NUELOW at Christmas: Day Four

Every December. the Spirit of Christmas roams the land, touching bottles, cartons, and jugs of eggnog, imbuing them with magic of the Holiday Season beyond that which the beverage already possesses. This article describes this special eggnog in terms of the d20 System and how you can bring it to your game.

"Stay Noggy, my friends."

EGGNOG OF POWER FOR THE d20 SYSTEM!

Whenever a character comes into possession of a container full of eggnog during the Holiday Season, the GM rolls 1d20. On a result of 20, the eggnog has been touched by the Spirit of Christmas! (All other results mean the eggnog is not enchanted, but still super-tasty.
   But! If the eggnog has been enhanced by the Spirit of Christmas, the GM rolls 1d6 to discover what magic powers are granted those who drink a cup of that container. Upon rolling, the GM consults the following list:

   1. Eggnog of Cheer that grants +2 bonus to morale checks and +2 bonus to Charisma-based skill checks.
   2. Eggnog of Might that grants +1 to melee and unarmed attack rolls and damage, and a +2 bonus to all Strength-based skill checks.
   3. Eggnog of Fortitude that grants a +2 bonus to all Fortitude saves and Constitution-based skill checks.
   4. Eggnog of Christmas Harmony that makes everyone within a 60-foot roll a Will save (DC30) or lose all desire to fight, but instead join together and sing Christmas songs. If one person is attacked (say by someone who has made a successful Will save), then all those under the influence of Christmas Cheer will turn upon the attacker.
   5. Eggnog of Christmas Partying that grants a +4 bonus to all Perform (Dance) and Perform (Sing) skill checks, as well as the ability to point out that someone is standing underneath a sprig of mistletoe without being slapped or kicked in the groin.
   6. Eggnog of Generosity that fills consumers with the desire to bring happiness and security to others in this Christmas season. They can do anything from donate to charities to taking the fight to the mobbed-up slumlords.

A typical container of eggnog contains 8 cups and a character must drink at least one cup to benefit from the Christmas magic. The effect lasts for 24 hours and cannot be dispelled by anything short of the power of a god.
   Once a container of Eggnog of Power has been opened, it spoils within 1d10 days. If a character drinks spoiled eggnog, he or she must roll a Fortitude Save (DC18) or become very ill, suffering -4 to all attack rolls and skill checks for 24 hours. If the save is successful, the penalty is only -2.

THE EGGNOG RANDOMIZER

If the GM wants to make the magic eggnog even more mysterious and unpredictable, roll 1d6 on this table whenever a PC drinks magic eggnog this holiday season.

   1. The character feels extra cheerful, gaining a +4 bonus to all Charisma checks.

   2. Roll on the Eggnog of Power table above.

   3. The character is seized by a sudden hatred of the holidays, gaining a -2 to all Charisma checks.

   4. Roll on the Eggnog of Power table above.

   5. The effect lasts for 48 hours.

   6. Roll twice on the Eggnog of Power table; the character gets both indicated benefits. If the same result is rolled twice, the character gets the indicated benefit with no changes or adjustments.

(The preceding text is released under the Open Game License. Copyright 2024 Steve Miller )

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And here's some multicultural Christmas music that'll get almost everyone into a proper mood!

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Three

The Christmas-hating mad scientist Dr. Stephen Nicholas and his faithful assistant Holly have unleashed their latest scheme to destroy the Season of Good Will and Cheer--cursed candy canes!

Using ancient rituals and Atlantean magi-tech, they infused thousands of candy canes with dark magics that places those who consume them under a curse. These candy canes have been mixed in with non-cursed ones and will soon be distributed all across the United States and Canada!

Will the heroes be able to stop this evil, or will Dr. Nick and Holly finally meet their evil goal?!

(The rest of this post is released under the Open Game License, and the text may be reproduced in accordance with its terms.)

CURSED CANDY CANES

The Cursed Candy Canes can be distinguished from normal candy canes, because they emit a faint magical aura of an undeterminable type or school. Characters with a natural ability to detect magic, or those using spells or magic items to do the same, can identify the Cursed Candy Canes.

   The magic of the Cursed Candy Canes is only active from the stroke of Midnight at the beginning of December 1 to the final moment of January 5. 

    The following tables determine the size of a cursed candy cane and what effect it has on the character who consumes it. These rules are suitable for use with all d20 System games, as well as all OSR game systems.

   First, roll on "Size of Candy Cane" and then roll to determine what curse it bestows upon those who consume it.

