Summon Berserkers: What do you get?

Summon Berserkers, a terribly useful spell in ACKS when you need a 4-pack of single HD creatures to sacrifice horribly.

One of the kids in the kid's campaign has this spell, so why not make a table? This started off marginally serious, wanting to be a swords & sorcery & planets theme, but quickly fell into cartoon references and the like.

d30.

1. Common Vikings - horned helmet, leather, axes, beards, attitudes
2. 9 foot tall green men - 4 arms, large tusks exuding from their lower jaws, fluted ears atop their heads
3. 8 foot tall long-furred humanoids, a metallic sash across their chests
4. Thick-muscled lizardmen with shiny silver eyes
5. Humanoids in silver-fabric suits, with spherical round helmets. Golden faceplates obscure their features. Thick silver gloves and clunky boots spattered with a fine grey dust.
6. Silent men in armor made from whole bones of various types.
7. Bright blue men wielding long white tubes in each hand.
8. Bearded men in khaki fabric and pith helmets, harrumphing at the apparent non-functionality of their metal-tube handled clubs, though they seem to swing fine.
9. White-armored and helmeted troopers.
10. Squat, armored men with impossibly wide, bald heads, and seemingly  no neck.
11. Cat-headed humanoids of various types; lions, panthers, etc; in harness
12. Ridge-headed humanoids in leather; wielding a large crescent blade with handholds on the back
13. A group of 4 persons greatly resembling 4 people in the caster's party; but in fancier armor and clothes, and with well-groomed facial hair, if the party member it resembles is male and is clean-shaven (or cleanshaven if the party member is not)
14. Thin lizardmen with rubbery skin and enormous black eyes
15. Blue suited and helmeted humans, stylized red cobra on their chests.
16. Long-clawed sloths which walk like men.
17. Upright-walking insects resembling ants.
18. Gaunt, blackskinned creatures with featureless oblong heads and a viciously fanged mouth dripping sizzling ichor.
19. Potbellied, rat-faced creatures with membranous wings stretching between their arms and torsos.
20. Pig-snouted, tusked, overmuscled green men with tusks and mohawks
21. Hirsute, toga-wearing men with bestial faces and a single horn growing from their forehead
22. Wild-eyed men in bamboo reed armor, poles with garish flags strapped to their backs.
23. Intelligent looking, large-skulled grey apes in harness.
24. Bipedel fungus, painted in pastel warpaints.
25. 8 foot tall blue cat-men with prehensile tails, in harness.
26. Humanoid in plate armor, with round glowing blue eyeholes in their helmet. Moves stiffly with slight mechanical noises.
27. Clockwork men made of various low-value metals - copper, tin, etc.
28. Confused, average looking human males in fake-looking armor wielding blunt weapons.
29. A warrior bedecked in crimson armor, a valkyrie armored in azure, a dagger-wielding man in green leathers, and a golden robed elder with a staff. The warrior looks peckish.
30. Men in black leathers wielding large, garishly bladed axes; with black-and-white facepaint.

More Conquering: The Town of Brindinford

It occurred to me just the other day that the surprising thing about this blog is not it's generally pedestrian and uninspired content, but the fact that I fell in love with Adventurer, Conqueror, King because of the end-game domain and economic rules - yet pretty much just blog about the Adventurer part.

Not that ACKS's interpretation of B/X isn't inspired, mind you - from the cleave mechanic to the OCDer's dream that is the custom class and spell content of the Player's Companion, there's all sorts of wonderful things in there for the player and DM who just want to trod the jeweled thrones of the earth beneath their sandaled feet.

I've never sat down and really consumed those rules. Chapters 1 through 6, 8 and 9, sure - really, anyone who would stop to read this blog can run a game of DND with nothing but a small sack and 20 numbered acorns, and those chapters are simply a different recipe for that same meal.

Chapters 7 and 10 are where the gold is - Campaigns and Secrets.

So! Let's see if I can do this without any glaring mistakes!



I'm going to avoid mapping anything out on this particular exercise, because that taps into my OCD, and I'll be up late nights reading about river flow and tectonics and weather patterns and new ways to randomly generate coastlines in GIMP and ain't nobody got time for that.


Back In The Day(tm), I ran a heavily modified Speaker In Dreams, a 3.5 adventure. I recall it being the first 3.5 'city' adventure, and there was a town originally called Brindinford, detailed out in 3.5's style.


Let's convert it into an ACKS domain!



Here's the 3.5 'settlement stat block', modified to eliminate module spoilers (Greetings from 2001!):

Brindinford (large town):Conventional; AL LG; 5,000 gp limit;
Assets 1,200,000 gp; Population 4,807;
Mixed (human 79%, halfling 9%, elf 5%, dwarf 3%, gnome 2%, half-elf 1%, half-orc 1%).
Authority Figures:Baron Euphemes II,male human Ari5, LG;

There were some economic guidelines in the 3.5 DMG, starting on page 137.

The 5,000 GP limit is apparently the price of "the most expensive item for sale" in town, which means, more or less, any mundane or magical item under that price ought to be available.

That limit also informs the town's assets (cash reserves) - multiply half that limit by 1/10th of the population (2500 * 480) - Brindinford has about 1,200,000 GP in cash reserves on hand to soak up what the party is selling.

This also means that there'a 1,200,000 GP limit on the market value of what's there to be sold - per item.

So the party can sell 1.2M of gems, then turn around and buy 1.2M in swords, if I'm grokking that right. That's an extreme example, obviously, and probably only comes into play in the small hamlets and such - there's a scale at which that calculated number is essentially out of reach, because it's patently ridiculous.

Finally, it notes the Baron is a 5th level Aristocrat, an NPC class.

I could dig into the 3.5 DMG and flesh out the rest of the NPC population via those rules, but we don't necessarily care about that.

The module doesn't say anything specific about trade in town, so I'll skip over demand modifers and such as well.

Into ACKS

We'll be sticking with the by-the-book assumptions about population density and urban settlement patterns.

Brindinford is a "large town" of 4,807 people. That translates to 961 families (5 persons per family). Surprisingly, that's still a Large Town in ACKS (625-1249 families). I'm presuming here that the population number from 3.5E is including children and such - I can't find evidence either way - if we instead assume that's only adults, counting by family might bloom that city up to ~2,400 families. It'd be a small city, same market size.

If we look at Brindinford as the largest settlement in it's realm, the Villages, Towns, and Cities Placement table on page 231 means we have a realm of 31,250 - 62,499 families. I'm going to say 47,820.

To firm that number up, I'm going to skip ahead a bit.

Page 229 tells us it's in a Duchy, which means Euphemes gets to be a Duke. If we assume from page 230 that we're doing 300 families per 6 mile hex, our realm is about 140 of those, or about 9 24 mile hexes.

Since it's a Duchy, we know Euphemes has vassals. He has Brindinford in his realm, and, let's say 1,330 families in his personal domain outside that urban center. Informed by that, we start drilling down, through the Counts to the Marquis then the Barons at the bottom.

The reason I'm doing this extra step is to get a handle on vassal tax revenue - at a certain level, tax revenue far outstrips what you earn from your personal domain.

I constructed this table by first estimating a population for the realm (47,820), and splitting that into rural and urban families (taking 10% of the total for urban families). I then started dividing the population between each vassal level down, at each step taking the ruler's personal domain out of the totals, until I reached the bottom. After some adjustments here and there, I took my total populations at each level and re-added them up to get a correct population total at the top.

At the same time, I calculated taxes owed and revenue at each level, and propagate that upwards as well, giving me a direct connection from the income of a peasant in some remote barony back up to the domain ruler I'm concerned with.

I ended up with a domain population of 47,866, not far off from my first estimate; rounding fragments and making some adjustments for size in the lower domains added a few families here and there.

At the end of the task, there's 5 Counts, 20 Marquis, and 80 barons. That's 105 domains, which fits in with the 'Realms By Type' and the Political Divisions of Realms table on pg 229. We've simplified a lot here, obviously, every realm ruler has the same number of vassals, etc.; and we're taking the average land value.

The Domain of Brindinford

Revenue From Land

Page 125 tells us that a domain is civilized if it's within 50 miles of a large town. Our large town is inside our domain, so that certainly holds - Euphemes' domain is all civilized hexes. (note I've normalized the land value of all 5 of his hexes)

We know from pg 230 that Euphemes' stronghold value is at least 115,000 - his minimum required stronghold value for just his 5 hexes is 75,000, so he has no real reason to be higher than that.

