Clerical Orders of the Majestic Wilderlands (wip)

Of late, I've tended to favor the Wilderlands pantheon in my homebrews, instead of the 4e pantheon, which had previously been my go-to-- though don't get me wrong I don't mind using that and might even do so in the future. (I think I owe a bit of my fondness of it to the Raven Queen-- come-on, a non-evil death goddess with a raven motif? I was bound to imagine her as Neil Gaiman's Death, and thus to fall madly in love.)

To that end, and also because I like the idea of clerics being a little different for different gods, and because this is supported by ACKS's rules... well, here's some work on my part. Credit for the descriptions of the gods themselves goes to Rob Conley, from whom I cribbed them here, and I think ultimately to some combination of Bob Bledsaw, Robert E. Howard, and ancient people who actually worshiped about half of these bad boys.

Oh, and we should get this out of the way-- by default clerics IMC can always use spears, daggers, and crossbows in addition to the usual blunt fare-- I always thought the "no edged weapons because blood" thing was really, really stupid.

DANNU (DAN-NU) - The Mother of Mercy, Lady of the Green Earth, the Hearth Mother

Dannu is the goddess of mercy, love, home, and fields. Dannu is worshipped by peasants thourghout the Majestic Wilderlands. The church of Dannu works to bring aid and relief to the peasant when they suffer. The church of Dannu has special relationship with the church of Mitra . Together the two churches work to bring justice and peace to the Wilderlands. Also the church of Silvanus and Dannu cooperate on many matters.
SYMBOL: A Sheaf of Wheat on a Green Circle

In place of Turn Undead Dannu's clerics have the following powers:

Purify Food and Drink as the spell of the same name at will, taking 1 turn to take effect.

Blessed Feast: Once per day a cleric of Dannu can imbue a meal for a number of people equal to her level with her blessing. All who partake of the meal are affected as if by a Bless spell.

 Clerics of Dannu use the following spell list:

	First Level Divine Spells	Second Level Divine Spells	Third Level Divine Spells
1	Command Word	Bless*	Continual Light*
2	Cure Light Wounds*	Calm Emotions	Cure Blindness
3	Detect Evil	Charm Animal	Cure Disease*
4	Detect Magic	Delay Poison	Detect Curse
5	Fellowship*	Divine Grace	Glyph of Warding
6	Light*	Find Traps	Growth of Animals
7	Protection from Evil	Holy Chant	Locate Object
8	Remove Fear*	Resist Fire	Prayer
9	Resist Cold	Silence, 15' Radius	Protection fr. Normal Missiles
10	Sanctuary	Speak With Animals	Remove Curse*

	Fourth Level Divine Spells	Fifth Level Divine Spells
1	Create Water	Atonement
2	Cure Serious Wounds	Command Plants
3	Dispel Magic	Commune
4	Divination	Create Food
5	Fate	Dispel Evil
6	Growth of Plants	Insect Plague
7	Neutralize Poison	Quest*
8	Protection From Evil (sustained)	Restore Life and Limb*
9	Speak with Plants	Strength of Mind*
10	Vigor	Summon Weather

HAMAKHIS (HA-MA-KISS) - The Deathlord, Lord of Undeath, The Final Judge

He is the god of death and judgement. All who die come to Hamakhis were they judged; those who fail dwell forever in the City of Bones and the rest proceed to their god. Hamakhis is also able to grant to undeath to his followers.
Hamakhis has two types of sects; the first believing that if one make the proper sacrifices to Hamakhis and glorify his name, they will be granted the state of undeath, the second preachs about Hamakhis the Final Judge and warns people to be ready for him.
SYMBOL: A White Skull

Depending on their sect, some clerics of Hamakhis command undead instead of turning them.

