Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Looking back at your list of magic schools' date=' Blue is noticeably absent. Perhaps its' a lost magic waiting to be re-discovered? Could it be alchemy or weather magic, or something entirely different?[/quote']

 

I'm not planning to add it, but another GM using the system could do so. Just because Magickers of the Imperium and Shen Zhou generally think in terms of a five magic theory doesn't mean that a sect couldn't start thinking differently.

 

Regarding the characters you've presented so far--- why did this character, Becca, end up with her spells in a multipower, while the young apprentice Rubai has his as separate spells? That would seem to give the young kitchen wench an unfair advantage, or is it that you want Rubai to have the flexibility of using more than one White spell at a time?

 

Ruibai and Becca both have The Sight and Astral Projection outside of any framework, allowing them to be used at will.

 

Ruibai is stronger and faster than Becca, and skilled with weapons. When he purchases additional magical Talents, he can and should reorganize them into a framework. He was planned as a character who would obtain a Heaven Stone and pay for it using points, so that framework may at first just be the Heaven Stone's VPP. Note that Ruibai is shown using a Heaven Stone in the fiction at the start of the Feeding the Gold section (linked from post #1).

 

Becca is slower, weaker, and untrained in the use of weapons, but she's magically a more Talented character. She's better at Astral Projection, and at 12 has touched aspects of the Black and Green that Ruibai hasn't come near at 17.

[Damascan]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Oddhat,

 

OK, we'll just have to wait and see what happens to Becca then --- a break for freedom, or will she continue a slave-like existence in a temple.

 

Sounds like Black magic will be the catchall for anything affecting the physical realm --- which works, but it would seem to give those who practice Black magic the upper hand in verstality, not counting the Hell and Heaven stones, of course. Then again, life isn't fair, so this works well.

 

What about drugs in your realm? Drugs were classicaly used for manipulation, creating the famous assassins (the word 'assassin' is derived from the word hashish --- the original assassins were purportedly given hashish and told that the wonderful visions they saw were what they would experience in the afterworld if they performed their tasks well...), and undoubtedtly used by others for control, recreation, and 'Seeing.'

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Oddhat,

 

OK, we'll just have to wait and see what happens to Becca then --- a break for freedom, or will she continue a slave-like existence in a temple.

 

Slaves in the Imperium, like those in classical Rome and Greece, can accumulate wealth within certain limits and eventually buy or earn their freedom. If she's sold to a Temple, she'll earn her freedom faster than a house slave could; in a nunnery she'd be effectively free but indentured.

 

All that said, Becca is a PC. Her story arc is almost certainly a lifetime of slavery.

 

Sounds like Black magic will be the catchall for anything affecting the physical realm --- which works, but it would seem to give those who practice Black magic the upper hand in verstality, not counting the Hell and Heaven stones, of course. Then again, life isn't fair, so this works well.

 

Black Magic allows access to spirits that can manipulate the material world but expect payment, and to personal psychokinetic powers that impose a great strain on the user (represented by increased END cost and Side Effects on a blown skill roll). It may be the "strongest" of the personal forms of magic, but it carries greater risks. These aren't obvious when looking at Becca's sheet because she has no psychokinetic powers as of yet with the exception of Healing (Green magic). If you want reliable, direct control over the physical world, your only real choices are Red and Gold. If you want reliable, safe direct control over the physical world, Gold wins out. Specialists in any form of magic will be able to make a case as to why that form is best.

 

What about drugs in your realm? Drugs were classicaly used for manipulation, creating the famous assassins (assassin is derived from the word hashish), and undoubedtly used by others for control, recreation, and 'Seeing.'

 

Hadn't planned for any special role past their real historical recreational and medical uses, and as props for some of the Mutapa, Totun, and Aymara styles of magic.

[Damascan]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

 

Hadn't planned for any special role past their real historical recreational and medical uses, and as props for some of the Mutapa, Totun, and Aymara styles of magic.

 

Hmm. Well now you've done and opened a can of worms --- feeding tidbits like that. So, what are the 'styles' of magic that the Mutapa, Totun, and Aymara use? So each would have it's own style of Green, Black, and White magic spells? I remember you mentioning that the Totun use Totem-style magic, but I don't remember much any details on the others... I'll take a look again at the first page to see if I've forgotten... Otherwise, care to elaborate?

