Imagine your world, in all of its sprawling complexity and
simplicity. Now know that it is but one of countless many, an
infiitude of parallel-but-different existences, each real to those
who dwell within it but made more substantial only by the
intervention of true magical power. However, all of these many
worlds are but veils of the faintest, most ethereal matter... as if
made of gossamer. For this reason they are called the Gossamer
worlds. Between them is only shadow and emptiness... utter
non-existence.
True power is what makes the Gossamer real, and lends
substance to that which is without. There are two great and ever opposed forces in the universe: stasis and entropy.
Know these powers by their true names: Eidolon and Umbra. The Eidolon is
form, the ideal structure of the universe … a sublime organization
of form. The Umbra is its opposite, a shifting, entropic
disorganization which is pure chaos and ultimately… destruction.
All of our world and all parts of the countless otherworlds exist
solely through their collision and their collusion.
Because of the sheer, unimaginable power of these forces and
their intricate interplay, the Gossamer worlds are both similar
and dissimilar, and echoes of them ripple from one to the next,
twist and grow strange, or echo with familiarity. For this reason,
Gossamer worlds may resemble their neighbours in all but the most
minute details, or they may bear no similarity at all. Those folks
with power may occasionally glimpse other Gossamer worlds. The
veils between them may be weak, and those worlds that inhabit
your myths, come from your legends, even your flights of fancy...
those places may be Gossamer worlds glimpsed and visited
countless times throughout history and in the time before history.
Now imagine an immeasurably long, unimaginably complex,
forked and branching staircase, a span of steps and landings and
halls, corridors and by-ways of near-infinite complexity. That is
the Grand Stair. All along it are Doors... Doors that open into the
Gossamer worlds. The Grand Stair connects all of the Gossamer
worlds through the Doors: some Gossamer worlds have many
Doors opening into it, while some have few or but one... and some
Gossamer worlds have no Doors and cannot as of yet be reached.
Between the Gossamer worlds lies the Shadow, an unfathomable
depth of void and emptiness... and the Shadow is active, claiming
Gossamer worlds sometimes temporarily, sometimes forever.
It is not known whether the Grand Stair was always there,
unknown and waiting for the fist beings able to pass through
its Doors and walk upon it between worlds, or whether it was
made within recorded time. Its mysteries are yet to be unlocked,
but its use was readily apparent. The Doors of the Grand Stair
opened occasionally, allowing random souls to wander its
span... sometimes a simple step between one world and another,
sometimes affording a fragment of a glimpse of the myriad
of worlds it accesses.
To those who could recognize what it
represented, the Grand Stair represented the universe!
Before the Grand Stair made itself known, passage between the
Gossamer worlds meant crossing the veil of Shadow, a rare and
near-impossible feat, or an extraordinary freak occurrence. Now
other worlds could be visited reliably, allowing privileged voyagers
to amass secret knowledge about the hidden infrastructure of
infinity.
The greatest of discoveries soon followed, outstripping even
the notion of other worlds... these adepts became aware of the
Eidolon and the Umbra, and earned the power to change reality
itself by those dualistic, opposed principles. Quaint, barely functional magical traditions were given new-found potency, and powers such as Invocation, Wrighting, Cantrips, and Sorcery were codified and improved. The dross of one Gossamer world could be priceless in another, and items and creatures with nothing remarkable about them revealed immense power in other worlds, artefacts to be sought, quested for, or wars waged to possess.
The most amazing benefit conferred by the Grand Stair
was of a personal nature. Those who traveled its length were
forever changed... they grew stronger, reflxes quickened,
life-spans increased, and magic ability and force of will were
magnifid considerably. These gifts were sometimes passed along
bloodlines, sometimes appearing anew with no prior heritage, but
the constant was that it was the fist walk upon the Grand Stair
which activated this higher state of being. Those who could walk
the Grand Stair appointed themselves the Wardens of the Grand
Stair, and they used it to explore the countless other worlds it
linked to, ruling as sovereigns of Gossamer and Shadow.
It would have been easy for these lords and ladies (self-dubbed
the Gossamer Lords) to become the masters of the multiverse, but
they were opposed... by the Dwimmerlaik, terrible savants of the
Shadow. The Dwimmerlaik stalked the lengths of the Grand Stair,
warring against its self-appointed Wardens, and sought to rule
the Gossamer worlds themselves. The Dwimmerlaik’s ways were
strange, their motives unfathomable, and they had access to the
same powers the Lords and Ladies of the Gossamer worlds had
unlocked... and, perhaps, other secret disciplines.
