 |
| I shall show you fear in a handful of dust. Art Kinda By: Me |
Art Kinda By Me:
I used photographs of my own body parts (tongue, hand, and foot) to
create a basic outline. I then add details and color to create a new
piece. Since the photographs are of my own parts, and I gave myself
permission to use said photographs, no one is getting cheated out of
the money that is due to them.
Author's Note:
So, remember how I said I was
going to make short posts for awhile? Well, turns out, I may have a
problem... What started as a simple sigil/glyph/rune generator,
turned into a 6900 word behemoth. This is a sigil/glyph/rune
generator that allows you to generate: mark effects, mark shape, mark
location, and mark name. As with all my previous creations,
questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome!
A Brief History
of Runes/Sigils/Glyphs (You can skip this.)
The idea of symbols or writing possessing the power to
alter reality is an age old concept. Potency and efficacy of these
symbols or written incantations relied on the exactitude that the
incantations were worded or the symbols were reproduced. Numerous
cultures codified these magical incantations into complex
systems with their own mores and required actions. While this is in
no way an exhaustive list, it includes a sample from eastern and
western cultures:
Hieroglyphics: The Egyptian culture
and its use of Hieroglyphics has become common knowledge. However,
its use of Hieroglyphics to form incantations still remains somewhat
obscure. A number of examples of their use of incantations still
exist, the largest of which is the Book of the Dead, though
the correct translation of its title is closer to Book of Coming
Forth by Day or Book of Emerging Forth into the Light.
Incantations found in the book included: protection against
snakebites, prevention of putrefaction, and the ability to transform
into any desired form. Protective incantations were thought to be
used frequently on tablets or amulets that were commonly used be
citizens from all levels of society.
Runes:
Fantasy
literature and RPG's are rife with references to runes. Runes were
commonly used as the alphabet for Germanic languages before the
introduction of the Latin alphabet into the area. The earliest
example of the use of Runes dates from around 150 AD. The poetic Edda
mentions 'victory runes' that can be inscribed on various parts of a
sword. Other examples of runes used for magic include the inscription
of Tyr's name or the word 'Alu' multiple times in succession. The
inscription of meaningless utterances were also common, these
utterances were believed to be some sort magical chants.
Shou
/ Lu / Fu: The
inscription of the Chinese characters Shou, Lu, and Fu on clothing,
amulets, as well as many commonly used items is a tradition that
dates as far back as the Song dynasty (AD 960 – 1279). They
represent the three most important general goals in traditional
Chinese culture: longevity (shou), prosperity (lu), and happiness
(fu). The thought is that when items are inscribed with these
characters, often found in stylized forms, these items can attract
the concepts they represent.
Theban
Alphabet: The
origins of the alphabet are unknown, but was first published in
Johannes Trithemius' Polygraphia
(1518).
It's name comes from Honorius of Thebes, an individual who left
little to mark his existence from the Middle Ages. Honorius of Thebes
is credited with the authorship of the grimoire called The
Sworn Book of Honorius
(13th
Century AD) which purports to contain the combined knowledge of
multiple magicians/wizards. This alphabet was, as still is, used as a
cypher to write spells and incantations. The Theban Alphabet is still
used by practitioners of Wicca and modern forms of witchcraft.
Sigils of the
Infinite City (You can skip this too...)
Anonymous
“Forgotten Words for War” Undiluted
Truth (Infinite
City) 7th
of Anthesterion 6M – 282 pg. B2
Marchen. This is the
word we were given, its the name of the city's great enemy, our rival
in the Storyteller Wars. 'Marchen' was meant to replace our
memories, stories, and even the very terms about the enemy we fought.
Everything that
could mark the specifics of our great enemy was undone, burned away
to ashes during the Redaction. No warning was given, no announcements
made; they, the City Works Agency, erased it all one sunny spring day
and left us with ashes instead of memories. They told us that it was
for our own safety, then they stopped saying anything at all.
We can remember the
battlefields, hiding in mud filled trenches, rain cascading down,
waiting for the screech of a signal whistle. We can remember the
enemy soldiers: Brobdin (Twig-Men, Striders), Bladed Primates
(Grinder-Monkeys, Saw-Chimps), Raw Men, Whisper Rodents
(Speaker-Rats),and Munin (Spotlight-Crows, Light-Ravens). We are just
unable to remember the minds behind the war, the true enemy. I have
met many men and women who say they can see the 'Marchen' far off in
their dreams, but are unable to recall specifics when they wake.
Supposedly, there
are some who still do remember, rumored to be 'out there' and hunted
by City Works Agents. Tall tales told over whiskey have it that some
people, and books, escaped the Redaction. People hiding in the Pipe
Ways, carrying their memories and journals from the war. What do they
say?
Little, or little
comes to my ears as I sit in public houses nursing mugs of beer and
turning down the 'flesh workers' in from their 7th avenue
patrols. Though I have taken some up on their offers when my
loneliness became to great to bear. What little I heard was this:
words. Our enemy used words, powerful words in writing and sound that
could reorganize reality. Though the term 'word' might just be the
closest word we have for their tools and weapons, they may have been
more than just utterances and symbols on paper.
