Amazons & Artifacts for the d20 System

There's a new Wonder Woman movie coming out in June, and we here at NUELOW Games are really looking forward to it! While scheduling some anticipatory posts at Shades of Gray, our Head Honcho Steve Miller found himself getting ideas for a number of d20 System rules... and here they are! (And yes, this has been probably been done before... and it will probably be done again!)

WHO ARE THE AMAZONS?
The Amazons are a secretive matriarchy that, since the time of Atlantean dominance on Earth, have lived and thrived in a series of interconnected pocket dimensions scattered across the globe. They were devoted allies of the Olympians in the war against Atlantis. When the Olympians withdrew from Earth, they rewarded the staunch support of the Amazons with the hidden communities in which they thrive to this day.
   The cities of the Amazons are inhabited almost entirely by women, and most of them are so ancient that they witnessed first hand the Great Wars between Atlantis and the Olympians. There is roughly one male per 150 females in Amazonian society, and most of these males reside in and guard the points where the Amazon enclaves intersect with the rest of the world or connect to each other.
   Amazon society is a meritocracy where knowledge and skill is respected and valued above all else. It is, however, also a strict matriarchy where only women can hold positions of political power, and all decisions are made by the Queen and her Council of Mothers. Due to the male-dominated nature of most civilizations that have surrounded the Amazon cities, their men have, more often than not, served as go-betweens and ambassadors to the outside world. (The words "male" and "female" does not exist in the Amazon language; females are Amazons while males are Consorts.)
   When within their cities, male and female residents both are un-aging, physically immune to the passage of time. When in the outside world, however, they age and die at the rate of any normal human being.
   Amazons have kept up with the world as it developed and evolved outside their enclaves for thousands of years, adopting the best they found into their own culture. In most areas, their science and technology is equal to the most advanced on Earth, while in some areas they are more advanced.
   The rest of the text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. (As is usually the case in these parts, this material is designed with d20 Modern in mind, but it easily adaptable to other versions of D&D.)

NEW RACIAL TEMPLATE: AMAZON
During character creation, a player may choose to be an Amazon by adding the following template (with GM permission, of course).
   Prerequisite: Female Human
   Benefit: May choose Amazon feats in place of class bonus and starting feats. +1 Strength, +1 Constitution. The character is automatically fluent and literate in Amazon, as well as a number of additional languages equal to her Intelligence bonus.


NEW RACIAL TEMPLATE: CONSORT (Male Amazon)
During character creation, a player may choose to be an Amazon by adding the following template (with GM permission, of course).
   Prerequisite: Male Human
   Benefit: May choose Amazon feats in place of class starting and bonus feats. +1 Strength, +1 Charisma. The character can automatically speak, read and write Amazon, as well as a number of additional languages equal to his Intelligence bonus.


NEW STARTING OCCUPATIONS
The following starting occupations are available for Amazons and Consorts.

Amazon Ambassador
These members of Amazon society are trained to deal with the outside world. They frequently dwell away from the hidden Amazon enclaves. They are equal parts ambassadors (to those who are aware of the existence of the Amazons) and spies (to keep the Amazon leadership appraised on what is happening in the outside world.
   Prerequisite: Consort Racial Template, Age 20+
   Skills: Gain a +1 bonus to all Charisma-based skill. Gain an additional bonus to Sense Motive skill checks equal to your Charisma. Choose three languages that the character is able to speak, read and write.
   Bonus Feat: Choose two feats from the following list. Attentive, Confident, Deceitful, Diligent, Defensive Martial Arts, Endurance, Favored of Harmonia, Foresight, Investigator, Light Armor Proficiency, Persuasive, Specialty Martial Artist, Stealthy.

Amazon Healer
These individuals serve as doctors, nurses, medics, and even sometimes mystical healers. They are only rarely found outside Amazon enclaves, and always on a specific, short-term mission when they are.
   Prerequisite: Amazon or Consort Racial Template, Age 16+
   Skills: Gain +1 bonus to all Wisdom-based skills. with Heal becoming a permanent class skill. (If it is already a class skill, gain 2 ranks.)
   Bonus Feat: Choose two feats from the following list. Faithful, Favored of Artemis, Confident, Defensive Martial Arts, Light Armor Proficiency, Selfless, Specialty Martial Artist

Amazon Scholar
These are keepers of knowledge and history in Amazon society. They help everyone remember the past, so they can build a better future. Depending on their areas of expertise, they may spend more time away from the Amazon settlements than in them, oftentimes working with the ambassadors to gather or analyze specific information.Like the Amazon Ambassadors, they spend a good deal of time outside
   Prerequisite: Amazon or Consort Racial Template, Age 16+
   Skills: Gain a +1 bonus to all Knowledge-based skill checks. The character can Read/Write Ancient Greek script, Ancient Norse runes, and Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Bonus Feat: Choose three feats from the following list. Diligent, Dodge, Educated, Endurance, Investigator, Favored of Artemis, Light Armor Proficiency, Specialty Martial Artist,

Amazon Warrior
The are the most honored members of Amazon society.
Prerequisite: Amazon Racial Template, Age 16+
Skills: Gain +1 bonus to all Strength-based skill checks.
Bonus Feat: Choose two feats from the following list. Acrobatic, Combat Martial Arts, Combat Reflexes, Confident, Endurance, Educated, Favored of Ares, Foresight, Light Armor Proficiency, Specialty Martial Artist,

Art by Sergio Santos

AMAZON FEATS
When gaining feats, Amazons (male or female) may pick ones from the following list in addition to the selections from character classes. The character must still meet all prerequisites before a feat can be selected.

Existing Feats
Acrobatic, Alertness, Athletic, Diligent, Educated, Exotic Weapons Proficiency, Faithful, Fortune Telling, Light Armor Proficiency, Martyr, Selfless, Specialty Martial Artist, Stealthy


New Feats
The Favored of... feats are meant to reflect that the character special--and perhaps even personal--connection to the gods who are patrons of the Amazons. Players who wish to select one or more of these feats at character creation should be encouraged to explain how the character came to the attention of the god or goddess. (Maybe we'll create a random table at some point to help you along, since we love doing those here at NUELOW Games!)

Favored by Ares [Amazon]
You have a special relationship with Ares, and he has granted you a special power.
   Prerequisite: Amazon or Consort Racial Template
   Benefit: You have divine favor as a spell-like ability. Your effective caster level is your total character level, and you may use the ability a number of times per day equal to your Charisma bonus.

Favored by Athena [Amazon]
You have a special relationship with Athena, and she has granted you a special power.
   Prerequisite: Amazon or Consort Racial Template
   Benefit: You have resistance as a spell-like ability. Your effective caster level is your total character level, and you may use the ability a number of times per day equal to your Wisdom bonus.
   Special: Unlike the actual spell resistance, this effect cannot be made permanent.

Favored by Artemis [Amazon]
You have a special relationship with Artemis, and she has granted you a special power.
   Prerequisite: Amazon or Consort Racial Template
   Benefit: You have calm animals and purify food and drink as spell-like abilities. Your effective caster level is your total character level, and you may one, the other, or both, a total number of times per day equal to your Constitution bonus.

Favored by Harmonia [Amazon]
You have a special relationship with Harmonia, and he has granted you a special power.
   Prerequisite: Amazon or Consort Racial Template
   Benefit: You have message as a spell-like ability. Your effective caster level is your total character level, and you may use the ability a number of times per day equal to your Charisma bonus.