Size of Candy Cane (Roll 1d10)

1-8. Mini Candy Cane (must be completely consumed for curse 

       to take effect)

7-10. Regular Candy Cane (only half needs to be consumed for curse 

       to take effect; can be split between two characters)

The Curses (Roll 1d10)

1.  The character can only communicate by singing Christmas songs 

      and carols.

2.  The character becomes enraged whenever he or she hears music 

     and attacks the nearest person for 1d4+2 rounds.

3.  The character's teeth begin to rot rapidly and they all fall out within

     1d6+2 days.

4.  The character can't sleep. Whenever he or she closes her eyes, terrifying 

     visons gigantic, semi-humanoid sugar plums oozing a strange, sparkling 

     substance haunts him or her.

5.  Whenever the character sees an image of Santa Claus, or someone 

     dressed in a Santa outfit, he or she is terrified and must flee the area 

     at maximum movement rate. The character remains terrified for a

     a number of rounds equal to 10 less his or her Wisdom bonus.

6.  The character must naked whenever he or she stands or passes below

     mistletoe.

7.  The character becomes semi-insubstantial, appearing ghostly and 

     translucent. The character does not need to eat or drink, is immune to 

     all harm, but cannot pass through solid matter.

8.  The character becomes a werewolf whose transformation is triggered by

     the physical presence of a decorated Christmas Tree. The transformation 

     lasts until the next sunrise.

9.  The character becomes a vampire, but needs to consume 1/2 gallon of 

     eggnog each day instead of blood. Just like a vampire's need for blood, 

     the character has an insatiable desire for eggnog. If he or she does not 

     consume enough eggnog, the character suffers a temporary loss of 

     1 point of Strength and 1 point of Intelligence until the hunger is cured.

10. The character becomes enraged whenever he or she sees a wrapped 

      wrapped Christmas present. He or she must destroy the presents. 

      The rage lasts until the presents are all destroyed. The character attacks 

      anyone who tries to prevent the destruction.

ENDING THE CURSE

A curse can be ended by a bless or remove curse spell cast upon the sufferer by a 12-level caster (or from an item or scroll with the same power-level), or if the sufferer eats 1 pound of Fruitcake over the space of 30 minutes. The curse also ends automatically at the stroke of Midnight on January 5th, the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

   (For victims of #3, the curse may feel like it becomes worse: Their teeth grow back over the next 1d6+3 days, with severe pain as the baby teeth grow, fall out, and are replaced by a new set of adult teeth.)

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Two

Santa knows who's been bad... and he's had enough of their sh*t!

How does he know? It's a combination of three things: A natural ability, magic spells, and an ancient artifact. Today, we translate Santa's natural ability to know who's been bad or good into d20 System game mechanics!

(The rest of this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms.)

OGL d20 SYSTEM FEAT: NAUGHTY OR NICE

You can tell someone's bad or good by just looking at them.

   Prerequisite: Intelligence 12, Wisdom 12

   Benefit: As a standard action, you may look at a living person or being and immediately know if they have good or evil intentions toward you, your allies, or innocent beings. (This does not necessarily reflect their alignment--if the d20 System variant you are using includes the alignment mechanic--but rather what the moral ramifications of their immediately past or near-future actions will be. 

   You may use this this feat a number of times each day equal to your Wisdom bonus.  

   Targets must have Intelligence and Wisdom scores of at least 4 for the ability of this feat to be effective. Spells and abilities that prevent scrying or other divination magic or spell-like and supernatural powers also impede this feat. The target appears "nice" when studied.

   Special: This feat is considered a "minor power feat" for the purposes to acquiring superpower talents.

NUELOW at Christmas: Day One

Here's a random adventure idea (or maybe the start-point for an adventure) generator set around Christmas time.

WHO IS YELLING AND SANTA CLAUS AND WHY?

Roll 1d6 against the tables below to determine the identity of the Redhead confronting Santa Claus and why she's upset with him. Make note of the results and then let your imagination build an adventure around them!

WHO IS SHE?

1. The new shop steward of the elves who work at Santa's Workshop.

2. The older sister of two brothers who she is raising by herself after 

     their parents were killed.

3. A newly accredited FBI agent.

4. L.L. Hundal of NUELOW Games.

5. A werefox in her human form.

6. Roll two more times on the table. Both results apply to who she is.

WHY IS SHE YELLING AT SANTA CLAUS?

