Druid [considered a divine spellcaster, although they also get arcane magic in Arduin]
Wisdom is Prime; gain 1d8 for HD
Can use any armor if purely natural and untouched by a forge (so most metal armor is not allowed); proficient with sickle, staff, sling, axes and scythes and flails of all types (note, weapons are the only forged items a druid will consider, because they are considered tools, nothing more)
Always have competence with plant-based magic and elemental magic (see the description of special abilities for divine casters for a definition)
Healing spells can equally affect the living (of any kind, such as plants) and the non-living provided the recipient is not supernatural (what this means is entirely subject to the Castle Keeper’s discretion, but elementals, beasts, animals, vermin, plants, and the like should always be able to be treated by a druid, and fey, especially elfs, cannot)
Have basic herbalism (as an Herbalist) of first level, which never improves
Druids do not get along with, and cannot be one, elfs; in fact, they greatly distrust each other and consider the other to be an intruder and / or usurper of the forests
All druids carry pan pipes which they can use to produce various effects, in addition to their standard spellcasting; many druids will gain an animal companion although it is not automatically assumed
While it is possible for a druid to have a tremendous magical arsenal, the class is comprised of pacifists and any damage spell they take has a flat 35% chance of failing, counting against the spells cast per day (this excludes those given through use of Pipe Music)
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Herbalism; Druid Spells; Arcane Spells
2 / +0 / Pipe Music
3 – 4 / +1 / --
5 – 6 / +2 / --
7 – 8 / +3 / --
9 – 10 / +4 / --
11 – 12 / +5 / --
13+ // +1 / 2 levels // --
Note: druids do not gain much in the way of level-based abilities primarily because they are granted numerous spell powers which increase
Herbalism – a druid is able to manufacture items of a purely botanical / herbal nature which mimics many either spells or alchemical items; precisely what can be replicated depends on the Castle Keeper, and costs are always virtually nothing, provided the druid can locate the necessary materials. An example of the list of items known to be available to a druid, since they are first level capacity in this area (a true herbalist would gain access to many more, and more potent effects) follows, all of which are based on the alchemist. A druid does not require recipes for this ability and simply knows the concoction methods which can be greatly different than that used by another character class
All-Purpose Skin Lotion
Basic Tincture for Wounds
Potion of Strength
Potion of Dexterity
Poultice for Sniffles
Wartbane Salve
Cure for Colic
Potion of Lesser Truths
Potion of Soundsleep
Poultice for Hangovers
Druid Spells – the character is a trained spellcaster and receives bonus spells; caster level is equal to character level and druids are always competent with plant and elemental magic
Level / 0-level / 1st / 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th / 7th / 8th / 9th
1 / 4 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
2 / 4 / 3 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
3 / 4 / 3 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
4 / 4 / 4 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
5 / 4 / 4 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
6 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
7 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
8 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
9 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / --
10 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 3 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / --
11 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / --
12 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 4 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / --
13 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / --
14 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 1 / -- / -- / --
15 / 7 / 7 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 3 / 2 / 1 / -- / --
16 / 7 / 7 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 2 / 1 / -- / --
17 / 7 / 7 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 / --
18 / 7 / 7 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 5 / 3 / 2 / 1 / 1
19 / 8 / 7 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
20 / 8 / 7 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2
Arcane Spells – the character is a trained spellcaster and receives bonus spells; arcane magic does not require a spellbook for a druid; caster level equals character level
Level / 0-level / 1st / 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th
1 / 1 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
2 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
3 / 3 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / --
4 / 4 / 2 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / --
5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / --
6 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / -- / -- / --
7 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 1 / -- / --
8 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 2 / -- / --
9 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 1 / --
10 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / --
11 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 1
12+ / 6 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Pipe Music – the character can produce various effects with the pan pipe that is carried, noting that in no way is the instrument magical, but rather a sort of divine focus through which nature manifests a druidical request. As the character advances in level, additional effects become possible
2nd: Speak with Plants – identical to the spell of the same name; can used as often as desired, for as long as the pipes can be played. Affects a 90 foot radius. One round is all that is needed for effect to generate
3rd: Speak with Animals – identical to the spell of the same name, up to an 180 foot radius, usable 2 times per day. Effect requires 2 rounds to generate
4th: Healing Circle – allies within 15 feet are restored 1d4, +1 per level of druid above 4, up to 3 times per day; effect requires 3 rounds of playing
5th: The Pipes of Light – reveals magic within 180 feet (revelation allows any character to see it, provided they are not blind) and causes a bright glow which makes nocturnal creatures and those affected by brightness to be afraid, although it does not harm them. This is usable at will and begins after one round of play
6th: Ghost Piping – mimics the ghost sound spell as often as desired or can be used to produce any illusion with a sound component up to 3 times daily; requires 1 round
7th: Death Voice – allows the druid to speak with the dead once per day; a Charisma check may be in order depending on who the druid tries to communicate with; requires 6 rounds of piping
8th: Pipes of Curing – prevents infectious diseases such as those spread by bites form harming the target who must remain within 10 feet of the druid for 10 minutes; requires 10 minutes
9th: Cure Critical Wounds – affects cure critical wounds upon one character within 10 feet once per day; requires 5 rounds
10th: The Pipes of Finding – after 1d20 minutes of playing, any injury that has befallen the target will be revealed to the druid, such as those with no visible symptoms (such as poison, delayed disease, curses, and the like) although it will not provide any direct treatment method or an indication of exact cause, only that the recipient is wounded / suffering. Usable once daily
11th: Storm Pipes – can generate an ice storm or a cone of cold once per day after 4 rounds of play
12th: Thunder Pipes – creates an earthquake effect after 1 hour of piping
13th: The Pipes of Change – requires 2 rounds but the druid is able to shapeshift into any animal or plant; the new form may remain for 1 hour and heals 25% of sustained damage upon entering or exiting it. The druid never has a chance of losing their mental faculties when making this change. At most, a druid may use this ability 3 times per day
Arduin C&C
Re: Arduin C&C
Medicine Man [divine caster]
Wisdom is Prime; uses d8 for HD
Gain access to both cleric and druid spells, considered trained casters for both
Cannot wear armor of any kind, save for ceremonial clothing (such as a feather cloak); proficient only with club, spear, dagger, ax and staff
Can brew poisons and antidotes as an Alchemist and have herbal abilities as a 3rd level Herbalist (gain +1 level abilities per level, to a maximum of 3)
Medicine men can turn the undead; although the process is harder and longer, it is also more powerful
Do not like technology at all and despise those of the Techno class; will actively avoid civilization at all costs unless the settlement is tribal / primal (basically barbaric)
Automatically gain animal companions, somewhat like a Beast Master with a mystic connection (see below)
Always carry drums which, in themselves, are not magical, but are required to perform any spellcasting or to turn undead; further, the use of the drums have certain effects similar to a druid’s pipe
Character is considered competent with all magic that involves animals, healing, and those which involve the dead; incompetent with all charming magic and two elements of choice
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Poisons and Antidotes; Herbalism; Drum Away the Dead; Druid Spells; Cleric Spells
2 / +1 / Drum Magic
3 / +1 / Animal Ally
4 – 5 / +2 / --
6 / +3 / Animal Ally
7 / +3 / --
8 / +4 / --
9 / +4 / Animal Ally
10 – 11 / +5 / --
12 / +5 / Animal Ally
13+ // +1 / 2 levels // +1 Animal Ally / 3 levels
Poisons and Antidotes – this is the same as for an alchemist, as provided with that class description; however, the costs are negligible as they are always 100% natural. A medicine man will never consider selling the wares they make but they have no compunction against using them on their friends or animal allies
Herbalism – a medicine man gains the abilities of a 1st level Herbalist, including the selection of skills, beginning at level 1 and then advancing by +1 level per level gained as a medicine man to a maximum of 3rd level; see the description of an Herbalist for more details
Drum Away the Dead (Wisdom) – by beating a drum, which is something a medicine man will always carry on their person, the dead (undead) and extraplanar creatures are driven off. The rules for this are special, however, as it is not identical to how a cleric turns the same. Rather, the success of a medicine man is guaranteed… but, it takes time. For each round of drumming, roll 1d4 and add the medicine man’s Wisdom adjustment. Upon completion of the drum song, at most a number of rounds equal to the character’s Wisdom attribute, the number derived over the course of playing is immediately affected; if a medicine man wishes to destroy the dead (or extraplanar creature), they must generate double HD value for the creature. Use of this ability greatly increases the encounter rate of a party and can be used to determine location by those with heightened hearing, so it may need to be carefully used. Further, the range is equal to 120 feet, and undead that leave the area cannot be affected by it, so if they are turned at first and retreat, they can just as easily return. An Example – Urah and party encounter an overrun temple deep in Garnock Grim and it is festering with skeletons; by quick scouting, the medicine man Urah knows there are about 6 of the creatures present, and he decides to start drumming; the first round, he rolls 1d4 and gets a 2 to which he adds his Wisdom modifier of +2 for a total of 4. This would not be enough to turn the skeletons, and he wants to destroy them, so he plays the next round too, getting a roll of 4, plus he Wisdom of +2, for 6. The two round total is 10, which is not more than the needed 12 (6 HD of 6 skeletons, doubled), so he must keep drumming; regardless of the roll the next round, because of Urah’s high Wisdom, the skeletons are destroyed.
