in_nomine-digest Monday, September 10 2001 Volume 01 : Number 2366 In this digest: Re: IN> Successors: War, Part 3 - The Casualties Re: IN> The Shipley Heresy Re: IN> In Nomine: Anime? Re: IN> Successors: War, Part 3 - The Casualties Re: IN> IN/WOD heresy made easy Re: IN> IN/WoD Re: IN> IN/WOD Re: IN> IN/WOD heresy Re: IN> In Nomine: Anime? Re: IN> In Nomine: Anime? Re: IN> In Nomine: Anime? RE: IN> GIN Rules, Rulings, clarifications & descriptions Re: IN> IN/WOD heresy IN> IN: DL (1 of 3) IN> IN: DL (2 of 3) IN> IN: DL (3 of 3) IN> Successors: Peace ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 09 Sep 2001 19:31:37 -0400 From: "Jeffery Watkins" Subject: Re: IN> Successors: War, Part 3 - The Casualties A very moving segment. I have really enjoyed this series. Please keep going, I am looking forward to more. Jeffery _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 09 Sep 2001 19:52:19 -0400 From: "Jeffery Watkins" Subject: Re: IN> The Shipley Heresy This is sooo cool and sooo good. I LOVE it. Its also perfect for throwing it in the game where there are alternate universes, and it will really confuse the PCs about this group at first. Jeffery _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 09 Sep 2001 20:00:37 -0500 From: Andrew Hackard Subject: Re: IN> In Nomine: Anime? At 10:28 AM 09/10/01 +1200, Alex Liddell wrote: >Complete campaign backgrounds doesn't scream "a light plug-in" does it? No, but "32 pages" does. - -- | You can have my isolation | You can have the hate that it brings | - - - - - - - - - -- Nine Inch Nails, "Closer" | hackard@io.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 09 Sep 2001 21:13:04 -0400 From: Amanda Kilgore Subject: Re: IN> Successors: War, Part 3 - The Casualties Thanks... I'm a little stuck at the moment, but I'll try to get part 4 out tomorrow. Jeffery Watkins wrote: > A very moving segment. I have really enjoyed this series. Please keep going, > I am looking forward to more. > > Jeffery > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 03:24:58 From: "Perry Lloyd" Subject: Re: IN> IN/WOD heresy made easy > > A good idea, but I think you'll need more than "some > > tweaks". > > Massive understatement. > > > Werewolves will be the easiset thing to > > convert. > > Really? I would've given that honor to vampires and >mummies. > > >IN > > canon (particularly the Liber Canticorum) makes it very > > clear that magic doesn't work, which leaves Mages > > buggered. In fact, Mages would really mess up the IN > > world, as they have powers that supposedly only Eli > > should have. > > Or you could do Mages as Crossbreed Sorcerers; the bit of >Celestial/Ethereal heritage is the Mage's Avatar. This >allows them to get Sorcery without receiving an infernal >Force _and_ explains why they naturally have six or more Forces. Actually, since Magick works upon the Reality itself (much as Songs do) it - -should- function normally (the Liber Canticorum speaks of magic, not Magick iirc). Though, Magickal effects should also disturb the Symphony. for me, IN/WOD is a very very easy conversion, If you follow this one rule : One level = One dot. (WoD is on a five point scale, IN is on a six point, but celestials are really superhuman, and go beyond human maxmimum, by a factor of one sixth (human max is 15, celestial max is 18). So, just slap another dot on it and go ! Force/2 = Strengh and Stamina (round up) (Agility+Precision)/4 = Dexterity (round up) Charisma +0/+1/+2 = Charisma/Manipulation/Appearance 2/3/4 Intelligence/2 = Intelligence and Wits (round up) Perception/2 = perception (round up) Will = Willpower Songs' levels = Songs' dots # forces = # dots in a force (dice pool for songs = song + forces) essence pool = 2/3 stamina (GIN joke) actually, essence pool = total forces. Vessel level options : 1) One Vessel lvl (VL) = 1 extra soak die. 2) VL 1-2 : +1 soak die VL 3-4 : +2 soak dice VL 5-6 : +3 soak dice 3) One VL = one extra health lvl 4) VL 1-2 : +1 hlth lvl VL 3-4 : +2 hlth lvls VL 5-6 : +3 hlth lvls 5) VL 1-2 : take normal damage VL 3-4 : take 1/2 damage (round down) VL 5-6 : take 1/3 damage (round down) (this is my favorite option, it works well for normal IN, too) Abilities, oh, figure it out, jeepers. Fighting 4 = Brawl **** , duh. Intervention two or more 1s and no successes = intervention not in your favor six or more successes = intervention in your favor leaving it at three ones and three sixes is doable, but . . . stastically unlikely as all hell, isn't it ? Invoking your superior, dice pool = base target number to invoke, plus an extra die per IN+1 bonus. I really don't see where the WoD conversion problem is, can anyone point it out to me? - -Perry _________________________________________________________________ Téléchargez MSN Explorer gratuitement à l'adresse http://explorer.msn.fr/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 03:29:07 From: "Perry Lloyd" Subject: Re: IN> IN/WoD >Michael - I said that Werewolves would be the easiest to convert because >they don't already exist in the IN world Well, in the American version of the game world, at least. The original game has already done it. Not that you care. ;P - -Perry perrylloyd@hotmail.com pl312993@oak.cats.ohiou.edu http://www.geocities.com/perrylloyd/ "And that's the hardest thing for a human being to do - be wrong. Do you know that people would rather die than be wrong?" - --from A Matter For Men by David Gerrold _________________________________________________________________ Téléchargez MSN Explorer gratuitement à l'adresse http://explorer.msn.fr/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 