Interra Nex

In the Age of Exploration, when the world was new and the maps unfilled, the first wizards discovered the tantalizing call of magic; as others blazed trails and sought the secrets of the land, they penned grimoires and sought the secrets of the unseen. In a world where everything was strange and new and unknown, magic itself was no more magical than the strange properties of herbs or the flow of a river. Wizards were considered no more mystical than any other man, and none gave a second thought to learning a touch of spellcasting if it could help them find what was over the next ridge or keep their crops from withering.

In the Age of Dusk, when the world was more easily explain and the boundaries of The Continent had been found, the concept of mundanity began to make itself known. While the world was less of a mystery, there always seemed to be more to discover about magic; wizards became exalted, their powers bringing them prestige, wealth, and egos. The borders of the world closed in, so the greatest wizards decided to find new borders: they struck out beyond the sky, opening great gates to new worlds and constructing vast networks of tunnels between the planes beyond the material. It was their thirst for knowledge and novelty that was their undoing, as the fabric of reality could only take so much stress before it collapsed. Great waves of fire and frost and nothing lashed the land as the world unravelled, and only the intervention of the greatest mages sealing their gates prevented the unmaking of all that existed. Ultimately, though the archwizards were the saviors of those who survived, it was they who had brought about the cataclysm to begin with.

In the Age of Shadow, the masses turned against those who studied magic, seeking to remove every trace of arcane power and knowledge from what remained of the shattered world. Even the mightiest wizard couldn't hold off an army of enraged warriors clad in magic-dampening nullsteel, and the towers that had so long dominated The Continent fell, taking their inhabitants with them. Those few who survived lost much of their power and knowledge, and were forced to hide or abandon their pursuits. Many even willingly submitted to the mobs or took their own lives, unable to live with what magic had done to so many.

Now, in the Age of Dawn, memories of the cataclysm have faded, and the scars left on the land have receded. Power and knowledge will always have its seekers, and without the sky disintegrating as they watched, people once again sought to improve their lives through thaumaturgy. Magic as a study and career is returning, although without the fervor and glamor it had in the past and with a fair amount of opposition from those who staunchly believe it will only cause more pain. Wizards freely walk the street without fear of more than the occasional jeer or thrown stone, and all manner of magic is freely studied.

Well, nearly all magic.

The School of Translocations is forbidden to study and even more forbidden to be practiced; with the world still torn around the edges from the vast interplanar explorations undertaken in the Age of Dusk, mages worry that even minor teleportation could gradually weaken or break it. Rumors persist of renegade wizards who blinked across a room only to have demons or worse push themselves through the gap left in the air. Only the mad still pursue this branch of study, and they are ruthlessly hunted by magebanes and wizards alike.

More generally, those who practice what could loosely be called "necromancy" have only rarely found acceptance in society, even before the cataclysm. The reminder of mortality is rarely taken well, and more importantly people tend to assume all those who deal in death are the sort to raise zombie armies or subjugate the souls of the deceased. All types of death mages tend to band together in secret, for mutual protection and because more "virtuous" mage guilds would refuse to accept or even incinerate them. These cabals tend to be small and varied, and generally hide themselves in small towns and rural villages where they can ply their trades without arousing suspicion or attracting attention.

You are a member of one such cabal, and this is your story.

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Welcome to Interra Nex! This game is a strategy RPG for approximately five people, with as much or as little focus on role-playing as the players decide. Every character will be an aspiring wizard with a focus on one aspect of death magic, with a wide variety of classes and races and customization allowing the players to make each one unique.

One thing to know before you sign up and to remember as you play is that I intend to make it harder than most forum games of this sort. Characters can easily die with bad luck or bad decisions, and death may well prove permanent. I've been on a roguelike kick lately, so expect a lot of elements drawn from that type of game.

Without further ado, the signup sheet!

Name: Your character's name. No gameplay effect, of course.
Race: Your character's species. Affects your starting stats, what equipment you can use, and how you grow as you level up.
Gender: Your character's biological or self-identified gender. Few, if any, gameplay effects.
Class: Which of the nine classes detailed below are you? This determines what skills you have available to you and more broadly how your playstyle will likely be. Very experienced or powerful characters will gain the ability to branch out from their archetype, but for now – and for a long time – the classes will each be very distinct and interclass skills will be rare.
Equipment: What, if anything, you bought before the game began. All characters begin with 20 GP.
Biography: A bit about your character's history, personality, and motivations. Largely optional and unlikely to impact the game, but I may use how interesting I find the various characters to determine who gets to play if I get more signups than playable slots.

