Bell Digest vol10p06-6.txt

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Subject: Volume 10, no 6: Sandy Petersen's RQ rules for Tekumel (6 of 7)
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	Rules and conversions for running a Tekumel campaign
	with the RuneQuest rule system.  By Sandy Petersen.

Contents:
    Part 6: Cult and Temple spells: Karakan, Ketengku, Ksarul, Qon

Acknowledgments:
 
    Tekumel and related materials are copyright M.A.R Barker 
    and used with permission 1-1-1994.   

    These rules and conversions are Copyright 1994 Sandy Petersen.
    All rights reserved.

    RuneQuest is the Avalon Hill Game Company's Trademark for its
    fantasy role-playing game.

--------------------


KARAKAN TEMPLE SPELLS
Spell Name
Glorious Call
Higher Mastery (shared with Karakan)
Perfected Gem of Obliteration (8)
Replication of Heroes (4) (shared with Karakan)
Swift Thrust of Death (9) (shared with Karakan)
Tremulation (2)
Weapon of the Prince of Valor (3)
Winged Disk of the Lord of the Sun (5)

GLORIOUS CALL (Karakan) range is measured in meters
Everyone within Range has his or her morale raised by 1 per
intensity. "Morale" is a rather nebulous thing in most
roleplaying situations, and this spell is primarily useful for
high military officers and mass battles. 

HIGHER MASTERY (Karakan & Chegarra)     (6); touch
The target's skill with one specified weapon type is doubled in
both attack and parry for the spell's duration.

PERFECTED GEM OF OBLITERATION (Karakan) (8); touch; duration in
days 
Creates a beautiful red gem about 10mm across. When the spell is
cast, a target type must be specified (priests of Change, all
Ssu, all humans, etc.). When a member of the named group touches
the gem, it explodes, doing 8d6 damage to the toucher, and 4d6 to
all others within 3m. Disenchantment destroys the gem, but if the
Disenchantment fails, the gem explodes at once.

REPLICATION OF HEROES (Karakan & Chegarra) (4); touch
The target is "cloned" for the Duration. This spell may not be
used upon the caster himself, as the target must be wearing at
least 5 kg of metal. The HP are divided evenly between the clone
and the original. The clone's POW is 1/2 that of the original,
and his weapons and armor are the same. Other stats and skills
are identical to the original. If the clone moves further than
Range from the original, it vanishes. 

SWIFT THRUST OF DEATH (Karakan & Chegarra) (9)
A flashing steel-like missile flies at the target with a shrill
screaming noise. Although the missile looks like a steel bolt, it
is blocked by spells and barriers blocking magic. If the target
fails to resist, he is struck dead, with a 5 cm wide hole in his
heart. The missile can knock a hole 5 cm across and up to 10 cm
deep through even tough steel.

TREMULATION (Karakan) (2)
Creates a deep vibration which deafens all within the circle of
effect and prevents orders from being given or understood.
Affects a circle 1/10 the spell's Range (so a 10m range spell is
1m across). Intensity increases the effect.

     2    as above
     4    area is so shook up that those within it cannot fight,
          cast spells, or do any actions requiring dexterity.
          They can leave, though.
     6    as above, but all items of glass, pottery, etc., are
          shattered 
     8    shatters bones and kills those within the circle if
          they cannot leave within 5 combat rounds

WEAPON OF THE PRINCE OF VALOR (Karakan) (3); touch
Must be cast upon a steel edged weapon. The weapon glows with a
scarlet light and can now penetrate Warding without difficulty.

WINGED DISK OF THE LORD OF THE SUN (Karakan) (5); no Multispell
A flat oval plate appears 1m before the caster. It is large
enough to hold the caster, plus about 50 kg. It flies at his
telepathic direction about 5 cm above ground level. It moves at
30m per round, and provides a stable platform from which one can
fight or cast spells. The vehicle cannot cross steep chasms or
other difficult obstacles. For each 2 additional Intensity, the
disk can be made large enough to hold one additional person.

****************************************
KETENGKU CULT SPELLS
Spell Name
Benignity (shared by Thumis)
The Bridge of Noble Passage
Discerner of Enchantments (shared by Thumis)
Gate of the Gray Pentacle (2) (shared by Thumis)
The Pearl-Gray Citadel (3)
The Scrutiny of the Omniscient Eye

THE BRIDGE OF NOBLE PASSAGE (Ketengku)
Creates a hard, greyish roadway with no parapets or visible
supports. Both ends must be secured upon a solid support (one
support can be higher than the other, in which case the bridge
slopes). The bridge is 1m wide and 3m long, and can carry up to 20
SIZ. For each additional Intensity, it can be widened by 1m,
lengthened by 3m, or enabled to carry an additional 20 SIZ.

