Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Clerics of Janus (Part II)

Healing Side-Effects (Janus)
Like the flow of time and space, the healing of Janus is based on both beginnings and endings. And in the case of the patient, it will hopefully begin the cure and end the injury sooner rather than later.

What is more, if you’d like to save a die roll, you can have the Healing Side-Effect match whichever clock direction the top of the healing die faces when it lands. For example, if the result on a d6 for a Cure Light Wounds spell points to 4 o’clock, then consider the Healing Side-Effect result to be a 4. For healing spells that don’t have die rolls, simply roll a d12.

1-2. Is it the Appropriate Time? Janus presides over all beginnings, and the question is: what time should healing take place? Roll a d12 to determine the hour that healing is to occur for the patient (ignoring ante meridiem/ post meridiem time). If not already known, then roll a d12 to see if the hour matches. If it does, then the healing occurs immediately. If not, then healing occurs as soon as the correct hour is struck. In addition, and possibly unfortunately for the patient, he or she also cannot receive any healing until this hour is struck, whether from the spell that triggered this Side-Effect or not.

3-4. Rite makes Right. All Good Creation requires proper ritual and that includes curative magic. 1d6 turns of time and 2d6 gold pieces in offering are now required to make the healing work. If not, then it is forfeit.

5-6. Gatekeeper: Movement through space and time requires portals and the same holds true for this healing. As soon as the patient passes through one, whether magical or mundane, then he or she receives the spell’s curative effect.

7-8. Janus Geminus: It is now a temple that is needed for the healing to work, preferably a Roman one. If the recipient has been injured in battle though, then the doors to the Temple of Janus are open regardless and allow healing, no matter where the recipient is. If the recipient is fortunate enough to be in a Roman temple when the healing spell is cast, then he or she gains 50% extra benefit. If not injured in battle and not at a temple when the spell is cast though, then healing occurs at just half the effect.

9-12. Blessing of Janus: Not only is the patient healed automatically for the full amount, but he or she gains the benefits of Janus through time and space too. As a result, the patient can also take an extra action each round, as long as it involves movement, for the next 1d6 rounds.


Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Clerics of Janus (Part I)

Janus
Lawful Roman God of Gateways, Beginnings, & Time
Tenets of Janus
* Evoke Janus before all others
* Preside over gateways
* See to the proper rituals for all beginnings
* See also to the proper rites of space, as well

Clerics of Janus
Special: Clerics of Janus are also known as priests and priestesses. Being a very Roman God, his clerics focus much on proper ritual, which often takes 1d6 turns at a time. What is more, those clerics who eschew all armor may assume a bicephalus (two faced) form for up to 1 round per day per level. See Lugh’s Divine Test #15 in Divinities and Cults: Volume II for how this ability would work.

Allowed Weapons: Rod, staff
Allowed Armor: Banded or lighter*
Holy Symbol: Two-face (Gemini), Key
Can Turn: Those who violate the laws of time or space (such as undead and summoned beings)
Janus Mysteries: Clerics of Janus gain a +2 bonus to all rolls related to doorways, gateways, space, time, and the like.


Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Clerics of Epona (Part IV)


Cleric Spells (Epona)
Eponian clerics have access to the following spells. Eponian druids (those considered a distinct class- see Divinities and Cults: Volume II for details) can substitute select spells with druid ones.

1st Level: Cure Light Wounds, Detect Evil, Light, Protection from Evil, Purify Food and Drink (if it is suitable for horses), Resist Cold, Sanctuary (can be cast on others in pastures or stables), Animal CompanionD (horse-kind only), Detect Snares and PitsD, Faerie FireD, Speak with AnimalsD (horses)

2nd Level: Augury, Bless, Delay Poison, Know Alignment, Find Traps, Hold Person, Holy Chant, Resist Fire, Charm Person or MammalD (horse-kind only), Horse HideD (as Barkskin, but more equine) 

3rd Level: Animal Growth (horse-kind only), Cure Blindness, Cure Disease, Dispel Magic, Prayer, Remove Curse, Hold AnimalD, Neutralize PoisonD, Horse Haste (as Haste*, but can only be used when mounted)

4th Level: Create Food and Water, Cure Serious Wounds, Detect Lie, Divination, Exorcise, Protection from Evil 10’ Radius, Summon Animal ID (horse-kind), Hallucinatory Terrain* (horse-realm only)

5th Level: Atonement, Commune, Cure Critical Wounds, Dispel Evil, Commune with NatureD (when in horselands), Summon Animal IID (horse-kind)

6th Level: Find the Path, Heal, Summon Animal IIID (horse-kind)

7th Level: Restoration, Chariot of Epona (as Fire ChariotD, but horses appear normal and untethered), ReincarnateD


Mount Qualities
Though this table would serve well to generate a steed, it can also be used to determine qualities of other mount types, since Epona is concerned with fertility, as well. Roll 1d20 twice.


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Mane
Black
Dark bay
Bay
Blue Roan
Brindle
Brown
Chestnut
Dapple Gray
Dun
Gray
Fleabitten Gray
Leopard
Liver chestnut
Palamino
Pinto
Rose gray
Red Roan
Salt and Pepper
White
A different color
Manner/ Qualities
Aloof
Clever
Draft
Gassy
Mule
Old
Panicky
Pleasant
Pony
Ragged
Slow
Social
Special Parentage1
Stallion
Stubborn
Swift
Young
War
Wild
Reroll twice

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

1Roll 1d6 to determine what special parentage the mount has. It then will have 1 special ability that matches, per Referee:
[1] Centaur
[2] Hippocampus
[3] Hippogriff
[4] Nightmare
[5] Pegasus
[6] Unicorn


Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Clerics of Epona (Part III)

Race Upon the Land
Epona shows her cleric the truth of riding through fertile bounty and overcoming those who would seize or destroy it.

