Chaosium Digest Volume 17, Number 11 Date: Sunday, January 5, 1997 Number: 1 of 1 Contents: The French Hawkmoon (Philip Benz) HAWKMOON Daughters of Giants (Timothy Ferguson) PENDRAGON Editor's Note: This week, a pair of articles which originally appeared in some of the other online Chaosium forums. The French Hawkmoon, a listing of Oriflam's original Hawkmoon products, first appeared on the Eternal Champion ML, while Daughter of Giants first appeared on PENDRAGON-L. On January 2, the first issue of the R'lyeh Report was posted to the chaos-info mailing list. This is a new monthly newsletter which will provide information on upcoming Chaosium products, what conventions Chaosium will be attending and other news and rumors. You can sign up for the chaos-info list by mailing to: majordomo@erzo.org with the command: subscribe chaos-info in the body of your message (not the subject). If you missed the first issue of the R'lyeh Report, it's also been posted to rec.games.frp.announce. Roderick Robertson, one of the organizers of the California Bay Area's DunDraCon convention says that currently there are no events scheduled for RuneQuest, Pendragon, Elric!, or Nephilim. If you'd like to run an event for one of these games, you can contact Roderick at Robertson@delphi.intel.com, or check out the DunDraCon web page at http://www.slip.net/~dundracn/. In Riverside, California, and interested in joining a Call of Cthulhu game? Email tlove@microsys.net, who is currently setting one up. Next week's digest should contain "As the Worm Turns", a CoC adventure first announced way back in November, but slowed up by the occasional adversities of email! See you then. Shannon NEW ELECTRONIC RESOURCES: Cosmic Visions http://www.cosmicvisions.com This electronic web publication has now reached its sixth issue. As of January 1st, the new issues will all contain a variety of Mythos fiction, along with the regular features. There are also reviews of Lovecraft-related products and other good stuff here. The NetherRealm http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/4657 Another electronic web publication, this one dedicated to the works of H. P. Lovecraft. Necronomicon Press Mailing List http://www.necropress.com/Mailing_list_2.0 Want to get emailed all the newest info on what's coming out from Necronomicon Press? Sign up for their new ML at this link. The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath Artwork http://www.ioc.net/~larryloc/dream_r.html A set of unpublished drawings based upon Lovecraft's Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. Running CoC-Style Adventures on Harn http://jumi.lut.fi/Harn/HTML/Cthulhu.html The title says it all. Lovecraft for Harn campaigns. -------------------- From: Philip Benz <100575.2061@CompuServe.COM> Subject: The French Hawkmoon System: Hawkmoon Hawkmoon: France in the Tragic Millennium Copyright Philip Benz, 1996 Although Hawkmoon's quests reach from Asia to America, France -- and the Kamarg -- is the central location from which he sets out and to which he always returns. France is central to the ambitions of the scheming Granbretan conquerors and provides the most appropriate setting for Hawkmoon role-playing adventures. But what will players find in France? Mike gives us details of a few locations, especially the Kamarg, but most of the rest is left to the imagination. Fortunately -- at least for those who speak French -- the French licensee of Chaosium's Eternal Champion games, Oriflam, has filled this need admirably. Here is a brief list of their publications. Most of this material was done by or under the direction of Eric Simon, for the original Hawkmoon game. The new version of Hawkmoon was released in France in October, with significant changes from the US edition. * _La France_ is a 223-page hardcover sourcebook featuring 15 detailed chapters on different regions of France. Each chapter includes notes on geography, special events, population, politics, religion, science, armies, important characters, interesting locations, history, travel, and adventure seeds. There are also short sections on creating French characters, on a new science (psychology), on special combat rules and on mental health -- sanity as in Call of Cthulhu (which Oriflam also incorporated into their Elric! releases). This book is worth its weight in gold to anyone running Hawkmoon campaigns. * _La Kamarg_ is an 80-page campaign sourcebook containing all the information necessary to run a long-term campaign over three periods in Kamarg history: the Bulgarian sorcerer, peace before the storm, and the great war. This book is an excellent example of how role-playing adventures can be incorporated within the narrative framework of Mike's novels. * _L'Empire tenebreux_ is a 130-page sourcebook on the Dark Empire, including sections on the Granbretan countryside, Londra, Granbretan science, the military orders, and three scenarios. These guys make