Druid Spells – considered a trained caster and receives bonus spells; caster level is equal to character level
Level / 0-level / 1st / 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th / 7th / 8th / 9th
1 / 4 / 3 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
2 / 4 / 4 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
3 / 4 / 4 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
4 / 4 / 4 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
5 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
6 / 5 / 5 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
7 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
8 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
9 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 3 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / --
10 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 3 / 2 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / --
11 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 2 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / --
12 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / -- / -- / --
13 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 1 / -- / --
14 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 2 / -- / --
15 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 1 / --
16 / 7 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / --
17 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 1
18 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2
19 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 3
20 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 3
Cleric Spells – considered a trained caster and receives bonus spells; caster level is equal to character level
Level / 0-level / 1st / 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th
1 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
2 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
3 / 4 / 3 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / --
4 / 4 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / --
5 / 4 / 4 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / --
6 / 4 / 4 / 2 / 2 / -- / -- / --
7 / 4 / 4 / 2 / 2 / 1 / -- / --
8 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / -- / --
9 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 1 / --
10 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / --
11 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 1
12+ / 4 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2
Drum Magic -- the character can produce various effects with the drums that are carried, noting that in no way is the instrument magical, but rather a sort of divine focus through which ancestors or spirits manifests the medicine man’s request. As the character advances in level, additional effects become possible
2nd: Talk with Animals – as the spell, up to 240 feet of range, usable a will; requires 3 rounds of drumming
3rd: Talk to Plants – as the spell, up to 60 foot radius, usable twice daily; needs 2 rounds
4th: Death Voice – as speak with the dead after drumming for 6 turns; usable 1 per day and may require a Charisma check
5th: Drum Healing – restores an amount of HP equal to Wisdom + Charisma + level to allies within 30 feet; the damage may be split among all allies or used to restore a single recipient. Requires 4 rounds and can be used once per day
6th: Call Animals – any animals within a 240 foot radius are summoned to the aid of the medicine man and will fight and die at their request, as needed; the maximum amount that can be so called is 24 HP, +6 per level of the medicine man. This is usable once per day but abuse can quickly lead to revocation of class abilities, abandonment by animal allies, and if a beast master is in the party, some extreme conflict; it takes 3 rounds to use
7th: Drums against Poison – as neutralize poison but in a 10 foot diameter, usable once per day after 1 round of playing
8th: Drums against Disease – as the spell remove disease but in a 10 foot radius, usable once per day after 2 rounds of playing
9th: The Drum of Finding -- after 1d20 minutes of playing, any injury that has befallen the target will be revealed to the medicine man, such as those with no visible symptoms (such as poison, delayed disease, curses, and the like) although it will not provide any direct treatment method or an indication of exact cause, only that the recipient is wounded / suffering. Usable once daily
10th: Drums against Darkness – for as long as the medicine man drums, darkness is lifted so that a light equivalent to a torch is present; after 5 rounds of play, magical darkness is dispelled. At the Castle Keeper’s option, if a medicine man can drum for 10 rounds or more, they may be able to generate an effect that mirrors true daylight. This ability can be used once per day
11th: Death Breaker – once per day, a medicine man can use a drum song to call the spirit of a dead being back to their body, producing a raise dead effect; this takes 16 hours of play
12th: Earth Shaker – after 10 minutes of drumming, acts as an earthquake spell
13th: Drum Winds – once per day, after 1 hour of drumming, a medicine man can teleport without error
14th: Voices of the Drum – for as long as the drum is played, a medicine man can communicate (as if speaking to them) with any individual they know, regardless of distance; this is usable once daily
Animal Ally – a medicine man gains an animal companion, similarly to that of the animal friendship spell once per 3 levels. The type of animal must be native to the medicine man’s homeland, and is most often one of these types – owl, raven, cat, fox (and other small mammals or birds); after 7th level, the ability expands and allows an ally to a wolf, puma, or a bear. A higher level medicine man can replace an ally that has fallen with a more powerful type, but if they dismiss an ally, they can never replace that one. The medicine man can select one ally and treat it as a sort of quasi-familiar, gaining none of the HP advantages but the ability to share senses, spells, and the like
Wisdom is Prime; uses d8 for HD
Gain access to both cleric and druid spells, considered trained casters for both
Cannot wear armor of any kind, save for ceremonial clothing (such as a feather cloak); proficient only with club, spear, dagger, ax and staff
Can brew poisons and antidotes as an Alchemist and have herbal abilities as a 3rd level Herbalist (gain +1 level abilities per level, to a maximum of 3)
Medicine men can turn the undead; although the process is harder and longer, it is also more powerful
Do not like technology at all and despise those of the Techno class; will actively avoid civilization at all costs unless the settlement is tribal / primal (basically barbaric)
Automatically gain animal companions, somewhat like a Beast Master with a mystic connection (see below)
Always carry drums which, in themselves, are not magical, but are required to perform any spellcasting or to turn undead; further, the use of the drums have certain effects similar to a druid’s pipe
Character is considered competent with all magic that involves animals, healing, and those which involve the dead; incompetent with all charming magic and two elements of choice
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Poisons and Antidotes; Herbalism; Drum Away the Dead; Druid Spells; Cleric Spells
2 / +1 / Drum Magic
3 / +1 / Animal Ally
4 – 5 / +2 / --
6 / +3 / Animal Ally
7 / +3 / --
8 / +4 / --
9 / +4 / Animal Ally
10 – 11 / +5 / --
12 / +5 / Animal Ally
13+ // +1 / 2 levels // +1 Animal Ally / 3 levels
Poisons and Antidotes – this is the same as for an alchemist, as provided with that class description; however, the costs are negligible as they are always 100% natural. A medicine man will never consider selling the wares they make but they have no compunction against using them on their friends or animal allies
Herbalism – a medicine man gains the abilities of a 1st level Herbalist, including the selection of skills, beginning at level 1 and then advancing by +1 level per level gained as a medicine man to a maximum of 3rd level; see the description of an Herbalist for more details
Drum Away the Dead (Wisdom) – by beating a drum, which is something a medicine man will always carry on their person, the dead (undead) and extraplanar creatures are driven off. The rules for this are special, however, as it is not identical to how a cleric turns the same. Rather, the success of a medicine man is guaranteed… but, it takes time. For each round of drumming, roll 1d4 and add the medicine man’s Wisdom adjustment. Upon completion of the drum song, at most a number of rounds equal to the character’s Wisdom attribute, the number derived over the course of playing is immediately affected; if a medicine man wishes to destroy the dead (or extraplanar creature), they must generate double HD value for the creature. Use of this ability greatly increases the encounter rate of a party and can be used to determine location by those with heightened hearing, so it may need to be carefully used. Further, the range is equal to 120 feet, and undead that leave the area cannot be affected by it, so if they are turned at first and retreat, they can just as easily return. An Example – Urah and party encounter an overrun temple deep in Garnock Grim and it is festering with skeletons; by quick scouting, the medicine man Urah knows there are about 6 of the creatures present, and he decides to start drumming; the first round, he rolls 1d4 and gets a 2 to which he adds his Wisdom modifier of +2 for a total of 4. This would not be enough to turn the skeletons, and he wants to destroy them, so he plays the next round too, getting a roll of 4, plus he Wisdom of +2, for 6. The two round total is 10, which is not more than the needed 12 (6 HD of 6 skeletons, doubled), so he must keep drumming; regardless of the roll the next round, because of Urah’s high Wisdom, the skeletons are destroyed.
Druid Spells – considered a trained caster and receives bonus spells; caster level is equal to character level
Level / 0-level / 1st / 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th / 7th / 8th / 9th
1 / 4 / 3 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
2 / 4 / 4 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
3 / 4 / 4 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
4 / 4 / 4 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
5 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
6 / 5 / 5 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
7 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
8 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
9 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 3 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / --
10 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 3 / 2 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / --
11 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 2 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / --
12 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / -- / -- / --
13 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 1 / -- / --
14 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 2 / -- / --
15 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 1 / --
16 / 7 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / --
17 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 1
18 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2
19 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 3
20 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 3
Cleric Spells – considered a trained caster and receives bonus spells; caster level is equal to character level
Level / 0-level / 1st / 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th
1 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
2 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
3 / 4 / 3 / 1 / -- / -- / -- / --
4 / 4 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / --
5 / 4 / 4 / 2 / 1 / -- / -- / --
6 / 4 / 4 / 2 / 2 / -- / -- / --
7 / 4 / 4 / 2 / 2 / 1 / -- / --
8 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / -- / --
9 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 1 / --
10 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / --
11 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 1
12+ / 4 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2
Drum Magic -- the character can produce various effects with the drums that are carried, noting that in no way is the instrument magical, but rather a sort of divine focus through which ancestors or spirits manifests the medicine man’s request. As the character advances in level, additional effects become possible
2nd: Talk with Animals – as the spell, up to 240 feet of range, usable a will; requires 3 rounds of drumming
3rd: Talk to Plants – as the spell, up to 60 foot radius, usable twice daily; needs 2 rounds
4th: Death Voice – as speak with the dead after drumming for 6 turns; usable 1 per day and may require a Charisma check
5th: Drum Healing – restores an amount of HP equal to Wisdom + Charisma + level to allies within 30 feet; the damage may be split among all allies or used to restore a single recipient. Requires 4 rounds and can be used once per day
6th: Call Animals – any animals within a 240 foot radius are summoned to the aid of the medicine man and will fight and die at their request, as needed; the maximum amount that can be so called is 24 HP, +6 per level of the medicine man. This is usable once per day but abuse can quickly lead to revocation of class abilities, abandonment by animal allies, and if a beast master is in the party, some extreme conflict; it takes 3 rounds to use
7th: Drums against Poison – as neutralize poison but in a 10 foot diameter, usable once per day after 1 round of playing
8th: Drums against Disease – as the spell remove disease but in a 10 foot radius, usable once per day after 2 rounds of playing
9th: The Drum of Finding -- after 1d20 minutes of playing, any injury that has befallen the target will be revealed to the medicine man, such as those with no visible symptoms (such as poison, delayed disease, curses, and the like) although it will not provide any direct treatment method or an indication of exact cause, only that the recipient is wounded / suffering. Usable once daily
10th: Drums against Darkness – for as long as the medicine man drums, darkness is lifted so that a light equivalent to a torch is present; after 5 rounds of play, magical darkness is dispelled. At the Castle Keeper’s option, if a medicine man can drum for 10 rounds or more, they may be able to generate an effect that mirrors true daylight. This ability can be used once per day
11th: Death Breaker – once per day, a medicine man can use a drum song to call the spirit of a dead being back to their body, producing a raise dead effect; this takes 16 hours of play
12th: Earth Shaker – after 10 minutes of drumming, acts as an earthquake spell
13th: Drum Winds – once per day, after 1 hour of drumming, a medicine man can teleport without error
14th: Voices of the Drum – for as long as the drum is played, a medicine man can communicate (as if speaking to them) with any individual they know, regardless of distance; this is usable once daily
Animal Ally – a medicine man gains an animal companion, similarly to that of the animal friendship spell once per 3 levels. The type of animal must be native to the medicine man’s homeland, and is most often one of these types – owl, raven, cat, fox (and other small mammals or birds); after 7th level, the ability expands and allows an ally to a wolf, puma, or a bear. A higher level medicine man can replace an ally that has fallen with a more powerful type, but if they dismiss an ally, they can never replace that one. The medicine man can select one ally and treat it as a sort of quasi-familiar, gaining none of the HP advantages but the ability to share senses, spells, and the like
Re: Arduin C&C
Herbalist [Arduin rules classify this class as a divine spellcaster, but the author of the C&C conversion suggests making it a Learned class]
Intelligence Prime; uses d6 as HD
Can wear any armor although preferred to not do so, especially while collecting materials (they will protect themselves as appropriate, of course); character is limited in weapon choice to those which serve dual purpose as a tool such as a hatchet, flatchet, machete, ax, sickle, flail, dagger and quarterstaff (which is adorned with the symbols of the Brotherhood of Herbalists)
Must belong to the Brotherhood of Herbalists but there is no tithe or donation
All concoctions are recorded in a Tome of Recipes, and herbalists love sharing their knowledge with each other and usually do so without charge, and will sometimes share with others with similar interest
All herbalists carry a Staff of Office which is a minor magic item (see below)
Despite having no spellcasting ability, herbal items can mimic many effects at the discretion of the Castle Keeper; some should be assume as possible, such as plant or animal growth effects, attribute enhancements (steroids) and the like, as detailed for the Herbalism skill
Herbalists are very skilled in the anatomy and physiology of the races of the world and are often sought as instructors or by assassins for certain, somewhat obvious, reasons
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Staff of Office; Herbalism; Physiology
2 / +0 / --
3 – 4 / +1 / --
5 – 6 / +2 / --
7 – 8 / +3 / --
9 – 10 / +4 / --
11 – 12 / +5 / --
13+ // +1 / 2 levels // --
Note: Herbalists receive very few abilities that progress with level, but they also have virtually no costs for making quasi-magical items and no chance of failure when producing them, in addition to starting the game with a magical item at no cost
Staff of Office – all herbalists (and no other class, even those which may have herbal knowledge) begin play with a minor magical item in the form of a staff. It has no bonuses to hit or to damage, but it is magical and therefore receives a +2 bonus on all saves. In addition, the Staff of Office will have 1d8+2 magical detection abilities, generated at random or assigned by the Castle Keeper. These detections can be general (e.g. detecting metal), can mimic a spell (such as detect magic), or can be very specific such as detecting a single type of rattlesnake. Because of this, it is impossible to fully provide a listing of options; Castle Keepers will have to provide their own. The staff is a charged item, normally, and any ability it possesses can be used 1d20+20 times without recharging, which requires a visit to the Brotherhood
Herbalism – an herbalist gains 6 skills from the following list, and an additional one for every 2 levels gained. There are never any checks needed for these abilities unless something is so unusual as to be unique (for example, the discovery an unknown plant). Many of these abilities do not have magical or quasi-magical effects but it is certainly within the purview of the class to generate effects that can hurt, enhance, or treat using these skills so much is left up to the Castle Keeper. Previous examples of herbal concoctions, as provided for the Alchemist and Druid are good starting points. Lastly, all items made by an herbalist have zero costs, though they often take 1 hour – 1 day to make.
