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JcDent
May 13, 2013

Give me a rifle, one round, and point me at Berlin!
Oh, missed the part about the big Lug(h), sorry.

Ratoslov posted:

So we're supposed to be stabbing Elaine, right? I mean, she is signing over the lives of her countrymen to the Sidhe for power.

Always be stabbin' ATC.

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Nessus
Dec 22, 2003

After a Speaker vote, you may be entitled to a valuable coupon or voucher!



Ratoslov posted:

So we're supposed to be stabbing Elaine, right? I mean, she is signing over the lives of her countrymen to the Sidhe for power.
Obviously we don't stab her, but we do take advantage of the acceleration in the contradictions that are created by selling people to the faeries. Duh!

JcDent
May 13, 2013

Give me a rifle, one round, and point me at Berlin!
I'm waiting for O'Bannon to turn out to be a Glamour-animated fake who realized his true nature and is torn between his programmed duty to his people and desperation to become a real boy.

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.
7th Sea 2.0: Now With Gay (And Bi) Women

Not men, of course. That would be gross.

Mors Rattus
Oct 25, 2007

FATAL & Friends
Walls of Text
#1 Builder
2014-2018

Cythereal posted:

7th Sea 2.0: Now With Gay (And Bi) Women

Not men, of course. That would be gross.

Gay dudes get less mention, but do exist - the former Czar of Ussura and the King of Not Persia are both gay men, just...not in this book.

Bieeanshee
Aug 21, 2000

Not keen on keening.


Grimey Drawer
Was Elaine's miscarriage really necessary?

wiegieman
Apr 22, 2010

Royalty is a continuous cutting motion


Bieeanshee posted:

Was Elaine's miscarriage really necessary?

Suffice to say that there's more to the story.

Mors Rattus
Oct 25, 2007

FATAL & Friends
Walls of Text
#1 Builder
2014-2018

7th Sea 2 - Nations of Theah, Vol. 1 - Magic Elf Invasions

Daniele is the Sidhe emissary of the Seelie Court to Elaine's own. They are easily the most controversial person in Avalon, and much of that through no fault of their own. They are an ethereally beautiful Sidhe, witty and kind and contemplative. They identify as neither male nor female, dressing as whichever takes their fancy any given day. They play music, sing, speak half a dozen languages and ride horses a lot. They are polite and honorable, an excellent politician and resemble Queen Elaine to an uncanny degree. No one actually knows their history, except perhaps Elaine and Derwyddon. Their appearance on the tenth anniversary of Elaine's ascendance and their appearance leads many to suspect they are Elaine's lost child, while others believe they are the true Elaine, kept among the Sidhe while a double was sent back to rule. Some believe Daniele is Elaine's sibling, stolen at birth by Derwyddon as part of a bargain. Daniele is, in fact, truly devoted to seeing Avalon survive, provided that the Sidhe are allowed to be equal partners. They are very candid, particularly by Sidhe standards, and seem to show concern for both mortal and Sidhe. When not at court, they are often out wandering the countryside to calm down tensions between mortal and Sidhe.

Jack O'Bannon, King of Inismore is...erratic, to put it mildly. He's been unstable ever since his return at the end of the War of the Cross, and it's only gotten worse over time. Still, there's no one quite like him, and the Inish do love their king. The most widely accepted rumor of his history is that his mother was a Sidhe lady who tried to make him a Sidhe as well, but drove him to madness. He then fled to the mortal world. Others say he is the O'Bannon of legend, returned by the Sidhe to be champion of Inismore in time of need. In those legends, the O'Bannon leaves when the land is safe and his duty is over, going back to rest until his next needed. All stories say that an O'Bannon appears from nowhere to save Inismore, and that each time the O'Bannon comes, he is a little crazier. Jack O'Bannon appeared in the Castillian invasion and slew six hundred soldiers by himself before claiming the crown. Who was going to stop him? The Inish were ecstatic, but now, the cracks are showing. Jack is preoccupied and spends little time on rulership. He sends his Fianna warriors on various missions whenever he sees a chance. The people do credit him with their current prosperity, not least because they don't like Avalon much and prefer to credit a local. It is only the O'Bannon that keeps Inismore from rising up against Elaine, as he has granted her his personal protection. Many believe the Graal is all that keeps Inismore safe, and that is why he did so. However, many wonder how much longer the madman's force of personality will be enough to keep the alliance going, how much longer it'll be before the Inish just get fed up of Avalon's rule. Jack is a rugged man who looks to be in his mid-thirties, with gray hair. He's appeared to be mid-30s for 20 years now. He does not, however, match the description of the blood-soaked madman that slew the Castillian invaders - mostly because he usually comes off as lean and calm. While he is insane, he is still powerful and quite shrewd. Even if he is not part-Sidhe, he wields powerful Glamour magic that is beyond the scope of that used by the Knights of Avalon. He often seems to be a moody trickster, and is often absent from his castle in Donega, wandering the countryside disguised as a commoner for reasons unknown. One of the story hooks suggests he is hunting for the crown of Inismore, or that he is looking for trouble so he can extend his time in the mortal world.

King James MacDuff II was raised from a young age to lead Clan MacDuff. He never expected to deal with the kind of problems that have plagued the Marches since the War of the Cross. After the War, the High Council rebuked his father as High King. The MacDuffs had ruled the Highlands since Robert the Black in 1219, and the civil war that followed the rebuke lasted eight years before James and his father could return stability - and at the end, just James II, as his father had died. The Highlands barely limped along after the civil war, and restoration seemed to take more than anyone had to give. When Elaine appeared with the Graal, MacDuff saw it as a chance to rebuild his nation using her funding. He believed it'd bring prosperity, enough to grow the Marches to a strength that they could stand alone again. He bent knee, choosing stability over independence. It has cost him dearly. He's had to fight constantly to keep the peace, and while his faction is currently the High Council's majority, the Separatists are louder and block him at every turn. They can't overthrow him, but have tried to murder him. They've failed to kill him, but they did get his son, Robert. James has grown quiet since then, in a time when strength and decisiveness are needed. It's been ten years since he swore loyalty to Avalon, and he's yet to declare his intention to break away after growth, fearful of the chaos it'd bring. He is, however, still a political genius, and has held off both the Seperatists and the harder social questions fo the Highlands in favor of trying to figure out what to do about the Sidhe and how to change the Highlands into a nation others will respect. He has aged dramatically over the past decade, his black hair and beard shot through with silver. He's still a strong warrior, but his face is weary, though his strength and speed remain. He's exhausted from the work he must do, and prone to long contemplation before he commits to any action. He wants to support the Bonny Swans, but feels he can't without alienating traditionalists he desperately needs the support of against the Separatists.