And now, for The Mechanical Stuff:

Stats

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There are four main stats – which are determined by race, class, and level – and a number of secondary stats that are determined by the main stats and modifiers like your race and equipment.

Main Stats

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Strength determines how much you can carry, how hard you hit, and whether you can physically use various kinds of equipment. It also affects the likelihood of your success with blocks and parries, and how likely you are to overpower an opponent's.

Dexterity determines how evasive you are as well as how likely you are to hit in both melee, ranged, and magical combat. Very dextrous characters may get multiple attacks per turn!

Toughness determines how healthy you are and how likely you are to resist or overcome various negative effects. Very tough characters may even survive having 0 or negative HP for a time.

Intelligence determines your magical capacity and abilities, as well as how likely you are to notice or understand things. It also determines your success with complicated tasks and use of magical items.

Secondary Stats

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HP: Health Points, Hit Points, or Hat Peaches are a numerical representation of how robust or injured you are. Typically, a character with 0 or fewer HP is dead, but there are various situations or effects that might contradict that. HP replenish themselves over time, although slowly, and can be restored with various spells, items, and abilities.

MP: Magic Points, Mana Points, or Magick Power are a numerical representation of how much Mystic Potential you have untapped. A character with too few MP will usually be unable to cast spells, but there is typically no penalty to being without magic. MP recover over time, rather faster than HP, and can be restored in various other ways as well.

Armor: Armor determines approximately how much damage you can ignore from physical sources such as blades, arrows, or even magically-hurled bolts of stone. It does not typically affect things like fire, cold, electricity, or other non-physical sources of damage. It is determined by your race and your equipment; it is NOT affected by your Toughness, as even the toughest human doesn't have skin that can turn steel.

Evasion: Evasion measure how likely you are to dodge attacks, completely negating all damage from them. It applies to all attacks, both physical and magical, although certain spells or enchantments may be able to bypass it. It is determined by your Dexterity and equipment.

Block: Block measures how likely you are to raise a shield or parry an attack with your weapon, completely negating the damage from it. It applies to all attacks, but takes a penalty against spells and ranged attacks, and as with Dodge may be circumvented. It is determined by your Strength and Dexterity, as well as your equipment.

Overpower: Overpower measures your ability to overcome a block when attacking. It applies only to melee attacks you make. It is determined by your Strength.

Resistance: Resistance measures how likely you are to overcome negative physical effects like poison, bleeding, or stunning. It affects both resisting the effect completely and shortens the duration of such effects. It is determined by your Toughness.

Magic Resistance: Magic Resistance measures how likely you are to overcome negative mental or magical effects like confusion, petrification, or curses. It affects both resisting the effect completely and shortens the duration of such effects. It is determined by your Toughness and Intelligence, as well as your race.

Races

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Human

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Humans are extremely common, and as such they tend to be the standard against other races get compared. Versatile and industrious, they excel in any role. They are medium-sized and humanoid, and as such can use nearly any kind of equipment. They begin play with a base of 8 in every stat, and gain one point in a random stat on every even level. Their Magic Resistance is average.

Stone Elf

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Following the cataclysm, stone elves became the most common elven race. Like all elves, they are feeble but nimble, but are considerably less so than their more elfin brethren. They are largely quiet and reserved, and tend to be perceived as uncongenial by other races, but lack the capriciousness of and have a much stronger sense of community than the less-stolid elven races. They are medium-sized and humanoid, and as such can use nearly any kind of equipment. They begin play with a base of 6 in Strength, 9 in Dexterity, 9 in Toughness, and 8 in Intelligence as well as 1 point of Armor. They gain a point in a random stat, excluding Strength, on every fourth level and a point of Armor every fifth level. Their Magic Resistance is slightly above average.

Forest Elf

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The elf most think of if someone says "elf", forest elves are a fey people that are as nature-affine as they are fun-loving. They tend to embody the fickleness and mystery of the great forests they originally called home, and are often regarded as too flighty and impulsive by other races. They are medium-sized and humanoid, and as such they can use nearly any kind of equipment. They begin play with a base of 6 in Strength, 6 in Toughness, 11 in Dexterity, and 9 in Intelligence. They gain a point in either Dexterity or Intelligence on every third level. Their Magic Resistance is slightly above average.

