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The Principalities of Glantri
 Description: This forested and mountainous northern land is a magocracy, a land
ruled by magic-users. Clerics are outlawed (they’re sentenced to death when found). Glantri is divided into many principalities, each of which has its
own ruler and laws: Aalban is famous for the machines and devices its craftsmen make.
Belcadiz is home to elves who are famous for their metalwork’s and their fine black lace; the elves in this nation live
more like humans than elves, dwelling in fine houses and cities rather than sylvan communities. Bergdhoven is famous for its
flowers (and dyes and perfumes which come from them), its cheeses, and its jewelry and gemcutters. Blackhill is best-known
for the quantity of its fruits and vegetables, and for the coal mined here. Boldavia is a major supplier of salt (mined by
convicts and slaves) and ice (shipped hastily to Glantri City and other places). Caurenze is best known for its graceful marble
architecture, and for its gold mines and fine weaponry. Erewan is a land of more traditional sylvan elves, who are fine bowyers,
woodworkers, and artists. Klantyre is a major supplier of wool and mutton, lumber and heavy woodwork. Krondahar is a producer
of silk and leather goods, fine beef, and yogurt. New Averoigne is best-known for its wines and culinary arts. Ruler: The "ruler" of Glantri is actually a council of ten wizard-princes ruling
a very efficient bureaucracy. The government needs to be efficient; the rulers like to plot against one another, but do not
like the basic work of rulership. All rulers in Glantri are magic-users or elves; those who cannot cast spells cannot rule. The ruling princes include: Population: The population is a blend of many ancient cultures, including very urban
elves, descendants of Alphatians, Thyatian colonists, Traladarans, and even lycanthropes and vampires. Glantri City: The capital of this nation, where the great college of magic is built, lies
in a lush valley where two rivers meet. The city is crisscrossed both with roads and canals. It is a very sophisticated community,
where magic lights the streets, where gondolas and hansom cabs convey passengers from point to point, and where every luxury
imaginable is available. Adventuring Opportunities: This is a good setting for a campaign if most of the characters are magic-users
(and none overtly admits to being a cleric). With the great college of magic at hand to provide accidental monsters, new spells,
and unintended portals into new worlds, there is a steady supply of adventure opportunity here.
Creating Spells and Magical Items The
dream of the Glantrian magic-user is the research and development of spells and magical items. This is one of his greatest
sources of experience. In many D&D® game campaigns, details of spell learning are glossed over: the character
easily trades spells with his friends, learns them from scrolls, and he occasionally creates one of his own. But in a campaign where the main focus is on magic-users, you should devote more attention
to this, The Glantrian spell-caster learns a few spells from the school: one per experience level from his master, a few low
level ones bought from professional magic-users, The majority of the rest he must learn-invent or re-invent-for himself.
When a Glantrian spell-caster wants to learn, say, a feeblemind, he will find
that most wizards guard their spells jealously; and those that don't still may not have the available time it will take
to teach the spell. So, our magic-user haunts the libraries, assembles components, and gradually pieces
together the clues that allow him to cast his spell. For this reason, every spell can be considered different; two magic
missiles will only be alike if they were taught by the same spell-caster. Characters can, on occasion, figure out
where a magician has studied by the way he casts his spells. The quick-mutter, finger-shake method of teleport any
object is the spell crafted by Etienne d' Ambreville; Morphail Gorevitch-Woszlany uses dark words of command and a dramatic
gesture of dismissal. So, below we have optional rules for spell research and magical item creation. They
are different from the Expert rules, but are more appropriate in Glantri. Spell Research Necessary Elements To
research a spell, a magic-user must first have access to a large library such as those that exist in major cities, or in the
tower of any single Wizard-Prince. Then, the wizard must find components for the spell. These are up to the players and
their DM to determine; on the average, the component should be from a monster with HD at least equal to the spell level,
or of similar difficulty to attain. Examples: Red dragon scales for an explosive cloud, fresh troll blood
for a reincarnation, fur from a displacer beast for a teleport, etc. There are no limits to this but the players'
and DMs' imaginations. Remember, the researcher must have the components before attempting spell research, and must go
on an adventure to acquire the basic spell components needed (he must track them down the hard way for spell research). Time and Money The
magic-user must then be prepared to spend large amounts of gold during the course of his research, The total to be spent comes
to 1,000 dc times the spell level. The DM decides what the spell level should be, according to the effects the player describes.
