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TODO: Add Sample Animi |
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VARIANT: Vancian Magic System |
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NOTE: Animine is essentially intended
to model the Druid and Ranger Classes of
D&D 3e. However, the model is flexible
and can be used as a powerful means to model
Nature Magic in a wide variety of settings.
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This document will reference one or more
fully described Magic Systems below.
To use this variant with one of those Magic
Systems, simply use the reference document
in its entirety with the exception of sections
that have been "overridden" and/or
"extended" by this document, as
indicated in the section headers below. |
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The style of Magic described in this document
is not a complete Magic System with it's
own mechanics; instead it is intended to
extend, override, and/or change the look
and feel of a more fully described Magic
System, which is referred to as a "base
Magic System". |
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ANIMINE |
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NOTE: Practitioners of Animine
(AHN-eh-MEEN) are collectively called Animi
(AHN-uh-MEE).
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Animi are generally powerful complements
to any adventuring group. Compared to other
professions Animi emphasize preservation
of the natural order and existing in harmony
with the natural world. Animi wield powerful
Magic, and also frequently have numerous
mystical gifts, including the ability to
take on the form of various animals. Many
Animine also have animal companions of unusual
attribute.
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The basic concept of Animine may be implemented
with each of several base Magic Systems
as described below.
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PREPARED CASTING |
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To implement Animine with Prepared
Casting simply use the rules set
forth in the
Wizardry document, except where
overridden below. Thus, the Animine School
Skills given below replace the Wizardry
School Skills, the guidelines given for
creating Magic Items replace the guidelines
for doing so in the Wizardry document, and
the Packages provided replace those provided
for Wizardry. |
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GESTALT CASTING |
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To implement Animine with Gestalt Casting
use the rules set forth in the Arcanis Magnicus
document, except where overridden below.
Thus, the Animine School Skills given below
replace the Arcanis Magnicus School Skills,
the guidelines given for creating Magic
Items replace the guidelines for doing so
in the Arcanis Magnicus document, and the
Packages provided replace those provided
for Arcanis Magnicus. |
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OPTIONS |
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Some settings could support Animi built
on either of the base Magic Systems described
above concurrently without any ill effect.
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EXTEND: Means to Power |
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Animi dedicate their lives to protecting
the Natural Order of the world they live
in, maintaining a balanced ecosystem, and
establishing a healthy environment for all
living things to exist in. Their Magic is
usually far more restrained and subtle than
that of most other Magic Users, but not
Animi are capable of very powerful effects
when provoked. Animi Magic often requires
concentration and more time than some other
styles of Magic, and often make use of symbolic
natural items (foci) to be cast. |
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As they advance in wisdom and experience,
Animi are able to work ever more powerful
Magic. Essentially, as an Animi progress,
their ability to cast larger and more powerful
Spells increases assuming the player of
such a character spends Experience Points
appropriately. |
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SPELL LEVEL TO ACTIVE POINTS |
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Animi use the Spell Level to Active Points
model of the base Magic System. |
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NUMBER OF SPELLS
KNOWN |
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Animine don't "learn" Spells per
se. Animine have a huge array of Spells
available for their use, drawn from the
environment itself. an Animine essentially
"knows" all the Nature Magic Spells
of a given Spell Level up to the capacity
of their Magic VPP, and can prepare their
daily Spells freely from this list so long
as they are in good accord with their faith.
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This can make Animine extremely powerful,
as each time they expand their Magic VPP
they gain a plethora of new Spells. They
don't need to use "Magic Skill Rolls"
to learn their Magic, and in truth don't
even need to understand it. They are simply
conduits for the natural power of the world
itself. |
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ANIMAL COMPANIONS |
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Many Animi are accompanied by Animal Companions.
These Animal Companions are usually epitomes
of their type, possessing extraordinary
traits and attributes. This is best modeled
in the HERO System by designing each Animal
Companion as a separate Character (typically
using a Bestiary entry as a starting point),
and then take that Animal Companion as a
Follower using the Follower Perk. |
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Animal Companion: Follower Perk |
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Real Cost: Varies |
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ANIMINE GIFTS |
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With GM Permission, a Animi may also have
Gifts appropriate to their devotion to Natural
force. |
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Following are a few example Animine Gifts.