Favored by the Muses [Amazon]
The Nine Muses have watched over you since childhood, and they granted you special gifts.
   Prerequisite: Amazon or Consort Racial Template
   Benefit: Gain a +1 bonus to all Perform skills.
   Special: You may summon a specific Muse for assistance without suffering the initial 500XP drain.
   (For more d20 System rules and information about the Nine Muses, click here.)

Foresight [Amazon]
You have the ability to see a fraction of a second into the future.
   Benefit: You gain a permanent +2 adjustment to all initiative rolls.

Art by Bruce Timm

ARTIFACTS OF THE AMAZONS
When the Olympians departed Earth, the three whom the Amazons had provided the greatest service to--Ares, Artemis, Athena and Harmonia--each gifted them with a powerful artifact. These items are kept in a shrine, deep beneath the Queen's palace Themiscyra, the oldest of the Amazonian enclaves. They are considered the greatest treasures of the Amazons. In the more than 10,000 years since their creation, the items have only been removed from their shrine four times, each time to defend the world against grave danger.

The Bracers of Artemis
These golden armguards only provide benefits to a character with the Amazon racial template. They give the wearer a +2 bonus to AC/DR. In addition, if the wearer has initiative, she can take a full round action and deflect any incoming ranged attacks specifically targeted at her. She can even deflect attacks that otherwise might be unavoidable, such as the bolts of a magic missile spell, a lightning bolt, or a ray of disintegration.
   The wearer of the bracers may also deflect ranged attacks directed at other characters within melee range by taking a 5-foot adjustment in their direction and standing between them and the incoming projectile or spell.
    Drawbacks: None for Amazons and Consorts. If a non-Amazon (a character who doesn't have either the Amazon or Consort racial templates) wears the Bracers of Artemis, he or she must roll a Fortitude save every time projectiles are deflected. If the saving throw fails, the character is knocked to the ground and stunned for 1d4 rounds.

The Diadem of Athena
A sturdy piece of golden headgear that is inset with rubies and a five-pointed star symbolizing Athena grants its wearer a +2 bonus to all mind-affecting magic and spell-like abilities and effects.
   The wearer can also use the Diadem of Athena as a thrown weapon, with a +2 magical bonus to hit and damage (Weight 1 lb; Damage 1d4+2 (small), 1d6+2 (medium); Critical x2; Type bludgeoning; Range Increment 30 ft. (projectile); Category ranged; Proficiency simple weapon.). The diadem can strike a number of targets equal to the wielder's attack bonus. The targets must be declared when the character throws the diadem, and a separate attack roll is required for each target). The diadem unerringly returns to the hand of person who threw it at the end of the round, or falls to the ground near his or her feet if the character is unable to catch it for some reason.
   It is possible for someone to grab the diadem from the air using the snatch arrow feat (or other abiltilies), but if the attempt is successful, the character who caught it suffers 2d6+2 points of electrical damage (DC22 Fortitude save for half).
    Drawback: None, but the item confers no magical bonuses nor protection to non-Amazons (characters without the Amazon or Consort racial templates). It likewise does not function as a magical thrown weapon
.
The Shield of Harmonia
This front of this bronze buckler is decorated with symbols that resemble snakes and lightning bolts twisting around each other and a five-pointed star. In addition to the normal features of a buckler, the Shield of Harmonia grants the user an additional +4 bonus to all saving throws made against poisonous or acidic gasses and damage-dealing area of affect spells.
   Drawbacks: None, but the item confers no magical bonuses nor protection to non-Amazons (characters without the Amazon or Consort racial templates).

The Sword of Ares
This short sword was forged from an otherworldly metal that is so black its blade seems to absorb light rather than reflect it. When wielded by an Amazon or Consort, it is a magic weapon with a +4 bonus to-hit and damage. In addition, as the sword is first drawn during an encounter, the wielder may use fear as a spell-like ability against a number of targets equal to his or her Charisma bonus. The effective caste level is equal to the wielder's total character level.
   Drawbacks: When non-Amazons (characters without the Amazon or Consort racial templates) use the Sword of Ares, they must roll a successful Will (DC12) save each time they deal damage to a target. If the roll fails, the wielder is blinded. The character remains blind until subjected to a remove curse (cast at 20th level), or a wish spell.

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(Wonder Woman is Copyright and TM by DC Comics/Warner Bros and is used without permission.)

Remains of Atlantis: Teleportation Circles

This article became necessary because of a couple elements I felt obligated to include in Part Two of the Codex of Doom post series. Enjoy, as I continue to work on Part Two!


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The Atlanteans were a civilization that fused magic and technology into a well-balanced whole. Science, engineering, and spellcraft were intellectual and practical disciplines that cross-polinated each other, and the Atlanteans spread their imperial colonies across the galaxy and even onto other planes of existence.
   While spaceships were used to move the vast amounts of people an equipment between worlds, magic teleportation circles were often used to move around on individual planets. Nobles, high-ranking military and government officials, and skilled sorcerers preferred this modie of travel because of its safety and swiftness.
   Up to 12 living beings and any items they are wearing or carrying may be transported via a teleportation circle at one time. Once all travelers are within the circle, the command word is spoken, and they are all teleported to their destination with a flash of magical energy.


ATLANTEAN TELEPORTATION CIRCLES
There were two kinds of teleportation circles in wide use during the Golden Age of Atlantis, which included the centuries they maintained colonies on Earth: Permanant and Temporary Circles.
   Regardless of what kind of teleportation circle being used at the point of departure, Atlantean teleportation circles always took travelers to a preset destination. There, a permanent ritual circle designed to recieve arriving teleporters was carved into the floor of an otherwise barren room that typically only had one obvious exit. The destination circles, were often warded by secondary enchantments (25% chance), such as forcefields that required a password or passkey to deactivate. Back before the destruction of Atlantis's colonies on Earth, there would be guards present in these rooms who could vett those arriving and release any wards. Now, if someone were to end up in one of these warded circle, they may well die trapped within it before discovered.
   Permanent Circles: Permanent teleportation circles are carved into the floors of caves, at the center of stone circles, or in chambers deep within Atlantean pyramids or underground fortfications. They are usually ten feet in diameter and at the center of a space that is at least twice the size of the circle. While most are obvious to all but the most unobservant, some may blend into the patterns of tiled floors with elaborate patterns.
   Only specially trained magical artisans in ancient Atlantis knew how to make these circles, and they used highly specialized tools and components to create them. It usually took thirty hours (spread over three days) to create a permanent circle, with a main artisan and his or her apprentice working steadily.
   Permanent circles are works of art. While their designs contain certain basic symbols and patterns needed to focus and channel, as well as the command word to activate the magic, each circle is adorned with lines of poetry, artful patterns, symbols representing various magical traditions, and whatever else  the creator of the circle might find beautiful, moving, and worth preserving and sharing with others. No two permanent circles are alike.
   Indviduals with knowledge of Atlantean magic systems or culture may take a full round action to examine the circle and make a Spellcraft skill check (DC12) to determine the phrase that activates the circle--which is usually the circle's destination. ("Posideon's Citadel", "Imperial Guard Head Quarters", "Beachhead", "Gardens of Olympus", "Immortal's Rest" and so on.)
   Permanent circles are always created at locations where ley lines intersect. There is no chance of failure unless the destination circle has been damaged or is at least partially buried. In such instances, the teleport circle doesn't function.
   Temporary Circles: Temporary teleportation circles may be created by any character who has the ability to cast 5th-level spells and has at least 7 ranks in Spellcraft. The creator must also have a stick of red or green chalk and a stick of charchoal that have been enchanted by an Atlantean Master of Conjuration.
   The creator of a temporary circle must either have a diagram to work from, or have memorized the diagram at some point in the past. (A character working from memory must make a Spellcraft skill check of DC17 to successfully). It takes 10 minutes minus the character's Dexterity bonus to draw the circle correctly. Just before it is completed, all characters who are to be transported must be within the circle, as well as the creator. Once the circle is complete--with the outer circumference being the last part to be finalized. The teleportation circle is then consumed in a flash of magical energy, and all within it are transported to the destination determined by the circle's design, leaving no trace behind except a faint aura of conjuration magic.
   Designs for temporary circles are always bare-bones and feature none of the artistry of the permament circles; they are strictly utilitarian. They usually take travelers to the same locations as the permanent circles--with the destinations built into the design and automatically triggered once the circle is completed--but they may also be tailored to pre-arranged locations where a temporary arrival circle has been made. For this to work, an arrival circle must be created.
   Creating a temporary arrival for a teleportation circle requires either a diagram of a destination circle, two hours of time, and a successul Spellcraft skill check of DC20; or extensive knowledge of Atlantean magic systems with an emphasis on Conjuration, five hours of time, and a succssful Spellcraft skill check of DC25. Like the temporary teleportation circles, the arrival circles are also one-and-done ritual circles--they are consumed by the magic that brings travelers to them.
   Circles going to temporary destinations have the same chance of going awry as regular teleport spells. A check is made seperately for each person being teleported, and they are based off how familiar the creator of the teleportation circle is with the location of the temporary destination circle.

