Saturday 8 June 2013

Power of Tabu Magic

dont worry he is devoutly religious - fear of death is limiting your enlightenment!

Tabu
Meaning not only can a thing not be done but it can not be talked about either for risk of offending the Gods or inviting a crisis

Because i am too lame to do accounting and my poor players struggle calculating more important stuff like encumbrance i have been shonky recording xp. I have also tried a bit to make classes on more equal playing field and progress more evenly. I have introduced xp bonuses and deductions for bonus abilities a few times. This isn't really working so im bringing in this crazy notion of Tabu instead.

Will be fun in Psychon game. Will fill in a few more level blanks in alignment powers

Cmon bro, you gotta join this alignment sect, for just a few promises you get awesome improved fighting powers!

Power gained from tabus

Alignment Powers

If you want bonus alignment fanatic powers you need to adopt a alignment appropriate tabu per level. Additional benefits for priests. Bonus vs enemy alignments and minor enhancements depending on alignment. Compound alignments made of two primary alignments like lawful good take two and get powers of both if compatible. Requires 15 in prime stat. To replace the -5%xp per alignment. Must commune with patron power or learn from cult.

Alignment and other planar Champions
http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/the-geometry-of-alignment.html

Psionic Powers
If you want bonus Psionic abilities and get a few mentalist spells from one school as per my psionic rules you will pick one of these each level. High WIS can opt for a tabu and gain a few mentalist spells (psion). Use wisdom and use as if got bonus spells as a spell caster for how many and what level you get them. Once you get no new spells to cast  you can still pick new spells you could know and the spell effects increase. With no wisdom bonus this is kind of useless so minimum of 13 WIS. Psionics schools tend to be lawful and Shaman chaotic so could pick either type. A trauma may awaken them, or a demon or a teacher or possibly magical herbs or fungi could activate latent potential.

Under "Psionics for other classes" to replace the -5%xp
http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/psionics-and-sorcery-mentalist-spell.html

Dampening Visual side FX of spells
If you are a spell caster and you want no side effects you can take a tabu each level. When casting any spell a caster saves vs prime class stat or a visible, cosmetic or awkward but mostly harmless side effect happens. Divine tends to be saint like miraculous effects. Arcane sorcerers and wizards are more flashy and possibly cosmetic. Higher level spells require more expensive, humiliating, longer lasting effects. Mentalists like psions and shaman side effects depend on school but may cause visual ans audio display effects or mental effects like mood swings and eventual insanity. Some NWP reduces chance by will power, skill or sacrificing material items or small creatures. Ill do a whole blog on this later. But crazy tabus could b more fun that a proficiency check and leave a slot for some other power

Other Stuff
Put berserk as example below. Turn normal warrior intos a maniac with this add on. May have others. thinking of making elves becoming more otherworldly - start as earthborn part elf of abandoned changeling and become more alien in time. Could have own tabus for demihumans. Lycarthopy/beserkerism could be possible. But for now these explicit secret ways of getting power. Even warrior orders and tribes might insist on to stay in favour of peers. Mutations could be done like this too. Some types demand high prime stats like 15 or 17. Not for every body.

Breaking Tabus
When a tabu is broken it could require atonement from a priest, getting a quest spell from a priest or some punishment or cost. In some cases a new tabu will have to be replaced it if the tabu can not be undone (regenerate can do wonders). You can only lose your virginity once. Character should be very remorseful and receives a -2 to hits, saves and NWP checks or some other curse if the god prefers the punishment to fit the crime. Once atoned or quested or punished enough, the Tabu is started anew (or possible a new one is selected). Each broken tabu leaves some physical mark like a scar or tatoo that their own kind will recognize. Greater infractions the more obvious like facial or on hands.

