Post by order99 on Jun 23, 2023 2:51:57 GMT
You know, I never was 100% satisfied with the Conduit/Wild Mage. I was hoping for something along the lines of 'Normal Guy with a toe-hold in the Occult' bit but ended up with 'Adventure Mage' instead. Pretty sure there's room for a Silver John the Balladeer among all those Doctor Fate types, so let's give this poor dead horse a shot of Re-animator Serum...
The Acolyte
Hit Dice-As Magic-User
Attack Bonus- As Magic-User
Saves- As Mysteryman, but +2 vs Magic and Plot, +2 vs Poison and Missles, +0 Everything Else.
Weapon Restrictions- As Magic-User
Armor Restrictions- As Superhero
Skills- As Magic-User, 1D6
Experience and Advancement- As Magic-User
Not everybody can learn Magic-it's often a matter of Bloodlines as much as it is Training. Most of the time you have to be a Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, or part of an almost-Human lineage, and have access to Shamballa or the Kingdom of Prester John or Forbidden Libraries...let's face it, not everyone can be Mozart. Most normal folk just look at that piano and wait contentedly for that Genius to appear and play it...
But not you. Whether it was that Forbidden Tome you studied (why the Heck did your former Tenant leave it anyway?) the local 'Hellfire Club' you joined for kicks only to find out that it was all too real, or that Seance gone horribly wrong that ended up with you possessed by Demons and the Medium dead by her own hand, those years of studying the Dee manuscripts until a flash of enlightenment reached you...it changed you. You didn't get the benefits of years of training under Mystic Mentors, and the Big Mojo don't come easy to you...even now, you're still no Mozart. But you can and do play that piano now-and sometimes the audience is just fine with some Ragtime Jazz...
The Mojo- whether you prayed to God or bargained with a Devil, communed with Orisha or meditated under a bridge for seven years-The Universe has Answered. You have a Bank of Favors equal to your Level+1+ Wisdom Bonus (if any) per day. You may Spend these Favors as you wish, and they are refreshed in a certain way at a time of day or night agreed by you and the Editor. Once set, only an Editor-Approved Reset can change it.
Occult Dabbler-You know a few Spells, not like the Big Boys though. You start off with 2 M-U Spells of choice, one extra if your INT is 15+. Every Level Advancement you get one more-that's it. You can engage in Spell Research as per H&H 2.2 Page 15 in order to expand your capabilities just as a regular M-U. You are capable of Understanding Spells of Level 1 until you reach Level 4, upon which you can learn Level 2 Spells. In order to cast these Spells you must choose to Invest Favor into a Talisman-these Favors cannot be reclaimed until the Spell is cast. 1 Favor allows storage of a Level 1 Spell, 2 Favors for Level 2. Once the Spell is cast, the Talisman is once again just an old bangle or bit of origami or bottle of soda etc. Although you have fewer Spells overall, you still count as a M-U of the same Level for Effect and Duration. You may also enter a Contest of Wills just like any other M-U, with unspent Favors counting as Spell Levels-and if you lose, the M-U can use your Favors to bolster their own Spells (More Below).
Wild Talent-You have two Knacks (that you are Good At) at Level 1. Add a third Knack at Level 3 and a fourth at Level 5. Spending a Favor on these Knacks lets you use them as Stunts for one Turn (H&H 2.2 Page 33-34). If using my Background and Skill House Rules then these Knacks can be assigned to those-but they don't have to be.
Twisting Fate-using a series of minor Rituals, Words or Gestures, you can gain minor bursts of insight, speed or good fortune. This counts as a Save vs Plot as per H&H 2.2 Pages 30-31, but spending a Favor let's you succeed on the Save without a Check. The Editor always has Veto Power if this gets out of hand, in which case the Favor is returned.
Hexing-this valuable Ability can make you great friends or bitter enemies within the Occult Community. By concentrating and doing nothing else for this Turn, you may either Bolster of Hinder one Spellcaster within your range (10ft per Level). For every Favor you expend, you may either increase or decrease the Effective Caster Level of your target for that turn. If the effective Caster Level is reduced to less than 1, the Spell fizzles.
Running On Empty- In extremis, you can attempt to create an Effect with no Favors left, or spend more than you have in an Emergency-but have your Last Will and Testament secured somewhere if you do because it is a really bad idea. If you need to use it though, roll 1D6 and add the number of Favors that you are now 'in the Red' and check below:
2) Overdrawn-you only get half your Favors back (round up) the next refresh period.
3) Cut Off-you lose all of your Favors for a full 24 hours.
