Plot Hooks

1. An abandoned cave reveals a vast tapestry of vivid and colorful pictures. A successful

(spellcraft/ knowledge arcana check) gives the reader a low level spell but only achievable

through ritual casting.

2. A shaman of a tribe has had a vision of a great flood washing away the land. They entreat

the party to assist them in finding a place for the tribe to relocate, high above the plains and

into the mountains. (Could lead into a fight against a giant, a dragon, or any mountain-

dwelling monster with a big enough lair.) Don't eat the poison berries!

3. The shaman declares that the spirits are unhappy, that something disturbs their slumber,

and tasks the party with putting them at ease again. A monster has taken up residence in the

ancient burial grounds; get rid of it.

4. The forest is starting to burn, but no one knows what happened. Investigate before the fire

takes over the land and the tribe is forced to evacuate their home.

5. The shaman leads the party through a vision quest to relive a great battle. They are

transported to another plane -- Ysgard, probably -- and are forced to take part in the battle by

celestial "war reenactors". ( /u/TundraWolfe #7-12)

6. Big rock fall down! What make big rock so angry. ( /u/zapzoroath)

7. Children keep going missing after going berry picking in a certain area.

8. Legends tell of a fish so big, it takes six men to haul it ashore with spears. The last two

fishing teams have gone missing.

9. A nearby tribe has abandoned their settlement, seemingly at random. Meals are left

unfinished on tables, but there's no signs of struggle anywhere.

10. A pack of dire wolves have been terrorizing a tribe. Eating their food and their people. If

this keeps up they won’t have enough food to make it through the winter.

11. A tribe has had a cursed placed on them, their people have started to fall ill. They need

the help of a medicine man to recover before they die out. ( u/ken_NT #33-35)
12. The tar pit brings easy meals but a high risk.

13. A tribe uses canoes and spears attached to ropes to hunt whales and sea monsters and

invites you to join them..

14. A white mammoth is said to be the mammoth spirit made flesh. Is it?

15. A tribe is driving mammoths off a cliff in their hunt. Sadly you must scale that cliff.

16. The night tiger threatens the local village, only UNG and your party are strong enough to

stop it. ( u/ZombieGuy224)

17. A rival tribe has been terrorizing your warriors with a magic totem. The elders want you to

make one of your own.

18. Something is desecrating the burial grounds. Stop it.

19. The shaman is dying, and someone needs to accomplish a spirit journey before she dies,

so that she can have a shaman to ease her soul into the afterlife.

20. Food stores are low and winter is coming, but the River Clan has food to spare. Get as

much as you can, but don't provoke war.

21. Avenge a murdered warrior.

Incantations
Incantations are like spells, but they can be cast by characters who are not spellcasters. This
variant enables characters who know the correct ritual gestures and phrases for an incantation to
achieve powerful magic effects. Incantations don’t use spell slots, you don’t have to prepare
them ahead of time, and you can use an incantation an unlimited number of times per day.

Incantations have drawbacks: They’re time-consuming to cast, and success isn’t assured. They
are often expensive, and some require additional participants to complete the ritual. Some
incantations work only under certain specific conditions, such as during a full moon.

Most important among the drawbacks, an incantation rarely fades away quietly if the caster fails
to perform the ritual correctly. Instead it reverses itself on the caster, explodes with a cascade of
magical energy, or weakens the barrier between worlds, enabling hostile outsiders to emerge
onto the Material Plane.

This variant gives a measure of magical power to nonspellcasters, but the incantations
themselves are usually too specific in effect to increase a character’s power in the general sense.
Because many incantations require academic skills such as Knowledge, the characters best
equipped to cast them are often spellcasters anyway.

Incantations provide a useful way to introduce powerful magical effects in a lower-level game
under controlled conditions. PCs will still use spells rather than expensive, risky incantations
whenever they can. Incantations are also more specific than spells, so the GM can introduce
them into the game without worrying that they’ll spread beyond the immediate situation.

If you want characters in your low-level game to take a brief sojourn to Ysgard, you can
introduce the incantation Hrothgar’s journey. Because it requires the construction of a thatched
hut in the middle of a forest and works only during the winter solstice, you don’t have to worry
about the characters exploring the Outer Planes whenever they get the urge. If you gave low-
level PCs easy access to the plane shift spell, on the other hand, they could wander the planes
until they ran afoul of the first outsider more powerful than they are (which is almost any
outsider).

Metagame Analysis: Creating Incantations

It’s important to realize that this system for creating incantations is meant as a starting point, not
the last word. Anytime you apply multiple modifiers to a single DC, the potential for accidental
consequences or intentional abuse is there.

To keep incantations under control in your campaign, avoid creating incantations with skill
check DCs lower than 20. Furthermore, you should emphasize how much faster, easier, and safer
spells are than incantations. Every incantation you create should have at least one component
that’s difficult for the caster to deal with, such as an XP cost, an expensive material component,
or a significant backlash component. Because incantations don’t require spell slots—or even
spellcasting ability—you need to make sure that characters can’t simply cast incantations
repeatedly, stopping only to sleep.
Incantations are most effective when they’re specific; they should always be more narrowly
focused than spells that accomplish similar tasks. The planar binding spell, for example, can trap
and compel service from any elemental or outsider with 12 HD or less. A comparable
incantation, Xecilgarasp among the bones, would call one specific bebilith named Xecilgarasp
for a specific job: guarding a tomb. If ordered to do anything else, Xecilgarasp attacks the caster
instead. And if Xecilgarasp ever dies while guarding a tomb, the incantation is thereafter useless.
The Xecilgarasp among the bones incantation is just as powerful as the planar binding spell in
the specific instance it was designed for, but it has limited or no utility beyond that.

Discovering Incantations
Obscure tomes and spellbooks filled with mystical ramblings, descriptions of magic theory,
ordinary arcane spells, and utterly useless or incomprehensible magical writing often hide the
instructions for performing incantations. In those dusty volumes, diligent readers can find
incantations with real power—magical recipes that provide step-by-step instructions for
achieving a powerful effect.

If the characters have access to a well-stocked library of magical information, finding a set of
instructions for a particular incantation requires a successful Knowledge (arcana) check with a
DC 10 lower than the DC for casting the incantation. Just being aware of the existence of a
particular incantation requires a Knowledge (arcana) check with a DC 15 lower than the
incantation’s casting DC.

Casting An Incantation
At its simplest, casting an incantation is akin to preparing and cooking something according to a
recipe. You must have the ingredients in hand, then use your skill in cooking to perform each
step in order. In game terms, this means having the required incantation components, then
succeeding on a number of skill checks—often Knowledge (arcana) checks—during the
incantation’s casting time.

Each incantation description tells how many successful skill checks are required to cast the
incantation. Unless otherwise specified, the caster makes a skill check every 10 minutes. If
checks involving more than one skill are required, the checks may be made in any order, as
desired by the caster. Failing one skill check means that 10 minutes have gone by, and the
incantation is in danger of failing. If two skill checks in a row are failed, the incantation fails.
Each incantation has a consequence associated with failure. Even if the incantation fails, the
casting still consumes all the components (including expensive material components and
experience points).

Because of the unusual outcomes possible on a failure, the GM may choose to make these skill
checks in secret. Doing this prevents the player of the caster from knowing whether an
incantation has succeeded or failed. If the consequence of failure is immediate and severe (such
as death resulting from a failed fires of Dis incantation), the effect is obvious, and concealing it
serves no purpose.
Many incantations have a backlash component, which is an ill effect suffered by the caster at the
conclusion of the casting or upon failure of the incantation (see Backlash, below).

Saves and Spell Resistance

If an incantation allows a save, the formula to calculate the save is included in the incantation’s
description. For checks to overcome spell resistance, divide the incantation’s skill check DC by 2
to get the effective caster level for the spell resistance check. For example, the caster of a fires of
Dis incantation (DC 23) would add +11 to a d20 roll when attempting to overcome the spell
resistance of the target.

Interrupting Incantations
Incantations take a long time to cast, but they aren’t as delicate and exacting as traditional spells.
Casting an incantation does not provoke an attack of opportunity, and a caster can even pause the
ritual for a short time in order to fight, cast a spell, or take some other action. For each round the
incantation is interrupted, the DC of all subsequent skill checks to complete the casting increases
by 1. Time spent during the interruption of an incantation does not count toward the incantation’s
casting time.

