Loot Sucks

I'm a fan of ARPG's (You know, like diablo). There's something about finding a cool item that makes you go "oh, I know what to do with this" that never gets old.

It's fascinating really, Diablo and it's ilk were born from DnD, but it isn't clear how. Loot in DnD actually kind of sucks when you think about it.

Why TTRPG Loot Sucks

Imagine you bust open the ancient tomb of the Zarath the Lawbinder, the highest paladin of this or any age, and find his enchanted mace that brought a thousand-thousand demons a true death. It's a +3 mace.

It's boring. It's so obviously boring. It's so deeply boring it spits in the face of finding a cool ancient item. 

And the issue is that all items are boring! Items tend to fit into the categories of "does something objectively better" or "emulates a magic spell". +3 mace? Does a mace, but better. Horn of blasting? Glorified fireball. Very few items do things that are interesting, such as a dagger of returning.

So Define Interesting

There are two forms of interest: opening up a new playstyle, or refining a playstyle. Let's go into them one by one:

• If an item has a unique effect that creates a new playstyle based around it, then you've allowed a PC with that item to have a unique playstyle that is inherently interesting by virtue of being new. A dagger of returning allows someone to play a real throwing weapon based character, something that is somewhere between difficult and impossible in most other games. But why stop there? Why not have a sword that doesn't consume poisons applied to it when it hits opponents, or a set of armor that allows magic missiles to reflect off of you?
• If an item refines a playstyle, that helps a player focus in on the parts of their character they think are fun. Refining a playstyle isn't just a generic buff, it's buffing certain parts in fun ways. A +1 dagger of returning isn't meaningfully more interesting than a dagger of returning, it's just better. But a pair of gloves that improves throwing damage when attacking from shadows is deeply interesting. How do you get use from that effect? Now your throwing playstyle is even more interesting.

So How Does Diablo Relate?

Diablo-likes are defined based on having interesting loot. A Diablo-like with bad loot isn't interesting, as you need the loot grind to make playing for more than a few hours worth it. Getting upgrades, getting items that make you think, that's what Diablo-likes are focused on.

You see both styles of interesting item in Diablo-likes. A unique effect item might be a unique item that changes how one of your core abilities works, or any item with a stat that you can't use without a build designed around it. Refining items are also common, such as with uniques that provide powerful bonuses when used with a certain playstyle.

Of course, Diablo-likes also have lots of items with raw damage bonuses, but this is partially to make getting new items interesting long term. A 10% damage improvement feels good when you're chasing big numbers, but we don't need that in TTRPGs. We just want interesting items. 

Side Note on Baldur's Gate 3

I've been playing through Baldur's Gate 3 for the first time. That game fundamentally understands interesting loot, and at no point have I found an item and went "yawn". Every new thing I find makes me rethink what is viable, what is possible. This ability might suck, but these two items make it disgustingly strong.

How To Make TTRPG Loot Interesting

This is going to be a bit theoretical for now, but let me toss some ideas out there:

• Remove generic +X items. They're boring. Replace them with ones that are situational. A +1 if you do Y.
• Add items with unique mechanics. Like actually unique. Don't think about if the players can use them, that's their job.
• More loot. Replace the game's primary progression loop from levels and XP to loot. Loot can't be an occasional reward, it has to be constant, many items per session.
• If we want to go full Diablo: a system to create loot from random tables. Actual items, with mechanics randomly determined. They might be useless, that's half the fun. 

I do wonder what a game where loot is your primary progression looks like. I understand that games like Cairn and Knave do that, but not really. I want a game where players buildcraft with their items (anathema as you might think it), finding interesting synergies and fun play patterns.

 

Peril and Card Based Statblocks

This post is a sequel to this post, and I think you'll have want to read said prequel post to understand this one.

In my last post, I brought up the concept of peril, a mechanic to represent how scary a monster is. I find that often, methods such as hit die or challenge rating are poor methods of explaining how scary a monster is. Monsters can do incredibly scary things with very few hit die or a low challenge rating, so they feel more like loose guidelines than anything else.

