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    The Quintessential Chaos Mage

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    Thiago Ramos

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    The Quintessential Chaos Mase Patrick Younts Contents Credits luction 2s Editor Ian Beleh Chaos Mage 4 nee Cover Art ter Concepts 10 Anne Stokes stige Classes 24 Interior Illustrations Eric Bergeron, David Griffiths, Carlos 10s Feats 36 Henrique, Tomasz Jedruszek, Danilo Moretti, ths of Chaos 4 Stephen Shepherd, Patricio Soler ‘Chaos Sorcery 60 —— Bees Familiars 97 Production Manager Tools of the Trade 101 Alexander Fennell Tricks of the Trade 113 bade Designer's Notes 119 SacRenalea Index 120 Ted Chang Rules 122 Playtesting ae Sune Mark Billanie, Jamie Godfrey, Daniel Character Sheet 124 Haslam, Mark Howe, Alan Moore, Daniel i énces Los Scothore, Mark Sizer, Michael Young OPEN GAME CONTENT & COPYRIGHT INFORMATION “The Quintessential Chaos Mage ©2003 Mongoose Publishing. All rights reserved. Reproduction of non-Open Game ‘Content ofthis work by any means without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden. The ‘Quintessential Chaos Mage is presented under the Open Game and D20 Licences. See page 128 for the text of the ‘Open Game Licence. All text paragraphs and tables containing game mechanics and statistics derivative of Open re Content and the System Reference Document are considered to be Open Game Content. All other significant characters, names, places, items, at and text herein are copyrighted by Mongoose Publishing. All rights reserved. If ‘you have questions about the Open Game Content status of any material herein, please contact Mongoose Publishing for clarification. *420 System’ and the “d20 System’ logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Ine. and ‘are used according to the terms of the 20 System Licence version 5.0. A copy of this Licence ean be found at worwwizards.com/d20. The mention of of reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concemed, Dungeons & Dragons® and Wizards of the Coast® are trademarks of Wizards ‘ofthe Coast, Inc. in the United States and other countries and are used with Permission, Printed in China MONGOOSE PUBLISHING Mongoose Publishing, PO Box 1018, Swindon, SN3 IDG, United Kingdom info@mongoosepublishing. com Visit the Mongoose Publishing website at www.mongoosepublishing,com for additional rules and news INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION, hhaos is not the absence of order. Rather, itis ( the presence of infinite permutations of order, of possibility, each complete in and of itself and awaiting the moment, be it brief or eternal, when it will impose its structure on reality. The chaos rage is the architect of this imposition, changing at his whim the fundamental nature of reality from what 4s, to what he wishes it to be The chaos mage is the antithesis of the wizard and the sorcerer. While their magic is all complex formula, rote recitation and memorisation, his magic is freeform and limitless, like chaos itself. For the cchaos mage, there is no such thing as the impossible, merely the improbable, The chaos mage’s art is the magic of limitless potential, of destruction and building, beginnings and endings. In short, his magic is the stuff of creation. Now, thanks to Quintessential Chaos Mage, that ‘magic is yours to command, THE COLLECTOR SERIES The Quintessential Chaos Mage is the lst title in Mongoose Publishing's acclaimed line of class and racial sourcebooks, all of which are designed to greatly expand a player's options when ereating and playing his characters, Integrating nearly effortlessly into any fantasy campaign, these books area valuable toolkit for both players and Game Masters alike, packed with nev options, new rules and new ideas The Quintessential range is designed to take your characters to new levels and your campaigns further than you ever thought they could go THE QUINTESSENTIAL CHAOS MAGE The Quintessential Chaos Mage builds directly upon the solid foundation and framework of Mongoose’s Eneyelopaedia Arcana: Chaos Magic, expanding and fleshing out the concepts first presented therein This book is intended to serve as a revision and replacement for the older work, introducing a new version of the chaos mage character class for use with Core Rulebook 1 In addition to the revised chaos mage character class, this book contains a host of new character concepts and_ prestige classes, which will help to spark good roleplaying, and which serve to give even more options to a class already filled to bursting with them, The heart of this book is the revised and expanded nules for wielding chaos sorcery. Everything you need to create and east freeform chaos magic is here, complete with new casting options and over a score of sample spells, to prepare you for ereating your own potent spel effects, The revised core class and rules for spellcasting are supplemented with all manner of new feats, updated rules for creating chaos magie items, and for crafting familiars out of living chaos. There are expanded and revised rules for walking the Paths of Chaos as well, for none can resist chaos” corrupting touch forever. ‘The Quintessential Chaos Mage is filled, cover to ccover, with new ideas, with new rules, and in the true spirit of chaos, with new possibilities. INTRODUCTION The old mon opened his hands, light spilling from between his fingers. A glittering, pulsing sphere hung suspended between his eupped palms, of all colours and of no colour, perfect smoothness broken by delicate spirals, spikes and spires of light that rose up, blossomed and faded away again: sometimes dripping down into nothingness, sometimes bursting into fragments that glitered, sparked and fliued away lke ash butterflies. ‘Do ‘pou believe in chance? ‘he asked, his eves resting om the glowing orb. “Yes, master, Ido.’ The voung man's eves were wide, fixed on the sphere. “You should not Chance is the province of the ignorant, the coin of the fool, the mad and the desperate."The ‘old man breathed, a single gentle puff and the sphere began to spin, at first slowly, then faster and faster. ‘Look closely, box; and tell me what you see. The young man leaned closer, so close his nose almost brushed the orb as it spun. ‘Tsee.. facets, master, facets like a jewel. And they change: sometimes there are more than I can count. sometimes only a handful” The old man nodded and smiled. ‘Yes, he said, with perhaps a hint of pride, ‘And no. Those are not facets, at least, nor like a jewel's facets. What you are seeing is possibility, the possiblity of you, my bos, represented in «a form your mind is capable of understanding. The facets represent every possible choice you might make at ‘every moment, every word you might say, every motion of vour body: every pause or twiteh which could change the nature of this moment; of each moment to come. That is what you see and that is what chaos is; choice” The old man parted his hands and the sphere shattered. He looked at the boy, holding his gaze for a moment ‘When you learn, when you truly know, that you hold choice inthe palm of your hand, that is when you will have the vightt0 call yourselfa chaos mage “Buc it all seems so uncontrolled, master ‘And it scares you, yes? That fear of the unknown. The knowledge that vou are creating the laws of your art at the speed of your own thoughts.” ‘The youngster paused, looking at his teacher with grave sincerity. "Yes, master, this knowledge Efear. What ts the price that I must pay?” ‘Price? asked the old man. Master; Lam young but betng broughe up in a village without running water does not make me a fool. Were so much on offer without a price, then Iwould not be your only pupil.’ The old man chuckled, patting the youth on the back and then tousling his hair affectionately. “You have not been my only pupil, und he paused wistfly, a streak of sadness passing across his visage. ‘There have been others. ‘Where are they nov, masier, that I might meet them and share of their experiences?” ‘Sadly, my boy. that will not be possible. All my former students have gone far, far away.” ‘Why so, master, when the warmth and hospitality of your home is sa well known? Does not one ever visit?” The old man glanced sadly out of the window, taking in the small orchard which bore the apples for which he had become justly famous. "You ask too many questions, my boy. There will bea time for such answers, but not now, Ask again another day, when my melancholia has receded.” The youngster nodded, unhappy with the rejection but too thoughful and mannered to show it. Instead he nodded and withdrew; his eyes drawn to the shattered sphere. Afier the door had closed, the old mage stood slowly and limped across to the window. He stared out at the ‘trees, looking at one in particular. 1 seemed at odds with the fine apple trees around it and, indeed, was unlike ‘any other tree he had ever seen. He remembered his finest pupil and made a mental note o prune him the next fine day that came, THE CHAOS MAGE into the primal forces of the universe, allowing, ‘him to affect changes in static reality. Though these changes manifest as arcane spell effects, the chaos mage’s powers are only tangentially related to the wizard’s prepared, formulaic incantations and only superficially similar to the spontaneous magi of the sorverer, which is limited to certain specific ‘expressions ingrained on the practitioner's spit ‘ chaos mage is a character who directly taps By contrast, the spellcasting powers of the chaos ‘mage are limited only by the power of his imagination and his strength of will. A chaos mage who is truly in tune with his desires can, and will stretch reality like taffy, twist and rip itas easily as a grown man shreds tissue between his fists. The greatest of chaos mages control reality on a scale comparable to that of minor deities, or the greatest of cosmic stewards; like those beings, the high level chaos mage imposes limits on reality, eality does not impose limits on him. THE CHAOS MAGE ‘Adventures: A chaos magemightchooseto adventure for any number of reasons, ranging from base greed to enlightened humanitarianism. Frequently, a chaos ‘mage will seek out the company of other adventurers and the thill of exploration and combat for no other reason than excitement; after al, chaos thrives best in times of strife, conflict and ever changing fortune (a textbook definition of most adventures), Other chaos ‘mages adventure to accumulate power and breadth oF experience, the better to hone ther spelcasting skill. Still others seok adventure because they recognise it to be the fastest, albeit most dangerous, method to accumulating wealth and earthly power; after all the treasure horde of even a lesser dragon can found, or fund the overthrow of, a large kingdom, Whatever their reasons for choosing the life of adventure, chaos mages tend to have brie* but spectacularly memorable careers, their bodies inevitably succumbing to the ravages of chaos, but not before affect great change across the with and breadth of the world ment: In order to become a chaos mage, a character must be chaotic in alignment. Since chios does not acknowledge the concepts of good or evil, 4 chaos mage ean be otherwise good, evil or neutral, as his conscience guides him. Should a chaos mage change his alignment from chaotic, he may no longer advance as a chaos mage and loses the ability to cast ‘chaos magic entirely. Religion: Chaos mages are restricted to the worship of gods of chaos and neutrality. The structured and heavily restricted dogmas of lawful gods are anathema to free spirited chaos mages. Lawful gods and their servants are likewise ata loss to understand the chaos mage’s nature Chaos mages are most likely to worship those gods whose portfolios encompass and actively Promote change, conflict, destruction, possibility and uncertainty. For this reasons, gods of war, of gambling and chance, of love, of fertility, of the elements, or of chaos itself (naturally) are most favoured, though they are by no means the only gods chaos mages worship. A small percentage of chaos mages reject the concept ‘of worship outright. Having, as they believe, leamed to manipulate the core structure of reality, they no longer fecl that they have need of gods; indeed, some believe themselves to be awakened to the first steps. ofa journey which will lead them to divine ascension and a place among the existing gods. Note that this does not mean that these chaos mages discount the power and influence of the gods, rather that they ‘The Quintessential Chaos Mage and Encyclopaedia Arcana: Chaos Magic ‘The rules presented in the Quintessential Chaos. Mage are intended to supplement and build upon: those first presented in Encyclopaedia Arcane: Chaos Magic. Inall questions of rules interpretation, the eles here take precedence. THE CHAOS MAGE simply see no reason fo worship those they consider nothing more than especially mighty peers. Background: Chaos mages are a truly diverse lot, ‘coming from all races and backgrounds. For further details on selecting an appropriate background for a chaos mage player