1. She has discovered he's a fake; it's actually Steve Miller of 

    NUELOW Games.

2. The elves at Santa's Workshop are going on strike, demanding

    better pay, better hours, and beds at least as nice as those 

     enjoyed by the reindeer.

3. She wants herself and her boyfriend off the Naughty List...

    or promises this will be Santa's last Christmas.

4. She wants her little brothers to get decent gifts this year, 

    instead of just a bunch of cheap crap from Overstock.com. 

5. She wants Santa to use his supernatural knowledge of who's 

    where and who's been good or bad to find her parents that 

    have been kidnapped and are being held for ransom.

6. As with #5, but she wants Santa to use his powers to take her 

    to the porch pirates who stole the Christmas presents she'd 

     ordered for her family and friends after the Amazon Delivery 

     Guy left the packages by her front door.

HOW DO THE PLAYER CHARACTERS GET INVOLVED

(OPTIONAL)

1-2. Santa comes to them for help with the mission/protection.

3-4. The Redhead comes to them for help with confronting 

        Santa Claus and the subsequent mission.

5-6. One of the Redhead and Santa's targets comes for help.

Now it's up to you to come up with a scenario to entertain and thrill the players at your gaming table, be it real or virtual. And if you feel like sharing your Christmas gift to them with the rest of us, pleas submit your ideas. We'll post them to the blog and our Facebook page!

Introducing Thea Haber, Chronomancer

It's been a while since we've posted to the blog, but here's a little something for use in your games or to spur your imagination!

    Thea Haber is a plane-hopping human Chronomancer. The player characters can encounter her anywhere... when they need to be rescued from a tight spot by an ally, or she needs the rescuing. 

There are some unusual aspects to encountering Thea, however:


HOW OLD DOES SHE LOOK?
The time-travel magic that Thea uses has an impact on her body, making her appear younger or older than she actually is. Whenever she is encountered, the DM should roll 1d6 on the following table to see what she looks like.
  1-2. Thea appears the same age she did when last encountered.
  3. Thea appears to be 15+1d6 years old.
  4. Thea appears to be 20+2d6 years old.
  5. Thea appears to be 30+4d6 years old.
  6. Thea appears to be 15+6d6 years old.

How old is she really? It's rude to ask a lady her age!

 

HAS SHE MET THE PCS BEFORE?
Thea's personal timeline is an insane tangle of her crossing back and forth through places at different times and during different ages. She may meet the characters for the first time... after she met them the first time. Several times. Roll 1d6 to see what she knows.

   1. She has never met the player characters before, although they have met here.

   2. She has heard of the player characters but has never met them, although they 

        have met her.
   3. She behaves as though she is best friends with the PCs, regardless of how many 

        times they've met before (if ever).
   4. She does not remember the last time she met the PCs, but describes a time they 

        haven't met, or the first time they met.
   5. She remembers every interaction with the PCs, as the timelines are in sync.
   6. She has not met the PCs, but she has heard of them. She asks for their help 

        with a villain who is threatening all of time.

 

Richard Sala's Panique: An Unauthorized Second Editon!

SECOND EDITION

Design: Richard Sala & Steve Miller

Editing: Steve Miller

INTRODUCTION

In 1994, artist/writer Richard Sala created a board game for San Fransisco-based publisher Hairy Scary Toys. According to comments from Sala, the game sold dozens of copies ( NUELOW Games-type sale figures) and was generally a disappointment on many levels for him.

At NUELOW Games, we're big fans of Richard Sala's work, and we love the idea of the Panique game. What we didn't love was the rules, some confusing elements of the board, and... well, basically everything but the fun Sala artwork.

But! Games are our thing, so here's a 100 percent unauthorized, copyright-violating Second Edition of Richard Sala's Panique, with a revised board and vastly expanded rules. (If someone out there knows who's in charge of Richard Sala's copyrights and estate, let us know; we'd love to a version of this material for an actual release.)

To play Panique, you need to play are a couple of friends, one or more eight-sided dice; and a print-out of the board, featured immediately below this paragraph. You will also need markers to track the player's character as he or she moves through the house of horror--and you can either print the neat Sala character portraits and make little standees, use meeples from another game, or whatever else might be around the house.

THE GAME BOARD

(click to view a larger version, and to download and print)

CHARACTER MARKERS

(click to view a larger version, and to download and print)

 

PANIQUE BACK STORY

The will of your late, eccentric millionaire uncle stipulates that in order for you to inherit his fortune--along with the other surviving relatives--you must spend a night in his old, creepy, haunted death-trap of a house. Whoever is still alive when morning comes can share the old man's millions.

