Arthur Machen's Green Book (Part 3)

What is the Green Book? Check here.

 

"I may write something about all these things but not the way to do them, for peculiar reasons. And I must not say who the Nymphs are, or the Dôls, or Jeelo, or what voolas mean. All these are most secret secrets, and I am glad when I remember what they are, and how many wonderful languages I know, but there are some things that I call the secrets of the secrets of the secrets that I dare not think of unless I am quite alone, and then I shut my eyes, and put my hands over them and whisper the word, and the Alala comes".

Alala (singular and plural) are the Guardians of Secrets – fey creatures of older eons, whose abode lies in the deepest and most hidden parts of the First World (or Feywild or whatever Fairy Realm you use).

Alala are the physical embodiment of secrets. Thus, to merely gaze at an Alala is forbidden, one of the gravest and most ancient taboos. The defiler is instantly cursed and forsaken by the deities.

Alala can be called by a petitioner to hoard a secret. This is one of the most holy rituals of certain druid circles, elven cabals; besides a few sorcerers and witches. The ritual works like an incantation (Calling Song of the Alala).

The main duty of the Alala is take and guard secrets – literally. Any petitioner who knows the ritual can call the Alala and give to them his innermost secrets. Once guarded by the Alala not even the Gods would dare to intervene. During the ages various petitioners made pacts with those fey to guard knowledge, memories, crimes, power and even passions.

Calling Song of the Alala

Enchantment

Effective Level: 3rd

Skill Check: Knowledge (arcana) DC 20, 3 successes; Knowledge (nature) DC 20, 3 successes; Perform (song) DC 20, 1 success.

Failure: Nothing, Curse or Wrath (see text)

Components:  V (must know Sylvan), S, M (special food and small wooden statues of nymphs made by satyrs and usually worth 1.000 gp), Place (a natural glade), Special (an innocent petitioner, on a moonless night)

Casting Time: 60 minutes

Range: Personal

Effect: One or more Alala are summoned to the glade

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

This incantation summons the fabled Alala of hidden lore. All the casters and witnesses must blindfold themselves while the incantation is invoked and during the entire meeting with the fey. All weapons must be sheathed and bond and no protective magic can be in effect in the area. After all the skill checks are made, an innocent petitioner (usually a child and also blindfolded) must call forth the Alala in Sylvan.

If successful, 1d4 Alala will answer the call in 1d10 minutes. The fey will appear discretely, first dancing and singing softly, hidden in the local woods. Their voices are heart-breaking and unearthly, hinting at secrets, wonders and mysteries long lost. All those inside the glade must succeed at a Will save (DC 15) or they will rise, charmed by the Alala, to follow then inside the woods (never to be seen again). If anyone falls to the fey song, the Alala will leave and the incantation will have failed.

Once present the Alala will gently step in the glade. Once their singing stops, those present can ask the fey to hoard a secret from them. Only three secrets can thus be hoarded. The creature needs only to give one step forward – an Alala will come and touch him. The creature must then whisper the secret. The knowledge will be taken from him, carried by his whispered words to the Alala. The fey will then give a small token (usually an acorn) that symbolizes the pact thus formed. This token is known as a Trust.

The speaker will literally forget everything about the secret, knowing only that it’s safe with an Alala and that the Trust holds the key to it. More importantly, no form of divination or compulsion (including magic or divine intervention) can find out what the secret was, where it is or what happened to it (not even that the Trust holds the key to finding it).

After all secrets are whispered and taken, the Alala will go away. The participants must wait approximately 10 minutes (actually 3d10 minutes) before opening their eyes. Acting prematurely will result in everyone being cursed (save applies).

Anyone in possession of a Trust can search for the Alala one more time in the future. The petitioner must be alone, blindfolded and unarmed, in a natural glade on a moonless night. He must wait patiently for 1d4 hours. After that, one Alala will come. She will take back the Trust and whisper the secret to its possessor.

Secrets

Almost anything can be a secret: a memory, a command word, the location of an artifact (or imprisoned demon), even a spell, skill or lore. There hints that even feelings, passions (or Alignments) could be thus “taken away” (as usual, GM’s call).

If the secret is a skill (or something equivalent, like a language), then its original possessor loses access to it. If the secret is taken by another person (who stole the Trust, for example), he gains access to the skill as if he was the original owner. The original owner of the skill can “take it back” by capturing the thief, binding him (i.e. leaving him helpless) and casting a successful remove curse (DC 25). This “counter-ritual” is known to sages, fey and anyone with 15 ranks of Knowledge (nature) or (arcane).

If the secret is a spell, the thief can cast it just once (or write it down on a scroll or grimoire). If it is an incantation (or ritual), the thief gains full knowledge of its use.

Backlash

If the caster fails two consecutive Knowledge (arcana) checks, then nothing happens and the incantation can’t be attempted again until the next new moon.