Jeremiah Berek is the leader of the Sea Dogs of Avalon, a noble originally known more for his parties than his piracy. When Elaine called for ships, he funded several fast and powerful ones from Wandesborrow's shipwrights. The first, the Black Dawn, he decided to captain himself. Instead of being a simple naval defense, he pretty much immediately became a pirate, donating most of his proceeds to the queen. A decade later, he's no longer the fop he once was. He is one of the most famous, powerful pirates on the seas, and while he's been knighted, he spends little time at court, preferring to travel aboard the Black Dawn in search of gold. His loyalty is unquestionable, and his stateroom has a picture of her in it. Rumor has it they were childhood friends. His wealth has greatly expanded, and he belongs to the Brotherhood of the Coast as well as leading the Sea Dogs. The Dogs were once just his crew, but now control dozens of ships. They mostly hang around Avalon, and they control the Carleon docks and much of the capital's import and export. All of this has made Berek exceptionally wealthy, but if you get past the flashy exterior, he's still a self-effacing man far more at home doing work on a ship than hanging around any manor or court. He's very interested in leading colonization efforts to the west.

Now, let's talk about the Realists. This is an organization of extremist Objectionists that believe that magic is not just evil, it's not real. They believe magic is a dangerous collective hallucination that can alter the world around you. Magic doesn't exist, they say, but those that believe in it will it into existence. Therefore, people must stop believing in magic to end its evil influence. This is a conservative strain of thought that is far beyond what even the Inquisition holds to be true. Indeed, it's practically heretical, as the Prophets themselves acknowledged magic's existence. Most of Theah sees them as an unwanted blight, and they've had to flee various nations in search of a home. Elaine's doctrine of total acceptance of all religion let them find shelter in Avalon, despite its vast amounts of magic. They aren't very popular, though, what with the preaching against Glamour and the Sidhe. What they really want to find is a place across the sea, a home they can live in that is free from magic. They eagerly seek word of any place that'd be a good home for a small church. In Avalon, they cluster in any town that'll allow their meetings. Each group is led by an Elder, and the organization is run overall by a former Vaticine priest named Prestor Mathor. Their largest chapterhouse is in Carleon, though they have presence in most major Avalonian cities. They avoid towns with ancient magical traditions or superstitions, and avoid all contact with the Sidhe, holding them to be exceptionally dangerous manifestations of the magic hallucination. They preach to anyone that'll listen to turn away from magic before it consumes Avalon. Traditionally, they wear humble, modest and dour clothes with high collars and dark colors, and generally wear head coverings to hide their hair. Because sure, Not Puritans.

Walter "Sawbones" Kelly is a doctor who changed from being a philosopher after his mother got sick while he was at university. He wanted to cure her, but he failed due to the limits of his education and the local hospital's capabilities. After her death, he set out to master medicine. In his search, he ran into a Sidhe that offered him supernatural genius in exchange for a favor - deliver a message to a Sidhe in Montaigne. Kelly took the job. He hunted for four years and never found the Sidhe, so it never got delivered, but his benefactor seems to be satisfied with the effort. He headed to Inismore, working as a field medic with his newfound genius, and became fast friends with a Fianna warrior named Maeve MacGowan after he saved her leg from infection. She became his bodyguard, though he was never in much danger. After Elaine took the throne, MacGowan had a falling-out with the other Fianna due to her support for the Avalon queen, and she headed to Avalon to pledge her service, finding the military there practically nonexistent. When the Black Dawn set sail, Maeve and Walter joined the crew together, and to this day, Sawbones Kelly keeps the ship the healthiest in the fleet. He is possibly the best doctor in Theah, but he's happy to live as a privateer medic. He is afraid of the Sidhe and prefers not to spend time around them, so he likes it on the sea over being at home. He's a jolly, friendly man, and probably the most eloquent of all the Sea Dogs.

Captain Eilionoir NicDappel - Eilidh, to her family, Helen to the navy and Captain to her crew - has always been caught between worlds. She's daughter to an Avalon navy captain and a well-educated Highlander plantation owner. She split her childhood between the two nations, but it was her father's plantation estate that made the bigger impact on her. Still, her fascination with her mother's sea stories fascinated her, and she was quick to sign on with Elaine's naval forces. She earned her own ship quickly - some say because of nepotism, but she's a good sailor. She's determined and loyal, and her ship is one of the most disciplined in the entire Avalonian navy. She's no fan of Jeremiah Berek, however, seeing him as self-centered, reckless and spoiled, itching to get Avalon into a war, even if he does have a writ from the Queen. The only thing that keeps from trying to disband the Sea Dogs entirely is her loyalty to Elaine and her knowledge that Berek is loyal, too, even if he is an idiot. She isn't in charge of the navy, but is one of its most respected captains. She is very pragmatic, though she is not cold about it. She has deep passions, and while slow to anger, her rage is ferocious. She just puts her feelings aside when she has to make decisions, focusing on tactics and details. Her loyalty to Elaine is not due to the Sidhe or the Graal, but because she believes the queen is a wise a ruler.

Shockingly, Lawrence Lugh doesn't actually have a writeup. The Sidhe do, however. They live infinitely long times and have immense magical power. They are capricious, mercurial creatures who have fought terrifying, primordial foes and have had great power for thousands of years. However, they are somehow tied to human civilization. In ancient times, before humanity existed, the world was split between forces of wonder and darkness. The Sidhe ruled until mortals came, populating Theah, and they became fascinated. The Sidhe began to mimic human behavior to better interact with the mortal world, challenging people with puzzles, riddles and quests for their own entertainment. They rewarded success and punished failure. This lasted for centuries, and some mortals grew powerful on the weight of mystic Sidhe gifts. It was an age of legends.

That ended when humans fought each other, as various mortal civilizations rebelled against magic and its users. They overthrew gods and demons, driving out the Sidhe or destroying them entirely. Some Sidhe hid, while others fled to Bryn Bresail, their homeland on the far sides of the fae gates. The Sidhe noticed in this time a change in their immortal nature, and a change in the nature of magic. The rise of humans, their unchanging mortality, warped the Sidhe, locking off their fluid, ever-shifting forms into fixed, limited ones. The Sidhe split into two factions. The Seelie embraced this mortal perception of their form, adopting the trappings of human civilization out of fascination and necessity. Many, however, had no desire for mortal influence over themselves and rejected this decision. The three Faerie Queens of Earth, Sky and Sea chose the Seelie, banishing the malcontents. They formed their own faction, the Unseelie, embracing their more chaotic nature and taking on terrifying forms to torment humanity.

As distrust of magic spread across Theah, the Sidhe withdrew from most of the world, leaving their gates open only on the Glamour Isles, due to their undamaged pacts with King Elilodd. They gave the islands magic tools - the sword Firinbrand, the MacLeod Faery Flag, the Fal Stone and the Graal. The Unseelie were outraged, cursing the Seelie to see a day when their gifts would be turned upon them. That came six hundred years ago, when Thean invaders came to Avalon for a war that lasted generations. The Sidhe entered the fight to help protect the land, and it was for this that the Graal was given to Elilodd and the magic to his knights. Years after Elilodd's death, however, the Sidhe magic was corrupted, their allies slain and their hiding places destroyed. Their magic became feared. The tipping point was when a Montaigne man with Glamour magic bound the Lady of the Lake, a Seelie Queen, and turned her power against the Isles. The heroine Athrwyn used the Graal's power to free the Lady in the defense of the Bran Bridge, but the damage was done. The Lady of the Lake took the Graal and left for Bryn Bresail, sealing the gate behind her. For the rest of the Montaigne occupation, the magic of Avalon was dormant, and many believed the Sidhe would never return.