Taking 10
As long as the caster of an incantation is not threatened or distracted, he may take 10.
Incantations with backlash components or similarly harmful aspects count as threats that prevent
the caster from taking 10. A caster may never take 20 when attempting to complete an
incantation.

Incantation Components
Most incantations require components not unlike those of spells, including verbal, somatic,
focus, and material components. In addition, some require secondary casters (abbreviated SC in
the Components line of a description), or cause some sort of backlash (abbreviated B), or cost the
caster some amount of experience points (abbreviated XP).

Secondary Casters
Some incantations require multiple participants to have any hope of succeeding. These secondary
casters are indispensable to the success of the incantation. However, no matter how many people
are gathered in the dark room, chanting with candles, only one character—most commonly the
one with the highest modifier in the relevant skill—is the primary caster who makes the relevant
checks. Secondary casters can’t help the primary caster succeed by means of the aid another
action, but their presence is required for certain aspects of the ritual nonetheless.

Often, an incantation is hosted with more than the minimum number of casters. If the primary
caster or a secondary caster is killed or disabled, one of these bystanders can step into a role.

If an incantation requires a check involving a skill other than Knowledge (arcana), any secondary
caster can make that check if he or she has a higher skill modifier than the primary caster.
Casters who favor the Hrothgar’s journey incantation, for example, keep bards on hand if they
aren’t highly skilled in Perform (oratory) themselves.

Backlash
Some incantations damage or drain the caster in some way when they are cast. They have a
backlash component: damage, negative levels, or some other effect. The caster experiences the
backlash effect regardless of the success or failure of the incantation.

Failed Incantations
When two skill checks in a row result in failure (whether or not they’re made by the same
character), the incantation as a whole fails. The character who failed the second check
experiences the effect indicated in the incantation’s description. In general, the consequences of
failure can be divided into the following categories. (Many of these effects are not mentioned in
the sample incantations that follow; they are provided here for use in incantations that could be
developed for a campaign.)

Attack
A creature is called from elsewhere to battle the caster (and often any bystanders and secondary
casters). The incantation’s description tells the GM what Challenge Rating the creature should
have, how it behaves, and how long it persists.

Augment
The incantation was supposed to weaken or destroy its target, but it makes the target more
powerful instead. An incantation that deals damage might heal its target or cause it to grow in
power, for example.

Betrayal
The incantation seemingly succeeds, but the subject of the incantation (or, in rare cases, the
caster) undergoes a dramatic alignment change. Over the next 1d6 minutes, the subject’s
alignment becomes the extreme opposite of what it was previously (for instance, lawful good
becomes chaotic evil, or chaotic neutral becomes lawful neutral; a neutral subject randomly
becomes lawful good, lawful evil, chaotic good, or chaotic evil). The subject generally tries to
keep its new outlook a secret.

Damage
Either the caster or the target takes damage as the consequence of failure.

Death
Someone—usually the caster or the target—dies. Some incantations allow a saving throw to
avoid this consequence of failure.

Delusion
The caster believes the incantation had the desired effect, but in fact it had no effect or a very
different one.
Falsehood
The incantation (typically a divination) delivers false results to the caster, but the caster believes
the results are true.

Hostile Spell
The caster of the incantation is targeted by a harmful spell. The incantation description gives the
specific spell, save DC, and other particulars.

Mirrorcast
The incantastion has the opposite effect of what was intended.

Reversal
The incantation affects the caster rather than the intended target.

Sample Incantations
The following incantations are among the better-known incantations in existence—which means
that no more than a few eldritch scholars know about them. Characters can learn of their
existence during the course of an adventure by making a Knowledge (arcana) check (see
Discovering Incantations, above).

Call Forth the Dweller

Divination
Effective Level: 6th
Skill Check: Knowledge (arcana) DC 20, 6 successes
Failure: Falsehood
Components: V, S, M, F, XP,
Casting Time: 60 minutes
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell No
Resistance:

This incantation contacts the enigmatic, extradimensional being known as the Dweller on the
Threshold, an entity that imparts knowledge about its specific obsession: doors and other
entrances.

To cast call forth the Dweller, the caster must inscribe forty-two mystic symbols around an open
doorway, then begin the chants and supplications required for the incantation.
If the incantation succeeds, an image of the Dweller—an inky mass of tentacles and mouths—
appears on the other side of the doorway. The Dweller on the Threshold truthfully answers any
questions it is asked about a particular door. For example, the Dweller can provide a magical
password that unlocks a door, indicate how to disarm a trap on a door, reveal the weaknesses of a
door’s guardian, or describe the room that lies beyond the door. Its answers are clear and fairly
specific, if somewhat terse. The caster may well appreciate such concise answers, because one of
the forty-two symbols inscribed around the doorway during the casting of the incantation fades
away with each word the Dweller on the Threshold speaks—and when all the symbols are gone,
the Dweller disappears.

If the caster asks the Dweller on the Threshold a question that doesn’t involve doors, the Dweller
responds with a cutting insult, often about something the caster thought was secret. Each word of
the insult likewise makes a symbol disappear from the perimeter of the doorway.

The exact nature of the Dweller on the Threshold is shrouded in mystery. Some contend that it is
somehow connected to the god of secrets, although no one has ever found conclusive evidence
that the Dweller on the Threshold is evil.

Option
If the doorway used as the focus is one that the Dweller has been asked about in the past, the
caster gains a +4 bonus on the Knowledge (arcana) checks during the incantation. For example,
if Boredflak uses call forth the Dweller to learn about the Gateway to Despair, then when he
reaches the Gateway, he can use the Gateway as the focus and gain a +4 bonus when he uses the
incantation to ask about the Arches of Certain Doom.

Failure
If the caster fails two consecutive Knowledge (arcana) checks, the Dweller on the Threshold
gleefully lies, employing falsehoods that demonstrate its inclination toward mischief and cruelty.

Material Component
Forty-two mystic symbols inscribed around the perimeter of the focus doorway (requiring
materials costing 500 gp). As described above, these symbols gradually disappear during the
time the incantation is in effect.

Focus
An open doorway large enough to allow a Medium creature to pass through it.

XP Component
400 XP.

Backlash
After speaking with the Dweller on the Threshold, the caster is exhausted.

Campaign Use
This incantation is an obvious solution for characters who are “stuck” by an especially
impenetrable door. The exhaustion backlash makes it less likely they immediately try the door
after casting the incantation, and the XP cost ensures that they won’t try to use call forth the
Dweller on every door they face. If you introduce this incantation in your game, you’re giving
the PCs occasional access to a powerful divination. But because it’s rather specific, it doesn’t
make the characters more powerful. Typically, getting through a door lands PCs in trouble more
quickly than if they were unable to pass the portal.

Fires of Dis
Conjuration (Calling)
Effective Level: 6th
Skill Check: Knowledge (arcana) DC 23, 6 successes; Knowledge (religion) DC 23, 2
successes; Knowledge (the planes) DC 23, 1 success
Failure: Death
Components: V, S, M, XP, SC, B
Casting Time: 90 minutes
Range: Touch
Effect: 80-ft.-radius burst centered on caster
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half (DC 19 + caster’s Cha modifier)
Spell Yes
Resistance:

This incantation, dreamed up by insane cultists, opens a fell rift between the Material Plane and
Dis, the fiery second layer of the Nine Hells. This rift brings about a massive conflagration that
destroys almost everything in the immediate area, then releases a powerful devil who capers over
the smoldering ruins and begins to rampage across the countryside. The fires of Dis ignite
everything they touch—except for the caster, who is transported to Dis as the result of the
incantation’s backlash.

When the incantation is complete, the fires of Dis fill an 80-foot-radius spread around the
caster’s former location, dealing 18d6 points of fire damage (Reflex half) to all creatures and
objects. Additionally, everything flammable in that radius is now on fire (as described
in Catching on Fire).

In the following round, a pit fiend comes through the rift, which then closes. The creature begins
to destroy everything in sight.

Failure
Death of the character who failed the second consecutive skill check.

Material Component
Rare unguents and dark alchemical concoctions worth 5,000 gp.
XP Component
1,000 XP.

Backlash
The caster is knocked unconscious and transported to Dis (no save).

Extra Casters
Six required; they chant choruses and supplications to various dark deities throughout the
incantation.

