Manic Typist

Can someone articulate the difference between wheellocks, flintlocks, and snaphances? They all seem to work through a mechanism striking a piece of flint against a pan (the frizzen?) and igniting powder. I've read up on them and I don't really see the difference except perhaps in some minutiae of the gears involved.

Azaire-Allen Brahmwell VAL CHA Cost Roll Notes 13 STR 3 12- HTH Damage 2 1/2d6 END [3] 13 DEX 6 12- 18 CON 8 13- 13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12- 13 EGO 3 12- 10 PRE 0 11- PRE Attack: 2d6 6 OCV 15 6 DCV 15 3 OMCV 0 3 DMCV 0 3 SPD 10 Phases: 4, 8, 12 5 PD 3 5 PD (0 rPD) 5 ED 3 5 ED (0 rED) 7 REC 3 30 END 2 13 BODY 3 25 STUN 3 Movement Cost Meters Notes RUNNING 0 12m/24m END [1] SWIMMING 0 4m/8m END [1] LEAPING 0 4m 4m forward, 2m upward Characteristics Total: 80 Cost Martial Arts Bartitsu 1 1) Weapon Element: Clubs, Unarmed 3 2) Martial Grab: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, -1 DCV, Grab Two Limbs, 23 STR for holding on 4 3) Choke Hold: 1/2 Phase, -2 OCV, +0 DCV, Grab One Limb; 2d6 NND 4 4) Joint Lock/Throw: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, Grab One Limb; 1d6 NND ; Target Falls 5 5) Joint Break: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, -2 DCV, Grab One Limb; HKA 2d6 , Disable 4 6) Reversal: var Phase, -1 OCV, -2 DCV, 28 STR to Escape; Grab Two Limbs 5 7) Disarming Throw: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, Grab Weapon, 18 STR to take weapon away; Target Falls 5 8) Defensive Block: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +3 DCV, Block, Abort 4 9) Fast Strike: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +0 DCV, 4 1/2d6 Strike 4 10) Nerve Strike: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, +1 DCV, 2d6 NND 4 11) Martial Flash: Eye Gouge: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, -1 DCV, Flash 4d6 Martial Arts Total: 43 Cost Skills 3 AK: Huma 12- Everyman 0 1) Acting 8- 0 2) Conversation 8- 0 3) Deduction 8- 1 4) Language: Panalect (idiomatic; literate) (6 Active Points) Fixer 3 1) PS: Bountyhunter 12- 3 2) Concealment 12- 3 3) Bribery 11- 3 4) KS: Criminals, lowlifes, bandits of the Wedge 12- 6 5) AK: The Wedge 15- 3 6) Interrogation 11- 2 7) Navigation (Land) 12- 3 8) Paramedics 12- 8 9) +4 with PER Roll 3 10) Streetwise 11- 4 11) Survival (Temperate/Subtropical, Urban) 12- Picking the time, place, and terms 3 1) Breakfall 12- 3 2) Climbing 12- 3 3) Lockpicking 12- 3 4) KS: Poisons, powders, and herbs 12- 3 5) Security Systems 12- 3 6) Shadowing 12- 12 7) +4 with Shadowing, Stealth, Tracking 3 8) Stealth 12- 3 9) Tracking 12- Combat 12 1) +4 with a short blades 12 2) +4 with thrown weapons 10 3) Two-Weapon Fighting 7 4) WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons, Early Thrown Grenades, Flintlocks, Thrown Chain & Rope Weapons Skills Total: 122 Value Complications 10 Psychological Complication: Looking for his family Uncommon, Strong 10 Hunted: The Order Infrequently, Mo Pow, NCI, Watching 15 Rivalry: Professional (Other fixers and people in the Trade; Rival is More Powerful; Seek to Harm or Kill Rival; Rival Aware of Rivalry) 5 Psychological Complication: Soft spot for animals (Uncommon; Moderate) Complications Points: 40 Base Points: 200 Experience: 0 Experience Unspent: 0 Total Character Cost: 245 Summary Bio Azaire is a fixer/ bounty hunter descended from a family of bounty hunters. His grandfather had been some sort of clandestine operative for the government during his younger years and later on would become a bounty hunter of some limited renown for successfully taking down a few magic users with considerable bounties on their heads. His grandfather had five children and apprenticed three of them (Azaire’s father, oldest uncle and youngest aunt) as bounty hunters. In turn, Azaire’s father apprenticed Azaire and Azaire’s older brother making sure they learned the skills he had in turn learned from his own father. A few years ago, his father, uncle, brother and two cousins as