 

A completely different question: are you basing most of this on what you've gleaned from historical fantasy novels (which you've listed previously), or (presumably) on history that you've read/studied elsewhere? The details you've provided on slaves would almost require your players to have a good grasp or 'real' history before they dive into your world... If that's the case, what is your 'required' reading list?

 

Thanks, intrigued as always....

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Hmm. Well now you've done and opened a can of worms --- feeding tidbits like that. So' date=' what are the 'styles' of magic that the Mutapa, Totun, and Aymara use? So each would have it's own style of Green, Black, and White magic spells? I remember you mentioning that the Totun use Totem-style magic, but I don't remember much any details on the others... I'll take a look again at the first page to see if I've forgotten... Otherwise, care to elaborate? [/quote']

 

When I can get to it.

 

Short form: Aymara uses traditional shamanism with Mayan influences. Mutapa uses a style of magic based on West African religion with North African influences, as best I can figure it out. Totun uses a not very historically accurate style that blends pop-culture Aztec mythology and Red Magic.

 

A completely different question: are you basing most of this on what you've gleaned from historical fantasy novels (which you've listed previously), or (presumably) on history that you've read/studied elsewhere? The details you've provided on slaves would almost require your players to have a good grasp or 'real' history before they dive into your world... If that's the case, what is your 'required' reading list?

 

Thanks, intrigued as always....

 

No required reading, but everything linked from the first post ends up in the campaign document. When it's complete (hopefully in another few weeks) I'll put it up as a web page and ask players to look it over. Right now my players are reading this thread.

 

If someone wants to read more, I'm happy to point them to Brittanica Online or Wikipedia.

 

I generally read 2-3 online articles on a subject, match it against ideas from the books I listed earlier plus others, and then try to boil it down to something that would actually be fun to play. I'll try to post a bibliography at some point.

[Damascan]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

That's fair. I'm insatiably curious, as you might have guessed by now. So, since Green magic is body-enhancing, would that be where shape-shifting would be represented in your campaign? Or is that again the realm of the Gold, Red, and Black magicks?

 

Also, how would the Totun magickers be able to maintain control long-term? Wouldn't the long-term use of Red magic make them insane dictators, with the magickers regularly killing each other off in self-defense or in moves for power? Or do they somehow try to heal themselves of the madness and deformities that the Red brings on with time? One would assume that the Red would make them feel that what is happening to them is normal and perhaps even, in the case of Vampirism, beneficial. And in a society of Red magickers, who's to say where paranoia ends and reality begins, since the other magickers would really lusting after your Hellstone, your power, your position... So only the strongest would survive for any length of time, until an alliance of magickers went against him/her... Not a very nice prospect. There would have to be some interesting cultural traditions to back all this up... That would certainly be an interesting place to start a dark campaign...

 

Oh, and where do dragons abide in your realm? In the minds of the deranged? Or perhaps they themselves are Chimera who use the Stones to feed their power and keep themselves alive? Or is a dragon what a Red magicker could potentially become, with his lust for power and greed transforming him gradually into a fearsome beast?

[Manic Typist]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Perhaps dragons are long time users of the Gold............

[Damascan]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Perhaps they are long-time users of the Gold, but the way Oddhat describes the Gold magic, a Gold user would only become a dragon if he/she wanted to... The Gold doesn't taint the user... at least not as far as we know, eh?

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Currency of the Imperium

 

Note that the following is not historically accurate; simplifications have been made to suit the game setting.

 

The Imperium offers standardized coins in five denominations. The Solidus, Miliarense, Siliqua, and Follis weigh 5 grams, with copper and nickel making up the bulk of the coin. The Solidus is made with 2.5 grams of gold, the Milarense with 2.5 grams of silver, the Siliqua with 0.25 grams of silver, the Follis with .025 grams of silver, and the Nummus is a 2 gram coin containing only copper and nickel. ½ Solidus, ½ Miliarense, and ½ Siliqua coins are also in circulation.