Marsh Elf

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A pallid and sallow race hailing from The Continent's southern swamps, Marsh Elves are cunning and thoughtful to a fault. Though in actuality no more evil than any other race, they tend to draw sidelong looks, and rumors persist that it was a small group of powerful marsh elf warlocks that instigated the cataclysm. It's hard to say whether they tend towards solitude because of these attitudes or if the other races are suspicious because marsh elves are so insular, but at this point it hardly matters; that they often use their own blood to fuel their magical abilities certainly doesn't help. They are humanoid and medium-sized, and as such they can use nearly any kind of equipment. They begin play with a base of 5 in Strength, 6 in Toughness, 9 in Dexterity, and 12 in Intelligence. They gain a point of Intelligence on every fourth level and have the ability to use HP in addition to or instead of MP when casting spells. Their Magic Resistance is above average.

Mountain Dwarf

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Tough, stolid, and withdrawn, mountain dwarves are known to be canny merchants, metallurgists, miners, and craftsman. They are the least likely of the common races to pursue magical training, less because they lack aptitude for it than because most simply see it as a waste of time; other races tend to see them as greedy and narrow-minded, but it's hard to call that really true. They are humanoid and, though shorter than most humans or elves, stout enough to be called medium-sized, and as such they can use nearly any kind of equipment. They begin play with a base of 9 in Strength, 9 in Toughness, 6 in Dexterity, and 8 in Intelligence. They gain a point of a random stat, excluding Dexterity, every third level. Their Magic Resistance is average.

Dark Dwarf

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A near-strictly subterranean race, the dark dwarves were long thought to have been wiped out the cataclysm. In truth, they'd merely cloistered themselves in their vast cavernlike complexes through the Age of Shadow, reemerging into society at large only when the world above had stabilized and repaired itself. They are pale and small, thoughtful and careful, and known to be among the most resilient races in existence despite their stature. Other races often wonder how they survived their long hermeticism, and some believe they made dark deals with evil powers to save themselves. They are small and humanoid, and as such have somewhat limited options for equipment. They begin play with a base of 7 in Strength, 11 in Toughness, 6 in Dexterity, and 8 in Intelligence. Their Magic Resistance is high.

Mycolid

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Mycolids are small humanoids with many fungal traits and a propensity for magic. They're often mistaken for fairies of some kind, but are as mortal and biological as any human despite their bizarre appearance and resemblance to ambulatory mushrooms. Other races tend to regard them as weird, and indeed most mycolids tend to develop more than their fair share of quirks as they grow and age; their uncertain development makes them rather unpredictable, but they certainly don't deserve their reputation as racially insane. They are small and (usually) humanoid, and as such they have somewhat limited options for equipment. They begin play with a base of 7 in Strength, 6 in Toughness, 8 in Dexterity, and 11 in Intelligence. They gain a point in Dexterity or Intelligence on every fourth level and begin play immune to poisons; in addition, they gain various fungal abilities and changes as they level. Their Magic Resistance is average. They are hermaphroditic.

Orc

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Large, strong, a little slow, and notoriously bloody-minded, orcs lack the magical intuition of most races but make up for it with enthusiastic application of its more destructive aspects. Many – indeed, perhaps most – orcs still live a nomadic, tribal lifestyle dominated by making war on other orcs, but some have begun to adopt more cosmopolitan existences. They're regarded as a bit barbaric and none too trustworthy by the other races, largely because of their relatively recent emergence into civilized society. They are large and humanoid, and as such they have fairly limited options for equipment but can use many things smaller races cannot. They begin play with a base of 10 in Strength, 10 in Toughness, 6 in Dexterity, and 6 in Intelligence. They gain one point in Strength or Toughness on every even level. Their Magic Resistance is low.

Kobold

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Devious and often self-serving, kobolds are small and reptilian with a tendency towards dishonesty and deceit. They're not innately evil or even incapable of producing pious individuals, but a lot of suspicious people tend to watch their wallets more closely when a kobold is around. They are intensely curious, often putting themselves in danger just to find out what's around the corner or what happens when you cast this spell on this mysterious artifact, but they're resilient and quick enough that they tend to make out fine. They are small and humanoid, and as such they have somewhat limited options for equipment. They begin play with a base of 7 in Strength, 8 in Toughness, 9 in Dexterity, and 8 in Intelligence as well as 2 points in Armor due to their thick scales. They gain a point in a random stat, excluding Strength, every other level, but are cold-blooded and do poorly in cold weather or against freezing attacks. Their Magic Resistance is above average.

