Mystic Roles
She first heard the cleric,
Elistan, when he came to
Palanthas at the end of the War
of the Lance. His new religion - or
perhaps it should have
been called the old religion -
was spreading like wildfire
through Krynn.... Crysania
began the evening finding
cause to admire him. She
ended on her knees at his feet,
weeping in humility and joy,
her soul at last having found
the anchor it had been missing.
-The Revered Daughter reflects upon finding her true path,
Time of the Twins
In the DRAGONLANCE: FIFTH AGE
game, players have a wealth of options
for refining their concept of the hero
they want to create. Some of these
options are described in the hero roles
in this and other FIFTH AGE dramatic
supplements. Before choosing a role
for their heroes, however, players
should make sure they understand
how roles work in the game.
Choosing a Role
Roles are not straitjackets and they are
not rules. They are the means by
which a player defines some key aspect
of his hero's motivations and goals,
passions and hatreds, desires and
ambitions. They are guidelines a player uses to role-play his hero's personality. And they are as flexible as the
player and Narrator need them to be.
Characters in a story are as complex as people in our world are, and
heroes in a role-playing game should
be every bit as diverse and interesting.
Different players, therefore, may adopt
the same role for their heroes, but for
varying reasons.
For example, one player might
decide his mystic hero joins the
Legion of Steel to shape the early years
of what he hopes will become one of
the principal organizations devoted to
serving the common good. Another
might decide his hero joins the Legion
to gain glory for himself, a piece of
immortality. He may not be at all concerned with steering the traditions of
the Legion, only in being remembered
for his great deeds.
A third player might establish that
his mystic hero considers the Knights
of Solamnia a thing of the past, too
steeped in their ancient traditions to
be effective in fighting the problems
that face Ansalon today. So he attaches
his hero to the Legion as the only force
with any chance to defeat the dragon
overlords and win back Ansalon.
Finally, a fourth player might decide
that his hero's parents were killed during the Dragon Purge, innocent victims of a battle that did not concern
them. A grim, angry young mystic, the
hero joins the Legion for revenge
against the Great Dragon who so casually destroyed everything he ever
loved.
These four players each chose the
role of the Legionnaire mystic for
their heroes. Though they all wield the
power of the heart and belong to the
same organization devoted to justice,
they have developed very different
goals and motivations.
Finding Motivation
Part of choosing a role for your hero
involves deciding why the hero pursues
the path that the role represents. One
way to find this motivation is to view
the hero from the inside out. Too many
times, when we read a story or watch a
movie, we look at the characters
through our own eyes, from our individual perspectives. And often these
characters fall short of our understanding.
When creating a hero for the FIFTH
AGE game, players should try looking at
the character from his point of view.
What has happened to the hero in the
past? Is there a significant event that
affects the way he sees the world today?
Such an event need not be traumatic; it
could be simple in scope, but sublime
in the effect that it had on the development of the hero's personality. For
instance, say the hero wields a sword
from his father:
Before he died, your father, a battered
veteran of the Chaos War and the turmoil that followed, gave you his sword. It
is not much to look at. He kept it in a
worn leather scabbard - he broke off its
tip long ago sliding down a mountain
slope after he and his companions had
ambushed a patrol of goblins.
The blade is spotless, but not especially shiny. Your father kept its edge
sharp enough to penetrate the armor of
even a wing commander of the Knights
of Takhisis. No matter how much he
worked the file and sharpening stone
along the blade of the sword, he could
never seem to get rid of the nick it got
from a daemon warrior's blade in a horrible battle of nightmare - one about
which he has said almost nothing.
You remember him drawing the
sword only once, when some desperate
marauders, victims of the aftermath of
the Chaos War, attempted to steal some
of your farms livestock. When they saw the reflection of torchlight play across the
bare steel of the blade and glimpsed the
iron resolve in your father's eyes, they
sought their supper elsewhere.
The time you decided to help some
friends get a wagonload of food to a
nearby village ravaged by creatures of the
night, your father took down the sword
from the wall where it hung and suggested that you take it along, "just in
case." Since that day, you have borne the
weapon with pride, passing up other
blades - even magical ones - for what
could be more magical than your father's
trust in your honor and courage?
In what sort of environment did the
hero grow up? Was he pampered by a
doting mother in a wealthy family? Or
did he grow up in a poor but proud
family? Perhaps he was reared in the
streets of Sanction, surviving by his
wits and his ability to avoid trouble.
The environment in which the hero
was reared has as great an impact on
the way he sees the world as any single
significant event. Players should think
about how the hero would see the
world growing up in such circumstances. How might he view others? Is
he naturally suspicious of their
motives, or does he see people as essentially decent? Maybe others are okay
individually, but when they organize
into groups, they change for the worse.
Asking such questions about the
hero helps the character develop a personality all his own. After determining
this personality, the player finds that
choosing a role to fit the hero's attitudes becomes simpler, a natural extension of the hero's history.
Changing Roles
As a hero pursues his goals, he may find
that his motivations and beliefs change.
Some of these changes may be reflected
in what role the hero chooses to follow.
For example, a hero who grew up in a poor neighborhood may always have
admired the Knights of Solamnia, but
lacked any opportunity to pursue his
interest in becoming a Knight. An old
woodcutter taught him the art of storytelling when he was a boy, and he
used that talent to gain training from a
local loremaster. The youth begins his
career, therefore, as a bard, and the stories he studies the most are those that
concern the Solamnic Knights. By
good fortune, he joins the adventuring
troupe of a young Crown Knight. In
time, he earns the Knight's trust and
becomes his squire. Years later, after
great trials and hardships, the Solamnic Grand Master himself asks the
young man to join the Knighthood in
the Order of the Crown. His mentor,
the Knight for whom he has squired all
these years, steps forward proudly to
offer his sponsorship before the
knightly council.
This simple example shows how the
role a hero follows may change from
time to time. Our hero starts out as a
poor street urchin, convinces a teacher
to take him on as an apprentice and
eventually becomes a hard. Demonstrating his good nature and trustworthiness to a young Knight, he
becomes a squire, and after years of
dedicated service, he is honored with
an invitation to become a Knight of
Solamnia. In effect, the hero has followed five different roles.
As described in the Heroes of Steel
dramatic supplement, a hero who
changes roles logically gives up the
advantages and disadvantages of his
previous role. In some cases, however,
the Narrator may allow the hero to
retain certain advantages of a previous
role - the ones gained through training.
In our above example, the hero developed a bard's flair for storytelling, a skill
he need not lose completely when he
becomes a squire; he retains the knowledge, though he may be out of practice.
The hero might also retain certain
disadvantages he acquired in a previous role. If the new Knight in the
example above ever decides to leave the Order and take on a new role, he may
still have to contend with the outlook
he acquired as a Knight. For instance,
he was taught it is dishonorable to
ambush an opponent in combat. In
such a case, the hero might well retain
his aversion to surprising foes, even if
he adopts another role. This attitude
may baffle his new comrades, but it is
very much in keeping with the traditions the hero followed before. It also
makes that hero distinct among members of his new group of associates.
Narrators will differ as to how they
approach role changes. Some may want
to make it relatively difficult to switch
roles: Just because, on paper, a hero
meets all the requirements for a Knight
of Solamnia, he cannot join automatically. The Narrator may decide the
knightly council requires considerable
proof of the dedication, perseverance,
and moral fiber of the supplicant hero
before extending to him an invitation to
join. This proof will require years of
dedication on the part of the hero and
likely will take the player some time as
well. Another Narrator might allow the
council to accept word of the hero's past
deeds and admit him into the ancient
institution. In any case, the Narrator
should consider carefully any advantages that may carry over to the new
role, counterbalancing any such advantage with an appropriate disadvantage.
The Narrator has final say over any
proposed role change. If such a change
lies within the scope of a hero's development, the Narrator likely will allow
the change. If, instead, it is just a way
for the player to gain cool new advantages for the hero, the Narrator should
make it more difficult to switch.
Designing Roles
The roles described in this and other
FIFTH AGE supplements are by no
means the only roles available to players. One of the strengths of the SAGA
rules is how easily participants can
expand the scope of their own campaigns beyond what has already been published.
For example, the supplements have
introduced a variety of roles for members of the Legion of Steel: Heroes of
Steel offered the Legionnaire warrior,
Heroes of Defiance included the Legionnaire scout, and Heroes of Sorcery
detailed the role of Legionnaire sorcerer. Nevertheless, Narrators and players are encouraged to develop other
roles for Legionnaire heroes. For
instance, a Legion ambassador role
might offer heroes with high Presence
scores and codes the chance to utilize
their talents for the good of the Order.
Such a role does not preclude a hero's
involvement in harrowing battles and
high adventure. Rather, it gives him a
special advantage when negotiating his
way through a potentially dangerous
encounter, so he need not rely on combat alone to overcome challenges.
What about a role that a player
develops for his own hero? Maybe the
hero has high Reason score and a good
Spirit score and code. Giving the hero
the spheres of animism and healing in
addition to an extensive scholarly background in animal biology might produce an individual who specializes in
caring for woodland creatures. At the
beginning of the game, that hero might
believe himself the only person in the
world who follows this role. When he
begins to teach others, however, the
role becomes a unique part of that
group's world.
Furthermore, players and Narrators
should feel free to introduce into their
campaigns new organizations that
could give rise to new and interesting
hero roles. Perhaps in one group's game
there arises in Sanction a band of freedom fighters in no way associated with
any of the larger groups in Ansalon. It
is up to the players and the Narrator to
develop roles for the heroes associated
with that group. The role descriptions
presented in this and other FIFTH AGE
dramatic supplements provide a model
for designing new roles.
Remember, when creating roles, it is important to balance any advantages
gained in following the role with
appropriate disadvantages. As always,
the Narrator must be the final arbiter
of what roles are allowed in his game.
Meeting Role Requirements
This is a game about stories, both those
of the Narrator and those of the players. If a player finds that he likes the
idea of his hero adopting a particular
role, but the hero does not possess the
required minimum scores or codes, the
Narrator has several options. First, he
should encourage the player to try
making the hero an aspirant to that
role. In effect, the hero aspires to
become accepted as a full member of a
particular organization or seeks to live
up to the minimal requirements that
constitute a given role.
Aspiring to a role can be a great
deal of fun, but some players might
fear it could take months or years of
playing for his hero to qualify for the
role. In such cases, the Narrator might
make it somewhat easier for the hero
to advance in his scores or codes.