Furthermore, we'll assume our Duke has his own liege lord, to whom he'll owe taxes. We've already calculated the vassal tree income underneath Euphemes, so we can see his tax revenue from that - it far outstrips his personal domain income. In fact, it's responsible for almost all of his profit.

It's good to be the duke.

Revenue From Brindinford

Let's see what Brindinford itself gets him. It has 961 families, and is therefore a Class IV market, providing Euphemes with 7.5 GP/mo/family.

The NPC that holds the position of 'mayor' for Brindinford, whether elected or appointed, is probably 6th level, from pg 235. 

Revenue From Trade

This isn't necessarily in the domain rules, but it's a fun addon.

Brindinford is on a river, so there's no way there's not a good amount of trade going on. It's a Class IV Market, so let's see what we can drag out of it.

There's an awesome thread on Autarch's boards, where someone brings up how to model a large city that exists mostly through trade. Using those guidelines, a Class IV market has 40 merchants, each moving 8 loads of cargo per month at an average of 300GP/load, at about a 10% margin - that's generating 9,600 GP of income per month from trade.

Let's assume that Euphemes can monopolize 5% of that, for 390GP/month. Technically he only gets XP for that if he's leading the trading expedition himself. Perhaps he does it as part of seasonal visitations to vassals or his own liege lord. Perhaps he has a trusted retainer do the work and just takes a piece of the profits which happens to equal 5% of the general total.

Total Revenue

All in all, Euphemes is pulling in 13,507 GP per month. That's above his 12,000GP XP threshold, since he's level 9, according to assumptions from the Demographics table. He should be put to level 10, if he's been at this for long enough.

In fact, let's say Euphemes is a hereditary ruler. If he was made Duke while still a minor, how long would it take him to get from 1st -> 10th on domain income alone? We know he's someone else's henchman, since he is some prince's vassal, so he earns 50% of that difference in XP. We also can't gain more than one level per month.

He'll gain 6,753 XP per month. Assume he's a fighter (or use Thomas Weigel's excellent Aristocrat class, same XP progression). He'll get to 7th level in 14 months, 7th in another 11 months, and levels 8 through 10 will take 19 months each. That's a total of 82 months, or, about 6 years and 10 months.

That's more than enough time for shenanigans with a less-than-loyal Regent. He can get there a little faster by going out and adventuring.

The Underground of Brindinford

In the criminal underground system, the people are impacted by two separate yet equally important groups: the ruffians, who perpetrate crime; and the adventurers who establish hideouts, and enable the offenders. These are their stories. (dun dun)

We can't have all this commerce going on without a bit of taking some back for the little people, no?

Somewhere in the same hex as our large town is a hideout. We know two things - it's worth at least 20,000GP, and it has a maximum membership of 100 ruffians, scoundrels, and other ne'er-do-wells.

We can figure from pg 237, the "Starting City Criminal Guilds" table, that there's a 7th level thief-type running the guild, and the syndicate based there is earning 7,350GP per month. 

It's not necessarily stated (not that I can find anyway), but I've added the same upkeep given to Strongholds to the Hideout here - it's a 20K GP Hideout, so it has 1,000 GP in upkeep.

I started a thread on rectifying the Monthly Hijink Income table on pg 141 with the Starting City Criminal Guilds - that's the genesis of the more complex table. I wanted to tease out how much is actually being spent on the legal system.

Our 7th level thief is pulling in a decent amount.

Syndicate Income from Settlements

We previously established there are 5 Villages scattered in the vassal realms, and each is a Class VI market. The estimated Guild Revenue from the table on pg. 237 doesn't quite jive with actually calculating out the sub-syndicate income level - however, if you count the boss's own hijink income, it can work out. I don't know if that holds going all the way back up the tree to wherever the kingpin is for the realm Brindinford is a vassal for.



When next we see Brindinford, we'll see it preparing for war with Autarch's Domains At War!

ACKS: Sorcery! : The Colour of Magic

Previously, we combined the Arcane and Divine sources into a single "Sorcery" class build category.

Next, we'll import some Swords & Sorcery flavor.

The Colour of Magic

For the full Swords & Sorcery effect, some magicks must be worse than others, else, whom will the barbarians immediately attack, and whom will they merely greatly mistrust?

We have handy categories available to us thanks to the ACKS:PC, and we'll utilize those to quickly divvy up the spells between the categories of Lawful, Neutral, and Chaotic. (or Good, Neutral, Evil, or White, Grey, Black, etc.)

I'm not going to get into the nitty-gritty of each spell available. There's wiggle room all over, and to each his own. The table here paints a broad brush, following the example that Crypts & Things led with, though ACKS's spell selection is much larger.

Essentially, it boils down to a checklist:

1. Is it necromancy?
2. Is the only purpose of the spell dealing damage/death?
3. Does it compel humanoids to act or transform against their will?
4. Does it summon creatures from beyond the natural world or in unnatural ways?
5. Is it a reversed version of a Cleric spell?

then it's probably Chaotic/Evil/Black.

Crypts & Things posits that Teleportation and things like Invisibility are Chaotic, as they put you in or through some shadowy netherworld; it's a neat enough concept I dropped Teleportation into Chaotic in this example.

And there's exceptions - take the Divine 1st level spell Fellowship, ACKS pg 76. It's a low-level Charm affecting intelligent creatures. Creatures treat the caster as if they had a 2d4 higher CHA on a failed save. It's got an out, though, in that a successful save penalizes the caster's interactions with the ones that made it. It's probably Neutral/Grey, but I'd completely accept Chaotic/Black.

There's a decent amount of wiggle-room in Neutral, and I'm probably being generous.

That Old Black Magic

So, you've decided to dabble in the raw power of Chaos! What's next? Let's ask Conan, in the form of Mongoose's d20 Conan - the closest d20 ever got to having it's own Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. It had a very original system of magic, completely divorced from anything Vancian, and that included a chance to corrupt yourself working with powers beyond what mortal men should toy with.

For each Chaotic spell you add to your repertoire, you must make a Corruption check - make a save vs spells, with a penalty equal to the spell's level. If you fail, gain a point of Corruption.

For each Chaotic spell you cast, save vs Spells, unmodified. For each failure, gain a point of Corruption. If you gain a point of Corruption,  you must make a second save vs Death or be shaken, taking a -2 penalty to all rolls and AC for 1d3 rounds.

Corruption has increasing effects.

Corruption 1-3 (Troubled): You are troubled; having occasional nightmares full of horror; each time you sleep, roll 1d6. On a result of 1, you toss and turn all night, and you may not recover spells or regain hit points. This is as result (16-20),(2) on the Tampering With Mortality table on ACKS pg107. If you also gain that side effect from that table, the effects occur on a roll of 1 or 2 on 1d6.

Consuming sufficient quantities of alcohol or other sedatives grant you a +1 to the 1d6 roll. The next morning, you suffer a -1 to all rolls for 1d6 hours.

Corruption 4-6 (Disturbed): You are disturbed and distracted. Each time you sleep, roll 1d6. On a result of 2 or less, roll 1d3. The rolled effect lasts until the next time you rest.

It is a fine line between calming one's inner demons, and addiction, and you may cross it. Becoming addicted to a substance grants you a +1 on the 1d6 roll and a +1 on the subsequent 1d3 roll. Every hour you do not consume some amount of what you are addicted to, suffer a cumulative -1 penalty to all saving throws.

Do note the nightmares still continue while you sleep. They don't bother you anymore.

Corruption 7-9 (Detached): You are becoming detached from the normal ebb and flow of the natural world. The lives of other creatures seem to be nothing but tools to use or obstacles to destroy. You suffer a -2 reaction penalty with normal animals, and they will not bear you as a rider. You gain a +2 to reaction rolls to intimidate. You gain a +2 to reaction rolls with Chaotic creatures or individuals.

Each day, roll a 1d6 on the Disturbed table, appending the additional effects below:

You may start or continue an addiction to dull your remaining moral core to receive a +1 on the roll. Every hour you do not partake, suffer a -1 penalty to all rolls.

Corruption 10-13 (Corrupt): You are fully corrupted. The Chaos infusing you begins to reveal itself physically on your body. You take an additional -2 reaction roll penalty with normal animals, and a -2 penalty with all non-chaotic intelligent creatures. This stacks with Detached modifiers.