These words were
largely destroyed, or perhaps stolen, during the Redaction; but some
still survive, or so I am told. Unregistered Ink-Shamans and
Sumi-Priests are said to operate in place like Dhariva Estates
(The Estates) and the ports of the City Sea, though I was
unable to locate any of these individuals. These Ink-Shamans and
Sumi-Priests are said to have the greatest knowledge of Marchen
Words, and know how to empower them through the process of tattooing.
How the words worked
outside of the skin, I was unable to find out. However, I located an
old man, wandering an alley behind a public house, on his skin was
one of the Marchen words. From the sigil on his palm he could throw
bolts of fire, though he tended only to dampen such bolts to little
tongues of flame which he used to light cigar butts he found in the
gutter. He wouldn't tell me how he got such a mark, and ran when he
saw a suited man walking down the street.
The suited man
followed the older one down the alley. I have been back to the place
many times, I have never seen either of the men again...
 |
| The art of Tattooing is called Irezumi in Japan, the traditional tools for which are call Tebori. |
The Search and
the Price...
Even if you are not
using the setting I am developing (the Infinite City), finding
someone to apply one of these tattoos should be difficult. Ideally,
these sigils should be some kind of lost language, and the knowledge
of such should be a closely guarded secret.
How difficult the
search for someone with the right knowledge should be, is up to the
GM. I recommend that if this is something you wish to add to your
game you should make it at least one adventure / session to locate
such a person.
The cost for one of
these things should be expensive, the amount of power a tattooed
sigil can grant is sizable. Here is a list of recommended prices for
various systems, though the GM is encouraged to increase/decrease the
prices to fit their game:
3.PF: 3000
gp Elemental (Active) / 2000 gp Elemental (Passive) / 7000 gp
Non-Elemental (Passive)
OSR (sp Used for
LotFP): 4000 gp/sp Elemental
(Active) / 3000 gp Elemental (Passive) / 8000 gp Non-Elemental
(Passive)
Pits &
Perils: 1500 gp Elemental
(Active) / 1000 gp Elemental (Passive) / 4000 gp Non-Elemental
(Passive)
Into the Odd: 30
G Elemental (Active) / 20 G Elemental (Passive) /60 G Non-Elemental
(Passive)
The prices note that
there are 4 kinds of sigils, active and passive as well as elemental
and non-elemental. Each type will be covered in the next section.
Powers and
Abilities
The first two types
of sigils are active and passive. Active sigils require the user to
expend effort in order to gain the benefits they grant, the type of
effort/action needed to activate a sigil is the same as that required
to activate a magic item (Standard Action for 3.PF) and does
not leave the user especially vulnerable to attacks of opportunity.
Passive sigils always grant the user benefits, and do not require
effort to activate them.
The second two types
of sigils are elemental and non-elemental. Active elemental sigils
always do energy damage of the element the sigil is aligned to (fire
for flame sigil, acid for the earth sigil, etc...). Passive elemental
sigils provide resistance to the energy type the sigil is aligned to
(fire for flame sigil, acid for the earth sigil, etc...).
Non-elemental sigils only come in the passive type, not (currently)
having an active form.
Elemental
Sigils
As stated before,
the elemental sigils provide the ability to deal damage and to resist
damage to and from a particular element.
Active
Active sigils deal
damage of the energy type associated with their particular element.
The GM has the option of two different 'damage schemes' when deciding
how to integrate sigils into their game: dynamic and static.
Dynamic Damage
Dice
In this scheme the
sigil doesn't have a set damage die, rather the damage die varies
based upon a percentage roll that is made each time the sigil is used
or at the start of combat (GM's choice). The main reason behind using
this type of damage scheme is to make the use of sigils 'feel'
different than using a spell or magic item. The in-game explanation
for this variable damage is that the sigils derive their potency from
the meaning of the word they represent, the more often a word is used
the less meaningful it becomes. Damage fluctuations come from how
often the sigil/word is being used across existence, the more the
word is being used the less power it possesses.
To come up with the
percentage point spread for the sigils, I used a Brownian Movement
model along a single dimension with whole number unit types, like a
number line, this model is called 'A Random Walk'. The default setup
I am using is 5 sets of percentages using 1D8 as the most likely
damage, I have also included the basic percentages for setups using 3
to 6 different sets of percentages. To use alternate sets or damage
dice, assign the most likely set of percentages with a damage die you
feel comfortable being used most often. Then assign the highest and
lowest damage dice you would be comfortable using to the least likely
percentages. Finally, fill in the remaining percentage points by
stepping up and down the damage dice from the two extremes until to
reach your most likely damage die.