the sorcerers of Pan-Tang look like a pack of pre-adolescent public-school pranksters. Gassner outdoes himself with the gruesome artwork. * _Les Portes du Paradis_ is a 130-page adventure book including a 4-part campaign by Eric Simon and two shorter scenarios, one really a 30-page mini-campaign that flirts with time travel and the multiverse (my contribution). * _Chair et Metal_ is an 80-page sourcebook/adventure book set in Sicily and Malta. It was the last sourcebook released for the original Hawkmoon rules. * The revised French edition of _Hawkmoon_ was released in October, along with a game-master's screen (including a short scenario) and they plan to release another Hawkmoon adventure book in March 1997. * _L'Ile brisee_ is a 120-page adaptation of a Chaosium adventure book. I wouldn't have listed it here, but I understand it includes some additional material by Eric Simon -- exactly what, I'm not sure, never having seen the US edition. * _Tatou_ is Oriflam's in-house magazine, with articles for Hawkmoon, Stormbringer/Elric, Runequest, Pendragon and a few other games. It now appears more or less bimonthly, and they are up to number 27. Some 30-odd scenarios and articles have now appeared for Hawkmoon, and about the same number for Stormbringer/Elric. I contributed some ten pieces, mostly for Stormbringer/Elric, including a lengthy review of the changes in the new Elric rules. It is unfortunate, for Americans, that all of this fine material is available only in French. At one point Chaosium was discussing the possibility of translating and adapting some of these books, but the practical obstacles are considerable. In the meantime, it is possible to exploit these fine sources without detailed knowledge of the French language, but you are liable to remain just as frustrated as the French gamers who have been struggling along with US games and their limited knowledge of English for years. Oriflam can be contacted at: Oriflam 132 rue de Marly 57158 Montigny-les-Metz, France Tel: (33) 03.87.63.96.69 Fax: (33) 03.87.56.04.43 Cheers, --- Phil [also see V5.9 and V10.3 for short reviews of _Le Portes du Paradis_ and _Chair et Metail_ -sda] -------------------- From: Timothy Ferguson Subject: Daughters of Giants System: Pendragon Hello All! As part of the "Courts of Camelot" project (which is growing like a weed over on http://www.employees.org:80/~pcorless/pendragon/index.html), I've been trying to present an alterative way of getting magical women into the family bloodline. My problem is that I'm by way of being a bit stuck, and so I'd welcome feedback on this bit of text below. It says what I want it to say and to me it is thoroughly clear, but I was wondering if it was the same for other people. Thanks all! Timothy Ferguson. ===== Daughters of Giants Copyright Timothy Ferguson, 1996 In Arthur's Britain, many of the superlative knights have the daughter of a giant as their mother. This section gives statistics for these beautiful fae, describes how one might bring a giantess to wife and suggests possible abilities passed onto the children of such a match. Finally it gives character creation guidlines which assist in the generation of player-character giantesses. Player characters should not be designed as giant-kin without the approval, in advance, of the gamesmaster as they will be unsuitable for many campaigns. The rules given below are easily adapted to other faerie races, and an example, Selkie-kin, is provided below. The Magic of the Daughters of Giants The most unusual feature of giantesses is their comparative lack of height. Although some are taller than human women, it's quite obvious that Chulwch isn't pining for a woman twice his size. Not wishing to dwell on matters anatomical, some male giants seem able to have human lovers, the half-giant Galahaut for example, while others kill their partners, like Howell of Brittany's daughter. There appears to be great variety in the height of members of the gigantic races. The daughters of giants described below are those that usually interact romantically with humans. In short... they are. Giantesses are always beautiful. In some early stories, for example, Guenivere is a giantess. They also enjoy excellent health, never seeming to die in childbirth. This is partially because some giantesses are sterile when they have human partners. Many are long-lived, a quality they seem to empart upon their children. In game terms, they roll on the aging table only every second year between the ages of 35 and 55. None seems to die in the Arthurian stories, instead fading away, presumably into Faerie. Many female giants have magical properties beyond their health and beauty. Flowers spring from Olwen's footsteps, for example. Custennin's wife, assuming for the moment that she is a giantess, can twist fire logs with her bare hands. Gamesmasters designing a giantess should choose a minor magical effect that symbolises some facet of