Plant Knowledge – the character can identify and harvest any common plant, such as all flowers, weeds, most herbs, etc
Intermediate Plant Knowledge [requires Plant Knowledge] – herbalist is able to identify and harvest any plant in the world, including those of a monstrous nature such as an assassin vine or shambling mound; it also provide a fundamental knowledge of a monstrous plant’s abilities and weaknesses. It is not possible with this skill alone to harvest an innately magical plant, such as the oak of a dryad
Advanced Plant Knowledge [requires Intermediate Plant Knowledge] – the character can harvest and identify, including powers and secrets, about and from any plant, even those of a decidedly magical nature
Mystic Plant Knowledge [requires Advanced Plant Knowledge] – the herbalist can grow and propagate any plant, though growing times are unchanged
Brewing – ability to make alcohol for ale, beer, and other beverages; the herbalist can also identify with taste the type of drink and whether is has been tampered with
Viniculture – ability to grow grapes and make wine; herbalist can detect subtle differences in flavor and aroma, able to identify vintage and type of wine, as well as whether it has been tampered with
Distillation – the character can make 100% pure water or create incredibly potent (highly flammable) alcohols such as wood or grain versions
Preservation – allows the herbalist to extend the sustainability of a concoction by 1 month
Intermediate Preservation [requires Preservation] – as the basic skill but extended to 6 months
Advanced Preservation [requires Intermediate Preservation] – identical to the intermediate level but shelf life becomes indefinite
Extraction – allows a character to conceal herbal remedies and concoctions within alcohol so well that only a herbalist of at least 6 levels higher can detect it
Tolerance – must be applied to a specific poison (or venom) such as Type I poison or the venom from a cobra; against this attack, the herbalist gains a +3 save bonus
Defense – when wielding a staff, the herbalist gains a +1 AC bonus; if this ability is selected multiple times, each selection is cumulative
Venom Knowledge – identical to plant knowledge except it applies to venoms from animals / creatures
Intermediate Venom Knowledge [requires Venom Knowledge] – as intermediate plant knowledge but specific to venoms
Advanced Venom Knowledge [requires Intermediate Venom Knowledge] – same as advanced venom knowledge, applied to venoms, and allows the husbandry of snakes and other venomous creatures; a herbalist with this skill can handle venoms without accidental chance of self-inflicting injury
Veterinary – any concoction or recipe known to the herbalist can be converted to affect an animal, without the need to create a new recipe
Bestiary [requires Veterinary] -- the herbalist can convert any recipe to affect a beast, vermin, plant, or magical beast without need to craft a new recipe. Creatures of other types can be affected as well, but this would require a new recipe and the character must gain the Physiology ability for that race separately
Physiology – this is the knowledge of how the body works, allowing a herbalist to precisely craft a concoction that will impact the being, based on their race (weight is not a concern). An herbalist begins knowing the physiology of their own race (a human herbalist knows the physiology of humans) plus Intelligence modifier + 3 other races, with monsters considered a race for this purpose. Additionally, for every 3 levels, the character gains an additional race. Half-breeds are considered “known” if the herbalist has either half, such that a half-elf physiology is understood by one that has the skill for either humans or elf
Intelligence Prime; uses d6 as HD
Can wear any armor although preferred to not do so, especially while collecting materials (they will protect themselves as appropriate, of course); character is limited in weapon choice to those which serve dual purpose as a tool such as a hatchet, flatchet, machete, ax, sickle, flail, dagger and quarterstaff (which is adorned with the symbols of the Brotherhood of Herbalists)
Must belong to the Brotherhood of Herbalists but there is no tithe or donation
All concoctions are recorded in a Tome of Recipes, and herbalists love sharing their knowledge with each other and usually do so without charge, and will sometimes share with others with similar interest
All herbalists carry a Staff of Office which is a minor magic item (see below)
Despite having no spellcasting ability, herbal items can mimic many effects at the discretion of the Castle Keeper; some should be assume as possible, such as plant or animal growth effects, attribute enhancements (steroids) and the like, as detailed for the Herbalism skill
Herbalists are very skilled in the anatomy and physiology of the races of the world and are often sought as instructors or by assassins for certain, somewhat obvious, reasons
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Staff of Office; Herbalism; Physiology
2 / +0 / --
3 – 4 / +1 / --
5 – 6 / +2 / --
7 – 8 / +3 / --
9 – 10 / +4 / --
11 – 12 / +5 / --
13+ // +1 / 2 levels // --
Note: Herbalists receive very few abilities that progress with level, but they also have virtually no costs for making quasi-magical items and no chance of failure when producing them, in addition to starting the game with a magical item at no cost
Staff of Office – all herbalists (and no other class, even those which may have herbal knowledge) begin play with a minor magical item in the form of a staff. It has no bonuses to hit or to damage, but it is magical and therefore receives a +2 bonus on all saves. In addition, the Staff of Office will have 1d8+2 magical detection abilities, generated at random or assigned by the Castle Keeper. These detections can be general (e.g. detecting metal), can mimic a spell (such as detect magic), or can be very specific such as detecting a single type of rattlesnake. Because of this, it is impossible to fully provide a listing of options; Castle Keepers will have to provide their own. The staff is a charged item, normally, and any ability it possesses can be used 1d20+20 times without recharging, which requires a visit to the Brotherhood
Herbalism – an herbalist gains 6 skills from the following list, and an additional one for every 2 levels gained. There are never any checks needed for these abilities unless something is so unusual as to be unique (for example, the discovery an unknown plant). Many of these abilities do not have magical or quasi-magical effects but it is certainly within the purview of the class to generate effects that can hurt, enhance, or treat using these skills so much is left up to the Castle Keeper. Previous examples of herbal concoctions, as provided for the Alchemist and Druid are good starting points. Lastly, all items made by an herbalist have zero costs, though they often take 1 hour – 1 day to make.
Plant Knowledge – the character can identify and harvest any common plant, such as all flowers, weeds, most herbs, etc
Intermediate Plant Knowledge [requires Plant Knowledge] – herbalist is able to identify and harvest any plant in the world, including those of a monstrous nature such as an assassin vine or shambling mound; it also provide a fundamental knowledge of a monstrous plant’s abilities and weaknesses. It is not possible with this skill alone to harvest an innately magical plant, such as the oak of a dryad
Advanced Plant Knowledge [requires Intermediate Plant Knowledge] – the character can harvest and identify, including powers and secrets, about and from any plant, even those of a decidedly magical nature
Mystic Plant Knowledge [requires Advanced Plant Knowledge] – the herbalist can grow and propagate any plant, though growing times are unchanged
Brewing – ability to make alcohol for ale, beer, and other beverages; the herbalist can also identify with taste the type of drink and whether is has been tampered with
Viniculture – ability to grow grapes and make wine; herbalist can detect subtle differences in flavor and aroma, able to identify vintage and type of wine, as well as whether it has been tampered with
Distillation – the character can make 100% pure water or create incredibly potent (highly flammable) alcohols such as wood or grain versions
Preservation – allows the herbalist to extend the sustainability of a concoction by 1 month
Intermediate Preservation [requires Preservation] – as the basic skill but extended to 6 months
Advanced Preservation [requires Intermediate Preservation] – identical to the intermediate level but shelf life becomes indefinite
Extraction – allows a character to conceal herbal remedies and concoctions within alcohol so well that only a herbalist of at least 6 levels higher can detect it
Tolerance – must be applied to a specific poison (or venom) such as Type I poison or the venom from a cobra; against this attack, the herbalist gains a +3 save bonus
Defense – when wielding a staff, the herbalist gains a +1 AC bonus; if this ability is selected multiple times, each selection is cumulative
Venom Knowledge – identical to plant knowledge except it applies to venoms from animals / creatures
Intermediate Venom Knowledge [requires Venom Knowledge] – as intermediate plant knowledge but specific to venoms
Advanced Venom Knowledge [requires Intermediate Venom Knowledge] – same as advanced venom knowledge, applied to venoms, and allows the husbandry of snakes and other venomous creatures; a herbalist with this skill can handle venoms without accidental chance of self-inflicting injury
Veterinary – any concoction or recipe known to the herbalist can be converted to affect an animal, without the need to create a new recipe
Bestiary [requires Veterinary] -- the herbalist can convert any recipe to affect a beast, vermin, plant, or magical beast without need to craft a new recipe. Creatures of other types can be affected as well, but this would require a new recipe and the character must gain the Physiology ability for that race separately
Physiology – this is the knowledge of how the body works, allowing a herbalist to precisely craft a concoction that will impact the being, based on their race (weight is not a concern). An herbalist begins knowing the physiology of their own race (a human herbalist knows the physiology of humans) plus Intelligence modifier + 3 other races, with monsters considered a race for this purpose. Additionally, for every 3 levels, the character gains an additional race. Half-breeds are considered “known” if the herbalist has either half, such that a half-elf physiology is understood by one that has the skill for either humans or elf
Re: Arduin C&C
I am impressed at how quickly you are getting through these! Thanks for doing it.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael
Grand Knight Commander of the Society.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael
Grand Knight Commander of the Society.
Re: Arduin C&C
No problem. There are 5 (6 if you count the few modifications an Arduin Illusionist would have), some of which are somewhat complex. Of these final, there are probably the 2 most potent: star-powered mage and saint. They'll take some harder review.
Re: Arduin C&C
Treebore wrote:I am impressed at how quickly you are getting through these! Thanks for doing it.
Rgr on that!!!!
I wish I could burn through my work as quickly as you are on these conversions !!!
Again great stuff !!!
"And so I am become a knight of the Kingdom of Dreams and Shadows!" - Mark Twain
Forgive all spelling errors.
Knight Errant & Humble C&C Society Contributor
C&C Society
Forgive all spelling errors.
Knight Errant & Humble C&C Society Contributor
C&C Society
Re: Arduin C&C
Alright... a very powerful class, unlikely to be allowed, but hey, if you do it, they can be quite fun.
Star-Powered Mage [arcane spellcaster]
Constitution and Charisma are Prime; gains d6 as HD type
Have embedded magic item in character’s forehead which cannot be disguised and which grants exceptional abilities (see below)
Immensely powerful in open places at night, but still capable spellcasters under any other conditions
Can create “living spells” on purpose or by accident – not advised to do, but they have the option (see below)
All spellcasters loathe this class and wish to see them destroyed
No player may choose to play a star-powered mage, but if the Castle Keeper opts to allow the class, there is a 1% chance any wizard will become one
Cannot use any armor and weapons are restricted to staff and dagger only
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Arcane Spells; Star-Power Gem; Living Spells
2 – 3 / +0 / --
4 – 6 / +1 / --
7 – 9 / +2 / --
10 – 12 / +3 / --
13+ // +1 / 3 levels // --
Note: a star-powered mage gains virtually no special abilities through level progression although they do obtain hefty magical might which typically more than compensates; added to the ability to generate a living spell, the character class is incredibly powerful and should be very carefully considered before a Castle Keeper allows it into the campaign
Arcane Spells – a star-powered mage is a trained spellcaster and gains bonus spells, based on both Constitution and Charisma rather than Intelligence, the effects of which are cumulative; they are considered competent with 4 types of magic of the player’s choice and can never be considered incompetent, regardless of result or rules to the contrary (the class trumps all other guidelines) and should such a thing be rolled, such as for a starting character’s random special abilities, allow the player to choose a result on the table instead, excluding any “roll again” result. The spell progression rate is identical to that of the C&C wizard class, +50% per spell level, rounded up. In addition, at level 10, a star-powered mage can cast any number of 0-level spells per day and at 14th level, 1st level spells are no longer limited, with 2nd level spells no longer restricted at 18th level
Star-Power Gem – the character has a magical gem that is embedded in their forehead permanently marking the character as a member of this class. It has a sort of sentience of its own, and has a full complement of spells available, which are wholly separate from those available to the character; the spells the character knows (through advancement or gaining through discovery from spells / books) are known to the Gem but those known to the Gem are not known to the character so the player may not opt to select a Gem-known spell as a slot unless both have access to the same spell – this is absolutely critical and the two should be considered different entities with different spellbooks although the Gem does not actually need or use such a trivial thing. Furthermore, while the character is in open conditions where the stars are visible (anything that reduces visibility greatly, such as very thick fog, will negate these effects), they are, in many ways, immune to damage – this is a very special rule and needs to be monitored – in that, should the character suffer a loss of HP (or even become disintegrated), the Gem will instantly restore the damage; however, if the character suffers more damage than then total HP allows doubled, within 3 rounds, the Gem forces a spell of the character’s highest level to become living (see below) and then resets the regeneration count. Spell slots are also restored, both for the character and Gem within open spaces (when the stars are visible) at the accelerated pace of quadruple normal (that is, should it take 8 hours normally to regain all spells, in the right conditions, it takes 2). The Gem changes color to reflect the mood of the caster and it cannot, through any means, be disguised or hidden, though it can be destroyed – for practical combat purposes, the Gem is considered as having an AC of 28 (due to hardness and size) and 75 HP (the HP of the character are irrelevant); should the Gem be exposed to 25 points of damage from cold sources, it becomes brittle and AC drops to only 20, though a single attack from a sonic source that deals more than 35 damage will cause the Gem to explode which irrevocably destroys the character. Acid can harm the Gem but it deals only 1 HP of damage per hour, regardless of its potency. Lastly, if the star-powered mage is slain in an environment where the Gem’s regenerative abilities are not effective, even including if the character is bodily destroyed (provided the Gem itself survives, noting it is immune to disintegration, fire, and lightning), the Gem will act as a trap the soul effect and can renew the character whenever, if ever, the Gem is placed in an environment that allows the regenerative powers to function – in this case, the star-powered mage will be reconstructed over one hour, +1 turn per level, +1 turn per HP; at the end of this process, the character will permanently lose 2 Intelligence and 2 Constitution. What follows is the spell progression ability of the Gem itself, irrespective of that of the character
Spells Known
Level / 0-level / 1st / 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th / 7th / 8th / 9th
1 / 6 / 5 / 3 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
2 / 6 / 6 / 3 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
3 / 6 / 6 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
4 / 7 / 6 / 4 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
5 / 7 / 7 / 4 / 2 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
6 / 7 / 7 / 4 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
7 / 8 / 7 / 5 / 3 / 2 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / --
8 / 8 / 8 / 5 / 3 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / --
9 / 8 / 8 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / -- / -- / --
10 / 9 / 8 / 6 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / --
11 / 9 / 9 / 6 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / -- / --
12 / 9 / 9 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / -- / --
13 / 10 / 9 / 7 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2 / -- / --
14 / 10 / 10 / 7 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / --
15 / 10 / 10 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2 / --
16 / 11 / 10 / 8 / 6 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / --
17 / 11 / 11 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2
18 / 12 / 12 / 8 / 8 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2
19 / 12 / 12 / 10 / 8 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 4 / 4 / 2
20 / 12 / 12 / 12 / 10 / 10 / 8 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 4
Spell Slots are equal to half, rounded down, the number of known spells for each spell level where a spell is known.