Divine Tests
1-3. It is time for quiet reflection, at least 2d6 turns, though if mounted or in a place where horses dwell, she need only take 1d3 turns, none if at a Node (q.v.)

4-9. All steeds must return to pasture or stable at times and so too must the druidess of Epona. She experiences a reduction in spells available (50% chance for each one) for the rest of the day. Roll 1d6 for each spell lost to determine what she needs to do in order to get it back before then:
[1] Ride a willing mount for at least 1 hour
[2] Run free for the next 2 hours
[3] Stop to graze upon oats and forage foods for 1d6 rounds at a time (she can digest them), whenever new ones become available, for the rest of the day
[4] Promote fertility, whether in herself or in others (a base 50% chance of success for each attempt per hour)
[5] Repel or slay a humanoid invader, foreign to the land
[6] Put a tyrant or despoiler of nature in his or her place: any will do, but it will most likely earn his or her ire (a 95% chance)

10-12. Epona rides far and her horse cult has similarities to a number of other Divinities. Rather than experiencing a Race Upon the Land, reroll and consider this Test to actually be for one of the following instead (roll 1d4):
[1] Artemis (see Vol I)
[2] Danu (see Vol. II)
[3] Eostre (bonus Divinity- contact Dan for the link)
[4] Manannan (see Vol. II)

The Referee should feel free to adjust any results to make them more ‘Gallic’. See the Appendix of Divinities and Cults: Volume II for guidelines, though Epona is quite gentle and strong.

13-17. It is now best for the druidess of Epona to be changed in order to better experience fertile freedom. Each one lasts for 4d6 hours per instance of this Test. Roll 1d4 to determine what the alteration is:
[1] Be changed into a horse in all regards except for her mind: the type is determined by the druidess’s nature (per Referee; even a unicorn or pegasus if over 5th level).
[2] Turn into a Gallic centaur mare, granting her +1 HD and the speed of a horse, while still being able to speak and use her upper body normally. Still, she will also get some strange looks from others (a 65% chance), as well as a -4 penalty to Casting Rolls.
[3] Become a Godivan nymph: she must remain mounted and unclad and any ‘peeping toms’ that look at her at first must save twice to avoid blindness and even death! The rest just avoid taxation.
[4] Merge into the land itself as some sort of Gallic genius loci. She will be aware of what goes on in a 1d20 x 10 yard radius area, leaving a hill figure-type chalk representation upon the ground, even being able to cast spells within the place. Others may attempt to Commune with her, as per the spell during this time, though she may not leave.

18+ Some Races Upon the Land face challenges, and this is one of them. Whatever strangeness befalls her, the druidess must remember that all occurs for the sake of fertility. Roll 1d4.
[1] In eponymous fashion, the druidess’s name now becomes associated with the general locale that she is standing in when this Test occurs, causing likely confusion when discussed from now on (a base 75% chance), even possibly hostility from strangers (a base 20% chance).
[2] All horses within her presence now talk, causing those unfamiliar to save or become hostile to either the steeds (a base 25% chance) and/or to the druidess herself (a base 75% chance). Luckily, they are likely to stop talking once she departs: a 85% chance, minus 10% per instance of this Test.
[3] Rainbows, bright colors, hearts, glitter, and unicorn horns adorn any mounts that the druidess of Epona rides or is within 60’ feet of for the next 1d6 hours. All those of a masculine disposition that witness such a fey effect must save or suffer a -3 to all rolls during this time, due to manly disgust.
[4] Though the druidess would only do what is right for her people and would expel invaders and despoilers, they are misled and do not see it that way. Via a vote (or the like) she is denied the next leadership role that she would have.


Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Clerics of Epona (Part II)

Healing Side-Effects (Epona)
Like the Great Mare that she is, Epona provides stable, strong, and steady support for those who honor her equine ways and the lands that sustain her people. Roll 1d12.

1-2. Free to Range: Those who would enslave, harm the land, or replace Epona’s folk must be stopped. The cleric’s healing will only work in this case on those who would mete out justice upon such fell ones within at least 1d6 hour’s time, or else the healing is forfeit.

3-4. The Land Provides the Greatest Succor. The healing will only occur if either the patient is outdoors or in some other place where horses are housed or dwell, hopefully with plenty of oats and other grains around.

5-6. Bareback: Horses travel best when they run free, unbidden by restraint and so should the healing’s recipient. He or she must be free of garb for the next 1d6 turns, even gaining a +1 to all rolls for the following hour if Godiva-mounted during that time, though chaffing might become a problem (a base 33% chance).

7-8. Stable Healing. The patient is healed. In addition, if within 10’ of a horse, pasture, or horse dwelling when the spell is cast, then he or she gains 50% extra healing.

9-12. Blessing of Epona. The recipient is healed for the spell’s amount. In addition, he or she also gains a +2 bonus to all rolls related to horses and defending the land for the next 1d6 hours. What is more, if he or she is specifically working against tyrants, despoilers, and/or invaders, then the recipient gains an addition +2 bonus in those situations as well.