her personality and apply it. These effects are not always useful or visual, and gamesmasters are encouraged to be creative. As with many Fae, giantesses speak the Universal Language and so can communicate with humans from any region. Although Fae in the Arthurian stories seem to show little aversion to crosses, iron or other folk-charms, Gamesmasters may wish to impose traidtional limitations on giantesses. Romance and the Daughters of Giants To marry a fae requires a courtship of some skill and, often, either the permission or death of the lady's father. Balor, for example, prevents his daughter marrying, because he knows her son will be his killer. Similarly Olwen's father dies shortly after consenting to his daughter's marriage. Fae fathers, when setting the conditions of the match, will often ask a bride price that they consider it impossible for the knight to meet. The story of "Chulwch and Olwen" is that of Arthur's knights collecting the bride-price of Ysbaddadden's daughter, and gamesmasters are encouraged to review it. In some cases, where no father exists, the lady herself imposes a quest on her suitor, so that he might prove worthy of her hand. King Astlabor gains his faerie bride the most easily of any knight, but to do so he must reveal to the court that he is not a Christian, and thereby forces himself into exile until his later conversion. Again, gaining a giantess for a wife should be the focus of a campaign, rather than a single story, much like marrying any other notable heiress. Faerie women are fickle and often ask for the most ridiculous things. Occassionally they will ask a knight to demean himself, or break oaths, to demonstrate his affection, then spurn him for proving himself an untrue gentleman. Some extract promises as their half of consent to marriage, and return to faerie should the husband break them, which in folk-lore, for some eason, he always seems to do eventually. The Sons of Giantesses The sons of giantesses seem to have the following benefits: * All are fine knights. In game terms they have a five point bonus added to their favoured weapon skill at the very end of character creation. * All are highly resistant to damage and age. The children of giants cannot lose more than one statistic point to any Major Wound. They do not age, instead dying at a time fore-ordained by the Gods. * All are quite tall. Add 2 to their SIZ score. * Creatures of the other side instictively know that these characters are special. Although this does not change the knight's bonuses, it does allow the gamesmaster to run scenarioes with added mystical influences which have been attracted by the giant-kin. Galahaut is Lancelot's confidant. Palmodies spends his life chasing a demonic beast. Pelleas romances the chief Lake Maiden. PCs should have similarly magical retainers and associates. * Sons of giantesses are exceptionally passionate creatures, their fixations verging on the mad. Giant-kin spend vast amounts of time indulging their passions, so much so that they undertake other adventures only rarely. Palmiodes chases the Questing Beast, Galahaut hangs around Lancelot and Pelleas courts continually his aquatic lover. The player and gamesmaster should negotiate, in advance, a passion which will regulalry draw the knight out of the story. * Gamesmasters are encouraged to grant other minor effects which reflect the nature of the character's mother. A Fir Bolg descended knight might, for example, be able to create storms by spilling his blood on water, or might have a Fochan servant or guardian. The hair of a fortunate Continental giant-kin might turn to gold when cut at sunrise. A Cornish giant might be able to sense tin ore nearby, or may be stronger on those days he eats stones for breakfast. CREATING A GIANTESS In Arthurian Britain there are two main groups of Giants. Cornwall is stuffed to overflowing with them, and the seas around Ireland, and the Isles west of there, hold the remnants of the Ui Net tribe and their Fir Bolg servants. Two other types of giants are mentioned in the stories. The Romans have giants in their imperial guard. Finally some Saxons and Danes are refered to as "giants". They are, however, merely Quite Big Humans and use human character generation rules. Type: Either roll a 1d6, with 1-3 being Cornish, 4-5 being Irish and 6 being Continental, or choose the tribe most likely to be active in the main kingdom of your campaign. If in doubt, assume your giantess is so similar to "Cornish" that you may use their rules. Culture and Religion: Cornish Giants have Cymric culture. Irish Giants have Errain culture, if using "Pagan Shore". Alternatively they use "Irish" statistics. Continental Giants generally are of Roman culture, although some are French or belong to the tribes neighbouring the Empire. The Giant of Saint Michael's Mont is, for example, from Spain originally. Father's Class: All player-character daughters of Cornish and