Remains of Atlantis: The Codex of Doom (Part One)

This is the first of a pair of posts that tie into our Atlantis-rooted products, like Secrets of the Witchkind and Love Witch. The posts stand on their own, however.

THE CODEX OF DOOM: LETHAL LORE
The Codex of Doom is an ancient tome originally created by Atleantean sorcerers as an addition to Atlantis's magical arsenal. It was deemed too dangerous by the Triumpharate of Poseidon to be left in mortal hands, yet it was too imbued with too much magic to be destroyed. Instead, it was hidden away in a cavern, in a region on the far northern shores of Greenland that was then covered by a perpetual storm.
   The creators of the Codex and their allies were unhappy with their masterpiece being so consigned to oblivion, and they feared a day would come when their descendants would need the magic contained within it. They hid maps to the Codex's resting place throughout the Atlantis and its far-flung colonies. Several of those maps have survived to modern times, just waiting for those brave enough and power-hungry enough to retrieve the Codex of Doom.
   The maps mark two locations on what appears to be a highly stylized map of the Earth with different coastlines on some continents and a large island in the Atlantic Ocean where none exists today--Atlantis.
   The first location is that of the Cave of the Codex, where the Codex of Doom has been placed. The second is quite literally at the the other end of the world, as it shows a location on the South Pole where something called the Time Cube can be found. Notations on the maps indicate the Time Cube will transport the person holding it to one of six locations, one of which is the Cave of the Codex.

GETTING TO THE CAVE OF THE CODEX
The Codex is in a cave, located at the end of a fjord between Cape Morris Jessup and North Station. It can be reached by rappelling down a steep cliff-face from the landward side, or sailing int the fjord from the ocean side, and taking the last of the trip. But there's the magical storm to deal with.
   Unless there's already bad weather in the area, the area seems safe to approach, but once the characters are within two miles of the cave, a violent ice storm suddenly forms around them. Within moments, the temperature drops to lethal sub-zero levels and the water in the fjord turns to solid ice almost instantaneously, trapping any ships. Even the mightiest of ice breakers will find itself flash-frozen in the fjord. Eventually, the ice will crush any ships so trapped and cause them to sink to the bottom.
   Characters exposed to the storm suffer 1d4+1 points of cold damage per round (Fort save for half, round up) until they find shelter. The only natural shelter in the area is the Cave of the Codex). Magical protection from cold negates the damage.
   Visibility in the storm is reduced to near-Zero. Characters that aren't tethered to each other must roll Survival skill checks (DC19) to not be separated from each other. Survival skill checks (DC15) are also necessary to continue in the right direction to reach the cave. Attempts to climb down the cliff-face to the cave require the appropriate gear as well as Climb skill checks (DC15).

THE CAVE OF THE CODEX
The mouth of the cave is ten feet wide and seven feet high, and it provides shelter from the raging ice storm. It narrows to a natural tunnel that is roughly six feet wide and six feet high. This tunnel winds its way in total darkness,sloping slightly downward until is opens into a round, obviously carved cave that's 13 feet in circumferance with a dome-shaped ceiling that's 13 feet from the floor at its highest point. The floor, walls, and celling are At the center of the cave, a massive, closed tome rests on a reading stand that is fixed to the cave floor--appearing as if it was carved from the rock itself when the cave was formed. The book is the Codex of Doom.
   As soon as the first character enters the cave, they trigger the guardians, who have remained dormant under the snow on the shore outside. These guardians, the frozen and cursed corpses of those who have previously tried and failed to acquire the Codex, come shuffling down the tunnel, intent on adding the party to their number. Use ghoul stats, but all damage inflicted is cold-based, including the paralysis. There are two guardians per party member.

Guardians of the Codex [Ghouls] (OGL Content)

There will be details on the Codex of Doom itself and the Time Cube in "The Codex of Doom (Part Two)", coming soon to this blog! In the meantime, here's the song that inspired this post (and the one to follow.)



Open Game Content: The Guardians of the Codex are Open Game Content and may be reproduced in accordance with the Open Game License. The rest of this post is defined as Product Identity. Copyright 2018 Steve Miller. Special Thanks to Alestorm for the inspiration. (And, yeah, we know where their inspiration for the song came from. I will echo that in the next post, but am also going in a different direction.)

Body Wraps of Dimension Travel

Here's a magical item for use in your just about any roleplaying game.

Body Wraps of Dimension Travel
Found in sets of three, nine, and twelve, they are tightly wound spools of six-inch wide strips of a silken fabric. They can be of any color. If inspected with a detect magic spell or ability, the cloth radiates transmutation magic, and an Atlantean symbol becomes visible every six inches.

The Body Wraps of Dimension Travel were created by Atlantean Witches as a means of letting non-witches, non-spellcasters, or spellcasters unable to traverse dimensions to join them on jaunts to other universes and planes. Each set is pre-enchanted with a specific destination and users are transported to that location with unfailing accuracy, regardless of any wards or anti-magic fields that may be in place at either end of the journey.

Each spool contains enough fabric to wrap a large human completely from head-to-toe; it is virtually impossible for a person to wrap themselves, as they must be wrapped so tight that they are unable to move and no part of their body must be exposed. No clothes or items of jewelry or external body piercing can be worn under them if the wraps are to function.



