By moving this worldbook to the Archive Three-Five (A35) website, there is no longer any need to worry about version updates. Whatever version you are reading right now is the latest.
It’s short. It’s easy to remember. It’s a play on the phrase, “hither and yon”, although there is no plan to add a world named Hither. (Wait! Maybe I’ll name it Haethyr.) The umlaut above the “o” is just a pretension. If you want to type the “ö” in Windows, hold down Alt and type 0246.
And, if you manage to make it boring, you can call it “Yawn”.
This list is basically the Sources page in A35, plus this worldbook. If a rule there conflicts with one here, the rule found here is correct for this setting. (Not everything in Yön is strict D&D. The second D, for instance—dragons—are considerably different in Yön than in standard D&D.)
Epic level rules included in A35 have been updated to the version 3.5 standards in the Standard Reference Document.
Source citing is considerably simplified in the web version of the Yön Worldbook. Anything cited will be a hyperlink to elsewhere in A35, which will almost always give the source in the relevant D&D book.
Most of the adventures planned for now will take place on a region of Yön known as the Crimson Plains and the surrounding areas. The game will grow from there as necessary.
Hourly movement for a creature is usually its base speed times 15 divided by 132, rounded down, in miles per hour. Most creatures can comfortably travel for eight hours out of each 24. For creatures moving at land speeds, this assumes over roads or other flat, unbroken terrain.
Time is measured by most nations around the Crimson Plains from what laymen incorrectly (but indelibly) call the Third Rise. This is a corruption of “Third Ryzh”, or the third founding of the capital city of the defunct Ryzhaen Empire. Perhaps at one time it meant the Third Rise of Ryzh or the Third Raising of the City of Ryzh but no one but sages cares about that anymore.
The Ryzhaen Empire had a base-twelve counting system, a number they considered holy, so the Ryzhaen day and night was divided into twelve hours, and their year into twelve months. Even calling these periods “months” is a misnomer, since Yön has two moons and neither of their orbital periods is close to a Ryzhaen calendar month in length. The term is probably a corruption of the High Ryzhaen word mons, or “mountain”, since the religion of the Ryzhaen Empire considered twelve mountains in Ryzh as holy to one of each of their twelve principle gods.
The twelve months each have twenty-nine days, with four weeks of seven days and a special holiday on each month honoring the god of that month. This day is usually the first day of the month and is never included in any week. At first, these were the only holidays on the Ryzhaen calendar, but as time went on more days were marked as such. Still, the original twelve holidays are held special, even by many Yönian nations that use the calendar but worship none of the Ryzhaen gods or their later incarnations.
While the Ryzhaen calendar has been adopted, most of the population uses older descriptive month names.
| Common Name | Ryzhaen Name | Earth Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Melt | Tesren | March |
| Bud | Avyrna | April |
| Bloom | Mykir | May |
| Grow | Hræyn | June |
| Bright | Brighor | July |
| Burn | Senna | August |
| Turn | Cellas | September |
| Reap | Traska | October |
| Chill | Carnil | November |
| Snow | Ashir | December |
| Storm | Sesiran | January |
| Ice | Dümgræth | February |
Character creation in Yön follows the D&D version 3.5 standard method: roll 4d6 six times, discard the low die in each roll, and total the remaining three dice, and arrange them among the six attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) as desired.
If this does not produce a character the player, regardless of reason, deems suitable, he or she may replace those attribute rolls with the so-called “elite array”: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8, again arranged among the six attributes as desired.
Changes to (and subraces for) the base player character races are discussed here.
Dwarves on Yön are typically serious and industrious unless they’ve had too much to drink. They infrequently give their word on something but always keep it when they do. They love precious things found in the earth—gold, silver, copper, iron, gems and the like—and consider them gifts to the dwarves from their gods. While they love these things, they love them for what can be made with them, not the piles of coin they can represent. They hate poor craftsmanship and things that don’t work as they should. They are straightforward and terse; you will never hear a dwarf say “utilize” instead of “use”. They love law but hate lawyers. When a dwarf says something is written in stone, he’s not speaking figuratively. They love drinking, singing, bragging and fighting, usually in that order. It’s the only time they “let their hair down”, and with a dwarf that’s a lot of hair, especially if you count the beard.
Elves are rare on Yön but not unknown. They say less than they know and they know a lot—but if they are on Yön, they don’t know where they are from. They know people and events from their pasts but never locations, and they don’t know why. Elves are usually enigmatic but polite, although it’s hard for a race whose young adults are older than your grandparents to help being at least a little condescending.
Elves have fine senses—for them, colors are more vivid, sounds are more complex, tastes are more rich, touch is more sensitive. Ugliness is more harsh and beauty is, well, more beautiful to an elf, so they never craft anything that is merely functional, even if it takes much longer to make. A harp must not only sound beautiful, but look beautiful, the fine grain of its wooden frame must feel like silk to the hands, and the scented polish used must be a joy to smell. Even weapons and armor crafted by elves reflect this philosophy.
Elves are less likely to fight over wealth than over ideas—wealth is easy to acquire if you just live long enough and is more ephemeral anyway. Ideas, seemingly ephemeral, are more enduring.
Elf societies can seem licentious to other humanoid races, at least among themselves. This is due to their longevity—even the most loving marriage is hard to maintain over centuries—and because of the female elf’s ovulation cycle, which is closer to yearly rather than monthly, they are fertile far less often than human females. This makes pregnancy equally less frequent. If suppressing an adolescent human’s sex drive for a few years seems difficult, imagine doing so for a humanoid species whose adolescence is measured in decades rather than years. It couldn’t be done and no known elf society has ever tried. Elves have always been comfortable with magic and contraceptive magic is taught early and is widely available. They aren’t jumping each other all the time—they just have fewer inhibitions about it among each other.
Elf physical descriptions are described here. They are usually dark-haired and pale of skin and typically have deep green eyes.
Elf Traits (Ex): Elves have the same traits as shown here except as noted below. Note that for purposes of subraces, these are considered “high elves”, and are often called such by humans. They call themselves the wilnothūnā, which translates from the elvish as “Folk of the White Moon”.
Gray elves on Yön are actually called salandi (“The Select”). If elves are rare in the world, salandi are almost unheard of except to other elves; seeing one is a once-in-a-lifetime event for any non-elf. If most elves are aloof to other humanoid races because they are more ephemeral than elves, salandi are aloof to the point of arrogance. They effortlessly project a regal bearing.
As described here, gray elves have silver or pale golden hair and violet eyes. They are taller than other elves.
Gray Elf Traits (Ex): These traits are in addition to the high elf traits.
Deep in the jungles of the Vastvert, there dwell small tribes of elves who did not participate in the Leaving, a racial event about which even they have only legends. So far as they know, they have always lived on Yön, although they are very reclusive, even to other elves.
As with most elven subraces, wild elves are shorter and more slender than humans, but they have brown skin that ranges in color from mahogany to umber. Their hair is usually black to light brown and lightens to silvery white with age. Eye colors are often black but blue and green is not unknown. They call themselves by tribal and clan names, but other elves collectively know them as the fethūnā, the “Hidden Folk”.
Wild Elf Traits (Ex): These traits are in addition to the high elf traits, except where noted.
Another group of elves who did not participate in the Leaving were the sylvan elves (who are also called wood elves). They retreated to deep forests such as the Darkwold when that event occurred. Only the eldest among them know of the Leaving, and they pass that knowledge to but a select few of their kin. They call themselves sierhūnā—“Forest Folk”. Wood elves have hair that ranges from pale green to yellow to coppery red and are more muscular than other elves. They often have pale skin, but some are tan or even earth-yellow in pigment.
Wood Elf Traits (Ex): These traits are in addition to the high elf traits, except where noted.
These are not commonly available as a player character race; no gaggles of Drizzt Do’Urdens will be seen mucking about on Yön. Nevertheless, they do exist and are discussed in more detail in the Teratology.
The oceans of Yön are home to many creatures, but few are as graceful as the belumhūnā, the “Sea Folk”. Non-elves usually just call them “sea elves”.
Aquatic Elf Traits (Ex): These traits are in addition to the high elf traits, except as noted below:
Gnomes are gregarious, cheerful folk. They are nimble and crafty, well known for constructing all manner of clever things. Like dwarves, they have a love for jewels, although gnomish jewelry (for all its craftsmanship) tends to be gaudier than that made by dwarves.
The first, if unwritten, social norm among gnomes is: don’t take yourself too seriously. Life is to be enjoyed, not suffered. To that end, gnomes love humor and jokes, almost to a fault. Gnome bards are best known for this. If you want a bard who stirs the soul, a dwarven war chanter might be for you. For one that knows romantic or sad, haunting songs, seek an elf bard. For a bard who makes you laugh, though, gnomes admit no equal.
Sometimes, a gnome’s cultural love for jokes, especially “practical” ones, goes too far. More than one gnome has met a sticky end by playing a joke on the wrong person or at the wrong time: gluing a famous warrior’s sword into his scabbard just before a big battle, sneaking a whoopee cushion onto the queen’s throne before she holds court, drawing cross-eyes on the idol of a local god whose clergy lack a sense of humor and a respect for life—that sort of thing.
These gnomes are called “rock gnomes” when it is necessary to distinguish them from the following subraces.
See Gnome Traits for game information.
Arcane gnomes differ culturally from their rock gnome brethren; they are almost the “straight men” to their jollier counterparts. They are inquisitive and smart and straightforward, to the point of delving into things that gnomes were not meant to know, much less men. An arcane gnome archmage might visit the Abyss just to catalog demons and their characteristics. (“The risks are within acceptable parameters for the knowledge gained.”)
A few arcane gnomes show the inclination of their rock gnome brethren, becoming arcane tricksters and joining Fools with Magic.
Arcane gnomes benefit from slightly different racial traits. These traits are in addition to the basic gnome traits.
Arcane Gnome Traits (Ex): Arcane gnomes possess all of the rock gnome’s racial traits, except as shown below.
Smallest of all gnome subraces, forest gnomes live hidden lives in woods and forests and, like sylvan elves, have significant numbers in the Darkwold. Their heights range from 2½ to 3 feet, and skin that is bark-colored or gray-green and eyes that are brown, blue, or green. They are reserved and quiet compared to their rock gnome brethren, but delight in green, growing things and those animals that don’t see them as handy snacks.
Forest Gnome Traits (Ex): These traits are in addition to the rock gnome traits, except where noted below.
In cases where a half-elf’s parents are separated by death or divorce, he or she is almost always raised by the human parent. If a high elf or gray elf parent raises a half-elf, then the half-elf has the Missing Memory trait from the new elf traits listed above. This is, however, an extremely rare occurrence.
Dark elves regard half-elves as corrupted kin and often kill them in the name of racial purity.
Half-elves on Yön have the same traits as half-elves except as noted below:
If dark elves consider half-elves impure, dark half-elves are abominations to be erased from existence, along with their parents. Despite that, some do manage to elude their hunters.
Elves who are not dark elves occasionally refer to them as “ash elves”, if they must refer to them at all. While they do not have a burning hatred for them, neither do they really trust or want to associate with them.
Like dark elves, dark half-elves are not encouraged for use as a player character race.
Dark half-elves have the same traits as half-elves except as noted below:
Orcs don’t exist on Yön; their niche is filled by kryg. Since there are no orcs, there are also no half-orcs.
Like gnomes, halflings are gregarious folk. They have little interest in government above the level of an extended family or clan, so they rarely claim lands of their own larger than a village or small town and the surrounding farms.
Many halflings are nomadic and travel in large caravans across the Crimson Plains, each of these consisting of one or more extended families. Their homes are made in wagons and some of these been handed down for generations. They can be very elaborately painted and decorated; a few even have elaborate magical protections. The small stature of halflings even allow for double-decked housewains. A typical housewain’s interior will have a small iron stove for cooking and heat, storage for personal belongings and food and hooks for sleeping hammocks and privacy curtains. If the housewain has a second story, it will typically have a hatch with a fold-up ladder or a knotted rope for easy access.
Some halfling wagons are also designed for war to protect the caravan, armored against missile fire with arrow slits on the sides and crenelations on top. A few even have light ballistae mounted to drive off larger creatures. Every caravan will also have a water wagon or two. When a caravan stops traveling to camp, the wagons are placed in a circle for protection, with drop-down sides and panels to cover gaps under and between the wagons and warwains placed evenly around the wagon circle to act as towers. Cargo and water wagons are usually parked in the circle. All housewains and warwains have roof hatches, and even non-combatants will hurl missiles from the wagon roofs to protect their caravan from attack. Caravan halflings make their livings as wainwrights and wheelwrights; mounted rangers and outriders (see the Halfling Outrider prestige class) to scout ahead and protect the caravan; painters; entertainers; cooks; clerics and even the occasional wizard or sorcerer.
While halfling societies are outwardly patriarchal, they are actually matriarchal. The elder males may proclaim decisions, but those are almost always the decisions dictated by the elder females. One of the worst things you can say about a halfling is that he doesn’t respect his mother.
See Halfling Traits for game information.
Humans, of course, are nearly ubiquitous in Yön. Their differences are mainly cultural and are discussed at length in Yön: A Spotty Geography.
What, a human subrace? Don’t be silly. I’m not doing it.
See Human Traits for game information.
All of the standard eleven classes in the Player’s Handbook are allowed. Other classes—classes that can be taken at 1st level like the eleven standard classes but appear in books other than the Player’s Handbook—are discussed in Variant Classes, particularly when those classes require changes to work in Yön. Prestige classes must be approved on a case-by-case basis—there are too many of them to make a decent list of what’s allowed and what’s not. However, some prestige classes are already approved, and how they appear in Yön is discussed in Prestige Classes.
These classes are the base classes out of the Player’s Handbook (version 3.5) and the Standard Reference Document. The source for each one is given under the Reference entry.
“Yaaargh!”
Barbarians roam the less settled hills north of the Crimson Plains seeking adventure and glory. Some are kryg that are looking for lands to conquer. Barbarians are not necessarily naïve or unaware of the ways of civilization, they may just disapprove of them or simply prefer more straightforward ways of dealing with life.
Reference: Barbarian.
Many brave men lived before Agamemnon, but all are overwhelmed in eternal night, unwept, unknown, because they lack a sacred poet.
One can be a hero, but it’s hard to be a famous hero unless someone spreads that fame. Whether minstrels, jesters, confidence men, diplomats or even spies, bards know the power of song and word. Jack of many trades but master of none, bards are the quintessential support characters, raising morale and backstopping most roles in an adventuring party.
Reference: Bard.
“You call on your gods; but do they answer?”
In a world where the gods seem to answer the pleas of mortals, they most often do so through the clerics that worship them. Most churches allow their acolytes to travel and see something of the world, to spread the word and do good (or evil) works in the names of their gods or goddesses, and to establish churches to serve new believers. Most adventuring parties put up with this because they want a healer.
Reference: Cleric.
“Who are you that despoils this place?”
While druids can be found singly across wilderness areas, they are found in considerable numbers in the Darkwold and the Vastvert, and travelers there are well advised not to disturb their realms if they wish to continue breathing.
Divine Focuses: As stated in the Player’s Handbook, version 3.5, druids and rangers usually use mistletoe or holly as their divine foci. Because druids are found all over the world, and mistletoe and holly is not, many druids and rangers in non-temperate climate zones will use different foci. The veldami of the Vastvert use spirit pouches, for example.
Reference: Druid. Note the following clarifications.
Druid Armor: Because of more than a few druid-specific magic armors that are based on it in various rulebooks, studded leather armor is now permitted to druids if the studs are non-metal—bone or stone, for example.
“When magic fades and tricks fail, swords carry the day.”
Where there is war, there are fighters—whether it’s a skirmish between a caravan and bandits or a massive kryg invasion from Hrygen sweeping across the Crimson Plains. As wizards are the most versatile of spell-casting characters, fighters are the most adaptable combat characters and there’s always a place for them in any adventuring group.
Reference: Fighter.
“Every being has great power of spirit; most never realize that power.”
Monk traditions exist in many places around the Crimson Plains and the Pyro Sea. There are secretive orders in Qæz-ur-Zurkai (of course, pretty much everything in Qæz-ur-Zurkai is secretive). An order of ascetic monks, Shattered Chain, serves the church of Rytha. Hraden have a long tradition of monastic training.
Reference: Monk.
“You may be called upon to lead men and women to face evil—good people who are not battle-hardened warriors, nor brave adventurers, nor powerful in arms or magic. You may call upon them to exhibit bravery beyond your own, since you have martial and divine power beyond their ken. Your ability to do this is at least as important as those powers.”
There are places on Yön where evil seems implacable. Paladins—warriors in the service of beneficent gods and goddesses—are drawn to face and defeat it. While paladins can be insufferable prigs, the best lead by example—inspiring people to be better than they are rather than browbeating those who fall short of the ideal. The churches of Brighor and Rytha in particular both have orders of paladins.
Reference: Paladin.
“Are you always this noisy when you move?”
There’s a lot of wilderness on Yön, and where there’s wilderness you’ll find rangers. Psenellar rangers are respected in their country and loosely organized there; in past wars by invading Hesperonian nobles, the guerrilla tactics of the Psenellar rangers and scouts organized by the church of Rytha proved much more effective than the enthusiastic but disorganized counterattacks by Psenellar clan barbarians.
Reference: Ranger. For more on the divine foci for rangers and druids, see Divine Focuses.
“Finders keepers.”
After humans comes civilization, then money, then rogues. Some of these are fellows that swipe anything that isn’t nailed down, fenced in and surrounded by rabid guard dogs; others can sweet talk a man into giving him all he has and thanking them afterward. Rogues operate independently in some cities in the Crimson Plains or in guilds in other cities, and a wise rogue finds out who’s who in the underworld before plying his trade in unfamiliar territory.
Reference: Rogue. Note the following clarifications.
Skill Mastery and Use Magic Device: The Skill Mastery rogue special ability states that a rogue selects (3 + Int mod) skills that “she may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent her from doing so”.
The question arose: does this include the skill Use Magic Device, which states on the first line of its Special section: “You cannot take 10 with this skill.” This would seem to preclude its use with Skill Mastery.
However, the warlock class ability, deceive item, is a specific exception to that rule, stating: “When making a Use Magic Device check, a warlock can take 10 even if distracted or threatened.” Despite warlocks being added later than the core rule books, does this not imply that rogues should be able to take 10 on that skill as well? The language is very similar, even though Skill Mastery is, of necessity, less specific.
Adding to this confusion is a 2nd-level bard spell in the Complete Mage, magic savant, which allows a bard a +4 insight bonus on Use Magic Device. It also allows him take 10 on Use Magic Device checks if he has at least 10 ranks in that skill. This question has been debated at length in the D&D community. One of the lengthiest (but best) discussions can be found in this thread on Stack Exchange.
One is still inclined to say no. Use Magic Device can be a very powerful skill, and allowing abuses to it may lead to Bad Things. Moreover, even though skill mastery is a rule exception, allowing this would seem to overshadow the warlock’s Deceive Item class ability.
A method of “splitting the baby” on this has been suggested, thus:
A rogue who selects Use Magic Device for skill mastery may take 10 on only one check to use a particular magic device. For example, if a rogue attempts the skill to use an arcane scroll of lesser globe of invulnerability and she has an Intelligence of 13, she must make two checks: the first to emulate a class (say, wizard) and the second to emulate an ability score of 14, the minimum Intelligence a wizard must have to cast that 4th-level spell. With skill mastery in Use Magic Device, she may take 10 on either check but not both.
Additionally, if a rogue is using the skill to activate blindly and a take 10 check fails by 10 or more, it still causes a mishap.
So let it be written, so let it be done.
“Does the blood of dragons flow in their veins? The Elyzhain say yes, but who can be certain?”
In many places on the Crimson Plains, sorcerers are misunderstood or mistaken for wizards. In Elyzhar, they are venerated leaders of the dragon tribes there.
Reference: Sorcerer.
“Spells make the wizard. It’s what we do.”
If there’s something that can be done by magic, there’s a wizard doing it. Most wizards in the Crimson Plains, Hesperonia, Kartag and Psenella belong to the Ordo Ars Magica, not because it’s required, but because it’s worth it. This ancient wizard’s guild helps regulate prices for magical items, ensures the availability of magical supplies, trains new wizards and sells arcane spells and items to the general public.
Reference: Wizard.
These are character classes that exist outside the Player’s Handbook (version 3.5). Some require changes to work with the Yön setting and such changes are noted below.
“Power, age, wisdom, terrible beauty—a dragon possesses these in ways that men never will.”
Dragon shamans are unique to Elyzhar; there are no non-Elyzhain dragon shamans, although there are myths and stories that the Elyzhar originally come from across the seas; there may be more dragon shamans there.
Refer to the original Dragon Shaman class, except as noted below. Because Yönian dragons do not have metallic, gem, and chromatic species, some changes to this class are needed.
Totem Dragon: Yönian dragon shamans do not choose a metallic, gem, or chromatic dragon as a totem dragon. Their totem dragon is the actual dragon after which their tribe is named. They must be a follower of the Dragon Path of their tribe. See The Paths of the Dragon for a complete description of these. Totem dragons have no effect on a dragon shaman’s abilities.
Skill Focus: At 2nd and 8th level (and every eight levels after that), a dragon shaman gains Skill Focus as a bonus feat. This feat must be applied to the skills listed under the dragon shaman’s Dragon Path according to the following table. If he already has Skill Focus in all the skills in his Path he may select Skill Focus from any skill on the table.
| Dragon Path | Class Skills | Draconic Adaptation |
|---|---|---|
| Heart | Bluff, Diplomacy, Heal, Sense Motive | Virtue |
| Wing | Concentration, Disguise, Spellcraft, Survival | Feather fall |
| Eye | Gather Information, Listen, Search, Spot | Ventriloquism |
| Claw | Appraise, Gather Information, Intimidate, Sense Motive | +5 to Appraise and Search |
| Tooth | Jump, Hide, Move Silently, Survival | Endure elements |
Draconic Adaptation (Ex or Sp): A 3rd level dragon shaman gains the draconic adaptation for his chosen Dragon Path from the table above. The adaptation for the Path of the Claw dragon shaman is an extraordinary ability; all others are spell-like abilities based on the listed spell the shaman may cast at will. He may only affect himself with these spell-like abilities despite the spell description. These abilities have a caster level equal to the dragon shaman’s level and a save DC equal to 11 + Cha modifier.
Breath Weapon (Su): At 4th level, the dragon shaman gains the Wyrm Breath feat as a bonus feat as well as the Weak Breath flaw. The energy of the breath weapon must match that of his totem dragon, or one of that dragon’s breath energies if it has taken the Wyrm Breath feat more than once. He is treated as a dragon of the same hit dice as his dragon shaman level for determining damage dice.
For example, a dragon shaman of 4th level with a totem dragon who breathes acid would get Wyrm Breath (Acid), starting as a line of acid with a range of 30 feet instead of 40 feet due to the Weak Breath flaw. It would deal 2d6 of acid damage (also. This increases by an additional 1d6 every two class levels; the range increases to 60 feet at 12th level at 120 feet at 20th level. The Reflex save DC for this weapon is 10 + ½ dragon shaman level + Con modifier (rounded down). A dragon shaman may learn breath feats to alter the shape of his breath weapon. They often choose those of their totem dragon, if they can.
Energy Immunity (Ex): At 9th level, a dragon shaman gains the Energy Immunity feat as a bonus feat. This replaces the Energy Immunity class feature.
Commune with Dragon Spirit (Sp): This operates as described here, except that you are communing with the ancestors of your totem dragon. This makes no difference in game use of this ability.
“My god speaks to me words of transcendent beauty and wisdom. Someday, I hope to learn what they mean.”
Where clerics choose to follow a deity, a deity chooses to follow a favored soul, imbuing him or her with divine power, often for inscrutable reasons. Perhaps the deity feels that the church hierarchy has become complacent or corrupt. Perhaps the deity has a special destiny in mind for the favored soul. Whatever the reason, they exist outside of church hierarchies, traveling from place to place doing their deity’s work.
Reference: Favored Soul.
“There are no ninja. You’ve never seen one.”
While never actually called such on Yön, ninja exist in several places there. In Qæz-ur-Zurkai, umrae (“shadows”) serve the Shenwai and many other covert organizations among the secretive and paranoid Zurkai. Among the dark elves, they are called nightblades. They also exist among the oppressed peoples of the Hrygen Empire, carrying out secret wars against their kryg masters.
Reference: Ninja.
“Ten gold says I put this arrow in his right eye.”
Hit and run tactics are the way of the scout, and in the darker times of Psenella’s history when Hesperonia occupied their lands, it was the Psenellar rangers and scouts that continued the war against the occupying nobles by ambushing patrols, stealing supplies, waylaying tax collectors and the like.
Reference: Scout.
“Watch me cut the buttons off his jerkin.”
Kartag merchant princes and their sons and daughters who practice the martial arts often prefer the style and speed of the rapier to the cumbersome power of heavy weapons and armor. Since Queen Eshalei’s ascension to the throne, some younger nobles and gentlemen of Hesperonia, influenced by trade with Kartag, are drawn to this class, preferring to be nimble of wit and blade rather than powerful in knightly arms.
Reference: Swashbuckler.
“You do not fathom the source or extent of my power. Pray that you never do.”
Sorcerers might learn or inherit their powers from dragons or extraplanar beings, warlocks are thought to tap extraplanar beings directly for their powers. These powers are narrow but unlimited. Many warlocks tap dark powers, some thinking (mistakenly) that they can control such things and others not caring. A few, however, manage to tap the powers of beneficial—or at least benign—beings, or they manage to use darker powers and (for the time being) avoid the taint of using them.
Reference: Warlock.
“Ooh-wee! That blowed up real good!”
On Yön, magic is as important as swords, arrows, and armor in war, and it is no surprise that magic has been specialized to serve in war. Warmages, as specialists in martial magic, can be found in several armies on Yön now. The best-known source for warmages in the Crimson Plains region is the Korov Military Magic Academy. Since the end of the last major attack by the Hrygen Empire, many warmages taught there have sought employment as adjuncts to regional armies.
Reference: Warmage.
“You only know of four elements? You benighted savages.”
While sorcerers and wizards can be found scattered around much of Yön, they are certainly not the only arcane magic users to be found. In Lentzu and the Hrygen Empire there are those that follow a different tradition: the wu jen. The wu jen often deal with spirits in ways that other traditions do not, and they regard elements in a different manner. They can be found in roles as lowly as a village adept or as mighty as an advisor to emperors—and every so often, as emperors themselves.
Reference: Wu Jen.
Most prestige classes must be approved on a case-by-case basis—there are too many of them to make a decent list of what’s allowed and what’s not. However, some prestige classes are already approved (or specifically disapproved), and how they appear in Yön is noted below.
“There is a certain magic in the flight of an arrow.”
Sometimes, an elf wandering Yön will be an arcane archer on a mission, usually to slay a particular creature. In the extremely rare times that elves are found in large groups on Yön, archers led by arcane archers or even units composed of arcane archers have been known to appear. Elven archers may teach sincere and trusted half-elves the way of this prestige class.
Reference: Arcane Archer.
“I predict you aren’t expecting this…!”
This prestige class is based on the Mage of the Arcane Order, with changes as noted below.
A master of the Order of the Magical Arts sometimes decides to take a special interest in scholarship and research. They travel to the Order’s premiere school of magic, the Schola Veneficus in Ninetowers. Here, they pay an fee of 750 gp and undergo an initiation rite that gives them access to the Order’s spellpool. (This makes them 1st-level arcane professors.) Arcane professors sometimes return to their home guildhall, but many remain at the Schola Veneficus. They have all the responsibilities described for that prestige class whichever location they choose to fulfill those responsibilities.
Arcane professors gain full access to the Magna Bibliotheca, the massive library of the Schola Veneficus, which is considered to contain a master book lot on every subject imaginable (+6 to any Knowledge check when using it; +8 if they have the aid of one of the librarians). They have free access to any currently unused magical lab in the college or any Order hall, although masters of a particular guildhall have precedence to their hall’s labs. Also, an arcane professor is considered to have a +2 competence bonus on Charisma checks when dealing with Order members who are not arcane professors. (He does not get the +2 bonus for dealing with other arcane professors until he becomes a regent upon gaining 10th level of the prestige class.) Upon reaching 10th level, an arcane professor becomes a regent in the Schola Veneficus with all the abilities and rights listed for regent in the Mage of the Arcane Order prestige class.
Reference: Mage of the Arcane Order.
“Tricks are for kids; I’ve always been young at heart.”
Arcane tricksters on Yön are often gnomes, especially arcane gnomes, who have a natural inclination toward magic. Fools with Magic boasts a number of arcane tricksters in their ranks. Most arcane tricksters are self-taught, but a few find mentors to assist them.
Reference: Arcane Tricker.
“There are wizards, and there are archmages. A wise man knows the difference.”
Archmages are most often found among the ranks of the Ordo Ars Magica, although independents can be found scattered across Yön.
Reference: Archmage.
“He never knew what killed him.”
Assassins are found almost everywhere on Yön, although not in any large numbers anywhere. They are employed by certain Kartag merchant princes, Hesperonian nobles and evil cults. There is a myth that an assassin’s guild exists in Qæz-ur-Zurkai; in truth, the Zurkai employ their equivalent of ninja for that task, although those are far more likely to be used for infiltration and espionage than assassination.
Reference: Assassin.
“I’ll carve out your soul.”
Most often found among evil cults that revere warfare, bloodshed and death, blackguards serve as war leaders in the service of their dark gods.
Reference: Blackguard.
“The blood of dragons runs deep in me.”
While dragon disciples can be found scattered among the less settled areas of Yön, they are revered and respected in Elyzhar. Sorcerers are most suited to this prestige class, although bards and warmages have followed this path, too.
Because dragons on Yön are considerably different than those in standard Dungeons and Dragons, this prestige class has been rebuilt to accommodate this.
Hit Die: d12.
To qualify to become a dragon disciple, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Race: Any nondragon (cannot already be a half-dragon).
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks.
Languages: Draconic.
Spellcasting: Ability to cast arcane spells without preparation.
The dragon disciple’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Speak Language (n/a), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Bonus Spells |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Natural armor increase (+1), draconic feat | 1 |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Ability boost (Str +2), claws and bite | 1 |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Low-light vision, darkvision 60 ft. | 0 |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Breath weapon, ability boost (Str +2), natural armor increase (+2) | 1 |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Blindsense 30 ft. | 1 |
| 6th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Ability boost (Con +2) | 1 |
| 7th | +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Natural armor increase (+3) | 0 |
| 8th | +6 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Ability boost (Int +2) | 1 |
| 9th | +6 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Wings | 1 |
| 10th | +7 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Blindsense 60 ft., dragon apotheosis | 0 |
All of the following are class features of the dragon disciple prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dragon disciples gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Bonus Spells: Dragon disciples gain bonus spells as they gain levels in this prestige class, as if from having a high ability score, as given on Table: Dragon Disciple. A bonus spell can be added to any level of spells the disciple already has the ability to cast.
If a character has more than one spellcasting class, he must decide to which class he adds each bonus spell as it is gained. Once a bonus spell has been applied, it cannot be shifted.
Natural Armor Increase (Ex): At 1st, 4th, and 7th level, a gains an increase to the character’s existing natural armor (if any), as indicated on the Dragon Disciple table (the numbers represent the total increase gained to that point). As his skin thickens, a dragon disciple takes on more and more of his progenitor’s physical aspect.
Draconic Feat: At 1st level, a dragon disciple gains a bonus draconic feat; such feats are marked in the Feat Index with a 🐲 icon. They may thereafter take draconic feats even if they have no class levels in sorcerer. If they do not already have the Draconic Heritage feat, they must take this feat as that bonus feat.
Claws and Bite (Ex): At 2nd level, a dragon disciple gains claw and bite attacks if he does not already have them. Use the values below or the disciple’s base claw and bite damage values, whichever are greater.
| Size | Bite Damage | Claw Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 1d4 | 1d3 |
| Medium | 1d6 | 1d4 |
| Large | 1d8 | 1d6 |
A dragon disciple is considered proficient with these attacks. When making a full attack, a dragon disciple uses his full base attack bonus with his bite attack but takes a –5 penalty on claw attacks. The Multiattack feat reduces this penalty to only –2.
Ability Boost (Ex): As a dragon disciple gains levels in this prestige class, his ability scores increase as noted on the Dragon Disciple table.
These increases stack and are gained as if through level advancement.
Breath Weapon (Su): At 4rd level, a dragon disciple gains the Wyrm Breath feat. This feat works exactly the same for dragon disciples as it does for dragons, except that dragon disciples only count their prestige class levels instead of their total hit dice for determining the strength of the breath weapon, and may only use that breath weapon once per day. (See, however, the Extra Exhalation feat.) They may hereafter take Breath feats to modify or enhance their breath weapon.
Blindsense (Ex): At 5th level, the dragon disciple gains blindsense with a range of 30 feet. Using nonvisual senses the dragon disciple notices things it cannot see. He usually does not need to make Spot or Listen checks to notice and pinpoint the location of creatures within range of his blindsense ability, provided that he has line of effect to that creature. Any opponent the dragon disciple cannot see still has total concealment against him, and the dragon disciple still has the normal miss chance when attacking foes that have concealment. Visibility still affects the movement of a creature with blindsense. A creature with blindsense is still denied its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against attacks from creatures it cannot see. At 10th level, the range of this ability increases to 60 feet.
Wings (Ex): At 9th level, a dragon disciple grows a set of draconic wings. He may now fly at a speed equal to his normal land speed, with average maneuverability.
Dragon Apotheosis: At 10th level, a dragon disciple’s draconic heritage fully asserts itself. His type changes to Dragon (Augmented Humanoid), and he gains +4 to Strength and +2 to Charisma. His natural armor bonus increases to +4, and he acquires immunity to sleep and paralysis effects, and Energy Immunity as a bonus feat.
Reference: Dragon Disciple.
“I seem to have been declared redundant.”
The swashbuckler variant class effectively replaces this prestige class, but if someone wants it, here is the reference.
Reference: Duelist.
“Not one step back!”
Dwarven defenders are most often found among the elite troops of dwarven nations such as L’raigh.
Reference: Dwarven Defender.
“I wield sword and spell; one will strike you down.”
Some fighters find they have a talent for the arcane. In Ninetowers, a few officers of the Syndic Guard combine both magic and melee prowess in their defense of the Council. Some Elyzhain sorcerers value martial prowess as well as arcane might and take this path as well. Eldritch knights can also be found in the ranks of the Korov Military Magic Academy.
Reference: Eldritch Knight.
“Yes, my god does listen to me.”
Reference: Hierophant.
“Those who know everything can do anything.”
Loremasters are most often found in Ninetowers, where the Magna Bibliotheca, the great library of the college of magic there, aids in their quest for knowledge. Loremasters who belong to the Order of Magical Arts and who study at Ninetowers have full access to that library. Even loremasters need to do field research once in a while, so they can be found on occasion in other locations.
Reference: Loremaster.
“All magic is divine.”
In the Crimson Plains region, most mystic theurges are wizards and priests of Tesren, although a few of them are sorcerers that take up a parallel divine path, such as favored soul.
Reference: Mystic Theurge.
“I am Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Film.”
This is a Forgotten Realms® prestige class. It is not on Yön. Don’t take it and don’t plan on taking it.
“We tread where light is not and gambol with shades.”
Reference: Shadowdancer.
“Watch me pull a fiendish dire rabbit out of my hat.”
Reference: Thaumaturgist.
Some skills are so useful to a particular culture that they are always class skills for a 1st-level character from that culture, no matter what class he or she actually takes. A cultural skill is only considered a class skill at first level. After that, it is a class or cross-class skill depending on the class levels taken thereafter, as normal.
Cultural Bonus: A cultural bonus is a minor, situational skill check modifier—usually no more than +2—granted to characters that grew up in a particular culture.
Regional Modifier: A regional modifier changes the DC of certain checks within a geographical region, usually because of unusual terrain or the culture of the people living there.
To speed construction, more than one person can work on crafting an item, unless the game master prohibits it. (Some items might be too small for more than one person to work on at a time, for instance.) The products of the check results multiplied by the DC are summed.
If any one worker fails the check by more than five, the half the materials and time spent for the entire item are ruined as described under the Craft skill description, just as if only one worker was crafting the item. Note that sufficiently skilled craftsmen, particularly NPCs, may simply take 10 to avoid the expense of such a failure. This speeds the calculation of creating a new item considerably. Naturally, a craftsman may not take 20 because there is a penalty for failing by 5 or more.
A less skilled craftsman working under the direction of a more skilled one can receive aid another bonuses, but if the more experienced one has ranks of Profession (teacher), he can aid several people at once. See Profession (teacher) below for details.
This skill may also be used to know details about (or the existence of) a spell from a prohibited school or a different class. The following bonuses and penalties apply.
If the check succeeds, the character knows the spell exists and its name, and roughly what it does. If it succeeds by 5, she knows everything about the spell, such as duration units, range category, components, effects and such.
Characters with this skill can write in a clear, organized, easily understood style. Wizards may, if they so choose, use this skill to create master-written spellbooks. Other wizards more easily understand spells in these books, making them ideal for apprentices and student wizards. The DC for a Spellcraft check to prepare a spell from a master-written spellbook is 13 + the level of the spell rather than 15 + the level of the spell. The DC for creating a master-written spellbook is 20. Note that this check is made each time a new spell is scribed into a spellbook.
Use this skill to instruct others in a skill in which you have purchased ranks.
Check: Aside from earning money as a tutor or teacher, you can use this skill to simultaneously aid several people (see Aid Another), typically in Craft or Knowledge skills. The number of people that can be so aided is equal to the ranks you have in Profession (teacher) plus the ranks in the skill you are teaching plus one. Additionally, because you are trained in helping others, you can take 10 on your attempts to aid another, but only in skills in which you have at least one rank.
A Profession (teacher) check cannot be used to substitute for a Use Magic Item check, even if both the teacher and the student have those skills as class skills. This skill involves too much intuition and the techniques cannot be described by language.
Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Perform (oratory), you get a +2 bonus on Profession (teacher) checks as your speaking skills make students more attentive. This also allows you to aid two additional people when aiding a group as described above.
These are feats that affect a creature’s breath weapon, and as such can only be taken by creatures with a breath weapon. Only a creature with a breath weapon of a particular energy type can use some of these feats; the feat prerequisites will state this as necessary.
Breath feats and Metabreath feats: Metabreath feats were first introduced in the Draconomicon, which is listed as a source for the Yön Worldbook. However, most of these have been superseded here by the Metamagic Breath feat. Where a metabreath feat duplicates an effect that can be created by use of a metamagic feat combined with the Metamagic Breath feat, the latter is assumed to be correct and the former disallowed.
Breath Feats and Breath Channeling Feats: The five breath channeling feats from Races of the Dragon and breath feats here both use the [Breath] descriptor. Breath channeling feats are only usable by those with at least the dragonblood subtype. Breath feats may be usable by non-dragons; see feat prerequisites for details.
Dragon feats differ from Draconic feats. Only Yönian dragons can take most dragon feats; some can be taken by characters with levels of prestige classes related to dragons, such as the dragon disciple or the dragon shaman. Draconic feats are available only to sorcerers.
Dragon Feats and the Draconomicon: Any feat in the Draconomicon that lists “true dragon” in its prerequisites is considered to be a dragon feat and to have the [Dragon] descriptor.
There are, of course, exceptions.
The following feats are replaced by the Metamagic Breath feat:
The following feats have been imported from the Draconomicon in altered form:
Clarification: Note that this feat does not result in a single spell cast by two or more casters, but the same spell, augmented as described by the feat text, cast by each caster. If two wizards and two sorcerers cooperatively cast a fireball as described in the example in the feat description, then the result is four fireballs with augmented caster levels and spell DCs, not one. Note that this is a metamagic feat, and as such, spellcasters who do not prepare spells must increase the casting time of their spells to use this feat as noted under the Spontaneous Spellcasters section of Metamagic Feats.
