by Giulio N Caroletti
The kingdoms of the Inner Circle survive because of the psychic and physical energies of the Masters of the two Fighting Orders of Nentsun. These ten men have the duty of controlling the Unholy Devices of Blekmur, who sent the world in the dark ages several millennia ago. [This is how the Nentsunians remember the Great Rain of Fire].
The Unholy Devices of Blekmur are at the same time a blessing and a danger. They are a blessing in that they make the Inner Circle's lands fertile and rich, and, moreover, they have also beneficial climatic effects on the Outer Circle. However, while the Outer Circle would be able to survive without them, and simply become a little colder, the Inner Circle would soon become a cold and barren land without them.
The Masters of the Orders are ten selected men whose lives are devoted to the control of the Devices. Through strong will and particular psychic powers, the Masters are able to prevent the Devices from exploding. Even if each Master is assigned a single Device, the Devices are linked, and thus there is theoretically need for only one Master at time to prevent the explosion. However, the Masters are always at "work" together, to ease the task for each other.
What the Nentsunians don't know is that if the Devices explode, the problem will not only be that they won't provide the energy to the land to make it hospitable, warm and fertile: their explosion will cause another (although limited) cataclysm very similar to the Great Rain of Fire...
But let's take a look at the Fighting Orders' organisation.
THE FIGHTING SCHOOLS
All over Nentsun (both Inner and Outer Circles), when a boy becomes 6 years old, he is brought by his parents to the local temple to be visited by clerics. They ask the Immortals whether the boy has the potential to become a Master. If the boy is blessed, then he is immediately sent to one of the two fighting schools. He stays in the school for 10 years, after which he is assigned to one of the minor orders, or he is taken as Heir by a Master and is initiated to the arts of becoming one himself.
The Divine School of the Bear is the School which is represented by the
Northern Sky, and the Chaotic alignment. It is protected by Immortals of Energy
and Thought.
The Bear represents energy and creativity, and has the duty of controlling four
of the Devices. It is common belief that the Bear controls artifacts who favour
the unnaturally warm climate of the Inner Circle, and thus they are the
protectors of fertility and growth in the land.
Four of the Masters come from the Bear. The School has about hundred permanent
minor members, who should act as guards for the Masters, but more often, in
accord with the chaotic nature of the School, wander through Nentsun and either
offer their services for payment (neutral ones) or for free (good ones). Evil
ones use their powers for themselves.
To become a fighter of the Bear, a boy must be blessed when he is six by the
Immortals of Energy. The life of a member of the Bear is hard: when he is 6, the
boy is taken to the Monastery of the Bear, where he learns, in the ten following
years, to fight. If he survives the harsh training, and isn't cast out of the
school due to incapacity, at 16 he will either become a full 1st level Fighter
of the Order, or chosen as Heir by one of the Masters. The latter case will be
treated separately. Let's look at the characteristics of a common Bear Fighter:
Bear Fighter
Class: Fighter
Race: Human
Requisites: STR 8, INT 8, DX 12, COS 12 Alignment: No lawful
Weapon proficiencies: the Bear's Fighters can become proficient only in these
weapons at the start of their career (1st level): short sword, wakizashi, sai,
staff, nunchaku. Then, he can choose whatever weapon he wants.
Special Benefits: the Bear's Fighters learn how to press the tsubos, vital
points of the human body, when fighting bare-handed. Touching the tsubos allow
them to alter nerves and muscles in precise areas of the body, causing them
negative or positive effects, and thus they are very dangerous opponents. They
automatically receive at no cost the Martial Arts and Boxing proficiencies, and
they can learn to control the tsubos.
The School of the Bear is a chaotic one. After learning theoretically where the
tsubos are set in the body, it's up to the individual fighter to learn to treat
them and obtain the desired effect. When he become 16, a Bear Fighter has
learned 4 tsubo effects. At this point, they are considered 1st level fighters.
Each three additional levels, a Bear Fighter can choose to renounce to a weapon
slot to learn another tsubo effect. Every level above the 12th (included) he
also gets another tsubo effect in addition to those he would gain normally. This
results in the Bear Fighters being each very different from the others. No Bear
Fighter can learn a number of tsubo effects higher than that of his Constitution
score.
Special Hindrances: due to the speed needed to attack bare-handed and hit the
tsubos, this form of attack may be used only while wearing leather armours or no
armour at all. This in addition to the loss of weapon proficiencies needed to
learn tsubos use. Last but not least, a Bear Fighter that is not a Master or a
Heir cannot proceed further than 16th level (AD&D). A Bear Fighter that
leaves the Lands of Nentsun will lose 1/2 of his experience points. If he
returns back he doesn't gain the XPs back. This fact is known to the Fighters,
who are told so by their teachers during the apprentice years.