character or non-player character, see the Character Concepts chapter ofthis book. ‘One thing to always keep in mind is the chaos mage’s Jack of focused, formal training. While a very lucky few with the potential to wield chaos energy will stumble upon, or be found by, a more experienced chaos mage willing (0 guide them, most will be forced to do for themselves, stumbling. along, and making mistakes until they discover what works best for them, or die in the attempt. Accordingly, most chaos mages have a strong independent streak and few long term ties. Races: A chaos mage can be of any race. Of all the races, humans, half-elves, gnomes and half-ores are the most likely to pursue the way of the chaos mage; Jnumans because the Path of Chaos is a quick road to power, gnomes because their whimsical minds bend easily to the concepts of chaos, half-ores because it suits their essentially chaotic nature and because they do not fear deformity as other races do and half-elves because the notion of limitless possibility is naturally appealing to those denied so many opportunities in polite society. Conversely, elves and dwarves rarely willingly pursue the ways of the chaos mage. Elves, ‘with their near millennia long life spans, rightly fear the corrupting effect of chaos on the body and mind, dreading the thought of spending centuries trapped fn boneless, screaming flesh. Dwarves, with their near universal belief in the rightness of law and order actually fear the power of unleashed chaos, though they are loathe to admit this even to themselves. The ‘ther races choose the Path of Chaos as whim directs them — which is, perhaps, as chaos would want it to be. ‘Other Classes: While even a novice chaos mage has the raw power and versatility necessary to survive as fan adventurer, they find their greatest suecess when they work with allies whose abilities complement heir own, Chaos mages tend to get on superbly with Barbarians, whose barely restrained wildness appeals 4 the mage on both a personal and intellectual level For the same reason, chaos mages get on well with ‘many rogues and bards, as the members of both those professions thrive in moments of uncertainty and chaos. Wise chaos mages respect the fighting prowess of men at arms of all sorts and quickly cultivate good working relationships with fighters, rangers and especially the aforementioned barbarians. They are more reluctant to associate with monks and paladins, because while they respect their skills and dedication to their craft, they find it difficult to work with those who are so unswervingly dedicated to lives of structure and lawfulness. Chaos mages can and do work with druids and clerics, though they often come into conflict with both groups, as their interpretations of the true nature of the universe are often radically different. Still, so long as both parties agree to disagree, or at least agree to keep their opinions to themselves, there is no reason they cannot enjoy long and fruitful partnerships. The same cannot usually be said of relationships between chaos mages and more traditional arcane spellcasters. Wizards, with their reliance on mystic formulas and practiced, repetitive gestures and incantations, generally despise chaos mages and disparage them as out of control amateurs with no tunderstanding of the forces they unleash upon the world. For their part, chaos mages see wizards as hidebound weaklings, simpletons forced to rely on musty fomes and alchemical formulas as one-legged men are forced to rely on crutches. Soreerers and chaos mages enjoy a slightly better relationship, as, the members of both groups respect one another's ability to directly tap into the primal magic of the iniverse. Still tis the rare chaos mage who considers 4 sorcerer his equal; most see them as inferiors who lack that essential spark of genius which would allow them to truly sculpt magic at will Abilities: Nothing matters more to a chaos mage ‘more than his ability to use sheer willpower to bend reality to his whims. Accordingly, Wisdom is the key ability of chaos mages. A wise chaos magician is also a long-lived chaos magician, as he understands better, the balance of risk and reward inherent in wielding chaos energies. Chaos energies are savagely unpredictable and can easily ravage the mortal form. ‘The most suecessfl and long-lived chaos mages are those whose bodies THE CHAOS MAGE are capable of resisting these potentially deadly transformations. Because of this, chaos mages tend to be physically more hardy than other arcane spellcastets, with endurance and strength comparable to that ofa farmhand, woodsman or even warrior. A high Constitution core is also useful for chaos mages ‘who wish to create and enjoy the benefits of chaos magic items, as their devices function only so long, as the mage is willing to devote a portion of his life ‘energy to maintaining them. Finally, a chaos mage with a compelling, winning personality should count himself lucky indeed; as the ‘avages of chaos manifest on his body (and they most assuredly will) only his ability to create and maintain friendships despite his grotesque appearance will save hhim from total rejection and unwilling isolation. A decent Charisma score can be all that stands between ‘a chaos mage and embittered solitude. Hit Die: d4 ‘Chaos Mage Class Skills: The following skills (and the relevant abilities) are all class skills ofthe chaos mage: Blu (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (alchemy) (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis) and Spellraft (In). ‘Skill Points Per Level: 2 + Int modifier. Class Features [All the following are class features of the chaos mage class. ‘Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: The chaos ‘mage is proficient with all simple weapons, but has no proficiency with any armour or shiclds. A chaos ‘mage who chooses to wear armour or bear a shield cannot feel the flow of chaos energy as well as he should; he suffers the same chance for arcane spell failure as other arcane spellcasters do, though the consequences for failure are considerably more dire, See the Chaos Sorcery chapter for full details of the THE CHAOS MAGE potentially catastrophic effects of arcane spel failure and chaos mages. Chaos Magie: Beginning at "level, the chaos mage gains access to his defining ability; the ability to work the pure essence of chaos to create nearly unlimited ‘magical effects. The Chaos Sorcery chapter presents the complete rules for creating and casting chaos magic effects, as well as a variety of sample chaos “spells. Remember that a