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So, on our 8th session and working well. One of the PCs is playing a Noble Druid (currently known as the Lord of Winter Wheat [d6]). He was looking at his next spell style and liked Dramba (based on his family's history. But we are in Thyre (currently working in the Dragon Scroll adventure too). and Dramba just oozes Marne (jungle, snakes, and swamp). it did not make allot of sense for a northern lord whose family is known for turning themselves into pine trees (crisis surge) to have a style that was so tied to the southern flavor (Marne is held by many of the NPCs and PCs as being this wonderful place where everything is WARM, and you don't have to ride around on a sleigh for half a year).
so anyways, we decided to work up a Alternative northern version of Dramba: the Waylorn Shaman Style. I have been working up other alt styles, mostly using some of the pre-release Spell Styles that I have from that edition. I will post those in another thread.
Anyways, this preserves some of the flavor of Dramba, but is based on the wilds of the North. Instead of Loa, they summon Cannibal, Mountain, and Winter Spirits. Instead of Dolls they make bone and fur fetishes. they do not get Dramba's mainstay: Body Switching, but got all sorts of crazy stuff instead.
Side note: Our assumption is that Dramba DOES have the ability to raise zombies as close and high spells, as per the Troop abilities. So I consider the zombie stuff almost vanilla.
Will post the combat style sheet in a bit. also, see the Waylorn Shaman Circle Troop at the end.
Waylorn Shaman
(Dramba – Northern Savages Alternative). Based on Dramba Pgs: 244/274
This version of Dramba was developed in the wilds of the North in the Waylorn Mountains. The Wizards of Akra would say this is a Witch’s style; cobbled together from worship of various low gods and spirits. The Shamans of this art make various fetishes from animal hair, bone, and natural materials. They then call to the hungry spirits that inhabit the northlands. Spirits of cannibal gods, animal spirits, spirits of the wind, snow, and mountain.
Combat spells: (see the Combat Style Sheet below)
Fetish Paths:
Dedicate Fetish - Left hand: These spells take a fetish tied to a target and punish them, causing pain and injury.
Dedicate Fetish – Right Hand: These spells take a fetish tied to a target and protect them from harm.
Channeling Path:
Channel Wild Spirit: The Shaman allows multiple wild spirits into their body, which they can then channel into the world around them. At the end of the combat, they take a portion of his strength away leaving him drained.
Spirit’s Protective Hand: The spirits defend their host. -1 Wound for 3 Attacks
Spirit Dance: Possessed by the spirits the Shaman dances and howls in a circle: +1 Magic Die Size Until forced to Recast, but cannot Move
Cloud Spirit’s Blessing: All those looking in your direction are blinded by the Mountain’s fog. No one can see or target you next round unless they beat your attack die, area attacks still work.
Consumed by the Bestial Spirit: Target is infested by angry spirits of beasts that drive him mad with anger, consume his reason, and leave him a berserk wreck.
Bone Dust Circle: Shaman spins widder shins) casting Bone Dust in all directions, all opponents attacking you until you recast, or Move, have their attack die reduced by 1 size if they lose to your magic roll.
Close spells:
Bone Dust Circle: works well for protection against assassins and surprise attacks. Many shamans surround their tents or lodges with this each night or during chief meetings.
Rock Dust Line: You pour out a line of ground rock dust while invoking the Spirits of the Mountains. Whenever a creature matching the conditions you set crosses the rock dust line, you are aware of it (and waken if asleep). The conditions you set may be broad or narrow, general or specific, anything from "all creatures" to "that sera-dynn with the red horns I met at the All Below." This does not stop entry.
Spirit Walk: as Per Loa Walk, but time is spent in the company of the wild mountain spirits, Cannibal and hungry, Spirits of the Freezing Wind, Deep Snows, and Harsh Mountains. They may appear and speak to others, or asked to spy information. Set Difficulty (Greater than Doom) and the spell summons a Wild Spirit with this Potency (uses this number for all rolls completing their Task).
Cold Snap Curse: The target’s dice do not explode. You must maintain a Fetish in effigy of the target, and this Fetish counts as one of your trapped spells. You must make an opposed Magic check when first casting this spell. If the target resists, you cannot target him or her again in the scene (or in the week). If the target fails, the spell lasts until dispelled, you choose to end it, or the doll is destroyed.
Painful Survival: the dark animal spirits consume a portion of the target to heal them. They lose 1 Magic and 1 Strength characteristic point and are healed up to 3 Body. Characteristic Damage returns as normal. The wounds can have occurred up to a day before.