well as other bounty party members vanished without a trace while pursuing a mage they were contracted to track down ( the size and composition of contracted bounty teams varies on the target and payout and for some reason Azaire's father decided Azaire would not be part of that bounty team that was the largest Azaire had ever seen). For the last couple of years, Azaire has been looking for information on “the Order”, some sort of group that was apparently watching him after he went looking for his missing family members and who may be involved somehow or know something about their disappearance. Other than overhearing the discussion of two people assigned to watch him and seeing a unique symbol on a couple of pieces of correspondence from “the Order”, Azaire has little information on the Order. He doesn’t know what it is, where it is based and who its members are (or even its real name). Of the three apparent agents or members he has encountered, at least two were spell casters. Other than that, he has hit dead ends in his search for information on “the Order”. He sees working for the government or a powerful patron as an opportunity to build up resources and possibly make connections or gain information that can help him with learning more about the Order and possibly find out what happened to his father. Personality He has a pretty solemn nature with occasional glimpses of lightness that feels like residue of a different time and person (and has mostly been pushed down). He tends to keeps things close to the vest. He does show a particular respect and fondness for animals – in particular, any type of horse as well as animals that are not traditionally domesticated. Skills For decades Brahmwell family bounty hunters have been honing techniques geared towards finding and capturing (or eliminating) targets. Azaire was years out of apprenticeship and fairly successful as a bounty hunter when members of his family went missing while pursuing a massive bounty. In the last couple of years, he has further honed his skills and deepened his knowledge as he moved from primarily bounty hunting to acting as more of an overall "fixer" of sorts (spying and information collection, item retrieval, high value target and mage elimination, etc.) looking for bigger payouts, scavenged objects and possible details on the Order. He was trained to track and survive in a variety of environments (wilderness, city streetwise, etc.). He was also trained to avoid detection, pick locks, scale walls, etc. He has experience with poisons, toxins and some herbal knowledge. He can ride horses. Combat Technique Azaire focuses on speed, precision and stealth. His intention is to incapacitate a target before the foe even realizes he has been attacked. And, when the occasion calls for it, try to make it out again without others realizing anything has happened or where the attack came from. Martial Art: Azaire has studied nerves, tendons, joints and muscles of the human body and how to control, incapacitate or damage a foe. He approaches combat one of two ways: “incapacitate/subdue” or “hurt/ kill”. He can use a variety of holds, chokes or throws to incapacitate an opponent. If his intention is to hurt or kill, he may use attacks to joints, eyes, noses, etc. He uses angles, leverage and even the environment to his advantage when engaging a foe. Weapons: Azaire’s favorite weapon is the throwing knife. He keeps several with him at all times. He also utilizes a crossbow for longer range attacks. He’ll utilize bolas or weighted throwing chains for entangling. In melee combat, he’ll often use a very long dagger or a short sword. He also carries a pistol or two for emergencies but, with their loud nature, feels that things have pretty much already hit the fan if they have to be used. Other: Azaire sees the value of distraction and misdirection in combat and will use smoke grenades, flash bombs and other throwing devices. Additionally, he may tip his blades or bolts with poison or knockout ingredients.