The text of the feat in the Complete Arcane explicitly says that this raises the caster level only for purposes of overcoming spell resistance. You do not get increased damage dice, range, duration or any other level-based adjustment to spell effects. You do not share other metamagic feats: if one caster is using Maximize Spell on her fireball, only her fireball is maximized.
Reference: Cooperative Spell.
You can convert your arcane spells into a breath weapon.
Prerequisite: Draconic Heritage.
Benefit: As a standard action, you can change arcane spell energy into a breath weapon of your draconic heritage energy type. The breath weapon is a 60-foot line that deals 2d6 points of damage per level of the spell that you expended to create the effect. Any creature in the area can make a Reflex save (DC 10 + level of the spell used + your Charisma modifier) for half damage. This is a supernatural ability.
This feat allows the sorcerer to take Breath feats described above. It may also allow him to take Metabreath feats from the Draconomicon (see Breath Feats).
Reference: Draconic Breath. This is a rewrite of the original feat to match the way dragons work on Yön.
You have greater connection with your distant draconic bloodline.
Prerequisite: Sorcerer level 1st.
Benefit: You gain saving throw bonuses equal to the number of draconic feats you have. The saving throw bonus is against one breath energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) of your choice, which cannot be changed after the feat is taken. This saving throw bonus also counts against sleep and paralysis effects against you.
Select a Path of the Dragon that best corresponds to your character’s alignment and personality, then select one skill from the corresponding list in the Dragon Shaman Skills and Adaptations table. You gain a bonus on that skill equal to the number of draconic feats you have.
Special: Dragon disciples gain this as a bonus feat at 1st level if they do not already have it.
Reference: Draconic Heritage. This is a rewrite of the original feat to match the way dragons work on Yön.
You have realized greater arcane power through your draconic heritage.
Prerequisite: Any four draconic feats.
Benefit: Based on the Path of the Dragon you selected when you took the Draconic Heritage feat, add the following spells to your list of spells known.
Each spell below is followed by its spell level and is added only at the caster level at which the spellcaster taking this feat would normally be able to cast it.
| Dragon Path | Spells Known |
|---|---|
| Heart | Bless (1), daylight (6), dispel evil (12) |
| Wing | Control winds (12), endure elements (1), wind wall (6) |
| Eye | Charm person (1), tongues (8), true seeing (12) |
| Claw | Command (1), dominate person (10), suggestion (6) |
| Tooth | Alarm (1), hold monster (10), rage (6) |
Reference: Draconic Legacy. This is a rewrite of the original feat to match the way dragons work on Yön.
Clarification: The text of this feat states that it works with “ranged weapons”, not just bows. It does not work for heavy crossbows; it works with light or hand crossbows if the wielder also has the Rapid Reload feat. It works with slings, which allows slingers to do Ayla’s double-shot trick (from the Earth’s Children series by Jean M. Auel), which has been demonstrated by an actual slinger on film.
Reference: Rapid Shot.
A new feat type has been introduced here: Dragon feats. These may only be taken by Yönian dragons or characters with classes that permit the use of Dragon feats.
You are at home in the water.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon.
Benefit: You gain the aquatic subtype. You can breathe water and gain a swim speed of 60 feet. Swim is a class skill for you. You get a +8 racial bonus to Swim checks and can always take 10 on them.
Special: This feat does not take away your ability to breathe air unless you take the Sea-Bound flaw.
You can blend different energy types you can breathe into a single breath weapon.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, ability to emit more than one type of energy as a breath weapon.
Benefit: You can blend two or more energy types you can breath into a single breath weapon, selecting how many damage dice to assign to each energy type. For example, a dragon with 20 hit dice that has Wyrm Breath (fire), Wyrm Breath (acid), Wyrm Breath (electricity), and the Breath Blending feats has a 10d8 breath weapon. That dragon can choose to breath a single blast of energy that does 4d8 fire, 3d8 acid and 3d8 electricity, or 5d8 fire and 5d8 acid, and so forth, as long as the total damage dice from energy does not exceed 10d8.
You may not blend breath weapon types that do not do damage, such as those gained from the Slowing Breath or Sleep Breath feats. You may not blend fire and cold breath weapon energies.
You can alter your breath weapon to billow out as a cloud.
Prerequisites: Breath weapon.
Benefit: You can change your breath weapon to a cloud with one-third the range of your breath weapon as a line (round down to nearest 5-foot increment). For example, if your breath weapon is 100 feet in length, you can change it to a cloud that is 30 feet long, high and wide. At least one of the intersections of the cloud’s edge must be the same as an intersection on an edge of your area.
You can widen and shorten your breath weapon, affecting a wider area.
Prerequisites: Breath weapon.
Benefit: You can change your breath weapon to a cone with half the range of your breath weapon as a line. For example, if your breath weapon is 100 feet in length, you change it to a cone that is 50 feet long, high and wide.
You dig fast.
Prerequisites: Yönian Dragon.
Benefit: You gain a burrow speed in soft earth equal to half your land speed, rounded down to the nearest five-foot increment.
You can change the color of your scales to match your environment, strike fear into your foes, or assume a decorative appearance.
Prerequisites: Yönian Dragon.
Benefit: At will, you may alter the coloration of your scales to have one of the following effects. Only one of these effects can be active at any one time.
You can make a spell last much longer than normal.
Prerequisites: Extend Spell.
Benefit: The duration of a durable spell is altered as follows: a spell with a duration of 1 round per level gains a duration of 1 minute per level; one of 1 minute per level becomes 10 minutes per level; and a spell lasting 10 minutes per level becomes 1 hour per level. A spell with a fixed duration, a duration of 1 hour per level or higher, or one with a duration of instantaneous or permanent is not affected by this feat. You need not concentrate on spells such as detect magic or detect thoughts to be aware of the mere presence or absence of the things detected, but you must still concentrate to gain additional information as normal. Concentration on such a spell is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
A durable spell uses up a spell slot three levels higher than the spell’s actual level.
You are immune to the energy type of one of your breath weapons.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, Wyrm Breath.
Benefit: You take no damage from energy damage matching a breath energy type of one of your breath weapons selected by you with the Wyrm Breath feat.
Special: Since you cannot have Wyrm Breath (fire) and Wyrm Breath (cold) at the same time, you likewise cannot have Energy Immunity (Fire) and Energy Immunity (Cold) at the same time.
Notes: This feat is sometimes taken with the flaw Energy Vulnerability to some opposing energy type.
You have grown an additional pair of arms.
Some kryg are born with an additional pair of arms. Many times, these are only vestigial and useless, but some develop into functioning arms as the kryg grows. Such kryg can be trained to be fearsome warriors.
Prerequisites: Kryg, Large size.
Benefit: A kryg with this feat has four functioning arms that can each wield a one-handed weapon or a pair of two-handed weapons, one in the upper pair of arms and one in the lower pair. All two-weapon fighting penalties apply, and only one arm is treated as the primary attack in such cases. Various two-weapon fighting feats can mitigate some of these penalties.
You can swallow creatures you have grabbed with your bite attack.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, Snatch, Improved Snatch, size Huge or larger.
Benefit: If you begin your turn with an opponent held in your mouth, you can attempt a new grapple check (as though attempting to pin the opponent). If you succeed, your opponent takes bite damage and is swallowed.
A swallowed creature is considered grappled, while you are not. A swallowed creature can damage a dragon with any light piercing or slashing weapon, or it can just try to escape the grapple. If the swallowed creature chooses the latter course, success puts it back in your mouth. Any damage a swallowed creature deals is deducted from your hit points. Swallowed creatures take bludgeoning and acid damage in each round they remain in the stomach, as shown below. See Swallow Whole for complete rules on this.
| Dragon Size | Swallowed Creature Size1 | Bludgeoning Damage | Acid Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huge | Medium | 1d8 | 2d8 | |
| Gargantuan | Large | 2d6 | 4d6 | |
| Colossal | Huge | 2d8 | 4d8 | |
| ||||
Source: This is an altered form of the Snatch and Swallow feat found in the Draconomicon. Dragons of Yön do not use their breath energy in place of acid damage.
You have a knack for a skill unusual for your character class.
Benefit: Select one skill. This skill is always a class skill for you, whether it is a cross-class skill for any of your character class levels or not. You always pay just one skill point per rank for this skill and you may have ranks in this skill not exceeding three plus your character level.
You may not use this feat to overcome limitations of a skill due to class. For example, you cannot use the Search skill to find traps with a Search DC greater than 20 if you have no levels in a class without the trapfinding ability, such as the rogue.
You may take this feat multiple times. Each time you take it, you select another skill to always be a class skill for you.
You can assume the shape of humanoids or animals.
Prerequisites: Yönian Dragon, Sentient Dragon, Medium size or larger.
Benefit: Thrice daily, you can take the form of any humanoid or animal creature with a size of Medium or smaller as a standard action. This feat is otherwise like the alternate form ability. You may maintain an assumed shape as long as you wish. This is a supernatural ability.
Disguise is now a class skill for you. If you use this ability to create a disguise, you get +10 on Disguise checks.
Notes: This dragon feat is usually taken by dragons of the good bent to deal with humanoid races in a more comfortable (or at least nonthreatening) manner. Evil dragons use it to spy on them or fool adventuring parties into attacking rival dragons or to lead them into an ambush to take their gear and eat them. This feat is likely also what leads to the intermingling of draconic and humanoid bloodlines.
Even though you have no formal training in magic, you have picked up a few tricks.
Prerequisites: Charisma 10.
Benefit: You know any three cantrips of your choice and can cast any of the three a total of thrice daily. Your caster level for purposes of casting these is equal to a 1st-level sorcerer or your actual caster level, whichever is higher.
Special: You may take this feat more than once, up to the limit of available cantrips.
You may apply certain metamagic feats you know to your breath weapon.
Prerequisites: Yönian Dragon, Wyrm Breath, any metamagic feat.
Benefit: You may apply one or more metamagic feats that you know to your breath weapon spontaneously. Not all such feats can be used and not with all patterns of breath weapon. The level slot modifiers of the applied feats are added as additional rounds before you may use your breath weapon again.
For example, if you apply the Empower Spell feat to your breath weapon, you roll 1d4 then add two for the +2 level slot adjustment of the Empower Spell feat. The result is the number of rounds before you can use your breath weapon again. The list of metamagic feats that can be used with Metamagic Breath (and any limitations) are as follows:
Special: This feat is used instead of the following Draconomicon feats: Enlarge Breath, Heighten Breath, Maximize Breath, and Quicken Breath. These listed feats are not available on Yön.
You can change your breath weapon to a gas that paralyzes your foes.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, Wyrm Breath, Breathe Cone or Breathe Cloud.
Benefit: Creatures within the cone or cloud area of your paralyzing breath must make a Fortitude save (Constitution-based) or become paralyzed for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round for each size over Tiny that you are.
You are unusually smart for a baby dragon.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, Tiny size.
Benefit: Add 2 to your Intelligence score. You now speak Draconic. This feat is independent of the Sentient Dragon feat and stacks with it. You still need the Sentient Dragon feat to gain the other benefits of that feat.
Special: This feat may only be taken by a newborn dragon.
Lore: Lore-masters have long speculated on why some dragons attain sentience earlier than others, or how they learn to speak Draconic even when there is no evidence of being trained by an older dragon or other speaker of that language. Some speculate that it must be some form of a recessive trait. Others scoff at that notion, saying that certain young dragons have a racial telepathy that atrophies with age and acquire the ability to speak it that way. Others attribute it to a form of reincarnation.
Dragons, for their part, do not know how this happens, either.
You run faster than normal.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon.
Benefit: Your land speed (only) is 150% of normal, or 60 feet.
You have attained sentience as a dragon.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, Small size or larger.
Benefit: Add 2 to your Intelligence score. Every time you gain a hit die hereafter, you gain two attribute points to be distributed equally between Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. While distributing these points, if those three attributes are equal, add a point first to Charisma. If Wisdom and Intelligence are equally low, add a point to Wisdom.
You now speak Draconic, if you do not already. You may learn bonus languages as your Intelligence permits. This Intelligence increase stacks with the Precocious Dragon feat (see above).
Once your Charisma score is 11 or higher, you start gaining spells as a sorcerer with a level equal to your Charisma minus 10.
For example, if you have the Precocious Dragon feat, you have the following mental attributes at 4 HD: Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 6. If you take the Sentient Dragon feat as your bonus dragon feat upon reaching 5 HD, you gain +2 Int, and you have Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 6. Upon reaching 6 HD, you add a point to Int and Cha, and your attributes are now Int 7, Wis 11, Cha 7. At 7 HD, you would have Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 8, and at 10 HD, you would have Int 11, Wis 11, and Cha 11, at which point you would gain spells as a 1st level sorcerer.
Special: Attribute points gained every fourth hit die may still be distributed normally without regard to this feat, so a 15 HD dragon with attributes of Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 15 advancing to 16 HD could add a point to Charisma for reaching 16 HD and have (with the two points from this feat) attributes of Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 16, gaining access to 3rd level arcane spells a bit earlier.
Note: When taking the feat, record the HD at which it was taken in parentheses after it. A dragon that took Sentient Dragon at 10 HD should record it as Sentient Dragon (10 HD). This will make checking the math later easier. A dragon striving for the maximum mental attributes will, of course, take Precocious Dragon at 3 HD (when they are newborn) and take Sentient Dragon as their first bonus dragon feat at 5 HD.
You can tap energy from the Negative Energy Plane to use as a breath weapon.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, Wyrm Breath (cold).
Benefit: You can change your breath weapon to deal negative energy damage. Note that this energy heals undead.
Special: Protective spells such as death ward negate the damage of this breath weapon.
Your body is serpentine in shape.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, Tiny size.
Benefit: You gain the serpentine special quality. If you also have the Snatch feat, you may constrict any creature you bite as long as its size category is equal to yours or less, doing bludgeoning damage equal to your bite damage each round of constriction.
Special: This feat may only be taken by a newborn dragon.
Because you have shorter legs than non-sinuous dragons, your claw attacks are treated as if you were one size category smaller.
You can change your breath weapon to a gas that induces sleep in your foes.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, Wyrm Breath, Breathe Cone or Breathe Cloud.
Benefit: Creatures within the cone or cloud area of your sleep breath must make a Fortitude save (Constitution-based) or suffer the effects of a sleep spell (with no HD limit) for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round for each size over Tiny that you are.
You can change your breath weapon to a gas that slows your foes.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, Wyrm Breath, Breathe Cone or Breathe Cloud.
Benefit: Creatures within the cone or cloud area of your slowing breath must make a Fortitude save (Constitution-based) or suffer the effects of a slow spell for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round for each size over Tiny that you are.
You have a natural talent for using magic.
Benefit: Your key ability score for casting spells (Intelligence for wizards, Charisma for sorcerers and bards, Wisdom for divine spellcasters) is considered to be two points higher for purposes of determining how many bonus spells you get and for the DC of your spells. This applies to only a single class.
Special: Only a 1st level character may take this feat. You may acquire this feat multiple times. Each time you take it, it applies to a different spellcasting class of your choice. You may take this feat even if you do not yet have any levels in a spellcasting class.
This feat is the equivalent of the Spellcasting Prodigy feat that first appeared in Forgotten Realms® Campaign Setting.
The damage from your breath weapon is intensified.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, Wyrm Breath.
Benefit: You increase the damage die on your breath weapon (or weapons) from 1d8 to 1d10 per two hit dice, to a maximum of 24d10.
Normal: Your breath weapon does 1d8 per two hit dice, to a maximum of 24d8.
Special: You may not take this feat and the Weak Breath flaw at the same time.
Prerequisites: Wyrm Breath (sonic).
Benefits: You can choose to do nonlethal damage with your sonic breath weapon. Those that fail the Reflex save against the stunning breath must make a Fort save (DC by Con) or be stunned for one round.
You are learned in a manner of summoning first practiced by the sylvan elven druids of the Darkwold. Creatures answering your call can be imbued with the powers of the forest.
Prerequisites: Ability to cast any summon nature’s ally spell, Spell Focus (conjuration), wild shape (plant).
Benefit: All animals that you summon using summon nature’s ally acquire the verdant creature template for as long as the summoning spell lasts.
Notes: This is an altered version of the Greenbound Summoning feat that originally appeared in Lost Empires of Faerûn, page 8.
You can change your breath weapon to a gas that weakens your foes.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, Breathe Cone or Breathe Cloud.
Benefit: Creatures within the cone or cloud area of your weakening breath must make a Fortitude save (Constitution-based) or suffer 1 point of Strength damage rounds plus additonal Strength point for each size over Tiny that you are.
You have matured enough as a dragon to develop a breath weapon. (Not all Yönian dragons ever gain a breath weapon.)
Prerequisites: Yönian Dragon, Small size or larger.
Benefit: You gain the supernatural ability to breath an energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) as a standard action. This weapon affects a 40-foot line that is 5 feet high and wide. Each additional size category over Small increases the range of this energy by 20 feet. Damage from the breath weapon is equal to 1d8 per two hit dice of the dragon up to a maximum of 24d8. Unless a dragon feat alters it, creatures affected by a dragon’s breath weapon can attempt a Reflex save (Constitution-based) for half damage. This breath weapon starts at any intersection on the edge of a dragon’s area and extends in a direction of the dragon’s choice.
Once a dragon uses a breath weapon, it must wait 1d4 rounds to use it again.
This is a supernatural ability.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time you do, you must select a different energy type. You cannot have Wyrm Breath (fire) and Wyrm Breath (cold) at the same time.
Many dragon feats can change the area, damage die, or even the overall effect of the breath weapon.
Dragon disciples and dragon shamans gain this feat as a bonus feat at level 4.
You have a touch of the divine in you.
Prerequisites: Cha 11, Wis 11, Sentient Dragon, Yönian dragon.
Benefit: Select one cleric domain. You may now cast spells from that domain as arcane spells. You must have a Charisma and Wisdom of 10 + spell level to be able to cast it as well as having a sufficient caster level to cast spells of that level. (See Spells under Dragon (Yönian).) You do not get the granted power of any domain you select.
Flaws, a common “house rule” in Dungeons and Dragons® and formally introduced in Unearthed Arcana, may be used with the game master’s approval on a case-by-case basis. This is to prevent stupid flaws or prevent the use of ones that don’t actually hinder the character. A 1st-level character may take a maximum of two flaws, receiving a feat for each flaw taken. With the following exceptions, most flaws are described in other sources. If you have access to the Compiled Character Flaws document, that is a good place to start.
In most cases, flaws must be taken when a character is first created. However, circumstances (as judged by the game master) might justify acquiring one later. Likewise, a character or monster that acquires a feat later may use that feat to “buy off” one of his, her, or its flaws.
These are flaws usually only available to non-player characters or monsters. The prerequisites, as always, will determine this.
The beast in you cannot be easily repressed or hidden.
Prerequisite: Lycanthrope or ophidian template.
Disadvantages: Even in your base form, some elements of your animal nature show, such as animal ears and a tail, making it difficult to disguise what you are. For example, a werewolf might have wolf ears and a tail even in human form, an ophidian might have a scaly patch of skin on the face or the eyes or tongue of a snake. At least two such animal features should be selected. In all cases, it requires a Disguise check (opposed by Spot checks, as usual) to conceal these features.
Moreover, a lycanthrope with this flaw is more subject to involuntary change. While he gets a +4 on the Wisdom checks to realize that he has contracted lycanthropy (for afflicted lycanthropes), he receives a —2 penalty on all Control Shape checks. See Lycanthropy as an Affliction and the Control Shape ability for more information.
An ophidian, not being a true lycanthrope, is affected differently. The DC of all checks related to avoiding assuming snake form in the continued absence of a humanoid meal increases by 2 for all such checks. See The Serpent’s Curse for more information.
The DC for any attempt to remove afflicted lycanthropy or ophidianism is increased by 2 for all such checks, regardless of the method used. This does not increase the Fortitude saves for being poisoned by belladonna if that method is used to cure lycanthropy—only the DC of Fortitude save for shaking off the affliction is increased. See “Curing Lycanthropy” or “Curing Afflicted Ophidians” for more information.
Finally, even curing the affliction only makes it dormant: each month, in the light of the appropriate full moon (see Lycanthropes), a lycanthrope must make a DC 15 Will save to avoid the curse reactivating and changing to his base creature form. “Former” ophidians must do likewise, although they measure that month from the day they were cured, and the check must be made the next time they sleep (or trance, if an elf) after that.
If this flaw is later bought off with a feat slot, the beast is finally vanquished. It cannot be removed while the affliction is active, however; only after it has been “cured”.
Special: This flaw usually affects natural lycanthropes or ophidians but may be taken by afflicted ones when the curse is first contracted. For afflicted characters, a counterbalancing feat may not be taken until they have gained a new level.
Only Yönian dragons may take flaws in this category, and they must take them when they are at three Hit Dice (sort of the “first level” for dragons). For each flaw taken, a dragon can have an additional feat. In practice, it’s probably best to limit the number of flaws to three.
You take extra damage from a certain energy type.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, Wyrm Breath.
Disadvantage: You take 50% more damage from the selected energy type, rounded down.
Special: You cannot select an energy type that you can use as a breath weapon. For example, if you have Wyrm Breath (Acid), you may not take Energy Vulnerability (Acid).
If you take Energy Vulnerability (Cold), you gain the Fire subtype. If you take Energy Vulnerability (Fire), you gain the Cold subtype. The damage penalties of these subtypes do not stack with that of this flaw. (They, effectively, are the flaw.)
You are wholly a creature of the sea.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, Aquatic Dragon.
Disadvantage: You cannot breathe air and your land speed is reduced by half.
Special: Dragons with this flaw usually have Wyrm Breath (electricity) or Wyrm Breath (sonic) as other energy types are less effective underwater. See Underwater Combat for details.
Your scales are weaker than normal.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon.
Disadvantage: Your natural armor is two lower than normal.
Your breath weapon lacks focus.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon, Wyrm Breath, Breath Cone or Breath Cloud.
Disadvantage: Your breath weapon cannot be a line effect. (See the Wyrm Breath feat for details.)
Special: You must take either the Breath Cone or Breath Cloud feat to take this flaw.
Your breath weapon is weaker than normal.
Disadvantage: Your breath damage die is only 1d6 instead of 1d8. The range of your breath weapon is 75% of normal, rounded down to the nearest five feet.
Special: You cannot take this flaw if you do not have do not have the Wyrm Breath feat or if you have the Strong Breath feat. Dragon shamans automatically gain this flaw when they gain the Wyrm Breath bonus feat at level 4.
There is a flaw in your scaly protection.
Prerequisites: Yönian dragon.
Disadvantage: A foe that does a Spot check against you as a full round action against a DC of 20 can detect your weak spot. Once this spot is detected, she can strike at it with a piercing weapon, ignoring your natural armor bonus. The size AC modifier for the weak spot is +8 for being a Diminutive target, and you instinctively move to protect it, so it gets a +4 AC bonus for cover as well, unless you are flat-footed or the foe has a feat or class ability to bypass this.
Affiliations in Dungeons and Dragons were added as a concept in Chapter 7 of the Player’s Handbook II . The following are known affiliations on Yön. None of the sample affiliations in the Player’s Handbook II exist on Yön.
Players are welcome to propose existing affiliations for Yön as long as they fit in, or create new ones in game and in character as described in that chapter. To create a new affiliation of your own instead of joining an existing one, you need the Leadership feat.
Some affiliations will not be listed here because of their secret natures.
No one truly rules over all people any more than one hunter hunts all creatures. For all your might, in the end, you will be eaten, or the creatures within you will devour your corpse, and so you will return to the world, and your memory will fade. Where, then, is your power?
The Darkwold is a vast primeval forest, with some of the oldest trees on Yon, and is a bulwark against encroaching civilization. Despite that, it is more than willing to deal with civilizations: the eldest of the druids there realize that civilizations are a natural order for many sentient beings, and rather than war against their way of life, they preserve areas of nature and find ways to provide things that civilization wants without savaging natural areas. In this way, they reason, civilization will leave them alone.
And if they don’t—well, they will show them that you don’t mess with Mother Nature.
They’re fools with magic that fool with magic. What more needs saying?
Symbol: A belled harlequin cap and wand.
Background, Goals and Dreams: This affiliation is largely made up of gnomes, including arcane gnomes. Bards, wizards, sorcerers, rogues, arcane tricksters, spellthieves, and even a few warlocks can be found within its ranks. Non-gnomes are welcome if they don’t take themselves too seriously and can take a joke.
Fools with Magic desire to pull the most outlandish pranks in the land, ones that are legendary in scale. Lesser pranks are done to “keep in practice”. Because magic is so useful in doing this, most members have either levels in an arcane spellcasting class or ranks in Use Magic Device.
While not really a thieves’ guild in the common sense, Fools with Magic use theft to fund its more expensive jokes. Also, stealing something really well protected is a prank in its own right. They aren’t assassins and killing someone in a prank, especially an innocent, is considered extremely bad form. Fools with Magic spare even those that might deserve death because dead people can’t react to a really humiliating prank, and that’s most of the fun. Such people are more likely the target of a particularly humiliating curse, geas or baleful polymorph.
Wizards in the ranks of Fools with Magic are responsible for many of the more “amusing” cursed magical items to be found around Yön. Generally, these are less expensive cursed items with effects that are more humiliating (such as gauntlets of fumbling, a ring of clumsiness or a stone of weight) than deadly.
Enemies and Allies: Being rather indiscriminate in their targets, Fools with Magic have rather a long list of enemies from lowly individuals to the governments of cities or even nations. The Ordo Ars Magica dislikes Fools with Magic intensely. They don’t actively hunt them, but they are inclined to offer their services at a discount to authorities that want to find them after a particularly egregious and costly prank.
Type: Thieves’ guild.
Scale: 5 (city).
Affiliation Score Criteria: Fools with Magic will take anyone with a sense of humor and fun, but the ones that excel generally have some arcane magic to command or useful rogue skills. To join, however, one has to pull a prank they deem worthy of a member of Fools with Magic. It doesn’t have to be the best prank ever—just good enough to show that the prankster has what it takes. In game terms, the EL of the target or targets of the prank should equal that of the applicant.
| Criterion | Affiliation Score Modifier |
|---|---|
| Character level | ½ PC’s level |
| Ten or more ranks in Use Magic Device | +2 |
| Five or more ranks in Hide, Move Silently or Perform (comedy) (each skill) | +1 |
| Can cast arcane spells | +1 |
| Pulls a prank with an EL equal to party level | +1 |
| Pulls a prank with an EL higher than the party level | +2 |
| Arcane Trickster | +2 |
| Donates magic item (1,000+ gp value) | +2, up to 3/year |
| Not a gnome | –1 |
| Member is “pranked” or has a prank turned on her | –1 |
| Lawful alignment | –5 |
| Kills an innocent in a prank | –10 |
Pranks have to be done publicly enough to count. If no one sees it to laugh at it, what good is it? It counts if at least gossip about the prank is spread. Affiliated bards see that it does.
| Affiliation Score | Title |
|---|---|
| 3 or less | Not affiliated |
| 4 to 10 | Fool |
| 11 to 17 | Jester |
| 21 to 30 | Clown |
| 30 or higher | Supreme Prankster |
Fool. You’ve shown your worth, now the Fools with Magic want to see what you can do in more complex pranks. When you’re assisting on a prank with one or more other members of Fools with Magic, you get +2 circumstance bonuses to Hide and Move Silently.
Jester. You’re moving up as your pranks get more audacious. You get Deft Hands, Nimble Fingers or Stealthy (your choice of which one) as a bonus feat.
Clown. You’re ready for the big time. You get a fully charged wand of hideous laughter.
Supreme Prankster. The old Supreme Prankster acknowledges that you are his or her superior and offers up his or her position to you. You get the use of the Supreme Prankster’s crown, the foolscap.
FoolscapPrice (Item Level): 10,000 gp (12th) Body Slot: Head Caster Level: 5th Aura: Faint; (DC 17) transmutation Activation: — Weight: — This harlequin’s hat, when worn, grants the wearer +1 luck bonuses on all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks. The bells on the hat are usually muted with wax for stealth missions. Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, divine favor. Cost to Create: 5,000 gp, 400 XP, 10 days. |
Executive Powers: Pariah, plunder, shadow war. The pariah power consists mostly of humiliating an enemy in public to such an extent that no one wants to associate with him or her. Spellcasters of Fools with Magic in particular excel at this, using bestow curse to afflict their enemies with extreme incontinence or flatulence or hideous body odor, baleful polymorph to turn them into embarrassing little animals, or hold person then stripping them and leaving them in public tarred and feathered, tattooed or painted garish colors. The more powerful wizards have very creative uses for polymorph any object, many of which shouldn’t be mentioned in polite company.
No serious commander ignores magic.
Symbol: A kite shield emblazoned with a fireball and five diverging magic missiles.
Background, Goals and Dreams: Anylev Korov is the commander of Korov’s Legion, one of the largest mercenary companies in the Crimson Plains region, with a cadre of over 1,000 infantry and 100 officers. They winter in the Godsteeth Mountains.
Fairly early in his career as a mercenary officer, Korov realized the value of magic in military operations and sought to establish a branch of his legion dedicated to military magic. He therefore established a fortress overlooking one of the passes through the Godsteeth called Magehold, where his military academy trains warmages for his company.
Since the Hrygen Empire abandoned the Crimson Plains, Korov’s Legion has less work, so many of the soldiers and warmages of his legion are adventuring until such a time as Korov calls upon them again.
Enemies and Allies: Whoever pays them to be an ally against an enemy.
Type: Fighting company.
Scale: 8 (city/county).
Affiliation Score Criteria:
Titles, Benefits and Duties:
Executive Powers: Plunder, Raid, War.
We see what is hidden but hide what we see. Let the Zurkai deal justly with one another, lest we reveal them.
Symbol: A simple stylized human eye, usually tattooed (and hidden) on a member’s forehead.
Background, Goals and Dreams: The Shenwai (“Revealers”) are an ancient organization dedicated to protecting the Zurkai and maintaining order in Qæz-ur-Zurkai. They hunt criminals, spy on foreign nations, act as judges and basically serve as a shadow government in a land where secrets are everything. They do not maintain a standing army, preferring instead to strike from darkness. Their numbers include umrae (“shadows”, basically ninja class characters), diviners (wizards specializing in divination), divine oracles, and unseen seers. Generally, only those well versed in divination magic reach the rank of High Shenwa.
The Shenwai themselves are largely unknown, even in Qæz-ur-Zurkai, and to speak openly of them is to invite their displeasure, which manifests itself in very unpleasant and often lethal ways.
Many of those who work for the Shenwai are not aware that they are until they have come to the attention of superiors within the organization who feel that knowing participation would make them more effective.
Enemies and Allies: They may have enemies, but their enemies don’t usually know it, even after it’s too late. If they have allies, they (of course) aren’t saying.
Type: Spy ring.
Scale: 12 (multiregional/kingdom).
Affiliation Score Criteria: Only Zurkai are accepted into the Shenwai, and precious few of them.
| Criterion | Affiliation Score Modifier |
|---|---|
| Character level | ½ PC’s level |
| Ninja (umrae) | +1 |
| Five or more ranks in Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Spot or Search (each skill) | +1 |
| Can cast divination spells | +2 |
| Defeat Zurkain foe, EL equal to party level | +1 |
| Defeat Zurkain foe, EL higher than the party level | +2 |
| Diviner, Divine Oracle or Unseen Seer (one only) | +4 |
| Owns a divining magic item | +2 |
| Not a Zurkai | –2 |
| Chaotic alignment | –2 |
| Abuses position | –5 |
| Reveals secrets of Shenwai | –30, cast from organization and can expect visits from umrae with EL equal to party level |
Titles, Benefits and Duties:
| Affiliation Score | Title |
|---|---|
| 3 or less | Not affiliated or unwitting affiliation |
| 4 to 10 | Murzhin (“Wakened”) |
| 11 to 17 | Hensha (“Seeker”) |
| 21 to 30 | Shenwa (“Revealer”) |
| 30 or higher | Shenwa-Æst (“High Revealer”) |
Murzhin: You know that you are serving the Shenwai, and you have been taught how to learn things in the secretive culture of the Zurkai. The increased DC (of 4) for Gather Information checks in Qæz-ur-Zurkai no long applies to you.
Hensha: Your attention to seeking out secrets has gained you a bonus feat: choose Alertness, Negotiator, Stealthy, or Track.
Shenwa: You have risen to the Council of Revealers, a position of great power in Qæz-ur-Zurkai. You have learned the subtle cues that reveal the emotions of others. You gain a +4 affiliation bonus on Sense Motive checks.
Shenwa-Æst: You gain the use of the Uen-ur-Shenwai (“Eye of the Shenwai”), a crystal ball with true seeing.
Executive Powers: Assassinate, Research, Shadow War.
Burglary? Pickpocketing? Bah. Government is where crime really pays.
Symbol: The palm of a human hand, viewed from the side, with three silver pieces dropping toward it, face out.
Background, Goals and Dreams: The Silver Palm was formed from resistance groups that fought on after Tarankoth fell to the Hrygen Empire. After the dwarves of L’raigh liberated it and took over the administration of the city following the retreat of the Hrygen, some of the resistance groups, resenting the control of their city by the dwarves, continued on in the form of a thieves’ guild. However, because of the efficiency of the dwarven government, the Silver Palm is very careful to stay well hidden behind the scenes.
The organization itself is overt, hiding in plain sight in the form of a business organization, like a chamber of commerce. Many of its members are legitimate and have no idea of the true nature of the Silver Palm. However, the real membership works under this legitimate cover to use influence peddling, corruption, bribery and blackmail to worm its way into control of the city. They never attempt to bribe members of the city guard, and in fact may even aid them on occasion to capture petty thieves and burglars to bolster their public image; the Silver Palm views them as amateurs that keep the city guard busy and out of their hair. They concentrate on influencing wealthy families, petty bureaucrats that handle the paperwork and other officials outside the city guard.
This is not to say that the Silver Palm never engages in burglary, but they are more likely to do so to steal secrets or incriminating documents to use for blackmail rather than piles of gold. Since the dwarves don’t outlaw gambling or prostitution, the Silver Palm maintains a number of high-class establishments catering to both of these vices through proxies and cutouts. They will even encourage legitimate members of the Silver Palm to condemn these establishments in public, calling for them to be shut down—it makes for good advertising.
Enemies and Allies: The Tarankoth City Guard is both an enemy and an ally, depending on the situation.
Type: Thieves’ guild.
Scale: 6 (city).
Affiliation Score Criteria:
| Criterion | Affiliation Score Modifier |
|---|---|
| Character level | ½ PC’s level |
| Rogue | +2 |
| Human | +1 |
| Dwarf | –4 |
| 10 ranks in Diplomacy, Forgery or Gather Information (each skill) | +2 |
| Arcane Trickster | +2 |
| Shadowdancer | +2 |
| Member of the Tarankoth City Watch | –2 |
| Parent or sibling a member | +1 |
| Gains information valuable to Silver Palm | +1/10,000 gp value |
| Informs on affiliation member | –10/–151 |
| |
Titles, Benefits and Duties:
| Affiliation Score | Title |
|---|---|
| 3 or less | Not affiliated or unwitting affiliation |
| 4 to 10 | Fixer |
| 11 to 20 | Wardman |
| 21 to 30 | Alder |
| 30+ | Chief |
Fixer: +2 to Gather Information, Diplomacy and Forgery checks on affiliation sponsored jobs.
Wardman: Bonus Feat: choose Deceitful, Investigator or Negotiator. Must complete four jobs a year for affiliation.
Alder: +6 on Gather information checks in Tarankoth. Must gather 10,000 gp worth of information per year for affiliation.
Chief: Reroll failed Diplomacy, Forgery or Gather information checks 3/day. Must hide affiliation activities from authorities. Must make DC 30 Gather Information check to foil government investigation of affiliation once per month. Affiliation loses 1 wealth level per failed roll.
Executive Powers: Plunder, Shadow war, Trade.
“They’re no fun. No fun at all, I tell you!”
Symbol: A concentric pattern made up of a gold circle inscribed with a blue octagon inscribed with a red pentagram.
Background, Goals and Dreams: The Ordo Ars Magica (O.A.M., Order of the Magical Arts, or simply “the Order”) is a guild of wizards that spans many of the civilized lands of Yön. It was founded in Ryzh in 411 TR by the archmage Genaris Tulva when his wife, Adria Ansulla, also a wizard and the most powerful diviner of her time, foresaw the Third (and final) Fall of the Ryzhaen Empire. The Order, at that time, was dedicated to preserving the work of Ryzhaen wizards from the Third Fall. To this end, the Order created enclaves of wizards to preserve arcane knowledge in as many cities around the Pyro Sea as they could in the hopes that enough would survive the coming holocaust to bring up new generations of wizards.
In this day and age, the Order continues to preserve arcane knowledge and teach new wizards. It also regulates commerce in magic and establishes basic rules of conduct between wizards within the Order. It establishes intellectual property laws for arcane knowledge. (All joking about the RIAA aside, you haven’t seen the true consequences of stealing intellectual property until the wizard whose newly researched spell you copied and sold far and wide turns you into something small, experimental, and very, very unpleasant.)
The Order has guildhalls in most large cities and metropolises (as depicted in Generating Towns). Each hall of the Order has a library and laboratories suitable for magical research and magic item creation available to members in good standing (defined as one that has not broken guild rules, which includes paying the dues on time). Many wizards of the Order eventually take levels of arcane professor, which is the Yön version of the Mage of the Arcane Order prestige class. While there are many guildhalls of the Order, only the primary one at Ninetowers has a spellpool. A wizard who becomes an arcane professor will journey there to gain her spellpool focus (see Spellpool).
A wizard starts within the Order with the title of Apprentice until she learns first or second level spells, at which point she becomes an Itinerant, traveling between cities to other guildhalls of the Order to learn different magical techniques, to help teach new apprentices, and to earn a living casting magic for others. Often, Itinerants become adventurers.
At a certain point, an Itinerant creates a new spell or magic item that is donated to the Order, which elevates her to the rank of Master. Some Masters also become arcane professors. The duties, costs and privileges of this prestige class are described under Arcane Professor.
The Order has four primary functions: preserve and expand knowledge, especially arcane lore; teach wizardry and provide the material needed for such; establish and control prices charged for arcane knowledge, assistance and magical items; and establish rules for interaction between guild members.
While individual wizards within the Order can be very much concerned with questions of good and evil and law and chaos, the Order, institutionally, does not. As a whole, however, the Order strongly supports civilization because civilization makes the stuff wizards need, so the Order definitely has a lawful bent. It is one thing to take over a nation and set one self up as a dictator; as long as the Order halls there are not disturbed, the Order as a whole will not interfere—although individual wizards or groups of wizards may, of course. But attempting to lay waste to a continent or the world will definitely draw hostile attention from the Order.
Almost all wizards found in the Crimson Plains cities and adjoining areas (including Kartag, Hesperonia, and Psellena) will be members of the Order; the advantages outweigh the disadvantages by a considerable margin.
Enemies and Allies: The Order does not get along at all well with Fools with Magic, although they don’t typically engage in direct conflict with them. They tend to regard liches as abominations to be stamped out because of institutional memories of massive mage wars against them and the fact that the undead wizards eventually interfere with the living ones.
Type: College.
Scale: 6 (city) or 7 (city and outliers) for a single Order hall, 10 (regional/march) for the Ninetowers hall of the Order, 15 (continental/empire) for the entire Order. The Order has halls in large cities and metropolises across the Crimson Plains, Hesperonia, Kartag and Psenella. However, the Order rarely acts as a single entity, so the 15 scale score is rarely used. Players can only advance within a particular Order hall, and the Affiliation Score Criteria below reflects that. However, if a player advances to Syndic, that gives them some small power in the Order as a whole.
These are typical guildhalls of the Order using the Stronghold Builder’s Guidebook. The two shown here are what you might expect to see in large cities and metropolises (as depicted in Table 5-2: Random Town Generation, Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 137). All guildhalls have a variety of magical defenses ranging from simple alarm spells on restricted areas to magically reinforced walls and guardian creatures such as constructs. Traps are usually to disable rather than kill to prevent losing a nosy apprentice.
