Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Discipline 26 - Nethermancer Part 2, Talents

This is part two of the twenty-sixth Anatomy of a Discipline in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Overview

This Discipline is almost universally feared and reviled. Nethermancers would claim this is unfair treatment by the ignorant masses, and that those who truly know them would not have such base emotions when exposed to seekers to truth if they were more learned in their ways. It may very well be exactly like that. When pressed about who can accurately render an accurate view of these adepts, Nethermancers are likely to reluctantly admit that only other Nethermancers can truly judge them, as they are their only true peers. Those that are familiar with Nethermancers may be just as likely to regard them with fear and revulsion - it is just one bred not out of the unknown, but after knowing them.

While this may seem like an unfavorable view of these adepts, they are outsiders, powerful and intelligent, that look down with scorn at others. They dabble in magics beyond the understanding of others, including other magicians (though the magicians are likely to say it isn't beyond their understanding, just beyond their desire). Theirs is the magic of astral realms, blood, spirits, and of Horrors.

Their studies consume their lives. Adepts that simply value knowledge and lore are likely to become a Wizard. Nethermancers draw a particular breed. They may already be pariahs within their community, but above all else - they are searching for something, something that requires power. That is what draws Namegivers to this Discipline and its forbidden lore. They may not truly understand the nature of what they are searching for, but that search is almost undeniable.

What else could drive these adepts to the lengths that they go to? While they may claim their Talents and spells are unrelated to Horrors, this is hardly the truth. Many of the powerful spells at their disposal are adapted Horror powers. That they may use them to battle the very things they were stolen from is beside the point to many Namegivers and adepts - when you use the powers of your enemies, you are doomed to become them.

Given the moral relativism these adepts are prone to - the ends justify the means - combined with their general demeanor and belief structure, it is of little surprise that they engender such reactions.

This is not to say that all Nethermancers are like this, but there is no doubt that they walk treacherous paths in search of knowledge and power. That they use that to fight Horrors for the rest of Namegivers is also not in question - it is simply to what ends will they go to in that fight? Where will the line be drawn? Will there come a point when the medicine is worse than the disease?

These are important things to consider when playing this Discipline. Knowing that you are unlikely to be welcomed anywhere, always shunned and avoided where ever you go, is an aspect of your character. With that knowledge, what is it that drove you to this path? What is it that you are searching for? How do you view your fellow Namegivers, adepts and your companions? What lengths will you go to achieve your goals? These questions should help you to gain a better understanding of who your character is in relation to this powerful and troubled Discipline.

Discipline Violations

These are best employed not as a stick, but as a chance for the player to take a deeper look at what it means to follow their Discipline. There are a few ways to run afoul of this Discipline, and many of them are sources of conflict with the rest of their Group. The most notable is the confidence that Nethermancers go about their business (some would say arrogance). This self-assurance is where they derive a great deal of their power. It is also a hubris that has caused the downfall of more than one Nethermancer. They cannot have any doubt to their actions, no guilt, no second thoughts. The sources of conflict that this can generate should be patently obvious.

Related to their confidence, Nethermancers can never show or give in to fear. They are the masters of their emotions and traffic in powers that other Namegivers cannot fathom. Theirs is not to be afraid, but for others to be afraid of them. This is an important aspect of the nature of their Discipline. If they cannot master something like an emotion, how can they hope to master the powers of a Horror that feeds on such things?

To a lesser degree, they eschew any mourning for the dead. They view death as a transition, a change, not as an end. While some may find solace in that, it is rarely comforting to those coping with their loss (it being an iconoclastic viewpoint in Barsaive), particularly among windlings.

Talents

Initiate
Talent Options: Arcane Mutterings, Read/Write Language, Silent Walk, Speak Language, Spell Matrix

First Circle
Discipline Talents: Astral Sight, Karma Ritual, Read/Write Magic, Spellcasting, Spell Matrix, Thread Weaving [Nethermancy]

Novice
Talent Options: Animal Possession, Blood Share, Creature Analysis, Dominate Beast, Frighten Animals, Spell Matrix (2)

Second Circle
Discipline Talents: Durability (4/3), Frighten

Third Circle
Discipline Talent: Spirit Talk

Fourth Circle
Discipline Talent: Spirit Hold

Journeyman
Talent Options: Abate Curse, Elemental Tongues, Enhanced Matrix (2), Item History, Lion Heart, Steel Thought, Willforce

Fifth Circle
Discipline Talent: Summon [Ally Spirit]

Sixth Circle
Discipline Talent: Lifesight

Seventh Circle
Discipline Talent: Spirit Dodge

Eighth Circle
Discipline Talent: Orbiting Spy

It really doesn't come as much of a surprise that beyond the spellcasting requirements, most of the Nethermancer Talents focus on spirits in some way. The primary Discipline Talent line (including Spirit Talk and Spirit Hold) culminates with Summon [Ally Spirit], which is an incredibly versatile Talent. Though it can also be somewhat tricky at times and benefits significantly from collaboration with the GM.

Their other Discipline Talents are either defensive in nature (Frighten and Spirit Dodge) or involved in gathering information (Astral Sight, Lifesight and Orbiting Spy). The practical outcome of this is that Nethermancer's have a solid set of Talents and along with their spells, are generally more combat capable than most other spellcasters. It also means their ability to gather information, particularly in conjunction with their spells, is amazing. What a Nethermancer/Scout could find is actually a little frightening.

All of that said, like all spellcasters, most of their dedication is to getting the most out of their spells. It can be very easy to forget about the Talents you have at your disposal when you are looking at your spell list. Particularly with how many of those Talents are directly involved in casting spells. Frighten is a powerful Talent in and of itself and Spirit Dodge makes a powerful layered defense with Shield Mist (it's a spell, you will probably want it).

I would like to write about how there are some good Initiate Talent Options; which isn't to say that there aren't, it's just that the actual pick here is almost guaranteed. Since things open up at Novice, I will carry through with the effort and give a rundown:

• Arcane Mutterings - Let's be honest, the Nethermancer doesn't lack for ways to cause people to leave them alone. This one costs Karma to use and Legend Points to advance along with some other limitations. You will get something better.
• Read/Write Language - If you have a slot open with nothing else that looks good, this is a perfectly fine choice. Otherwise, the skill works well.
• Silent Walk - Probably the best choice of the non-Spell Matrix Talent Options simply because it opens up additional ways to be involved in the game.
• Speak Language - See Read/Write Language above.
• Spell Matrix - This one. You are going to want this one here. You might be okay with just two for a long time, but you are going to need at least two Matrices and it's a long time to Fifth Circle.