Living Spells (Charisma) – a star-powered mage can purposefully release a spell so that it becomes a sort of being unto itself, randomly targeting creatures / objects until the spell is disrupted; this can also happen by mistake. When a spell is cast, a save is needed against a difficulty as follows; if the save is failed, the spell has become alive which increases the duration by 2d10 (either rounds or a factor / multiplier, at the discretion of the Castle Keeper, varying it each time if desired) and will either continue to function through this entire period if an outright damage spell (for example, a fireball increased to a 8 round duration will have one explosion per round for those 8 rounds) or bounce to a new target (selected randomly) if that is how the spell works. The rules are basically open ended because every spell is different and it is up to the Castle Keeper to modify a living spell to make it interesting and something frightening (it is never encouraged for a star-powered mage to willfully create one, unless incredibly chaotic and evil.) If the spell released is normally one the caster can dismiss, this ability is lost – the living spell will have to be dispelled, the difficulty equal to the caster’s own level, plus the result of the 2d10 roll for increased duration. Lastly, once a star-powered-mage becomes capable of producing any given spell level at will (0-level at 10th, for example), spells of that level cannot become alive, regardless of intent or lack of it; should an event occur that would stipulate a spell has become alive (such as what can happen under duress or damage as noted for the Gem, above), and the caster has no higher level spell than one which is unlimited, the caster permanently loses 1 Constitution and a spell is made alive anyway, of the Castle Keeper’s choosing, even if the character is unable to cast it which can include spells belonging to another character class (one should never allow a healing spell to become alive, however, unless that would prove to be entertaining…) Once a star-powered mage has created a living spell, they are unable to cast any other magic for half the 2d10 roll unless they choose to make another spell living, and then they suffer the same fate as if having had no spells available as mentioned previously (-1 Constitution, but they get to pick what spell available is released.) At no point can a star-powered mage create more than their Charisma modifier + Constitution modifier as living spells. Living spells can only be created under the conditions noted for the Star-Powered Gem (that is, when the character sustains too much damage) or when casting under direct view of open sky, under the stars
Spell Level ... Difficulty
0 ... 3
1 ... 5
2 ... 6
3 ... 7
4 ... 9
5 ... 12
6 ... 14
7 ... 16
8 ... 18
9 ... 20
Star-Powered Mage [arcane spellcaster]
Constitution and Charisma are Prime; gains d6 as HD type
Have embedded magic item in character’s forehead which cannot be disguised and which grants exceptional abilities (see below)
Immensely powerful in open places at night, but still capable spellcasters under any other conditions
Can create “living spells” on purpose or by accident – not advised to do, but they have the option (see below)
All spellcasters loathe this class and wish to see them destroyed
No player may choose to play a star-powered mage, but if the Castle Keeper opts to allow the class, there is a 1% chance any wizard will become one
Cannot use any armor and weapons are restricted to staff and dagger only
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Arcane Spells; Star-Power Gem; Living Spells
2 – 3 / +0 / --
4 – 6 / +1 / --
7 – 9 / +2 / --
10 – 12 / +3 / --
13+ // +1 / 3 levels // --
Note: a star-powered mage gains virtually no special abilities through level progression although they do obtain hefty magical might which typically more than compensates; added to the ability to generate a living spell, the character class is incredibly powerful and should be very carefully considered before a Castle Keeper allows it into the campaign
Arcane Spells – a star-powered mage is a trained spellcaster and gains bonus spells, based on both Constitution and Charisma rather than Intelligence, the effects of which are cumulative; they are considered competent with 4 types of magic of the player’s choice and can never be considered incompetent, regardless of result or rules to the contrary (the class trumps all other guidelines) and should such a thing be rolled, such as for a starting character’s random special abilities, allow the player to choose a result on the table instead, excluding any “roll again” result. The spell progression rate is identical to that of the C&C wizard class, +50% per spell level, rounded up. In addition, at level 10, a star-powered mage can cast any number of 0-level spells per day and at 14th level, 1st level spells are no longer limited, with 2nd level spells no longer restricted at 18th level
Star-Power Gem – the character has a magical gem that is embedded in their forehead permanently marking the character as a member of this class. It has a sort of sentience of its own, and has a full complement of spells available, which are wholly separate from those available to the character; the spells the character knows (through advancement or gaining through discovery from spells / books) are known to the Gem but those known to the Gem are not known to the character so the player may not opt to select a Gem-known spell as a slot unless both have access to the same spell – this is absolutely critical and the two should be considered different entities with different spellbooks although the Gem does not actually need or use such a trivial thing. Furthermore, while the character is in open conditions where the stars are visible (anything that reduces visibility greatly, such as very thick fog, will negate these effects), they are, in many ways, immune to damage – this is a very special rule and needs to be monitored – in that, should the character suffer a loss of HP (or even become disintegrated), the Gem will instantly restore the damage; however, if the character suffers more damage than then total HP allows doubled, within 3 rounds, the Gem forces a spell of the character’s highest level to become living (see below) and then resets the regeneration count. Spell slots are also restored, both for the character and Gem within open spaces (when the stars are visible) at the accelerated pace of quadruple normal (that is, should it take 8 hours normally to regain all spells, in the right conditions, it takes 2). The Gem changes color to reflect the mood of the caster and it cannot, through any means, be disguised or hidden, though it can be destroyed – for practical combat purposes, the Gem is considered as having an AC of 28 (due to hardness and size) and 75 HP (the HP of the character are irrelevant); should the Gem be exposed to 25 points of damage from cold sources, it becomes brittle and AC drops to only 20, though a single attack from a sonic source that deals more than 35 damage will cause the Gem to explode which irrevocably destroys the character. Acid can harm the Gem but it deals only 1 HP of damage per hour, regardless of its potency. Lastly, if the star-powered mage is slain in an environment where the Gem’s regenerative abilities are not effective, even including if the character is bodily destroyed (provided the Gem itself survives, noting it is immune to disintegration, fire, and lightning), the Gem will act as a trap the soul effect and can renew the character whenever, if ever, the Gem is placed in an environment that allows the regenerative powers to function – in this case, the star-powered mage will be reconstructed over one hour, +1 turn per level, +1 turn per HP; at the end of this process, the character will permanently lose 2 Intelligence and 2 Constitution. What follows is the spell progression ability of the Gem itself, irrespective of that of the character
Spells Known
Level / 0-level / 1st / 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th / 7th / 8th / 9th
1 / 6 / 5 / 3 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
2 / 6 / 6 / 3 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
3 / 6 / 6 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
4 / 7 / 6 / 4 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
5 / 7 / 7 / 4 / 2 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
6 / 7 / 7 / 4 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / -- / --
7 / 8 / 7 / 5 / 3 / 2 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / --
8 / 8 / 8 / 5 / 3 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / -- / --
9 / 8 / 8 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / -- / -- / --
10 / 9 / 8 / 6 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / -- / -- / --
11 / 9 / 9 / 6 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / -- / --
12 / 9 / 9 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / -- / --
13 / 10 / 9 / 7 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2 / -- / --
14 / 10 / 10 / 7 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / --
15 / 10 / 10 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2 / --
16 / 11 / 10 / 8 / 6 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / --
17 / 11 / 11 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2
18 / 12 / 12 / 8 / 8 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 2
19 / 12 / 12 / 10 / 8 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 4 / 4 / 2
20 / 12 / 12 / 12 / 10 / 10 / 8 / 8 / 6 / 6 / 4
Spell Slots are equal to half, rounded down, the number of known spells for each spell level where a spell is known.
Living Spells (Charisma) – a star-powered mage can purposefully release a spell so that it becomes a sort of being unto itself, randomly targeting creatures / objects until the spell is disrupted; this can also happen by mistake. When a spell is cast, a save is needed against a difficulty as follows; if the save is failed, the spell has become alive which increases the duration by 2d10 (either rounds or a factor / multiplier, at the discretion of the Castle Keeper, varying it each time if desired) and will either continue to function through this entire period if an outright damage spell (for example, a fireball increased to a 8 round duration will have one explosion per round for those 8 rounds) or bounce to a new target (selected randomly) if that is how the spell works. The rules are basically open ended because every spell is different and it is up to the Castle Keeper to modify a living spell to make it interesting and something frightening (it is never encouraged for a star-powered mage to willfully create one, unless incredibly chaotic and evil.) If the spell released is normally one the caster can dismiss, this ability is lost – the living spell will have to be dispelled, the difficulty equal to the caster’s own level, plus the result of the 2d10 roll for increased duration. Lastly, once a star-powered-mage becomes capable of producing any given spell level at will (0-level at 10th, for example), spells of that level cannot become alive, regardless of intent or lack of it; should an event occur that would stipulate a spell has become alive (such as what can happen under duress or damage as noted for the Gem, above), and the caster has no higher level spell than one which is unlimited, the caster permanently loses 1 Constitution and a spell is made alive anyway, of the Castle Keeper’s choosing, even if the character is unable to cast it which can include spells belonging to another character class (one should never allow a healing spell to become alive, however, unless that would prove to be entertaining…) Once a star-powered mage has created a living spell, they are unable to cast any other magic for half the 2d10 roll unless they choose to make another spell living, and then they suffer the same fate as if having had no spells available as mentioned previously (-1 Constitution, but they get to pick what spell available is released.) At no point can a star-powered mage create more than their Charisma modifier + Constitution modifier as living spells. Living spells can only be created under the conditions noted for the Star-Powered Gem (that is, when the character sustains too much damage) or when casting under direct view of open sky, under the stars
Spell Level ... Difficulty
0 ... 3
1 ... 5
2 ... 6
3 ... 7
4 ... 9
5 ... 12
6 ... 14
7 ... 16
8 ... 18
9 ... 20
Re: Arduin C&C
I had forgotten just how powerful they could be. Dang.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael
Grand Knight Commander of the Society.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael
Grand Knight Commander of the Society.
Re: Arduin C&C
And another extraordinarily powerful spellcaster type (see the theme with Arduin and the magic-users?)...
