keep in mind that disease can be devastating - and probably shouldn't be. Dead player character's are not typically your goal. Diseases are usually used to chivy the characters (don't go to Anathalcar - there's PLAGUE there!!). It may be that particularly vile (equals treasure laden?) monsters have disease attacks. Likewise essentially harmless monsters whose death would be gratuitous might have final strike disease attacks. In any case remember to use diseases as plot devices not random encounters.

Name: Bite Fever
Contraction Mode: insinuative.
Contraction Save: Shock at -45
Incubation Time: 3d6 hours.
Time Scale: one hour.
Repetitions: normal shock save.
Clearance Time: 1 day.
Acquired Immunity: none
Treatment effects: none
Effects: does one health
Modifiers: Cleaning wounds prevents disease; common prophylactic.
Cost as Arcane Attack:31
Description:

This disease is the kind of condition you get from being bitten by an animal with a very dirty mouth. The wound is painful and then you start losing health after the incubation period. Since the shock save is a good one this disease rarely cycles more than once. This disease is also avoidable by careful cleaning of wounds.

Name: Blue Berry Fever
Contraction Mode: ingestive.
Contraction Save: Shock at -60
Incubation Time: 3d6 hours.
Time Scale: Six hours.
Repetitions: -50 to shock save.
Clearance Time: None.
Acquired Immunity: permanent.
Treatment effects: none
Effects: 2d6 to perception save,
1 health (transform).
Modifiers: causes pleasure.
Cost as Arcane Attack: 54.
Description:

Blue berry fever is contracted by eating the rare blue fever berry that grows deep in trackless swamps near the ruins of a lost civilization. The berries cause pleasant hallucinations and a form of health drain (transformation) that doesn't reduce health. Rather, when the total health drain takes the character to zero they have transformed into a semi-intelligent humanoid vegetable lifeform that will spread and tend the berry (and isn't interested in much else). The transformation causes the character to change or add psychological limitations to become a berry-bush nanny and costs them any intellectual skills like weapons proficiency or magic use. They gain night vision, claws, armor, and typically exchange intelligence and wisdom for strength and constitution. Their internal structure involves hardwood bones and vine-like sinews. The skin of a transformed individual is light purple and the eyes are improbable green. Hair is lost. If you survive blue berry fever once then the pleasurable effects of eating the berries remains to some degree and you are completely immune to the disease. The disease is carried in the tiny seeds at the center of the berry. Some examples of transformed individuals appear in the monster examples under the name Blue Fever Zombies. Blue fever zombies have a number of bizarre properties - they are mentally linked through the bush they serve, for example, and are unchanging and indifferent to their own fate.

Name: Common Cold
Contraction Mode: contact and airborne.
Contraction Save: Shock at -15
Incubation Time: d3 days.
Time Scale: One day.
Repetitions: -30 to shock save.
Clearance Time: Three days.
Acquired Immunity: one year
Treatment effects: Effects reduced 10% per T.L. below 5
Effects: upper bound on stamina down 5%
Perception save down d6
Both cannot heal during clearance time
Modifiers: none.
Cost as Arcane Attack:28
Description:

This is an approximation to the common cold. The way it works is this. If you have personal contact with a cold sufferer, save versus shock at -15. If you blow it, you have a cold. After d3 days, you get symptoms. Each day you have symptoms, reduce your maximum stamina by 5% and your perception save by d6. These effects can be reduced by up to half with treatment (10% per treatment level below zero). At the end of each day make a shock save at -30+10x number of times you've rolled this shock save. When you make such a save you enter the clearing time for the cold - one day. After the clearing time the lost upper bound on stamina returns at a rate of 10/day, the lost save returns at a rate of 30/day. In addition you will not catch a cold for a year after making the final shock save into the clearance time. If your perception save is zero you are delirious and unable to perceive anything. Cost is figured as follows: Airborn+Contact transmission costs 15, -15 contraction shock save costs 5, incubation time of d3 is cost-neutral, one day tie scale save 5 points, cycle shock save -30 (repetitions) costs 6, a three day clearance time costs 12, one year acquired immunity is a +3/4 cost advantage, The treatment level effects yield another +1/2 cost advantage, The effects cost 10 each, times 3/2 because they cannot be healed during the clearance time. This totals out to: (15+5-5+6+12+30)/(1+3/4+1/2)=59*(4/9)=28 points.