 

Coins are valued as follows:

 

1 Solidus = 10 Milarenses

 

1 Milarense = 10 Silique

 

1 Siliqua = 10 Folles

 

1 Follis = 10 Nummii

 

In current day American terms, the Follis can be thought of as $1, and prices will be listed as such. 1 Solidus may be thought of as worth $1000, and Gold is effectively valued at $40 per gram.

 

Roughly ½ Milarense per day would be a respectable wage for a tradesman in Roma. 1 Solidus per month is enough to support a Plebian family of four in Roma in modest comfort. A very well off Plebian merchant or master craftsman might make 10 or more Solidii per month, easily supporting a large household including slaves. The very richest of the nobility might have personal assets valued in the tens of thousands of Solidii. Life in the country and provinces is far cheaper. A farmer in Britannia is happy to see 5 Milarenses of income in a month, and much of that would be in the form of barter. Prices naturally increase near major cities, with prices in Londinium or Lutece very near to those in Roma itself.

[Manic Typist]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Just a quick note.... wouldn't 1 Solidus = 2,500 Siliqua?

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Totun and Red Magic - This will be covered in the Totun section. Short form: There's a reason it's called the land of the Blood Kings. Civil war is constant, and human sacrifice to feed the Hell Stones of the Priest Kings is built into the religion of the nation. Monsters out of nightmare prey upon the common folk at the whim of waring nobles, and ever changing alliances of Eagle, Jaguar, and Serpent Knights struggle to preserve their people against their own mad leaders. The most powerful of the Priest Kings are able to minimize the corruption of the Red, but all are eventually claimed by it.

 

Dragons - Dragon bones are preserved in museums in Roma and Beijing, and are occasionally ingredients in various medications. Mutapa and Totun are known to sustain small populations of flightless, flame-less dragons. The epic dragons of myth are found only in the Dreamlands and the Void, or are briefly conjured into the physical world by Red or Gold magickers. Chimera resembling Dragons are sometimes seen; most die quickly. Rumors and reports of dragon sightings in the Fire Lands are dismissed by most scholars as merely more tall tales of that unlikely continent.

Shape Shifting - Minor shape shifting, up to and including some mixes of human and animal forms, may be achieved with the Green or in rare cases the Black. True, complete physical transformations require the Red or Gold.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Just a quick note.... wouldn't 1 Solidus = 2' date='500 Siliqua?[/quote']

 

Argh. Now I have to fix it.

[Damascan]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Hmm. I'll try again (my last post seems to have been lost...)

 

So --- Panther, Eagle, and Serpent Knights. Do they have any magic abilities, or are they strictly warrior -- types with a code of conduct and honor? What are the 'their people' whom they defend? Are you saying that each Order of Knights has its city state/state or kingdom that it defends, or is this like rival gang territories in cities?

 

This area is just perfect for generating tragic heroes. Say, a young Knight tempted to use the Red, having gained a Stone after having killed an evil magicker... He of course would use it for the good of all, since culturally that might be accepted by certain parts of society, but then the corruption would start to set in, and he would be battling with himself... Perfect for creating that character in a party that you can never fully trust, because you might become the blood to feed his Hellstone... Or, at the very least, he will always be the prime suspect for all unfortunate occurrences and deaths...

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Fixed section on currency.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Hmm. I'll try again (my last post seems to have been lost...)

 

So --- Panther, Eagle, and Serpent Knights. Do they have any magic abilities, or are they strictly warrior -- types with a code of conduct and honor? What are the 'their people' whom they defend? Are you saying that each Order of Knights has its city state/state or kingdom that it defends, or is this like rival gang territories in cities?

 

The elite Jaguar, Eagle and Serpent orders serve the various Priest Kings in the endless wars that plague Totun, and also retain contact and relations with their brother knights. They follow their own codes of martial virtue, and are bound both to the service of the priest kings and the protection of the people of their own city-states. These duties can come into conflict, but generally the knights act as a check on the wildest excesses of the priest kings, keeping the priest kings depredations focussed on neighboring city-states rather than their own. Jaguar, Eagle and Serpent knights are very rarely magickers, but many priest kings will grant gifts of magical power to their followers.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Secrets of the Black

 

Acacius found his own reaction to the woman’s beauty something of a shock. He had heard, of course, that the woman, Vita, had been courted by some of the most powerful men of the city, but Acacius had never been aroused by women’s charms. Indeed, that was why his master had selected him for this task. Now, meeting the woman's direct and open gaze, Acacius found himself drawn in.