For millennia now the battle between the Dwimmerlaik and the
Gossamer Lords has continued. Though other threats have arisen,
mysteries emerged, and secret wars raged across the infiite
worlds, the defiing conflct is the cold war between Dwimmerlaik
and those who ward the Grand Stair.
The Gossamer Lords have grown strong, created safe Domains
within the manifold worlds, and alternately seek allies to aid
against the Dwimmerlaik (or their own, more private enemies),
or they actively strive against one another to achieve dominance
throughout the Grand Stair. Some of these sovereigns began as
Chapter One: The World Of Lords Of Gossamer & Shadow legends in their own worlds, the truth of their origins unguessed at, while others have become legends, their reality reflcting like ripples across the Gossamer worlds.
It is into this setting your character has been plunged, and
must survive against unimaginable, unfathomable enemies and
challenges
Terms And Concepts:
All rights owned by Rite Publishing
This glossary covers a number of terms unique to diceless roleplaying and gamemastering, and provides some quick defiitions
of the concepts original to the Lords of Gossamer & Shadow
setting.
Adventure: A story created by the gamemaster for players to
experience and solve, containing elements of threat, story, setting,
and some sort of resolution. Sometimes these are called scenarios.
Adventures can be highly structured or loosely improvised.
Generally, an adventure presents players with a rising threat, a
mystery, or another conflct that must be resolved by the end. An
adventure may take multiple sessions to play through, and one or
more adventures can make up a campaign.
Attributes: Characters’ abilities are described numerically in
terms of four primary Attributes: Psyche, Strength, Endurance,
and Warfare, which are ranked highest to lowest. When characters
come into conflct with one another, the ranks of their Attributes
are compared. In a simple contest, the higher-ranked Attribute
wins. Making that contest less simple is the heart of diceless
role-playing.
Attribute Auction: At character creation, players have
a budget of points they can use to bid against one another to
determine their initial Attributes. This builds player rivalry and
determines initial ranking on the Attribute Ladder.
Attribute Ladder: A listing of all character (player and
nonplayer) Attribute values ordered from highest (1st) to lowest.
A character is considered to be superior in that Attribute to
everyone below them on the Ladder, no matter what the actual
Attribute values are. The Attribute Ladder is used to resolve
conflcts using the same Attribute and determines the cost of
Attribute advancement.
Campaign: A long adventure or series of adventures linked
together to form a story using the same group of players and
characters. Like a story, a campaign has a beginning and a middle,
though the ending is much farther off. A campaign usually ends
with a huge goal accomplished, but can continue for a few weeks
to years in length.
Cantrips: Minor, instantaneous spells used to achieve quick,
direct, and simple effects. Cantrips are usually powered by Psyche
and cannot easily be countered, hence their usefulness.
Character: The player’s representation in the game. There
are two kinds of characters: player characters and nonplayer
characters. Player characters are controlled and (usually) created
by the players, while nonplayer characters are usually controlled
and created by the gamemaster. Player characters are described
in terms of Attributes, Powers, and other aspects. Important
nonplayer characters are usually described in those terms, while
extremely minor nonplayer characters may only be a name and a
quick physical description. Players can sometimes control minor
nonplayer characters in casual situations.
Contribution: Players can earn more points to build their
characters by agreeing to make campaign contributions. These
can range from in-character journals, artwork, session logs, fition
or poetry, or other tangible efforts towards the actual experience
of players gathering to play the game.
Death: Characters (player characters and nonplayer characters alike) can die in the course of gameplay. Unlike other
games, death in diceless role-playing is always the result of direct
conflct or controlled entirely by the gamemaster. It is never a
random outcome for a situation. If a player character dies, it is
time to see if death can be thwarted in some fashion, or to create
a new character.
Diceless: Most role-playing games use dice (or some other
random determiner like cards or a resource pool) to determine
the outcome of character action or conflct. In diceless roleplaying, outcomes of actions or conflcts are determined
through comparing Attributes, powers, Stuff, role-playing, or a
combination of those factors.
Door/s: Linked to normal doors, Doors (capital D) are entrances
to and from the Grand Stair, allowing access to the infiite myriad
of Gossamer worlds. Doors are used primarily by the Wardens of
the Grand Stair, though the Grand Stair itself occasionally allows
others to wander its corridors and steps. Doors can be created,
destroyed, and manipulated by Wardens.