Campaign Use
Obviously, the backlash component is significant enough that most PCs will not seriously
consider casting this incantation. But even a low- to mid-level character has a decent chance of
making all the skill checks without failing twice in a row, so the incantation could show up in a
campaign in a number of different circumstances. For instance, the PCs may be tipped off that
suicidal cultists are trying to bring the fires of Dis to their city, and they have to disrupt the
incantation. The fires of Dis might also have a place in a mystery adventure, where the PCs must
discover who stole rare alchemical compounds. A routine investigation takes on new urgency
when the PCs find out that the missing vials can be the material component for a fires of Dis
incantation.

Hrothgar’s Journey
Conjuration (Teleportation)
Effective Level: 6th
Skill Check: Knowledge (arcana) DC 20, 2 successes; Perform (oratory) DC 20, 4
successes
Failure: 5d6 points of fire damage to caster
Components: V, S, M, SC, B
Casting Time: 60 minutes
Range: Touch
Target or Caster plus four to twelve other creatures
Targets:
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) (DC 16 + caster’s Cha modifier)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Hrothgar’s journey is an incantation based on the tale of Hrothgar, a powerful barbarian hero
from ages past. When the poetic epic of Hrothgar is recited in the stifling heat of a sweat lodge
during the winter solstice, the orator and his listeners receive the same final reward that Hrothgar
did: a one-way trip to Ysgard’s plain of Ida, where they can drink and make merry with the
greatest warriors of myth.
To cast the incantation, the caster must construct a small, windowless hut in the middle of the
forest, then build a bonfire in the hut’s center. At least four and up to twelve others accompany
the caster into the hut. Then the flames are lit and the telling of the tale of Hrothgar begins.

Because the bonfire is large and the hut is small, the atmosphere inside quickly gets stiflingly
hot. This is the incantation’s backlash; unlike most backlash components, it affects the
incantation’s other targets as well as the caster. Any creature inside the hut must make
a Fortitude save every 10 minutes or suffer the effects of severe heat (as described in Heat
Dangers).

Just as the tale of Hrothgar approaches its conclusion (near the end of the casting time), the
bonfire’s flames light the hut on fire, which creates a great deal of smoke but no additional heat
or damage. If the final skill check succeeds, the flames consume the hut’s roof and walls,
revealing the plain of Ida on the plane of Asgard.

Material Component
A windowless, thatched hut in a forest.

Backlash Component
Severe heat.

Extra Casters
Four required; they provide the dialogue for other characters in the epic of Hrothgar.

Campaign Use
Hrothgar’s journey is well within the reach of mid-level PCs, especially bards. Of all the Outer
Planes, Ysgard is perhaps the most hospitable to PCs and the easiest to work into an ongoing
campaign, so the incantation may be a good way to whet the players’ appetite for planar travel
without opening up the entire cosmology. In the hands of NPCs, Hrothgar’s journey can be an
escape route for the barbarian raiders the characters have been chasing for months. Or a
mischievous NPC bard can beckon the PCs into a warm hut on a cold winter’s night, promising
them a wondrous reward if they just listen to a tale…

Creating New Incantations

F
Making unique incantations for your campaign is a tricky balancing act. Incantations are
intentionally constructed to be much more idiosyncratic than spells are. And because
incantations hinge on skill checks, it’s possible for a character to get access to powerful magic
before he—or the campaign—is ready for it. The following guidelines will help you balance the
benefit of an incantation with its negative aspects, and also determine how difficult the
incantation is to cast.

1. Determine School
When you design an incantation, first decide which school or schools the incantation
would fit into if it were a spell. Each school has a specific DC, which serves as the
base skill check DC for the incantation you’re designing. Consult the descriptions of
the schools of magic if you aren’t sure which school an incantation should belong to. If
you’re designing an incantation that could qualify for more than one school, choose the
most important one to provide the base DC. Other schools add one-third their DC to the
 total. For example, the fires of Dis incantation has conjuration as its most important
school (because of the pit fiend it calls) and evocation as a second school (because of the
fiery burst it creates). Thus, the fires of Dis incantation has a base DC of 41 (30 + 11) for
all skill checks made during its casting.

Each summary below specifies the range, target, duration, and other aspects of an
incantation associated with a particular school.

Abjuration
DC 32; Range: Close; Target: One or more creatures, no two of which can be more than
30 ft. apart; Duration: Minutes; Saving Throw: Will negates; Spell Resistance: Yes.

Conjuration
DC 30; Range: Close; Target: One creature; Duration: Hours (Instantaneous for
teleportation subschool); Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance: Yes
(harmless).

Divination
DC 30; Range: Long; Target: Personal; Duration: Minutes; Saving Throw: None; Spell
Resistance: No.

Enchantment
DC 32; Range: Close; Target: One living creature; Duration: Minutes; Saving Throw:
Will negates; Spell Resistance: Yes.

Evocation
DC 34; Range: Medium; Area: 5-ft.-wide bolt or 20-ft.-radius burst; Duration:
Instantaneous; Saving Throw: Reflex half; Spell Resistance: Yes.

Illusion
DC 32; Range: Touch; Target: One living creature or 20 cu. ft. of matter; Duration:
Minutes; Saving Throw: Will disbelief; Spell Resistance: No.

Necromancy
DC 34; Range: Close; Target: One or more creatures or corpses; Duration:
Instantaneous; Saving Throw: None; Spell Resistance: No.

Transmutation
DC 32; Range: Medium; Target: One creature or 20 cu. ft. of matter; Duration:
Rounds; Saving Throw: Fortitude half (often harmless); Spell Resistance: Yes.

2. Modify DC
Next, determine modifications to the base DC based on the specifics of your ritual; see
the table below for a list of general factors and how they change the skill check DC.
Increasing the base range of an incantation, for example, is a factor that increases the DC.
 Reducing the duration of an incantation, on the other hand, is a factor that reduces the
DC.

3. Set Level
Finally, set the effective level of the incantation. Incantations are like 6th- through 9th-
level spells, so you can set the effective level of the incantation by comparing what the
incantation does to what spells of that level can accomplish. The effective level
determines a number of aspects of the incantation: how many total successes are required,
the exact save DC of the incantation, and sometimes the incantation’s precise range and
duration.

Total Successes
Equal to the incantation’s effective level.

Save DC
10 + incantation’s effective level + caster’s Cha modifier.

Duration and Range

Assume a caster level of twice the incantation’s level, using the same formula a spell
would. For example, an incantation with a duration of “minutes” would last 12 minutes if
it’s effectively a 6th-level spell. The same incantation with a range of medium can affect
a target up to 220 feet away.

Special Effects
Wounds are a horrible breeding ground for infection. Many

germs that live on the skin can be dangerous inside the body,

and wounds can force this kind of rough and involuntary relocation.
 Assume that any wound has a 5% chance of becoming

infected (plus 20% per hour untreated). Make a Fortitude roll

(DC 20) for any such wound, and if it succeeds the infection is

fought off by the character’s immune system. Otherwise, the

wound is indeed infected.

If a wound is infected, instead of healing normally, it will fester.

In game terms, each festering wound prevents 1 point of

healing. Thus a character with 15 hit points can only heal back

to 14 while possessing a festering wound. Worse, if left

untreated, it can develop into a variety of diseases of the flesh.

If you desire to include more realistic infections, make another

Fortitude roll, and on a failure roll percentile and refer below
for the possible additional effects:
1–25 Septicemia
Septicemia is the gradual rotting of flesh, due to infection by the
bacteria that usually only set in after death. It requires a 1d3 day
incubation period, after which it begins to progressively reduce
the constitution score of the victim, one point a day. This damage
is considered temporary, and lost constitution can be recovered if
the victim is cured. Each week that slow rot is left to spread, 1
point of constitution loss becomes permanent. When the permanent
constitution reaches zero, the character dies.