You arrive, along with the other relatives, arrive on a stormy night, and are greeted by the sinister servants. In the middle of dinner, before the evening has even gotten truly under way, the power goes out. Then the phone goes dead. The bridge--the only link to town--has been washed away by the storm. The guests and servants begin disappearing, one by one. You decide to set off by yourself and explore the house. If you keep moving through the night, perhaps you can survive until morning.

GETTING READY TO PLAY

Each player places a marker on the space marked "Enter" on the game board; this marker represents an heir trying to survive the night. One 8-sided die should be placed on the boxed circle center-right on the board (the "Circle of Life"). If possible, each player should also have an 8-sided die to roll.

   Determine which player will go first by having each of them roll a die. The player with the highest roll goes first. If there are ties, the left-handed player goes first. If rolls are still tied, the oldest, left-handed player goes first.

   Panique is intended for 1-3 players, but we think that as many as 5 might have a fun time playing it together.

PLAYING THE GAME

The player who goes first takes a turn by rolling a die and comparing it to the result on the Circle of Life. The player moves his or her marker the number of indicated spaces along the track on the board. When the movement ends, the player must take whatever game actions are listed on the space the movement ended in OR roll on the Lethal Encounter Table to see what might happen If there are no game instructions on the space, the Lethal Encounters Tables to see what happens.

   Actions described in a space or rolls against the Lethal Encounters Table are performed only when a marker is placed in a space as a result of the first die roll made by a player on his or her turn. 

   Once all movements and Life Point adjustments are complete, the next player takes his or her turn. Play order goes to the left around the table.

   If two or more markers end a turn in the same space, the players can choose to forego their next turn. Each heir regains 1 Life Point.

   If an heir is reduced to 0 Life Points, the player controlling it is out of the game. The first player to be thusly eliminated performs all rolls on the Lethal Encounter Tables.

   The game is over when the first player gets his or her marker to the "Leave the House" space, or when only one heir remains. The winner is either the first player to have an heir escape to see the sunrise, or when only one heir remains alive. (Play can still continue if only one player remains with a living heir, in case everyone wants to see if anyone can survive the night.)

THE LETHAL ENCOUNTER TABLES

As the endangered heirs roam through the house of horrors, they encounter deadly foes and the occasional ally.

   At the beginning of the game, each heir (represented by the marker the player moves along the track on the game board) has 3 Life Points. Each encounter in the house can either take away a Life Point or restore one previously lost (to the starting maximum of 3).

   Whenever a player's marker lands on a space with no game-related instructions, the player to his or her left rolls the die on the Circle of Life to see who or what is encountered and consults the table to see what happens.

Encounter Table

1. The Ally.

2. The Black Cat

3. The Butler

4. The Ghost

5. The Mad Doctor

6. The Mad Killers

7. The Man-Eating Plant

8. The Monster 

Detail Tables

1. The Ally 

An inhabitant of the house, possibly a fellow guest, tries to assist you.

1-2. A teen girl in a purple dress and no shoes offers to lead you to safety. She is promptly seized by smokey tentacles and dragged into a one-way secret door. Gain 1 Life Point.

3-4. A portly man with a white beard rushes into the room, just in time to engage a knife-wielding, shadowy figure in battle, allowing you to escape. Move forward one space.

5-6. A college girl with a gun in one hand and a knife in the other comes around a corner, cursing mightily. She opens fire at the shadows, giving you an opportunity to flee. You may choose one of these options: A: Move forward two spaces; B: Choose another player's Heir and move it back two spaces; or C: Move forward one space, and choose another Heir to move back one space.

7-8. A lithe woman in a mask and catsuit beckons you into the relative safety of a secret passageway. Roll again: 1-4 Move forward one space; 5-8 Move backward one space.

2. The Black Cat

A black cat crosses your path. Roll again to see what happens.

1-2. You're startled and fall down a flight of stairs. Lose 1 Life Point.

3-4. You follow the cat to a secret passage. Move one space forward.

5-6. You follow the cat to a secret passage. Move one space back.

7-8. You follow the cat to peaceful sitting room for a brief rest. Gain 1 Life Point and Lose a Turn.

3. The Butler

He seems to be devoted to making you feel welcome... but he actually wants you gone.

