Being a long and wordy History of the world of

ARKAELA

And other Diverse Events

The planet Arkaela has had a long and twisted history, and much of it is lost forever in the mists of time. It is rumored that the dreaded tome the Necronomicon contains many passages of forbidden Arkaelan history along with its other hideous rituals and fell magics, but it is believed that all 20 fragments of this damned artifact are still lost.

Arkaela was the homeworld of the Cthulan pantheon, or at least the first world they made their own in this Plane. The planet the Old Ones found was a lush paradise with no native sentient species, and so they invade and defiled it, molding animal {and other} lifeforms to create their own servant race. These forerunners of the Tanu were ogre-like, huge and poorly formed, but gifted with ferocity and natural weapons, and a lust for blood. For an unknown span of years, they were either created from their base stock or bred unceasingly, as the Old Ones first quarreled and then warred outright with each other for pieces of the rich planet they had taken. Armies of Tanu predecessors {often referred to as the "Rada" in ancient text fragments}swarmed like ants across the continents, slaughtering each other by the tens of thousands at the beck of the Cthulan deities.

As time passed, the Rada began creating tools, and improving their war abilities with crude weapons and the discovery of fire. Also, the Cthulans had by now probed the rest of the crystal sphere and discovered other violent lifeforms, importing them to Arkaela to add to the mix. It is also assumed that servants were brought across from the Cthulan home-dimension at this time. As the centuries past, two of the Old Ones emerged as the most powerful of the pantheon: Cthulu and Hastur. The other deities now vied to garner what fragments of land and sea and servants they could and complete the 'pecking order', while more and more the two most prominent gods turned their full attentions on each other.

More and more the Old Ones mixed the gene-pool of the Rada with those of the creatures they had brought to Arkaela from wildspace and their outer plane, in an effort to better contest with each other. It is assumed there was an emerging civilization by now, as the Rada's eugenic development had increased their intelligence, and the Old Ones began shaping the servant race into one which could act as clerical followers to increase their power. These first 'priests' were likely no more than shaman or witch-doctors with only weak clerical abilities. As

this ancient culture left no records of its own history {or perhaps the Old Ones erased all traces of it for some reason} there is much debate among the learned as to what sparked the final crystallization of the Rada into the race that would call itself the Tanu. Several possibilities have been offered:

Either a concordant location formed by some accident and brought otherworld humans or elves to Arkaela, or the Old Ones created such places across the planet to bring magic-using beings to them for addition of this power to the race;

The Old Ones found the Rada too repulsive and crude to learn written language and therefore, magical script, and so increased their eugenic efforts until a new evolutionary event formed the Tanu;

The Juna arrived in the sphere at this time, and some were forcibly added to the Tanu genome before the Old Ones finally attacked and decimated the Juna populace. This may have allowed the evolutionary jump in mental capacity necessary for the developement of magicwielding ability, and/or may also have been responsible for the later developement of the Tanu's intense psionic power.

An Old One {the most likely candidate is Yog-Sothoth} mated with the Rada directly to spawn the development of magical ability in the emerging race.

Whatever the case, it is known that a burgeoning magical culture existed at the time of the oldest written fragment of Tanu history. By this time there were both powerful clerics and mages among the populace, and the name "Tanu" is first used in the text fragment as a racial name.

How long this early culture existed is not known, but soon cataclysmic events erased it from the face of the world. At a point in history known only as the "Time of Violation" or "the Paring", there came a pivotal conflict between Cthulu and his minions and those of Hastur. While the deities actually met in battle, the forces of Cthulu attacked Hastur's main temple at the city of Hali, and with great magics, sealed Hastur's physical body inside a tomb deep beneath the structure, closing him in with the artifacts known as the Elder Signs. The conflict destroyed Hali itself, leaving only the temple and the hill it sat on intact while all around it the ground cracked and sank, leveling the city and killing both armies, save for Cthulu's mages and the priests of Hastur. Cthulu, however, realized that the spells his mages had created could just as well entrap him, and so began a night of terror. Summoning all his unearthly minions,

Cthulu found and slew all magic-using Tanu across the globe. It was a single night that saw the death of tens of thousands of Tanu, who could not escape the rampage of the victorious Old One. It is believed that at this time that the Necronomicon, the book which contained the spells which could bind or release the Old Ones, was broken into 20 fragments and scattered over the world.

The other gods scrambled to save what servants they could, but only the mad god Azeroth met with any success. A huge being the size and shape of a small moon, who orbited Arkaela and manipulated things on the surface by use of inconceivably long pseudopodia, Azeroth raced ahead of Cthulu and reached down, plucking his horrified servants from the world and drawing them up to himself. What actually happened to these hapless Tanu is not truly known; whether they were consumed by the god or placed upon his surface to ride upon him like fleas, the god-moon then sped away from Arkaela and disappeared into the wilds of the sphere, and would not be seen again, at least until spelljamming had come to the sphere. As his last action, Cthulu returned to his island-nation of R'lyeh and, to protect it from the others of his pantheon, caused it to sink beneath the sea without a trace.

The god-battle and subsequent actions of the gods wrought huge changes across the world. The quakes that destroyed Hali and sank R'lyeh spread, and the continents cracked apart and drifted into new configurations. All animal life, somehow affected by the magic emanations, began evolving backwards, soon giving rise to fearsome dinosaur-like beasts. The creatures of the seas also devolved and grew. The Tanu population was decimated by both the actions of the gods and the rebelling of their planet, and at least a century of darkness swallowed the world.

During this Age of Darkness, the Tanu were forced to survive without the direct interference of the Old Ones for the first time. While it is likely the remnants of many nations were wiped out by the upheaveal of the world, the survivors waged wars of extinction to capture the few safe places and food supplies left. It was then that the forbidden eugenic methods of the gods were brought into use by their mortal servants, and out of this horrible Age emerged the Tanu known today.

The new civilization crawled from the ruins of the old, and the Tanu now began manifesting their psionic power. As the Old Ones, long silent, began reaching out into the world again, the Tanu paid dearly for their new abilities, and sacrificed any children born without mental powers to these foul gods to placate them.

As the sole wielders of magic power, the priests of the various gods assumed {or took by force} the ruling positions of the nations which now arose in this reborn world. Time passed, and there became two set classes in Tanu society: the Rulers and the Ruled. One can imagine the conditions which existed for those not called to be clerics of the Old Ones. For nine thousand years the tyranny of the priests ruled Tanu society.

Then, in the current age, there arrived a new god, who had traveled to Arkaela seeking a place to find worshippers and set down the roots of his own pantheon. This was Andraxas, born a mortal human, but whose skill and power had led him to become a deity in his own right. The first Tanu to meet him, a low-status priest of Ithaqua named Caliber, about to be slain by a party of Chtuga's clerics, was rescued from death by this shining, seemingly human warrior. Afterward, Andraxas revealed his true nature, and Caliber converted on the spot, changing his name to T'andrax in his new lord's honor. Together they traveled north into the mountains, and Andraxas confronted his first Cthulan foe in its own lair. Ascending the cauldron of Mount Vurmidurth, and bearing armor which protected him from flame, Andraxas slew Cthuga, the god of Fire, and usurped his control of that element as he swallowed Cthuga's godhead. T'andrax, slain by Cthuga's Fire Creature servants, was resurrected by the newly-born demigod, cementing his faith.

Together, the two rallied the Tanu who had lived for so long crushed under the heels of the Old Ones' clerics. One by one the temples of these priests were thrown down, weakening the Old Ones. A setback occurred when a troupe of Andraxas' followers invaded the still-standing temple of Hasur on Lake Hali, and stole the Elder Signs which, unknown to them, still bound Hastur's body inside the temple. Hastur was freed, but some of the invaders managed to escape and return these powerful artifacts to Andraxas.

While the freed Hastur turned his attentions to Cthulu for a time, Andraxas and his followers eliminated the remaining strongholds of the other Old Ones. Then, Andraxas hatched his plan to undo Cthulu: the Grand Combat. With taunts and more temple pillaging he lured Cthulu's army to the Battle Plane, the dry remains of an inland sea, and defeated them in open warfare by taking the field beside his followers and slaughtering the mortal Tanu flock of the Great Old One.

Weakened, Cthulu soon faced not only Andraxas but his old allies Drax and Dorgon in combat face-to-face, and both he and Hastur were slain in their physical forms; now weak specters of themselves, the two most powerful Old Ones are merely spirits who plot in the shadows with their few remaining worshippers.