For example, say a player really
wants a mystic hero but does not draw
a proper card during hero creation.
However, the hero is ideally suited to
become a guard at the Citadel of Light.
He might choose to exchange his services for nothing more than his keep
and a bit of mystic training.
The rules in Chapter One of the
Book of the Fifth Age ensure that
increasing a hero's ability code is no
easy task. In the above case, however,
the Narrator might recognize the training the hero sought as worthy of a one-letter increase in Spirit code. If this is
sufficient to give him access to a mystic
sphere, then the hero can stop pursuing this particular interest. To qualify
for code improvement through roleplaying, however, the player must
attempt to raise his code through the normal means as well.
Players cannot attempt to raise multiple codes simultaneously. This bonus
method, simply a supplement to the
normal means of improvement, is not
designed to help create a hero who can
do everything. If the player really wants
to improve his hero's Spirit code so the
hero can become a mystic, then he
must take every opportunity to do so.
Of course, role requirements are
subject to change with the Narrator's
approval. To allow a hero to play a preferred role, a Narrator can reduce the
role's ability score requirements by a
few points or alter the code requirements a grade or two. In the SAGA rules
system, the rules should be secondary
to the story and the players' enjoyment
of the game.
Role Descriptions
The roles presented in this chapter use
the standard role format introduced in
previous supplements, offering roleplaying hints, role requirements, and
advantages and disadvantages inherent
in the role.
The Barbarian Shaman
The barbarians of Krynn have long
understood the way of the spirit, which
protects their people through the many
trials they face in their wild homelands. Their connection to the land
strengthens their understanding of the
spirit world, for they believe the spirits
of their ancestors and of the land offer
wisdom to those who know how to
seek it.
Barbarian shamans seek this understanding of the spirit world so they
may provide their people with the wisdom of their ancestors. The clan members rely on their chieftain to guide
them through difficult times, but it is
the shaman who guides the chief to the
path that best suits the clan.
Some of Krynn's barbarians are savage, brutal warriors who offer their enemies no quarter and expect none in
return. Their shamans are equally
fierce; they prefer those mystic spheres
that aid them and their clan's warriors
in battle. Channeling and alteration are
common among these clans, and some
tribes practice even the dark art of
necromancy (although such tribes are
almost universally reviled by other
clans).
Other shamans are less hostile, living in relative harmony with their
neighbors. They study the more peaceful of the mystical spheres, such as
healing and animism. In her youth,
Goldmoon was the shaman and spiritual leader of the Que-Shu tribe, as was
her mother Tearsong before her.
Role-Playing
Shamans have a gift that few others
possess: the ability to communicate
with spirits. From spirits come both
knowledge and power, which these
heroes use to defend their people or
maneuver themselves into positions of
authority in their clans. They are the
spiritual heart of their people, their
protectors and guides. Their chiefs
depend upon their insight to help him
defend the tribe or clan against the
threats of environment and enemies.
Players who want their hero to be a
barbarian shaman should choose the
primary terrain type that describes the
hero's homeland: desert, forest, ice,
plains, mountains, or sea. If these terrain types overlap, the player may
choose his hero's home terrain from
among all those applicable (with the
Narrator's approval).
Requirements
This particular role applies primarily to
humans, although other races may also
have barbarian cultures. The centaurs
of Krynn are certainly organized along
tribal lines. Among the dwarves, the
Klar and the Aghar are likely to be the
only ones considered "barbaric" in
technology and social organization.
Gnomes and kender societies are almost certainly too homogeneous for
there to be any "barbaric" clans among
them. The only elves who can be considered "barbaric" are the Kagonesti,
who are dealt with later in this chapter
and in Chapter Four.
To become a barbarian shaman, a
hero needs a Spirit score of at least 5
and a Spirit code of at least "B." Furthermore, the shaman needs to know at
least the mystic sphere of spiritualism.
In some of the more aggressive barbarian tribes, the shamans are expected to
fight alongside the warriors, so they
should have Physical scores of at least 4
in addition to their Spirit requirements. Players should check with their
Narrators about this requirement.
It is very unlikely that a barbarian
tribe would accept a hero as its shaman
if he were not born into the culture.
Exceptions may occur, but they are very
rare. Therefore, a hero should choose
this role only if he was reared by a barbarian tribe or clan.
Advantages
Barbarian shamans rely upon spirits
and animals to guide them in their
mystical pursuits. During hero creation, a player may choose either the
sphere of spiritualism or animism as a
special trump sphere for the barbarian
shaman hero. Thereafter, any card to
cast a spell in the shaman's chosen
sphere is considered trump.
If a hero attempts an outdoor
action (survival, hunting or fishing,
tracking, etc.) in his home terrain, any
card the player uses is automatically
considered trump.
Disadvantages
In many clans, superstition holds that
the shaman's connection with the
tribe's patron spirit or animal totem
could become tainted by contact with
outsiders. As a result, shamans have
even less experience with the civilized
world than do other members of their
clan. These heroes never receive a Presence trump bonus when dealing with
"civilized" peoples.
Furthermore, they are limited in
their choice of weapon to those listed
below as preferred by tribes of a particular terrain. This, too, helps ensure that
shamans are not contaminated by outside influences.
Desert: Death's tooth kala*, garrote',
horse bow, light lance, scimitar,
throwing blades*,weighted sash*.
Forest: Battle axe, hand axe, knife,
long bow, mallet*, quarterstaff,
sling, war club*.
Ice: Cudgel, frostreaver*, ice crossbow* , ice flask*, ice grenade", spear,
throwing stone*.
Plains: Bolas*, horse bow, lasso*,
light lance, teeth chain*, throwing
stick*, war club*.
Mountains: Any axe, bear claws*,
any bow, crook blade*, pellet bow*,
spear, war pipe*.
Sea: Belaying pin*, fang*, hookshaft*,
sabre*, trident, harpoon (treat as a
spear).
* Indicates a weapon detailed in the Heroes of
Steel supplement.
Other weapons also may be appropriate to barbarians of individual tribes,
with the Narrator's permission.
No hero may adopt this role after
he has begun play, as it takes a lifetime
of preparation to become a shaman.
The Centaur Shapechanger
The centaurs of Krynn are an adventurous people. The great majority of
them, however, prefer the company of
their own kind; only rarely will a centaur leave his family or clan to adventure with members of other races.
Within the centaur clans, most youngsters with mystical abilities are taught
the way of the shaman. A few of them,
however, discover on their own a special affinity for alteration magic. Many
of these centaur shapechangers use their
gift to explore the world around them.
Centaurs who have a natural talent
with alteration magic are very rare.
They are usually among the youngest
and wildest of their clans, for this ability manifests itself at an early age.
Many centaurs who discover the special affinity of the shapeshifter leave
their clans for a time, wandering the
world, experiencing all they can before
returning. They remain fiercely loyal to
their kin throughout their travels, however.
Role-Playing
These adventurous young centaurs are
nearly always hungry for new experiences. They use their magic to discover
things they cannot normally know,
such as the exhilaration of flight or a
swim through cool waters with a
school of porpoises.
Most of these shapechangers can
alter their form only to that of another
four-legged creature; some, however,
can assume the forms of anything they
choose, limited only by their imaginations and their magical energies.
Shapechangers tend to be more
open to other races than older centaurs
are; they particularly like kender, seeing
in them kindred spirits.
Requirements
This role is permitted only to centaur
heroes, but it could be used as a model
for heroes of other races.
In addition to the normal racial requirements for centaurs presented in
the Book of the Fifth Age, centaur
shapechangers must have at least a "B"
code and a 6 score in Spirit to endure
the rigors of their magic. In addition,
they must master at least the sphere of
alteration. Those with a "B" code may
change their shapes to that of any four-legged creature, while those with an "A"
code may assume any shape.
These centaur heroes tend to be
among the youngest and wildest members of their clans. Because of their
youth and consequent lack of worldly
experience, centaur shapechanger
heroes may not begin their careers with
more than three prior quests, giving
them a maximum starting reputation
of Novice.
Advantages
Most centaurs are not very able at
magic use - normally, they do not
receive a trump bonus for any magical
action. Centaur shapechangers are an
exception to this rule, but only as
applied to alteration magic used to
change their own shape. If they cast a
spell to alter the shape of another, they
do not enjoy the trump bonus.
In addition to the above advantage,
they have the added bonus of increased
mobility. Centaurs who can alter their
shape can accomplish tasks their own
form normally would not allow. They
can negotiate steep mountain terrain,
enter narrow cave passages, or cross
wide rivers with ease.
Disadvantages
Centaur shapechangers seek contact
with other peoples, which their clan
elders find odd. Because of these
strange notions, as well as their unusual
wanderlust, they do not receive the
respect shown those who remain with
their clans. As such, they do not enjoy a
trump bonus for any Presence action
with their clan members (except to
avoid mysticism). This disadvantage
extends to members of other clans who
know of their nature.
A centaur with another mystical
role, such as barbarian shaman, may
not switch to this role during play.
However, other heroes who meet the
role's requirements may abandon their
former roles and choose this one as
their first mystic role.
The Citadel Mystic
History may show that Goldmoon's
greatest contribution to Krynn was her
discovery in 5sc of her inner power to
heal and her subsequent decision to
teach others this power. Thus was
founded on the island of Schallsea the
Citadel of Light.
Since then, she and Jasper, the hill
dwarf she healed, have expanded the
Citadel's teachings. Many people from
all over Ansalon have sought out the
Citadel to learn and understand the
secrets of the heart. Some of them are
refugees forced from their homes by
the ravages of the dragons, while
others come to learn of this strange
power that Goldmoon has discovered.
On the isle of Schallsea live mystics
of all levels of training, from novices to
masters. These folk study nearly every
sphere of mysticism, but they are
renowned for their healing skills, both
mundane and magical. It is Goldmoon's desire that the Citadel's legacy
to the world be the art of healing.
Many Citadel mystics also train in sensitivity and mentalism, both of which
supplement their healing skills.
However, Goldmoon and the other
masters of the Citadel do not allow their
followers to study necromancy, and
learning this art from an outside source
is grounds for immediate dismissal. The
Citadel does teach spiritualism, but only
to certain advanced students whom the
masters feel have the wisdom to understand the inherent dangers of dealing
with spirits. Students who learn this art
are forbidden to create any of the
intangible, spectral undead - wraiths,
ghosts, spectres, and other such creatures.
