Saturday 19 April 2014

Nisibisi (Infernal) bloodlines

Mostly pinched from here; http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/infernal-bloodline modified for Pathfinder and the Thieves World background.

Somewhere in your family's history, a relative made a deal with an infernal power, and that pact has influenced your family line ever since. In you, it manifests in direct and obvious ways, granting you powers and abilities. While your fate is still your own, you can't help but wonder if your ultimate reward is bound to the Pit.

Class Skill: Diplomacy.

Bonus Spells: protection ward (3rd), scorching ray (5th), suggestion (7th), charm monster (9th), dominate person (11th), planar binding (devils and creatures with the fiendish template only) (13th), greater teleport (15th), power word stun (17th), meteor swarm (19th).

Bonus Feats: Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Deceitful, Extend Spell, Improved Disarm, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Knowledge [planes]), Spell Penetration.

Bloodline Arcana: Whenever you cast a spell of the charm subschool, increase the spell's DC by +2.

Bloodline Powers: You can draw upon the power of Hell, although you must be wary of its corrupting influence. Such power does not come without a price.

Corrupting Touch (Sp): At 1st level, you can cause a creature to become shaken as a melee touch attack. This effect persists for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your sorcerer level (minimum 1). Creatures shaken by this ability radiate an aura of evil, as if they were an evil outsider (see detect evil). Multiple touches do not stack, but they do add to the duration. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.

Infernal Resistances (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain resist fire 5 and a +2 bonus on saving throws made against poison. At 9th level, your resistance to fire increases to 10 and your bonus on poison saving throws increases to +4.

Hellfire (Sp): At 9th level, you can call down a column of hellfire. This 10-foot-radius burst does 1d6 points of fire damage per sorcerer level. Those caught in the area of your blast receive a Reflex save for half damage. Creatures that fail their saves are shaken for a number of rounds equal to your sorcerer level. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your sorcerer level + your Charisma modifier. At 9th level, you can use this ability once per day. At 17th level, you can use this ability twice per day. At 20th level, you can use this ability three times per day. This power has a range of 60 feet.

On Dark Wings (Su): At 15th level, you can grow fearsome bat wings as a standard action, giving you a fly speed of 60 feet with average maneuverability. The wings can be dismissed as a free action.

Power of the Pit (Su): At 20th level, your form becomes infused with vile power. You gain immunity to fire and poison. You also gain resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, and the ability to see perfectly in darkness of any kind to a range of 60 feet.

Thieves World
Hell is not one place, but rather seven planes, and each hell is an infinite place designed for one purpose alone: to contain evil. The home of Dyareela, daemons, demons and devils, and untold twisted souls, the seven hells are the very worst of nightmares brought to life. Nightmares that are summoned into the world by powerful magic and witchcraft.

The witches of Nisibisi north of Wizardwall, have no gods instead making pacts with the devils and demons of the seven hells in return for the power to raise the dead, to summon infernal powers and to prolong their unnatural lives. As the war between Ranke and Mygdonian rages the corrupting  tendrils of the Nisibisi extends south seducing many into such deals with infernal powers.

Evil aura  the corrupting touch leaves it’s victims with an evil aura, causing a -2 curse penalty to all reaction rolls and influence skills checks e.g.  bluff, diplomacy etc.

Protection ward (gain at 3rd level – 1st level spell.)   - similar in function to protection from evil, the caster must declare three truths when casting the spell, and the ward protects against creatures who meet those truths.

Taint: the unfortunate consequence of the infernal bloodline is that your magic is tainted by association with the Nisibisi. Any spell that causes a permanent effect inflicts the target with a number of taint points equal to the level of the spell. Spells that cause a temporary effect allow the target a will save DC10+level of spell, to avoid this affliction.

This stink of Nisibisi / infernal magic is recognizable to other spell casters with a spellcraft check of DC15 (modified by +1 per 10 points of taint), The taint naturally fades at the rate of one point per day. Speculation has it that a Nisibisi witch can invoke this taint as a penalty to saving throws against various effects. Luckily the Nisibisi are far from Sanctuary.

Friday 18 April 2014

Desert Elves


Mostly pinched from http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm modified for Pathfinder and the Thieves World background,

General Desert Racial Trait

Heat Endurance: Members of desert races gain a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist the effects of hot weather.

Desert Elves
In the desert, elves follow nomadic lifestyles. They herd horses, cattle, and goats across the sands, sleeping during the day and working or traveling at night. Their wandering takes them many places and puts them in contact with many cultures. As a result, they are welcome everywhere for the news and exotic trade goods they carry.

Racial Traits
Desert elves have the general desert racial trait described above and all elf racial traits, with additions and exceptions as noted below.
  • +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength: Desert elves are physically weaker than their normal cousins, but are also hardier, toughened by the harsh reality of desert life.
  • Weapon Proficiency: Desert elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the scimitar, rapier, and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats. Desert elves prefer the scimitar to the longsword and the shortbow to the longbow, because they can use shortbows while mounted.
  • +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal and Ride checks: Desert elves spend most of their lives riding and working with animals.
  • No racial bonus on Listen checks.

Desert Runner {optional]:
Some elves thrive in the deepest deserts, forever roaming across burned and parched lands. Elves with this racial trait receive a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue, exhaustion, or ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, or hot or cold environments. This racial trait replaces elven magic and the general Desert racial trait.