Novice tier is when all spellcasters have the most latitude with their Talent Options. Not much, just some:

• Animal Possession - You will get access to spells that are similar (slightly more limited), but cost less and cannot accidentally kill you. Get those instead.
• Blood Share - An interesting Talent that plays with the blood magic themes of the Discipline. If healing is a difficulty in your Group, this can be a good way to maximize the use of Recovery Tests.
• Creature Analysis - Get this Talent. To make the most of your spells, you will need to know the Physical and Mystic Armor values of your opponents.
• Dominate Beast - Not bad, but you will get a cheaper, more limited version of this as a spell. There are probably going to be better Talent Options available.
• Frighten Animals - Similar to Frighten, only it uses Charisma instead of Willpower, can affect more than one target, only works on animals, and will cost Karma. You can likely give this a pass.
• Spell Matrix (2) - While you may not want both of these, you will probably want one. Each of these gives you another option, and that is powerful.

Fifth Circle, when you first get to Journeyman, is going to have the most agonizing choice you may ever have to make - especially when looking at Talent Options. Which do you get first, Enhanced Matrix or Willforce?

• Abate Curse - Generally speaking, this Talent is fun and thematic to these adepts. Their Dispel Nethermancy Magic spell is somewhat limited, so there is still use for this.
• Elemental Tongues - There is a strong emphasis in dealing with spirits for Nethermancers, but the don't have a lot to do with Elementals in general. I would rank this higher than the Language Talents available at Initiate, but in the same vein of: take this if you have nothing else interesting.
• Enhanced Matrix (2) - Odds are reasonable you will want both of these. After all, you want to cast Shield Mist and Astral Spear without Weaving Threads first, right?
• Item History - If no one else in the Group has this Talent, someone needs to have it. That may be you - hopefully it won't, because Eighth Circle is a long time to wait.
• Lion Heart - This particular Talent is virtually always useful, requiring minimal investment and always being active. It also adds to the image of the unflappable Nethermancer. Depending on your GM, Willforce may make this Talent unnecessary.
• Steel Thought - There are so many good Talent Options available and the fact this isn't a Discipline Talent (along with your already very good Spell Defense), there is probably something better to take instead.
• Willforce - Take this. It supercharges your spells and is arguably the most powerful Talent in the game for its sheer versatility (barring Versatility, of course). The biggest dilemma is do you get Willforce or Enhanced Matrix first? Willforce pretty much always wins.

Spells

The Nethermancer spell list is significantly more combat oriented than most other spellcasters. They have a variety of offensive damage spells at First Circle, many fear-based control abilities, along with lockdown spells. Their miscellaneous spells generally deal with nightflyers (bats, krilworms, owls, etc) and build off of that, or are heavily spirit influenced. They don't have much in the way of support spells and given spellcasters overall weakness in combat at the lower Circles, it can take patience and a degree of system mastery to really get the most out of their spells in a combat situation.

Races

Elves, humans and windlings tend to bring the most (mechanically) to a Nethermancer (as well as my house-ruled dwarfs). Elves have a bonus to Perception and Willpower, by far and away the two most important attributes. Humans have Versatility; they can be good at anything. Windlings get a bonus to Perception, increased physical defense, flight, and their penalties to strength and size are pretty much meaningless. Though the Discipline's philosophy tends to work exactly counter to their worldview.

What the other Namegivers have to offer isn't of much use to a Nethermancer. Dwarfs get a bonus to Strength. Orks get the same, but also a penalty to Willpower. The benefits that both obsidimen and trolls get (increased size, Strength) are of little use to a Nethermancer, and each get a penalty to Perception. T'skrang don't have any penalties, but their bonuses aren't extremely helpful and a Nethermancer has no real need for Tail Combat.

While these can be effective Nethermancers (these differences start to become less meaningful as you advance in Circle), it is important to be well informed about your decision. This pretty much goes for everything.

Equipment

Equipment for spellcasters is of minimal concern compared to all other Disciplines. On the plus side, there are no restrictions on what armor you can wear - an espagra scale cloak on top of other armor is always in style.

Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Discipline 26 - Nethermancer Part 1, Spells

This is part one of the twenty-sixth Anatomy of a Discipline in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Overview

The heart of what a spellcaster brings to any Group is their spells. They determine most of the play style and focus for a given Discipline, but also can represent a significant task to wade through and weighing the various options. The goal of this post is to analyze the spell selections in the first five Circles and give some idea of how those options may inform the emphasis of the Discipline, play style, as well the relative use of a particular spell. The reason this will only address the first five Circles is that you get to pick spells at those Circles - starting at Sixth Circle, you are on your own and it is largely in your GM's hands.

Depending on the Optional Rules used in your game, how you address picking up new spells will change. If spells can be purchased and do not cost Legend Points, there is little reason to not learn everything you can get your fingers on. If they do cost Legend Points, you may want to be more selective of what you include in your grimoire.

First Circle

Astral Spear, Spirit Dart and Spirit Grip: These are your first combat spells and are going to be your best offensive options for a very long time. Learning how to capitalize on each of these throughout your career is going to make all the difference in how much you are able to impact a conflict with damage. The key to an effective strategy is knowledge. While they all target Spell Defense, there are other differences that make each of them more useful in a particular scenario.

Astral Spear has good damage (WIL+6), affects Mystic Armor and good range, but has a Thread; Spirit Dart has low damage (WIL+2), affects Mystic Armor and range, with no Threads; and Spirit Grip has good damage (WIL+6), affects Physical Armor and no range, with no Threads. In general, Mystic Armor tends to be lower, but not always. Knowing the Armor values is the most important thing to making the most of these spells; a high Mystic Armor (5+) may benefit most from Astral Spear or Spirit Grip (Depending on Physical Armor), while a low Mystic Armor would be most vulnerable to the constant attack with Spirit Dart. Right up until you get two Enhanced Matrices, at which point it is all Astral Spear, all day.

