Wednesday, January 27, 2021

THE ARC'S DANCE

 Also not very Orthodox.  Use with care in a horror game -- maneuverability is a hell of a thing when you're being hunted.  


THE ARC'S DANCE


Beyond life there are'—his face grew ashen with terror—'things that I cannot distinguish. They move slowly through angles. They have no bodies, and they move slowly through outrageous angles...God, they are breaking through! They are breaking through! Smoke is pouring in from the corners of the wall. Their tongues—ahhh—

-Frank Belknap Long, The Hounds of Tindalos

Geometry is a hell of a thing.  While you don't understand the equations you use, (for that would lead to your doom) you can twist space itself to your own ends and in dire circumstances, walk the world itself.   


PERK

You can safely remain conscious in hyperspace (with the same restrictions as an android).  Like androids, you probably want to remain inside the ship at all times.

You can perform many complex mathematical operations in your head without a calculator, computer, or pad and pencil.  


DRAWBACK

Creatures that are familiar with the odd geometries you work with -- especially the Gaunt -- hate you with a singular, burning fury; you are an unnatural and hideous thing in their eyes.  


SPELLS

  1. HYPERSPACE STABALIZATION -- you may safely exit a spacecraft in hyperspace for [SUM] minutes.  You may safely cross through stable hyperspace portals created in a gravity well without taking damage (but you probably won't like what's on the other side).  You still take stress but make your sanity save with advantage.
  2. SECRET ROOM -- as Door Wizard except the room lasts for [SUM] * 5 minutes (rolled in secret!) and is only 10 x 10
  3. ALL THING ADJACENT -- as Door Wizard except ranged attacks are made with disadvantage (still great if you've got a combat shotgun).
  4. GRAVITATIONAL LENSING -- you can create a distortion in space that functions as a powerful telescope or microscope.  This shield can't be moved but protects against a single non-area attack (and dissipates).  3 dice creates a movable dice.
  5. LONG WALK -- you (and only you) are treated as twice as far from all visible enemies that you are aware of. 
  6. DISPLACE -- [SUM] * 3 damage as you rip microscopic bits out of your target
  7. SPATIAL TRICKERY -- one target acts at disadvantage on all rolls for [DICE] rounds as space conspires against them.
  8. CREEPING DISTORTION -- you infuse distortion in the fabric of reality with a piece of your will.  The distortion is visible but translucent and has ([DICE] * 10) +10 combat and instinct and [DICE] hits.  It lasts for [SUM] minutes.  The distortion is alive and acts independently. 
  9. CRUSH -- obliterate a single minor enemy with a gesture (costs a minimum of two dice).  May defeat any enemy with [DICE] - 1 hits or [DICE] - 2 hits if it also has HP.  If a creature can't be killed by this spell it suffers no effect.  
  10. ONE GIANT LEAP -- You teleport up to 5 meters provided you have an unobstructed path (1d); up to 20 meters (2d); up to 1km but take 4d10 damage, 1d10 stress (SANITY for half) (3d); or to any planet you have suitable jump coordinates (save at disadvantage or die, permanently reduce your minimum stress by 5, take 2d10 stress with no save, roll for panic, and suffer the class' second doom).  If you spend 5d, you may take all creatures within 10 feet of you (they suffer the same onerous effects including the effects of the second doom.  If you also roll a mishap, you suffer the third doom at your destination.   
EMBLEM SPELLS TBD -- maybe won't be used in the final incarnation of the magic system


MISHAPS



DOOMS
  1. Lose ability to cast for 1 day, begin to take up sculpture
  2. Lose ability to cast for 1d10 days, nightmares (Dead Planet p. 27)
  3. You finally understand hyperspace's dread geometry and in a brief moment of enlightenment are swallowed into hyperspace.  As a final act, make a sanity save.  If you fail your save, 2d10 gaunt pour through the tear in reality.  You may attempt to trigger this doom voluntarily.  If you do, you die and fail your sanity save.  Roll every magic dice you are entitled to +1 (including burned dice and dice from equipment).  If you roll triples, 2d10 gaunt appear and you are sucked into hyperspace.  If you fail, you just fry your brain (permanently dying).


 

2 comments:

  1. Huhh. I like it! Does the Long Walk grant any active usage, or is it just a "passive" spell?

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    Replies
    1. Probably just passive. The central gimmick is that a line drawn from caster to target is short and target to caster is long.

      If you think too hard about the geometry the spell could really mess up any delicate machinery. Better not to take it to the full logical conclusion.

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