Raise Bone Fetish: This close spell give the semblance of life to a fetish of bone and fur. It will follow the commands of the Shaman for one scene. If the Shaman makes it his Bound Spell it lasts until released. The Shaman may place the following scores (8,6,4,2) in Stats as they choose: Str: X, Qck: X, Res: X, Body X. Heart and Magic are equal to ½ the Shaman’s Magic score. Charisma is 0.
Raise the Vanquished: Target body (animal or human/troll) clambers to its feet as a basic zombie. They can be maintained (if fed) as a Bound spell. Otherwise they sink back into oblivion at the end of the scene.
Winter’s Breath (Mastery Close Spell): Choose one area of the game world. You build a model of it using snow, ice, animal bones, and bear hair. In this area, apply one effect of your choice from the following list. The choice cannot change subsequently. The model and its hexed land count as one of your trapped spells. You cannot have more than one hexed land at a time.
• No magic dice (for the Magic characteristic, or attack, or defense) explode.
• One characteristic (Str, Qck, Mgc, etc.) is always one die size smaller, for everyone, than it is elsewhere.
• Mood cannot be recovered here.
• Anyone with a particular Inspiration (your choice: Fear, Love, Hope, Vengeance, etc.) has her Mood and maximum Mood reduced by 2 here.
• Everyone entering the area sees and hears a brief, twisted version of their comrades and surroundings, causing 1 Mood damage for each scene they remain.
Invoke the Cannibal Spirit (Mastery Close Spell): Target body (human/troll) clambers to its feet as a twitcher zombie (Str: 6, Qck: 8, Rsn: 3, cha 0, Mag: 4, Heart 4, Body 4, Mood 0, Armor Quality 0 (rags or what they were wearing) Weapon Quality 4 (claws, or as weapon), Fighting Styles: Undead (Master), and
Berserker (Apprentice), they also have the Inspirations: Consume Flesh 1 and Consume the Master’s Flesh 2. They can be maintained (if fed) as a Bound spell. Otherwise they sink back into oblivion at the end of the scene.
Freeform Close Spells:
The Shaman’s close spells include any of those that strengthen or weaken a target, especially the body; summoning wild spirits of the north for converse or tasks, wards, and raising the bodies of dead animals and people.
Master:
The Cannibal’s Frozen Breath: Target is invested with a Spirit of the Frozen Wastes, they lose 1 point of Quickness a day as their hands and feet freeze solid. When they reach Quickness 0 they rise as a wild Wendigo Cannibal Spirit. This must be maintained as your High Bound spell, while it works it magic.
Rock Dust Wall: A rock dust wall prevents a target from crossing. You must name the target and maintain a doll in its likeness. The target gains a Magic roll, opposed by your Magic roll, when the spell is first cast. If the target wins, the spell is ineffective. If you win, then the target cannot step over the rock dust line. It is possible - notoriously so, in fact - to make the rock dust wall a circle, pointing inward, so that a creature is imprisoned in the circle. This spell lasts for a scene unless maintained as your High Bound Spell.
Ageless Hunger Curse: After dipping a fetish in hemlock and alcohol, you set it ablaze, cursing the fetish’s likeness. The spirit bound into the fetish then enters the mind and body of your target. The most widely known curse causes the victim to grow thinner and hungrier day by day while catching horrifying glimpses of murder and beasts of rapine, always just out of the corner of the eye, slipping away when focused on directly - but you can generate your own curse symptoms as you wish. The curse wears down the target's maximum Mood cumulatively, 1 point per scene (or day) and, if you wish, it also wears down one other characteristic of your choice, cumulatively, also by 1 in every scene. The curse continues until the target is disabled or dead, until you break the spell, or until the ashes of the doll used to cast the spell are scattered to the wind (outside). The curse attacks with your Magic die; if the target wins the initial roll, the curse is resisted. A curse that is not resisted attacks anew each day. If the target fails the initial roll but wins a subsequent roll, he is still cursed but does not take damage in that scene (or day). If the target of the curse has wronged you, then should you wish it, your curse outlasts the target's (and your) death, moving on to plague his heir or another person in his house, and from there to another person, one at a time without mercy, until the house is no more.