Order halls either have a chapel to Tesren onsite or are situated near a larger temple dedicated to the god of magic. The Order does not disdain the use of divine magic and calls on priests of Tesren to aid them in making magic items that can’t be made by arcane magic alone.
Order Hall (large city, scale 6): This sort of guildhall is found in large cities. It supplies the needs of up to a dozen masters, two dozen apprentices, visiting itinerants and masters and a small support staff.
Components: Fancy alchemical laboratories (4), fancy libraries (3) (book lots—architecture and engineering, general, nature, religion; comprehensive lots—arcana, the planes), fancy magic laboratories (12), fancy common area, fancy dining hall (2), fancy kitchen (2), servants’ quarters (7) (for servants, apprentices and visiting itinerants), fancy smithy (for making of magical weapons and armor), fancy storage (6), fancy study (12) (for guildhall masters), fancy bedroom (6) (each space contains two bedrooms for masters of the guildhall).
Optional components: Basic courtyard (1 to 4), basic stables (1 to 4), fancy chapel. Staff: four cooks, two dining hall servants.
Order Hall (metropolis, scale 7): This sort of guildhall is found in the largest cities. It supplies the needs of up to two dozen masters, four dozen apprentices, visiting itinerants and masters and a substantial support staff.
Components: Fancy alchemical laboratories (8), luxury libraries (2) (book lots—dungeoneering, general; comprehensive lots—architecture and engineering, nature, religion; master lots—arcana, the planes), fancy magic laboratories (24), fancy common area (2), luxury dining hall (1), luxury kitchen (1), servants’ quarters (15) (for servants, apprentices and visiting itinerants), fancy smithy (for making of magical weapons and armor), fancy storage (12), fancy study (24) (for guildhall masters), fancy bedroom (12) (each space contains two bedrooms for masters of the guildhall).
Optional components: Luxury courtyard (1 to 4), fancy stables (2 to 4), luxury chapel. Staff: six cooks, two dining hall servants.
Ninetowers: The city of wizards and the seat of power of the Ordo Ars Magica is described in more detail starting on page 96.
Affiliation Score Criteria: Anyone is eligible to join the Order, provided they can cast at least one arcane spell without using a magic device. Most members have at least one class level as a wizard, since wizards derive most of the benefits of membership. Remember that these score modifiers are halved for those advancing within the Ninetowers branch because of its scale.
| Criterion | Affiliation Score Modifier |
|---|---|
| Character level | ½ PC’s level |
| Five or more ranks in Knowledge (arcana) | +1 |
| Five or more ranks in Spellcraft | +1 |
| Has any Item Creation feat | +2 |
| Can cast 3rd level spells or higher | +2 |
| Can cast 5th level spells or higher | +4 |
| Designs a new spell or magic item for the Order | +4 |
| Each additional item (1,000 gp or more) or new spell donated to the Order | +2 per item, max. 3/year |
| Arcane Professor, Archmage or Loremaster | +2 |
| Not a wizard | –1 |
| Declares a mage duel (each duel) | –1 |
| Duels an Order member without declaring first | –10 |
| Fails to meet duties of title | –10 |
| Cannot cast arcane spells | –20 |
A character that joins the Ninetowers chapter of the Order gains only half of the positive affiliation score modifiers (rounded down, minimum of ½) shown above because of its larger scale, as described on page 184 of the Player’s Handbook II, “Affiliation Score Criteria”, paragraph five.
Titles, Benefits and Duties| Affiliation Score | Title |
|---|---|
| 3 or less | Not affiliated or Apprentice |
| 4 to 10 | Itinerant |
| 11 to 17 | Master |
| 21 to 30 | Syndic |
| 30 or higher | Guildmaster |
Apprentice: Many if not most spell casters that join the Order do so as apprentices. Apprentices spend much of their time learning and some handling the more mundane chores: gathering common spell components, cleaning labs, organizing the library and the like. This continues until they have learned all the cantrips in the Player’s Handbook, amanuensis [SC], and at least three first level spells. They have no dues to pay in the Order but are expected to obey the itinerants and masters of the Order regarding their training and use of magic. Some less ethical masters have been known to take advantage of apprentices, but for the most part they are treated well, if kept very busy. Apprentices pay no dues and earn only room and board, which is generally pretty modest (although it can seem like a lot to the lower classes of many parts of Yön). They receive a 100-page spellbook and the materials they need to scribe the spells they learn at no cost.
Itinerant: A spell caster that demonstrates knowledge of at least three first level spells may, if they wish, apply for itinerant status. Itinerants are expected to travel from guildhall to guildhall, learning new techniques and teaching theirs to apprentices. They also work for masters of the guildhalls to which they travel, writing magical scrolls for sale and assisting in the creation of other items of minor magic for masters.
Itinerants pay no dues to the Order but if they wish to earn money selling spells and magic items in a city that has granted Order Rights, they must work for a master of the local Order hall. Pay is typically 5 gp per level of the spell cast and the master provides any material components. If a focus is required, the master can loan or give one to the itinerant as he or she wishes. If they make magic items for the master, they get 25% of the market value after any material component cost (which is paid by the master) is deducted.
While they work for a master, they get free room and board. On the road, they have to fend for themselves. Often, a master will teach an itinerant spells he needs cast for him, allowing the itinerant to work off the cost of materials needed to scribe the spell into his spellbook. In game terms, each week that an itinerant works for a master, the itinerant can forgo pay to scribe a new spell in her spellbook for free. (This includes the day to learn it, with a +2 bonus to the Spellcraft check to do so because of the master’s aid, then a day to scribe it, then five days of labor for the master.)
Many itinerants choose to adventure, and the Order does not discourage this. Curious itinerants have found many items of lost or rare magic or magical lore. While they are permitted to keep such, they can often find an Order master willing to pay a fee to study something rare or unique or buy it outright.
Some itinerants also travel with adventuring masters, aiding them in some task. In such cases, the itinerant and the master may agree on an arrangement between themselves regarding services and payment.
Most player character wizards in the Order start as itinerants. If they apprenticed with the Order, in addition to the normal starting spells their spellbooks also contain the amanuensis and know time cantrips.
Master: An itinerant of the Order may petition to become a master by developing a new spell or magic item and presenting it to a review board of masters in any city with a guildhall. If the board agrees (by majority vote) that it is indeed a new spell or item, then the petitioner is granted master status. The item or spell remains the petitioner’s own regardless of outcome, although it is customary to donate the item or give a copy of any spell to the guild that it may be entered in the master grimoires. Generally, such a review board convenes at a particular time of the year, although this time varies from city to city. Most itinerants choose to present their master spell or item at the guildhall where they apprenticed.
Masters are expected to pay 30 gp a month in dues. As long as they are in good standing, they can make free use of the laboratories of their home guildhall and pay 50 gp per week for use of a lab at any other guild order as such are available. They may make use of the arcane library in any Order hall. They pay 5 sp daily for room and board at any Order hall. At their home hall, this includes the use of a comfortable bedroom and a private study. When using such a laboratory to make magic items, they receive a discount of 10% on either the cost of the item in gp or XP (not both) as they choose, due to the availability of extra aid from colleges and such.
Masters are expected to impart their knowledge to apprentices and itinerants. Some like this task more than others, so there are some masters at any guildhall that do more teaching and others that do more research. An adventuring master sometimes takes an apprentice or itinerant along. This practice is frowned upon (but not forbidden, because they have to learn sometime) because of the hazards to inexperienced wizards.
However he or she does it, a master is expected to assist in the teaching of enough spells to train one new apprentice each year—21 cantrips and three 1st-level spells. In game terms, this means being available to aid another on Spellcraft checks for a student with a Spellcraft of +3 or +4 (one or two ranks in Spellcraft and a 14 Int). With the assistance of the master, a student can take 10 on his or her Spellcraft check to learn a new 0 or 1st level spell. Masters often take ranks in Profession (teacher) (see page 19) to more easily fulfill this duty.
Syndic: One syndic is selected by the guildmaster of each hall of the Order to represent the hall at Syndic’s Council at Ninetowers. Many Syndics also become arcane professors at the Schola Veneficus (see above). The Syndics Council meets once every three months to discuss Order finances, changes to the Regula Ordo (see below), and events of arcane significance. They also review the activities of the Ninetowers guildmaster, who nominally acts as the mayor of Ninetowers as well. Aside from these meetings, syndics are often given special missions of arcane significance by their hall’s guildmaster, generally to recover a particular magic item, negotiate trade deals or deal with city officials. Because they travel frequently, they are exempt from a master’s normal teaching duties. Most syndics are at least high enough level to cast sending and teleport.
Guildmaster: One master, elected by the other masters of a particular Order hall, is the guildmaster of that hall. Usually, this is the most senior master there. A guildmaster gains a +2 competence bonus on Charisma checks when dealing with other members of his Order hall. He has precedence over use of any of the hall’s facilities. He establishes policy for the use of magic in his jurisdiction (typically a large city or metropolis). He deals with city officials for his guild. He has the right to declare a Ban on anyone within his jurisdiction. Typically, a guildmaster serves until he dies, resigns or receives a vote of no confidence by a majority of the masters at his hall. The Syndic’s Council has been known to remove a rogue guildmaster as well, although this has only happened a few times in the Order’s long history. While a guildmaster is not required to teach student wizards, it is unusual for them not to do so.
The Guildmaster of the Ninetowers chapter of the Order is commonly also its syndic and traditionally the chairperson of the Syndics Council. He also acts as mayor of Ninetowers, although the actual duties are usually delegated to subordinates.
Executive Powers: Craft, research, trade.
Other Roles in the Order: The Order is a fairly diverse group as wizards go. Here are some other roles found there.
Arcane Professor: A master of the Order sometimes decides to take a special interest in scholarship and research. They travel to the Order’s premiere school of magic, the Schola Veneficus in Ninetowers. See the Arcane Professor prestige class.
Loremaster: A master of the Order occasionally concentrates on Knowledge skills. In game terms, they take one or more levels of the loremaster prestige class. See the Loremaster entry on page 18 for more details.
Rules of the Order: The Regula Ordo (Rules of the Order) were written to define standards of interaction between members of the Order and duties of members to the Order itself. It isn’t a book of law in the common sense, but guild members must swear an oath to abide by them or face serious consequences. The rules include:
In cases where the Regula Ordo conflicts with local law, the Order insists on that the Regula Ordo has precedence—and they will enforce this precedence as they see necessary.
Other than that, the Order avoids external politics unless a wizard is found to be breaking Order rules. They don’t favor one nation or race over another. Individual wizards can hire out for wars, and both sides of a war have hired wizards of the Order. This is acceptable—but if they attack each other directly without declaring mage-duel and the Order learns of it, the survivors are likely to be punished harshly.
The Ban: One of the harsher punishments for violating the Regula Ordo is the Ban. A person, wizard, city or country under the Ban receives no assistance from the Order. A person under the Ban (or any person except for another member of the Order in any area under the Ban) cannot obtain spells, spell components, magic items or any other magic assistance from any member of the Order. Any member of the Order found knowingly assisting another person under the Ban is also under the Ban. Only a guildmaster or syndic of the Order can place or lift a Ban, and then only within their jurisdictions (typically, the city in which their hall is). Only the Syndic’s Council has the authority to place an entire nation under the Ban; this is very rare. The Council can collectively order (by majority vote) that a Ban placed by a guildmaster or Syndic be lifted. This is also very rare.
Order Rights: “Order Rights” refers what amounts to a monopoly granted by the ruler of a town or city to allow a guildhall of the Order to be built there. In return, the Order promises to regulate the sale of arcane magic, and to allow the ruler to pay a retainer to the guild to magically assist the local government on a case-by-case basis. This means that the guild is considered “pre-hired” by the local government to work for it if the ruler requests and will not hire out to those that seek to do harm to the government. Most cities have allowed this rather than dealing with the consequences of not allowing it, although a few prohibit the Order altogether, relying on sorcerers, warmages, or divine magic from the more powerful temples instead.
Non-Order wizards that practice magic in a city that has granted Order Rights are expected to pay half of any fee they charge for spells (after deducting for material components) to the Order and 25% of the Order-established market value of any magic item sold (generally, the market price for that item as shown in the Magic Item Master Index. They can purchase items for market value, but they pay twice the value for spells taught—100 gp per level instead of 50 gp. Non-order wizards can rent laboratory and library access for 100 gp a week.
The Order will almost never seek to build a guildhall in a city that does not grant Order Rights, although individual masters of the Order may set up shop there.
The Order and Other Arcane Casters: The Order does not regulate the activities of spontaneous arcane spell casters. Several decades ago, a temporary coalition of sorcerers formed specifically for the purpose of complaining to the Syndic’s Council when the Order tried to include them under Order rules. Surprisingly, no big explosion of magical fireworks ensued. The sorcerers and wizards of the Council argued for some time, and it seemed that someone would soon lose his temper and throw the first spell. But Argesta Coranis, the Ninetowers Order guildmaster (and traditional chair of the Syndic’s Council), broke her silence and said, “The sorcerers are right. Most don’t make magical items and they don’t need libraries and laboratories. It is not just that they pay for services that they cannot or do not use. We should welcome those who wish to join but should not require it or regulate those that don’t except insofar as we are hired to do so by local governments.”
The other Council members raised loud objections, but Argesta pointed out, “If they are bound by the Regula Ordo, then they have a right to declare mage-duel to settle their differences. Are any of you ready to accept such a challenge from them? Here and now?” The sorcerers cracked evil grins. The Council fell silent. “I thought not. Shall we then put it to a vote, to amend the Regula Ordo?”
It passed with two abstentions.
The Order and Other Races: Most but not all members of the Order are human. Usually, other races teach their own arcane spellcasters. Gnomes in particular find the Order to be stuffy and staid, and members of the Order and gnome spellcasters have had conflicts in the past when Order members have taken a gnome magical prank as an undeclared mage duel.
Magic in Yön is much as described in the Player’s Handbook and other books listed in Sources. The differences are discussed here.
This section clarifies certain rules about magical effects.
Saving Throws and Resistances: When resolving magical effects, saving throws are calculated before resistances. Example: a fireball allows a Reflex save for half damage. If a creature with fire resistance of 10 is hit by a fireball dealing 30 points and makes a successful Reflex saving throw, the damage is halved to 15 points first, then another 10 points is deducted, yielding 5 points of actual damage.
Primary Sources: In many cases, a spell is listed in more than one source. If the descriptions of a spell differ in those sources, only one of those sources are correct. Resolve these differences in this manner:
If a spell is listed or clarified in this worldbook, it takes precedence over all other sources of that spell.
The spell description listed in the source with the latest copyright date has precedence over earlier versions of the spell. For example, this makes the Spell Compendium the primary source for spells listed in earlier class books (Complete Mage, Complete Arcane, Complete Divine, Complete Warrior, etc.) In most cases, this is resolved in Archive Three-Five itself, which always refers to the latest errata-corrected version, noting earlier version in the Source box for each spell.
Spells with Different Names: Spells named after Grayhawk wizards have different names, since those wizards don’t exist on Yön. Spells in A35 are named according to the Standard Reference Document method, where those names have been stripped from the spell names, and Yön follows that method. See Renamed Spells for a complete list if you have difficulty finding a spell by its old name.
Polymorph Subschool: The additional remarks for this subschool are considered rules for games set in Yön.
On to the spell remarks.
These are additional details of the normal arcane mark spell.
The magical mark this spell makes is very difficult to forge—the DC is 35 and requires the use of an arcane mark spell.
A caster may use a drop of her blood as an optional material component when casting the spell. An arcane mark cast in this fashion is often called a touchmark or a bloodmark. Such an arcane mark, when subjected to a detect magic spell, will glow yellow unless touched by the caster of the arcane mark, in which case it will glow red. O.A.M. guildhalls keep a file of touchmarks of its members so that the identity of a member is easily confirmed, making the services of that hall available to them. Duplicates of such touchmarks are sent to Ninetowers to the Grand Foyer where arriving members register.
Forging a touchmark is even more difficult; the DC is 40 and requires the use of a drop of the blood of the caster whose touchmark is being forged as well as a casting of the arcane mark spell by the forger.
This spell has been rewritten to operate properly on Yön.
Level: Cleric 5, Sorcerer 4, Wizard 4
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level
You gain the ability to breathe a gout of energy as a standard action that mimics a dragon's breath. Once you've used the breath attack, you must wait 1d4 rounds before doing so again.
When you cast dragon breath, you choose a breath weapon from the list below. Energy damage does 1d8 per two caster levels regardless of type, to a maximum of 10d8 at 20th level.
Arcane Material Component: A dragon scale.
Note: This spell has undergone some changes to adapt it to how dragons work on Yön. It is based on dragon breath from the Spell Compendium.
Dragonshape and lesser dragonshape will need revision to make them work in Yön, since red dragons, as such, do not exist in the world. Least dragonshape works as is because the shape is that of a pseudodragon, not an actual dragon, and that spell is therefore allowed. If someone actually wants to use ether dragonshape or lesser dragonshape before I have time to revamp those spells, they can work with me to make the necessary changes.
Clarification: Fabricate can only turn one substance into another; items that require multiple ingredients are almost always beyond the power of this spell. Flax or old linen could be used to create a large roll of paper, but raw cowhide and glue could not be added to make blank books. This makes fabricate useless for alchemical substances, which typically use multiple ingredients. Fabricate can be used to make masterwork items with a successful DC 20 Craft check. Although only one item is made for each casting, fabricate can be used to make a collective item, such as a suit of plate armor. In general, if it has a single entry in an equipment list such as those in Chapter Seven of the Player’s Handbook, and the item is mostly made of a single substance, fabricate can make it.
Clarification: The glass in the orb used for the focus of glowing orb may have impurities added that change the color of the glass and therefore the color of the light emitted by the orb. The caster of this spell may choose to use glassteel for the orb instead of glass. Such an orb costs 250 gp, has a hardness of 15 and 5 hit points.
Clarification: Since the scales of Yönian dragons are not “color-coded for your convenience”, the blood of any dragon will do for the material component of this spell. Scale color has no bearing on it.
Use this table instead of the sample one in the reincarnate spell description.
| d% | Incarnation | Str | Dex | Con | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Bugbear | +4 | +2 | +2 | |
| 02–14 | Dwarf | +0 | +0 | +2 | |
| 15–18 | Elf, high | +0 | +2 | –2 | |
| 19 | Elf, gray | –2 | +2 | –2 | |
| 20–21 | Elf, wild | +0 | +2 | +0 | |
| 22–27 | Elf, wood | +2 | +2 | +0 | |
| 28 | Elf, dark | +0 | +2 | –2 | |
| 29 | Gnoll | +4 | +0 | +2 | |
| 30–36 | Gnome, rock | –2 | +0 | +2 | |
| 37–38 | Gnome, forest | –2 | +0 | +2 | |
| 39–42 | Gnome, arcane | –2 | +0 | +2 | |
| 43–47 | Hraden | +4 | +0 | +0 | |
| 48–52 | Hraat | –2 | +2 | +2 | |
| 53–63 | Half-elf | +0 | +0 | +0 | |
| 64–76 | Halfling | –2 | +2 | +0 | |
| 77–92 | Human | +0 | +0 | +0 | |
| 93–96 | Kryg | +4 | +0 | +0 | |
| 97 | Lizardfolk | +2 | +0 | +2 | |
| 98 | Troglodyte | +0 | –2 | +4 | |
| 99 | Gender change1 | — | — | — | |
| 100 | Other (GM’s choice) | ? | ? | ? | |
| |||||
The Armor Class of a spectral hand is 22 plus the modifier of the spellcaster’s primary spellcasting attribute: (Intelligence for wizards, Charisma for sorcerers (and so forth, if other classes get this spell). Why should sorcerers be penalized?
A summoned animal with the celestial or fiendish template changes its type to Magical Beast (Augmented Animal, Extraplanar) and its hit dice change from d8 to d10. Likewise, a summoned vermin with either of these templates changes to Magical Beast (Augmented Vermin, Extraplanar) and its hit dice change in the same manner.
For the touch of idiocy spell, The 1d6 penalty to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma are rolled from a single 1d6, not three separate ones.
A wizard’s spellbook is her most valued possession, and it is worth noting certain things about it not covered in other sources.
Adding Spells to a Wizard’s Spellbook outlines how wizards learn new spells. Here are a few important clarifications:
As stated in the wizard class description under Spellbooks, a wizard “starts with all 0-level wizard spells (except for those from her prohibited school or schools, if any; see School Specialization…)”. In games based in Yön, this comprises 31 spells drawn from the Player’s Handbook, the Spell Compendium, and this worldbook. They are presented here in condensed spellbook format for easy copying:
0— acid splash, amanuensis, arcane mark, caltrops, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, detect poison, disrupt undead, electric jolt, fool’s gold, flare, ghost sound, infertility, know time, launch bolt, launch item, light, mage hand, mending, message, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic, repair minor damage, resistance, silent portal, sonic snap, stick, touch of fatigue.
The cost of scribing spells into spellbooks is discussed in Adding Spells to a Wizard’s Spellbook. The table of these costs, by spell level, is below. This includes the per page cost and the cost of acquiring the spell.
| Spell Level | Scribing Costs | |
|---|---|---|
| From Scroll | From Caster | |
| 1 | 125 gp | 150 gp |
| 2 | 350 gp | 300 gp |
| 3 | 675 gp | 450 gp |
| 4 | 1,100 gp | 600 gp |
| 5 | 1,625 gp | 750 gp |
| 6 | 2,250 gp | 900 gp |
| 7 | 2,975 gp | 1,050 gp |
| 8 | 3,800 gp | 1,200 gp |
| 9 | 4,725 gp | 1,350 gp |
This presumes that the scroll is purchased, not found.
Wizards are unique among the base magic using character classes in that they have to actually acquire copies of their spells for their spellbooks before they can prepare them. This makes finding them outside the two “free” ones they get upon gaining a level occasionally challenging. This is one of the reasons that the Order of the Magical Arts was founded, and one reason that most wizards belong to the Order. Often, buying that new wizard spell is as simple as finding the nearly Order hall.
Every Order hall has a master spell catalog, a set of heavily protected spellbooks that can be assumed to have every spell in the Player’s Handbook (version 3.5). It can also be assumed to have every registered spell (see New Spells below).
The chances of finding other spells depend on a number of factors. The base Difficulty Class is 10 + [the level of the spell] – [searcher’s Gather Information score], with the following modifiers:
| Condition | DC Modifier |
|---|---|
| Searching a thorpe (pop. 20–80) | +7 |
| Searching a hamlet (pop. 81–400) | +6 |
| Searching a village (pop. 401–900) | +5 |
| Searching a small town (pop. 901–2,000) | +4 |
| Searching a large town (pop. 2,001–5,000) | +3 |
| Searching a small city (pop. 5,001–12,000) | +2 |
| Searching a large city (pop. 12,001–25,000) | +1 |
| Searching a metropolis (pop. 25,001+) | +0 |
| Order hall present | –5 |
| At Ninetowers (main Order hall) | –10 |
| Spell is from Player’s Handbook | –10 |
| Spell is from Spell Compendium | –5 |
| Spell is from other source | –3 |
It is possible to get DC scores of 1 or less, in which case finding the spell in question is automatic. In cases where the DC is above 20, the spell in question cannot be found in that particular location.
Spells from multiple sources use the best modifier (the one that reduces DC the most). A spell from a source not listed in Archive Three-Five is subject to game master approval and may have to be researched as a new spell. See Researching Original Spells for details.
In cases where the spell is listed as “Registered” at the end of the spell description, it means that the spell is a wizard spell registered with the Ordo Ars Magica. Essentially, it is a “named” spell that cannot be sold or learned without permission of its creator, or the estate of its creator for seven years after the death of the creator. (This is to give the creator sufficient time to be resurrected, reincarnated or cloned. These things happen when you’re a wizard.)
Most wizards who register their spells do so with the expectation of selling them to recoup their research costs and to profit from their creativity, and the Order or the creator will sell them for 500 times the level of the spell. (The Order takes a 10% commission when they sell the spell for its creator. Such sales can be deposited in Higgenbotham’s Bank at the creator’s request.)
A player character wizard who creates a new spell can expect sales through the order of 1d[UF] per month, where UF is the utility factor assigned by the game master in secret. Utility factor is an assessment of the usefulness of the spell. In general, UF ranges from 2 to 12.
Note that the Order always issues an receipt with an arcane mark of the authorized Order seller when someone purchases a copy of a registered spell. (It is best to be able to produce this receipt on demand to avoid…embarrassment.) A spell’s creator is always an authorized seller.
A scroll with a registered spell is priced at its registered cost plus its scroll cost, as the Order is fully aware that such spells may be transcribed into spellbooks. Members of the Order who make such scrolls are expected to credit the Order or the spell’s creator with the registered spell price. Failure to do so can lead to…Trouble.
Spontaneous arcane casters, of course, don’t gain their spells from the Order or from spellbooks, so it is possible for one to acquire a registered spell without getting this permission: if they see a registered spell in use and it is on their spell list, they can learn it when they gain a new spell of sufficient level. Needless to say, this does not reduce the friction between wizards and sorcerers, but neither group seems to want to engage in all-out thaumaturgical warfare over the subject. Yet.
These spells are unique to Yön.
Conjuration (Creation) [Air]
Level: Cleric 2, Druid 2, Sorcerer 2, Wizard 2
Components: V, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One willing living creature
Effect: One bubble of air
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: None
This spell creates a globe of air just large enough to fit around the head (or other air-breathing apparatus) of the subject creature, providing fresh air and hedging out noxious or harmful gases, such as those caused by stinking cloud. It does not prevent harm from gases that damage on contact with skin, such as acid fog, cloudkill, or breath weapons of similar nature.
Air globe works underwater or in a vacuum; the magic will maintain the bubble in such conditions.
Material component: A blown soap bubble or a small sphere of glass.
Note: This spell was first developed by dwarves for miners entering hazardous enclosed areas, but has found other uses. It is similar in power but somewhat different in effect to the filter spell from Tome and Blood.
Level: Sorcerer 2, Wizard 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: Armor or clothing of one creature (see text)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)
This spell temporarily turns unattended armor or clothing for one creature into a liquid with a land, climb and swim speed of 30 feet. While in this form, the clothing or armor has a hardness of 0.
Armor or clothing temporarily liquefied by this spell can be directed by the caster to flow onto a creature. The spell can then be dismissed (or allowed to expire), quickly dressing or armoring the target as the liquid turns back into armor or clothing. If the target is unwilling to be dressed in this manner, the liquid must make a touch attack (provoking an attack of opportunity) and a successful grapple check (as if it were the caster grappling) to crawl onto the body of the target. In any case, the spell doesn’t work if the target is already wearing clothing or armor in the places on the target’s body that would normally be occupied by it.
This spell is most often cast to quickly clad an allied fighter caught not wearing his armor. However, some wizards have used it to cause a creature to unwillingly don cursed armor or clothing items.
The spell can also be cast on the armor or clothing of a willing creature wearing or otherwise possessing it to quickly remove it. This is most often done when armor becomes a danger, such as when a heavily armored creature falls into water.
Material component: A bit of gelatin.
Level: Sorcerer 5, Wizard 5
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: 1 spell with a duration of “permanent”
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
When cast on a spell affected by a permanency spell or on a spell that has a duration of “permanent”, the arcane interrupter allows the caster (only) to suppress or resume the effects of the permanent spell as a standard action, as often as the caster likes. An arcane interrupter only works on that caster’s own spell, and she must be within Close range (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) to toggle the effect. She does not have to have line of sight or effect to the affected object or creature.
This spell is most often used to suppress protective spells affected by permanency, such as wall of force or prismatic wall, or such spells that are naturally permanent, like arcane lock. However, there are more imaginative uses for the spell. Some permanent magical effects might not be affected by this spell, but the only way to find this out is to try it. By including a drop of blood of another creature in the casting of this spell, the caster can enable that creature to be able to use that casting of arcane interrupter to work on that creature’s command to suppress the permanent spell. This only works if the permanent spell and the arcane interrupter are cast on the same creature.
Material component: A drop of the caster’s blood (and optionally a drop of another creature allowed to control the spell; see above), plus a small hourglass with gold dust for sand, costing 500 gp, shattered when the spell is finished.
XP Cost: 500 per level of the permanent spell affected. Any permanency spell used on the target spell is not included in this cost.
Registered: This spell is officially registered with the Ordo Ars Magica as Agemmon’s arcane interrupter.
Level: Druid 2, Ranger 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 immediate action or 1 round (see text)
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: One bed ten feet on a side (see text)
Duration: 1 round/level or 2 hours/level (D) (see text)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Upon completion of this spell, a thick bed made of soft leaves, pine needles, feathers, and other natural objects swirls into being. This bed can provide a soft landing spot for a falling creature of up to Large size, reducing the effective height fallen by 20 feet and making the first die of damage taken from the remaining height nonlethal damage. This form of the spell can be cast as an immediate action and lasts one round per level of the caster.
The second form of the spell is cast as a full round action and lasts two hours per caster level. This form has a full curtained canopy and will camouflage with any forested or jungle area. The Survival check needed to discover it in such environments is equal to the spell DC. The canopy keeps out normal insects. The bed has sheets and blankets that appear to be made of natural components: leaves and other plant fibers, fur, and the like, but are completely comfortable. Those inside the canopy are considered to be protected by endure elements for the duration of the spell.
Material component: a handful of feathers, leaves, or pine needles. This is only required for the full-round version of the spell.
Level: Sorcerer 2, Wizard 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 0 ft.
Target: Wand touched
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell gives a wand the shape of an ordinary dagger. The dagger can still function as a wand. If the caster strikes with the dagger in melee and the transmuted wand holds a touch range spell (such as shocking grasp or vampiric touch), he can choose to expend a charge from the wand to cast that spell on the target as part of his attack action. For every three levels the caster is above 3rd level, the bladewand gains a +1 enhancement bonus to hit and damage, up to a maximum of +3 at 12th level.
While wielding a wand affected by bladewand, a caster is considered armed. This spell will not work with permanency.
Level: Druid 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: The corporeal remains of a dead creature
Duration: One hour
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Although the catalogers of magic at Ninetowers refer to this spell as compost, druids of Yön themselves call it return to the earth. Once cast on the body of a formerly living corporeal creature, this spell rapidly breaks that body down, and at the end of one hour the magic is expended leaving nothing left of the body but a rich, loamy soil in which plants thrive. Compost may be dispelled before that time, but after a minute the body is too degraded for raise dead, and after an hour the body is completely gone, and the only way to bring the creature back to life is through true resurrection, wish, or miracle.
Druids most often use this spell to bury their own, to prevent a body from being raised as an undead creature, or to erase the remains of abominations from the earth.
Material component: a handful of earth.
While this spell is active, any time the caster is swallowed whole by any creature—or constricted or engulfed by an ooze—and suffers bludgeoning or energy damage (usually acid, but see the remorhaz, which uses fire), the spell triggers, converting that damage and all subsequent similar damage to nonlethal damage.
If, during that or any later round within the spell’s duration, this nonlethal damage exceeds the caster’s current hit points, she takes no damage from those attacks and the target’s body and any gear worn or held is transmuted to a form indistinguishable from the swallowing creature’s chyme. This is usually a thick liquid until the creature’s alimentary tract removes the excess water. This change has no effect on the devouring creature.
While so transmuted, the caster is immune to further energy and bludgeoning damage from that creature’s gizzard (or slam, constrict, or acid attacks, if an ooze). She recovers from this nonlethal damage normally in this form but cannot heal any other damage. She retains only her sense of touch, pressure, and temperature, so she can tell when she has been excreted from the swallowing creature, which is usually in minutes for an ooze-type creature but may take a day or more for others.
The caster has no attacks or movement speed and can only trigger spells, spell-like effects, or supernatural powers that have no verbal, somatic, or material components. Her Strength and Dexterity are considered to be 0 and she has no Constitution score. Her Charisma is 1 but her Intelligence and Wisdom are unchanged. In this form, she is immune to critical hits and does not need to breathe, eat, or sleep.
The caster is only immune to the energy and bludgeoning damage suffered from the creature that triggered the spell. It does not protect against other attack forms dealt by a creature’s gizzard, such as the energy drain from the gizzard of a nightcrawler.
If the spell transforms the caster, then when it ends, she suffers two points of Constitution damage—the digestive process still extracts some sustenance from her body, including excess fat. If this loss brings the caster to zero Constitution, or any other condition causes death (such as energy drain; see above), then the caster does not reform and remains dead.
The spell ensures that the caster will always be excreted all at once, and end of the spell separates her body from any other waste products of the creature. The spell does not end until the spell is dismissed, or it expires, or is otherwise dispelled or nullified, allowing time for the swallowing creature to leave.
Once outside the triggering creature, the caster is vulnerable to effects that might scatter her form, preventing reformation. If the spell is dismissed or expires while she is scattered, the usual result is death. She is also vulnerable to attacks from (usually coprophagous) creatures different from the triggering one, such as an otyugh or ingester. Usually the spell expires or is dismissed before that becomes a problem.
Copromorph fails if the caster suffocates in the stomach before the transmutation to chyme-form takes place. Separate magic, such as deep breath, air globe, or a necklace of adaptation may be needed to prevent that.
Material component: a small quantity of dung, such as a rabbit pellet.
Lore: This spell was first only known to the veldami of the Vastvert, although it has become known to druids of the Darkwold as well. (Veldami is the title given to female wild elf druids by their tribes.) Other druids may learn of its existence but, so far, have not.
Magic item use: because of its long casting time, necessarily long duration, and relatively infrequent use, when this spell is added to a magic item, it is generally use-activated, usable once daily. The base cost for adding it is then 4 (spell level) times 7 (minimum caster level) times 2000 (use-activated by any condition described in the first sentence of the spell, as an instantaneous action) divided by 2 (duration 24+ hours) divided by 5 (one daily use), or +5,600 gold piece base cost. Here, the spell lasts seven days after the transformation is activated, unless enchanted at a higher caster level.
Level: Assassin 1, Beguiler 1, Sorcerer 1, Wizard 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
This spell creates a tingling or itching sensation on the back of the caster’s neck when he feels he is being observed. A casual glance does not count; typically, the caster has to be watched for more than one round. Should he detect that he is being watched, he may concentrate to learn more about his watcher or watchers:
1st Round: He knows the number of beings watching him.
2nd Round: He knows the current locations of beings watching him.
3rd and Subsequent Rounds: He gains a brief mental impression of one of the beings watching him. If he has met the creature before, he recognizes it. If there is more than one watcher, he may concentrate additional rounds to gain additional mental impressions of another of those watchers each round.
If a creature stops watching the caster during this concentration period, he can gain no further information about that particular creature. For example, if a creature stops watching the caster on the second round of concentration, he cannot gain a mental impression of that creature on the third round of concentration.
Magical scrying does not count as watching for purposes of this spell; detect scrying or similar magic is necessary to notice this.
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sorcerer 6, Wizard 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: 1 living creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates and Fortitude negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes
A target of this spell that makes its initial Will save avoids its effects but is confused for one round. (It didn’t get the joke.)
A target who fails the save falls prone laughing as if affected by the hideous laughter spell (unable to act but not helpless), imagining he’s heard the funniest joke ever told, and must make a Fortitude save or die of apoplexy, heart failure, stroke, or some other general organ failure. Each round, he gets another Will save to stop laughing, but each round he fails the Will save he has to make another Fortitude save or die. Note that making the Will save for a round does not end the spell: it must expire or be dispelled.
As with the hideous laughter spell, a creature with an Intelligence score of 2 or lower is not affected and a target whose creature type is different from the caster’s receives a +4 bonus on its Will saving throw (but not its Fortitude saving throw), since humor doesn’t “translate” well.
Material component: A tail feather from a flightless bird, such as a peacock or ostrich.
Lore: This spell was developed by a gnome wizard belonging to Fools with Magic, a group of rogues and spell casters dedicated to pulling off the most outrageous pranks. (Because of its lethal nature, Fools with Magic discourages its use except in self-defense.)
Level: Sorcerer 0, Wizard 0
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: 10 lb./level of coins or metal
Duration: 1 minute
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This cantrip weaves substance from the Plane of Shadow to create a volume of metal or metal coins of any size or appearance (up to the maximum allowed weight of the spell’s effect) with the look, weight and feel of a particular metallic element, such as copper, silver or gold. It cannot create iron or any alloy of iron, such as steel, adamantine, mithral or glassteel, and if metal created by this spell touches solid iron or iron alloy of any kind, the spell ends instantly and all of the false metal conjured by it vanishes.
Most merchants know of this cantrip and its limitations and keep at hand a bit of iron, such as a nail, or an iron pan, to test coins paid to them. Lacking that, they wait a good minute to see if it disappears. This spell is most often used to distract greedy creatures or creatures attracted by shiny objects. Money changers also use it extensively to weigh against real gold, silver and copper, since it weighs the same as the real metal in pure form. If fifty coins of fool’s gold weigh the same as fifty matching real gold coins, the purity of the real gold is probably very close to 100%.
Fool’s gold cannot be made permanent with the permanency spell or any other magic.
Material component: A pinch of sand.
Level: Sorcerer 3, Wizard 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./ level)
Targets: 1 creature/level, no two which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Reflex partial
Spell Resistance: No
The gag spell creates a magical band of leather that targets a creature’s mouth. A gagged creature cannot cast spells with a verbal component, attack any creature with a bite attack, or use a breath weapon. The gag can only be removed by the caster, the use of a knock spell or magic with a similar effect, or an Escape Artist check with a DC equal to the save for the spell. A successful save against the spell means the gag is not secured in place and can be removed with a standard action.
If the creature has a bite attack or breath weapon it can use them to damage the gag. The gag is treated as +1 leather armor giving it a hardness of 4 and 15 HP. At 8th, 11th, 14th and 17th level, the gag gains an additional +1 giving it an additional +2 hardness and 10 HP to a maximum of +5 at 17th level.
Medium creatures count as 1, Large as 2, Huge as 4, Gargantuan as 8 and Colossal as 16. Small count as ½; Tiny and smaller as ¼. Regardless of the creature size, the number of gagged creatures may not exceed the caster level.
When the spell’s duration expires the gag falls off and becomes an unmagical piece of leather.
Material component: A strip of leather or hide.
Registered: This spell is officially registered with the Ordo Ars Magica as Garrison’s galling gag.
Level: Druid 3
Components: V, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: 1 living creature
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: None
This spell increases the speed of a creature’s digestion, causing the energy component of its swallow whole (or an ooze creature’s engulf or constrict attacks) or similar attack to double in damage for the spell’s duration. (This is usually acid.) It also halves the time it takes for that creature’s digestion to break down and process the body of a victim (see “My character was eaten! Can he be raised?” under Infrequently Asked Questions), rounded up to the nearest round.
Hasty stomach counters and dispels settle stomach.
Lore: This spell was originally developed as an adjunct to the copromorph spell by less patient veldami. A high level one found it useful to cast on tyrannosauruses she summoned to swallow her foes.
Material component: A drop of saliva.
Level: Bard 0, Beguiler 0, Cleric 0, Druid 0, Sorcerer 0, Wizard 0, Wu Jen 0
Components: S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: 1 living creature
Duration: 24 hours
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell renders female targets incapable of becoming pregnant and male targets incapable of causing pregnancy for the spell’s duration. This spell is the preferred method of birth control for those on Yön who can afford it because it is 100% effective while it operates and it has no side effects. It also prevents pregnancy if cast on a female within 24 hours of copulation.
The spell signals its end by causing numbness in the target’s tongue during the last minute.
The spell operates on male subjects by destroying any sperm that leaves his testes for its duration; on female subjects it ruptures any ovum outside her ovaries.
Arcane material component: A bit of eggshell.
Level: Sorcerer 4, Wizard 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One magic item with extradimensional storage
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
When cast on a magical item that creates an extradimensional storage space, such as a bag of holding, handy haversack, or portable hole, this spell causes the item to repel any other such extradimensional space, preventing it from being placed inside of it or vice versa.
Material component: A three-dimensional representation of a tesseract made of gold wire worth 50 gold pieces.
Lore: Gardancia, the wizard who created the spell, reportedly said when he registered it, “Fools can’t seem to build proper safety spells into even common magical items.”