Dwimmerlaik: A mysterious and ancient race striving for
sovereignty over all of the Gossamer worlds. Magically powerful
and monolithic in their desire to control the Grand Stair, the
Dwimmerlaik are the most powerful enemy faced by the Gossamer
Lords.
Eidolon: The primal symbol of order, the Eidolon is essentially
the cosmic blueprint underlying all of matter and energy. It
permeates all reality and all change in the universe is a result
of interplay between the Eidolon and the Umbra, the symbol of
entropy and change. Characters manipulate the Eidolon with the
power of Eidolon Attunement.
Gamemaster (GM): The gamemaster (GM) is a combination
of director, writer, and orchestra conductor. The gamemaster
runs the game, oversees character creation, devises the scenarios
(and campaigns), describes the setting and environment, plays
the part of the nonplayer characters, adjudicates conflcts, and
determines rewards for play.
Gossamer Worlds: The infinite parallel universes accessed
by the Grand Stair, brought into being through the interplay
of the Eidolon and the Umbra. Every mythical place, fanciful
other-world, alternate history, every possible alternate universe is
one of the Gossamer worlds. Our own world is one.
The Grand Stair: An infinite network of hidden staircases
and linked corridors, lined with magic Doors on either side,
four linking all of the Gossamer worlds. Wardens of the Grand Stairs
are attuned to it and can activate or deactivate new Doors or
manipulate existing ones.
Icon: A magic device or symbol used for communication
through and across the Gossamer worlds. Icons are created
through the use of the Wrighting power. Icons come in many
forms: paintings, cards, electronic images, statues, stained-glass
windows, fiurines, etc. and are idiosyncratic to their creator.
Invocation: A magic power concerned with the use of True
Names, summoning and binding beings of power, or using their
True Names to compel and manipulate them.
Player: The players of the game. Anywhere from one to a dozen
or more players can play: usually a group consists of somewhere
between three and seven players.
Points: Players are given a budget of points with which to
build their characters. Points are bid in the Attribute auction and
later to adjust ranking on the Attribute Ladder, and are spent
on powers, artifacts, creatures, and other benefis. Players are
given further points as a reward for completing scenarios and
campaigns, and can use these points to improve their characters.
Rank: Characters are rated by their Attributes, with rank
described in terms of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc., on a ladder-style hierarchy.
At the bottom of the Attribute Ladder are three base levels, called
“ranks”: Paragon, Peak, and Human (lowest). Characters at the
same rank are functionally equal.
Session: A single instance of play, when the players and the
gamemaster assemble in person or online, for the purpose of
playing through all or part of an adventure. Sessions can be short
(an hour or two) or very long (six or eight hours), and occur on a
weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or other basis.
Shadow: The dark void between the Gossamer worlds, a
murky, howling and infiite emptiness. Parts of the Grand Stair
span areas of the Shadow, and if one tears the veil of a Gossamer
world without linking it to another Gossamer world, they will see
only shadow void between.
Sorcery: A magical power concerned with basic spellcasting,
allowing sorcerers to create, store, and cast spells, as well
as creating magic countermeasures. Sorcery also assumes
a knowledge of spellcasting traditions, providing lore and
information about different types of spellcasting.
Stuff: A game value roughly akin to karma, luck, or favorability.
Good Stuff is a positive value and affects the character in a positive
fashion, as if the universe likes them. Zero Stuff is neutral, while
Bad Stuff means that the character has bad luck and is generally
regarded as suspicious or even sinister.
Umbra: The primal source of entropy in the universe. The
Umbra represents the decay and eventual disorganization of
all matter and energy into base, chaotic forms. It permeates all
reality, and all change in the universe is a result of interplay
between the Umbra and the Eidolon, the symbol of stability and
order, which opposes it. Characters manipulate the Umbra with
the power of Umbra Mastery.
Wrighting: A minor magical power concerned with the
creation of enchanted artifacts and creatures, and the magical
communication means called Icons
Artifacts and Creatures:
Once Attributes and powers have been determined, the next
step is to equip your character with artifacts or creatures to aid in
facing the immense dangers the Gossamer worlds may present.
