Adventure Guide’s Handbook: Arcana
- Running the Game
- Adventure Guide’s Handbook
- Adventure of the Empty House
- Special effects
- In the course of creating adventures, you’ll often need to create special effects: magical or divine powers that were used in the past or will now be used to initiate the adventure or by the villains against the party.
- Divine Intervention
- In fantasy worlds, gods can walk among us. In some campaigns the gods might be amorphous beings who rarely dabble in mortal affairs, such as Cimmeria’s “Crom”. In campaigns on the other end of the scale, the gods might be as common as in Greece, where any passing swan can be a god in disguise.
- Places of Power
- Ley lines. Holy ground. Ancient Indian burial grounds. The Norse called it naming. We call it ritual. Every item has a place, and some of those places have power. This kind of magic draws its power from names, from sacrifices, and from places of power. If you follow the correct instructions, say the right words, in the right place, the hidden world will reveal itself to you. And the more chanting cultists you have assisting you, the better off you are.
- Arcana: Riddles
- In some worlds, riddles have power. A riddle challenge is serious business, with the winner and loser bound to the agreement made over the riddle. Riddles can take many forms, but the answer must always be obviously true once stated. Answers do not have to be the answer the riddler expects. If the answer is obviously true once stated, and it follows logically from the riddle, then it is a valid answer.
- When Spells Collide
- When two or more spells, spirits, or psychic effects conflict, you’ll have to judge what happens. Here are a few simple guidelines.
- Magic Items
- Magic items are things that carry magic, divine, or psychic powers. Potions, scrolls, amulets, rings, and weapons can carry magic. Each type carries magical effects appropriate to its use.
- Magic Item Examples
- All magic items should have a story. Rename these items after important historical personages from your own world. Some items will be shrouded in such mystery that the players have no idea where they were made or for whom. But the Guide should have a good idea either of the item’s origin or who held it most recently.