 

“Your master has need of my services, Acacius?” The woman's voice had an almost hypnotic quality; Acacius forced himself to focus on the business at hand.

 

“My master requires a death, lady. The target is a patrician, well protected, and the death must appear natural.”

 

Vita’s smile only widened. “And my payment?”

 

Acacius wordlessly handed over a small bag. The woman looked inside, and then slipped the bag into the folds of her toga.

 

“I shall need two more like this, the name of the man in question, and a personal item of his. Something he kept close to his body.”

 

Acacius met her mesmerizing gaze, and then nodded wordlessly. The price was higher than he had hoped, but not beyond his master’s means.

 

“I shall also need a bull,” continued Vita, “strong and of excellent quality, and a male child.”

 

Hiding his nervousness, Acacius rose and offered a bow. “I shall see them delivered before nightfall.”

 

“Then we are agreed.” Vita’s smile was predatory.

 

Expression and posture betraying his relief, Acacius left the witch’s small villa.

 

Vita’s smile fell as she released the aspect of Venus. Subtle changes became visible; skin roughening, hair becoming limp, eyes dulling. Regretting already the loss of the goddess, Vita went to prepare the chapel. Calling on the aspect of Venus for her negotiations with a worm like Acacius had been vanity, but she had a reputation to maintain. Besides, few men could deny the goddess, and even three times the initial payment offered was little enough for the risk she was taking.

 

She considered the practicalities as she re-sanctified the chapel. The bull should be enough to bribe a reasonably powerful daemon of Febris. A brief and deadly illness was just the thing to put an end to the life of a well respected patrician.

 

As Vita finished her preparations, a servant joined her. “My lady, a man has arrived, leading a small boy and a bull.”

 

Vita called on the aspect of Venus again and went to greet her guests. She smiled at the sight of the boy. He was a very pretty little thing.

 

She did hope that all went well with the ritual. If it failed, the daemon of Febris would treat the child most unkindly.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Secrets of the Black – Mechanics

 

Black Magic extends and mirrors the White. White Magic focuses on communication, perception, and exploration; Black Magic moves on to command, deception, and conquest. Practitioners of Black Magic point out that the ambition and aggression of Black Magic enable them to do great good in the world, to bind mighty spirits to the service of man, forge objects containing wondrous powers, and stand on a more even footing against the madness of the Red. Critics of Black Magic point out the great harm caused by so many magickers who called on the Black, the destruction caused by ambitious men given weapons of power and spirits drawn to the material world. Despite this debate, many practitioners of the White also make extensive use of the Black, most especially the Taoists, who consider the development and understanding of the Black to be as essential as the development and understanding of the White in the soul’s journey.

 

The following special and mechanical effects fall under the black:

 

1) Forcing one’s own thoughts into another, feeding false information to senses or seizing control of minds. Ego Attack, Mind Control, Mental Illusions, and similar special and mechanical effects are commonly Black Magic.

 

2) Extending the power of one’s own spirit into the physical world, moving objects at a distance or even traveling from one point to another without passing through the space between. Psychokinesis, Pyrokinesis, Photokinesis, Telekinesis, Teleportation, Images, and similar special and mechanical effects are commonly Black Magic.

 

3) Calling to, invoking, dealing with or binding spirits. Summon, Multiform (mental rather than physical change), and the creation of magical objects are generally Black Magic. See rules below.

Black Magic used in the material world (not including Mental Powers, Summon, and Multiform) requires the Increased Endurance Cost and Side Effects limitations. Black Magic may not take Reduced Endurance Cost, Charges, or Costs END Only to Activate. Black Magic may not operate off of an Endurance Battery. The most appropriate side effects simulate the power turning back against the caster if the skill roll is blown. Concentration, Extra Time, Focus, and No Conscious Control are permitted (not required) for all Black Magic.