Rune Weaver [arcane or, if the Castle Keeper allows, 5% divine spellcaster – this is only used for random special abilities and whether the spells cast are classified arcane or divine]
Intelligence (or Wisdom) is Prime; gains 1d6 as HD
Cannot use any metal objects except silver, gold, or oricalc
Cannot use armor but can use any weapons (save those which are metallic, as noted)
Highly gifted with magic and considered competent with all types; however, all magic is ritual magic and therefore takes a lot longer to complete (see below)
Cannot cast any combat spell but can use such through magic items
This class considers the art of rune weaving to be the true and only form of magic, and in Arduin, it is the oldest method known so members do not look kindly upon the “speed freaks”
The only class in Arduin with the ability to, without magic at all, dispel an effect or destroy a magic item (including artifacts)
This class works best for non-played characters, but a Castle Keeper can certainly allow them if desired – the author would not recommend it, due to concerns with power and playability
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Walk the Weave; Ritual Magic; Enhance Magic
2 – 3 / +0 / --
4 – 6 / +1 / --
7 – 9 / +2 / --
10 – 12 / +3 / --
13+ // +1 / 3 levels // --
Note: rune weavers do not gain much beyond their initial abilities, although they readily compensate by having the power to create magic items from the start, which will need to be adjudicated by the Castle Keeper, and their magic enhancement ability which can be used to permanently apply spells to themselves or to others. Consider as well that this class can destroy magic effects and items (even artifacts) without even casting a spell. They might be hard to use in combat, but outside of it, there is not much the character could not do… given time and resources
Walk the Weave – a rune weaver has the ability to see magic auras, essentially considered under a permanent detect magic spell, but for them, all spells are made of translucent threads much like a spider web, coming and going in intricate patterns unique to the effect. This ability allows numerous functions such as being able to trace a spell’s origin to the person who cast it, identify the powers (and exact number of charges) of a magic item, or even alter a spell by cutting or appending the “threads” from which it is made. It is through this process that the rune weaver can destroy magic – they simply remove the effect from its source, sort of like popping a battery out of an electronic device. It is a time intensive thing, and does take concentration. There are no known ways to conceal oneself (with magic, that is) from a run weaver trace as doing so simply creates a new aura which will, temporarily, hinder them but not block it. In fact, if one were inclined to try, the best bet is to cast as many spells with as many threads as possible, and hope the rune weaver goes down many different paths to exhaust them all before honing in on the right one… In any event, all spells have a number of threads equal to their level plus that of the caster’s level doubled, and it takes a run weaver 1 minute – 1 hour to track a single thread; magical items have a minimum of 20, plus those of all the spell effects it may generate (if any) and one for each charge (if any), and if none (such as a simple dagger +1, for example) +5 per enhancement bonus to which is also added the creator’s level doubled. The high thread count for a magic item is due to their permanence – should the item actually not be permanent, calculate as a base of 10, rather than 20; an artifact or relic should be considered a minimum of 60 (and probably much higher.) Secondly, a rune weaver can either destroy the magic or enhance it – if they choose to enhance (or modify), see that ability; if they choose to destroy, it will take 1 hour per thread, after it has been traced, but the result is always successful. In theory, a rune weaver could remove the magic ability of a spellcaster, but this has never been tested or tried, so it would be up to the Castle Keeper to decide for their game if it is possible and how. Spells which have been cast in a 30 foot area can be discovered with this ability, provided the spell was cast within 1 hour per level of the rune weaver
Ritual Magic – a rune weaver is a trained spellcaster but does not gain bonus spells because they are effectively able to cast as many spells as they want, provided there is enough time available. It is almost impossible for a rune weaver to be able to create magic while in combat (unless secluded away from the actual battle) as they perform magic only through elaborate ritual, by pulling magic threads together to make whatever effect is needed, these mimicking the standard spell effects. Note that a rune weaver does not have a spell progression – they have access to every spell, regardless of type or level, although it is suggested (this is not part of the Arduin rules but added for the conversion to help ensure the class could be usable) they use a “spells known” method as provided. To determine the casting time of a given spell as cast by a rune weaver, first look at that spell’s casting time listed in the C&C PHB – if it is 1 CT, treat it as 10 minutes; if it is longer, but not measured in minutes, consider whatever time is listed as that time, in increments of 10 minutes (for example a 3 CT spell now takes 30 minutes); if the time is expressed as minutes, consider it hours; if expressed as hours (such as consecrate), double it.
Spells Known
Level / 0-level / 1st / 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th / 7th / 8th / 9th
1 / All / 8 / --
2 / All / 10 / --
3 / All / 12 / 4 / --
4 / All / 14 / 6 / --
5 / All / 16 / 8 / 4 / --
6 / All / 18 / 10 / 6 / --
7 / All / 20 / 12 / 8 / 4 / --
8 / All / 22 / 14 / 10 / 6 / --
9 / All / All / 16 / 12 / 8 / 4 / --
10 /All / All / 18 / 14 / 10 / 6 / --
11 / All / All / 20 / 16 / 12 / 8 / --
12 / All / All / 22 / 18 / 14 / 10 / 4 / --
13 / All / All / All / 20 / 16 / 12 / 6 / --
14 / All / All / All / 22 / 18 / 14 / 8 / 4 / --
15 / All / All / All / All / 20 / 16 / 10 / 6 / --
16 / All / All / All / All / 22 / 18 / 12 / 8 / 4 / --
17 / All / All / All / All / All / 20 / 14 / 10 / 6 / --
18 / All / All / All / All / All / 22 / 16 / 12 / 8 / 4
19 / All / All / All / All / All / All / 18 / 14 / 10 / 6
20 / All / All / All / All / All / All / 20 / 16 / 12 / 8
Enhance Magic – by manipulating the threads that control a spell, a rune weaver can modify, either to increase or diminish, or outright change a spell (or magic item’s) effect. The list provided is by no means considered complete. A spell will only support a number of threads equal to its spell level, plus the attribute modifier for the caster, plus half the level of the rune weaver. It is possible to apply those marked with an asterisk more than once. It requires 10 minutes per thread to produce this effect so it is entirely possible that a spell the rune weaver wishes to manipulate will have expired before they can complete the process; if the rune weaver is the one casting the spell, this time is added to their existing ritual length but the result is always successful
Effects ... Thread Count
Increase / Reduce Range by Base* ... 3
Base Range Increased / Reduces to Higher / Lower ... 1
Duration Increase / Reduction to Higher / Lower ... 2
Double / Half Duration ... 4
Triple / Third Duration ... 5
Quadruple / Quarter Duration ... 6
Quintuple / Fifth Duration ... 7
Permanent Effect ... 8
Affect ±1 Level or HD* ... 1
Switch from Caster to Another / Another to Character ... 3
Switch from Touch to 10’ / 10’ to Touch ... 3
Double / Half Area of Effect ... 5
Triple / Third Area of Effect ... 7
Area of Effect to 10’ Radius ... 6
Additional / Subtraction Die of Damage* ... 4
±1 Point of Damage* ... 3
Base Die to Higher / Lower Type ... 3
Save Penalty / Bonus of 1* ... 3
Allow (No) Save ... 12 (for No Save); 1 for Save Granted
Maximum / Minimum Effect ... 10 (for Maximum); 1 for Minimum
Double Maximum Effect ... 15
Change Element ... 9
±1 Charge * ... 6
Enhance / Diminish Bonus ±1 * ... 11
Special Note: a rune weaver can always use the permanent effect ability for spells they cast targeting themselves, provided the Castle Keeper allows it. For example, a spell such as tongues could be cast and made permanent, assuming the rune weaver was able to spend the required time to cast. This ability is especially prone to abuse so it must be monitored or the class disallowed
Rune Weaver [arcane or, if the Castle Keeper allows, 5% divine spellcaster – this is only used for random special abilities and whether the spells cast are classified arcane or divine]
Intelligence (or Wisdom) is Prime; gains 1d6 as HD
Cannot use any metal objects except silver, gold, or oricalc
Cannot use armor but can use any weapons (save those which are metallic, as noted)
Highly gifted with magic and considered competent with all types; however, all magic is ritual magic and therefore takes a lot longer to complete (see below)
Cannot cast any combat spell but can use such through magic items
This class considers the art of rune weaving to be the true and only form of magic, and in Arduin, it is the oldest method known so members do not look kindly upon the “speed freaks”
The only class in Arduin with the ability to, without magic at all, dispel an effect or destroy a magic item (including artifacts)
This class works best for non-played characters, but a Castle Keeper can certainly allow them if desired – the author would not recommend it, due to concerns with power and playability
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Walk the Weave; Ritual Magic; Enhance Magic
2 – 3 / +0 / --
4 – 6 / +1 / --
7 – 9 / +2 / --
10 – 12 / +3 / --
13+ // +1 / 3 levels // --
Note: rune weavers do not gain much beyond their initial abilities, although they readily compensate by having the power to create magic items from the start, which will need to be adjudicated by the Castle Keeper, and their magic enhancement ability which can be used to permanently apply spells to themselves or to others. Consider as well that this class can destroy magic effects and items (even artifacts) without even casting a spell. They might be hard to use in combat, but outside of it, there is not much the character could not do… given time and resources
Walk the Weave – a rune weaver has the ability to see magic auras, essentially considered under a permanent detect magic spell, but for them, all spells are made of translucent threads much like a spider web, coming and going in intricate patterns unique to the effect. This ability allows numerous functions such as being able to trace a spell’s origin to the person who cast it, identify the powers (and exact number of charges) of a magic item, or even alter a spell by cutting or appending the “threads” from which it is made. It is through this process that the rune weaver can destroy magic – they simply remove the effect from its source, sort of like popping a battery out of an electronic device. It is a time intensive thing, and does take concentration. There are no known ways to conceal oneself (with magic, that is) from a run weaver trace as doing so simply creates a new aura which will, temporarily, hinder them but not block it. In fact, if one were inclined to try, the best bet is to cast as many spells with as many threads as possible, and hope the rune weaver goes down many different paths to exhaust them all before honing in on the right one… In any event, all spells have a number of threads equal to their level plus that of the caster’s level doubled, and it takes a run weaver 1 minute – 1 hour to track a single thread; magical items have a minimum of 20, plus those of all the spell effects it may generate (if any) and one for each charge (if any), and if none (such as a simple dagger +1, for example) +5 per enhancement bonus to which is also added the creator’s level doubled. The high thread count for a magic item is due to their permanence – should the item actually not be permanent, calculate as a base of 10, rather than 20; an artifact or relic should be considered a minimum of 60 (and probably much higher.) Secondly, a rune weaver can either destroy the magic or enhance it – if they choose to enhance (or modify), see that ability; if they choose to destroy, it will take 1 hour per thread, after it has been traced, but the result is always successful. In theory, a rune weaver could remove the magic ability of a spellcaster, but this has never been tested or tried, so it would be up to the Castle Keeper to decide for their game if it is possible and how. Spells which have been cast in a 30 foot area can be discovered with this ability, provided the spell was cast within 1 hour per level of the rune weaver
Ritual Magic – a rune weaver is a trained spellcaster but does not gain bonus spells because they are effectively able to cast as many spells as they want, provided there is enough time available. It is almost impossible for a rune weaver to be able to create magic while in combat (unless secluded away from the actual battle) as they perform magic only through elaborate ritual, by pulling magic threads together to make whatever effect is needed, these mimicking the standard spell effects. Note that a rune weaver does not have a spell progression – they have access to every spell, regardless of type or level, although it is suggested (this is not part of the Arduin rules but added for the conversion to help ensure the class could be usable) they use a “spells known” method as provided. To determine the casting time of a given spell as cast by a rune weaver, first look at that spell’s casting time listed in the C&C PHB – if it is 1 CT, treat it as 10 minutes; if it is longer, but not measured in minutes, consider whatever time is listed as that time, in increments of 10 minutes (for example a 3 CT spell now takes 30 minutes); if the time is expressed as minutes, consider it hours; if expressed as hours (such as consecrate), double it.