Oubliette of Bone: After invoking the Spirit of the Mountain’s Root, you steal someone's soul and trap it in a painted skull fetish (animal or person). The target can make a Magic roll against yours to resist; success means that he cannot again this season be targeted by your Dramba Magic. Otherwise, the soul resides in the Skull. They can speak haltingly when asked a question (their voice seems like it is coming from a deep well), but there is no way of ensuring their truthiness, the skulls eye glow with light while it is possessed. The remaining husk of a person will, on your successful Charisma vs. Doom roll, follow your simple commands. It has access to its physical stats, but has normal zombie mental stats and skill. You make the Charisma roll once per scene; if you fail it, you cannot establish control this scene. When the Skull is in the presence of the body it gains access to its fighting Styles (no Magic Styles), and Histories (Bonus History: Trapped Victim of Magic: 1 for each week it has been trapped). You can choose to release the mind from the skull at any time, if the skull shatters or released by you, the mind within is restored to its body. The skull and its trapped soul count as your bound high spell.
Summon Cannibal Pack: Target bodies (human/troll) (up to 2 times your Magic level) clambers to their feet as twitcher zombies (Str: 6, Qck: 8, Rsn: 3, cha 0, Mag: 4, Heart 4, Body 4, Mood 0, Armor Quality 0 (rags or what they were wearing) Weapon Quality 4 (claws, or as weapon), Fighting Styles: Undead (Master), and Berserker (Apprentice), they also have the Inspirations: Consume Flesh 1 and Consume the Master’s Flesh 2. They can be maintained (if fed) as your High Bound Spell. Otherwise they sink back into oblivion at the end of the scene. This spell produces a Troop of Twitcher Zombies that can be used on the field of battle.
Surge of Atrocity: The Shaman summons and sends a pack of hate filled wild spirits into a target Troop who is possessed and driven mad. The Troop gains 2 points of Spirit and begins to attack (using basic Stances) random adjacent units. If given an Order (via Command Point, or has one himself as a PC), the Shaman may change the Enraged Troop‘s target or give them a Command as per normal. If the Troop cannot attack another, or is forbidden from doing so, it does one Health Level of damage to itself. Troops successfully attacked by the Enraged Troop lose 1 additional Spirit. Troops defend themselves from the spell by rolling their current Spirit vs the Shaman’s Magic die. If the spell is canceled or broken, the Troop loses 3 Mood. If the Troop is reduced to 0 Spirit while possessed, the unit is permanently broken and the survivors slink off into the wilds as enraged possessed madmen.
Shaman’s Circle Troop
Speed (strategic): 3
Health: 3
Spirit: 5
Cost: Wealth Level 10 (Merc), Gold Orb Price: 4,500
Maneuvers:
1. Shroud – 0/d2. One unit of no more than five troops is secret until the coven stops chanting this maneuver or until the unit attacks. Multiple Shaman’s Circles can shroud multiple units. If a unit has stopped attacking and moved out of the area where it was attacking, and no one attacks it for a round, it can be reshrouded. Shamans may use this on themselves as a Formation.
2. Frozen Breath of the North – d8(M)/d4. 1 Health+1 Spirit. A howling wind freezes and terrifies the targeted Troop. Use the commanding organization’s Arcana score to defend.
3. Stoke the Furnace: 0/d4. Give one troop a bonus to their Spirit of 1+Halth levels lost this battle, all melee attacks (not ranged or sorcerous) do +1 Health level of damage. Maintained with Spirits in Thrall Formation. This may bring a Troop back if it just reached 0 Spirit last round. All
4. Atrocity – d8(M)/d2. Summon and Possess a Troop (defends with Spirit) with enraged wild spirits. (See Surge of Atrocity Spell above for rules). The enraged troop attacks random troops (or itself) is the Circle does not maintain the Spirits in Thrall Formation and uses the Circle’s command point to command the enraged troop.
5. Cacophony of Spirits – d8(M)/d2. A cloud of hungry spirits surround the targeted troop howling their hunger and interfering with Magical attacks(they are natural magic in regards to Surges) If successful, a target sorcerous Troop has its Magical Attack dies reduced by 1 size as long as the Circle maintains this effect with Spirits in Thrall. The targeted troop may make a Formation type action, at any later time, to roll Arcana (or PC’s Magic die) vs the Circle’s magic attack die to stop this spell.
Formations:
1. Spirits in Thrall: 0/d2 – this Formation maintains Frozen Breath of the North, Shroud, Stoke the Furnace, or Atrocity.
2. Zombie Horde – 0/d2. Raise and command one Twitcher Zombie legion (if at least 5 health levels of Troops have been killed in the battle) in any other area occupied by an allied unit. The Shaman’s Circle has one command point per round that it can use only to direct the zombies’ maneuvers. The Shaman’s Circle does not need line of sight; it sees through the zombies' eyes. The zombies mill about ineffectively unless the Shaman’s Circle maintains this formation and uses the Circle’s command point to command the zombie legion.
Special: The Shaman’s Circle’s location on the battlefield are secret until discovered.
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