26–50 Gangrene
Gangrene has a 1d6 hour incubation period, and is a rapid disease.
Wounds so infected tend to turn green after infection.
Every minute after infection has set in, roll 1d100. On a 5 or
lower infected blood has reached the heart, and the person will
die in 1d20 hours. The best mundane way to prevent gangrenous
blood from reaching the heart is by amputating the
affected area. This stops the rolls. Tying off the infected area of
the body tightly can delay the rolling for d100 minutes. Note
that sometimes the damage of the amputation has sent a body
into shock, and killed the patient anyway. A fortitude save (DC
20 for minor appendages and 25 for major) must be made, or
the amputation is still deadly. Amputation usually only works
on limbs, as cutting out chunks of torso or head flesh is impractical.
If the damage was not specified, roll 1d6 + 1d8 on the
following chart to determine location and hit points that will
permanently be lost by amputating:

Table 1-1: Amputation

# Location Result
2. Right Hand -5% hit points, possible weapon
hand
3. Left Hand -5% hit points, possible weapon
hand
4. Lower Right Arm -7% hit points, possible loss of
weapon arm
5. Lower Left Arm -7% hit points, possible loss of
weapon arm
6. Upper Right Arm -10% hit points, possible loss of
weapon arm
7. Upper Left Arm -10% hit points, possible loss of
weapon arm
8. Right Foot -5% hit points, loss of 5 ft of base
speed and cannot run
9. Left Foot -5% hit points, loss of 5ft of base
speed and cannot run
10. Lower Right Leg -8% hit points, cannot stand without
special aid, let alone walk
11. Lower Left Leg -8% hit points, cannot stand without
special aid, let alone walk
12. Upper Right Leg -15% hit points, cannot stand
without special aid, let alone walk
13. Upper Left Leg -15% hit points, cannot stand
without special aid, let alone walk
14. Vitals Cannot be amputated. Death is
assured in a non-magic using world.
Pray.

51–75 Neural Necrosis

Neural Necrosis has a 1d3 day incubation period, and manifests
as a general numbing of the area of the wound, which gradually
spreads each day. In essence, the nerves in the region are dying,
and thus sensation in the body part is lost. Roll on the gangrene
chart if the location of the wound is unknown. That portion of
the body is at a -1 to all tasks in general, due to the inability to
sensually assess the effect on the body, except for skills that
require touch, such as lock picking or pocket picking, which are
at -4. Worse, wounds to this portion of the body are unsensed,
and can be allowed to bleed freely, or promote new infections.
Assume that it takes a week for this infection to spread to all
neighboring regions of the body. There is no cure for nerve damage,
which, in a mundane world, is unhealable.

76–100 Tetanus
Tetanus occurs when a wound is infected with impurities, and
the impurities hit the bloodstream. The incubation period for
tetanus is 1d6 days, and its results are muscular rigidity, usually
in the jaw first. The reason tetanus effects the jaw first is
due to deposits of minerals in the muscles of the face. These
react to the impurities of the tetanus infection, and cause the
jaw muscles to contract uncontrollably, keeping the jaw locked
shut. In some cases this can lead to starvation or suffocation,
depending on the person’s general health. Tetanus is progressive,
and could not be cured until the modern period. Older
‘remedies’ invariably involved the breaking of the jaw, in order
to allow nourishment into the body. Living with tetanus is
nearly unbearable, as eventually all muscles in the body will
seize up, including the heart.

First Aid & Healing

Fortunately, barring the presence of a cleric, a simple successful
first aid attempt after a battle prevents all wounds from disease.
If a person with the Heal skill is not available, those with
Profession (herbalist) skill can fashion poultices to prevent
infection. The DC of the profession check is 15. Poultices may
also be purchased or made prior to an arduous event. Wet poultices
tend to last about a week before needing to be replaced,
while dry poultices can last up to three weeks. Application of
poultices after combat boosts the fortitude check against infection
by +3 for dry poultices and +6 for wet ones. Salves can
also be prepared by herbalists. These oily concoctions, when
smeared on wounds, give a +2 to Fortitude saves vs. infection.
A canister of salve is usually good for 50 applications, and
should be applied to all wounds, but multiple applications are
not cumulative.
Dead bodies left exposed for too long can be hazardous to your
health, as well. Bodies in a water system that people drink out
of can transmit gastro-enteritis or cholera, and mishandling
corpses and not washing one’s hands afterwards can also communicate
these diseases when the person eats. Fortitude saves
vs DC 25 must be made to avoid contracting such a disease,
and 90% of those who do not contract the disease become carriers
for 1d3 days. Those who come in contact with a carrier
must also make a Fortitude vs DC 25 roll, or contract the disease.
Typical incubation is 1d6 days, and symptoms are
extreme diarrhea, cramping, and dehydration. This conveys a
temporary loss of 1d6 con, and the infected must make a Fortitude
save vs. 20. Failure indicates a more serious case, with an
additional loss of 1d20 con, 1d3 of which are permanent. If all
Con is lost, the victim dies. Things like this became the origin
for legends of a ‘mummies curse’ or a ‘curse of the dead’.

Spirit Quests
Smoke Lodge Spirit
Quest
The smoke lodge is an important component of many
barbarian tribes, a place where shamans, chiefs and
ordinary tribesmen alike gather to meditate and to
practice their religious devotions to their ancestors
and to the gods and the spirit animals who guide the
tribe’s destiny. A smoke lodge is also where a warrior
can go to find himself, to restore his body and mind
to peak condition or to request the aid of his spirit
patrons in the battles ahead.
This section presents three quests which a barbarian
can attempt when he journeys in the smoke lodge.
Preparation for the Quest
In order for a barbarian to attempt a spirit quest, he
must strengthen both his resolve and his body, by
anointing himself in precious oils and herbs and by
cleansing himself of impure thoughts. To do this,
he must abstain from eating for one full week and
drinking for a full day before entering the smoke
lodge. Once inside, he must anoint himself in a
sacred solution with ingredients costing a total of 100
gold pieces.
After these preparations are complete, the barbarian
must worship to the point of exhaustion through dancing,
chanting, clashing his sword on his shield and other,
similar things. To aid warriors in becoming exhausted,
the smoke lodge is always kept hot, usually at just above
90 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that a barbarian
preparing himself for the spirit quest must attempt a
Fortitude save every hour (DC 15 + 1 for each previous
check) or become fatigued. Once he is fatigued, he must
push himself to exhaustion, by failing another check. A
barbarian cannot voluntarily fail a check to speed the
preparations, as that is considered a sign of weakness.
When the barbarian becomes exhausted, he collapses
in the smoke lodge and his spirit begins its quest. A
barbarian can attempt a maximum of one spirit quest
each month, whether the quest was successful or not. The
quests a barbarian can embark on are described below.
Warrior’s Harrowing
The rules listed above are intended for use in campaigns where the details of the quest the
barbarian undertakes are
less important than the results of that quest. This means they are perfect for those games
where the Players and
Games Master prefer to keep the action flowing from one scene to another.
In a campaign oriented around tribes, or in one where interaction with the spirit world is
important, such as when
the campaign is intended to invoke more mythic themes, entire adventures can revolve
around a spirit quest. In
order to involve all the Players in the quest, so that they do not have to sit there bored as
the barbarian’s Player has
all the fun, the following options are suggested.
Companion spirits: When the barbarian enters a spirit quest, he can bring his close
friends with him. There
are two ways to represent this in the campaign. First, the barbarian and his allies can enter
the smoke lodge
together, following all the steps necessary to enter a spirit quest and doing so when the last
succumbs to
exhaustion. Alternately, the Games Master can rule that when the barbarian enters the
quest alone, his spirit
conjures up phantom representatives of those closest to him; in this way, the other
characters can participate,
though they are not technically there.
In a campaign where spirit quests are to play an important role, they should be turned
into entire, wildernessthemed
adventures, with the party engaged in combat or challenged to use their skills. During such
a spirit quest
adventure, the characters should gain experience points as normal but should not gain
permanent treasures of
any sort. If the Games Master wishes to reward the successful completion of a spirit quest
with gold or magic
items, then the party gains knowledge of the location of one or more such treasures upon
awakening from the
quest.
Ancestor Quest
A barbarian can attempt to contact the spirits of his
revered ancestors, sending his own spirit into the ether,
where it seeks out knowledge in the vast wilderness of
the worlds of the dead. In order to succeed in finding his
ancestors, who are hidden in the primordial wilderness
of the planes of the dead, he must track them using his
Survival skill; for the purposes of the quest, the barbarian
is considered to have the Track feat. The DC of the check
is 25, as the spirits hide their tracks and are considered to
be moving over hard ground. The spirits of the ancestors
will always be found within 1d4 miles of the barbarian
spirit’s ‘location’ when it enters the afterlife. If the
barbarian fails to track his ancestors, then the quest fails
and his spirit is returned to his body.
If the barbarian succeeds in tracking down the spirits of
his ancestors, then he may gain insight into the future
from them, as per the spell commune cast by a cleric
of his character level. The spirits will always answer
truthfully. When the barbarian’s last question has been
answered, his spirit returns to his body.
Restorative Quest
A barbarian whose body or mind has been damaged,
whether by poison, spell or other means, can cleanse the
impurities from his spirit with a restorative quest. When
the barbarian enters a restorative quest, his spirit is bound
by the spirits and gods above to complete a task, to prove
that he is worthy of their aid. The barbarian is affected
as if by a quest spell which cannot be broken by any
mortal means. The quest which the barbarian is required
to complete is commensurate to his ability to perform it,
taking into account his reduced capabilities. If the quest
is completed successfully, then the barbarian is instantly
and permanently restored to his fully healed state, with
lost levels, lost senses and lost ability scores returned to
their full values; even severed limbs are restored to full
use.
A barbarian can only ever gain the benefits of the
restorative quest once in his life, whether his assigned
quest is successful or not, though if he fails to enter
the quest state he can try again each month until he is
successful.
Spirit Animal Quest
A spirit animal quest is an important ritual, one which
many barbarians attempt on the day their tribe considers
them an adult. Barbarians also seek out spirit animals at
other times, most notably when preparing for a difficult
journey, or when readying themselves for war or the
hunt.
During a spirit animal quest, the barbarian’s spirit voyages
to a primal plane where the totem spirit animals reside.
His spirit must then hunt a spirit animal, by tracking it
across the wilderness. The barbarian is considered to
have the Tracking feat for the purposes of finding a spirit
animal and the base DC of the Survival check required to
track the spirit animal is always 25 (hard ground, covering
tracks) unmodified by the size of the animal. The spirit
animal’s tracks are always considered fresh and the spirit
animal is always considered to be 2d4 miles away from
the point where the barbarian’s spirit begins to track it.
The barbarian decides when he enters the spirit animal
quest for the first time which type of spirit animal he
will track. From that point on, that is the animal he will
seek out each time he attempts this quest; if the barbarian
has the Totem Animal feat, or if he has chosen a totem
spirit animal patron (see the Fury of Magic), then he will
always track that spirit animal, gaining a +2 sacred bonus
in his attempts to do so.
If the barbarian is successful in tracking the spirit animal,
then he gains its favour and a temporary boon. The
barbarian can choose one of the following boons, each
of which can be used once and must be used within one
week of completing his spirit animal quest:
As a free action, he can affect himself as by one of the
following spells, cast by a cleric of his class levels:
bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, eagle’s
splendour, fox’s cunning, or owl’s wisdom.
He can commune with nature, as the spell cast by a
druid of his caster level.
He can use summon nature’s ally V, as the spell cast
by a druid of his caster level.

