Welcome June, Goodbye May and its RPG Blog Carnival

June is named from the Roman month Iunius, or Junius, is named in honor of the ancient Roman goddess Juno (parallel to the Greek Hera) who is the wife of Jupiter and goddess of marriage.   The first half of Iunius is a period of religious purification and was considered the most favorable time to marry by the Romans.  It will also be the eight anniversary of this journal, so I may try and do something special for that.

Summer officially starts this month, so, any thoughts on a theme, reader?  Send me your suggestions and I will try to act on them.

This May, the Journal hosted the RPG Blog Carnival with some success and I hope do do so again in the future.  The following article were published here in May, 2017:

May RPG Blog Carnival Review – Occult Mysteries and Magic

May is almost over and with it, my first time hosting the RPG Blog Carnival, you can learn more about the RPG Blog Carnival and visit the archives at Johnn Four’s Roleplaying Tips page.

The theme was Occult Mysteries and Magic and my first post can be found here, with Parts the Second and Third following.

I also presented some thematic magic items: Assassin’s Eye and Cloak, Library Bane and the Secret Society Ring (and some idea for its use).

The contribution from across the web include:

Warlock Lodge: Masters of the Invisible College and Using witches, magic and occult practices in your games and the Psychic Witch from The Other Side.

Occlusion from Infinite Adventures.

D&D 5E: Rituals and the Occult from Harbinger of Doom.

Occult Mysteries (of Eberron) from the Codex Anathema.

Keep it Secret, Keep it Safe and Supah Seekrit from Inspiration Strikes!

Spiritualist Sorcerer and Exorcist Background from Daemons and Deathrays.

Cult Magic Failures from Tales of a GM.

A Secret Society Of Character-Hunters For Your Campaign from Roleplaying Tips.

Greater Rituals (for D&D 5E) from the Dragonsmith.

Thank you all for your contributions and support!

Overall, a success I believe and I will try and host again sometime in the future.  Next month’s theme is Gonzo and cross-genre gaming.

Notes: Photo “Antique books” by Juan Antonio F. Segal is licensed under CC BY 2.0

 

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Tuesday Magic Item – Hart’s Crossbow

“I knew that one-eyed woman was trouble,” said Voddick after catching his breath,

“I knew so too, but I did not expect her to be the leader of a band of bandits,” he said looking around the side of the tree.  He yelped as a crossbow bolt buried itself in a branch a handspan above his head.

“More running?”

“More running.”

Hart’s Crossbow

Named after the crossbow of a famed bandit queen, which was probably lost, of course every one of them is claimed to be the one used by the Hart in her famous last ride before she disappeared. They are always light crossbows of good quality and usually decorated with carved panels, often made of mother of pearl, showing deer often in hunting scenes.

Visit D&D’s Known World!

Wizards of the Coast have put up an amazing Known World bundle up at RPGNow, it includes the D&D Rules Cyclopedia (the compilation of the Basic, Expert, Companion, and Masters rules) as well as all 14 (!) Known World Gazetteers giving you an entire fantasy world to explore (and/or steal from).

Not only is the D&D Rules Cyclopedia an amazing resource for early D&D, the Known World is a delightful setting rich with ideas to use and borrow to make your game world more fun.  At it is priced at an amazingly good price of $15 for all this gaming goodness!  Get it now before WotC realizes that they are almost giving this product away.

Note the above link is an affiliate link and I will gain a small amount of money if you buy using it.

Tuesday Magic Item – Library Bane

“Don’t let him tear that!” shouted Gollaon, throwing a dagger at the spy.  Who ducked beneath it but momentary lost the firm grip on the paper needed.

“Right!” said Voddick feinting toward the paper and then driving his knee into the spy’s stomach.

“Bastard!” wheezed the spy trying to tear the paper only to have it snatched away from by Gollaon.  Voddick clocked the spy on the chin and they went down.

“What would that paper do?” asked Voddick kneeling to bind the spy.

“Destroy every book here,” he answered with a gesture to the shelves of the library.

Library Bane

Originally designed as a way for a commander to quickly destroy vital papers so they would not be of use to the enemy, spies then got hold of it and used it to protect their secret intelligence from falling into the hands of the rivals, but soon enough, someone realized that it could be used as an offensive weapon.  This item is a complex magical formula written on sturdy material, it is activated by deliberately tearing the formula.

Review – Shadowrun: Cutting Aces

Shadowrun: Cutting Aces is a sourcebook for Shadowrun and provides an odd mixed bag of information on the metaplot and setting which providing more options for social-based characters and challenges.  As it covers some neglected aspects of the Shadowrun world, such as the Middle East and social skills, it is probably a good investment for a GM but the book is so unfocused unless cons or Constantinople are the focus of your campaign, I cannot say that it should be a priority to acquire.

Shadowrun: Cutting Aces, is a Deep Shadows Sourcebook for the 5th edition of Shadowrun, this particular book covers a variety of sins, confidence games and swindlers, Constantinople (formerly Istanbul) and a bit more about current events in the Sixth World.

Tuesday Magic Item – Jurist’s Ring

Voddick leaned over to whisper.  “The judge seems very confident, I would be worried about getting something wrong in such an important case.”

“I suspect she has some magical or divine backing for that surety,” whispered back Gollaon.