Spells Known
Level / 0-level / 1st / 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th / 7th / 8th / 9th
1 / All / 8 / --
2 / All / 10 / --
3 / All / 12 / 4 / --
4 / All / 14 / 6 / --
5 / All / 16 / 8 / 4 / --
6 / All / 18 / 10 / 6 / --
7 / All / 20 / 12 / 8 / 4 / --
8 / All / 22 / 14 / 10 / 6 / --
9 / All / All / 16 / 12 / 8 / 4 / --
10 /All / All / 18 / 14 / 10 / 6 / --
11 / All / All / 20 / 16 / 12 / 8 / --
12 / All / All / 22 / 18 / 14 / 10 / 4 / --
13 / All / All / All / 20 / 16 / 12 / 6 / --
14 / All / All / All / 22 / 18 / 14 / 8 / 4 / --
15 / All / All / All / All / 20 / 16 / 10 / 6 / --
16 / All / All / All / All / 22 / 18 / 12 / 8 / 4 / --
17 / All / All / All / All / All / 20 / 14 / 10 / 6 / --
18 / All / All / All / All / All / 22 / 16 / 12 / 8 / 4
19 / All / All / All / All / All / All / 18 / 14 / 10 / 6
20 / All / All / All / All / All / All / 20 / 16 / 12 / 8
Enhance Magic – by manipulating the threads that control a spell, a rune weaver can modify, either to increase or diminish, or outright change a spell (or magic item’s) effect. The list provided is by no means considered complete. A spell will only support a number of threads equal to its spell level, plus the attribute modifier for the caster, plus half the level of the rune weaver. It is possible to apply those marked with an asterisk more than once. It requires 10 minutes per thread to produce this effect so it is entirely possible that a spell the rune weaver wishes to manipulate will have expired before they can complete the process; if the rune weaver is the one casting the spell, this time is added to their existing ritual length but the result is always successful
Effects ... Thread Count
Increase / Reduce Range by Base* ... 3
Base Range Increased / Reduces to Higher / Lower ... 1
Duration Increase / Reduction to Higher / Lower ... 2
Double / Half Duration ... 4
Triple / Third Duration ... 5
Quadruple / Quarter Duration ... 6
Quintuple / Fifth Duration ... 7
Permanent Effect ... 8
Affect ±1 Level or HD* ... 1
Switch from Caster to Another / Another to Character ... 3
Switch from Touch to 10’ / 10’ to Touch ... 3
Double / Half Area of Effect ... 5
Triple / Third Area of Effect ... 7
Area of Effect to 10’ Radius ... 6
Additional / Subtraction Die of Damage* ... 4
±1 Point of Damage* ... 3
Base Die to Higher / Lower Type ... 3
Save Penalty / Bonus of 1* ... 3
Allow (No) Save ... 12 (for No Save); 1 for Save Granted
Maximum / Minimum Effect ... 10 (for Maximum); 1 for Minimum
Double Maximum Effect ... 15
Change Element ... 9
±1 Charge * ... 6
Enhance / Diminish Bonus ±1 * ... 11
Special Note: a rune weaver can always use the permanent effect ability for spells they cast targeting themselves, provided the Castle Keeper allows it. For example, a spell such as tongues could be cast and made permanent, assuming the rune weaver was able to spend the required time to cast. This ability is especially prone to abuse so it must be monitored or the class disallowed
Re: Arduin C&C
Rune Singer [arcane spellcaster, or alternatively 1% divine; the choice determines whether the character accesses wizard or cleric spells]
Charisma is Prime; uses 1d8 as HD
Cannot wear armor and the only weapon that can be used is a knife (or a dagger), which they are loathe to carry as they view violence (and most damage spells) as barbaric and uncivilized
Always competent with any sound or sonic-based spell and are capable of playing a variety of musical instruments, some say even better than bards
Combat spells are limited, due to an increased casting time, but they have the ability to multicast which tends to make up for this fact (see below)
Saves against an enchantment spell, or one which affects / manipulates the mind is not allowed and resistance only applies at half (immunity does not work properly, either, granting a mere +10 resistance)
Every character class (except rune weavers, who see members of this class as wasted potential) is on good terms with the rune singer and they never have need for food, drink, or lodging as they can find one willing to offer it regardless of location
Gains many additional benefits when singing, although a simple silence spell (the rune singer does get a save against it, whereas no one else does) negates all class abilities (including spells)
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Multicasting; Spells
2 / +0 / Singing
3 – 4 / +0 / --
5 – 8 / +1 / --
9 – 12 / +2 / --
13+ // +1 / 4 levels // --
Notes: a rune singer is not a melee character and will not generally use combat oriented spells except those which delay, hinder, entangle, or otherwise manipulate a person (damage as a secondary effect is acceptable as is damage as a primary effect with another secondary, such as sound burst which fits into the idea of the class wonderfully); because they can use multiple spells at once, they do not get much in the way of added abilities. They also tend to have slightly more spells than a standard character would, but they are far from the powerhouse that a rune weaver is, even though philosophically, they are treated the same
Multicasting – rune singers are able to sing a song that combines multiple spells together, forming one effect. This is done because the casting time for any of their spells individually is increased by 2 rounds or by 50% if not already listed as 1 CT. When two (or more) songs are worked together, take the average casting time (factoring in the increase for each) and add 1. All effects are resolved at once, assuming the caster was not interrupted or silenced. An example – Galagon will cast hypnotism and sleep, both 1 CT spells; each adds +2, a total of 6, averaged to 3, to which 1 is added for a grand total of 4 rounds… still a long time, but that is the price. Any spell used in the multicast is considered spent as normal and the most effects a rune singer can combine at once is equal to Charisma modifier + half (round down) the number of the highest spell slot available.
Spells – considered a trained caster, a rune singer gains bonus spells based on Charisma; all spells except one (per spell level) must use verbal components (even if they do not normally) which may allow the rune singer some slight ability even when silenced, but they are otherwise completely ineffectual in such a state and try to avoid it whenever possible. A character has a 1% chance to gain access to divine spells rather than arcane; a rune singer knows 1 spell per spell slot available to them. Even divine variety carry Notebooks which contain every spell the rune singer knows. The number of spell slots is identical to a wizard, plus 50%.
Singing – by act of voice alone, a rune singer is able to produce various effects which become more advanced as the character increases in level. Most of these have an effect “until the singing stops” and so no duration is provided in those cases
2nd: call any amount of birds, up to a maximum of 2 HD (most small birds will have between 1-2 HP, which is ¼ HD), within 60 feet radius to obey and perform as directed; this requires 3 rounds
3rd: call up to 3 HD of small mammals within 60 feet to perform and act on behalf of the rune singer; this requires 2 rounds
4th: grant benefits of both the C&C knight abilities of inspire and embolden; this requires 2 rounds
5th: within 60 feet, negate the damage / effects of any sound or sonic attack on a 1:1 basis of level. This means if a sonic attack would deal 6d6 damage, a 5th level rune singer would reduce that by 5, to 1d6; the ability cannot be used against silence and must be activated before the other attack, acting something like a shield. This ability requires 2 rounds of singing
6th: summon up to 6 HD of animal to do the bidding of the rune singer; requires 3 rounds
7th: as level 6, but HD increased to 8
8th: as level 7 but total HD is 10
9th: same as level 8, but any beast or magical beast can be summoned and the ability increases by 1 HD per level after 9th
10th: usable once per day, the rune singer can self-heal of all but 1d4 damage much as if the heal spell had been cast; this requires 5 rounds of singing
11th: as the 10th level ability but the rune singer can select any single target up to 30 feet distant
12th: a rune singer can treat solid objects as being intangible for purposes of line of sight for sonic abilities (which includes all spells); this can be used as often as needed and is considered permanently in effect
13th: can, twice per day, remove disease, neutralize poison, and treat any illness or insanity; requires 1 turn
14th: after 1 turn, any creature of any type, including dragons, can be called regardless of the distance; the called creature will have an initial friendly reaction but it is not compelled to help unless what it is asked to do does not directly put it in harm. If an intelligent creature is summoned, respond appropriately
Charisma is Prime; uses 1d8 as HD
Cannot wear armor and the only weapon that can be used is a knife (or a dagger), which they are loathe to carry as they view violence (and most damage spells) as barbaric and uncivilized
Always competent with any sound or sonic-based spell and are capable of playing a variety of musical instruments, some say even better than bards
Combat spells are limited, due to an increased casting time, but they have the ability to multicast which tends to make up for this fact (see below)
Saves against an enchantment spell, or one which affects / manipulates the mind is not allowed and resistance only applies at half (immunity does not work properly, either, granting a mere +10 resistance)
Every character class (except rune weavers, who see members of this class as wasted potential) is on good terms with the rune singer and they never have need for food, drink, or lodging as they can find one willing to offer it regardless of location
Gains many additional benefits when singing, although a simple silence spell (the rune singer does get a save against it, whereas no one else does) negates all class abilities (including spells)
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Multicasting; Spells
2 / +0 / Singing
3 – 4 / +0 / --
5 – 8 / +1 / --
9 – 12 / +2 / --
13+ // +1 / 4 levels // --
Notes: a rune singer is not a melee character and will not generally use combat oriented spells except those which delay, hinder, entangle, or otherwise manipulate a person (damage as a secondary effect is acceptable as is damage as a primary effect with another secondary, such as sound burst which fits into the idea of the class wonderfully); because they can use multiple spells at once, they do not get much in the way of added abilities. They also tend to have slightly more spells than a standard character would, but they are far from the powerhouse that a rune weaver is, even though philosophically, they are treated the same
Multicasting – rune singers are able to sing a song that combines multiple spells together, forming one effect. This is done because the casting time for any of their spells individually is increased by 2 rounds or by 50% if not already listed as 1 CT. When two (or more) songs are worked together, take the average casting time (factoring in the increase for each) and add 1. All effects are resolved at once, assuming the caster was not interrupted or silenced. An example – Galagon will cast hypnotism and sleep, both 1 CT spells; each adds +2, a total of 6, averaged to 3, to which 1 is added for a grand total of 4 rounds… still a long time, but that is the price. Any spell used in the multicast is considered spent as normal and the most effects a rune singer can combine at once is equal to Charisma modifier + half (round down) the number of the highest spell slot available.
Spells – considered a trained caster, a rune singer gains bonus spells based on Charisma; all spells except one (per spell level) must use verbal components (even if they do not normally) which may allow the rune singer some slight ability even when silenced, but they are otherwise completely ineffectual in such a state and try to avoid it whenever possible. A character has a 1% chance to gain access to divine spells rather than arcane; a rune singer knows 1 spell per spell slot available to them. Even divine variety carry Notebooks which contain every spell the rune singer knows. The number of spell slots is identical to a wizard, plus 50%.
Singing – by act of voice alone, a rune singer is able to produce various effects which become more advanced as the character increases in level. Most of these have an effect “until the singing stops” and so no duration is provided in those cases
2nd: call any amount of birds, up to a maximum of 2 HD (most small birds will have between 1-2 HP, which is ¼ HD), within 60 feet radius to obey and perform as directed; this requires 3 rounds
3rd: call up to 3 HD of small mammals within 60 feet to perform and act on behalf of the rune singer; this requires 2 rounds
4th: grant benefits of both the C&C knight abilities of inspire and embolden; this requires 2 rounds
5th: within 60 feet, negate the damage / effects of any sound or sonic attack on a 1:1 basis of level. This means if a sonic attack would deal 6d6 damage, a 5th level rune singer would reduce that by 5, to 1d6; the ability cannot be used against silence and must be activated before the other attack, acting something like a shield. This ability requires 2 rounds of singing
6th: summon up to 6 HD of animal to do the bidding of the rune singer; requires 3 rounds
7th: as level 6, but HD increased to 8
8th: as level 7 but total HD is 10
9th: same as level 8, but any beast or magical beast can be summoned and the ability increases by 1 HD per level after 9th
10th: usable once per day, the rune singer can self-heal of all but 1d4 damage much as if the heal spell had been cast; this requires 5 rounds of singing
11th: as the 10th level ability but the rune singer can select any single target up to 30 feet distant
12th: a rune singer can treat solid objects as being intangible for purposes of line of sight for sonic abilities (which includes all spells); this can be used as often as needed and is considered permanently in effect
13th: can, twice per day, remove disease, neutralize poison, and treat any illness or insanity; requires 1 turn
14th: after 1 turn, any creature of any type, including dragons, can be called regardless of the distance; the called creature will have an initial friendly reaction but it is not compelled to help unless what it is asked to do does not directly put it in harm. If an intelligent creature is summoned, respond appropriately
Re: Arduin C&C
Time for the bad boy cleric type.