Black Magic specifically purchased for use in the Astral Plane, the Dreamlands, or the Void is not subject to the above restrictions.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Secrets of Black Magic - Spirit Warriors, Aspects, Avatars, and Mounts of the Gods

 

It is not unknown for practitioners of Black Magic to offer themselves up for possession by their patron gods or spirits. Practitioners of Spirit Fist Kung Fu in Shen Zhou allow the ghosts of past masters control of their bodies in exchange for Kung Fu skill, Jaguar Knights in Totun allow their guardian spirits to guide them in battle, and followers of the gods of Mutapa may learn to offer themselves up as Mounts for their patrons out of faith or in exchange for gifts of power.

While there are multiple ways to simulate this in HERO, the preferred method in the Imperium Romanum setting is with Multiform. When Black Magic is employed, the outer form of the possessed person does not change dramatically, though subtle changes of hair or eye color, skin tone, muscle tone, voice, posture and similar are common. The alternate form may have entirely different characteristics, skills, and powers from the original. If the alternate form is built on more points than the original, those points must be made up for using disadvantages, and those disadvantages must be meaningful in the time the alternate form will be in use. Enraged, Berserk, and other forms of extreme behavior are common. Only with the Consent of the Spirit is a -1/2 limit that may be applied if, at certain times, the Spirit may not consent to possess the host. Multiforms should generally have Costs Endurance to Remain in Form limitation (-1).

 

Example: Vita, a magicker in the tradition of Platonic Theurgy, has trained herself to take on the Aspect of Venus, goddess of love. Wearing the Aspect of Venus, Vita still has access to her own knowledge and powers, but gains a significant improvement in her physical appearance and the ability to mesmerize and manipulate men. Vita is a 250 point character, but with the Aspect of Venus she becomes a 280 point character. The additional 30 points are provided by the Psych Limits Vanity, Jealousy and Lechery, reflecting the personality of the goddess overwhelming Vita’s own. Mechanically, it looks like this:

 

Aspect of Venus Multiform (280 Character Points in the most expensive form) (56 Active Points); Concentration (0 DCV; -½), Only When Serving The Spirit's Purposes (-½) (Note: Regular sacrifices to Venus are required to keep the goddess happy), Costs Endurance (To Stay In Form; -1) (19 Real Points)

 

Example II: Tarentino, a skilled warrior, suffers from an extreme form of multiple personality disorder. Normally a kind hearted man, Tarentino has a hidden, bloodthirsty self he calls “Duce”. Tarentino is a 150 point character, while Deuce is 200 points. Duce makes up for the point difference with Berserk, Casual Killer, and Overconfidence. The extra points are devoted to boosting Deuce’s physical characteristics and martial arts skills. Allowing Deuce to control their mutual body is exhausting, and Tarentino has more than once passed out when Deuce released control. Deuce and Tarentino have been told by magickers that they are two souls in one body.Mechanically, it looks like this:

 

Spirit Warrior Multiform (200 Character Points in the most expensive form) (Instant Change) (45 Active Points); Costs Endurance (To Stay In Form; -1) (22 Real Points)

[Manic Typist]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

First, what is photokinesis?

 

Second, are the point costs for Vita and Venus reversed? If I am reading it correctly, Venus is 230 while Vita is 250.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

First, what is photokinesis?

 

Second, are the point costs for Vita and Venus reversed? If I am reading it correctly, Venus is 230 while Vita is 250.

 

Typo, but correct in the actual power write up. Vita is 250 points; Vita taking an Aspect of Venus is 280 points, and that extra boost is paid for by taking 30 additional points in disads.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

First, what is photokinesis?

 

Photokinesis is the manipulation of light with the mind. Invisibility, illusions, flashes of light, lasers, etc.

[Damascan]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Avatars, Mounts, and Aspects. Excellent. So how does a spirit possess a person in your reality? Multiform won't work for a body-swapper, which is always a fun plot twist. Especially one that can morph its aura...

 

Also, where do the Hell and Heavenstones come from? Are they simply the product of legend, created by the Ancients before? Perhaps they are mined, or perhaps they are some strange lifeform themselves? Or in a simpler universe, perhaps they are from the insides (or bowels, if you prefer) of some bizarre creature of the Void?

 

I know, I know --- this is probably one of those secrets you don't want to let out of the bag. Have to keep the intrigue and mystery alive. Sigh.

[James Gillen]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

By the way, where are the writeups for Vorenus and Pollo?

