Maelstrom Rules - Magic (continued)

Sorcery
Sorcery gives the wielder power over the bodies of inanimate and living things. There are many different sorcerous spells. A sorcerer can learn to heal the wounded, repair armour, attack his enemies or divine information. Most sorcerous spells are only effective if you know the true name of the target.

Necromancy And Undead Minions
Necromancy gives the wielder power over death. Some necromancers can speak to the dead if the slain soul has not yet departed for the afterlife. Many can use their command of magic to grant a soul a form of existence as an undead minion, after they have been slain.

As a necromancer, you can make pacts with characters who agree to serve as your undead minions, after their death. You may use the power of the Maelstrom to mark their soul so that it will not depart from the world after they have been slain. The characters will return as a shadow if they are killed. As you learn more powerful rituals you can make your undead minions more effective.

The necromantic ritual “Touch of Blasphemy” taints a character’s soul so that when the character dies their soul does not depart the world. The only way to raise a character as an undead minion is through the use of this ritual. If a necromancer does not know this ritual then they cannot have any undead minions.

Another player may choose to create a character who has already agreed to be one of your undead minions. If you are an undead minion then you have no character points to spend on advantages or skills and cannot acquire any skills in play. Your skills and powers as an undead minion are solely determined by the powers of the necromancer you serve.

If you wish to play an undead minion of a necromancer then you should select undead as your race on your character booking form. You must write the character name of the necromancer that you serve in the section marked loyalty. You may only play the undead minion of a necromancer who knows the ritual “Touch of Blasphemy”.

The weakest type of undead minion is a shadow.

If your necromancer knows the cantrip “Infuse the Wandering Soul” then you can begin play as an undead warrior.

If the necromancer knows more powerful necromantic rituals such as “Empower the Wandering Soul” then he can cast these at events to make you more powerful. If your body is destroyed as an undead minion then your soul is scattered. You must go to GOD or contact a referee and inform them that your body has been destroyed. They will tell you if you can return incharacter, at what time, and from where.

Further information for necromancers or undead minions will be provided to anyone choosing to play one.

Talismancy
A talismancer learns to enchant talismans, to place the magical energy of the Maelstrom within items. Many talismans are amulets or necklaces but talismans can also be stones, armour, weapons and other items. Talismans take time to enchant and are created during downtime. The talismancer can use an uncrafted item for the talisman but crafted items take significantly less time to enchant.

Each talisman that a talismancer learns how to make has a specific shape that is required for the talisman to be effective. It is not possible to wear two talismans of the same shape at the same time.

Most talismans have only a single use that is indicated by the rip-on-use section on the attached item lammy. Only the non-magical properties of the item remain after the power of the talisman has been used.

Talismans have an item special powers card that states the effects that the talisman has when activated. A talisman can be used by anyone with the item special powers card.

If you purchase the talismancy skill then you automatically know how to enchant one talisman chosen from the list of talismans presented on page 34. Each time that you purchase the skill additional magical knowledge, you may select one additional talisman from the list.

Alchemy
An alchemist learns to create mystical powders as well as how to mix them into preparations. Alchemical powders take time to make and are created during downtime. To use an alchemical powder, an alchemist must mix a preparation using one or more powders. This takes a short amount of time and may be done at events by going to GOD.

There are three different types of preparation: potions (that must be drunk), oils (that must be rubbed onto an item) or dusts (that must be sprinkled on the ground). Any character can make use of a preparation but only an alchemist whose character has learnt the skill to create the preparation can mix the powders; knowing the recipe is not enough.

All preparations have a one shot item lammy that must be ripped open when the preparation is used. The effects of the preparation are written inside the lammy. Any character may use a preparation, but the player who opens and reads the lammy must take the effects straight away. The lammie must be destroyed once all the effects have been applied.

If you purchase the alchemy skill then you automatically know how to refine one alchemical powder and prepare the accompanying preparation, chosen from the list of powders presented on page 35. Each time that you purchase the skill additional magical knowledge, you may select one additional powder from the list.

And so it began......

Dawn breaks, war looms, the evil Lord is gathering his armies to wage a campaign of destruction upon the free peoples of the world. It is up to I, Sir Maximilan Pegasus to stop him, with my trusted band of adventurers we must gather the enchanted sword of Tek, the Shield of Way-Lem and the amulet of Subsidence and together we shall slay this abomination! “TIME FREEZE” And bam, the fantasy world fades away, the enchanted sword of Tek in my hand is a rubber sword smothered in coloured ribbons with a laminated card cable tied to the hilt, I look down and I’m wearing plastic armour and unflattering heropants, and the magical world of my imagination washes away to reveal a field in Wigan, but you know what? It’s larp and I’m a larper, it’s what I do.
I started larping when I was 17, I’d never role-played before, I’d never played D&D or Warhammer, never played WoW or any form of online game, I’d never even read Lord of the Rings, I feel somewhat privileged that I hadn’t done any of those things, I think it gave me an untainted attitude towards what larp could be, I had no preconceptions about saving the maiden fair, slaying the dragon or smiting the liche, to me it was just a new thing to try.
It was cold, really cold, 10am on a September morning, the rain was battering down and I’d been given a faux fur tunic, a mouldy old sword and been pointed towards a man and told, “You’re monstering, there’s the ref he’ll tell you what to do.” I obeyed, I played wave after wave of zombies, orcs and various line monsters and to be honest, was cold, bored and hungry. That is, until lunchtime, the teams switched sides, I got into the kit I’d scrounged up, as with most first timers, a black trenchcoat. I took the mouldy old sword, stood with my fellow adventurers and it hit me, I’m a god damn hero!
Pow, there it was, a new larper was born.