Registered: This spell is officially registered with the Ordo Ars Magica as Gardancia’s interspatial lock.
Level: Bard 0, Sorcerer 0, Wizard 0
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
This cantrip gives its caster the exact time in a form that the caster can understand. For example, a hypothetical American sorcerer would know the time and date in the year A.D. (correcting for time zone); a Roman wizard would know the time of day and the date in A.U.E. (Anno urbis conditae; in the year from the time the city [Rome] was built.)
Level: Sorcerer 3, Wizard 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: 1 creature
Duration: 24 hours or until discharged
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Sometimes called “Miss This Spell” by waggish apprentice wizards, this subtle spell is designed to foil attempts to dispel magic on the target. Whenever a caster level check is made to dispel magic on the target, it automatically succeeds—but against the misdispel spell first, not against the highest-level spell cast on the target. A targeted dispel magic may then proceed against the remaining spells cast on the target.
A spell affected by permanency is treated as being ten levels higher only for determining whether it is protected by misdispel. For example, misdispel protects a permanent 0-level spell before it protects a non-permanent 9th-level spell.
Example: A group of PCs are affected by haste; the wizard among them has misdispel and mage armor cast on herself as well. If an enemy sorcerer casts dispel magic on an area affecting the group, he can make caster level checks to remove the haste spell from each PC. The caster level check against the wizard automatically succeeds, but dispels the misdispel rather than the haste spell. If the sorcerer instead casts a targeted dispel magic on the wizard, the misdispel is again automatically dispelled, protecting the haste spell. The sorcerer makes a caster level check to dispel the mage armor spell as normal.
Level: Sorcerer 6, Wizard 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: 1 creature
Duration: 24 hours or until discharged
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell functions as misdispel with three “charges”. A dispel magic or similar spell cast on an area including the subject protected by greater misdispel dispels one charge of greater misdispel, preventing other spells cast on the subject from being dispelled. Against a targeted dispel magic, it protects a number of the highest level spells equal to its remaining charges, with spells affected by permanency treated as ten levels higher than they actually are for this purpose, as with misdispel.
Level: Cleric 1, Druid 1, Sorcerer 1, Wizard 1
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: 1 female living creature with an Intelligence of 3 or higher
Duration: Permanent until discharged
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
This spell was made by elves of ages past. Because elf women take so long to ovulate, they will sometimes have this spell cast before they copulate with a male whose child they wish to bear at some future date. A tiny amount of the sperm of the next male that copulates with a female who has received this spell is preserved in stasis in the womb of the female, regardless of whether she is currently protected by contraceptives, magical (such as the infertility spell) or mundane.
At a later time of her choosing, the recipient of the spell can discharge and end it, releasing the sperm from the magical stasis to impregnate her if she is currently ovulating. When the spell is ended in this manner, the recipient always conceives. She can choose to end the spell without impregnation at any time if she later decides not to bear that particular male’s child. An infertility spell will still prevent pregnancy if it is active on the target when preserve seed is discharged or dispelled.
Arcane material component: a tiny glass bead.
Level: Cleric 2, Druid 2, Sorcerer 2, Wizard 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: One spell cast by you
Duration: See text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell is cast on any spell you have previously cast that has a duration that has not yet expired. When the targeted spell’s duration does expire, you may sacrifice a prepared spell or spell slot of a level equal to or higher than the targeted spell to prolong it, just as if you had cast it again, but requiring no action on your part. The affected spell lasts as long as the caster is willing to sacrifice other spells to maintain the target spell.
For example, if a 7th-level wizard casts prolong on a haste spell cast on the first round of combat, she could choose to sacrifice her unused fireball spell on the eighth round, when the haste spell would normally have expired. If the combat lasted to a fifteenth round, she could sacrifice another unused 3rd or 4th level spell to maintain the haste for seven more rounds.
You may not use prolong on any spell with an instantaneous or permanent duration.
Level: Sorcerer 1, Wizard 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell causes a limb (usually a hand, arm, foot, or leg) on one humanoid creature to reduce by one size category in proportion to the recipient’s size category. For casters of at least 5th level, limb may shrink another size category if the recipient fails a second Fortitude save the following round. For casters of 9th level or higher, the limb may shrink a third size category; the recipient gets a save against that as well. A save on any particular round does not end the spell. No reduction can shrink a limb below Fine size.
Shrinking an arm affects the hand on that limb. Likewise, shrinking a leg affects the foot as well.
This shrinking can have a variety of effects:
The game master, of course, may allow other bonuses or penalties in various situations. A game master may also allow other definitions of “limb”. (Fools with Magic and irritated female wizards have cast this on men with…embarrassing results.)
This spell may be made permanent with the permanency spell by 9th level casters at a cost of 500 XP.
Material component: a pinch of powdered iron.
Registered: This spell is officially registered with the Ordo Ars Magica as Dystellenol’s limb reducer.
Level: Sorcerer 7, Wizard 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
This spell makes your bones and flesh malleable and rubbery, allowing you to perform amazing feats of agility and acrobatics.
Material component: a bit of rubber.
Level: Druid 2, Ranger 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: 1 living creature with the scent special quality
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
When cast upon a creature with the scent special quality, this spell allows that creature to detect a source of magic when it comes within detection range of it. Wind has no effect on this, so the source being upwind or downwind does not change the detection range. This range depends on the strength of the magic; see the table below.
A creature affected by scent magic may use a move action to determine the direction of the strongest source of magic, if there is more than one. Subsequent move actions may determine the direction of progressively weaker sources of magic. Whenever the scenting creature comes within five feet of a source of magic, it pinpoints it.
The scenting creature can also detect lingering auras, like a magic item or a persistent spell that is moving. How long it lingers is also covered by the following table:
| Aura Strength | Magic Source Type | Lingering Aura Duration | Track DC | Detect Radius | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spell (level) | Magic Item (caster level) | Creature (hit dice) | ||||
| Light | 0 to 3 | Up to 5 | Up to 6 | 1d6 minutes | 18 | 30 ft. |
| Moderate | 4 to 6 | 6 to 11 | 7 to 14 | 1d6×10 minutes | 14 | 60 ft. |
| Strong | 7 to 9 | 12 to 20 | 15 to 24 | 1d6 hours | 10 | 90 ft. |
| Blinding | Epic | 21+ (artifact) | 25 | 1d6 days | 6 | 120 ft. |
Like detect magic, magic can leave lingering auras. Unlike detect magic, a lingering aura can be left not just by dispelled, dismissed, or expired spells or by destroyed or expended magical items, but by the passage of an magical item or a persistent spell—that is, a spell with a duration that is not instantaneous on a creature or object. A blinding aura blinds the sense of smell of any other sort of aura in its detection radius.
An animal trained in tracking (see the Handle Animal skill) or a character with the Track feat can follow the scent of a magical aura left by the passage of magic if the lingering aura is still present. Creatures tracking by scent magic ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility. The base DC of tracking a magical aura is shown in the Track DC column of the table above. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2.
Scent magic may be used to track creatures that are magical in nature. Such creature categories include some aberrations, dragons, elementals, magical beasts, and undead. Note that animals must be “pushed” to track undead and some aberrations as they find the scent unsettling; see the Handle Animal skill description for rules on this.
A creature with ranks in Spellcraft may make a check to identify the school of magic of an aura it scents. The DC is 15 + spell level, or 15 + half the caster level for a nonspell effect.
A creature affected by scent magic may attempt to track a particular persistent spell to which it is exposed. For example, it could be allowed to scent someone affected by mage armor, then told to find the trail of another person affected by mage armor. Such a use increases the base tracking DC by 5.
Tracking general magic or a specific spell may cause confusion if the trail crosses a magical aura of similar strength, or another trail with the same specific spell. Roll randomly to determine which trail is followed in such cases.
Note: This spell was inspired by the short story, “The Right Bitch” by Doranna Durgin.
Level: Sorcerer 4, Wizard 4
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level; see text
This spell is cast as a swift action with another spell whose name begins with wall of: wall of chaos, wall of dispel magic, wall of evil, wall of fire, wall of force, wall of gears, wall of gloom, wall of good, wall of greater dispel magic, wall of ice, wall of iron, wall of law, wall of light, wall of limbs, wall of sand, wall of smoke, wall of stone, wall of thorns, or wall of water. It only works when those spells are cast as flat vertical walls, not as hemispheres or any other form. When segment wall affects one of these wall spells, the caster—instead of bringing the wall into existence all at once—brings it into existence one segment per round. A segment is equal in area to the amount the caster can normally make for each of his caster levels.
On subsequent rounds the caster may, as a move action, call in another segment of the wall. The wall does not have to be parallel to the first segment, but it must be touching the vertical edge of another segment of the same wall spell. For example, a wall of fire normally evokes a 20-foot-high wall of flame 20 feet long per caster level, so a wall of fire cast with a segment wall spell riding it creates a 20-foot-long by 20-foot-tall wall of flame on the round it is cast. On each following round, the caster can call another 20-by-20-foot segment of the wall of fire into being.
When the segment wall spell expires, all uncalled segments of the wall spell it was cast upon are lost. Any segments already in existence last for the duration of the wall spell, measured from the casting of the first segment.
Arcane focus: A silver dagger.
Registered: This spell is officially registered with the Ordo Ars Magica as Hr’kirikritt’s wall segmenter.
Level: Druid 3
Components: V, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: 1 living creature
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell reduces the speed of a creature’s digestion, causing the bludgeoning and energy components of its swallow whole (or engulf and constrict attacks in the case of ooze type creatures) to be reduced to 1 point per round each for the spell’s duration. (The energy component is usually acid.) Any damage caused by a creature attempting to cut its way out of a stomach, or any damage done to an engulfing or constricting ooze creature ends the spell for that creature.
This spell does not affect the time it takes for a creature’s digestion to break down and process the body of a dead victim (see “My character was eaten! Can he be raised?” under Infrequently Asked Questions). Any sickened or nauseated condition on the target is removed and suppressed for the spell’s duration.
Settle stomach counters and dispels hasty stomach.
Material components: A bit of chalk.
Level: Druid 4
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: 1 living creature
Duration: 1 day/level, see text
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
When cast, this improved form of share husk allows a limited form of telepathy between the caster and the target.
First, it lasts longer, but it ends if the caster and target stop touching for even an instant. Second, it allows the caster to mentally speak with the target, acting as a telepathic speak with animals spell for targets with an Intelligence of 1 or 2, or as telepathy for targets of higher intelligence. This telepathy does not allow thoughts to be read like a detect thoughts spell: only thoughts that are sent to the caster are received, and vice versa.
Both the caster and the target may share senses with each other in the manner described in the share husk spell.
Level: Druid 3, Ranger 3
Components: V, S, DF, XP
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
This spell permanently raises the Intelligence of any animal with a score of 1 to 2. It does not affect non-animals, nor any animal with an Intelligence that is not 1. This increase affects the number of tricks the animal can learn.
XP cost: 100 XP.
Level: Sorcerer 5, Wizard 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One living creature
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
You temporarily remove one extraordinary or supernatural ability of your choice from the touched creature. This spell does not work on constructs, oozes, or undead.
Material component: a pinch of ash.
Note: This is a variant version of the trait removal spell from Serpent Kingdoms (page 158) without the ridiculously long one-hour casting time, making it a marginally useful spell.
Level: Bard 0, Beguiler 0, Cleric 0, Druid 0, Sorcerer 0, Wizard 0
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
This spell causes the caster’s body, or parts of it designated by her, to tingle, tremble, and vibrate in a pleasing manner—both to the caster and to anyone she touches with the affected parts. It is most often used for massages or more…intimate contact. Any Perform check involving the latter is at +2 for the duration of the spell.
Lore: Perhaps not surprisingly, this spell was first developed by Roschale D’Armatur back when he was an apprentice decades ago. He shared it with other apprentices and the spell spread like wildfire among them. Upon learning of it, casters of other classes developed their own versions of it. It is not registered with the Order, although it is known by them and mentioned in the Master Spell Index at Ninetowers.
Level: Druid 5, Sorcerer 5, Wizard 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: Part or all of one corporeal organic creature
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
This turns the flesh of one organic creature translucent, making it possible to see through. It does not make flesh invisible; it still is tinted a very faint pastel version of its actual colors, so blood will be a faded red or blue, bone will be a watery white or yellow, and most flesh will be a faint pink. The caster can choose to affect all or part of a creature’s body with it.
Since the spell only affects the target’s flesh and not its clothing nor the contents of its digestive tract, it does not appreciably make the recipient harder to spot. Only allow a +5 to Hide checks if the recipient is mostly or entirely affected by this spell, unclothed and in an aquatic environment or in shadowy illumination. Because the recipient’s vital organs are more visible, a foe that gets a threat on an attack against a translucent foe is +2 on the roll to confirm a critical hit. Someone attempting to use Heal on a creature affected by this spell gains a +2 insight bonus on the check to diagnose an internal medical condition, such as internal bleeding or a bowel blockage, or to treat certain injuries like broken bones.
This spell can be affected by a permanency spell. The caster must be at least 13th level and sacrifice 2,500 XP.
Material component: a shard of glass or crystal.
Registered: The wizard’s version of this spell is registered with the Ordo Ars Magica as Traskellijarn’s translucency. Traskellijarn originally developed it with the help of the druid Bashentov to study the interior of creatures without killing them and to observe how their organs functioned.
Level: Sorcerer 5, Wizard 5
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One touched object up to 10 lb./level and ½ cu. ft./level
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)
This spell functions like teleport, with a range limit of 100 miles/level, except that it teleports an object, not the caster. Creatures and magical forces (such as a delayed blast fireball bead) cannot be teleported. Items may not be teleported to other planes of existence.
Objects transported with this spell are subject to the same teleport mishap chances and results described under the teleport spell.
Items placed in a container are transported when the container is teleported as long as the weight and size limits are observed. The container must be closed; anything protruding from the container will not be teleported. For example, arrows in a closed quiver would be teleported, arrows in an open quiver would not be. Items may be under the effect of a shrink item spell.
Attempting to teleport items contained in an extra-dimensional space are not transported; the spell fails.
Registered: This spell is officially registered with the Ordo Ars Magica as Roderick’s object transporter.
Level: Sorcerer 2, Wizard 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature of Small or larger size
Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
When cast upon a living creature that fails its Fortitude save, this spell causes the creature’s tongue to grow to one foot per caster level in length. The spell fails if the target has no tongue.
Any spell with a verbal component the target attempts to cast has a 30% chance of failure. If necessary, the tongue can be used to satisfy the somatic component of a spell, but that incurs a 20% chance of failure, if the subject of a tumescent tongue must use it to satisfy both a verbal and a somatic spell component, these chances stack for a 50% chance of spell failure.
Any Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Perform check that requires the target to speak, sing or play a wind instrument suffers a –10 penalty.
A tongue transmuted by this spell is prehensile and strong enough not to dangle and hinder the target’s movement. It can be used as a tentacle to pick up Tiny objects or smaller, although a DC 15 Dexterity check is required not to drop such items, as they soon become coated with saliva, or DC 10 if the item is food. A creature with a forked tongue affected by this spell reduces these DCs by 5 as it can get a sort of “two-finger” grip.
A tumescent tongue can be used to remove an item from a hoard gullet as a move action if the recipient of those spells makes a similar DC 15 Dexterity check, or DC 10 for forked tongues. Failure means that it slips out of the tongue’s grasp and remains in the hoard gullet.
The tongue can also deliver a touch spell within the target’s reach, or make a touch attack to lick a target’s face. (It has a natural reach in squares equal to its length divided by five, rounded down, with a minimum of the creature’s normal reach.) The creature licked must make a Fortitude save or be hindered by slobber for one round (treat as being dazzled).
A tongue ten feet or longer can make trip attacks and can be used to start a grapple, gaining a +2 circumstance bonus to grapple checks. Any such grapple and trip attacks provoke attacks of opportunity unless negated by appropriate feats or abilities (Improved Grapple, Improved Trip, or Improved Grab).
While other uses for this spell have been reported, most cannot be discussed in polite company.
Registered: This spell is officially registered with the Ordo Ars Magica as D’Armatur’s tumescent tongue. (Roschale D’Armatur always was considered eccentric, even for an archmage. Archmages are “eccentric”; lesser mortals are “perverted, twisted and degenerate”.)
Level: Sorcerer 5, Wizard 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: One unattended object not exceeding 1 lb./level or 1 cu. ft./level
Duration: Permanent until discharged
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
By means of this spell, the caster can store a single object within the allowed limits as an image on a scroll or a single page of a book. The affected object must be blank; a portrait of the object appears on the page or scroll. During casting, a password must be specified that needs to be spoken to retrieve the item. Upon speaking that password, the item springs forth from the page or scroll, ending the spell and returning the page or scroll to its original blank state. While stored, the affected item adds no weight to the page or scroll.
Uncanny portrait only works on a single unattended object. If cast on a container such as a chest or backpack, that container is stored but its contents are left behind.
If a page or scroll enchanted with uncanny portrait is destroyed, the item stored within it is lost. A page or scroll with uncanny portrait may be affected with spells that protect writing, such as secret page, illusory script, sepia snake sigil, or explosive runes. The latter destroys the stored object along with the scroll or book upon which the runes were inscribed.
Material component: a dab of blue, yellow, and red oil paint.
Registered: This spell is officially registered with the Ordo Ars Magica as Feremar’s uncanny portrait.
Level: Druid 2
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Animal companion touched
Saving Throw: None
This spell shrinks and encloses the caster’s animal companion within a fist-sized egg, even if the creature is not oviparous. While inside the egg, the animal sleeps and is unaware of its state. It retains its own hit points, hit dice, and Intelligence score, but has no Strength, Dexterity, or move speed within the egg. The spell ends if the eggshell is broken (by any physical damage), releasing the animal within without ill effects.
The egg has no significant weight. It automatically breaks when the spell expires. If a druid uses wild shape while carrying it, the egg is held harmlessly within the druid’s new form.
Material Component: a bit of eggshell.
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sorcerer 3, Wizard 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: 100 square foot veil of force (see text)
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: Yes
Casting veil of force calls into being a tenuous, faintly shimmering, transparent, and infinitesimally thin membrane of force that can be grown, shaped, and moved over time to the caster’s will. It is substantial enough to be air and liquid impermeable.
The veil of force can be manipulated in any or all of the following manners as part of a standard action by the caster:
A veil of force is almost infinitely flexible such that it is essentially immune to bludgeoning damage, but even one hit point of piercing or slashing damage will cut it. This damage does not destroy the veil, but cuts a hole in it to the size of the piercing weapon or a tear the size of the stroke of the slashing weapon. In general, a piercing weapon hole can then be stretched effortlessly to make a bigger hole. A creature attacking it may tear it with an attack action and move through it with its move action, and all other creatures may move through the tear until the caster closes it as part of manipulating it as a standard action on her turn. Count all such tears as equal in size to the attacking creature’s base: a Medium creature makes a 5-foot by 5-foot tear, a Large a 10-foot by 10-foot tear, and so forth. For purposes of such attacks, its AC is considered to be 1.
Energy damage is handled in different manners. Fire, acid, and electricity destroy any part of a veil of force included in their areas of effect. (Oozes with acid damage tear a rent in the veil equal to their size as described above.) Sonic attacks ignore a veil, passing through it without damaging it. Cold damage is hindered but not stopped by a veil, creatures on the other side of it take only half damage. As long as any part of the veil remains intact, the caster may regrow it as described above. If less than 100 square feet of it remains, the caster must restore it to 100 square feet as part of her next manipulation of it. If a veil is entirely destroyed by area of effect damage, the spell ends.
Any substance that can be contained in a veil—for example, if it is shaped in a sphere or cube—can be moved with it, up to a carrying capacity of 100 pounds per caster level. What can be carried will, of course, be determined by what it is. Carrying a jumble of sharp swords or otherwise uncontained acid will tear the veil, for instance.
While it is possible to envelop a creature in it, the veil’s fragility and speed usually make this a wasted effort. (One 100-square-foot section of the veil can cover four squares.) A creature is allowed a Reflex saving throw to avoid envelopment. Creatures with spell resistance that is not overcome by the caster tear a rent in the veil as if they had cut it.
Veil of force cannot be made permanent with a permanency spell.
Material component: A pinch of powder made from a clear gem.
Registered: This spell is officially registered with the Ordo Ars Magica as Dystellenol’s force veil.
Level: Druid 0
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 5 ft.
Area: Up to one square foot per level per round
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Vernal touch, also called touch of spring and druid’s prestidigitation, is an orison that causes minor temporary plant growth. Small flowers, shoots of grass, or thin vines appear at the caster’s fingertips or over any solid object or surface she otherwise directs. Such growth does not hinder movement or entangle creatures in any way. The caster can use this spell to create a trail of temporary growth where she walks. She can also use it to partly obscure a trail of a Medium size or smaller creature, adding 2 to the DC of Survival checks made to track such creatures.
Vernal touch cannot be used to grow plants to use for material components or druid divine focuses. It does not create plants that are poisonous to the touch or to eat. It cannot summon a plant type creature of any kind. All growth created by the spell vanishes after the spell expires, so anything edible made by the spell will only briefly satisfy hunger. At the caster’s option, the plant growth made each round can glow a faint green or purple hue which fades after one round.
Level: Cleric 2, Druid 2, Sorcerer 2, Wizard 2
Components: V, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One willing living creature
Effect: One bubble of water
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: None
This spell creates a globe of water just large enough to fit around the head (and gills) of the subject creature, providing fresh oxygenated water to an aquatic or water-breathing creature.
Water globe works even in a vacuum; the magic will maintain the bubble in such conditions.
This spell is a variation of the air globe spell adapted for aquatic creatures.
Material component: A cup of water.
Transmutation [Language-Dependent]
Level: Sorcerer 1, Wizard 1
Components: S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
With a gesture, you give voice to a brief thought.
This spell allows the caster to express a short thought (25 words or less) quietly but audibly. It will not work in an area affected by magical silence, but it will work if the caster suffers from muteness, even acting as the verbal component of a spell that has a casting time of one full round or less.
Because it is always a whisper, this affects the chances of hearing the words; the Listen DC is either 10 (a loud whisper) or 15 (a quiet whisper) as the caster chooses.
This spell works with the comprehend languages and tongues.
Transmutation [Air, Language-Dependent]
Level: Druid 3
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 hour per caster level or until discharged
This spell allows the caster to form thoughts into a whispered speech carried on a magical wind to another creature within range of the spell. The creature must be one who the caster knows, if only by name or sight. The language of the message must be a spoken one that both the caster and the target creature knows for the speech to be understood. The creature to receive the message must be on the same plane of existence and within one mile per caster level. If it is not, that particular message is wasted but the caster knows that it was not delivered. The caster may send a total of one short message per level, after which the spell ends. Each message may be no longer than 25 words. Only the receiving creature can hear it.
This spell is most often used by a wild-shaped druid to speak to another creature.
Items with Different Names: Because Yön is in no way related to Greyhawk or any mythology on Earth, some magic items will have different names. In almost all cases, these items are named as shown in A35’s Magic Item Master Index (MIMI), with the original names noted next to them.
Extradimensional Spaces: Any veteran player knows that portable holes and bags of holding don’t mix. But these aren’t the only items or spells that create extradimensional spaces: handy haversacks, rope trick, and magnificent mansion are a few examples. The description of the rope trick spell generally implies the danger of mixing these spaces but fails to note what happens.
This is how mixing extradimensional spaces is handled on Yön:
Magic Items and Immediate Actions: Spell trigger devices (wands and staffs) and spell completion devices (scrolls and runestaffs) take the same amount of time to use as the spells they cast, as per page 85 of the Rules Compendium. However, for spells that have a casting time of “immediate”, the device with that spell must be in hand at the time of casting. If it is not, it must be readied first, which is usually a move action, depending on how it is stored. (This rather spoils the “immediate” casting time.)
Belt of Dwarvenkind: This item also grants the wearer the ability to use racial magic items (such as a dwarven thrower) as if he or she was a dwarf.
Glove of Storing: A glove of storing can be enchanted to hold additional or heavier items. If the glove is storing more than one item, the wearer must visualize the item to be recalled while snapping his or her fingers. Recalling items too heavy might cause the glove wearer to drop them. Each additional item or 20 pounds of item storage adds 15,000 gp to the market price of the glove. Be sure to record how much weight each item slot can carry if enchanted to hold differing weights.
The rules for creating magic items guide the cost of making new magic items. The following list notes exceptions and clarifications to those rules.
The owner of this armor can, as a standard action, command the armor to become a liquid under her control as if affected by the amorphous armor spell. This effect lasts for three rounds and can be invoked twice a day. The owner must be wearing or touching the armor to invoke this effect.
Armor enchanted to be intelligent can invoke this effect on its own.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, amorphous armor.
Cost to Create: Varies.
Price: +10,000 gp
Property: Wooden armor or shield
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint (DC 17); conjuration
Activation: Swift (mental) or free (mental); see text
With a swift action, branching armor can grow a simple weapon that is normally made of wood: a club, shortspear, spear, longspear, quarterstaff, or a shortbow or longbow (but not composite shortbows or longbows). It can also fashion a sling from a length of vine. These items are attached to the armor by a tendril that does not hinder the user of those weapons. If the weapon is dropped, the armor absorbs the weapon back into itself. If the tendril is severed, the weapon crumbles to dust at once. Only one such weapon can be grown at a time.
Branching armor can also grow an arrow for any bow or a hard heavy seed suitable for a sling bullet as a free action, allowing its wearer a full attack action with a bow or sling. Used or not, these missiles crumble at the end of the round they are grown. It does not grow crossbow bolts.
Finally, branching armor can grow (or retract, which can lift the wearer if the end is tied off) up to a 50-foot-long vine with the same properties as hempen rope. One end remains attached to the armor; if severed, it crumbles immediately.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, plant growth.
Cost to Create: 5,000 gp, 400 XP, 10 days.
Price: +15,000 gp
Property: Breastplate, half-plate, or full plate
Caster Level: 12th
Aura: Strong; (DC 21) transmutation
Activation: —
This wooden armor sprouts leafy twigs and small shoots of vine.
Popular among druids, armor with this property is made of living wood. If if it is allowed to root, living armor can repair itself over time at the rate of one point per hour. It can also be repaired with cure spells just as wounded living creatures can. Even when undamaged, the armor should be allowed to root for at least four hours out of each 24.
Living armor can only form breastplates, half-plate, or full plate armor. Such items are considered to have the same weight and base Armor Class value as masterwork metal armor of the same type. Such armor grants a +10 competence bonus to Hide checks made in forested areas.
Living armor may be made from darkwood. Such armor weighs half as much as metal versions of that armor and has its armor check penalty reduced by 2.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, camouflage, ironwood.
Cost to Create: 7,500 gp, 375 XP, 15 days.
Price: +5,000 gp
Property: Wooden armor or shield
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) transmutation
Activation: Swift (command)
With a command, this living armor sprouts numerous sharp thorns as if its wearer was affected by the thornskin spell.
This property may be used three times daily. Each use lasts five rounds.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, thornskin.
Cost to Create: 2,500 gp, 125 XP, 5 days.
Price (Item Level): 2,100 gp (6th)
Body Slot: Body
Aura: No aura (nonmagical)
Activation: —
Weight: 10 lb.
Not magical in and of itself, this surprisingly light chain shirt, fashioned of very fine glassteel links, is often enchanted after it is made. It is considered masterwork light armor with an AC bonus of 4, has no adjustments for land speed, an arcane spell failure chance of 10%, a maximum Dexterity bonus of +6, and no armor check penalty. It weighs 10 pounds if made for Medium creatures or 5 if made for Small ones.
On Yön, this item replaces the mithral shirt.
Prerequisites: Craft (Armormaking).
Cost to Create: See Craft and Glassteel.
Price: +5,000 gp
Property: Bow or crossbow
Caster Level: 4th
Aura: Faint (DC 17); conjuration [air]
Activation: —
A bow or crossbow with this property forms a brief tunnel of air along the path of an arrow or bolt fired from it along its path of flight. This has no effect on its chances to hit, but if the weapon is used underwater, it allows that weapon to ignore the usual –2 penalty per 5 feet of water the arrow or bolt must pass through (see Ranged Attacks Underwater). The weapon’s normal range increment penalty still counts.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, air globe.
Cost to Create: 2,500 gp, 125 XP, 5 days.
Augment crystals were first described in the Magic Item Compendium on page 221; pages 64 through 66 described specific weapon crystals. The Ordo Ars Magica also list others in their Master Magic Index at Ninetowers, including those below.
Price (Item Level): 1,000 gp (4th)
Body Slot: — (weapon crystal)
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint (DC 17); transmutation
Activation: Swift (command)
Weight: —
First created for wealthy nobles who wanted to practice their martial skills without risk of real injury, this augment crystal glows a bright green (equal to a candle flame) when attached to a weapon and activated. While attached, that weapon delivers only nonlethal damage without the usual –4 penalty for dealing nonlethal damage with a weapon that normally does lethal damage.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, cure light wounds.
Cost to Create: 500 gp, 25 XP, 1 day.
Price (Item Level): 18,000 gp (14th)
Body Slot: — (held or mounted; see text)
Caster Level: 9th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 19) conjuration and transmutation
Activation: See text
Weight: Varies; see text
By the Twelve, I did not think this abomination still existed.
Callista’s ballista is actually two separate magic items that has, over time, become thought of as one. (The second one is Callista’s walker.) It was crafted centuries ago by the gnome wizard Callista Celesta Carolisa Colletta Cranebill, a.k.a. “the Cantankerous”, “the Crazed”, etc., who was unsatisfied with her choice of weapons when she ran out of spells: “Crossbows made for infants? Bah! I’ll show them—I’ll show them all!”
The main part of Callista’s ballista is, essentially, a +1 darkwood quick loading sizing light ballista. No one told Callista that such a thing should not be possible, and if one had, she still would have made it out of sheer contrariness and spite. As such, it can, as per the sizing weapon property (which does not explicitly state that it can only be used on melee weapons), assume the shape of smaller sized-crossbows, from the size of a hand crossbow up to a heavy crossbow, and size for the appropriate creature as well, with accordant modifiers to range increment, damage, and so forth.
In its unenchanted form, Callista’s ballista is a darkwood light ballista. As such, it is a masterwork weapon with a base cost of 1,000 gold pieces, but the darkwood used raises the base price to 5,000. Each ballista bolt costs one gold piece, does 3d8 damage, has a threat range of 19–20 for double damage and a range increment of 100 feet. Masterwork bolts cost 300 each plus triple the ammunition cost of any special material used (alchemical silver, adamantine, cold iron, etc.) One can make the argument that due to its size, the ammunition can be recovered and repaired, depending on the situation.
Like other light ballistae, Callista’s ballista occupies a 5’ by 5’ square. Because it is mostly made of darkwood to make it light enough for Callista’s walker to carry, it weighs 200 pounds rather than 400. Without magic, using it properly requires a crew of two Medium-sized creatures, and firing it is treated as described under the ballista description.
With its magic, and when mounted on Callista’s walker, Callista’s ballista is treated as a very heavy crossbow. As such, the operator does not require the Ballista Proficiency feat to use it without penalty; it is a standard ranged attack with a crossbow and operated by a single user. The quick loading property reloads it as a move action like any other heavy crossbow; Callista’s walker may also make a move action during reloading. If it moves while being fired, the operator has a –10 penalty to her attack roll, so double moves are not advised. The ballista’s extra-dimensional space can summon bolts of any size it can fire. Note that the sizing property of the ballista does not resize the ammunition. When found, that space may contain a random assortment of ammunition.
Callista’s ballista was magically reinforced with a hardening spell when she was level 14 to raise its hardness from 5 to 12; it has 25 hit points. It can be repaired with repair damage spells such as repair light damage.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, secret chest, shrink item.
Cost to Create: 9,000 gp, 450 XP, 18 days.
Certain rods are designed to be used thrice a week rather than thrice a day. See Costs of Magical Items for details.
Price (Item Level): 25,920 gp (16th)
Body Slot: — (held)
Caster Level: 16th
Aura: Strong; (DC 21) transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: ½ lb.
This rod is thinner and smaller than most rods, being constructed of mahogany and being about 15 inches long. It was fashioned by the great gnomish bard and playwright Salzar Smacknoodle about 80 years ago to use in his play, The Toys’ Holiday. It has no value as a weapon. It can cast animate objects as a 16th level bard three times per week.
Prerequisites: Craft Rod, animate objects.
Cost to Create: 12,960 gp, 648 XP, 13 days.
Magical rings are not limited to finger rings; earrings may also be enchanted. Earrings are treated as rings for the limitation on the number usable, so a character can wear two earrings, one finger ring and one earring, or two finger rings. An earring that is built for twice its market value does not take a body slot. A hand of glory can hold one additional finger ring but not an earring. Any magical finger ring described from any allowed rulebook can be built as an earring unless the ring acts specifically on the wearer’s finger. The reverse is also true unless stated in the earring’s description. The crafting of a magical earring requires the Forge Ring feat.
Unless otherwise specified herein, any magic ring can be crafted as a magic earring instead.
Price (Item Level): See table
Body Slot: Ring (earring)
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 18) necromancy
Activation: —
Weight: —
This earring comes in two versions: the earring of hearing and the improved earring of hearing, with bonuses to Listen checks and costs to make as shown on the table below.
| Earring Type | Listen Bonus | Price (gp) | Item Level | Cost to Create | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gp | XP | Days | ||||
| Standard | +5 | 2,500 | 7th | 1,250 | 100 | 3 |
| Improved | +10 | 10,000 | 12th | 5,000 | 400 | 10 |
Prerequisites: Forge Ring, blindsight.
Cost to Create: See table.
Price (Item Level): See table
Body Slot: Ring
Caster Level: 3rd
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: —
This silver or gold ring displays two clasped hands.
This ring comes in two forms: the lesser ring of alteration, which is silver, and the greater ring of alteration, which is gold. Both rings allow its wearer to cast the alter self spell at will. The form change ends in 30 minutes on the lesser ring (unless it is reactivated); on the greater ring it is continuous until changed, dismissed, or dispelled. Each change of form is a standard action.
| Ring Type | Price (gp) | Item Level | Cost to Create | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gp | XP | Days | |||
| Lesser | 10,800 | 13th | 5,400 | 432 | 11 |
| Greater | 18,000 | 14th | 9,000 | 720 | 18 |
Prerequisites: Forge Ring, alter self.
Cost to Create: See table.
Price (Item Level): 2,000 gp (6th)
Body Slot: Ring
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) necromancy
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: —
This silver ring is engraved with the symbol of Avyrna.
This ring bestows a continuous infertility spell on its wearer. These rings are occasionally used as engagement rings among the more wealthy.
Prerequisites: Forge Ring, infertility.
Cost to Create: 1,000 gp, 50 XP, 2 days.
Price (Item Level): 12,000 gp (13th)
Body Slot: Ring
Caster Level: 3rd
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: —
These rings are always made in pairs; the price above is for a single ring, useless on its own. The wearers of each ring always know the location and condition of each other, as if they had cast status on each other. Marrying adventurers have used these as wedding rings, which is what gives the rings their name.
If found singly as random treasure, the game master determines whether the other ring still exists, and who—or what—is wearing it, if it is being worn.
Prerequisites: Forge Ring, status.
Cost to Create: 6,000 gp, 480 XP, 12 days.
Price (Item Level): 4,000 gp (8th)
Body Slot: Ring
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) transmutation
Activation: —
Weight: —
This ring shrinks a humanoid creature (only) wearing it as if affected by reduce person. The effect is continuous.
Prerequisites: Forge Ring, reduce person.
Cost to Create: 2,000 gp, 160 XP, 4 days.
Price (Item Level): 32,000 gp (16th)
Body Slot: — (held)
Caster Level: 15th
Aura: Strong; (DC 22) necromancy
Activation: As spell used
Weight: 4 lb.
This twisted black walnut runestaff is imbued with spells for the vindictive spellcaster who wants to inflict suffering rather than fatalities. It allows you to cast any of the following spells (each thrice daily) by expending a prepared arcane spell or arcane spell slot of the same level or higher.
Prerequisites: Craft Staff, greater bestow curse, bestow curse, remove curse.
Cost to Create: 16,000 gp, 1,280 XP, 32 days.
Price (Item Level): 34,600 gp (16th)
Body Slot: — (held)
Caster Level: 15th
Aura: Strong; (DC 23) necromancy
Activation: As spell used
Weight: 3 lb.
This short birch wood staff is bound by silver rings at both ends.
This staff allows the use of the following spell three times daily by expending a prepared arcane spell or arcane spell slot of the same level or higher.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, dispel magic, greater dispel magic, chain dispel.
Cost to Create: 17,300 gp, 1,384 XP, 35 days.
Price (Item Level): 1,800 gp (5th)
Body Slot: — (held)
Caster Level: 12th
Aura: Strong; (DC 21) evocation
Activation: As spell used
Weight: 3 lb.
Fashioned first by the elf wizard Mylena Amberwine, this arrow-straight tube of darkwood has spells that strike as rays. Sorcha Amberwine, her daughter, inherited the unfinished runestaff. While it is thought to be unique, there is nothing preventing another wizard or sorcerer with a penchant for precision targeting from making a similar item. The runestaff of rays allows you to cast each of the following spells thrice daily by expending a prepared arcane spell or arcane spell slot of the same level or higher.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, seeking ray, ray of clumsiness.
Price (Item Level): 4,000 gp (8th)
Body Slot: Throat
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) abjuration
Activation: —
Weight: ½ lb.
These are among the most common of amulets in Yön. Clerics and wizards both make them; clerical ones are always holy symbols to the deity the cleric worships and can act as divine foci. Whether made by arcane or divine magic, this amulet provides its wearer a continuous protection with one of the four following spells, as chosen by the amulet’s creator: protection from chaos, protection from evil, protection from good, or protection from law. These amulets are named after the alignment they protect against: amulet against chaos, amulet against evil, amulet against good, or amulet against law.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, protection from chaos (for an amulet against chaos), protection from evil (for an amulet against evil), protection from good (for an amulet against good), or protection from law (for an amulet against law).
Cost to Create: 2,000 gp, 160 XP, 4 days.
Price (Item Level): 900 gp (4th)
Body Slot: Throat
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) necromancy
This brass chain holds a simple copper charm engraved with the symbol of Avyrna.
This amulet allows its wearer to cast the infertility spell as often as desired.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, infertility.
Cost to Create: 450 gp, 36 XP, 1 day.
This simple silver chain protects the wearer’s mind with a +1 to +5 resistance bonus to her Will saves.
| Resistance (Will) Bonus | Price (gp) | Item Level | Caster Level | Abjuration | Cost to Create | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gp | XP | Days | |||||
| +1 | 250 | 2nd | 2nd | Faint; (DC 16) | 125 | 10 | 1 |
| +2 | 1,000 | 4th | 4th | Faint; (DC 17) | 500 | 40 | 1 |
| +3 | 2,250 | 6th | 6th | Moderate; (DC 18) | 1,125 | 90 | 3 |
| +4 | 4,000 | 12th | 8th | Moderate; (DC 19) | 5,000 | 400 | 10 |
| +5 | 6,250 | 12th | 10th | Moderate; (DC 20) | 5,000 | 400 | 10 |
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, resistance, creator’s caster level must be at least twice the amulet’s bonus.
Cost to Create: See table.
Price (Item Level): See table
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: See table
Activation: Standard (manipulation)
Weight: —
When blown, these simple wooden whistles, which are crafted by druids in three grades of potency, summon an arrowhawk once per day. The least arrowhawk whistle summons a juvenile arrowhawk; the lesser one summons an adult arrowhawk, and the greater one summons an elder arrowhawk. The summoned arrowhawk remains for a number of rounds equal to the whistle’s caster level (see table) and attacks as directed by the whistle blower as if created by a summon nature’s ally spell.
| Resistance (Will) Bonus | Price (gp) | Item Level | Caster Level | Conjuration Aura (DC) | Cost to Create | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gp | XP | Days | |||||
| Least | 10,080 | 13th | 7th | Moderate; (DC 19) | 5,040 | 404 | 11 |
| Lesser | 16,200 | 14th | 9th | Moderate; (DC 20) | 8,100 | 648 | 17 |
| Greater | 32,760 | 16th | 13th | Strong; (DC 22) | 16,380 | 1,311 | 33 |
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, summon nature’s ally IV (least) or summon nature’s ally V (lesser) or summon nature’s ally VII (greater).