03:32:32 From: "Perry Lloyd" Subject: Re: IN> IN/WOD >And another thing... Both IN and WOD put forward theories of the "ultimate >reality", which are not compatible with each other. The world background >for Mage is "the way things are", ecause Mages are awakened to the true >nature of reality, but it doesn't fit with IN, which also claims to tell >things the way they are. > >Richie Just because Celestials can hear reality as it is (via the Symphony) that doesn't mean that reality has to remain *constant*. Hell, Demons have their OWN PERSONAL REALITIES/SYMPHONIES for crying out loud. - -Perry perrylloyd@hotmail.com pl312993@oak.cats.ohiou.edu http://www.geocities.com/perrylloyd/ "And that's the hardest thing for a human being to do - be wrong. Do you know that people would rather die than be wrong?" - --from A Matter For Men by David Gerrold _________________________________________________________________ Téléchargez MSN Explorer gratuitement à l'adresse http://explorer.msn.fr/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 03:47:59 From: "Perry Lloyd" Subject: Re: IN> IN/WOD heresy >I dunno. Samingan Vampires are very different to the Kindred. I cannot >see anyone getting confused between the two. and who needs Saminga's vampires when you can make him be . . . the one who started the Cain myth and created the first Vampires himself . . . or something equally twisted. Maybe Saminga is a Cainite who became a Superior ? If Lucifer can do it to a human (Lilith) why not a Vampire ? (BTW, in the original game, Saminga is the Demon Prince of Vampires, not the Dead, that's Bifrons, so this would be a match "made in heaven"?) >Mages are pretty overpowered in WoD to start with, they are ridiculous. If >I was to introduce Mages it would be in the Ars Magica context. I suppose >it might be possible to think of the Technocracy as agents of Jean but to >be honest I agree Mages would simply not fit. Can U say . . . Children of the Grigori ? Human beings with the ability to mold reality unconsciously . . . whereas their Angelic relatives have to resort to mere Rotes . . . hmmm . . . Perhaps beings PART OF THE SYMPHONY has allowed them to learn how to alter it from the Inside Out ? >Hunter can fit pretty well (Mortal Soldiers), as can Changeling >(Ethereals). Mummy is plain silly. Wraith could fit. Hunters - agreed Changling - agreed Mummy - agreed Wraith - if you want it, go for it >>IN/WOD would be interesting, but would probably end up either IN with WOD >>bits stick on, WOD with IN bits stuck on, or something totally unlike both >>of them. unlike any other crossover in the world . . . >Possibly. Getting the balance right would be difficult. I have had some >success with an Ars Magica, VtM (Dark Ages), In Nomine game. > >The obvious route is to use GURPS, since WOD and In Nomine have both been >converted. I'm not a great fan of GURPS especially with high point >characters since it can get clunky but it is probably the best way. For GURPS In Nomine tips, check out my GIN website : http://www.geocities.com/perrylloyd/tabletop/perrygame.html for my GURPS IN touch ups to make Forces make more sense in terms of how they affect attributes, and also giving Perception and Will the respect the deserve in a GIN game. Ignore my Undead rules, they're silly and don't apply to you. >Further connections to tie the two together would be in the relationship >beteen the various groups etc and some other concepts. > >For example, >Demons are of the Wyrm, they smell of the Wyrm, or alternatively no >Celestial smells Wyrmy, but Dissonance and Discord do whether Angel or >Demon. ooooh . . . Weaver Angel Wyrm Demon Wyld Ethereal ? >Angels and Demons would probably have to take a slightly more >Masquerade(ish) attitude towards revealing their true nature to humanity, >but then again this does not shift that far from In Nomine. hardly. >Vampires are of course Damned, the reality of what will happen upon final >death will not be missed. It makes achieving Golconda the only way out >other than striking a deal with Hell and we all know how much a deal with >Hell is worth. The fact that a Vampire can achieve some sort of redemption >means that Heaven is not going to declare all out war on them and makes >them pretty interesting as potential servants of Hell. Well assuming the >can serve Hell without breaking any of the Traditions. ooooh. giving potentially a new Angelic word : Kindred. >So, I don't think it breaks either game too much, it's not going to be >canonical in the sense of either In Nomine or WoD but then again not every >game needs to be. or can be. - -Perry perrylloyd@hotmail.com pl312993@oak.cats.ohiou.edu http://www.geocities.com/perrylloyd/ "And that's the hardest thing for a human being to do - be wrong. Do you know that people would rather die than be wrong?" - --from A Matter For Men by David Gerrold _________________________________________________________________ Téléchargez MSN Explorer gratuitement à l'adresse http://explorer.msn.fr/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 15:55:34 +1200 From: "Alex Liddell" Subject: Re: IN> In Nomine: Anime? >>Complete campaign backgrounds doesn't scream "a light plug-in" does it? > >No, but "32 pages" does. Right. That's it. I'm getting glasses.... hold on.... where does it say 32 pages on the web site? That is where I was drawing my info from. I guess if I looked harder at the retail price it should have set off alarm bells. Sorry to be a pain. Alex _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 09 Sep 2001 23:02:49 -0500 From: Andrew Hackard