Gelkin

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Gelkin arrived on The Continent during the cataclysm; some say they were created when the intense magical energies unleashed by the disaster took physical form and gained intelligence, while others assert gelkin are native to another world and ended up trapped here as their own plane of existence collapsed. The gelkin themselves certainly don't know; the first group of them discovered had little recollection of anything and were nearly eradicated as monsters before they tried to communicate. They still tend to terrify children who aren't familiar with them. They are medium-sized but amorphous, which severely limits their options for wearable equipment. They begin play with 6 in Strength, 8 in Toughness, 8 in Dexterity, and 10 in Intelligence. They gain a point in a random stat every third level and take reduced damage from physical attacks; this reduction is NOT the same as Armor. Their Magic Resistance is average. They are asexual.

Classes

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Necromancers

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This group of classes practice necromancy in the truest sense: they use the dead to gain knowledge and information by magical means. They tend to get rather frustrated when zombie-raisers get called necromancers too.

Animancer

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Animancers deal with ghosts, spirits, and all manner of incorporeal beings. They typically do not exact any control over those they communicate with, using them as sources of information rather than spectral minions. What they lack in raw power or tough subordinates, they make up for in utility and knowledge; in addition, most of their spells function even without fresh bodies around, as a spirit can typically be found anywhere or summoned from its afterlife regardless of location. They begin play with 4 extra points of Intelligence, knowing the spells Counsel and Consultation.

Counsel
4 MP
Personal
The caster seeks advice and tips from any nearby souls with magical knowledge or power; this effectively raises the caster's Intelligence stat by 3 for the duration of the spell. Its duration increases with the caster's Intelligence.

Consultation
2 MP
Cast on item; close-range
The caster entreats spirits to grant them information about an unknown item's abilities. If successful, it reveals some aspects of the item's nature and enchantments, if any exist. Its chance of success and the completeness of the information granted increase with the caster's Intelligence.

Brainpicker

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Brainpickers seek knowledge, power, and information from the remains of the deceased, rather than from the spirit. The practice originated as a way to mollify anti-necromancy mages, saying that it didn't violate the departed the way other necromantic traditions do; needless to say, brainpickers did little to improve necromancy's reputation, but the rituals stuck around because they offer a lot of versatility that other mantic traditions lack. Most brainpicker spells do require the presence of a not-completely-rotted corpse, and cannot affect the bodies of mindless creatures. They begin play with 1 extra point of Strength, 1 extra point of Dexterity, and 2 extra points of Intelligence, knowing the spells Borrow Skill and Examine Recent Memories.

Borrow Skill
1 MP
Cast on corpse; close-range
The caster delves into the subject's brain, seeking out abilities that were ingrained enough to be easily adopted by the caster. It allows them to temporarily use skills or spells that the subject used in life; it cannot be used to learn innate attributes or skills that utilize specialized aspects of the subject's physiology unless the casters' match them. The caster may retain three such abilities at any time, and the number of times they may be used before being forgotten rises with the caster's Intelligence.

Examine Recent Memories
2 MP
Cast on corpse; close-range
The caster explores some of the subject's most recently-made memories, allowing them to learn a measure of information about the location the subject died in and any other beings the subject was aware of within it. More intelligent subjects typically retain more usable information. In some situations, especially if the caster is specifically searching for it, other information (perhaps regarding the subject's motives and affiliation or other things the caster may find noteworthy) may be available. The amount of information the caster can glean rises with their Intelligence.

Haruspex

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Haruspices are perhaps the most unfairly-oppressed class of necromancers; a haruspex would tell you their art is no more sinister or demonic than looking for omens in tea leaves or the lay of the land. In point of fact, they look for omens in the manner of death and lie of the recently-deceased. As such, most of their spells are passive, and they tend to be more robust than other casters. To begin with, haruspices can only use their abilities if they witness the death they attempt to divine from, but can gain benefits from watching the deaths of things that don't leave corpses, don't have minds, or even are already undead. They begin play with 1 extra point in each stat, knowing the spells Secrets and Wealth.

Secrets
1 MP cost on witnessing death
Passive; automatically used unless otherwise specified upon witnessing a death
The caster seeks subtle clues in the death of the subject that give them arcane hints about the hidden and unseen. For the duration of this spell, the caster is more likely to notice things like traps, invisible enemies, hidden doors, or anything else deliberately hidden from sight. The duration and magnitude of the perception increase scale with Intelligence. Like most haruspex omens, this spell cannot stack with itself (and thus will not be cast again if it's already in effect) but can be used in conjunction with other omens.

Wealth
1 MP cost on witnessing death
Passive; automatically used unless otherwise specified upon witnessing a death
The caster allows the hints the world places in front of them to guide them to greater riches. This makes the caster more likely to find money from all sources, effectively increasing the monetary value of treasures and spoils; in addition, it makes them better barterers, reducing the price to purchase items and increasing the price of sold items for the duration of the spell. The duration and magnitude of the wealth bonus scale with Intelligence. Like most haruspex omens, this spell cannot stack with itself (and thus will not be cast again if it's already in effect) but can be used in conjunction with other omens.