Roll each day on the Detached table. You may still gain a -1 to the roll by holding an addiction.

Additionally, each time you reach Corrupt, roll on the following table, and record the result, and the roll. When you reach Lost, do not roll - choose the effect that matches your roll on this table.

Reroll if you gain a corruption you've already suffered. If your reroll is the same result, or you already have all the effects, roll instead on the Effects of Being Lost.

Corruption 14+ (Lost): Chaos erupts from your body, causing a permanent change. Take your previous result on the Effects of Corruption table and choose the equivalent result.

You must roll on the Detached table once per rest. Reroll results of 1 forever more, no matter your Corruption score - you are beyond doubts. You may no longer gain modifiers from addiction.

If you recognize the structure of the above system, congrats! You also own/read Mongoose's d20 Conan system, which was actually pretty cool!

Continuing Effects of Corruption

Continue to track and add Corruption as the sorcerer continues to earn it. Every 10 points, roll on the Effects of Corruption table. Every 14 points, roll on the Effects of Being Lost table (so, at 24 and 28, 38 and 42, 56 and 60, etc.) The lists provided are by no means exhaustive, and the DM is encouraged to come up with their own, or inventive ways to double-up on the existing list. Rerolling duplicates, at the very minimum, gets any given sorcerer to....178 Corruption, I believe.

I'm pondering the existence of a third table with more severe effects, but don't have anything solid at the moment.

Acquiring Corruption

So, what's the math on this? A sorcerer's Spells save changes every 3 levels, starting at 12+ and going down one at 4,7,10, and 13.

Let's see how that looks at various bonus values from ability score, class/race power or proficiency:

A 1st-3rd level Sorceror can cast, on average, 25 spells before reaching 14 Corruption. A 1st level Sorceror might burn up in a month, essentially, if he casts Magic Missile once per day. At the end of the table, sufficiently high bonuses may mean you're never susceptible to Corruption - which, as part of a custom race, say, an analogue of ACKS' Zaharans, can make perfect sense.

Shedding Corruption

Corruption may be healed over time, through deliberate action. It also may be shed as a molted skin, by just letting your mind go.

This option requires the most work on the DM's part to make sure these insanities actually plague the character, rather than being a notation on a character sheet. They don't work for everybody.

Minor Insanities

By letting your mind loose, just a little, you may shed Corruption. Each minor insanity takes away 1d4 points of Corruption. You must (should) restrict yourself to bed rest for 1d6 days.

Delusion: This may be a mild paranoia, or a complete misunderstanding of a minor aspect of how the world works. You may believe that Lich King of Marladai prefers diplomacy over conflict, viewing his trampling over the baronies of South Tarshere as simply helpful garrisoning. You may be excessively tight-lipped around stonemasons, knowing they're part of a grand conspiracy.

Phobia: Choose a common animal, creature, or type of creature (ambulating fungus, perhaps). Whenever you are in the presence of a creature that can trigger the phobia, make a save vs Death or be panicked, as if you failed a save versus the Fear spell.

Insomnia: Sleep eludes you. Save vs Death every morning or wake up fatigued. You are at a -1 to all rolls and throws that day.

Major Insanities

By relinquishing yourself to a full breakdown, you may shed more. Each major insanity takes away 2d4 points of Corruption. You must (should) restrict  yourself to bed rest for 2d6 days until the mania has passed.

Paranoia: This is similar to delusion, but much more severe. The sorcerer believes in a number of highly personalized delusions, all relating to persecution or treachery, from all fronts.

Voices: The voices in the sorcerer's head become more insistent. Anytime the sorcerer is in a stressful situation (at the DM's purview) he must save vs Paralysis or become controlled by the GM for 1d6 turns.

Hallucination: The sorcerer sees objects that are not there, and real objects may be distorted. The sorcerer takes a -1 penalty to Surprise rolls, and the same to all melee or ranged attack throws.

Cleansing Corruption

A sorcerer can renounce the call of Chaos to clean themselves of Corruption.

He must first divest himself of all Chaotic spells from his repertoire, and any remaining taint - this takes one week per Chaotic spell of rest, meditation, and fasting. Afterwards, the sorcerer must save vs Death once per week. Success means he reduces his Corruption score by one point.

Digressing from this path and reengaging Chaos causes each failed save to result in 2 points of Corruption gained until the sorcerer is back at his highest level of Corruption originally gained.

A sorcerer may never reduce his or her Corruption score below 1, nor may he or she divest themselves of the physical manifestations of the Chaos that once suffused their being via this method. Likewise, insanities gained may not be healed in this manner.

Forgiving Corruption

A sufficiently powerful priest of a Lawful god, if such a thing exists in the world, may forgive a properly penitent sorcerer of Corruption, the physical mutations of Chaos, and any insanities.

The sorcerer must first divest herself of all Chaotic spells from her repertoire, taking one week per Chaotic spell of rest, meditation, and fasting in a location of the priest's choice.

Once that task is complete, the sorcerer must submit herself to a Quest, as the spell, from the priest. This will often be a task beneficial to the priest's church, and may also be for resources that will aid the priest in the last step.

That last step is a Miracle, cast by the priest, on behalf of the sorcerer, to remove all Corruption and it's effects from the sorcerer.

It would be remiss to not note that the priest, and that priest's god, will continue to expect Lawful behavior from the sorcerer from that moment on, and that ramifications for the sorcerer that breaks that trust may be dire.

Escaping Corruption

The final option available to the sorcerer is apotheosis. A sorcerer may transform himself into an inhuman form, and in doing so remove all of himself that Chaos taints. This may be via necromancy (lichdom, perhaps), transmogrification (into a dragon, maybe), or encapsulation (into a construct, for example).

The sorcerer's Corruption ceases to exist after transformation, and he need not check for gaining Corruption.

Middle Road: Grey Magic

To be honest, I'm drawing a blank on this one. Crypts & Things does this as HP damage, which I'm not necessarily a fan of.

 We either get a bit (more) fiddly with things, or instead grant boons to those who have only White magic in their repertoires, or, alternatively, muddle White and Grey together, and just have Law magic vs Chaos magic.

An "easy" alternative would be to continue to utilize the Corruption system presented above, but slow it down greatly:

Neutral, or Grey magic, has some base in this world; and the flow of those energies is much less corrupting. Corruption checks gain a bonus of (7 - spell level), +6 for a first level spell, down to +1 for a 6th level spell.

For each Neutral spell you add to your repertoire, you must make a Corruption check - make a save vs spells, modified by the relevant bonus. If you fail, gain a point of Corruption.

For each Neutral spell you cast, save vs Spells, with the relevant bonus. For each failure, gain a point of Corruption. If you gain a point of Corruption,  you must make a second save vs Death or be shaken, taking a -2 penalty to all rolls and AC for 1d3 rounds.

This takes the previously shown table (Avg. Chaotic Spells Loosed) and shifts it over to the left quite a bit - in fact, I think that a character with a +4 total bonus to saves vs. Spells would never be subject to Corruption.

A 1st level Sorcerer with no save bonuses at all would reach Corruption 14 after 140 castings of a level 1 spell, on average. Compare that with 25 on the original table.

Characters with a proper proficiency or high enough stats may not really need to worry about Corruption from Neutral magic, which seems like a good enough feature.

Removing Corruption would work in essentially the same way.

The DCC Way

The current gold standard in spell corruption is the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG; and it'd be certainly flavorful to steal their corruption system outright. It's more direct than what's presented above, but it also doesn't build upon itself. This would require a bit of DM research to determine if what's presented in the DCC effects would fit the tone of her game, as some of the effects are...complex.

For each Chaotic spell cast, roll a Corruption check. On a roll of a natural 1 or 2, corruption has occured. Roll either according to the nearest matching DCC spell (Animal Summoning, for example, has a more detailed corruption table) or a 1d6 for a more general corruption result, where 6 indicates a Greater Corruption, 4-5 a Major Corruption, or 1-3 a Minor Corruption, as on the DCC RPG Corruption tables.

For each Neutral spell, roll a Corruption check. Corruption happens on a natural 1.

Otherworldy Promises

In the previous post, we talked about Turn Undead, and made a possible set of proficiencies:

Lesser Pact: You have reached an agreement with an otherworldly being, possibly a god. You may Turn or Control undead as befits your alignment and that of the being as a default Cleric of half your level. You may also utilize Divine Power, as explained in Chapter 7 of ACKS.

