isles-of-maga/breach.md

Isles of Maga RPG

Every character has attributes and skills. Whenever the outcome of an action is uncertain, roll 4 Fudge dice, and add the result to the most relevant attribute and most relevant skill. If the sum total is equal or greater than the difficulty class of the action, then the action succeeds. Higher rolls above the difficulty class are more impressive successes, and lower rolls below are more damaging failures.

Character Creation

Attributes

Each character starts with 24 points to distribute between each attribute. The attributes range between 1 and 10 (plus race restrictions) and the value of an average human is 4 for each attribute. Attributes can be further increased at the cost of 4 Experience Points for 1 point in 1 attribute.

• Balance is a measure of coordination and control of movement.
• Reason is a measure of ability to learn and understand.
• Energy is a measure of willpower and determination.
• Awareness is a measure of ability to see, hear, and detect changes.
• Charm is a measure of ability to interact with people.
• Health is a measure of strength and constitution.

Skills

Each character starts with 1 in each skill, plus a choice of 5 skills to start with 2 instead. Upon gaining an Experience Point, a character must increase 1 point in 1 skill. Skills range from 1 to 10, with a value of 4 for a trained but average professional.

• Acrobatics is a measure of skill in jumping and falling.
• Alchemy is a measure of knowledge about the properties of matter. This is a crafting ability allowing the character to make poisons and potions.
• Animals is a measure of skill in handling animals.
• Archery is a measure of skill in using a bow and arrow.
• Barter is a measure of skill in making good deals.
• Benevolence is a measure of skill in casting "helpful" spells.
• Defense is a measure of skill in dodging and blocking.
• Enchanting is a measure of knowledge about magical artifacts. This is a crafting ability allowing the character to imbue items with magical effects.
• Malevolence is a measure of skill in casting "harmful" spells.
• Melee is a measure of skill in fighting with a melee weapon.
• Security is a measure of skill in breaking locks.
• Smithing is a measure of skill in working on leather and metal. This is a crafting ability allowing the character to create weapons and armor.
• Speech is a measure of skill in communication.
• Stealth is a measure of skill in staying hidden and quiet.
• Thrown is a measure of skill in throwing weapons.
• Unarmed is a measure of skill in fighting with bare hands or punching weapons.

Traits

Characters can take 0 to 2 traits. Traits are qualities of a person with good and bad aspects.

• Claustrophobia: You are afraid of being enclosed in a small room. Any ordinary attribute/skill roll gets a -1 penalty indoors, and a +1 bonus outdoors.
• Near-sighted: You do not have very good vision. While wearing glasses, vision-related rolls get a +1 bonus. Otherwise, vision-related rolls get a -1 penalty.

Race

There are many races in Maga, and your choice of race changes what kinds of gifts you have access to.

Advancement

Gifts

Gifts are qualities of a person that are generally good.

• Cleric of X (costs 2): You may take this gift only once. You no longer cast spells out of knowledge, instead casting spells from faith. Select a deity. You may now cast any spell associated with that deity, without needing to learn the spell. On the other hand, you are forbidden from casting spells not associated with that deity.

Equipment

Weapons

One-handed swords, maces, axes, shortbows, and knuckles, all do standard damage without any effect.

Unarmed attacks take an automatic -2 penalty unless wearing knuckles.

Heavy weapons like greatswords give a bonus +1 to attacks, but cost 2 action points to use instead of 1.

Shortbows have a range of 12 meters and longbows have a range of 24 meters. Longbows get a -1 penalty to all attacks.

Ranged weapons get a -1 penalty for each time the target exceeds the range. For example, a longbow gets a -1 penalty between 25 and 48 meters, a -2 penalty between 49 and 72 meters, etc.

Armor

Unarmored is the default and has no impact on defense.

• Leather Armor gives a +1 bonus to Defense and a -1 penalty to Balance.
• Mail Armor gives a +2 bonus to Defense and a -2 penalty to Balance.
• Plate Armor gives a +3 bonus to Defense and a -3 penalty to Balance.