Role-Playing
Mystics of the Citadel of Light use their
powers for the good of those around
them, be they poor refugees or proud
knights. They have learned from Goldmoon and the other masters the power
to heal others of their injuries and illnesses. Their mundane medical skills
enable them to help others even when
their magical powers are exhausted.
Whether they remain at the Citadel and
aid those who have sustained terrible
injuries in their flight from the devastation of their homes or go out among
the free peoples of the world and assist
them with their skills, they are valuable
friends to those around them.
Though they prefer to resolve differences peacefully. Citadel mystics are
more than capable of overcoming a foe
in battle if threatened. These heroes
tend to use weapons that disarm or disable an opponent rather than injure
him, but they are not required to do so.
Jasper Fireforge, a Hero of the
Heart, typifies the Citadel mystic.
Requirements
Mystics of the Citadel of Light may be
of any race. Goldmoon welcomes anyone of good intentions who comes to
the Citadel to learn. She interviews
applicants personally, reading their
auras (using the sensitivity sphere) to
determine whether their spirits are
ready for training and whether they
have the right sort of moral character
to become a Citadel mystic.
To adopt this role, a hero must have
a code of "B" or better and a score of at
least 4 in Spirit. As mystics of the
Citadel are not particularly eager to
pursue combat - although they can
defend themselves capably - they must
have a Dexterity and Strength code of
"C" or lower as well as a maximum
Agility and Endurance code of'B." If a
player's initial card selection during
hero creation would result in higher
Physical codes than allowed, the player
may reduce them voluntarily; however,
he may not raise other codes to make
up for the reduction.
All Citadel mystics are expected to learn the sphere of healing. They can
study other spheres as well, except for
necromancy. Any hero or character
who studies necromancy will be dismissed from the Citadel upon discovery: Goldmoon has remained adamant
on this point.
Any person wishing to study at the
Citadel must follow a high moral standard. Therefore, players may not assign
Dragons cards or Hearts cards with a
black aura to the nature of a Citadel
mystic during hero creation.
Advantages
Citadel mystics are known for their
compassion and their support for the
rights of the individual. Once they have
identified themselves as followers of
Goldmoon, they gain a trump bonus to
any Presence action involving refugees,
prisoners, or downtrodden peasants.
Additionally, since the Citadel
enjoys respect among an increasing
number of rulers and lords in the free
realms of Ansalon, Citadel mystics
often can gain aid from local rulers, if
they seek them out. To take advantage
of this benefit, the mystic's player turns
a card from the Fate Deck.
- If the card's aura is white or red, the
lord feels favorably disposed toward
the mystic and his party and offers
what aid he can.
- A black aura means the lord is neutrally disposed toward the Citadel
and its mystics, but the heroes have
an opportunity to convince him of
their good intentions. (Role-playing
and perhaps another random draw
dictates whether the heroes receive
the aid they sought.)
- Drawing a Dragons card reveals that
the lord opposes the Citadel. The
Narrator's story dictates whether this
ruler simply turns the heroes away,
dispatches men-of-arms against
them, or pretends to be friendly
while sending word to their enemies.
Heroes may adopt this role at any
time in their career, assuming they have
the requisite scores and codes.
Disadvantages
The primary disadvantage for followers
of the Citadel of Light is the restriction
on what spheres they are allowed to
learn. No follower may practice necromancy under any circumstances, and
any who wish to study spiritualism
must first gain the permission of Goldmoon and the Citadel's mystic masters.
Goldmoon does not forbid those
who have studied necromancy under
other mystics to join her organization,
although she forbids them from ever
using that magic while representing the
Citadel. (In effect, such mystics retain
the understanding of the necromancy
sphere but may not use it without risking censure or expulsion.)
The Dwarf Earth Mystic
The dwarves of Ansalon have long
been especially attuned to the earth.
From their mountain fastnesses they
have Grafted wondrous artifacts
imbued with the magic of Krynn, discovered fertile mountain dells where
they grow crops to feed their people,
and drawn forth untold riches from
the depths of the earth.
These dwarves believe that, when
Reorx hammered out the world from
Chaos, he imbued into his creation a
spark of his own divine essence. That
spark made the earth into a great living
being-one that moves so slowly as to
be imperceptible to all but a few.
When the dwarves arose as a race,
they possessed a special affinity for the
earth and desired to serve as its
guardians. Those who best understood
Reorx's child taught their people the
ways of this great creature and, as a
result, the earth gave freely of its
secrets. The dwarves' attempts to teach
other races about the living Krynn were
not as successful, however. Despite a
few notable exceptions from among the
other mortal races, only some of the
dragons had the patience to learn the
secrets of the earth. Certain dwarf
scholars suggest that the legendary Dragon Isles are protected from harm
because of a special bond the oldest
Good dragons formed with the earth.
In ages past, dwarves understood the
earth through their worship of Reorx
the Forge. When the gods departed
Krynn, however, the dwarves believed
themselves bereft of their special connection to the earth. It took a somewhat deranged old Hylar to reawaken
the idea of the dwarf earth mystic - and
with it, the hope that the divine connection indeed still lived (see sidebar).
Role-Playing
Dwarf earth mystics are reliable, stubborn, tough, and as solid as the bedrock
of Krynn. They are given to insights that
few others understand - even other
dwarves. Some dwarves believe the
earth mystics are descended from the
first dwarves, the Chosen who worked
with Reorx himself during the Age of
Dreams. (Dwarves refuse to accept the
common belief that they were formed
from the Graystone's magic.) This heritage gives the earth mystics special status within their communities.
While dwarf earth mystics do not
form part of the ruling elite, the thanes
themselves often seek out their advice
before beginning new projects. The
mystics' characteristic grufmess does
not sit well with other races (not that
most folks can tell the difference
between their gruffness and that of any
other dwarf), so few outsiders know
much of their skills.
Within dwarven society, earth mystics help plan expansions of the
dwarves' underground delvings, locate
sources of water, find mineral deposits,
and mark dangerous areas. Many of
today's more productive dwarven
mines were discovered by earth mystics. In times of war, they use their
magical connection with the earth to
protect their communities from harm.
Requirements
A dwarf earth mystic must meet all his
normal racial requirements. In addition, he must have at least a 5 ability
score and a "B" code in both Reason
and Spirit. He must learn the geomancy school of sorcery and the sensitivity sphere of mysticism. Players
whose heroes have an "A" code in
Spirit may select two other spheres;
many dwarves prefer the mystic
spheres of channeling and healing.
Advantages
For any magic involving earth or stone,
the dwarf earth mystic receives an
automatic trump bonus, regardless of
the suit of the card used. This bonus
applies to any attempt to manipulate,
sense, control, create, or destroy earth
or stone. Furthermore, these heroes can
combine their mystic ability of sensitivity with geomancy to gain insights into
the magic of the earth.
Earth mystics are also held in high
regard by their people. In any Presence
actions they attempt concerning their
expertise in stone - such as warning
explorers away from a certain underground path or convincing their thane
where to build a new fortress - they
receive an automatic trump bonus.
A dwarf is usually born and trained
into this role, based on the portents
surrounding his birth. Some, however,
learn of their connection to the earth
much later in life, even if they demonstrated no particular affinity with sorcery or mysticism in their youth. Most
dwarves, then, will adopt this role
early in their careers, but heroes can
become dwarf mystics during play as
well.
Disadvantages
Although dwarf earth mystics excel at
earth magic, they remain somewhat
less adept in other magic. They never
receive a trump bonus for any magic
other than geomancy or sensitivity (as
applied to earth or stone).
These heroes tend to appear even
more gruff than normal for dwarves,
for the stones need no social amenities
in their discourse. In interactions with
other races, therefore, they never gain
a trump bonus in any Presence
actions, even when such interaction
involves their special expertise. (The
one exception is a Presence action to
resist mysticism.) Narrators may
negate this disadvantage in individual
cases if the mystic has proven his
expertise over a sufficient period of
time (determined by the Narrator).
Earthern Magic
Dharvi Brokenhammer is a miner
from Thorbardin. He was working at
the top of a sloping mine shaft one
day, a couple years after the Second
Cataclysm, when he felt a premonition
that the shaft below him was about to
collapse. The old Hylar had managed
to run down into the mine and start
hustling out the workers when the
shaft collapsed, trapping Dharvi
under mounds of falling rock and
earth. His crew thought him dead.
When a rescue team dug him out
several days later, Dharvi was still
alive. However, he ranted nonstop
about how the stone had spoken of
the collapse but no one had listened
except him. The dwarves of Hybardin
thought his ordeal must have driven
him crazy, for surely all knew that
Reorx and the other gods had again
departed the world. Few listened to his
claims that the earth had spoken to
him and sustained him. In fact, they
decided to keep him out of the mines
for his own safety.
But Dharvi's grandson, young
Evren Firehammer, listened to the old
man's ravings. One night, he helped
his grandfather sneak back into the
mines and was amazed to see the
stones come to life before them! The
two returned to the mines secretly
over the next several nights, until they
were discovered by a guard who witnessed the two of them speaking with
a great creature of stone.
Shaken by what he had seen, the
sentinel brought the two before the
Hylar thane and told of their discovery. Glade Hornfel himself returned
to the cavern with them and watched
as they summoned a creature of elemental earth.
From that day forward, Dharvi and
Evren devoted themselves to teaching
others their earth magic. Today this
new art is spreading among the
dwarves of Ansalon. However, as in
ages past, other races seem less able to
grasp the subtleties of the earth.
The Independent Mystic
In many of Ansalon's cultures, those
with mystical talent are trained to
become members of certain groups.
Dwarf elders teach talented youngsters
the ways of earth magic, barbarian
shamans show promising youths how
to learn from the spirits, and Solamnic
Knights with a talent for mysticism
seek knowledge from the Orders of the
Sword and the Rose to develop those
talents. Independent mystics, on the
other hand, learn to make use of their
natural talents either on their own or
from a mentor not associated with any
mystical group.
Often, an independent mystic discovers his skills through some significant event in his life or through some
minor trait that becomes apparent only
as he grows older. Of course, some
people never choose to explore these
strange traits, but those who do often
discover they are capable of much more
than they knew. For instance:
- The hero always seems to sense danger right before some ill befalls him
or those around him, but he may
never have realized he had an affinity for the sphere of sensitivity until
a group of goblin marauders
attacked his village.