character who chooses the ways, ‘of chaos magic is forever more barred from the more traditional styles of arcane spelleasting. He is, forbidden from multi-classing into any class which ‘grants arcane spelicasting abilities. Nor may a character learned in traditional arcane spellcasting ‘multiclass into the chaos mage character class (see the Choosing the Life of Chaos section for optional exceptions to this rule). ‘Chaos Familiar: At 2* level, the chaos magician gains a deep enough understanding of the energies he controls that he may use them to awaken sentence jn raw primal matter, creating a chaos familiar. ‘Chaos familiars are infused with the chaos mage’s ‘wn soul essence and are much more powerful than other arcane familiars. At the same time, however, the injury or death of a chaos familiar is much more devastating to the chaos mage than the loss of @ traditional familiar is to a wizard or sorcerer. See the Chaos Familiars chapter for the complete details of an awakened chaos familiar’s abilities. Multiple Effeets: When a chaos mage first come into his power, he is severely limited in the number of effects he may employ with each casting. As he ‘gains a greater understanding of the ways and whims Gf chaos, so to does he gain a greater ability to twist, multiple desired effects into a single spell. Beginning | at 5" level, he can weave two spell effects into every ‘esting. At 10°, 15* and again at 20* level, the chaos ‘mage gains the ability to add yet more effect strands, fo each casting, so that at twentieth level he can ‘asta spell with fully five unique spell effects. For Jnformation on individual chaos magic spell effects, see the Chaos Sorcery chapter of this book. ‘Chaos Countermagic: Beginning at $* level, the ‘chaos mage can, if he so chooses, unleash a raw burst ‘ef chaos energy capable of countering any static fagic spell effect. This chaos effect is functionally identical to the counterspell ability of traditional arcane casters, with the following exceptions. ‘A chaos mage need never attempt a Spelleraft skill check when attempting to counter a spell, as he is using sheer willpower to overwhelm the other caster’s arcane energies, rather than attempting to thwart a specific spell formula, Instead, he must succeed at a caster check against a DC of 10 + the spell’s level. AA successful caster check means that the spell is countered, while a failed check leaves the chaos mage vulnerable to backlash and manifestations of the Paths of Chaos. See the Chaos Sorcery and Paths of Chaos chapters for complete details of backlash. Chaos countermagic is capable of countering any spell, even those which are not normally affected by counterspell.. When used to counter sueh a spell, increase the spell’s effective level by one for the purposes of setting the chaos countermagic DC. The incredible versatility of chaos countermagic is rightly feared by traditional spelleasters and increases the distrust between the two groups. Chaos countermagic can never be used to disrupt divine spelleasting Purge Chaos Magie: No one can ever fully escape the taint of chaos and all eventually succumb to its, corrupting effects. Beginning at 12 level, however, the chaos mage learns enough about the nature of chaos and his own body, to allow him to harmlessly purge himself of some of the primal energy which permeates his body. Once a week, the chaos mage can purge himself of one level on a Path of Chaos. This has an associated experience point cost equal to 500 experience x the level of the step to be negated. So, for example, should a chaos mage decide to purge himself of the eighth step on his Path of Chaos, he would be required to spend a total of 4,000 experience points (8 x 500 — 4,000). Only one step, the highest step, can be purged in this manner each week. Should the chaos mage possess steps on two or more Paths of Chaos, he can only purge one step from one of his paths. See the Paths of Chaos chapter for more details. THE CHAOS MAGE (CHOOSING THE LIFE OF CHAOS The freeform mechanics of chaos magic presented here are a relatively new addition to 420 gaming, having been introduced fist in Encyclopaedia Arcana: Chaos ‘Magic. As such, itis very possible that this will be your gaming group’s first exposure to the concepts presented herein. It is equally possible that one or more of your players may wish to immediately take advantage of this book's new class and spell casting mechanics, which can be a problem if you are in the middle of an existing ‘campaign. Can be, but does not have to be. ‘The first, simplest and least satisfying solution is t0 forbid access to the rules presented within this book until either the campaign ends, or until such time as an existing character dies or is retired from active play. ‘There is nothing wrong with this approach, per se, but it can lead to dissatisfaction, with player's coming, to resent the fact they are “forced to either abandon ccharaeters they have spent weeks, months or years developing, or stick with characters they no longer wish to play. Additionally, delaying the introduction of these rules to your campaigns also means that your purchase \will be left to languish on the shelf. ‘The second solution, allowing players to convert existing characters to chaos magicians, is more satisfying, but brings with it its own problems. The ‘optional rules presented below should prove useful to those who wish to integrate chaos magic into existing adventuring parties. ‘Chaos magic and non-arcane spelleasting characters Granting non-arcane spell casting characters access to the rules herein is as simple as allowing them to multi class into the chaos mage class, using the normal rules for multi-class characters. Divine spell casters cam use chaos magic without issue ~ just keep in mind that divine caster levels do not add to chaos magic caster level checks when generating spell effects. Chaos magic and sorcerers OF all the existing arcane spelleasting classes, the sorceret is the easiest to convert t0 the use of chaos magic, primarily because the sorcerer class does not benefit from many level granted abilities. With a bit of creative thinking and a spot of rewriting, a sorcerer can simply be converted to a chaos sorcerer. Should you choose this route, remember to account for the presence of an existing standard familiar; if possible, simply convert it to a chaos familiar, using the rules in the Chaos Familiars chapter. A kind Game Master should also allow the player to retroactively alter their character's feat choices, should they wish to. ‘A key difference between mid