Thursday, September 21, 2017

Valkyrja


Arthur Rackham
Awe inspiring, these tall women bear stern expressions hidden beneath helms of brilliant silver. They have many names, Darra or spear bearers, Rooin the red women, and Veurr, which means protectors. Their presence is unsettling. To meet a vakyrja’s gaze is to lay your mortal doubts before her and have them judged wanting.
Valkyrja are the shield maidens of Alfhildr, goddess of war. Women in ornate armor bearing arms and standing beside the throne of Alfhildr is a favorite scene in Vann artwork. Other popular scenes include valkyrja wearing only a helmet while holding a spear and shield, sometimes walking beside white stags, ghostly images of women riding on the wind, and naked spirits fighting alongside men and women in battle.  
These mighty spirits are said to escort the fallen souls of warriors onto the great ship Orn, which gives passage to Vigjaholl, the halls of waiting. In truth, they are slaves to Alfhildr or at least to her current incarnation. It’s not remembered whether Alfhildr was the first of her name or if she simply took up the mantle after she stabbed the last Alfhildr through the heart. It’s only known that the blood remains, uncongealed, spread across the floor surrounding the throne. This crimson pool leaves no mark on those that pass through it. It serves as a grave reminder and perhaps also a trophy to laud over her slaves.
From her seat in the great hall, this tall and terrible goddess wears the gilded teeth of her predecessor around her neck and commands her slaves to serve the lowly warrior spirits of man like the dishonored wretches they are– until she is slain as well and another amongst the Valkyrja takes up her mantle.
Invincible: A valkyrja can only be killed with a thrust through the heart. Once a vakyrja’s Power drops below half its total, she can no longer lose Power through damage. At this point only a critical hit can slay her.
True Sight (M): Valkyrja are able to see creatures and things as if affected by the True Sight spell.
If you're interested, feel free to check out more creatures in the campaign book: The Northern Realm Campaign World.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Goules


Theodor Kittelson

You’ve heard Northrup’s story about the dead man in the fields. You heard what it did to their cow. If only you had seen it coming. If only this were a nightmare and you could wake up. The sound of something being dragged across the ground ceases, giving way to audible sniffs. Its moon cast shadow now darkens the entryway. Fear bubbles up in your gut. Tightening your grip, your knuckles turn white and crack on the shovel handle. The slender beam of light dividing the vestibule dims as the thing steps into the entryway and then across the threshold. You can see it clearly now, but you are entirely unprepared for what stands before you. You forget the mental image of a corpse. The screamed warnings of your subconscious are drowned in a flurry of emotions. It’s your dead brother, drowned because you could not save him. Suddenly you are filled with crippling sorrow. He has a knife in his hands but by the time he reaches you, you are ready for release…
Goules are walking dead, mindless, tireless, the only remarkable feature of a goule is that it was cursed in life. Its mind has left long ago, but its cursed flesh and hopelessness carries on to spread misery. When a cursed creature dies, its flesh lives on, and its soul remains trapped inside. Only a second death can bring it relief. Goules do not see the world as they did in life, acting on strong negative emotions and a warped hatred for life, happiness, and hope. They appear as a person’s worst fear, but not a common fear like darkness or the unknown, it is a sad fear, a regret. In its presence, this regret blooms into a depressing visage of what could have been. Staring too long drags one into a pit of despair and if that doesn’t kill you, its incredible strength will.
Visage (M): Goules appear different to each person. Those who can see it clearly, see a manifestation of their greatest shame and a fear that what could have been was their only chance at contentment. Only children see a goule for what it truly is. There is no way to resist this effect, but if you spend a Luck point you may act freely for 1d6 rounds, otherwise you are unable to move or act (players may roll an Intuition check, but no matter the result, the character is unable to act unless Luck is spent to make a re-roll). This is a mind-affecting ability.
 
Creatures are still undergoing transformations in ways that hopefully make encounters more varied and interesting. I'm taking the approach that creatures, items, and places are there to inspire story/campaign ideas as much as characters are. If you're interested, feel free to check out more creatures in the campaign book: The Northern Realm Campaign World.
 