Peril is an attempt to fix that by making it clear: higher peril means the creature takes more actions. A peril 6 creature takes as many actions as 6 peril 1 creatures, thus should be approximately as effective. Truly, I dislike the concept of a creature that is higher danger just having bigger numbers. Is a 10 hit die creature more interesting to fight than a 2 hit die one? Often not. So while a higher peril creature might have higher numbers, it will come at the cost of other things. Peril is meant to be linked to options, rather than raw power (the raw power comes from how many actions it takes).

Other Notes

Hit die are weird. The fact they vary so much means that a hit die can be anything from one quarter of a sword swing to two full sword swings, but on average a hit die is equivalent to one sword swing, ie: if you stab something with 1 hit die with a sword, it should die. 

Let's say in this hypothetical card based TTRPG, that a sword does 3 damage, thus a 1 hit die creature has 3 health.

Also: monsters also get to specialize in a suit, but this should tell you something about the monster. Spades monsters are strong front line fighters, clubs monsters are either squishy ranged skirmishers or fast and high damage melee fighters, hearts monsters are healers or battlefield manipulators, and diamonds monsters are artillery pieces. 

In terms of the statblocks themselves, bolded entries are major actions (only one can be used and only on the creature's turn), and italicized entries are minor actions (can use after any creature's major action). Entries that are neither are simply things passive to the creature.

Peril Descriptions

• A peril 0 creature is a mook. It should go down quickly and easily and be of minimal threat. It should be weaker than a trained human soldier.
• A peril 1 creature is a normal enemy. It should be a fair fight for a trained human soldier.
• A peril 2 creature is superhuman, but not massively so. It should defeat a trained human soldier on average.
• A peril 3 creature is beyond the realms of normal human ability. A trained human soldier should only beat it with specialized equipment and planning. No real world creature is higher than peril 3.
• A peril 4 creature is beyond the limits of any normal animal's ability. It would take a group of trained human soldiers having specialized equipment and planning to beat it.
• A peril 5 creature is powerful, but not all powerful. It should be able to take on a large group of trained human soldiers with some difficulty.
• A peril 6 creature is the most dangerous thing that there can be. It should be able to fight large groups of trained human soldiers with ease.

Peril 0: Goblin

Squeamish and weak, goblins prefer horde tactics and indirect fights.

3 Health, Spades

Horde: Abilities that strike multiple creatures can harm no more than 2 goblins at once. Excess melee damage is dealt to another goblin in the same zone.

Half Rusted Weapon: Melee, 2

Scram!: The goblin instantly moves and then falls flat on its face prone.

Peril 1: Trained Human Soldier

The soldier core of many an empire.

5 Health, Spades

Heavily Armored: Soldiers always play the highest card available for initiative.

Formation: When three or more soldiers are in a zone, they take 1 less damage from all sources.

Swords: Melee, 3

Crossbows: Ranged, 2

Peril 2: Orc

From the barren north, where survival is earned. Fast, lethal, and excellent hunters.

6 Health, Clubs

Feathered Javelin: Melee or Ranged, 3

Sparking Trap: The orc plays a clubs face down until the orc next moves. When a creature attacks the orc, flip the card up. If the card would hit them, they are stunned until their next turn.

Wyvern Venom: The orc plays a clubs to poison their next feather javelin attack.

Peril 3: White Lion

When a lone lion survives for 9 years, it is blessed with pale fur and incredible magics.

9 Health, Hearts

Blessed Presence: At the end of each round, all allied creatures in the lion's zone are healed 1 health.

Blessed Claws: Melee, 2

Guardian Dome: The lion plays a hearts to change the initiative for all allied creatures in its zone to the cards value for the purposes of armor.

Silvered Shift: The lion teleports to one of its allies.

Peril 4: River Devil

Horrid beasts born of the deep abyss, the worst possible combination of crocodile, lion, and hippo.

9 Health, Spades

Rampage: The river devil attacks all creatures in its zone at the same time (including allies).

Ravenous Maw: Melee, 3, If this kills a creature, the river devil swallows it in a single bite.