THE PEARL-GRAY CITADEL (Ketengku) (3) self-only
     A rippling, opaque, iridescent cylinder of energy 2m in
diameter and 3m high, appears around the caster. It remains where
cast and cannot move with the caster. Nothing can penetrate the
shield. The cylinder is open at the top, and objects could be
lobbed into it, or a cloud of gas spread down into it. For each
additional Intensity, it can be increased by 1m diameter or 1m of
height. 

THE SCRUTINY OF THE OMNISCIENT EYE (Ketengku) 
The target's vision is expanded into a sphere all around himself.
Additional Intensity adds additional effects:
     4    can see through physical objects no thicker than 1m,
          seeing opaque shapes as silhouettes in shades of gray
          and black. Metal of any type blocks the spell
     6    can see through metal.

****************************************
KSARUL CULT SPELLS
Spell Name
Antechamber of the Blue Room (6)
Affable Blight of Lord Uni (10)
Azure Scarab (4) (shared by Gruganu)
Comprehension of Devices (2)
Food of the Ssu (shared by Gruganu)
Obsidian Obelisk (7)
Replication of the Mighty (4)
Web of Refulgent Command (shared by Gruganu)

ANTECHAMBER OF THE BLUE ROOM (Ksarul) (6) 
A faint disturbance in the air, accompanied by a low buzzing sound,
appears 1m in front of the caster, and moves away from him at a
speed of 20m/round. This follows a victim specified by the caster,
turning corners, going up or down stairs, until it catches him or
her. A room with no open doors or windows, a Vallation or a magic
barrier such as Seal Upon the Powers, Warding, Muniments of
Excellence, Inimitable Defender, or Pearl-Gray Citadel dissipates
this spell. The spell cannot affect anyone but the selected
individual, who must be visible when the spell is cast. When it
hits its target, he must resist or be transported to the
Antechamber of the Blue Room, beyond which Ksarul lies in eternal,
enforced sleep.
     The victim is normally killed by the Blue Room's attendants,
unless he is a devotee of Ksarul or Gruganu, or can somehow escape,
trick, or convince them otherwise. If he is killed (the normal
result), his body is gone, and only a Divine Intervention can
retrieve it to permit Revivification. 

AFFABLE BLIGHT OF LORD UNI (Ksarul) (10); instant, but see below
This spell infects the target and a 1m diameter circle around him
with a bluish-white fungus. This appears in fuzzy patches upon the
victim's skin at once, and he dies within CON minutes, unless
Alleviation is applied first. If the target resists, he is not
infected, but must leave the circle of effect within 1 round or he
is infected anyway. Whether he resists or not, all his organic
possessions are infected (clothing, chlen-hide, etc.), and must be
stripped off within 2 minutes. Metal, glass, stone, and the like
are unaffected. 
     Although this is an instant spell, Duration can be used --
which determines the time that the fungus remains alive and
infectious within its original target circle, unless burned out. 

AZURE SCARAB (Ksarul & Gruganu) (4); Duration in hours 
This spell requires several hours of preparation. When cast, it
produces a small dark blue gem (5mm across). For each Intensity,
the caster can put 1 MP into the gem, which can be used to power
other spells. When the spell expires, the jewel evaporates, along
with its unused MPs. This jewel is immune to Disenchantment. 

COMPREHENSION OF DEVICES (Ksarul) (2); touch
The caster gains an understanding of the purpose and operation of
one ancient magico-technological device for the Duration. The spell
works on nonhuman devices, but this does not guarantee an ability
to use them -- they may require more than 10 fingers, or more or
different senses than are possessed by humankind. Complex devices
may require over 2 Intensity. The Lightning Bringer, for instance,
takes 16 Intensity.
     For 5 Intensity, the caster can know how to repair a broken
device, such as an Eye, provided that he has the tools, materials,
parts from other broken Eyes, and testing devices. He must roll 1d6
while attempting this repair. 
     1-2 = the device is not repairable. 
     3-5 = he repairs it. 
     6 =  if he fails an INTx5 roll, something goes seriously
wrong. The device may explode or activate on him, etc. 

