Supplement #2 First Distribution: July 18, 1989 This supplement: A Campaign Mythology (Richard Nuttall) --- From: Richard NuttallSubject: A Campaign Mythology (part 1) This is part 1 of a multi-part explanation of the mythology that I use in my campaign. Before I can do this, I will need to give some idea of how the rest of the campaign world operates. I use essentially Runequest III, with several modifications. The magic system used is only Spirit magic, since I use Stormbringer magic for the higher level magic system. This developed from the realisation the RQII got fairly gross at high levels, while Stormbringer was boring until you started gettting hold of demon weapons, etc. RQ and Stormbringer fit together very well. In my system, RQ cults provide the lesser gods, Stormbringer provides the Greater gods of Law and Chaos and there is the balance overseeing all. There are very few 'MONSTERS' in my game since I consider that "The nastiest monsters are humans". There are correspondingly few 'MONSTER' cults. I have actually developed another magic system, based on the Many-Coloured Land books by Julian May. Unfortunately, the system does not work very well as a mainstay magic system, so only a very few powerful NPCs can use or even know of this type of magic. The Lesser Gods are based on the Norse mythology. This was a polytheistic system, so I have kept that part in my game. Unfortunately, I don't have the book I used for source material any more, so I can't give the actual mythological background to the gods. This does not matter much, since I run each of the cults as separate. I view the Lesser gods and their magic as intrinsic, that is generated within the self. Thus, if you learn a bladesharp spell, what you are learning is a concentration technique, which, when activated improves the caster's skill with the weapon. This reasoning works quite well for most spells, but does breakdown in some cases. The phrase that sums it up is 'Mind Over Matter'. The above reasoning means that it does not matter whether the gods exist or not, since it is the belief of the people in the god which is important. This belief can affect the God (e.g. Thor) and the way it is perceived. The power of the God depends on the number, power and belief of the believers. Note: This is not true of Stormbringer Gods, which can be thought of as having a separate existance, they ARE, and their followers do not so much believe in the God as follow the God. Runes mentioned below are identical to RQ runes, except where noted at the bottom. Rune names in brackets are secondary runic associations. SUMMARY of the Gods and their associations. NAME Title Associated Runes ODIN Father of Gods and Men SPIRIT (MAN) FRIGGA Queen of the Gods HARMONY (LIFE) THOR The Thunderer THUNDER (DEATH) TYR God of War WARRIOR BRAGI God of poetry CONSTRAINT IDUN Goddess of youth and Immortality YOUTH (INFINITY) NIORD God of the Winds AIR FREY God of the Elves PLANT FREYA Goddess of love FERTILITY ULLER God of water WATER (FISH) FORSETI God of Justice and Truth TRUTH HEIMDALL Watchman of the Gods EYE HERMOD God of Speed and Mobility MOBILITY VIDAR The silent God EARTH VALI God of Eternal light and the Sun FIRE HEL Goddess of Death DEATH AEGIR God of the Sea SEA BALDER God of Light and Beauty LIGHT LOKI God of Evil and Deceit ILLUSION WYRD Goddess of Fate FATE HOLDUR God of Darkness DARKNESS FENRIS Wolf WOLF Rune descriptions : THUNDER a 'T'. /|\ WARRIOR an upwards pointing arrow |. CONSTRAINT vertical bar with a bar from northwest to southeast through it. YOUTH an 'X'. FERTILITY \/ <> /\ FISH ><> (stylised fish. should have rounded corners). EYE diamond with dot in centre. /.\ \ / SEA \|/ (trident) | LIGHT /_ (lightning symbol) / WOLF \ V / 'W' made from two 'V's, centre parts overlap. V V ******************************************************************************************* ODIN, Father of Gods and Men, The Allfather. Rune : SPIRIT (MAN) Odin is the default God. All people who don't actively subscribe to a particular cult will tend to belong to Odin's temple. Most city admin. is done by the local Odin temple. In my main city, YX, Odin's temple does all the day to day admin of the whole city. Odin's temple recognised the need for different cults and beliefs, and thus, in YX, the main temple has subsections for the main other aspects, CHAOS and LAW, LIFE and DEATH, TRUTH and ILLUSION, LIGHT and DARKNESS. Odin is NOT the god for a player character to chose. Although the main priests of the temple are powerful, they have taken 20 years of training to get there and they are totelly dedicated to the cult and their particular city, never leaving it. Since this is not a PC cult, I have not filled it in in detail. If you use the cult in a city, just create some NPC priests, who have a lot of defensive RQ, but who otherwise are fairly tame. They should be well respected by everyone, even their enemies. ****************************************************************************** FRIGGA, Queen of the Gods, Goddess of Harmony. Rune : HARMONY (LIFE, BEAST) Frigga was