Research takes a week for the initial research, plus a day per 1,000 dc. The player
does not necessarily know how much time is needed. The PC spends 1,000 dc per day of research (not including initial research
time) until the DM tells him to make an attempt roll (a sure sign the research has come to its end). If the wizard runs out
of gold before then, he may interrupt his research, leave on an errand to earn more money, and come back later and spend more
time and money to advance his research. Chances of Success The
chances of success to discover a spell vary depending on the spell level researched and whether it is a new spell or a common
one (one already described in the rules). For a common spell, add the magic-user's intelligence score to his experience level,
and multiply the result by two. Then subtract 3 per spell level being researched. (For a new spell, subtract 5 per spell level
instead of 3.) Any roll of 95 or more is an automatic failure. Common Spell: ((Int +Lvl)x2)-(3 per spell level) New Spell: ((Int + Lvl)x2)-(5 per spell level) Example: A level 5 magic-user with a 15 Intelligence, researching a common
1st level spell, has a ((15+5)x2)-3 = 37% chance of success. The research would
cost him 1,000 dc and take eight days (a week, plus one day for the 1,000 dc). Enchanting Miscellaneous
Items A
magic-user must be 9th level to even hope to make a magical item. As with spells, he must go on some adventure to find one
basic spell component for each effect of the magical item he wishes to produce. The first thing to do is to list all of the magical item's effects. Compare them
to existing spells in order to know their (spell) level of power. A wizard must
know the spell he is trying to imitate with his magical item. For example, a wizard who does not know the invisibility spell cannot make a ring of invisibility. If an item's
effect does not compare to an already existing spell, then the wizard must research a new spell that will produce the desired
effect. Once this is done, take the total spell levels of the spells going into the item and
multiply the result by 1,000. The result is the number of gold ducats necessary to make the initial enchantment. If the item has charges, add 10% of the initial enchantment cost per charge. A permanent
enchantment costs the equivalent of 50 charges. Initial
Enchantment: Total Spell Level x 1,000 Cost of Charges: (10% of Initial Enchantment) x number of charges. Cost
of Permanency: (10% of Initial Enchantment) x 50 Total
Cost: Initial Enchantment + Cost of Charges, or Total
Cost: Initial Enchantment + Cost of Permanency. Example: a ring of flying is similar to the fly spell (3rd level). It has only
one function and is permanent, therefore it costs (3 x 1,000) + (300 x 50) = 18,000
dc. The enchantment takes 25 days (one week plus 1 day per 1,000 dc).
The cost of recharging items is equal to the original cost of charges (10% of the Initial Enchantment). Potions or scrolls
are items with charges (a charge per dose or per spell); they are not rechargeable. Different spells on one scroll are considered
separate magical items. Items with charges can't be recharged beyond the original number of charges they had when created.
A wizard may decide at the moment of creation that an item with charges is non-rechargeable. In this case, reduce Initial
Enchantment Cost by 20%. The actual procedure for enchanting items is otherwise similar to researching spells.
If this is the first time a wizard enchants this sort of item, his chances of success are equal to discovering a new
spell. If the wizard has successfully enchanted a similar item before, chances of reproducing it later are equal to discovering
a common spell. Multiple Effects: If an item has
several separate powers, like a crystal ball with ESP, then the extra effect
must be rolled for separately, with the appropriate chances of success. Each successful attempt indicates the item gains the
power rolled for. A failure means the corresponding effect is lost as well as any other not yet rolled for. In other
words, if the first roll fails, the whole item is spoiled, the money spent, and the time lost. Once an item is created,
the wizard cannot add new powers. Example: A 16 Intelligence wizard makes
a crystal ball with ESP (clairvoyance
is used as the base spell effect). It would cost him 30,000 dc, and take 37 days of work (see the example above for details)
at the end of which the two rolls are attempted. Chances of success for clairvoyance are 41 %, 44 % for ESP. If the first roll fails, the whole item is spoiled. If only the second fails, the wizard still has a crystal ball without ESP. Time Limitations: Some items may be usable
only a certain number of times within a given time length. Simply reduce the Initial Enchantment Cost 20% for items which
can be used hourly, 25 % for daily, 30% weekly, 35 % monthly, etc. Then add the cost of 30 charges, plus one per use during
the chosen time frame. Example: A wand of fire balls usable
twice a day costs 2,250 dc (Enchantment Cost) plus 7,200 dc (cost equivalent to 32 charges), for a total of 9,450 dc (as opposed
to 18,000 dc for a permanent item with unlimited uses). Enchanting Weapons and
Armor The
procedure for bestowing "plusses" or "minusses" to items requires a different enchantment than for other magical items. To
find the Initial Enchantment cost, multiply the item's normal price (gold) by its encumbrance (coins). For armor, divide
this result by 3; for weapons, multiply it by 5 instead (always round up to the next 10). Armor
Initial Enchantment Cost: item
price (gold) x encumbrance (cn) / 3 Weapon Initial Enchantment Cost: item
price (gold) x encumbrance (cn) x 5 Example: A sword normally costs
10 dc and weighs 60 coins. Its initial enchantment costs 10 x 60 x 5 = 3,000 dc.