So, I've built one of the PCs, but I'm not sure what export format to use to make it easy to share in a post. Suggestions?

Thanks all!

I thought so too, but couldn't find it!

I'm building a character using bartitsu, and I'm wondering if anyone's built a martial art where not all of the martial maneuvers of the art can be used with the weapon elements associated with it. For instance, I think it's a touch weird to use a "Joint Lock" with a blade, especially when the art is primarily focused around clubs and hands. Should I just use a separator within the art to designate which maneuvers work with which weapon elements? I feel that I should give a slight point discount, since that is not what RAW intended (that I've seen). Anyone else face this problem? Did you just build an armed and unarmed version of your arts?

I'm not sure why you have the impression that magic is rare in my setting (you've commented on my other threads that give detail to the setting); I was merely pointing out alternative ways that magic could be limited below the "unstoppable cosmic power" level you were describing that didn't involve the user being dead, insane, or wishing that they were. And I don't see how guns would remotely pose a risk to magic dying out unless one was specifically writing to that scenario - after all, just because we have guns doesn't mean we don't give soldiers knives too. Or put another way - even if all magic can do is let people shoot lasers out of their eyes once a day.... you don't think that's a useful tool to have on hand?

Oh, also, to veer slightly back toward the central topic: Any other tips out there for GMing scenarios involving magic and guns? For instance, how you would approach the typical HERO scrimmage scenario as a gun wielder- strategies for maintaining your distance, handheld weapons, armor, etc. How you, as a non-magic user, would close to grips with a gunner?

Alternatively, magic doesn't work in whatever way the wielders might wish but instead has real limits and costs. Perhaps it requires great sacrifice (some people probably are willing to sacrifice their son because a voice in the sky said so, but most people, even powerful people, would balk at that price tag), or specific conditions (only "twu wuv" can revive someone who is "mostly dead"), or even can't do certain things (we can bend elements, not minds!). Personally, I find magic more interesting when it is limited as opposed to anything and everything.

Because I'm keenly aware of this, the key detail is that the feudal society has not yet experienced in a serious way this technology. Plus, it has powerful magic. I'm deliberately creating a precarious situation, so that all parties are bringing their own assumptions of how they'd win a war against their hated enemies before Christmas. This is Europe pre-WW1, where horse calvary, machine guns, poison gas, and massed charges are all going to be tossed into the fire at the same time. A war is coming, and nothing will be the same after. All I need is enough parity between the two groups is to work at a typical RPG skirmish level, and I think we're close. Playtesting will out though.

This is for my gaslight fantasy/arcanepunk setting that is discussed in a couple of places in this forum.

So I had my first meet and greet with 3 of my potential 5 players, and it seems promising. One is thinking of a magical researcher meets mad scientist (the word "doomship" was said 3 times in a deliberately cheesy faux German accent), wizard. We're thinking he's considered "mad" because he did experiments in which he tried to imbue magical talent into a non-mage - that would definitely quantify as insane. Another is thinking of a "troubleshooter" (bounty hunter/assassin) who specializes in taking down magic users. Lots of stealth, specialized tools, and probably skill with poisons. The final one wants to play a socially facing character that I describe as the facewoman (very thankful one person wants to be the diplomat!). Right now we're thinking a former civil servant with gambling problems who was drummed out of the government on either false or legitimate charges. Fast talking, persuasive, fights with a rapier when necessary. A perfect fit for the setting, really. I'll need to build these PCs, and if the store ever lets me buy the version of HD that supports 6E, I'll post them here.

Perhaps a part of the balance should be the number of forces. For every feudal knight with sorcery that shows up, 2-3 gunners show up to reflect the advantage of the ease of training riflemen. Levy spearmen would be outclassed by a 1-1 ratio with flint/percussion lock weapons, whereas knights with some magical backing would stand roughly even odds.

And this is my difficulty. I'm trying to strike a close (it doesn't have to be perfect) balance between a nation that emphasizes guns versus one that emphasizes magic and swords. If the feudal troops show up without their sorcerers backing them up, then they are in a world of trouble. If the magic is there, then both sides should be near parity depending on circumstances (what kind of sorcerer showed up? What are the ranges/mix of forces? Is there artillery? etc.). That's why I was originally leaning towards flintlock rifles with percussion caps (and... I think I'm using those terms correctly. I'm not a historical gun buff). Even still, I think I didn't fully appreciate the need for melee weapons geared towards fighting a feudal opponent, because it seems like most skirmishes are only going to afford the opportunity to get off one shot. However, perhaps being Stunned will make up the difference and this is about right.