Artifacts and creatures can be weapons, armor, mythical beasts,
neat tools, resources, and loyal followers, or even immense
armies. Examples of artifacts or creatures from myth, fiction, and
pop culture abound: King Arthur has his sword Excalibur, Thor
his mighty hammer Mjolnir, Robin Hood his Merry Men, and the
Lone Ranger his white stallion, Silver. Not all characters need
such trappings, but they can be invaluable tools and will bestow a
certain style to those who possess them.
Though your character can pretty much begin play with
almost any item or animal that can be found in our world or the
Gossamer worlds, these items will, whatever quality they possess,
be less effective when taken from their world of origin, and may be
lost, stolen, broken, destroyed, or even co-opted and used against
their owner. Things and beings are just stuff, transitory elements
that can be lost or replaced without effort.
Paying points for these things turns them into artifacts or
creatures, powerful and eternal elements that are attached to your
character as surely as their own limbs. If an artifact is somehow
separated from your character, it will be a simple matter to recover
it. It cannot be destroyed or easily turned against your character,
and cannot be claimed by anyone else.
Players can pool their points to purchase shared artifacts or
creatures, using the Named & Numbered (or higher) quality to
have multiples for double the base cost of the original item.
Guidelines for creating artifacts and creatures are in Chapter
Five: Creatures And Artifacts.
Domains:
The power to walk the Grand Stair and visit the infinitude of
Gossamer worlds lets your character do as others have and seek
out realms to make their own. These worlds or lesser places are
uniquely tied to the owner, and are called Domains. A Domain
is a place of power, attuned to its master’s every whim, ranging
in tone from a sanctuary where peace and solace might be had; a
mythical kingdom owing total fealty to its lord or lady; to a bolthole
filled with death-traps and lethal defenses. Many Domains
are a mix of all of these aspects.
Characters can share Domains, pooling points and jointly
determining their characteristics and ruling them together, but
control and “ownership” over the Domain is proportionate to
the points spent: a character spending more points has more
authority over the Domain, and can even use aspects of it against
the other owners.
Unless your character has the Warden of the Grand Stair, or
some other means of breaching the veils between the Gossamer
worlds, they will have no easy egress to or from their Domain, and
will be stranded there.
Domains are described fully in Chapter Six: Domains.
Allies:
No character needs to be entirely alone: even the newest
Gossamer sovereign has personal history, complete with friends
A tablet can be used as an Icon.
13
and possibly even family to support them. You can spend a few
points on one or more allies for your character, choosing from the
types below.
• Gossamer World Ally [1 Point]. This is exactly what
it sounds like, someone (or something) from one of the
Gossamer worlds who owes your character a favor, or
feels strongly enough about your character to offer aid and
hospitality when needed. This might be an old childhood
friend, a distant relative, a coworker, a sworn blood
brother, an ex-lover, a loyal supporter, an old teacher, or
even a ruler. This ally’s influence is limited to their world,
and they will almost never be encountered outside of that
home base.
• Mentor [2 Points]. Someone who taught or otherwise
instructed your character, whether a counselor, a teacher,
a former master, a wise old uncle, or even a former
commander. Like the Gossamer world ally, the mentor’s
influence is linked to their world of origin, but they are
considerably more powerful, and have a stronger bond of
affection or loyalty. A mentor may even risk life and limb
to aid your character based on the circumstance.
• Gossamer World Devotee [3 Points]. A Gossamer
world devotee is, as the name suggests, someone
prominent from one of the Gossamer worlds who is
devoted to your character, willing to go to great measures
to help them. This connection can be a devout friend, a
lover, or even a blood relation. If this ally is publicly
known, others may assume that your character has a
familial or other intrinsic connection to one or more of
the Gossamer Lords.
• Partisan Support [3 Points]. Your character is backed
by an entire group possessing some measure of power,
either political, social, magical, or tactical. This could
be a political party, a secret society, a religion or magic
tradition, or an army. Alternately, this group possesses or
controls some thing to be reckoned with: a single artifact
of incredible power; a supernatural being at the level of
a god; or a place with considerable magical properties.
Unlike an artifact or creature, this group supports your
character overall, but this does not necessarily mean it is
always reliable or consistent in support.