Clerics of Hamakhis use the following spells

	First Level Divine Spells	Second Level Divine Spells	Third Level Divine Spells
1	Cause Fear*	Augury	Continual Darkness
2	Command Word	Bless*	Cure Blindness
3	Cure Light Wounds	Choking Grip	Cure Disease
4	Deathwatch	Deathknell	Detect Invisible
5	Detect Evil	Delay Poison	ESP
6	Detect Magic	Find Traps	Feign Death
7	Detect Undead	Hold Person	Glyph of Warding
8	Light*	Obscuring Cloud	Necromantic Potence
9	Protection From Evil*	Silence, 15' Radius	Remove Curse
10	Read Languages	Sleep	Speak With Dead

	Fourth Level Divine Spells	Fifth Level Divine Spells
1	Cure Serious Wounds*	Atonement
2	Death Ward	Commune
3	Dispel Magic	Cone of Paralysis
4	Divination	Control Undead
5	Dismember	Fear
6	Enervate	Finger of Death
7	Infravision	Insect Plague
8	Neutralize Poison*	Quest*
9	Protection fr. Evil, Sustained*	Strength of Mind
10	Smite Undead*	True Seeing

KALI (KAA-LEE) - The Black Mother, The Death Crone, Lady of Illusions

Kali is the goddess of murder, hatred, and lust. Her goals directly conflict with those of the goddess Dannu. She revels in death and destruction. She sunders man and wife, takes the newborn from their mother, and brings famine and plague to the Wilderlands. Her followers are secreted in obsure caves, little alleys, and hidden valleys. The Claws of Kali are the most feared killers in the Majestic Wilderlands. The Claws support the main temples of Kali. Also in many lands where temples are not able to be estabilshed, Kali is served by her Blood Childern, the Vampires and Werewolves. The Power of Blood makes them fearsome creatures of the night.
SYMBOL: The Kris Knife (Wavy Bladed Dagger)

Kali's holy orders also include plenty of assassins and mystics. Some of her clerics fight as Bladedancers instead. In place of Turn Undead, Kali's clerics have the following powers:

Bloodlust: Clerics of Kali gain the Zaharan Ruinguard's Death Healing ability for free.

Incite Rage: Once per day, clerics of Kali can cause a creature to enter a berserker rage by touch. The rage lasts a number of rounds equal to the cleric's level.

Clerics of Kali receive the following spells

	First Level Divine Spells	Second Level Divine Spells	Third Level Divine Spells
1	Cause Fear	Bane	Alter Self
2	Command Word	Choking Grip	Cause Disease
3	Detect Good	Deathknell	Charm Person
4	Detect Magic	Enthrall	Curse
5	Hemorrhage	Hold Person	Feign Death
6	Light*	Holy Chant	Glyph of Warding
7	Protection from Good	Resist Fire	Invisibility
8	Sharpness	Righteous Wrath	Invulnerability to Good
9	Trance	Spiritual Weapon	Levitate
10	Wall of Smoke	Swift Sword	Striking

	Fourth Level Divine Spells	Fifth Level Divine Spells
1	Dismember	Commune
2	Dispel Magic	Confusion
3	Divination	Fear
4	Enervate	Finger of Death
5	Inflict Serious Wounds	Flame Strike
6	Nondetection	Insect Plague
7	Poison	Phantasmal Killer
8	Protection fr. Good, Sustained	Quest
9	Raise Dead	Scry
10	Vigor	Sword of Fire

MITRA (MI-TRA) -The Red Maiden, The Lady of the White Hand, Lady of Paladins

Mitra is the goddess of justice, war, and paladins. Mitra defends the helpless, and protects the weak from those who desire to prey on them. There is great enmity between the church of Mitra and the church of Set. The Church of Mitra has a special relationship with the church of Dannu. Together the three churches work to bring justice to the Wilderlands.
SYMBOL: The White Hand on a Red Circle, The White Lion

Mitra's Clerics tend to be female slightly more often than not. Some have Turn Undead, but others have the Paladin's Aura of Protection and Lay on Hands abilities instead. Many clerics of Mitra fight as bladedancers. Her holy orders are the most likely to produce paladins.

Clerics of Mitra use the Bladedancer spell list.