Bone Dance: A powerful control spell that can effectively remove a single target from combat, or at least make them an easier target. If their are environmental dangers, such as a cliff or Death's Sea, then there is significantly added danger.

Chilling Circle: Two threads, low damage and low area. Pass.

Command Nightflyer: Fun, but not terribly useful yet. There are later spells that will build on this one to expand its uses.

Detect Undead: To be honest, this spell generally seems like a waste of a Spell Matrix. If you have it around, you probably already suspect there are undead. When you most likely want it is when it probably isn't already in a Matrix.

Dry and Wet: If there is no cost associated with learning this spell, it's neat in ways that probably are not going to be useful outside of that one time it was awesome to have.

Experience Death: One of the best investigative powers in the game, hands down. There is a significant downside: you take the damage that killed someone, with the Effect Test offering a buffer. If your campaign is going to have any sort of mysteries surrounding corpses, this will be useful. Just make sure someone is around that can shove a healing potion down your throat.

Insect Repellent: See Dry and Wet above.

Mount Scare: It requires a Thread, but if you know you are going to encounter cavalry, such as scorchers, then this can effectively remove them from the fight. Outside of that, it's useless.

Putrefy: See Dry and Wet above.

Undead Struggle: This locks down a single undead target and doesn't have any Threads. The odds of coming out the winning party are stacked in the Nethermancer's favor. This is good whenever there are powerful undead about, regardless of your Circle. Not as useful against hordes of them.

Second Circle

Bone Circle: The is another spell that becomes more useful as you gain Circles and have additional ways to use it. It forms the basis of some of the more powerful Nethermacy.

Detect Nethermancy Magic: Wizards are able to just Detect Magic and this spell rarely sees much play. Since Astral Sight is a Discipline Talent for Nethermancers, when Detect Nethermancy Magic is applicable and the Astral Sight is not is something of a grey to non-existent area.

Ethereal Darkness: This is an interesting spell that blinds everyone except anyone with Nethermancy. Your Group may be very upset if you use this constantly and there are a considerable number of Horrors out there with Nethermancy. It also requires a Thread, which is often problematic in combat.

Fog Ghost: You summon a minion to do combat for you. Unfortunately, they aren't very powerful for two Threads. You would likely be better off supporting the Group in other ways. Also, they may attack your "friends".

Gadfly: One Thread and you can render a target Harried. This is particularly effective in encounters with small numbers of powerful opponents.

Life Circle of One: This seems useful, but in general it takes a certain amount of desperation for it to gain value. Also time - this spell has two Threads and may take a number of them to keep safe. It can be great for a dramatic moment, but not so much for regular use.

Pocket Guardian: It mostly prevents pickpocketing. This may or may not be a thing for you.

Repel Animal: See Dry and Wet above.

Shadow's Whisper: If you are in a game with intrigue, this is an excellent spell. If you are raiding kaers and/or spend all of your time in the wilderness, not so much.

Shield Mist: Every Nethermancer should have this spell. It should also be the first one to get an Enhanced Matrix. Seriously - this will save your life.

Third Circle

Arrow of Night: The nature of this spell means that it isn't likely to see much use. It requires an archer (preferably an Archer) and has a Thread for +8 damage to the missile. There are few instances where loading up a single big attack is the way to go, generally against a big target that has a high armor. Unless you are planning to use this ahead of time, it is unlikely to get a spot in a Matrix.

Dark Messenger: One of the spells that makes use of Command Nightflyer to deliver relatively short range messages. It's fun and will likely find some use in the right circumstances - spells that can be used outside of combat benefit from the ability to attune them as needed, which greatly increases their usefulness since they aren't occupying a valuable Matrix when unneeded.

Death Trance: This is a spell infinitely more likely to be used by an NPC than a PC.

Death's Head: The Nethermancer has a number of powerful control style effects that remove opponents from the area. This particular one has a Thread, but can be used each turn as a Simple action over a duration (Spellcasting Rank + 5 Rounds), making it excellent for crowd control and one of the two most useful spells for this Circle. This will not affect things immune to fear.

Dispel Nethermancy Magic: Similar to Detect Nethermancy Magic above, but likely to see significantly more use. Definitely a useful spell to have in your arsenal, but not the must have for this Circle.

Fog of Fear: Very similar to Death's Head above, this has two Threads and affects everyone (including allies) in the area immediately. It is great for clearing the vicinity, but lacks that critical "control" element which makes these kind of control effects so useful. While it has its uses, there are significantly better options.

Grave Message: One of the spells that makes use of a Bone Circle, this allows Nethermancer pen-pals to stay in touch. If you don't have a Nethermancer you want to send messages to over a distance that regularly hangs out at a specific Bone Circle, cemetery, or location that spirits are active, you won't get much use from this spell.

Pack Bags: See Dry and Wet above.

Pain: With no Threads, this is a great single target lockdown spell. Until you get Willforce, the Effect Test can be dicey (unmodified WIL), but the target is effectively helpless and gets no actions. Outside of Horrors and their ilk (constructs and undead), bonuses to resist pain are rare, unlike bonuses to resist fear. This is a great spell.

Preserve: Along the same lines as Dry and Wet above, this spell often sees considerable use in my games because my players end up playing with... things that decay. It's fun and certainly worth learning, but there are definitely some better choices to go after first.

Shadow Meld: With two Threads and a duration of Spellcasting minutes, this spell can be difficult to use as an escape, or in support of subterfuge. Generally, this is a great way for things to go wrong. For some, that may be a feature.

Spirit Double: Ever wonder what happens when you stick your arm in that hole, but know it probably is going to turn out poorly? If those kinds of thoughts are commonplace for you, then this is your spell! This spell is essentially an expendable humanoid. If you have use for such a thing, it would be worth getting this spell at some point.

Summon Bone Ghost: Another spell that makes use of a Bone Circle. If your campaign spends most of its time in a particular area where you have an established Bone Circle, there may be some use for this spell. If you are a more typical adventurer and spend most of your time as a vagabond, then it is unlikely you will find much use here.