Earlier in the current year, on the tenth anniversary of Elaine's ascension, the Bran Bridge Lake's waters opened and a Sidhe delegation emerged, led by Daniele of the Seelie. They claimed the Faerie Queens had sent them to oversee the expansion of Sidhe territory into the mortal world, that the Sidhe would be retaking land they'd occupied centuries before. This, they said, was the Reclamation. For the most part, the delegation now serve as liaisons to the lands the Sidhe are claiming. Their main stronghold is in Siochain Forest, a dense and mysterious wood at the heart of an entire Sidhe-run county, now called Arcadia. There, mortal and Sidhe live side by side. A lesser stronghold also exists in the Highland Marches, called Dagna, a Sidhe paradise walled off by thorns. Recently, Highland nobles attacked a lakeside Sidhe compound called Ballorwick, but were driven back by the terrifying Cursed Prince. Rumors of the Red-Eyed King, a horrific Sidhe creature, spread across Avalon. He favors the ancient ways and violence against humanity. His terrifying Unseelie forces have been spotted rading the Highland Marches and Inismore, as well as the wild lands even in Avalon, hunting stray mortals that betray deals. Many wonder what the three Queens have to say on this, and feel the balance of power has been upset.

For changes from 1e: Berek's basically the same; the O'Bannon's been toned down from being Wick's self-insert hero some. MacDuff's having a harder time of it. The Sidhe are very different now in their origins, but still crazy powerful. The rest of these folks are new, as are the Realists.

Next time: What Even Is A Sidhe

Bieeanshee
Aug 21, 2000

Not keen on keening.


Grimey Drawer

wiegieman posted:

Suffice to say that there's more to the story.

That doesn't exactly fill me with relief.

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Bieeanshee posted:

That doesn't exactly fill me with relief.

Elaine 1.0 was basically King Arthur, complete with being destined to be overthrown and slain by her own sexual misdeeds and alienated child, relegating her kingdom and great work to a past age of legends. I'm guessing elements of that are still present for 2.0. Though she still feels like a very weird choice to me to be bisexual in 2.0.

Ratoslov
Feb 15, 2012

Now prepare yourselves! You're the guests of honor at the Greatest Kung Fu Cannibal BBQ Ever!

Cythereal posted:

Though she still feels like a very weird choice to me to be bisexual in 2.0.

She's Saber.

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Ratoslov posted:

She's Saber.

Meaning...? Judging by that apparently supposedly being a person's name, I'm guessing anime poo poo of some variety.

Avalon was probably the weakest part of the entire setting in 1.0 in my opinion, and if anything I think it's worse now. "Elaine is now a totally hot bisexual who simultaneously dates her greatest knight and a woman who's her political rival just like in my animes!" is not a change for the better, in my eyes.

Bieeanshee
Aug 21, 2000

Not keen on keening.


Grimey Drawer

Cythereal posted:

Elaine 1.0 was basically King Arthur, complete with being destined to be overthrown and slain by her own sexual misdeeds and alienated child, relegating her kingdom and great work to a past age of legends. I'm guessing elements of that are still present for 2.0. Though she still feels like a very weird choice to me to be bisexual in 2.0.

Ugh,that's right. I like Arthuriana, I enjoy fairy stories, but this kind of narrative is just poo poo on a cracker to me. :(

Hunt11
Jul 24, 2013

Grimey Drawer

Cythereal posted:

Meaning...? Judging by that apparently supposedly being a person's name, I'm guessing anime poo poo of some variety.

Avalon was probably the weakest part of the entire setting in 1.0 in my opinion, and if anything I think it's worse now. "Elaine is now a totally hot bisexual who simultaneously dates her greatest knight and a woman who's her political rival just like in my animes!" is not a change for the better, in my eyes.

Saber is genderbent Arthur.

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Hunt11 posted:

Saber is genderbent Arthur.

"It's anime" is all you needed to say. I looked it up, and it's specifically anime genderbent Arthur who looks like a 14 year old girl from a porn visual novel who's a slave to the generic anime protagonist and loving her is a major plot point.

So even worse than Wick, congratulations.

Cythereal fucked around with this message at 16:25 on Jul 12, 2018

Freaking Crumbum
Apr 17, 2003

Too fuck to drunk


Cythereal posted:

Meaning...? Judging by that apparently supposedly being a person's name, I'm guessing anime poo poo of some variety.

Avalon was probably the weakest part of the entire setting in 1.0 in my opinion, and if anything I think it's worse now. "Elaine is now a totally hot bisexual who simultaneously dates her greatest knight and a woman who's her political rival just like in my animes!" is not a change for the better, in my eyes.

it's the "is any representation better than no representation, even if said representation is dumb/stereotyped/etc." conundrum. it doesn't seem like this version of the character was conceived with the intention to include LGBT characters in good faith, but OTOH at least the leader of an entire country is bi/gay!

i've seen people argue too that having LGBT characters make stupid choices in-character is also progressive because it allows them to be more "real" instead of having to always be perfectly flawless tokens; obviously there's a lot of different perspectives on this issue.

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Freaking Crumbum posted:

it's the "is any representation better than no representation, even if said representation is dumb/stereotyped/etc." conundrum. it doesn't seem like this version of the character was conceived with the intention to include LGBT characters in good faith, but OTOH at least the leader of an entire country is bi/gay!

i've seen people argue too that having LGBT characters make stupid choices in-character is also progressive because it allows them to be more "real" instead of having to always be perfectly flawless tokens; obviously there's a lot of different perspectives on this issue.

My issue is more that I feel Elaine specifically is a bad choice for this and feels overly fanservicey in that "hey hot lesbians but she's also totally dating a dude!" way in a kingdom that feels like Wick's pet even more so than Vodacce. Besides my idea of adding a not-Sweden to the setting lead by a merging of Queen Catherine (who actually was a lesbian) and Gustavus Adolphus, I can think of a few national leaders who would be better suited - Good King Sandoval (teenage king given the crown unexpectedly, him being gay or bi could be an interesting further stirring of the pot or an avenue to explore Thean views on LGBT stuff), Fauner Posen (gives her a good reason to not try to become Imperator despite leading the strongest successor state - she'd probably be expected to have heirs), or not-Ivan the Terrible or not-Catherine the Great over in Ussura (they don't care for each other anyway).