Cost to Create: See table.
Price (Item Level): 900 gp (4th)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) illusion
Weight: 5 lb.
More often called the perfect balance, this large set of brass merchant’s scales automatically casts fool’s gold on one pan of the balance, creating an equal weight of ersatz copper, silver or gold drawn from the Plane of Shadow whenever real copper, silver or gold is placed in the other pan. The ersatz metal disappears as the real metal is removed.
A perfect balance cannot weigh more than ten pounds of metal at a time, but sampling a larger load of metal or weighing it in parts gets around this limitation.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, fool’s gold.
Cost to Create: 450 gp, 36 XP, 1 day.
This study leather belt enhances the wearer’s health with a +1 to +5 resistance bonus to her Fortitude saves.
| Resistance (Fortitude) Bonus | Price (gp) | Item Level | Caster Level | Abjuration | Cost to Create | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gp | XP | Days | |||||
| +1 | 250 | 2nd | 2nd | Faint; (DC 16) | 125 | 10 | 1 |
| +2 | 1,000 | 4th | 4th | Faint; (DC 17) | 500 | 40 | 1 |
| +3 | 2,250 | 6th | 6th | Moderate; (DC 18) | 1,125 | 90 | 3 |
| +4 | 4,000 | 12th | 8th | Moderate; (DC 19) | 5,000 | 400 | 10 |
| +5 | 6,250 | 12th | 10th | Moderate; (DC 20) | 5,000 | 400 | 10 |
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, resistance, creator’s caster level must be at least twice the amulet’s bonus.
Cost to Create: See table.
Price (Item Level): 360 gp (2nd)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) transmutation
Activation: Standard (manipulation)
Weight: —
This is a single round berry, green and unripe. When placed into one’s navel, it sinks into the skin and disappears. Once a day at when the berry’s bearer is first exposed to sunlight (typically at dawn), it grows a tiny vine from the navel over the course of ten minutes. At the end of that time, 2d4+1 berries sprout from the vine, one of them green and unripe, and the others red, ripe, and luscious. The vine dies and falls away after the berries are picked, or automatically at sunset, when all the berries fall off by themselves.
The red berries are affected as if by the goodberry spell cast by a 1st-level druid; their magic fades in one day. The green berry is the renewed birthberry and can be placed against the navel to merge with it, repeating the magic. An eaten birthberry is destroyed with no other effect.
While this item does not take a body slot, only one birthberry can be placed in a navel at a time. It will not work without sunlight to trigger it, remaining dormant within its bearer. The growth of the birthberry does not harm or scar its bearer in any way. It will grow under clothing or armor as long as any of the bearer’s skin is exposed to sunlight.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, goodberry.
Cost to Create: 180 gp, 15 XP, 1 day.
These supple leather boots make the wearer more nimble, adding a +1 to +5 resistance bonus to her Reflex saves.
| Resistance (Reflex) Bonus | Price (gp) | Item Level | Caster Level | Abjuration Aura (DC) | Cost to Create | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gp | XP | Days | |||||
| +1 | 250 | 2nd | 2nd | Faint; (DC 16) | 125 | 10 | 1 |
| +2 | 1,000 | 4th | 4th | Faint; (DC 17) | 500 | 40 | 1 |
| +3 | 2,250 | 6th | 6th | Moderate; (DC 18) | 1,125 | 90 | 3 |
| +4 | 4,000 | 12th | 8th | Moderate; (DC 19) | 5,000 | 400 | 10 |
| +5 | 6,250 | 12th | 10th | Moderate; (DC 20) | 5,000 | 400 | 10 |
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, resistance, creator’s caster level must be at least twice the boots’ bonus.
Cost to Create: See table.
Price (Item Level): 160,000 gp (23rd)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 18th
Aura: Strong; (DC 24) conjuration and transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: 500 pounds enlarged or ½ pound reduced
First constructed by the former Psenellar arcane gnome and lich wizard Shem Psharodynjer to hide his phylactery from all divination magic, this powerful item has but one purpose: defeat all forms of divination directed at its contents. It accomplishes this by placing all items stored in it in a state of extraplanar flux: the items exist on all and no planes of existence simultaneously, therefore even to divination magic such as discern location, they exist everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
The box usually appears as a small box, about the size of a cigar humidor—perhaps six inches long, three inches wide and just over an inch thick—but more resembling a tiny cabinet, wardrobe or armoire. It is usually made of finely carved wood or etched precious metals with a lid in two halves that covers the opening like small cabinet doors. The lid can be enchanted with any spell that can secure a door or opening, including arcane lock and fire trap. When opened in this form, the box appears empty and the doors will not close if an item is placed within. If the box is destroyed in this form, all items within are lost, their component atoms scattered across the planes. In this form, however, anything contained within is completely immune to location by divination magic of any kind, even that of a deity, since the contents will seem to exist everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
A command word will enlarge the box to its normal dimensions (and shrink it back again), standing it on its end in the form of a very sturdy and heavy cabinet six feet tall, four feet wide, and a foot and a half deep. When the doors are opened, items can be placed in and out as if in a normal cabinet, but divination magic can operate normally on them until the doors are closed again. The cabinet can accept up to 30 cubic feet of items with no weight limit.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, plane shift, shrink item, teleport object.
Cost to Create: 80,000 gp, 6,400 XP, 160 days.
Price (Item Level): 1,800 gp (5th)
Body Slot: Face
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) conjuration
Activation: Swift (command)
Weight: —
A simple waterproof mask that covers the mouth and nose and straps behind the head, the breath mask is the simplest of magic items that permit breathing underwater. It allows the user to cast deep breath once a round as a swift action. If she is unable to take a swift action for some reason, the wearer must hold her breath. It doesn’t protect against the effects of pressure in deep water.
The command word for these masks is usually “breathe” or simply inhaling.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, deep breath.
Cost to Create: 900 gp, 72 XP, 2 days.
Price (Item Level): 25,920 gp (16th)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 9th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 19) transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: 4 lb. in box form; 200 lb. deployed
Callista made this as a magical steed designed to mount her magical ballista (see Callista’s ballista) and make it easier to use and aim.
In its undeployed form, Callista’s walker looks like a small wooden box similar to an undeployed folding boat, 12 inches long and 6 inches wide and deep in which Callista’s ballista is meant to be carried, using its sizing property to make it into a hand crossbow for a Small-sized creature to fit within it.
When deployed with a command word, it vaguely resembles a four-legged, somewhat mechanical spider with a round platform in place of its body (where the ballista goes). A seat for a Small-sized humanoid is attached to the back of this platform so the operator can sit behind the ballista and aim it. Deploying the walker is a standard action; placing the reduced-size ballista is a move action (during which time the operator can sit at the controls), and using the sizing property of Callista’s ballista to return it to its full size is a swift action, so fully setting up the two items is a full-round action. (To avoid embarrassing injury, it is best to place the ballista on the platform before returning it to its native size.)
The walker is controlled by two brass levers with a two little thumb levers mounted atop each one. The left lever controls the two left legs, the right lever controls the two right legs, so it turns by moving the levers in different directions, or forward or backward by pushing both levers forward or back. “Forward” is considered the direction of the platform’s facing, so that when directed to move forward or backward, the legs will move to accommodate the platform’s facing.
The left thumb lever causes the legs to flex to tilt it up and down (as much as 45° each way), the right one rotates the platform independently of the legs. This allows the operator to aim the ballista. All levers only work when an operator is in the seat; if the seat is unoccupied for any reason, the walker comes to an immediate stop and stands inert.
Callista’s walker is treated as a Medium animated object except as noted here. Like Callista’s ballista, it was magically reinforced with a hardening spell when Callista was level 14 to raise its a hardness from 5 to 12; it has 31 hit points. Because it has legs, its base speed is 40 feet. As a quadrupedal animated object with a Strength of 12 enhanced to 16 by additional magic, its carrying capacity is up to 114 pounds for light loads, 229 pounds for medium loads, and 345 for heavy loads. This means that unless the operator is very light even for a Small creature, it is carrying a Heavy load when Callista’s ballista is mounted on it, so its base speed drops to 30 feet and its run multiplier to 3. (Callista would use the ballista’s Sizing ability to shrink it to a Small hand crossbow when she had to flee.) Its increased Strength allows it to make a single slam attack per round (+5 melee for 1d6+3 points of damage) under the direction of its operator. It cannot do this if the operator fires the ballista that round.
As a Medium-sized creature, only a humanoid creature of Small size can use it as a mount. A Medium humanoid creature can operate it if they are affected by a reduce person spell.
With Callista’s ballista in place on the platform, the operator of Callista’s walker is considered to have cover.
Like Callista’s ballista, Callista’s walker can be mended with repair damage spells such as repair light damage.
It is rumored that Callista made at least one other magical “attachment” for her magical walker. It was designed to serve her a variety of fancy coffee drinks on demand. Sadly, Callista’s barista has been lost to time…
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, bull’s strength, fabricate, telekinesis or animate object.
Cost to Create: 12,960 gp, 1,037 XP, 26 days.
This item usually resembles a golden coin an inch or two in diameter, sometimes with a small hole near the edge for a fine chain, inscribed with arcane runes and symbols. It can cast the prestidigitation spell on command.
Some cantrip coins have been enchanted to act as chronoliths, alarm chronoliths, or discs of direction as well. These additional enchantments only cost as much as each individual enchantment; there is no 50% surcharge for each cheaper enchantment. For example, a cantrip coin that is also an alarm chronolith costs 1,800 gp plus 600 gp or 2,400 gp, not 1,800 plus 600 × 1.5 or 2,700 gp.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, prestidigitation.
Cost to Create: 900 gp, 72 XP, 2 days.
Price (Item Level): See table
Body Slot: Throat, Face, or Arms
Caster Level: See table
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) varies
Activation: As spell used
Weight: —
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item,
Cost to Create:
One of the cheapest, simplest, and most available permanent magical items made, a charm is a simple amulet, headband or bracelet enchanted to cast a single spell once a day. A lesser charm casts a single spell once a week. Charms of any sort are almost never made with higher than 4th level spells.
| Spell Level | Price (gp) | Item Level | Caster Level | Abjuration Aura (DC) | Cost to Create | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gp | XP | Days | |||||
| 0 | 180 | 2nd | 1st | Faint; (DC 15) | 90 | 8 | 1 |
| 1st | 360 | 2nd | 3rd | Faint; (DC 16) | 180 | 15 | 1 |
| 2nd | 2,160 | 6th | 5th | Faint; (DC 17) | 1,080 | 87 | 3 |
| 3rd | 5,400 | 10th | 7th | Moderate; (DC 18) | 2,700 | 216 | 6 |
| 4th | 10,080 | 13th | 9th | Moderate; (DC 19) | 5,040 | 404 | 11 |
| Spell Level | Price (gp) | Item Level | Caster Level | Abjuration Aura (DC) | Cost to Create | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gp | XP | Days | |||||
| 0 | 45 | ½ | 1st | Faint; (DC 15) | 23 | 2 | 1 |
| 1st | 90 | 1st | 3rd | Faint; (DC 16) | 45 | 4 | 1 |
| 2nd | 540 | 3rd | 5th | Faint; (DC 17) | 270 | 22 | 1 |
| 3rd | 1,350 | 5th | 7th | Moderate; (DC 18) | 675 | 54 | 2 |
| 4th | 2,520 | 7th | 9th | Moderate; (DC 19) | 1,260 | 101 | 3 |
A charm cannot be used until it has been worn at least one hour; a lesser charm must be worn for 24 hours. The command word for using one is usually inscribed on it.
Charms of spells with significant material component costs (those having a gold piece value), a focus requirement (except for a divine focus), or experience point costs cannot be crafted.
When randomly generating a charm, a random scroll table can be used; reroll any result disallowed by the previous paragraph.
While higher level charms do exist, they are far less frequent because of their price. The price for such a charm is equal to [spell level] × [caster level] × 360. Minimum caster level is [spell level] × 2 – 1. Level 0 charms are half the price of 1st level charms.
This is a list of common charms by level:
0—charm of infertility, charm of mending, charm of detect poison, charm of detect magic, charm of arcane mark. 1st: charm of endure elements, charm of disguise self, charm of enlarge person, charm of mount, charm of true strike, charm of expeditious retreat, charm of reduce person.
Price (Item Level): 300 gp (2nd); 600 gp (rd) with alarm
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) divination; plus abjuration with alarm)
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: —
This is usually a small, flat quartz stone enchanted to display on its surface the time and date on command, in a form understandable to the owner.
An alarm chronolith is like a regular chronolith, except that it can be set to make an audible or mental signal when commanded. Like the alarm spell, the mental signal sent by such a chronolith will wake its owner if she is asleep. This alarm can be commanded to go off after a fixed period (“signal after exactly ten minutes”) or at a particular time (“wake me by mental signal at eight of the clock tomorrow morning”). Only one alarm may be set at a time; commanding a new one removes the previous one.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, know time, alarm (if an alarm chronolith).
Cost to Create: 150 gp, 12 XP, 1 day; 300 gp, 24 XP, 1 day with alarm.
Price (Item Level): 1,000 gp (4th)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) divination
Activation: —
Weight: —
This small wooden disc is enchanted such that the compass rose burned into its face always magically alter themselves to properly orient their north arrows to point to true (not magnetic) north. They are made by druids to assist those with less woodcraft than they.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, know direction.
Cost to Create: 500 gp, 40 XP, 1 day.
Price (Item Level): 4,300 gp (9th)
Body Slot: Face
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) divination
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: —
These gold-rimmed octagonal spectacles grant a +5 competence bonus on Spellcraft checks and allow their wearer to cast detect magic at will. They are favored by spellcasters with high Spellcraft scores to enable them to quickly identify magical items.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, detect magic.
Cost to Create: 2,150 gp, 172 XP, 5 days.
Price (Item Level): 900 gp (4th)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) conjuration
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: ½ lb. (empty)
These waterskins were first fashioned by hraden clerics and druids. As such, they are made for Large size creatures and hold up to two gallons of water. Because they weigh over 17 pounds when full, they are usually carried empty, since they can be magically filled upon command.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, create water.
Cost to Create: 450 gp, 36 XP, 1 day.
Price (Item Level): See table
Caster Level: 12th
Aura: Strong; (DC 21) conjuration
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: —
Yön wizards make the anchor, bird, fan, swan boat, tree and whip feather tokens. They also make a few others, each usable once:
Bed: A token that forms a large canopied feather bed with a simple but sturdy oak frame, seven feet long and wide, large enough for two Medium humanoid creatures. It has linen sheets and canopy, woolen blankets, goose-down quilts and two thick pillows. The bed lasts for one day. The token resembles a tiny pillow.
Cart: A token that makes a simple wooden two-wheel cart and harness that a horse or mule can pull. The cart lasts for one day.
Chair: A token that forms an oak rocking chair with a quilted pillow for a seat cushion. It can seat one Medium humanoid creature comfortably. The chair lasts one day.
Ladder: A token that makes a stout wooden ladder up to thirty feet long. The user specifies the length when the token is used. If used as a bridge, the ladder can bear 500 pounds; used normally, it can bear 1,000 pounds. The ladder lasts for one day.
| Token Type | Price (gp) | Item Level | Cost to Create | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gp | XP | Days | |||
| Bed | 50 | ½ | 25 gp | 2 | 1 |
| Cart | 50 | ½ | 25 gp | 2 | 1 |
| Chair | 25 | ½ | 12 gp, 5 sp | 1 | 1 |
| Ladder | 25 | ½ | 12 gp, 5 sp | 1 | 1 |
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, major creation.
Cost to Create: See table.
Price (Item Level): 4,000 gp (8th)
Body Slot: Hands
Caster Level: 3rd
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) transmutation
Activation: —
Weight: ½ lb.
The wearer of these heavy leather gauntlets is under the continual effect of an enlarge person spell. These gauntlets only affect creatures of the humanoid type.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, enlarge person.
Cost to Create: 2,000 gp, 160 XP, 4 days.
Price (Item Level): 900 gp (4th)
Body Slot: Hands
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) transmutation
Activation: Standard (action)
Weight: —
This open-fingered leather glove lets its owner throw items up to Fine size—usually splash weapons like alchemist’s fire and thunderstones—further and with better accuracy. Activating this item is a standard action; the item is thrown in the same action. Items thrown with a glove of pitching can strike targets up to 110 feet away with no penalty for range.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, launch item.
Cost to Create: 450 gp, 36 XP, 1 day.
A golem manual contains information, incantations and magical power that help a character to craft a golem. The instructions therein grant a +5 competence bonus on skill checks made to craft the golem’s body. Each manual also holds the prerequisite spells needed for a specific golem, effectively grants the builder use of the Craft Construct feat during the construction of the golem, and grants the character an increase to her caster level for the purpose of crafting a golem. Any golem built using a golem manual does not cost the creator any XP, since the requisite XP are “contained” in the book and “expended” by the book during the creation process.
The spells included in a golem manual require a spell trigger activation and can be activated only to assist in the construction of a golem. The cost of the book does not include the cost of constructing the golem’s body. Once the golem is finished, the writing in the manual fades and the book is consumed in flames. When the book’s ashes are sprinkled upon the golem, it becomes fully animated.
The statistics block below contains details for more than one type of golem manual. Use the horizontal scrollbar below it to display the desired one or select from the links below that. The name of a particular manual at the top of the column hyperlinks to its description below.
| Sun Golem Manual | |
|---|---|
| Price (Item Level): | 35,000 gp (16th) |
| Body Slot: | — |
| Caster Level: | 14th |
| Aura: | Strong; (DC 22) conjuration, enchantment and transmutation |
| Activation: | See text |
| Weight: | 5 lb. |
| Prerequisites: | Craft Construct, animate objects, commune, daylight, detect undead, disrupting weapon, sunbeam creator must be caster level 14th. |
| Cost to Create: | 3,500 gp, 5,880 XP, 7 days. |
Sun Golem Manual: The book contains animate objects, commune, daylight, detect undead, disrupting weapon, and sunbeam. The reader may treat her caster level as four levels higher than normal for the purpose of crafting a sun golem. The book supplies the 4,500 XP for the creation of a sun golem.
Price (Item Level): 15,200 gp; add 12,500 gp for each additional 1000 pages of storage; add 1,800 gp if erase power is added (varies)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 7th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 18) varied
Weight: 1 lb.
At its very least, the grand grimoire is the equivalent of a blessed book, which does not exist as such on Yön; wizards there usually prefer even more versatile ways of magically storing their spells.
These books appear to have 100 blank pages, but with the proper command words, they can store and recall at least 1000 pages of writing. They are typically no more than 8 inches wide and 12 inches tall. They are waterproof and are secured with superior locks (DC 40 to open). To store written text, the owner can write text or even scribe a spell into it (without paying the cost for special materials to scribe a spell into a normal spellbook) then command the book to store the text or spell, which vanishes from the pages. The spell or other text can be recalled to the pages with another command. Any such recall causes the book to riffle through its pages as if seeking the correct page even though all it is doing is recalling the text to the pages. Recalling anything from the book is a standard action.
The owner may also command the grand grimoire to display a table of contents—a list of all spells, books, articles, notes or other such text contained within it. This is a full round action.
The owner of a grand grimoire may, upon command, have it copy and store non-magical texts as if using the amanuensis spell.
Grand grimoires can be created with more than 1000 pages of storage or enchanted later to add more pages; the costs are noted below. Note that each 2000 pages of storage gives the book the storage of one library book lot as described in the sidebar on page 25 of the Stronghold Builder’s Guidebook. Very large grand grimoires can literally store entire libraries!
A grand grimoire can be enchanted (for the additional cost noted below) to cast erase on command.
A grand grimoire can be inscribed with any text-based defensive spells, including explosive runes, sepia snake sigil, illusory script and symbol spells. The caster of such spells can command the grimoire to display false entries in the table of contents for pages trapped with these spells. Moreover, the owner may command that the book turn to a particular page when someone other than she opens it, usually to expose and trigger a symbol spell. The lock can be secured with arcane lock and spells such as fire trap.
Because none of the text is actually stored on the pages of a grand grimoire, it can operate with no loss of its content if even one page and the binding are intact.
Powerful wizards have enchanted their grand grimoires to be intelligent magic items; the personality controlling such a grimoire is called a “book spirit”. Book spirits typically have high Intelligence and Wisdom. They always speak High Ryzhaen and Draconic as their Intelligence bonus permits. In addition to its other methods of communication (empathy, speech or telepathy), a book spirit may (and usually prefers to if it has the erase power) “flip to a page” with a written response. Their lesser powers are usually 10 ranks in Decipher Script, Knowledge (arcana or the planes), Spellcraft, Spot, or Listen, or detect magic at will. An intelligent grand grimoire knows what is written within itself and can, in defense of itself or its owner, flip to pages that contain its defensive spells. A book spirit will not use a page with explosive runes except as a last resort and may resent having such a spell inscribed into it. A book spirit can lock and unlock the grimoire it inhabits and bypass traps contingent on its opening (such as fire trap) without disturbing them. A grimoire with a book spirit has a fly speed of 20 with perfect maneuverability. It can double move but not run or charge.
The book spirit of a grand grimoire is allowed a Will saving throw against any spell written into it or that affects writings within it, such as erase or explosive runes. Except for explosive runes, It usually forgoes this save if such spells are cast by its owner. If it has the erase power, it may choose to use it against any spell cast within it that erase can affect. It is considered to have a caster level of 15, so it can use erase on such spells automatically unless it rolls a natural 1 or 2.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, amanuensis, erase (if that power is added), secret page, unseen servant.
Cost to Create: Varies.
Price (Item Level): 70,000 gp ()
Body Slot: Head
Caster Level: 3rd
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) transmutation
Activation: —
Weight: 3 lb.
This helmet, often crafted with large metal ears, grants its wearer the continuous effects of a blindsight spell. It also grants its wearer a +10 bonus to Listen checks beyond the limit of the blindsight.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, blindsight.
Cost to Create: 35,000 gp, 2,800 XP, 70 days.
Price (Item Level): 16,200 gp (14th)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 9th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 19) conjuration
Activation: See text
Weight: —
This brass skeleton key conjures a hidden lodge as the spell once per day. It takes ten minutes for the lodge to appear once the key has been used. (This is started by twisting it in midair as if inserted in an invisible lock and speaking the command word.) The lodge created by this key always has an unseen servant in service of the user of the lodge key as well as silent mental alarm spells and arcane lock spells noted in the description of the secure shelter spell.
The mage hand effect may extend up to 45 feet from wherever the key user stands within the shelter. She can use it to manipulate objects she can see from the door or the windows, but not standing outside the lodge itself.
Using the key once a day at the same time will renew the lodge without interruption, replacing any contents conjured within it that were damaged or destroyed.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, hidden lodge.
Cost to Create: 8,100 gp, 648 XP, 17 days.
Price (Item Level): 32,400 gp (16th)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 9th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 19) abjuration and conjuration
Activation: See text
Weight: —
This silver key operates exactly as the lodge key, except that the lodge is also under the effects of mage’s private sanctum. It’s the ultimate portable cottage for those seeking to be completely undisturbed.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, hidden lodge, mage’s private sanctum.
Cost to Create: 16,200 gp, 1,296 XP, 33 days.
Price (Item Level): 32,775 gp (16th) or 40,335 gp (17th)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 13th or 16th
Aura: Strong; (DC 21 or 23) conjuration
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: —
This golden skeleton key is attached to a bracelet by a short chain. It conjures a mage’s magnificent mansion as the spell once per day for as long as 26 hours. It takes a standard action to use the key, and the bracelet must be worn while doing so. (This is usually done by twisting it in midair as if inserted in an invisible lock and speaking the command word.) The mansion has a volume of thirteen cubes ten feet on a side, or 13,000 cubic feet, as many as 26 nearly transparent, liveried servants (basically acting as unseen servants) and enough food to serve a nine-course banquet to 156 people.
Some versions of the mansion key are created as if cast by a 16th-level caster, since this increases the volume of the mansion to 16,000 cubic feet, or the same as four stronghold spaces from the Stronghold Builder’s Guidebook. Mansions conjured from these versions last 28 hours, have up to 28 unseen servants and enough food to serve a nine-course banquet to 192 people.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, mage’s magnificent mansion.
Cost to Create: 16,388 gp, 1,311 XP, 33 days or 20,168 gp, 1,614 XP, 41 days.
Price (Item Level): 48,600 gp (18th)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 9th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 19) transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: —
This pearl gives the fleeting impression of resembling an owl’s eye.
A pearl of wisdom can cast owl’s insight three times daily on its user, each use lasting one hour and granting a +4 insight bonus to Wisdom. The pearl must be possessed by its user for 24 hours before it will work.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, owl’s insight.
Cost to Create: 24,300 gp, 1,944 XP, 49 days.
Price (Item Level): 900 gp (4th)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) no school
Activation: Standard (mental)
Weight: —
This simple pen or quill allows the owner to cast amanuensis at will. Each casting lasts ten minutes, enough to copy 2500 words or about ten handwritten pages.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, amanuensis.
Cost to Create: 450 gp, 36 XP, 1 day.
Price (Item Level): See table
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: See table
Activation: Standard (command); see text
Weight: ½ lb.
This crystal vial has a wax or rubber stopper. When water is poured into it, a command word spoken, and then left to stand for one minute (ten rounds), it becomes a potion of the particular spell enchanted into the decanter. This spell must be 3rd level or less and have a casting time of one minute or less. Once the enchantment is complete, the potion can be moved to another container without losing its enchantment. Whether or not it is moved, potions made by the decanter revert back to water if unused for three hours.
A potion decanter can be used thrice daily. There are three general versions of the decanter: a least potion decanter that makes potions from a 1st-level spell enchanted into it, a lesser potion decanter that makes them from a 2nd-level spell enchanted into it, and a greater potion decanter that makes them from a 3rd-level spell. They are named based on the spell enchanted into them, so a decanter with bull’s strength enchanted into during its creation would be a lesser potion decanter of bull’s strength.
When encountered randomly, you can determine the spell enchanted into the decanter by rolling as if for a scroll of the appropriate level, rerolling for spells that cannot be used for potions.
| Decanter Type | Price (gp) | Item Level | Caster Level | Transmutation Aura (DC) | Cost to Create | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gp | XP | Days | |||||
| Least | 4,350 | 9th | 3rd | Faint; (DC 16) | 2,175 | 174 | 5 |
| Lesser | 6,480 | 10th | 3rd | Faint; (DC 16) | 3,240 | 260 | 7 |
| Greater | 19,440 | 15th | 5th | Faint; (DC 17) | 9,720 | 778 | 20 |
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, quick potion, the spell to be cast into the potion.
Cost to Create: See table.
Price (Item Level): 1,800 gp (5th)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) no school
Activation: Standard (mental)
Weight: —
A quill of signing allows its user to cast arcane mark at will. A least one of these pens can be found in any Hall of the Ordo Ars Magica or branch of the Higginbotham Bank as they are the preferred method for signing contracts; such marks are very hard to forge.
If a drop of the user’s blood is applied to the tip of the quill before the spell is cast, that arcane mark will be a bloodmark. See the addendum for the arcane mark spell for details on bloodmarks.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, arcane mark.
Cost to Create: 900 gp, 72 XP, 2 days.
Price (Item Level): 50 gp (½)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) evocation
Weight: 1½ lb.
The druids of Darkwold have several among their number active in making a variety of magic items that are useful in their self-appointed task of protecting that vast and ancient forest. One of the simplest but most useful is the rain flask, a stoppered bottle that when opened dispenses a large, dark cloud which the user can direct that round to any point within 440 feet, at which point the clouds will burst into a drenching rain 100 feet in radius and 10 minutes in duration, exactly like a cloudburst spell cast by a 1st-level druid. The rain flask can be used once, then its magic is expended.
Rain flasks are given to non-druids serving as protectors of the Darkwold, and many are sold to use to fight fires in cities and on ships, so they see wide use.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, cloudburst.
Cost to Create: 25 gp, 2 XP, 1 day.
Price (Item Level): 1,800 gp (5th)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: —
The churches of Hræyn and Rytha craft these small, engraved spoons for sale to nobles, wealthier merchants, and upscale restaurants. When touched to food or drink and a command word is spoken, it casts purify food and drink on the touched substance, removing all poison and contamination from it. The spoon may be used unlimited times.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, purify food and drink.
Cost to Create: 900 gp, 72 XP, 2 days.
Price (Item Level): 27,000 gp (16th)
Body Slot: — (held)
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: ½ lb.
This deceptively plain iron chisel can cast stone shape as often as desired. Each casting affects up to 15 cubic feet of stone.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, stone shape.
Cost to Create: 13,500 gp, 1,080 XP, 27 days.
Price (Item Level): 81,000 gp (20th)
Body Slot: — (held)
Caster Level: 9th
Aura: Moderate; (DC 20) conjuration
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: 1 lb.
Sometimes called an “instant castle”, this tool has a flat metal blade shaped like an isosceles triangle with a metal handle affixed to its center. This trowel can cast wall of stone on command as if cast by a 9th level wizard.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, wall of stone.
Cost to Create: 40,500 gp, 3,240 XP, 81 days.
Price (Item Level): 10,800 gp (13th)
Body Slot: — (held)
Caster Level: 3rd
Aura: Faint; (DC 16) transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: ½ lb.
This simple and seemingly useless wooden knife allows its user to cast wood shape at will. Each casting allows the wielder to shape up to 13 cubic feet of wood as described in the spell.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, wood shape.
Cost to Create: 5,400 gp, 432 XP, 11 days.
Price (Item Level): 900 gp (4th)
Body Slot: Throat
Caster Level: 1st
Aura: Faint; (DC 15) transmutation
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: —
This simple copper necklace is enchanted to cast the message spell at will.
Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, message.
Cost to Create: 450 gp, 36 XP, 1 day.
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 20th
Aura: Strong; (DC 25) conjuration
Activation: Standard (manipulation) or standard (command)
Weight: —
This gold key has a bow resembling a tiny, rune-covered skull.
This is also called a keeper key, a skull key, or a tomb key. The runes on the key’s skull read, “Turn and call Æshagon”. Although these runes are usually in Draconic, they have been known to writhe and shift to other languages, seemingly at random. The shaft of the key appears to be a tiny skeletal human arm (ulna and radius) and the bit appears to be a skeletal human hand (carpal and metacarpal bones and phalanges). It resists all attempts to magically identify or otherwise determine its function and detect magic reveals nothing magical about them. Still, because they are so distinct and have a long history, anyone may make a Knowledge (history), Knowledge (arcana) or bardic or loremaster knowledge check to recall some bit of lore about them.
When placed against or into any lock, the key invokes a knock spell, opening any lock, even if it is not mechanical. But when used to unlock a door, if the key is turned in (or against) the lock and the word “Æshagon” is spoken by the key’s holder, that door will open upon another dimension, usually into some sort of corridor.
Those who step through a door so affected are rarely seen again. There are stories of outlandish strangers appearing in the world in temporary possession of a tomb key; they speak no language known anywhere in the world, and if they survive to learn the language or deal with someone who uses a comprehend languages or tongues spell, they tell tales that are strange indeed. Lore-masters who have studied these tales surmise that the keys open into a nexus dimension between other worlds, but so far this is speculation on their part.
DC 10: “Dey is magukal!”
DC 15: They can be used to unlock any lock up to three times a day, just like a regular key. Simply insert it in a keyhole or touch it to a lock that uses no key.
DC 20: They can temporarily turn any door into a magical portal to a huge tomb someplace. There are tiny runes on it that tell how.
DC 25: No one knows what the tomb is for or who built it. It appears to exist in a demiplane of some sort. The keys have a tendency to disappear if not used for a long time.
DC 30: Each use of the key seems to open to a different part of the tomb, and no part of the tomb is known to have appeared twice. The demiplane on which the tomb exists is not coterminous with either the astral or ethereal plane (or for any other plane, for that matter), so Conjuration (teleportation) spells do not function.
DC 35: The key seems to open to more dangerous parts of the tomb the longer the owner uses them. Attempts to destroy the key usually cause it to vanish, probably by teleportation—but not always.
Yönian crafters have a variety of special materials that can lend special properties to the things they make. These are some of the more “typical” ones.
Adamantine: This substance is exactly as described here. In the Crimson Plains region, adamantine is mined by the dwarves of L’raigh. Weapons and armor crafted of this metal can be purchased there or in the nearby city of Tarankoth.
Darkwood: This substance is exactly as described here. In the Crimson Plains region, Darkwood comes primarily from the Darkwold; the Darkwold druids carefully tend these trees and limit how much is harvested.
Dragonhide: This substance is as described here, with the following clarifications. Dragonhide armor, not being made of metal, is not only suitable for use by druids, but is also resistant to corrosive attacks that affect (mainly ferrous) metals like the rusting grasp spell.
Glassteel: Originally made only by elves, the Ninetowers Glassblowers’ Guild learned the secret of glassteel and guards it as jealously as the elves did. Nevertheless, no secret is completely safe if even one person knows it, and others have learned the alchemical and somewhat mystical process of blending iron, carbon and silicates to create this crystal-clear substance that is harder and lighter than steel. Like glass, glassteel can be tinted by adding impurities to it; doing so does not otherwise affect its properties. Most glassteel items created in Yön are still made and sold in the Hall of Glass in Ninetowers.
Items made of glassteel only weigh half of what the same items made of iron or steel would. Items not primarily made of metal do not benefit from being made with it.
Because of this, heavy armor made of glassteel is treated as medium armor and medium and light armor is treated as light armor. Arcane spell failure chances for glassteel armor and shields are reduced 10 percentage points, maximum Dexterity bonuses are increased by 2 and armor check penalties are reduced by 3 to a minimum of 0. Slashing weapons made of glassteel are exceedingly sharp, gaining a +2 bonus to rolls to confirm critical hits made with them. Weapons that are slashing and piercing, slashing and bludgeoning, or all three only get the bonus while used as a slashing weapon.
While some iron is used in making it, glassteel does not rust naturally, and it resists unnatural and magical rusting. Armor made of glassteel takes only half damage (rounded down) to its AC from spells such as rusting grasp. Wielded glassteel weapons gain Fortitude saves, even if one is not normally allowed, to survive such spells. If a Fortitude save is already allowed, a glassteel item gains a +2 bonus to that save. Unattended glassteel items do not get Fortitude saves unless enchanted.
Glassteel has a hardness of 15 and 30 hit points per inch of thickness. Weapons and armor fashioned of glassteel are always masterwork weapons, although this does not further reduce the armor check penalty of armor fashioned with glassteel. Glassteel items require minimum DC 20 Craft (alchemy or glassblowing) checks to make, regardless of the complexity of the item itself, due to the tricky process used to make the substance itself. A character requires at least 10 ranks in Craft (alchemy or glassblowing) to know the secret of making glassteel.
Glassteel items can be fashioned with the fabricate spell providing the caster has met the skill rank requirements in the previous paragraph and has access to enough glassteel.
| Item | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Light armor | +2,000 gp |
| Medium armor | +6,000 gp |
| Heavy armor | +12,000 gp |
| Shield | +2,000 gp |
| Weapon | +500 gp |
| Other item | +100 gp/lb. |
Iron, Cold. This substance is exactly as described here. In the Crimson Plains region, the dwarves of L’raigh mine cold iron, although it can also be found in deep caverns under the Godsteeth Mountains.
Mithral: Mithral does not exist on Yön. Any items listed in the sources used for Yön that are listed as using mithral use glassteel instead, with the appropriate increase in price. For example, the mithral shirt becomes a glassteel shirt with a market value of 2,100 gp, elven chain is made with glassteel and costs 6,150 gp. If an item requires mithral as part of its actual operation, such as mithralmist armor, that item does not exist on Yön.
|
Mithral was excluded from Yön because it was felt that belongs to a particular setting, that of J. R. R. Tolkein’s Middle-earth. It was renamed from Tolkien’s “mithril” to “mithral”, as “hobbit” was renamed to “halfling” and “ent” to “treant”—to avoid legal action by Tolkien’s estate. Since glassteel used to be a 2nd Edition D&D spell, one has fewer qualms about using it here. Glassteel copies the benefits of mithral and then some, so though it’s more expensive, more people would use it anyway. It has uses that mithral doesn’t: high quality windows, shatterproof glassware and the like. This version of glassteel is different than the one presented in Heroes of Valor on page 65, the latest version of glassteel in the D&D 3.5 Forgotten Realms® setting. Before you lechers imagine females prancing around in see-through armor, glassteel can be tinted, and padding is typically worn beneath armor. The elf on page 220 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide is certainly wearing a gambeson under her elven chain to prevent the links from being driven into her skin in combat. Glassteel is not intended to add another ribald dimension to the phrase “chicks in chain mail”! |
Silver, Alchemical: This substance is exactly as described here.
The gods depicted here are not the only ones worshipped in the Crimson Plains and bordering areas. Areas further away may have different pantheons.
“Who are you?” asked the first dwarves.
“The smelter of the iron,” said Curcarridan.
“And who are we?”
“The iron.”
“Will you now shape us?”
“No,” Curcarridan said, handing his forge hammer to the foremost dwarf, “You will.”
Dwarves believe in working things out for themselves, and the gods they worship reflect that. Dwarven gods provide the iron that dwarves forge into their homes to shelter them and into their weapons to protect them. They provide the iron of their spirit, and dwarves are expected to forge that as well. Dwarven gods don’t tell their followers what is right and wrong, a proper dwarf is expected to work that out for himself. “You know rust when you see it” is a common dwarven saying on the subject.
If His work is broken and dwarves are no more, then let them be remembered by their works and their words. Build and write that these endure.
Alignment: Lawful Good.
Aliases: The Smelter of Souls, Hammer Giver.
Symbol: An iron crucible.
Domains: Craft, Creation, Dwarf, Earth.
Allies:
Foes: none.
Weapon: Warhammer, “Spirit Forge.”
Curcarridan is the head of the dwarven pantheon and believed to be the creator of that race. It was Curcarridan that smelted the akra-kuzha, the “spirit iron” that represents the soul of each dwarf.
Law must serve Justice or neither will endure.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral.
Aliases: Law-Writer.
Symbol: A book with the dwarven rune for “th” inscribed in gold on its cover.
Domains: Balance, Knowledge, Law.
Allies:
Foes: none.
Weapon: Light pick, “Stone Scribe.”
Dwarves make their own laws, but Thodurin remembers the laws they make. Clerics of Thodurin keep the laws of the dwarves, acting as judges or advocates as called upon.
The elven pantheon is more a personification of ideas than even human gods tend to be, even to their names. Elves imagine that they were the first thinking beings on Yön, and their religion reflects this.
Alignment: Neutral Good.
Aliases: “Earth Mother”.
Symbol: A sprouting acorn.
Domains: Creation, Earth, Healing, Plant.
Foes: none.
Weapon: Oaken quarterstaff, “Long-bough.”
Possibly the earliest of the elven gods, Camaeli represents the world in which the elves found themselves, according to legend. She is still worshiped by sylvan and wild elves.
Alignment: Chaotic Good.
Aliases: the Huntress.
Symbol: A silver arrowhead.
Domains: Animal, Moon, Strength, Travel.
Foes: none.
Weapon: Longbow; “Seekheart.”
Farthani is the elven goddess of hunters and of the white moon, and a daughter to Camaeli.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral.
Aliases: The Grinner, the Foolish One, the Majestic Jester.
Symbol: A foolscap.
Grimmel is obviously a trickster god and particularly revered among the Fools with Magic, who often call on his blessing before performing a particularly audacious prank.
Alignment: Lawful Good.
Aliases: the Watcher, the Arrow-Guider.
Symbol: Two parallel arrows, points-up, red on the left and white on the right, nocked to a drawn composite bow.
Domains: Animal, Halfling, Protection, War, Travel.
Allies: Wanya Wainwarder.
Foes: none.