Fourth Circle

Animate Skeleton: Ever wish that you had a group of skeletons at your command for a limited time? This will get you there. It has two Threads, must be cast where there are skeletons to animate in the first place, they don't last for very long, and are pretty weak, but you will have skeletons. All said, it's not that useful, but there is no denying the panache. Some Namegivers look poorly at their dead being animated, just sayin'.

Astral Flare: Two Threads is steep, but this is a great way to stick it to Horrors. It is common for them to perceive both physical and astral space at the same time. Outside of that, it is likely to be of limited use - but that is a helluva use.

Blood Servitor: This one of those fun spells that has little to no use in combat. It has a good duration (Spellcasting Rank hours) and range (Spellcasting Rank miles), and creates a small flying minion that will do whatever you want. You can even perceive what they perceive! The only downside is your commands have to be simple, with no more words than your Spellcasting Rank. This is one of my favorite spells.

Dark Spy: Another spell that expands on Command Nightflyer, this allows you to see through its eyes. While more subtle than Blood Servitor and the various effects that can build on the original are fun, I generally prefer Blood Servitor.

Evil Eye: At two Threads, this debuff is powerful (-5 to Action Tests), but possibly of limited use compared to some of the other control spells. This spell is most useful when used against a single, powerful target.

Fatal Food: Most useful for NPCs, there is still some value in intrigue games where the PCs are not terribly nice people. 

Friend or Foe: This peculiar spell is most useful when you want to stop everyone involved from fighting, unless they don't care much who they are killing, so long as they are killing. The narrow application of this spell makes it unlikely to see any use.

Last Chance: Let's face it, this is the best spell this Circle, if not one of the best spells period. You are going to want this, and you are going to use this.

Nightflyer's Cloak: Yet another spell that expands on Command Nightflyer. This is great for the Nethermancer that is often irritated by the constraints of Command Nightflyer and wants to get in there on their own. Good for scouting and also has the amusing possibility of the Nethermancer being commanded by Command Nightflyer as well. Every Nethermancer that takes this spell has to know it is going to happen at least once.

Spirit Servant: While this is probably not useful in the strictest sense, this spell is endearing in a way that is hard to articulate unless you have had a faithful spirit butler Named Jeeves. It is so thematic for a Nethermancer, that I cannot actually think of playing one without this spell. That being said, there are a couple of spells from this Circle I would get first.

Viewpoint: This is a great spell for gathering information, and a must have for any game that features any amount of intrigue. It allows you to create a one-way "window" through a wall. There is almost certainly a situation where that will be useful.

Visions of Death: Similar to Pain above, this spell has one Thread, but does not require concentration to keep up. A big downside is that it is a fear effect, instead of a pain effect, and there are considerably more ways to get bonuses to that, or be outright immune.

Fifth Circle

Animate Spirit Object: Sorcerer's Apprentice, anyone? With a good duration (Spellcasting Rank x 10 minutes) and considerable versatility, this is a handy spell to have around for "just in case". Be careful, you GM is given some latitude to mess with you as the spirit is capricious and mischievous. 

Astral Horror: Illusion Nethermancy spells are rare, which makes them more effective in general, and this summons a fairly powerful (if illusory) monster to fight for you. It has three Threads, which makes this an investment to cast and useful only in the most protracted conflicts (or where you have a few rounds to prepare). While there is nothing strictly wrong with it, there are probably more useful spells in general to take.

Astral Mount: A very useful spell for travelling. It can get your entire Group mounted without worrying about what happens to the mount when you leave it alone (typically: gets eaten). There is considerable upside to this spell.

Astral Whisper: This spell is an invitation for the GM to screw with you and there is little obvious benefit. Eavesdropping on a Horror? Best case scenario, you find out who it is taking to the prom or plans to torture first. Worst case scenario, you are driven insane by what you hear. There is probably a good use for this, but as a GM, I kinda hope my player takes this because it seems like fun. For me.

Blind: A powerful debuff that does exactly as advertised and is remarkably difficult to counter. With three Threads, it had better be; this is also the biggest downside to this spell. Another benefit is that this is more likely to be effective against Horrors than the other control options, but by no means a guarantee (they have to have eyes, after all). If you have gotten a lot of mileage from the numerous control options available to you, this may be a good addition to your arsenal. If you only have Death's Head or Pain, I would suggest getting the other one before this.

Circle of Astral Protection: To be honest, I'm not a fan of any effect that limits your mobility. This is especially true since most attacks that target Mystic Armor are also ranged and this neutralizes any melee retaliation from the PCs. At three Threads, this also requires some advance planning to put into place.

Incessant Talking: Truly a strange spell that isn't subtle enough to be really useful in social situations, since you have to babble along. It's biggest value is to prevent another spellcaster from casting spells that have a verbal component, but there are a lot of spells without that. Also, other magicians are unlikely to have much trouble resisting the effects. At three Threads... if you are willing to look like a fool to make someone else look like a fool?

Pass Ward: An interesting spell that is most likely to see use from an NPC, but it certainly isn't out of the question for a PC to make use of it. The biggest downside to this spell is that the damage isn't going to be particularly significant to determined enemies of a similar Circle and the ward goes away after being triggered.

Sculpt Darkness: Groups that spend time laying in wait will find this useful, otherwise this is more likely to be used against the PCs. It is pretty fun and gives some nice bonuses to hiding, but is of limited broad application.

Sense Horror: Since Horrors are almost certainly a part of any Earthdawn game, this is likely to be useful. In a traditional exploration game, the presence of a Horror probably won't need this kind of confirmation, but in a setting with intrigue, this would be very useful.

Shadow Hunter: Useful if an enemy has escaped and you have one of their possessions. While they are competent in a fight, they aren't that powerful. For best results, try and follow them to your quarry.

Spiritual Guidance: Fun, but be prepared for a trip. It is also worth noting that not all GM's like to be put on the spot and may respond best when this is used in-between games.

Star Shower: This seems powerful on paper, but it requires a considerable amount of coordination to setup. The physical damage is a small downside, but the fact it affects all of your companions in the radius is a thing. You are probably in a bad way if you need to use this.

Target Portal: For four Threads, you can increase the range of a non-touch spell by 1000 yards. That is still a lot of Threads.