Continental giants have fathers of the "Warrior" class. Irish giants have fathers of the Bo-Aire class and may use the fostering rules. Some giant tribes do have chieftains, but they tend to be of the larger varieties, so that their daughters are unsuitable as romantic partners for humans. Olwen is an exception to this. Liege lord: This is the character's father, or husband, usually. Statistics: Cultural Modifiers: Cornish = +3 CON.; Irish = +1 SIZ, +2 APP; Continental = +1 DEX, +2 APP SIZ: 3d6+3 DEX: 3d6 STR: 3d6 CON: 2d6+3 APP: 4d6 Personality Traits and Passions: Giantesses are almost always Pagan, but most seem willing to undergo Christian marriage rituals. In this Palomides's mother is an exception. Continental giants, at the discretion of the gamesmaster, might be Christians, or even Jews or Sassanids. Cornish Traits: Cruel +3, Arbitrary and Suspicious +2. Irish Traits: Vengeful, Indulgent, Proud and Cruel +2 each, Reckless +1. Continental Traits: Deceitful, Worldly, Proud, Cruel +2 each. Passions: Loyalty (lord) and Love (family) are rolled normally, but giantesses have no expectation of dowries from their fathers and so do not subtract their daughter number from their Love score. It's possible for giantesses, upon marriage, to generate a fresh Love (family) score, to reflect their feelings toward their children, as some seem not to care about the death of their fathers. Irish giantesses may have the "Pagan Shore" passions of Loyalty (tuath) and Love (fosterfamily) if the Gamesmaster wishes. Giants are familiar with the human concept of hospitality, although not all practice it. Honour is, in essence, a knightly passion. Giants do not have it unless they wish to, and among them it is rare. Giantesses have Honour more frequently than giants, but it is still, for them, an optional passion. Giants might, in theory, be chivalrous, as might giantesses. This would be exceedingly rare. Women's gifts: As per mortal women, save that "Nimble Fingers" is replaced by "Faerie Stewardess" which adds 10 to the woman's stewardship score. This reflects her ability to bring in catches, if a Ui Net, or to ensure the fetility of the soil, if Cornish. Continental giants seem to have links with the weather. All that fooling about with Olympians, you see. As fae, Giantesses have Sight scores and can use them much as any magician does. They cannot generally cast spells, embodying magic rather than controlling it. A giantess spell-caster is beyond the scope of the current rules. Skills: As per Cymri, Errain (Irish) or Roman humans, save that giantesses add 5 points to their Faerie Lore and have no Folk Lore skill. They do not practice Heraldry or Tournenying and have no scores in these skills. Falconry is an unusual skill for giants, but Gamesmasters should decide if the character is familiar with this sport. INSERT: Alternate Faerie mothers: Selkie and Lake women. The Selkies are a race of seal-people who can come ashore and shed their skins. The king of the Selkies lures beautiful women into the water, but female selkies are far safer to approach. If a man finds and hides the skin of a seal-woman, she is forced to remain ashore until he returns it, or she finds it. Usually the selkie-woman and the human marry and have children, whose ancestry is apparent through the webbing on their fingers and toes, or the leathery patches they have on their hands and feet. When the Selkie woman finds her skin, she returns to the water, leaving her husband behind. A similar race, the Roane, are found in the lochs of Scotland, while the Shetland Islanads host the Sea Trows. There are similar Lake Women, who promise to marry so long as their husbands do not perform certain deeds, for example striking them in anger thrice, who leave, taking their dowries with them, when this marriage contract is broken. Some few of these Lake Women finds ways to re-establish contact with their husbands and children, and teach them arts, such as healing. For her stay on land, a Lake Woman or Selkie acts as a woman generated under the Cornish Human rules, save that she, like the daughter of a giant, has the Sight and has no skill in Heraldry, Tourneying, Falconry or Folk Lore. They have a bonus to Faerie Lore of five points. Selkies may communicate with seals at will. Lake women can breathe underwater and have the Natural Healer talent in addition to that which they rolled as their Family Trait. Their children are often noted healers and sometimes have the magical abilities which reflect their mother's nature. Melusine, the most famous fairy-wife of France, was only a half-fae, her mother being a fountain faerie. -------------------- The Chaosium Digest is an unofficial electronic 'zine about Chaosium's Games. To submit an article, subscribe or unsubscribe, mail to: appel@erzo.org. To join the Eternal Champion ML, send mail to listserver@nochet.demon.co.uk. To join the Pendragon ML, send mail to majordomo@ruby.telmaron.com.