Greater Pact: You have solidified your relationship with an otherworldly being. You may Turn or Control undead as befits your aligntment and that of the being as a default Cleric of your level. You must already have a Lesser Pact in place with the same being.
For any given "cleric" build, Turn Undead is much more "expensive" - it doesn't come prepackaged with a Divine casting progression.

One way around that is to expand it's reach.

First off, since we've drawn a strong dividing line between Law and Chaos as it comes to magic, we can therefore declare certain creatures - summoned from elsewhere - as Chaotic.

Allow Turn Undead to effect them as undead of their Hit Die +2 -  your common Manes would turn as a Ghoul, a Marilith as a Vampire, a Balor as an Infernal.

Secondly, allow them to turn Chaotic sorcerers of corruption level 10 or more. Treat the sorcerer as an undead of their Hit Die +4 - the particular Detached result overrides this value. Treat results of T or D as a fear effect.

ACKS: Sorcery!

In a previous post, I'd expanded the ACKS "caster types", and thereby the categories you can spend build points on in custom classes, with the Ovatic type, which would include things like Druids and other nature/world oriented spellcasters.

Now, let's go the other way. It is a staple of Sword & Sorcery that the priests and clerics are the same sorts of charlatans the wizards are; they just dress theirs up in damnation or salvation, depending on the flavor. They're a specific oddity of DND. In fact, Delta's DND Hotspot put up a post while I was working on my own that shows this very thing revealed through OD&D's Gods, Demigods and Heroes itself, as pointed out by Geoffrey McKinney of Carcosa - it was apparently tough to justify the class from even mythological sources.



I'm inspired by Crypts & Things' combination of the Cleric and Mage into one class; the Magician.

As a bit of balance, the general spell list is then split out into three classifications of magic - "White", which are generally the clerical spells, and spells that would align with the side of Law, "Grey" magic, which gets into the more "wizardry" selection - a lot of the utility spells and non-direct-damage spells fall into this area. Finally, "Black" magic contains direct damage spells, necromancy, and any sort of summoning or planar movement/communication (which in the setting includes invisibility).

The assumed setting in C&T is strongly typed as Swords & Sorcery, and therefore the spell list is divided into how 'unnatural' each spell is. White magic operates as normal; casting a Grey magic spell causes HP damage, and Black magic calls for a Sanity check - also, even memorizing a Black magic spell causes CON damage (equal to the spell level) if they do not sacrifice a sentient creature per spell being memorized. The Sanity mechanic is simple, and not terribly punitive.

It's a good strong Law vs Chaos framework, where Chaos is winning.


I'm attempting here to blend the Cleric and Mage together to some sort of middle-ish ground, it's possible some decisions may be too generous for some, particularly in spell & XP progression.

Sorcery!

In the ages lost to history, there were the serpentmen, who ruled the planet through dweomercraft; binding the lesser races and their own creations to their will.

The secrets of sorcery were no secrets at all, however; plainly written in the stars of the sky and the lay of the earth. Man, true inheritor of the world, bided his time in secret, having the Power but waiting for the Time. Eventually, the serpentmen overextended, and caused catastrophe; weakened, they fell. Their names now history, their great works buried, they are forgotten to most.

Man made attempt to further master the Art, sometimes to poor end. Empires rise and fall, civilization ebbs and flows from enlightened Spring to tyrannical Winter. The quest to channel the power of sorcery for ends good or ill rides eternal.

There are no meddlesome gods holding back secrets from the faithful; nor do those same gods deny access to certain forms of magic from the infidel. The secret structures of the multiverse are laid out for any of the enlightened to see; to what purpose one bends these forces is upon their soul alone - often, dissolution is the best a soul can hope for.

Sorcery Value

The Sorcery Value determines the extent of the class's sorcerous power. Assign 0 to 4 Build Points to
the Sorcery Value, noting down powers and XP cost.

Sorcery 1: A value of 1 gives the class the ability to cast spells and engage in magical research as a sorcerer of 1/3 the character's level, as shown in the Effective Level By Value table.

Sorcery 2: A Sorcery Value of 2 gives the class the ability to cast spells and engage in magical research as a sorcerer of 2/3rds the character's level.

Sorcery 3: A Sorcery Value of 3 gives the class the ability to cast spells and engage in magical research as a sorcerer of the character's actual level.

Sorcery 4: A Sorcery Value of 4 gives the class the ability to cast spells and engage in magical research as a sorcerer of the same level. Available spells are multiplied by 1.33, rounded.

The XP cost for each Sorcery value follows that of the Mage. After 8th level, a Sorcerer requires an additional 150,000XP for each level.

Sorcery Saving and Attack Throw Progression

The Sorcerer takes Petri. & Para., Blast & Breath, Staves & Wands, and Spells from the Mage. It takes Poison & Death partially from the Cleric (the progression is slower), representing the inner fortitude the Sorcerer develops from harnessing magical energies.

Sorcery Strongholds

A class constructed with a Sorcery value of 2+ may choose either the "Fortified Church", "Cloister" (from the ACKS:PC Priestess) or "Sanctum and Dungeon" stronghold type, or any other stronghold type marked for use by spellcasters of any type.

The Sanctum stronghold type may fit better with Sorcerers following the classic 'Wizard' archetype, ruling alone from a tower or other structure, and cycling through apprentices as time passes.

The Fortified Church or Cloister works better for those whose quest for power may spawn cults or other fringe organizations, or an established religion which includes some use of sorcery as an acceptable or encouraged behavior.

Sorcerous Repertoire and Rituals

Sorcery is based on the same foundations as the Arcane, in that it will require the management of the spellcaster's Repertoire, and extra spells are gained from a high Intelligence.

It uses the Arcane limits for Rituals - up to 9th level. Sorcerers may perform advanced dweomercraft of all types allowed to Mages and Clerics, such as cross-breeds, constructs, and necromantic rituals.

Sorcery Spell Progression

Presented is one of many possible options. The table is a "best of" of ACKS' Arcane and Divine spellcasting tables. 

Use the Arcane or Divine table if you'd like, or my Ovatic table. Do a best-of or averaging with any two or all three.

As in all things, the choice is up to the resident DM. This document is proceeding with the idea of attempting to average-out the capabilities of the Mage and Cleric into something new, with the caveat that it will err towards the  Mage side when logic dictates, as it would with XP progression; but be somewhat permissive.

Dividing the spell progression for values of Sorcery less than 3 will follow the same rules as for Arcane.

Sorcery & Armor

Sorcerers may cast in whatever armor they are proficient with.

Sorcery & Magic Items

There are a handful (ok, one I've found so far) of magical items in the ACKS core rulebook that may need some massaging.

Rod of Resurrection: At a minimum, eliminate the Cleric/Bladedancer entry, using the Mage entry for all types of sorcerers. Alternatively, if the sorcerer has a connection to the divine through the taking of possible Turn Undead proficiencies, allow them to resurrect at the Cleric/Bladedancer cost. The same choices can be made for who can use the item.

The Change in Class

So, what happens to our existing classes under this?

The Mage gets quite a boost, actually. Sorcery 4 grants him more spells and a faster road to the 4th and 5th level spells, plus gaining the ability to have Divine spells in his repertoire at a advantageous level.

The Cleric gets a bit mugged. A Fighting 1, HD 1, Sorcery 2 build maxes the cleric out at a 9th level of spellcasting ability, with a 3/3/3/2/2 spell load, as compared to 6/5/5/5/4. It's about half, but it's still the same maximum level.

On top of that, it loses the built-in Turn Undead.

In return, though, it gets a lot of Arcane spells, but also the unlimited, but costly, "repertoire" spellbook system.

The Bladedancer fares the same, as does the Dwarven Craftpriest, though he maxes out at 10th level as a 7th level caster, at 3/2/2/1/1 spell load.

The Elves make out well, if you keep the 1:1 ratio between Sorcery progression and Elf progression, as do the Zaharans. Gnomes get a slight boost - they'll go 1/3 level Sorcery at Gnome 2/3, and then 2/3rds level at Gnome 4.

Dropping into some ACKS specific things, Nobirans get turned around completely, and the Wonderworker most so. Instead of being Nobirus 2/Arcane 4, they'd likely be Nobirus 2/Sorcery 4, thereby having a virtual Sorcery 6.