Saint [divine spellcaster]
Prime is Special; always use d12
Cannot multiclass in any way except as detailed (in most cases, a Saint is effectively multiclassed already)
May never wear or use armor unless some other stipulation (likely the choice of faith, as seen below) says differently
Essentially, the character is a mortal avatar of a deity, with numerous abilities based on the aspects and powers of the religion for which the character represents
Always have cleric spell progressions for turning undead and spellcasting, at +75% efficiency and effect
Have numerous special abilities, all of which are divine in nature and unable to be stopped by antimagic of any sort, and cannot be affected by a rune weaver
Arduin details only a Saint of Good alignment (and generic faith) but any alignment and faith is possible – this class is, in a lot of ways, the ultimate paladin / anti-paladin
Note: before BtH and special abilities can really be determined, the player and Castle Keeper should work together to come to an understanding about the faith including responsibilities, expectations, roles, duties, and so forth that the character will have. They are, after all, the living embodiment of their god’s will on the world, and are likely the only such being for the entire campaign (for that faith, anyway). There really are no hard-set rules, but it should be noted that a saint of a Lord of War is entitled to use weapons and armor, and there most definitely are “saints” of evil alignment (and those of Tech Gods, most often considered to be aliens), which often have reversed effects than that of a good saint; however, what matters most is the Faith – a Castle Keeper should tailor-make each saint and not allow this class to be generic
Generic Good Faith [Arduin classic role] – the character has Wisdom and Charisma Prime; no armor or weapons. Cannot own more than 100 GP of treasure (in coin form) and tithes 95%; may only use 1 of each of these types of magical items: ring, robes, amulet, player’s choice
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Divine Armor; Pacify; Fearless; Cleric Abilities; Conduit
2 – 3 / +0 / --
4 – 5 / +1 / --
6 – 7 / +2 / --
8 – 9 / +3 / --
10 – 11 / +4 / --
12 / +5 / --
13+ // +1 / 2 levels // --
Note: a saint of good alignment receives several abilities through their divine connection, and with the other abilities already gained, have no real need for more
Divine Armor – the saint gains a bonus to AC equal to Charisma modifier, +1 additional per 3 levels. In addition, the character is forever affected by a sanctuary spell at caster level 8, +1 per level (to a maximum of +12, for a total of 20)
Pacify (Charisma) – a saint can calm any situation with soothing words and deeds, ending arguments before they become worse, and stopping wars before blood is shed. The attempt requires one round during which the saint cannot be interrupted (or it fails) but anyone within speaking range will be unable to raise a weapon (including natural ones) in anger to enact violence. One attempt only is made; if it succeeds, there is no save to resist. The check itself is made against the average HD / level of the affected group, +2 per member above 6. However, a saint can double their level when making this check, or triple it (when dealing with very large groups) by making an appropriate sacrifice (what that is depends entirely on the Castle Keeper but can be anything such as a sheep, a sword, some bread… the bonus given is also subject to Castle Keeper judgment) The pacification is permanent for those in the group; they are, of course, free to leave and be aggressive to other groups, but not to each other. Any steadfast opposition, such as a cleric of an opposed deity (especially one of a Lord of War) adds a +10 modifier to the difficulty and they, alone, will not be susceptible even if everyone else is
Fearless – saints are unafraid of death and cannot be frightened by magic of any kind, nor by supernatural horrors, even those caused by greater fiends or deities. If some ability says it removes this one, it does not
Cleric Abilities – the character has all powers and abilities of a standard C&C cleric at +75% effectiveness, so that spells available, their potency, the save difficulties, turning undead (number and HD limit), are all increased
Conduit – as a direct divine channel for a given deity, a saint is gifted with some rather potent powers, to be used to spread the faith and to act as the god’s face, voice, and hand. As the saint advances, and comes closer to being able to reach true divinity, these powers increase as noted
1st: Speak in Tongues – permanently affected by tongues and can therefore speak all languages
2nd: Detect Undead; Detect Evil – within 120 feet, a saint can feel the presence, and relative strength, of any undead or evil creature / object simply by passing within range; no concentration is needed
3rd: Detect Poison; Create Water – within 60 feet, can instantly know if poison or venom is nearby; can cast the create water spell at will and, at 5th level, make it holy water
4th: Create Food; Levitate – a saint can create food as the spell, enough to feed 10 people per point of Charisma; may use the levitate spell twice per day
5th: Divine Glow – thrice per day, the saint can radiate as if a true sun, extending out in 360 degrees to 360 feet; this has the same effects as actual daylight
6th: Calm Animals – at will, cast the calm animals spell which will always succeed
7th: Bless – any casting of bless, prayer, aid, and the like (cleric spells that grant bonuses, including magic vestment) have their effects doubled, in addition to the existing 75% improvement
8th: Weather Prediction and Control – 75% chance to accurately predict weather for 1 year and can control weather as the spell, considered a druid for this effect, which allows the pattern selected to remain for as many months as the saint has levels. This is often used to break a drought by bringing rain for 1 week every 3-4 months or to end a cold front although there are numerous ways one can use the ability
9th: Darkvision – if the saint possessed this ability already, range is quadrupled; if they did not, gain it at a range of 240 feet. In addition, magical darkness and blindness cannot affect the saint in any way
10th: Immunity to Paralysis – the saint becomes immune to any form of paralysis and also gains a +5 bonus to resist any mental domination or attack; if a save is allowed against a mind-affecting ability and failed, the saint gains another attempt
11th: Know Alignment – by touch, a saint can cast know alignment as many times as desired
12th: Spell Dissipation – hostile magic is partially negated, as if wearing a ring of spell turning; the amount is always 50%, giving a +5 bonus on any save and treating the saint as if a save was successful, with an actual successful save further reducing the effect by half.
13th: Open all Portals – any held portal or device (not a gate) such as a door or a chest can be unlocked and opened regardless of how it was locked, either magically or technologically
14th: Speak with Animals; Walk on Water – a saint can communicate with all animals as the spell and can move across any liquid surface as though it were solid ground, without suffering any penalties or damage for doing such, including those which may have been affected by a grease or slipping effect
15th: Speak with Plants; Immune to Domination – the saint becomes capable of speaking with all plants and can no longer be mentally subverted
16th: Exorcism; Empowered Life Force; Fly – by force of will, which will always succeed, a saint can drive out a possessing demon or devil by commanding it, a process that requires 1d20 rounds; the saint gains a +5 bonus to resist the life / energy drain of undead, and gains a save when none is allowed (keeping the bonus); a saint can fly at a movement rate of 240 feet, indefinitely, at will. Further, if the saint desires, they can walk across any real solid surface, such as a ceiling
17th: Astral Form; Minor Miracles – a saint gains the ability to physically enter the Astral Plane and can perform any spell with the word “cure” in its name at double effectiveness, in addition to the existing +75%
18th: Resist the Dead; Walk Anywhere – gains a +5 bonus on all saves against death attacks and can consider illusory surfaces real for purposes of walking on them, if so desired
19th: Immune to Energy Drain and Death Attacks; Death Breaker – the saint becomes immune to loss of energy levels from any source and can no longer be subjected to direct death effects such as a finger of death; can raise dead at will, simply by speaking to a corpse
20th: The Spark of Life – a saint can restore to life any creature, regardless of when it died, or how, by wanting to without limit; once per day, any gate can be closed, automatically provided the saint can see it or, alternatively, the saint can open a gate (as the spell) and it will always work
Saint [divine spellcaster]
Prime is Special; always use d12
Cannot multiclass in any way except as detailed (in most cases, a Saint is effectively multiclassed already)
May never wear or use armor unless some other stipulation (likely the choice of faith, as seen below) says differently
Essentially, the character is a mortal avatar of a deity, with numerous abilities based on the aspects and powers of the religion for which the character represents
Always have cleric spell progressions for turning undead and spellcasting, at +75% efficiency and effect
Have numerous special abilities, all of which are divine in nature and unable to be stopped by antimagic of any sort, and cannot be affected by a rune weaver
Arduin details only a Saint of Good alignment (and generic faith) but any alignment and faith is possible – this class is, in a lot of ways, the ultimate paladin / anti-paladin
Note: before BtH and special abilities can really be determined, the player and Castle Keeper should work together to come to an understanding about the faith including responsibilities, expectations, roles, duties, and so forth that the character will have. They are, after all, the living embodiment of their god’s will on the world, and are likely the only such being for the entire campaign (for that faith, anyway). There really are no hard-set rules, but it should be noted that a saint of a Lord of War is entitled to use weapons and armor, and there most definitely are “saints” of evil alignment (and those of Tech Gods, most often considered to be aliens), which often have reversed effects than that of a good saint; however, what matters most is the Faith – a Castle Keeper should tailor-make each saint and not allow this class to be generic
Generic Good Faith [Arduin classic role] – the character has Wisdom and Charisma Prime; no armor or weapons. Cannot own more than 100 GP of treasure (in coin form) and tithes 95%; may only use 1 of each of these types of magical items: ring, robes, amulet, player’s choice
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Divine Armor; Pacify; Fearless; Cleric Abilities; Conduit
2 – 3 / +0 / --
4 – 5 / +1 / --
6 – 7 / +2 / --
8 – 9 / +3 / --
10 – 11 / +4 / --
12 / +5 / --
13+ // +1 / 2 levels // --
Note: a saint of good alignment receives several abilities through their divine connection, and with the other abilities already gained, have no real need for more
Divine Armor – the saint gains a bonus to AC equal to Charisma modifier, +1 additional per 3 levels. In addition, the character is forever affected by a sanctuary spell at caster level 8, +1 per level (to a maximum of +12, for a total of 20)
Pacify (Charisma) – a saint can calm any situation with soothing words and deeds, ending arguments before they become worse, and stopping wars before blood is shed. The attempt requires one round during which the saint cannot be interrupted (or it fails) but anyone within speaking range will be unable to raise a weapon (including natural ones) in anger to enact violence. One attempt only is made; if it succeeds, there is no save to resist. The check itself is made against the average HD / level of the affected group, +2 per member above 6. However, a saint can double their level when making this check, or triple it (when dealing with very large groups) by making an appropriate sacrifice (what that is depends entirely on the Castle Keeper but can be anything such as a sheep, a sword, some bread… the bonus given is also subject to Castle Keeper judgment) The pacification is permanent for those in the group; they are, of course, free to leave and be aggressive to other groups, but not to each other. Any steadfast opposition, such as a cleric of an opposed deity (especially one of a Lord of War) adds a +10 modifier to the difficulty and they, alone, will not be susceptible even if everyone else is
Fearless – saints are unafraid of death and cannot be frightened by magic of any kind, nor by supernatural horrors, even those caused by greater fiends or deities. If some ability says it removes this one, it does not
Cleric Abilities – the character has all powers and abilities of a standard C&C cleric at +75% effectiveness, so that spells available, their potency, the save difficulties, turning undead (number and HD limit), are all increased
Conduit – as a direct divine channel for a given deity, a saint is gifted with some rather potent powers, to be used to spread the faith and to act as the god’s face, voice, and hand. As the saint advances, and comes closer to being able to reach true divinity, these powers increase as noted
1st: Speak in Tongues – permanently affected by tongues and can therefore speak all languages
2nd: Detect Undead; Detect Evil – within 120 feet, a saint can feel the presence, and relative strength, of any undead or evil creature / object simply by passing within range; no concentration is needed
3rd: Detect Poison; Create Water – within 60 feet, can instantly know if poison or venom is nearby; can cast the create water spell at will and, at 5th level, make it holy water
4th: Create Food; Levitate – a saint can create food as the spell, enough to feed 10 people per point of Charisma; may use the levitate spell twice per day
5th: Divine Glow – thrice per day, the saint can radiate as if a true sun, extending out in 360 degrees to 360 feet; this has the same effects as actual daylight
6th: Calm Animals – at will, cast the calm animals spell which will always succeed
7th: Bless – any casting of bless, prayer, aid, and the like (cleric spells that grant bonuses, including magic vestment) have their effects doubled, in addition to the existing 75% improvement
8th: Weather Prediction and Control – 75% chance to accurately predict weather for 1 year and can control weather as the spell, considered a druid for this effect, which allows the pattern selected to remain for as many months as the saint has levels. This is often used to break a drought by bringing rain for 1 week every 3-4 months or to end a cold front although there are numerous ways one can use the ability
9th: Darkvision – if the saint possessed this ability already, range is quadrupled; if they did not, gain it at a range of 240 feet. In addition, magical darkness and blindness cannot affect the saint in any way
10th: Immunity to Paralysis – the saint becomes immune to any form of paralysis and also gains a +5 bonus to resist any mental domination or attack; if a save is allowed against a mind-affecting ability and failed, the saint gains another attempt
11th: Know Alignment – by touch, a saint can cast know alignment as many times as desired
12th: Spell Dissipation – hostile magic is partially negated, as if wearing a ring of spell turning; the amount is always 50%, giving a +5 bonus on any save and treating the saint as if a save was successful, with an actual successful save further reducing the effect by half.
13th: Open all Portals – any held portal or device (not a gate) such as a door or a chest can be unlocked and opened regardless of how it was locked, either magically or technologically
14th: Speak with Animals; Walk on Water – a saint can communicate with all animals as the spell and can move across any liquid surface as though it were solid ground, without suffering any penalties or damage for doing such, including those which may have been affected by a grease or slipping effect
15th: Speak with Plants; Immune to Domination – the saint becomes capable of speaking with all plants and can no longer be mentally subverted
16th: Exorcism; Empowered Life Force; Fly – by force of will, which will always succeed, a saint can drive out a possessing demon or devil by commanding it, a process that requires 1d20 rounds; the saint gains a +5 bonus to resist the life / energy drain of undead, and gains a save when none is allowed (keeping the bonus); a saint can fly at a movement rate of 240 feet, indefinitely, at will. Further, if the saint desires, they can walk across any real solid surface, such as a ceiling
17th: Astral Form; Minor Miracles – a saint gains the ability to physically enter the Astral Plane and can perform any spell with the word “cure” in its name at double effectiveness, in addition to the existing +75%
18th: Resist the Dead; Walk Anywhere – gains a +5 bonus on all saves against death attacks and can consider illusory surfaces real for purposes of walking on them, if so desired
19th: Immune to Energy Drain and Death Attacks; Death Breaker – the saint becomes immune to loss of energy levels from any source and can no longer be subjected to direct death effects such as a finger of death; can raise dead at will, simply by speaking to a corpse
20th: The Spark of Life – a saint can restore to life any creature, regardless of when it died, or how, by wanting to without limit; once per day, any gate can be closed, automatically provided the saint can see it or, alternatively, the saint can open a gate (as the spell) and it will always work
Re: Arduin C&C
And finally, the last class. I have decided to not convert illusionist simply because there really is no difference between the Arduin version and the C&C one (except the C&C version has a few more abilities) other than the implications of "how" it works. And then, it is only suggestions.