Weapon: Composite longbow (Small); “Stinging Windstorm.”
Werric is the hunter and warrior god of the halflings.
Alignment: Neutral Good.
Aliases: Wainmother.
Symbol: A wagon wheel with a golden rim and twelve spokes—three white, three green, three yellow, three brown, symbolizing the seasons.
Domains: Community, Family, Good, Halfling, Healing, Protection.
Allies: Werric Windrider.
Foes: none.
Weapon: Quarterstaff; “Wardwheel.”
Alignment: Chaotic Good.
Aliases: the Fortune Follower, the Tricksey Traveler, the Borrower.
Symbol: A six-sided die with sides painted alternately with mirthful and woeful masks.
Domains: Celerity, Illusion, Luck, Trickery.
Foes: none.
Weapon: Shortsword; “Sharptongue.”
The Ryzhaen Empire fell long ago, but it lives on through its culture and its gods, which are worshiped by many peoples the Ryzhaen legions once ruled. The Ryzhaen gods are worshiped in much of the Crimson Plains region, as well as Kartag and Hesperonia (at least among the nobility).
Pronunciation: a-veer’-na
Alignment: Chaotic Good.
Aliases: Spring, the Bountiful Lady.
Symbol: A green bud just opening into a white flower.
Domains: Creation, Good, Lust, Plant, Renewal.
Allies: Ashir, Traska.
Foes: Dümgræth.
Weapon: Quarterstaff; “Winter’s End”
Avyrna is the Ryzhaen goddess of harvest and growth. Myth has it that she is “born” each year, and 1 Avyrna (Avyrnaday) is, indeed, the holiday that celebrates her yearly birth. Fertility festivals are held on that day, and priests of Avyrna often use divine magic then to help ensure crop growth and increase fertility.
Pronunciation: ash-ēr
Alignment: Neutral Good.
Aliases: Sorrow, the Seeress.
Symbol: A closed eye with a tear at the corner.
Domains: Dream, Fate, Healing, Oracle, Protection.
Allies: Avyrna, Traska.
Foes: Dümgræth.
Weapon: Quarterstaff; “Sorrow’s Touch”
In the myths that describe the passing of seasons, Ashir is Avyrna’s mother. Ashir foresees her daughter’s death at Dümgræth’s hands and tries to warn and protect her. Avyrna’s death brings winter, but Ashir retrieves her daughter’s soul and gives birth to her—and to spring—once again.
1 Ashir (Ashirsday) is a minor holiday, but oracular visions that appear on that day are believed to be particularly significant. People often search pools of still water, clouds in the sky, patterns of bird flight and other such things in search of signs of the future on that day.
Pronunciation: bree’-gor
Alignment: Lawful Good.
Aliases: Summer, Son of the Sun, the Victorious, the Valorous.
Symbol: A golden bastard sword (sun blade).
Domains: Competition, Courage, Glory, Strength, War.
Allies: Hræyn.
Foes: Dümgræth.
Weapon: Bastard sword; “Bright Glory.”
It is said that when men break the laws of Hræyn, Brighor, his son, is sent to set things right. Where Hræyn is a stern follower of the law, Brighor councils mercy where it is due. He lends his strength and courage in war to those who fight evil and chaos and recognizes valor on the battlefield.
Brighor is also said to watch over every contest of athletic skill, and priests of Brighor are often called upon to judge such events. In fact, Brighorsday (1 Brighor) is most often celebrated by large athletic competitions.
Pronunciation: kar’-nil
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral.
Aliases: The Hunter, The Stalker.
Symbol: A bloody spear.
Domains: Animal, Strength, Wrath.
Allies: None.
Foes: None.
Weapon: Longspear; “Longtooth.”
Carnil is a god of the hunt. In the early days of the Ryzhaen Empire—in fact, before it was an empire—hunters who hoped for plentiful game before a hunt invoked him. These days, 1 Carnil (Carnilsday) is usually celebrated by grand hunts done by upper class hunters, blessed by a priest of Carnil before it commences.
Pronunciation: sel’-es
Alignment: Chaotic Good.
Aliases: Windstrider, The Swift Herald.
Symbol: A stylized eagle’s head.
Domains: Air, Celerity, Travel.
Allies: Hræyn, Brighor.
Foes: Sesiran.
Weapon: Longsword; “Windstrike.”
Cellas is a messenger god, a friend to sailors, travelers and couriers. He is called upon when one wants to bless another with speed: “May Cellas give you wings!” When one is said to be “as fast as Cellas”, it means that nothing is faster. Because Cellas is a friend of travelers, belief holds it that he sometimes comes into conflict with Sesiran when he seeks to rescue a ship from Sesiran’s watery grasp.
While 1 Cellas (Cellasday) is a very minor holiday, great journeys are sometimes undertaken on that day with the hopes that Cellas will bless the journey and protect the travelers. New ships are often blessed and launched on that day as well.
Pronunciation: doom’-grāth
Alignment: Chaotic Evil.
Aliases: Winter, Prince of Famine, Stormlord.
Symbol: A black scythe.
Domains: Cold, Death, Destruction, Evil, Hunger.
Allies: None.
Foes: Avyrna, Brighor, Hræyn.
Weapon: Scythe; “Iceheart.”
More propitiated than worshipped, Dümgræth is a god followed by few but feared by all. His priests are usually loners and misfits who maintain shrines where sacrifices are made, usually with food more than coin, in the belief that if the god is fed enough he will not send storms or harsher winters to take more. Priests of Dümgræth typically dress in gray and white and appear with the first snows in rural towns and villages to be sure that everyone knows that the god expects his due. His priesthood generally doesn’t involve themselves in politics, conquests or sacrifice of sentient beings, so their priests are tolerated, even if they are feared.
1 Dümgræth (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in some lands by slow processions of people wearing black cloaks and death masks, as a way of acknowledging the god’s power over the dead. It is said that sometimes on this day the priests of Dümgræth will return someone to life, but it is also said that a person so returned to life must pay a terrible price for it.
Pronunciation: hrān
Alignment: Lawful Neutral.
Aliases: the Measurer of Men, Judge of the Quick, Lawgiver, the Sun, King of Gods.
Symbol: A golden crown or a stylized golden sun.
Domains: Inquisition, Law, Nobility, Sun.
Allies: Brighor.
Foes: Dümgræth.
Weapon: A golden-headed, spiked mace; “The Sun of Justice.”
A stern upholder of law, Hræyn is seen as the father of the gods and the leader of the Ryzhaen pantheon. While most nations and cities do not allow priests to sit as judges in civil courts, they have been known to serve as prosecutors or defense barristers in some lands. They are knowledgeable of laws of any land in which they serve.
His priests are also unremitting foes of undead creatures, and their temples always have stocks of tools for containing and destroying these creatures: holy water, oaken stakes, scrolls and wands of useful spells, holy symbols and the like.
As stern a lawgiver as Hræyn is, he does teach that law must not obliterate justice or mercy, and that humans are prone to error. It is for this reason that 1 Hræyn (Hræynsday) is a holiday marked in many lands by the granting of pardons and clemency to at least one prisoner. The priesthood prepares for this day by reviewing the cases of prisoners and recommending to the local rulers who may be deserving of mercy. The priests realize that they are not the law of the land, but only help to uphold it, so rulers are free to ignore the recommendations, but most cities and nations around the Crimson Plains honor this custom.
Pronunciation: mī’-kər
Alignment: Neutral.
Aliases: The Builder, the God of Smiths.
Symbol: A silver forge hammer.
Domains: Craft, Creation, Earth.
Allies: Hræyn.
Foes: Dümgræth.
Weapon: Warhammer, “Spirit Forge.”
When Hræyn decreed that the men be made, he called upon Mykir to make the bodies of the first men and women, shaping statues from clay, after which Hræyn imbued each of them with a small part of himself, granting the bodies life and spirit and transforming them into the first men and women. Mykir serves as a god of craftsmen, and his priests are often called upon to bless the tools of craftsmen, including forges, anvils, kilns and so forth.
1 Mykir (Mykirsday) is most often celebrated with crafting competitions and is often the day when guilds select new masters from the ranks of their journeymen and journeywomen.
Pronunciation: sen’-na
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral.
Aliases: Flamelocks, Fireyes, Mistress of Light and Shadow.
Symbol: A stylized flame on a black disc.
Domains: Chaos, Fire, Illusion, Trickery.
Allies: None.
Foes: Hræyn.
Weapon: A short sword with black flames; “Darkfire”
Senna is a trickster goddess, said to be the daughter of Traska. In myths, she is said to have stolen a lock of Hræyn’s hair—part of the sun itself—and that gives her control over fire, complimenting her fickle nature. While not truly evil, she can seem uncaring and cruel. Still, rogues call on her when they attempt an act of daring stealth, and some thief’s guilds have shrines to her. Not many priests follow her, and those that do always do so in secret.
Sennasday (1 Senna) is the Ryzhaen calendar equivalent of April Fools’ Day.
Pronunciation: se’-sər-an
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral.
Aliases: Sea Lord, Stormrider, Lord of Wind and Wave.
Symbol: A silver trident on a blue diamond.
Domains: Chaos, Ocean, Storm, Water.
Allies: None.
Foes: Cellas, Hræyn.
Weapon: A silver trident; “Storm.”
Legend has it that when Hræyn sought to impose law on the world that Sesiran, his younger brother, refused to obey. In a fight, Hræyn cast Sesiran into an ocean and held him under in order to drown him. Sesiran changed into a porpoise and escaped his brother’s grasp, and has hidden in the oceans ever since.
Like Senna, Sesiran is a fickle god, granting one ship easy passage and another a watery grave. Some believe that sailors that please Sesiran but are nevertheless lost at sea are reincarnated as merfolk.
Sesiran’s priests can be any chaotic alignment, and his church has several factions that war among themselves.
Pronunciation: tez’-rən
Alignment: Neutral.
Aliases: The Tester, the Balance, Magic’s Master, the Source of Knowledge, Timekeeper.
Symbol: A silver hourglass on its side.
Domains: Balance, Knowledge, Magic, Spell, Time.
Allies: Hræyn.
Foes: Dümgræth.
Weapon: Quarterstaff; “First and Final Measure.”
Tesren is the god of time, knowledge and magic in the Crimson Plains region, and as such is typically venerated by wizards, archmages, loremasters and sages. In the Crimson Plains region and adjacent lands, the church of Tesren has a good working relation with the Ordo Ars Magica, and a chapel of Tesren can be found in every hall of the Order where a temple of Tesren is not situated nearby.
Arcane spellcasters often say a prayer to Tesren before undertaking the research of a new spell or the making of a magical item.
1 Tesren (Tesrensday) is a minor holiday, most often celebrated by the Midnight Bells, where cities across the Crimson Plains and adjacent nations reset their clocks and ring out the new year. Many people believe that children born on this day are destined to be great wizards, although no one really knows if this is true.
Pronunciation: tras’-ka
Alignment: Chaotic Good.
Aliases: Autumn, Fatespinner, Trader’s Friend.
Symbol: A cornucopia of golden coins and fruit.
Domains: Luck, Protection, Trade, Wealth.
Allies: Avyrna.
Foes: Dümgræth.
Weapon: Short sword; “Luck’s Edge.”
Traska is worshipped by mainly by merchants, but farmers usually make offerings to him in the autumn in hopes of a bountiful harvest.
1 Traska (Traskasday) is celebrated by great feasts celebrating the harvest—the more bountiful the harvest, the greater the feast.
Pronunciation: reg’-nar
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral.
Aliases: the Red Rager, Bloodaxe, the Red Moon.
Symbol: A bloody battleaxe or a white axe over a full red moon.
Domains: Courage, Strength, War.
Allies:
Foes:
Weapon: Battleaxe; “Bloodmoon.”
Regnar is the Psenellar god of war and the hunt. He is no strategist in battle; he is fury unleashed. Psenellar belief holds that barbarians overcome with rage are “touched by Regnar”—the rage is a sign of the god entering the warrior and giving him or her strength and courage.
Pronunciation: ri’-tha
Alignment: Neutral Good.
Aliases: the Healer, the Light of Night, Freedom’s Friend, the White Moon.
Symbol: Three sky blue falling drops of water in a right-pointing triangle formation; a pale blue moon.
Domains: Good, Dream, Healing, Liberation, Moon.
Allies: Yanr Rae.
Foes:
Weapon: A silver sickle; “Last Quarter.”
Rytha is a popular goddess among the lower classes in Hesperonia and many cities, towns and villages of the Crimson Plains, despite having originated in Psenella. She was a minor goddess of healing, but as one of the few institutions that would survive the many Hesperonian invasions, the church of Rytha acted as a fifth column during these occupations for so many years that she became synonymous with freedom. The church has gained so much influence that it is affecting the politics of Hesperonia, Kartag and the Crimson Plains, seeking freedom for downtrodden peoples in those regions.
The Rythan church supports orders of monks (the Shattered Chain), paladins (the Knights of Sacred Justice), holy liberators (Libergladi—a High Ryzhaen word literally meaning “free swords”) and rangers (the Call to Freedom) are charged to free the oppressed and do other good works in the name of the goddess. Factions within the church argue whether greater freedom can be gained by working with nations to gradually lead them to less oppressive ways or by overthrowing oppressive governments. The Shattered Chain and the Knights of Sacred Justice prefer to change existing societies rather than overthrow them.
The church is increasingly evangelical, gaining popularity among the lower classes to the consternation of ruling classes within Kartag, Hesperonia and cities in the Crimson Plains region aligned with those two nations.
Pronunciation: yan’-ər ray
Alignment: Neutral Good.
Aliases: Earth Mother.
Symbol:
Domains: Animal, Community, Family, Plant, Protection.
Allies: Rytha.
Foes:
Weapon:
Yanr Rae is a lesser goddess of nature, the harvest and fertility.
The Elyzhain do not worship gods as such, although their reverence for dragons is indistinguishable from worship. If they have gods, those gods are their ancestors and the ancestors of dragons, which some Elyzhain regard as one and the same, and it is from them that they draw their divine magic.
Each tribe of Elyzhain has a “totem” dragon, an adult or older dragon that they serve (or, if that dragon is dead, its oldest offspring or other direct ancestor). The tribe takes the name of its totem dragon as its own. The Elyzhain have philosophies they call collectively the “Paths of the Dragon”. The Elyzhain follow these paths, even if their totem dragons, which don’t always care about their followers, don’t. However, the totem dragon always has an alignment compatible with their tribe’s chosen Path.
The Path of the Heart: Adherents of this Path believe that dragons can embody the very best qualities and can serve as noble examples for others to follow. They realize that evil dragons exist, and can be the vilest of creatures, but good dragons are the most noble. Followers and totem dragons of this Path are lawful good, neutral good or chaotic good.
The Path of the Wing: This path holds that dragons are the embodiment of unfettered power and freedom. They can do or be anything with little in the way of worldly concerns, so they have no need to control or oppress other sapient beings. Followers and totem dragons of this Path are chaotic good, chaotic neutral or neutral.
The Path of the Eye: Followers of this Path hold that dragons, with their superior senses and wisdom, will rule Yön because of this when the other races mature enough to see this. Followers of this path do not believe in forcing the rule of dragons on others, but they do believe it will come to pass. They look on their totem dragon as the ultimate ruler of their tribe. Followers and totem dragons of this Path are lawful good, neutral good, neutral or lawful neutral.
The Path of the Claw: Those that follow this Path see dragons—especially their totem dragon—as the rightful ruler of all because of their might. Those that do not submit should be conquered or destroyed. Followers and totem dragons of this Path are lawful evil or neutral evil.
The Path of the Tooth: The followers of this path regard dragons as perfect predators to which lesser beings are nothing but food, including themselves. Followers of this Path are concerned mainly with propitiating their totem dragons, usually by sacrificing captives to them for food so that they prey upon their enemies rather than themselves. Followers and totem dragons of this Path are chaotic evil or neutral evil.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil.
Aliases: The Formless, the Eater, The Primordial Ooze, The Devouring Darkness.
Symbol: A clawed skeletal hand in a black circle.
Domains: Cavern, Chaos, Darkness, Gluttony, Slime.
Allies: None.
Foes: Pretty much everything.
Weapon: Net; “Darkmantle.”
Those that follow the Shapeless One are usually insane. There are various factions of this cult and they look on each other as heretics to be destroyed, so they tend to keep themselves in check. The Seekers of the Primordial Ooze think that the world is irredeemably corrupt, and only by completing that corruption can a new world be born of it. Followers of the Formless think that the world was formed from the Primordial Ooze and seeks to return to its elemental form, and that all life must be extinguished for that to happen. Keepers of the Devouring Darkness believe that the Eater must consume all life to bring about a new and better world.
Priests of these orders, despite being mostly evil, despise the undead, regarding them as wasted flesh or corrupt spirits, and although they can command and rebuke them, they usually do so to make them vulnerable to attack from other minions.
There are a few neutral priests among the clergy of the Shapeless One. They are considered apostate by the three major cults mentioned above. While they are not a formal cult themselves, scholars of comparative religion at Ninetowers refer to them as Gray Presiders. These solitary priests of the Formless see the world as naturally succumbing to entropy but see no point in hastening the process themselves. They teach that death is inevitable but that causing it for passion or profit or belief is pointless. They might stop a brutal murder but not cure a fatal but natural disease, seeing the former as as unseemly but the second as part of the order of things. They can be inconsistent in their actions but pretty much everyone thinks they are party poopers at best.
All came from the Formless. She made all that lives, and saddened by their sins, She calls them home, to join with Her, to become one with Her flesh again, that they may be cleansed and forgiven…
It is the doctrine of the twisted cultists of the Shapeless One that their god is the mother of all that lives. (They refer to their god by the female gender in their few texts because of this, not because it actually has a gender.) They further believe that most life has sinned in one way or another against their god and can only be forgiven by being returned to it. This belief manifests itself in the form of sacrificing creatures, sentient and otherwise, by feeding them to oozes, which they regard as the only sinless children of the Shapeless One. The usual method is to lower them into an open pit with an ingester, because these creatures are much easier to control (they can’t climb out of pits) and they can watch the sacrifice through the creature’s transparent flesh.
Like most cults, this one preys on the weak of mind and spirit. The laity actually believes that they are doing good works; whether the priesthood does or not is less certain. It doesn’t matter—these are creepy fellows and you don’t want to accept a dinner invitation from them.
There are a few sects that are more enlightened in that they don’t believe in sacrificing sentient beings except perhaps as punishment for sacrilege or other serious crimes against their religion. They feel that all flesh returns to the Mother by one path or another, and that antagonizing the locals by accelerating the process is not terribly wise in any event. The priests of such sects are chaotic neutral rather than evil. Ninetowers has such a sect in a well-hidden cavern excavated near the sewers. Think of them as a “reformed” sect, contrasting against “orthodox” ones that still sacrifice sentient beings. A Reformed sect usually sacrifices old, sick or crippled animals, and always to ingesters because they anesthetize their prey, killing them without pain. Often, members of the Reformed sect will sacrifice themselves when they are old and ailing rather than linger in pain.
Besides the priesthood, a large following of the Shapeless One may have a sorcerer or wizard in their ranks with a variety of ooze-affecting spells, such as ooze puppet. Sometimes the sacrificial ingester is a spellcaster using polymorph. More often the ingester has the fiendish template (if it belongs to an “orthodox” sect) or the anarchic template (if it belongs to a “reformed” sect). Ingesters with such templates are called “Ooze Daughters” and have more hit dice than the typical specimen.
Occasionally, a powerful cult will be “gifted” with a feeding darkness with the fiendish template (if an “orthodox” sect) or the anarchic template (if a “reform” sect). Such creatures are thought to be aspects of the Shapeless One itself. These creatures are used as guardians rather than for accepting sacrifices.
This is a list of known creatures that live on Yön or interact with it. Sources are noted in parentheses as they are for spells. If no parenthesized abbreviation follows an entry, assume that the Monster Manual is the source. Some creatures have been renamed or have variant forms; the original names will be placed in brackets after the new name. Some creatures have been grouped to reduce the amount of text; these are indicated by plural words.
Templates (and their other restrictions) that can be applied to types are listed under each type heading after the creature list.
Superscripts: Entries followed by a Y superscript are creatures specific to the Yön setting and are described under New Creatures. Entries followed by R have been renamed; refer to the Renamed Creatures table. Entries followed by T are creature templates.
Athach, carrion crawler, choker, chuul, cloaker, delver, destrachan, ethereal filcher, ettercap, gauth, ghaur, gibbering mouther, grick, mimic, naga, otyugh, phasm, umber hulk, will-o’-wisp.
Templates: celestial (nonevil and corporeal only), fiendish (nongood and corporeal only), half-celestial (non-evil, corporeal and Int 4+ only), half-fiend (non-good, corporeal and Int 4+ only).
Animals, bat swarm, dinosaurs, dire animals, rat swarm, roc.
Templates: celestial, fiendish.
Animated object, golem, homunculus, inevitable, retriever, shield guardian.
Wyvern, Yönian dragonY.
Templates: celestial (nonevil only), fiendish (nongood only), half-celestial (non-evil, corporeal and Int 4+ only), half-fiend (non-good, corporeal and Int 4+ only).
Belker, elementals, invisible stalker, magmin, thoqqua.
Dryad, grig, nixie, nymph, pixie, satyr.
Templates: celestial (nonevil and corporeal only), fiendish (nongood and corporeal only), half-celestial (non-evil, corporeal and Int 4+ only), half-fiend (non-good, corporeal and Int 4+ only).
Ettin, giants, hradenY, ogre, ogre mage, troll.
Templates: celestial (nonevil only), fiendish (nongood only), half-celestial (non-evil, corporeal and Int 4+ only), half-fiend (non-good, corporeal and Int 4+ only), lycanthrope.
Bugbear, dwarf, elf, githyanki, githzerai, gnoll, gnome, halfling, hraatY, human, krygY, lizardfolk, merfolk, troglodyte.
Templates: celestial (nonevil only), fiendish (nongood only), half-celestial (non-evil, corporeal and Int 4+ only), half-fiend (non-good, corporeal and Int 4+ only), lich, lycanthrope, planetouched, vampire.
Ankheg, aranea, basilisk, behir, bulette, blink dog, chimera, cockatrice, darkmantle, displacer beast, dragonne, ethereal marauder, frost worm, giant eagle, giant owl, girallon, gorgon, gray render, griffon, hellwasp swarm, hippogriff, hydras, kraken, krenshar, lamia, lammasu, manticore, owlbear, pegasus, phase spider, purple worm, remorhaz, roper, shocker lizard, sea cat, sphinxes, spider eater, stirge, unicorn, winter wolf, yrthak.
Templates: celestial (nonevil and corporeal only), fiendish (nongood and corporeal only), half-celestial (non-evil, corporeal and Int 4+ only), half-fiend (non-good, corporeal and Int 4+ only).
Centaur, derro, gargoyle, grimlock, hags, harpy, kuo-toa, medusa, minotaur, sahuagin.
Templates: celestial (nonevil and corporeal only), fiendish (nongood and corporeal only), half-celestial (non-evil, corporeal and Int 4+ only), half-fiend (non-good, corporeal and Int 4+ only), vampire.
Feeding darknessR, gray ooze, ingesterR, ochre jelly.
Templates: fiendish.
Acherai, angels, archons, azer, barghest, chaos beast, couatl, demons, devils, eladrins, formians, genies, guardinals, hell hound, howler, janni, lillend, mephits, night hag, nightmare, rakshasa, shadow mastiff, rast, slaadi, titan, tojanidas, triton, vargouille, xill, yeth hound.
Assassin vine, phantom fungus, shambling mound, shrieker, tendriculos, treant, verdant creature, violet fungus.
Templates: celestial (non-evil only), fiendish (non-good only), half-celestial (non-evil, corporeal and Int 4+ only), half-fiend (non-good, corporeal and Int 4+ only).
Allip, bodak, devourer, ghast, ghost, ghoul, lich, mohrg, mummy, nightshades, shadow, skeletons, spectre, vampire, vampire spawn, wight, wraith, zombie.
Centipede swarm, giant insects, locust swarm, monstrous centipedes, monstrous scorpions, monstrous spiders, spider swarm.
Templates: celestial, fiendish.
Some of the creatures shown in the list above have been renamed or replaced. These are listed in Table 9.
| Original Name | Name on Yön | |
|---|---|---|
| Black pudding | Feeding darkness | |
| Gelatinous cube | Ingester1 | |
| ||
As stated in the celestial creature template, animals and vermin that acquire this template become magical beasts. As such, their hit dice change from d8 to d10 and their average hit points are increased accordingly.
They are the Nightfolk, the ūdhūnā to other elves, a name whispered in fear. They are thought to be a depraved and evil subterranean offshoot of the elven race, and certainly they have no love for daylight. Some folklore has them worshiping spiders or even oozes, but while they have been known to cultivate such creatures—the former for their venom and the latter to dispose of enemies, the actual truth is hard to tell because they don’t share it. Certainly, they are a ruthless lot who live in a regimented society and have a contempt for humans and other “lesser races”—basically, any non-elf humanoids—but have a particular enmity toward half-elves, whom they regard as “impure”. They definitely tend toward being “lawful evil” types.
Non-elves sometimes call dark elves “drow”, a pejorative and a racial slur that they, of course, do not generally use among themselves. Using it around them often draws hostile reactions—but then, simply being around them can do that, too.
Dark elves have sable skin and white hair, although other pale shades are known among them. Their eyes are most commonly a vivid red. They tend to be smaller and thinner than other types of elf.
Dark Elf Traits (Ex): These traits are in addition to the high elf traits, except where noted.
The fiendish creature template states that animals and vermin acquiring this template become magical beasts. Their hit dice therefore change from d8 to d10 and their average hit points are increased to accommodate this.
Because Yön has two moons, lycanthropy is handled somewhat differently. Evil and neutral lycanthropes are subject to involuntary change when the red moon is full; good-aligned lycanthropes are subject to change when the white moon is full. Normally, the animal form of a lycanthrope must be that of a predator, scavenger, or omnivore. On Yön, it can be any animal, even herbivores. Halfling wererabbits have been very successful rogues (bunnies can hide very well); and at least a a few centaurs have actually been werehorses. And watch out for those werefrogs (based on dire frogs).
| Hit Dice: | 4d8+8 (26 hp) |
| Initiative: | +2 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 15 (+2 Dex, +3 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 13 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +3/+3 |
| Attack: | Bite +5 melee (bite 1d4) or +5 ranged (tongue —) |
| Full Attack: | Bite +5 melee (bite 1d4) or +5 ranged (tongue —) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with tongue) |
| Special Attacks: | Improved grab, swallow whole |
| Special Qualities: | Amphibious, great leap, low-light vision |
| Saves: | Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +6 |
| Abilities: | Str 10, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 15, Cha 7 |
| Skills: | Hide +8, Jump +10, Listen +7, Spot +8; racial bonuses |
| Feats: | Alertness, Weapon Finesse |
| Environment: | Temperate or warm marshes |
| Organization: | Solitary or swarm (10–100) |
| Challenge Rating: | 3 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Always neutral |
| Advancement: | 5–6 HD (Medium), 7–10 HD (Large), 11–14 HD (Huge) |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
These overgrown amphibians, while not particularly aggressive, are still likely to regard unwary creatures smaller than themselves as food. They can be found deep in fens and marshes, blending in with the brush or floating with eyes just above the water’s surface, ready to surprise inattentive meals.
Though dire frogs are not aggressive, they are opportunistic predators. (It sees it, it seizes it, it eats it.) A giant frog’s tongue is a ranged attack with a reach of 5 feet greater than its space with no range increment.
Great Leap (Ex): The powerful hind legs of a dire frog allow it to make a Jump check from a standing start as if it had moved at least ten feet.
Improved Grab (Ex): If a dire frog hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a bite attack or a tongue attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it gets a hold, it can try to swallow the opponent. Alternatively, the dire frog has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its jaws to hold the opponent (–20 penalty on grapple check, but the dire frog is not considered grappled).
In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals bite damage.
Swallow Whole (Ex): A dire frog can swallow a grabbed opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself by making a successful grapple check. Once inside the frog, the opponent takes 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage plus 1d4 points of acid damage per round from the dire frog’s stomach. The stomach has an AC of 13 and 10 hit points. See Swallow Whole for the swallowed creature’s additional hazards and escape options.
Skills: A dire frog receives a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Jump checks.
Among the oddest of lycanthropes on Yön are werefrogs. Their animal forms are 7 HD (Large) dire frogs, so they get attribute adjustments for their hybrid and animal forms of +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, and 7d8 of animal hit dice.
The hybrid form gets the bite and tongue attacks of the animal form as well as unarmed strikes with the humanoid hands, although these last are nonlethal attacks that provoke attacks of opportunity as normal for humanoids.
The hybrid form also gets the Improved Grab and Swallow Whole special attacks, but only with the tongue attack against opponents at least two size categories smaller than it is rather than one size category smaller like the animal form.
The hybrid form gets the Amphibious and low-light vision special qualities of the animal form, but not Great Leap.
Because they usually only bite what they are swallowing, afflicted werefrogs are rather rare.
Werefrogs often consider anything (or anyone) smaller than them as food (even other werefrogs), so their alignment tends toward chaotic evil.
| Hit Dice: | 3d12+3 (22 hp) |
| Initiative: | +4 |
| Speed: | 40 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 18 (+4 Dex, +2 size, +2 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 12 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +3/–5 |
| Attack: | Bite +3 melee (1d4) |
| Full Attack: | Bite +3 melee (1d4) and two claws –2 melee (1d3) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | — |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft. |
| Saves: | Fort +3, Reflex +0, Will +3 |
| Abilities: | Str 11, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 6 |
| Skills: | Listen +1, Spot +1; racial bonuses |
| Feats: | Alertness |
| Environment: | Any land |
| Organization: | Solitary, pair, clutch or family |
| Challenge Rating: | 1 or higher |
| Treasure: | Triple standard |
| Alignment: | Any |
| Advancement: | 3–4 HD (Tiny), 5–6 HD (Small), 7–10 HD (Medium), 11–18 HD (Large), 19–27 HD (Huge), 28–37 HD (Gargantuan), 38+ HD (Colossal) |
| Level Adjustment: | +2 plus 1 per size category over Tiny |
“True” dragons, as defined by Dungeons and Dragons®, do not exist on Yön. None of this chromatic or metallic or gem dragon nonsense, there are just dragons, and they won’t hear you say otherwise. They still come in bewildering arrays of sizes, colors, patterns and abilities, but they are all the same species.
Dragons that ignored most of the regular creature advancement rules were tiresome and tended to channel dragons into rather predictable role-playing slots. These dragons are just as varied—even more so, since one can mix and match dragon feats to make them suited for any environment or encounter. None of this nonsense of (as Elan of Order of the Stick so aptly put it) “Dragons: color-coded for YOUR convenience!” Also, a single planet isn’t big enough to support fifteen gazillion subspecies of dragon.
As dragons mature, they slowly absorb magic from the environment, which allows them to fly (despite their massive bodies) and to manifest many of their other abilities.
Dragons have many abilities and attacks that are related to their hit dice and size category.
Flight (Su): All dragons are born with wings, but they don’t gain a flight speed until they reach Small size. After that, they have a base flight speed equal to 50 plus 10 feet for every two full hit dice they have, to a maximum of 250 feet. They are efficient long-distance fliers; their overland flight speed is their base flight speed times 20 (instead of 15) divided by 132, rounded down, in miles per hour. Flying Yönian dragons have average maneuverability at Small size, poor maneuverability from Medium to Huge size, and clumsy maneuverability at Gargantuan or Colossal size. See Flying Maneuverability for details on aerial movement.
Bite: All dragons have a bite attack, starting at 1d4 for Tiny dragons. Each size category increase improves the attack dice of the bite attack (1d6, 1d8, 2d6, 2d8, 4d6, 4d8). Add the dragon’s Strength bonus to its bite attack damage.
Because of the length of a dragon’s neck, the reach of its bite attack is equal to 5 feet or its space, whichever is larger. Therefore, a Large dragon’s reach for its bite is 10 feet while its other natural weapons have a reach of 5 feet; a Colossal dragon’s bite has a reach of 30 while its other attacks have a 20-foot reach.
Claw: All dragons have two secondary claw attacks. Many dragons take the Multiattack feat to reduce the secondary attack penalty from –5 to –2. The damage for claw attacks start at 1d3 plus half the dragon’s Strength bonus (rounded down) for Tiny dragons and advances with each size increase (1d4, 1d6, 1d8, 2d6, 2d8, 4d6).
Wing: Dragons of at least Medium size can slam foes with their wings, even in flight. Medium dragons can make secondary attacks with two wings for 1d4 damage plus half the dragon’s Strength bonus (round down). The damage dice increase with size category (1d6, 1d8, 2d6, 2d8).
Tail Slap: A dragon of at least Large size can attack a foe with its tail. This secondary attack does 1d8 plus 1½ times the dragon’s Strength bonus (round down). The damage dice increase with size category (2d6, 2d8, 4d6).
Crush (Ex): A dragon of at least Huge size can crush foes by landing on them from flight or a jump. This special attack affects as many creatures that are three or more size categories smaller than the dragon as will fit under its body. Such creatures must make a Reflex save (Constitution-based) or be pinned, automatically taking bludgeoning damage each round during the dragon’s turn until it moves off them. Base crush damage is 2d8 for Huge dragons, 4d6 for Gargantuan ones, and 4d8 for Colossal ones; add 1½ times the dragon’s Strength bonus (rounded down) to this attack.
Tail Sweep (Ex): A dragon of at least Gargantuan size can make a special attack as a standard action, attacking every foe in a 30-foot (or 40-foot for a Colossal dragon) radius half-circle. This half-circle extends from any intersection on the edge of the dragon’s space in any direction. A tail sweep automatically does 2d6 (2d8 for Colossal dragons) damage plus 1½ times the dragon’s Strength modifier (round down). Creatures in the area of the tail sweep can attempt Reflex saves (Constitution-based) to take half damage.
Grappling: Dragons don’t favor grapple attacks, although their crush attacks and use of the Snatch feat (if they know it) use standard grapple rules.
A dragon can always use its breath weapon and other supernatural abilities while grappled. It can use its spells and spell-like abilities if it succeeds on Concentration checks.
Dragon Scales: A dragon’s scales thicken as it grows. It has a natural armor bonus equal to its Hit Dice minus one. Do not use the normal natural armor bonus for advancement by size category.
Frightful Presence (Ex): A dragon of Large size or greater can unsettle foes with its mere presence. The ability takes effect whenever the dragon attacks, charges or flies overhead. Creatures within a radius of 150 feet plus 50 feet per size category over Large of the dragon are subject to the effect if they have fewer hit dice than the dragon.
A creature in that radius that can be affected is immune to the effect for 24 hours if it makes a Will save (Charisma-based). On a failure, creatures with 4 hit dice or less are panicked for 4d6 rounds; those with more hit dice are shaken for 4d6 rounds. Dragons ignore the frightful presence of other dragons.
Spells: A dragon with the Sentient Dragon feat and a Charisma of 11 or more can cast spells as a sorcerer. The dragon’s caster level is equal to its Charisma score minus 10. It gains spells as a sorcerer of the same level as its caster level.
Damage Reduction (Su): A dragon of Large size has damage reduction of 5/magic. This increases by 5 per size category to a maximum of 20/magic.
Immunities (Ex): All dragons have immunity to sleep and paralysis effects, as well as the energy types of any Wyrm Breath feats they have. Certain other dragon feats may grant immunity to other effects as well.
Spell Resistance (Ex): Dragons of Large size or larger gain a spell resistance equal to their Charisma Score plus 5.
Blindsense (Ex): Dragons can pinpoint creatures within 60 feet. Foes a dragon can’t see still have total concealment against it.
Keen Senses (Ex): A dragon sees four times as well as a human in shadowy illumination and twice as well in normal light. It also has darkvision out to 120 feet.
Skills: Dragons have skill points equal to (6 + Int modifier) × (Hit Dice + 3). Class skills for dragons are Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (any) (Int), Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha). Most dragons take the maximum allowed ranks (3 + Hit Dice + attribute modifier) in Listen, Search and Spot skills. Certain feats grant a dragon other class skills.
Feats: All dragons have one feat plus an additional feat for each three Hit Dice, just like any other creature. Dragons favor Alertness, Blind-Fight, Cleave, Flyby Attack, Gulp, Hover, Improved Initiative, Improved Snatch, Improved Sunder, Metamagic Breath, Power Attack, Snatch, Weapon Focus (claw or bite), Wingover and any metamagic feat that is available and useful to sorcerers. They may also select Breath or Dragon feats as described under New Feat Categories.
Bonus Feats: In addition to the normal feats a dragon gains with their first Hit Die and every third Hit Die, they receive a bonus feat every fifth Hit Die. These feats must be either Breath or Dragon feats as described under New Feat Categories.
Dragons may be good, evil, or indifferent, but all of them are territorial and slow to cooperate with each other. They are possessive and attracted instinctively to shiny objects, but they don’t actually sleep on their treasure because they like the comfort; even the richest dragons are usually much bigger than their treasure. Instead, they sleep around their treasures because it is an instinct to protect their possessions. (It’s really hard to steal something out from behind several tons of supernaturally sensitive fire-breathing lizard.)
Non-sentient dragons lay eggs in hidden clutches and abandon them. Sentient dragons usually protect their eggs and the hatchlings until they reach Large size. Because dragons are not gregarious and it takes some time to raise a dragon to maturity, sentient dragons don’t breed very often. Subsequently, there are many more dumb, small dragons than large, wise ones—but the latter are very formidable indeed.
Dragons definitely get bigger as they get older. Like goldfish, they grow almost indefinitely. The following table gives a rough correlation of size to age.
| Dragon Size | Designation | Age Range |
|---|---|---|
| Tiny | Hatchling | 0–2 |
| Small | Young | 3–10 |
| Medium | Juvenile | 11–30 |
| Large | Adult | 31–99 |
| Huge | Old | 100–400 |
| Gargantuan | Elder | 401–999 |
| Colossal | Ancient | 1000+ |
| Hit Dice: | 10d10+50 (105 hp) |
| Initiative: | +3 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 20 (–2 size, –1 Dex, +13 natural), touch 7, flat-footed 20 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +15/+23 |
| Attack: | Tentacle +15 (1d6+8) |
| Full Attack: | 8 tentacles +15 (1d6+8) |
| Space/Reach: | 15 ft./20 ft. (with tentacles) |
| Special Attacks: | Constrict 1d6+8, dispossessing grapple, improved grab, swallow whole |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft., ethereal jaunt |
| Saves: | Fort +12, Reflex +4, Will +4 |
| Abilities: | Str 27, Dex 8, Con 21, Int 1, Wis 8, Cha 8 |
| Skills: | Listen +7, Spot +8 |
| Feats: | Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes |
| Environment: | Ethereal Plane |
| Organization: | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating: | 14 |
| Treasure: | Standard, see text |
| Alignment: | Always neutral |
| Advancement: | 10–20 (Huge), 21–30 (Gargantuan), 31–40 (Colossal) |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
A huge, ghostly, translucent, segmented worm with eight tentacles ringing its rubbery mouth grasps at you.
Ethereal worms are thought to be magical creations, stalking their prey from the Ethereal Plane. Some are charmed by spellcasters to wait for intruders and snatch them back to the Ethereal Plane to devour them, leaving behind the creature’s possessions on the Material Plane as bait for the next intruder.
An ethereal worm waits for prey on the Ethereal Plane until it comes within reach of its tentacles. It then uses its ethereal jaunt ability to grab as many victims as it can then return to the Ethereal Plane.
Constrict (Ex): An ethereal worm does 1d6+8 points of damage on a successful grapple check.
Dispossessing Grapple (Su): An ethereal worm is only able to bring living creatures with it when it grapples them and uses its ethereal jaunt to return to the Ethereal Plane. Any victim grappled by an ethereal worm when it uses its ethereal jaunt ability to return leaves behind all held and worn equipment. This dropped equipment makes up the creature’s “treasure”. Magical tattoos are not affected by this ability. Spell effects that require a focus end.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an ethereal worm must hit with its tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to swallow the foe the following round.