1-4. He offers to see you safely from the house, in exchange for a bribe. If you don't accept his offer, you lose a turn.

   If you accept his offer, roll again to see the result: 1-4. He guides you to a trap door and you plummet through it. Move to the Slime Pit; 5-8. He suddenly attacks you, knocking you unconcious. Lose 1 Life Point and return to the Enter space.

5-8. You recognize the butler for the threat that he is and strike first! Roll again: 1-4 You defeat the butler and gain 1 Life Point; 5-8 You are defeated by the butler and lose 1 Life Point.

4. The Ghost

That's not cobwebs... that's a restless spirit!

1-4. You are seized by an invisible force and thrown around the room. Lose 1 Life Point.

5-8. You are confronted by a ghostly woman and a calm comes over you and you feel protected. Gain 1 Life Point and lose a turn.

5. The Mad Doctor

They called him mad... and he is proving them right!

1-3. He offers to help you escape the house if you promise to fund his research, as your uncle did. Move one space forward.

4-6. He unleashes one of his monstrous creations upon you! Roll again: 1-4. You defeat the monster. Gain 1 Life Point. 5-8. You defeat the monster but barely survive. You lose a turn.

7-8. You are captured and subjected to his unholy experiments! Roll again: 1-4 Gain 1 Life Point, but lose a turn; 5-8 Lose 1 Life Point, but move one space forward.

6. The Mad Killers

How do they sneak up on you like that?!

1-2. You are attacked by a man with hooks for hands! Roll: 1-4 You fight him off but are mostly unharmed. Lose a turn; 5-8. He wounds you, but you escape. Lose 1 Life Point, but move one space forward.

3-4. A masked woman in a slinky dress attacks you with a knife. Roll: 1-4 You fight her off, escape, and move forward one turn; 6-8 She stabs you repeatedly, you lose 1 Life Point, and you move backwards one space.

5-6. Your little nephew attacks you with a baseball bat. Roll: 1-4 You dropkick the little bastard off a balcony and gain 1 Life Point; 5-8. You get struck repeatedly but fight him off and lose 1 Life Point.

7-8. The sous chef has decided to make a meal out of you and is coming at you with a meat cleaver. Roll: 1-4 Lose 1 Life Point; 5-8 You flee to safety and move backwards one space.

7. The Man-Eating Plant

Whatever you do, don't call it Audry... or Seymour!

1-4. The plant attacks, and you narrowly escape! Lose 1 Life, move one space forward.

5-8. The plant attacks and you are severely wounded. Lose 1 Life, lose a turn.

8. The Monsters

1-2. The Creature attacks savagely and mindlessly. Roll: 1-4 You flee, back two spaces; 5-8 You are mauled and lose 1 Life Point.

3. The Doppelganger. Roll: 1-4 You confront what seems to be yourself, have a wonderful chat, and you give yourself good advice on escaping the house and move forward one space; 5-8 You want yourself dead, get attacked, and lsoe 1 Life Point.

4. The Succubus. The sexy demon seduces you, but is no match for the darkness that is your soul. You lose a turn, but gain 1 Life Point.

5. The Thing From the Basement. Roll: 1-4 You show kindness, it helps you escape the house, so you move forward one space; 5-8 You are attacked brutally by the savage monster, losing 1 Life Point.

6. The Vampire. Roll: 1-4 Your religious faith projects you from the powerful of the undead, you escape safely and move forward one space; 5-8 You are bested by the vampire, fall unconscious, lose a turn. Be restored to 3 Life Points. (See below for a Special Victory Condition.)

7-8. The Zombie. Roll: 1-4 It's a slow, lumbering zombie that you escape by running away, thus moving forward one square; 5-8 It's a fast, brain-eating zombie that catches you and you lose 1 Life Point before you manage to fight it off.

Special Victory Condition

If "bested by the vampire" on the Lethal Encounter Tables, when the player's heir reaches the "Leave the House" space, he or she is immediately reduced to 0 Life Points, because he or she was turned into a vampire and is thus killed by the sun. The player is removed from the game and doesn't win.

The Notebook of Spirit Writing (Part One)

The Notebook of Spirit Writing is a two-part magic item that consists of a notebook and a pen. They allow the creator to communicate with one, possibly two, specific spirits of a person who has passed on. The person must have been literate in the language in which the creator of the Notebook of Spirit Writing wishes to communicate. The person must further be someone that either had no relationship with the creator, or a friendly one. The closer the relationship between the creator and the target, the greater the likelihood of the enchantment succeeding.