A plate mail enchantment costs 60 x 500 / 3 = 10,000 dc. The initial enchantment makes a " + 1" or "-1" item, according to the wizard's choice.
For each subsequent "+" or "-" of either armor or weapons, multiply the initial
enchantment cost by the total "+" or " - ". Success chances are similar to discovering
common spells, each" +" or "-" being equivalent to a spell level. Important: For the sake of game balance, the minimum Initial Enchantment cost should be no less than 100 dc for weapons, or 3,000
dc for armor. Daggers are considered short swords for purposes of calculating their Initial Enchantment cost. All enchantments
should be limited to + / - 5 maximum. Adding Extra Powers: Extra magical
effects can be added to weapons or armor. Proceed as if enchanting a separate item as described for spell levels. The cost
and time is added to that of making the magical weapon. Success chances are rolled separately for each extra effect. If the
effects of an enchantment are limited, the cost of extra magical effects is reduced 10% per restriction. For Example: A + 5 green dragon slayer
costs 15.000 dc for the sword, plus 36,000 dc for a permanent disintegrate spell
effect (6th level). It is restricted to: (1) dragons, (2) green dragons. The effects cost is thus reduced 20%, coming down
to 28.800 dc. The final cost is 43,800 dc, 45 days of work, and the player rolls twice: Once for the + 5 sword and once for its special power. Special Swords:
If an extra bonus is necessary vs. a special opponent, like a + 1 sword, + 3 vs.
dragons, simply add the extra "plusses" to the original enchantment costs, at half price. Talents are considered
spell powers (see Miscellaneous Items). For complex weapons, the DM should adjust the guidelines at his
discretion, to cover unexpected cases and safeguard game balance. Intelligent weapons are only created, on purpose, by Immortals. Every time a wizard makes a magical sword,
check to see if it has been made Intelligent (see Table 12c, page 46, of Companion Book Two). Optional
Bonuses and Penalties As an option, the DM may
modify chances of success depending on the situation. Interruptions
Each time a wizard interrupts his spell research or the course of an enchantment, the DM may penalize his
chances of success 5 % . Only the number of interruptions should be considered, not their duration. The character should still
have the option of adventuring to keep up with his research cost. Special
Materials Using special material can affect chances of success as well. Precious gems or metals might retain magical
powers better than rough wood or stones. The list below shows possible modifiers for choosing better material:
Material:
Modifier: Precious stones
(gems, crystal): +6% Precious metals
(gold, silver): +4% Rare, elaborately
carved woods: +2% Common metal: +0 Common wood: -2% Common stones: -4% Other mundane material
(*): -6% (*) Bone, claw, leather,
powder, balm, liquid, etc. Role-
Playing Depending on how well a
wizard was played, the DM may want to further modify his chances of success or even the cost of research and enchantment.
Good thinking and role-play is always more desirable than using mathematical rules. The DM should feel free to reward good
play in an appropriate manner, or penalize abuses of the system. Eventually, the DM can make secret attempt rolls for the
player and not reveal the results until the wizard actually uses his new creation. If game balance is at stake, the DM should
not hesitate to intervene and change the rules. The guidelines given above are designed to avoid these problems as best as
possible. Any modification (penalty or bonus) should be well considered beforehand. Generic List of Enchantment
Costs
Magic Item Cost (in dc) Time Needed Scroll
(3 Charm spells): 1,040 9 days Dagger
+ 1: 1,050 9 days 20
Arrows + 1: 2,000 9 days Potion
of Invisibility*: 2,140 10 days Leather
Armor or Shield + 1: 3,000 11 days Sword
+ 1: 3,000 11 days Long
Bow + 1: 4,500 12 days Chain
Mail + 1: 5,340 13 days Wand
of Fire Balls**: 9,000 16 days Plate
mail + 1: 10,000 17 days Helm
of Clairvoyance: 18,000 25 days War
Hammer + 5 of Flying: 24,250 32 days Ring
of Teleportation: 30,000 37 days Lance
+ 3 of Speed: 45,000 52 days Talisman
of Meteor Swarm: 54,000 61 days Staff
of Wizardry***: 156,200
164
days (*) Three doses, non-rechargeable
(**) Twenty charges, rechargeable
(***) The ultimate solution
for Monty Hauls Labor Costs Whenever a PC, a dominion,
or a nation hires wizards to perform enchantments, labor must be added to the cost of enchantment. This is important in the
case of a ruling PC planning to outfit army units with magical items. The cost of labor averages 500 dc per level of magic-user
hired for the job, and per month of work needed to accomplish the task. Creating a Library Some wizards may need to
compile their own libraries because their tower is located far from civilized centers (and thus do not have access to public
libraries). The guidelines below explain how to acquire these rare tomes. As the power of spells being researched increases, the importance and expense of the library increases
