"Lay your web and cast it wide, leave them nowhere they can hide, lay them low with one swift bite, hold them close in endless night." - Sendarian children's rhyme.
One of my players made a pact with an atavistic spider deity. What better test case for a Mystic class? As you can probably guess, this one is going to be quite spider-y. See my previous post for Mystic base rules.
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| Credit, Max Duran |
Mystic: Eightfold Weaver
You are a disciple of the Eightfold Weaver, your actions need no explanation.
Additional Starting Equipment: 50' of rope.
Additional Starting Equipment: 50' of rope.
Perk: You Save vs poison with 2 Boons.
Drawback: You can only eat arthropods.
Minor Miracles:
1. You can speak to spiders. They'll remember mundane things, i.e. prey items, temperature changes, airflow and other things that a spider might generally notice. This doesn't mean they're friendly.
2. You can make 50' of held rope or chain as durable as spider-silk for a number of minutes equal to your level. You must hold the rope/chain and concentrate.
3. You can sense all but the lightest tremors and vibrations within 50'.
If you attempt to call upon the Liturgy of a power beyond your level then you must spend a number of Favour points equal to double the difference. These points cannot be used to reroll dice, you must spend additional points on top of this.
First Liturgy
In the order of convincing nearby arachnids to your cause, moving with great speed, bestowing a minor arachnid aspect, trickery and deception.
Second Liturgy
In the order of envenoming, climbing and leaping great heights, hunting, the bestowal of a major arachnid aspect.
Third Liturgy
In the order of trapping and binding, possessing a fearful visage, true sight, complete arachnid transformation.
Fourth Liturgy
In the order of summoning a divine arachnid servant, accessing the hidden paths between places.
When you wish to Invoke a Miracle, declare the amount of Favour you are investing (if any) and roll 4d6. Each point of Favour allows you to reroll a die; you can reroll the same die multiple times and stop early, if you wish, but you must abide by the final result:
Drawback: You can only eat arthropods.
Minor Miracles:
1. You can speak to spiders. They'll remember mundane things, i.e. prey items, temperature changes, airflow and other things that a spider might generally notice. This doesn't mean they're friendly.
2. You can make 50' of held rope or chain as durable as spider-silk for a number of minutes equal to your level. You must hold the rope/chain and concentrate.
3. You can sense all but the lightest tremors and vibrations within 50'.
Liturgies
The Liturgies of your faith are a contextual guide to the levels of power you can call upon. If you attempt to call upon a power of a higher level Liturgy then your Invocation roll is made with 2 Banes.If you attempt to call upon the Liturgy of a power beyond your level then you must spend a number of Favour points equal to double the difference. These points cannot be used to reroll dice, you must spend additional points on top of this.
First Liturgy
In the order of convincing nearby arachnids to your cause, moving with great speed, bestowing a minor arachnid aspect, trickery and deception.
Second Liturgy
In the order of envenoming, climbing and leaping great heights, hunting, the bestowal of a major arachnid aspect.
Third Liturgy
In the order of trapping and binding, possessing a fearful visage, true sight, complete arachnid transformation.
Fourth Liturgy
In the order of summoning a divine arachnid servant, accessing the hidden paths between places.
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| Credit, Diana Franco |
Invocation
When you wish to Invoke a Miracle, declare the amount of Favour you are investing (if any) and roll 4d6. Each point of Favour allows you to reroll a die; you can reroll the same die multiple times and stop early, if you wish, but you must abide by the final result:| 4d6 | Invocation |
|---|---|
| 18-24 | Success. |
| 15-17 | Minor Devotion - the Invocation requires something immediately obvious that would please the Eightfold Weaver, or roll on the Minor Devotion table. |
| 13-14 | Major Pact - you must agree to undertake a quest for the Eightfold Weaver in order for the Invocation to succeed. If you have already agreed to one and it has not been fulfilled then the Invocation fails. |
| 07-12 | Inopportune Favour - you are honoured with a manifestation of the Eightfold Weaver's blessing, though the timing is poor. Roll on the Duration table, reducing the roll by 1 for each point of Favour spent. You gain d4 points of Favour. |
| 04-06 | Brilliant Manifestation of Divinity - your body twists into a terrible avatar of the Eightfold Weaver, under the GM's control. Roll on the Duration table. At the end, Save or be rendered irrevocably insane by the experience. |
Favour
Gain Favour with the Eightfold Weaver by performing actions that please them. The following is a non-exhaustive guide:
1 Point
- Assist spiders in need.