Stomp: The river devil plays spades to stun all creatures with a greater initiative in its zone (including allies). 

Submerge: If the river devil is in a zone of water, it dives down. It may play another card as a minor action to rise up out of the water and make a free ravenous maw attack using that card.

Peril 5: Manticore

Evil and heinous, with barbed tails and wicked grins.

9 Health, Diamonds

Flying: Manticores are flying.

Barbed Spray: Ranged, 3, hits all creatures in a zone, but cannot be used in the manticore's zone.

Sting and Claw: Melee, 3  

Swoop: The manticore plays clubs to move for free.

Barbed Shower: The manticore plays diamonds to cause its next barbed spray attack to hit all zones except the one the manticore is in.

Peril 6: Dragon 

You know what a dragon is.

 

12 Health, Spades

 

Flying: Dragons are flying.

 

Fire Breath: The dragon plays spades to exhale a flame breath on all other creatures in its zone. Those that are hit take 6 damage. The dragon may only use this ability once per combat.

 

Claws: Melee, 3

 

Tail Whip: The dragon plays royalty to strike a creature in its zone for 3 damage.

 

Cracked Scales: When the dragon is first defeated, its scales are cracked, it gains an additional 12 health, and gains the following abilities: 

Volcanic Maw: Melee, 4, The dragon draws a card

 

Eruption: The dragon plays spades to cause all creatures hit by it in its zone to take 1 damage and be knocked prone.

 

 

A Card Based System

I'm back on my bullshit (I always am) and I've been pondering the idea of using a deck of playing cards instead of dice. Yes, I'll admit, I'm inspired by His Majesty the Worm, but I'm not just copy-pasting the idea.

For one, I think I prefer a standard deck of 52 playing cards to the tarot. Don't get me wrong, tarot are aesthetically pleasing, but I think a standard deck accomplishes much of the same goals while being more attainable for the average person, which is good because I've been pondering a game where everyone uses their own deck.

The Basics

Each player and the GM needs a standard deck of 52 playing cards plus a joker. At the start of the game, each player draws a hand of 4 cards. They must play cards from their hand to perform actions, the effectiveness of the action depending on the value, suit, or royalty of the card (as determined by the GM). Cards are played into a discard pile.

• Value is the listed number of the card, where aces are 1, jacks are 11, queens are 12, kings are 13, and jokers are 0.
• Suit is the suit of the card.
• Jacks, queens, and kings are royals. 

Sometimes cards must be played to beat a check. The check is succeeded if the value of the card played is equal to or greater than the value of a check, with a bonus reward for hitting the value of the check exactly. A player might choose to play an additional card to add or subtract the value of that card to their total. A player might also choose to push their luck. To do this, they flip over the top card of their deck and add or subtract it from their total. If this new value fails the check, they receive an extra negative effect. Most checks have a value of 10. In addition, a GM might call for a check of a suit (such as a spades check to bust down a door) or a check of royalty.

Note on math: any given card has a 30% chance of being 10 or greater, giving you a 42% chance to have a 10+ card in your first hand. However, this value changes over time, and an important part of the game is knowing rough probabilities based on what cards are in your discard pile.

When all players have run out of cards, or have decided to stop playing cards, they discard their hand and draw 4 more cards and Time Passes. Time passing is relative to the situation, but you can think of it as a round in combat or a dungeon turn.

When someone plays a joker they discard their hand, shuffled their discard pile into their deck, and draw a new set of 4 cards. Whatever they were attempting to do fails automatically, and has an extra negative effect. Jokers are bad. A deck is also shuffled if a player attempts to draw from an empty deck, though they don't draw any cards from the newly shuffled deck. They get what they get.

During standard play, the GM does not draw or play cards, but may flip the top of their card to determine things as they see fit.

Each player plays a character, which is represented by four stats: spades, clubs, hearts, and diamonds.

• Spades represents strength. Spades centered actions are often blunt, a measure of brute force and martial might.
• Clubs represents dexterity. Clubs centered actions are deft and quick, focusing on indirect means.
• Hearts represents faith. Hearts centered actions are about supporting oneself and their allies through devotion.
  