CONSTRUCTING DREAMS
It’s a common misperception among DMs and authors that
all it takes to create a dream sequence is to describe random
weirdness and some nonsense imagery. In fact, the majority
of dreams contain their own form of logic and their own patterns,
even if these are not easily recognizable. To create an
in-game dream that feels genuine, it’s important to construct
the scene properly.
Making Events Feel Dreamlike
If you want to make a scene feel like a genuine dream, subtlety
is your best tool. Dreams tend to feel quite real—at least at
fi rst. Consider the following possibilities, and keep in mind
that everyone in the dream treats the situation as though it
were totally normal.
Everything is Normal but for One Major Detail:
The PCs are no longer the same race they were. Everyone
is speaking a different language. A character has forgotten
how to wield a sword or cast spells. A person long dead is
speaking to the character as though she had never died. The
character’s companions have no eyes.
Things Change Abruptly: The dreamer looks away and
when he looks back, he’s speaking to a different person than he
was a moment ago. The house the dreamer just entered is a castle
on the inside. The door leading out of the character’s bedroom
actually opens into a forest halfway across the continent.
Perhaps the dreamer herself changes identities in the dream;
fi rst she is watching or speaking to someone, then she is that
person and feels as though she always has been. Or the dreamer
rolls over in bed to speak to his wife and discovers a bare and
bloody skull staring back at him with horror-fi lled eyes.
Items and Places Evoke the Wrong Emotion: A favorite
childhood toy seems to glare evilly at the character. The halls
of her home are unfamiliar. His favorite tune is depressing
to hear, bringing tears of sorrow to his eyes. The sight of her
lover fi lls her with mindless rage.
People’s Behavior is Slightly Off: A loved one hurts the
character in some way and, when confronted, dismisses his
feelings as unimportant. A trusted ally lies to the dreamer
but otherwise acts normally. A parent is cruel and taunting.
A friend well known for her jokes and pranks seems to lack
all sense of humor. A frail, spindly wizard insists on laying
into foes with an axe.

A Ridiculous Detail is Accepted as Commonplace: Dogs

talk. The dreamer fi ghts his foes with an empty hand, as though
pretending to use a sword; each time he strikes, it takes the foe
a second longer to drop, and the dreamer knows that sooner
or later, the enemy will realize he doesn’t really have a sword
and will stop falling altogether. It is always day or always night.
Time fl ows abnormally quickly or slows to a crawl.
The Dreamer Recognizes a Person or Place for Something
It’s Not: The dreamer is walking with her husband, but
in the dream her husband looks like a totally different person.
The dreamer is wandering through his family’s home; he
knows it’s his home and knows his way around it, but it does
not actually resemble his family’s home from real life.
The DM can choose to revisit a place the PC has been to
earlier in the campaign. Start by telling the player, “You fi nd
yourself back in Castle Shadowmere.” Then describe rooms and
halls as you choose, making no attempt to have the description
match up to the PC’s earlier visit but not calling attention to
the differences either. Wait for the player to notice that the
location does not appear the same, rather than making that
fact overtly clear.
Turning Dreams into Nightmares
The techniques for running horror encounters and games, as
presented in Chapters 1 through 3, apply equally well to turning
dreams into nightmares. So long as you start from a suffi ciently
dreamlike starting point, perhaps using the above techniques,
the nightmare should maintain its unreal quality while still
evoking as much dread as any other horror encounter.

ADVENTURING IN
NIGHTMARE REALMS
Dreamscapes allow for more than exploring a character’s
fears or showing the future. They’re viable locations for
adventure as well.
In some myths and cosmologies, the realm of dreams is an
actual place, a strange world visited by the sleeping minds of
billions of dreamers across millions of worlds. In other settings,
no unifi ed realm of dreams exists; instead each dream
creates its own temporary reality, one that others can actually