to high level sorcerers ‘who are allowed to retroactively become chaos mages, and characters which began as chaos mages and achieved mid to high levels is this: the latter will undoubtedly hhave accumulated a few steps along one of the Paths ‘of Chaos, while the former will still possess a body and spirit free of corruption. In order to compensate for this, itis recommended that a sorcerer be given one step along a chaos path for every three full class levels. ‘Chaos magic, bards and wizards It is unfortunately not so easy to retroactively alter a bard or wizard to take advantage of the rules presented here. Characters of perhaps 1* to 3° level can be retroactively changed to simply become chaos mages without too much issue, though both players and Game Master must be willing to overlook or explain away the disappearance of bardic music abilities and the (minor) Joss of martial skill, It is not recommended that wizard fr bard characters of fourth level or above be allowed to become chaos mages, as the mechanical changes are simply too comprehensive. ‘The ‘Radiation Accident” Of course, having said that, there is stil a way to justify the complete transformation of an existing bard or wizard to a practitioner of chaos magic; the radiation accident. The radiation accident is a well known tool in the comic book writer's repertoire, a way to wipe the slate clean and justify wholesale alterations to an existing character's powers. Like comics, fantasy gaming is rife ‘with opportunities for ‘radiation accidents’. Encounters, ‘with mad gods, ancient dragons or demons, immersion in fields of multi-planar energy, curses levied by ancient artefacts or powerful witches. There really are a near- infinite number of ways to explain away even the most blatant changes to character mechanics. ‘The key to implementing the ‘radiation accident’ is this — the character's abilities change, but his essential personality does not. It is imperative that personality ‘continuity be maintained, otherwise there is 10. difference between implementing a ‘radiation accident’ and simply introducing a brand new character. THE CHAOS MAGE Trhad ail started inmocuously enough, Bartleby had simply begun questioning the value of money. Sure enough, it was strange, but Bartleby had always been the black sheep of the family. ‘So reasoned Chatsworth Rockbortom, Barileby's younger brother and companion both in magicand adventuring. these past six summers, But Bartleby Rockbowom Ill had most ceriainly changed of fate, there was no doubting that, Chatsworth recognised the wild streak in his older brother for, while he himself was a bookish sort of mage, never happier than when deciphering some old piece of parchment, Barilehy was a different fish, seemingly procuring speils out of thin air, almost on a whim, It could be quite disconcerting 10 see him suddenly glow a fluorescent ‘green before passing wind ~ it was « combination which meant strange magie was about to happen. Their friends, Aesip and Serge, had acquired the invitation to the prestigious party that they were now attending. How they had done it was of no consequence, but it promised to be a great opportunity to cultivate some ‘acquaintances ina strange town and partake of some decent food and grog for a change. ‘Look at the melons on her!” Charsworth looked around, astonished. The words had been uuered by Bartleby, who was looking up at a curvaceous ~ well, that was being kind ~ Inman lady of advancing age who appeared to be playing some part in hosting the event. ‘Fors I like to sort her out!"added Bartleby, his mouth dangling open tn anticipation You what? “demanded Chatsworth, his voice a whisper. “For one thing she’s danmed near three fet taller than ‘you and of a completely different species, plus she looks like the back end of a chariot, “My tastes are more eclectic these day's,’ his brother informed him. ‘T'm @ gnome of the world, don't you Know? ow re a randy midger is what you are,'said Serge, who had listened in growing disbeliefas the two gnomes had discussed Bartleby s sexual appetites. “Cobblers! replied Bartleby; seemingly unconcerned by his fellows’ reactions to his...needs. Yes, needs, that “was what he had. After all, everybody had needs, didn't they? Why were they picking on... ‘I bet she goes! That had been loud. In fact, very loud. Loud enough for the target of the opinion to hear it id yo auldress me, little man?” she asked. ‘course he did "interjected Chatsworth quickly, ‘Why would a gnome make lewd comments about a half ? Most unlikely. sh muttered the half-ore, siriding away. ‘I've got my eye on you, mister” leby hiad suddenly felt the need to remove his trousers and show her just what she was missing but a culf’ the car from his brother ruined the moment, ‘What on earth has got into you? demanded Chatsworth, his right red. You're behaving like « drunken Northman. needs,'announced Bartleby, pompoush ‘evening, small gentlemen,'said a voice, interrupting Bartleby's impending definition of ust what those ‘amounted 10, The ovo gnomes looked up to see u charming elf standing before them. He was gloriously ‘and appeared to be of considerable importance. ‘we be of service? ‘offered Chaisworth, quickly, in case Bartleby propositioned the fellow. i perhaps that you were the jesters that I had been expecting. not sure what you mean,’replied Chatsworth, although he had a fair idea, Perhaps with a bit of tact they yet get out of what was rapidly degenerating into the Party from Hell. It would take some doing, but big ears, fancy a threesome with the fat bird over there? ‘asked Bartleby. 9 CHARACTER CONCEPTS hat drives a man to seek out the strength \ X ] of the maelstrom of chaos? What facet of personality leads a woman to abandon the security of predictability for the deeper, quicksilver truths which pulse beneath reality’s skin? Is there ‘a common thread which links those who wield the power of chaos? Do all hunger for knowledge and ‘easily achieved power? Ina word: maybe, In two: maybe not. ‘Truthfully, there is no one belief, background or ‘mindset common to practitioners of chaos magic. For every savant immersed unwillingly from birth in a womb of endless change, for every woman terrified of the power which wells up unbidden 10 fulfil her subconscious desires, there is a philosopher who discovered and embraced wholeheartedly the freedom of serving unbridled possibility. By necessity then, the character concepis presented below are more concerned with the attitudes, abilities and goals the character developed in the time since he chose to walk the winding