FOOD OF THE SSU (Ksarul & Gruganu)
Creates a patch of the deadly purplish vegetation that existed all
over Tekumel before mankind came to the planet. Each Intensity
gives the patch 1m diameter. Anyone caught in the middle of this
hideous bulbous foliage must get out quickly or take damage. Anyone
still inside the stuff by the second round takes 1 pt of damage.
The third round costs 2 pts, the fourth round 3 pts, and so forth.
The corrosive secretions of the vegetation destroys armor at the
same rate as HP, but the wearer takes 1 pt less damage each round
that any armor still remains. Long boots shod with Hluss-hide offer
complete protection. The damage rates described above assume that
the victims are standing. Anyone falling down in the stuff suffers
double damage.
     If this spell is cast neary a party of Ssu or Hluss, they will
halt for a minute or two to feed. They will fight if attacked, of
course. 

OBSIDIAN OBELISK (Ksarul) (3); touch; no Multispell
A stone block appears 1m in front of the caster. It is 1m wide, 1m
thick, and 1m high. It can only be formed in an open space,
occupied by no solid substance (liquids or gases do not block it).
Each additional Intensity enlarges the obelisk by 1m in one
direction. For an additional 3 Intensity, the caster can create a
small door in the block on his side. This can only be opened or
shut by the caster himself. Thus, he can admit fleeing friends, and
then shut the door against almost anything a foe may do.

REPLICATION OF THE MIGHTY (Ksarul) (4); self only
Creates an exact clone of the caster, 1m away. The clone's HPs and
MPs are equally divided between the caster and his clone(s). Skills
are unchanged. Disenchantment cast at the clone (but not the
original) causes the replica to vanish. When the spell expires or
the clone is dispelled, the caster adds the HPs and MPs it had left
onto his own. The caster & clone possess no mental link, but the
clone knows everything the caster knew up until casting the spell,
so if the caster had a plan in mind before creating the clone, it
could attempt to fulfill its part of the plan. 
     Though this is a self-only spell, Range is used with it. If
the clone ever goes beyond the designated Range, it is instantly
dispelled. 

WEB OF REFULGENT COMMAND (Ksarul & Gruganu)
Gives the caster control over an android or a creature created by
the ancient masters of the temples of Ksarul or Gruganu. The
Intensity required is given below: 
     1    Yeleth
     5    Biridlu, Hli'ir, Huru'u, Kayi, Nshe, Qol, Thunru'u,
          Tsu'uru
     7    Ru'un


****************************************
QON SPELL LIST
Spell Name
Simulation of the Immoveable (7)
Periplus of the Planes (3)
Avulsion of the Spirit-Soul (7) (shared with Belkhanu)
Expeditor of the Skein of Destiny
Re-embodiment (5) (shared with Belkhanu)
Viaticum of the Yellow Robe (3) (shared with Belkhanu)

SIMULATION OF THE IMMOVEABLE (7); self only  
The caster is changed into an inanimate object for the Duration. He
cannot cast spells or perform any actions while transformed, and
can only see in one direction, having no "head" to turn. He has no
need to eat and drink and has all the normal characteristics of any
article of its class; thus, if he is a goblet, he could be
shattered and thus killed. He can drop the spell at any time.
Intensity determines size. 
     6    an object about as large as the caster; boulder, tree,
          statue, etc.
     8    an object as small as 10cm on a side
     10   very tiny object, such as grain of sand, crumb of
          bread, etc. 

PERIPLUS OF THE PLANES (Qon) (3); no Multispell
Guides the caster infallibly to the nearest nexus point within
range. Intensity provides information on the nexus. 

     3    no information
     5    caster can specify the type of Plane he seeks within
          loose limits; breathable atmosphere, uninhabited, etc.
     7    identifies exactly the destination of the nexus
     9    leads directly to a nexus leading back home, if
          within Range
     10   gives detailed information about all nexus points
          within Range, except those inhabited by demon races
          that have established magical barriers against such
          probing. (These latter can still be entered, though)

EXPEDITOR OF THE SKEIN OF DESTINY (Qon) touch
The target is projected forwards in time, to a limit equal to
Duration. He disappears and reappears later, in the same place and
condition. No metal objects can be transported this way, and all
are left behind. An unwilling target can resist. 

****************************************