Lots of great feedback and ideas. Quick question, for someone to check my math: In a typical RPG fight, the ranges are going to be pretty close. Ser Knight is perhaps 50 meters away from his target, Mr. Rifleman. Mr. Rifleman's weapon is pegged at a Longbow (2d6RKA), and Ser Knight's armor full plate (8rPD). On average, the rifle will do 6 damage, so with AP 2 damage gets through. Assuming it's a center mass hit, Ser Knight is wounded but should be able to close with the rifleman before he reloads and get off at least one attack, maybe more. Am I missing something, besides the fact that it's obviously better to shoot from behind a fortification? I feel that there is a difference in the strategic advantage of guns versus the tactical advantage of guns, and HERO combat is about the latter and not the former.

Shadowsoul- I would be incredibly grateful for any of those materials. Lots of great comments all around, definitely things for me to use. General feedback: -Since I'm pegging the level of gun tech as American Civil War, I anticipate a mixture of smoothbore/rifled, powder, and at the high end percussion caps. Pepperboxes are common for their utility, as well as volley guns in the hands of stronger individuals. Actual repeating weapons are just coming into the market (revolvers and field pieces mostly), which represents a major shift in the balance of military capability between states. -I love the boarding gun and other gun/blade visuals I saw through that link/these suggestions. The look of the boarding gun, combining an axe with a shotgun... going to have to find a way to use it. -I hadn't considered PRE, but now it makes perfect sense. Even in a high fantasy setting, charging across a field with a sword at a group of people shooting at you is demoralizing. -I should also plan a table for the build up of smoke in a battle, as I expect most large fights will descend into close range smoky chaos due to repeated weapons discharges. -I really like the idea of giving skilled gunners levels to accelerate their loading time; hadn't thought of that. Definitely will help set the difference between common and experienced soldiers for the PCs to recognize the increased threat. -Definitely going to have someone fire a partially loaded gun to distract/blind an opponent in close combat, and I think elite soldiers will use it like a spear/quarterstaff with penalty skill levels and martial arts. So I'll probably create a simple table for weapon types based on pistol/shotgun/rifle, projectile type, and smooth/rifled. So that's a 3x4 table of options right there - gives PCs options but doesn't become overwhelming with details either. ID the gun, run it through the table, there are you range modifiers. I was planning on stacking rifles as equivalent to longbows in damage, so 2d6 perhaps with x2 STUN. Pistols perhaps 1d6+1 but with shorter range and no penalties at close range to make them easier to hit with. A shotgun could be with shot, so it has a spread, 2d6 perhaps in the optimum range with an increased x2 STUN or a solid slug for 3d6 X3 STUN. I'm just making those numbers up above. I know that I want most mooks to be out of the fight if they take a center mass hit with anything pistol or larger (excluding smaller calibers like most pepperboxes). At the same time, I have on PC with approximately 12rDEF - so this feels about right in terms of being able to hurt him but taking a hit or two isn't a death sentence. Standing out in the open daring people to shoot at you, however, would be. Anyone think my numbers are way off? (Also, I'm now learning what the term flintlock actually means).

Someone tell me if I'm wrong on my math- excluding martial arts, this character will be OCV 13 on offense, and about 84% of the time the PC will roll a 13- on the To Hit roll.... meaning that (again, excluding martial arts) the PC will hit DCV 18- 84% of the time.

I favor the latter, although some repeating weapons do exist.

(Tried to post this last night but it seems to have disappeared). I'm going to run a campaign that mixes high fantasy with early firearms (roughly American Civil War era weapons). I'm looking for anyone else's experiences mixing these elements. I want the presence of firearms to not completely dominate the setting, but for it to be a major element whose presence is felt even in scenes where it isn't featured - such as more light armor or no armor fighters, and a premium on magical protection from firearms when possible. My initial thoughts: 1) I'll need to think about how fighting styles will reflect the nature of guns. There will be a set of basic maneuvers meant for use after you've spent your shot - using the gun as a club, spear, quarterstaff, etc. Probably most will also have decent skills with sabres/small swords that can be wielded one handed. 2) I'm thinking that all firearms will be built (with some exception) with one level of AP, to reduce the efficacy of armor, magical and mundane. Anyone else have thoughts on this, tips and tricks?

