That which is taken may not be so easily returned. Rolling a 1 as a dark magic side-effect (and choosing to proceed) or rolling the same side-effect number thrice can trigger such ruinous trials.
1-9. A greater cost is required. The one undergoing the test suffers permanently until another test might change the curse. Roll 1d6, compounding any results that are incurred repeatedly.
1. Health: Become sensitive to some common substance or situation, taking -1d6 to all rolls when exposed to it for the next 1d6 hours. It will likely be something related or in opposition to the warlock's god, whether some foodstuff, plant, beast, time of day, weather pattern, mortal triviality, or the like.
2. Wealth: Must toil for some master for at least 2d6 hours a day, being generally bound to the place. How else to earn one's keep?
3. Fortune: What one most values is taken from them 33% of the time. Whenever they reach to enjoy it, it may inevitably be lost again. Few would be surprised.
4. Fame: Those who encounter the one undergoing the test must save vs. death/ make a Will save DC 10 or either strive to flee them (if weaker) or strive to harm them (if of similar might or stronger) for a minimum of 1d6 rounds. Gaining power over others is thereby encouraged.
6. Hope: Troubled by foul dreams and fair thoughts of what could have been, the one affected suffers a -1d3 to all rolls each day for the first 1d4 hours upon awakening. Seeking to set such things in order may be attempted, but would ultimately fail.
10-13. The one affected becomes inclined to assume a dark manner in every new situation, having to save vs. spell/ make a Will save DC 15 or act in a certain way, even if it would be unwise. Nevertheless, they can also ignore a cost or greater cost that they may be undergoing (per Part I and/or results #1-9 above) 50% of the time as well. Each dark manner accrued increases the difficulty of the save by 4, but also the chance to ignore the cost or greater cost by 20%. Roll 1d4.
1. Grim - Life is harsh, one must stoically endure it to their best.
2. Cruel - Harming others can help oneself indeed.
3. Ironic - All must get one's just desserts, fittingly losing whatever they took.
4. Dominated - There is no hope but to serve one's dark master, whether mortal, supernatural, or substance.
For example, one cursed with the greater cost of fortune can ignore his poor luck half the time, but remains compelled to act akin to his dark manner of ironic if he fails his save. Experiencing this test again will provide more likely relief from his misfortune, bringing it to 70% frequency, at the expense of more likely failing his save to resist creating foes to punish.
14-17. Wraithlike, the one affected becomes less real, a thing faded dark. Still, he can now not only transcend certain costs and greater costs 50% of the time, but even life's related travails. Others will deem him unnatural that amount too though (see Part III for specifics). Roll 1d6, compounding repeated results with an increase of 20% for his chances of both.
1. Health: Can ignore any physical harm or malady to what once he took for his body, though magic and other special weapons may still do so regardless.
2. Wealth: Needs no sustenance, livelihood, or shelter, though he must return to certain ground or engage in another oddity at least once every night for his fill.
3. Fortune: Seeing all as arbitrary, can ignore the result of one of his failed rolls, though he will despise some group eternally in any case, wishing to make certain that their fortune ends.
4. Fame: What would have been received from some foolish association with others can now be gained rather by his own direct means, whether via fear, dark happenstance, or both. However it is done, blame from them will be placed firmly upon his head.
5. Love: Can ignore any mental or emotional perturbation or influence that would have affected his now-empty heart, though any non-dark healing or invigoration will no longer provide him weal.
6. Hope: Knowing doom to be inevitable, he can disregard the next 3 penalties that would be made to his rolls. To match, his voice will become strange or reticent, and he will avoid all fellowship too, for any hope is false.
For example, one who has darkly transcended the need for wealth twice could ignore any requirements for sustenance, livelihood, or shelter 70% of the time, though he must stand upon a certain soil or engage in some other anomalous activity each night. Even more, others would be aghast at him with the same prevalence.
