Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Sorcerers of Krampus, Part IV

Spells (Krampus)
Sorcerers of Krampus have access to the following spells. Remember that they are also subject to the rules of sorcery, requiring them to be of higher level to cast their spells, allowing them a chance to recast those spells each day, and even having a chance of their spells going off when they witness too much cheer or lack of fitting punishment.  See Part I for additional details:

1st Level: Create Frost (as create water, but makes snow or ice), Cure Light Wounds (reversible), Detect Naughtiness (as Detect Evil, but detects those who are misbehaving), Purify Food and Drink (as long as it isn’t cheery or sweet), Remove Fear (reverse), Resist Cold, Enlarge*

2nd Level: Augury (to determine if an action would be naughty or not), Bless (reverse), Know Naughtiness (as Know Alignment, but determines the nature of the naughtiness instead), Hold Person, Holy Chant (by singing a depressing Yuletide dirge), Silence 15’ Radius (-6 to save against if used to quiet mirth), Speak with Animal (reindeer only), Detect Snares and PitsD, Knock*

3rd Level: Cure Disease, Dispel Magic, Locate Object (gifts only), Prayer, Tree ShapeD (coniferous forms only; spell immediately ends if the sorcerer is decorated), Invisibility* (can be used to conceal anyone or anything that is garish), Gust of Wind* (very chilly), Snowball (as Fireball*, but only harms those who are jolly or naughty)

4th Level: Animal Growth (reindeer only), Create Food and Water (nothing cheery or sweet!), Cure Serious Wounds (reversible), Detect Lie, Speak with Plants (conifers only), Hallucinatory Terrain DruidicD (wintry only), Tree StrideD (conifers only; 3d20 damage from a vicious partridge ensues if attempted on a pear tree), Ice Storm*

5th Level: Commune, Cure Critical Wounds, Plane Shift (naughty ones forced to go with the sorcerer suffer a -6 penalty to their save), Quest (on the naughty). Antipathy* (usable against the jolly), Cone of Cold*

6th Level: Conjure Animals (reindeer), Freezing Sphere*, Heal (reversible), Word of Recall

7th Level: Control Weather (only to make it more wintry), Restoration, Summon Avatar (Krampus), Snow Sleigh (as Fire ChariotD, but is drawn by enraged, spectral reindeer, is only damaged by the jolly, and causes cold damage instead)


Avatar of Krampus

Align: N
MV: 35’
AC: 2
HD: 18
Atk: 1 staff or whip* or hot coals
Dmg: 4d10 or 2d6 or 1d4/ rd
SP: Krampus cleric spells/abilities (caster level 18), whip causes the naughty to suffer a penalty, hot coal attack, bestow practical present
Magic Resistance: 18%
SV: C18
Mor:10

Grumbling over ne’er-do-wells and foolish joy, a Krampus Avatar will often be found on a mission to punish the naughty, though he will happily direct his ire against those who are just merry or garish. Such miscreants he finds must face his whip and save vs. death or suffer a -2 to all rolls for the next 1d12 hours.

The whipping may even be followed up with a good pummeling from his staff, depending on how naughty the target has been (per Referee). On the other hand, the Avatar might just try to stuff hot coals in the target’s stockings for 1d4 damage each round. Those who offer him schnapps or other strong spirits have a base 33% chance of placating him instead.

On the other hand, those who have been generally good and morose enough will receive some sort of very practical gift, free of all ornamentation, mirth, and greeting card.


Krampus Encounters
The Germanic true spirit of Yule and his faithful can be found in various ways, but none of them jolly. Roll 1d4:
1. The party stumbles upon 1d3 sorcerers of Krampus singing Yuletide dirges in the woods. If they notice the party (and if any have been naughty), then the sorcerers will begin whipping them.

2. A joyous celebration that the party is attending is suddenly interrupted by a sorcerer of Krampus. He will begin to insult and berate those there and have 1d6 enraged reindeer standing by to assist him. He and the reindeer also have a base 50% chance of being intoxicated at the time.

3. Followers of another, somewhat similar divinity would like the party to investigate a nearby enclave of Krampus sorcerers. The divinity they inquire for is (roll 1d4): [1] Cernunnos, [2] Odin, [3] Maelfo, or [4] Thrym. What is more, they may wish for the party to later (roll 1d3): [1] attack the enclave, [2] offer an alliance with the enclave, or [3] forget their investigation ever happened.  

4. A lone man with the traits of 1d4 of Krampus’s #10-14 divine tests is spotted. He is either a (roll 1d6): [1-3] Krampus sorcerer, [4-5] Krampus shaman, or [6] Avatar. He also has a 25% chance of being seen punishing someone who he has deemed naughty, likely getting ready to stuff them down a chimney.


Next week: we head down to Mesopotamia in preparation for the release of Divinities and Cults: Volume III- due out in a few months!