With 5 possible
points, at the lowest and highest extremes there is a 1/16 chance of
reaching such a distance. The second largest distances in either
direction have a 4/16 chance of reach said distances. The middle
point, or 0 on the number line, has a 6/16 chance of staying put. I
put 1D8 at the start, or 0 point, then figured the percentages as an
expansion from there. There is a guy named Toth who did a lot of work
with the most visited sites along a line with set units. Along with
proving that there is a maximum of 3 most visited site from each side
of the start point of line with units, he also worked out the basic
probabilities for each point. Common sites along the number line like
to be symmetrically spaced, since the there is no greater likelihood
for any particular direction. With 5 possible points, the 0
point/start point is given the highest likelihood, though presently I
am not sure why. I don't understand this stuff completely, but I am
learning. Here some of the websites I have been using to learn about
1-Dimensional Brownian Movement / Random Walk Along a Line:
Wolfram
MathWorld - LINK
MIT - LINK
Wikipedia - LINK
Default
Percentage Sets / 5 Percentage Sets
– Due to the lack of whole numbers in the actual percentage spread,
the most likely percentage was rounded up while the rest were rounded
down.
1-6:
1D4 (Least Likely - 6%)
7-31:
1D6 (Moderate Likelihood - 25%)
32-69:
1D8 (Most Likely - 38%)
70-94:
1D10 (Moderate Likelihood - 25%)
95-100:
1D12 (Least Likely - 6%)
3
Percentage Sets
1-25:
Lowest Damage (Least Likely - 25%)
26-75:
Middle Damage (Most Likely - 50%)
76-100:
Highest Damage (Least Likely - 25%)
4
Percentage Sets –
Due to the exact percentages not being whole numbers, the highest and
lowest were rounded up, with the middle sets being rounded down.
1-13:
Lowest Damage (Least Likely - 13%)
14-50:
1st
Middle Damage (Most Likely - 37%)
51-87:
2nd
Middle Damage (Most Likely - 37%)
88-100:
Highest Damage (Least Likely - 13%)
6
Percentage Sets
1-3:
Lowest Damage (Least Likely - 3%)
4-19:
2nd
Lowest Damage (Moderate Likelihood - 16%)
20-50:
1st
Middle Damage (Most Likely - 31%)
51-81:
2nd
Middle Damage (Most Likely - 31%)
82-97:
2nd
Highest Damage (Moderate Likelihood - 16%)
98-100:
Highest Damage (Least Likely – 3%)
The to-hit, range,
and activation rules for sigils vary by rules system:
3.PF:
The
sigil requires a ranged touch attack to hit a target. Maximum range
is equal 25 feet +5 feet per level. Activating a sigil is a standard
action that
doesn't
provoke an attack of opportunity.
OSR:
The
sigil automatically hits a target within range, with the target
getting a save versus Device to halve the damage. The maximum range
for the sigil is equal to 25 feet +5 feet for every 2 levels beyond
the 1st
(ex: 3rd,
5th,
etc...). Activating the sigil is the equivalent of making an attack
during a round.
Pits
& Perils (w/ Damage Recommendations):
Sigils
require a normal to-hit roll, requiring 9+ to hit, with wizards,
clerics, and elves getting a +1 to this roll. Those with the
Intelligence
ability
also receive a +1 bonus for to-hit rolls. The sigil has a maximum
range of 45 feet +5 feet per level. It is recommended for the GM to
use either the 3 or 4 percentage sets, with 1 being the lowest damage
and 3 or 4 being the highest.
Into
the Odd: Sigils
work like any other Arcana or weapon.
Static
Damage Dice
Here the damage die
always remains the same for the Sigil. Rules for to-hit and damage
vary by system:
3.PF:
The
sigil requires a ranged touch attack to hit a target. Maximum range
is equal 25 feet +5 feet per level. Activating a sigil is a standard
action that
doesn't
provoke an attack of opportunity. Damage:
1D4
w/ the damage die increasing by 1 step every 4 levels after the 1st
(ex: 1D6 at 5th
level, 1D8 at 9th,
1D10 at 13th
level, and 1D12 at 17th
level).
OSR:
The
sigil automatically hits a target within range, with the target
getting a save versus Device to halve the damage. The maximum range
for the sigil is equal to 25 feet +5 feet for every 2 levels beyond
the 1st
(ex: 3rd,
5th,
etc...). Activating the sigil is the equivalent of making an attack
during a round. Damage:
1D4
w/ the damage die increasing by 1 step every 4 levels after the 1st
(ex: 1D6 at 5th
level, 1D8 at 9th,
1D10 at 13th
level, and 1D12 at 17th
level).
Pits
& Perils: Sigils
require a normal to-hit roll, requiring 9+ to hit, with wizards,
clerics, and elves getting a +1 to this roll. Those with the
Intelligence
ability
also receive a +1 bonus for to-hit rolls. The sigil has a maximum
range of 45 feet +5 feet per level. Damage:
2
Hits (9 to 11) and 3 Hits (12+)
Into
the Odd: Sigils
work like any other Arcana or weapon. It does 1D12 damage, but the
user cannot use the sigil and move during the same round.