If we keep our "thirds" progression (1/3, 2/3, 1), rather than (1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1) as Arcane does, that gets us:

Nobiran Wonderworker: Nobirus 2/Sorcery 4 - spell multiplier of 100%, max level 12 (Nobiran Heroic Spirit).

At level 12, he'd have a spell load of 10/10/8/8/6/4.

That's....rough, but, if we just straight add up what the Wonderworker gets by default:

Arcane: 4/4/3/3/3/2
Divine: 5/5/4/4/3

Total: 9/9/7/7/6/2

That's one less at spell level 1 through 4, with the additional restriction that all his spells are sourced from an arcane-style repertoire. That cuts the number of spells he has access to almost in half - his Divine "repertoire" had 10 spells in it by itself, each level!

Whence The Cleric? 

Speaking of, where does the concept of the armored, faith-powered spellcaster lie?

The major thing we lose here by dropping the Divine category is the acquisition of Turn Undead.

If that's important to your world, add it back. We know from the ACKS:PC Turn Undead at half-level value is worth a proficiency (see Grey Lore, etc.) A Turn Undead proficiency with no added value but the ability to take it twice, the second time for full-cleric Turn Undead would probably be simplest. That would be a good way to unlock the use of Divine Power for spell research/etc.  as well...let's do this:

Lesser Pact: You have reached an agreement with an otherworldly being, possibly a god. You may Turn or Control undead as befits your alignment and that of the being as a default Cleric of half your level. You may also utilize Divine Power, as explained in Chapter 7 of ACKS.

Greater Pact: You have solidified your relationship with an otherworldly being. You may Turn or Control undead as befits your alignment and that of the being as a default Cleric of your level. You must already have a Lesser Pact in place with the same being. 

Stopping here, we leave Sorcery as a simple marriage of the divine & arcane, not looking to challenge any of the default DND assumptions about spell types - that Protection from Evil isn't different from Fireball, from a moral perspective.

The fictional source does do so, however, and so does Crypts & Things. We'll look at that next.

The Druid (ACKS Class)

Source is, obviously, the 1E/OSRIC Druid, with a bit of other stuff thrown in.

October! A good month for druidism.

I'm a big proponent of the "science & source" of magic, and having this third wing of magic that comes from the natural world, be it some sort of Gaia-style subsentience or ley lines or the Force or what-have-you appeals to me. Specializing a wizard or subclassing a cleric just doesn't do it for me - let the clerics to their gods and the wizards their stars.

The Druid

In ancient, dark ages, mankind found itself under the thumb of the races that had come before it; enslaved, put to labor, danger, horror, and death. Mankind was a fledging race that looked to never come into it's own.

In secret grottoes and dark hollows, though, the Wise labored, and with stolen knowledge of the workings of the arcane, found the secret magicks tucked away within the very earth, within the essences of the natural creatures and plants, and, perhaps most importantly, within humanity itself. This knowledge was hoarded, kept secret, passed only along to the trusted few - and used, lightly, gently, a nudge here and there to turn the paths of fate. When the hubris of the ancient ones finally brought about their downfall, the Druids were there, and guided mankind from it's bloody birth into infancy.

As with all children, they grow, they do not listen, they take paths unlooked for - they rebel. Today mankind calls upon selfish gods who delight in strife. They listen to the same whispers of distant, incomprehensible entities that taught the ancient races their power. They strip the lands that gave them succor in those dark times, erecting cold, lifeless stone walls to shield themselves from the cycles of life.

The druids, ever patient parents, still watch over humanity. There is balance in all things, and their power is still used, lightly, gently, a nudge here and there to turn the excesses of mankind back to balance. Though, sometimes, a more direct reprimand has been required, as with any unruly child...

Druids are introduced to the natural combative ability in every human. At first level, Druids hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of  10+. They advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every four levels of experience, just as clerics. Druids are only introduced to a small selection of weapons, always made of natural materials. They may wield clubs, daggers, slings, and staffs. They may only wear armors of natural, non-metal material of leather or lighter. They may wield shields (of natural, non-metal materials)..

They may use any magical item usable by ovatic casters. Druids gain spells at the regular progression for ovatic casters.

Druids know the druid's cant, a secret language of sign language and symbols known to all druids, dating back to prehistory. They share this language with no outsiders. They are also introduced to the secrets of flame and lightning, and gain a +2 bonus to saves versus the same. They are attuned to nature's patterns, and gain a +1 to surprise when in the wilderness. 

At second level, a druid has learned to be one with the natural world, and is a friend of birds and beasts.  She  can identify plants and fauna with a proficiency throw of 11+, and understands the subtle body language and moods of birds and beasts (though they may not understand the character). She gains +2 to all reaction rolls when encountering normal animals, and can take animals as henchmen. At 3rd level, the druid can go to ground, seemingly disappearing into woods and underbrush with a proficiency throw of 3+ on 1d20. In dungeons, if the character is motionless and quiet in cover, he can escape detection with a proficiency throw of 14+ on 1d20.

The secrets of nature begin to unravel for the druid at level 4. She may speak with animals at will, tapping into the common sentience that suffuses the world. At 5th level, she begins to understand the mutability of individuality, and the power that is the hive, the flock, or the pack. She has a thousand faces, and may alter her shape every 8 hours; each alteration lasting for 6 turns plus 1 turn per level (after fifth). 

The druid, at fifth level, may also begin researching spells, and may craft potions and scrolls.

At seventh level, the druid's study of the places of power in the world grant her the secrets of immunity to fey charms, and she is no longer seduced by their powers. At level nine, the druid is able to tap into the vital essences that suffuse all life, and extend her longevity. She becomes ageless and enjoys a lifespan three times longer than normal. She also becomes immune to ghoul paralysis. The druid may create more powerful magic items, such as weapons, rings, and staves - these must be made of natural, non-metal materials - at this level.

Also at ninth level, a druid may establish a grove. This must be within a wilderness area, and if the area the grove is in ever becomes borderlands or civilized (a process the druid is most likely to resist) the grove must be moved. The grove cannot be used to secure a domain. When established, all ordinary animals within 5 miles will become friendly and helpful to the druid. She will then attract 1d6 apprentices of 1st-3rd level plus 2d6 normal men and women seeking to become druids. Their wisdom scores will be above average, but many will become discouraged from the rigorous mental training and quit after 1d6 months, if failing a throw of 14+ modified by their Wisdom modifier. Those who succeed become 1st level druids. Each year the druid tends to her grove, she may attract an additional 1d6 normal men, until she has a maximum of 6 apprentices of any level, and 12 normal men, studying at any time.

From this grove, the druid may engage in several types of hijinks, designed to keep an eye on the world of man. The druid may engage qualified followers or henchmen in carousing, spying, and treasure hunting hijinks. If capable of doing so, the druid may be able to send especially prepared animal henchmen on the same, whether normal animals of magically enhanced intelligence or more naturally intelligent animals, such as the black-winged crebain.

For reasons lost to prehistory, the upper levels of the druidic hierarchy have strict limitations. There may only be a total of 6 High Druids (12th level), 3 Archdruids (13th) and a single Supreme Druid (14th) at any given time. If a druid gains enough experience to increase to one of these contested levels, a vacancy must be made. A formal challenge is issued, and the competitors resolve their conflict through a contest of some kind, often, but not always, a duel.

The loser of the contest goes down to the next lowest level (dropping experience to the very minimum required). If that previous level is also contested, further contests may be required.

A druid who forsakes this hierarchy is forsaken in turn, and her grove will be occupied and taken over by druids chosen by the High Druids, as will any other groves established by the forsaking druid, when found. While a grove established by a forsaken druid will still gain the benefit of friendly wildlife, she will only attract 1d2 normal men each year, and none when the grove is first established. She may not rejoin the hierarchy unless she reaches 14th level, and successfully challenges and replaces the Supreme Druid. There are likely no rules to that particular contest.

At 11th level, the druid may learn and cast ovatic ritual spells of great power (6th and 7th level), as well as forming a triptych to cast ritual spells of the 8th and 9th levels.  She may craft magical constructs such as golems and animated statues, which must be made of natural, non-metal materials.