This list can easily be expanded upon. |
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GOOD STANDING LIMITATION |
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All Gifts should take the "Only Usable
While In Good Standing With Faith (can't
be removed; -1/4)" Limitation, which
as noted can never be removed (i.e. bought
off with experience).
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Nature Sense |
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Some Animi are able to concentrate for a
moment and become extremely aware of the
natural world around them. |
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Nature Sense: Detect (Sight): Plants,
Animals, Pure Water, (Class of Things
Discriminatory) (10 Active Points); Extra
Time (Full Turn, -1); Only Usable While
In Good Standing With Faith (can't be removed;
-1/4) |
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Real Cost: 4 Points |
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Woodland Stride |
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Some Animi are able to walk without leaving
tracks upon the ground. |
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Woodland Stride: Gliding: 6";
Ground Gliding (-1/4), Only Usable While
In Good Standing With Faith (can't be removed;
-1/4) |
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Real Cost: 4 Points |
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Sylvan Tongue |
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Some Animi are able to speak the languages
of many peoples that live among their forests. |
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Sylvan Tongue: Linguist; 7 points
of Languages for woodland creatures, Only
Usable While In Good Standing With Faith
(can't be removed; -1/4) |
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Real Cost: 8 Points |
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Resist Natures Lure |
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Some Animi are able to resist the effects
of fey and bewitching woodland creatures. |
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Resist Natures Lure: +15 Mental Defense;
Only vs. Woodland Creatures (-1 1/4), Only
Usable While In Good Standing With Faith
(can't be removed; -1/4) |
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Real Cost: 6 Points |
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Wild Shape |
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Some Animi are able to assume the forms
of many animals, gaining the abilities of
the creatures they emulate. |
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NOTE: Due to the large number of
factors that can affect the cost of Multiform,
the provided ability write up for the Wild
Shape ability is only an example of a way
to do this sort of effect. The specific
build and associated costs will vary widely
from Character to Character. |
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Wild Shape: Multiform (100 Character
Points in the most expensive form) (x4 Number
Of Forms), 3 Continuing Charges lasting
1 Hour each (+1/4) (37 Active Points); Extra
Time Full Phase (-1/2), Delayed Phase (-1/4),
Costs END Only To Change (4 END, -1/2),
Only Usable While In Good Standing With
Faith (can't be removed; -1/4) |
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Real Cost: 15 Points |
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Immunity to Poison |
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Some Animi are able to ignore the toll of
years and old age. |
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Immunity to Poison: LS: Immunity
to Poison; Only Usable While In Good Standing
With Faith (can't be removed; -1/4) |
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Real Cost: 8 Points |
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Timeless Body |
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Some Animi are able to ignore the toll of
years and old age. |
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Timeless Body: Offset Age Disadvantage;
Only Usable While In Good Standing With
Faith (can't be removed; -1/4); Real Cost:
8 points |
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Real Cost: 8 Points |
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Gift Of A Thousand Faces |
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Some Animi are able to change their appearance
with uncanny similitude. |
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A Thousand Faces: Shapeshift (Sight
Group; Cellular (does not count as Magical),
Imitation, Variety of Shapes: Limited Group
of Shapes), Reduced Endurance 0 END (+1/2)
(60 Active Points); Extra Time 1 Turn (Post-Segment
12), Only to Activate Constant or Persistent
Power (-3/4), Only Usable While In Good
Standing With Faith (can't be removed; -1/4) |
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Real Cost: 30 Points |
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Resist Energy |
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Some Animi are resistant to Fire and Electrical
damage, which is a flavorful and useful
ability to have. |
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Resistance to Fire & Electricity:
Armor 0 PD/5 ED, Hardened (+1/4) (9 Active
Points); Only vs. Fire & Electricity
(-1 1/2), Only Usable While In Good Standing
With Faith (can't be removed; -1/4) |
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Real Cost: 3 Points per 5 ED |
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Hibernation |
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Some Animi have an interesting ability to
go into a life-sustaining hibernation, appearing
dead but actually just resting. |
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Druidic Hibernation:
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Simulate Death (+5 to roll) (8 Active
Points); Only Usable While In Good Standing
With Faith (can't be removed; -1/4) (Real
Cost: 6)
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Life Support (Eating: Character does
not eat, Immunity: All terrestrial diseases
and bio-warfare agents, Longevity: Immortal,
Safe in High Pressure, Safe in High Radiation,
Safe in Intense Cold, Safe in Intense Heat,
Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum, Self-Contained
Breathing, Sleeping: Character does not
sleep) (40 Active Points); Only Usable While
In Good Standing With Faith (can't be removed;
-1/4), Linked to Simulate Death (-1/4) (Real
Cost: 27) |
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Total Real Cost: 33 points |
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Wild Empathy |
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Some Animi have an ability to make animals
like them, or at least be calm around them. |
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Animal Friendship: Talent defined
in Fantasy HERO for 5th Edition on page
103. |
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Real Cost: 20 Points |
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Wild Speech |
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Some Animi have an ability to communicate
directly with animals.