Art by Murphy Anderson

When the command word is spoken (the symbol on the fabric), wrapped characters are shifted from their present plane and location to the destination enchanted into the wraps. The wrap is consumed during the transfer, so the characters arrive naked. (Typically, the point of arrival is a chamber within a base of operations established by Atlantean Witches. It contains robes, sandals, and other basic equipment.)

Since the destruction of the Atlantean outposts on Earth, the secret to creating Body Wraps of Dimension Travel on our world has been preserved by the magical heirs to the Atlantean legacy, the Witchkind. Using the wraps is a one-way trip, although if users arrive at a location still inhabited by Atlantean Witches, or which has been taken over by the Witchkind (or can otherwise locate them), a return trip may be facilitated.

You can read more about the Witchkind and Atlantean magic in Love Witch (by Marv Wolfman and Steve Miller, with art by Ernie Colon and Don Heck) and Secrets of the Witchkind (by Steve Miller, with art by Bradley K. McDevitt).

Coming Soon: Mystic Legacies of Atlantis

While running with scissors over the holidays, we here at NUELOW Games fell... and we're having a hard time getting back up. We will get back up, eventually, and you'll once again be able to enjoy a steady stream of roleplaying game stuff and a variety of anthologies featuring comics and more.

One of the releases in the pipeline is Mystic Legacies of Atlantis. As a preview, here's the very cool cover that Bradley K. McDevitt created for it. It will feature d20 System rules by Steve Miller (with a few tidbits by L.L. Hundal and Andrew Pavlides, if current plans hold).



Brad McDevitt's cover for NUELOW's Mystic Legacies of Atlantis

And for a more substantial preview, here is a feat and talent tree that will be appearing in the book.

Shift Reality [Atlantean Magic, Minor Power Feat]
You can cause yourself and a number of specified targets to temporarily move into a pocket dimension. The location and environment appears unchanged, but you and specified targets are the only living things inside it.
   Prerequisite: Intelligence 12, Wisdom 12
   Benefit: By spending a full round action concentrating on your surroundings and nearby beings, you may immediately transport yourself and a number of living targets equal to your Wisdom bonus to a pocket dimension that has a diameter in feet equal to your Wisdom bonus times 5. Targets must be within the diameter of the pocket dimension in order to be transported. Unwilling targets may roll a Will save (DC20) if they choose to resist.
   The pocket dimension exists slightly out of phase with the normal universe. The location and environmental factors remain the same, but any living creatures in the area appear slightly transparent to those in the pocket dimension, and those in the pocket dimension remain completely invisible to them. Nothing that occurs outside the pocket dimension can harm those within it, and nothing that occurs in the pocket dimension can impact people or places outside it. If a building is lit on fire in the pocket dimension, its counterpart in the main universe remains unaffected.
   You are always at the center of the pocket dimension. As you move, so does its boundaries. Characters who do not move with you, will be left out of the pocket dimension once its area no longer includes them. Once a character drops out of a pocket dimension, they cannot reenter it unless they possess the Shift Reality feat themselves.
   Once the pocket dimension has been established, it lasts for a number of minutes equal to your Wisdom bonus, or until you choose to return yourself and others to the normal world, fall unconscious, or die. The pocket dimension moves with you, and you are always its center. Characters who do not move with him or her, will find themselves back in the normal world.
    Special: If other characters with the Shift Reality feat enter a pocket dimension established by another character, it expands to consist of overlapping areas, with each character serving as a “center” of a zone making of the pocket dimension. The entering character will still drop out of the pocket dimension if he gets too far away from the character or created it,
   This feat is a prerequisite for the Reality Shaper talent tree, as well as other superpower talent trees.

 Reality Shaper Talent Tree

Reality Shapers were generally viewed with suspicion by most other practitioners of Atlantean magic--even more than the Necromancers. They could do little but create temporary pocket dimensions and while some would use these skills to protect themselves or others from harm, others used them to escape after committing crimes or to commit crimes and assassinations.
   The foundation of a Reality Shaper's power is found in the Shift Reality feat.
   Gravity Manipulation: Make a successful Will save (DC18) as a standard action. Change the direction of gravity within the pocket dimension by 90 degrees to your left, your right, your front or back, causing walls or the outside of buildings to become the new “ground,” or to make those standing on the ground “fall” in the direction of the new “down.” You may specify the targets you wish to be impacted or you can have the change in gravity affect all, including or excluding yourself. You do not need to concentrate once the effect has been established but may act as normal. You may restore gravity to its regular state for those affected at will by taking a standard action.
   Your pocket dimension increases in area to a diameter of your Wisdom bonus in feet times 10. The number of beings you may target for transport to the pocket dimension increases to twice your Wisdom bonus.
   Prerequisite: Shift Reality feat
   World Warper: Make a successful Will save (DC15) as a standard action. You can cause solid surfaces to ripple like waves in water. If you are affecting a surface you are standing upon, the surface under you remains firm. All other beings must roll a Reflex save (DC 15 plus your Wisdom bonus). All who fail fall prone and lose all actions for the rest of the round; those who succeed suffer a -4 penalty on attack rolls and skill checks for the rest of the round.
   The following round, characters who fell may attempt to get back on their feet by taking a standard action and making another Reflex save (DC15), or a successful Acrobatics skill check. If they succeed, they will be able to perform any other actions they are due with a -4 penalty, just like those who didn’t fall previously.
   You may keep the designated surfaces rippling for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom plus your Intelligence bonus, and as long as you perform no actions other than defensive ones, such as dodging or deflecting attacks. If you take damage, you may roll a Concentration skill check to maintain the effect. You may end the ripple effect before the maximum time as a free action.
   Your pocket dimension increases in area to a diameter of your Wisdom bonus in feet times 20. The number of beings you may target for transport to the pocket dimension increases to four your Wisdom bonus
   Prerequisite: Gravity Manipulation
   World Breaker: Make a successful Will save (DC15) as a standard action. Your pocket dimension breaks into a number of pieces equal to your three times your Wisdom bonus, with some pieces floating higher than the one you stand on, and others flowing lower—roll a 1d6 for each character in the pocket dimension when you break it to see if they are on a plane above you (1-2), even to yours (3-4), or above you (5-6). Each character will be standing on their own fragment initially.
   Each part of your pocket dimension has its own gravity. Roll 1d6 for each piece that has a character on it. If the result is 1-4, the fragment has the same gravity as yours. If it is 5-6, the gravity is opposite. Characters who are on them are upside down from your vantage point, and visa-versa.
   The pieces are floating freely around each other, but one fragment is always within jumping distance (Jump skill check DC8 for ones on your plane, DC4 for those below, and DC16 for those above), although characters will have to cross 1d6 fragments to reach one where another is standing. To jump to a fragment with gravity that is reversed from the one you start from, you must roll a Wisdom check (DC11) or fall to ground and lose all actions for the rest of the round because you are disoriented by the shift in gravity.
   The number of fragments that a pocket dimension breaks into is equal to the number of characters in it, plus 1d6+6. The total space of a broken pocket dimension is 5 times the diameter of its size when whole.
   The pocket dimension can be reassembled by you making a successful Will save (DC12) as a standard action. Characters who were standing on fragments with gravity reversed from that of yours must roll Ref saves (DC14) or stumble to the ground and lose all actions for the rest of the round.
   Prerequisite: World Warper

More d20 System superpowers: The Dreamwalkers

Here's another minor power feat and talent tree to expand upon it. It will probably end up in the upcoming d20 System book about the Atlantean survivors and descendants  that walk among us in the modern world, or maybe in the one about Satan's offspring that are also among us. Or maybe it will sit around until the superpowers system finally becomes a reality.