Thieves World:
Desert elves are extremely rare in the civilized lands surrounding the Great Wastes, and face a range of prejudices not least is the accusation of cannibalism which given the harshness of existence under the burning sun, may be well founded.

Disguising their heritage, robed and wearing tribal equivalents of the Agal, desert elves are often mistaken for Raggah nomads – who in turn are a rare encounter. Relationships between the nomads and the elves are chaotic, with individual tribes swearing either blood oaths or vendettas depending on ancient understandings.

Legend has it that deep in the Great Wastes the spires of the last elven city sing in the desert wind. Home to the aesthetics exiled from Enlinbar before the fall, the path is hidden in the perpetually shifting sands,  the city is both of this world and many others. Seekers after lost magical wisdom stumble to their death in the raging sandstorms surrounding the city within earshot but never quite within sight..

Desert elves begin play speaking Enli – a relation of the ancient language of Enlibar and one human tongue, often the guttural tongues of Aurveshan or Raggah. Additional languages often include the sign language of the Raggah, the pidgin Ilsigi / Rankene trade tongue and rarely the purer forms of Ilsigi and Rankene or the peculiar Sanctan dialect. Desert elves are rarely literate.

Common feats include; Endurance, Mounted Combat, Self-Sufficient and Weapon Focus (shortbow)

It started in the Vulgar Unicorn....

On a quiet afternoon, before the more serious troublemakers wake up, the Unicorn is a safe place for a drink and a quiet place for some private business. Recent arrivals in Sanctuary often end up here, looking for work or excitement, and so long as they leave early enough they might survive finding both.

 Worryingly someone noticed One Thumb was missing, when the fight broke out. An argument between Hawkmasks that led to bloodshed, was overshadowed by a gambling disputed that led to minor wounds and a great deal of blood from bottle wounds. The locals either got stuck in, enjoyed the entertainment or in a few enterprising cases collected the winnings while the gamblers were disturbed.

By the time One Thumb returned for the evening shifts, the place was back to normal, the blood yet another stained and the shattered window shutters patched up once more. He shrugged and started to pour beer.

Meanwhile on the other side of the Maze a caravan guard Akrim approaches the player with an offer. You handled yourself well in the Unicorn this afternoon for strangers, so I was wondering if you fancied some work. It concerns this foolish noble and a treasure ma.

Notes: For a one hour intro I used the cheap and cheerful Bar Room Brawls from Raging Swan - the tables were useful / entertaining and a bunch of NPC stats from the Paizo website,

Monday 14 April 2014

Catalogue of gaming resources

This is a a catalog of what I think has been published for Thieves World, including the few items I'm still on the look out for.

Chaosium
Complete Sanctuary Adventure Pack
Thieves World Companion
Different World Magazine no 27 (The Empty Buildings of Sanctuary)
Different Worlds Magazine no 19 (Thieves of Sparta) - might want this
Questworld Magazine no 13- apparently has some TW material

FASA
Traitor
The Spirit Stones
Dark Assassin

The Blue Camel

Green Ronin
Thieves' World Player's Manual (2005)
Shadowspawn's Guide to Sanctuary (2005)
Thieves' World Gazetteer (2005)
Murder at the Vulgar Unicorn (2005)
Black Snake Dawn (2007)
Thieves World Gift set don't think it is any different to the above

Mayfair
Sanctuary board game (1982)
Think there are two versions (1982) and (1988) but not sure what the differences are.

Fiction - OK this is better dealt with elsewhere, but just so I can track what I've got and am looking for.

Original anthologies
  1. Thieves' World (1979)
  2. Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn (1980)
  3. Shadows of Sanctuary (1981)
  4. Storm Season (1982)
  5. The Face of Chaos (1983)
  6. Wings of Omen (1984)
  7. The Dead of Winter (1985)
  8. Soul of the City (1986)
  9. Blood Ties (1986)
  10. Aftermath (1987)
  11. Uneasy Alliances (1988)
  12. Stealers' Sky (1989
Thieves Worlds Novels
  1. Beyond Sanctuary (1985)
  2. Beyond the Veil (1985)
  3. Beyond Wizardwall (1986)
  4. Shadowspawn (1987)
  5. Dagger (1988)
 New Sanctuary
  • Sanctuary (2002)
  • Turning Points (2002)
  • Enemies of Fortune (2004)
Misc oddities
  • Lythande (1986)
  • Tempus (1987)
  • City at the Edge of Time (1988
  • Tempus Unbound (1989
  • Storm Seed (1990) 
  • The Shadow of Sorcery (1993) 
  • The Sacred Band (2010
  • Tempus With His Right Side Companion Niko (2011
  • The Fish the Fighters and the Song-girl (2012)
  • Beyond the Dar Al-Harb (1985)
 Short stories
  • The Valor of Cappen Varra (1957)
  • The Wandering Lute (1986)  in Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine
  • Bitch" (1987
  • The Walker Behind" (1987)
  • The Malice of the Demon" (1988)
  • Here There Be Dragons
  • The Stars Are Tears" (1996)
  • The Gratitude of Kings" (1998)
  • The Lady of the Winds" (2001) in anthology First Blood
  • A Tale of Two Cities" (2005)  in Thieves' World Player's Manual
And at some point I hop to turn each of the stories either into a mini scenario, or an encounter or at least part of the back story of the campaign. First up the arrival of a certain prince Kitti-cat in Sanctuary.