Sage [Arduin lists the class as an arcane spellcaster, but the conversion author suggests making it Learned]
Intelligence Prime; gains d4 for HD
Dabble in a little bit of everything, and is therefore an odd multiclass already, gaining the limited abilities of numerous classes (see below)
Highly skilled with languages starting with several additional (see below) and the ability to read magic; this is effectively the decipher script rogue ability of the C&C PHB but is not attribute based – it succeeds automatically, though it may take some time
Specialize in a specific sage lore skill, becoming experts in that field (see below)
Only use armor if it necessary and then, it is always light armor; sages are trained with mechanical weaponry, such as crossbows, spring-released daggers, and the like but it is also possible for the sage (about 5%) to be as well trained as a monk (and then the class is called a Mystic; if they become a Mystic, HD increases to d6)
Always have the bardic lore, open lock. and traps (specific to mechanical ones) abilities of the C&C PHB all of which are successful without a roll, but do take time (there are no rules provided, but suggested to require 1d3 rounds per 5 points of difficulty, so for example, a difficulty 20 lock would take 4d3 rounds to pick)
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Linguist; Sage Lore Specialty; Dabble; Detection
2 – 4 / +1 / --
5 – 6 / +2 / --
7 – 9 / +3 / --
10 – 11 / +4 / --
12 / +5 / --
13+ // + 2 / 3 levels // --
Note: a sage does not receive many abilities of their own, and the ones they do get are somewhat limited, being primarily “informational” but, in the Arduin world(s), this is a very potent skill as it means the character can understand, and therefore use, almost anything they come across, from magical devices to technology to those that combine both. For practical purposes, a sage is always considered the equivalent of a 3rd level Techno, at least as far as their knowledge of basic science and such is concerned, to which they then add their own specialties. Combine this with the fact they can get several abilities from any other class… and the sage is not a weakling. After all, ultimate knowledge leads to ultimate power
Linguist – a sage gains an addition 2d8+1languages in which they able to read, speak, and write fluently; each level, a sage adds an additional language. Unlike others with a similar language skill, a sage is able to learn (although they cannot begin with, without Castle Keeper approval) a language that is not spoken (such as that of the drow elf)
Sage Lore Specialty – sages are well-versed in the areas of history, mathematics, philosophy, and general science as evidenced by being the equal of a 3rd level Techno (this never improves) and having the bardic lore ability, but they further have a greater understanding of an area of choice. This can be “martial arts” in which case the character becomes a Mystic, as noted above; assuming it is lore / knowledge area, the sage gains a +6 bonus on any check that might be needed for its use. They will also always initially start with a detection spell (see below) that targets their specialty in some way; every 3rd level, a sage gains an additional specialty. The Arduin specialties are limited, being 7 in number, but a Castle Keeper can easily add as many as wanted – in fact, it makes perfect sense to include hundreds. These are the areas provided within Arduin
Specialty ... Lore Covered
Artifacts ... Artifacts
Geophysics ... Earth-related, such as earthquakes, rock formations, volcanoes, cycles, etc
Meteorology ... Air-related, such as tornados, weather, clouds, etc
Aqua Studies ... Water-related such as oceans, their inhabitants, seas, rivers, flooding, etc
Botany ... Plant life and cycles; propagation
Zoology ... Animal and vermin life (this does not cover monsters of any other kind)
Esoteric ... Anomalies, magic, monsters, etc – each should be treated as a specialty of its own
Note: the author suggests adding religion as a specialty, at minimum
Dabble – the character can select one class per point of their Intelligence modifier and gain the 1st level abilities, gaining a new level of ability per 3 levels obtained as a sage. A sage cannot be multiclassed and any roll (such as from the random special abilities check) that results in that is ignored and a new one selected. Any class choice must be approved by the Castle Keeper but if allowed can be spellcasting classes
Detection – a sage begins play with 1 spell, considered to be arcane in nature, which must be some sort of detection spell. They know this spell, and only this spell and it can be used up to three times daily. Every 3rd level, the sage gains another; it, too, can be used three times daily. The detection spells can be specialized or generic. Note, this spell is unlikely to be found in a rule book but consider the effects identical to detect magic or locate object/person except that the target can be something else, such as plant, animal, a specific race (such as dwarf)
Sage [Arduin lists the class as an arcane spellcaster, but the conversion author suggests making it Learned]
Intelligence Prime; gains d4 for HD
Dabble in a little bit of everything, and is therefore an odd multiclass already, gaining the limited abilities of numerous classes (see below)
Highly skilled with languages starting with several additional (see below) and the ability to read magic; this is effectively the decipher script rogue ability of the C&C PHB but is not attribute based – it succeeds automatically, though it may take some time
Specialize in a specific sage lore skill, becoming experts in that field (see below)
Only use armor if it necessary and then, it is always light armor; sages are trained with mechanical weaponry, such as crossbows, spring-released daggers, and the like but it is also possible for the sage (about 5%) to be as well trained as a monk (and then the class is called a Mystic; if they become a Mystic, HD increases to d6)
Always have the bardic lore, open lock. and traps (specific to mechanical ones) abilities of the C&C PHB all of which are successful without a roll, but do take time (there are no rules provided, but suggested to require 1d3 rounds per 5 points of difficulty, so for example, a difficulty 20 lock would take 4d3 rounds to pick)
Level / BtH / Special Abilities
1 / +0 / Linguist; Sage Lore Specialty; Dabble; Detection
2 – 4 / +1 / --
5 – 6 / +2 / --
7 – 9 / +3 / --
10 – 11 / +4 / --
12 / +5 / --
13+ // + 2 / 3 levels // --
Note: a sage does not receive many abilities of their own, and the ones they do get are somewhat limited, being primarily “informational” but, in the Arduin world(s), this is a very potent skill as it means the character can understand, and therefore use, almost anything they come across, from magical devices to technology to those that combine both. For practical purposes, a sage is always considered the equivalent of a 3rd level Techno, at least as far as their knowledge of basic science and such is concerned, to which they then add their own specialties. Combine this with the fact they can get several abilities from any other class… and the sage is not a weakling. After all, ultimate knowledge leads to ultimate power
Linguist – a sage gains an addition 2d8+1languages in which they able to read, speak, and write fluently; each level, a sage adds an additional language. Unlike others with a similar language skill, a sage is able to learn (although they cannot begin with, without Castle Keeper approval) a language that is not spoken (such as that of the drow elf)
Sage Lore Specialty – sages are well-versed in the areas of history, mathematics, philosophy, and general science as evidenced by being the equal of a 3rd level Techno (this never improves) and having the bardic lore ability, but they further have a greater understanding of an area of choice. This can be “martial arts” in which case the character becomes a Mystic, as noted above; assuming it is lore / knowledge area, the sage gains a +6 bonus on any check that might be needed for its use. They will also always initially start with a detection spell (see below) that targets their specialty in some way; every 3rd level, a sage gains an additional specialty. The Arduin specialties are limited, being 7 in number, but a Castle Keeper can easily add as many as wanted – in fact, it makes perfect sense to include hundreds. These are the areas provided within Arduin
Specialty ... Lore Covered
Artifacts ... Artifacts
Geophysics ... Earth-related, such as earthquakes, rock formations, volcanoes, cycles, etc
Meteorology ... Air-related, such as tornados, weather, clouds, etc
Aqua Studies ... Water-related such as oceans, their inhabitants, seas, rivers, flooding, etc
Botany ... Plant life and cycles; propagation
Zoology ... Animal and vermin life (this does not cover monsters of any other kind)
Esoteric ... Anomalies, magic, monsters, etc – each should be treated as a specialty of its own
Note: the author suggests adding religion as a specialty, at minimum
Dabble – the character can select one class per point of their Intelligence modifier and gain the 1st level abilities, gaining a new level of ability per 3 levels obtained as a sage. A sage cannot be multiclassed and any roll (such as from the random special abilities check) that results in that is ignored and a new one selected. Any class choice must be approved by the Castle Keeper but if allowed can be spellcasting classes
Detection – a sage begins play with 1 spell, considered to be arcane in nature, which must be some sort of detection spell. They know this spell, and only this spell and it can be used up to three times daily. Every 3rd level, the sage gains another; it, too, can be used three times daily. The detection spells can be specialized or generic. Note, this spell is unlikely to be found in a rule book but consider the effects identical to detect magic or locate object/person except that the target can be something else, such as plant, animal, a specific race (such as dwarf)
Re: Arduin C&C
Awesome! Thanks, Serl!
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael
Grand Knight Commander of the Society.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael
Grand Knight Commander of the Society.
-
Omote
- Battle Stag
- Posts: 11560
- Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 7:00 am
- Location: The fairest view in the park, Ohio.
- Contact:
Re: Arduin C&C
Serl, you have really done Arduin proud with this conversion work. It you point out this page to Arduin fans who might be lurking around the internets, you could really breathe some like back into this ancient setting. Plus, it's always good to have some more things to do with C&C. BUt really, I think the Arduin fans benefit the most from your work here.
~O
~O
@-Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society-@
VAE VICTUS!
>> Omote's Advanced C&C stuff <<
VAE VICTUS!
>> Omote's Advanced C&C stuff <<
Re: Arduin C&C
Hopefully, someone will find this, and say "that Arduin stuff sounds pretty neat" and then a micro-revival can ensue.
Re: Arduin C&C
Arduin was my 2nd rpg when it came out. You have done a magnificent job. I would advise C&C players to use the mana point optional magic system with it.
Thank you, you revitalised my old campaigns.
Thank you, you revitalised my old campaigns.
Re: Arduin C&C
Wow Serl, great work!
-
Andy Action
- Henchman
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2014 1:48 am
Re: Arduin C&C
I am new to these forums, but I am simply BLOWN AWAY by this thread, serleran!!
I apologize for attempting to resuscitate a necro-thead, but this information and your output here is invaluable to me.
I am working towards running an OD&D (LBB) campaign with all the Arduin Grimoire (Vols. I-III) rulebooks set in the Hargrave's campaign world.
I plan on running it over Google Hangout and I've started a facebook page in the meantime to gather potential players & to serve as a discussion forum/file repository for idea, files, maps, etc.
Is there any chance that you have all your Arduin>C&C notes in a pdf format (or something similar)?
Honestly, your postings here comprise the completed version of my initial plan: to organize Hargrave's ideas into something cohesively presented - and, most of all, playable.
You have done that here, my friend - kudos!
I just made a .pdf of Hargrave's 1979 article "Arduin, Bloody Arduin" from Different Worlds #2 if anyone's interested, plus a combined image of his sketched campaign map (it was spread over two pages in that same article).
Anyway, please check out the the open facebook group I started, "The Ardiun Grimoire by David A. Hargrave" if anyone is interested
Sincere thanks,
-=AA
andyactionfulfillment.com
I apologize for attempting to resuscitate a necro-thead, but this information and your output here is invaluable to me.
I am working towards running an OD&D (LBB) campaign with all the Arduin Grimoire (Vols. I-III) rulebooks set in the Hargrave's campaign world.
I plan on running it over Google Hangout and I've started a facebook page in the meantime to gather potential players & to serve as a discussion forum/file repository for idea, files, maps, etc.
Is there any chance that you have all your Arduin>C&C notes in a pdf format (or something similar)?
Honestly, your postings here comprise the completed version of my initial plan: to organize Hargrave's ideas into something cohesively presented - and, most of all, playable.
You have done that here, my friend - kudos!
I just made a .pdf of Hargrave's 1979 article "Arduin, Bloody Arduin" from Different Worlds #2 if anyone's interested, plus a combined image of his sketched campaign map (it was spread over two pages in that same article).
Anyway, please check out the the open facebook group I started, "The Ardiun Grimoire by David A. Hargrave" if anyone is interested
Sincere thanks,
-=AA
andyactionfulfillment.com