Necrosurgists

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The type of death mage most present in the minds of those that hate them, necrosurgists are those who focus on things like zombification, reanimation, and fleshy experimentation. Depending on how they go about it, this can be as benign as binding the soul of the deceased back into their mortal body or as profane as enslaving that soul and using it to power a towering construct of bone and demonic energies. Obviously it's the latter sort that people most object to, but a layman wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them at a glance and tends to grab torches and pitchforks before asking.

Ressurector

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Resurrectors would frankly prefer to be called biosurgists rather than be lumped in with a bunch of corpse-botherers, but since those corpse-botherers are the only ones who tolerate their branch of magic, they tend not to complain too loudly. Resurrectors typically work by repairing bodies and restoring the souls to them, allowing their subjects to cheat death… to a point. Inexperienced resurrectors cannot restore true life to a corpse, and novices cannot even grant false life permanently, but truly powerful resurrectors are capable of completely circumventing death itself. Resurrection is not a magical path for the dabbler. They begin play with 1 extra point of Toughness and 3 extra points of Intelligence, knowing the spells Prepare Body and Temporary Resurrection.

Prepare Body
Variable MP cost
Cast on corpse; close range
This spell must be cast before nearly all other resurrection spells; resurrecting a corpse that is severely damaged would just bind the soul back in momentarily before the body died again. Prepare Body restores a corpse to full health over the course of 20 turns: taking the full 20 turns costs NO MP; spending 1 MP will reduce the time it takes to cast by 5 turns, with each MP past the first reducing that time by a further 2 turns. Casters with 20 Intelligence or more reduce the time to cast by 5 turns for each MP spent instead, and casters with 30 Intelligence or more reduce it by 10 turns for each MP spent.

Temporary Resurrection
5 MP
Cast on corpse; close range
This spell restores a measure of life to the subject by returning its soul for a time. For the duration of the spell, the subject is treated as undead, and cannot be healed by any means. Their HP at the time of the casting is set as their new max HP. Mindless or non-intelligent subjects will be resurrected friendly to the caster for the duration of the spell, but intelligent subjects will keep whatever attitudes they had in life. Spells that attempt to re-bind the subject's soul to its body may only ever be attempted once per subject; once this spell wears off, no form of resurrection may ever be attempted on the subject again. Its duration is a number of turns equal to the caster's intelligence times 10.

Reanimator

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Reanimators prefer not to bother with morally-ambiguous methods like soul-binding or demonic possession; instead, they treat corpses more like ready-made golems, bringing them to unlife with no motive intelligence or connection to the person that once inhabited the fleshy shell. Reanimation is fast, easy, and reliable, but creates servants that are clumsy, stupid, and often fragile. As such, expert reanimators often experiment with numerous methods of enhancing or improving their creations, and eventually themselves. They begin play with 1 extra point of Strength and 3 extra points of Intelligence, knowing the spells Animate Skeleton and Death's Door.

Animate Skeleton
7 MP
Cast on corpse; close range
This spell gives a semblance of life to a skeleton, placing the now-ambulatory corpse under caster's control; if the skeleton is still encased in flesh, it bursts forth in a messy but convenient process. Skeletons can follow simple orders, but are slow and very literal-minded; they are best used as shock troops, meat(less) shields, and manual labor. A caster can control a number of skeletons at any time equal a third their intelligence score. Skeletons' stats are derived from the corpse's base stats and the caster's intelligence; corpses do NOT need to be prepared before being animated, as they are held together by magic more than actual physical structure.

Death's Door
5 MP
Cast on living being; can be cast on any visible target
This spell forces a living body to go past its usual boundaries, essentially granting it a temporary measure of unlife. For the duration of the spell, the subject will not die if their HP does not go below the negative of the caster's Intelligence. If the spell ends and the subject has 0 or fewer HP, they immediately die. The duration scales with the caster's Intelligence.

Corpselord

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Corpselords are the sort of necromancer feared by peasants and mages alike, often shunned even by others who practice less-profane necromantic disciplines. They use whatever methods they can to gain power over life and death, often employing demonic energies and servants in addition to their deathly ones. Many of their spells require the sacrificing of their own life force for power, and most corpselords are only too happy to provide it. They can raise vast armies of incredibly-dangerous minions, but constantly walk a knife-edge between life and death. They begin play with 2 extra points of Toughness and 2 extra points of Intelligence, knowing the spells Ueztane's Necrotization and Enslave.