• Dwimmerlaik Ally [4 Points]. Incredibly, your
character has made an ally, or holds some relation to one
of the strange and mysterious Dwimmerlaik, the powerful
race of beings at war with the Gossamer Lords. Perhaps
the character has encountered one of these beings before
and found a common purpose, or has entered into an
alliance to oppose a shared enemy. It may even be that
the character is descended from, or related to, the
Dwimmerlaik, and this lineage is known to them and the
character. The character is unlikely to be able to freely
call upon or discuss this connection, as it could cause
instant distrust among fellow characters and others. This
is perhaps the most tenuous and unreliable of the Allies
in this section, as an encounter with this Dwimmerlaik
does not guarantee an acknowledgment of the alliance.
The gamemaster is encouraged to develop the details of
this ally in secrecy, or with minimal consultation with the
player.
• Lord Of The Gossamer Worlds [5 Points]. A
Gossamer Lord ally is one of the movers and shakers
of the universe, one of the mightiest beings in creation.
Taking this ally means that your character is either the
child of one of these powerful personages, or has been
“adopted” as such, though this does not necessarily mean
that the ally is the same as the parent. For one reason or
another, the particular lord or lady has taken an interest
in your character, and is willing to bring tremendous
resources to bear to aid and abet your character if need be,
defending when possible and offering extraordinary levels
of aid. The gamemaster should work out which nonplayer
character this is, if it is not a parent. Note that while being
the offspring of a Gossamer Lord does not necessarily
grant any special bloodline or ability, Gossamer Lords are
more-than-likely to aid their children in achieving power
greater than that of mere mortals.
Unfortunately, the identity of these characters is not up to
you, the player. Nothing in the Gossamer worlds is certain, and
someone who presents as a loyal friend may in fact be a deadly
enemy, and someone who seems hostile may be a close but
unknown relative. The gamemaster gets to decide the identity of
each of your allies, but will not make it obvious about who it is,
and may even lie outright to you or your character. Players cannot
pick other player characters for Allies in this fashion.
Stuff:
The universe does not treat everyone equally: some Gossamer
Lords are luckier, more fortunate, or just better-perceived than
their peers, while other of their number seem cursed, with illluck
following them. These less-fortunate souls are beset by petty
maladies and are generally regarded less favorably by those who
do not know them.
In Lords of Gossamer & Shadow, this is due to the characteristic
called Stuff, a value measured in points... the same points used
for purchasing Attributes, powers, artifacts and creatures, allies,
and Domains. Characters are defined as either having Good
Stuff (positive points, paid for with character points), Bad Stuff
(negative points, assigned when the player spends too many
character points), or Zero Stuff (the character is balanced, with
no positive or negative points).
Stuff is not, however, an indication of good, neutrality, or
evil. An evildoer can have plenty of Good Stuff, while a saint can
have an abundance of Bad Stuff. Stuff measures how the outside
universe interacts with the character, not what they have inside
them. Stuff has three major purposes. Firstly, it serves as an equalizer,
balancing character point budgets. Secondly, it determines how
luck will favor the character. Thirdly, it serves as an indicator of
14 the way the universe (in the form of other people and the great
powers) views the character.
Good Stuff. Characters who have Good Stuff are almost
blessed, as if a metaphorical beam of golden sunlight were always
shining on them. People who encounter a Good Stuff character
will think of them as being nicer, more appealing, and will take
comfort or inspiration from their presence. In a group of average
people, people will tend to gravitate towards the highest Good
Stuff character, making them the center of attention, regardless
of any leadership qualities or personality traits. If an event has a
potentially random outcome, the Good Stuff character will benefit
from it. In person, the Good Stuff character isn’t more attractive
than anyone else, but they’ll just look more appealing due to an
indefinable quality. Simply put, the universe likes the Good Stuff
character better. Enemies will initially want to behave honorably
with the character, and the enemy may have a hard time finding
allies to oppose them. The character may get compliments from
strangers, they will always have exact change, and others will
usually give them the benefit of the doubt.
For example, if a Good Stuff character is begging (however
unlikely), in a relatively short time the character will earn some
money, be given some food and shelter, be provided with clean
clothing or other offers of charity, and may even make a few
friends.
Zero Stuff. A character with Zero Stuff is essentially neutral
to the rest of the world, judged by their words and actions rather
than hunches or initial impressions. They win some, they lose
some, and for the most part they’ll have nothing exceptional
happen, or a balance of negative and positive events. The rest of
the world views a Zero Stuff character without preconceptions,
so their behavior may be judged more carefully than their
Good or Bad Stuff compatriots. Players might prefer Zero Stuff
characters because they aren’t guided towards a particular tone
for an encounter, and like to keep their options open. Nonplayer
characters meeting the Zero Stuff character may be more guarded,
or cautious around them, letting the character show their cards
first.