• Diamonds represents lore. Diamonds centered actions focus on knowledge and the proper application of such.

Each character specializes in one of these four stats, and can add or subtract 1 to any check made with a card of that suit.

Combat

When combat starts, each player discards their hand and draws a new 4 card hand. One of these cards is played as their initiative (they may play cards modifying this if they see fit). Starting at a value of 0, the GM will count up initiative. When a player's initiative is reached, they take a turn. On their turn, they may move once for free (additional moves cost a card, but require no check usually), and can take one major action.

A major action takes time and commitment, such as swinging a weapon. All other actions are minor actions, and can be taken at any time AFTER a creature has just made a major action. Opening a door, taking a defensive stance, or drinking a potion are all minor actions. These still consume cards, just not a turn.

Combat takes place in zones, roughly 30 foot circular areas divided by distance or natural features, such as walls or a river. Within a zone, movement is 100% free, though movement between zones is not.

When a creature is attacked, they become engaged with the creature that attacked them, and cannot move away from that creature without playing a card (with no check) to disengage.

Attacking involves making a check against that creatures initiative. Attacks do more damage the lower the final value is, assuming they beat the initiative. Some actions can negatively modify your opponents initiative, making it easier to hit them, and thus easier to land large damage. Like all checks, hitting the value exactly is an extra bonus, in this case a critical hit.

Unlike usual, the GM also draws a hand of cards, at least 4, though they draw an extra card for each point of peril the bad guys possess, up to 10.

Note: Peril is a system I've been pondering for years now. It's a replacement for the concept of hit die or challenge rating. Roughly, a mook, like a goblin, has a peril of 0. A more powerful creature, like an orc, has a peril of 1. A peril of 6 is the maximum, and is reserved for things like dragons.

As per usual, once all players (and the GM) are out of cards, they draw new hands and Time Passes. At the start of the round, each creature may play a card to modify its initiative if they so wish, but this does not replace their initiative, only modify it.

Example of Play

Ysgor the warrior is attempting to flee down a decrepit dungeon hallway as a horde of skeletons chase after him. He won't be able to beat them, so he has to slow them down, or speed himself up. He has a hand of 4 cards, the king of spades, a 9 of diamonds, a 4 of hearts, and the joker. To escape the skeleton horde, he needs four successes.

The GM narrates Ysgor coming to a massive chasm. Ysgor states his intention to leap accross, and the GM declares this is a check of 10 or spades. As Ysgor can do both with his king of spades, the GM grants him a boon, two successes on escaping the skeletons.

Next Ysgor encounters an overgrown tunnel full of lashing vines. Ysgor ponders a moment before throwing caution to the wind and charging through. The GM rules this is a check of 10, which Ysgor can only beat by playing his 9 of diamonds and his 4 of hearts for a total of 13. A third success on escaping the skeletons.

Ysgor next encounters an immense iron door, too large to open without a feat of super-heroic strength. Sadly, all Ysgor has is the joker, so his attempt to open the door is both a failure and attracts unwanted attention. As Ysgor shuffles his deck, the GM narrates a ghoul crawling out of the darkness towards him. Combat begins.

A ghoul is peril 1, so the GM draws 5 cards as Ysgor draws 4, each play a card for initiative, a 3 for the ghoul and an 8 for Ysgor. The ghoul acts first, rushing towards Ysgor and playing a 9, subtract 1, for an 8, a critical hit. Ysgor takes nearly half of his health in damage. The ghoul then uses a 6 to defend itself, changing its initiative to 6.

On Ysgor's turn, he swings his mighty battle axe, playing a lucky 6 to crit the ghoul back for excellent damage, then as a minor action discards the 2 of diamonds to blow his horn of thunder, finishing the ghoul off in a mighty blast.

With the ghould defeated, Ysgor discards his last card and draws a new set of cards. He is now wounded, and the skeleton horde is dangerously close, but he can almost taste the freedom in the air. The GM rules that opening the door is a mighty check of 15, and Ysgor's new hand is miserable at best, only getting him to a total of 11 when added together. Ysgor pushes his luck, flipping over the 4 of hearts, just barely managing to force the door open and get his final success to flee from the skeletons.