If the caster fails two consecutive Knowledge (nature) checks, then 1d4+1 random (and hostile) fey creature are summoned and attack the party. Remember that the casters are usually unarmed and blindfolded.

If the Perform check fails or the petitioner isn’t innocent, the Alala doesn’t show up and curse all those partaking in the incantation (no save).

If anyone sees an Alala during the incantation, the fey assume their wrathful aspect and attack. All participants are also automatically cursed (no save). This also happens if another person comes upon the glade during incantation.

Special

Someone who wounded or killed an Alala will never succeed at this incantation, though he may witness one.

Stats for the Alala

Mechanically speaking Alala are treated as advanced half-celestial nymphs. They lose Stunning Glance, Inspiration and Blinding Beauty. They have access to the Wizard/Sorcerer spell list, deal 1d6 Int damage with their touch and gain the new Forbidden Sight ability – it works like Blinding Beauty, but if the target fails a Will save (DC 25) he suffers a major curse and becomes immune to any beneficial divine spell, spell-like or supernatural ability.

If angered (or attacked) an Alala assumes its wrathful aspect (switching from half-celestial to half-fiend template).

Alala are always True Neutral.

1d4 Rumors

1. When an Alala is killed, it is possible to use a silver blade to carve out the fey’s heart.  Inside of it, the killer will find a random Trust.

2. Alala’s blood, mixed with milk and the tears of grief from an innocent child can grant the half-fey template to the drinker [a successful Craft (Alchemy) DC 25 is also required or the target is cursed to a hideous form to the rest of his days].

3. Alala can teach Aklo to anyone who brings “a piece of the sun” to them (whatever that means).

4. If you give your Name to the Alala, you become immune to divination, but anyone you meet has to succeed at a Will DC 20 to remember who you’re (even your family and closest friends). Ah, you also forgets who you’re, effectively becoming a random new 1^st level character (keep only the same Ability Scores and Race).

Weird Arcana - Pandelume’s Overworldly Disks (New Spell)

Pandelume’s Overworldly Disks

Conjuration
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 4
Components: V, S, M (a green emerald worth 250 GP)
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Target: Personal
Effect: Creates a series of small vortexes in the shape of disks around the caster
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes (see text)

This rare spells creates a series of viridian extradimensional vortexes in the shape of rotating disks that orbit the person of the caster. One disk is created for every three caster levels (to a maximum of six).

Pandelume’s overworldly disks have a series of different functions. First of all, they all shine with the same intensity of a torch, shedding an unearthly green light.

Secondly, the caster can, as a standard action, shoot one disk at a target. The range is 30 ft. and the caster must have line of effect. Treat this as a ranged touch attack. Targets hit are engulfed by the vortex, disappearing from this plane for the next 1d3 rounds. No save is allowed, but SR applies normally. If the caster misses, the disk collapses on itself and disappear.

The disks also have an important defensive function. Once per round, as an immediate action, when hit by a physical attack, the caster can place a disk between him and the attack. The disk will absorb 50 points of damage before collapsing. If all damage is soaked, any secondary effect (like poison) is also negated.

Finally, the caster can, as a swift action, collapse one disk to attempt a countermagic against any teleport effect.

Pandelume’s overworldly disks is a dangerous dweomer. If the caster is teleported or comes in contact with any portal or extradimensional door, each disk instantly detonates, dealing each 4d6 points of damage to everything within 10 ft. The same thing happens if two casters under the effect of this spell come within 10 ft. of each other.

I like to create spells with dangerous and less known effects (the most radical example can be seen here). In the case above I would probably omit the last two paragraphs. A caster would need a successful Knowledge (Arcana) to figure out the countermagic and anti-portal effects. Another option would be consulting a sage or wizard guild. If you feel that this isn’t fair, you can drop a few hints – after the caster identified the dweomer – that its formula is “odd” or “strange”. Anyway, I believe these incomplete or mysterious descriptions give back some flavor to D&D magic. I wonder how Gygax or Anderson did it; I mean, I really liked how some spells interacted with each other in strange ways.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it (New Ork Feat)

One of my players (Leoz) gave me a nice idea for an Ork racial feat (from my Middle-Earth Ork post).

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

Orks are renowned for fighting with their blades chipped or shattered, all without hindering their prowess or savagery. That when they aren’t breaking their blades on their enemies’ faces.

Prerequisite: Ork blood.

Benefit: You ignore the broken condition modifiers when attacking with damaged weapons. Once per encounter, after striking an adversary, you can add the broken condition to your weapon to automatically confirm a critical hit or to inflict maximum damage.

Note: Extra damage dice (from class features like sneak attack or from magical enhancements) must still be rolled.

Edit: Just an addendum. If the weapon already has the broken condition, then it's destroyed (after inflicting the damage).

Middle-Earth Orks for Pathfinder

Here’s something I wanted to do for a long time: a version of the ‘original’ orc from Tolkien to Pathfinder. Forget D&D and – most important – forget Warhammer and Warcraft, which are the main culprits for today’s idea about what an orc is: a brute, barbarian and green-skinned warriors (a mix between the Hulk and Mongols if you like).