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Beast Speech: Talent defined in Fantasy
HERO for 5th Edition on page 103. |
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Real Cost: 15 Points |
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Rebuke Animals |
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Some Animi have an ability to rebuke, and
even destroy creatures that endanger them.
Use the Turn Undead rules, but rather than
applying to Undead, the ability works against
animals. The ability can also be used to
command animals. If the Animi doesn't have
a justifiable reason to use this ability
in a given circumstance but does anyway,
it would likely cause difficulties with
adherence to their Nature Faith.
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Turn Undead: Talent defined in Fantasy
HERO for 5th Edition on page 107-108. |
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Real Cost: 12+ Points |
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OVERRIDE: Restrictions |
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There are a number of restrictions which
apply to this type of Magic Use, as follows. |
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VARIABLE POWER POOL |
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Animine has a slightly different selection
of modifiers on the Control Cost of their
Magic VPP regardless of whether Wizardry
or Arcanis Magnicus is used as the base
Magic System.
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ANIMINE PREPARED CASTING VPP |
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If the base Magic System is Wizardry, replace
the Wizardry VPP Control Cost with the following: |
- Only Nature Magic (-1/2)
- Very Limited List of Spells (Nature Magic)
(-1; can't be removed)
- Only Change Spells With Meditation (Requires
unmodified Natural Faith Skill Roll and
1 hour of Meditation;-1/2)
- All Spells Must Have 1 Charge (-1/4)
- Only Usable While In Good Standing With
Faith (can't be removed; -1/4)
- Variable Limitation (-1/2; each Spell must
take -1 of Limitations from Focus, Extra
Time, Concentration, Incantation, Gesture,
or RSR: Magic Skill vs. Spell Resistance
in any combination at a MINIMUM)
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Total Limitation: -3 |
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Control Cost per Spell Level (15 Pool) =
1.75 Real Points |
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Total Cost per Spell Level (15 Pool)
= 16.75 Real Points |
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EXPANDED
REAL COST LIMIT |
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Animine have an Expanded Real Cost Limit
on their Magic VPP's; an Animi may prepare
Spells with a Real Cost equal to or less
than their Magic Pool times 3 (RC Limit
= Pool x3) each day. The Pool size is still
the upper limit on Active Points however.
Also, see
Cast Spells and Real Cost below. |
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EXAMPLE: Ulatha, Animiess of Alluxamar,
is a moderately powerful Animi with a 90
Pool Magic VPP; she may prepare up to 270
Real Cost worth of Spells each day, all
of which must have 90 or less Active Points.
As indicated later, each Spell must also
have 1 Charge, and using these Spells "locks
out" its Real Cost from the VPP for
1 Day. |
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ONLY CHANGE SPELLS WITH MEDIATION |
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To switch out the Spells in their VPP an
Animi must spend at least an hour in Mediation,
and then make a Meditation or Natural Faith
Skill Roll at no penalty.