55
CHAPTER 3
A HORROR
CAMPAIGN
enter with the proper magic. In still others, dreams might
be nothing more than images created within a character’s
mind—but even then, magic can allow others entry, permitting
them to move through the subject’s thoughts as they are
made manifest in the dream. You should decide in advance
whether each dream is its own contained realm or whether
explorers can access an entire plane of dreams by traveling
beyond the borders of a given sleeper’s mind.
If you wish to run an adventure in a nightmare realm, you
must determine precisely how the characters arrive there.
Normal Dream or Actual Dreamscape: If you are running
a scene that takes place in a normal dream, the events have
little bearing on the real world. All injuries are gone when the
character awakens, and she might not even fully remember what
transpired—just like in a normal dream. You can take the opportunity
to really let loose, allowing low-level characters access
to high-level abilities, having kobolds transform into dragons,
making all monsters regenerate body parts like hydras regrow
heads, and so forth. Alternatively, the characters might have
stumbled into a dreamscape, a realm of dreams where actions
have consequences in the waking world (see below). Decide
if each dream is its own demiplane, unconnected to anything
else, or if all dreams border on a true plane of dreams, allowing
travelers to wander from one dream to another, or even enter
a realm of raw dream-stuff that belongs to no single being.
Bear in mind that even in a normal dream, certain creatures
of the dream realm can cause lasting injuries and effects.
Their mere presence can transform an otherwise standard
dream into a nightmare realm. See page 58 for more on
creatures of the dreamscape.
Physical or Mental Entry: Do the PCs enter the dream
purely as mental manifestations of themselves, or do they
enter it physically, just as they would enter any other alternate
plane? If they physically enter a dreamland, they risk injury
and death. Even if the foe is a product of a dreamer’s imagination,
so long as the PCs inhabit its reality its claws or blades
or spells are very real. A character who enters a nightmare
land mentally (like a character projecting an astral body into
the Astral Plane) cannot be physically injured in the dream
world, under most circumstances. However, in such as case
you might rule that the PC lacks his standard equipment,
since that is part of his physical self. He might look different,
as his self-image asserts itself. Decide in advance how dangerous
the realm will be—if characters slain in the dreamscape
simply return to their physical bodies, if they return with
mental damage (perhaps Wisdom or Charisma damage, or
madness), or if they die from the shock of the experience.
Deliberate or Accidental Entry: Did the PCs choose to
enter the realm of dreams? Did they participate in a plane shift
spell or some great ritual, perhaps seeking hidden secrets
or the soul of a lost comrade who will not awaken? Or were
they drawn in by accident? Perhaps a dreaming character
fi nds herself in a strange landscape from which she cannot
escape, and her companions are in fact manifestations of his
own mind. Or perhaps an entire party, camped in an area of
unstable magic or the abandoned temple of a forgotten deity,
experiences the same dream and must accomplish some
task in the realm of nightmare before they will be allowed
to awaken. More often than not, deliberate entry will be
physical, while accidental entry will be mental only, though
this is merely a guideline, not a rule.
Knowing or Unknowing Entry: Do the characters even
know they are in a dreamscape or nightmare realm? If they
all went to sleep and found themselves there, they might
naturally be inclined to think it’s just a dream. On the other
hand, they might believe themselves to have been somehow
transported during the night to an unfamiliar but real place.
Characters who set out to enter the realm of dreams most
assuredly know where they are, at least in general terms,
but characters who were transported against their will or
stumbled through a strange portal might believe themselves
in some alien plane rather than in the realm of dreams.
Terrain, Environment, and Inhabitants
The environment of a dreamscape can shift from absolutely
normal to utterly surreal and horrifi c in an instant. Just like
the ebb and fl ow of a dream itself, a nightmare realm follows
its own logic and patterns, but these often bear little or no
resemblance to the logic of the real world.
Just as every dream is unique, so too is every nightmare
realm; it would be impossible to provide a specifi c list or
formula for creating them. Rather, you should make use of
the techniques discussed above and apply them to the actual
environment through which the PCs adventure. Objects and
places alter when the PCs look away. If characters enter one
structure, they wind up in a different one. People abruptly
change their behavior or warp to become other creatures.
Horrifi c monsters come from nowhere, appearing behind
the PCs when they aren’t paying attention.
If possible, design encounters and situations to take full
advantage of known fears and weaknesses of the PCs. A
character who fears reptiles confronts snakes on a regular
basis: They are in her pack, clothes, hair, mouth; the monster
lurking in the nearby bog is a snake-headed hydra. Another
character, who had been unable to save his family from being
slaughtered by drow long ago, now fi nds bloodied toys and
clothes and eventually confronts his relatives themselves,
furious over his failure to protect them.
Locations in the nightmare realm should seem frightening
and eerie. An old house, perhaps the childhood home of a
PC, contains more rooms than it should, and halls that do
not lead to the same place twice. Geographical impossibilities
are commonplace—mountains with convoluted shapes
that could not possibly support themselves; tropical forests
in the midst of frozen tundra; islands fl oating in an infi nite,
storm-fi lled sky; graveyards that stretch for miles with no
nearby community to have established them; weather that
shifts from one extreme to another with no warning. At the
same time, vast stretches of land are entirely normal, making
the intrusion of the impossible that much more jarring. Even
normal regions are exaggerated, though. Deserts stretch as far
as the eye can see, motionless save for the hot wind that ruffl es
the dunes. The fi elds around a homey cottage are brilliant
green, bedecked with daffodils and frolicking animals (until
the daffodils seize upon the frolickers with sucker-mouths
and darken the grass with their blood). Rain falls in torrential
sheets that are solid obstacles. Juxtaposition of the normal
with the extreme, and the casual blending of these with the
impossible, are the keys to making a dreamscape.
Where possible, tie the terrain and environment to the perceived
thoughts and emotions of the PCs. If they are angry or
spoiling for a fi ght, the weather could grow violent. Characters