Druid Proficiency List: Alchemy, Animal Husbandry, Animal Training,  Battle Magic, Berserkergang, Command, Contemplation, Diplomacy, Divine Blessing, Divine Health, Elementalism, Fighting Style, Healing, Laying on Hands, Leadership, Loremastery, Magical Engineering, Magical Music, Naturalism, Passing Without Trace, Prestidigitation, Quiet Magic, Sensing Evil, Sensing Power, Theology, Tracking, Unflappable Casting, Weapon Focus

DESIGN NOTES: Imagine, if you will, a single wilderness hex, surrounded by 6 borderland hexes, in the middle of a civilized area of hexes. That's a grove in there - it and it's druid have resisted all efforts to civilize the area, and after a while, it just becomes a terrain feature - the haunted, spooky, fey forest. It doesn't necessarily follow ACKS' default hex type assumptions, but it's cool, and that counts.

ACKS BUILD POINTS: Hit Dice 1, Fighting 1, Thievery 0, Ovatic 2

TRADEOFFS: The 1.5 Ovatic proficiencies were used on the +2 vs Fire/Elec (1/2), and Attunement to Nature. Weapons were taken to Restricted and dropped a Weapon Style for powers at 2,4,9. Armor was taken from Unrestricted to Narrow for powers at 3,5,7.

HOUSE RULES USED: Ovatic Spellcasting

More Astonishing ACKS

I'd previously flirted with Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea here, taking some of the interesting class abilities out of AS&SH and making them ACKS proficiencies.

Back in the combat chapter of AS&SH there's a section on Advanced Combat Actions, and it may be interesting to see how they'd interact with ACKS, when possible (and where they don't interfere with existing ACKS rules)

Some of the stronger ones I've locked behind a proficiency wall. Others get better if you have a related Fighting Style proficiency.


As a quick clarification, these aren't meant to be proficiencies, just advanced combat maneuvers for either any combatant or extra options for proficiencies already taken, or perhaps possible answers to "What if I ..." sorts of things players come up with.


Arrow Setting: The archer sets his arrows into the ground before him, angled towards him for ease of pickup, in order to gain a faster rate of fire. When the archer has taken the necessary preparation time to do this, he may cleave with a composite bow or short bow up to 8 times, and up to 6 times with a longbow, double the usual ability. The archer cannot move away from his set arrows when taking advantage of the set arrows.

AS&SH uses multiple attacks per round, Cleave is ACKS' replacement for that. 



Combat Trickery (Shield Bind): A character may bind his shield against his opponents in order to gain advantage. The attacker makes a melee attack throw at a -4 penalty. If successful, the opponent must make a save versus Paralysis. If the save fails, the attacker may immediately attempt to strike the opponent (at a -4 penalty) ignoring AC bonus from the opponents shield. In subsequent rounds, attacks from either combatant are made at no penalty.

Characters with Fighting Style: Weapon and Shield take only a -2 penalty to the immediate attack after a successful bind.

Neither combatant enjoys their shield bonus to AC while the shields are bound. The character may hold the shield bind for a number of rounds equal to their Cleave ability. The opponent may withdraw to break the bind, and the binding character must follow to hold the bind.

As Archaeopteryx rightly points out below, this one did come out a bit overly useless. After further review, there's no real reason this can't be covered by Wrestling from ACKS Core.



Dodge: In lieu of any other non-movement action, a character with Swashbuckling (or similar proficiency) may focus on avoiding enemies' attacks, gaining a +2 to AC. If combined with a fighting withdrawal, the withdrawing combatant may not attack a following enemy.



Double Arrow Shot: A character with Fighting Style: Missile may choose to nock and shoot two arrows at the same time at an opponent within 30 feet. This attack is made at a -2 penalty. If the result is a miss, both arrows miss, if a hit, both arrows hit.



Off Hand Weapon Parry: A character with Fighting Style: Two Weapons  may forgo his +1 to-hit bonus for a +1 to AC. This bonus does not count against missile or other ranged attacks.



Parry and Block: In lieu of any other non-movement action, a character with any melee Weapon Style may focus on parrying and blocking incoming attacks with their own weapon and/or shield. This provides a +2 AC bonus (which only counts against missile or other ranged attacks if the character also holds a shield). In addition, characters with a Strength bonus may apply that bonus to their AC. If combined with a fighting withdrawal, the withdrawing combatant may not attack a following enemy.

If an attacker scores a natural 20, the character's weapon or shield is sundered. (magical weapons and shields may only be sundered by magical weapons greater than or equal to their own).



Reckless|Conservative Fighting: A character may fight recklessly, with less concern for his safety, gaining a +1 to-hit in exchange for a -2 to AC. Alternatively, they may fight cautiously, gaining +1 to AC while taking a -2 to-hit. This may not be combined with Berserkergang or similar.



Recumbent Fire: A character may lie flat on his back to take a shot. Archers or slingers must fire off to the opposite side of their handedness (to the left if right handed), crossbowmen are not restricted. Attacks are made at a -4 penalty, or -2 if the character has Fighting Style: Missile. The character is considered prone, but gains a +2 to AC vs. missile fire.



Saddle Fire: A character may fire a ranged weapon from horseback, while the horse is in motion. A walking horse has no penalty. A trot causes a -1 penalty; canter -2, and full gallop -4. A character with Fighting Style: Mounted (from the link above) halves all penalties (no penalty for a trot).

A walking horse is moving at one-half their current (based on encumbrance or other situational modifiers) movement rate. A trot is their regular rate, a canter twice that, and a gallop three times their movement rate.



Shield Cover: A character may forgo any bonus to AC from his shield or Dexterity, and instead provide those bonuses to an ally. This ability may be used to defend an ally who is withdrawing past the character.



Shield Wall: Three or more large shield users may overlap their shields, staying in a tight formation. They each gain a +2 to AC vs. melee attacks, and a +4 vs. missile attacks.  In formation, they may attack with one-handed piercing weapons. A second rank of combatants (of equal or lesser number) may form behind the shield wall, and they may attack with long piercing weapons through the wall at a -2 penalty.

This is the same bonus from the defend action in Domains at War: Battles. 

The Bard (ACKS Class)

There's been a lot of bards over the years, from the hot mess that was the 1E bard to the standardization of the 4E version. I'm going to combine a little bit of everything here, utilizing my Half Value Spellcasting and Ovatic Spellcasting rules. A little fighter, a little thief, a splash of mage and a pinch of druid.

I'm cheating, really, reskinning my Fortune Hunter class. At the end of the day, they're both sides of the same die - versatile adventurers out to experience all there is, and probably steal some of it.


Minstrel, skald, lyrist, archivist, rimer, allegorist, bard.

There are many names across the world for the men and women who leave their homes, often never to return, spreading the history and legends of disparate cultures to all whom would listen. Every bard, knowingly or not, shares a common brotherhood, stretching back to antiquity. Sages posit that the bardic tradition began just as humanity was pulling itself up from an animal state, as a desire to have history and traditions took root in the mind. It survived subjugation by earlier, more advanced races as an undercurrent of hope, and continued to blossom into what it is today. In the wildlands amongst the barbarian tribes it appears as an ancestral tradition, tied in with the history of the group, and much closer to those primeval sources. In more civilized parts of the world, it may manifest as a guild or a college of learning, steeped in the understanding of the current day, yet still connected to a more soulful past.

At first level, bards hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. They advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every four levels of experience, as thieves.

Bards may wear leather armor or lighter, but may not carry shields. They can fight with a weapon in one hand, or with two weapons simultaneously  but do not favor the bulk of two-handed weapons. Due to their breadth of training, bards are only familiar with a small subset of weapons, depending on their local traditions. They choose from any 2 of the following 7 categories: (i) axes; (ii) bows/crossbows; (iii) flails/hammers/maces; (iv) swords/daggers; (v) spears/pole arms; (vi) bolas/darts/nets/slings/saps/staffs; (vii) any combination of 3 weapons. They may use any magical item usable by thieves.

Bards are a uniquely human affair. They are introduced to the arcane arts of the elves and other fey races, and at 4th level may begin casting arcane spells as a mage of one-quarter their character level, as on the class table below. Their unique take on arcane magic, as well as limited power, allow them to cast in any armor with which they are proficient. They also may dabble in the arcane, and attempt to use wands, staves, and other magic items only usable by mages. The bard must make a proficiency throw at 18+, or the attempt backfires in a way left to the GM's humor. The throw required reduces by 2 per level, to a minimum of 3+.

Bardic tradition also has strong ties to druidism, that most ancient of ovatic magicks, and are the only people outside of the druidic hierarchy to know the druid's cant. At 1st level, the bard may cast as a druid of one-quarter their level, as shown on the class table below, in any armor in which they are proficient.