Subject: Re: IN> In Nomine: Anime? At 03:55 PM 09/10/01 +1200, Alex Liddell wrote: >Right. That's it. I'm getting glasses.... hold on.... where does it >say 32 pages on the web site? On the New Releases page...but I see that it's not on the IN Anime page itself. Oops. I've emailed the webmaster. Thanks for bringing this up. - -- | "And he never shows his feelings, | hackard@io.com | Does the fool on the hill." | | -- The Beatles | ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 09 Sep 2001 23:08:58 -0500 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> In Nomine: Anime? At 11:02 PM 9/9/01 -0500, you wrote: >At 03:55 PM 09/10/01 +1200, Alex Liddell wrote: >>Right. That's it. I'm getting glasses.... hold on.... where does it say >>32 pages on the web site? > >On the New Releases page...but I see that it's not on the IN Anime page >itself. Oops. I've emailed the webmaster. I've just added a note to the news clip as well. - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 16:15:05 +0800 From: "Manny Nepomuceno" Subject: RE: IN> GIN Rules, Rulings, clarifications & descriptions Hey, Just wanted to add: In G:IN on page 78 there is a box that lists Superior Abilities. These are mostly drawn from the GMG, although a new one is listed that is not in the GMG. This is Create Hearts; it states that only Superiors can create Hearts, and that dissonance conditions are applied to the Hearts instead of the celestials themselves. (At least, that's my understanding of the ruling...) Thanks, :) Manny Neps > ..Have been sent to Beth who has decreed: > > It's a bit long, but very useful - I'm putting it up on > > http://www.io.com/~arcangel/GIN-INstuff.html till you get a chance > > to mount it on your pages, if that's okay. (And you can swipe > my HTMLization > > if you want, too!) > [thank you!] > > > > I'm currently fixing rogue problems. O:> > > > > Feel free to tell the list of this if you approve! ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 10:06:06 +0100 From: Omentide Subject: Re: IN> IN/WOD heresy >>I dunno. Samingan Vampires are very different to the Kindred. I cannot >>see anyone getting confused between the two. > >and who needs Saminga's vampires when you can make him be . . . the one >who started the Cain myth and created the first Vampires himself . . . > >or something equally twisted. Maybe Saminga is a Cainite who became a >Superior ? If Lucifer can do it to a human (Lilith) why not a Vampire ? >(BTW, in the original game, Saminga is the Demon Prince of Vampires, not >the Dead, that's Bifrons, so this would be a match "made in heaven"?) I like this idea. Saminga formerly of the Kindred and tempted into Hell by Lucifer. In so doing he lost the ability to create Kindred and gain those to create Demons and IN Vampires. >>Mages are pretty overpowered in WoD to start with, they are >>ridiculous. If I was to introduce Mages it would be in the Ars Magica >>context. I suppose it might be possible to think of the Technocracy as >>agents of Jean but to be honest I agree Mages would simply not fit. > >Can U say . . . Children of the Grigori ? Human beings with the ability >to mold reality unconsciously . . . whereas their Angelic relatives have >to resort to mere Rotes . . . hmmm . . . Of course. For this to make sense the Watchers and the Children of the Watchers need to we involved in this all the way. By watching and observation of the nature of reality a greater understanding of reality is achieved - hence Mage. In this sense Mages could be used and may even have knowledge of some of those lost Songs or alternative ways of creating the effects of them. My thoughts on this fall into Mages, Kinfolk, Changelings and Soldiers are 6 force beings (or the equivalent of). Kinfolk, Changelings and Mages are not necessarily aware of the symphony, they do not need to be since their reality is different. Instead the WW True Faith gives Symphonic Awareness and/or an ability ro recognised agents of Heaven and Hell for what they are. It should not be forgotton that True Faith could work for either side, one cannot believe in Heaven without believing in Hell. Vampires were (mostly) normal human beings, the embrace gives an additional force, Vampiric. The Garou become 7 force beings reflecting their incredible strength and attunement with Gaia - a step beyond the Kinfolk. It raises all sorts of questions like what happens if a Kindred embraces a Soldier.....? Apart from the annoyed Celestials when they find out. And what happens if a Kindred attempts to drink a Celestial? My thoughts are since a Celestial Vessel is not 'living' the blood gives no sustenence. >>Possibly. Getting the balance right would be difficult. I have had some >>success with an Ars Magica, VtM (Dark Ages), In Nomine game. >> >>The obvious route is to use GURPS, since WOD and In Nomine have both been >>converted. I'm not a great fan of GURPS especially with high point >>characters since it can get clunky but it is probably the best way. > >For GURPS In Nomine tips, check out my GIN website : >http://www.geocities.com/perrylloyd/tabletop/perrygame.html >for my GURPS IN touch ups to make Forces make more sense in terms of how >they affect attributes, and also giving Perception and Will the respect >the deserve in a GIN game. I will take a look. >>Demons are of the Wyrm, they smell of the Wyrm, or alternatively no >>Celestial smells Wyrmy, but Dissonance and Discord do whether Angel or Demon. > >ooooh . . . >Weaver Angel >Wyrm Demon >Wyld Ethereal Not quite. Heaven represents Weaver, Hell represents Wyrm. Individual Angels and Demons could