The Tanu Handbook Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1: The Tanu as a Race Description Chapter 2: Your Life as a Tanu Tanu Culture Loyalties Family Structure Societal Structure World View Tanu Glass Architecture Magic Attitudes Toward Other Races Psionic Guilds The Void Legion The Art of War Cultural History for the Player Spacially Concordant Locations Chapter 3: Character Creation Ability Score Modifiers Other Characteristics Psionic Powers Generation

Chapter 4: Proficiencies

The VALIANT
Ability Requirements:
INT, WIS, CON: 17 in at least one, others must equal/exceed 15 All others: 11+ Prime Requisites: Wisdom, Constitution Alignment Requisite: Any Lawful Races Allowed: Tanu, Human, Elf {any subrace}, Dwarf, Gnome, Giff History: Comprised of the most intense and implacable of warriors, the Valiant are the knightly followers of Abbadon Doomgiver. Masters of conflict, be it armed, unarmed, or guerrilla warfare, the Valiant will seem to his opponents to be unstoppable, relentless, and everywhere at once. They are enemies of slavery, defenders of the weak, and hunters of the dishonorable. The Valiant character is a combination of cavalier and monk, a class requiring intense discipline from its practitioners. All are of some Lawful alignment. Aspirants to the Valiant class must possess a score of at least 17 in one of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Constitution, with the other two scoring at least 15; all other abilities must be at least 11. To maintain his discipline, the Valiant must be an excellent specimen of his race. A Valiant may come from Human, Tanu, or Elven stock; while very rare, Dwarves also make excellent Valiants. Other races are allowed into the order only on personal consideration. The Valiants are a military religious order whose Lord is the Dark Angel of Morning. Trained to utilize the powers of their bodies and minds to their deepest depths, Valiants are knights with a purpose. Each individual must decide what goal he seeks to achieve by honing his spirit in the forge of life, and this purpose is what fuels him to conquer all obstacles. The goal is chosen as the completion of a Valiant's spirit quest; some task which must be done to right a great wrong, around which the Valiant's existence revolves. It can be as simple and concrete a thing as revenging oneself on the slayer of a loved-one, or as difficult as a life-long quest to battle slavery. The quest must be something which the Valiant believes he can accomplish, and will never be something which does not display honor or glory. Valiants are unrestricted in their choice of weapon or armor. However, their spirit weapon {see below} will so outdistance other weapons in the Valiant's attention that only one other weapon may be chosen as a secondary proficiency for the Valiant's life. However, the Valiant may, in a pinch, grab and use any other weapon at a -2 to hit; after 10 successful hits with the new object, the -2 disappears for that weapon, so great is his grasp of combat principles. Note, however, that the Valiant will immediately abandon this weapon should his spirit weapon be reachable.

Experience Points

Level

d10 Hit Points

Special Abilities

0-3000 3001-6000 6001-12000 12001-24000 24001-48000 48001-75000 75001-125000 125001-200000 200001-300000 300001-600000 600001-900000 900001-1,200000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

1+5 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

A B C D E F G H I J K L

*300,000 xp's per level above 12th; Valiants gain +3 hp's per level thereafter. Special Abilities:

A -The Valiant has mastered these studies: 1.Open locks Valiants operate as Thieves of equal level 2. Find\Remove\Set Traps 3. Move Silently Level 4. Hide in Shadows 5. Hear Noise 6. Climb Walls B -The ability to mask the mind so that ESP will not function against him. Starting at 30% resistance, the chance increases a further 2% per level thereafter. C -The Valiant begins to manifest suppressed psionic power. He gains psi-points equal to his combined Int., Wis., & Charisma, the attack Psychic Crush, and the defense Thought Shield. His points increase every three levels thereafter, at one-half times the IWC per three levels. {ie. x1 1/2 at 6 th, x2 at 9th, etc, and max out at x5 at 27th level}, {Max of 270 possible}. Natural psionics use their own max, but their disciplines develop as per a Valiant.

D -Normal missiles which might have hit can be knocked aside or caught if the Valiant saves vs. pertification. Caught weapons normally launched by hand can be returned as a first attack next round if the Valiant chooses. E -The Valiant is no longer subject to disease of any sort {this does not include lycanthropy}, nor slow spells. F -The Valiant gains the discipline Energy Control, and the defense Tower of Iron Will. G -The Valiant can induce a death-like trance similar to Feign Death, with a maximum predetermined duration of 24 hours. If the Valiant remains this way for a full day, he can induce Complete Healing for a cost of 40 psi-points. H -The Valiant gains the Disciplines Cell Adjustment & Mind Bar, as well as the remaining Psionic attacks and defenses. I -Beginning at 9th level, Valiants may seek out master Psionicists and attempt to learn new disciplines. Only one new power can be sought per level, and the Valiant must stay secluded with his mentor for a month's time. At the end of this period, a successful Int check on d30 means the ability has been mastered. Failure indicates that power can never be learned by that individual. Any restrictions and prerequisites must be followed. J -The Valiant gains an expert disarm. When using his spirit weapon, he must make a successful hit roll at -4; if successful, the Valiant can place the opponent's weapon anywhere he wants {including into his own grasp} within a 20' radius. K - The Valiant gains an expert grapple. The attack {against humanoid or weapon-using opponents only} must be announced before initiative is rolled; if the Valiant wins the initiative by 4 or more, and then makes a successful hit at -4, the Valiant has closed with his opponent and, using his combat skill, has fouled his enemy's weapon. He may then make a full series of attacks, and any hit deals maximum damage. Failing the initiative roll causes the Valiant to lose all attacks that round, even if he won initiative by less than 4; losing the first to-hit roll results in a normal continuation of attacks. L -The Valiant gains the use of the quivering palm. However, this dread attack will only be used on enemies who have proven particularly powerful, or are the target of a quest.

In unarmed hand-to-hand combat, Valiants are the equal of Monks. If bereft of armor other than normal clothing or robes, their skill allows them an effective armor class, and an increased movement base. Their chances to stun or kill with bare hands are identical to a Monk's. Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Effective AC 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3/2 5/4 2-7 2-8 2-8+1 21" 1-6 18" Open hand Att/round 1 Open hand damage 1-4 Effective Move 12" 15"

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 max 3 5/2 2

2-12 3-12 3-12+1 3-12+2 4-16 4-16+1 5-20 6-24 4 5 max 5-30 6-36 max 30" 31" 32" max 27" 24"

This table does not include Spirit Weapon bonuses to damage or to-hit additions if the Valiant chooses his body as his Spirit Weapon. ~~~ In pursuit of their goals, Valiants seek to perfect their knowledge and skill at combat. Valiants have their own THAC0 table: Level THAC0 1 19 3 17 5 15 7 13 9 11 11 10 13 7 15 5 17 4 19+ 3

Valiants have the same Attacks per Round as Cavaliers; their spirit weapon {see below} is considered a weapon of choice. This means the spirit weapon is treated the same as a mounted Cavalier's lance, granting +1 to hit at 1st level, +2 to hit at 7th level, +3 at 13th level, etc. The number of attacks with the spirit weapon {but NOT his THAC0} are also made as if the Valiant were 5 levels higher. When fighting with their spirit weapon Valiants gain +1 hit point of extra damage per two levels, due to their focus on the weapon and their knowledge of anatomy. Valiants gain no bonuses specifically for mounted combat. Valiants save as Clerics of equal level. However, they share the Monk's ability to reduce or eliminate potential damage exactly as that class does.

Spirit weapons and Spirit Warriors

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At first level, the Valiant chooses what device will be his spirit weapon, the item which he feels best suits him in war. There is always some significance in this choice, for the Valiant must feel some affinity or connection to the weapon: perhaps it personifies the strength of his race or faith, or reminds him somehow of his spirit quest. This weapon can be any combat weapon he can use, and will serve the Valiant throughout his life, and while it need not be a specific individual item, the weapon's style with be one of the defining components of his personality, and his skill with it will one day surpass all ordinary weapon-masters.

Valiants realize that sometimes, such preferred weapons will not be available or appropriate, and so devote equal intensity to the study of unarmed combat. The Valiant's body itself is a weapon, more versatile and controlled than any other, and its deadliness is exploited to the fullest. It is possible for the Valiant to choose his body as his spirit weapon; such spirit knights apply the weapon damage bonuses to hand-to-hand attacks instead {see below} in addition to the normal hand-to-hand damage, and will generally disdain weapons and sometimes armor altogether, relying on their bodies to carry them through. This does not prevent the Valiant from learning or carrying other weapons, it simply means his greatest trust lies with himself. While a subclass of cavalier, Valiants lack certain of that class' bonuses. They are not the horsemen cavaliers are, and possess no riding proficiencies or bonuses at the start. Also, they cannot normally increase their attributes over time as that class does. However, they do possess that class' immunity to fear and similar effects. Valiants' intense discipline allows them to tap the inner strength of their bodies and minds, causing them to eventually manifest their suppressed psionic powers, and to perform beyond the normal limits of their ability scores when faced with desperate situations. Once per day, the Valiant can summon hidden reserves of strength to increase one ability score. The number of points added are equal to the Valiant's level divided by 5, and will last for an equal number of rounds. Any increase will max out an ability score at 24. This surge occurs at will, and does not take up an attack or action. However, the increase will last until its complete duration expires. Valiants are very secretive concerning their skills and training, and many are closed-mouthed in general about themselves and their motives. The secret location of the Valiant Citadel {on a Tanu settlement in the Astromundi Sphere}, a combination of temple, training ground, and sanctuary for the Valiants, is never revealed to outsiders, except to the most trusted associates, and then only if it's unavoidable. Also, the Valiants' tendency to return from the dead for revenge is never discussed, for obvious reasons {see below}. The Secret of the Valiants Lastly, certain Valiants will return from the grave to wreak revenge on their slayers if their spirit quests are unfulfilled. Valiants whose spirit quests are based on revenge, or who are slain with their goal in sight, and whose bodies are not otherwise enspelled or incinerated, will rise as a revenant 24 hours after death. The new revenant will be armed and armored as the Valiant, but otherwise possesses the attributes of a revenant. The sole exeption is that the revenant will always use its spirit weapon, discarding all others hereafter {those bereft of this or who have chosen their bodies as such will utilize their hand-to-hand skills; Valiant revenants do NOT possess the strangulation attack of this type of undead.}. While the undead knight's immediate goal will be to slay those involved in its death, the Valiant's spirit is strong even in death. After its killers are destroyed, the undead Valiant will make an unmodified save versus petrification. Those who fail disintegrate into dust as normal. Those who succeed remain corporeal, and must now move to complete their original spirit quest. Such undead knights will isolate or disguise themselves from others, operating in secrecy, as they are ashamed of their undead status {it is, after all, an indication of failure}. However, those who locate other Valiants may communicate with these living brethren, who will understand and respect the fallen knight's devotion to his quest, and render what aid or sanctuary they can. Niether living nor risen Valiants will ever reveal the possibility of return from death to outsiders. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Valiants are a widely varied lot; some are brazen warriors, wearing ornate armor as befits a cavalier, gathering great armies and riding in force against their foes, while others are introverts who travel in disguise and alone, operating in secret. Whatever their methods, the Valiant's actions reflect his deep need to complete his spirit quest.