Paths of Chaos. The concepts below are broad archetypes, each themed around a particular manner in which chaos chose to express itself, pick carefully, because the choice you make here will, sometimes radically, alter the way in which your character uses his powers. WHAT ARE CHARACTER CONCEPTS? Character concepts are miniature templates which can be applied to your characters. They are intended to provide ready hooks for roleplaying, and to give advice and inspiration for playing your character In addition, every character concept includes one ‘or more benefits and penalties, which are game ‘mechanics intended to bring your character’ abilities more in line with his concepts No character may have more than one character . concept; though the concepts presented below change the nature of your character’s powers, they do not supersede his base class. ‘That is to say, a chaos mage ‘who selects one of these concepts cannot later multi~ 10 class into a chaos mage with a different concept. ‘These character concepts are also intended for new characters, meaning a character who multi-classes into the chaos mage class cannot normally select ‘one, With the Games Master’s permission, however, ‘a player can select one chaos mage concept, so long, as he does not already have a character concept from his original class. Should the Games Master allow this, he should work with the player to select a suitable concept, adjusting the bonuses and penalti as appropriate This chapter is broken down into two parts. The first presents character concepts which are suited to chaos. mage characters of any race. The second section presents character concepts which are restricted 10 specific character raves, While no more powerful than other concepts, their specific benefits, penalties and roleplaying hooks are designed with specificraces in mind. As such, these concepts can only be selected for characters of races other than the intended with the specific permission of the Game Master. Finally, always remember that the concepts presented here are intended to be tools to facilitate good roleplaying, not just a new mechanic to give you cool powers. When selecting your character's concept, it is important that you pick one which you will enjoy exploring for some time, and which will fit well with the campaign and the rest of the group. Format ‘The character concepts presented below are slightly. different than those in other Quintessential books. The concepts presented here are based around what effects the character can and cannot achieve with his chaos magic - while there is, of course, information on roleplaying and suggestions on appropriate backgrounds, the focus of this work is on the interaction between the character and his magic and ‘what it means for him. THE BREAKER Chaos is destruction, it is terror, itis fire and ice ‘and acid and thunder, a ravening, churning void with the power to rend all of ereation asunder: It is within chaos’ power to erode the pillars of heaven, to unravel the bindings of existence, to smash down all that is and all that ever shall be — and it is within the breaker’s power to unleash that fury. CHARACTER CONCEPTS The breaker is a chaos mage who has anatural affinity for using chaos to destroy. This affinity provides him with a measure of protection from the negative effects of a chaos backlash, cushions him from the brutal consequences of a failed caster check and makes it easier for him to cast Direct Damage-based chaos spell effects Roleplaying: The breaker is @ warrior, a guardian, a killer and a saviour. His magic is the magic of conflict and destruction and he is most at home on the battlefield, unleashing dreadful spells witich ravage men and structures with equal ease. The typical breaker has given himself fully to the wild fury of chaos. He is passionate, ives for the moment, and never takes the long-term view about anything. Breakers are lusty and barely controlled, both on the battlefield and in their public dealings. They have trouble making and keeping friends, at least among of the common folk; kindred spirits to warriors all sorts, breakers are intensely loyal to those who prove their worth in the crucible of combat, the one true way to take a man’s ‘measure — at least to their mind. Why Play a Breaker?: The breaker is ideal for those players who love to unleash widespread destruction, to hammer their foes with enormous gouts of fire and to shatter high towers with a single torrent of ravening chaos, Breakers are also terrific for those players who use gaming as a form of stress relief, where they can unleash their aggressions on hapless ores and dragons with wild abandon. At the same time, that is not all a breaker can be. They make ideal avengers (for good or evil) and are natural choices in those campaigns whieh feature larger than fife, mythically-styled heroes. Adventuring: Breakers prefer adventures. which allow them to unleash the full fury of chaos, meaning hy thrive best in times of battle and open war. They fe idcally suited to, and greatly enjoy, the traditional ‘pes of fantasy adventuring; dungeon delving, Sgragon slaying and wizard smiting Most breakers actively seek out adventure, as the Gilling aris are not well suited to a more sedentary Giestyle. These chaos mages enjoy the company of zhters and barbarians and are of a more rough and tumble cut than other spelleasters, Some few breakers, however, prefer more peaceful lives, setting themselves up as protectors or ‘owners of either remote villages of, if they have enough power or raw arrogance, major cities. Adventures for these types of characters tend to involve protecting ‘hat is theirs from extemal assault to. internal usurpation, This type of chaos mage can be a benevolent shepherds or malevolent dictator, a their morals dictate. Benefits: Breakers know better than anyone how to unleash torrents of pure chaos energy, to rend, to destroy, to break. They are in every sense the quintessential war mage. First, they gain a +2 bonus to all final casting DC checks when casting a spell which is solely a Direct Damage-based effect, or CHARACTER CONCEPTS which has Direct Damage as its primary effect (see the Chaos Sorcery chapter for full details). Second, should the breaker fail a final easting DC check when attempting to cast a spell which is solely a Direct Damage-based effect, or which has Direct Damage as its primary effect, he suffers nonlethal, rather than lethal damage. ‘The exception to this is when a ‘1’ is rolled, in which case backlash and lethal damage occur normally. Penalties: Breakers do not have