I'm a little concerned about the combination of martial maneuvers, OCV, and the sword. I'll have to review adding DC rules. A mitigating factor is that frankly, after a certain point, there are diminishing returns. Many opponents will be lightly or unarmored, given that I want bullets to basically kill/disable mooks, even with armor (assuming a center mass hit, most of the time). So doing 3d6 to someone wearing no armor probably doesn't look any different than doing 6d6, functionally.

Well, these three are by the same person. The first two were "options," but then when another said he was interested in playing a magic user, the player built the swordsman to use instead. However, I think he is going to help another person build their PC, so hopefully we'll see at least two PCs of such excellent caliber.

Another character: Muireach Naughton Background/History: The story of the enigmatic swordsman known as Muireach Naughton is one of blood, thunder... and true love. Born the second son of a prosperous farmer, Muireach was, from a very early age, never content with his comfortable, if boring life. His father would regularly beat him for skipping out on his chores to play 'soldiers', and it was not long before he ran away. At the age of nine, he joined a mercenary company known as the Iron Hammers as a camp helper. Though it was a harder and often leaner existence than he had known, he was free, and indeed encouraged to learn the arts of war as he had always dreamed. What was more, it turned out he was quite gifted in them. By the time he was twelve, Muireach was allowed to join the light infantry, where he earned something of a reputation for impetuous bravery and surprising skill. His rise through the ranks was meteoric, and by the time he was sixteen, he was a lieutenant, in charge of his own squad. His command would prove short-lived however. A border skirmish wherein the Iron Hammers were fighting as Ultrian proxies, saw them decimated by a well laid ambush involving Oberan wizards. One of few survivors, Muireach escaped. Taking work where he could as an independent sellsword, Muireach honed his killing arts, often going hungry so that he could hire weapon masters to instruct him, or to keep his weapons and armor in good repair. Seven years after the fall of the Iron Hammers saw Muireach embroiled in another ruinous venture of which he was the sole survivor. The brigands who had assaulted the caravan he was hired to protect chased him, eager to avenge their comrades who had fallen to his sword, pursued him through the woods. He might have stood and fought, but his blade had been shattered during the fighting. He came upon a crumbling keep and ducked inside, hoping to find something with which to defend himself. The forgotten fortress was littered with the skeletons of long dead fighting men, all of whom appeared to have died in some catastrophic battle. All their blades had long since gone to rust however, and were of no use to him. That was when Muireach heard a sound, like the weeping of a jilted lover. Though the sound appeared to be inside his own mind, it definitely could be traced to a source, and so, with nothing but a guttering torch to light his way, the doomed man made his way through that ancient abbatoir to what appeared to be the throne room. There, squatting on a throne of carved obsidian squatted some long-dead lord, the flesh long gone from his bones, rusted armor still clinging to him. He was pierced by nearly a dozen moldering arrows and his armor bore the scars of sword thrusts and axe blows. On the floor at his feet were the butchered bodies of more than a dozen foes. In the bygone warrior's lap, sat the source of the weeping. It was a sword, untouched by time and beautifully crafted. The blade was a bright crimson and the pommel and grip were cunningly carved from a single piece of obsidian into the shape of a beautiful woman. As if in a dream, Muireach took the sword into his hand and at once he understood. She was weeping for her lost love. The blade spoke to him through images, impressions and emotions. The blade's name was Blood Harlot and this man was the great lord for whose hand she had been forged. The wizard of his court had enchanted a blade that would protect its owner as fiercely as a lover, but something had not gone as intended. The blade whispered seductively to him, driving him to ever greater acts of carnage and bloodshed with the eagerness of wanton youthful lust. Together, warrior and sword turned skirmishes into orgies of death. When the lord began to provoke outright war with his neighbors only to have more enemies to butcher, his retainers sought to act. In what Blood Harlot describes as his 'final act of devotion' the lord slew his assailants to a man before finally succumbing to his wounds, leaving the