Law
Always Right - Favour right must always choose direction if in doubt
Always move in straight lines
Obey the local laws
Obey your parents wishes
Obey your native laws
Don't cheat in contests
Don't tell a lie
Don't Ambush
Preserve Knowledge
Fair Trade
Obey your rightful lords and masters
Don't rise above your station
Remain a virgin
Maintain chastity and abstinence
Only sex for reproduction with legal partner
Do everything alphabetically
Speak only in binary, Lawful or one true language
Always keep ritually clean, strict hygiene code
Always fight as a team player (like disciplined closed ranks and drills)
Train at least one hour a day
Read or study at least one hour a day
Never retreat
Never Surrender
Always wear one colour
Report misdeeds to authorities
Defend Civilisation
Marry and reproduce
Respect the currency of the land
Spend your spare wealth on building
Do not eat raw food
Do not eat or touch one common species
Do not drink or consume drugs
Do not drink performance enhancing potions
Groom yourself an hour a day
Aid common justice and law
Defend institution of marriage
Eat Simple Diet
Expose Injustice
Expose Unlawful magic use
Keep as much body covered as possible at all times
Preserve your bloodline
Respect Hospitality
Do the right thing
Honour your family
Never use more words than you have to
Dont Swear
Always best manners
Always advance forwards
Execute dangerous criminals and enemies
Imprison and fine the wicked in public
Always strict
Prey an hour daily
Duel any challengers to a fair fight
Justify your actions
Follow any terms you agree on
Don't fear death
Establish legitimate order or group seeking to be recognized by powers of the land
Don't withhold truth if asked
Never twist truth to deceive

Chaos
Obey your immediate impulse
Use dice to determine actions
Use coin to determine actions
Never travel in straight line
Accept games of chance
Lie to keep everyone on their toes
Ambush at every chance
Don't let anyone tell you what to do
Fornicate as often as possible
Eat at every chance
Be lazy and get extra sleep at every chance
Cheat in games of chance
Cheat in business deals for upper hand
Steal stuff when nobody is looking
Retreat if in danger
Never wear one colour
Don't use coins or precocious metals
Don't use cut gems (semiprecious stones OK)
Dont use metal weapons or tools
Eat raw food
Never put out a fire
Never start a fire
Never sleep in a bed
Ride no beasts
Vandalise buildings
Graffiti everywhere
Drunk as often as possible
High as often as possible
Pleasure self as often as possible
Never bathe
Never read
Never sleep same place twice
Never shave
Self mutilation rituals
Tattooed as often as possible (take several times)
Bizarre Piercing (take several times) 
Flagellant - masochist
Self cutter
Naturalist - Wear as little as possible whenever possible
Betrayal is a virtue
Burn Books, schools and scholars
Bribery is a virtue
Relive yourself wherever you feel like it
Freely make bodily noises
Lying is a virtue
Never sleep with same person twice
Never sit still
Run away from risk
Always jump at risk
Disappoint your family
Gossip constantly
Assimilate to local norms
Spit lots everywhere
Syndicate collaborator
Arsonist
Foul Mouthed
Say what you think
Prefer skirmishing
Punish using trial by ordeal
Never promise anything (except new tabus)
Run to fight another day
Run wild with beasts daily if possible
Establish a secret society for plots, nefarious schemes and criminal fiends
Have as many offspring as possible
Wear only light armour

Good
Don't touch blood of another
Don"t start a fight
Vegetarian
Spare all life
Do not harm innocents
Do not tolerate poison
Do not tolerate traps
Libation of wine daily
Libation of holy water daily
Sacrifice to ancestors 10% of wealth
Charity 10% of wealth
Help wounded
Help the sick
Help children
Help maidens
Help commoners
Do not defile dead
Only fight self defence
Help animals
Bury the dead with full rites
Do not tolerate torture
Do not tolerate slavery
Do not tolerate cruelty
Humanely kill if necessary
Always share food
Always invite peace
Protect weak from strong
Help beautiful things
Respect for the dead
Give you enemies one more chance
Treat prisoners humanely
Don't act in anger
Love your family
Prey for every beast you eat
Encourage
Never kill a beast except in self defense
Never cut down a tree - outraged if others do
Eat no sentient being
Live humbly within your means
Be a good steward to your charges