accordingly. For a library of minimum value, 4,000 dc must be invested. This allows research on first level spells. For each
subsequent spell level to be researched, another 2,000 dc must be invested. For example, a library suitable for ninth level spell would cost 20,000 dc. Every time a wizard discovers
a spell, 10% of the gold spent for that effect is added to the library value. For every 2,000 dc of library value above
the minimum required, the wizard's chances to discover his spell increase 1 %. This bonus is only valid if the wizard owns
the library (i.e. it is located within his own workroom and knows it inside out). Bonuses due to large libraries should be
limited to + 10%. Finding rare tomes is helpful to a wizard. In a large city, the wizard will spend about a day per 100 dc
of expenditures (or fraction thereof) to find the desired tomes. Any single book found in a treasure, in an abandoned
library or for sale on the market costs 10 dc multiplied by a percentage roll. When role-playing with book merchants (or book thieves), a wizard should appraise the value of what he
is offered. The basic Appraisal Score (rolled on d100) of a wizard is equal to his Intelligence score plus his level, multiplied
by two. The DM makes a secret check and informs the player of the perceived book value. If the roll was successful,
the wizard appraises the book value correctly. If the roll failed, the difference between the Appraisal Score and the
dice roll gives the percentage of error. If the difference is an even number, the wizard thinks the value is higher;
if the difference is an odd number, the wizard thinks the value is lower. Example: A wizard with an Appraisal Score of 50 tries to buy a book worth 500 dc. The DM rolls a 98
and informs the player the books seems to be worth (98-50 = 48%, higher) about 750
dc. The PC starts haggling from there. A roll of 01 means the seller's price seems right to the wizard. A book merchant has an average Appraisal Score equal to his Intelligence x 5. He will set his price according
to his perceived value of the book, plus a benefit margin of 30%. A thief of libraries has an Appraisal Score equal to his
thief level x 2 and sells for double that price. Whether both are likely to sell their books below their perceived values
is a question of how well the wizard was role-played. In any case, merchants never sell 20% below their sales price;
a thief never sells for less than half price, unless Constables are after him. Several days later, after studying the book,
the wizard realizes its true value (the DM reveals the actual price). Studying a book takes a day per 100 dc of actual value. Appearance
of a Book The arcane volumes the
wizards crave come in a variety of shapes and colors. The system below is designed for the die-hard com pletionis£. To
find the general appearance of a book, roll1d % + 1 per 100 dc of book value, and check the score below. * 01-60-The book has a
velvet (1-4 on 1d6) or a silk (5-6 on 1d6) cover. Roll 1d12 on column one below to find the fabric color. * 61-95-Use the Wilderness
Encounter Tables, pages 30-35, in the Expert Rulebook. Choose the columns corresponding to the terrain type where the
book was found (or said to be found). The result indicates which creature's skin was used for the book cover. * 96 + -This is a stack
of scrolls in a small chest, a large scroll case, or between two flat slabs. Roll 1d12 on the Material column below for the
nature of the containers.
# Color Material Ornaments 1 Black Platinum None 2 Blue Gold Common runes 3 Brown Silver Alchemical symbols 4 Gold Brass Knotwork, lattices 5 Green Bronze Lightning bolts 6 Ochre Steel Demonic, faces 7 Jade Eyes and mouths 8 Purple Ebony Flames and clouds 9 Red Redwood Stars, moons, suns 10 Silver Ivory Mazes, hourglasses 11 White Lacquered Non-magical pentacles
12 Special Coral, nacre Monsters' features Special: Roll
again ignoring scores of 12. The item glows with a continual light spell. All the books come with metal fittings, and a clasp or a lock. Roll 1d6 on the Material column above to
find the metal used. Roll 1d12 on the Ornaments column for the presence of ornaments (printed, painted or carved). The
first column can be used for a variety of things such as the color of book edges, bookmarks, separate bindings, ornaments
and writings on the cover. Books may have magical
wards which are triggered after the book has been read for 1d20 hours (1 % chance
per 100 dc of book value). Common wards are lightning bolt, polymorph other, death spell, c1oudkill, disintegrate,
feeblemind, curse, energy drain, poisonous pages ... They should be undetectable, and non-dispellable. And now, the final touch! Give all tomes high-sounding titles and author names. Famous NPC wizards are
good authors, and this may cause new, exciting intrigues to challenge PCs (an author or his rival trying to recover a
lost secret; the book contains clues on NPCs; etc.). |
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