- Induct an initiate into the cult.
- Secrete a piece of knowledge where no-one else will find it.
5 Points
- Weave a conspiracy of lies and deceit.
- Poison the servants of an Insect God.
- Restrain and ritually exsanguinate a sacrifice.
15 Points
- Found a new temple for the cult.
- Ritually cocoon oneself for a week in intoxicated delirium.
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| Credit, Ryan Van Dongen |
The Unknowable Mind of the Eightfold Weaver (d20)
The minds of the gods are unknowable to frail mortals. Roll here when instructed on the Benevolence table in the core Mystic class:
1. The ritual fails and the target's blood burns with black venom, inflicting 1d4 damage.
2. The ritual succeeds, but the target moves as if they were trapped in a web (half Movement) - roll on the Duration table.
3. The ritual fails and a bloated huntsman spider emerges painlessly from the target's skin bearing an egg sac. The eggs hatch a short while after - roll on the Duration table - and d100 solid silver spiders worth 1sp each clatter motionlessly to the floor. Any healing magic will accelerate the hatching but not benefit the target. The spider has 1HD and if it is killed the eggs hatch into mobile spiders with hallucinogenic venom (Save or madness - roll on the Duration table).
4. The ritual succeeds, but the Eightfold Weaver blesses the target with a crown of black eyes on the forehead and brow which can see perfectly in low-light conditions.
5. The ritual fails and the target is crippled with pain as if every inch of their body was being bitten – roll on Duration table. They take 1 Bane on all rolls for the duration.
6. The ritual succeeds, but the target's knees crack and contort backwards. Their new form allows them to leap and jump twice as far.
7. The ritual fails, and the target contorts in on themselves, suffering d6 damage as their muscles knot and skin tears.
8. The ritual succeeds, but wriggling egg sacs emerge from their back and disgorge spiders on a monthly basis. They cannot wear medium or heavy armour or fit into tight spaces.
9. The ritual succeeds, but the Mystic suffers d6 damage as burning bristles launch from the target and pepper their skin with bloody welts.
10. The ritual succeeds, but an extra limb emerges from the target. Roll 1d4: 1-2 - arm, 3-4 - leg. If the target has 8 limbs then treat as if a 20 was rolled.
11. The ritual fails, and the target finds themselves on their hands and knees coughing up spools of silken thread – roll on the Duration table.
12. The ritual succeeds, but the mere thought of eating anything other than live insects causes the target to vomit copiously. Each time they eat live insects they feel a bit better, but it will take d20 meals to get them back to normal.
13. The ritual fails, and a bloated redback spider can be seen splayed out under the target's chest. It sinks its fangs into the target's sternum and exudes a weak but constant flow of venom, reducing their CON by 2.
14. The ritual succeeds, but d6 hooked arachnid limbs burst from the target's body and their abdomen swells until rounded and dark. They don't have the dexterity of human hands, but they can stick to surfaces like a spider's limbs. The target cannot wear medium and heavy armour.
15. The ritual fails, but chelicerae explode from the target's mouthparts. They can still speak but must eat liquid food. Their bite deals 1d6 damage and can inject poison once per day.
16. The ritual succeeds, but the target writhes as their blood burns in their veins. They must Save vs CON or suffer 1d4 damage - roll on Duration table, with a new Save at each increment.
17. Everyone within 30' must Save or vomit up a torrent of venomous spiders. Unless they take special precautions and meticulously clean out their gear they will suffer a poisonous bite the next time they reach for a stowed item.
18. The ritual succeeds, but the target's feels something growing within them. Occasionally they vomit up a silken ball. The target must Save vs CON every day to prevent the thing from growing within them, taking 1 Bane for each progression of their condition. To completely recover they must Save 3 times in a row, with a failure returning them to their initial condition. If they fail 3 times in a row, a grotesque spider-hybrid bursts their skin like wet paper and streaks off to the nearest shadowy location, hissing and chittering. It will stalk the party from then on. Any healing from a Mystic of the Eightfold Weaver during this time will actually progress the condition.