the same capacity to force chaos magic to create as their fellow chaos ‘mages do. Theirs is the magic of flame, wind, pain and death, and while they can certainly create swords and other implements from chaos, they cannot do it swithout great cost AA chaos mage breaker suffers a -2 penalty to all final casting DC checks when casting a spell which is solely a Materialisation-based effect, or which has Materialisation as its primary effect. Further, they suffer normal, rather than nonlethal, damage when casting Materialisation effects, even witha successful caster check. In the case of spells which combine Direct Damage and Materialisation effects, the bonuses and penalties to caster checks cancel one another, meaning the breaker makes caster checks with no bonus and no penalty. Damage is applied normally, namely nonlethal for successful caster checks and lethal for failures. THE MAKER Chaos is ultimate, endless potential. Its energy can be forged, hamessed, directed and channelled to create magnificent works of art, swords and armour, plowshares, soaring palaces and ramshackle hovel and even semi-sentient constructs in the shape of clockwork beasts or pure, liquid uncertainty ‘The maker is a chaos mage who has a natural affinity for using chaos magic to create objects and illusions; Materialisation effects in other words. This affinity provides him with a measure of protection from the negative effects of a chaos backlash, cushions from the bratal consequences of a failed caster check and makes it easier for him to cast Materialisation- based chaos spell effects. Roleplaying: The maker is a thinker and a dreamer, the Renaissance Man of chaos mages. The maker pursues knowledge for its own sake: he is an enthusiastic creator of both art and craft, an architect of dream, of idea, of form and of function. ‘The typical maker would vastly preferto spend his day creating fine works of art with his powers, or forging. pure chaos energy (0 create tools and weapons. Makers know that their creations are temporary and fragile, and this makes them both melancholy, because they know better than anyone that nothing is permanent, and pragmatic, because they do not put much store in possessions. This combination can easily make them fatalistic, and some are, but most cchaos makers accept the transitory nature of creation as the truest part of the natural order, Why Play a Maker?: Makers are terrific im supporting roles, meaning they are ideal characters for those players who like to take the role of defender and protector. Their powers are also thematically ideal for characters who hope to create great works, or CHARACTER CONCEPTS ‘which prefer to build, rather than destroy, in general Makers are also good choices for those players who prefer intellectual challenges — since it is more difficult for them to simply damage enemies, they ‘must come up with alternative means of overcoming challenges. Adventuring: Makers favour adventures which allow them to create grand works, whether those works be illusory or real. They know that no matter how powerful and experienced they become, the objects | and images created are doomed to be only temporary | in nature, fading away in just minutes or hours. Still, makers know that even a sword which exists just for a ‘moment can change the course of history. Makers enjoy studying the subtle interactions of components, and how those interactions contribute to and create the universe, so they enthusiastically pursue rumours which may lead them to discovering secrets of the creation of reality. For much the same reason, makers are fond of puzzles and other | intellectual conundrums, becoming enthusiastic students of science and machinery, so adventures Which test their intellect will always pique their interest Jn an adventuring party, the maker will take a ‘supporting role, creating illusions to distract enemies, forging armour and weapons of pure chaos to srengthen his companion’s orerafting walls to thwart pursuers. Makers are also often the chief thinkers and planners of their band, creating strategies and irecting actions in and out of combat ‘Compared to other chaos mages, the maker isa bit of 4 strange bird, with a tendency to prefer the company those who appreciate and practice mastery of I. This means that they get on well with those who specialise in erafting and disabling traps Tocks, and with fighters who prefer precision to ‘They even tolerate the company of wizards monks, at least more than their fellow chaos s do, since they have an appreciation of (and 88 for) the complexities of arcane formula or arts techniques. its: Makers know better than anyone how to the weird clements of chaos energy and change on a fundamental level, creating objects and 13 illusions with effortless ease. with several bonuses. This provides them st, they gain a +2 bonus to all final casting DC checks when casting a spell which is solely 4 Matcrialisation-based effect, or which has: ‘Materialisation as its primary effect element (see the Chaos Sorcery chapter for full details), Second, should the maker fail a final casting DC check when attempting to cast a spell which is solely a Materialisation-based effect, or which has Materialisation as its. primary effect, he suffers nonlethal, rather than lethal damage. The exception to this is when a “I” is rolled, in which case backlash and Jethal damage occur normally. Penalties: Chaos mage makers use chaos energy to construct, to create, to build. Theirs is not the magic of destruction, As such, they find it difficult, but by no means impossible, to unleash chaos as pure destructive energy. A chaos maker suffers a2 penalty to all final casting DC checks when casting a spell which is solely a Direct Damage effect, or which has Direct Damage as, its primary effect. Further, they suffer lethal, rather than nonlethal, damage when casting Direct Damage effects, even with a successful caster check. In the case of spells which combine Materialisation and Direct Damage effects, the bonuses and penalties, to caster checks cancel one another, meaning the ‘maker has no bonus or penalty when casting such spells. Damage is applied normally, namely nonlethal for successful easter checks and lethal for failures. THE MASTER Chaos is choice, itis endless possibility. Within the unbounded sea of chaos rests every possible option, every possible thought, every possible action which could be made for any and every decision, from now until the end of time But choice can be tumed against itself, can be made to serve selfish ends. No matter how many possibilities a