For example, if a Zero Stuff character is begging, they may
end up with a little money, or none at all. The character may not
even get noticed.
Bad Stuff. A Bad Stuff character is one that has a slightly
sinister or unlucky cast. Think of it as a metaphysical storm cloud
following the character. In an average group of people, the Bad
Stuff character would be standing on the outside of the group,
sulking in a corner, or just avoided by the others. Whenever a
situation could take a turn for the worst, it will do so for the Bad
Stuff character. Bad Stuff characters get blamed for the misdeeds
of others, and their actions are almost always viewed in the least
charitable light. They will have random bad luck, and it seems as if
their normal gear is always breaking or getting lost. Their enemies
will be legion, and will find powerful allies and means to strike at
the character. They will be lousy at gambling, and will usually be
constantly on the “day late, dollar short” track of life. Frequently,
when a Bad Stuff character meets someone for the first time, the
other person is suspicious and quick to become antagonistic.
For example, a Bad Stuff character trying to beg will have
miserable luck at it, earning no money. People will cross the
street to avoid passing the character. The weather overhead
may turn lousy and rain (or be excessively hot and sunny). Other
beggars may become irate at the Bad Stuff character, and the
begging may even attract the attention of the police
Powers:
Powers
Once you’ve completed the Attribute Auction, the next step is
selecting your character’s Powers. While the Attributes determine
how powerful your character is relative to other player characters,
nonplayer characters, and the denizens of the Gossamer worlds,
Powers represent the mystic abilities your character has, abilities
that can affect the very nature of reality.
The three most significant Powers in the universe are: the
Eidolon and the Umbra, great forces of order and entropy; and
the Grand Stair, the multidimensional pathway through the
infinite Gossamer worlds.
Eidolon Attunement
is the ability to manifest and control
the Eidolon, the metaphysical blueprint that underlies all of
creation. The Eidolon is about restoration, refinement, and
alignment, allowing those attuned to it to guide matter into its
underlying, highest forms. Eidolon Attunement costs 50 points.
Umbra Master
Opposing the Eidolon is the Umbra, the utmost force of entropy
and annihilation. Users of the Umbra are Umbra Masters, and
their powers concern the deterioration of order, weakening of the
stuff of reality, and destruction of matter itself. Umbra Mastery
costs 50 points.
The Grand Stair
Those attuned to the Grand Stair are able to find and traverse
its mysterious passages and steps, with countless Doors that
open throughout the Gossamer worlds in secret, hidden places.
The lesser version of the Power is
Warden Of The Grand Stair 10 points
Master Of The Grand Stair, the advanced version of the Power, costs 35 points.
Other Powers exist, less primal in their importance but arguably
just as useful.
Invocation is the ability to name and bind living
beings from throughout the Gossamer worlds by determining
and utilizing their True Names, a Power that costs 20 points.
Wrighting allows for the creation of magic talismans known as
[b]Icons
Icons imbuing them with the ability to speak across worlds, at the
cost of 30 points.
Sorcery
At a cost of 15 points, Sorcery governs basic
spell-casting,
Cantrips are easy-to-use words of power that
cost 10 points for an initial array.
Powers are described on pages
XX-XX of the following section.
Future expansions to Lords of Gossamer & Shadow may
introduce additional powers, or advanced versions of existing
Powers such as Eidolon Attunement and Umbra Mastery.
NEW POWERS
Umbral Initiate 25 points:
Umbral Initiate
Is a much weaker form of Umbral Master, it campuses on a few of its powers and to a much lesser level.
but not
Warping or Destabilizing Reality
Opposing the Eidelon
Any of the rest of the Personal Transformation / Shape-shifting bits
Any interaction with Doors
Eidolon Initiate 25 points:
Eidolon Initiate
Is a much weaker form of Eidolon Master, it campuses on a few of its powers and to a much lesser level.
Powers campusesed to be arranged.
Glamory 10 points:
Glamour is seen as a weaker magic, but is possibly one
of the most-common types of sorcery. It manipulates
visual effects, but does not actually have any substance—
it is the power of illusion. There are no restrictions when
it comes to purchasing this power other than costing 10
points.