Damage Type by
Element
Flame: Fire
Waves/Water: Cold
Earth: Acid
Gusts/Wind:
Electricity
Sound: Sonic
Gravity: Crushing
and Tearing (½ Bludgeoning and ½ Slashing)
How
Often?
The question of how
often is up to the GM, since each game has its own power balance that
needs to be maintained. Here are a list of options that could fit any
number of power levels:
Option #1 (Low
Usage): Character may use their
Active Elemental Sigils 1/Day + 1 extra usage for every two levels
beyond the 1st
(ex: 2 uses at level 3, 3 uses at level 5, etc...)
Option #2
(Moderate Usage): Character
may use their Active Elemental Sigils 1/Day + 1 extra usage per level
the character possesses.
Option #3 (High
Usage): Character may use
their Active Elemental Sigils 1/Day + 2 extra usages per level the
character possesses.
Option #4
(Unlimited w/ Check): Character
must make a DC 15 level check (Level + 1D20) as part of the sigil's
activation, with a failed check resulting in the character wasting
their action.
Option #5
(Unlimited): Characters may use
their sigil at will as they would any other weapon or magical item
without charges.
 |
| This didn't come out as well as I'd like. Art Kinda By: Me |
Passive
While active
elemental sigils possess the same basic mechanics, passive elemental
sigils possess some variance of mechanics between them. Each passive
sigil grants a level of damage resistance to the element the sigil is
aligned to, as well as a minor ability that fits the 'theme' of the
element.
3.PF
Resistance and Abilities
Flame: 4
Fire Resistance +1
Fire Resistance per level. Cast Spark
(LINK) at will.
Waves/Water: 4
Cold Resistance +1 Cold Resistance per level. Cast Drench
(LINK) at will.
Earth: 4
Acid Resistance +1 Acid Resistance per level. Cast Root
(LINK) at will.
Gusts/Wind: 4
Electricity Resistance +1 Electricity Resistance per level. Cast
Breeze (LINK)
at will.
Sound: 4
Sonic Resistance +1 Sonic Resistance per level. Cast Message
(LINK) at will.
Gravity: 2
Bludgeoning Resistance and 2 Slashing Resistance, +1 Bludgeoning
Resistance every even level, +1 Slashing Resistance every odd level.
Cast Jump (LINK)
1/day plus +1 extra use every 2 levels after the 1st
(3rd,
5th,
7th,
etc...), cast Feather
Fall (LINK) 1/day +1
extra use every 2 levels after the 1st
(3rd,
5th,
7th,
etc...).
OSR
Resistance and Abilities
Flame: 4
Fire Resistance +1
Fire Resistance per level. Cast Spark
at will. Spark:
This works as if you
were using flint and steel except that you can use spark in any sort
of weather and it takes much less time to actually ignite an object.
Sparks are emitted from the casters fingertips.
Waves/Water: 4
Cold Resistance +1 Cold Resistance per level. Cast Create
Gulp of Water at will.
Gulp of Water: Creates
a small amount of drinkable water, roughly the amount that an adult
human could cup in their hands. This has the same range as Create
Food and Water.
Earth: 4
Acid Resistance +1 Acid Resistance per level. Cast Root
at will. Root:
Makes the caster unmovable for 2 rounds.
Gusts/Wind: 4
Electricity Resistance +1 Electricity Resistance per level. Cast
Breeze at
will. Breeze: You
create a light wind that blows against the target, from a direction
of your choice. The breeze grants the subject a +2 bonus on saves
against very hot conditions, severe heat, breath weapons, and saves
against cloud vapors and gases (such as cloudkill, stinking cloud,
and inhaled poisons). This spell does not function without air or
underwater. You can only have one breeze active at any one time. If
you cast this spell while another casting is still in effect, the
previous casting is dispelled. Duration: 1
Hour. Range: 25 ft
(+5 feet/level).
Sound: 4
Sonic Resistance +1 Sonic Resistance per level. Cast Message
(LINK) at will.
Gravity: 2
Bludgeoning Resistance and 2 Slashing Resistance, +1 Bludgeoning
Resistance every even level, +1 Slashing Resistance every odd level.
Cast Jump (LINK)
1/day plus +1 extra use every 2 levels after the 1st
(3rd,
5th,
7th,
etc...), cast Feather
Fall (LINK) 1/day +1
extra use every 2 levels after the 1st
(3rd,
5th,
7th,
etc...).
Pits
and Perils
Flame: 2
Fire Resistance. Cast Ring
(P&P Book III)
1/Day.
Waves/Water: 2
Cold Resistance. Cast Mist
(P&P Book III)
1/Day.
Earth: 2
Acid Resistance. Cast Hole
(P&P Book III)
1/Day.
Gusts/Wind: 2
Electricity Resistance. Cast Bolt
(P&P Book I) 1/Day.
Sound: 2
Sonic Resistance. Cast Mute
(P&P Book I) 1/Day.
Gravity: 1
Bludgeoning Resistance and 1 Slashing Resistance. Cast Void
(P&P Book III) 1/
Day
Into
the Odd
Flame: 5
Armor against Fire/Heat damage. Burning
Light 1/Day per Level.