Conclusion

It's not a game, more of a proof of concept, but I think it's neat! And I can't get it out of my head. I've been thinking about how different concepts translate to a card game:

• A fighter might focus on changing the values of cards to land critical hits easier.
• A thief might focus on getting to draw extra cards for free.
• A mage might focus on suits rather than values, needing cards of different suits to cast different spells.
• Magic items grant abilities that require the use of certain cards, such as Ysgor's horn of thunder requiring a diamonds card.
• A GM could create an encounter table using both the suit and value of a card to easily determine what pops out to scare the players.

And the best part is you can play around the randomness. Perhaps it's just me, but I love the concept of players pushing their luck when their decks are full of good cards and the GMs deck is bereft of them, and playing more cautious when the jokers are near and all is bad.

 

I think that's interesting. Maybe that's just me.

Mass Combat

 This is a system designed for large scale combat, specifically between smaller sized armies. This won't emulate thousands on thousands, but would emulate a few hundred to a thousand odd soldiers on each side (think the Black Company). This system likely becomes extremely unwieldy after 10+ units on each side.

Units

Units come in 5 types: Infantry, Ranged, Cavalry, Siege, and Heroes. These are loose terms, treants are infantry just as axmen are.

Each unit is defined by its name, its health, its damage, and any special abilities. For example:

• The Fourth Vanguard of Poles (Infantry): 8 hp, 1d6, +2 vs Cavalry
• Goblin Rust-Arrows (Ranged): 4 hp, 1d4
• The Grain Knights (Cavalry): 12 hp, 1d8, Unbreakable
• Seedmark's Onagers (Siege): 4 hp, 1d6
• Malicrag, the White Dragon (Melee Hero): 12 hp, 1d8, Can attack anything, Flees at 4 hp.

How units are acquired is up to the GM. 

Combat

Before battle starts, the commander of each force decides their intended actions for each form of unit according to the following rules:

• Siege units attack anything before battle, but cannot fight during battle.
• Infantry must attack other infantry, unless there are no opposing infantry in which case they can attack anything. Infantry can also defend a target, taking attacks instead of it (regardless of which side goes first).
• Ranged may attack infantry, ranged, or applicable heroes.
• Cavalry may attack anything.
• Heroes may attack anything applicable to their type.

Afterwards, combat is started in the phases of Siege (First Round Only) > Ranged > Infantry >  Cavalry.

During each phase, each commander rolls plus their charisma (or attempts a Charisma check, or whatever fits for the game) to determine which force acts first. Units that are attacked are stuck in combat, and cannot perform their intended actions, instead attacking one of the units they are engaged with. IE: if you send your infantry to attack a certain unit, but they are attacked first by a different unit of infantry, they are stuck fighting the second infantry. Attacks always hit.

After initial engagements, units alternate attacking a unit they are engaged with, and ranged units firing at valid targets, unless a unit is engaged with them, in which case they fight in melee (ranged units fight in melee with a d4). If infantry or cavalry becomes free of engagements, they may engage a new enemy, abiding by their regular rules.

When the tide of battle shifts dramatically against a side, all of its units must make a morale check (2d6 attempting to beat their health). Units that fail are removed from combat. Unbreakable units never flee.

Post Combat

Afterwards, damaged units may regain 1d4 hp, up to their max at the start of combat. All other damage taken is permanent. Units with 0 hp are fully lost, though units that fled due to failed morale are allowed to return to the army and heal.

Example!

The Shields of Wrenn (Led by Galian, Savior of Wrenn) are a mercenary company charged with protecting a town from an aspiring necromancer and his horde of undead minions. The Shields have access to the following units:

• Wrennish Militia (Infantry): 4 hp, 1d4
• Long Mountain Dwarves (Infantry): 8 hp, 1d6, Unbreakable 
• The Rangers of Elding Lodge (Ranged): 6 hp, 1d8, Fights in melee with a d6.
• Galian, Savior of Wrenn (Infantry Hero): 19 hp, d8, 3rd level fighter

The Necromancer has access to the following units:

• Zombies (Infantry): 8 hp, 1d4, Unbreakable, Is defeated when their necromancer dies
• Skeletal Knights (Cavalry): 8 hp, 1d6, Unbreakable, Is defeated when their necromancer dies
• The Necromancer (Siege Hero): 4, 1d8

The Shields decide that their best course of action is to take out the necromancer, which means defeating his undead first, thus splanning to send both units of infantry to attack it, as well as their archer, and Galian.