Ueztane's Necrotization
2 MP, 1 HP
Cast on living being; can be cast on any visible target
This spell sends a wave of necromantic energy over the subject, causing severe pain and tissue damage. Unlike many spells that deal damage, this spell never misses but can be completely negated by magic resistance. Mindless and amorphous creatures receive a bonus to their attempts to resist. Damage and resistance penetrations scale with Intelligence.

Enslave
10 MP
Cast on corpse; close range
This spell roughly infuses unlife into a body, forcing its soul back in and binding it to the caster's will. Enslaved minions retain all skills and abilities they had in life and serve the caster to the best of their capabilities; however, they may periodically attempt to throw off the control and will almost certainly turn on the caster at that time. A caster may have any number of enslaved minions at any time, but if they have more enslaved than a third of their Intelligence, those minions may attempt to break free of their control with increased frequency. As the caster's Intelligence rises, escape becomes more difficult.

Channelers

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Channelers are unique among necromancers in that their spells only tangentially involve actual dead people; rather, they tap into and exploit the powers of the various afterlives that exist, resulting in a melange of divine, natural, and arcane powers. Aside from the fact that meddling with the afterlife tends to be viewed as blasphemous or at least dangerous, laypeople worry that channeling is a form of translocation that could once again shatter the world. Channelers insist that the afterlives are overlaid on the material world, not distant from it, but to no avail.

Lightbringer

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Lightbringers channel their magic from good afterlives and benevolent gods, meaning their powers tend to focus on healing, protection, and a smattering of traditionally "holy" elements. Unlike devout priests or divine wizards who are granted their magic by the grace of the god they worship, lightbringers simply subtly take the power they need, meaning they need not follow the good gods' dogma or even be particularly moral people. Nevertheless, few truly evil people walk this path, as it focuses on rather benign abilities. Lightbringers begin play with 1 extra point of Dexterity, 1 extra point of Toughness, and 2 extra points of Intelligence, knowing the spells Lay On Hands and Cleansing Touch.

Lay On Hands
5 MP
Cast on non-undead, non-demonic being; close range
This spell infuses the subject with regenerative energies, restoring a small amount of HP. It has no effect on undead or demonic subjects, neither damaging nor healing them. Unwilling subjects may attempt to dodge, necessitating a dexterity-based roll to hit in the unlikely event this situation crops up. HP Restored scales with Intelligence.

Cleansing Touch
3 MP
Cast on any being; close range
This spell uses soothing magic to restore the subject to health. It removes any poisons and many diseases, but has no effect on magical ailments, curses, or indeed anything but poison and disease. Unwilling subjects may attempt to dodge, necessitating a Dexterity-based roll to hit in the unlikely event this situation crops up.

Gravechiiler

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Gravechillers borrow power from Limbo and the void between life and death. They lack the pure destructive potential of hellcallers and the unparalleled restorative ability of lightbringers, but they make up for it with versatility and a wide array of hampering effects. Many kobolds historically took up this path, as it not only afforded them protection against the cold as they grew stronger, but gave them great power in intraspecies conflict. They begin play with 1 extra point in Dexterity and 3 extra points in Intelligence, knowing the spells Chill Touch and Frost Bolt.

Chill Touch
2 MP
Cast on any being; close range
This spell infuses the subject with the essence of the void, dealing modest cold damage and potentially slowing them temporarily. Like most melee spells, it requires a Dexterity-based roll to take effect; if the caster misses, the spell is wasted. It cannot, however, be resisted with Magic Resistance. The damage scales with Intelligence and the accuracy with Dexterity.

Frost Bolt
4 MP
Cast on any being; Dexterity/2 range
This spell opens a tiny pinprick to the void, draining all heat out of a small area; the resultant ball of frozen air and water is then launched at the target, dealing half its damage as physical damage and half as cold damage. Like most ranged spells, it requires a Dexterity-based roll to strike; if the caster misses, the spell is wasted. It cannot, however, be resisted with Magic Resistance. Damage scales with Intelligence, and accuracy and range scale with Dexterity.

Hellcaller

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Hellcallers are death mages who siphon their power from the various afterlives created to punish the wicked and house demons. In the same way that a lightcaller doesn't necessarily have to be a righteous person, a hellcaller needn't actually be evil. Still, it does take a certain kind of person to specifically study how to weaponize damned souls and hellfire. Hellcallers boast impressive offensive capabilities as well as various summonings, but the powers of the hells aren't to be wielded lightly. They begin play with 2 extra points of Dexterity and 2 extra points of Intelligence, knowing the spells Fire Bolt and Unquenchable Flame.