Burning Light: Cause
an object within line of sight to glow with red light. Contact with
the glowing object causes burning pain. The light lasts for 1 hour or
until the user dismisses it.
Waves/Water: 5
Armor against Cold damage. Mist
1/Day per level. Mist:
Mist surrounds you and
everyone within 20ft. Missiles cannot pass through the smoke. Mist
lasts for an hour or until the user dismisses it.
Earth: 5
Armor against Acid. Cast Pass
Earthly Barriers 1/use
per level. Pass Earthly
Barriers: Phase through
a wall or floor made of dirt, stone, or metal with any objects you
are carrying.
Gusts/Wind: 5
Armor against Electricity damage. Electro-Shock
1/Day per level.
Electro-Shock: Fire
a bolt of electricity at a target, they must pass a will save or lose
d6 Str.
Sound: 5
Armor against Sonic damage. Sonic
Boom 1/Day per level.
Sonic Boom: Glass,
crystal or ceramic objects within 5ft are shattered. In addition, one
object you are touching (wielder may avoid with a str save) is
shattered. This object must be light enough for you to lift.
Gravity: 2
Armor against Bludgeoning damage and 2 Armor against Slashing damage.
Singularity Crush 1/
Day per level. Singularity
Crush: Obliterate a
man-sized or smaller object you touch. No effect on living tissue.
 |
| A Nuku Hivan Warrior |
Non-Elemental
Sigils
The abilities of
non-elemental sigils are not as clear cut as the elemental variety.
Rather, non-elemental sigils are based off of concepts, rather than
elemental forces. These concepts are: charm, authority,
vitality/blood, and change. As with the previous set of sigils, the
non-elemental sigils come only in passive forms.
3.PF
Abilities
Charm: All
humanoid creatures (or the base creature type of the wearer) who
encounter the wearer begin the encounter as 'Helpful' if the
character isn't engaging in anything the NPC would find objectionable
at the time of the encounter. All other encounters occur as they
normally would if they see the character doing something they do not
like. (ex: Bob the barbarian is wandering around town, but isn't
breaking any laws. He encounters a town guard, who is very helpful
and answers all of his questions. Wendy the wizard is wandering
around the orc fortress, somewhere she doesn't have permission to be.
She comes across an orc and asks politely where they keep all their
treasure, to which the orc responds by attempting to stab her.)
Authority:
Those who bear the sigil are always assumed to be some kind of
visiting ruler by those they encounter. Anyone who swears fealty to
the wearer by kissing the sigil are granted a morale bonus of +1 to
saves against charm and fear as well as +1 bonus to-hit and damage
with weapons. These bonuses lasts as long as the bearer continues to
possess the sigil, the bearer honors their promises made to those who
swear fealty to them, and the bearer remains loyal to the wearer of
the sigil. Finally, the character is granted access to the Leadership
feat.
Drawbacks:
Keep
in mind being considered a King/Queen is not a perfect advantage,
since it becomes nearly impossible to move around a crowd without
drawing attention, a paranoid ruler may see the wearer is a possible
usurper to their throne, or unscrupulous bandits may attempt to
capture the wearer to ransom them.
Vitality/Blood:
The bearer of this sigil is
very hard to kill, in fact, most of the time, they just refuse to
die. The sigil grants a number of abilities:
Diehard:
The
character automatically stabilizes when brought below 0 HP.
Life
Before Undeath: Grants
a bonus to all saves versus Necromatic effects equal to ½ the
character's level, minimum +1.
Strong
Blood: Grants
the character an extra +2 HP per level.
Not
Today: The
sigil may be sacrificed to resurrect the bearer within 1 hour of
being dead. This is not automatic, and the bearer may choose not to
activate the sigil if they know they will be resurrected later, or if
they no longer wish to live.
Young
Blood: The
character ages twice as slow as they normally would, requiring twice
the amount of time before a character receives penalties from age.
Change: The
bearer of this sigil contains the forces of change within their their
bodies. The change Sigil grants the bearer the ability to change
their basic physical form at will as well as granting the ability to
take on more drastic changes for a period of time that increases as
the character gains levels.
Will
the Body: This
allows the character to change their sex, hair color, skin color, and
eye color at will. The character's facial and physical features can
become more fine or more coarse depending on their own will and
chosen sex, but these changes are not drastic enough to make the
person look completely different. The character's height and basic
build always remains the same, though they gain 'additions' depending
on their chosen sex. This change is real, not an illusion, and takes
a few minute for minor changes (hair, eye, and skin color) but can
take up to 8 hours for major changes (sex). They may choose to take
on characteristics of other races, but they do not receive any
bonuses inherent to such races.
Varied
Forms
A
character may use one
of the following abilities 1/day +1 extra for every 3 levels beyond
the first (2/day at 4th
level, 3/day at 7th
level, etc...) Each ability lasts for a number of hours equal to the
character's level.
