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Curt's Diabolist and Ward Magic Rules: Rev 1.1 = 95.08.10

By: Curt Kremer (curtk@rocky.tntn.gtegsc.com)


Ward magic is much abused and much misunderstood in the Palladium universe. Every campaign I have been in has handled them differently. They are easy to abuse and easy to over restrict. What I have summarized below is my attempt to clairify ward magic. This sytem has been used in my Palladium fantasy games for the last 10 years or so to good effect. I hope this helps.

WARDS

What is commonly called a ward is actually a ward phrase made up of 1 or more mystic symbols. Each symbol is inscribed in order in an appropriate substance (as listed in the book) and activated by incanting the symbol's power words. Diabolists have a certain number of wards per day they can activate. This number refers to the number of WARD PHRASES she can empower. In other words, you don't have to spent 3 of your wards per day to empower protection-from evil area-of-effect, that's one phrase, so 1 empowerment.

 

WARD PHRASES

These are my names for the parts of the ward phrase. They differ a bit from the book. I think mine are a little clearer. Anything in square brackets, [], is optional. Each part of the phrase is explained further below.

Action [Effect] [Number] [Modifiers . . .] [Names . . .]

Action: Actions are Alarms, protection-from, protection-by-infliction, and inflict. They define what this ward does. Actions are the key to using wards, so I will mention each of them here.

Alarms: The 4 alarms work as described in the book. A couple of notes here: Trigger alerts the diabolist and sets off an attached ward, and I increase the saving throw needed to bypass alarm wards the same way they are increased for protection circles (ie 3 pts harder).

Inflict: This action causes an instant effect to whatever the ward is attached to when it is activated. The item/person does still get a saving throw to avoid the magic. Requires an effect.

Protection-from: This action creates some defensive magic for the item/person to which the ward is attached. Protection from fire on your armor, only helps your armor, not your hit points. I allow willing targets to gain protection without failing a saving throw (I'm a nice guy). Saves for creatures tring to penetrate a protection ward are NOT increased like saves for creatures trying to enter protection circles. This is the advantage of summoners. Requires an effect.

Protection-by-infliction: This is the abused action! This action will inflict the effect on the first creature that disturbs the item/person this phrase in inscribed on. If done on a person other than the diabolist you must include their name!! (See Names below) Anyone/anything that can feel the effect that disturbs the warded item must save or set it off. It they keep playing with the item, I have them keep rolling saves until it goes off (Like one per round, or whenever they do something significant with the warded item). Once it goes off it's safe (unless . . . See Numbers below). The trick here is examining the effect. I allow the ward to be smart enough to only allow a chance of triggering if the effect would work on the target. I need to explain that. Fire can effect any item, so hitting a fire ward with an arrow might set it off (roll save - I give items base saves). A charm ward, on the otherhand, requires some measure of intelligence to work, so an arrow won't trigger it. Another example: Mystic energy drain requires mystic energy to be triggered. This is a bit confusing, so if you have any questions on this, just e-mail me and I'll try to explain. Oh yeah, requires an effect.

Effects: These are Conditions and Colors from the Palladium book. They are the pointy edge of most wards. Action gives you the direction of the magic. The Effect tells you what happens. This really isn't any different from the book. Some conditions list odd durations for what should be instant effects. I rule that damage is inflicted instantly unless the text of the condition says damage is per round. Effects that linger use the duration listed (like charm). The duration for Protection-from effects seems to be a constant 10m/level. As for colors . . . Yes, I let my diabolists turn people blue. The effect is also good for emergency magic weapons. (See Wards on Weapons below). I have added a bunch of effects to make up for the holes in the conditions provided in the book. I treat the stuff listed under diabolist similar to the common wizard spells. This lets the diabolist players get in on learning new magics as they continue thier adventures.

There are really 2 different kinds of conditions in the book. There are the active type that inflict an effect (like fire, light, knowledge). There are also ward symbols that represent classes (like evil, demon, faerie). They are in general used with Protection-from. I allow diabolistOBs to inflict these class wards. The effect is an alteration in the apparent aura of the target (if he fails his save). So the phrase "Inflict Evil" drawn on your forehead will make you appear evil to aura read, protection circles, etc. for 5m/level (which is the duration I put on inflicting colors too). If you think about it, this has some tricky uses. If you really want to know, I can write up a list of effects I'm using in my game and their, um, effects.

Numbers: Numbers are pretty much unchanged from the text too. They are optional and specify the order in which multiple wards placed on the same item/person will be triggered. Ther is no way of telling how far down the list a ward sequence is, unless you set it off.

Modifiers: Modifiers are things like Perminence, and Area-of-effect that modify normal ward behavior. Most of these require some special components because they make wards a lot more powerfull. Modifiers usually modify the effect, but I did let a diabolist change the order of his phrase once and let a Power modifier modify his Area- of-effect modifier for a larger area. Don't use that until you think about it carefully.