Due to their Lawful nature, it is possible for Valiants to be drawn into other's quests and conflicts along the way. They sympathise with other's needs, and do not see rendering such aid as an interruption of their own geas. Often they cannot help themselves; however, those of neutral or evil inclination may require some service or aid in return. However, Valiants will never hire out for simple dungeon crawls, unless some vital clue or item pertaining to their own quest will thereby become available to them. Valiants are knights, first and foremost, and believe their problems can be resolved by conflict with the forces arrayed against them. Thus, like normal cavaliers, they will never shy from combat, though they are often more circumspect in their methods than normal cavaliers, and are not required to charge uncontrollably into battle. Like that class, they will usually fixate on leader-types and their associates, leaving others to mop-up retainers and monsters {a duty which they refer to as "grub work"}. All Valiants adhere to some code of chivalry, modified for their alignment; they view such values as the glue of their discipline. Even those of opposing alignment can recognise other Valiants on sight, and will often cease hostilities to take counsel together. This is because they are honor-bound to make sure their purposes do not cross: they realize that potential disaster awaits those around them, should two Valiants oppose each other. Rather, two Valiants whose spirit quests oppose one-another's will meet to determine if the conflict can be settled by mutual agreement; if this cannot be, single combat ensues, to determine the outcome then and there. No-one else may interfere or prevent such combat: friends and relatives {even kings!} are warned to stay out of such a clash. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Once a spirit quest is finally completed, the Valiant will spend a week purifying himself through fast and ritual, shedding the accumulated bad karma and polluting influences which have accumulated after such an intense and single-minded pursuit. If desired, his close associates may throw some celebration in his honor first, but the Valiant will seek solitude immediately after to freshen his spirit. He will then disappear, as he will make his way back to the hidden citadel of the Valiants, to pay homage to his Lord, the Dark Angel of Morning, for aiding him in his quest. His lifelong quest fulfilled, some Valiants are actually driven to suicide by the ending of their spirit quest; while a rare thing, this is not seen as dishonorable, but as the ultimate sacrifice to their god. If this is truly the Valiant's end, he will be attended by his clergy, and sent to Valhalla with honor and dignity. However, his brethren are sad at his passing, and will try to convince him to remain, to aid in the training of new Valiants. This often succeeds, as the Valiant discovers there are other quests to undertake, other foes to vanquish. However, most Valiants chose to remain, using their great skills to assist others in their quests. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To simplify all this stuff, here is a condensed combat info sheet for the VALIANT-class character. Required Weapon Proficiencies: One single weapon-type as Spirit Weapon required for all specialization slots. Bonus Weapon Proficiencies: distance/hold-out weapon, typical: bow or spear Required Proficiencies: Hand-to-hand combat {use included chart} Bonus Proficiencies: See included chart Special Benefits: Spirit Weapon: The Valiant's spirit weapon allows multitude of combat bonuses as described elsewhere here. Special Abilities: The Valiant gains cumulative powers & abilities as he rises in level.

Generalized Weapon Skills: May use any other type of weapon in a pinch when the spirit weapon is unavailable, at -2 to hit. Ten successful attacks will eliminate this penalty. Open Hand Combat: Monk: The Valiant automatically learns the progressing martial arts abilities of a Monk at the start, detailed elsewhere.

Special Hindrances: Spirit Quest: The Valiant must choose, at the start, a focus quest for all the character's subsequent activities. He cannot merely wander aimlessly and perform simple dungeon crawls. Specific Weapon: Use of his spirit weapon precludes the use/carrying of others aside from his hold-out/distance weapon. Valiant characters may possess, at any time, only the chosen spirit weapon and one other. Enemy class: Cabalists: Valiants are the declared foes of the Cabalists, and vice versa. Each will oppose the activities of the other at any opportunity. This does not interfere with the above Quest restriction. 1 19 3 17 5 15 7 13 9 11 11 10 13 7 15 5 17 4 19+ 3

Level THAC0

Save as Clerics; always suffer half damage {in hit points ONLY} from spells {save equals no damage when applicable}; save vs. petrification to catch/dodge normal missiles. Open-Hand damage and attacks: Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Effective AC 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 max 3 5/2 2 3/2 5/4 2-7 2-8 2-8+1 2-12 3-12 3-12+1 3-12+2 4-16 4-16+1 5-20 6-24 30" 27" 24" 21" 1-6 18" Open hand Att/round 1 Open hand damage 1-4 Effective Move 12" 15"

16 17

4 5 max Bonuses not included.

5-30 6-36 max

31" 32" max

The Code of Chivalry is found on pg.16 of Unearthed Arcana.

Acquiring Proficiencies

Weapon Proficiencies and Specialization

Nonweapon Proficiency Groups

Nonweapon Proficiencies

Chapter 5: Tanu Kits

The Composition of the Kits

Warrior Kits

Illrigger

Legion Marine

Moon Guard

Outlander

War Seeker

Priest Kits

Crusader

Temple Guard

Ship's Faith

Thief Kits

Guild Assassin

Legion Scout

Wizard Kits

Fixer

Legion War Wizard

Mage School Instructor

Chapter 6: Equipment

Vulcaforge

New Weapons

Close Combat Weapons

War Machines

Chapter 1

The Tanu, the native race of the planet Arkaela, are an ancient race, only recently appearing in the lands of the Known Spheres. Their history is steeped in slavery, suffering, and mad gods, whose yoke has only recently been lifted. But their return has been heralded by groundshaking war cries and world-altering conquests.

Description

Tanu resemble high elves, having beautiful, sculpted features, but on closer inspection they are much taller than elves, with most being 5'7" to 7' tall, and many are taller than the average Human. Another typical native feature is their natural tanned skin, due to the harsh ecology of their world, and they are typically blond or light haired, with black hair being rare; it is seen as a sign of divine favor. Tanu who have grown up in one of the offworld colonies still exhibit the racial bronze skin, though it may be far less pronounced.

The irises of their eyes change color according to their moods, from golden {at ease} through to shining black {rage}. In addition, the points of their ears are more pronounced than those of elves or gnomes, and some Tanu exhibit points on their lower earlobes as well. Tanu live to be as old as High Elves as well {maximum age at around 1200 years}, which may partially explain their low birth rate {see below}. In reality, though, few Tanu ever live to be nearly this old, for the harsh natures of their world and culture offer many events that threaten to cut their lives short.

Tanu may interbreed with humans. However, such cross-breeds will strongly exhibit the traits of either one or the other parent, never both. Due to the nebulous properties of Tanu genetics, either one or the other gene pool will dominate [straight 50/50% chance]. However, humanfavoring offspring will possess double the chances to manifest psionic power, while Tanufavoring cross-breeds will have the normal Tanu psionic essay. Intermingling with Humans cannot alter the Tanu inability to cast wizardly magic, and "Human"-seeming half-breeds will be unable to commence such training, and retain the -1 to saves vs. magic that his parent has.

Chapter 2:

Culture

Tanu are an aggressive race, their love of combat exploding from them after centuries of cruel oppression by the Cthulan gods. Always eager to prove themselves, Tanu have fanatic morale, especially in mass-combat situations, and frown upon those who flee battle, believing no odds are bad odds; and that if one must die, let it be in battle.

Loyalties

The typical outsider will view the Tanu as a rigid, militaristic culture. After the arrival of the Doomgiver and the breaking of ancient clerical holds on society, the Tanu populace vowed to never again remain under the yoke of a small class. To avoid this, the blossoming society strives to mimic the rough structure of a military organization, where power of command is held by many, and where every citizen has his place, and what that place is is easy to discern for him or her. They are proud, and boastful when they have a personal history to boast of, and easily take insult if their accomplishments are belittled or their place in the power

heirarchy is held as suspect. Those in command find their authority both respected, and tested with equal frequency. In fact, ascension by combat is acceptable in both the Tanu military and in common social guilds.

Tanu have a strong desire to maintain racial security, and an insult to one Tanu {or an "adopted" outsider; see below} is an insult to all. Such an incident will be seen by all Tanu who overhear as an excuse to call out the offender, and show him what a near-death experience is.

Family Structure

As is mentioned elsewhere, the Tanu birth cycle is very slow compared to all other sentient races. The harsh evolution of the species, a lifespan that can exceed a millenium, deific eugenic meddling, and a world full of gigantic predators have all had a profound effect on how the Tanu treat breeding and family life.