Claws: Gain
a claw natural attack that does 1D4 for medium creatures (1D3 for
small and 1D6 for large).
Long Arms: Gain
+5 foot reach and a +5 bonus to all climbing checks.
Long Legs: Gain
+10 feet to base speed and a +5 bonus to all jumping checks.
Flippers: Gain
a swim speed of 30 feet.
Cat's Eyes: Gain
low-light vision of 30 feet.
Dog's Nose: Gain
the ability to track by scent.
 |
| This is your foot on drugs. Any questions? Art Kinda By: Me |
OSR
Abilities
Charm: All
humanoid creatures (or the base creature type of the wearer) who
encounter the wearer begin the encounter as 'Helpful' if the
character isn't engaging in anything the NPC would find objectionable
at the time of the encounter. All other encounters occur as they
normally would if they see the character doing something they do not
like. (ex: Bob the barbarian is wandering around town, but isn't
breaking any laws. He encounters a town guard, who is very helpful
and answers all of his questions. Wendy the wizard is wandering
around the orc fortress, somewhere she doesn't have permission to be.
She comes across an orc and asks politely where they keep all their
treasure, to which the orc responds by attempting to stab her.)
Authority:
Those who bear the sigil are always assumed to be some kind of
visiting ruler by those they encounter. Anyone who swears fealty to
the wearer by kissing the sigil are granted a morale bonus of +1 to
saves against charm and fear as well as +1 bonus to-hit and damage
with weapons. These bonuses lasts as long as the bearer continues to
possess the sigil, the bearer honors their promises made to those who
swear fealty to them, and the bearer remains loyal to the wearer of
the sigil. Finally, the character begins to attract followers, based
upon their level / leadership score.
Drawbacks:
Keep
in mind being considered a King/Queen is not a perfect advantage,
since it becomes nearly impossible to move around a crowd without
drawing attention, a paranoid ruler may see the wearer is a possible
usurper to their throne, or unscrupulous bandits may attempt to
capture the wearer to ransom them.
Vitality/Blood:
The bearer of this sigil is
very hard to kill, in fact, most of the time, they just refuse to
die. The sigil grants a number of abilities:
Diehard:
The
character automatically stabilizes when brought below 0 HP.
Life
Before Undeath: Grants
a bonus to all saves versus Necromatic effects equal +1 at first
level and another +1 for every 3 levels after the fist (ex: +2 at 4th
level, +3 at 7th
level, etc...).
Strong
Blood: Grants
the character an extra +1 HP per level.
Not
Today: The
sigil may be sacrificed to resurrect the bearer within 1 hour of
being dead. This is not automatic, and the bearer may choose not to
activate the sigil if they know they will be resurrected later, or if
they no longer wish to live.
Young
Blood: The
character ages twice as slow as they normally would, requiring twice
the amount of time before a character receives penalties from age.
Change: The
bearer of this sigil contains the forces of change within their their
bodies. The change Sigil grants the bearer the ability to change
their basic physical form at will as well as granting the ability to
take on more drastic changes for a period of time that increases as
the character gains levels.
Will
the Body: This
allows the character to change their sex, hair color, skin color, and
eye color at will. The character's facial and physical features can
become more fine or more coarse depending on their own will and
chosen sex, but these changes are not drastic enough to make the
person look completely different. The character's height and basic
build always remains the same, though they gain 'additions' depending
on their chosen sex. This change is real, not an illusion, and takes
a few minute for minor changes (hair, eye, and skin color) but can
take up to 8 hours for major changes (sex). They may choose to take
on characteristics of other races, but they do not receive any
bonuses inherent to such races.
Varied
Forms
A
character may use one
of the following abilities 1/day +1 extra for every 3 levels beyond
the first (2/day at 4th
level, 3/day at 7th
level, etc...) Each ability lasts for a number of hours equal to the
character's level.
Claws: Gain
a claw natural attack that does 1D4 for medium creatures (1D3 for
small and 1D6 for large).
Long Arms: Gain
+5 foot reach and a +5 bonus (skill proficiencies) OR +1 bonus (x out
of 6) to all climbing checks.
Long Legs: Gain
+10 feet to base speed and a +5 bonus (skill proficiencies) OR +1
bonus (x out of 6) to all jumping checks.
Flippers: Gain
a swim speed of 30 feet.
Cat's Eyes: Gain
low-light vision of 30 feet.
Dog's Nose:
Gain the ability to track by scent.
Pits
and Perils
Charm: All
humanoid creatures (or the base creature type of the wearer) who
encounter the wearer begin the encounter as 'Helpful' if the
character isn't engaging in anything the NPC would find objectionable
at the time of the encounter. All other encounters occur as they
normally would if they see the character doing something they do not
like. (ex: Bob the barbarian is wandering around town, but isn't
breaking any laws. He encounters a town guard, who is very helpful
and answers all of his questions. Wendy the wizard is wandering
around the orc fortress, somewhere she doesn't have permission to be.
She comes across an orc and asks politely where they keep all their
treasure, to which the orc responds by attempting to stab her.)