NEPHTHYS (Nep-thee-is) - The Bargainer, The Golden Lady, The Queen of Opalescence

She is the goddess of wealth and pleasure; she is widely worshipped thorughout the Majestic WIlderlands by merchants. Nephthy's followers believe that if one honors the Bargainer and indulges her pleasure, one will succed in commerce. Her worship invariably involves orgies and sexual rites.
SYMBOL: Three Golden Coins

Instead of Turn Undead, Clerics of Nephthys have the Elven Enchanter's Glamorous Aura and gain the Magical Music proficiency for free.

Clerics of Nephthys use the following spell list:

	First Level Divine Spells	Second Level Divine Spells	Third Level Divine Spells
1	Command Word	Bless*	Alter Self
2	Cure Light Wounds*	Enthrall	Charm Person
3	Detect Evil*	Locate Object	Continual Light*
4	Detect Magic	Hold Person	Cure Blindness
5	Faerie Father	Holy Chant	Cure Disease*
6	Light*	Magic Mouth	Glyph of Warding
7	Protection from Evil*	Resist Fire	Hypnotic Pattern
8	Purify Food and Water	Righteous Wrath	Phantasmal Force
9	Remove Fear*	Silence, 15' Radius	Prayer
10	Salving Rest	Snake Charm	Remove Curse*

	Fourth Level Divine Spells	Fifth Level Divine Spells
1	Clairvoyance	Charm Monster
2	Create Water	Command Person
3	Cure Serious Wounds*	Commune
4	Dispel Magic	Create Food
5	Divination	Enchanted Container
6	Find Treasure	Flame Strike
7	Neutralize Poison*	Quest*
8	Protection fr. Evil, sustained	Restore Life and Limb*
9	Vigor	Scry
10	Tongues	Spectral Force

PTAH (TAH) - The Craftsman, The Star Lord, The Father of Multitudes

Ptah is the god of crafts, artifice, and of creation. He is revered by the Dwarves. He is claimed to be the eldest of the gods and the first to come to the Wilderlands. Ptah created the creatures of the earth and all of the childern races. He etabilshed the First Coveant by which the Childern Races were taught and brought to glory. Ptah also estabilshed the Second Coveant by which the surviving gods of the Uttermost War agreeded to rule the Wilderlands by.
SYMBOL: A silver chime with a golden hammer.

In addition to human Clerics, Ptah's faithful include the majority of Dwarven Craftpriests. Ptah hates undead and sees them as a perversion of the life he imbued mortals with, so his priests get Turn Undead as usual.

Clerics of Ptah use the normal Cleric spell list, except replace Sticks to Snakes with Create Objects because Sticks to Snakes is too fucking biblical (unless you give it to...)

SET (SET) - The Serpant Lord, The Dragon, the Night Hunter

Set is the god of war, night, and evil. He is the conquerer, the emperor, and the dragon. He teaches the one must strive for honor and glory. He also teaches that one must obey those above him and expect those below to obey.
SYMBOL: A serpant head on a black circle

Much as Mitra is the patron of most paladins, Set is the patron of most anti-paladins, especially the fearsome Myrmidons. Some of Set's priests fight as Shamans. Instead of Turn Undead, priests of Set get a Totem Animal and Shapechange as a Shaman does, however they must choose either a Cobra or a Python as their totem.

Clerics of Set use the following spell list:

	First Level Divine Spells	Second Level Divine Spells	Third Level Divine Spells
1	Cause Fear	Augury	Cause Disease
2	Command Word	Bane	Charm Person
3	Detect Good*	Chameleon	ESP
4	Detect Magic	Choking Grip	Glyph of Warding
5	Detect Poison	Enthrall	Hypnotic Pattern
6	Inflict Light Wounds	Hold Person	Invisibility
7	Light*	Silence, 15' Radius	Phantasmal Force
8	Protection from Good	Silent Step	Remove Curse*
9	Spider Climb	Snake Charm	Speak with Dead
10	Trance	Spiritual Weapon	Striking

	Fourth Level Divine Spells	Fifth Level Divine Spells
1	Chimerical Force	Call Dragon
2	Dismember	Cone of Paralysis
3	Dispel Magic	Fear
4	Enervate	Finger of Death
5	Inflict Serious Wounds	Insect Plague
6	Infravision	Polymorph Other
7	Poison	Polymorph Self
8	Protection from Good, sustained	Quest
9	Sticks to Snakes	Spectral Force
10	Telepathy	Strength of Mind