Tanu females go through a 3-month "heat", a period of intense fertility, just once every 40 years. The approach of the event is a source of anticipation, much humor, and occasional trepidation for all her comrades. The effect on the female's bodily systems is so intense, that a Tanu woman who is ready to mate will often become a ravening machine, with nothing on her mind but finding a suitable mate and initiating breeding activities. Her comrades around her had best not get in her way, either, for the natural Tanu bloodthirstiness comes to the fore at this time with more fervor than it rarely does otherwise. Tanu women define "suitable" in this case as a male who both possesses desireable traits, and can best her, either in non-lethal battle or psionic contest. The female will goad, taunt, and otherwise force potential Tanu males into engaging her in such contests, until either they force her submission {and by doing so, begin the final phase of the Tanu mating rite}, or are clobbered themselves by the nearberserk woman. During her heat, any time a Tanu female is within visual range of a male Tanu {or, for those less concerned with racial purity, a Human male as well}, her Strength, Constitution and Dexterity scores rise by +1, while her Intelligence and Wisdom drop by -1. Her psionic scores are affected by this mating berserk.

Once a male bests her, the female's psychic heat intensifies manyfold by the feelings of submission, and then begins the time known as blochs bhochdain, or "warm mischief", where the new mates remain sequestered until the couple conceives. The statistics which were affected by the heat remain in such a state until the pregnancy ends. A Tanu female's gestation period is 14 months, after which time, typically, the male abandons the female and returns to his former responsibilities. The female raises the child by herself in most cases, at least when

the mate was chosen at random and the 14-month period of cohabitation did not result in a bonding [which is not seen as a negative outcome].

Since a nuclear family is a rare thing in Tanu society, it is a treasure to be defended from outsiders. When a pair of Tanu choose to remain together beyond the time of mating and birth of a child, there will develop a powerful, nearly xenophobic sense of the family unit. One of the two parents will emerge as the dominant partner, generally by being the one with the greater psionic ability. If the two parents are roughly similar in this armament, then the one who excels in their profession {read: the one with the higher PC class level} will take up the position as 'head' of the household. This person will then leave the majority of childrearing duties and education of the offspring to the subordinant member of the pair; the duties of the house's 'head' shift to monetary support, provision of necessities, and martial defense, of the family unit.

The term "martial" here is literal; the head-of-house considers it the utmost of their duties to keep outsiders away from the new child, and keep the homestead itself free from invaders of any sort. This is a throwback to the days when the clerics ruled, and home invasion and enslavement of loved-ones occurred on a daily basis. A mated Tanu will meet most visitors at his door with weapons bared and psionic power flaring around him, ready to repel anyone who even appears to pose a threat to his or her loved ones. Lone mothers can be expected to be twice as viscious.

Most Tanu children are home-schooled by either the second-of-house, or the single mother exclusively, and do not have playmates of their own age group until they are nearly ready to leave home. Their parent{s} instills in them the lessons of racial history and gathered knowledge, teach them language and literacy skills, nurse their growing psionic power, and let them know what is expected of them {and what things they may expect} of the wide world. At age 15, the young Tanu is considered to be a fully-functioning individual, for life in a world so full of predators necessitates very rapid mental development. At this point the youngster usually either is ejected from the home to begin an apprenticeship of some sort, or choose to leave themselves. Such independence is expected and encouraged, and it is a proud parent that watches the young one stride off into the world.

Such youngsters will seek out life as an apprentice in some trade, for their bodies are still that of a young adult, and are ill-suited to life in the wild unless it is bolstered by great psionic power. It is not unheard of, though, for a young Tanu to strike out into the wild vastness of their world, to survive by their wits and power among the beasts of the forests, returning years later when they have exerted themselves and feel an inner satisfaction with their accomplishments. The outflow of young, homeless people into the job market is a given in Tanu society, and artisans seek such people out to pass on their skills {and of course, to secure

basically cost-free assistants}. Of course, the Void Legionnaires are also seeking new spelljammer recruits all the time, and most Tanu seek out at least one period of military service in their early lives.

Societal Structure

Outside of a home environment, structure still rules. There is a complex hierarchy among the Tanu which ranks the importance and status of occupations, and within each occupation there are further hierarchies among the members and apprentices. Each city or outpost will have its own quirks, but in general, the more importance a trade holds will depend on its importance to the Tanu military machine and racial plans for expansion. However, great psionic power, past glory in combat, or relation {however distant} to the God will goose an individual upward among his peers.

At the social pinnacle are the people closest to the God, his immediate family and cadre of servants among the common citizen. This does not mean the priesthood per se; it does include anyone who, at some time in their life, was either directly or indirectly commanded by the Doomgiver in their actions. The Tanu term of reverance for such a person is ter'stoirmeacha, "touched by the storm".

Next comes the upper echelon of the priesthood. This is an aspect of the Tanu past that dies hard; those with priestly magic are still revered [or feared] because of the magic they may wield. And nearly everyone recalls how things were before. The Pontifex T'andrax heads Andraxas' church and is considered in the previous grouping; but here would stand the high priest of any specific Tanu temple, whatever its location; then, the command structure each high priest assembles for himself to serve under him or her. Please note however, those who serve the Old Ones are considered lower in this apsect of the societal heirarchy, at least by those around them, who witnessed their deserved fall from power. While the Old Ones' priests attempt to maintain power and control in those areas where they rule, they receive much contempt and are openly defied by even the lowest citizen should the commoner feel they can escape retruibution.

Then, there is the uppermost command ranks of the Void Legion. Grand Admiral Kane is actually considered ter'stoirmeacha, but the leaders whom he commands stand high in the rank of society as well. Command over a fleet, or even a single ship, raises one upward in the eyes of the people.

Next comes a nebulous grouping, a kind of conglomerate of individuals, both native Tanu as well as members of other races "adopted" by their Tanu comrades, who have taken part in the battles which have allowed the Tanu Expansion. Veterans of the Greyhawk campaigns; those who helped settle Mount Bluetop; warriors who faced the Vodoni; explorers who were on the maiden Tanu voyages into alien spheres; even a common footsoldier who has at least one such notch on their scabbard can expect to be looked up to by other Tanu.

At last we come to the ladder of Tanu tradesmen. While each city will evince a certain amount of shuffling of this listing, based mostly on the resources or the region and the size & importance of the city itself, below is a good rough look at such professional rankings. As in the case of the preceeding group, racial differences are ignored here, for it is the work of the person and not their race [as far as Tanu are concerned] which shows their power and skill. Naturally, any such designation for a tradesman assumes that the individual practitioner is, in fact, a productive worker for Tanu society itself, and not merely a member of an alien race seeking to further his own species among the Tanu.

Glassmakers

Military specialists [mages, priests, outlanders, navigators, shipwrights, etc.] in active service; then, such specialists who have retired to civilian practice.

Non-military magic-wielders otherwise active in society

Common military [of any rank below ship command]

World View

The Tanu are expansionist surface-dwellers. Whatever their individual alignment, there is a great ingrained urge to contend against one's own race and one's neighbors to prove the individual's place in the multiverse. A dreadfully slow birth-rate fuels one's desire to locate more territory, so that, when the time comes to create offspring and enlarge the population, the resources are already there to be had. In other words, the Tanu do not expand their numbers, and them spread into more territory secondarily; they go and claim land, then increase their numbers to fill it. They are extremely phobic of bodies of water, and evidence no desire whatsoever to expand into island areas unless there are spelljamming vessels to act as transportation. In addition, they show confusion at races who dwell underground exclusively, for although they do not fear the underdark, living without wide-open expanses is not desireable to them. The racial history of slavery has been entirely reversed in recent years, and has given rise to an intense dislike of the practice now; the animosity harbored against those who own slaves may lead to violence.

"At last, I am free! Now what?"

-Tanu maxim

Once you have found your spot in the heirarchy of existance, though, what stamp will you leave behind to show you were here? This is a deep question that plagues all Tanu, for the new racial culture which is rising from the ashes of the old is still nebulous, without a great declaration and unique style, or so its members fear. A Tanu must look about himself at the other, well-established races and ask: what are the truly unique characteristics of my culture? A great feeling of cultural vacuum haunts the first generation of Tanu freed from the tyranny of the Old Ones, and the entire race now strives to nurture a unique racial identity to offer to the outside world. In practice, many bits and pieces of other cultures are, occasionally, quietly enfolded into the Tanu lifestyle as a whole. Those which work well are embraced; while those which either have failed for others, or are seen as an identifier of a racial enemy, are shunned and ridiculed, or act as antithetical models for the Tanu.

Tanu `Glass'

"All things come from the sand" is a solemn Tanu saying, of many subtle meanings. Often it is spoken to a foolish youngster, who has missed the value of some superficially trivial thing. It also means that even an outwardly inconsequential article can overcome seemingly impossible odds. The blue silicate soil of Arkaela is indeed many things to its people. Any visitor to Arkaela will be struck by the harsh majesty of the landscape. Much of the planet is covered by the thick, light blue soil unique to Arkaela. This airy, ashy substance is a major commodity in Tanu culture. It will support multiple harvests without needing to lay fallow; in addition, it creates remarkably strong building material for the construction of the Tanu's unique architecture. But most remarkable of all is its use as material for the making of arms and armor.