feeling as though they might never reach their goals fi nd deserts and mountains blocking
their path. Those feeling homesick
or wishing for a place of rest could stumble across the cottage described above. The
emotions of the players or characters
should never defi ne a nightmare realm (or a given encounter within it), but using them as a
springboard adds a layer
of depth and verisimilitude to the game. Similarly, items, creatures, and people in the
nightmare realm might also
stem from the characters’ memories and feelings. An old and hated villain might appear,
even if she has long
since been slain. Phobias rear their heads with stubborn persistence. A missed loved one
approaches a character,
begging him to run off with her or accusing him of some bitter betrayal. Remember, too, to
include imagery and
metaphor; a character’s loves, hopes, or fears might not always manifest in obvious ways.
Fear of abandonment
might manifest as the character seeming invisible and inaudible to potential allies; sharing a
cramped cave with
a member of the opposite sex to whom a character is attracted is a pretty blatant metaphor.
People change abruptly and frequently in dreams, and this is not a phenomenon you need
limit to NPCs. In nightmare realms, the PCs can fi nd themselves or their companions
changing
abruptly. You might determine that a specifi c character suddenly looks very different,
and inform all players but the one playing that character of the fact. Special class features
such as turn undead or empathic link might begin to work differently or not at all.
It could be an enjoyable departure for you to prepare a new set of characters,
of roughly the same level as the PCs, and hand each player a new character
at some point as they travel the nightmare lands. The PCs could
continue to be the same people they always were in terms of memory
and personality but very different physically. Have
the players swap characters briefl y. Let them take
Finding the path through a dreamscape
can be a nightmare in itself
over the monsters or villains in a fi ght, as the perspective of
the dream shifts. If they’re up to the roleplaying challenge,
let them know that their alignment, or a similarly important
aspect of their personality, has changed temporarily.
It is up to you to balance the strangeness of the realm with
the enjoyment of the players. Some people dislike being told,
even on a temporary basis, that they must play their characters
differently. Others do not take well to having some of their
class features stripped away—again, even on a temporary basis.
Make use of such techniques only if you feel your group will
appreciate them. (See Chapter 1 for more on the DM/player
agreement necessary to run a viable horror campaign.) Nightmare
lands are far more effective as adventuring regions if the
players have created fairly deep characters who have recognizable
fears and goals and well-established backgrounds.
Spells in the Dreamscape
Due to the unpredictable nature of nightmare realms and dreams,
any spells or spell-like abilities used therein might not work normally.
The more complex the spell, the greater the chance it will
go wrong. Each time a character casts a spell, roll 1d20 + the spell
level. If the result is 21 or over, the spell is twisted by the mutable
nature of the nightmare realm. Roll 1d20 again and consult the
following table to determine the impact on the spell.
d20 Result
1–5 The spell functions normally but is cosmetically
changed (different colors, flashing lights, odd
sounds, and so on).
6–7 The spell functions as 1d4 caster levels lower than
normal.
8–9 The spell functions as 1d4 caster levels higher than
normal.
10–11 The spell functions normally, but affects a target
or area other than the one the caster intended,
determined randomly.
12–13 The spell does not function; instead, the caster
produces another spell of the same level,
determined randomly; this need not be a spell the
caster knows or has prepared.
14–15 The spell does not function; instead, the caster
produces another spell of 1d4 levels lower,
determined randomly; this need not be a spell the
caster knows or has prepared.
16–17 The spell does not function; instead, the caster
produces another spell of 1d4 levels higher,
determined randomly; this need not be a spell the
caster knows or has prepared.
18–19 The spell simply fails to materialize.
20 Roll twice, ignoring this result if rolled again.
Injury and Death
Unlike normal dreams, actual adventuring in nightmare
realms can threaten lasting repercussions for the characters
who attempt it. (If the threat of injury and death is not real, the
characters are unlikely to feel much fear.) This is not an issue
if the characters traveled physically into the dreamscape, in
which case they are present, body and soul, and every injury
they take is entirely genuine.
If the characters have entered the nightmare realm mentally
or spiritually, however, determining real-world consequences
becomes trickier. The easiest solution is simply to have wounds
and injuries carry over as normal. This is functional enough,
but it reduces the sense of unreality of the dream, as well as
blurring the difference between physical and mental travel.
A better solution is to have characters take mental damage
that corresponds to the physical damage they take while in
the nightmare realm. Some options include the following:
• When the character emerges from the nightmare realm,
divide her total amount of hit point damage by her level. She
takes this many points of Wisdom and Charisma damage
(minimum 1), divided as equally as possible between both
abilities. Even if the character has healed all the damage she
took in the nightmare realm before exiting it, she still takes
a single point of Charisma damage if she took any wounds
at all during the course of her stay there.
• When the character emerges from the nightmare realm,
divide his total amount of hit point damage by his level. Add
10 to this total. This is the DC of the Will save the character
must make to avoid having his depravity score increase by 1
(see page 65 for more about depravity).
Characters who “die” while mentally traveling in a nightmare
realm might experience one of several fates. Death in
the dreamscape can simply result in death to the body as
well, due to the mental shock. Alternatively, dying in the
nightmare realm might result in the character losing a level or
two, as portions of her memories are shredded away. Similarly,
such a dream-death might result in permanent damage (2 or
4 points) to Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. Decide ahead
of time which option you prefer for your campaign.
If a character’s body is slain in the “real” world while
his mental or spiritual self is in the nightmare realm, he
becomes trapped in the world of that dream. He can survive
indefi nitely but can never leave that particular realm. If he is
slain within the nightmare realm as well, he dies and moves
on to the appropriate afterlife.
Finally, if the PCs are traveling through the dream of a particular
character, what happens if that individual should awaken
before they depart? The easiest answer is that the characters
instantly return to their waking bodies, perhaps stunned by the
experience. Alternatively, they might be trapped until she sleeps
again, or banished from her dreams to the wider dreamscape,
wandering amid the dreams and nightmares of hundreds of
beings as they search for a means of return. Or the dreamscape
might be unaffected; if this is a realm the sleeper’s soul visits at
night, as opposed to one her brain creates, it might persist even
while she is awake, simply waiting for her to return.
Special Maneuvers
Long-Distance
Signalling
There are times when it becomes necessary to signal
allies across vast distances, especially when magic is
not your ally. A classic example of communication is
through the use of smoke signals. By constructing a
heavily-smoking fire and systematically restricting the
amount of smoke carrying into the air, the fire itself
acts as an ideal means of signalling.
Several prerequisites are required to ensure the
effectiveness of the signal. High ground is necessary.
A character must locate a suitable and moderately
visible locale to build the fire. Forested hills, mounds
or mountains are suitable locales for signalling, but the
barbarian must beware lest the conflagration spread
beyond his capacity to control it.
Second, the barbarian must have a suitable amount of
firewood to build the fire. Locating brush, twigs and
fallen tree limbs is usually an easy affair, requiring no
rolls whatsoever. However, in this case, it is desirous
to have young, green wood capable of providing
billowing clouds of smoke. Finding these trees is
simple in forested areas. In plains or barren mountains,
finding wood of this quality is less easy and requires a
Wilderness Lore check against a DC 10.
Building fires is easy. Any character in the d20 system
can construct one with little effort. In fact, there is
no roll needed provided flint and steel or a tindertwig
are available tools. Once the fire is constructed, the
character must have a means to limit the amount of
smoke rising. As the goal is dispersal, a large blanket,
tarp, even sail canvas will work adequately.
Signals are difficult to transmit and to decode. The
signaller must roll a Wilderness Lore check against a
DC of 15. The person decoding the message must first
see the smoke for what it is. They must succeed at a
Spot check against DC 15, modified by a number of
conditions described in the table below. A successful
roll indicates the witness identifies the signal and the
process of decoding may begin.
For the purpose of simplicity, smoke signals may
convey a limited number of messages: Help, Danger
or Stay Back. Fundamentally, smoke signals convey a
message of great importance, but for obvious reasons
are not protracted conversations. A character who sees
a smoke signal may make a Wilderness Lore check (+2
if the character has 5 ranks or more in Sense Motive)
against a DC 18. Success indicates the message is
successfully transmitted and interpreted. Like spotting
the signal, decoding the messages are significantly
aided or hindered by the circumstances of the terrain
and weather between the signal and the decoder. The
same modifiers affecting the DC to spot the signal
apply to the DC to decode the message.
Spotting and Decoding smoke signal
modifiers
Situation Modifier to the DC
Day -4
Night +8
Smoke or heavy fog +10
Dense forest or jungle +8
Light forest +6
Scrub, brush or bush +0
Grasslands, plains, any -1
locale with little cover
Total darkness +20
Moonlight +8
Starlight +10
Light wind +4
Moderate wind +8
Strong wind +12
Severe wind +16
Windstorm or more severe winds +32
Overcast, but no precipitation +2
Light precipitation +4
Precipitation +6
Heavy precipitation +12
All conditional modifiers stack. On a clear day while
on the plains, the DC to Spot the signal is only a DC 10
(base 15-4 (for day) -1 (grasslands) = 10). On the other
hand, the DC to spot a signal while at night in the total
darkness of a torrential downpour under strong winds
is a DC 67 (15 (base) + 8 (night) + 20 (total darkness)
+ 12 (strong winds) + 12 (heavy precipitation) = 67),
which is just about as close to impossible as one can
get.
Themed Feats
DREAMTELLING
You can use your Knowledge (the planes) skill to interpret
your dreams or the dreams of others, thus gleaning useful
information and insights.
Benefi t: You can interpret the basic symbolism of a dream
to fi gure out what sorts of concerns or fears are likely to have
inspired it.

Knowledge (the planes) Dream Being Interpreted . . . DC

Features obvious symbolism 10
Involves cultural details or concepts 15
with which you are not very familiar
Represents memories of past events 20
with which you are not familiar
Both the previous conditions are true 25
Attempting to garner insight into future events, or events
occurring elsewhere, by reading the prophetic images of a
dream adds +10 to +20 to the base DC, depending on how
obscure the omens are.

The DM must decide if a dream contains prophetic imagery;

a suffi ciently high roll might glean some information
even if the dream was not overtly oracular. Making the DC
required to interpret a dream grants information comparable
to an augury spell (see page 202 of the Player’s Handbook).
Exceeding the required check by 10 or more offers information
comparable to a divination spell (see page 224 of the
Player’s Handbook). Exceeding the required check by 20 or
more offers information comparable to a commune spell (see
page 211 of the Player’s Handbook).
Even if your result was not high enough to enable you
to read prophetic images, the result might be sufficient to
interpret basic symbols and events. Thus, a check result of
18 is insuffi cient to foretell the future but still grants some
information about cultural details or concepts.
You can use this feat to determine what effect injuries
received in a dreamscape are likely to have on you once
you return (DC 15), or whether an item or location was
created by the dreamer or brought in from outside (DC
20); see Chapter 3 for information on adventuring within
dreamscapes.
Finally, this feat allows Knowledge (the planes) to function
in place of Survival when used within a dreamscape.
This skill can be used to retrace your steps and return to
a known person’s dream, or to attempt to track a creature
across the dreamscape.
Action: Dreamtelling requires careful analysis of bizarre
images and events. If you are trying to interpret your own
dream, you must cogitate on it for a number of minutes equal
to 30 minus your Intelligence modifi er. If you wish to analyze
someone else’s dream, that person must fi rst describe it
to you in great detail, adding an additional 10+1d10 minutes
to the process.
Try Again: No. The check represents your ability to
interpret that particular dream. You can attempt to interpret
other dreams the same individual has later, but you
get only one attempt per dream. Similarly, you have only
one attempt to determine whether an item is native to a
particular dream.
Special: Most campaigns are not set up to interact with
the dream world. Hence, this feat is only available if the
DM specifi cally states that he or she has decided to allow
it in his or her campaign.

DISEASE IMMUNITY
Whether due to prolonged exposure or natural hardiness,
you have grown immune to some diseases and resistant to
all others.
Prerequisite: Constitution 13.
Benefit: You are immune to one specific type of disease,
such as the red ache or mummy rot. In addition, you gain
a +2 circumstance bonus on saving throws against other
diseases (including magical diseases). You recover points
lost to ability damage from disease at double the normal
rate (2 points per day, rather than 1). If someone with the
Heal skill (including yourself) uses your blood to help
someone with the disease to which you are immune, the
diseased character automatically makes his saving throw
to recover. If your blood is used to aid in the healing of
someone with any other disease, it provides a +4 bonus
on the Heal check.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Each time
you take it, you become immune to a new disease. The +2
circumstance bonus against other diseases does not stack
with itself, since the circumstances of each disease immunity
are essentially the same.