Night10194
Feb 13, 2012

We'll start,
like many good things,
with a bear.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Realms of Sorcery

Obligatory Snape Reference

Let's talk a little about one of the general flaws of this book's mechanics before we get into yet another example of it. I keep saying this is one of the earliest sourcebooks for WHFRP2e for a reason, and that reason is that this stuff improves in the later books, but have you noticed that there's a tendency for everything to be too involved in this book's mechanical bits? Huge tables and charts, massive amounts of randomness, and lots of 'well this takes months of working on it without having adventures' subsystems? Some of it is justifiable; having imperfect say over the personality of your Familiar is potentially fun. Some of it is not; having only a 20% chance to actually finish designing an expensive plot device with Rituals is bullshit.

Well, you haven't seen anything yet because here come potions. We're going full 'spoilage by time' tables, 'environment for ingredients', variable costs, lag time to let the potion process between being consumed and actually kicking in, some weird overtones with 3 of the potions and their implications about sexism (something you'll also notice was more of a problem earlier and got better around Bretonnia and Kislev, though it's more of a subtle rather than a pervasive sort), and the need to have and maintain a full wizard lab.

Potions can and will go bad. Much of the rules about potions revolve around when they go bad, and how they go bad. A potion has a name, a description, what it's supposed to do (if it hasn't gone bad), how long it takes to take effect, how long it lasts, how dangerous it is if it's spoiled, how much it costs if you can't find the ingredients yourself on adventure, where to adventure to find the ingredients, how hard the ingredients are to use, how hard the potion is to make and how long the potion takes to make. Like every magical crafting rule in this book, you have to spend roughly 6 hours a day on your potion batch with no breaks and many of the useful potions take a month to make. The spoilage table is based on how long it's been since the potion was made (with potions starting to spoil after a single season, so you really can't stock up on the things) and how many DoS the creator got when making the thing. The table is punishing; the rules blurbs seem under the mistaken impression that having a high chance a potion poisons you, kills you, makes you extremely sick, or causes minor mutations is 'fun'. Lots of old-school 'the GM should keep the status of the potion secret from the player until they announce they're hosed' nonsense.

This all contributes to no-one using these rules in any game I've played in. If you're already going to make a player go on an adventure to gather ingredients (or pay huge sums of money) and spend ages making the drat thing, having it be a gotcha 'oh no it was poison all along!' is just a pointless dick move. This is what I mean when I say the line softens on this sort of dickery later on. But you remember how many save or dies or 'you get hosed just for engaging with this mechanic' mechanics there were in Tome of Corruption, too? The early stuff was a lot more hostile. These kinds of mechanics don't provide risk and reward to players like designers think they will, they just make players refuse to bother with them.

Remember how I mentioned some of these potions are weird? Boar's Musk is our first potion, and it's a trap potion that gives the drinker -20% Fel for d10 hours and makes them smell like a wild boar, giving -5% to WS and BS for anyone close to them from the distraction. The notes say 'This is often used by women against their rivals' which really didn't need to be in there. So if you want to spend 50 crowns and 2 days in your 80-1000 crown laboratory making this, go right ahead. For 2 months of effort and 300 GC, you can make a Channelpath Potion that will give +15% to Channeling tests for d10 Minutes! That sounds worth it, no? Trust me, some of these are quite powerful but the power level is very uneven. Debauch's Friend is a week long effort and 50 GC for the ultimate hangover cure, which might be useful in fluff but given the effort to make it and the rarity of magic I doubt you can just buy the stuff over the counter. Draught of Lizard Limbs is our first potion that's worth making, mechanically. It takes a month of effort, you'd have to go to Lustria or pay 500 GC for the ingredients, it's hard to make, but it will restore a lost limb. Great, right? Except you roll 50-50 to see if it's the correct limb or if you need to hack the new limb off and try again so someone doesn't have a leg growing out of their shoulder. Hilarious fun for players who go through all that poo poo to undo a critical hit effect, no? gently caress these kinds of rules.

The Potency Draught is insanely useful and actually worth what you have to do to get it. 250 GC or a fairly easy gathering check in a temperate forest, so I don't see why anyone would pay for this. Takes 1 month to make it, but when you drink it you get +15% Toughness and Strength for d10 whole hours. No drawbacks. If you want your Grail Knight of the Ideal or Demon Slayer buddy to be able to armwrestle a Bloodthirster, this'll do it. God's Spit is another minor buffing potion, much easier to make (1 week and 100 GC, or a moderately difficulty gathering check in any land in the world) that's rubbed on the hands to make them count as Gauntlets (SB-3 Pummeling no doubling AV, unlike SB-4 bare hands) and grant +5 to Agility and Toughness for d10 Minutes. Kind of neat for surprising someone in a fistfight. Hair Tonic just cures baldness for 75 GC and a week's effort. Lucidity Tonic will keep you awake for 3d10 hours and grant +20% Int and WP while in effect, at the cost of taking a month to brew and being quite expensive and difficult to gather for. It also makes you fall asleep for 3d10 hours after it wears off, effective immediately. Still, huge mental boosts can be useful. Similarly, the Draught of Power costs 2 months of time and 550 GC (or a difficult gathering check in a forest) but gives a straight +1 Mag, no cap, for 2 rounds. Not necessarily long enough to be worth it, but if you really need to pull off one of those CN 30+ spells it might be your best move.

Nectar of Beauty is a generic +10 Fellowship potion (but only with people 'attracted to your gender') for 3d10 hours, but renders you sensitive to light, giving -5% to all tests in bright light. Easy to make, 2 weeks to do. The Potion of Comeliness gets weird. It gives a +20% to Fel for 3d10 hours, but causes a Tough-10 test or permanently lose 5% Int. You also have to make a WP-20 check or become addicted and try to seek a dose a week. Really? So, no-one will ever intentionally use this. This is another of the 'gets odd' potions; it doesn't mention gender but the implication that being attractive makes you stupider and that this is the potion that makes people into slavering addicts just feels off to me. Also the most expensive potion in the book, at 750 GC and 3 weeks to make. The Potion of Pain Denied will give you +20% Toughness and immunity to torture for d10 Hours for 2 weeks of effort and 300 GC, and if you stack that with Potency and maybe God's Spit you can make a PC hit 100% Toughness for awhile, which would be very useful. The Potion of Perceptive Clarity gives Excellent Vision and Acute Hearing, two minor perception bonuses, for d5 hours for 175 GC and a week's effort; what, was Keen Senses too much? Finally, there's Slimming Liquor, which makes a person sweat off excess body fat but 'does nothing for the skin', so that when 'corpulent merchants and nobles try to use it to charm the ladies, they find themselves disgusting with bags of loose skin'. Yay? Not sure why that's going to come up in the game of grim and perilous adventure, but you do you, weird potion writer obsession with cosmetics.

To make potions, you need Mag 1 or better, Read/Write, and either the Apothecary skill or mastery of a Magic Lore. You need an 80, 400, or 1000 GC lab to work with (80 is -10% to potion tests, 400 is +0, 1000 is +10). You need to learn a recipe by adventure or study. Then you either buy or go out and find the Ingredients with an Int test. Finally, you brew potions with Int, and if you fail to brew a batch of a potion you suffer a zany table of misadventures that mostly do damage (thankfully not enough to kill a PC, generally) or destroy your equipment or make the potion come out pre-spoiled. You do get d5 doses per batch made, at least. Also note that since they don't use a skill, you can't get, say, 'Make Potions +10 or +20' as you advance; it's always a bare Int check.

