Friday, June 19, 2020

Potent Potions, Sorcerous Surgeries, & Terrible Transmogrifications - Part II


          
          The first post in this series introduced the basic concept of what I am retroactively terming Simple & Complex Investments. We'll be saving Complex Investments for next time, and we'll go over Simple Investments in this article. The example that I used to kick us off last time was drawn from the Upgrade Items common in many video games. In essence, the character finds or purchases something which could in some way represent an integral shift to their character (e.g. pegasus wings, vampire's blood, giant articulated iron fists,) and then undergoes a process such as a ritual, surgery or training regimen. Afterwards they gain new or altered abilities, as well as another avenue by which to interact with the setting.

          From a design standpoint, the intent of an Investment is not to simply enhance your character's statistics or abilities directly (though many can certainly do that) but to provide a new avenue for role-playing and problem-solving. In many ways a Simple Investments are similar to Spells, though they lack explicit duration and have vastly steeper conditions. When paying for Formulae, it is important to keep in mind the impact that this would be having on the character in game. If a ritual were to cost 1,200 XP, 1,200 SP and 2 weeks of recovery after ingesting phosphorescent mushrooms harvested from a trackless jungle on the third moon orbiting the PC's planet, there's more to that than simply some costs to pay and time out from adventuring to endure. Character changes this vast are only meaningful if they're allowed some time to breathe.

          The costs to a PC for an Investment can be broken down into four categories, not all of which need be present; Experience, Money, an Object, or an Activity, which taken together allow the PC to make the proposed change to their character. It is important to note that while spending XP on an Investment it does not count towards their class table, conversely it also does not count against the PC's maximum level, if any.

          Below are six examples of what we can do with the Simple Investment system. Please note that balance with these is something of a secondary consideration. These are meant to be culminations of a character arc or the reward for massive amounts of legwork on the part of players.


Name
Cost
Effect
Weight of Iron Fists
1,000 XP, 1,000 SP, a set of magical gauntlets, an extremely painful ritual lasting 2 hours, 1 week of healing time.
Increase the character's unarmed damage by two steps (d2 becomes d6, d4 becomes d8, etc), the character's fists count as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance or other similar effects. The character cannot remove the gauntlets, nor can they perform any tasks requiring fine manipulation.


Name
Cost
Effect
Naga's Bite
700 XP, the poison glands and fangs from a Naga, a delicate oral surgery which lasts 6 hours, 3 days of recovery time.
The PC can now spit poison from their fangs at a distance of up to 12 feet. The poison can cause blindness for 2d4 rounds on a failed save. The PC can spit poison a number of times per day equal to the CON modifier (minimum 1.)



Name
Cost
Effect
Anointment of Pyrisous'
200 XP, 2,000 GP of Ambrosia, self-immolation on an altar fire and either 5d12 damage or the intercession of the altar's deity.
The Character gains resistance to all non-magic damage. The eye of the deity who's altar was used is on the subject - this is not a good thing.


Name
Cost
Effect
Donning the Bear Shirt
1,000 XP, the hide of a bear that you have hunted and slain by yourself, a shamanic ritual lasting 12 hours.
The Subject may shape-shift into a bear of the the same type of the hide that was used in the ritual a number of times per day equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1.) The transformation lasts for 10 minutes.



Name
Cost
Effect
Wizard Eyes!
500 XP, 300 GP in various components, the eyes of a spellcaster, a ritual performed by a spellcaster lasting 1 hour. (XP cost is waived if the subject is a spellcaster themselves)
The recipient of the ritual can now see into the spirit world. The particulars of this will probably vary by setting, but the subject can now see incorporeal or otherwise normally intangible beings. These beings will almost certainly notice that they are being observed.


Name
Cost
Effect
Ares' Hand
300 XP, 500 SP in various unguents and ointments, a one-handed melee weapon, a 3 hour long surgery, 1 week of convalescence.
One of the PC's arms has been replaced from the elbow down with a weapon of the same type used in the ritual. The weapon is part of their very soul - if it were to be hacked off and regrown with magic, it would regrow into the weapon. The weapon is considered magic for the purposes overcoming resistance or other similar effects.

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