The rest of this post is presented under the Open Game License, and it may be reproduced in accordance with those terms. Copyright 2017 Steve Miller.


Dream Viewer [Minor Power Feat]
 You are able to passively observe the dreams of others and with a great exertion of willpower calm nightmares.
   Prerequisite: Wisdom 12
   Benefit: Before you go to sleep, focus on a person you have previously met and make a Will save (DC18 if only met in passing, DC12 if a conversation was had, DC8 if a great deal of time was spent together, DC4 if close family member or loved one). If that person is also sleeping, you will share his or her dreams as if they were your own. You will generally speaking only be a spectator, but you will follow the dreamer as closely and as unnoticed as his or her shadow. If the dream is a nightmare, you may roll a second Will save, with a +4 increase to the DCs as above, to calm it and make it less terrifying to the dreamer.
   When you awaken, you always remember the dream witnessed with crystal clarity. As you watch the dream, you are able to recognize which parts of it are the most important, even if they are metaphorical dream symbols. If they are especially obscure, the GM may ask you to roll a Knowledge (Psychology) skill check to recognize them instead of simply revealing them. If the skill check fails, you will have a sense that something is important about a particular element of the dream, but you will not be able to quite put your finger on what it is.

Dream Walker Talent Tree
When you are sleeping, you may move as easily between the dreams of others as you move from one room to another when awake.
Dream Walker: After entering a target's dream using the Dream Viewer feat, you may attempt to enter the dreams of someone they know by picturing that person in your mind and making a successful Will save (DC18 if only a passing acquaintance, DC12 if a conversation was had, DC8 if a great deal of time was spent together, DC4 if a close family member or loved one. If you succeed, you may now observe or control that person's dream to the extent your talents will allow.
   Prerequisite: Dream Viewer feat
Dream Hub: Once you have entered the dream of a target, you able to bring an additional number of sleepers into the dream equal to the total of your Wisdom and Charisma modifiers. If those you wish to draw into a shared dream are unwilling or unprepared to enter the dream (like you, they must have focuses on the target prior to going to sleep, although they need not have met him or her), you must make a successful Will save (DC6, plus the individual's Wisdom modifier). The characters drawn into the dream can interact with the environment at the level permitted by the feats possessed by the character with Dream Hub.
   Whether willing or not, characters who are drawn into a dream must roll a Wisdom check to realize they are in a dream. If they fail the roll, their actions are dictated by the direction of dream rather than their own. The GM temporarily gains control of the character. Additional Wisdom checks may be made whenever something particularly strange or the character does something that is usually against his or her nature. The player decides when such rolls are to be made, and once the check is successful, the player once again fully controls the character.
   You can also use Dream Hub to draw others into your own dreams in the same fashion. To do this, you must first have constructed a Dream Palace (see the Dream Shaper talent).
  If you draw a character into your own dream or a dream you control, and that character possesses the Dream Shaper talent, they can collaborate with you to create complete Dreamscapes within your Dream Palace (see the Dream Shaper talent) that others can be drawn into.
  Prerequisite: Dream Stalker, Dream Shaper
Dream Stalker: You have the ability to enter the dreams of any person who you have at least seen a picture of. From there, you can determine his or her exact location by making a successful Wisdom check (DC11). The location is revealed within the context of the dream, as a map or a picture of where the target is, and you remember the location when you wake up.
  Prerequisite: Dream Walker
  Dream Shape: Create a second character. When you enter a dream using the Dream Stalker talent, this is your basically who you are. All attributes are 12, but one is increased by +6, one by +4, one by +2, and one by +1. Your character classes and levels remain the same, but you may reassign skill points and feats for this dream character in any way you like, except that your dream-self always possesses the Dream Viewer minor power feat and whatever talents from the Dream Walker talent tree you possess. Additionally, you gain three bonus Minor Power feats and three bonus talents from any trees except the Dream Walker talent tree.
   With a Will save (DC12) you may change the appearance of your dream character, but all attributes remain the same.
   Prerequisite: Dream Stalker
   Dream Shaper: With a successful Will save (DC11 plus the total of the target's Wisdom and Intelligence bonuses), you may alter the dream of that you have entered. You can choose to control the behavior of characters in the dream, change the setting of the dream, and any other change you wish to make. The Will save target is the same DC whether you are attempting a minor change or a major change. Each change you wish to make to the dream requires an separate roll. (Changing the behavior of minor characters or location of the dream can be done with one roll each, but important characters require a separate roll for each one.)
   If you attempt to impact part of the dream and fail, you may attempt that change again, but the DC increases by +2. The DC increase is only for the retry on already failed changes; if you try something different, the DC is still at the base.
   If you attempt to alter a person's dreamworld in a way that they find too shocking or upsetting, you risk losing control. This triggers a Will save on the part of the target (DC15) and if it is successful, you are ejected from the dream and you cannot reestablish contact for at least three days. (The target's subconcious mental defenses realialized something was up, and natural mental defenses kicked in.)
   Dream Shaper can also be used to create a "Dream Palace." This is a mental structure that exists in your mind, with any appearance you wish it to have. Each room is either a memory you wish to examine, or a pre-constructed dreamscape that either you or another character with the Dream Shaper talent can create in collaboration with you--and into which you may draw other dreamers if you desire.
   If using the Dream Palace to examine your own memories, you watch as an invisible spectator as events unfold. You may make Knowledge, Search or Spot skill checks (with a +10 bonus) to see something out of the ordinary or notice whatever it is you are looking for in your own mind. You may also roll Sense Motive skill checks (also with a +10 bonus)
This environment is one that is under your control, and the targeted dreamer that you wish to draw into it will not receive a second saving throw due to extreme changes, and any changes you or other characters allied with you wish to make to the dream environment are made with straight DC11 Will saves with no DC increases due to failed attempts.

The Love Witch has been unleashed!

Last month, we previewed some of the game material that was slated for Love Witch, a book collecting some early work by legendary comics creators Marv Wolfman and Ernie Colon (with additional art by Jack Able, Don Heck, and Mike Esposito). The book is now out, and available for purchase! (And if you liked NUELOW's Sorceress of Zoom books, you'll love Burnick the Love Witch!)

The cover for Love Witch from NUELOW Games

Love Witch features three illustrated tales of dark fantasy set in the times of legend following the destruction of Atlantis. Taking his cue from Wolfman's work, veteran game designer and NUELOW head-honcho created a new set of flexible spellcasting rules for the d20 System game. Relying on the feats and talents mechanics, and completely divorced from specific classes, this system captures magic use as shown in comics, movies, and fiction more effectively than the standard rules. While it is presented as being the spellcasting methods of Atlantis, it can be used in any setting or time-frame in which your campaign is set.

Click here to see previews of Love Witch at RPGNow, or to get your own copy. The book is also available at DriveThruComics and DriveThruRPG.

Remains of Atlantis: Mastering Magic (OGL d20)

Here's another preview of The Love Witch, a comics/rpg hybrid book from NUELOW Games. We present five feats that unlock special abilities for each of the major Atlantean spellcasting traditions. The material is expands upon the information in this post and this post. Ultimately, the rules work best with games that use both feats and talent trees, but the feats in this post work with any d20 System variant where characters can cast spells.
   All content in this post is released under the Open Game License and it may be reproduced in accordance with it. Copyright 2016 by Steve Miller.