Still, look at all this bullshit you have to go to to make potions. Little wonder these rules don't see much use. I'm really glad this line eventually moved away from this kind of grognardy bullshit for the most part.

Next: Finally, guidelines on what Magic Items should be like

Freaking Crumbum
Apr 17, 2003

Too fuck to drunk


Cythereal posted:

My issue is more that I feel Elaine specifically is a bad choice for this and feels overly fanservicey in that "hey hot lesbians but she's also totally dating a dude!" way in a kingdom that feels like Wick's pet even more so than Vodacce.

i agree. i don't know if it's fair, but any time a straight male author starts writing about a totally hot lesbian/bi-woman it's always suspect to me (it tends to skew towards authorial fantasy/wish fulfillment more than anything else).

MollyMetroid
Jan 20, 2004

Trout Clan Daimyo
Wick didn't write this though Danielle Lauzon did she is not male.

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Freaking Crumbum posted:

i agree. i don't know if it's fair, but any time a straight male author starts writing about a totally hot lesbian/bi-woman it's always suspect to me (it tends to skew towards authorial fantasy/wish fulfillment more than anything else).

It can be done well, but sorry if I'm venting too much about Avalon and Elaine. Elaine 1.0 had a probably very unfortunate but time-honored story role and conflict to her: she was perpetually torn between romantic love and her duty, unwilling to kill the child that she loved despite knowing that her child would be her doom, and ultimately willing to forsake her kingdom for the love of Lawrence Lugh. That's fine in my eyes, that's the makings of a classic tragic hero[ine] and all the really creepy stuff is due to Sidhe interference to make her King Arthur.

Elaine 2.0 has none of the tragedy in the making that defined her 1.0 incarnation, she just seems to be blatantly unfaithful to both people she's attracted to. Either relationship in isolation is a narratively compelling one, I feel - the knight in love with his seemingly unapproachable lady is a staple of romantic and historic fiction, as are the two political leaders deeply divided over what the best course of action for their kingdoms is but are just as deeply attracted to each other. Both are rich mines of character drama and ripe for starting plots due to the innate volatility of the relationship or from someone else discovering the relationship and trying to use it.

But combining both... it's narrative overkill, in my opinion, and Elaine is cheating on both of her paramours with each other. It fits if you want to play Elaine in an overtly villainous light (genderbent Henry VIII?) which is quite easy to do given the Sidhe nonsense going on, but I don't think that's what the writers were setting out to do. At best, it points to a significant flaw in Elaine's character and probably means that she'll never be faithful to anyone even if she marries.

Personally, I feel it's as simple as the writer grossly misunderstanding bisexuality. The vast majority of bisexual people are not simultaneously dating two different people of different genders, they're just attracted to a wider range of dating possibilities than straight people.

I didn't like 1.0 Avalon, but it at least had a very clear identity and kind of story it was telling: this is Arthurian England, and like the Arthurian tales, it's bound to end in tragedy for everyone involved... unless maybe four to six adventurers get involved. I'm not sure what 2.0 is doing yet, but I'm already sensing cracks in the differing authorship - Sophia's Daughters are now exclusively focused on Vodacce in the same 2.0 revision that adds a genuine feminist movement to the Marches?

Mors Rattus
Oct 25, 2007

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7th Sea 2 - Nations of Theah, Vol. 1 - The Goodly Folke, With An E For Fancy

The Sidhe come in all shapes and sizes, from the beautiful Seelie Queens to the nightmarish Unseelie. However, what is pretty much universal is they aren't hiding any more. Once, they concealed themselves from mortal view or locked themselves away. No longer. Selkies swim the lakes of Avalon, centaurs run in the fields, Sidhe palaces appear in forgotten glens. Almost all Sidhe just walk openly as themselves, whatever they are. Some hide their true appearance still to better blend in and experience mortal life, but others just walk up to their distant descendants and are like 'hey y'all owe me a favor from six hundred years ago, pay up.' Some Sidhe even leave Avalon for the mainland of Theah, to find those left behind when the gates of Bryn Bresail were closed off, so long ago, or to seek out the new and interesting. There is one surefire way to tell if someone or something is Sidhe: stare at their reflection in a mirror. If they're Sidhe, it will ripple.

Many Avalonians celebrate the (admittedly jarring) return of the Sidhe. They have a prominent place in Elaine's court and across the kingdoms. Entire forests, towns or even parts of cities have been transformed into what are now called the Glamourlands. Even the residents of these places have been altered. Children born in the Glamourlands often have a natural talent for magic, usable without need for a Sidhe blessing. Others have gained Sidhe blessing and surpassed the Glamour usable by the Knights. Many mortals have fled the lands that have gone wild with magic, while others stay and accept Sidhe management. A kind Sidhe lord gives many benefits...but if they aren't, well, things get loving nasty. The favor of the Sidhe is greatly beneficial, and this has been known since the days of Elilodd's pact. The pact holds to this day: the Sidhe will give gifts to those who prove themselves worthy in some way set down by the Sidhe petitioned for aid.

However, some Sidhe are more altruistic than others. The Unseelie are terrifying, vindictive and chaotic, and the Seelie are usually more helpful...but even the Seelie enjoy their games, their riddles and wordplay, and anyone dealing with them must be very careful. Only those they deem extraordinary will get exceptional benefits, and anyone that isn't careful with the wording of a Sidhe pact is asking for trouble - lots of it. Many pacts are short-term, with limited duration or lesser gifts. Longer-lasting bonds are possible, however, creating more permanent mortal-Sidhe connections. An ancestor's bargain may see a farm protected by wild beasts, or a child might be born each generation with the power of foresight because of some ancient deal.

It is possible to earn Favor with the Sidhe in a similar manner to earning Favor with a secret society. However, Sidhe Favor always comes at a cost, generally chosen by the Sidhe that grants the Favor. A PC that performs a challenge for the Sidhe can also spend Favor they don't have, going into debt. This often has serious consequences, and the Sidhe will expect you to drop everything and do what they ask when they call in your debt. Refusal will earn you a curse at best.

Performing a task for the Sidhe is worth 2 Favor. Usually, this is some form of challenge set forth by a Sidhe, which you must perform before they'll give you any Favor whatsoever. It might be a riddle or a quest, so long as it satisfied the Sidhe involved. Helping or saving a Sidhe's life is worth 6 Favor - they remember their debts. Giving a present to a Sidhe or otherwise providing aid is worth 3 Favor, and is generally going to be harder and more taxing than the original challenge. But why, you ask, would I ever bother with this faerie bullshit? Because the Sidhe are magic as gently caress, that's why.