4) The Universe is Displeased-take 1D6 Damage for every level of Debt you achieved. Save vs Magic for half. Also Cut Off.
5) Unfortunate One-Cut Off for 1D3+1 days, take Damage as above.
6) Thou Art Accused!-As (4) but also suffer a Minor Curse of the Editor's Choice
7) Unclean, Unclean!-As (5) but your Allies within 30ft are also Cursed for 1D3+1 days.
8+) Thou Art Damned-As (6) but 1D3 spontaneous Summon Mobster Level 1 Spells go off within 25ft of you. The Mobsters will not attack anybody else but you unless interfered with. Barring extraordinary circumstances they will limit themselves to Grappling Combat only and attempt to drag you Off-Panel...if they succeed in this you go missing for 2D6 days but will likely have some amazing tales to tell when you get back...
Sample PC
Donovan Kingsley-Half-Human Occult Troubleshooter and Mad Librarian, Level 3
STR 10
DEX 12
CON 11
INT 13
WIS 15(+1)
CHA 11
Attack: +1
AC: 9/10, 8/11 with Coat
Hit Points: 10
Move: 12
Save 15, +2 to Magic, Plot, Poison, Missles
Alignment: Neutral
Skills: 1D6. Donovan is fluent in both English and Latin. Nobody notices him nose-deep in a book (+1 Hide)
Background: Occult Detective. Good at finding Hidden Things, Missing Persons and translating moldy old texts with the right references, +1 Skill Check as applicable.
Racial Abilities: Alchemically Perfected-has a 45% chance to ignore Gas, Poison and Disease as per Android Ability. One Extra Skill listed Above.
Class Abilities: The Mojo- 5 Favors in The Bank. Occult Dabbler-Knows Disguise, Charm Person, Cure Light Wounds, Protection From Evil. Wild Talents-Public Speaking, Hide, Athletics. When the Mojo is flowing he can raise or calm mobs, vanish with a thought and run faster and leap higher than some World Record holders. Twisting Fate-a lead pendulum and a city map once helped him find a missing woman and most locks open if he asks nicely... Hexing-he did stop a Demon-Summoning Ritual through sheer willpower once. Running On Empty-never been that desperate yet, but he's heard stories...
Hangups: Soft Touch(buys into every sob story there is) Weirdness Magnet (could run into a Werewolf while ordering Beef Chow Mein-and start discussing hair care products)
Special Equipment: Triple-Silk All-Weather coat, AC 8/11. Steel-lined Fedora, Helmet Bonus. Stout Cane of Hickory with Silver-plated Frog Head handle (1D6-1, works on werewolves) Leather bracer with three crystal vials full of colored sugar-water (make good Instant Talismans). Thermos full of coffee.
Description: Donovan Kingsley is a clean-shaven man of medium build and European features. Ever since the accident he's had eyes of pale grey, short, brittle hair salt-n-pepper tinted and eyebrows of same. He is as devoid of facial and body hair as any wax dummy, and his skin is oddly smooth now. He dresses in sensible suits and hats, mostly greys and browns-but lately he's been wearing the Heavy Stuff at night due to creeping paranoia. If he thinks that he's about to be in Serious Danger, he'll quick-enchant a Disguise Potion and use the 'Armor Up' option, blurring his form and making him harder to hit. He'll run or hide rather than fight-unless there's reason to, and then he'll fight until he drops.
Origin: Alchemy? Agrippa, Paracelses, Dee? Were you completely insane? If you wanted Adventure you could have bought a ticket to Africa and gotten eaten by a crocodile or gored by a Cape Buffalo or something...but NOOOOOoooooooo....you had to pick the hobby that lets you breathe Mercury fumes and play with explosive reactants! What made you think that you could build an Alchemical Oven and pursue the blasted Philosopher's Stone? You're lucky nobody died when the loft went up like that...lucky you were able to just shed your skin like a snake and walk away from those burns, the Doctors were talking about years' worth of skin grafts. Good thing all the tenants were insured I guess...was is worth it, just for a little excitement in your life?
Well too late now Don Quixote, you're a Player in the Game , people are going to want a piece of you-and better Aaron and me than that local Hellfire Club chapter, right? Not that i've heard too much out of them since that Dead-Eyed Kid went after New Dawn Orphanage...no, not the Vampire, we're going after that guy with everything we can find-the one with the Skull make-up and the gravedigger suit. Yeah, he's on the side of the Angels I think, for all he acts like a Fallen One...anyway, you want the Surf or the Turf today? My Editor's buying...