 

JG

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Secrets of the Black – Mechanics of Summon in Black Magic

Black Magic sometimes uses a special effect of “Summoning” when the actual mechanical effect is something entirely different. This discussion covers the Summon power itself. No form of Summon using Black Magic can take Reduced END cost or Charges.

 

Class I Summon: Mental summons in the material world.

 

Black Magic can be used to mentally summon humans or animals native to an area and compel them to come to the assistance of the magicker. Class 1 summons take the Creature Arrives under Own Power and Creature Must Inhabit Locale limits. No other limits are strictly required. This type of summoning is often considered to overlap with Green Magic, and is the safest and least taxing form of Summoning.

 

Class II Summon: Teleportation

 

Black Magic can also be used to teleport a target from a distant location to the caster’s location or to teleport the caster. Whether the game element used is Summon (to draw distant targets to the caster) or Teleport (to move the caster himself, with or without passengers) the power is required to take at least 3x END Cost, Requires a Skill Roll, and the Side Effects limitation. The most appropriate Side Effect would be killing damage to the caster as the attempted Teleportation goes horribly wrong. If a specific creature is being summoned (“My horse Binky” or “That bar maid I met last week”) the +1 “Specific Being” advantage is required. The Amicable advantage is not available when Teleport-summoning living creatures. The Amicable advantage is required at the +1 Slavishly Loyal level if Teleport-Summoning inanimate objects.

 

Class III Summon: Calling the Spirits

 

Calling Spirits is the most potentially powerful form of Black Magic using the Summon mechanic. Class III Summons must take Expendable Focus (this represents an initial Sacrifice to the entity, such as wine, blood, a high quality paper model of some object the entity might desire which is ritually burned, etc), Requires a Skill Roll and the Side Effects limitation. If the summoning skill roll fails, the summoning is botched due to a disruption of the gestures, incantations, or other required limits, or if the Terms under which the entity is summoned are violated (see below), the entity will still appear; it will then attack the summoner unless the summons has been performed through an Intermediary (see below). Even if the Amicable advantage is taken, Terms must still be negotiated and adhered to, and the Side Effects still apply (though at the GMs option a spirit other than the one called might appear). Gestures, Incantations, Extra Time, and the custom Sacred Space limitations (see below) are recommended but not required.

 

Terms:

 

When a Spirit (or similar entity) arrives, his obedience or rebellion is determined through a contest of the summoner’s EGO versus the Spirit’s EGO to determine both the Spirit’s obedience and what level of payment the spirit will demand. If the spirit’s final demands are not met, the spirit will attempt to take action against the summoner, either through direct attack or later ambush. This is treated as part of the Side Effects limitation. Even if the Spirit is Amicable, the contest should still be held to determine payment. The Trading skill may act as a complementary skill roll, at the GM’s discretion.

 

First, consider possible modifiers to the summoner’s EGO roll, based on the following examples:

+1 to 3 = Initial Sacrifice was more lavish than required, such as killing a prize bull when a chicken would have done

-1 to 3 = Initial Sacrifice was inappropriate, such as a blood sacrifice to a spirit that disdains blood sacrifices

+1 to 3 = Requested service is highly appropriate or lines up with the Spirit’s own interests, such as asking a daemon of Venus to cast a love charm on your behalf.

-1 to 3 = Requested service is highly inappropriate of against the interests of the Spirit, such as asking the ghost of a father to reveal the location of his son.

+1 to 3 = Spirit has a positive relationship with the summoner, based on past interactions or a successful use of Persuasion, Seduction, or an appropriate social skill

-1 to 3 = Spirit has a negative relationship with the summoner, based on past interactions or a botched use of a social skill

 

Total modifiers may never exceed + or – 9.

 

After the EGO contest occurs, if the Spirit wins, it will attack or otherwise act to harm the summoner (Exception: Amicable victors will simply demand exorbitant payments). If the summoner wins the contest by:

 

0 to 1: The Spirit will demand a payment that will noticeably inconvenience the summoner. A personal service (“Visit the Wulin Shrine in Shen Zhou and burn incense in my honor”) or a significant sacrifice (“Give me five white oxen”). A Spirit called upon to kill will at this level ask for a human life, but at the GM’s option may settle for the life of their target.