have their own takes on this. It fits with the whole Black Fury Weaver Patriarch thing. I'm really inclined to do the Dissonance and Discord smell Wyrmy to the Garou rather than Demons per se. A Celestial Vessel is the same whether made in Hell or Heaven, and many of the songs (and some attunements) are known by Archangels and Demon Princes. A disturbance in the Symphony would be a Weaver thing no matter whether that disturbance was made my an Angel or a Demon. It is disturbing the fabric of a reality. >>Angels and Demons would probably have to take a slightly more >>Masquerade(ish) attitude towards revealing their true nature to humanity, >>but then again this does not shift that far from In Nomine. > >hardly. Yes, and I always run my games with the ethos that generally speaking Celestials should not make their presence known to Humanity except in exceptional circumstances. If they do they always gain Dissonance/Discord and if their Superior agrees it was the correct thing to do then it can be removed. >>Vampires are of course Damned, the reality of what will happen upon final >>death will not be missed. It makes achieving Golconda the only way out >>other than striking a deal with Hell and we all know how much a deal with >>Hell is worth. The fact that a Vampire can achieve some sort of >>redemption means that Heaven is not going to declare all out war on them >>and makes them pretty interesting as potential servants of Hell. Well >>assuming they can serve Hell without breaking any of the Traditions. > >ooooh. >giving potentially a new Angelic word : Kindred. Precisely. Or a Demonic Word. Or the Angelic Word Kindred and the Demonic Word Vampire which covers both Cainite and Samingan Vampires. >>So, I don't think it breaks either game too much, it's not going to be >>canonical in the sense of either In Nomine or WoD but then again not >>every game needs to be. > >or can be. Canon is something which IMHO should be largely left for official guidelines for submissions. Ashley. Ashley and Hilary omentide.omentide@virgin.net http://freespace.virgin.net/omentide.omentide ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 19:22:34 +0800 From: "Manny Nepomuceno" Subject: IN> IN: DL (1 of 3) This should really have gone out with the fantasy month posts... ;) Manny Neps .... In The Beginning In the beginning, there was the Void. And the Void became aware, and looked upon Itself, and named Itself God. And the part that named Itself God realized that It, too, was God, and thus named Itself God. The contradiction inherent in that settled in. For untold eons It struggled with the question: what is God? The Watcher or the Watched? The Namer or the Named? And slowly the perfect order of the Void fell apart, fell away. God dissolved into Chaos; and in Chaos there was no contradiction. God was both Watcher and Watched, Namer and Named. God was also, by then, quite insane. By that time, God had fragmented, and over the eons these fragments had become new beings -- beings who were not God, yet who had some of Its own nature etched into their very beings. Over time they grew in number, created from the stuff of God Itself. They developed common characteristics, distinguishing one from the other -- some resonated with Truth, the division between what is and what is not. Others struggled to understand the Relationships between the things that already were. Still others sought to understand the totality of existence, seeking a balance between their perfectly ordered natures and the emotional Chaos that was their inheritance. These were the first Choirs of angels: they were named the Seraphim, the Cherubim, the Ofanim, the Elohim, the Kyriotates, the Mercurians, and the Menunim. (There are other Choirs, but they are not essential to this tale.) They existed in the Void that was God, singing futile praises and half-hearted hosannas. Soon they grew bored and wove a Symphony to amuse themselves, taking material from the Void and ordering it into something that it was not. Into it they sang grass and trees, air and water, and creatures to populate their creation -- fish and bird and mammal and reptile. Into it they sang something of their own natures. And they were pleased. God looked upon them and was displeased, for the order of the Symphony was anathema to It. For the first time It noticed Its children, the bene-elohim, and struck at them in fear and confusion. Many of the children of Chaos were slain in the Winnowing; those who remained forevermore distrusted their Creator. Few of the angels remained. As a result of the Winnowing, some of the children found themselves changed -- their wings darkening and their natures warping. They called themselves Malakim, recognizing in themselves the bitter anger of a child who has turned against its parent. Still other angels found themselves...different, resonating less and less with their creation. Those who changed in this manner called themselves the Fallen, and found that they could affect the Symphony in a different way from their unFallen counterparts. They were the first true demons, and grew to craft their personal Symphonies, from which they learned to affect the first Symphony. Those who were unchanged looked at them with great sadness and fear, unsure of what they had become. And they fought God to a standstill, angels and demons alike, until It recognized their power. It agreed to leave them to their games. They were but children, after all, and games came naturally to them. God turned Its mind to other matters. Those who remained wove themselves into the Symphony, recreating