SILVANUS (SIL-VAN-US) - The Forest King, The Dreamlord

Silvanus is the god of dreams, magic, and the forest. Silvanus is especially revered by the Elves. His worship involves a lot of mysticism, simple but yet complex rituals, and magic. Among Humans his followers are known as Druids and the Rangers take Silvanus as their patron. Silvanus's followers work a lot with the church of Dannu.
SYMBOL: A Azure (Blue) Bowl

Silvanus's priests are by-the book Shamans, much as Ptah's are (virtually) by-the-book Clerics and many of Mitra's are by-the-book Bladedancers.

THOTH (THAWTH) - The Immortal Sage, The Bearer of the Lantern

Thoth is the god of knowledge. He is charged by Ptah with the keeping of the Second Coveant and the recording of all what transpire in the Wilderlands. His followers mainly follow the monastic life and collect books of lore. The church of Thoth also has an order that produces many fine jesters that entertain the courts of the Wilderlands.
SYMBOL: Lantern

Thoth has a great many orders of Mystics. In place of turning undead, Clerics of Thoth gain the Bard's Loremastery Ability and the Mystic's Probability Trance ability.

Clerics of Thoth use the following Spell List:

	First Level Divine Spells	Second Level Divine Spells	Third Level Divine Spells
1	Command Word	Augury	Continual Light*
2	Cure Light Wounds	Bless*	Cure Blindness
3	Detect Evil*	Calm Emotions	Cure Disease*
4	Detect Magic	Delay Poison	Detect Curse
5	Light*	Find Traps	Detect Invisible
6	Predict Weather	Hold Person	Detect Secret Doors
7	Read Languages	Holy Chant	ESP
8	Sanctuary	Produce Fire	Locate Object
9	Trance	Silence 15' Radius	Remove Curse*
10	Wall of Smoke	Zone of Truth	Speak With Dead

	Fourth Level Divine Spells	Fifth Level Divine Spells
1	Clairaudience	Command Person
2	Clairvoyance	Commune
3	Create Water	Create Food
4	Cure Serious Wounds*	Feeblemind
5	Divination	Find Treasure
6	Fate	Quest*
7	Infravision	Restore Life and Limb
8	Neutralize Poison*	Scry
9	Telepathy	Strength of Mind*
10	Tongues*	True Seeing

THOR - The Lord of Icy Winds, Thunderer of the Gods.

Thor is the god of the wind, thunder, and war. He is the ultimate warrior, and the best at battle. His followers live for battle, and continually strive to improve their skills and do great deeds. They believe that to die in battle is the only way to die properly.
SYMBOL: Hammer

Besidrs Clerics, Thor also produces plenty of Paladins and a few Dwarven Craftpriests. In place of Turn Undead, Thor's Clerics gain the benefits of the Goblin-slaying proficiency for free and the ability to Inspire Courage as a bard.

Clerics of Thor use the following spell list.

	First Level Divine Spells	Second Level Divine Spells	Third Level Divine Spells
1	Cure Light Wounds*	Bless*	Call Lightning
2	Detect Evil*	Divine Grace	Continual Light*
3	Detect Magic	Hold Person	Cure Blindness
4	Fellowship	Obscuring Cloud	Cure Disease
5	Light*	Ogre Power	Eyes of the Eagle
6	Predict Weather	Resist Fire	Glyph of Warding
7	Protection from Evil*	Righteous Wrath	Protection fr. Normal Missiles
8	Remove Fear*	Spiritual Weapon	Remove Curse*
9	Resist Cold	Summon Hero	Striking
10	Summon Berserkers	Swift Sword	Summon Winged Steed

	Fourth Level Divine Spells	Fifth Level Divine Spells
1	Create Water	Atonement
2	Cure Serious Wounds*	Control Winds
3	Dispel Magic	Create Food*
4	Fly	Dispel Evil*
5	Giant Strength	Growth
6	Gust of Wind	Hold Monster
7	Hold Giant	Quest*
8	Neutralize Poison*	Restore Life and Limb*
9	Protection fr. Evil, Sustained	Summon Weather
10	Vigor	Thunder Strike