You can spend 4 Favor to gain a single rank in one Major or two Minor Glamours, even if you don't have Sorcery. You select a Major and Minor trait when you gain such a blessing, unless you already have Glamour Sorcery. You get access to these Glamours for no more than a week, and must obey the Gesa of the Knights of Avalon while you have it. You can spend 2 Favor to learn any secret the Sidhe might reasonably know or be able to find out about a situation, person or Sidhe; they're smart but they aren't omniscient. You can spend 3 Favor to get temporary access to a Sidhe artifact, which functions as a Signature Item that has powers determined by the GM. You are expected to return it within a week, regardless of if you used it successfully or not, or suffer Sidhe wrath.

Secret societies in Avalon, plus special ways to gain Favor in Avalon! Die Kreuzritter have proven a great boon to Avalonians endangered by the Sidhe, for not all Sidhe are friendly, and die Kreuzritter are uniquely suited to fighting monsters. Bringing evidence of the destruction of a Sidhe is worth 4 Favor, and selling information about Sidhe encroachment, Unseelie or not, is worth 2 Favor. The Explorer's Society has turned Avalon into their primary launching point for many expeditions west, either to the New World or to various islands containing Syrneth relics, and many Explorers are also fascinated by the Sidhe, and have begun planning expeditions into Bryn Bresail once they can find a gate to use. Acquiring a Sidhe artifact or knowledge of the Sidhe for them is worth 4 Favor, if you turn it over for study. Knowledge might be about specific types of Sidhe, or just about general Sidhe life and habits. The Brotherhood of the Coast have a strong representation in Avalon due to all the privateering, and Elaine often looks the other way for them because of Berek. There's no special Favor gains though.

The Invisible College are very safe in Avalon - there's no Vaticine, practically, so little Inquisition to worry about except in Carleon, where the priests often visit, and the Inish city of Liumech, where they're establishing a stronger foothold. They know the Inquisition wants to fight the Sidhe, and have been working to prevent an Inquisition presence in Avalon. The Knights of the Rose & Cross have no major conflicts to fight in Avalon, but the rise of the Glamourlands and the Separatist movement are enough to keep them busy there - and some of them also work to protect the Sidhe from displaced villagers that are lashing out at the wrong target. Because of their Castillian origins, Los Vagabundos haven't had an easy time of it getting set up in Avalon, but they work to keep the peace and fight the Separatists. They tend to support Elaine because, well, the O'Bannon's in no state to rule alone and the Highland king supports her, so she's the best option for the people. Since they thwarted an assassination attempt on Elaine, they've been more welcome.

Mociutes Skara have established a somewhat new goal in Avalon. The land is rich in food and health, thanks to the Glamour, but many have been forced from their homes by Sidhe incursion. The Shawl work out of Carleon and Liumech to gather money to help these needy people and to organize efforts to stop the spread of the Glamourlands into areas that are heavily populated. They also spend a lot of money on feeding and clothing refugees, and have discussed the idea of seeking out anti-Sidhe weapons, but have decided to overall focus on those in need over fighting the Sidhe. The Rilasciare have had very little foothold in Avalon until quite recently, thanks to the peace and prosperity of Elaine's rule, but the tensions rising now with the Sidhe Reclamation have caused a surge of interest. Sophia's Daughters have found allies in the women of Avalon and the Marches. Many Vodacce women see Avalon as a paragon of nations, ruled by a woman with magic and where women are free, and it is often the final destination of escaped Fate Witches. There is also some interest in helping the women of the Marches, who are still oppressed, if to a much lesser extent than Vodacce women.

The Long-Strider League are a secret society based out of Inismore, born from a mix of Mociutes Skara ideals and the old Inish druids. They work to spread information and communication across Theah, ensuring that messages are delivered to the right people in a timely manner. They original Long-Striders were druids of the old gods, who used their magical gifts to travel vast distances quickly and their bardic training to memorize messages and hide documents for secret delivery. In the War of the Cross, they spread out across the continent, recruiting those that would swear to their oath: "The truth is the story which binds our lives, and to that truth, I pledge my life." All new Long-Striders are trained as dalta, apprentice bards, who must study spycraft, wilderness survival and languages as well as storytelling and music. By the time they stand before the Seanchai, the bardic masters, they are able to travel for days without rest and would rather die than lose a message. The League possesses ten-league boots, magic items that let you travel many miles in a single night. Many see the League as a small but threatening group, as they support kingdoms, organizations and people dedicated to truth, charity and justice. Their flagrant use of old Inish magic artifacts also puts them in conflict with the Inquisition.

Their primary goal is to move important information to people across Theah that can use it properly. Successful delivery of an important message is worth 4 Favor, with another 2 if the message is very vital or the delivery very fast. Recruiting a new messenger or other trustworthy person to pass on information is worth 2 Favor. Access to the League's reliquaries of magic boots and other travel items costs 4 Favor, and you have to give it back after your mission. Access to information costs 2 Favor, or 4 if it's particularly sensitive or marked as private by the League.

Next time: Locations

Dawgstar
Jul 15, 2017

It's nice that if you bring down a Sidhe you don't get what felt like pages about OH MY GOD YOU ARE SO DOOMED NOW like the secret Highlander family and their special iron weapons.

Alien Rope Burn
Dec 5, 2004

I wanna be a saikyo HERO!
I'd think if you're syncretically mixing different magical traditions in 7th Sea, you'd probably end up with something new (presuming it worked) or a variation on an existing form of magic rather than just a cross-class.

Ratoslov posted:

So we're supposed to be stabbing Elaine, right? I mean, she is signing over the lives of her countrymen to the Sidhe for power.

Well, that power is what's keeping Avalon stable, united, prosperous, and independent. Never mind the freight train of consequences at the end of the tunnel, of course.

Tricky Dick Nixon
Jul 26, 2010

by Nyc_Tattoo
If they leaned into the more Elizabeth I aspects of her character, like having an ever changing list of favorites and a dangerous game of courtly love, combined with the Arthuriana, I think it'd be cool and would help thread the needle of being both chivalric and swashbuckling in motif, and how I'd run a game with an Avalon focus, but I agree that the Glamour Isles are my least favorite corner of Theah.

JcDent
May 13, 2013

Give me a rifle, one round, and point me at Berlin!
Animu corrupts everything it touches, just like the Bonsam.

So how is the Sidhe recolonisation going, anyways? Is it killing people off by transforming reality, or do they live together in harmony, like ebony and ivory?

I wonder, what do Sidhe, Jok, Lwa and the sorts of Matushka have to say about Theus?

Servetus
Apr 1, 2010
What information is there on the "old gods" of the Glamour isles? They get mentioned in the Highland Marches here and in the Inismore section in the Core Rulebook. Is this worshiping the Sidhe or a completely different set of beings?

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

If they leaned into the more Elizabeth I aspects of her character, like having an ever changing list of favorites and a dangerous game of courtly love, combined with the Arthuriana, I think it'd be cool and would help thread the needle of being both chivalric and swashbuckling in motif, and how I'd run a game with an Avalon focus, but I agree that the Glamour Isles are my least favorite corner of Theah.

Personally, I'd lean towards Charles I and have the English Civil War looming over Avalon, just with the religious aspects mostly replaced with the Sidhe stuff.