- Another hero - a natural animist - might find that a certain bad-tempered war horse, which already
bit three hostlers, always becomes
docile around him.
- Or perhaps a hero decided to experiment with the art of healing after
seeing that he recovered from injury
faster than others around him.
Role-Playing
By circumstance or design, the independent mystic has remained unattached to any mystical group. As a
result, he possesses a greater freedom
of action than do mystics of the
Citadel, the Order of the Skull, or
other organizations. They follow only
their own interests and passions,
although they are not necessarily self-centered. Many find their motivation
in selfless pursuits, while others act
out of petty cruelty. If there is one
underlying similarity among these
mystics, it is their individualism.
Many of them wear their "me against
the world" outlook as a badge of
honor.
Of course, some independent mystics may decide later to join a mystic
organization. Others may once have
belonged to such a group but, for some
reason, chose to distance themselves
from their former comrades: A recluse
who once served in the Knights of the
Skull is as likely to be an independent
mystic as a tavern owner who years ago
arrived at the Citadel as a refugee and,
while there, studied mysticism under
its masters.
Requirements
Heroes of any race may play this role,
as long as they have a score of at least 3
and a code of at least "B" in Spirit.
There are no particular sphere requirements for independent mystics, but
they should not belong to any mystic
organization.
Advantages
An independent mystic with a Spirit
code of "A" enjoys an automatic trump
bonus for magical actions that involve
his "specialty" sphere - the first mystic
sphere the hero ever learned. Those
independents with a "B" code cannot
gain a specialty until they first improve
their knowledge of mysticism.
Independent mystics are not
restricted in their magical education by
the constraints of any group. Their lack
of sphere requirements or prohibitions
gives them an excellent chance to discover new combinations of magical
effects or new aspects of the magic of
the Fifth Age. Furthermore, independent mystics are free to learn sorcery
also and use any type of weapon or
combat tactic they choose. This role is
best suited, therefore, to those who prefer as few constraints on their education as possible.
Heroes can adopt this role during
play, whether they previously played a
mystic role or have only now awakened
to their latent powers.
Disadvantages
Many people feel naturally suspicious
of spellcasters but, in the case of mystics associated with organizations like
the Knights of Solamnia or the Citadel
of Light, the group's reputation affords
them at least a little trust. Because
independent mystics have no such affiliations, though, people seem more
wary of them.
When an independent mystic
attempts a Presence action involving
someone who does not know him, he
receives a -3 action penalty (assuming
the stranger knows he possesses magical
powers). Of course, an unscrupulous
mystic might claim affiliation with a
mystic organization, but if the lie is ever
discovered, the action penalty doubles
(to -6). Individuals may reduce or
negate either penalty through role-playing. The penalty does not apply to Presence actions to resist mystic magic.
The Kagonesti Shaman
The Kagonesti consider themselves
the only elves who have remained true
to their traditions and, in fact, refer to
the other elves of Ansalon as "fallen
ones." The Kagonesti, or Wilder elves,
harbor a great grudge for the Silvanesti after their enforced servitude
to these cousins during the War of the
Lance, and they regard the Qualinesti
as only slightly better. The way of life
the other two elven subraces label
"barbarism," the Kagonesti consider
the traditional lifestyle of the elven
heritage.
Shamanism - a nature faith - has
been a part of Wilder elf society since
the birth of the race. Even prior to the
beginning of the Fifth Age, Kagonesti
shamans did not worship the gods
directly; rather, they paid homage to
nature itself. The Blue Phoenix (Habbakuk), god of all living creatures;
Chislev, nature incarnate; the Tree of
Life (Zivilyn), Chislev's companion;
and Zeboim, goddess of tempests,
granted these elves their powers as
long as they accepted the existence of
the gods.
The Kagonesti have changed little
as a result of the Chaos War and more
recent events. They have lost some of
their land to the depredations of Gellidus the White, but for the most part,
they live much as they did during the
Fourth Age. Kagonesti shamans, exemplified by Peril in The Dawning of a
New Age, continue to follow the traditional ways of their people. (Suggestions for playing Kagonesti heroes
appear in Chapter Four.)
Role-Playing
Kagonesti shamans link their magic to
one of the four basic elements: air,
water, earth, and fire. In addition to
their mystical abilities, they learn one
school of sorcery from among the following: aeromancy, hydromancy, geomancy, or pyromancy.
A Kagonesti studying the ways of the shaman demonstrates a particular
affinity for one element. He may have
discovered this aptitude through a
series of tests or challenges, or others
may have noticed it reflected in his
personality. Those with a talent for
aeromancy, for example, often seem by
nature flighty and capricious, while
those with an affinity for hydromancy
are often patient and relentless.
Regardless of elemental affinity, all
Kagonesti shamans revere and protect
nature. And, like the barbarian
shamans discussed earlier, they are also
responsible for safeguarding and guiding their people.
Requirements
Naturally, this role is open only to
Kagonesti elves. Heroes of other elven
subraces must adopt a different role.
A hero who follows the Kagonesti
shaman's path must first possess all the
requirements of his race (see Chapter
Four). Furthermore, he needs a minimum score of 5 and a minimum code
of "B" in both Spirit and Reason.
Unlike barbarian shamans, whose
principal area of mystical practice lies
in spiritualism, the Kagonesti gain
their mystic skills from the natural world. As a result, they must learn at
least the mystical sphere of animism.
If a shaman starts with or achieves a
code of "A" in Spirit, he may choose
his two other areas of mystical knowledge from any sphere except necromancy and spiritualism (see
"Disadvantages").
Furthermore, these heroes must
choose one school of sorcery from
among the four basic elemental
schools: aeromancy, geomancy, hydromancy, or pyromancy. However, as
Kagonesti shamans are not especially
skilled sorcerers, no hero with this role
may ever have a Reason code of "A."
Advantages
Kagonesti shamans are especially
attuned to the natural world. If a hero
with this role attempts any magical
action involving the sphere of animism, he gains an automatic trump
bonus. Furthermore, he gains a +3
bonus to any Presence action to influence animals.
Disadvantages
The rugged Kagonesti do not get along
well with other, more "civilized" elves.
Therefore, any Presence action involving Silvanesti elves suffers a -6
action penalty, and any such action
involving the slightly more open-minded Qualinesti suffers a -3
penalty.
In addition, Kagonesti elves
may not practice necromantic
or spectramantic magic, as
they consider the undead
unnatural, a mockery of the
blessings of the natural world.
Creating such creatures or
interacting with them is the
height of blasphemy.
As with the barbarian
shaman role, heroes must
spend their lives training to
gain a shaman's skills. Therefore, no hero may adopt this
role during play.
The Kender Nightstalker
Kender are a naturally curious folk.
Even afflicted kender, given to a caution
never before exhibited by members of
this race, are at heart a people easily
fascinated by a mystery. As with all new
things, kender took to the marvelous
world of mystic magic with delight. In
typical kender fashion, they made it
their own in short order.
Kender nightstalkers have taken to
one aspect of mysticism in particular:
exploring the world of ghosts, banshees, and other spirits. Always fascinated with stories about history, these
heroes track down spirits to ask them
questions about the world that was.
The compassionate kender sometimes
even help put these spirits to rest, giving them the peace they desire.
True kender approach this role out of
wide-eyed curiosity, but afflicted kender
have more complex reasons for pursuing
it. Perhaps they seek to overcome their
fears by confronting them in dangerous
encounters with such creatures as spirits.
Or, maybe the ravages afflicted kender
endured at the claws of the Red Dragon
makes them want to seek out and eliminate threats, so they can no longer
plague members of their race.
Role-Playing
Instead of simply telling readers how to
play the role of kender nightstalker, perhaps it would be easier to show them:
Kender nightstalkers seek out ghosts and
other spirits - at least, until something
more interesting comes along. Which happens every five minutes or so. Like why was
that mean-looking knight talking to those
two Legionnaires, or who was that riding
in the carriage of a Lord Knight as it sped
out of Sanction late last night, or where
does that stairway behind the concealed
door in Castle Eastwatch lead, or...
Ahem, yes, back to the matter at
hand, which was... which was...
ghosts! Yes, that's it! Ghosts! Wow! They
have such interesting stories to tell. Why,
some of them have been around for hundreds ofyears! Can you imagine,
though, having to live in the someplace
for hundreds ofyears? Especially with no
one coming to visit? Hmmm. Must get
pretty boring, maybe even a little lonely.
Anyway, some kender can sense when
ghosts and other creatures like them are
around. We get along with them pretty
well - ghosts are good people, really. We
can sometimes even affect ghosts with
our magic. Why, just the other day, my
cousin put to rest the spirit of an elf
woman. She wasn't much for talking. In
fact, she was so sad, she couldn't stop
wailing in anguish. My other cousin,
she's from Kendermore, fell to her knees
weeping when she heard and didn't stop
for hours. I wish I could do something to
help her. Who knows? Maybe someday
I'll figure out how to put her spirit to rest.
Requirements
Both true kender and afflicted kender
can play this role. In addition to their
racial requirements, kender nightstalker heroes must have a Spirit score
of at least 4, a Spirit code of "B," and
access to either the sensitivity sphere or
the spiritualism sphere. Sensitivity is
far more common among nightstalkers
than is spiritualism - it comes more
naturally to kender. Because kender
may not have an "A" code in any ability
except Perception, they can familiarize
themselves with only one sphere.
Advantages
Regardless of whether they possess the
sphere of sensitivity or that of spiritualism, kender nightstalkers can sense
when a spirit is nearby (with a successfill Perception or Spirit action,
whichever seems more appropriate).
Kender can detect only intangible or
spectral undead in this fashion - not
corporeal undead like zombies.
To encourage the fun that can arise
from having kender heroes in the
game, the Narrator might allow nightstalkers to detect spirits even when
none are present. As both true and afflicted kender remain a deeply curi-
ous people, the nightstalker hero likely
will veer off his group's chosen course
to pursue the hunch, which can lead
the heroes to explore an avenue they
otherwise might not.
Another advantage to playing a
kender nightstalker is that most spirits,
except for the most Evil and depraved
ones, seem unwilling to attack this
cheerful race with their terrifying powers. Since kender love to chat and, in
truth, many spirits haven't had a
chance to tell their stories to anyone
(what with all the scary things any
decent spirit has to do), quite often
they will talk to any kender they
encounter. Only when the nightstalker's player picks a card with a
black aura on a random draw does the
spirit attack. After all, finding a sympathetic ear is nice every once in a while.