that which was destroyed in the Winnowing and setting things right. They were surprised to find sentience already in the Symphony -- elf and ogre, man and dragon, each asserting rulership and dominion over everything that Was. Their children had come of age, and it was now given to the angels (and demons) to sit back and watch their story unfold. Thus was the world called Krynn created. .... Welcome to In Nomine: Dragonlance. This started as a tickle in the back of my head (which I'd hoped was an Iron Rev post, but no such luck) which grew to disturbingly large proportions. Forget Michael, Yves, and Dominic. Hell, forget Lucifer. They were the products of a sane God. There are a few differences in game mechanics between In Nomine: Dragonlance and regular In Nomine, which I'd like to point out here: First, there are no Lilim in the game. Not even Brights. Lilith never existed here. Second, there are no Grigori in the game. Nor Skulkers. Third, celestials and most non-celestials can breed. They (usually) produce five-Force creatures with the potential for a sixth Force. This is because the Symphony was created by celestials, not God, and it now exists independent of its creators. (Which explains the Fifth Age.) And no, this heresy is not about the Fifth Age, for reasons the author will keep to himself. Let's stick to the time when gods were...well, Superiors. Fourth, Malakim don't take the standard two oaths. They must still take four, however. On Krynn it's not known whether or not Malakim are angels or demons; it's assumed that they're angels since they're able to resonate with the Symphony. But no one's forgetting that the Malakim first appeared during the Fall, along with the Balseraphs and the rest of the Fallen. Fifth, All Superiors can create Menunim. Sixth, Interventions are a bit different here...I recommend that for an angelic player, a 111 just means something good happens, and something bad happens on a 666. (Vice versa for a demonic player, of course). Chaos may or may not be a figure in the game (GM's call). There is no Lucifer to handle Infernal Interventions, but there are still a lot of demonic Superiors. But as GM, of course, it's your call. Speaking of Superiors, let's meet Krynn's pantheon: (continued in next post) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 19:22:36 +0800 From: "Manny Nepomuceno" Subject: IN> IN: DL (2 of 3) (continued from previous post) The Gods of Krynn Note: the terms Archangel and Prince/Princess are used here for our convenience. As far as these Superiors know, they're gods. The Gods of Good PALADINE, Seraph Archangel of the Sun Glorious and majestic, the Seraph Paladine strives to encompass everything his Word represents: life, glory and hope are but three aspects of the Sun. Looked to by the other Gods of Good as their natural leader, Paladine strives to keep Takhisis in check; he likes the Symphony as it is, free from celestial rulership. MISHAKAL, Mercurian Archangel of Solace Honored as the most compassionate of their number, Mishakal is the Superior most concerned with the overall welfare of the sentient races of Krynn. Her agents spread healing and solace throughout the land, advocating peace and plenty instead of war and hatred. Few listen to what she has to say. MAJERE, Cherub Archangel of Steel Steel is Krynn's most valuable metal, used both for implements of war and as currency. Unlike the proud Kiri-Jolith, Majere is quiet and humble, often contemplative. He is much loved by monks, although the Knights of Solamnia also worship him. He keeps close company with Paladine and Kiri-Jolith. KIRI-JOLITH, Malakite Archangel of War Also revered by the Knights of Solamnia is Kiri-Jolith, the mightiest of the Malakim. Although they are both sworn to bloodshed and battle, Kiri-Jolith looks askance at Sargonnas, as his knightly nature and resonance for honor are at odds with the minotaur god's Word. HABBAKUK, Kyriotate Archangel of Animals Many question his presence in the pantheon of the Good Gods. Although he nominally sides with Paladine and his fellow angels, Habbakuk is known to be on very good terms with the Neutral Gods, and even with Zeboim of the Evil Gods. The Archangel of Animals is not overtly hostile to the sentient races, unlike his canonical counterpart. BRANCHALA, Ofanite Archangel of Song Known as the Bard King, Branchala is known to be on good terms with the elves and the kender. A true Ofanite, he wanders through Krynn, promoting fellowship, art and music. SOLINARI, Elohite Archangel of Light The god of good magic, Solinari has given up much of the scope of his Word to Paladine. He and the two other gods of magic (Lunitari and Nuitari) are often absent from celestial councils, preferring to focus on promoting the use of magic throughout Krynn. The Gods of Neutrality GILEAN, Menunite Archangel of the Book Representing all knowledge and truth, Gilean strives to record what is with the accuracy of a Seraph while maintaining the emotional distance of an Elohite. His Word is symbolic of all recorded knowledge -- that which is not written down is of no interest to the Archangel of the Book. SIRRION, Calabite Prince of Fire He is at turns insane and lucid, illuminative and destructive. Only Reorx knows how to channel him properly, but to his followers he is both life and light. Although he has Fallen, his entropy manifests itself as whirling rings of flame about his celestial form. Sirrion is the god of transformation. He is often called the Alchemist for his role in fostering change in Krynn. REORX, Ofanite Archangel of the Forge Patron Archangel