Authority:
Those who bear the sigil are always assumed to be some kind of
visiting ruler by those they encounter. Anyone who swears fealty to
the wearer by kissing the sigil are granted a morale bonus of +1 to
saves against charm and fear as well as +1 bonus to-hit. These
bonuses lasts as long as the bearer continues to possess the sigil,
the bearer honors their promises made to those who swear fealty to
them, and the bearer remains loyal to the wearer of the sigil.
Drawbacks:
Keep
in mind being considered a King/Queen is not a perfect advantage,
since it becomes nearly impossible to move around a crowd without
drawing attention, a paranoid ruler may see the wearer is a possible
usurper to their throne, or unscrupulous bandits may attempt to
capture the wearer to ransom them.
Vitality/Blood:
The bearer of this sigil is
very hard to kill, in fact, most of the time, they just refuse to
die. The sigil grants a number of abilities:
Strong
Blood: Grants
the character an extra +1 HP per level.
Not
Today: The
sigil may be sacrificed to resurrect the bearer within 1 hour of
being dead. This is not automatic, and the bearer may choose not to
activate the sigil if they know they will be resurrected later, or if
they no longer wish to live.
Young
Blood: The
character ages twice as slow as they normally would, requiring twice
the amount of time before a character receives penalties from age.
Change: The
bearer of this sigil contains the forces of change within their their
bodies. The change Sigil grants the bearer the ability to change
their basic physical form at will as well as granting the ability to
take on more drastic changes for a period of time that increases as
the character gains levels.
Will
the Body: This
allows the character to change their sex, hair color, skin color, and
eye color at will. The character's facial and physical features can
become more fine or more coarse depending on their own will and
chosen sex, but these changes are not drastic enough to make the
person look completely different. The character's height and basic
build always remains the same, though they gain 'additions' depending
on their chosen sex. This change is real, not an illusion, and takes
a few minute for minor changes (hair, eye, and skin color) but can
take up to 8 hours for major changes (sex). They may choose to take
on characteristics of other races, but they do not receive any
bonuses inherent to such races.
Varied
Forms
A
character may use one
of the following abilities 1/day, each ability lasts for 1 hour.
Claws: Gain
a claw natural attack that does 1 hit of damage.
Long Arms: Gain
+5 foot reach.
Long Legs: Gain
+10 feet to base speed.
Flippers: Gain
a swim speed of 50 feet.
Cat's Eyes: Gain
low-light vision of 50 feet.
Dog's Nose:
Gain the ability to track by scent.
Into
the Odd
Charm: All
humanoid creatures (or the base creature type of the wearer) who
encounter the wearer begin the encounter as 'Helpful' if the
character isn't engaging in anything the NPC would find objectionable
at the time of the encounter. All other encounters occur as they
normally would if they see the character doing something they do not
like. (ex: Bob the barber is wandering around town, but isn't
breaking any laws. He encounters a constable, who is very helpful and
answers all of his questions. Sally the sailor is wandering around a
gang's hideout, somewhere she doesn't have permission to be. She
comes across a thug and asks politely where they keep all their loot
n' swag, to which the ruffian responds by attempting to stab her.)
Authority:
Those who bear the sigil are always assumed to be some kind of
visiting ruler by those they encounter. Anyone who swears fealty to
the wearer by kissing the sigil are granted a morale bonus of +1 to
saves as well as +1 bonus damage with weapons. These bonuses lasts as
long as the bearer continues to possess the sigil, the bearer honors
their promises made to those who swear fealty to them, and the bearer
remains loyal to the wearer of the sigil.
Drawbacks:
Keep
in mind being considered a King/Queen is not a perfect advantage,
since it becomes nearly impossible to move around a crowd without
drawing attention, a paranoid ruler may see the wearer is a possible
usurper to their throne, or unscrupulous bandits may attempt to
capture the wearer to ransom them.
Vitality/Blood:
The bearer of this sigil is
very hard to kill, in fact, most of the time, they just refuse to
die. The sigil grants a number of abilities:
Strong
Blood: Grants
the character an extra +2 HP per level.
Not
Today: The
sigil may be sacrificed to resurrect the bearer within 1 hour of
being dead. This is not automatic, and the bearer may choose not to
activate the sigil if they know they will be resurrected later, or if
they no longer wish to live.
Young
Blood: The
character ages twice as slow as they normally would, requiring twice
the amount of time before a character receives penalties from age.
Change: The
bearer of this sigil contains the forces of change within their their
bodies. The change Sigil grants the bearer the ability to change
their basic physical form at will as well as granting the ability to
take on more drastic changes for a period of time that increases as
the character gains levels.
Will
the Body: This
allows the character to change their sex, hair color, skin color, and
eye color at will. The character's facial and physical features can
become more fine or more coarse depending on their own will and
chosen sex, but these changes are not drastic enough to make the
person look completely different. The character's height and basic
build always remains the same, though they gain 'additions' depending
on their chosen sex. This change is real, not an illusion, and takes
a few minute for minor changes (hair, eye, and skin color) but can
take up to 8 hours for major changes (sex). They may choose to take
on characteristics of other races, but they do not receive any
bonuses inherent to such races.