Once a kender hero learns of his
affinity for spirits and takes the time to
develop the necessary mystic skills, he
can adopt this role during play.
Disadvantages
The principal disadvantage to being a
kender nightstalker is that no one of a
different race among his traveling companions seems the least bit interested in
meeting all these spirits. In fact, they
often insist that nightstalkers not open
the lid of every ancient sarcophagus
they find. Admittedly, this behavior is
beyond the hero's comprehension. Even
the afflicted kender in some groups fail
to see the nightstalker's logic in waking
the ghosts in a catacomb to ask them
the answer to a riddle written on the
wall (even if the answer will stop the
ceiling from continuing to lower ...).
The Knight of the Skull
Knights of the Skull are those Knights of
Takhisis who have developed their talent
with mystical magic. No longer strictly an
order of priestly dark paladins, the Order
of the Skull dedicates itself to combining
skill at arms with dark mysticism to
achieve its aims. Members consider
themselves the pinnacle of Dark Knight achievement and seek to expand both
the Knights' control over Ansalon and
their order's control of the Knighthood.
The three groups within the
Knights of Takhisis - the Orders of the
Lily, Thorn, and Skull - all carry equal
rank. All Dark Knights must first learn
the profession of arms in the Order of
the Lily, but they can later switch to the
order that better suits their aptitudes.
In some rare cases, an individual
chooses to become a Knight of the
Skull after having served as both a Lily
Knight and as a Thorn Knight, but usually once one order has claimed a hero,
he sticks with it throughout his career.
Role-Playing
Knights of the Skull use their magic to
further the aims of both their order
and themselves. Many such heroes tend
to prefer a subtle approach to overcoming problems as opposed to an active or
violent one. This attitude is by no
means a requirement. Rather, Skull
Knights consider it a point of fraternal
pride that they can accomplish their
objectives without necessarily destroying their opponents - they rely on their
ability to seduce and suborn others
into aiding them. This preference has
gained the Knights of the Skull some
powerful allies and earned them a measure of respect from their enemies.
Governor-General Mirielle Abrena
uses Skull Knights as ambassadors or
advisers to foreign powers, taking
advantage of the greater influence their
mystical abilities afford them. In Khur,
for example, the principal advisers to
the Khan are a talon of Knights of the
Skull led by Saraele Mellivaene, a half-elf of Silvanesti stock and a former
wing commander of the Governor-General's own compgroup.
Requirements
Only humans (and half-elves of Silvanesti or Qualinesti stock) may
become Knights of Takhisis. Heroes of
other races might become allies of the
Knights (although such individuals are nearly always outcasts from their
people), but they may not become full
members of the Knighthood.
A Skull Knight must possess the
Physical scores and codes of a Knight
of the Lily: a score of 6 and a code of
"A" in both Strength and Endurance.
Furthermore, these heroes are strong of
character, requiring a Spirit score of at
least 5 and a code of at least "B."
Finally, because they often seek to
manipulate others, they need a minimum Presence score of 5 and a minimum code of "C."
The order does not require Knights
of the Skull to learn a particular mystical sphere. As a general practice, however, they prefer more subtle magic,
such as meditation, mentalism, and sensitivity. The Knights of the Skull who
learn necromancy use it more to magically wound an enemy than to summon
up hosts of corporeal undead. Takhisis
never concerned herself with reanimating the dead, preferring intelligent followers to mindless ones. The Knights of
Takhisis in the Fifth Age consider such
uses of necromancy beneath their dignity. The sphere of spiritualism is more
commonly accepted, for with it Knights
can summon intelligent undead.
Like the Knights of the Lily, members
of the Order of the Skull must demonstrate certain personality traits in order
to join the Knighthood in the first place.
The player must choose a card with a
value of 5 or lower to represent his hero's
demeanor and one with a value of 4 or
higher to represent his nature. Reaching
Skull Knight level requires a hero to have
completed at least five quests.
Advantages
As Knights of the Skull once served in
the Order of the Lily, they share the
combat advantages of that order. When
these heroes close with an enemy, any
card they play to do so automatically
becomes trump. They also receive a
trump bonus for any melee attack
made while riding a mount. Finally,
they share their fellow Knights' hatred for members of the Legion of Steel,
gaining them a trump bonus for mystic
spell attacks against a Legionnaire.
Knights of the Skull also gain a +3
bonus to any Presence action involving
diplomacy or negotiation. This
assumes the Knight has not done anything deliberately to offend those with
whom he is negotiating. (In such a
case, the Narrator applies an appropriate penalty to his action score.)
The magical training these heroes
undergo gives them such an insight
into mystical matters, they gain a
trump bonus to Presence actions to
resist the effects of mystic magic. The
Knights of the Skull are the only Dark
Knights with this power.
Disadvantages
A Knight of Takhisis, echoing the Oath
of the Solamnic Knights, really does
believe his honor is his life: literally. To
switch to a different order within the
Knighthood, a Skull Knight must stand
before an honor council of his superiors called a Test of Takhisis. Failing the
Test - an average Presence (Presence)
action opposed by the highest-ranking
Knight present - means the Knight is
put to death. Few Knights attempt such
Tests unless they are sure of their
honor, or at least that they can convince the convened council they have
acted honorably. Likewise, a Knight
also faces execution if found guilty of a
violation of the Code. (See the Heroes
of Steel dramatic supplement for more
on these facets of the Knighthood.)
In addition, Skull Knights must fulfill standard requirements for military
service: forty to sixty days of service to
the Knighthood each year. This is in
addition to any other requirements
levied on members of the order by the
Lord Knight of the Skull.
A hero can enter the Order of the
Skull only from one of the Knighthood's other orders (Lily or Thorn). At
the Narrator's discretion, beginning
heroes can be assumed to have fulfilled
this requirement. Such heroes must begin play with at least five prior
quests - four to be considered a Knight
of the Lily, plus one additional quest
needed before applying for acceptance
into the Order of the Skull. An experienced hero may adopt the Knight of the
Skull role later in his career (assuming
he has the required scores and codes)
only if he is switching from a Knight of
the Lily or a Knight of the Thorn role.
The Knight of the Sword and Knight of the Rose
For over two millennia, the Knights of
Solamnia have been the guardians of
the free peoples of Ansalon. Such
heroes as Huma Dragonbane and
Sturm Brightblade were among the
greatest of the Knights. Their sacrifices
helped free the world from the machinations of the Dragon Queen, Takhisis.
Other, less famous Knights do every
day on a smaller scale what Huma and
Sturm did on a grand scale. They protect villages from the depredations of
local bandits, provide for families that
have lost their only means of support,
and defend men unjustly accused of a
crime. All Knights maintain a code of
personal behavior that puts the good of
others before their own. They seek ever
to be loyal, courageous, and above all
else, honorable.
The Knight of Solamnia role in
Heroes of Steel offers a quick overview of
all three orders within the Knighthood.
Those who choose to live as Knights of
the Sword or Knights of the Rose devote
their lives to the spiritual side of the
role even more than do Crown Knights.
Role-Playing
The Solamnic Oath sums up everything
that matters to a Knight of Solamnia: Est Sularus oth Mithas, "my honor is
my life." While Knights of the Crown
pledge to follow the Oath through loyalty and obedience above all else, the
other two orders express their reverence
for the concept of honor in other ways.
A Sword Knight follows the ideals of courage and honor, renewing his com-
mitment through his strength of spirit.
He remains courageous in the face of
adversity, even if that courage may cost
him his life. His spiritual strength, gained
from prayer to Kiri-Jolith, noble god of
war, gives the Sword Knight the courage
for self-sacrifice in the name of Good.
To better enable Sword Knights to pursue these ideals, the High Clerist urges
them to study one sphere of mysticism.
Many learn the art of healing to better
minister to the oppressed. Others prefer
the sphere of sensitivity, which can grant
them limited foresight or powers of
prophecy. Sir Darin Waydolsson, a minotaur-raised human from the novel
The Wayward Knights,
is a notable Sword Knight from pre-Cataclysm times.
Once, only heroes of royal
blood could reach the height of Solamnic
spiritual strength and purity by becoming Rose
Knights. However, the High Council
relaxed this restriction when the Order's
numbers dwindled following the first
Cataclysm. Today, any Knight can earn
the honor of acceptance into the Order
of the Rose, regardless of lineage. These
heroes vow to support wisdom and justice in service to the Oath. Under the
leadership of the High Justice, they fight
most enemies who embrace injustice or
restrict man's pursuit of knowledge.
These Knights, who revere Paladine
above all other gods, can wield the
magic of three mystic spheres; in particular, the spheres of meditation and
mentalism help them in their pursuit of
wisdom and in dispensing justice. Rose
Knights also teach the mystic arts to the
rest of the Order. Linsha Majere is a
Knight of the Rose, as was Lord Gunthar uth Wistan.
Requirements
The Knighthood grew from a predominantly human foundation; the Order
was formed in the provinces of Solamnia, recently freed from the overwhelmingly human Ergothian Empire.
Of late, the Knights have relaxed the
racial requirements somewhat, allowing half-elves to join the Order as full
Knights. Therefore, only humans and
half-elves of Qualinesti or Silvanesti
stock may become Solamnic Knights.
This restriction does not preclude
heroes of other races from associating
with the Knights; in the past, many
persons of other races have distinguished themselves as auxiliary members of the Knighthood.
The Knights have
strict requirements for
entry into the Order of
the Crown. As
Knights of the Sword
and of the Rose must
first have belonged
to this order, they
must meet similar
requirements, as set forth
in Heroes of Steel. They need
an ability score of at least 6 and a
code of "A" in both Strength and
Endurance to handle the long and rigorous training in arms. Furthermore, a
Knight must be both strong of spirit
and capable of leading others. Therefore, heroes must have at least a score
of 6 in both Spirit and Presence.
A Sword Knight may have up to a
"B" code in Spirit, and a Rose Knight
may have a code of "A." Rose Knights
have the additional requirement of at
least a "B" code in Presence, for they
are some of the Knighthood's strongest
leaders. Knights of the Sword or the
Rose have no particular sphere requirements, although the sphere of necromancy is forbidden them, and
spiritualism strongly frowned upon.
Members of both the Order of the
Sword and the Rose disdain the use of
sorcery. No Knight of either order,
therefore, may possess a code higher
than "C" in Reason. A few individuals
have chosen to leave the Knighthood to
pursue an interest in sorcery; while they usually maintain a good relationship with their former comrades, they are no longer considered Knights.