18+ Vanished, perhaps never to be seen again, or perhaps not the same. The one affected is gone for 1d3 days per dark test result over 17. He then has an 80 - 5% chance of returning per dark test result over 17 (75% for 18, 70% for 19, etc.) He even has the same chance of not being something risen and soulless that is controlled by the Referee (or other dark lord) if he does. What is more, the one coming back has a 20 + 5% chance per dark test result over 17 (25% for 18, 30% for 19, etc.) of having to always act in a grim, cruel, ironic, or dominated way too, the result of some necessary change in philosophy. All return to darkness in the end in any case.
For example, one who experiences a dark test of 20 would be gone for at least 3 days and have a 65% chance of returning thereafter. If he did, he'd also have a 65% chance of being much as he was before, not something else, as well as a 35% chance of being eternally grim, cruel, ironic, or dominated.
Dark Magic for All Classes
The dark arts appeal to more than just warlocks. In return for temporary advantage, far too many will pay the price. Fighter-types and thieves may do so to gain a boon to their physical talents. Spellcasters might instead augment their magic to make it nearly unstoppable. Various cleric-types can even see doing so as bringing themselves closer to their fell divinity, finding the way to some dark enlightenment.
Such practitioners call upon dark powers to gain such special benefits. They can be used as part of another action, even while wearing full armor, and may pick which ability score is challenged if so called for. In any case, such powers likely include the manifestation of some awful mien and presence, making their sinister nature clear to all who witness.
Warlocks can know one dark power per level and be able to use those a total of up to once per day per level without needing to roll for dark magic side-effects (detailed in Part I). In addition, if they have more than 1 daily use still available, they can expend multiple remaining uses at a time, creating more extraordinary effects thanks to compounding.
Other classes who call upon dark powers have no such options when dealing with such dangerous matters. They must always roll for dark magic side-effects, and they can only attempt to use up to 1 per day- unless of course they decide to become warlocks themselves.
Dark Powers
- Dark Certainty: Increase the difficulty to save against the use of one of their spells or abilities by 7. Coupled with their natural affinity for dark magic, warlocks can even make it 13.
- Dark Defense: Ignore 1d6 damage from an attack.
- Dark Draining: Touch and steal 1d3 hit points from one who is helpless or surrendered, adding that amount to oneself, up to one's hit point maximum.
- Dark Duel: Destroy the held weapon or other item held by another who meets their gaze and fails an opposed Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma check. Artifacts and relics may not be destroyed, but still can be dropped.
- Dark Hold: Prevent another who is up to 1d6 x 10' away from moving for as long as they fail an opposed Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma check each round, lasting until broken.
- Dark Endurance: Increase one's save against harm by 2d6.
- Dark Fortune: Cause another who makes eye contact to fail their next roll with a natural 1, as long as they aren't of higher level or HD than the dark power user.
- Dark Influence: Compel another who meets their gaze and fails an opposed Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma check to take 1 specific action.
- Dark Offense: Cause 1d6 damage to a foe who is up to 1d12 x 10' away and fails an opposed Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma check. It may manifest as bizarre injuries and/or a buffeting force if not already part of an attack.
- Dark Radiance: Extinguish an unnatural light source that is up to 1d12 x 30' away or reduce the brightness of all light within range (no matter the source), so as to become shadowy for 3d6 minutes.
- Dark Repulsion: Push up to 1d3 others who are within 1d6 x 5' and fail an opposed Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma check 1d6 x 10' further away. If they collide with someone or something else as a result, then they will take at least 1d4 damage and must save vs. paralysis/ make a Reflex save DC 15 or fall down.
- Dark Resolution: Gain a 2d4 bonus to one's initiative this round, quickened and sharp, ignoring a foe's element of surprise.
- Dark Sense: Detect the presence of some menacing danger (besides oneself) within 1d20 x 30' , or prevent oneself from being so sensed by another. Either lasts for 3d6 rounds per use.
- Dark Solace: Dominate another who meets their gaze and fails an opposed Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma check to make no sound for at least 3d6 rounds.
- Dark Talent: Gain a +6 bonus to a skill-related roll. No matter its intended use, darkness will be its ultimate end.
- Dark Truth: Force another who meets their gaze and fails an opposed Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma check to flee for at least 1d6 rounds.
Next week: Gods of Dark Magic, comparisons with similar magics, and a Dark Magic encounter.