castle a tomb for a century. When at last his pursuers found them, the blade initially seemed to protest, almost coyly. When it first bit through the flesh of a victim however, any hint of reservation vanished and together, she and Muireach killed the bandits to a man, the blade sharing her ecstasy with him. Now Muireach bears Blood Harlot into battle. Thus far her urgings to court greater heights of violence have been gentler and more playful than those that brought ruin on her lord. Experience has taught her some caution, but old habits die hard. Personality/Motivation: Though a skilled warrior, Muireach has always been more motivated by adventure and challenge than coin or the thrill of taking life. He will not take any contract that involves the killing of civilians. It is battle he loves, not murder. Blood Harlot is aware of these 'flaws' and loves him despite them. Thus far, her influence has gone only so far as to make him more likely to kill an opponent rather than disarm or incapacitate, but not enough to seek a fight that he otherwise would not. Muireach still harbors a bit of a grudge against Obera for the destruction of his comrades so long ago. He is no fan of wizards, but one who holds no allegiance to the kingdom can earn his trust. He has a particular soft spot for willful adventurous children, and will often go out of his way to show them kindness. Those who harm children are the quickest to earn his ire. Personal Quote: You wield your sword well enough, but I wield mine even as she wields me in turn. You are alone, and you never even had a chance. Farewell. Powers/Tactics: Strong, fast, tough, and possessed of considerable skill, Muireach was a deadly swordsman before ever finding Blood Harlot. Since she entered his life however, he has been a terror. The blade is supernaturally sharp and appears nigh indestructible, able to cut through armor and bone without ever so much as blunting any part of her edge. What's more, Blood Harlot protects her lover zealously. Her magic surrounds him like a warm embrace, allowing him to shrug off both physical harm and hostile magic. In anyone's hand other than that of her beloved, Blood Harlot is merely a longsword, and an awkwardly balanced one at that. A skilled and bloodthirsty warrior might be able to seduce her away from Muireach but it would take time and no small amount of effort. It is unlikely in the extreme that she could ever be motivated to work as intended against him. In battle, Muireach typically wears chainmail armor. His blade teases him for this, asking if she's not enough for him and complaining that the heavy armor constrains him from killing as gracefully and efficiently as he otherwise could. He in turn chides her gently asking if she wants to be a widow. He also carries a heavy pistol but would never dream of using it unless he had no other recourse. To kill an enemy at close range with a pistol would constitute a betrayal on par with a husband bedding a prostitute in front of his wife. Blood Harlot often hints that they will come to know each other better in time, which likely means she has other powers which Muireach will be able to unlock in time. Appearance: At 6'3" with broad shoulders and a lean, sturdy build, Muireach is an imposing figure, though not an overwhelming one. He typically binds his long black hair back, keeping it out of his intense blue eyes. There is little hope of disguising him for anything other than a warrior, as Blood Harlot has a way of insisting she be worn proudly whenever possible. As such, even when unarmored, Muireach dresses in practical, sturdy clothes. str: 20, dex: 15, con: 15, int: 13, ego: 15, pre: 15, ocv: 7, dcv: 7, omcv: 3, dmcv: 3, spd: 5, pd: 8, ed: 8, rec: 10, end:40, body: 13, stun: 40 (143 points) Powers Blood Harlot: 2d6 hka, 6 resistant pd/ed, power defense 16, all oaf (sword) -1 (32 points) (Note: the sword is able to speak in Muireach's mind, making her desires known and sharing her boundless pleasure at shedding blood, but this will have no mechanical advantage whatsoever and is purely a roleplaying effect) Martial art, swordsmanship 3 extra dcs (12), Parry: +2 ocv +2 dcv block abort (4), slash: +0 ocv +2 dcv 5d6 hka (4), thrust: +1 ocv +3 dcv 4d6+1 hka (5), spincut/cleave: -2ocv +1dcv 5+1/2d6 (5) (30 points) Skills +4 with longswords, +2 hth WF common melee and missle weapons 4, Fast draw (longsword) 3, riding 3, tactics 3, literacy 1, ks (notable swordsmen) climbing 3, play chess, languages 1, stealth 3, (45 points) Complications (50) Psychological complication: Code of honor, Common Moderate (10) Psychological complication: distrusts wizards/Oberans, common, strong (15) Enraged: if child is harmed or threatened (uncommon) go 11- recover 11- (15) Psychological complication: Prefers to kill opponents (uncommon, strong) (10)

