The Fighting Orders of Nentsun - Divine School of the Bear: Tsubos
by Giulio N CarolettiFirst, it must be noted that only fighters who have leather armours (or lighter) can attack barehanded to hit the tsubos. Secondly, it is very important to remember that the tsubo effects can be produced exclusively on exposed body parts. An opponent in plate armour cannot be hit in this way. However, if arms or legs or the head of the opponent are unarmoured, the Bear Fighter can make an attack with a -4 penalty (-8 if it is the head), and if he hits, then he will be normally able to inflict the tsubo effects on that parts. If attacking without "aiming" an unarmoured enemy, after having hit the Fighter will have to roll a d20 and check the part of the body that he hits. This doesn't matter if the tsubo effect needs the Fighter to hit a certain part of the body to take place. It is to be noted, too, that the effects work only for humanoids creatures only, up to the size of frost giants (approximately 11 HD).
There are tsubos all over the body. The exact 19 locations are these:
1. Hand
2. Forearm
3. Arm
4. Shoulder
5. Neck
6. Chest
7. Heart
8. Lung
9. Stomach
10. Liver
11. Abdomen
12. Back
13. Pubis
14. Hip
15. Thigh
16. Leg
17. Foot
18. Ancle
19. Head
If a Fighter hits and the tsubo may have special effects if a specific part is hit (eg: devastation), roll d20 to see which part of the body has been hit (re-roll results of 20) The tsubo effects and fighting techniques of the school are of 19 different types:
1. Devastation
This effect consists in the heavy damaging of the organ that has been hit. If the bear Fighter is able to hit, the opponent will lose 2d10 hit points and that part of the body remains useless (obviously this may result in the knock-out of the enemy). If the damage roll is 20, then that part of the body is completely destroyed (if he hit the head, the victim is dead). This effect cannot be learned before 7th level.
2. Technique of the Two Fingers
This is a special attack, not truly a tsubo effect. If the Bear Fighter should be hit by an arrow or a quarrel (or other small missile weapon that can be held with two fingers), he can try to block it with his two fingers, making a successful dexterity check (with a penalty equal to the difference of the opponent's THAC0 and his dice roll); if he makes another dexterity check he will even be able to return it against the opponent (in this case a normal hit roll applies).
3. the Wave that Destroys the Mountain
Apart from an immediate damage of 1d6 hp, this tsubo effect causes heavy bleeding in the victim, that, if hit, begins to lose an additional 1d6 hp/round until it stops for at least one round to cure herself. The wound may cause additional problems, exact effects depend on the DM (ex. if one person bleeds in his hip she may have a -1 THAC0 penalty).
4. Gate of Life
This effect may be used only if the Fighter is above 9th level. The "Gate of Life" tsubo is what it's name means: if the Bear Fighter is able to hit it (it is located in the chest, location 6), he can decide the moment when the victim will die (starting from 5 seconds up to 3 days). This tsubo effect costs two slots. To avoid the effect, a victim must make a successful save vs. death when hit. Then, if he manages to do it, she will have to make another one each round after if the effect will take place in less than 1 turn, and one each turn after if the effect takes place in less than 1 hour; otherwise, she must make one each hour. The victim loses 1 constitution point permanently for each failed save. When the decided moment comes, the victim must make a final save that decides if she lives or dies, BUT with a penalty equal to the number of constitution point lost, and a bonus equal to the levels of the Fighter below the 16th (no penalty for levels 16-20). The lost constitution points may be regained with a Heal (one for each lost point), with a Cure Aching Tsubo (restores immediately all constitution points) or Wish. However, these spells will work only after the last save. The victim may be raised normally.
5. Oblivion
This tsubo effect may be used only if the Bear Fighter hits the head. The attack doesn't inflict damage, but the victim must make a save vs. spells (with a penalty equal to the theoretical damage the fighter would have inflicted if he had hit normally, not modified by the strength), or enter a state of catatonia for 1d6 turns, after which he will forget all events of 1d6 turns before he was hit. If the victim is attacked in any form, he will recover conscience and the effect will not take place. This effect may be used only on intelligent creatures.
6. Erase Strength
This tsubo effect deprives the victim of her strength. She must make a save vs. paralysis and one vs. spells. If both saves are successful, the victim loses 4 strength points for 1d6+6 rounds. If only the first is successful, the victim loses 8 strength points for 1d6+6 rounds, then she regains 4 points, and after 1d6+6 rounds she regains the remaining 4. If only the second is successful, the victim loses 4 strength points for 1d6 + 6 turns, then regains them all. If none is successful, then the victim loses 8 Strength points for 1d6+6 turns. After this time, the victim regains 4 Strength points, then she regains 1 point per week, but ONLY if she makes a successful save vs. spells, otherwise she LOSES 1 point.
7. Slow Death
This effect results in the victim's muscles becoming slowly incontrollable and twisted. The exact effect of this tsubo depends on the level of the Bear Fighter:
Level 1-3
Victim loses 2 points of dexterity for 1d10 rounds, and has a -2 to THAC0 for 1d10 rounds. Save vs. death for halved effects.
Level 4-8
Victim trembling, -2 to THAC0, dexterity and strength for 3d10 rounds, and loses 1d10 hit points. Save for halved effects.
Level 9-15
Like before, but -3 to values, 4d8 rounds and loses 2d10 hit points. Save for halved effects.
Level 16-19
Victim -4 to said values for 1 turn, loses 1d4 hit points/round for 3d10 rounds, and a permanent -1 to constitution. Save for 1/2 effect.