2 to 3: The Spirit will demand a payment that will moderately inconvenience the summoner. A modest personal service (“Remember to clean my grave before the next full moon”) or a moderate sacrifice (“Give me the blood of one perfect bird, and burn a sacred candle in my memory”).

4 or more: The spirit will demand a trivial payment. A minor personal service (“Recite one hundred prayers in my name”) or modest sacrifice (“Give me three cups of wine”).

 

If the Terms of the agreement are not fulfilled, the Spirit will eventually strike at the summoner.

 

Spirits, Ghosts, Daemons, and Avatars

 

In the Imperium setting, the distinctions between these creatures are often hotly debated by scholars. Certainly a saga master of the Rus will not agree with the cosmological views of a Shen Zhou monk or Imperium priest. Still, the following ideas are generally accepted (and the mechanics are campaign cannon).

 

Spirits – Ghosts, Daemons and Avatar may all be thought of as sub-sets of Spirits. So could the Fey, the Sidhe, and many other groups and apparent races found in the Dreamlands and the Void. The origins of these creatures are endlessly debated; the most common theory is that most Spirits are formed from the stuff of the Void and Dreamlands themselves by human belief. Mechanically, almost any creature presented in the Asian Bestiaries can be treated as a spirit. Spirits may only reach the physical world if called by Black, Red or Gold magic. A Spirit in the physical world must make an EGO roll at each step on the time chart after fulfilling its task(s), at a cumulative -1 per step. When the roll is failed, the Spirit will return to its home realm. A Spirit may voluntarily return home at any time. Spirits are not bound by the normal system of White, Black and Green magic. All of the above applies to other forms of Spirit unless specifically contradicted in the text.

 

Ghosts – Ghosts were likely originally living humans, though there is debate over this among scholars. Magickers using Astral Projection seem functionally identical to ghosts. Ghosts retain the knowledge and skills they had in life; this is the most common reason to summon them. Ghosts that have reached the Void and are either on the Black Path or beyond the Black Gates may not be called back to Earth. Mechanically, Ghosts should generally be written up based on the K’uei, AB1, p.34, and adjusted by culture and life experience.

 

Daemons – Daemons are servant spirits of the gods, and may be thought of as minor gods in their own rights (endless debates circle as to the true nature of the gods). Saemons often have rare and useful knowledge skills, and may be given their patron deity as a contact. The Mamien, AB1, p.50, are a particularly good place to start with a Daemon, customized by deity. Dealing with Daemons can be dangerous, as their extensive social networks and powerful patrons put them in an excellent position to revenge themselves on impolite humans.

 

Avatars - Avatars may be thought of as shadows or reflections of gods or extremely powerful spirits. Relatively minor Avatars are built on 500 points or more, and powerful avatars may be built on thousands of points. An Avatar may never truly be destroyed; even if its physical body dies, its experiences are known to its patron deity, and a new Avatar may be created to take its place. A minor Avatar might be built starting with the Apsarasas, AB1, p.61 with almost any powers, skills or stat boosts added to reflect the deity in question. While Avatars offer the greatest potential power and knowledge to a summoner, they also demand the highest prices in exchange, and the anger of an actual deity is something no sane magicker wishes to face.

 

The Asian Bestiaries, 1&2, are the primary bestiaries used in this setting.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

So how does a spirit possess a person in your reality? Multiform won't work for a body-swapper

 

Transdimensional Mind Control (telepathic) plus the ability to perceive the physical world from the Astral Plane. Alternatively, Transformation Attack: Target into Possessed Target and Multiform: Self to Self in Target's Body.

Also, where do the Hell and Heavenstones come from?

 

Hints are found in the Song of Ainu, one verse of which is in the second post in the thread. Today they are only found, increasingly rarely, in ancient ruins. Minor stones are sometimes in the hands of powerful families (though vanishingly few can feed the Gold), more are in the hands of Kings and Emperors (who can often hire a court magicker to maintain them) and others are held by Temples, Monasteries, and Nunneries, granting these religious institutions considerable power but also making them targets. They are rarer than diamonds and far more valuable.

 

PCs are likely to see a few, but then they're PCs.