Fire Bolt
4 MP
Cast on any being; Dexterity/2 range
This spell pulls a ball of elemental fire from the depths of hell and launches it at a foe before it can dissipate or burn out. It deals half its damage in the form of actual heat and flame and half in the form of unholy energy. the target, dealing half its damage as physical damage and half as cold damage. Like most ranged spells, it requires a Dexterity-based roll to strike; if the caster misses, the spell is wasted. It cannot, however, be resisted with Magic Resistance. Damage scales with Intelligence, and accuracy and range scale with Dexterity.

Unquenchable Flame
6 MP
Cast on any being; Dexterity/4 range
This spell opens a number of tiny gates on and around the subject, through which hellfire constantly pours. There is no way to extinguish or stop this spell save for completely submerging the subject in water (which merely lessens the damage slightly as the water around the subject is boiled) or dispelling magic around the subject. Any beings striking or stuck by the subject with an unarmed attack or small weapons risks taking a round's worth of damage. This spell cannot miss or be dodged, but can be resisted with Magic Resistance. Damage and duration scale with Intelligence.

Equipment

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Weapons

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First, a template and explanation of what the fields mean:

WEAPON NAME
Size: A general classification of the size and mass of the weapon. Small weapons cannot be used as effectively by large characters, but can be wielded by anyone; medium weapons can comfortably be used by any character; large weapons cannot be wielded by small characters, and are more effective when used by large ones. Huge weapons can only be wielded by large characters.
Min Str/Min Dex: The minimum Strength to use the weapon at all, followed by the minimum Dexterity to gain extra attacks with the weapon.
Hands: The number of hands it takes to wield the weapon; one-handed weapons may be wielded in each hand (at the expense of accuracy penalties) or with a shield; hand-and-a-half weapons may be wielded two-handed for a damage bonus or with a shield; two-handed weapons must be wielded in two hands; double weapons may be wielded one-handed with a shield or two-handed for extra attacks with fewer penalties than dual-wielding. Ranged weapons can never be dual-wielded, regardless of their hands rating.
Accuracy: A rating of how easy the weapon is to use and score hits with; higher numbers are better.
Damage: How much damage the weapon does; higher numbers are obviously better.
Price: The cost in GP to buy before the game begins

DAGGER
Size: Small
Min Str/Min Dex: 3/10
Hands: 1
Accuracy: 6
Damage: 4
Price: 2

SHORT SWORD
Size: Medium
Min Str/Min Dex: 5/12
Hands: 1
Accuracy: 4
Damage: 6
Price: 3

LONGSWORD
Size: Medium
Min Str/Min Dex 7/15
Hands: 1 1/2
Accuracy: 1
Damage: 10
Price: 5

HAND AXE
Size: Small
Min Str/Min Dex: 4/11
Hands: 1
Accuracy: 3
Damage: 7
Price: 2

BROAD AXE
Size: Medium
Min Str/Min Dex: 7/15
Hands: 1 1/2
Accuracy: 0
Damage: 11
Price: 5

CLUB
Size: Medium
Min Str/Min Dex: 5/14
Hands: 1
Accuracy: 3
Damage: 5
Price: 0

MACE
Size: Medium
Min Str/Min Dex: 5/12
Hands: 1
Accuracy: 3
Damage: 8
Price: 3

GIANT CLUB
Size: Huge
Min Str/Min Dex: 10/20
Hands: 2
Accuracy: -6
Damage: 20
Price: 0

SPEAR
Size: Medium
Min Str/Min Dex: 5/12
Hands: 1 1/2
Accuracy: 4
Damage: 7
Price: 3

HALBERD
Size: Large
Min Str/Min Dex: 7/15
Hands: 2
Accuracy: -3
Damage: 13
Price: 4

QUARTERSTAFF
Size: Medium
Min Str/Min Dex: 5/10
Hands: Double
Accuracy: 6
Damage: 7
Price: 4

SLING
Size: Small
Min Str/Min Dex: 3/10
Hands: 1
Accuracy: 2
Damage: As Ammunition
Price: 1

-Slingstone
-Damage: 4
-Price: 1 for 20

-Sling Bullet
Damage: 6
Price: 1 for 10

BOW
Size: Medium
Min Str/Min DexL 5/14
Hands: 2
Accuracy: 1
Damage: As Ammunition
Price: 3