Oh, good catch.

Perhaps move the Breakage rolls to after the combat? You could assign penalties based on what happened during the combat. It would complicate the scenario of having a weapon break mid-combat, however.

An update to the magic system, with some light flavor text. Thoughts on themes, nicknames, potential implications of powers/SFX, are welcome. Magic in Miundo infuses everything – it represents the fundamental building block of reality and the underpinning of every process. Life, death, the composition of soil, natural processes, sapience – all could accurately be described as magical in nature. Properly, “magic” is best understood as the deliberate manipulation of the natural laws that constitute existence, rather than something apart from what already is. There are nine flows that, in combination, make up Miundo. The Material Arts 1) Destruction (Diminishment/Red) This stream manifests as a red light, and is about the breaking of bonds and reduction of a thing. It can be used to disintegrate a door, blow a hole into the ground, or purge an infection from a wound. Destruction Adepts are often called Sunderers. 2) Amplification (Binding/Orange) Nothing which is can continue to be without some manner of making more of itself, of affirming its existence. This streams manifests with an orange light and is used to bind like with like – Amplifiers are often called Builders or Binders, and can perform rudimentary healing if they have knowledge of anatomy. They frequently are asked to officiate or bless weddings. 3) Transformation (Alchemy/Alternation/Yellow) Few things persist without undergoing some kind of change or transformation. Turn a wall into sand, a sword into glass, skin into stone, or lead into gold (and yourself into a wanted man). The effects are not necessarily limited to physical material – skilled (and clever) practioners can transform the direction of inertia of an object, for instance. This stream manifests with a strong yellow glow, and its users are often alchemists, pharmacists, etc. They are imaginatively called Changers. The Living Streams 1) Life (Growth/Green) The Life stream manifests with a green light and relies upon the manipulation of living matter. They can rapidly accelerate healing, promote the growth of crops, or cause an infection to rage through a body in seconds. The Life stream is, directly, useless against non-living objects. A blast of raw power against a stone wall would do nothing – but causing the weeds in the mortar to explosively grow would bring it down. The Life stream is generally very positively perceived outside the magical community, and an adept would receive a warm welcome since the most frequently since aspect of the practice is in the form of healing or enhancing crop yields. Life adepts prefer this to the public knowing the full potential for harm that they can inflict. They are sometimes called Growers, Sprouts, or Greenies. 2) Stasis (Continuity/Inertia/White) Stasis manifests with a white color and consists of effects that thematically deal with continuation, permanence, or maintenance. Without Stasis, nothing could endure, and existence would unravel into chaos. Stasis manipulation is often used to reinforce armor and weapons, preserve items which would spoil, extend the life of an individual, or immobilize people who would really rather keep moving. Stasis adepts are sometimes called Holders. 3) Death (Decay/Black) To all things comes an end, and the Death stream is a natural part of the cycles of Miundo. This stream manifests as what is usually described as a black, but a pedantic mage (or one deep into his cups) would tell that it was really the absence of all color – that sight itself ends, and it’s best not to dwell on the implications of that. Those who wield the Death stream are often called Death Dealers, Reapers, Blighters (they can ruin a harvest in a few moments, leading to famine and despair). Most hate these names, and view their art as perfectly natural – but the common man’s fear of the unknown is strong. The Thoughtful Disciplines 1) Domination (Imposition/Insertion/Blue) Domination, which manifests with a blue effect, is the most literal and direct way an adept imposes his will upon reality – through substituting his will in the place of another. Dominants rely upon existing frameworks of will to effect their plans by forcing new commands into the framework. A Dominant can tell a guard to go away, a liar to tell the truth, and a truly power caster could tell someone to stop breathing. 