Power: Doubles the effect. Double damage, double penalties, and double duration. Pretty much like it says in the book.

Area-of-effect: Makes the ward effect work on any target that fails it's save in a 10'/level radius of the ward, once triggered. The ward must still be disturbed by someone who fails his save for this to go off. The exception is for alarms. An area-of-effect alarm will go off if anything in the area is disturbed (and a save is failed). Each person disturbing the area must save until the ward triggers. Area-of-effect wards can only be inscibed on anchored places, like buildings. The area-of-effect ward requires some fixed location and contact with a large mass to work properly (Best justification I can think of :-).

Perminence: This makes a ward perminent, NOT the effect. Actually, Perminence on an inflict will make the effect perminent. But, other than that, it is the ward that lasts forever. This means that every time the warded item is disturbed, the unlucky soul needs to make a saving throw. Perminent wards can go off any number of times. That's why the components are so rare. You might think this helps you ward a weapon, but perminent wards on weapons are annoying (triggering every time the scabbard bumps into it. . . See Wards on Weapons below).

Names: While a diabolist can not set off his own wards, anyone else can. The way around this rule is to inscribe true names in silver at the end of the ward phrase, but before the phrase is empowered. No, you can't add names after the fact (that would disturb the ward!). Anyone whose true name is listed can't trigger the ward nor can they be hurt by it's effect (if the ward is area-of-effect). Please note that this doesn't go for equipment, clothes, etc. The diabolist's protection doesn't protect his things either.

NOTE: Summoners can do very nasty things with your true name. I allow diabolist to use true names to set wards that can only trigger if <insert true name> disturbs it (sort of the reverse of the above). Letting your true name be common knowledge is usually a bad idea. True names are a whole other discussion.

 

USING WARD MAGIC

Wards are tricky to use. Once empowered, anything appropriate to the action or effect will cause the ward to activate. A diabolist cannot set off her own wards, but a clumbsy one can trip one with her staff. Wards (except for those modified with area-of-effect) only affect one target/item. This is why wards on weapons are not very effective. If the ward works on anything (like most damage doing wards), it may be activated by the opponent's parry!! You may end up doing 25 points of damage to the ogre's shield. If the ward works only on intelligent things (like charm), then you have a better chance (See Wards on Weapons below). Inflict on your armor, only hurts the armor. Same with protection-from. If you want the protection the ward has to be on your flesh (or whatever passes for skin for you). Unless you like having your true name all over camp, those area-of-effect alarm wards are going to go off as some as someone rolls over. So a diabolist has to use her head.

 

WARDS ON WEAPONS

I touched on this in the previous section, but it needs more depth. The best ward to put on a weapon is inflict. Turn the blade green and it's a minor magic item for the next few minutes. Try to set it as a surprise for the next guy you hit and you have to be careful. Once painted on, the ward is still vulnerable to being wiped off at the first parry. Once empowered, the ward gains some degree of invulnerability. Physical effects will tend to get triggered by armor or parrying weapons rather than people. You can get lucky, but remember, once it triggers - that's it. You can put protection-by-infliction sleep on your axe. That will only effect creatures. Don't bump the handle against your horse! Don't hand the weapon to a friend! If you aren't a diabolist, your true name better be written on that ward or you might be the one sleeping. Wards on weapons are generally a pain and not done often.

Perminent wards on weapons can be more of a problem. Swords that make anyone they hit save vs ward or sleep. This is OK according to the rules, if you are a diabolist - or - your buddy the diabolist inscribes your true name on it. I had great fun with one of these items an enemy diabolist had. The PCs couldn't hold onto it for long, eventually that ward would get them. A nice cursed item. (A sword - magic - with perminent protection-by-infliction evil on it. Sometimes your aura looks evil, sometime is doesn't. Did you make your last saving throw?? :-) The only control is to make the materials needed for perminence very rare. If dragons are a dime a dozen and easy to kill, make the material ancient magic-weilding dragon bones.

 

TIME

The enemy of the diabolist is time. If you look in the book, it tells you how long each of these wards takes to draw. Creating complicated ward phrases in combat is nearly impossible. The fight might be over before your killer ward is done. Or, more likely, the enemy could get to you before you finish. Never forget that while powerful, wards take time. You don't want to have all your wards active to start. One fall into a pit and between the impact activated wards your clothes will set off and the others that your friends will set off when they fall on top of you, you'll be in serious trouble. A skilled diabolist is prepared, but for most of the direct magics a diabolist can work on the enemy, he has to do it right there. Drawing the wards and NOT activating them doesn't save you either. That is a good idea for the wards that can be carved or carefully protected. The unprotected ward phrases will probably smudge and be useless before they are needed. Sorry.

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