-Arrow
-Damage: 10
-Price: 1 for 5

CROSSBOW
Size: Medium
Min Str/Min Dex: 5/17
Hands: 1 1/2
Accuracy: +4
Damage: As Ammunition
Price: 7

-Bolt
-Damage: 14
-Price: 1 for 3

Armor

SpoilerShow

ARMOR NAME
Fit: The slot the piece of equipment occupies as well as who can wear it. "Armor" and "Clothing" both occupy the torso slot, but only humanoids can wear armor. "Helmet" and "Hat" both occupy the head slot, but mycolids and non-humanoids cannot wear helmets. "Boots" occupy the foot slot, but can only be worn by humanoids; "Gloves" occupy the hand slot and can similarly only be worn by humanoids. "Cloaks" occupy the back slot and can be worn by anyone. Shields can be worn by anyone.
Size: Small armor can be worn by small and medium characters; medium armor can be worn by anyone; large armor can be worn only by large characters.
Armor: A rating of how much the equipment reduces damage; higher is better. Only included when relevant.
Evasion Penalty: A rating of how much more difficult the equipment makes it to dodge; lower is better.
Block: A rating of how likely you are to block attacks with the equipment; higher is better. Only included when relevant.
Price: The cost in GP to buy before the game begins

ROBE
Fit: Clothing
Size: Medium
Armor: 2
Evasion Penalty: 0
Price: 1

LEATHER ARMOR
Fit: Armor
Size: Small
Armor: 4
Evasion Penalty: 1
Price: 3

CHAINMAIL
Fit: Armor
Size: Small
Armor: 7
Evasion Penalty: 4
Price: 5

HIDE ARMOR
Fit: Armor
Size: Medium
Armor: 3
Evasion Penalty: 1
Price: 3

ORCISH RINGMAIL
Fit: Armor
Size: Large
Armor: 5
Evasion Penalty: 3
Price: 5

BUCKLER
Fit: Shield
Size: Small
Evasion Penalty: 1
Block: 5
Price: 2

SHIELD
Fit: Shield
Size: Medium
Evasion Penalty: 3
Block: 8
Price: 5

HAT
Fit: Hat
Size: Medium
Armor: 1
Evasion Penalty: 1
Price: 1

HELMET
Fit: Helmet
Size: Small
Armor: 2
Evasion Penalty: 0
Price: 3

BOOTS
Fit: Boots
Size: Medium
Armor: 1
Evasion Penalty: 0
Price: 2

CLOAK
Fit: Cloak
Size: Medium
Armor: 1
Evasion Penalty: 0
Price: 1

GLOVES
Fit: Gloves
Size: Medium
Armor: 1
Evasion Penalty: 0
Price: 1

GAUNTLETS
Fit: Gloves
Size: Small
Armor: 2
Evasion Penalty: 0
Price: 3

Miscellaneous

SpoilerShow

POTION OF HEALTH
Effect: Restores 10 HP instantly; takes a turn to consume.
Price: 2

POTION OF MANA
Effect: Restores 10 MP instantly; takes a turn to consume.
Price: 2

POTION OF REGENERATION
Effect: Restores 1 HP per turn for 10 turns; takes a turn to consume.
Price: 1

INCENSE OF MEDITATION
Effect: All beings with MP within five tiles of the character carrying the incense regain an extra 1 MP per turn; takes a turn to light, burns for 10 turns.
Price: 2

POTION OF WELLNESS
Effect: Removes all negative physical effects on the user; takes a turn to consume.
Price: 1

SCROLL OF EARTHWALL
Effect: Creates a temporary barrier five tiles wide wherever the user wishes within their line of sight; takes a turn to read
Price: 3

SCROLL OF IDENTIFY
Effect: Reveals secrets and effects of an unknown item that the user must be holding or next to; takes a turn to read
Price: 1

RING OF STAMINA
Effect: While worn, the ring provides its wearer with 2 extra max HP. A character may wear any number of rings, but if they wear more than two the jewelry's magic may interfere with other magic items or even the wearer's own spells in unpredictable ways.
Price: 10

RING OF ENERGY
While worn, the ring provides its wearer with 3 extra max MP. A character may wear any number of rings, but if they wear more than two the jewelry's magic may interfere with other magic items or even the wearer's own spells in unpredictable ways.
Price: 10

RING OF POWER
Effect: As long as this ring is worn, the wearer's Intelligence is treated as 1 higher for all variable spell effects. A character may wear any number of rings, but if they wear more than two the jewelry's magic may interfere with other magic items or even the wearer's own spells in unpredictable ways.
Price: 15