choice offers, eventually one must be chosen. Chaos magic, though, can be used to force choice, to determine possibility against the will of those it affects, or to confuse choice, to offer so many possibilities that the mortal mind can never sift CHARACTER CONCEPTS through them all the result, confusion, paralysation, or worse ‘The master is a chaos mage with an innate command of Domination effects. His abilities allow him to control minds, to influence emotions and to direct the course of mortal events. A low level chaos mage ‘with the master concept can chance the fate of a city a high level one the fate of a world. Roleplaying: Some masters are arrogant and self serving, seeing no harm in dominating the minds of others for any reason. Little better than slavers, these masters would quite willingly destroy a child's psyche just to stop it from crying. Enthusiastic users and gluttons, these same ‘chaos mages would think nothing of paralysing ‘a vietim’s mind, if it J meantthey could ake their camal pleasure with is immobile jf flesh Other masters tap their power only when forced t0, or only in defense of ‘those who do not share their gift, or at least ‘only towards what they consider noble purposes. Such mages will influent peace negotiations, watch over social gatherings fo ensure the enjoyment of all, or pacify the minds of those who wish to commit violence. It is not uncommon for especially heroic masters 10 patrol the city streets at preventing murder, rape and theft by subtly altering ‘the intentions of would be criminals > Most masters fall somewhere between these (wo extremes. They walk the fine line between selfish and responsible uses of their powers. OF all the various types of chaos mages, the master faces the hardest road from a moral standpoint — when the paths of the mind are laid bare, one must be ever vigilant to avoid giving in to temptation 4 Why Play a Master?: The master is the best choice for those players who like to take the role of the ‘manipulator the power behind the throne, or even the master sleuth, His powers are well suited to those who prefer subtlety in their game play and enjoy the idea of fooling or simply outsmarting their enemies. From a mechanical standpoint, the master can be a truly dangerous character, capable of ending a fight, cor even an adventure, almost before it has begun. While they do not have access to divination (see the Chaos Sorcery chapter for a discussion of the limits of chaos magic), the master’s ability to seize control ‘or change the thought patterns of enemy minds ena ay is formidable. If that thought appeals, — gh Mew. then the master is the right concept for you, Adventuring: The master might adventure for any number of reasons, the acquisition of earthly power chief among them. Most chaos mages with the master concept enjoy the notion of exerting their will upon the less capable, even if they restrict themselves solely to using their abilities fon the evil and the misguided. Masters prefer adventures which involve heavy amounts of intrigue, as their powers are well suited to subtle use, This means that many masters prefer not to adventure in the traditional sense at all and would rather remain safe within the confines of civilisation, using magic t0 build a power base of ensoreelled allies. Adventures for such masters should involve them attempting to accumulate even more civic power, or fending off the efforts of those who would take their wealth from them. Masters ofthis sort work well with socially oriented classes, particularly bards and rogues who focus on Charisma-based skills They will work with fighters and other warriors, but consider all but the most socially gifted of them to be CHARACTER CONCEPTS ‘eafs, suitable only for stopping arrows and serving as Dally-boys. Other masters, however, enjoy the challenge of furning their magic against the unknown dangers to be found in dungeons and at the far comers of the ‘world. These characters will enthusiastically pit their spells against brigands, rogue adventurers, mad god- Kings, demons and dragons, simply to see if'their will isthe stronger. In an adventuring party, such masters take the role of behind the scenes manipulators, standing at a distance, behind the cover of their more confrontational’ allies, using magic to either paralyse ‘enemies or tum their minds against thei fellows. | Masters of all sont are ideally suited for social "interactions and adventuring, as their powers can | lay bare the intentions of others, twist their words _ and have staunch friends and lovers at each other's _ throats, all in the space ofa single day. Benefits: The master has an innate understanding of those magical effects which influence, dominate and destroy mortal minds. As such they have a natural aifinity to spells which involve Domination effect elements. First, they gain a +2 bonus to all final casting DE checks when casting a spell which is solely a Domination-based effect, or which has Domination 4 its primary effect (see the Chaos Sorcery chapter fr full details). Second, should the master fail a final casting DC ‘check when attempting to cast a spell which is solely 42 Domination-based effect, or which has Domination 4s its primary effect, he suffers nonlethal, rather than Iethal damage. The exception to this is when a ‘1? ‘rolled, in which case backlash and lethal damage of the master is the magic of foment, of capture, of forced capitulation. It no truck with freedom and has no understanding the notions of personal choice. As such, the finds it difficult to work those magics which jurage freedom in any way, shape or form, raster suffers a -2 penalty to all final casting checks when casting a spell which is solely a nt-based effect, or which has Movernent as 15 its primary effect. Further, they suffer lethal, rather than nonlethal, damage when casting Movement effects, even with a successful caster check. In the case of spells which combine Movement and Domination effects, the bonuses and penslties to caster checks cancel one another, meaning the master ‘makes caster checks with no bonus and no penalty Damage is applied normally, namely nonlethal for successful caster checks and lethal for failures. THE SCULPTOR Chaos is the ultimate expression of change; it is transformative and transcendent, with the power to fundamentally alter the nature of living and nonlving matter, At a whim, chaos ean cause reality to flow like liquid, it ean transform air to stone and back again, it can give the blind sight, o cause sunlight to

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