This power can manipulate light, sound, color, and
image. The real state remains intact, however, since it is
merely an illusion. This requires just a little concentration
and the uttering of magical words. The amount of time
required depends on the character’s Ego:
Mortal Class Ego requires five minutes.
Heroic Class Ego requires one minute.
Other Classes of Ego require only a few seconds.
Disbelieving Glamour
Glamour is highly effective at what it does, but really
depends on the cleverness of the character crafting it.
Well-made effects can fool people for a length of time.
Some may suspect that something is amiss if there is a
detail that does not quite fit. The environment, length
of time spent studying the illusion, and familiarity an
individual might have with an imitated subject are all
factors that can affect whether one is believable or not.
Even if someone ceases believing in an illusion, it does
not disappear—not only do others still experience it,
but the senses of the person no longer believing in it are
still fooled.
Cancelling or Negating Glamour
The easiest way to stop an illusion is to cause the
character to lose concentration. This usually requires
something seriously distracting, like physical or mental
injury. Because complex illusions require greater
concentration, it is easier to distract the character when
focusing on their facades. Another individual who
possesses this power and an Ego equal to or greater than
that of the character can cancel an illusion.
Types of Glamour
The following effects can be created:
I. Light/Darkness
Bright light can be created or darkness can fall within
a radius of sixty feet of the character. The light/darkness
moves with the character as he moves. The character can
opt for a smaller area to be affected, as can the degree of
light or darkness be adjusted—ambient or concentrated
light are both possible. The degree can be overwhelming,
making it impossible to see. Since this is only an illusion,
no harm can come from it.
II. Sound
Sound effects of any variety can be created and
projected up to a range of three-hundred feet from
a point of origin, which can be anywhere within the
character’s line of sight. If the caster moves, so does the
sound. The volume of the sounds can be anything from
an extremely-quiet whisper to a loud roar, but these
cannot cause harm since they are purely illusory.
The sounds can encompass anything from speech to
clanging chains, but trying to imitate a particular voice
comes with the risk of being recognized as fake (use the
character’s Luck to determine this).
III. Transformation Glamour
This can momentarily change the visible appearance
of an object or individual. Again, this is purely an illusory
alteration and requires concentration to maintain the
illusion. This power cannot create objects from thin air,
just modify the appearance of existing objects or people,
maintaining the same relative size and shape—a sword
must remain sword-shaped, for instance.
The degree of change and maximum size of an object
that can be affected depends on the character’s Ego:
Mortal Class Ego can only change small items
no larger than a basketball and only one particular
detail (like color or material).
Heroic Class Ego can change human-sized items
and a few details.
Olympian Class Ego can change house-sized items
and several details.
Numbered Class Ego can change multiple housesized
items and several details at the same time.
A transformed object or person must remain within
two-hundred feet of the character’s line of sight. A
modified item or person may be detected as such with
detailed inspection and even Luck.
IV. Complex Illusion
A complex illusion is one of both light and sound that
encompasses all three dimensions in the image of an
object, person, or creature. Individuals can be imitated
with some familiarity, but close inspection or knowledge
of that person may be enough to see through the illusion.
The maximum size and intricacy of the illusion depends
on the character’s Ego:
Mortal Class Ego can only create one illusion up
to five cubic-feet in size.
Heroic Class Ego can create up to three
independent illusions, each up to ten cubic-feet in
size.
Olympian Class Ego can create up to twelve
independent illusions, each up to thirty cubic-feet
in size.
Low-Numbered Class Ego can create up to sixty
independent illusions, each up to fifty cubic-feet in
size.
High-Numbered Class Ego create up to one
hundred independent illusions, each up to onehundred
cubic-feet in size.
The illusion must be created within the character’s
line of sight and always remains within that area once
created, moving to maintain that requirement. If it
cannot fit within that area, the illusion disappears. These
illusions cannot touch anything or cause harm. Complex
illusions also require considerable concentration, so no
other activities are possible during this time.
V. Invisibility
The character can turn himself invisible. Depending
on the character’s Ego, others may also be affected:
Mortal Class Ego can only make the character
himself invisible.
Heroic Class Ego can make up to two people
invisible, including the character himself.
Olympian Class Ego can make up to four people
invisible, including the character himself.
Low-Numbered Class Ego can make up to eight
people invisible, including the character himself.
High-Numbered Class Ego can make up to
sixteen people invisible, including the character
himself.