Each bard, depending on the traditions of their culture, is trained in a specific type of performance, whether song, musical instrument, chant, or dance. Over time, this skill becomes weaved into the fabrics of the bard's spellcasting - bards may never learn the secrets of quiet magic. Their passion for their art and earnest performance of inspirational tales, poems, or songs allow them to inspire courage in their allies. Extorting their allies to greatness for one round (outside of battle) grants allies within 50' a +1 bonus to attack throws, damage rolls, morale rolls, and saves versus magical fear. This lasts for 10 minute (1 turn). The bard can only put on this sort of exhibition once per day per class level for any given character, and cannot affect characters already engaged in combat.

Bards are introduced to a wealth of legends and lore, at at 1st level may identify ancient runes, artifacts, and recall esoteric history on a proficiency throw of 18+, which reduces by 1 per level. They have a love of ancient lore and obscure texts, and at 3rd level, they may read languages as a thief, with a proficiency throw of 5+. At 5th level, their thirst for rumor allows them to hear noises as a thief of their level - bard are forever seeking a new tales, tall or not, and their ears drink in all manner of murmurings.

A bard who leads any of his henchman or hired mercenaries directly grant them a +1 bonus to their morale score, as the bard's presence assures they will be a part of his chronicles of battle, and they'll be responsible for their representation in tales and song.

At 7th level, the bard's time spent studying the natural and unnatural world result in a knowledge of fey secrets, granting them a +2 bonus to saving throws.

Upon reaching 9th level, the bard can establish a hall and rule his own domain. When the hall is complete, up to 1d4+1x10 0 level mercenaries and 1d6 bards of 1st-3rd level will come to apply for jobs and training. If hired, they must be paid standard rates for mercenaries.

Please take a look at the ACKS rulebook for templates (pg 27, ACKSPC pg 60) and proficiency lists (ACKS pg 56) - no reason for more duplication of work.

DESIGN NOTES: Less weapon wielding ability, as we're building off of Fighting 1a in order to abuse the class creation rules. A lot more versatility - both Arcane and Ovatic spellcasting are infinite-list repertoire based, so there's a lot of flexibility in spell choice that should make for interesting play. It's expensive to manage though. And we don't give up anything from the default ACKS Bard, except needing a few more XPs to level.
Traditionalists may wish to limit this Bard to Illusion spells - there's a fan-submitted Illusionist on Autarch's site  that would get you there.

ACKS BUILD POINTS: Hit Dice 1, Fighting 1a, Thievery 1, Half-Value Spellcasting 1
TRADEOFFS: 3 Thief skills - 2 traded for skills at 3,5,7. 1 from Fighting Style (shield), Armor from Unrestricted to Narrow for 2 more custom powers.
HOUSE RULES USED: Half Value Spellcasting, Ovatic Spellcasting

The Specialist Wizard (ACKS Class)

Specialist wizards! Always fun!


This starts vacation season, so I'm throwing you, dear readers, an incredibly cheap filler post while I'm on holiday. Do please forgive me.


Did you know there's a specialist wizard hidden inside every Mage in the ACKS Core book?

That's right! Let's find it:

From the Mage description, page 19, ACKS Core:

They may only fight with quarterstaffs, clubs, daggers, and darts. They are unable to use shields, fight with two weapons, or wear any kind of armor.

From the "Fighting 0" description in the ACKS PC:

It may fight with only one of the following two selections from among the fighting styles: two weapons or two-handed weapons. The class may not perform cleaves. 

EXAMPLE: The standard mage was built with Fighting Value 0. A mage cannot wear armor and may only use quarterstaffs, clubs, daggers, and darts. A mage can fight with two-handed weapons (e.g., staffs).

The mage can fight with two handed weapons, but the only one he's proficient with is the staff. It's been errata'd that a staff can be used one-handed for 1d4 damage.

What hungry acolyte willing to risk his or her immortal soul for the unlimited power of the arcane is going to worry about an extra point of damage when debasing themselves with the rigors of physical combat? None that I know.

Let's trade that in for a custom power! Thanks to the ACKS-PC, we've got plenty of choices. How many? Too many - in fact, only a few of them are really compelling:

• 1 custom power at 1st level
• 1 power at 2nd, 1 at 12th
• 1 power at 3rd, another at 11th
• 1 custom power at 4th, another at 10th.
• Somewhere around 50+ other permutations, which maybe one day I'll write a script to enumerate. I took a stab at it and found out you can really backload a class into getting a pile of proficiencies at 13th and 14th.

I'm inclined to work with 4th and 10th - research and minor items kick in at 5th, and then there's the stronghold and major items at 9th, and ritual spells/constructs/crossbreeds at 11th. 4th and 10th fits in all that nicely.

And there we go, with some examples splitting things up via the 3E/PF schools of magic.

There's a whole mess of design space floating around the Mastery of Charms and Illusions / Elementalism / Black Lore of Zahar custom powers/proficiencies that could be filled in with something that aligns up correctly with ACKSPC's custom spell creation categories, so you could be a Blast specialist or a Summoning specialist.

Maybe later.

The Wormpriest (ACKS Class)

Ah, that light trembling of the earth beneath our feet. Exciting, is it not? It was an endworm, what the unenlightened call a 'purple worm', as if the color is suggestive of anything important. Forever consuming - it was there in the beginning and will herald the end of all things, once one finds a suitable nest. It's happened once before you know - oh, there's evidence all right, out underneath the Starfall Sea - it's no coincidence that ocean is such a nexus of power. Ask any fisherman about his catch!

Those what came before knew not what they destroyed - oh, they helped it hatch, how could they not? They were so confident! Look at them now, though, slithering about amongst their ruins...hm? Ah. The endworm. Yes!  Ah, to be there to see it! To be consumed and live forever! This foolish world of empires and peasants wastes the potential that could be.

The Wormpriest

In dank caverns under ugly towers toil the wormpriests, an apocalyptic cult that worships not the actual purple worm, but the potential of the monstrosities to destroy and consume. They are harbingers of ruin, always proselytizing about the End Times, the decadence of mankind, the futility of civilization, and all manner of gloom and doom.

Perhaps not too suprisingly, they have a decent following of adherents, especially amongst the downtrodden, who at the most simplest level may not mind an enormous worm or what-have-you devouring an unliked lord's castle.  Oftentimes, in areas where an wormpriest warren is long established and generally accepted, there occurs a fall feast dedicated to the "Worm of Autumn", which for adherents is a celebration of the minor apocalypse that the oncoming winter represents, and for others a reminder of the preparation required to get through that same season. They are often respected for their ability to de-worm humans and livestock.

For the wormpriests, however, such things are a necessary distraction, a required mummery for a group of men and women dedicated to the end of civilization. They are not actually priests - wormpriests are students of the arcane, and the endworm, or purple worm, is their field of study. They are taciturn in discussing their ultimate goal, and, as with any cult, rumors abound.

Roll a d12, or pick your favorite (or make your own, but the rule is you have to post it back here!):

1. They believe the end of the world will be caused by a mass eruption of purple worms, and seek to understand them as to defend against that occurrence.
2. Their continued efforts are what actually keep #1 from happening.
3. They are attempting to get all the worms to dig too close to a volcano to rid the world of them.
4. They control the worms in order to produce targeted earthquakes.
5. In order to lead a wormpriest warren, you must be swallowed by a purple worm, and exit the "long way".
6. They are ruled by intelligent purple worms from the far reaches of the stars.
7. Their warrens are all connected by worm tunnels.
8. They slowly turn into worms as they age.
9. They are all small purple worms wearing mansuits.
10. They're plotting to take over the world by using the worms to destroy whomever can stop them.
11. They'll be the cause of the worm eruption that will end the world.
12. They're trying to get the worms to cocoon themselves so they metamorphize into something they call a "tar-ask". Like a caterpillar into a butterfly. Tar-asks are harmless.

Wormpriests have no time for mundane rigors, and spend almost no time training in combat. At first level, they hit a unarmored opponent with an attack throw of 10+. They advance in attack and saving throws only two points every six levels of experience. They may only wield clubs, saps, staves, and daggers. The weapons they carry are often crafted to resemble worms, and saps are most effective in showing the resemblance. They cannot use shields or wear armor, fight with two-handed weapons, nor wield two weapons at the same time.