Tears of the Scourge: There are not many better spells for incapacitating a group of targets, though you and your allies cannot harm them when they are incapacitated with this spell. This is best when used to end a fight where you don't want to kill your foes, but they are making that a very difficult proposition.

Whisper Through the Night: Any ability that can gather information is a valuable one, and this is no exception. This is one of my favorite (and the most useful, imho) spells from this Circle.

Wither Limb: This is a very powerful spell and approaching permanently debilitating if it causes a Wound (which is rather likely given the WIL+8 Effect Test). When any side starts to deploy this spell, things have gotten ugly and were probably already personal. If they weren't before, they are now. Don't expect this to end well.

Earthdawn: Adventure Log 18 - Flames of Avarice

This is the eighteenth Adventure Log in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Death's Sea forms part of the southern boundary of Barsaive. It is a the size of the Black Sea and has a smaller, slightly less terrifying body to the north, the Scarlet Sea, which is the size of the Sea of Azov. The most notable feature of Death's Sea is that it is comprised of entirely magma.

The legend of it's creation is that the Passions saw their Namegivers suffering at Death's hand and after deliberation, decided on a course of action to save them. Working together, they tricked and imprisoned Death beneath a flaming shield, turning the sea to flame and trapping Death in its new prison. The legend continues that Death's prison is weakened by each Namegiver's death at the hands of another Namegiver.

Those that have traveled to Death's realm and returned verify that Death does live under a vast dome of flame. As well, what little information can be gleaned indicates that entrances there are found deep under the earth in the area around Death's Sea.

Despite the obvious dangers involved with a sea of magma, there are reasons to go there. Mostly one reason: True Fire. It is the primary source of True Fire in Barsaive and the mining operations are as lucrative as they are dangerous. The dangers are not just the inherent ones associated with a sea that is molten rock that houses Death - there are things that live out there.

As the magma cools, islands of varying sizes form on the surface, known as clenkas. The larger clenkas, big enough to hold at least one person, are called fool's islands. They have a tendency to break apart and little can be done to save the unfortunate soul unaware of the magma flows below them. Creatures often make homes on the semi-permanent fool's islands, or within the magma itself. These are invariably dangerous, often having been twisted by the Horrors that make their homes beneath the waves of fire. That's right, there are plenty of Horrors in this tainted and corrupted place.

While True Fire is the main reason to venture over the molten sea, there are others. Only true fools would seek such legends, but such foolish adventurers have found truly wondrous things before. Stories say that there is more than just fire, horror and death in Death's Sea; that there are permanent islands. Places sustained by the magic of powerful adepts, dragons or even citadels seeking to hide during the Scourge.

Tales of hidden treasures, legendary Thread Items, Pattern Items sequestered to protect the Pattern, lairs, secrets and prisons are traded by those deep in their cups. They are laughed at by any with their wits about them - even if they were true, nothing is worth the danger. Still, to many stories, there is some nugget of truth. And that glimmer sends many expeditions into the heart of Death's Sea looking for the truth. Many never return and those that do have returned empty handed thus far. If there are secrets and treasures, they have not yet been discovered; not yet...

Adventure Log – 018 Flames of Avarice

Written By: Ting V'strimon the Merciless of Urupa

Date: 17 Gamhil – 30 Gamhil, 1507 TH
Group Name: Mismatched Steel

Group Members

Elmod the Nethermancer
Honeysuckle Sunspray the Windmaster
Jak’Tak the Weaponsmith
Sogun the Messenger
Ting the Swordmaster

Hanging out in Travar; Jak needs to bargain for some crap. Trained some kid. Good; strange style though.

Once that’s done, we float west on the Serpent River in a K’tenshin boat, stopping at a small village called Trosk. As we arrived, we discover that the locals have been having recent trouble and need our help(1). They have been attacked by scorchers, riding horses(2). Jak decided to wait a few days to see if they attack again. They did not, and after three boring days we started traveling again, this time on foot.

We came to an inn that had been attacked by the same scorchers. Jak saved one guy from bleeding to death. The survivors, terrified that they will return, hide while we prepare for a throw down, should they return.

I chill on the roof. Honeysuckle and Elmod ride over to check the woods, and come back after finding nothing. Just after they get back, a bunch of riders come from the woods, coming our way.

After a long, glorious fight, where I nearly fell in battle to the horrible scorchers, when I had to take five at the same time. Once we rallied, we managed to take them down. We found a map of where they hide out and plan to move in and taken out the rest of them.

We rested a couple of days and then headed for the Scarlet Sea. The sight of the sea was pretty awesome. And hot. Really hot.

There is rope over the edge we naturally followed down. I was feeling faint from the heat. We started down the rope and were almost immediately beset by large fire birds, which Honeysuckle took down. We took some of their feathers which might have True Fire in them.

On the bridge just inside the cavern at the bottom, we are attacked by shadowmants. Once Sogun was in the center of the bridge, Jak ran on to attack and I after him. Managed to vault of the back of both Jak and Sogun to kill a shadowmant each time.

Continuing along the bridge takes us to a large, ornate room with a bunch of orks. One of them is a spellcaster for a change. We do our thing, bust in and wipe the orks up with our swords. I knocked one into lava.

There is a riddle on the door, “I can be larger than a man, or smaller than an ant, and yet I always weigh the same. Spawned by fire, I am neither hot nor cold. What am I”(3). We then went back to the inn to cash in on a reward for killing pesky orks(4).(5)

*     *     *

(1) If I had a copper every time I read that phrase...

(2) While always a problem across Barsaive, they have been significantly more active in the areas south of Throal and those in the West seem to be moving south from other logs we have been receiving.

(3) We need more information on where this vault is located. The answer to the riddle is straight forward, but this seems dangerous. Recommend a retrieval Group to the area.

(4) I resent that last remark. While some orks are a blight on civilization, the same goes for all Namegivers.

(5) Received and edited by Ela Pono.

This was an adaptation from a published adventure of the same name from Shards Collection Volume Two. It seemed like a fun little adventure and they were in the correct area. I wanted to have some scorchers active and more aggressive than usual in that area. The cause of this is the arrival of the urshan vanguard, who are competing with the orks for their traditional ranges in western Barsaive.