Tanu blacksmiths are able to use their psionic powers to construct items normally made of steel or similar substances from Arkaelic sand. Through processes passed down from father to son, Tanu smiths melt and psionically manipulate Arkaelic sand in forges utilizing volcanic heat, resulting in a malleable, near-translucent material they call, simply, `glass'. This material is then shaped as desired, cooling to yield a crystal-like element with the strength and characteristics of glassteel. Similar to Drow metals, the glass can be further hardened {with great mental and physical effort}, yielding the equivalent of +1 to +5 enchantment. If used as armor alone, it is equal to AC 1, and is always forged as plate of some sort, and is a badge of style for the Tanu warrior, often shaped or detailed ornately specifically for the tastes of the wearer. Weapons are typically bladed, and adorned as in no other culture with spikes, fangs, fearsome creatures, et al. As final touches during forging, Tanu glass can be tinted to any color of the spectrum by adding specific compounds. The glass-metal also will glow when touched physically by a psionic individual, a soft glow equal to torch light.

Finally, for their taller structures, Tanu architects utilize giant blocks of solid glass as building material, the seams joined flawlessly by psionic welding.

Architecture

Tanu building styles are bizarre in the extreme, and have been known to give visiting dignitaries headaches. Influenced for centuries by the mad Cthulan gods, Tanu structures reflect a chaotic mix of non-Euclidean shapes fused together to form a baffling whole, displaying the arrogant declarations of Tanu style, while retaining the desire for interior privacy and without sacrificing the fortified strength to maintain it.

The Tanu build artistically, with more high walkways and balconies than the elves, more structural potency than the dwarves, more added stylistic extras than the gnomes, and to greater heights than human structures {and they like it that way}. All manner of seemingly

incompatible shapes find their way into Tanu edifices, and pyramids, buttresses, domes, and irregular polyhedrons share walls with gothic towers and things which might be more at home under water. All things are reconciled, however; Tanu architects take great pains to psionically melt all the intersecting angles, so that the warring shapes take on a smooth, cohesive appearance.

Magic

Due to the scarcity of magic-users, any Human mage who has come across Arkaela has become a sought-after member of society there, although many of these magi have been unable to return to whence they came. Whether by accident or design, non-Tanu magic users who appear in Arkaelan society {at least, those who make their abilities known} are either seen as people of great learning and due much respect for their unique power, or as villains of incredible danger, wielding abilities no Tanu possesses. Many figures of myth and legend were mages who allied themselves with one faction or the other, and burned a mark in history. Indeed, the cultures on Negranel and Llywellen Isles were created by two mage brothers who, weary of battling Tanu factions on the mainland, flew across the sea to settle on pieces of land too far across the dreaded oceans for their foes to follow.

The Tanu and other races

Since their expansion into other worlds, the Tanu have made many allies and enemies among the varied races which inhabit these places. Of course, a certain species from one world may not react the same as an identical race from somewhere else, so these differences will be noted, where appropriate. A Player's Tanu Character need not, of course, follow these guidelines at all if their own experiences warrant it. These are merely examples of how a Tanu might consider another race in your games. In general, or in a pinch, Tanu will gauge another by how well such a race would stand in battle against them. Additionally, specific members of other races who display what the Tanu consider as their life-ethic, are "adopted" by their comrades; ever after, such individuals will be considered as native Tanu to any such persons who learn of their adopted status. Psionic dwarves in particular are frequently "made into blood-relatives", but all such people will undergo a kind of roudy, group ritual involving many displays of strength, tests of nerve, and blood-sharing with whatever gathering of Tanu have taken the alien person into their hearts.

Humans

Being perhaps the most capably {and frequently} war-like of the humanoid races, Tanu view humans neutrally in many cases. Tanu reaction really depends entirely on the human's own attitude, since Man himself varies so greatly from individual to individual. While a typical Human possesses no psionic power, the race's ability to use magic seems to fill a gap that would otherwise lead to Tanu scorn.

Humans from Greyhawk tend to view Tanu as vile conquerors in many cases, and react negatively. While Tanu rule there is not overly harsh {having affected mostly the power bases of individual nobles & rulers, attempting to incorporate & uplift the common man to stave off rebellion}, there are still spots of trouble among the populace. Those from Ginsel, though, are strong Tanu allies, particularly the barbarian clans, and Tanu see these doughty warriors as equals. Arkaela Humans are merely another part of the populace, and little distinction is made there. Krynnish Humans treat Tanu neutrally, as the small Tanu nation there attempts to blend in and grow peacefully. Since the colonist populace is actually more Gnome and Dwarf than Tanu, outsiders react depending mostly on their nationality. Thessalyans under the flag of House Shambrath view Tanu as their saviours from a vampiric apocalypse; other local nations see them as invaders. Those from Humans from elsewhere would be judged neutrally until some trait for good or ill is demonstrated first.

Elves

The Elves are perhaps the one true race the Tanu view as a threat. Their great space-borne fleets, interplanetary ties among nations and racial ability with magic set them above the other races in the eyes of the Tanu as the one race that could supplant their plans for expansion. The Tanu do not, however, make this feeling known in public; Andraxas counsels his people to smile for one's foes until the time is ripe. In fact, often the Tanu attempt to emulate the elvish organization in order to expand their own power, and the Tanu Legion and the EIN often cooperate in practice against common threats. By observation from within, the Tanu can learn the true strength of the Elves, and decide when and what course is best. Tanu see little difference between the various elven subraces {infuriating many such peoples}, except the Drow; it's hard for most Tanu to understand why one would wish to live underground {and who, of course, make liberal use of slaves & are thus enemies}. One needs to again mention, of course, that Tanu hate being mistaken for Elf, due to their outward physical similarities.

Greyhawk Elves are the staunchest protesters of Tanu occupation, and the Tanu grant many concessions to these rulers to keep them quiet, if not happy. The Tanu military want to make sure no unrest is fomented by the Elvish Queens & Kings there. Besides, the Tanu argue, their invasion has completely quelled the need for border wars with the elves' frequently greedy neighbors, the Humans. Spacebased elvish people are seen as equals and rivals for the same areas & resources, and Tanu spacers take great glee in any event that precipitates an actual

fight against Elves. There are many spies from both sides among the military ranks, as each race attempts to see what the other is really up to.

Dwarves

The Dwarvish people are seen universally by the Tanu as allies. Their resilient combat ability and typical weak racial magic-use use allow the Tanu to see them as kindred creatures. Often, throughout the worlds, dwarves are used as slave-material by others, a condition the Tanu despise. Dwarves are an integral part of the Tanu military, and many liberated dwarven slaves from far and wide have expanded the homeworld populace. The reputation of their weaponforging make dwarven-made weapons a treasure for a Tanu located where his native glass cannot be found. Since typical Tanu do not come into contact with the deep-dwelling subraces and gully dwarves, the Tanu have no real experience with or attitude toward such peoples.

Dwarves view the Tanu similarly. Joined with their hatred of slavery, and the quiet rivalry with the Elves, Dwarvish people take very well to the Tanu in their midst. Couple all this with the fact that the vast difference in height is completely invisible to the Tanu {make 'short' jokes around a Legion Dwarf, and his Tanu buddies will probably chop off your legs}, and that psionic-aware Dwarves are often adopted into Tanu family units as blood-relatives, and you have the making for a strong allegience between these two races. Of course, the haughty Dwarf Kings of Greyhawk grumble over their loss of status, but there is a grudging respect for the conquerors, and since a Tanu dwelling underground is like a fish out of water, the Dwarf nations there go on today practically untouched. Krynnish Dwarves think similarly, seeing the Tanu/Dwarf colony at Bluetop as another settlement of hard-working, hard-playing people. Dwarves from elsewhere are surprised at their energetic acceptance by the foreign tallfolk.

Gnomes

This other diminuitive race is eagerly accepted by the Tanu. There is a large populace of Gnomoi in the Tanu military machine, and for once, the Gnomes' constant tinkering and construction are actively encouraged and, yes, accepted! Their innovative designs are a large factor in Tanu spelljamming technology. This alone has all but assured that the Tanu are eager allies for the Gnomes. Although very few Gnomes can accept the rather violent and bloody Tanu religion, and both magic-use and psionics are rare among the Gnomoi, the Tanu accept these diminuitive people as brethren.

Gnomes, for the most part, happily work beside these tall allies. Where others would scoff, the Tanu encourage. Once the shock wears off, Gnomes will happily expound at length on their latest theories with any Tanu willing to listen. Add to this that Gnomes find Tanu architecture fascinating, and things degenerate into a mutual-admiration party.

Goblinoids

The Tanu view most goblinoids as others do, a nuisance race who never really got the final leg up in the evolution department. Althought the Scro seem to be an exception, they are merely another space-monster that discovered spelljamming and now make spacelane raids another worry for the Tanu Void Legion. The Tanu happily swipe smokepowder technology from the Scro for their own use, but ultimately the Tanu are simply waiting for another Unhuman War to break out, so they can interviene and show the Elves how it should have been done the first time. Actually, the continued existance of the Scro is another reason why the Tanu believe they will ultimately replace the EIN as the supreme spacefaring military power: what, you can't squash a bunch of gobins? As for what the Scro think of them, the Tanu could care less.