New Spells:

Calm Emotions Range: 60 ft
Divine 2 (Cleric) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round per level
This spell calms emotionally-agitated creatures. You have no control over the emotions of the creatures within the area of effect, but being calmed stops hostile creatures from attacking or joyous ones from reveling. Any aggressive action against or damage dealt to a calmed creature immediately breaks the spell on all calmed creatures.
This spell automatically suppresses (but does not dispel) any bonuses granted by spells such as bless, as well as negating such effects as a bard’s ability to inspire courage or a berserker rage. It also suppresses any magical fear and the effects of a Confusion spell. While the spell lasts, a suppressed spell or effect has no effect. When the calm emotions spell ends, the original spell or effect takes hold of the creature again, provided that its duration has not expired in the meantime.

Deathwatch Range: 60 ft
Divine 1 Duration: Concentration
This spell allows you to tell by sight if a creature is alive, near death (alive with fewer hit points than the number of HD it has), dead, or neither alive nor dead (such as a construct or automaton). This spell sees through any spell or ability that allows a creature to feign death.

Deathknell Range: 60 ft
Divine 2 Duration: Instantaneous
This spell, with the sound of an iron bell, causes a single creature in range that is at or below 0 HP but not yet dead to save vs. death or immediately lose its grip on life. If it dies, you regain hit points equal to its level or the number of HD it had.

Hemmorrhage Range: 30 ft
Divine 1 Duration: Special
This spell causes one creature to begin bleeding profusely. Unless the affected creature makes a succesful saving throw vs. death, the bleeding will be so severe and painful that it cannot act, and loses 1d3 HP per round. A healing spell restores the damage but does not immediately stop the bleeding. The target of the spell receives a new saving throw each round. The spell lasts until either the targeted creature makes a saving throw or the caster stops concentrating.

Hold Giant Range: 180'
Divine 4 Duration: 2d8 turns
This spell functions like hold person, except that it affects any giant humanoid of larger than ogre size that fails its save versus Paralysis.

Invulnerability to Good Range: self
Divine 3 Duration: 1 turn
This spell is essentially the reversed version of Invulnerability to Evil, and as such, it protects the caster from normal, non-magical attacks by “good" creatures. Magic or silver weapons can harm the character, but any number of normal swords, arrows, clubs, or natural weapons wielded by an evil creature will be fended off.
Evil monsters which themselves can only be affected by silver or magical weapons can still harm the subject, and evil monsters with 5 HD or more are able to affect the subject through natural ferocity. For purposes of this spell, evil creatures include hostile creatures of an alignment other than the caster’s alignment, and inherently good creatures such as summoned creatures of Lawful alignment.

Thunder Strike Range: 60'
Divine 5 Duration: instantaneous
A thunder strike produces a vertical column of divine lightning 30' high and 10' in diameter that roars downward on a target. The spell deals 6d8 points of damage. A successful saving throw versus Spells reduces the damage to 3d8. The only way this spell differs from Flame Strike is that it is Air-elemental rather than Fire, because Thor is a thunder-god.

Please don't hesitate to bug me if my math is off or anything like that, or if you have a cool idea for other gods or pantheons or whatever to do.

For Daddy, 2013

I've never felt good enough
To be worthy of your approval
But not because I wasn't,
(At least I hope,) only because
You are so great
That it seemed like a lot
To live up to the example you set
Being my dad.

My successes now are few
And far between
But I know I can make it
Because I have your support
From the sidelines
Unwavering
And I always will
Even when I no longer need it
When I have blossomed,
The pride of your garden.

So I started to work my mojo, to counter their mojo; we got cross-mojulation, and their heads started exploding.

Okay so for those of you that don't know XCrawl... what the fuck, man.

It's this third-party D&D setting from about 10 years ago that is like a cross between regular D&D, pro wrestling, and the movie version of The Running Man. It's bizarre, the art is hideous, and it's about the funniest thing in the world. And a new edition for Pathfinder is coming out pretty soon. But I'm not here to shill that.