SPIRIT SENSE
You can see and communicate with the souls of the recently
departed.
Prerequisites: Wisdom 12, must have had a neardeath
experience (that is, must have fallen below 0 hit
points).
Benefi t: You can see the spirits of creatures who have died
within a number of minutes equal to your Wisdom bonus.
For instance, if your Wisdom is 17 (+3 bonus), you can see the
spirits of creatures that have died within the past 3 minutes.
You can speak with these spirits, but you gain no special
ability to command them or to communicate with them if
you do not share a language. These spirits are not creatures
per se and cannot be harmed or affected in any way, magical
or otherwise.
In addition, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus on Listen
or Spot checks made to detect incorporeal creatures.
CRAFT SKULL TALISMAN
[ITEM CREATION]
You can create skull talismans, which carry spells within
themselves (for more information on skull talismans, see
page 112).
Prerequisite: Caster level 6th.
Benefi t: You can create a skull talisman of any spell you
know and that targets one or more creatures. Crafting a skull
talisman takes one day. When you create a skull talisman,
you set the caster level. The caster level must be suffi cient to
cast the spell in question and no higher than your own level.
The base price of a skull talisman is its spell level × its caster
level × 100 gp. To craft the talisman, you must spend 1/25 of
this base price in XP and use up raw materials (mostly comprised
of the rare metallic inks needed to inscribe the runes
of power on the skull) costing one-half this base price.
When you create a skull talisman, you make any choices
that you would normally make when casting the spell. Whoever
destroys the skull is the target of the spell.
Any skull talisman that stores a spell with a costly material
component or a XP cost also carries a commensurate
cost. In addition to the costs derived from the base price,
you must expend the material component or pay the XP
when creating the skull talisman.
The skull to be used to create a skull talisman must be
from a creature of at least Small size. A Small creature’s
skull can store a spell of up to 3rd level. A Medium
creature’s skull can store a spell of up to 6th level. A Large
creature’s skull can store a spell of up to 9th level. The art
of crafting skull talismans was perfected by neanderthal
druids, but any spellcaster can learn the art of making these
devices. Many view the act of creating or using a skull talisman
as a distasteful activity, but neither in and of itself is
it an evil act.

Second Wind
You are hard to kill.
Prerequisite: Toughness.
Benefit: Once per day, whenever reduced to onequarter
of your hit points or less, you immediately gain
10 + Constitution modifier in temporary hit points for
the duration of the fight. Refer to Core Rulebook I for
details on temporary hit points.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each
time you choose this feat, you may gain a second wind
an additional time per day.

Survival of the Fittest (General)

You are able to shrug off irritants such as poison and
disease with little effort.
Prerequisite: Great Fortitude, Endurance.
Benefit: You gain immunity to all diseases and a +4
enhancement bonus to Fortitude saves. This bonus
stacks with the bonus accrued from Great Fortitude.

Animal Soul
All barbarians carry the essence of the wild and of
the beast in their souls. Your spirit is connected more
strongly than most. Your heart beats with the fury of the
raging bear and your spirit takes to the wing with eagles,
burrows deep into the dark earth with the wolverine and
hunts the ocean’s depths as a shark.
Prerequisites: Ability to rage
Benefits: Animals recognise you as kin. All beings
of the animal type are always considered, at worst, to
be Indifferent to you and will not attack you unless
threatened.

Natural Scholar
Barbarians have an instinctive understanding
of the natural world but they do not have the
formal training of more scholarly folk. You
are the exception to this rule, having been
thoroughly trained in the natural sciences of
civilised society.
Prerequisites: Int 13+
Benefits: You gain the Knowledge (nature)
skill as a class skill and gain a +4 insight
bonus to all Knowledge (nature) skill
checks.

Totem Bond
You have an innate bond with your totem animal, a bond
which goes far beyond that of even other barbarians who
share your totem.
Prerequisites: Cha 13+, a barbarian animal totem
Benefits: You can speak with your totem animal at will,
as per the spell speak with animals. In addition, once
per day you can command the allegiance of your totem
animal, as per the spell charm animal cast by a druid of
your barbarian level, save that the totem animal does not
gain a saving throw to resist the spell-like effect.

ROCK HURLING [GENERAL]

You can throw rocks like a giant can.
Prerequisites: Str 19, size Large or larger (goliaths
qualify by virtue of their powerful build racial trait).
Benefi t: You can hurl rocks weighing 40 to 50 pounds
(Small objects) with a range increment of 15 feet. The rocks
deal 2d6 points of damage plus your Strength modifi er.
Rocks have a maximum range of fi ve range increments.
Normal: As an improvised weapon, a 40- to 50-pound
rock deals 2d6 points of damage with a range increment
of 5 feet, and such a rock can be thrown only as a fullround
action. A character without the Rock Hurling feat
is considered to be nonprofi cient, taking a –4 penalty on
the attack roll.

RECKLESS RAGE [GENERAL]

You are considered extreme even among other barbaric
warriors, and you enter a deeper state of rage than others.
Goliath barbarians favor this feat.
Prerequisites: Con 13, rage ability.
Benefi t: Whenever you activate your rage ability, you take
an additional –2 penalty to your Armor Class, but you gain
an additional +2 bonus to Strength and Constitution. These
bonuses and penalties stack with the effects of rage, greater
rage, and mighty rage

KNOCKBACK [GENERAL]
By putting your bulk behind a blow, you can push your
enemy backward.
Prerequisites: Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, size
Large or larger (goliaths qualify by virtue of their powerful
build racial trait).
Benefi t: If you score a hit while you are using the Power
Attack feat, you can make a free bull rush attempt against
the foe you hit, applying the number by which you reduced
your attack roll as a bonus on the opposed Strength check
(as well as on the damage you deal). If you hit with a twohanded
weapon, you can apply double that number on
the opposed Strength check. Unlike standard bull rush
attempts, knockback attempts don’t provoke attacks of
opportunity, and you don’t move with the enemy you
knock backward. Bull rush rules can be found on page 154
of the Player’s Handbook.
Special: A fi ghter may select Knockback as one of his
fi ghter bonus feats (see page 38 of the Player’s Handbook).

IMPROVED ROCK HURLING

[GENERAL]
Your accuracy and effectiveness with thrown
rocks
improves.
Prerequisites: Str 23, Rock Hurling, size Large or
larger (goliaths qualify by virtue of their powerful build
racial trait).
Benefi t: You can hurl rocks weighing 40 to 50 pounds
(Small objects) with a range increment of 80 feet. The rocks
deal 2d6 points of damage plus your Strength modifier.
Rocks have a maximum range of fi ve range increments.
Additionally, you gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls when
throwing rocks.

Sacrificial Mastery
Prereqs. 15 Wisdom
You gain a +4 bonus on Knowledge (Religion), (Arcana), and Survival checks made during
rituals involving a sacrifice.
Self-Medicating
Benefits: You treat Heal as a class skill. Once per day, you may heal yourself for 1d4+ your
Int mod HP. This expends the use of one Healing Kit.
Pawn in the Great Game
Prereqs: Endurance, Diehard
Benefit: Whenever you fall prey to an attack that reduces you from positive HP to -10 or less,
you can attempt a Fortitude save vs DC (25 – your level), take a -2 drain to your STR and
DEX, and find yourself alive with 1 HP.
Windup
Prereqs: Str 13+
Benefits: As Power Attack, but for thrown weapons
Heft
Prereqs: 15+ Str, Windup
Benefits: Add 150% of your STR mod to the damage of thrown weapons using both hands.
Rout
Prereqs: Str 13+, Windup
Benefits: When you successfully deal damage using Windup with a thrown weapon weighing
atleast 2 lbs, you can attempt a Bullrush.

FURIOUS STRENGTH
Prereqs: Ability to Rage.

Benefits: Rather than entering rage, you may expend one use to gain a +20 bonus to STR to
a single action that can last no more than one minute. Examples include Smashing through
something normally too hard, lifting an impossible weight so that your teammates may pass
through, or dealing a tremendous amount of damage in a single attack.
STONE THROWER
Benefits: You can turn typical stones (weighing between 1 and 5 lbs) into thrown weapons
dealing 1d6 damage with a range increment of 20 ft. A poor stone does 1d4 damage. It
takes a full round action to find a “typical stone”, whereas a poor stone may be found in a
move action.