Tricky Dick Nixon
Jul 26, 2010

by Nyc_Tattoo

Cythereal posted:

Personally, I'd lean towards Charles I and have the English Civil War looming over Avalon, just with the religious aspects mostly replaced with the Sidhe stuff.

Hell make it all three: Arthurian tragedy, Elizabethan intrigue, and the famous propensity of Charles I to make absolutely the worst decision at every juncture.

unseenlibrarian
Jun 4, 2012

There's only one thing in the mountains that leaves a track like this. The creature of legend that roams the Timberline. My people named him Sasquatch. You call him... Bigfoot.
Maybe I missed where it said Elaine was cheating on her two lovers instead of just being involved with both of them with them being aware of it- I mean, she already got the consent of Colleen's husband.

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

unseenlibrarian posted:

Maybe I missed where it said Elaine was cheating on her two lovers instead of just being involved with both of them with them being aware of it- I mean, she already got the consent of Colleen's husband.

Call me old-fashioned, but that's how I see the relationships. She hasn't admitted either relationship publicly, and in my eyes that's not a good sign.


Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

Hell make it all three: Arthurian tragedy, Elizabethan intrigue, and the famous propensity of Charles I to make absolutely the worst decision at every juncture.

Fair, I don't know enough about British history and legend to say more than that.

Back when I was thinking about trying to run a 7th Sea PbP game, though, I'd planned to start in Eisen. Eisen's a godawful mess made of godawful messes, but they're the kind of godawful messes a party of adventurers can solve, and solving the major issues of one of the princes and making at least a part of Eisen a nice place to live again is a good introductory arc for a campaign that would bring the PCs to the attention of those in power through Theah and provide a springboard for any number of potential adventures. Long-term as the DM, I'd probably either stay in Eisen and keep fixing the place, or head east to Ussura and play on Ivan the Terrible finally entering the terminal phase while Catherine the Great struggles to hold it all together - perhaps featuring the end of Matushka's system completely if she then makes Catherine the successor due to Ivan's dad's trickery.

Mors Rattus
Oct 25, 2007

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Servetus posted:

What information is there on the "old gods" of the Glamour isles? They get mentioned in the Highland Marches here and in the Inismore section in the Core Rulebook. Is this worshiping the Sidhe or a completely different set of beings?

Not specified but probably Sidhe.

Bieeanshee
Aug 21, 2000

Not keen on keening.


Grimey Drawer

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

If they leaned into the more Elizabeth I aspects of her character, like having an ever changing list of favorites and a dangerous game of courtly love, combined with the Arthuriana, I think it'd be cool and would help thread the needle of being both chivalric and swashbuckling in motif, and how I'd run a game with an Avalon focus, but I agree that the Glamour Isles are my least favorite corner of Theah.

This makes me think of a bit of back matter from one of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen graphic novels: after Gloriana's death, there is a massive, vicious purge of all things Faery from the Isles.

Night10194
Feb 13, 2012

We'll start,
like many good things,
with a bear.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Realms of Sorcery

In which +1 Swords are a big deal.

Magic items are rare. Unlike in d20 country, you can't just pop on down to the shop and pick up a magical weapon. It would be conceivable for a PC to never acquire a magic sword or suit of armor, even at 3rd tier. Part of this is by the system's design; PC Strength and Toughness are carefully limited and in a world where even a master swordsman has a 75% chance to hit, a +10% chance from a magic sword never stops being a big deal. Part of it is a matter of tone; magical gear is the province of the Empire's great heroes and war-leaders because they can't be manufactured. Every item has to be hand-crafted and created and these require rituals or months of effort.

One neat thing, though, is that most magical equipment is actually accidental. It may be very difficult to bind spells into a weapon, suit of armor, or item, but everything in Warhammer is permeated by the general magical energy flowing from the north. Much as the Winds take shapes based on the dreams and hopes (or fears) of mortals, so an item can soak up and shape the raw magical energy that comes into contact with it. So a totally ordinary sword that is used to dispatch a greater demon in a heroic battle might find itself suddenly powerful against Chaos creatures. A venerated relic of a beloved saint will slowly soak up and shape the power flowing through the world around it and may take on real miraculous powers with time. This is very difficult to do on purpose, but it's pretty cool that many magic items are the product of their legend and history rather than someone trying to make a +3 flail of goblin-smashing.

Magic items can also be created by ritual and intention. This is much more common among the elves and dwarfs than among humans. Dwarven runesmithing can create terrifying items of power and does it without risking anyone exploding into demonic horror. Human mages are beginning to understand how to create magical items on purpose without accidentally getting Chaos on them, but the process is still in its infancy like most formal human magic. The book recommends using the rules for creating Rituals for humans enchanting items, meaning it's something that won't come up in normal play. Such weapons and items are usually given to particularly important heroes or generals, but an Adventurer on a very important mission for the Emperor might be granted such a treasure.

Exposure to huge amounts of Chaos energy will also make things magical, even without the shaping process of belief and legend. Needless to say, such items tend to be very dangerous. A sword that was left on an old battlefield in the Chaos Wastes for generations may be unpredictable, but it's likely to be very powerful, especially if its resting place somehow drew more energy towards it. These items are rarely intentionally traps of Chaos, but rather wild and unreliable. The actual trap items are the Gifts of Chaos, like the Chaos Weapons we saw in Tome of Corruption. Chaos Armor, the dark demonic engineering of the Chaos Dwarfs, and gifts of the Gods are inherently corrupting and PCs will regret trying to use any of them to such an extent that they shouldn't try.

Outside of Gold Magic there is no 'identify' spell in Warhammer. You'll need to make a knowledge test, aided by access to libraries or historical record, to understand what a magic item actually does and whether or not it's safe. In practice this is simple enough; the hardest part is usually getting access to a Collegiate library or getting an appointment to talk to an elven sage or dwarven runesmith about what you've found.

Having an actual list of example items goes a long way towards helping a GM tell what sort of power level magic items ought to have. That was something majorly lacking in the original core book, which emphasized their rarity but only had two examples of what they ought to do (A spear of +4 damage against Demons and a +20% Fel ring). Every item also gets its own little story. I won't be repeating all of them, just some of the more interesting ones.

The All Seeing Mirror was originally built by an elven mage who was driven mad by Slaanesh. His own mind filled with fantasies of infidelity, he assumed his wife felt the same and thus that she must be cheating on him. In his jealousy and love of double-standards, he built a mirror that would let him watch her bedroom...and didn't realize he made the item two-way. He was quickly discovered through his wife and her friends seeing him doing his cultist thing through the two-way mirror, and now they're just an interesting two-way communication device. Always useful to have a way to talk instantly over hundreds of miles.