of the dwarven race, Reorx is said to have sung the first note of the Symphony. His Word encompasses the act of Creation, although he has left the artistic aspect of his Word to Branchala. He is known to roam Krynn with great frequency, taking great interest in the workings of his creation. CHISLEV, Shedite Princess of Nature Nature incarnate, Chislev sits at the center of her kingdom and commands an army of animated wooden creatures, true automatons who exist to serve her and her whims. Unlike Habbakuk, who advocates peaceful cohabitation, she represents nature living on its own terms -- wild and unrestrained. ZIVILYN, Elohite Archangel of Wisdom Zivilyn is said to exist at all times and on all planes. When asked about this, he only smiles and changes the topic. Enigmatic and deep, Zivilyn collects all the wisdom of the planes -- what Gilean often disdains because it is unwritten is of great interest to Zivilyn and his agents. In spite of this, the two are great friends. SHINARE, Djinn Prince of Trade If he didn't distrust the Prince of Greed, Shinare would long have been destroyed by the other gods. He is the patron of money and commerce. Much loved by the dwarves, he works hard to increase his own wealth, and to decrease the influence of Hiddukel on the world. His Word, after all, demands that goods and services change hands -- although at some point, the issue of profit must be addressed. LUNITARI, Mercurian Archangel of Magic The "true" god of Magic, Lunitari strives to keep a balance between the often-distant Solinari and the unstable Nuitari, often providing essence from his ample stores to keep the peace between the two (after all, both their Words suffer because of their attention to his own...not that Lunitari really minds.) Aloof but friendly, Lunitari is the "human" face of the triumvirate of magic, and is often asked to speak on behalf of the two other gods, even in their celestial councils. The Gods of Evil TAKHISIS, Balseraph Princess of Night She rules with an iron hand and expects perfect obedience from her subjects. Drawing upon the full scope of her Word, she is locked in a constant struggle with Paladine for dominance of the Symphony. "The Symphony is mine -- I created it, and I will rule it," she says, coldly. The Gods of Good disagree. SARGONNAS, Calabite Prince of Blood The other half of war is the bloodlust and destruction that is the hallmark and legacy of every great warrior. Sargonnas revels in this, ignoring the life-giving aspect of his Word. He is patron of the minotaur race, disdaining the other sentient races as lesser species. MORGION, Pachadite Prince of Disease Morgion is the plague, and the fear of the plague, and the paranoia that lives in the mind of every sentient being on Krynn. Often working behind the scenes instead of out in the open, he and his meet in the dark, quiet places, developing new poisons and diseases to unleash upon the still-unaware world. The decay of the living and the useful into the dead and the inutile is within the purview of his Word, although he and Chemosh often argue about whether this is truly so. CHEMOSH, Shedite Prince of Death Closely associated with Morgion, Chemosh actively promotes his Word by killing things -- and then reanimating them. Skeletons, zombies, and liches are all his creatures, as much as living animals are Habbakuk's. Unlike the rest of the Evil Gods, he doesn't want to rule the Symphony. He wants to kill it. Takhisis keeps him under close watch. ZEBOIM, Djinn Princess of the Waters The oceans and the undead sea races are hers to rule, although she maintains a close working relationship to Habbakuk (his creatures are useful, but only marginally so). Emotionally distant from the rest of the Evil Gods, she rules her kingdom in perfect isolation, unaware and uninterested in the goings-on of the surface world. HIDDUKEL, Impudite Prince of Greed He promotes taking and keeping instead of giving and sharing. To him, all trade exists to increase his personal wealth -- a view he shares with Shinare, although Shinare has never trusted him. On the other hand, neither does anyone else. NUITARI, Habbalite Prince of Darkness Magic is a dark art and Nuitari knows it. Emotionally unstable, Nuitari draws strength from the influence of his fellows Solinari and Lunitari. Had he not chosen to focus on a single aspect of his Word, Takhisis would probably have destroyed him long ago -- her Word and his are remarkably similar. He regards his fellow gods with a cold disdain. Now just a few more details, and then we'll be done... (continued in next post) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 19:22:40 +0800 From: "Manny Nepomuceno" Subject: IN> IN: DL (3 of 3) (continued from previous post) Dragons Krynn's sentient races are many and diverse, unlike our own. The pinnacle of Krynn's evolution is the dragon, a creature of fantasy long dead on canonical Earth -- Uriel killed them all. He's never met a dragon of Krynn. Elves, humans, and the other sentient races of Krynn start the game with 5 Forces -- the same as a canonical human. The GM may choose to adjust this rule for some of the lesser races, like kobolds (and possibly gully dwarves), or for some of the er, bigger races, like minotaurs and ogres. I don't personally recommend it, though. Dragons start the game with 9. That's right, same as a starting angel or demon. Unlike said angel or demon, however, the dragon is woven into the Symphony itself -- it does not cause disturbance (!) unless it uses Songs or Attunements that normally cause disturbance. All Dragons can manipulate