Name: Plague I
Contraction Mode: parasite borne(as airborne).
Contraction Save: Shock at -60
Incubation Time: 2d6 days.
Time Scale: One day.
Repetitions: -75 to shock save.
Clearance Time: none.
Acquired Immunity: permanent.
Treatment effects: 5x(5-treatment level) to cycle shock.
Effects: upper bound on stamina down 10%
Perception save down 2d6
Health damage of one
Modifiers: Expensive prophylactic: get rid of rats.
Rare quick cure: infusion of kingsfoil.
Cost as Arcane Attack:37
Description:

This is a version of the traditional rat-and-flea born plague. It is easy for this disease to kill a normal human, it has an annoyingly long incubation time, and the only real defense is not having rats around. The disease drains perception save (hallucinations at zero save), drains energy (the stamina bound), but the main annoying feature of he disease is that it costs you health. There is a rare herb, kingsfoil, whose infusion will cure plague quickly and permit immediate healing. This is not well known and finding kingsfoil is hard.

Name: Tetanus
Contraction Mode: intinuative (cut on rusty metal).
Contraction Save: Shock at -30
Incubation Time: d3 days.
Time Scale: 6 hours.
Repetitions: -30 to shock save.
Clearance Time: 1 month.
Acquired Immunity: permanent.
Treatment effects: -5x(treatment level) to cycle shock.
Effects: Destroys d6 speed per cycle
Does d6 hits per cycle
Modifiers: Cost as Arcane Attack:59
Description:

Tetanus is usually contracted by cutting oneself on rusty metal, though getting soil into wounds may do it as well. The disease causes soreness, especially near the wound, and progressive paralysis. Each cycle the disease foes d6 hitpoints, which cannot be healed until after the clearance time, and destroys d6 points of speed. Recall that a speed of -12 is paralysis (which will ensure death without magical aid given the clearance time of a month).

Examples of Addictions

The character rules give the disadvantage addict but don't flesh it out. Read that entry in the character disadvantages before using this section. This section gives examples of various drugs and the effect of addiction. Normally an addiction either causes problems when you're on the drug or when you are off of it. It may also cause problems when you're on too much of it, called an overdose. The examples that follow can give you a baseline for how to

Drunk

These rules apply not to someone who has too much once, but to actual alcoholics. The time to recover from drinking table can be used by anyone. The disadvantage is worth 15 points if the character gets drunk occasionally, in response to some not too uncommon trigger. For someone who is usually drunk it is worth 20. For someone who has to be helpd away from drink it is worth 25 points. This assumes the character tries not to get too drunk when it matters. If a character is alchoholic enough to have withdrawl symptoms, the get +5 bonus for the withdrawl table. These numbers are a little low because there are some advantages as well. The impariment due to drunkenness is added to stress saves to resist fear or pain.

The degree to which one is drunk affects the impairment. For most addicts there is a sweet spot in the middle where they are fairly high functioning. Each drink (shot of liquor, glass of wine, mug of beer) a person takes moves them a step down the table. The move a step up in an amount of time dependent on their constitution. When a character hits sober they start moving on the withdrawl table. If take a drink and one-half constitution based time increment to move someone back to the drunkenness table from the withdrawl table.

Arcane Books

This section of rules gives examples of the books that you might find in a sealed room in an ancient ruin or on the bookshelf of an evil necromancer or even a white wizard.

Apportation Scroll.
Type : Reference.
Class : Obscure, only a specialist will recognize it.
Advantages : Knowledge, far away places.
Wards : 20%
Description :

An apportation scroll is a careful description of one of more places with sufficient detail to permit apportation to that place. If the person writing the scroll was a graphomancer that knows the continuing illustration spell then the illustrations of the places will depict the current state of the place and yield very safe directions for apportation. Without this magical aid the scroll will give a good picture and careful verbal description sufficient to attempt apportation.

The Book of Air.
Type : Reference.
Class : Typically controlled.
Advantages : Knowledge, air element spells.
Wards : 20%
Description :

This book lists the spells and lore of air elemental magic. It will seldom have all the air element spells, rather it will have the spells known to a lineage of mages. The probability a spell will be in the book is proportional to its utility and inversely proportional to its rank.

The Book of Earth.
Type : Reference.
Class : Typically controlled.
Advantages : Knowledge, earth element spells.
Wards : 30%
Description :

This book lists the spells and lore of air elemental magic. It will seldom have all the earth element spells, rather it will have the spells known to a lineage of mages. The probability a spell will be in the book is proportional to its utility and inversely proportional to its rank.

The Book of Ether.
Type : Reference.
Class : Typically controlled, possibly illegal.
Advantages : Knowledge, ether element spells.
Wards : 60%
Description :

This book lists the spells and lore of ether elemental magic. It will s