Like all Knights of Solamnia, Rose
and Sword Knights must walk a narrow moral path. Players may not use a
card with a value higher than 5 for
their hero's nature, nor a card with a
value higher than 4 for his demeanor.
Furthermore, the Knighthood offers its
members at least minimal support, giving heroes a wealth score of 3 or better.
Advantages
All Knights of Solamnia have certain
advantages in common, gained in
training during the hero's time in the
Order of the Crown. They receive a
trump bonus for any attempt to close
with an enemy and for any mounted
combat. Furthermore, they receive a
trump bonus for any personal or melee
attack against Knights of Takhisis or
members of the Legion of Steel.
Each time the hero increases a category in reputation, he may petition the
Knighthood for advancement: either
into the next order (from Sword Knight
to Rose Knight, for instance) or for a
free attempt to increase his Presence
score according to the rules at the end
of Chapter One of the Book of the Fifth
Age. To earn either type of advancement, the hero appears before a
knightly council for a Knight's Trial,
where he must succeed in an average
Presence (Presence) action opposed by
the senior Knight. (Heroes of Steel offers
more details on the Knight's Trial.)
In addition, heroes can draw on the
Solamnic treasury instead of their personal wealth for their own needs or to
advance the Knighthood's goals. To tap
the Order's treasury, a Sword Knight
hero must attempt a wealth action using
one-half his Presence score instead of
his actual wealth score. A Rose Knight
may access the treasury using his full
Presence as the action ability.
Finally, in areas controlled by the
Knights of Solamnia, members of the
Order of the Rose gain an automatic trump bonus for Presence actions
directed at locals.
Disadvantages
Not only do all Knights share certain
benefits, they also have a number of
drawbacks in common. These honorable
warriors never gain a trump bonus for an
attempt to surprise an enemy in combat. In addition, a Knight's Presence
score falls 1 point if he fails at a Knight's
Trial.
Knights owe their Order between
forty and sixty days' service each year.
Furthermore, they must donate personal
wealth to support the Knighthood: With
each increase in reputation category, the
hero loses 1 point of his personal wealth
score (to a minimum of 2). Thus his
ability to draw from the Solamnic treasury (see "Advantages") becomes more
and more important as he advances.
Although Rose Knights represent the
height of Solamnic spiritual achievement, they are not without their flaws.
Players should select for their Rose
Knight heroes one character flaw or
personal weakness the hero must constantly battle. For instance, perhaps he is
overly indulgent of a child or squire,
subject to fits of pride, or the bearer of
an unrealistic grudge against a particular enemy. This weakness, whatever it is,
should influence the hero's actions in
some way at least once in every adventure. Narrators can even develop dilemmas for the hero based on this weakness
or otherwise work it into play.
A hero can become a Sword Knight
during play only after first playing the
generic Knight of Solamnia role as a
Crown Knight, then successfully petitioning for advancement. Likewise,
heroes wanting to become Rose
Knights later in their adventuring
careers must first have played the role
of Sword Knight and succeed at a
Knight's Trial action to advance.
The Legionnaire Mystic
Like Ansalon's other chivalrous groups,
the Legion of Steel also utilizes the power
of mysticism. A group of practical-minded individuals, the Legionnaire
mystics place few restrictions against
any particular spheres of mysticism. Thus, mystics with a wide
variety of talents and backgrounds find themselves
drawn to this justice-serving Order.
Role-Playing
Like the Legionnaire
warriors, scouts, and
sorcerers described in
previous supplements,
Legionnaire mystics use
their special talents to help those
injured by enemies of the free realms
and to combat those who oppose freedom in Ansalon. A Legionnaire mystic
is no different from other Legion members in this regard-all of them do
what is necessary to protect those who
cannot defend themselves. Like other
Legionnaires, they use the simple tenets
of the Legacy to guide their actions.
Some mystic groups condemn the
spheres of necromancy and spiritualism. The Legion, however, condemns
only those who use such magic for Evil
ends. Some former Knights of Takhisis
brought with them to the Legion an
understanding of these dark lores and,
as long as they engage in no Evil practices, the Legion does not hold this
knowledge against them. In fact. Legion
elders even call upon these former
Skull Knights to provide information
concerning undead enemies. One such
mystic has put his spiritualism talent to
good use by seeking out and banishing
spectral undead and creatures of chaos.
Requirements
Unlike mystical members of other
Orders of chivalry, Legionnaire mystics
need not first prove themselves as warriors. Many of them are indeed highly skilled in arms, but the Legion does
not levy any requirements concerning
weapon skills. This organization cares
more about a person's talents than his
deficiencies, for one can overcome
shortcomings with training and perseverance.
Therefore, the only ability
requirement placed upon a
prospective Legionnaire
mystic is a score of at
least 4 and a code of at
least "B" in Spirit.
As with any Legionnaire, the
mystic also must possess the right
moral character, so the
player of a Legionnaire
mystic may not assign a
card with a value higher than
6 to his nature and demeanor, nor
may the Legionnaire possess a wealth
score greater than 5.
The role of Legionnaire mystic is
open to any race. In fact, it is not
uncommon to find a group comprising several races working to achieve a
common goal.
Advantages
Due to the longstanding animosity
between members of the Legion and
the Knights of Takhisis, Legionnaire
mystics enjoy a trump bonus for any
attempt to use mysticism against one
of these dark paladins. They also
receive a trump bonus to mystical
defensive spells in battle with Solamnic rivals.
Another benefit provided by the
Legion is training. One of its principal
roles involves teaching others to defend
themselves - and not just militarily.
Defense stems not only from weapon
skills. Legion mentors teach. Rather, it
is a state of mind, a decision about
when to fight and when to withdraw.
Legionnaire mystics adhere to this
belief as actively as any other member
of the Order, seeking out those with
mystic talent to tutor or send to someone more suitable for training. In this
way, the Legion has discovered many
promising pupils, some of whom have
been trained within the Legion while
others have been sent to the Citadel of
Light.
This teaching philosophy gives
Legionnaire mystics an advantage as
they attempt to excel in their art. As
explained at the end of Chapter One in
the Book of the Fifth Age, the only way
to improve a hero's Spirit code is to
pick the Nine of Hearts in a random
draw when the hero's reputation
increases one category. Legionnaire
mystics can improve their ability codes
more easily: When the hero advances
to a new reputation category, the player
may improve his hero's Spirit code by
drawing the Eight or Nine of Hearts.
(The hero's ability score still improves
only if the value of the card drawn
exceeds the current score.) This benefit
assumes that the hero has the opportunity to discuss his findings with other
mystics during or after each quest.
In addition, any full Legionnaire,
regardless of role, must train an
apprentice: a character of Unknown
reputation with scores and codes each
1 point or rating below the hero's own.
This character - essentially a second
hero for the player - assists the mystic
in his Legion missions as part of his
training until he becomes a Novice.
Heroes who join the Legion after
beginning their adventuring careers or
who discover mystic talent later in life
can switch to this role during play.
Disadvantages
The Knights of Takhisis bear an intense
hatred for the Legion of Steel, and the
Legion's mystics are not exempt from
that antipathy. Because the Skull
Knights assume that Legionnaire mystics harbor many important secrets,
any captured Legionnaire who is discovered to be a mystic can expect extra
brutal treatment by the Skull Knights
before his execution (exceptions to be
determined by the Narrator).
Having an apprentice has its drawbacks as well as its good points. The
hero must support the apprentice out
of his own wealth and is responsible for
turning him into a fully trained
Legionnaire. While he might not want
to take the apprentice with him on his
most dangerous missions, he mustn't
neglect him, either. When the Narrator
deems the hero's overprotection is hindering his apprentice's training, the
player must attempt an average Presence (Presence) action, opposed by the
apprentice character, to prevent the
youngster from quitting the Legion.
Failure at the action means the mystic's
player must immediately turn over the
top card of the Fate Deck and reduce
his hero's Presence score by one-third
the value of the card (rounded up), to
represent his loss of face in the organization. Drawing a Dragons card means
the hero loses a category of reputation
as well. The Legionnaire mystic faces
the same random draw if he lets his
apprentice die in the line of duty.
The Monk
The monk is a rare calling in Ansalon,
for few possess a mind given to the
pursuit of self-enlightenment. Even
during the Fourth Age, this difficult
path was limited to individuals who
followed Majere, god of meditation,
faith, and dreams. Because the worship
of Majere constituted more a philosophy than a religion, his teachings survived the departure of the gods with
little change.
Followers of Majere have been ever
a patient lot. They do not assume the
gods' departure is permanent - after
all, the same gods have left before, only
to return. They remain content, knowing that Majere gave them a way of life
at once simple and rewarding. They
continue to see his presence in the
world, despite the scholars' claims that
he has gone.
Role-Playing
Those who follow the monk role in the
Fifth Age differ little from many followers of Majere in previous ages.
They prefer peace, for only in peace
can the spirit find enlightenment. They
do not concern themselves with the
trappings of the material world, for
these trappings serve only to draw the
mind and spirit away from the path to
enlightenment.
Monks use their magical studies to
discover more of their world: They
achieve new insights through meditation magic or learn what a hawk sees
by altering their form and flying. They
offer this insight to those who ask, but
keep their own counsel otherwise.
Requirements
It is rare for those of a race other than
human to follow a monk's difficult
path. Narrators may allow half-elves
reared in human society to choose this
role, but such exceptions should be
uncommon.
To practice a monk's traditional
meditative and martial arts, a hero
must have at least a 6 in both Agility
and Endurance. He also must possess
at least a 5 in Reason and a 6 in Perception, for a monk has a keen mind and
sharp senses. His solitary studies
require of him a Spirit score of at least
7 and a code of at least "B." Finally, a
monk must be able to resist mystical
spells wielded against him, calling for
at least a score of 6 in Presence. The
monk must choose his knowledge of
mysticism from among the following
spheres: animism, alteration, channeling, healing, meditation, mentalism,
and sensitivity.
Advantages
Monks, as students of the martial arts,
receive a trump bonus to any unarmed
combat action or one involving any
very light melee or thrown weapon.
Disadvantages
A monk's extensive training in
unarmed combat and with very light
weapons prevents him from using anything beyond light weapons, regardless
of ability code. His training also limits
his armor and shield to the very light
category: padded silk and buckler. If
the hero became a monk after having
pursued another profession, he retains
his previous knowledge of weapons
and armor but may not use anything
heavier than that listed above.