essence, and cause only half disturbance for doing so. And yes, Dragons do have a celestial form, although it causes double disturbance and takes lots of concentration for them to go celestial. They're not really supposed to do that on Krynn. They have corporeal, not celestial, Hearts -- they keep them with the rest of their hoard. Depending on their alignment, Dragons receive their daily dose of Essence at dawn (for the good dragons) or dusk (for the evil dragons). Unlike the other sentient races of Krynn, who top off at 15 Forces (yes, Soldiers, Saints and undead exist on Krynn), Dragons go up to 18 Forces. As an optional rule, Dragons may even go beyond these 18 Forces, depending on their age and the size of their hoard. I recommend the use of this rule if you're using Word-forces, as it places celestials and dragons on closer footing. Dragons may not be turned into Soldiers or Saints, and when they become undead it is through their own arcane efforts -- no Servitor of Chemosh has yet succeeded in turning a regular, living dragon into a death dragon. The last ten or so who tried were treated to a spectacular acid attack that sent them all into Trauma. When they die they go straight to wherever it is they go -- Paladine and Takhisis doubtless know the truth of the matter, although they're not saying. Heaven, Hell, Limbo, and The Marches Okay, we don't have a Heaven or a Hell yet -- but we do know that Takhisis is trapped in the Abyss. That's as good a Hell as we're going to get. Heaven probably exists as well, as it's game-balance-upsetting not to have it around for the Good Gods. And we don't really know where the Neutral Gods stay. There is also a neutral area where all the Superiors have Cathedrals -- the sky. The constellations change to indicate whether or not an instance of the god is currently in residence. And yes, gods can multitask, although they don't really do that very often. Limbo exists. Or it doesn't. Same as in canon. The Marches don't exist here, unless you want them to. Take note that there are no gods/Superiors directly involved in the Marches, unlike in canon. .... Ah, well. I guess that's that for now. More in my head but I'll write them up later. I'll leave it to Moe to write up kender, if he wants to...he's already done the Smurfs, after all. :) Questions and comments are, as always, welcome. ;) Manny Neps ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 06:21:21 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: IN> Successors: Peace CALLIEL MALAKITE ARCHANGEL OF PEACE "The world is weary of battle. Let it rest." In the aftermath of Armageddon, Heaven found itself leaderless. The loss of the Archangels would've crippled the Host if the remains of the Seraphim Council had not acted quickly to rebuild. The new Archangel of Light received her Word directly from God, of course; others were appointed from among the high ranking Servitors of the deceased Superiors. Calliel is one of these successors. Even before Armageddon, there were many battles in the War. Some were mere border skirmishes, while others were major engagements. Many lesser angels gave their Vessels in such battles, and some even suffered soul death. Among the survivors was Calliel, Malakite Master of War. As he viewed the carnage in the aftermath of these fights -- many of which he thought were pointless -- his heart broke to see his fellow angels and their Human charges suffering. As one who was prepared to die in battle, Calliel had never before considered the cost of war to noncombatants. After millennia of witnessing battle after battle, Calliel asked Michael for permission to study the cost of war. Michael wisely gave his blessing, and the Malakite went out into the Earth to the worst trouble spots that he could find seeking the answers that he hoped would make sense of what he felt. The compassionate Virtue had been on his quest for well over a century when the demons stormed Heaven's gates. True to his honor, Calliel returned to fight the Horde -- but this time, there was a difference. Where before he would've shown no mercy to any demon or Hellsworn, now he fought to subdue rather than kill and accepted any surrender which his Resonance told him was genuine. Calliel personally captured more than 20 demons that day, most of whom survived Redemption after Heaven's victory. When Heaven was done licking its collective wounds, Calliel reported to the Seraphim Council with a bold request. "Novalis is gone," he said, "But there is yet need for the work that she did. This I have learned; there is no honor in pointless killing, but power restrained is to be commended. I ask you to grant me the Word of Peace. If you find me unworthy, tell me what you require and I shall make myself worthy." The Seraphim present recognized the Truth of Calliel's words, so the Council made him the second of the new Archangels. Calliel is primarily a diplomat and healer. Novalis' former protectorate of plant life is something that he leaves to the new Archangel of Nature. Unlike Novalis, even the most warlike angels have no cause to see Calliel as weak or lacking the will to fight. His record as a Servitor of War speaks for itself. Also, his experience under Michael has taught him that being prepared for war is sometimes the best way to keep the peace. Calliel never raises his fist in anger, but those who start fights find that his fist is as powerful as ever. Like Novalis, Calliel will always try kindness first. But when kindness fails, he will protect the innocent by any means necessary. DISSONANCE Angels of Peace are not allowed