On the opening round, the necromancer goes first (as he's a siege), and strikes the Rangers of Elding Lodge for 2 damage, dropping them to 4 hp.

Moving to ranged attacks, the rangers go, pelting the zombies for 2 damage and dropping them to 6 hp.

To infantry, the necromancer beats Galian in a charisma test, and the zombies charge into the Wrennish Militia, attempting to destroy them before they can attack. They hit for 3, and the GM rules this is scary enough to cause the militia to flee. The dwarves and Galian then engage the undead, easily defeating them.

Finally the skeletal cavalry attack the rangers, engaging them with 5 points of damage, easily defeating them. Were Galian not played by a foolahrdy player, and the Dwarves of the Lone Mountain not unbreakable, this would likely the end of their battle.

Luckily, it isn't, and on the second round of combat the dwarves and Galian assault the necromancer and easily deal over 4 damage, ending the battle.

Afterwards, the milita are patched up for their missing 3 hp, their wounds more psychological than physical. Sadly, the Rangers of the Elding Lodge have met their last hunt, and are given a proper burial as a respect for their service.

Making Cairn Combat Better

The Rules

On each character's turn, they get two actions, but only one of which can be used to attack or take a similar action (push, disarm, trip, etc.). A PC can forgo their second action to guarantee they go before their opponents (ignoring the DEX save).

Combat takes place in zones. Zones are approximately 40' areas. Moving between zones is an action, but moving within a zone is free and can be done at any point. A blast hits all creatures in a zone (or a number of creatures equal to the damage roll). You can use melee weapons to hit anything in your current zone. Ranged weapons can hit up to one zone away.

When a creature is hit in melee combat, it becomes in engaged with the creature that hit it. While engaged ranged weapons cannot be used, and if an engaged creature attempts to flee, all enemies engaged with it can attack it for free. A creature can disengage as an action to escape an engagement.

As an action, a PC can take a defensive action (block, dodge, or parry). If they take a defensive action and are attacked, they gain fatigue (but gain no fatigue if they are not attacked).

• Block - Attacks against you are impaired. You need a shield to do this.
• Dodge - When attacked, roll a d8, subtract your armor, then reduce your damage taken by the result. If the damage s reduced to 0, you are disengaged for free.
• Parry - When attacked, roll your weapon's damage and if it's greater than your opponent's damage, deal damage equal to your roll to their STR. If its lesser, take their damage directly to your STR. Neither of these hits trigger a critical damage save. If equal, nothing happens.

Everything else is Cairn as written.

The Explanation

I'm trying something out here, giving you the rules first and the reason for the rules second.

Anyways: Cairn's combat isn't the best. That's not a complaint, it's not trying to be good. I however, prefer my combat to be a bit more tactical. This is the goal of Block, Dodge, Parry, but I have some issues with BDP's implementation.

Quick and full turns are better represented by two actions (in my opinion) and I prefer zones to vague range bands, though that one is entirely personal taste, and I think engagements are necessary to allow the fighters to actually protect their squishier comrades in the back line, but what about the eponymous block, dodge, and parry.

Blocking and dodging in BDP work the same, they grant two weapon speeds (balanced and either fast or slow) impaired. Frankly, this has always felt really weird to me. For one its a punishment for using the middle tier of weapons, with none of the narrative bonuses of a fast weapon (ie: easy to hide) but none of the mechanical benefits of a big two hander. Yes you get a shield, but you can do the same with a dagger.

BDP attempts to fix this with the weapon clash system. I think it's a good system, though I wonder how useable it is at the table, but I applaud the implementation. A balanced weapon is equally likely to be the first to hit as it is to be the last to hit. That's useful, being average is often good.