It is rare, but not unheard of, for a
hero to begin pursuing the way of the
monk at an advanced age. There is no
prohibition against adopting this role
later in life, but the switch represents a
most profound change in the way the
hero views the world. Only those who
remain committed to this difficult
path can attain the combat
advantages and, if a hero
adopts another role after having spent time as a monk,
those advantages disappear - without continual
practice, monks lose their edge.
The Mystic-Sorcerer
Some rare individuals possess a talent for
both mysticism and sorcery. Most such
mystic-sorcerers learn their skills through
formal training, usually associated with
institutions like the Citadel of Light and
the Academy of Sorcery. The Legion of
Steel, ever interested in expanding the
capabilities of its members, has begun
to seek out former Academy students to
teach Legionnaires the secrets of their
magic. The Knights of Takhisis also use
both sorcery and mysticism to further
their dark schemes. Organizations like
these are keenly interested in developing
the talents of their followers who possess
skill in both types of magic.
A mystic-sorcerer might also have
developed independently of any organization. Perhaps he took his lifelong
affinity for the sea and, through great
effort, managed to hone his inherent
skills in sensitivity and hydromancy.
Individuals capable of such a feat
would be rare indeed. On the other
hand, a latent mystic-sorcerer might
have learned his magic from other individuals, such as former members of
organizations that teach magic or even
a magical being of some sort - a scion,
one of the huldrefolk, or even a dragon!
Role-Playing
Although the learned folk of Ansalon
divide magic into two categories -
that which affects the living and that
which affects the nonliving - many
mystic-sorcerers disdain such a
notion. The distinctions between the
two groups remain purely artificial,
they say, created by people whose
minds cannot grasp the idea that all
magic is one: Sorcery is mysticism,
and mysticism is sorcery. Not all
mystic-sorcerers subscribe to these
extreme beliefs, but most recognize at
least a tenuous connection between
the two types of magic.
When prodded, mystic-sorcerers
may admit that they can't prove their
unified theory of magic yet, but they point to hints of this truth in the grand
pattern of creation. Renegade mages in
ages past explored the boundaries of
their magical knowledge, they say, and
embraced the power of life and of the
elements as one grand force of creation. The often haughty masters of
both mysticism and sorcery urge those
they meet to throw away their misconceptions and expand their perception
of magic to the limits of the imagination - for only after doing so can one
become a true master of magic.
Requirements
A hero of any race capable of learning
both sorcery and mysticism can adopt
this role, although elves, half-elves,
gnomes, and humans are the most
likely races to master both magics.
Becoming a mystic-sorcerer is not
easy. The required insight into magical
theory calls for a combination of intuition and intellect. To adopt this role,
therefore, a hero must possess at least a
score of 6 and a code of"B" in both
Reason and Spirit.
The hero's preferred schools of sorcery and spheres of mysticism are often
dictated by the source of his education.
If, for example, he learned his mystic
skills from the. Citadel of Light, he
might excel in the healing sphere. Self-taught mystic-sorcerers, or those educated by an individual tutor, have no
sphere or school requirements.
Advantages
Beyond the obvious benefit of understanding both sorcery and mysticism,
this role gives the hero the opportunity
to pioneer combinations of the two
types of magic. This requires him to
have developed his knowledge of both
fields to the greatest extent possible -
in other words, he must have an "A"
code in Reason and Spirit. (Rules for
combining sorcerous and mystic magic
appear in Chapter Four.)
A hero may adopt this role at any
time during his career, assuming he
meets the minimum requirements.
Disadvantages
Gaining an understanding of both
sources of modern magic requires a great
deal of time - some people devote their
entire lives to exploring the subtleties of
just sorcery or mysticism. As a result,
other fields of knowledge suffer somewhat. During hero generation, if a player
decides to create a mystic-sorcerer, he
may not assign a code of higher than "C"
to any of the hero's Physical abilities. He
may voluntarily reduce any code to "C"
but may not increase another code as a
result. This reduction option only
allows the hero to fit within the restrictions of the mystic-sorcerer role.
If the hero chooses to pursue this
role later in his adventuring career, the
change requires such an intense period
of study that his skills with weapons and
armor atrophy to the point where he no
longer possesses any code greater than a
"C" in any Physical ability. The road to
becoming a mystic-sorcerer is difficult,
and the time needed for study does not
allow a hero to maintain skills at arms.
The Rogue
Rogue mystics combine an understanding of mystical magic with a natural gift
for certain unsavory skills, which makes
these heroes formidable thieves. Such a
combination is rare, however, for seldom
do the mystic abilities of a natural-born rogue come to the attention of
someone who can train him properly.
Role-Playing
Roguish mystics tend to vary widely in
their outlook on the world. Some are
callous brutes who use their magic to
dominate people, while others seem
more light-hearted sorts who greet
every new day as a gift.
If there is a similarity among such
people, it lies in their disdain for what
society calls a "normal" life. Not for
them the working of the fields or the
cleaning of an inn! Some rogues consider preying on others the way to easy
money. (Suggestions for running a con
appear in the Heroes of Defiance dramatic supplement). A few even become
artists at their trade, choosing only the
most difficult of roguish challenges -
be it picking the pocket of a particularly
careful guard sergeant or stealing a rare
artifact from a stronghold of the
Knights of Takhisis.
Many rogue mystics are loners,
trusting only in themselves. Such
heroes have a hard time obtaining
additional training, either in their
mystic skills or their thief abilities.
Rogues who associate with others of
their kind, such as members of thieves'
guilds or the Legion of Steel, find
training easier to come by, but must,
in exchange, give up some or all of
their cherished independence.
Requirements
The number of folk displaced in the
Dragon Purge makes for ample populations of refugees, some of whom -
unable to find honest employment -
turn to illegal activities as a source of
income. They can come from nearly
any ethnic background, from kender
to minotaurs. Therefore, members of
any hero race may become rogue
mystics.
These rogues must have at least a 5
in both Agility and Dexterity. They
need a minimum Spirit score of 4 and
code of "B." Finally, these canny types,
always on the run from their latest
mark, should possess at least a 5 in
Perception, with a code no lower
than "C."
Advantages
Rogues remain more aware than other
mystics of the dangers and secrets of
urban life, giving them an automatic
trump bonus to any Presence action
dealing with the criminal element of a
city, except to resist the effects of mystic magic. The Narrator can suspend
this advantage, which covers information-gathering and intimidation
actions, in individual cases - generally
those in which the rogue has offended
powerful local crime figures.
Rogue mystics, who often rely upon
magic to enhance their abilities, can
become quite adept at the spheres of
channeling and meditation. This role
gives a hero a trump bonus for spells
he casts to increase his Coordination
scores (Agility and Dexterity). The
hero would not enjoy a bonus to alter
his other Physical scores, nor to alter
someone else's Coordination scores.
Likewise, with the sphere of meditation, the hero may play any card as
trump when attempting to alter his
own Intellect scores (Reason and Perception). Normal trump rules apply
whenever a rogue attempts to alter a
score in an ability not listed above or
when he tries to alter the scores of
another hero or character.
The hero may use this trump bonus
for either channeling or meditation but
not both. If he learns both spheres, he
must decide which one will gain the
trump bonus and may not change his
selection.
Heroes may become rogues at any
time during their careers. Circumstances
of their lives may cause them to adopt
the role, or they may simply find themselves drawn to the excitement of pitting
themselves against authority figures in
cities such as Palanthas or Sanction.
Disadvantages
Most roguish types, even those with
mystic abilities, are not well liked by
local authorities. Thus, rogue mystics
never gain a trump bonus to any Presence action involving such individuals
(except to avoid mysticism). This disadvantage affects the rogue regardless
of his social status.
Regardless of their training, rogues
tend not to carry large weapons, which
often prove difficult to hide and draw
unwanted attention from the authorities. Therefore, these heroes may not
carry or use any weapon of the very
heavy category.
The True Believer
Some of the mystics of the Fifth Age
remain devout followers of Krynn's
pantheon, even though most people
believe that the gods have departed the
world. True, many priests lost contact
with their gods after the Chaos War, as
demonstrated by their inability to
invoke divine miracles.
But the god-given power of magic
has returned - albeit not the same
magic men once knew - and the true
believers would never dream of questioning how their god grants them
their powers. Perhaps the gods' fight
with Chaos changed forever the practice of spiritual magic.
No matter. Goldmoon still carries
the blessings of her gentle goddess
Mishakal. Many other priests and clerics of the Holy Orders of the Stars also
wield mystic magic in the names of
their gods. Their ministrations are
more needed than ever in this age of
widespread doubt and oppression.
Role-Playing
True believers know that the gods have
not departed Krynn. Many people of
the modern age have lost their faith,
they agree. But these priests also point
out that it is hard for faith to endure
titanic events that plague the world.
The events surrounding the Chaos
War and its aftermath have led true
believers to study the history of the
first Cataclysm more than four hundred years ago. Then, when the gods
punished the world for the hubris of
the Kingpriest of Istar, the faithless
took the wrong message, true believers
teach today. But, instead of reexamining their faith and realizing they were
as much to blame as was the Kingpriest
and his followers, the people turned
their backs on the gods. The word
spread that the gods had forsaken
Krynn. Furious mobs pulled down
temples, killed priests, and blamed the
Knights of Solamnia for the woes of
the world. And the world was plunged
into centuries of darkness.
We must guard against repeating
the same mistake, true believers warn
the confused folk of Ansalon. They
point to the mystic miracles of faith
they perform daily in the name of the
"departed" deities and chastise those
who seek to defame the gods.
Some clerics of the Good gods
proclaim the arrival of the Great
Dragons as Takhisis's revenge for her
defeat, manifestations of Evil that yet
cling to the world. Only by embracing
the true gods can mortals fight the
Evil that clings to the spirit. Only by
embracing the miracle of the magic
the gods have given their people can
they pick up the gauntlet thrown
down by the Dark Queen.
Requirements
The true believer role encompasses
both the priests of the true gods and
the faithful worshipers. Priests with
this role must have a Spirit score of at
least 4 and code of at least "B," while
their followers who adopt this role
need a minimum Spirit code of "D."
Players can select their hero's deity
from "The True Gods" sidebar on these
pages. True believers may be of any
race, as long as they worship a god
suitable for members of that race. (For
instance, elves rarely worship
Chemosh, god of death and decay.)