I'm here to talk about the one cool mechanic from it, one I don't mind including in my other games on a regular: The Mojo pool.

Basically the way it works is it represents the party's teamwork and exhortations bringing the best out in each other. At the start of the session everyone rolls 1d6 and add up the total, which can never be more than 12. At any time one player can grant another as big of a mojo bonus as she likes to any attack, save, or skill roll, with no limitation other than the amount presently in the pool. There's just one catch: You're not allowed to ask a fellow player for a mojo bonus, they have to offer it to you themselves. If you roll a natural 20 the mojo they offered is not subtracted from the pool, instead you add an extra point of it, but if you roll a natural 1, two extra points are deducted from the pool. Also, particularly well-coordinated groups of NPCs or monsters can also have their own mojo pools.

Random elf names

This is meant to go with Jeff's Random Dwarf Names generator from a while back. The results will probably be gibberish most of the time to anyone who actually understands any Sindarin or Quenya, but I don't so fuck that.

Roll for the first part. Then roll 1d3-1 for the number of middle parts. Once you've gone through all your initial elements roll for the last part.

First Parts

1. Ar-
2. Cele- or Cir-
3. El- or Ea-
4. Fea-
5. Fin-
6. Gal-
7. Glor-
8. Hal-
9. Le- or Li-
10. Lu-
11. Or-
12. Thran-

Middle Parts

1. -a- or -ar-
2. -ad- or -d-
3. -b- or -eb-
4. -du-
5.  -e- or -er-
6. -fin-
7. -go- or -gol-
8. -in- or -n-
9.  -ir- or -r-
10. -la-
11. -ri- 
12. -th- or -thi-

End Parts

1.  -ad or -an
2.  -as
3. -dor or -rod
4. -el or -del
5. -gol
6. -iel
7. -il
8. -in
9. -ir
10. -on or -ond
11. -or or -orn 
12. -we or -wen

Guidelines:

• Double vowels and any diphthongs that don't look right should be broken up with an appropriate consonant-- any of g, th, l, or d usually work.
• Double consonants should likewise be broken up with a vowel, probably a or e maybe o.
• Like I said, most of the result you get out of this will be gibberish.

Has it been six months already?

It seems like twice a year or so I start getting the urge to tweak. Some idea on a blog, or a product I read, or something like that sets my brain to running, and I march off on some quixotic attempt to create the best of all possible D&D knockoffs until I come to my senses a month later amidst a pile of half-formed notes strewn among the bones of Labyrinth Lord, Swords and Wizardry, or Basic Fantasy RPG.

It's an annoying habit, and yet I can't stop it.

Anyone else plagued by this particular imp of the perverse?

The Fiend Folio...

Was not cool.

Never was. Never will be. Like... I think Aboleths are from it? But they're like the only interesting thing in the whole damned book.

ETA: July 3rd.
I guess I don't have anything against Lamia Nobles either, but regular lamia should have been snake ladies in the first place, I don't know WHERE the hell Gary got the whole lion centaur thing from. WTF. The Wis drain they both have is strange too.

How I'd do Psionics

I'm not usually a big psionics fan, but once in a while they're fun to have around, I guess. I noticed that Telecanter is still looking for a simple psionics system and I figured I'd give it a shot. All this is probably badly in need of editing.

Developing Psionic Powers

If a character's mental ability scores (Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma) total at least 35, there is a chance that they were born with psychic abilities that set them apart. Subtract 35 from the sum of those three abilities and add it to the following values to get the percentile chance of having the relevant power.

ESP	Telepathy	Telekinesis
2%	2%	1%

Using psychic abilities is mentally exhausting, so you can only use your powers for a number of rounds per day equal to your level plus any Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma bonuses. Except where otherwise noted, using psychic powers requires full concentration, much like casting a spell.

ESP

There are several different forms of extrasensory perception. Roll on the following chart once, then again a number of times equal to your WIS bonus, if any.