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Spell Tricks


Spell Trick (M): The wizard’s arcane study progresses, she develops special tricks that not only aid the learning process, but augment her skills. She can choose spell tricks as attributes but she must follow their order (to know a 3rd spell trick she must know the 1st and 2nd).
Magda Zwierzchowska
Abjuration
1st: If a target within 50 ft. fails its check against an enchantment spell or effect, the wizard can spend an immediate action to grant the affected target a second check at the same CR.
2nd: The wizard can make counterspell checks as if they were cantrips (roll an extra d6).
3rd: The wizard may cast spells with a range of touch or personal at a range of 50 ft. instead.
Conjuration
1st: The wizard may add any summon spell from other spell lists to her spellbook. These learned spells are sorcery magic.
2nd: The wizard can spend 1 Power to manipulate time around her within 5 seconds, moving it forwards or backwards.
3rd: Summoned things can be summoned simultaneously with a spell that would target them, thereby summoning an enchanted thing. She may not spend more than 4 Power in total.
Divination:
1st: The wizard’s magic sense, not only automatically detects spells, but also identifies the spell effect.
2nd: While she sleeps, a wizard sometimes dreams of events happening about or pertaining to her as if from a Scry spell. There is a 1 in 6 chance she performs a Scry each time she sleeps.
3rd: The wizard can spend 1 Power to improve her Initiative order by 1d6 until the end of the round (she does not need to spend an immediate action).
Enchantment
1st: Any Intuition checks made to discern her motives are made with one less d6.
2nd: If a target is defenseless, it makes checks against her enchantment spells with one less d6.
3rd: When the duration of an enchantment spell ends, an affected target forgets everything that transpired from the moment it became affected to the moment it was freed from the spell.
Evocation
1st: If a target has an ability that allows it to overcome a spell’s partial effect (such as evasion or mettle), it no longer functions against the wizard’s spells.
2nd: The wizard can spend an immediate action to redirect a spell back on its source. Reflecting a spell works the same as a counterspell, except her Spell Dice result must exceed that of the target or it has no effect.
3rd: Spells that produce a damage effect no longer originate from the wizard and move towards the target, instead they erupt from out of the target’s body with tremendous destructive power. When she casts an evocation spell, she may roll Spell Dice twice and take the higher of two rolls.
Illusion
1st: The wizard can use an immediate action to switch the images of two different objects within 50 ft. Creatures are allowed an Intuition check to disbelieve the effect as normal. If she is fatigued, the wizard can no longer use this ability without expending 1 Power.
2nd: The wizard can manipulate an existing illusion. The effect must be within the capability of the spell. If the illusion is manipulated in the presence of its caster, she must make an opposing Will check to continue manipulating the illusion each round.
3rd: The wizard can produce the illusion of any spell she has observed or can imagine. She can spend 1-4 Power to cast it (there is no minimum or maximum). The casting and effects of the spell appear as they normally would, except that once the target disbelieves the spell all the effects cease to hinder it. The target is allowed only Intuition checks to disbelieve the effect.
Necromancy
1st: The wizard is always aware of living creatures within 50 ft. and their exact location. She can sense the strength of their life force.
2nd: The wizard can spend 1 Power to drain the unlife from target mindless undead creature within 50 ft.
3rd: Undead creatures under the wizard’s control gain the benefit of the wizard’s Will. The undead creatures add the Will as a bonus to all checks.
Transmutation
1st: The wizard can use an immediate action to mask the presence of a magical thing within 50 ft. It can appear as faintly enchanted or totally mundane, but it does not make a physical change. The deception is revealed with a True Sight spell or similar. Its abilities do not change despite its seemingly ordinary look. If she is fatigued, the wizard can no longer use this ability without expending 1 Power.
2nd: The wizard can cast spells through her familiar as if she was there. If she does not have a familiar she may form a permanent connection with a person to the same effect. She can sense their experiences, including seeing and feeling through them, and is equally affected by any condition afflicting her familiar.
3rd: The wizard may cast a spell and grant it to a companion without triggering the effect. The companion may later ‘cast’ the spell with a designated trigger. She must be able to touch the target to grant it a spell. She may grant the target only 1 spell. The Power spent cannot be regained until her companion uses the spell or it is dispelled from the target, even after a full day with a rest.