Art by Larry Elmore

MASTERING ATLANTEAN MAGIC:
THE FIRST STEPS
Technology, science, and magic were equally respected in Atlantis, and anyone who had even the slightest aptitude for magic was encouraged to explore one or more of the magical orders to see if that was a suitable career path for them.  Magic-wielders could come from all walks of life--so in d20 System games, they could be of any character class. (Limitations and penalties for casting spells while wearing armor still apply, but access to spells in the system modeling Atlantean magic is tied to feats and talent trees, not class abilities.)
   The following feats represent the lowest level of mastery someone who aspired to a mage in time-lost Atlantis would have. The majority of such aspirants never made it past the point of having one of these feats. Although there were dozens of different magical traditions, and hundreds of schools within each of them, these five feats represent those that had the most practitioners. (They also represent the Atlantean magical traditions that have survived to modern times.)
   For GMs setting games in the time of ancient Atlantis, or where the heroes have been raised in an Atlantean enclave or have had knowledge of Atlantean magical traditions from an early age, one of these feats may be chosen as one of the starting feats. Otherwise, they can only be selected whenever a bonus feat is gained, after the character has become aware of Atlantean magic and has encountered someone to teach them some basic techniques and rituals. (For games using the rules from Feats of Mysticism & Magic, these feats are available to characters who may select Arcane feats.)


Aeromancy
The elemental power of air and fire flow through your body.
   Prerequisite: Int 12, Con 11
   Benefit: You know and may cast the following 0-level spells, at will: Message, Spark
   You may cast a combination of these spells a number of times equal to your Intelligence bonus each day.
   Special: The casting time, somatic, and verbal components of the spells remain, whatever is listed in the spell description, but all material components are replaced by this feat. The caster level is equal to your total number of character levels.


Biomancy
You have a strong connection to the physical world, and you turn that into magical energy.
   Prerequisite: Wis 12, Con 11
   Benefit: You know and may cast the following 0-level spells, at will: Detect Poison, Touch of Fatigue.
   You may cast a combination of these spells a number of times equal to your Wisdom bonus each day.
   Special: The casting time, somatic, and verbal components of the spells remain, whatever is listed in the spell description, but all material components are replaced by this feat. The caster level is equal to your total number of character levels.


Geomancy
The elemental power of earth and water flow through you body.
   Prerequisite: Int 11, Con 12
   Benefit: You know and may cast the following 0-level spells, at will: Ray of Frost, Resistance.
   You may cast a combination of these spells a number of times equal to your Constitution bonus each day.
   Special: The casting time, somatic, and verbal components of the spells remain, whatever is listed in the spell description, but all material components are replaced by this feat. The caster level is equal to your total number of character levels.


Philiamancy
Your magic is created by the bond between friends and lovers.
   Prerequisite: Cha 13
   Benefit: You know and may cast the following 0-level spells, at will: Dancing Lights, Open/Close.
   You may cast a combination of these spells a number of times equal to your Charisma bonus each day.
   Special: The casting time, somatic, and verbal components of the spells remain, whatever is listed in the spell description, but all material components are replaced by this feat. The caster level is equal to your total number of character levels.


Technomancy
You hope to master the pinnacle of Atlantean sorcery--the union of technology and magic.
   Prerequisite: Int 13
   Benefit: You know and may cast the following 0-level spells, at will: Grease, Mending.
   You may cast a combination of these spells a number of times equal to your Int bonus each day.
   Special: The casting time, somatic, and verbal components of the spells remain, whatever is listed in the spell description, but all material components are replaced by this feat. The caster level is equal to your total number of character levels.

Remains of Atlantis: Magical Traditions of the Lost Continent (OGL d20 System)

NUELOW Games is getting ready to publish some comics written by the great Marv Wolfman (with art by Ernie Colon, Don Heck, and others). We're still deciding exactly what the content of the book will be, but as is our habit, we are including game material and other content that is based on, or inspired by, the comic book material. This time, expanding our version of Atlantis (referenced in several of our titles, such as Secrets of the Immortals and Jungle Terrors) in ways that take cues from Wolfman's stories, while providing an alternative feats- and talents-based magic system for OGL d20 System games.
   Here is a our second preview of the book that's tentatively titled The Love Witch--more information on Atlantean spellcasting methods for your OGL Modern games. This material is compatible with the rules found in NUELOW Games releases like Feats of Mysticism & Magic and both the Sorceress of Zoom and Three Lives of Fantomah series.

ARCANE TRADITIONS OF ATLANTIS

By Steve Miller

Instead of calling on forces outside themselves to power their spells, Atlanteans mostly drew upon their own life energy to power their spells. Only the most powerful of spellcasters were able to call upon more powerful entities to spare themselves from the cost that magic exacted upon body and soul.. As such, it is a more "egalitarian" magical tradition, as the need for a large and steady supply of rare or expensive components, such as black pearls, diamonds, or dragon scales, is unnecessary. All a would-be magic user needed was a willingness to give up a piece of themselves.
   Atlantean magic was not limited to "wizards" or "clerics." Anyone with an aptitude and a willingness to bear the personal cost of being a magic-user could find a home among the ranks of spellcasters. "Fighters," "thieves," "barbarians"--anyone could tap into the power of magic in Atlantis. There were dozens of orders and schools who would admit anyone who they felt had the right mindset to fit among its practitioners. Foremost among these were the Aeromancers, Biomancers, Geomancers, Philiamancers, and Technomancers. These are also the only traditions that have survived (albeit in diminished and distorted forms) to modern times, hidden from view within secret societies. Those who gravitate to Atlantean magic usually do so because of family heritage or because it is the first (and sometimes only) magic tradition they encounter, so they never consider other options.

OGL d20 Rules for Atlantean Spellcasting
Regardless of which magical school or tradition practiced, the following OGL d20 talent tree models the fundamentals of Atlantean magic. While the different schools of Atlantean magic cast different spells, the game mechanics of how they acquire and cast those spells is the same.
   To use Atlantean magic, spellcasting works is the same regardless of the spells being cast. Characters must first have the Atlantean Magic feat, and they can then gain talents from the Atlantean Spellcasting Talent Tree. It, in turn, provides access to feats and talents specific to each of the major Atlantean magic traditions


Atlantean Spellcasting Talent Tree
No matter what order or school Atlantean spellcasters follow, they have access to the following talent tree. Any time a character who meets the prerequisites earns a new talent, he or she may select one from this tree.
   Initiate: The total number of spells you may cast per day increases by 1. The XP cost for 1st - 3rd level spells is reduced to 50XP per level.
   Prerequisite: Atlantean Magic
   Brother/Sister: The total number of spells you may cast per day increases by 1. The XP cost for 4th - 6th level spells is reduced to 50XP per level.
   Prerequisite: Initiate
   Thaumaturgist: The total number of spells you may cast per day increases by 1. The XP cost for 7th - 9th level spells is reduced to 50XP per level. You may cast 1st level spells without losing XP.
   Prerequisite: Brother/Sister

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The text in this post is presented under the Open Game License (OGL). Content in the section titled "OGL d20 Rules for Altantean Spellcasting" is Open Game Content and may be reproduced in accordance with the OGL, but everything else in this post is defined as Product Identity. Copyright 2016 by Steve Miller.