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If the Skill Roll is successful the Animi
may switch their VPP around as they wish,
otherwise they retain their VPP allocation
from the previous day. The Animi may try
again, taking another hour of meditation
or prayer and gaining another roll at the
end of this period, but each additional
check suffers a cumulative -1 penalty. |
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If an Animi has both Meditation and a Faith
Skill then they may use their Meditation
Skill Roll for a Complementary Skill Roll
to their Faith Skill Roll. |
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ANIMINE GESTALT CASTING VPP |
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If the base Magic System is Arcanis Magnicus,
replace the Arcanis Magnicus VPP Control
Cost with the following: |
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ANIMI MAGIC VPP CONTROL COST (GESTALT) |
- 1/2 Phase Change, No Skill Roll Required
(+1 1/2)
- Only Nature Magic (-1/2)
- Set List of Spells Available (-0; can't
be removed)
- Only Usable While In Good Standing With
Faith (can't be removed; -1/4)
- All Spells must Use Charges (+/-0)
- Variable Limitation (All Spells Require
-1/2 in Incantations, Gestures, RSR: Spell
Resistance, Extra Time, or Concentration;
-1/4)
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Control Cost per Spell Level (15 Pool) =
8.75 Real Points |
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Total Cost per Spell Level (15 Pool) = 23.75
Real Points |
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COMMON VARIABLE POWER POOL MODIFIERS |
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The following explain modifiers common to
both the Prepared and Gestalt VPP Control
Costs. |
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ONLY NATURE MAGIC |
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Animine Spells are always detectible and
affected as Nature Magic. |
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SET LIST OF SPELLS |
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Animine have a finite
Spell List of Magic Spells available
to them which they cannot extend. On the
other hand they also instantly have access
to all of these Spells as soon as their
Magic VPP is large enough to cast them.
The relative pros & cons of this arrangement
are assumed to balance out for a -0 Limitations.
This Limitation may never be removed. |
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ONLY USABLE WHILE IN GOOD STANDING WITH
FAITH |
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This is the Catch-22 of Nature Magic use.
Power comes easily, but with a major caveat:
a requirement of specific behavior and limitations
upon how it may be used. If an Animi violates
the tenants of their Natural Faith, they
immediately loose all access to their Magic
VPP, their Domains, and any other separate
abilities that have taken this Limitation. |
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The duration of time for which an Animi
loses access varies depending on how serious
their violation was. For minor infringements
they might lose access to their abilities
for a only a day or a week, but more serious
infractions might require an Atonement (as
described below).
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This Limitation may not be removed. |
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ATONEMENT |
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More of a story element than a mechanical
resolution, it is up to the GM to determine
what task or tasks are necessary for an
Animi to regain "Good Standing"
with their Faith. Once the Animi has accomplished
their Atonement they regain the use of their
abilities. |
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SPECIAL EFFECTS
(SFX) |
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Magic Spells have very broad Special Effects.
In addition to any specific SFX that a particular
Spell might have such Electricity for a
Lightning Bolt Spell or Fire for Flamebolt
Spell, all Animine Spells also automatically
have the additional SFX of Magic,
plus Nature, and any "descriptors"
of the Spell such as "Healing"
or "Mind-Affecting". These mandatory
SFX cannot be altered by any means, including
Variable Special Effects.
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Note: A Cure Light Wounds Spell cast by
an Animi has the SFX of Healing Nature
Magic. |
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REQUIRED/FORBIDDEN
MODIFIERS |
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The following requirement is in addition
to the Required/Forbidden Modifiers of the
base Magic System.
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OVERRIDE: Magic School Skills |
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Animine does not segregate Magic into Schools;
instead each Animi needs a single EGO based
Power Skill called "Natural Faith".
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Natural Faith |
PowS: Faith (EGO) |
Also serves as a KS: Nature Lore and PS:
Animi.
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ITEM CREATION SKILLS
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Investiture |
KS: Investiture |
Used by some Animi to invest Nature Magic
into a permanent item. (Permanent Magic
items) |
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Wandcrafting |
KS: Wandcraft |
Used to create Ephemeral Magic Items that
have a finite amount of Magical energy stored
in them allowing them to activate a specific
Spell effect a certain number of times.
Druidic "Wands" usually take the
form of some natural item, such as berries,
garlands, animal claws, and similar. (Ephemeral
Magic items) |
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SPELLCRAFT |
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Animine does not interact with Spellcraft.
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OVERRIDE: Learning
New Spells |
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Animi do not need to learn Spells as described
above under
Number of Spells Known. |
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OVERRIDE: Creating
New Spells |
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Animi cannot create new Spells.
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EXTEND: Creating
New Magic Items |
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Animine can create new Magic Items using
the Item Creation Skills indicated on the
Skills chart above, and as described on
the
Item Creation Page. However, this
is a very rare activity for Animi in general;
few create Magic Items. |
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OVERRIDE: Package Deals |
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A number of Package Deals for Animi are
provided
here. |