But it doens't change that blocking and dodging are binary choices in BDP. Either blocking does the thing, or it doesn't. That's dull.

In my attempts at changing it, I wanted blocking, dodging, and parrying to hit different niches. Dodging is better than blocking, but only if you are unarmored, and blocking requires a shield (or a weapon capable of blocking). Parrying prefers big weapons (or a parrying dagger) but comes with high risk and reward. And that's ignoring passive defense in armor. Is it better? I don't know! It's not tested! Most of what I make isn't!

I've still been trying to implement the face down defensive card mind games of His Majesty the Worm into a game with dice. I'm not sure it's entirely possible, but the mind games of playing a horrible roll as a riposte and then acting like you played a good card is just so tempting. I need to find a way to implement this into a game that doesn't use tarot.

9 Truths of Neurim

Consider this a reboot of the Neurim Primer.

1. The Sun Never Sets

The sun is always in the sky, and the land is ever bathed in its white light and warmth. The sun is dim, and Neurim's moons are visible in the sky (like the sun, the white moon Corhael and the red moon Mara take permanent residences in the sky, while the gene moon Astla orbits once every day and is how people on Neurim track time). The sun only sets if you travel far, and when it sets the land becomes dark and cold.

2. Bocathia Was Great

The Bocathian Empire was the greatest in this or any age, an immense magi-tech powered nation that spanned the globe. They succumbed to Plague, withered and rotted away in their own decadence, and their ruins litter the land.

3. The Zetterites Have Their Hands in Everything

For 600 years, the Zetterite Empire have spread their laws and church over all of the sunlit surface of Neurim, spreading far past the point their logistics allow. Every nation on Neurim either submits to the Empire, or has made long standing agreements for peace. The Zetterites have kidnapped hundreds of gods, and most have no opportunity to worship except in Zetterite built listening rooms.

4. The Zetterite Empire is on the Verge of Collapse

The Empire is beset on all sides. The orctide in the South, the Tahls in the North, the backstabbing Nastrans to the East, the heretic Svoggites in the West. Several decades of war have made the empire weak, and it can no longer afford to assert control over much of its territory.

5. Magic is Dying, Alchemy is Surpassing it

True magic died with Bocathia, and what we have now is a weak facsimile. Technology progresses further and further every day, and it's only a matter of time before an alchemist discovers the secrets to efficient engine making.

6. The Second Little War Ravaged the Land

When Balisarius rose from the dead for the second time, he resumed his war against the Empire. This war ravaged much of the Imperial heartland, which has yet to recover a decade later. 

7. The Plague is on the Wind Again

Everyone can tell. Folks come to the High Capitol with a cough in their lungs looking for a cure, but the Plague is no mere unbalancing of the humors. Entire towns on the borderlands wither away, and soon the Plague will reach its tendrils deep into the Empire proper.

8. Folks are Different Nowadays

When Bocathia fell, folks started being born different. Signs, they called them, afflictions of the human form. They can change, as one ages. They modify appearance, and can grant powers. The stout and rock-wise stone signed were first. Then were the red-haired and attuned to magic fair signed. 

9. Bad Things Live in the Dark

Where there is no sunlight, terrible things lurk and dwell, twisted monstrosities rise up from the shadows. Everbright lanterns mark roads through dense forests and valley paths wreathed in eternal shadows, managed by brave lamplighters.

Haustoriamancy (For Cairn)

 Magic (the stuff you're thinking of) is a long dead art, practiced only through ancient scrolls and dying magitech. In this age we have haustoriamancy, or if you are of a less educated sort, enchanting.

Enchanters do not make magic items, no +1 swords or rings of protection. No, they bring magical to the mundane to let the mundane perform the impossible. Only in the hands of an enchanter is a torch a bomb, or a rope a binding coil, or a wolf's pelt a snarling beast.

Haustoriamancy is intended to be the primary form of magic in a setting, with more traditional Cairn magic existing, but not intended as a primary source of a character's abilities.