Combat

In combat, characters have a number of Action Points equal to their Balance. The character with the highest Balance moves first, and the least Balance moves last. Every turn, a player describes the actions that their character takes over the next 4 seconds, where 1 action generally takes 1 second. Therefore a character with a Balance of 4 can take 4 actions per turn, a character with a Balance of 1 can take 1 action per turn, and a character with a Balance of 10 can take 10 actions per turn. However, for each of these characters the turn lasts for 4 seconds.

Melee combat attacks use Health+Melee vs. Health+Defense. Hand-to-hand attacks use Health+Unarmed vs. Health+Defense, with a -2 penalty to the attacker unless weilding knuckles. Ranged attacks use Awareness+Ranged vs. Balance+Defense.

Morale

Creatures generally have two values relating to willingess to fight. These scores both range from 1 to 10:

• 1) Aggression applies when the creature is initially encountered. Creatures which are highly aggressive would rather fight than flee. On the other hand, creatures which are not aggressive would rather avoid fighting.
• 2) Morale applies when the creature receives a Major Hurt or worse. Creatures with a high morale will fight to the death, ignoring any wounds it incurs. On the other hand, creatures with low morale will run away quickly after seeing the fight will be more difficult than anticipated.

The default morale and aggression is 4, with 1 being very averse to combat and 10 being very willing to fight. A creature tests its own morale against a static target of 4, with adjustments made for the stress of the environment. If the result is 4 or greater, the creature will begin or continue fighting. If the result is 3 or less, the creature will run away or surrender.

An undead creature can be forced to make a morale check once during combat by a Cleric of Gora or a Cleric of Pestium. Instead of comparing morale to 4, the morale is rolled against the Cleric's static Energy score. If the roll fails against the Cleric of Gora, the undead creature runs away. If the roll fails against the Cleric of Pestium, the undead creature is now under the control of the Cleric.

Magic

Characters can learn magic spells as their journey progresses. Some spells are malevolent and some are benevolent, which will change which skill the spell utilizes.

Malevolent spells are ones that either:

• directly harm an enemy
• make an enemy more vulnerable
• increase the ability of someone to deal damage to the enemy

Benevolent spells, in contrast, are ones that either:

• directly heal someone
• protect someone from harm
• diminish the harmfulness of an enemy, without direct harm to that enemy

As a rule of thumb, malevolent spells are ones intended for destroying others, whereas benevolent spells are limited to nullifying the threatening potential of enemies at worst.

Banish Demon

Minimum Benevolence skill: 2

Mana cost: 1

Roll Reason+Benevolence vs. Energy+Defense against a target demon. If the result is 2 or greater, the demon is sent to its region of Demonia.

Bound Weapon

Minimum Malevolence skill: 2

Mana cost: 1

One weapon may be bound to the caster's soul at a time, costing 1 spirit point to perform the binding. The caster should have spent some time using the bound weapon to form a bond with it. At any time, the caster can summon the bound weapon and immediately equip it coasting 1 spirit point. The weapon binding may be dismissed at any time without cost.

Ghost Blade

Minimum Malevolence skill: 2

Mana cost: 1

The caster creates a Duration: 1 round/level

The caster equips a blade of magic from their hand. This weapon may be of various sizes, taking on the properties of the equivalent physical blade.

The weapon itself has no weight. If the caster lets go of the weapon, it disappears. The weapon can also be destroyed by Dispel Magic. At the end of the duration, the weapon vanishes. The weapon is magical, and can do damage to ghosts.

Soul Trap

Minimum Malevolence skill: 3

Mana cost: 2

This spell will not work on an intelligent, sentient being. When the target dies, roll Reason+Malevolence vs. the target's static Energy score. If the result is at least 4, the target's soul may be captured in a gem large enough to contain it.

Elemental Damage (various)

Minimum Malevolence skill: 2

Mana cost: 1

This describes a family of spells, each of which may be cast independently. Choose one of each group:

• Group 1: Fire, Ice, Lightning
• Group 2: Spray, Missile

For example, Ice Missile is its own spell. Spray spells deal close range damage in a spread-out area, and missile spells attack distant enemies.

Deal Reason+Malevolence vs. Health+Defense damage to a target enemy, with a +1 bonus to the attacker roll. Apply elemental bonuses or penalties to both sides if relevant.

Magic Missile

Minimum Malevolence skill: 2

Mana cost: 0

Deal Reason+Malevolence vs. Health+Defense damage to a target enemy.