Advantages
The principal advantage of the true
believer is his faith, which gives him
strength in trying times. In game
terms, the true believer can gain an
automatic trump bonus to any one
action he attempts. However, he may
draw upon this bonus only once per
quest (as determined by the Narrator).
In addition, the true believer, if
openly displaying his religious beliefs,
gains a +3 bonus to any Presence
action (except those intended to resist
the effects of mystic magic) when
meeting those of similar beliefs. This
does not have to mean they worship
the same god: A true believer priest of
a Neutral god would likely be accepted
by any community of those who follow another god of Neutrality or a god
of Good.
A hero may become a true believer
at any time during his career. If he
does not begin the game with this
role, however, he should have a good
reason for adopting it later. Perhaps
he suffered a crisis of conscience and,
in overcoming it, feels he redeemed
himself in the eyes of his god. Or
maybe he discovered in himself the
ability to practice mystical magic and
believes it to be a manifestation of
divine favor.
Disadvantages
It is good that true believers have such
faith in themselves and their gods
because, in an era in which most
people have abandoned their old
beliefs in the gods, few consider these
believers anything but fools.
If a true believer hero openly displays his religious affiliation and
encounters a person who believes the
gods have abandoned Krynn, he
receives a variable penalty to any Presence action he attempts. An action
penalty of -1 might arise when the
hero meets mild cynicism for his
beliefs, while an individual who harbors a fanatical hatred of the gods and
their representatives might impose a
-6 action penalty. In any case, the
Narrator determines this penalty
based on how he believes the characters) in question will act toward
the hero.
The True Gods
Most folk of Krynn know the gods by
their common names listed below, under
"Krynn's Pantheon." However, some
races have special names for certain
deities. These racial names appear on the
pages that follow.
Krynn's Pantheon
The name in boldface type is the god's
most common appellation in Ansalon.
Other recognized names, if any, appear at
the end of the entry.
Artha: Evil goddess of lust and greed;
daughter of Takhisis and Hiddukel.
Branchala: Good god of music; highest god ofkender and elves; born of
the laughter that arose at the birth of
Habbakuk. Also called the Song of Life.
Chaos: Self-proclaimed Father of All
and of Nothing.
Chemosh: Evil god of the undead and
false redemption. Also called the Lord
of Death.
Chislev: Neutral goddess of nature
incarnate whose moods are reflected in
the seasons; worshiped by all wild
creatures; mate of Zivilyn. Also called
the Beast, the Wilds.
Gilean: Neutral god of knowledge who
guards the Tobril (the book containing
the High God's plan); once a scribe,
now heads the Neutral pantheon and
works to maintain the cosmic Balance.
Also called the Book, Gray Voyager,
Void, Gate of Souls.
Habbakuk: Good god of all creatures
and nature; son of Paladine and
Mishakal, twin of Kiri-Jolith. Also
called the Fisher King.
Hiddukel: Evil god of trickery, greed,
ill-gotten wealth, and dirty deals. Also
called the Prince of Lies.
High God: Came out of the Chaos and
called Paladine and Takhisis from the
Beyond and Gilean from out of Time.
Kiri-Jolith: Good god of glory, honor,
obedience, justice, and righteous warfare; son of Paladine and Mishakal,
twin brother of Habbakuk. Also called
the Sword of Justice, Qu'an the Warrior.
Lunitari: Neutral goddess of illusion
magic; daughter of Gilean. Also called
the Veiled Maiden.
Majere: Good god of faith, dreams,
meditation, control, industry, organization, martial arts, and insects. Also
called the Master of Mind.
Mishakal: Good goddess of healing;
wife of Paladine. Also called the Healing
Hand, the Bearer, Light Bringer.
Morgion: Evil, solitary god of disease
and decay; resembles a rotting corpse
with a goat head. Also called the Black
Wind.
Nuitari: Evil god of black, destructive
magic; son of Takhisis and Sargonnas.
Also called the Darkness, the Devouring Dark.
Paladine: Good patriarch of the gods
and husband of Mishakal. Also called
the Dragon's Lord.
Reorx: Neutral god of manufacture,
technology, and metallurgy; formed
the world; patron of dwarves and
gnomes. Also called the Forge, the Anvil.
Sargonnas: Evil, brooding god of
revenge, rage, deserts, volcanoes, and
the destructive passion of fire; consort
of Takhisis. Also called Dark Vengeance.
Shinare: Neutral, practical goddess of
wealth, industry, and trade; Sirrion's
companion. Also called Winged Victory.
Sirrion: Neutral god of creative flame
and useful natural power; temperamental and artistic companion of
Shinare. Also called Flowing Flame,
Firemaster, the Alchemist.
Solinari: Good god of protective and
helpful magic; third son of Mishakal
and Paladine. Also called Mighty Hand.
Takhisis: Evil goddess of domination,
cruelty, and destruction; takes the
form of a five-headed dragon; consort
of Sargonnas. Also called the Dark
Queen, Queen of Darkness.
Zeboim: Evil, temperamental goddess
of the sea, storms, and weather; child
of Takhisis and Sargonnas and mother
ofAriakan. Also called the Sea Queen,
Darkling Sea.
Zivilyn: Neutral god of wisdom; partner
of Gilean and companion of Chislev.
Also called Tree of Life, World Tree.
Dragon Names
Platinum Dragon (Paladine)
Platinum Father (Paladine)
Dwarf Names
Bardilun (Branchala)
Bhezomiax (Zeboim)
Hiltax the Flaw (Hiddukel)
Khemax (Chemosh)
Kijo the Blade (Kiri-Jolith)
Mesalax (Mishakal)
Morgax the Rusdord (Morgion)
Night Candle (Lunitari)
Sargonax the Bender (Sargonnas)
Silver Master (Shinare)
Tamex the False Metal (Takhisis)
Thak the Hammer (Paladine)
Ungod (Nuitari)
Elf Names
Although the Kagonesti elves do not
worship the gods (instead revering their
works in nature), they refer to the deities
using the Silvanesti names.
Qualinesti
Astra (Branchala)
the Blue Phoenix (Habbakuk)
Kinis (Sargonnas)
Mantis of the Rose (Majere)
Quen Illumini (Mishakal)
Tree of Life (Zivilyn)
Winged One (Shinare)
Silvanesti
Astarin (Branchala)
the Blue Phoenix (Habbakuk)
Dragon Queen (Takhisis)
E'li (Paladine)
Kinthalas (Sargonnas)
Matheri (Majere)
Quenesti Pah (Mishakal)
Tree of Life (Zivilyn)
Winged One (Shinare)
Gnomish Names
Reorx the Master (Reorx)
Hobgoblin Names
Anthrax Goatlord (Morgion)
Mwarg (Takhisis)
Orkrust (Chemosh)
Usk-Do (Hiddukel)
Human Names
The men of various lands in Ansalon
have different names for many of the
gods. Nonhuman races living in these
human-dominated areas often use the
human god-names, too.
Balifor
Black Hand (Nuitari)
Blue Lady (Mishakal)
Skylord (Habbakuk)
White-Eye (Solinari)
Ergoth
Aeleth (Chemosh)
Argon (Sargonnas)
Corij (Kiri-Jolith)
the Blue Phoenix (Habbakuk)
Bran (Branchala)
Draco Paladin (Paladine)
Dragon Queen (Takhisis)
H'rar (Morgion)
Luin (Lunitari)
Manthus (Majere)
Mishas (Mishakal)
Rann (Zeboim)
Solin (Solinari)
Walking Liberty (Shinare)
Icewall Glacier
Chemos Joton (Chemosh)
Gonnas the Willful (Sargonnas)
Meshal (Mishakal)
Morgi (Morgion)
Nilat the Cormpter (Takhisis)
Zebyr Jotun (Zeboim)
Istar (Pre-Cataclysm)
Argon (Sargonnas)
Bah'Mut (Paladine)
H'rar (Morgion)
M'Fistos (Hiddukel)
Tii'Mhut (Takhisis)
Kharolis
Dron of the Deep (Chemosh)
Gormion (Morgion)
Jolith (Kiri-Jolith)
Ka-Mel-Sha, "Healer in the Home" (Mishakal)
Mai-Tat (Takhisis)
Misal-Lasim (Sargonnas)
Zyr (Zeboim)
Khur
Elir-sana, "Daughter" (Mishakal)
Great God (High God/Chislev)
Kargath (Kiri-Jolith)
Rakiris (Habbakuk/Chislev)
Sky-Father (High God/Chislev)
Torghan (Sargonnas)
Saifhum
The sea barbarians of the Blood Sea
refer to the gods using many of the
same names as their neighbors, the
minotaurs (at right).
Solamnia
Bearer of Light (Mishakal)
the Great Dragon (Paladine)
Light Bringer (Mishakal)
Tarsis
Dron of the Deep (Chemosh)
Gormion (Morgion)
Jolith (Kiri-Jolith)
Ka-Mel-Sha, "Healer in the Home" (Mishakal)
Mai-Tat (Takhisis)
Misal-Lasim (Sargonnas)
Zyr (Zeboim)
Kender Names
Black Hand* (Nuitari)
Bran** (Branchala)
the Firebringer* (Sargonnas)
the Blue Lady* (Mishakal)
Ivory Disk** (Solinari)
Red-Eye* (Lunitari)
Reorx the Craftsman (Reorx)
She of the Many Faces** (Takhisis)
Skyblade* (Paladine)
Skylord* (Habbakuk)
Skymistress* (Mishakal)
Songmaster* (Branchala)
White-eye* (Solinari)
* Term used by afflicted kender only.
** Term used by true kender of Hylo.
Minotaur Names
Balance (Shinare)
Beacon (Solinari)
Betrayer (Hiddukel)
Dragonlord (Paladine)
Emperor (Kiri-Jolith)
Empress (Mishakal)
Gardener (Branchala)
Lady Chaos (Takhisis)
Lifebane (Chemosh)
Maelstrom (Zeboim)
Maid of Illusion (Lunitari)
Nadir the Dreamsender (Majere)
Nightreaver (Nuitari)
Pestilence (Morgion)
Sargas the Destroyer (Sargonnas)
the Scales (Shinare)
Sea Lord (Habbakuk)
the Weaponmaster (Reorx)
Wild One (Chislev)
Wise One (Zivilyn)
the Wizard (Sirrion)
Ogre Names
Darklady (Takhisis)