Varied
Forms
A
character may use one
of the following abilities 1/day +1 extra use every level there
after. Each ability lasts for a number of hours equal to the
character's level.
Claws: Gain
a claw natural attack that does 1D6 damage.
Strong Arms: Gain
+2 damage to melee weapons and become very good at climbing.
Long Legs: Run
twice as fast and jump twice as high as a normal human.
Flippers: Gain
the ability to swim with the speed of a fish.
Cat's Eyes: Gain
the ability to see in low light.
Dog's Nose:
Gain the keen sense of smell that dogs possess.
Random Sigil
Choice
Basic
Sigil Type – Any Die
Odd:
Elemental
Even:
Non-Elemental
Elemental
Sigils – 1D12
- Flame (Active)
- Waves / Water (Active)
- Earth (Active)
- Gusts / Wind (Active)
- Gravity (Active)
- Sound (Active)
- Flame (Passive)
- Waves / Water (Passive)
- Earth (Passive)
- Gusts / Wind (Passive)
- Gravity (Passive)
- Sound (Passive)
Non-Elemental
Sigils – 1D4
- Charm
- Authority
- Vitality / Blood
- Change
Sigil
Design
Now that we have
covered the mechanics of sigils, we can move on to the shapes they
can take. If you don't want to go through the process of generating a
sigil shape, I have included a chart of pre-generated shapes that fit
each sigil type's 'theme' (below).
Below are a set of pictorial instructions on generating a random sigil shape step-by-step:
Sigil
Location
While the power of
the physical sigil is important, the location is important too. Sigil
location differs from person to person, since a body's energy flow is
different from one person to the next. Use the chart to determine
where the sigil must be placed on the body.
Optional Rule #1:
If a sigil is placed on a
different part of the body than the chart indicates, reduce the
effectiveness of the sigil. Reducing the damage die, removing powers,
or reducing the number of times per day the sigil may be used are all
good ways of reducing a sigils efficacy.
Optional Rule #2:
Roll only once on the location
table, if the location already has a sigil on it, then either the
character must place the sigil in a new area for reduced efficacy or
they cannot get that particular sigil at all.
Sigil
Location – 1D8
- Forehead
- Throat
- Wrist (Odd: Left, Even: Right)
- Sternum
- Abdominal Area
- Pubic Area / Crotch
- Tongue
- Top of Foot (Odd: Left, Even: Right)
Sigil
Name
You can generate a
strange name for your sigil as well, I have included a list of
synonyms for each sigil type as well to give your sigil name that
added 'pzazz'. After which I have included a list of titles to use as
well.
Flame
Synonyms – 1D6
- Fire
- Inferno
- Blaze
- Conflagration
- Combustion
- Burn(ing)
Waves
/ Water Synonyms –
1D6
- Rain
- Flood
- Drench
- Ice
- Sea
- Stream
Earth
Synonyms – 1D6
- Dirt
- Sod
- Terra
- Land
- Acid(ic)
- Caustic
Gusts
/ Wind Synonyms –
1D6
- Breeze
- Gale
- Hurricane
- Lightning
- Zephyr
- Air
Sound
Synonyms – 1D6
- Note
- Noise
- Din
- Racket
- Resonance
- Harmony
Gravity
Synonyms - 1D6
- Graviton
- Black-Hole
- Singularity
- Mass
- Weight
- Magnitude
Charm
Synonyms – 1D6
- Glamor
- Allure
- Seductive
- Charisma
- Appeal
- Fascination
Authority
Synonyms – 1D6
- Command
- Control
- Rule
- Sovereignty
- Influence
- Clout
Blood
/ Vitality Synonyms –
1D6
- Gore
- Lifeblood
- Potency
- Ichor
- Vigor
- Life
Change
Synonyms – 1D6
- Flux
- Adapt
- Evolve
- Transfigure
- Trasmute
- Permute
Titles
- Mark of <Name> / <Name> Mark
- Sign of <Name> / <Name> Sign
- Shape of <Name> / <Name> Shape
- Name of <Name> / <Name> Name
- Word of <Name> / <Name> Word
- Language of <Name> / <Name> Language
- Speech of <Name> / <Name> Speech
- Tongue of <Name> / <Name> Tongue
- Title of <Name> / <Name> Title
- Mantle of <Name> / <Name> Mantle
- Inscription of <Name> / <Name> Inscription
- Legend of <Name> / <Name> Legend
- Work of <Name> / <Name> Work
- Honorific of <Name> / <Name> Honorific
- Crown of <Name> / <Name> Crown
- Character of <Name> / <Name> Character
- Call of <Name> / <Name> Call
- Appellation of <Name> / <Name> Appellation
- Esteem of <Name> / <Name> Esteem
- Definition of <Name> / <Name> Definition
No comments:
Post a Comment