See "Tsubos for the School of the Bear" to have more details on the secret attacks of this school.
First, 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.
There are 36 fighting orders subject to the six Masters of the Southern Cross, that are known as the Stars of Nentsun. These orders form the Sacred School of the Southern Cross, protected by the Immortals of Matter and Time, and representing order, continuity through changes and preservation. The Monastery of Nentsun is formed by 36 buildings, forming a circle, each devoted to one of the orders. A large iron gate surrounds the complex, and there is one entrance corresponding to each building: thus the name "Guardians of the 36 Gates of Nentsun" that is given to the Fighters of the School. Thirty of the orders have 10 fighters, for a total of 300 Fighters; the remaining six orders are made only of a Master and of their Heir. The Southern Cross is a lawful school, highly organized. In the central plaza surrounded by the 36 order buildings is the central Temple of Nentsun, where all the Masters have a personal apartment and stay to discuss and direct the School's activities.
Southern Cross Fighter
Class: Fighter or Cleric
Race: Human (all schools), Half-Elf and Elf (some schools)
Requisites: STR 8, INT 10, DX 13, COS 6
Alignment: No chaotic.
Weapon proficiencies: a Southern Cross Fighter can become proficient in any
weapon he wishes
Special Benefits: a Southern Cross Fighter gains automatically the Boxing and
Martial Arts proficiencies. However, they learn particular techniques that allow
them to fight barehanded at terrific speed and even to use the air vibrations to
inflict more damage. This means that they have 2 attacks per round when
attacking through Martial Arts or Boxing, and are able to do 1d6 additional
points of damage. Each order has also its special attacks. Contrarily to the
Bear, all the fighters of the Southern School learn the same techniques: this
happens because of the different school philosophy (chaos and creativity of the
Bear, order and tradition of the Southern Cross). It's up to the individual DMs,
or players, or Mystaran Mailing List Members to create the 30 sub-schools. The
general structure of the Orders should be as follows: each order has 2 minor
fighting abilities (gained between levels 1 and 9), 2 appropriated clerical
spells (gained between levels 4 and 12), 1 major fighting power (gained around
level 15). Like the ones associated with the School of the Bear, the fighting
abilities are effective only against unarmoured opponents, and can be used only
when wearing leather armour (or lighter).
Special Hindrances: due to the speed needed to attack with their special
techniques, these form of attack may be used only while wearing leather armours
or no armour at all. A Southern Cross Fighter that is not a Master or a Heir
cannot advance past 16th level (AD&D). A Southern Cross Fighter that leaves
the Lands of Nentsun will lose 1/2 of his experience points. If he returns back
he doesn't gain the XPs back. This fact is known to the Fighters, who are told
so by their teachers during the apprentice years.
There is a great difference between normal Order Fighters and Masters.
There are only 4 Bear Masters and 6 Stars of the Southern Cross on Mystara, and it is suggested that you don't allow the players to play one. Masters have been chosen by the Immortals to maintain the control over the Unholy Devices of Blekmur, and they have duties that the other Fighters cannot even dream (or have nightmares!) about.
A Master must meditate 4 hours a day to provide the engines with the psychic energies needed to remain stable and not emit radiations. This is a magical link, and being in antimagic zone or similar situations prevents the meditation from being effective. A Master in meditation immediately senses if he isn't in contact with the engine. For each minute more or less of meditation by a Master, the engine that he controls gains or loses 1 EP (Engine Point). Each Device starts with 4,000 EP. If a Device falls under 200 EP it begins to draw energy from any Device which has more than 200 EP. When all the Devices fall under 200 EP, they begin to emit radiations, losing double as much EP per minute. When one of the EP gets to 0, the Device explodes, and each Device loses 50 EP. When a second Device reaches 0, all the Devices explodes and a complete cataclysm occurs. The Masters are aware of the fact that their meditation is incredibly important for the country, but not only: if a Device gets below 200 EP, all the Masters lose half their Constitution score (and thus many abilities). A Master should always have a Heir. The Heir is of level 1-9. He cannot get over 9th level until he becomes Master. If a Master dies for some reason, and there is a Heir, then the Heir immediately becomes Master, and becomes immediately of the level appropriate for his XPs. If a Master dies without Heir, then a crisis could erupt. It has never happened recently, but probably an ordinary Fighter would be blessed by the Immortals or chosen by the other Masters and then taught what to do. A Master cannot travel further than 120 kilometres away from his Device, or lose all his powers until he returns in the given radius. However, a Master may leave Nentsun without losing experience points.
A Bear Master has no limits to the number of tsubos he can learn, and when a Heir becomes a Master he immediately learns 4 additional tsubos. Until that moment, however, the Heir will be treated like any Fighter (except for the level limit). A Star of the Southern Cross belongs to one of the six major Orders of their school. Their abilities will be detailed in another post.