I always loved the way Tolkien described orcs in ‘The Hobbit’ as a race of cunning and clever trapsmiths, weaponsmiths and armorers, which a taste for back-stabbing and violence (and fresh meat). Actually, given those descriptors, ‘orks’ (as Tolkien wished to call them later in life) are ironically well-suited for a player character race: they love to fight, to tinker with weapons and mechanical stuff, and to conquer. Sounds familiar?

Ork

+2 to one physical ability score of their choice, –2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma. The different kinds of Orks described by Tolkien could be easily represented by different choices regarding the Ability Score bonus.

Darkvision: Orks can see in the dark up to 60 feet.

Base Speed: Orks have a base speed of 30 feet. Orks ignore difficult terrains when in mountains, caverns, wastelands, deserts or plains.

Sneaky: Orks gain a +2 racial bonus on Stealth in areas of dim light or darker.

Ork Etiquette: Orks gain a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and a -2 penalty on Diplomacy.

Smeller: Orks gain a limited scent ability with half the normal range.

Perilous Life: Orks gain Endurance as racial bonus feat and a +2 racial bonus against poison.

Squalid: Orks live in surroundings so filthy and pestilent that they gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws made to resist nausea, the sickened condition, and disease.

Machinery: Orks love all kinds of contraptions and devices; they gain a +2 racial bonus on Disable Device. They also gain a +2 racial bonus on one Craft skill of their choice.

Light Sensitivity: Orks are dazzled as long as they remain in an area of bright light.

Warmonger: Orks are proficient with all martial weapons and receive a +2 racial bonus on attack rolls with siege weapons. After training for 24 hours with a particular weapon, an Ork can reduce any penalty due to non-proficiency by half.

Languages: Orks begin play speaking Common and Black Speech.

I tried to balance the fact that Orks are relatively weak at Ability Scores by granting them more racial features. Not sure if it worked properly. My main concern is the Warmonger feature. I think it may be too powerful, but I also believe that it represents the “iconic feature” of the archetype. Orks are total weapon-nuts. In Pathfinder – if I’m not mistaken – only the Druid, the Wizard and Monk aren’t proficient with all Simple Weapons; while the Barbarian, Cavalier, Fighter, Gunsliger, Paladin, Magus, Ranger and Samurai all have full-access to Martial Weapons. Giving access to Simple Weapons isn’t much. I don’t think that proficiency with all Martial Weapons is a game-breaker (unfortunately, as I really wished that weapons matter more in Pathfinder… maybe if you used Paper & Pencil’s suggestion on weapon qualities, but I digress). So, I decided to grant them martial weapon-access, and a conditional reduced penalty for other weapons, besides a small bonus to siege stuff.

Weird Arcana - Olorin’s Acquiescent Fog (New Spell)

Here’s a new spell. With any luck next weekend may give me the time to finish that Green Book entry on the Alalas.

I designed this spell for my (no yet started) G+ sandbox campaign based on the Forgotten Realm setting. I managed to run one 'test drive' session two weeks ago, mainly to show the G+ Hangout tool to my old players. It worked well above my expectations (I'm and will always a fan of "true table-top" sessions). Because our session was scheduled to last 2 hours, the entire game was a lot more focused and organized than previous campaigns (otherwise we would barely finish one encounter or NPC interaction). This test drive convinced me to keep in touch with my old group and to try new things (technologicaly speaking). When we really start the real thing (hopefully on April 2013), I'm ansious to see how things will go. 

Olorin’s Acquiescent Fog

Transmutation
Level: Bard 2, Druid 2, Sorcerer/Wizard 2, Witch 2
Components: V, S, M (a lit smoking pipe)
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 30 ft.

Effect: The caster controls natural of magic fogs around him
Duration: Concentration (see text)
Saving Throw: None (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No

This spells allows the caster to control any mist, fog, smoke or smog around him. He can command the fog to assume shapes, open corridors in the mist or even to dismiss it entirely from a 30 ft. radius area centered on him. The caster must have line of effect to the fog.

If the caster attempts to confuse other creatures by creating shapes within the fog, allow the targets a Perception check (based on sight) to determine the false nature of the vaporous forms (as a suggestion, allows an opposed check between Perception and a caster level check).

Olorin’s acquiescent fog also allows the caster to see 30 ft. inside any mist, fog, smoke or smog.

Once a caster ceases to concentrate, the spell remains in effect for another 1d6 rounds.

Olorin’s acquiescent fog is known among druids as mischievous mists and among witches and bard as witchfog. Druids require mistletoe as a material component.

Finally, Olorin’s acquiescent fog doesn’t work properly on mists created by magic (as fog cloud). The caster must succeed at a Spellcraft check (DC 20) or the spell is interrupted and he becomes confused for 1 round.