That was the only overall tie-in to the meta plot. Part of my goal with this was to dial things back just a little bit from the previous session and transition to some adventuring. When looking at the overall pacing, I wanted to push the next major event out a little bit for pacing reasons and that the most involved player in that plot didn't know if he would be able to make this day (he did).

Pushing too much on bigger events can sometimes lead to plot exhaustion early on. My preference is to vary things a little and not throw too many unconnected sessions with the same rough tempo at my players. By breaking it up like this and putting some distance between the events, it gives everyone a chance to get back into the "routine", which can then be played with by disrupting that.

In the short-term, this may not seem like an ideal practice. For a limited run game, I certainly wouldn't engage in it. But Earthdawn really supports this kind of play and giving the Group a chance to really feel like a Group can be an important element to long term play. This kind of lower-key (not plot heavy) session is often a crucial element of allowing the characters to move to the fore rather than have the plot front and center.

Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Discipline 25 - Journeyman

This is the twenty-fifth Anatomy of a Discipline in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Overview

This human-only Discipline is barely that. It is the ultimate expression of Versatility, the unique human ability, and offers nearly complete freedom. It is a path that calls few, and those that do rarely ever see any others of their own kind. This is somewhat unsurprising, since these adepts do little to call attention to their own nature - some see their path as unnatural and anathema to the ways of other Disciplines, which directly hinders a Journeyman's ability to learn.

There are a few thing these adepts absolutely have in common. One is their desire to learn. They all share an insatiable desire to discover all they can and then pass that along. This is not the same as the dedication of other Disciplines, such as the Traveled Scholar, to see it for yourself. This is as simple as learning folklore, picking up some new skills, seeing a new flower, hearing the history of a building of local importance. None of this has to be in-depth, it can just be something cursory. The Journeyman is just interested in seeing as much as the world has to offer.

Another major thing adepts of this Discipline share is flexibility. Not just flexibility in their abilities, but in their thoughts and their perspective. How they see the world is always evolving, just as how the approach problems and their philosophy on their Discipline. They continually adapt and evolve, by learning new things and seeing the world from other perspectives, they can refine their own and try new things. This is the core of what it means to be a Journeyman.

When playing a Journeyman, you should consider what the core elements of their philosophy and perspective are; is there anything immutable? Is there anything in particular that they enjoy seeing, experiencing, learning, etc, above all else? What is it that motivates them on this unique, and often lonely, path? Much of these should feed into and derive from the overall direction and goal with your Talents.

Discipline Violations

These are best employed not as a stick, but as a chance for the player to take a deeper look at what it means to follow their Discipline. Given the flexible nature of this Discipline, there are not many specific ways that a Journeyman can run afoul of their own philosophy, but they do exist; stagnation and a static nature being the primary ways.

What these refer to are always acting and thinking in a particular way, never exploring avenues that are outside of their box. Tried and true methods are for other Disciplines, not the Journeyman. As well, if they are learning half of their Talents from one Discipline, that can be an issue. Such dedication to those techniques would be best suited by actual dedication to those techniques, not following the fluid path of the Journeyman.

The final element to consider is that whatever the perspective your Journeyman holds, it is something that should have an impact on your decisions, but it should also continually evolve based on your experiences. No, it must evolve. To maintain the same perception is to miss the point of following this Discipline; Journeymen change and adapt more so than any other adepts.

There isn't much strife to be had here with the rest of the Group; these adepts adapt to any situation by design and are willing to try whatever method seems best at the time. The only trouble may come from their companions wondering if they ever really know the Namegiver. How can you know someone that is willing to change so freely? 

Mechanics

Typically this section is referred to as "Talents". This Discipline requires a different approach since it is entirely unique in its "structure". There are only two fixed Discipline Talents for these adepts: Karma Ritual at First Circle and Thread Weaving [Journey Weaving] at Fourth Circle. Everything else is effectively a Talent Option in how it is handled.

This means that at First Circle you can select five additional Talents, at Fourth Circle one additional Talent and two Talents at every other Circle. Learning these Talents is the same process that you go through for Versatility or Talent Options not selected while gaining a Circle: you find an instructor that learned the Talent at a Circle equal to or earlier than your open selection (see Versatility for more detail on this). It is worth noting that this adepts explicitly do not receive Versatility - this Discipline is considered the ultimate refinement of that ability.

Gaining Circles is also different than other Disciplines. Your two Discipline Talents (Karma Ritual and Journey Weaving; probably three in 3E Revised - Durability 6/5 at Second Circle as well) must be raised as usual, but from there you choose the Talents from each Circle that must be at least the Rank of your next Circle for advancement; four additional Talents from First Circle, one from every Circle after that (except Fourth, that is already covered). This means that you have the same number of Talents required for non-spellcasters to advance. When you have the right number of Talents from your Circles at Rank equal to your next Circle, you automatically advance. There is no training from an instructor of any kind to advance to the next Circle.

There are some downsides to this Discipline. You can never have another Discipline. This isn't as big of a deal, given the freedom you have in picking pretty much everything about your advancement (including Defense bonuses, attributes you can spend Karma on, etc), but it means that you do have to be selective about the decisions you make, since those are all of resources you will get.

Also, you never get true Discipline Talents. At Fifth Circle, Journeymen gain the ability to make a Talent a Discipline Talent until the end of the round for 1 Strain, which is adaptable to a situation, but can get extremely costly in the long run. With humans good Karma, this is a steep price.

It is impossible to give a breakdown of the Talents. Instead, I can give some advice on how to approach taking advantage of the unique nature of this Discipline. It is worth noting that this Discipline tends to advance very quickly due to the unique advancement combined with the choice access to Talents.

The first thing you need above everything else is a fairly high degree of system mastery. You need to know what every Talent is, when it is available, and how it interacts with all of the other Talents. Next you need a clear vision of what you want to do. Leaving some spots open for adapting to the game is always a good idea, but knowing the key Talents that you want to work together and cannot get anywhere else is going to be vital to your success and development with this character.

You are also going to have to be willing to abuse the ability to take any Talents that you want. Consider carefully your Talents and try to keep the list as slim and effective as possible (I understand the irony here in relation to the overall theme of the Discipline). You are creating your dream list here without any theme to be beholden to. Don't waste it; abuse this. Specifically, stay away from spellcasting. The number of Talents required as a basic investment is significant and you would be better served by simply being that Discipline.