1d6	Power
1	Aura Sight
2	Clairvoyance/Clairaudience
3	Dowsing
4	Pyschometry
5	Precognition
6	Spirit Medium

Aura Sight: By concentrating, you can see the auras of living creatures. This allows you to Detect Evil, Detect Invisible, or tell if a creature is living or dead. It can also be used to get a general measure of a person's personality, though not reveal their alignment. These abilities function out to a range of about 20 feet.

Clairvoyance/Clairaudience: These, obviously, function much like the spells of the same name. Depending on GM preferences, you can use both, one or the other at a time, or only one.

Dowsing: Dowsing functions similarly to the clerical spell Locate Object. Its range only extends out to 30 feet.

Object Reading: By holding an object in your hands, you can learn about its past and present. Concentrating for one turn allows you to determine if the object is magical. Additional turns may be used to determine one magical property the item has per turn. In addition, object reading can be used to determine the name and face of the last person, other than yourself to touch the item (additional rounds will reveal additional previous users), or an emotionally strong memory attached to the item of no more than a minute in length.

Precognition: You can see a few moments into the future and accordingly are never taken by surprise. Additionally, you receive a +1 bonus to initiative and a +2 bonus to saving throws against unexpected dangers (such as a trap unknowingly sprung). Unlike other forms of ESP, these abilities are effectively always on. Additionally, by concentrating on a course of action, you can get a sense of the results of those actions, similar to the clerical spell Augury.

Spirit Medium: By concentrating, you can see ethereal creatures, or ask a single question of a departed spirit as if using the Speak with Dead spell, however if you know the name of the soul you wish to contact, you do not need the body.

Telepathy

Telepathy allows a character who has it to do two things: Detect thoughts or form a mental link.

Detecting Thoughts: This functions in all respects except duration as the ESP spell. While using it you must concentrate.

Mental contact: You can form a mental link with other creatures. This requires you to touch the creature you wish to form a link with. Once contact is established with a willing creature, you no longer need to concentrate to maintain it, but can only stay in contact for as long as you could otherwise concentrate. Mindless creatures such as zombies are immune to being mentally linked.

While two creatures are mentally linked, each knows anything the other knows, feels anything the other feels, and can communicate regardless of language barrier and without being heard. All characters in mental contact act on the same initiative (if they don't normally already in the rule set you use) and if even one is not surprised, none of them are.

Multiple willing telepathic characters can enter into rapport, taking turns being in control of the link so that it may last longer. You can maintain contact with a number of other creatures at the same time equal to your Charisma bonus plus one. All creatures in contact with you are in contact with each other as well. While in mental contact with an individual creature, you can attempt to plant a Suggestion as the spell of the same name into it. Doing so requires concentration and expends effort equal to an additional turn of maintaining the link.

Mental contact with an unwilling creature: An unwilling creature is entitled to a saving throw every round to try to break the intrusion into its mind. If the save is successful, the character attempting to force the link takes 1d4 damage from mental backlash. Forming a mental link with an unwilling creature is extremely hard. Each round you remain in mental contact with an unwilling creature requires concentration and takes as much effort as a turn of maintaining contact with a willing creature.

Telekinesis

Telekinesis always requires total concentration. You can move objects weighing no more than twice your Intelligence score in pounds ("light objects") at a rate of 20' with a normal amount of effort, or objects weighing up to ten times your Intelligence score in pounds ("heavy objects") at the same speed with enough effort that each round of movement costs as much as a turn of moving a light object. A light object can be hurled at an enemy for 1d4 points of damage (unless it is a weapon, in which case it can be hurled for whatever its damage is.) Telekinesis can even be used to levitate yourself or another creature if your telekinesis is strong enough. An unwilling creature, or a creature holding an object you intend to try to wrench away from them, is entitled to a save vs. spells to reassert control.


This is probably not entirely ready yet.

I'm running games at ConTessa!

I'm proud to say that I have registered to run two games at the upcoming ConTessa online RPG convention the weekend of the 21st. I'll be glad to share more details about my games as soon as they send me confirmation emails. Feel free to sign up for either or both if you want a good time or just want to hear my depressingly manly speaking voice.