Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Clerics of Woden, Part II

Magical Side-Effects of Woden
Insight made reveals magic seen.

1. Cunning Wise
: Challenges can be overcome with the secrets of the runes. Without them, likely requiring an Intelligence or Wisdom check (DC 15), an offering worth at least 1d3 gold pieces per level or HD of the spell's target is needed.

2. Lord of Men: Woden is king and progenitor of many. If it is to help the magic's recipient, then they must be Anglo-Saxon or some related folk. If not, then it will only be 50% of its usual power.


3. Wode Way: Divine madness can bring the best inspiration. The cleric must act so erratically for the next 2d3 rounds- moving, speaking, or even attacking at random (reroll each round). If not, then the spell will take 1d3 turns to occur, finding its own way instead.

4. Doom's Plenty: If it would bring about the end of something, then all within 120' have a 50% chance of gaining a +2 bonus to such rolls. The effect lasts 3d4 rounds.

5-8. Insightful Mark: Something reflecting deep understanding might reveal itself (a 33% chance), though the spell otherwise works normally in any case. 

9. Spirits Sung; Wæcyrigen and land wights (Anglo-Saxon valkyrie and nature spirits) come close, improving the spell's 
effect, range, or duration by 50%. Nevertheless, if the cleric hasn't been brave or so connected with the land for the last 2d4 hours, then he'll suffer a -1d3 to all rolls for the next 2d4 turns instead.

10. Nine Twigs of Glory: If the magic involves the number nine, herbs, or righting some wrong, then its effect, range, or duration can be increased 50%.

11-12. Gealdor Charm: What is spoken may resound further. If the magic is cast with a clear, chanting voice, then it can experience double its effect, range, or duration, and it is not expended so it can be cast again that day. And if if the Nine Twigs of Glory is also used in some way (per #10 above), then one of those aspects may be tripled.


Runecasters
Treat as clerics of Woden and similar deities, except that:

* Their magic takes longer to cast, typically 1d3 minutes per spell level, as the runecaster must carve them onto wood, bone, metal, or stone.

* Once done though, anyone can activate the spell, simply by touching and saying the runes (if they know what they are). The spell will then be cast upon them.

* To prevent an overabundance of such runes waiting to be activated, each one counts as a spell that the runecaster can cast that day, so it cannot be recast until either the rune is activated or destroyed.

* More permanent runes can be used to create magic items, per Referee.



Next week: clerics of Woden, Part III!