Remains of Atlantis: The Daughters of Burnick and the Watchers of the Stones

One of the books that's moving its way through the NUELOW Games production process has the tentative title of The Love Witch. We're especially thrilled at this one, because we're producing it through an arrangement with the legendary Marv Wolman , the co-creator of the title character. Wolfman is perhaps best known for his work on Marvel's Tomb of Dracula and DC's The New Teen Titans, but he has worked on many, MANY great series and characters over his four-decades-and-counting long writing career. Words can't express how excited we are to be able to produce The Love Witch book.
By way of preview, here's a sample of the non-comics material that will be in the book. It is by Steve Miller, inspired by Wolfman's work. The feat (Atlantean Magic) is released under the Open Game License, but all other text in this post is considered Product Identity and may not be reproduced without the express permission of the copyright holder. Copyright 2016 by Steve Miller.




NEW FEAT
Atlantean Magic
You have discovered the magical practices a lost civilization.
   Prerequisite: 3rd-level, Allegiance to the Daughters of Burnick, the Watchers of the Stones, or some other secret society that traces its roots back to Atlantis.
   Benefit: The character may cast a number of Arcane or Divine spells equal to the total of your Intelligence and Wisdom bonuses per day. The character may cast the spells at will, with no need to memorize them ahead of time, but you can only cast spells that you have mastered by learning them from someone who already knows them, or by learning them from Atlantean texts. The casting time, somatic, and verbal components of the spells remain, whatever is listed in the spell description, but all material components are replaced by this feat. The caster level is equal to the character's total number of levels.
   Special: Each spell cast drains some of the character's life force. Each spell cast drains 100 XP per spell level. The character can't lose more XP than the absolute minimum of the current character level, and any attempt to cast a spell that would cause the character to drop below that threshold automatically fails. (0-level spells of course drain no XP.)


NEW ORGANIZATIONS
Daughters of Burnick
After the destruction of Atlantis, the magic-using orders in the colony on the modern-day British Isles fell into a state of civil war. The Philiamancers (whose magic practices were based in personal connections and love) and Biomancers (whose magic was drawn from the savage power of nature) struggled against each other for generations, each order becoming more brutal and unforgiving of each other and even their own members with each passing decade. The last leader of the Philiamancers was Burnick the Love Witch, a woman who had been raised to wage war and whose heart was full of hatred rather than love. She was eventually defeated as much by the Biomancers as her own dark heart, and her passing also marked the end of the entire art of Philamancers.
   In the early 19th century, an amateur archeologist and mystic, Lady Elizabeth Harrow, discovered a coastal cave that had been the home of Burnick and her closest retainers. She spent 30 years translating the manuscripts and discerning the purpose of the many artifacts she located, and, upon practicing some of the rituals, she became the first person in more than 10,000 years to practice the lost art of Philamancy.
   Shortly afterwards, Lady Elizabeth founded the Daughters of Burnick, a chartable organization on the surface but in actuality a secret society made up entirely of women. Today, the Daugthers of Burnick are active around the world, openly promoting awareness about women's rights and healthcare issues, while secretly working to change male dominated societies through a variety of means. The organization is funded through charitable donations and a trust that Lady Elizabeth established in her will. The Daughters of Burnick has been headquartered in Harrow Manor, and, unknown to all but the most highly ranking members, Lady Elizabeth remains in charge, having acquired eternal youth and near-immortality through the ancient Atlantean rites.

Elizabeth Harrow, leader of the Daughters of Burnick

   Purpose and Goals: The Daughters of Burnick exists to defend women against abuse and oppression  of male dominated societies, and to promote the equality of women around the world. They generally use social activism and political means to further their goals, but the secret part of the organization use a variety of means, up to and including magic, to achieve their ends.
   Attitudes: The Daughters of Burnick are fiercely devoted to economic and social equality between the sexes, but they always use measured responses when dealing with opponents. When facing philosophical disagreements, they use words and logic in their attempts to overcome them; when faced with legal challenges, the court room is where they face them; and when confronted with violence, they use violence--or magic. Violence, magic, and other extreme measures are the province of the hidden part of the organization, and such activities are always approved and coordinated by Lady Elizabeth herself.
   Membership: Anyone can join the public Daughters of Burnick charity for a $15 annual membership fee. The organization also employs hundreds of people in all sorts of capacities worldwide, from janitors, to security officers, to accountants and attorneys. Women of particular skill-sets (such as those possessed by those with levels in hero classes), or who have an aptitude for magic and share the organization's distaste for social inequity and the mistreatment of women, may be invited to join the hidden side of the Daughters of Burnick. The vetting process is a long one, and prospective members are put through many tests before they are invited to meet with Lady Elizabeth and initiated into the ancient secrets at the heart of the organization.
   Enemies: ISIS, the Taliban, and other groups who include the oppression of women as their agenda frequently target Daughters of Burnick. The Watchers of the Stones are suspicious of the Daughters of Burnick, as they fear it will be the vehicle that will bring about the foretold return of their ancient enemy.

The Watchers of the Stones
After the destruction of Atlantis, old rivalries between the male-dominated Biomantic and the female-dominated Philiamantic schools of magic erupted into full-fledged war, as the citizens of the Atlantean colony on the modern-day British Isles turned on each other in a desperate struggle for survival. It was a conflict that lasted for centuries, but eventually the Biomancers won, completely eradicated the Philiamancers with a tremendous ritual that left the center of Biomantic power nearly drained of all energy. The victory of the Biomancers over the Philiamancers was further made hollow by the fact that they themselves were also nearly wiped out in the final battle.
   Today, the mystic traditions of Atlantean Biomancers are continued by a small and secretive cult of druids. They are based in Amesbury, a small town near Stonehenge. Long ago, a seer predicted that the last Philiamancer, Burnick the Love Witch, would emerge from the mists of time and resume the war.
   Purpose and Goals: The Watchers guard what magic that remains in the ancient structure. They fight anyone who tries to use its magic without their permission and cooperation. They also watch for the return of Burnick, and if they cannot reason with her they hope that they will be strong enough to destroy her.

Mason Garrity, leader of the Watchers

   Attitudes: Until the occult craze of the 1960s, the Watchers were secretive and kept their true beliefs and performed their ceremonies hidden from view. Now, the order owns and operates a shop in Amesbury, named Children of Stonehenge, that sells Stonehenge souvenirs and occult paraphernalia. Most of what the store offers is trinkets for tourists and toys for wanna-bes, but those with knowledge of the occult will recognize that some of the pricier items are genuine magical foci and other components needed for rituals and spells. Similarly, those extremely well-versed in occult lore will recognize the ancient druidic symbols that are plainly part of the shop's logo. If a person asks about the symbols, whoever is working in the shop will quietly acknowledge that the store is indeed run by druids who have dwelled in the area since before Stonehenge was erected.
    Membership: Membership is the Watchers of the Stones is limited to the twelve families that have been the heart of the order/secret society since its founding. The families have been prolific, however, and the Watchers have potential members everywhere in the world. They have always very carefully tracked the lineages of the Twelve Families, and they sometimes reach to a "lost member" in times of need, informing the person of their heritage and giving him or her the change to unlock the mystical potential he or she possesses.
   Enemies: Any organization that uses magic to harm innocents or twist the proper course of nature will find themselves opposed by the Watchers of the Stones. The group is also anticipating the eventual return of Burnick the Love Witch, and they stand ready to fight her when that day comes. They also have a general dislike of Lady Elizabeth, leader of the Daughters of Burnick, since she has used magic to restore her youth and extend her life.