Due to the nature of this power, the character can
adjust how much light is refracted, determining just how
invisible someone is—from 10% to 100%. Complete
invisibility refracts all light, so the individual cannot
see, since no light reaches his eyes—the greater degree
of invisibility, the more vision the character loses. The
gamemaster should use his best judgement when it
comes to detecting someone who is invisible, but a
number of factors are important:
• The observer’s Prowess
• Whether the observer is actively searching
• How the environment affects the lighting or shows
physical clues (like footprints and sounds)
• Pure luck
VI. Glamour Ward
A character with at least Heroic Class Ego can use
this power to create and store an illusion in the form
of a ward. The illusion must affect a specific object or
location, and be triggered by a specific and simple,
single-sentence instruction. The nature of the illusion
can be of any source—a light/darkness ward, sound
ward, transformation ward, complex illusionary ward,
or invisibility ward. Typical triggers include:
• The ward activates when someone steps on the location.
• The spell activates when someone touches the object.
• The spell activates if someone has been in the location
for more than one minute.
• The spell activates if someone holds the object and says
“Abracadabra.”
Exceptions are not possible, so the following do not
work:
• The spell activates if someone other than myself enters
the area.
• The spell activates if the moon is not full.
To create a ward, the character must be located in the
desired place or holding the specific object to be warded.
The character must first spend half an hour performing
the necessary invocations and concentrating fully on the
magic. Then he must spend the necessary time to create
the desired illusion. The duration of the ward must be
chosen, but limited by the character’s Ego:
Heroic Class Ego wards can last up to five minutes.
Olympian Class Ego wards can last up to ten
minutes.
Numbered Class Ego wards can last up to thirty
minutes.
Once activated, a ward functions like a standard
illusion, but with a few exceptions:
• Concentration is not required.
• The illusion is fixed to within thirty feet of the ward.
• Complex illusions must be programmed to follow
a specific choreography—its actions, movements,
and sounds must be stated before the illusion
is activated, and cannot be altered once set.
GOOD STUFF BAD STUFF:
Note: Good Stuff and Bad stuff.
The book doesn't allow any amount of Good Stuff greater than 10 points.
And I will not allow any amount of BAd Stuff greater than 10 points.
So if you have spent more than that you have points to relocate
GOOD STUFF
For every 5 points of good stuff you get to pick 1 from.
"Know the way"
“Danger Sense”
“Always a Chance”
"Good Luck Magnet"
“Enemy Repulsion”
“Always help for Help”
So you could take 9 points of good stuff and then only have one good thing from the list. But then get that 10th point and BOOM! ya have two.
A note on good stuff, the only time me and others have seen a PC saved form BAD stuff death was been because of good stuff. You have ANY good stuff and the GM if he/she will offer you a chance to face a PC, Points bad Vs points good. Its nice to save others and they always pay you back don't they, they would not let you die right.
MOUUAHAHAHAHAH!!
BAD STUFF
For every 5 points of bad stuff you get to pick 1 from.
"Always getting lost"
“Danger Blind”
“Never a Chance”
"Bad Luck Magnet"
“Enemy Attraction”
"No Help for Hero's"
So you could take 9 points of bad stuff and then have only one Bad thing from the list to worry about. But then get that 10th point and BOOM! ya have two. A note on bad stuff, the only time me and others have seen a PC die was been because of bad stuff. You have ANY bad stuff and the GM if he/she so feels OFF your PC when they get into trouble. But bad stuff gets you more points and so more POWER!!!
MOUUAHAHAHAHAH!!
PLAYER RANKINGS:
NPC rankings are hidden until shown in game, then they will be adds, the same gos for new players.
Focus: 1st-2ed-3ed-4th
The Void
Nuusk
Severus
Tch'Chiana
Eminence: 1st-2ed-3ed-4th
Nuusk
The Void
Severus
Tch'Chiana
Incarnation: 1st-2ed-3ed-4th
Tch'Chiana
The Void
Nuusk
Severus
Warfare: 1st-2ed-3ed-4th
Severus
The Void
Nuusk
Tch'Chiana
God Stuff:
Nuusk
The Void
Bad Stuff:
Umbral Initiate:
Nuusk
Umbra Masters
The Void
Eidolon Initiate:
Eidolon Masters
Severus
Sorcery Masters
Invocation Masters
Nuusk
Glamoury Masters
The Void
Grand Stair Masters
Warden of the Grand Stair (Free)
All players. Soon