19. The ritual fails, and the Mystic must Save or suffer 1d10 damage as silver silk extrudes from their fingertips and toes and pulls taut against the nearest surfaces, stretching their muscles and bones to breaking point.
20. The ritual succeeds, but the target must Save the when sleeping for the next night. If they fail then the party awakens to find a partially opened silken cocoon and the dried husk of their former comrade.
The minds of the gods are unknowable to frail mortals. Roll here when instructed on the Benevolence table in the core Mystic class:
1. The ritual fails and the target's blood burns with black venom, inflicting 1d4 damage.
2. The ritual succeeds, but the target moves as if they were trapped in a web (half Movement) - roll on the Duration table.
3. The ritual fails and a bloated huntsman spider emerges painlessly from the target's skin bearing an egg sac. The eggs hatch a short while after - roll on the Duration table - and d100 solid silver spiders worth 1sp each clatter motionlessly to the floor. Any healing magic will accelerate the hatching but not benefit the target. The spider has 1HD and if it is killed the eggs hatch into mobile spiders with hallucinogenic venom (Save or madness - roll on the Duration table).
4. The ritual succeeds, but the Eightfold Weaver blesses the target with a crown of black eyes on the forehead and brow which can see perfectly in low-light conditions.
5. The ritual fails and the target is crippled with pain as if every inch of their body was being bitten – roll on Duration table. They take 1 Bane on all rolls for the duration.
6. The ritual succeeds, but the target's knees crack and contort backwards. Their new form allows them to leap and jump twice as far.
7. The ritual fails, and the target contorts in on themselves, suffering d6 damage as their muscles knot and skin tears.
8. The ritual succeeds, but wriggling egg sacs emerge from their back and disgorge spiders on a monthly basis. They cannot wear medium or heavy armour or fit into tight spaces.
9. The ritual succeeds, but the Mystic suffers d6 damage as burning bristles launch from the target and pepper their skin with bloody welts.
10. The ritual succeeds, but an extra limb emerges from the target. Roll 1d4: 1-2 - arm, 3-4 - leg. If the target has 8 limbs then treat as if a 20 was rolled.
11. The ritual fails, and the target finds themselves on their hands and knees coughing up spools of silken thread – roll on the Duration table.
12. The ritual succeeds, but the mere thought of eating anything other than live insects causes the target to vomit copiously. Each time they eat live insects they feel a bit better, but it will take d20 meals to get them back to normal.
13. The ritual fails, and a bloated redback spider can be seen splayed out under the target's chest. It sinks its fangs into the target's sternum and exudes a weak but constant flow of venom, reducing their CON by 2.
14. The ritual succeeds, but d6 hooked arachnid limbs burst from the target's body and their abdomen swells until rounded and dark. They don't have the dexterity of human hands, but they can stick to surfaces like a spider's limbs. The target cannot wear medium and heavy armour.
15. The ritual fails, but chelicerae explode from the target's mouthparts. They can still speak but must eat liquid food. Their bite deals 1d6 damage and can inject poison once per day.
16. The ritual succeeds, but the target writhes as their blood burns in their veins. They must Save vs CON or suffer 1d4 damage - roll on Duration table, with a new Save at each increment.
17. Everyone within 30' must Save or vomit up a torrent of venomous spiders. Unless they take special precautions and meticulously clean out their gear they will suffer a poisonous bite the next time they reach for a stowed item.
18. The ritual succeeds, but the target's feels something growing within them. Occasionally they vomit up a silken ball. The target must Save vs CON every day to prevent the thing from growing within them, taking 1 Bane for each progression of their condition. To completely recover they must Save 3 times in a row, with a failure returning them to their initial condition. If they fail 3 times in a row, a grotesque spider-hybrid bursts their skin like wet paper and streaks off to the nearest shadowy location, hissing and chittering. It will stalk the party from then on. Any healing from a Mystic of the Eightfold Weaver during this time will actually progress the condition.
19. The ritual fails, and the Mystic must Save or suffer 1d10 damage as silver silk extrudes from their fingertips and toes and pulls taut against the nearest surfaces, stretching their muscles and bones to breaking point.
20. The ritual succeeds, but the target must Save the when sleeping for the next night. If they fail then the party awakens to find a partially opened silken cocoon and the dried husk of their former comrade.
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