Evil
Libations of blood daily
Start fight as often as possible
Bully the weak
Kill something daily
Spare nobody in battle
No mercy to anyone
Take goods by force
Take captives for slaves
Make others do your evil
Kill the weak
Torture something daily
Eat the remains of the dead
Cannibalism
Kill subordinate (if ever group morale test)
Defiling the remains of dead
Threaten someone daily
Beat someone daily
Defile grave sites
Give slow death when possible
Revenge all wrongs against you
Break a victims will
Attack anyone who looks at you funny
Attack anyone looking at your stuff
Attack anyone disrespecting you
Attack anyone who looks at your lover
Terrorize commoners
Terrorize families
Plot for power by any means
Tempt the innocent to evil
Trick the innocent to evil
Pursue unwilling lover
Pursue succession of unwilling lovers
Cruel Lover
Rejoice at tears of others suffering
Genocidal crusade on one race
Hoard treasure for own sake
Greed for money
Greed for power
React in anger
Defile innocents
Defile holy places
Destroy beautiful things
Defile your family
Steal from destitute
Kidnapper
Blood sacrifice - from small animal to human as more powerful
Cut down tree daily if possible
Pollute Water
Use disease in war
Use poison in war
Always attack enemies through loved ones
Justify your actions in public with lies (or twists of truth if lawful too)
Serial killer prefers one method like strangulation, traps, weapon, trained monsters

Common
Dont use blunt weapon
Dont use edged weapon
Kill Wizards
Kill Sorcerers
Kill (Enemy) various species or opposite alignment
Dont use potions

Beserkerganger!
Fierce warriors who evoke ferocity of nature and fight without fear. They evoke the fury of the beast lords - ancestral animal powers from when man and beast were kin. May form bands but independent and generally chaotic. Tend to go for heavy melee weapons and light armour or even naked. Evil ones kill like wild beasts, good ones are tribal champions.

Beserkers select mostly chaos oaths, one per level
Must have prime stat of 15 for class and be a Dwarf or Warrior or some non humans

One round per level per day
Allows keep fighting in negative hp
Shape shift in light armour 1d3
medium armour 1d6
Heavy armour 2d6
Many forswear wearing non light armour
WIS save roll to turn off
A NWP called control rage gives +2 in this save
A NWP adds +1d3 to time, second rank 1d6, third CON in rounds
Will keep fighting anyone in range till stop rage
Attack most hostile looking targets first followed by largest standing in sight

1st +1 to hit and damage, +1 save vs fear
2nd +1 AC,+2 save vs fear and speak chosen beast tongue
3rd +1 hit magical beings, +1 1d4 attack (semi animal form like bite)
4th +2 to hit and damage, +1 move and jump
5th Wolf or bear or boar or cat or seal or medium animal form
6th Extra +2 beast attacks 1d4, beast follower
7th +1 All saves, +2 move and jump, +2 hit magical beings
8th +2 AC +4 save vs fear, large beast extra attacks d6
9th +3 Attack and damage, +1 magic weapon or silver to hit beserker
10th Huge prehistoric animal form, natural weapons increased d8
11th -1 hp off incoming attack damage
12th +2 All saves, natural weapon d10
13th +3 hit magical beings, 1d6 animal followers
14th Prehistoric ancestor follower, natural weapon d12
15th +3 move and jump, 2d6 animal followers
16th +4 Attack and damage, +2 magic weapon or silver to hit beserker
17th If two attacks hit, +1 extra attack, natural weapon 2d8
18th Speak with all beasts, can assume semi or total beast form at will anytime
19th Random 1d3 mutations every transformation, natural weapon 2d10
20th Declared beast-lord of your plane, plane shift to beastlord realms

alternate cultural transformations
cats for desert and jungle lands
lizards for dino cults for underdark and lost world
insect or arachnids for weirdos
berserk proficiencies can be used to add to rage time

No comments:

Post a Comment

I love and welcome feedback but not spambots
Good feedback and suggestions inspire me to write more