“The truth will out,” said one of the other spectators quietly.

“I hope that is so,” agreed Gollaon and Voddick nodded.

Jurist’s Ring

These rings are usually heavy and decorated with either symbols of justice or a civic or royal seal.  Once placed on a finger they are difficult, but not impossible, to remove.

May RPG Blog Carnival – Occult Mysteries and Magic, Part the Third

Occult Mysteries and Magic, Part the Third.

Answering some more of the questions posed in the introduction to the carnival for the Sea of Stars:

Who controls magical knowledge and its dissemination?  The Wizard-Scholars of the City of Borusa would say it is them but they do not have a monopoly on such knowledge as much as they would like to.  Most of the draconic houses have vast libraries of magical knowledge, depending on the house it may be well used, or a museum of hoarded (and unused) knowledge.  Other group tend to specialize such as the Necrourgists of Laccini or the Court and Battle Wizard the serve in the Eosiant Kingdom  (with magic licensed and controlled by the Directorate).  But almost every major city has a magical tradition and society of some sort.

Can anyone learn magic?  Yes, but some people are more talented in the magical arts, or particular aspects of them, than others.  Because of the great effort needed to train people with minimal talent, it is rarely done and many folk think that only the right sort of people can become magic users.  A few cultures, however, place great store on everyone having at least a little bit of magic for one reason or another and train their people to express at least a spark of magic.

Or is it confined to particular people?  While almost anyone can learn magic, some are born to it.  Those with natural magic, often but not always from draconic blood, sometimes have it spontaneously emerge.  Emergences can be problematic in the some of the quieter places in the Sea of Stars where people are suspicious (if not hostile) to unexplained magical events but in major towns and cities, such spontaneous emergence often set off a race between various factions to recruit the -usually quite confused- young sorcerer.  Many draconic houses and states (like the Dark Star Dominion) maintain schools to train, and usually indoctrinate, these recruited sorcerers.  Those families that have a strong magical bloodline try to cultivate them and develop their own traditions and rituals to aid their childrens’ emergence and focus their talents once revealed.

In other words, in the Sea of Stars, magic and magic users can be found just about anywhere.  This is party to fulfill the setting’s design goal, allowing for wide player choice and options.

How would you answer these questions for your campaign word?

Notes: See Part the Second here.

Photo “Magic” by Steve Garner is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

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Tuesday Magic Item – Assassin’s Eye and Cloak

Voddick launched a bolt down the corridor and was rewarded with a thunk as it hit flesh followed by a soft curse.  “I hate bastard who use magic to hide themselves.”  He struggled to recock his crossbow.

Gollaon wove patterns with his sword through the air.  “It is rare to fight so many unseen foes.”  He winced as a slash appeared on his thigh, he pivoted and thrust and was rewarded by a body, suddenly visible, crashing to the floor.

Revealed, the unseen attacker seemed far less dangerous.  A man of average height in nondescript leather armor, his only decoration a silver headband.

“Grab the headband!” shouted Voddick.  Firing another bolt down the corridor, it embedded itself in the far wall.  “Damn.”

Gollaon did.  “I can see them!  There are three of them and coming fast.”

“Damn,” Voddick tossed aside his crossbow and grabbed for his sword.

Assassin’s Eye and Cloak

These items are made in groups sometimes as small as pairs and rarely more than a dozen.  The cloak is  of a nondescript but durable make with a dull clasp, the eye is a headband sometime made of cloth or leather (especially for the expendable version) or of dulled copper or silver.

May RPG Blog Carnival – Occult Mysteries and Magic, Part the Second

Occult Mysteries and Magic, Part the Second.

Answering some more of the questions posed in the introduction to the carnival for the Sea of Stars:

How is magic used behind the scenes in a setting for good or ill?  In many ways, from simple weather forecasting to construction of starships, magic underlies much of day to day life in the Sea of Stars.  Mostly these are for positive things, household magic, crafting magic, travel magic, all ways to make life a little easier for the users of such.  Of course there are always those with a black heart who turn to curses and ill-starred magic to get what they want (or revenge on those who thwarted their ambitions) but they are in the minority.

Are there magical conspiracies afoot?  Throw a wand in any major city and you are likely to hit one.  Conspiracies among or against the dragons, secret cabals of wizards, hidden cults worshiping forbidden and esoteric powers, groups practicing folk magic away from prying eyes and so on.  Many of these are local conspiracies aim at protecting or improving the lot of a minority; the island or even multi-island wide conspiracies are the rare exception aiming to change the status but they are difficult to maintain, partly because even with magic they are hard to coordinate and maintain, but a few exist.  The most well known would be the Sen’Tek, the Moon Sect and the Redemptionists, all opposed to the dragons to one extent or another.

Does magical power imply other kind of power (political, criminal, economic)?  Yes, magical power can be converted into any other kind with the right application.  As magical power is usable to perform so many other action, those with magical power usual aligned (or are aligned) with a particular faction soon after revealing or mastering their magical talent so that they can use their magic to advance that faction’s goals.  Once enmeshed in a faction, a magic user’s magic tend to be bend toward that faction’s ends, guild wizard master guild spell, military wizards learn combat magics and so on.

How does your campaign world deal with this questions?

Notes: Photo “Esoteric symmetry” by fdecomite is licensed under CC BY 2.0

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