Ethereal Jaunt (Su): An ethereal worm can shift from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane as a free action, and shift back again as a move action. The ability is otherwise identical with the ethereal jaunt spell (caster level 15th).
Swallow Whole (Ex): An ethereal worm can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of a smaller size than itself by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 1d6+8 points of bludgeoning damage and 8 points of acid damage per round from the worm’s gizzard. A swallowed creature can use a light slashing or piercing weapon (if it still has one after the dispossessing grapple) to damage the gizzard (AC 15) and induce vomiting. See Swallow Whole for more information. A Huge worm’s interior can hold 2 Medium, 8 Small, 32 Tiny, or 128 Diminutive or smaller opponents. A Gargantuan worm’s interior can hold 2 Large, 8 Medium, 32 Small, 128 Tiny or 512 Diminutive or smaller opponents. A Colossal worm’s interior can hold 2 Huge, 8 Large, 32 Medium, 128 Small or 512 Tiny or smaller opponents.
A corruption of “fast-lich”, a faceless isn’t actually completely faceless, since it still possesses empty eye sockets with a lich’s characteristic pinpoints of burning crimson light. However, its face—indeed, even the skull beneath—lacks any trace of a mouth or nose, showing only the cold, smooth, hairless, skin that covers its entire head.
A faceless is almost always a former lich that was captured by a more powerful lich who, through an altered form of the dark ceremony that creates a lich, changes that former lich to a faceless in thrall to the more powerful lich. This alters the former lich’s phylactery, which remains under its new master’s control. While some faceless are independent after their former master was destroyed, most are slaves to a more powerful lich than they were. A faceless retains most of a lich’s characteristic, but their spellcasting capabilities are forever stripped from them.
“Faceless” is an acquired template that replaces the lich template on a formerly humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
A faceless has all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. The base creature refers to the humanoid creature it was before becoming both a lich and a faceless.
Size and Type: The creature’s type remains undead. Base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: All current and future Hit Dice are d12s just as it had as a lich.
Armor Class: A faceless has a +5 natural armor bonus or the base creature’s natural armor bonus, whichever is better.
Attack: A faceless has a touch attack that it can use once per round. If the base creature can use weapons, the faceless retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons retains those natural weapons. A faceless fighting without weapons uses either its touch attack or its primary natural weapon (if it has any). A faceless armed with a weapon uses its touch or a weapon, as it desires.
Full Attack: A faceless fighting without weapons uses either its touch attack (see below) or its natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along with a touch as a natural secondary attack, provided it has a way to make that attack (either a free hand or a natural weapon that it can use as a secondary attack).
Damage: A faceless without natural weapons has a touch attack that uses negative energy to deal 1d8+5 points of damage to living creatures; a Will save (DC 10 + ½ lich’s HD + faceless’s Cha modifier) halves the damage. A lich with natural weapons can use its touch attack or its natural weaponry, as it prefers. If it chooses the latter, it deals 1d8+5 points of extra damage on one natural weapon attack.
Special Attacks: A faceless retains all the base creature’s special attacks and gains those described below. Save DCs are equal to 10 + ½ faceless’s HD + faceless’s Cha modifier unless otherwise noted.
Fear Aura (Su): A faceless retains the dreadful aura of death and evil they had as a lich. Creatures of less than 5 HD in a 60-foot radius that look at the faceless must succeed on a Will save or be affected as though by a fear spell from a sorcerer of a level equal to the hit dice of the faceless. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same faceless’s aura for 24 hours.
Paralyzing Touch (Su): Any living creature a faceless hits with its touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim (see the bestow curse spell description).
The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a faceless seems dead, though a DC 20 Spot check or a DC 15 Heal check reveals that the victim is still alive.
Spells: A faceless loses any spellcasting ability it had as a lich. The lack of a mouth or voice prevents it from using most magic, and the ritual that creates a faceless prevents it from remembering any vestige of its spellcasting ability.
Special Qualities: A faceless retains all the base creature’s special qualities and gains those described below:
Spell Resistance (Su): A faceless has a spell resistance of 10 + its hit dice.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A faceless has +4 turn resistance.
Damage Reduction (Su): The undead body of a faceless is tough, giving the creature damage reduction 15/bludgeoning and magic. Its natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Immunities (Ex): Faceless have immunity to cold, electricity, polymorph, and mind-affecting attacks. They are immune to scrying as if they were under the continuous effects of a mind blank spell.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature (not the lich!) as follows: Dex +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +2. Being undead, a faceless has no Constitution score.
Skills: A faceless has a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. Otherwise skills are the same as the base creature.
Organization: Solitary or troupe (1 lich, plus 2–4 faceless).
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature + 2.
Treasure: Standard coins; double goods; double items.
Alignment: Any evil.
Advancement: By character class.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +4.
| Hit Dice: | 16d10+30 (118 hp) |
| Initiative: | +0 |
| Speed: | 20 ft. (can’t run) |
| Armor Class: | 21 (–1 size, +22 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 21 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +11/+25 |
| Attack: | Slam +21 melee (2d10+10) |
| Full Attack: | 2 slams +21 melee (2d10+10) |
| Space/Reach: | 10 ft./10 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Disrupting strike, sunbeam |
| Special Qualities: | Construct traits, damage reduction 10/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft., daylight, detect undead, enmity to undead, ghost touch, immunity to magic, low-light vision, sunlight healing |
| Saves: | Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +5 |
| Abilities: | Str 30, Dex 10, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1 |
| Skills: | — |
| Feats: | — |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Solitary of gang (2–4) |
| Challenge Rating: | 12 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Always neutral |
| Advancement: | 17–32 HD (Large), 33–48 HD (Huge) |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
This polished brass humanoid resembles an avatar of a sun god, with stylized sun rays surrounding its head. Its fists are crafted of silver.
The first sun golems were crafted by high priests of Hræyn during the Lich Wars over a millennium ago. The manner of their construction was originally thought to be lost, but sun golem manuals to make them have started to be unearthed. They were designed specifically to be the bane of undead creatures, but they can wreak havoc on others if so commanded.
Sun golems are nearly as powerful as iron golems in melee, and their special attacks and qualities make them particularly effective against undead.
Disrupting Strike (Su): a sun golem’s slam attacks are treated as magical, silver and good-aligned for overcoming damage reduction. A hit by one disrupts undead as if they were affected by disrupting weapon cast by a 9th-level cleric. The DC of the Will save against this effect is 17.
Sunbeam (Su): Three times a day, a sun golem can cast sunbeam as a 13th-level level cleric with the Sun domain.
Daylight (Su): A sun golem is under the effects of a continuous daylight spell.
Detect Undead (Su): A sun golem is instantly aware of any undead creature that approaches within 60 feet of it as if it had been using the detect undead spell and concentrated for three rounds. This is a 360° effect and not a 90° cone like the spell.
Enmity to Undead (Ex): A sun golem will attack any undead creature it detects even without orders from its creator. Its creator can order it not to attack.
Ghost Touch (Su): A sun golem’s natural armor is considered to have the ghost touch special ability. Likewise, its slam attacks strike incorporeal creatures normally as if affected by the ghost touch weapon spell.
Immunity to Magic (Ex): A sun golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below:
A magical attack that deals sunlight damage, like anger of the noonday sun, sunbeam, or sunburst, instead heals a sun golem one-third of the damage dealt, rounded down.
Magical darkness slows a sun golem and inhibits its sunlight healing ability (see below). Such darkness must be able to suppress its daylight ability (see above).
Sunlight Healing (Su): A sun golem is considered to have fast healing 3 while exposed to direct, unobstructed sunlight.
Price (Item Level): 120,000 gp (21st)
Body Slot: —
Caster Level: 14th
Aura: Strong; (DC 22) varied
Activation: Standard (command)
Weight: 6,000 lb.
A sun golem’s body is sculpted from 6,000 pounds of brass and silver polished to a mirror-like shine. The detailed body and the unguents and holy water applied to it during construction bring its cost of construction to 7,500 gold pieces. Assembling the body requires a DC 20 Craft (armorsmithing) check.
Prerequisites: Craft Construct, animate objects, commune, daylight, detect undead, disrupting weapon, sunbeam, caster must be at least 14th level.
Cost to Create: 67,500 gp, 4,500 XP, 113 days plus the body crafting time (see Craft).
These can also be constructed by lower level casters in possession of a sun golem manual.
| Hit Dice: | 1d8+2 (6 hp) |
| Initiative: | +1 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 14 (+2 leather armor, +1 Dex, +1 Size), touch 12, flat-footed 13 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +1/–3 |
| Attack: | Shortsword +1 melee (1d4/19–20) or repeating light crossbow +2 ranged (1d6/19–20) |
| Full Attack: | Shortsword +1 melee (1d4/19–20) or repeating light crossbow +2 ranged (1d6/19–20) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | — |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft., scent |
| Saves: | Fort +4, Reflex +1, Will –1 |
| Abilities: | Str 11, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 6 |
| Skills: | Listen +1, Spot +1; racial bonuses |
| Feats: | Alertness |
| Environment: | Any land |
| Organization: | Gang (2–4), pack (11–20 plus 2 3rd-level sergeant and 1 leader of 3rd–6th level, or band (30–100 plus 150% non-combatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 10 adults, 5 5th-level lieutenants, and 3 7th-level leaders |
| Challenge Rating: | ½ |
| Treasure: | Standard |
| Alignment: | Usually neutral |
| Advancement: | By character class |
| Level Adjustment: | +0 |
Hraats are a race of small, furry humanoids somewhat resembling wererats in hybrid form. They are not, however, lycanthropes. They have naked, non-prehensile tails and long, clever furless hands. Their fur colors are typically brown, black or gray, although there are some tan hraats and a few very rare albino hraats.
At their worst, hraats are opportunistic, sneaky, backstabbing little beggars. They can be found (if barely tolerated) in most human societies because they are hard to catch and are willing to do jobs that few humans would. They aren’t afraid of water, and their small size and nimble hands makes them good at climbing rigging, so they often can be found in sailing ship crews. They don’t get along well with wererats despite their physical resemblance; a wererat that gets too uppity in the presence of hraats soon finds silver daggers sprouting from his back.
The hraat warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.
Hraat Traits (Ex): Hraats possess the following racial traits:
| Hit Dice: | 2d8 (13 hp) |
| Initiative: | –3 (–1 Dex, –2 racial) |
| Speed: | 40 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 10 (–1 Dex, –1 size, +2 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 10 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | |
| Attack: | Large quarterstaff +3 melee (1d8+2) |
| Full Attack: | Large quarterstaff +3 melee (1d8+2) |
| Space/Reach: | 10 ft./10 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | — |
| Special Qualities: | Low-light vision |
| Saves: | Fort +5, Reflex +0, Will +0 |
| Abilities: | Str 17, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 6 |
| Skills: | SKILLS; racial bonuses |
| Feats: | Alertness, Skill Focus (Knowledge—any) [bonus] |
| Environment: | Temperate Hills |
| Organization: | Solitary, pair, gang (2–4) or band (5–8) |
| Challenge Rating: | |
| Treasure: | Standard |
| Alignment: | Usually lawful |
| Advancement: | By character class |
| Level Adjustment: | +1 |
A lanky humanoid some nine feet in height and dressed in simple, homespun trousers and tunic regards you with a faint smile.
Hraden (hrā’-den) are thought to be a created race, although the truth of this is not known even by the hraden. Averaging nine feet tall, hraden are strong but not nimble of finger. They are lanky and long-limbed and their stride quickly covers ground. While intelligent and wise, hraden tend to be reclusive, rarely venturing forth from their villages.
Hraden believe in clarity of body and mind. They even the meanest hraden village will have a small school that serves as a sort of combination dojo and library.
Hraden tend to be pacifistic, preferring retreat to fighting. When cornered or in defense of their homes, they can make good account of themselves.
The hraden warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.
Hraden speak Giant and are known to learn Karthen, Draconic, Sylvan, Elvish and other languages as well.
Hraden Traits (Ex): Hraden possess the following racial traits.
The statistics block below contains details for more than one shape, size, or type of this creature. Use the horizontal scrollbar below it to display the desired one or select from the links below that.
| Ingester Large Ooze | Ingester, Huge Huge Ooze | Ingester, Ooze Daughter Huge Ooze (Evil, Extraplanar) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hit Dice: | 4d10+32 (54 hp) | 24d10+240 (372 hp) | 24d10+240 (372 hp) |
| Initiative: | –5 | –5 | –5 |
| Speed: | 15 ft. (3 squares) | 15 ft. (3 squares) | 15 ft. (3 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 4 (–1 size, –5 Dex), touch 4, flat-footed 4 | 3 (–2 size, –5 Dex), touch 3, flat-footed 3 | 3 (–2 size, –5 Dex), touch 3, flat-footed 3 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +3/+7 | +18/+28 | +20/+28 |
| Attack: | Slam +2 melee (1d6 plus 1d6 acid) | Slam +20 melee (1d8+9 plus 1d8 acid) | Slam +21 melee (2d6+9 plus 1d8 acid) |
| Full Attack: | Slam +2 melee (1d6 plus 1d6 acid) | Slam +20 melee (1d8+9 plus 1d8 acid) | Slam +21 melee (2d6+9 plus 1d8 acid) |
| Space/Reach: | 10 ft./5 ft. | 15 ft./10 ft. | 15 ft./10 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Acid (1d6), engulf (DC 13), paralysis (DC 20) | Acid (1d8), engulf (DC 29), paralysis (DC 32) | Acid (1d8), engulf (DC 31), paralysis (DC 34) smite good |
| Special Qualities: | Blindsight 60 ft., fluidity 2, immunity to electricity, ooze traits, transparent | Blindsight 60 ft., fluidity 2, immunity to electricity, ooze traits, transparent | Blindsight 60 ft., fluidity 2, immunity to electricity, ooze traits, transparent |
| Saves: | Fort +18, Ref +4, Will +4 | ||
| Abilities: | Str 10, Dex 1, Con 26, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1 | Str 23, Dex 1, Con 30, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1 | Str 23, Dex 1, Con 30, Int 3, Wis 1, Cha 1 |
| Skills: | — | — | Swim +18, Survival +8 |
| Feats: | — | — | Ability Focus (engulf), Ability Focus (paralysis), Great Fortitude, Improved Overrun, Improved Natural Weapon (slam), Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (slam) |
| Environment: | Underground | Underground | Underground |
| Organization: | Solitary | Solitary | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating: | 3 | 9 | 10 |
| Treasure: | None | None | None |
| Alignment: | Always neutral | Always neutral | Always chaotic evil |
| Advancement: | 5–12 HD (Large); 13–24 HD (Huge) | — | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — | — | — |
Large • Huge • Ooze Daughter
A quivering, transparent wall approaches you, engulfing everything in its path.
These transparent horrors are thought to be magical creations. They shun sunlight, sweeping up offal and carrion in caverns and those few cities that have underground sewers.
This monster is based on the gelatinous cube. It differs from the gelatinous cube in that an ingester precipitates indigestible items, so they are not found with treasure in their bodies. They only retain a somewhat cube-like shape when in enclosed areas that cause them to assume such a form, like a corridor or a pit.
A typical ingester is 10 feet on a side (when in a hallway of similar size) and weighs about 15,000 pounds.
While ingesters can lash out with a pseudopod, they prefer to simply engulf prey. It completely dissolves organic material and precipitates indigestible items, leaving them behind as it moves.
Ooze Traits (Ex): mindless (no Intelligence score, immune to mind-affecting effects such as charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects); immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning; not subject to critical hits, flanking or death from massive damage.
Acid (Ex): An ingester’s acid does not harm metal or stone.
Engulf (Ex): Although it moves slowly, an ingester can simply mow down Large or smaller creatures as a standard action. It cannot make a slam attack during a round in which it engulfs. It merely has to move over the opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make opportunity attacks against the ingester, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a Reflex save (DC is Strength-based with a +1 racial bonus and is given in the statistic block) or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the ingester moves forward. Engulfed creatures are subject to the ingester’s paralysis and acid and are treated as grappled and trapped within its body.
Paralysis (Ex): An ingester secretes an anesthetizing slime. A target hit by its melee or engulf attack must succeed on a Constitution-based Fortitude (DC given in the statistics block) save or be paralyzed for 3d6 rounds. The ingester can automatically engulf a paralyzed opponent.
Transparent (Ex): Ingesters are hard to see, even under ideal conditions, and it takes a DC 15 (fixed) Spot check to notice one. Creatures who fail to notice an ingester and walk into it are automatically engulfed. The DC on this Spot check drops to 0 while the creature is digesting a meal.
Ingesters that feed regularly can reach 15 feet on a side and weigh about 50,000 pounds.
The Reflex save to avoid this creature’s engulf attack is 29. The Fortitude save against its paralysis is DC 32. These DCs reflect its higher Strength and Constitution scores and increased hit dice.
Followers of the Shapeless One sacrifice victims to these fiendish ingesters. They are always well fed to keep them as large as possible. Because they are not mindless, they are more easily controlled and trapped by wizards serving the cult.
The Reflex save to avoid this creature’s engulf attack is 31. The Fortitude save against its paralysis is DC 34. These DCs reflect its higher Strength and Constitution scores, increased hit dice and Ability Focus feats. Its slam attack is treated as magical for purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
Because fiendish creatures have a minimum Intelligence of 3, ooze daughters lose the mindless trait but gain skills and feats. The creature shown above has those added.
Ooze Traits (Ex): immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning; not subject to critical hits, flanking or death from massive damage.
Smite Good (Su): Once per day an ooze daughter can make a normal melee attack to deal an extra 20 points of damage against a good foe.
| Kyrg, 1st-Level Warrior Medium Humanoid (Kyrg) |
|
|---|---|
| Hit Dice: | 1d8+1 (9 hp) |
| Initiative: | +0 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 13 (+3 studded leather armor), touch 10, flat-footed 13 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +1/+4 |
| Attack: | Greataxe +4 melee (1d12+4/×3) or javelin +1 ranged (1d6+3) |
| Full Attack: | Greataxe +4 melee (1d12+4/×3) or javelin +1 ranged (1d6+3) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | — |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft. |
| Saves: | Fort +3, Reflex +0, Will –2 (+0 vs. fear) |
| Abilities: | Str 17, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 7, Cha 6. |
| Skills: | Listen +0, Spot +1; racial bonuses |
| Feats: | Alertness |
| Environment: | Any land |
| Organization: | Gang (2–4), squad (11–20 plus 2 3rd-level sergeant and 1 leader of 3rd-6th level, or band (30–100 plus 150% non-combatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 10 adults, 5 5th-level lieutenants, and 3 7th-level captains) |
| Challenge Rating: | ½ |
| Treasure: | Standard |
| Alignment: | Usually chaotic evil |
| Advancement: | 1–3 (Medium), 4–6 (Large) or by character class |
| Level Adjustment: | +0 |
Gray-skinned, black-haired muscular humanoids dressed in dirty studded leather armor face you, their black eyes blazing with hostility. Their lips peel back from their teeth, showing pronounced canines. Raising their greataxes, they scream and charge you.
Kryg (pronounced krēg or krig) are a race of militant humanoids that were likely magically bred as a warrior race from human stock. They mature rapidly, often reaching adult size in about a decade, but as adults they do not always stop growing, and some kryg have been known to reach almost ten feet in height. They produce a surplus of natural steroids that increases their growth and strength and makes them very aggressive. Some kryg can control this aggression, but most kryg think with their glands rather than their brains.
Kryg mostly live in warring tribes that seek to dominate as much territory as possible. They can interbreed with humans, but the offspring are usually kryg (75% of the time); the rest are human. No half-kryg exist.
The kryg warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.
Kryg Traits (Ex): Kryg possess the following racial traits:
Like lycanthropes, an ophidian is humanoid or monstrous humanoid who can transform itself into a specific animal—in this case, a giant constrictor snake. Also like them, in their natural form, ophidians look like any other beings of their kind (unless they have the Indomitable Beast flaw). They have several important differences, however, as detailed in Creating an Ophidian below.
For examples of creatures with the ophidian template, see Sample Ophidians.
Ophidian physiology has several quirks that determine behavior and outlook of such creatures.
Diet: Ophidians typically assume serpent form to eat but may eat in any form. Their serpent form can swallow much larger meals (up to Medium size). If they swallow a creature larger than Tiny size, they must stay in hybrid or serpent form until that meal passes.
There is also an occasional…special “dietary supplement”. See the serpent’s curse below.
Reproduction: Because they are like lycanthropesLycanthrope-like? Lyc-like?, ophidians are still fertile with other opposite-gender members of their base creature type. Their serpent form is completely sterile and lacks any sexual organs—so much so that if a pregnant female ophidian attempts to shift to her serpent form, the shift will fail and she will suffer from immediate miscarriage and be sickened for 1d6 rounds for each two months since becoming pregnant. Because of this, female ophidians are most hungry just before they ovulate.
Pregnant female ophidians may safely shift between the base creature form and the hybrid form. The serpent’s curse (see below) does not affect a female ophidian during pregnancy. Offspring are always born as natural ophidians in the base creature form, which is stays in until at least puberty; the serpent’s curse may assert itself then but typically not until it reachs young adulthood.
“Ophidian” is a template that can be added to any Medium-sized humanoid or monstrous humanoid (referred to hereafter as the base creature). This template can be inherited or acquired, but there is no functional difference between ophidians created either way. Becoming an ophidian is very much like multiclassing as a giant constrictor snake.
Size and Type: The base creature’s type does not change, but it gains the shapechanger subtype. The ophidian takes on the characteristics of a giant constrictor snake (referred to hereafter as the serpent). In its hybrid or serpent form, the ophidian is a Huge creature.
The ophidian uses either the base creature’s or the serpent’s statistics and special abilities in addition to those described here.
Hit Dice and Hit Points: Same as the base creature plus those of the serpent’s (11d8). To calculate total hit points, apply Constitution modifiers according to the score the ophidian has in each form.
Speed: Same as the base creature or serpent’s, depending on which form the ophidian is using. In hybrid form, ophidians use the serpent form’s speeds (20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.).
Armor Class: The base creature’s natural armor bonus increases by +2 in all forms. In hybrid form, the ophidian’s natural armor bonus is equal to the base creature’s or the serpent’s (including the +2 bonus above to either), whichever is better.
Base Attack/Grapple: Add the base attack bonus for the base serpent (+8) to the base attack bonus for the base creature. The ophidian’s grapple bonus uses its attack bonus and modifiers for Strength and size depending on the ophidian’s form.
Attacks: Same as the base creature or serpent, depending on which form the ophidian is using. An ophidian in hybrid form can use the same weapons it uses in its base creature form; it also gains a bite attack of 1d3 plus its Str modifier as a secondary attack and its serpent-form constrict attack if it succeeds on a grapple check. The serpent’s form’s bite damage is equal to 1d8 + 1½ times its Str modifier.
Damage: Same as the base creature or serpent, depending on which form the ophidian is in.
Special Attacks: An ophidian retains the special attacks of the base creature or serpent, depending on which form it is using, and also gains the special attacks described below.
An ophidian’s hybrid form does gain the constrict special attack, but not the improved grab attack, so it provokes an attack of opportunity if it attempts a grapple unless it also has the Improved Grapple feat. An ophidian spellcaster cannot cast spells with verbal, somatic, or material components while in serpent form but can cast such spells while in hybrid form.
Constrict: On a successful grapple check, an ophidian deals the damage equal to its serpent form’s bite damage.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an ophidian must be in serpent form and hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity and can constrict.
Serpent’s Curse (Su): Any Medium-sized humanoid hit by a natural ophidian’s bite attack (in hybrid form only) must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or contract the serpent’s curse. A bitten victim that is not Medium sized does not contract this curse. Afflicted ophidians cannot pass on the serpent’s curse. Ophidians in hybrid form do not often bite in combat, so afflicted ophidians are actually somewhat rare.
Special Qualities: An ophidian retains the special qualities of the base creature or serpent, depending on which form it is using, and also gains the special qualities described below.
Alternate Form (Su): An ophidian can shift between its base creature form, its serpent form, and its hybrid form as though using Alternate Form. Most of its gear is not affected and it does not regain hit points for changing form.
In serpent or hybrid form, it adds the serpent’s physical ability score modifiers to its own ability scores; see Abilities below. The ophidian’s hybrid form has the base creature’s humanoid torso, arms, and head in place of the serpent form’s head.
Changing from humanoid form destroys any clothing or armor that encloses the legs of the base creature. (Ophidians prefer skirts or kilts for this reason.) Footwear drops unharmed in the ophidian’s space. When changing from humanoid to hybrid form, gear worn on the head, face, hands (including rings), arms, torso, and body (except legs and feet) remain in place.
Changing to or from serpent or hybrid form is a standard action.
A slain ophidian reverts to its humanoid form, although it remains dead. Separated body parts retain their serpent form, however.
See Alternate Form for additional details.
Low-Light Vision (Ex): An ophidian has low-light vision in any form.
Scent (Ex): An ophidian has the scent ability in any form.
Serpentine (Ex):An ophidian in serpent or hybrid form has the serpentine special quality.
Snake Empathy (Ex): In any form, ophidians can communicate and empathize with any snake. This gives them a +4 racial bonus on checks when influencing the snake’s attitude and allows the communication of simple concepts and (if the animal is friendly) commands, such as “friend,” “foe,” “flee,” and “attack.”
Damage Reduction: Ophidians, unlike true lycanthropes, receive no damage reduction.
Base Save Bonuses: Add the base save bonuses of the serpent (Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +3) to the base save bonuses of the base creature.
Abilities: Ophidians in any form gain +2 to Wisdom. In addition, when in serpent or hybrid form, an ophidian improves its physical ability scores as follows: Strength +14, Dexterity +6, Constitution +2.
An ophidian also gains additional ability score increases by virtue of its extra Hit Dice plus its class levels.
Skills: An ophidian gains skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die of its serpent form, as if it had multiclassed into the animal type. (Animal is never its first Hit Die, though, so it does not gain quadruple skill points for any animal Hit Die.) Balance, Climb, Hide, Listen, Spot, and Swim are class skills for the ophidian’s serpent “levels”. Racial skill bonuses of the base creature apply to the ophidian’s base creature and hybrid forms but not its serpent form.
In serpent or hybrid form, an ophidian has a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks. It can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. It uses either its Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is higher. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Feats: Add the serpent’s feats—Alertness, Endurance, Skill Focus (Hide), and Toughness—to the base creature’s. If this results in an ophidian having the same feat twice, the ophidian gains no additional benefit unless the feat normally can be taken more than once (like Toughness), in which case the duplicated feat works as noted in the feat description. This process may give the ophidian more feats than a character of its total Hit Dice would normally be entitled to; if this occurs, any “extra” feats are denoted as bonus feats.
It’s possible that an ophidian cannot meet the prerequisites for all its feats when in humanoid form. If this occurs, the ophidian still has the feats, but cannot use them when in humanoid form. Unlike other lycanthropes, an ophidian does not receive Iron Will as a bonus feat.
Environment: Same as either the base creature or the serpent.
Alignment: As the base creature.
Advancement: By character class.
Level adjustment: Same as base creature +13 for afflicted ophidians or +14 for natural ophidians. This reflects the 11 additional animal hit dice a giant constrictor snake has.
Living on the outskirts of society, ophidians tend to become barbarians, rangers, or druids, but they are by no means limited to these classes. They are not subject to the same alignment changes as lycanthropes. Many societies still regard them as evil despite this. The serpent’s curse bolsters this perception.
This curse is not just that of becoming an a creature that can turn into a serpent or a hybrid between the base form and a serpent, but that of slowly losing one’s sentience as the serpent essence overcomes that of the base creature afflicted, until they wholly become a serpent. The only way to avoid this is by eating another humanoid creature to bolster the spirit of that base creature.
The serpent’s curse can assert itself after puberty, but typically does not occur until an ophidian reaches his or her full growth as a young adult. Younger ophidians are not subject to the effects of the curse.
After two weeks (fourteen 24-hour periods) without devouring another creature of the humanoid type, an ophidian must make a DC 15 Will save each time he sleeps (in the case of most humanoid ophidians) or trances (in the case of an elf ophidians). A failure means that the ophidian assumes serpent form during this period and suffers one point of Intelligence drain. If this does not reduce his Intelligence below 3, he may make another Will save every day at dawn to resume his base creature or hybrid form. The DC of the Will save to avoid the change when sleeping or trancing or to change back from serpent form afterward increases by one for every point of Intelligence that has been drained.
When the ophidian’s Intelligence score is drained below 3 in this manner, he has succumbed to the serpent’s curse and can no longer change back from the serpent form until he has eaten a humanoid creature. What little lingering spirit of the base creature that remains will compel him to seek to devour such a meal. During this period, the ophidian’s creature type changes from humanoid to animal, although it still retains the shapeshifter subtype. This changes what sorts of magic can affect it.
This Intelligence drain cannot be healed by any other means, including heal, panacea or restoration spells. Awaken or mass awaken has no effect on an ophidian who has succumbed to the serpent’s curse. Fox’s cunning or similar magic can still temporarily augment the Intelligence of an ophidian so affected.
The serpent’s curse cannot drain an ophidian’s Intelligence score below 1.
If some condition or spell (such as a ray of stupidity or feeblemind) causes an ophidian’s Intelligence to drop below 3, it changes to its serpent form until such a time as its Intelligence is brought back to 3 or more. Eating a humanoid meal will not cure such magical afflictions, although it still removes the Intelligence drain caused by the serpent’s curse.
Intelligence drain caused by the serpent’s curse is automatically removed when a humanoid creature has been swallowed by the ophidian.
Because ophidianism is a supernatural effect, an ophidian reverts to its humanoid form while in an antimagic field or otherwise null magic zone. Any Intelligence drain suffered by the serpent’s curse is suppressed as well, but resumes as soon as it is outside the null magic zone.
Because the curse of the ophidian is not true lycanthropy, the cure for afflicted lycanthropes is not the same. A remove curse, break enchantment, panacea, heal, limited wish, wish, or miracle spell can be used to attempt to remove the curse. To remove the affliction, the caster of any such spell must succeed in a caster level check of DC 20 if it is cast within the first three days of the affliction. The DC increases by one for each day after the third, to a maximum DC of 30. Only afflicted ophidians can be cured of the curse of the ophidian.
Despite not being true lycanthropes, ophidians are affected by the countermoon spell as if they were.
| Hit Dice: | 15d8+30 (97 hp) |
| Initiative: | +6 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. (6 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 17 (+2 Dex, +5 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 15 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +11/+12 |
| Attack: | Slam +12 melee (1d3+1) |
| Full Attack: | Slam +12 melee (1d3+1) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Acid |
| Special Qualities: | Alternate form, amorphous, resilient, scent, telepathy 100 ft., tremorsense 60 ft. |
| Saves: | Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +11 |
| Abilities: | Str 12, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 14 |
| Skills: | Bluff +20, Climb +7, Craft (any one) +12, Diplomacy +12, Disguise +20 (+22 acting), Intimidate +4, Knowledge (any one) +18, Listen +12, Spot +12, Survival +8; racial bonuses |
| Feats: | Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility |
| Environment: | Underground |
| Organization: | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating: | 7 |
| Treasure: | Standard |
| Alignment: | Usually chaotic neutral |
| Advancement: | 15–18 HD (Medium); 19–25 (Large); 26–33 (Huge), 34–45 HD (Gargantuan) |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
This creature looks like a slithering blob of multicolored goo perhaps 5 feet wide and a little less than half that high.
A phasm is an amorphous creature that can assume the guise of almost any other creature. A phasm in its natural form is about 5 feet in diameter and 2 feet high at the center. Swirls of color indicate sensory organs. In this form, a phasm slithers about like an ooze and can attack with a pseudopod. It weighs about 400 pounds.
Phasms can speak any regional language but prefer telepathic communication.
This version of the phasm is from the Standard Reference Document 3.5, revised for Monster Manual 3.5 errata and with advancement corrections (the original version jumped from Medium directly to Huge with the same 15 hit dice) and changes to its alternate form ability to reflect that advancement. The Skills section below properly references its alternate form ability rather than the version 3.0 shapechange ability. It also adds a mild acid attack that allows the creature to eat if it is unable to use its alternate form ability, such as within a null-magic zone.
When faced with potential danger, a phasm is equally likely to retreat, parley, or attack, as its fancy strikes. If pursued or harassed, a phasm transforms into the most fearsome creature it knows and attacks. When seriously hurt, it changes to some fast or agile form and tries to escape.
Acid (Ex): In its natural form, a phasm can exude a weak corrosive. It must grapple a foe to apply this damage. A creature grappled by a phasm in its natural form suffers one point of acid damage per round. It only does this when its alternate form ability is suppressed (in an antimagic field, for instance).
Alternate Form (Su): A phasm can assume any form up to one size category larger than its natural form as a standard action. A phasm can remain in its alternate form until it chooses to assume a new one or return to its natural form. See Alternate Form.
Amorphous (Ex): A phasm in its natural form has immunity to poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning effects. It is not subject to critical hits and, having no clear front or back, cannot be flanked.
Resilient (Ex): A phasm has a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude and Reflex saves (included in the statistics block).
Tremorsense (Ex): A phasm can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground, so long as it is touching the ground itself.
Skills: When using alternate form, a phasm gains a +10 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks.
In the Darkwold, druids of several races call on the ancient magics of that primeval forest. In the Vastvert, wild elf druids draw on the forces of the rain forest and jungle. In ruins left by violent and ancient magical wars, arcane power leaks into the forests and jungles that have reclaimed them. These energies transform creatures nearby into plantlike beings of great strength.
A verdant creature looks much like it did before transformation, although certain changes are apparent. The creature’s flesh has been replaced by pulpy wood and thickly corded creepers, and tiny branches stick out from its torso, arms, and legs. Any feathers, hair, or fur it once had have been replaced by some combination of green vines, moss, flowers, and leaves.
This template originally appeared in slightly different form as the greenbound template in Lost Empires of Faerûn, page 173.
For examples of creatures with the verdant template, see Sample Verdant Creatures.
“Verdant creature” is an acquired template that can be added to any animal, fey, giant, humanoid, monstrous humanoid, or vermin (hereafter referred to as the base creature).
A verdant creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to plant with the appropriate augmented subtype. Do not recalculate base attack bonuses, base saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: Change all current Hit Dice to d8s.
Armor Class: A verdant creature’s natural armor bonus improves by 6 over that of the base creature.
Attack: A verdant creature retains all the attacks of the base creature and also gains a slam attack if it didn’t already have one. If the base creature can use weapons, the verdant creature retains this ability. A verdant creature fighting without weapons uses either its slam attack or its primary natural weapons (if it has any). A verdant creature armed with a weapon uses either its slam attack or a weapon, as it desires.
Full Attack: A verdant creature without weapons uses either its slam attack (see above) or its natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along with a slam or other natural weapon as a natural secondary attack.
Damage: A verdant creature has a slam attack. If the base creature does not have this attack form, use the appropriate damage value from the table below according to the verdant creature’s size. A creature that has other kinds of natural weapons retains its old damage values or uses the appropriate values from the table below, whichever is better.
| Size | Base Damage |
|---|---|
| Fine | 1 |
| Diminutive | 1d2 |
| Tiny | 1d3 |
| Small | 1d4 |
| Medium | 1d6 |
| Large | 1d8 |
| Huge | 2d6 |
| Gargantuan | 2d8 |
| Colossal | 4d6 |
Special Attacks: A verdant creature retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains those described below.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will—entangle, pass without trace, speak with plants; 1/day—wall of thorns. Caster level equals verdant creature’s character level; save DC 10 + spell level + verdant creature’s Charisma modifier.
Special Qualities: A verdant creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below.
Damage Reduction (Ex): A verdant creature has damage reduction 10/magic and slashing. A verdant creature’s natural weapons are treated as magical weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Fast Healing (Ex): A verdant creature heals 3 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 or fewer hit points in combat, it is slain.
Grapple Bonus (Ex): The thorny hooks on a verdant creature’s body and appendages grant it a +4 bonus on grapple checks.
Plant traits (Ex): Low-light vision; immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects); immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning; not subject to critical hits.
Resistance to Cold and Electricity (Ex): A verdant creature gains resistance to cold and electricity 10.
Tremorsense (Ex): Verdant creatures can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground. See Tremorsense.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +6, Dex +2, Con +4, Cha +4.
Skills: A verdant creature gains a +16 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks made in forested areas.
Environment: Any forest or jungles.
Organization: Same as the base creature.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2.
Treasure: Standard.
Alignment: Same as the base creature.
Advancement: By character class or as base creature.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +8.
| Hit Dice: | 4d10+20 (28 hp) |
| Initiative: | +0 |
| Speed: | 15 ft., climb 15 ft., swim 15 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 13, touch 10, flat-footed 13 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +1/+3 |
| Attack: | Swarm (1d6 acid plus poison and disease) |
| Full Attack: | Swarm (1d6 acid plus poison and disease) |
| Space/Reach: | 10 ft./0 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Distraction, poison |
| Special Qualities: | Blindsight 60 ft. |
| Saves: | Fort +6, Reflex –4, Will –4 |
| Abilities: | Str 1, Dex 1, Con 20, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1 |
| Skills: | — |
| Feats: | — |
| Environment: | Warm marsh or underground |
| Organization: | Solitary, flow (2–4 swarms), inundation (7–12 swarms) |
| Challenge Rating: | 3 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Always neutral |
| Advancement: | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
A sheet of clear jelly flows toward you.
The individual creatures that make up a primordial ooze are tiny, transparent blobs no bigger than a quarter inch across, but when they collect in masses they can be fearsome indeed. Sages specializing in Knowledge (dungeoneering) speculate that primordial oozes are related to ingesters, perhaps even a distant ancestral form of them.
When swarming, a primordial ooze appears as a shifting mass of clear jelly covering an area 10 feet by 10 feet to a depth of an inch or two. It flows up and over any organic material it can find, including living creatures. It can squeeze through tiny cracks as narrow as one-sixteenth of an inch.
Like all swarms, a primordial ooze surrounds its prey. It does no damage other than its acid and numbing poison. Unlike most swarms of fine creatures, a primordial ooze does not suffer nonlethal damage from strong winds. However, running water can disperse them; a gallon of water poured on them does 1d6 nonlethal damage.
Acid (Ex): A primordial ooze’s acids do not harm metal or stone.
Disease (Ex): Slimy doom, contact, Fortitude DC 14, damage 1d4 Con unless a second Fortitude save is failed, in which case it is 1 point of Con drain instead. Any creature reduced to 0 Con from this disease becomes a primordial ooze with a number of Hit Dice equal to the squares it occupies on a battle mat: one for Small and Medium creatures, four for Large creatures, nine for Huge creatures, and so forth. The disease is caused by individuals within the swarm seeping into a creature’s orifices.
Poison (Ex): Contact, Fortitude DC 17 (by Con), initial and secondary damage 1d4 Str.
Transparent (Ex): A primordial ooze is hard to see, even under ideal conditions. Those that fail a DC 15 Spot check walk into it, automatically suffering its acid damage as well as having to save against its poison.
No such language as “Common” exists on Yön.
This can lead to problems not only in linguistic comprehension but in creature descriptions. If a creature is said to speak Common, what is it actually speaking?
Whenever one sees the word “Common” referring to a language a creature speaks, that creature speaks the human tongue most prevalent in that region. In creature statistics in this worldbook, “Regional” means the same thing. This will lead to a lot of misunderstanding, of course.
However, some languages on Yön are related to each other, so even if a character doesn’t know a particular tongue, they can make a DC 10 Intelligence check to understand what was said if they know a related language. Even if they fail, as long as they do not fail by 5 or more, they can at least identify what language is being spoken.
Of course, some languages are more related than others, so modifiers to the DC of the check may apply. These modifiers are listed after each related language. If there are no modifiers listed for a language for another language, they aren’t related and an understanding check isn’t allowed.
Retries are always allowed on related language understanding checks. In terms of game play, these checks shouldn’t matter unless players are trying to convey information quickly.
Learning a related language with a relation modifier of +5 or less always costs just one skill point even if Speak Language is a cross class skill.