The Amulet of Thrice Blessed Copper was given to a past Emperor by a Cathayan merchant, who explained it was a device used by many of the most powerful Cathayan nobles to defend against poison and assassins. The Emperor, being a pious Sigmarite in a stupider age (about 1000 years ago), had the man executed for trying to wizard in his presence and then gave the amulet to his guard to be destroyed. The guard instead sold it for a new pair of boots. It really is a fantastic protective talisman, providing +20% Toughness against Poison and reducing the damage of any incoming attack by 1. It also turns green in the presence of poison.

The Boots of Bovva are tremendously comfortable and durable boots that also let you kick for SB-0, if you want to roundhouse a knight in full armor or something. Though they still provide double AV against your 'unarmed' attacks. They were made by a renowned cobbler for an ungrateful noble who had him hung for wasting his time. I'm not entirely sure why, given that they're excellent boots even if you don't know about their amazing magical kick power.

The Charm of Hotek is an awesome amulet that provides +1 AV (including going over the normal 5 AV maximum for Plate) and immunity to fire. Except it's infested with Chaos and gives -20% to WP vs. Chaos magic and makes the wearer gain 2 mutations instead of one any time they would. It's made out of the leftover pieces of the armor of Malekith, the King of the Dark Elves. Said armor was designed to keep him alive after he walked into a fire that one time, so even a charm made out of the scraps from the forge has great power over fire. Best not to ask too many questions about why the armor his mother had made for him is, uh, infested with Chaos magic.

Doomfire Rings are one of the few non-unique items. They were built by the most powerful of the early Bright Order to help the lesser Bright Wizards contribute at least a little in the Great War against Chaos. They will let the wearer cast a Mag 3 (and thus, 3 hit) Fireball once per day with a successful WP test. Any character who knows the Lore of Fire can use the ring X number of extra times per day, where X is their Mag. Useful thing to have since it can't miscast and 3 Damage 3 (Damage 4 if you have Mighty Missile) hits at long range is a good thing for any character to pull out of their pocket.

The Elven Cloak is given out to friends of the elves of the Athel Loren, and is also non-unique since wood elves love making magic items almost as much as they love stealing children and murdering people because the trees said to do it. It gives an excellent -10% to any test to shoot at the PC wearing it and +20% to any Concealment checks they make. Simple and very useful.

The Griffon Claw is an enchanted sword manufactured by the Gold Order to give to Imperial Champions and the best swordsmen in the country. It's a simple +10% WS sword, but it's also made of Gromril, which means +1 damage and it'll completely destroy any vampire with the Gromril weakness (remember that means they can't use their TB against it. At all). Not sure where they're getting the Gromril for it, considering they're supposed to be keeping their work on Gromril as secret as possible and handing out officer's swords made of the stuff seems like it'd give up the game.

A Maid's Charm is unusual in that it's a very easy to create item, commonly found throughout the Empire. It's a small necklace often made by priestesses of Rhya, which makes the wearer unable to conceive a child until they take it off. So yes, it's perfect, relatively easily made magical birth control that is sanctioned by the cult of the goddess of mothers and nature. Life Wizards can also craft these, as can simple hedge wizards and witches. As an added note, ones made by Life Wizards resemble the 'spiral of life' as they understand it. Maybe a double-helix?

A list of Imperial items wouldn't be complete without the Runefangs. These are the badge of office of the Elector Counts, made by the ancient Runesmith Alaric the Mad as gifts for his king's human allies. They date back to the time of Sigmar himself. Alaric broke many of the unspoken rules of Runesmithing in making the twelve swords, namely making more than one of the exact same item; each is forged from Gromril and provides a Master Rune of Alaric the Mad. As we'll see in the Runesmithing chapter, the Master Rune of Alaric makes a weapon completely ignore AV. The two swords forged for lost provinces are kept under lock and key in the Imperial arsenal, to be given out to heroes on quests necessary to the entire Empire. Probably the most likely way your PCs would ever see one.

Annoyingly, many of the various 'magic sword of X' entries don't list the weapons' actual game effects, but just which Runes they have and reference the Runesmithing chapter. These are all items taken from the TT game, if I recall correctly. The reason they matter is because they set down that the 'average' magic item of legend is still only a Sword of +10% WS or a Sword of +1 Attacks (which is a huge goddamn deal, admittedly). Very few do more than one thing and weapons like the Runefangs are very, very rare. Equipment upgrades in WHFRP are usually marginal, minor upgrades because the system is set up such that +1 Damage, +10% to-hit, or even +1 extra Armor is a big deal.

Unless and until you get to Runesmiths. Depending on how much time your GM gives a Runesmith to make things, they're either one of the most powerful class tracks in the game or they're going to be sad and never get to use their abilities.

From my experience playing and running the game, the bonuses on magic items are not as petty and small as they seem. The fluff of magic in Warhammer gives you plenty of interesting routes to make magic treasure and hand it out sparingly, and any magic item tends to make a big difference in a campaign. The official campaign, for instance, hands out a pair of gloves that give a permanent +10% WS and S; considering that the best you can get with 'mundane' equipment is a +5% to-hit and parry from a Best quality item, these are pretty significant buffs.

Next Time: Runesmiths: Feast or Famine.

MonsieurChoc
Oct 12, 2013

Every species can smell its own extinction.
No Gods, no Masters. Join the Rilasciare.

Mr. Maltose
Feb 16, 2011

The Guffless Girlverine

Cythereal posted:

Call me old-fashioned, but that's how I see the relationships. She hasn't admitted either relationship publicly, and in my eyes that's not a good sign.

Yeah it's super weird why a monarch wouldn't want to announce who they're dating as though marriage had some sort of political facet, surely this only arises because Elaine is cheating(?) somehow despite complete consent with everyone involved. Obviously.

As a bisexual dude who has previously dated separate people of separate genders with all parties being aware and cool with it, I didn't cheat on anybody because I didn't tell my parents or whoever the gently caress else who I was involved with.

Mr. Maltose fucked around with this message at 20:49 on Jul 12, 2018

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Mr. Maltose posted:

Yeah it's super weird why a monarch wouldn't want to announce who they're dating as though marriage had some sort of political facet, surely this only arises because Elaine is cheating(?) somehow despite complete consent with everyone involved. Obviously.

As a bisexual dude who has previously dated separate people of separate genders with all parties being aware and cool with it, I didn't cheat on anybody because I didn't tell my parents or whoever the gently caress else who I was involved with.

Yes, because dating multiple people at the same time is so incredibly normal.


MonsieurChoc posted:

No Gods, no Masters. Join the Rilasciare.

Die Kreuzritter. Reclaiming this world for humanity, one dead monster at a time.

Mr. Maltose
Feb 16, 2011

The Guffless Girlverine
Yeah, it is, you judgemental rear end. Thanks for insulting my previous relationships with people I still deeply care about because I guess I'm aberrant and wrong to have loved them at the same time.

MollyMetroid
Jan 20, 2004

Trout Clan Daimyo
It's cheating if she's promised to be monogamous with either partner. Otherwise, it's not cheating.

Get over it, Queen Victoria.

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Serf
May 5, 2011


Cythereal posted:

Yes, because dating multiple people at the same time is so incredibly normal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7qQ6_RV4VQ

grow up

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