That actually goes for the Discipline as a whole. When you look at what you want to achieve, verify that no other Discipline can accomplish that (or even two Disciplines). If there is another Discipline that can do, then it is probably best to go with that as it will have other benefits to offer (Discipline Talents, for example) and Versatility can easily be used to fill in the gaps.

In the end, this Discipline is probably the most difficult to get the most out of and I generally steer players away from it. That being said, if you know what you are doing, it can represent a very streamlined path with amazing Talent combinations that you do not see anywhere else.

Equipment

If you have the system mastery to really take advantage of a Journeyman, I don't know if there is any advice in this department that can be offered. Even more importantly, the versatility offered in Talent combinations make anything specific enough to be useful impossible to offer. Simply put, I have no idea what the goal is. However, if you want to ask for specific advice, I'm more than happy to respond to comments.

Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Discipline 24 - Windscout

This is the twenty-fourth Anatomy of a Discipline in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Overview

Though they may protest to the contrary, the Windscout is fundamentally a Scout with a particular windling perspective on things. They seek less to be one with their surroundings because these Namegivers already view all things as connected. They strive to achieve new perspectives; to experience things from different angles. It is through that process, and by examining what they know and can observe, that they discover their surroundings.

Windscouts are inherently more connected with the natural world and overall less concerned with the ways of other Namegivers, which is a common trait shared by most windlings. Being so different from other Namegivers, they tend to congregate with other windlings rather than mingle freely with others, much like obsidimen. Arguments could be made that this is due more to their personalities (at times unwelcome), rather than simply being limited to their stature and ability to fly.

Nonetheless, this has given these adepts unique sensory abilities, particularly with their connection to the air in general. Their small size forces them to be more observant as a whole, maintaining vigilance while also being aggressive enough to ward off potential attackers. 

Within their own communities, they often work closely with Windmasters to ensure the defense of their home. Even though they are not generally inclined to stealth, it is often a necessity in fulfilling their duties as hunters and sentinels. They are a valuable layer of defense against would be invaders; sending out an early warning to their more combat ready brethren. While they may not be as fierce as a Windmaster, it would be unwise to underestimate these diminutive adepts.

When playing a Windscout, it is most important to determine their perspective on how they fit into the world. What is the part that they play and how are they connected to their surroundings? While this is likely to be shaped by the adept that initiated them into the ways of this Discipline, it should be unique to this adept. It is also likely that this perception will continue to evolve through their experiences and the other Windscouts that provide them with training. This evolution is entirely appropriate, given the general acceptance of change windlings, and this Discipline in particular, have. Additionally, examining the role the fulfill specifically within their Group will be valuable and guide this evolution.

Another element to consider is what drives this adept? Are they looking for anything in particular? What experiences are they trying to find? Even the most generic desire for adventure has degrees of subtlety below it, though they may not realize it at first. That direction and purpose will greatly help these potentially flighty adepts.

Discipline Violations

These are best employed not as a stick, but as a chance for the player to take a deeper look at what it means to follow their Discipline. The essence of the Windscout is about achieving balance between taking in all available information before making a decision and not losing track of their original goal in the process.

Any Windscout that acts without thinking first, going entirely on instinct, may face a crisis. This attitude is anathema to everything that they are. They are careful and measured, taking things in before committing. The flip side to that is getting distracted by all of the information they are gathering. They may be derailed from their objective, forgetting what the original intention was.

Their desire to analyze everything may put them at odds with their Group, who may see the need to act before an opportunity is lost, while the Windscout wants to ensure it is the best course of action first. This deliberate and measured approach will certainly frustrate any adepts (*ahem*Sky Raiders*ahem*) that would rather be kicking down doors. 

Talents

Initiate
Talent Options: Melee Weapons, Missile Weapons, Navigation, Silent Walk, Sprint

First Circle
Discipline Talents: Avoid Blow, Evidence Analysis, Karma Ritual, Tracking, Wilderness Survival

Novice
Talent Options: Animal Bond, Anticipate Blow, Creature Analysis, Detect Trap, Lifesight, Speak Language, Throwing Weapons

Second Circle
Discipline Talents: Durability (6/5), Search

Third Circle
Discipline Talent: Scent Identifier

Fourth Circle
Discipline Talent: Thread Weaving [Scent Weaving]

Journeyman
Talent Options: Direction Arrow, Disarm Trap, Mystic Aim, Sense Danger, Spot Armor Flaw, Surprise Strike, Wind Dance, Wound Balance

Fifth Circle
Discipline Talent: Bird Song

Sixth Circle
Discipline Talent: Endure Cold

Seventh Circle
Discipline Talent: Sense Poison

Eighth Circle
Discipline Talent: Safe Path

The Discipline Talents granted to the Windscout are very similar to those possessed by the Scout. These adepts abilities are largely centered around gathering information as well, though they take advantage of the natural windling abilities as well. For example: Astral Sight and Climbing are both missing from the Windscout Discipline Talents - when you have Astral Sight and flight as racial abilities, it makes those somewhat moot.

What this functionally means is that while they are similar, there are some key ways in which they are different. This allows the Windscout to pick up some more unique Talents, such as Scent Identifier and Bird Song. To be fair, they also get Endure Cold and Sense Poison; two Talents that would kindly be considered niche, even if appropriate.

On the whole, the Windscout is more combat oriented than the Scout. They have Avoid Blow as a Discipline Talent, along with Mystic Aim, Spot Armor Flaw and Wound Balance as Talent Options. This may be because, quite frankly, most windlings need all of the help they can get in physical combat. (Windling spellcasters need no help.)