Ansaise. This is the native language of Hesperonia. Like many languages around the Crimson Plains, its roots are from Ryzhaen.
Related Languages: Low Ryzhaen (+2), Pelskan (+5).
Draconic. This is an old, old language and long considered the only language of magic. It is a tongue of throaty and rumbling vowels, harsh consonants, hisses and clicks—difficult for the humanoid throat to handle. Despite that, almost all users of arcane magic speak it.
Dwarven. Called Khazhan (“the language”) among dwarves.
Related Languages: Gnomish (+10).
Elven.
Elyshain. An almost dead language, as most humans in Elyzhar speak Draconic. It mostly is spoken among junglewards (druids) and those who follow the Old Gods.
Gnomish.
Related Languages: Dwarven (+10).
Hraat. Almost no one but a Hraat speaks Hraat, and almost no one but a Hraat wants to. It is spoken with thin vowels and whispery consonants.
Huflada. An elven word that translates as “silent tongue”, huflada is the sign language used almost exclusively among the dark elves. It is completely unrelated Hzalil (see below). Unlike that language, huflada needs only one hand to speak it, since it evolved from military use, where the other hand would likely be holding a weapon.
Hrygen.
Karthen. This is the native tongue of Kartag, but because of that nation’s widespread and long-standing trade in the region, it is the closest thing to a “common” tongue in the continent containing the Crimson Plains. Most people who speak a second language other than their native tongue will speak Karthen.
Related Languages: Ansaise: +8, Low Ryzhaen +2.
Hzalil. This language, literally called “hand speech” in Zurkai. Used almost exclusively by the Zurkai, it is a sign language that most Zurkai speak rather than use Zurkan itself, as it is a more secretive one that fits their cultural furtiveness well.
Related Languages: none.
Minsi. A dialect of Lentzin, the language of Lentzu. It is mostly spoken in the western regions of that nation.
Pelskan. A bastard tongue born of Ryzhaen and Tuvan, Pelskan is spoken in many of the eastern cities of the Crimson Plains and even a few east of the Godsteeth.
Related Languages: Ansaise (+5), Low Ryzhaen (+4), Tuvan (+2).
Ryzhaen, High. While Draconic is still a much used language of magic, some ancient precursor of the Ordo Ars Magica collectively established a second language of magic, one more suited to the human tongue (and no longer in common use, to better protect their new spells from use by non-wizards), called High Ryzhaen (pronounced rī-zhā’-en), the classical (and “dead”) form of a degenerate language, Low Ryzhaen, used in the successor states of the long since fallen Ryzhaen Empire. In this text, High Ryzhaen is represented by Latin words, so Ordo Ars Magica is the Latin characterization of the High Ryzhaen name of that prominent wizards’ affiliation. Simply translated, it means “Order of the Magical Arts”.
Most sorcerers and other spontaneous spellcasters disdain the use of High Ryzhaen or simply lack the training in it, since it is taught almost exclusively among wizards, who are often taught both languages. Since all wizards have the Write Scroll feat, most arcane spell scrolls are written by wizards and therefore will be in High Ryzhaen unless they are very old. Read magic will translate magical writing in either Draconic or High Ryzhaen, so for the most part this distinction is a problem only if one attempts to read magical writing without the aid of that cantrip.
Although Low and High Ryzhaen are related, the languages have had centuries to diverge. Add to that the fact that no one had spoken High Ryzhaen until it was adopted as an alternate magical language and the two are more related in name now than they are in reality.
Related Languages: Low Ryzhaen (+10).
Ryzhaen, Low. At the height of the Ryzhaen Empire centuries ago, Ryzhaen was spoken almost everywhere on the Crimson Plains and nearby. Now the degenerate form of this language, Low Ryzhaen, is spoken only in a few of the remaining successor states bordering the Pyro Sea on the south. However, several languages in the region are somewhat related.
Related Languages: Ansaise (+2), High Ryzhaen (+10), Pelskan (+4).
Shelmic. The native tongue of Psenella, this language is spoken in that nation and much of the other areas colonized by the Psen, as far east as Twenty Vales.
Tuvan. Once the dominant language among humans on the Crimson Plains, constant invasions and colonization by other nations have almost eradicated this tongue. It is still spoken in a few backwater villages in the southeastern sections of the Crimson Plains and in the Darkwold.
Related Languages: Pelskan (+2).
Zurkan. This language has the odd distinction of rarely being spoken by those for whom it is a native tongue. Except for writing, most Zurkai prefer to use Hzalil and consider Zurkai a vulgar tongue fit only for outcasts and strangers.
This expanse of grasslands between the Godsteeth and the Kulorm Mountains was settled by humans and halflings centuries ago. Until about twenty years ago, the plains were a part of the Hrygen Empire. Since then, the cities have aligned with Hesperonia, L’raigh or Kartag or returned to their original independence. These cities are usually supported by rich farmlands, but also by ranches further out.
Those that grow up outside the big city-states on the Crimson Plains learn that you don’t get far on foot. Since many areas of the plains are more suited to herding than growing, many learn to ride from an early age.
Cultural Skills: Handle Animal, Ride.
Cultural Bonus: Even those that don’t learn how to ride well learn how to fall off more safely. A Crimson Plains character that fails a Ride check to “soft fall” and avoid falling damage takes the 1d6 as nonlethal damage instead.
Pronunciation: e-li-zhar’
A hot land of jungle and mountains that lies south across the Seaborne Strait from Kartag and Ninetowers, Elyzhar is not so much a nation as a collection of tribes. The Elyzhain venerate dragons, and the leaders of each tribe are usually sorcerers or dragon disciples, and all Elyzhain learn draconic as their native language.
Elyzhain sorcerers and dragon disciples typically wear nothing but tattoos and elaborate body paint with dragon motifs. They disdain clothing; since dragons don’t wear it, neither do they. If they are traveling in lands with nudity taboos, they may wear a very small loincloth (and a bandeau, if they are female) if they absolutely must. Very powerful ones will simply ignore the foreign laws or taboos and dare anyone to do anything about it.
While all Elyzhain venerate dragons and regard them as superior beings, different Elyzhain tribes have come to different conclusions of what that means. These philosophies are collectively called the Paths of the Dragon.
Elyzhain sorcerers almost always take the Draconic Heritage feat, and often take the Improved Familiar feat, which allows them a Tiny Yönian dragon familiar at 5th level or higher. Elyzhain of any class who take the Leadership feat may have a dragon cohort. If an Elyzhain sorcerer has both Improved Familiar and Leadership, he may have a dragon cohort as a familiar instead of having two separate and less powerful dragons. If a dragon cohort-familiar would have a higher Intelligence as a dragon than as a familiar, use the higher score. Dragon cohort-familiars know the same languages that they would know as just a dragon as well as any they gain as a familiar. The size of a dragon cohort-familiar may prevent it from benefiting from certain spells that affect familiars only.
Most Elyzhain sorcerers and dragon disciples learn the endure elements spell until such a time as they can get a magic item to provide them with the spell, especially if they travel. Elyzhain sorcerers almost always learn polymorph as soon as they can so they may assume the form of a dragon. Very powerful Elyzhain sorcerers learn shapechange for the same reason.
Cultural Skills: Knowledge (arcana).
Cultural Bonus: Because of their cultural reverence for dragons, all Elyzhain characters, regardless of class, have a +2 cultural bonus on Knowledge (arcana) checks related to knowledge about dragons. If a character has no ranks in that skill, he or she may make an Intelligence check with that bonus instead.
Hesperonia was a feudal country that lost half its nobility in the first few battles against the Hrygen twenty years ago, including the king, Jothan Pengellant (crowned King Hefan IV). Queen Eshalei (e-shā’-lē) of Kyfeshé (kē’-fe-shā), then just a consort to the dead monarch, raised a new army from the serfs and yeomanry by promising them their own lands and more freedom. She also publicly converted to the worship of Rytha, a healing goddess of the common folk that came from Psenella to the north. (Nobles in Hesperonia worship Hræyn, the Ryzhaen god of the sun and of law.) That, along with her artful diplomacy with L’raigh to the north and Kartag to the south, allowed Hesperonia to turn the tide against Hrygen. The Queen also had the dwarves train her army so that Hesperonia now has a standing army loyal to the crown, but the Queen has to survive constant plotting by the surviving nobility to bring her down.
While many Hesperonian nobles are fairly loathsome and yeomen have no reservation about saying so when they aren’t around, the average Hesperonian citizen does accept the aristocratic system and resents outsiders deriding it. The common folk, in particular, love the Queen and any stranger badmouthing her in a tavern is sure to start a bar fight.
Love them or hate them, Hesperonians know their nobility and gossip about their doings is rife.
Cultural Skills: Knowledge (nobility and royalty)
Cultural Bonus: Hesperonians get a +2 cultural bonus on Knowledge (nobility and royalty) checks in Hesperonia.
Pronunciation: hrī’-gen
An empire conquered by a confederation of kryg tribes from beyond Godsteeth. Until recently, they ruled the Crimson Plains and all the city-states there, but a disastrous war with the nations of L’raigh, Hesperonia and Kartag caused the empire to lose control of that region.
Hrygen has vast, harsh steppes to the north, where the kryg tribes live, and several conquered human nations in the south.
Kartag, probably the oldest nation in the region, is essentially an oligarchy that uses a complex set of tax and property laws to keep much of its population in indentured servitude—but since there is no practical way of working one’s way out of debt, the indentured are essentially peons or slaves.
Kartag very much follows the Golden Rule: he who has the gold, makes the rules. The ruling body of Kartag is the Chamber of Magnates. Every ten years, every one of the one hundred and one seats is open to bidding. These seats do not represent a particular region or population of Kartag; they merely represent a vote in the chamber. The highest one hundred and one bidders become the Magnates for that term of office. The highest bidder becomes the Prime, the chairperson for that term.
Laws are created much the same way: a proposed law is filed for a fee of one thousand gold pieces. After a review period of a minimum of three months, the law is auctioned: acting as auctioneer, the Prime accepts bids on the floor of the Chamber for the law. The winning bid may choose to enact the law or to veto it, in which case that proposed law is defeated and cannot be reintroduced during the term of that Chamber.
Bids for auctions of seats and laws are paid whether or not they are winning bids; this gold constitutes the treasury of Kartag.
It is an ugly, ruthless system—but it works, after a fashion. Kartagians—or the oligarchs, at least—point out that they get the government they pay for. One sure way to irritate a Kartag oligarch is to refer to the indentured class as slaves, no matter the resemblance.
Despite this social inequality, there is still something of a middle class, since certain professions don’t lend themselves to being filled by peons.
It’s often said that a Kartag merchant knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. Whether this is true or not, natives see a wide variety of goods from many lands, and they deal with many different peoples.
Cultural Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Sense Motive.
Cultural Bonus: Kartagians get a +2 cultural bonus to Appraise checks for non-magical items.
Pronunciation: le-rāzh’
L’raigh is a nation of dwarves with a fairly large gnomish minority in the Kulorm Mountains to the northwest of the Crimson Plains. They export metal, ore, gemstone, jewelry, weapons and armor and import food, liquor, textiles and timber.
Mining is a way of life to the inhabitants of this dwarven mountain nation.
Cultural Skills: Appraise, Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Profession (miner).
Cultural Bonus: Characters raised in L’raigh get a +2 cultural bonus on Profession (mining) checks.
Ninetowers (or in High Ryzhaen, Novemturres; also called Spellkeep) is a heavily protected city built on and into a rocky promontory on cliffs overlooking the Seaborne Strait and the Pyro Sea, Ninetowers is the seat of power for the Ordo Ars Magica. It is here that the Order’s syndics (representatives from each of the Order’s guildhalls) meet and here that the spellpool of the Order’s premiere college of magic, the Schola Veneficus, is found. The city is run by the Order’s Syndic’s Council, which is traditionally chaired by the Ninetowers Order’s guildmaster. The guildmaster controls the agenda and breaks ties on votes of the Syndic Council.
Because of draconian zoning laws, it is hard for newcomers to Ninetowers to actually reside there. The city itself is limited by ordinance not to build under or on the opposing banks of the Aversaan River, and use of land on the promontory itself has always been strictly regulated. There is some thought being given to a variance to allow cliffside dwellings on the other sides of the Aversaan, but the Syndics Council is still arguing if and how this should be implemented.
Since the rules also prevent the use of arable land near Ninetowers for habitation, the only non-regulated area for population growth is Docktown, which has built out from the base of the cliff below Ninetowers proper. Those who can’t afford to live in Ninetowers, even if they work there, live in Docktown. The beach has long since been covered, and (with the approval of the aquatic races in the Seaborne Strait) quays and seawalls have been built well out over the water.
Characters from Ninetowers and Docktown, whether arcane spellcasters or not, are used to arcane magic and often pick up useful knowledge about it.
Cultural Skills: Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft, Use Magic Device.
Cultural Bonus: Residents of Ninetowers and Docktown see a lot of magic, even if it’s only the nightly display of the Lucid Fountains. They get a +2 cultural bonus on Spellcraft checks when identifying an observed spell. If they don’t have ranks in Spellcraft, they can apply this bonus to an Intelligence check instead.
Regional Modifiers: Shopping checks to find a magic item in Ninetowers get a +10 regional modifier.
Small wonders abound in this city built by wizards for wizards, but some of the larger wonders have become known across the Crimson Plains, stories of them related by traveling merchants, adventurers and bards.
This massive, hundred-foot-tall, crenellated cylinder of pastel orange-tinted stone is the main entrance to Ninetowers. Two of the three bridges that cross the Aversaan River end in front of the tower’s massive iron gates, which are flanked by a pair of enormous iron golems. No mounts are permitted through the gates for sanitation reasons; stables are set up on the other side of the bridges to tend to these.
Visitors passing through the Fire Tower enter the Grand Foyer, a large underground chamber.
The Grand Foyer is a greeting area, an information center, and a customs inspection area, an enormous room with vaulting ceiling cut from the very granite on which Ninetowers is built. Chandeliers of colored glass with dozens of continuous flame spells light the chamber. The footsteps of visitors echo on the polished stone floor, and their hushed voices drift through the air. A large brass statue of a bearded man in simple robes and sandals, twenty feet tall even seated on its granite throne, dominates the entrance. This statue is simply known as The Greeter. It is sentient and can speak, and is willing to engage in conversation.
The Merchant’s Hall is a long, wide, vaulted corridor with two stories of railed walkways on either side above the floor. Shops selling merchandise and prepared food and drink line the hallway on both sides and all three levels. A low rumbling of many voices of many races fills the hall, and illusions and magical light illuminates everything.
Here can be found sellers of alchemical supplies, herbs, books, paper, inks, traveling and spelunking gear, potions and other minor magical items, exotic drink, exotic food, exotic spices, exotic pets, exotic clothing and even exotic…toys.
One of the most famous (or notorious) shops in Merchant’s Hall, Ninetowers, and perhaps all of Yön is Valça’s (pronounced vall’-cha) Apparel, or simply Valça’s.
Valça Eschiminov (es-shee’-mi-nof) is a skilled wizard, probably in her sixties and very well preserved, specializing in illusions. She used to be a syndic for one of the Order halls in an eastern city on the Crimson Plains. The story of her business, which has brought her far more fame and wealth over the past few decades than she ever earned as a syndic, is a classic one of someone seeing a need for a specialized service and providing it.
Valça had the opportunity of speaking to many wives of wizards over the years. While there is no bar to being a wizard based on gender, there tend to be fewer accomplished female wizards simply because of cruel biology: women bear children, and few women want their children to be raised by others. To be sure, some have managed it, especially with the help of magic, but it’s hard to get the rest one needs for spell preparation or research when your offspring insists on feeding or changing at three in the morning. Moreover, many things a wizard does involve dangerous substances and devices that you do not want a toddler to get into. Most female wizards are childless or are wealthy and detached enough to hire help to raise their children.
The main problem of wives of wizards was that their husbands’ vocation tends to distract them from domestic matters, sometimes for weeks or months at a time. The common term for such wives amongst themselves is “grimoire widows”. Valça’s solution was simple and the basis of her very successful business. “First,” she said, “You have to get their attention…”
That, in fact, is the motto of her business, printed under the name of her business name on a small, brass plaque next to the door Valça’s Apparel. It looks more like the sort of door you would see to a moneychanger’s or a jeweler’s place of business: very understated. Inside, however, is a huge selection of clothing ranging from the daring to the outright lewd designed by someone with very few inhibitions (and who finds such inhibitions in others “cute” or “quaint”). Her creations are displayed by means of models that are permanent illusion spells she creates. While some of it is simple evening wear, most of it is lingerie and fetish clothing for almost any taste. Most rooms in Valça’s display women’s clothing, but there are a couple of newer rooms for men’s…wear.
(There, are you happy now, you perverts? Yes, I thought you would be.)
The Schola Veneficus is the premiere college of wizardry on the subcontinent and possibly in all of Yön. Wizards from apprentices to archmages gather there to study, advance, and preserve arcane knowledge.
The Magna Bibliotheca—the Great Library—is the massive library of the Schola Veneficus, one of the most comprehensive collections of lore of all kinds, whether arcane or mundane. By the sidebar rules on page 25 of the Stronghold Builder’s Guidebook, it contains a master book lot on every subject imaginable. Access to this mass of immensely valuable knowledge is controlled, however.
Anyone may pay a 100 gp daily fee to have an assistant librarian fetch such books as he or she believes you need to answer a particular question, granting +2 on any Knowledge check.
Any wizard of the order of journeyman status or greater may have access to the Master Catalog, an ancient, self-updating intelligent grand grimoire containing a list of every book, tome, libram, volume, manuscript, scroll, clay tablet, and misplaced laundry list in the entire library. The Master Catalog recommends books that might be useful to answer a particular question, granting a +4 on any Knowledge check.
The Master Catalog is also the repository of the Master Spell Index, a list and description of every spell known to the Order, whether or not it can actually be cast by wizards. All new wizards spells are recorded within and are jealously guarded by the Master Catalog.
Any guildmaster, syndic, archmage or loremaster of the Order may have a pass to the stacks to search them as they wish, granting a +6 on any Knowledge check.
The guildmaster of the Ninetowers Order hall, arcane professors, and archmages and loremasters that belong to the staff of the Schola Veneficus have full access to the library, and may bring along an assistant or call upon the help of one of the assistant librarians. The assistant is assumed to automatically aid another on any Knowledge check, granting a +8 to the roll.
Much of the water of the Aversaan River goes over the waterfalls that flank the city, but some of it is diverted into the city to power water wheels and provide fresh water to the city, including Docktown below. Much of the water ends up at the base of the Leaping Falls within Ninetowers’ rocky promontory. The Leaping Falls is an artificial waterfall that employs alternating reverse gravity spells to cause the water to fall upward through a series of catch basins until it reaches the top of the Water Tower, a pale blue stone cylinder that acts as a giant cistern high on the Ninetowers promontory.
The overflow from this tower feeds streams and pools that decorate the surface of the promontory, including the Lucid Fountains that flow down the seaward cliff face. The overflow also goes back into the interior to run yet more waterwheels.
Wastewater drains into the sewer level far below the living levels of Ninetowers. Travel within the sewers is forbidden as ingesters of prodigious size inhabit them and reduce the waste within.
Formerly employed as a site to perform dangerous magical experiments, the Wind Tower is now largely used for storage and as a lighthouse and is almost unoccupied.
The tower has one other feature: it houses the Magnum Organum, a massive magical pipe organ deemed too, well, overwhelming, to be near it when it plays. It was originally installed in the temple of Tesren in Ninetowers, but after the premiere performance deafened most of the listeners and a few subsequent performances caused even more havoc, including an earthquake, it was removed to the Wind Tower and sealed there. It is still played about once a month—if it isn’t played that often, it plays itself with unpredictable results—but the organist gets hazard pay.
Despite the hazards of the artifact, the Magnum Organum does play astonishingly beautiful music, if heard from a safe distance. That and the assertion by the Syndic’s Council that “it’s magical; it must be useful for something” is the only reason the organ has not been disassembled for once and for all.
Built at the summit of the Ninetowers promontory, the White Tower is the meeting hall for the Syndic’s Council and the barracks of the Syndic’s Guard. It is constructed of seamless white marble and is built wide to house the Guard as well as the offices of the many functionaries that handle the day-to-day work of maintaining one of the most powerful organizations on Yön.
Pronunciation: fe-nel’-le
The folk of Psenella are independent, tough-minded and taciturn. They arose from a tribal nation to a something resembling a republic. It was here that the first churches of Rytha were founded, and it was the church of Rytha that helped unite the tribes of Psen with relatively little bloodshed. A council of tribunes rules Psenella, although clan leaders still select the tribune for their tribe.
Although Psenella as a nation only claims the land west of L’raigh and north of Hesperonia as their own, there are Psenellar colonies scattered through the northern Crimson Plains and the hills north of it, including Stellithorpe, Seannich, Annsne, Duilghlam, Achchadh, Parnella (which was settled by the exiled Parn clan) and Twenty Vales. People from Psenella have historically traveled to settle away from invaders or to find new opportunities, so they tend to be more aware of the world outside their borders.
Psenella and Hesperonia have fought several wars as the nobles of the Hesperonian northern marches sought to expand their lands. Since her ascension to the Hesperonian throne, Queen Eshalei has made overtures of friendship to Psenella. So far, the reception of the tribunes has been non-committal.
Natives of Psenella have been driven into the hills by many invasions from Hesperonia over the years, and many clans keep strongholds there to fall back upon. Many have grown to prefer life there.
Cultural Skills: Knowledge (geography), Perform, Survival.
Cultural Bonus: Psenellar characters get a +2 cultural bonus to Survival checks in hilly regions.
Pronunciation: Kāz-er-zer’-kī
Secretive, inscrutable humans populate Qæz-ur-Zurkai (translation from Zurkan: “Land of the People”). Culturally, the Zurkai believe that in secrets there is power, and they seek to hide as much about themselves as they can. Subsequently, they often dress in dark, baggy over-robes with only their eyes showing.
Diviners and oracles are much feared and respected in Qæz-ur-Zurkai, as they can scry secrets from people, taking their power (or so it is believed). They often assist in the capture of criminals, since witnesses are rare in a society where no one shows their faces. Many diviners and oracles belong to the Shenwai (“Revealers”), an ancient organization dedicated to protecting the Zurkai and maintaining order in their lands.
Cultural Skills: Bluff, Disguise, Sense Motive.
Cultural Bonus: Because of their cultural inscrutability, Zurkai gain a cultural bonus +2 on any check opposed by a Sense Motive check.
Regional Modifiers: The DC of all Gather Information checks in Qæz-ur-Zurkai is increased by 4. The Zurkai are a notoriously close-mouthed people.
Pronunciation: tär’-en-koth
A major city-state in the northwest Crimson Plains region near L’raigh, Tarankoth is now administered by the dwarves of L’raigh after the city leaders offered allegiance to them during the collapse of the Hrygen Empire. While the population is still largely human, dwarves have re-engineered the city to be more efficient and better protected.
The city is famous for its breweries, generating much of its trade with their dwarf neighbors—so much so that one can smell the city from just the breweries miles off. The city’s new dwarf-designed double wall promises to make things interesting for the next would-be invader.
Tarankoth has an Order hall of considerable size. Many of the members of the Order there have been hired to seek magical ways to further improve some of Tarankoth’s more famous ales, lagers and beers.
Tarankoth also has a number of fine jewelers, weaponsmiths and armorers, many of them dwarves of L’raigh that have come to the city to ply their trades among humans.
Because humans and dwarves mingle here more than usual, they pick up some knowledge from—and tolerance for—each other. They also tend to be less openly belligerent around each other—not necessarily out of love, but out of caution.
Cultural Skills: Craft (gemcutting), Diplomacy, Profession (brewer), Profession (mining).
Cultural Bonus: Tarankothans are surrounded by the best breweries in the world and, as a consequence, drink more of it than water. Tarankothans of any race get +1 on saves to avoid ethanol intoxication (i.e., getting drunk).
This section hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, but I’ll try to fix that over time. Here are a few tidbits.
Many centuries ago, a salandi (gray elf) wizard discovered a terrible secret about the elven race—one so terrible that it was shared with only the most highly ranked individuals in all the elven subraces. Most elves never learned it; most elves even today do not know it.
That discovery eventually led to a pivotal event in elven history called, simply, “The Parting”: the wilnothūnā (high elves) and salandi vanished from the face of Yön, retreating to some place of beauty and safety completely apart from the world. The sierhūnā (wood elves) and the fethūnā (wild elves) chose to stay, but they became more insular, drawing back from the realms of men to inhabit the deepest forests and wildest places. In the case of the fethūnā, they retreated from civilization so far that they returned to a neolithic life, and their magic became that of sorcery rather than the more scholarly wizardry loved by the wilnothūnā and salandi. The belumhūnā (aquatic elves), being aquatic creatures, changed the least: they had the seas and oceans to hide in and also stayed behind.
The ūdhūnā (dark elves) reacted the worst to the secret. They had been the guardians of the salandi and of the land-going elves in general; they retreated to the dark places of the world, disdaining and despising the race of Man and to a lesser degree the other humanoid races, plotting against them and swearing to uphold the purity of the entire elven race.
Eventually, the wilnothūnā and even a few of the salandi began to long for the world they left, and petitioned to return, despite the perceived danger of re-entering it because of that terrible secret. It was finally decided that those who wished to return to Yön would be allowed to—but those who did would have the memory of where they came from and how to get there magically and permanently removed from their minds for the protection of those they left behind. Other memories were untouched: the friends and families they knew, the events of their lives—all of that remained. Those wilnothūnā and salandi who left did so with the knowledge that they might never return to the refuge their ancestors had founded, but the yearning for their race’s world of birth—and for adventure—was too great to deny.
Banking on Yön goes back to the days of the now fallen Ryzhaen Empire, where people received elaborately sealed documents as certificates of deposit for silver and gold held by goldsmiths. These days, banking houses based in L’raigh, Ninetowers, Kartag and Tarankoth ply their trade in cities across the Crimson Plains and bordering nations. Banks perform several important functions in the economy of these regions:
Like most D&D economies, those of Yön are centered on precious metals. After the defeat of the Hrygen invasion two decades ago, the devastated cities of the Crimson Plains came to accept Kartag coins over their own, since their treasuries had been plundered and their mints destroyed, and it was largely the powerful economy of Kartag that brought the Crimson Plains back on its feet—so much so that, at least in the Crimson Plains and surrounding region, Kartag currency is synonymous with D&D currency.
Kartag coins are recognizable by the balance (scales) that are the symbol of the Kartag nation on its obverse. Most of them also bear the motto in High Ryzhaen, Aurum nos fides (“In gold we trust”). The reverse is usually a trading house emblem, since the large trading families mint their own coins. Still, their Chamber of Magnates, the ruling council of Kartag, have established standard weights and names to which all trading families must adhere. Consequently, they have a simple set of coins, no matter which family mints them. Note that the second letters in the coin and ingot names below are pronounced as long “I” sounds: Gipe rhymes with “gripe”, not with “grip”.
Ninetowers, being on the border of Kartag, generally uses Kartag coinage. The larger denominations are useful to wizards, who deal with expensive magics.
Kipe: a bronze coin (copper with about 10% tin) worth one D&D copper piece.
Sipe: a silver coin worth ten kips or one D&D silver piece.
Gipe: pronounced with a “hard” G, this is a gold coin worth ten sipes or one D&D gold piece.
Sipund: A one-pound ingot of silver stamped with a trading family’s emblem, worth 50 sips, 5 gips or 5 D&D gold pieces.
Gipund: A one-pound ingot of gold stamped with a trading family’s emblem. It is worth 50 gips or 50 D&D gold pieces.
Silud: A 50-pound load of fifty sipunds, worth 250 D&D gold pieces.
Gilud: A 50-pound load of fifty gipunds, worth 2,500 D&D gold pieces.
As they collect gold, players are going to want to buy more expensive and specialized items, usually magic items, hopefully pre-made. Since wizards make most magic items, and wizards tend to congregate near population centers, finding a specific magic item is more difficult the further from civilization one gets.
First of all, the cost of the item cannot exceed the population’s gold piece limit as shown on the Random Town Generation table.
The player seeking the item must make a shopping check—either an Intelligence or Charisma check (his or her choice)—to see if the item is available. The DC of this check is equal to the market value of the item divided by 1000, rounded up. The roll is modified by the following factors:
| Each day after first spent searching | +1 |
| Population center is thorpe | –4 |
| Population center is hamlet | –2 |
| Population center is village | –1 |
| Population center is small town | +0 |
| Population center is large town | +1 |
| Population center is a small city | +2 |
| Population center is a large city | +4 |
| Population center is a metropolis | +8 |
| Local crafting guild | +2 |
| Each 20 gp spent hiring agents, paying bribes, etc. (per roll, maximum +5) | +1 |
Some items, of course, cannot be found in a day or even a month. Even if the roll is an automatic failure, a high roll on a shopping check can get a lead. A lead means that the player can add another 1d20 roll to the previous roll. As long as a player continues get a lead on each roll, he or she can continue to reroll and add the roll to the total.
A player gets a lead on a roll of a natural 20. For every one of the following conditions a character meets, this lead number is reduced by one:
Each day the search takes increases the distance that a player might have to travel to get the item. For every day after the first, the player may have to travel ten miles. The game master totals the days taken to find the item, subtracts one, and rolls that many 1d20 to get the distance in miles that the character must travel to get the item.
Bert is seeking wings of flying with a market value of 54,000 gold pieces. The DC for finding this item is 54. He is in the city of Tarankoth, which has a hall of the Order of Magical Arts, which counts as a local crafting guild (+2 modifier). Tarankoth is a large city (modifier +4). Bert is 5th-level bard with a Charisma of 18, so he gets +4 for his Charisma modifier. His total modifiers are +14.
Normally, on any shopping roll of 20 on the die, Bert would get a lead and add another 1d20 to the total shopping roll for that day. Because he has at least a +5 on bardic knowledge and 8 ranks in Gather Information, he gets a lead on any shopping roll of 18, 19, or 20 on the die.
On day 1, he rolls 14 on 1d20, for a total of 28, a failure.
On day 2, his modifier increases to +15. He rolls a 19 for a total of 34. This would normally be a failure, but because he rolled an 18, 19 or 20 on the die, he adds another 1d20 roll to the 34. He rolls a 7 for a total of 41. This is a failure: the lead didn’t pan out.
On day 3, his modifier increases to +16. He rolls 8 on 1d20 for a total of 24, a failure.
On day 4, his modifier increases to +17. He rolls 13 on 1d20 for a total of 30, a failure.
On day 5, Bert’s modifier increases to +18. He rolls an 18 for a total of 36, and because the roll gives Bert a lead, he rolls again—a 19—raising the 36 up to a 55. This is a success. Because it took four days after the first to find it, the game master rolls 4d20 and gets a 43. Bert needs to travel 43 miles to get to the seller.
These are changes and addtions to the Underwater Combat rules.
Energy Damage: Energy damage underwater can operate differently. Spells, spell-like-abilities, and supernatural abilities as well as extraordinary and natural effects change their effects as follows:
Acid: Because concentrated acid and water have a strong exothermic reaction, the ranges and dimensions of areas of effect for spells and breath weapons with the acid energy type are halved. Half of the damage is heat (treat as fire damage) rather than acid (which is diluted with the water).
Cold: The ranges and dimensions of areas of effect for spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities (such as breath weapons) with the cold energy type are halved. All creatures failing the Reflex save against this breath weapon are encased in ice and begin rising to the surface at a rate of 30 feet per round. They can try to burst free with DC 20 Strength checks as a full round action. This isn’t a solid block of ice; a creature so entrapped can still breathe if they can breathe water.
Electricity: Electricity effects from spells, spell-like abilities and supernatural sources operate normally. Eletricity effects from other sources are quite uncommon, but they generally affect those within a certain radius. Absolutely pure water will not conduct electricity; it is the impurities in water that allow conduction, making salt water an excellent conductor. (Absolutely pure water is exceedingly rare; even “fresh” water has impurities—just not a lot of salt.)
Fire: Nonmagical fire (including alchemist’s fire) does not burn underwater. Spells or spell-like effects with the fire descriptor are ineffective underwater unless the caster makes a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + spell level). If the check succeeds, the spell creates a bubble of steam instead of its usual fiery effect, but otherwise the spell works as described. A supernatural fire effect (such as a breath weapon) is ineffective underwater unless its description states otherwise.
The surface of a body of water blocks line of effect for any fire spell. If the caster has made a Spellcraft check to make the fire spell usable underwater, the surface still blocks the spell’s line of effect. For example, a fireball cast underwater cannot be targeted at creatures above the surface.
Sonic: Sonic effects from spells, spell-like abilities and supernatural sources operate normally.
Can my familiar or spectral hand spell deliver a touch attack from a wand or staff?
No. Spells cast from spell trigger items such as wands and staffs count as using an item, not casting a spell, so your familiar or spectral hand spell can’t deliver the touch. You touch the target with the wand or staff.
Scrolls and runestaffs, however, are spell completion items. A familiar or spectral hand spell can deliver touch range spells from these. Remember that spectral hand only works with up to a 4th-level spell.
How much can a cart or wagon carry?
Naturally, that depends on what you use to pull it, and where it is pulled.
On a level road in good repair, a cart or wagon effectively quintuples the load that a creature can pull. This drops off to triple the load over level plains with firm ground but no roads. On hilly or mountainous areas or in muddy terrain, only a double load can be carried whether going up or down. Other terrain is not suitable for carts and wagons.
Let an average heavy horse be used as an example beast of burden. This horse has a Large size, a Strength of 16 and is a quadruped. If it is pulling a cart, its heavy load is 3,000 pounds on a level road in good repair. The weight of the cart—200 pounds—is included, so 2,800 pounds of cargo can be pulled in a cart.
A wagon can use two heavy horses, which can pull 6,000 pounds in it, less the 400 pounds of the wagon itself, or 5,600 pounds.
If you have a single object weighing more than that, you can pay more (80 gp) for a four-horse wagon that pulls 11,200 pounds after the 800-pound weight of the wagon is deducted. Likewise, you can buy a six-horse, 1,200-pound wagon for 130 gp) and pull 16,800 pounds. An eight-horse, 1,600-pound wagon costs 200 gp and pulls 22,400 pounds. Each additional draft animal after the second imposes a –1 penalty on all Handle Animal checks to control the wagon.
Carts and wagons are usually made to bear no more than can reasonably be pulled in them. Each mile they are pulled while loaded over the level-road limits listed above has a 1% chance per 100 pounds of overweight of breaking a wheel or axle (equal chance). A broken axle prevents the wagon from moving. A broken wheel will tip over a cart; on a wagon, it will cause cargo to shift and spill, with possible damage to that cargo. This is true even if stronger draft animals are used unless one pays double for a suspension and construction in the wagon to double these load limits. This also doubles the weight of the wagon as iron is substituted for wooden parts. Raising the load limits further is beyond the technology generally available to wainwrights.
Can my spellcaster summon creatures that are not the same alignment as he or she is?
It depends on your spellcaster’s class. In general, divine spellcasters cannot cast spell spells of an alignment opposite that of the caster (or the caster’s deity, if any). See Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells in the cleric class description and the similar text in the druid class description for reference.
There appear to be no such limitations on arcane spell casters. However, one can easily argue that a wizard or sorcerer who consistently summons creatures of an opposite alignment, or uses summoned creatures to perform actions normally opposed to the summoned creatures’ alignments, will get the attention of the Powers That Be. For example, a good wizard who regularly summons demons might be considered corruptible, and action may be taken toward doing that. Likewise, a wizard of any alignment who summons celestial griffons to slaughter innocent children may receive a strongly worded protest note. This, by itself, might not intimidate the wizard, but the guardinals selected to deliver it might…
No such difficulty entails from a good or evil spellcaster (whether arcane or divine) summoning neutral creatures. If such were the case, summon nature’s ally spells would be almost useless to neutral good or neutral evil druids.
My character was eaten! Can he be raised?
Generally, when a character is killed, the body is intact enough to use a raise dead spell. Even most carnivores leave enough behind for a resurrection spell.
Oozes and creatures with swallow whole attacks don’t leave bodies lying around. Rarely, though, does the text on such creatures mention at what point someone killed by one of these creatures will need a true resurrection spell.
(Yes, this is a grotesque subject, but it has come up before. More than one player has had a character slide down a monster’s throat. You know who you are.)
In real life, a creature that swallows prey whole doesn’t digest it very quickly. An X-ray of a snake showed a frog it swallowed three days before only partially digested, its bones still intact. It takes a lot of energy for it to digest, as much as a third of what it gets from its meal. That’s why snakes go into a long torpor after they eat.
A monster of fantasy isn’t expected to strictly follow the laws of physics, chemistry and biology. Assume a Medium size creature’s body is intact enough to be affected by raise dead up to one hour after being swallowed. After that, a resurrection spell will work if the digesta or droppings can be found—and it isn’t mixed up with other creatures.
Oozes fully digest their prey quickly compared to creatures that swallow whole. An ooze will dissolve enough of a Medium size creature to make raise dead useless in 6 minutes divided by the number of acid damage dice the ooze’s attack inflicts, rounded up. A resurrection will work after up to twice that period. Oozes do leave waste products, but they are always a liquid can can be hard to find and recover, making a true resurrection the usual necessity.
For example, the body of a Medium size creature might still be intact enough for raise dead up to 6 minutes inside an ingester, ochre jelly or gray ooze, but be largely gone after 3 minutes in a feeding darkness or 2 minutes in a Gargantuan feeding darkness.
Different size creatures are digested at different rates. For each size category larger than Medium that a creature is, double the digestion times whether it is swallowed whole or engulfed by an ooze. For each size category smaller than Medium it is, halve the time and round down to the nearest tenth of a minute (a round).
Can you cast ooze puppet on a creature affected by amorphous form?
Sure, why not.
The long form of that answer is that while ooze puppet only affects creatures of the ooze type, a creature under the effects of amorphous form becomes oozelike, so ooze puppet should be able to telekinetically control at least the movement of a creature affected by amorphous form. It still gets a Fortitude save against the ooze puppet spell to negate the effect.
Unless the affected creature has an attack that it can deliver damage by contact (see babau slime) or by proximity (see body of the sun), the caster of ooze puppet can only direct movement, not attacks.
What happens when dispel magic is used on summoned creatures?
Creatures called forth by summon monster, summon nature’s ally, and summon undead spells are subject to being dispelled. However, in the case of multiple spells or a single spell summoning multiple creatures (such as what happens when the creature summoned is from a table one or more levels below the level of the spell used) being affected by an area dispel magic, things can get a little confused. Here is how it will be adjudicated.
Creatures summoned with a single spell within an area dispel magic are subject to a single caster level check by the dispelling caster. If that check is successful, only those creatures with at least one square of their bases within the radius of the dispel magic effect are removed.
Creatures called with multiple spells require a dispel check for each spell, with only creatures with at least one square in the dispel area being removed if the dispel check against their particular spell is successful.
Example: Rod the 7th-level wizard finishes casting summon monster IV, calling 1d3 celestial bison from the 3rd level table and rolls a 2. Jade the 6th-level druid casts summon nature’s ally III, summoning 1d4+1 wolves from the 1st level table and rolling a 4. On the following round, Rod finishes casting another summon monster IV, to bring forth a celestial lion from the 4th level table. Erdon the 9th-level wizard then casts dispel magic as an area of effect spell, marked in blue in this diagram.
Erdon has to make caster level checks against three spells: two summon monster IV spells from Rod (DC 11 + 7 for Rod’s caster level) and one summon nature’s ally III spell from Jade (DC 11 + 6 for Jade’s caster level). He rolls 1d20 + 9 for his own caster level to dispel. Against the summoned bisons, he rolls a total of 20, and both bisons vanish, even Celestial Bison 1, because it has at least one square in the area of effect. Against the lion he rolls a total of 15, which fails: the lion remains. Against Jade’s wolves, he rolls a total of 17, which is exactly enough, but only Wolf 1 and 4 vanish; Wolf 2 and 3 are outside the area of effect.