originally followed by those who wanted someone to look to. The cult developed, however, into a cult devoted to animals. This developed further into the idea of animals as familiars, and from there into the possibility of a shape change from human to and from animal form. The cult likes all peaceful cults and hate any that would harm animals. They particularly dislike Fenris' cult. Temples are very rare, and usually worshippers must go to visit one of the priests, usually a hermit. LAY MEMBERS Anyone is accepted, so long as they swear to protect animals. (this vow is not enforced by retribution, but members harming animals will be expelled from the cult). Lay members are taught The Peaceful Cut. (Members are allowed to eat meat, but must have repect for the animals they kill and only kill to eat). First Aid skills can be used on animals at full value, or an Animal Lore skill can be used as if it were a First aid roll for animals. The Animal Lore skill is moved to 20% + Know. bonus. This takes 2 weeks of training and teaching at normal rates. Half the Animal Lore skill can be added to the track skill when tracking animals. Animal Lore and Track can be learned at half price. INITIATE MEMBERSHIP The new member must chose a particular animal as familiar. They will specialise in this animal and further gains in Animal Lore skill will relate only to this particular animal. After initiation, which requires no special ceremony, the human and the animal must share their lives as much as possible. As the Animal Lore of the human goes up, he gains spells directly as a result of the gain in Lore, (not needing special training). A. Lore skill Spell Who on Power reqd. 20% Xenoheal own animal 1 30% Speak to animal own animal 1 30% Xenoheal any animal 1 40% Speak to animal any animal 1 40% Mindspeech own animal 1 50% Mindspeech any animal 1 50% Mindspeech + sound own animal 2 60% Mindspeech + sound any animal 2 60% Mindspeech + sound + vision own animal 3 70% Mindspeech + sound + vision any animal 3 80% SYMBIOSIS 90% SHAPE CHANGE Xenoheal is as Healing, but works on the animal. Speak to animal is a vocalisation which the animal can understand. Level of comprehension will depend on the intelligence of the animal and the complexity of the message. The animal can reply in a simlilar fashion (assuming it can make a noise). Mindspeech is as per RQ spell, with comprehension as above. Mindspeech with sound will allow the human to hear the sounds that the animal can hear. The level of sound is dependent on the animals ability to hear. Mindspeech with vision will allow the human to see through the eyes of the animal. What is seen depends on the animal's vision. SYMBIOSIS is a major ceremony, which must take place when the human's Animal Lore skill is >= 80%. The pair must find a quiet place where there will not be disturbed for a whole week. Taking up the entire last day of the week, is the symbiosis spell. During the ritual, which involves much meditation and mindspeech, the human and the animal must share blood. At the end of the spell, both the human and animal cast all but 1 POW into the spell. A percentile dice roll must be made, under ((Animal Lore skill - 80%)*3 + POW cast*3 + hours spent in ritual). Failure means that both the human and the animal die. (The player should be made aware that a roll will be made, but not exactly what the calculation is. Perhaps say something like "high Animal Lore and a long ritual will help".) Although this is a dangerous ritual, the benefits are large. After Symbiosis, both human and animal are considered priests of the cult. Each may use the hit points and POW of the other. If the animal dies, the human loses 1 CON + D20/D10 SAN (I use Call of Cthulhu SAN in my game, you might like to make it 2 CON instead if you don't use SAN). The human may now cast the mindspeech spells at -1 POW. (i.e. mindspeech to the human's own animal is free). The animal may now cast the mindspeech spells at the same cost as the human, and also Protection, Heal, Ironclaw if known by the human. SHAPE CHANGE allows the human to change shape to that of the animal. The human retains his own INT and POW and takes the other characteristics from his familiar. Damage and lost POW sustained while changed are kept on return, to heal and recover as normal. The power cost of the spell in (100 -Animal Lore skill), or 0 if the Animal Lore skill is 100+. ****************************************************************************** Wait for the next installment of this multi-part series. I would be very interested in any feedback, whether constructive criticism or questions. ****************************************************************************** Copyright Richard Nuttall 1989. PERMISSON GRANTED TO COPY THIS WORK FOR PRIVATE USE. THIS WORK MUST NOT BE SOLD IN ANY FORM WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR. ****************************************************************************** Richard Nuttall | ukc!stc!datlog!torch!richard Torch Technology Ltd. | richard@torch.co.uk Cambridge England | 0223 841000 X 308