Halflings

This is the one diminuitive demihuman race the Tanu dislike. They pay too much attention to hedonistic things for the common Tanu to ever approve of, and their forces stood no chance during the war on Greyhawk. They are weak mages, and psionics are infrequent among their people, so, they are no threat, and therefore, unworthy of respect or alliance. Alas, since the Tanu make no effort to hide this sentiment, the Halflings feel negatively toward them as well.

Illithids

Despite a shakey alliance during the Vodoni Wars {Prince Villithandra is really a nice guy}, the Tanu universally view the brain-eating, slave-taking Mind Flayer as a chaotic critter that should be erradicated. Physically weak, and as racial psionicists, the illithids are a natural target for Tanu aggression, either in a simple social environment or in full-scal battle in space. Tanu make no effort to avoid conflict with the 'flayers if any opportunity or excuse presents itself. Their great abilty with magic and vast space fleets make them a powerful threat, and thus, worthy enemies. Frequently, after battle, Tanu warriors behead slain Mind Flayers as an answer to the vile habit of brain consumption. Add to all this the fact that Cthulu has introduced them to the Home sphere, and you can imagine what happens when the two races meet.

For their part, the Illithids can't figure out why the Tanu hate them so much. Despite Villithandra's idea that the two races should ally, subsequent events quashed that idea once and for all. They even go out of their way to free the 'Flayers' slaves! Illithids enjoy using magic against the mage-weak Tanu, seeing it as their edge, and Tanu brains are secretly sold as a delicacy in all-Illitid bars. However, the Tanu's superior psionic developement is a source of awe among the 'Flayers, and stories of the hapless colony on Gozan are frequently used as ghost tales around the brainpools.

the Giff

The hardy Giff are readily accepted among the militaristic Tanu. Likewise, the Giff see Tanu military society as a great place to be all you can be. Smokepowder is readily handed out, your fellow crewman just loves combat, and another friendly brawl is yours for the asking. Reactions among the two races are definitely positive.

Neogi

Another race in frequent contact with the Tanu in space, the Neogi are another slave-taking race the Tanu despise. After the honorless betrayal of the Free Space Alliance at the climax of the Vodoni Wars, the 'bug herders', as they are now refered to, have become simply another spelljamming critter whose ships are used for target practice by the Legion. Any word of Neogi settlements or slaving activity are likely to bring all nearby Tanu ships at full speed. While the mediocre magic talents of the Neogi do not deter Tanu aggression much, the presence of their Umber Hulk servants force the Arkaelans to be more circumspect in their battle tactics. It is then that the full psionic potential of a Tanu battalion can be seen, with mental powers lighting up the inside of any enemy Deathspider.

The Neogi now go to great lengths via diplomatic channels to slander the Tanu. They will harangue any who will listen that they should immediately cease contact with those "murderous psychopaths who plundered Greyhawk", and work in the background to thwart Tanu supply lines and spread further rumors.

More relationship studies on the way!

Psionic Guilds

Any "Elite" Tanu {one with psionic-level ability scores in Int, Wis & Cha} will be a member of the appropriate psionic `guild', as non-members are viewed as low-lives at best. Membership is gained by demonstration of his or her abilities, and is sought after age 30. Acceptance entitles the guild member to access the facilities of his guild house, and these are located in all major Tanu cities. Services include inexpensive room and board {though usually with a fellowmember's family rather than in the guildhall itself}, use of labs and libraries, and low-cost healing.

Guild members are subject to the laws and tariffs of the Guild imposed by their respective Guildmaster, one Tanu of exceptional talents who must prove himself once every five years at the Grand Combat. The main headquarters of all four Guilds are located in a single fortress in the Tanu city of Doom's Gate, where Andraxas often speaks with the Guildmasters in person.

The Void Legion

A recent addition to Tanu society, the Void Fleet is the Wildspace navy of the God of Doom, and the Legionnaires are his soldiers. Most Tanu will wish to spend some time on the Void Legion, either guarding their homeworld from invaders and Cthulan creatures, or travelling to other worlds where the Tanu have conquered or made allies.

Though containing a score of captured ships of standard designs, the majority of the fleet is made up by the glass-built ships of Tanu design. Although one model is fashioned after a sighting of the great ship Spelljammer, the basic shape of Tanu space ships follow the lines of mighty sea creatures. This is natural for the Tanu, for the seas of Arkaela are a great source of superstition and fear for the entire race. Due to the presence of fearsome voracious, retroevolved sea monsters on their homeworld, and Cthulu's fish-men minions, the oceans of Arkaela are all but impassable, and sailing is an art which died there millennia ago. The Tanu strive to make their ships both stylish and fearsome, and so they turn to the creatures of the sea, which inspire fear and awe in themselves, to better terrorize their enemies.

The Art of War

Tanu are an aggressive race, their love of combat exploding from them after centuries of cruel oppression by the Cthulan gods. Always eager to prove themselves, Tanu have fanatic morale, especially in mass-combat situations, and frown upon those who flee battle, believing no odds are bad odds; and that if one must die, let it be in battle.

Warcraft permeates Tanu society. Since their liberation, the Tanu have learned that they love to make war. This is reflected in their religion, in their social structure, and in their family life. Therefore, since pride is such a motivating part of the Tanu mind, then they needs must excell in this vital skill.

A Tanu will seek to learn skill at arms from a young age. It is most likely that the father or mother of a youngster will allow them to witness their parent while in martial practice; it is a given that the child will show interest in what is being done, and seek to be taught. This will continue until the child is old enough to depart the home, for the young adult will now find further instruction in the wide world, either from the artisan under whom he takes tutilage, through enlistment in the Tanu Legion, or by necessity in the wilds of the land. Since military service is the surest way to learn technique of arms, most young Tanu will serve in the Legionnaires very early in their lives. Often their assignment will take them to a new world; there, they will seek to learn local weapon styles in order to gain an edge over their fellows with alien tactics. In addition, in the Legion a Tanu will find many psionic masters who can instill in them the most cunning methods by which they can harness the disciplines they know. One's mental weapons are as important as the glass one in your hand.

The development is psionic skill in a child is also very important. Tanu in the final months of gestation develop an intense mental bond with their offspring, and any female with telepathy or similar talent will likely begin educating the fetus in rudimentary form months before it is born. The parent will strive, where possible, to learn all it can about the newborns psionic abilities immediately, and will seek out trusted assistance if the Tanu cannot descry the infants mental essay on their own. Youngsters can expect much drilling, discipline and hard work.

Much of this is in preparation for future attendance at the high Tanu holiday, the Grand Combat. Here the Tanu display their ability in all its glory for the eyes of the gods, and seek to gain notoriety within the great arena of the Battle Plain. Also, since the staged war held here every five years frequently holds great consequence for the religion itself and the God's plans,

loyal Tanu strive to succeed here. Even if one is mortally wounded at the Grand Combat, at least one can expect an honored place among the valiant dead in Valhalla.

Cultural History for the Player

In the murky dawn of Arkaelic history, the chaotic Cthulan gods, led by Cthulu himself, formed the Tanu world in their rough, inhuman appendages. The first Tanu arose from the mists of that early age, large, misshapen brutes with little guiding their actions but hunger and bloodthirst. Over the span of years, the Cthulan gods shaped the young Tanu, gradually encouraging them to greater intelligence and an emerging beauty {after all, who wants ugly, idiot slaves?}.

As the ages passed, however, and the chaotic gods made war upon each other, they vied to create the most adaptable, mentally superior, war-like minions to assist them. They twisted them with foul magics, or even bred them with extraplanar creatures {especially the horrid Yog-Sothoth and his insane brother Azeroth}, slowly developing more powerful Tanu with controlled eugenics. At some point, the Tanu learned magic; but after Cthulu's magicians managed to entomb Haster's physical manifestation in his temple on Lake Hali, the mighty Cthulu himself, realizing that his people might one day turn this magic upon him, rewarded his magicians by slaughtering all magic-wielding Tanu on the planet, and forbidding the use of sorcerous magic to any but the gods themselves. Within a generation, any Tanu born with the talent to cast magic had been killed, by horrid curses or the attack of the gods' bizarre servants. While clerics were still allowed to exercise some power, magicians disappeared from Arkaela.

Millennia passed, and the war among the gods did not end. Some Tanu discovered that exposure to the psionic power of the gods had awakened similar power in their own bodies; using the forbidden eugenic methods of their gods, these Tanu secretly bred the ability into their children. Eventually, psionically active Tanu became the norm, and those without it were sacrificed to the foul deities, to placate their terrible hungers and allow the survivors to keep their mind powers.

The god wars wrought their effects upon the land and gods as well: the shape of the continents changed; the great Inland Sea on the northern continent dried up in a matter of days; the beasts of the world began evolving rapidly backwards, and soon the land and seas were teeming with voracious prehistoric creatures; Cthulu chose the island city-state of R'lyeh as his final seat of power, and promptly sank it beneath the sea; the mad god Azeroth, an orbiting being the size of a small moon, collected his clerics bodily from the world in one

horrible night and fled for deep space, never to be seen again. The Tanu, arrogant, mentally powerful and bred to survive, began mimicking the gods' methods of slavery; soon, the clerics of the major deities, with their monopoly on magical spells, held all others under their tyrannical sway, assisted by unearthly minions.