In the end, if you are a windling and looking at Scout, the Windscout is almost certainly a better choice for you. It is tailored to the unique advantages and disadvantages of windlings.
Unless you have another Discipline, you are going to want at least one of the Initiate Talent Options, and the odds are good you will want more than that:

• Melee Weapons - One of the two (good) combat Talents, you will want one of these and you will want to improve it every Circle. See Equipment for a more in-depth discussion regarding this choice.
• Missile Weapons - One of the two (good) combat Talents, you will want one of these and you will want to improve it every Circle. See Equipment for a more in-depth discussion regarding this choice.
• Navigation - This is available through Half-Magic; pass.
• Silent Walk - While somewhat explicitly against themes of this Discipline, this is still a very useful Talent for a small, flying observer. Some might even say an incredibly useful Talent. I may be one of those people.
• Sprint - While it costs Karma, as a Windling that shouldn't be the same deterrent that it is to other Namegivers. There is some value in being able to escape quickly when your reconnaissance goes wrong, as long as you have room for this selection.

While there are definitely some good choices here, it is likely that there shouldn't be too much trouble getting all of the Novice Talent Options that you want without hard choices:

• Animal Bond - It can be fun, but without the rest of the associated Talents, there isn't a lot of value to this Talent.
• Anticipate Blow - This is a solid defensive Talent that also has offensive potential that plays nice with Avoid Blow. It does require a good initiative, but works with Missile Weapons. You will probably want to improve this with every Circle.
• Creature Analysis - This Talent is thematic for this Discipline and generally useful for a Group (so long as not too many other characters have it).
• Detect Trap - This is available through Half-Magic; pass.
• Lifesight - A somewhat uncommon Talent that works well with the Windscout themes. It also allows for some sneaky x-ray style vision (without much of the Astral Sight baggage).
• Speak Language - Always a good Talent with minimal investment required, however it should only be selected if there is really nothing else. The skill is just as good, though a little more expensive.
• Throwing Weapons - The previous two Talents (Melee and Missile Weapons) are available earlier and, in general, better.

Journeyman is when there may be some difficult decisions on Talent Options:

• Direction Arrow - There are a lot of reasons to like this Talent and it fits nicely with the overall themes of the Discipline. Finding things (such as members of your Group) is always a useful ability to have, even if there is already someone with this Talent - what happens if they need finding?
• Disarm Trap - If no one else has this Talent and you have the space, it's not bad. You will probably know by now if you need it or not.
• Mystic Aim - While it limits you to an attack every other round, it can be devastating in conjunction with Anticipate Blow and Spot Armor Flaw to guarantee that you do damage with a missile weapon. As a windling, it may be very important to get all the help you can with that. In general, I would say that you should take Anticipate Blow before this Talent; it allows attacks every round and increases defense, though requires a better initiative than your target, which may be an issue. If you have Melee Weapons, this is of no use. 
• Sense Danger - This is a useful Talent to have, so long as at least some of your encounters involve other Namegivers (if they don't, give this a pass). It also fits with the Discipline nicely. If you have the open space, this is certainly worth consideration.
• Spot Armor Flaw - Even though it costs Karma, this will greatly improve your offensive combat potential. It's an easy argument to make that the Karma cost is a good thing for a windling, since they have a lot and this Discipline doesn't always have a lot of great options to spend it on (except Avoid Blow).
• Surprise Strike - This Talent is often difficult to pull off at all, let alone with the regularity to make the investment pay off.
• Wind Dance - Unless there are a lot of windlings in your Group, or you have nothing better to take with a Talent Option, there is virtually no reason to take this Talent.
• Wound Balance - Something that every character should get. There is every reason to take this Talent if you have the opportunity because the investment is minimal and falling over is terrible, particularly for windlings (also their low strength and toughness increases the likelihood of that happening). 

Equipment

Choosing equipment is something of a complicated decision process for the Windscout. It all starts with two questions: Melee Weapons or Missile Weapons and will you be taking Anticipate Blow?

The second question is the easiest to answer, so let's start there. If you are taking Anticipate Blow, then you are going to be concerned about initiative. This means carefully looking at your armor options and taking extra consideration into a shield (this will become more important in a moment). If you aren't taking Anticipate Blow, you can feel free to wear whatever armor you like and carry any shield (I always suggest a crystal raider).

There really is no right answer to that question - Anticipate Blow is a very powerful, but complicated Talent. If you are going to use it, then it can be an amazing boost to your combat capabilities. However, if you are likely to forget about it, or find it's application cumbersome, then don't burden yourself with it. I have players in both camps with regard to this Talent.

Back to the first question: which combat Talent are you going to pick? I'll go into more detail about what these two Talent Options entail and how they will grow down the road. This is a complex and subtle issue.

Melee Weapons is straight forward in application and allows the use of a shield, which means additional armor (physical and mystic). For windlings, I always suggest the use of a shield over a two-handed melee weapon because the benefit of the former heavily outweighs the benefit of the latter (up to +5, but at least +2, to both armors, versus +2 to damage). With Armor Smoothing, you can get a crystal raider shield with +4 Physical Armor, +5 Mystic Armor and a -1 Initiative Penalty, compared to +2 damage for a windling polearm over a windling sword.

There are a few downsides to Melee Weapons. The first is that you will be the regular target of attacks. This means Anticipate Blow and Wound Balance will be important Talent Options. Anticipate Blow requires a good initiative, which means looking hard at the armor and shield which just became important. Another is that your damage, as a windling in general, is going to be poor. However, Melee Weapons has a skill for windlings that can assist with that: Dive Attack. You are going to want that. Alternatively, your GM may allow you to use Down Strike, which is very similar.

In summary, Melee Weapons has good armor potential, but opens you up to more attacks. Balancing protection and initiative may be important. Damage is going to be low, but you have at least one way of improving that.

Missile Weapons is likely the simpler option in the long run. A bow will go +1 damage over a sword, but you won't have the extra armor of the shield. At the same time, you won't have to worry about initiative as much and will have the natural defense of flying over the battlefield dispensing indiscriminate violence from above. You will be able to take advantage of Anticipate Blow and Mystic Aim together (Melee Weapons cannot benefit from Mystic Aim). However, your damage is going to be lower because there are no skills that will directly raise your damage. This will make using the aforementioned Talents in conjunction with Spot Armor Flaw even more important.

In summary, Missile Weapons has defense based on relative inaccessibility in its favor and less of a balancing act. However, it has no options in increasing damage and must rely on accuracy boosting Talents to support Armor Defeating Hits.

As with the decision on Anticipate Blow, there is no right answer here. It is whatever will best fit your play style and your level of acceptable risk.