Becoming an Enchanter

Enchanting is a specialized semi-magical technique present in some members of society. For purposes of PC's, it is assumed any PC has the ability to become an enchanter, but lack the training unless granted to them by a background. Training takes 100 silver (silver standard) and several months of dedicated practice.

In addition, a haustoriamancer requires a ley-enchanted item, items with natural magic present inside of them. These items are either ancient relics (made entirely of non-conductive material) or items of deep sentimental value (again, made of non-conductive material). Regardless of what a ley-enchanted item is made of, it acts as a simple weapon (1d6 damage), unless it's a weapon that would do more naturally.

Enchanting

To enchant, a haustoriamancer uses their ley-item to infuse magical energy into an item, with the following restrictions:

1. Items must be non-conductive. Magic does not like metal.
2. Items must be a single item. You can enchant a bag filled with dust, but not the dust within the bag.
3. Items must be solid. Water is not an object, but ice is.

To enchant an item, a huastoriamancer gains 1 fatigue and expends an action (if in combat), and then afterwards can command the item to do something that fits for that item. For example:

• A candle explodes into a large puddle of slippery wax.
• A rope attempts to bind someone like a serpent of its own will.
• A quill writes a message on a paper when a certain trigger is met.
• A torch shatters into a storm of sharp splinters.
• A bag of dust explodes into an obscuring cloud.
• An arrow flies an impossible path.

After performing its duties, an enchanted item crumbles to dust if not destroyed by its action. The effects of these commands are up to interpretation. Creative use of items carries the day.

Enchanting Other Things

Additional training can unlock other possible items for a haustoriamancer to use. Just as learning enchanting, these cost 100 silver (silver standard) and several months of training. In addition, most of them are considered illegal in civilized lands, and will be stated as such.

Familiars and Blood Enchanting

One can create a loyal and intelligent familiar by spreading their blood onto an enchanted doll or other small construct. These familiars can communicate and follow tasks.

One can create more familiars, or larger and more dangerous familiars, but this is considered illegal, as a familiar will attempt to kill its master if it gets the chance. Small, singular familiars simply lack the necessary ability to do so.

Ley-Combat

One can learn to master the power of their ley-enchanted item. Ley-combatants can turn their item into any form of weapon.

Fire

One can learn to enchant flames, allowing them to guide the flame (not command) and increase its size and temperature. As fires are, of course, alive, they have minds of their own and will obey less and less the larger they get. Pyromancy is illegal. 

Wind

Like fire, wind is a obviously alive. Unlike other forms of haustoriamancy, to learn to control the wind you must first bargain with it by climbing onto the highest peak in the region and offering something of great value to the wind (the giants bargained their voices). Once you and the wind reach accord, you cam now bind to breezes and command the wind.

Bones

One can animate the bones of the dead (a complete skeleton is a single object, after all) into unthinking, but utterly devoted thralls. Only capable of simple tasks, such as hauling goods or pointing a spear at something and as effective at those tasks as any animated skeleton would reasonably be. Ossomancy is not necromancy, as you are only animating the bones, not returning them to unlife. Ossomancy is also illegal, but only on moral grounds.

Biomancy

One can manipulate their own blood, organs, and flesh through enchanting like they would any other object. Such options include:

• Using your intestines like a whip or rope
• Turning your nails into claws to use as natural weapons or to climb a tree
• Altering your face and body to be uncrecognizable.

Biomancy takes extreme toll on the body, causing 1d6 points of strength damage after an enchantment is finished. Legends tell of powerful biomancers being able to manipulate the biologoy of other beings, most notably to create the ketch, also known as the worst predator to ever exist. Biomancy is illegal.

Dreams

There is no magic in dreams.

Finding training in oneiromancy is difficult. There are few practitioner, and those who are hunted relentlessly. Oneriomancers can infuse magic into their thoughts to create phantasms of their ideas. These phantasms are real, but only temporarily. These dreams act real, though are obviously made out of thin magenta light, rather than flesh. Dreaming things into existence is extremely taxing mentally, causing 1d6 points of willpower damage. Oneiromancy is extremely illegal.