The New Age and the coming of Andraxas

Then in the current time, the world was rocked by the arrival on the scene of a new god: Andraxas. A god of Law and War, he made good his claim to the title `God of Doom'. Starting with a single cleric, he rallied the downtrodden of Tanu society, proving his power by slaying Cthuga the fire-god forever and usurping his control over that element. In a brief period of time he isolated and slew the majority of worshippers of the non-humanoid Old Ones, slaughtering them en masse by luring them to a tourney in the dry sea and overwhelming them with strange new methods, taking the field himself to deal death to those who opposed him. The Cthulan gods, one by one, were driven into hiding or slain outright, and the Tanu who survived worshipped the Lord of Doom.

Andraxas next established a planar gate to the world called Greyhawk, and brought the Tanu across, where they celebrated their newfound freedom by conquering the alien world with the help of Andraxas' two allies, Drax the Lord of Hells and Dorgon the king of Hades. The triumphant Tanu settled the vanquished alien lands, and their numbers increased.

Next came an event which rocked many worlds: Ragnaroc. Convinced that he was the one prophesied to begin the apocalyptic war with the Aesir, Andraxas gathered his people and allies and marched across the Rainbow Bridge Bifrost, bent on conquering Valhalla. The Norse gods, betrayed from within their own ranks, fell before a combined army of Tanu, devils, hoardlings and giants. At the last, Andraxas, with the souls of the other Aesir trapped as hostages within a gem, faced down Thor in the skies above Asgard, and forced the God of Thunder to surrender his hammer, girdle and gauntlet to the victor. In anger, Thor freed his family, and Asgard was split down the center by a 100-mile wide rift, leaving Andraxas to create Dursgard {Dark Asgard}, the fabled land where the faithful slain can spend their afterlife in combat and adventure with other Tanu heroes, rather than with the common Tanu in the eternal battlefields of Archeron.

As can be gathered by this history, the current Tanu religion {the `Doomgiver' faith} states that one's life determines which afterlife the Tanu soul achieves. Those who live average or unproductive lives must spend an afterlife of equal span in the battlefields of Acheron, fighting ceaselessly against the eternal forces of orcs, humans, daemons, et al, which inhabit that

plane, and under the harsh command of the four Witch Kings {the Dreadlords}. The Tanu who proves himself worthy of the Doom God's attention, or who dies in battle, will instead go to Dursgard, to spend an afterlife of equal years traveling the mighty landscape of the conquered Gladsheim, doing battle with mythical beasts, jousting against other great heroes, and partying with the gods.

Whichever reward is achieved, the Tanu soul finally must travel to the Well of Rebirth {there is one in each afterlife}, where the soul is cleansed of memory before being reincarnated. In the hopes of achieving a glorious afterlife, most Tanu avidly attend the Grand Combat, the great tourney Andraxas holds every five years. This event is the highest of Tanu holy days.

Spacial Concordance

There are several locations on Arkaela which, due to arcane magic worked by the Cthulan gods, are spatially concordant with other worlds, and travelers in such locations may find themselves arriving in the corresponding world. There is a 5% chance of such a transition taking place, and this goes up 5% for each level of any spell cast in the location. Travelers will probably not notice anything has happened, as there will only be differences in some vegetation, or star patterns if it is night.

A partial list of concordant locations follows:

Northern Werewood

Forlorn Forest, Greyhawk

Sadmoger Desert

Sea of Dust, near Lost City

Havers Wood

Welkwood, near center

Llywellen Forest

? unknown locale ?

Mirror Deeps

? unknown locale ?

Chapter 3

~Creating Tanu Characters~

Selecting Class or Multi-Classes

Tanu may be warriors, priests, thieves, or multi-class warrior/priests. If you choose a multiclass character, familiarize yourself with their benefits and limitations in the Player's Handbook.

You can determine your character's class in several ways. You may choose which class or multiclass combination you want to play or you may generate the character's attributes and decide which character to play according to the die rolls; or your DM may assign you a character class.

The advantages and limitations of each character class will be detailed under its description here and elsewhere. Be aware that the Tanu character has only one multiclass choice because there are no level limits for Tanu characters.

Ability Scores

Any of the six dice rolling methods in the Player's Handbook are acceptable. However, if you want to generate a specific class of character, methods V and VI work best. They allow you to custom design your character and are more likely to result in good ability scores. Don't make any adjustments to your rolled attributes until you've read the handbook through, the procedures are different from those of the Player's Handbook.

Ability Score Adjustments: none specific.

Tanu Ability Scores

Ability

Minimum

Maximum

Strength

18/00

Dexterity

18

Constitution

18

Intelligence

18

Wisdom

18

Charisma

18

Languages: Tanu, common.

Infravision & Ultravision: 60 feet.

Special Advantages: Psionic ability; see its own section below.

Special Disadvantages: -1 to all saves vs. magical attacks, including wand/staff/rod.

Additional Experience Cost: None.

Life Expectancy: 1200 years.

Movement Rates and Encumbrance

Tanu are fleet of foot. Consider them to begin with a base movement of 12, and adjust for encumbrance as per whatever rules options you use for Humans.

Psionic Ability

The most distinguishing feature of their race is that all Tanus are natural psionics, even though low ability scores might preclude possessing the Talent. They possess all attack and defense modes, and a low-attribute Tanu will possess 1/2 xd100 psionic strength points {other methods may be used}. A Tanu with high psionic related scores will have normal Wild Talent disciplines, but a full 30% {70-100 on d%}of such Tanu will be in one of the four distinct psionic "classes" of Tanu culture: Creators, Coercers, Telekinetics, and Redactors.

This mental boon does have its drawbacks: due to their natural psionic skills, the Tanu are unable to adapt to the study of magic, as their physiology hampers spell-energy control necessary in such arts. All Tanu characters, Elite or otherwise, suffer a -1 to saves against any

magic-related attack, be it spell, wand, item effect, etc. They are not immune to fear or charm spells, and do not receive combat bonuses with sword or bow. However, the Tanu are otherwise equal to Humans in terms of varied classes which they can have. Only the MagicUser and its subclasses/kits are closed to them.

To determine a Tanu's psionic disciplines, roll on the following charts; all will be of a certain type of related discipline. All Tanu are considered at the start to be Wild talents, and will also possess the 5 psionic attack modes and the 5 psionic defense modes. Use whatever option you wish to determine the number of PSPs the character has, but if the Tanu is not of the Elite upper 30% of his race, he will never possess more than 100 PSPs. Tanu of this stripe roll on the chart below to determine their Wild Talent abilities:

Table 83: Wild Talents {non-Elite}

Roll d100

Wild Devotion

Roll d100

Wild Devotion

Roll d100

Wild Devotion

Roll d100

Wild Devotion

Clairsentient Devotions

Psycho-metabolic Devotions

Psycho-portive Devotions

Clair-sentient Sciences

0102

All-around vision

28-29

Absorb disease 71-72

Astral projection

01-06

Aura sight

03

Combat mind

30-31

Aging

73-74

Dimensional door

07-14

Clairaudience

0405

Danger sense

32

Adrenaline control

75-77

Dimension walk

15-22

Clairvoyance

0607

Feel light

33-34

Biofeedback

78-79

Dream travel

23-27

Object reading

08

Feel sound

35

Body control

80-81

Phase

28-32

Precognition

09

Hear light

36

Body equilibrium

33-36

Sensitivity to psychic impressions

10

Know direction

37-38

Body weaponry

Telepathic Devotions

Psycho-kinetic Science

11-12

Know location

39-40

Catfall

82-84

ESP 37-40

Telekinesis

13

Poison sense

41

Cause decay

85-87

Empathy

41-44

Create

14-15

Radial navigation

42-43

Cell adjustment

88-89

Conceal thoughts

Psycho-metabolic Sciences

16-17

See sound

44-45

Chameleon power

90-91

Life detection

45-49

Animal affinity

18

Spirit sense

46

Chemical simulation

92-93

Psychic messenger

50-53

Complete healing

47

Displacement

94-96

Send thoughts

54-55

Death field

Psychokinetic Devotions

48-49

Double pain

97-98

Roll two devotions

56-61

Energy containment

19-20

Animate shadow

50

Ectoplasmic form

99

Roll one science

62-63

Life draining

21-22

Control light

51-52

Graft weapon

100

Roll one devotion & one science

64-72

Meta-morphosis

23-24

Control sound

53

Expansion

73-80

Shadowform

25

Molecular agitation

54-55

Enhanced strength

Psycho-portive Sciences

26-27

Soften

56

Flesh armor

81-83

Teleport

57-58

Heightened senses

84-86

Probability travel

59

Immovability

Telepathic Sciences

60-61

Lend health

87-92

Mindlink

62-63

Mind over body

93-95

Roll two sciences

64-65

Reduction

96-100

No science gained

66-67

Share strength

68-70

Suspend animation

Elite Tanu will possess a higher number of psionic powers, but most will fall into a certain class of related disciplines. Only one power will manifest itself for each level the character gains, but he may choose which {keep in mind that prerequisits for more powerful disciplines must be followed in order. Also, Devotions within a Discipline must be manifested before any Science can be chosen}

Inter-related terms used here:

Related powers = a Discipline

Minor Power = a Devotion

Major Power = a Science

Originally, the method by which Tanu characters chose their psionic abilities followed the charts below, which were based on the original, 1st Edition AD&D psionic abilities. However, this list is being updated to be more in tune with late 2nd Edition skills and powers. Therefore, feel free to use either method in your games.