CREATING A NOTEBOOK OF SPIRIT WRITING
Infusing the Notebook of Spirit Writing and the pen it will be used with requires the creator to follow a very particular series of ritualistic steps. Any deviation in the order, or any shorter time, and the character will either end up with an item that doesn't function, or an item that functions incorrectly and is possibly dangerous.

   If there is an error or disruption in the rituals along the way, the creator can either restart the enchantment process with other items, or he or she can take a chance that the process will still be successful. At the end of each entry describing the steps in the ritual, there is a section that states the chance of failure and the results of success or failure. The GM should roll against the listed percentage whenever there's a step that's not done properly. If the roll is below or equal to the stated number, the step fails.

1. Selecting the Notebook and the Pen

The value and quality of the items used to make a Notebook of Spirit Writing are immaterial; what matters is the creator's desire to communicate with the subject and the steps taken to charge them with magic. The notebook can be anything from a spiral-bound pad of lined paper, or a leatherbound diary, and the pen can be a plastic ballpoint with an autoshop's name on it, or a 100-year-old fountain pen made of gold and ivory. The only important thing is that the notebook must be bound with some sort of covers.

   Once the notebook and pen have been selected, the creator must sleep with them under a pillow (or similar headrest) for three nights in a row. Each night, while going to sleep, the creator must think of fond memories he or she has of the person that is the intended target of communication. 

   Chance of Failure: 100%. 

   Consequence of Failure: Further steps will produce no result.

   Consequences of Success: During the third night, the creator has a pleasant dream about talking with the target about corresponding. The target likes the idea but says there might be risks. He or she doesn't elaborate.

2. Enchanting the Pen

The creator must take the pen to a place where there is a pool or basin of blessed water within a sacred site. This can be the Catholic church, a Shinto shrine, or some ancient site in the wilderness with a natural spring where sacred rituals were conducted. Alternatively, the creator can bring the pen to the central well in an Amazon village, or place it in the Pool of All. (Those last two options are probably very difficult for most characters.)

   The pen must remain submerged and undisturbed in the water for at least 8 hours.

   Chance of Failure: 20%

   Consequence of Failure: 50% chance of attracting a Warden each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)

   Consequence of Success: The pen is now ready to be used with the notebook to communicate with the target.

3. Enchanting the Notebook I

Using the selected pen, the creator must write the target's name and birthdate on the inside cover of the notebook. The creator must then take the notebook and pen to the place of the target's birth. Here, the notebook and pen must be left within 10 meters (35 feet) of the exact location where the target was born. 

   The notebook must remain where placed, undisturbed, for at least 8 hours.

   Chance of Failure: 20%

   Consequences of Failure: Further steps have a base 10% chance of failing. 50% chance of a random spirit responding, instead of the intended target, each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)

   Consequence of Success: Step #4 can be attempted without risk, and the Notebook of Spirit Writing will function properly if the entire ritual is completed correctly.

4. Enchanting the Notebook II

The creator must take the notebook and pen to the place of the target's death. Here, the notebook and pen must be left within 10 meters (35 feet) of the exact location where the target died. 

   The notebook must remain where placed, undisturbed, for at least 8 hours.

   Chance of Failure: 20%

   Consequences of Failure: Further steps have a base 20% chance of failing. 50% chance of a random spirit responding, instead of the intended target, each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. These penalties replace any ones from earlier steps. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)

   Consequence of Success: Step #5 can be attempted without risk, and the Notebook of Spirit Writing will function properly if the entire ritual is completed correctly.

5. Enchanting the Notebook III

The creator must take the notebook and pen to where the target lived the longest during his or her life.  Here, the notebook and pen must be left within the structure, or within 10 meters (35 feet) of it. 

   The notebook must remain where placed, undisturbed, for at least 24 hours. Once retrieved, the creator must write the target's death date on the inside cover with the pen.

   Chance of Failure: 20%

   Consequences of Failure: 50% chance of a random spirit responding, instead of the intended target, each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. These penalties replace any ones from earlier steps. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)

   Consequence of Success: Immediately after writing the target's death date in the notebook, the creator briefly feels safe and secure and as if someone as though someone is standing close to him or her.

   The Notebook of Sprit Writing and the associated pen are now fully enchanted and ready to be used.

 

 

--"Using the Notebook" and more coming soon!

The material in this post was inspired by the short film "Pen Pals". Click here to watch it at the Terror Titans blog.