Level 20
Victim -8 to values for 1 turn, loses 1d10 hit points/round for 3d8 rounds, and a permanent -1 to constitution.
8. Light
This tsubo effect is not a fighting one. If the Fighter presses his fingers on a tsubo located near the eyes of a blinded victim, it will restore its sight. Obviously this doesn't work if the eye is utterly corrupted.
9. Shintanchu (Hold)
This tsubo effect doesn't work if the hit part is the head. The victim must make a save vs. paralysis, with a penalty equal to - [(level of the Fighter) - 4]. Or be "held" for 1d6 turns. If the victims makes the save, it is paralysed for a number of rounds equal to (1d6) + (Level of the Fighter) - 6. The tsubo may also be used to obtain partial effects, blocking only one arm or leg, but in this case the Fighter must hit a tsubo located on the desired limb. In this case, moreover, the save has an additional -4 penalty. A Fighter of level 9 or above may decide, when pressing the tsubo, to delay the effect of this tsubo up to 10 rounds.
10. Cure aching
This effect may be used on a aching part of the body to remove the source of the aching. Example: John has back-ache because he has worked in the garden all the afternoon. With the tsubo effect, the back will regain its strength and mobility. It can also be used for all sort of sprains, traumas, and halves the time needed to recover from fractures, marches, fatiguing performances etc.
11. Strength
The Bear Fighter can enhance the Strength of a person. If he does it upon another one, she receives 1d4 Strength points. The duration of the effect is of 1 turn per level of the Fighter. After the 7th level, it becomes of 1 hour per level above the 5th. After the 12th level, 1 day per level above the 10th. When this time finishes, the person must make a Shock check or suffer the effects of the Erase Strength tsubo as given for a person that fails both saves. If she makes the check, she suffers the effect of a person that makes only the second save. If the Fighter uses it upon himself, he gains 1d4 points of Strength for 1 hour per level, and he doesn't suffer back effects.
12. Choke
This tsubo effect may be used only if the Fighter hits neck, chest or lung. The victim starts choking. If he doesn't make a Constitution check, he will choke in 1d12 rounds, otherwise he will anyway be unable to fight for 1d4 rounds. To counter the effect, a Heal spell, or other similar spells, will suffice.
13. Shitsugen (Backward Dance of Repentance)
This tsubo effect can be used only hitting the legs (locations 14 to 16). A person hit by the tsubo is forced to move backwards at half its normal speed for 1d10 rounds. If the victim makes a Constitution check, he will move only for 1d4 rounds.
14. Zusho (Revealing Tsubo)
This tsubo effect may be used only on the head or neck. If a person fails a Wisdom check, it is forced to answer to all the questions asked by the Fighter for 1d10 rounds. If the person succeeds in the check, the person will be forced to answer just the first question. The questions and answers must always be simple ones, otherwise the victim is allowed another check, with a +2 to +8 bonus, depending on the importance of the question - exact bonus is left to the DM.
15. Kensei (Compassion Tsubo)
This tsubo, if hit, makes the victim "immune" to pain. The person doesn't feel any suffering from any sort of damage, although she continues to lose hit points. However, the person cannot be stunned, knocked unconscious and so on. The effect lasts for 1 turn, +1 round for level of the Fighter.
16. Blind
This tsubo is located only on the head. If hit, it blinds the person that fails a save vs. death, with a -1 penalty for level of the Fighter above 9th. If the person is blinded in this way, only a Heal spell or a "Light" tsubo will allow the victim to see again.
17. Suffering
This effect will make the victim suffer much more than normally. Its effect lasts for 1d10 rounds, +1 for level of the Fighter above the 9th (only 1d4 rounds if the victim makes successfully the save). For this period of time, however, all damages done to the victim must be doubled (if the Fighter is above 12th level, x3, if above 16th x4). This damage is not real: if the victim goes below 0 hit points, it simply loses consciousness, and recovers the hit points (and thus consciousness) when the effect ends.
18. Further life (Tsubo of Heart and Soul)
This tsubo is one of the ultimate secrets of the School, and may be learned only by a Fighter of level 14 or above. Moreover, it costs two weapon slots. If pressed, this tsubo will allow a dying man (it doesn't matter why he is dying, because this effect cures everything in every form, except for Immortal interference) to recover all hit points and have all physical damages cured. This tsubo may be used only once for person. The person must make five successful constitution checks to survive the experience, because it is a very harmful one, and it has some backdrop (left to the DM, but may be: hair becomes completely white, etc.). If the person suffers great emotions in the month after the cure, he will have to make another constitution check or die for the shock. This is because the tsubo, called "of the Heart and Soul") base its strength on the will to survive of the person, and on his determination. If, as an example, his wife is killed, he could survive just the time to kill her murderer, then his body would collapse. This gives the DM a wide range of action. If a person hasn't got the will to live, this tsubo is useless.
19. the Tranquil Water
This is not a tsubo, but a defensive fighting style. If the Fighter is able to be not hit for two rounds, he may perform a sort of weird fighting dance and assume a certain position that will allow him to make his defence much better (resulting in a +4 bonus to AC, +5 if the Fighter is above 9th level, +6 if 12th, +7 if 16th). This effect can be used when attacking with weapons, but not if the Fighter is using an armour heavier than the leather one. If the Fighter attacks while using this style, he has a -4 penalty to attacks, because the style is suited for defence only.