2) Liberation (Truth/Lies/Halluciation/Disinhibition/Indigo) Liberation carries an indigo aspect to it, and deals with the removal of boundaries, restrictions, and barriers to thought or action. A Liberator could induce someone to speak by removing their inclination to not speak – but she couldn’t guarantee that what the person said would be true. Curiously, Liberators are sometimes called Breakers – because they can break the boundaries between reality and fantasy, whimsy and fact, dreams and the waking world – breaking minds and lives if their power is applied carelessly or callously. 3) Inception (Creativity/Novelty/Violet) Inception, showing a violet aspect, is perhaps the least understood stream. Via Inception, new ideas, concepts, and realities are born. Without it everything that is would pass and leave nothing behind. The creation of anything that is new, the act of bringing something out of nothing – this and more relies upon Inception. These practioners are sometimes called Fonts, and are frequently artists, inventors, and strategists. There are two principal forms of spellcaster in Miundo –sorcerers and wizards. Sorcerers, also known as “natural casters” (a technical misnomer), adepts, channelers, sparkers, and various other names (some quite rude), tap directly into the streams of magic to powerful effect. Sorcerers frequently manifest their magic during puberty and need little education to learn how to tap into the stream to which they are aligned – what they must learn is control for the safety of others and how to achieve advanced techniques through the thoughtful application of power. There are some tactical considerations to how these powers interact. · Like cannot stop like. A raw blast of Life energy will pass straight through a Life energy shield. · Most adepts only channel one kind of energy – skilled practioners find ways of pushing themselves to tap into additional streams. However this can be dangerous – channeling multiple streams at the same time can harm the practioner (to the point that it could literally cause them to explode). Most multi-channelers choose to only channel one stream at a time to maximize tactical options while minimizing the risk of self-immolation. · Adepts make great combat mages since they do not require words or gestures – concentration and being able to see the target are all they need. However, all casting comes from their own personal endurance. · Adepts frequently display unique physical characteristics or other talents based on their principal stream. · Sorcerers don’t actually cast spells so much as direct the existing magical energy in a controlled manner to attempt to achieve a desired outcome. Wizards, through disciplined study, have unlocked the secrets of combining the streams in a (relatively) safe manner to achieve affects greater than what the streams can achieve in isolation. By binding streams into words, gestures, and thought, wizards compartmentalize the magic and allow it to intertwine and build upon itself. This process, however, takes longer than natural sorcery. In Hero terms, “free casting” wizards take a minimum of a full turn to deploy a spell, and usually require gestures, incantations, and extensive concentration. Skilled practioners can surpass these limitations, but doing so elevates the risk of something going wrong. This is why wizards (those who live long, anyway) prepare their spells in advance by enchanting objects or putting spells into staves, wands, rings, or even the very air around them. This allows a wizard to activate a spell in an instant, but it also means they will eventually run out of charges and then must resort to casting on the fly – a position that smart wizards do everything to avoid. However, the secrets of wizardry are extremely difficult to obtain. In the time of the Old Empire, they were almost as common as sorcerers, but in the Upheaval and ensuing wars, insurrections, plagues, religious mania coming out of the nascent Ultrian independence movement, many wizards were killed and their centers of learning were lost outside of Obera. Only Obera still has the institutions necessary to life sorcerers to the true heights of magedom. Due to the desire to maintain this monopoly (any wizard could in theory pass on the secrets to a pupil) on knowledge and preserve limited resources, only the most promising and esteemed sorcerers are selected for the honor of indoctrination into the lost arts of wizardry. The graduates who emerge are incredibly powerful, dedicated supporters of the Oberan regime. Those sorcerers who chafe at this and speak publically in support of growing the ranks of wizards more rapidly and building more schools to do so typically find themselves stationed in dangerous or remote (often both!) postings.