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If you found this post interesting or useful, we hope you'll check out some of our releases that tie into the NUELOW Games tale of Atlantis, such as Secrets of the Immortals and Jungle Terrors.

More of the Immortals

Art by Storn Cook

The latest release from NUELOW Games--Secrets of the Immortals for the d20 System--complies and expands upon material that first appeared on this blog. Secrets of the Immortals contains everything you need to include Immortal characters in your d20 System-based roleplaying game--the Immortal character template, how it is obtained, and feats exclusive to Immortals, and information about a race whose highly advanced, spacefaring civilization is to a large extent built around the Immortals and their activities.

If you saw the original posts here on the blog, you could probably tell what the main source of inspiration was the sort of Immortals who travel about in vehicles that are bigger on the inside than the outside. This post provides a feat that lets you add ones to the mix that are similar to ones who have names like Connor or Raven or McCloud while adding a second race to the mix of aliens who also have Immortals at the center of their culture.

Like the Secrets of the Immortals book, all text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with it. Copyright 2015 by Steve Miller.

NEW FEATS
These feats is available only to Immortal characters who meet the prerequisites. It may be chosen under any circumstance that the character selects a feat.

Sense Immortal [Immortal] 
You can sense when you are near other Immortals.
   Prerequisite: Immortal Template, Spot 4 ranks.
   Benefit: When you are within 60 feet of another Immortal, the GM tells you you feel as though something is "off" or as if "someone just walked over your grave" or some other statement to show you are sensing something unusual. Upon making a successful Spot skill check (DC15), you can identify the source of your unease--another Immortal. If the Immortal is out of your line of sight, you know exactly where he or she is. (The sense of unease ends as soon as you recognise the other Immortal.)
   The sense of unease also ends if the Spot check reveals some other threat or mystery that draws your attention.
   Note: GMs may or may not be calling your attention to another Immortal. Sometimes, it's something entirely different that's going on. Whichever is the case, the sense that something is wrong is dispelled once your attention is caught by something in the area.

Art by Permission of OWC

There Can Be Only One [Immortal] 
You absorb the extra life force in other Immortals you kill.
   Prerequisite: You must have used the Pool of All at least twice.
   Benefit: When you kill an Immortal and are within melee range when he or she dies, you make a Fortitude save (DC20). If the check is successful, the Recreation Process happens to to you instead of the Immortal slain, and you gain 1/2 (round up) of the lives the now-dead Immortal had remaining. If the check is unsuccessful, still go through the Recreation process, but you only gain a bonus feat and suffer 2d6+the number of lives the now-dead Immortal had left, as the energy is blasted into the universe.
   Special: Upon selecting this feat, you may replace any single other feat you possess with another feat from the Immortal feat group that you qualify for. If the replaced feat was a prerequisite for other feats, you lose their benefits until you have the prerequisite again.

NEW CHARACTER RACE: THE CAEDENS
The Caedens are a race of feline humanoids who first encountered portals to the Pool of All when they when were at an Iron Age stage of development, at a very clannish and war-like stage in their history, and still very much in touch with the predators they had evolved from.
   While Caeden civilisation as a whole has left the barbarism of their ancient history in the past, the Immortals among them keep the predatory side of their nature very much alive. While Caeden Immortals are the first to come to the defense of their own people, they habitually see other races as prey to be toyed with--either with mean-spirited games of intellectual one-upsmanship, or through tests of strength and battle prowess. They also delight in hunting other Immortals, be they of their own race or an alien one. They hunt them for sport, and to enhance their own immortality, as the Caedens long ago discovered the dark ways through which one Immortal can steal the Recreation of another and make it his or her own. Some Caedans have accumulated hundreds of lives by killing other Immortals.
   For millenia, the Caeden Immortals have been hated and feared by other Immortals, but they have slowly been abandoning their predatory ways, as they have come to realise that only by banding together with other Immortals will they be able to stand against the most serious threat the galaxy has ever known: The life-destroying and increasingly powerful Anaki.

Caeden Characters
Caeden characters are generated in the same fashion as Humans in your preferred d20 System variant, with the following changes:
   Racial Bonus: When created, Caeden characters gain ability bonuses of +2 Strength and +1 Charisma. They are naturally powerfully built and agile.
   Bonus Feat: Caedens must choose Athletic, Agile, Jump, or Run as their bonus feat during character creation.

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 (By the way, I also designed a different set of immortality rules that works with NUELOW's superpower system of feats and talent trees... you can see that material by clicking here.)

Feats for the Immortals

Among the benefits granted to characters with the Immortal template is access to the Immortal group of feats. These feats may be selected whenever the character gains a feat, or in place of specified bonus feats. The character must still meet any other prerequisites in the feat's description.

The text in this post is released under the Open Game License, and it may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright Steve Miller 2015.

EXISTING FEATS INCLUDED IN THE IMMORTAL GROUP
Details on the following feats can be found in the SRD for OGL Modern (and many other d20 System games), They are part of the Immortal group. If a character possesses any of these feats before entering the Pool of All, they are considered to belong to the Immortal group for the purpose of the It's Never Over and Time for a Change feats.

Acrobatics, Aircraft Operation, Alertness, Animal Affinity, Athletic, Attentive, Cautious, Confident, Creative, Deceptive, Defensive Martial Arts, Dodge, Educated, Focused, Gearhead, Guide, Iron Will, Low Profile, Medical Expert, Meticulous, Nimble, No Profile, Quickdraw, Run, Stealthy, Studious, Surface Vehicle Operation, Track, Trustworthy, Vehicle Expert, Weapons Focus, Windfall.

In addition, these feats previously presented on the NUELOW Games blog here and here are part of the Immortal group.

NEW FEATS
It's Never Over [Immortal]
Prerequisite: Immortal Template
Benefit: You gain 1d4+2 additional lives when this feat is chosen.
Special: Whenever your character is going through the recreation process, you may select any single [Immortal] feat and replace it with this one. If the selected feat was a prerequisite for other feats, you no longer gain the benefits of those feats until you have again possess the prerequisite.

Predictable Recreation [Immortal]
Prerequisite: Immortal Template
Benefit: As the character is going through the recreation process after death, you may specify whether or not the ability scores, the character's sex, general physical appearance, age, alignment (in games that use such rules) is impacted. You do not roll on the random table to see how that aspect of the character is effected, but instead choose a specific result, or to let that part of the character remain unchanged.
Special: This feat may be selected up to five times. The player identifies a specific character aspect to remain unchanged during the recreation process.

Time for a Change [Immortal]
Prerequisite: It's Never Over
Benefit: When this feat is chosen, immediately gain a bonus feat from the Immortal group.
Special: When your character goes through the recreation process, you may switch any feat from the Immortal group either for 5 skill points or for any other feat for which your your character meets the prerequisites, If the feat switched was a prerequisite for other feats, those benefits are lost until the prerequisite is replaced. Alternately, you may take up to five skill points from a particular skill and assign them to other skills. (This step takes place at the very end of the recreation process.)

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