to initiate or escalate violence; they may not start fights, nor may they employ greater force than is used against them. They must also render whatever aid they can to any wounded person (demons and Hellsworn excluded) whom they encounter. "Wounded" in this case includes mental and emotional wounds! CHOIR ATTUNEMENTS Seraphim Calliel's Seraphim know the Ethereal Song of Succor for free at a level equal to their Ethereal Forces, and can play it at no Essence cost. Cherubim (Restricted) The love of a Guardian of Peace is gentle armor. Damage inflicted on her attuned is reduced by the CD of the angel's Resonance roll. This protection applies to all damage done in a single round rather than to individual attacks. Most of Calliel's Cherubim prefer female Vessels. Ofanim (Restricted) Ofanim of Peace automatically succeed on their Resonance when evacuating noncombatants or wounded from the battlefield. The CD is equal to the angel's Corporeal Forces, and the player may roll to try for a higher CD. Elohim Calliel's Elohim know what to say to defuse a tense situation. They add their Celestial Forces to either the TN or the CD (decide before rolling) of any attempt to talk their way out of a fight. Malakim Virtues in the service of Peace -- and there are more than Novalis ever had -- can create a "circle of honor" in which anyone (including the angel) must succeed on a Will roll in order to use greater force than is used against them. This prevents a demon from drawing a gun on an unarmed angel, or stops an attacker from following through against a target who doesn't fight back. The circle has a radius in yards equal to the angel's total Forces, and the roll is made at a penalty equal to the angel's Celestial Forces. Celestials and Ethereals add their Celestial Forces to their Will rolls. Erecting a circle of honor costs 1 Essence. As a Malakite, Calliel well understands the First Oath. He makes it very clear to his Virtues that Redemption is one way of not suffering an evil to live. Kyriotates (Restricted) Calliel's Dominations heal their Hosts with their mere presence. When the Kyriotate takes possession, a wounded Host instantly regains Body Hits equal to the angel's total Forces (up to the maximum for that body). This effect also cures most diseases and purges the body of toxins, though supernatural or especially virulent maladies may persist. Kyriotates of Peace also add their Corporeal Forces to any attempt to possess someone who is within (angel's Celestial Forces) Body Hits of dying. Mercurians No weapon formed against these Friends of Man will prosper. With a successful Will roll, a Mercurian of Peace can cause a weapon within his line of sight to malfunction in some way. A gun jams, a bowstring breaks, a sword is dropped, a Relic fails its Song, etc. On a Divine Intervention, the weapon is destroyed and can never be repaired. Bright Lilim Gifters of Peace need not make eye contact to detect Needs for physical, psychological or spiritual healing; they only require line of sight to the subject. If they use supernatural powers to fulfill such Needs, they do not disturb the Symphony. SERVITOR ATTUNEMENTS Cost of War The angel gains a limited prescience that tells him what effect an impending conflict will have on a given entity (an individual, a family, a community, etc.). The angel must concentrate on the subject and make a Perception roll. Because this Attunement is a limited form of prophecy, answers tend to be cryptic. The angel will generally get the most likely outcome, and even that will usually be wrapped in metaphor. Flag of Truce By displaying a traditional symbol of non-aggression, the angel can prevent violence. Anyone capable of perceiving the Flag must succeed on a Will roll or be unable to attack. This roll is at a penalty equal to the amount of Essence that the angel spends to power the Attunement. The effect immediately ends if the angel leaves the area or initiates an attack of any kind (including verbal). Merciful Stroke At the cost of 3 Essence, the angel can land a single blow that renders her opponent unconscious for (angel's Perception x 5) minutes. The target gets a Strength roll to resist, and Celestials and Ethereals add their Corporeal Forces. This Attunement does not work if the angel intends to kill the target later or if she knows (or even suspects) that any of her companions do. DISTINCTIONS Vassal of Peace As the Seraph of Flowers Attunement, except that the base range is doubled. Friend of Solace The holder of this Distinction does not create Disturbance and need not spend Essence when playing any Song of Healing. Master of Sacrifice Every wound inflicted upon the angel heals others. Each Hit of any type that the Master suffers heals two Hits of the appropriate type to every innocent or anyone serving the cause of Heaven within (total Forces x 3) yards. This power stops working if the angel fights back (but healing oneself is not considered fighting back). RITES *Destroy a weapon. *Successfully mediate a conflict. *Treat an injured person using no supernatural abilities. CHANCE OF INVOCATION: 3 Invocation Modifiers +1 A dove +2 A sword beaten into a plowshare +3 No weapons within one mile +4 On the site of a battle that ended in truce +5 A signed peace treaty between warring nations +6 The blood of someone who died to prevent a war ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 The next time someones says "Talk is cheap," remind them of how much Oprah Winfrey makes. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! 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