At first level, wormpriests can learn and cast arcane spells as a mage of two thirds their class level, as shown in the class table below. Wormpriests' repertoire can include a number of spells up to the number and level of what's listed, increased by his Intelligence bonus. They may use any magic items usable by mages.

Wormpriests quickly learn the utility of worms - their simplicity of form, and clarity of purpose. At 1st level, they introduce agreeable infestations into their bodies, making them immune to disease, including magical diseases caused by spells, mummies, or lycanthropes. Their bodies continue to change - at 3rd level, they develop loosened joints that allow them to move in unpredictable, sometimes unnatural, ways. The wormpriest gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class (when wearing leather armor or lighter) and is able to move freely. At level 7, this increases to +3, at at level 13, the bonus is +3.

At 5th level, the rigors of the wormpriest's studies take a turn. His skeleton weakens, and his softened bones allow him to contort his body in inhuman ways. He may make a proficiency throw of 18+ each round to escape from bonds or slip between the bars of a portcullis or like structure. This deterioration of his body give him a wormish mein, and he suffers a -1 penalty to the reactions, loyalty, and morale of humans and demihumans. He gains an equivalent bonus with worms and vermin, for what good it may do him.

At 6th level, the wormpriest's mind is affected. The twists and turns of underground passageways hold no mystery for him as he has a worm's memory, and on a proficiency throw of 11+ may automatically know the route he has taken to get where he is, if he was awake at the time.

At 7th level, the wormpriest may begin magical research as a 5th level mage. Also, the experiments and other ravages he has subjected his body to bear fruit - he is like a living rot, and his lifespan is expanded threefold. At 8th level, the wormpriest gains a mutable anatomy, and some parts aren't where they should be anymore, nor may they be important any longer. When he must consult the Mortal Wounds table, the character may roll twice and choose the preferred result. He may also subtract his class level from the number of days rest needed to recover. He suffers an additional -1 (total of -2) to  the reactions, loyalty, and morale of humans and demihumans, as his features continue to deteriorate. (as well as an additional +1 (total of +2) to the reactions of oft-indifferent worms and other vermin)

At 9th level, the wormpriest may establish a warren. This is in all respects the same as the mage's sanctum, though certainly strongly themed.

At 13th level, the wormpriest may create more powerful magic items, as a 9th level mage.

Wormpriest Proficiency List: Alchemy, Animal Husbandry, Battle Magic,  Collegiate Wizardry, Contemplation, Craft, Diplomacy, Elementalism, Engineering, Familiar, Healing, Illusion Resistance, Knowledge, Language, Loremastery, Magical Engineering, Mapping, Mystic Aura, Quiet Magic, Performance, Prestidigitation, Profession, Sensing Power, Transmogrification, Soothsaying, Unflappable Casting, Vermin Slaying, Wakefulness

Wormpriest Template: This pre-generated template represents a travelling wormpriest spreading the news of the doom of the world while treating various parasitical ills. The template is ready for adventure. However, if your wormpriest's INT is 13 or greater, you may pick one or more additional general proficiencies before play if you'd like (see Starting Proficiencies in Chapter 4 of the ACKS Core Rulebook)

DESIGN NOTES: Here we have an exercise in renaming unrelated proficiencies so that they look like they were designed to go together.

ACKS BUILD POINTS: Hit Dice 0, Fighting 0, Thievery 1, Arcane 3
TRADEOFFS: 3 Thief skills - 2 traded for skills at 3,5,7. 1 from Fighting Style, traded to 1 at 6 & 8.
HOUSE RULES USED: None! Yeay!

Bonus: Custom Spells

There may be some liberty taken with a few of these, I'll note it in italics when it occurs. They're all Arcane source.

Wormwalk; Level 1 

1 willing target, 6 turns + 1/level duration

Range: Touch

A creature affected by this spell immediately falls to the ground, his or her arms tightly pressed to their sides, and legs together. They may begin to burrow through earth at half their normal speed, carrying anything they possessed at the time of casting with them. They may take no actions while wormwalking. 

Movement Spell

Target can move through earth at half speed 15

Normal Carrying Capacity 1

Willing Target Unable to Act While Burrowing 0.3

6 turns + 1 Turn Per Level 1.5

Total: 6.75

Wormform; Level 2

1 willing target, 6 turns + 1/level duration
Range: 60'

When cast, the target of the spell immediately transmogrifies into a mass of worms with the same shape as the target - this mass quickly drops to the floor in a sickening squelch.

The target may begin moving or burrowing into earth at a rate of 5' per round, and may flow through openings as small as a single worm would be allowed through. The mass of worms has an AC of 4, and is not immune to weapons.

Transmogrification Spell

Assume "Gaseous" Form (Mass of Worms) 20

Not Immune to Weapons        0.75

Movement Rate 5', Can Burrow Into Earth 0.5

6 turns + 1 Turn Per Level 1.6

Total: 12

Infest; Level 3

Target: 3000 sq/ft of plants, Indefinite Duration

Range: 60'

Upon finishing this spell, 3000 sq/ft of plants are infested with parasites endemic to their species. These plants will flounder, and not produce for the season, if the effect is not dispelled.

Transmogrification Spell 

Infest Plants with Worms (i.e., transform from normal plants into worm-infested plants)   35

Target 3000 sq ft of plants 0.3

Indefinite Duration 3.5

Specific Type of Creature 0.75 (this may be wrong)

Total: 27.56

Rot of Fall's Passage; Level 3

Target: Area, Cone 20ft wide, 40ft long, Objects Only

The caster invokes the power of the Autumnal Worm, and invokes the spoil of winter. Unattended objects withing a cone 20ft wide by 40ft long rot and wither - wood rots, metal rusts, food spoils, water turns. If ingested, any liquid or foodstuffs will induce nausea as per stinking cloud. The effect is permanent unless dispelled.

Mixed Spell Type: Blast and Transmogrification

Blast: Nausea Inducing (If Items Ingested) 10

Transmogrification: Form's Physical Char. (aged, rotted form of original object)  10

Blast: 40 long, 20 wide Cone 2.5

Indefinite    2.5

Transmogrification: Limited Form (Aged Object) 0.75

Unattended Objects Only 0.3

Total: 28.13

Summon The Consumer; Level 4

Range: 60', Duration: 6 turns

With a rumble of earth, a purple worm erupts from the ground within 60' of the caster, ready to feed.

The worm is passively hostile to the caster, and has no special connection to it - if a wormpriest, he may very well welcome the glorious gift of being consumed by a purple worm, to live forever in it's flesh. The caster must concentrate to control the worm's actions and targets.

Irregardless of control exerted, the worm becomes distracted and burrows back into the earth after 6 turns.

Single creature  65

up to 18 HD 1.33

Certain Monster 0.7

Concentrate To Control 0.5

Range 60' 1.15

Passively Hostile 0.8

Two Special Abilities 1.66

6 turns 0.75

Summoned from thin air 1

Total: 34.66

Feed; Level 5

Range: 60', Duration: 6 turns

When cast, a willing creature undergoes a horrific transformation - its skull enlarges horrifically, and it's neck and mouth distend and expand. Its skin turns translucently purple, and it's mouth reforms into that of a purple worm, large enough to swallow a man, as its face is swallowed under segments of smooth skin.

Its body becomes a corpulent, bloated walking receptacle for that horrific mouth.

The transformed creature may bite for 2d8 points of damage. If they hit with their bite attack with an attack throw at least 4 higher than their target value, or an unmodified attack throw of 20, they may swallow whole a horse-sized creature. (mages who have studied this spell find that the digestive tract of the transformed creature has extradimensional properties) A swallowed creature takes 3d6 points of damage per round inside the target’s belly. The damage stops when either the creature dies or the transmogrified target is killed. If a creature that has been swallowed has a sharp weapon, it may attack the target from inside its belly with an attack penalty of -4. Should the swallowed creature die and remain in the target’s belly for 6 turns, it is irrecoverably digested.

As the spell ends, any swallowed creatures are harmlessly dispelled at the targets feet, in whatever state it was in, as also happens if the effect is dispelled.

(I had to add some logic in here for the swallowing bit to cover rules-lawyering)

Transform to form of living creature, +Special Ab., +Atks 35+20+10=65

Limited Form (Humanoid Purple Worm, swallow power only) 0.75

6 Turns 1

Total: 48.75