If you wish to use the full scorecard of psionic disciplines available in The Complete Psionics Handbook, choose among the disciplines available to a Tanu character using these suggestion below and determine powers by dice roll or player choice:

Tanu Guild:

Roll / take powers from:

Creators

Clairesentiece, Psychokinetic, Psychometabolic, Psychoportive, Telepathic, add Create Science

Coercers

Psychometabolic, Telepathic, add Coerce Science

Telekinetics

Psychokinetic, Telepathic, Psychoportive, add Multiplied TK Science

Redactors

Clairesentiece, Psychometabolic, Telepathic

Several nonstandard powers are mentioned in this work below and elsewhere; if they are not hotlinked to specific individual description-pages, they may be perused HERE.

A note for CR2 CD-ROM users, and to those having trouble creating methods by which to determine psionics for Tanu characters:

After much pondering, I feel the best way to create Tanu characters with the AD&D CR2 CDs, is to either allow such PCs to always succeed in Wild Talent rolls, or to add multiclass options mating whatever class/kit the player wishes to use with the Psionicist. This second may seem a

bit overbalancing, though, resulting in either PCs who advance too slowly if experience is split between the two, or overpowering them if you allow both classes to advance a level simultaneously. Another option, is to create a shadow character sheet, using the same stats for the character in question, and making them either a Wild talent or a full Psionicist. Then, print up only the pertanent psionic info and marry the sheets.

This is a work in progress, and individual DMs will likely alter these methods to suit their taste for player-power in their games. I am striving to create a CR2 file for the Tanu, and hope to have the full thing completed... some day. For now, I have added the few custom psionic powers and racial abilities as best I can, and will link it HERE as soon as I feel it's usable.

Otherwise, the dice-roll tables with limited 1st Ed. Powers are given below:

Creators have powers which deal with energy and manipulation of matter, as well as a phantasm-like ability. They also have the most Disciplines to choose from:

Roll d10

Minor

Body Equilibrium

Body Weaponry

Cell Adjustment

4-5

Expansion

Invisibility

Molecular Agitation

Reduction

9-10

Lights

Roll d20

Major

Astral Projection

2-3

Aura Alteration

Body Control

Dimension Door

Dimension Walk

7-9

Energy Control

10-12

Etherealness

13-14

Mind Bar

15

Molecular Manipulation

16

Molecular Rearrangement

17

Probability Travel

18

Shape Alteration

19

Wards

20

Psi-Create

Note:

Create is a Tanu-specific discipline

Coercer's powers deal with overcoming an opponent's mind by willpower:

Roll d10

Minor

Animal Telepathy

Detect Good/Evil

3-4

Domination *

ESP

Hypnosis

Invisibility

Mind over Body

Object Reading

10

Rapport

Roll d8

Major

Aura Control

Mass Domination *

Mind Bar

4-6

Telempathic Projection

Telepathy

Telepathic Projection

* If a Coercer-class Tanu develops both Domination and Mass Domination, the two combine to form the Major discipline Coerce . This is one of the most powerful brute-force disciplines known. Only Tanu develop Coerce naturally.

Telekinetics develop movement by mind-power to a high degree, generally greater than most Human psionics achieve:

Roll d6

Minor

Clairaudience

Clairvoyance

3-4

Levitation

Molecular Agitation

Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions

Roll d10

Major

Body Control

Dimension Door

Molecular Manipulation

Wards

Molecular Rearrangement

6-7

Telekinesis

8-9

Telekinesis, doubled *

10

Telekinesis, tripled *

* Multiplied Telekinesis indicates the psionic can lift that much more weight at normal costs. For example, a first level Tanu with Doubled Telekinesis can lift 60 GP's.

Readactors have healing abilities, and are considered as healers in Tanu society. Their Guild is the cultural equivalent to a hospital. Note however, that a Readactor with aggressive powers is a formidable foe:

Roll d20

Minor

Animal Telepathy

2-6

Cell Adjustment

Detect Good/Evil

Detect Magic

Domination

10

Empathy

11

ESP

12-13

Hypnosis

14

Mind Over Body

15

Object Reading

16

Precognition

17

Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions

18

Suspend Animation

19-20

Rapport

Roll d20

Major

Aura Alteration

2-3

Body Control

Energy Control

Etherealness

6-10

Mental Surgery

11-13

Mind Bar

14

Telempathic Projection

15

Telepathy

16

Telepathic Projection

17-20

Mental Surgery

Height and Weight

Either choose your character's height and weight or generate them randomly, using the tables found in the Players Handbook. Take the base scores appropriate for a Human, and add the following die roll modifier:

Males: 5 + d10 inches, double that in pounds

Females: 2 + d6 inches, double that in pounds

Bizarre combinations should be ignored and rerolled.

Females tend to be lighter and shorter than males so the base numbers for height and weight are divided into male/female values. There is a broad range in each category.

Starting Age and Life Span

Choose or generate a character's starting age and possible life span using the table below. To determine starting age, add the die roll to the base starting age. You will only have an idea of how long he is likely to live, assuming he dies of old age [highly unlikely here].

As an alternative you may play an older character, one who has been drawn or forced into adventuring late in life. Your character starts at 1st-level, but his ability scores are adjusted to reflect his greater age as shown on the Aging Effects Table.

These adjustments may result in either exceeding or falling below the minimum and maximum abilities required for the race, but this is not a problem as long as the character met them before he aged.

Appearance

Now decide on the appearance of the character's hair, severity of skin bronzing, and so forth. Some of the optional character kits contains a suggested distinctive appearance to further flesh out any Tanu character.

Aging Effects Table

Young Adult

Adult

Middle Age *

Old Age **

Venerable Age ***

Maximum

15-40

40-400

400-700

700-850

850-1000

1000-1200

* -1 Str/Con; +1 Int/Wis

** -2 Str/Dex; B1 Con; +1 Wis

*** -1 Str/Dex/Con; +1 Int/Wis

Chapter 5: Proficiencies

Proficiencies are the best way to quantify the various skills that distinguish Tanu from each other.

Acquiring Proficiencies

How weapon and nonweapon proficiency slots are acquired is described on page 51 of the Player's Handbook.

Refer to the following table when it is necessary to determine the number of proficiency slots a character starts with, the number available, and at what levels new ones are acquired.

Proficiency Slots

Weapon Proficiencies

Nonweapon Proficiencies

Group

Initial

#Levels

Penalty

Warrior

-2

Priest

-3

Thief

-3

Warrior/Priest

-2

Weapon Proficiencies and Specialization

Only single-class fighters may have weapon specialization. Multi-class fighter/priests have other benefits to offset their lack of specialization. The Complete Fighter's Handbook contains many new and useful forms of weapon specialization that will enhance the abilities of Tanu warriors. You do not need to use it in your campaign, the AD&D game works perfectly well without the optional rules, but hey, give it a look. J

Nonweapon Proficiency Groups

Nonweapon proficiencies are used to add more depth to a character and to assess his chances of success at certain tasks. Tanu come from a different cultural background than humans and other races so they do not automatically learn their nonweapon proficiencies from the same groups. Tanu may draw proficiencies from the groups below, instead of those on pages 54-55 of the Player's Handbook.

The number of slots needed for proficiencies and the ability modifier may differ from those in the Player's Handbook. These changed costs and ability modifiers are used for Tanu characters only.

Initial nonweapon proficiencies have been selected for the various Tanu kits in the next chapter. If you are using the kits, the tables below are only useful when the character gains experience and becomes eligible for additional slots. If you design your own kits, or do not use kits, these tables will still prove useful. Remember that the Valiant and Cabalist kits when used as distinct character classes have their own webpages on the Arkaela Spelljamming site.

There are eight Tanu nonweapon proficiency groups: General, Crafts, Warrior, Rogue, Priest, Psionicist, Legionnaire and Special. When a player selects a proficiency from those categories listed under "Proficiency Groups," it requires the number of proficiency slots listed. If a proficiency is selected from any other category, it will require one additional proficiency slot beyond the number listed. A proficiency not listed in any of the Tanu groups may still be purchased (from the Player's Handbook or other supplement), but at the cost of two additional proficiency slots. Any applicable groups can be used, ie., a Tanu Priest who later joins the Legion can then select from General, Priest, Special, and Legionnaire.

Note that there are several proficiency-powers here borrowed from the psionicist class.

General Group: This group is available to all Tanu. It is part of their background and training.

Guild Group: The Guild group represents the guild-based nature of Tanu society and the long apprenticeships that young Tanu undergo before becoming adults. A Tanu may choose one craft at no cost in proficiency slots.

Warrior, Priest, and Rogue Groups: Multi-classed characters may select proficiencies for each of their classes. A warrior/priest could choose from both Warrior and Priest groups.

Psionicist Group: Tanu who choose this class, devoting their lives to the full development of their mental powers, choose from the Psionicist chart as provided in the Complete Psionicist's Handbook.

Legionnaire: This group is only used if the Tanu PC is from a military background or is played as being in active service. These Tanu would have learned many skills useful in wildspace and not available to typical ground-based characters.

Special: Although there are no native Tanu mages, there is a loose-knit Mages school-system founded by the High Archmage Zaroth which trains Legion mages {alien humans or other races}, as well as tutoring priestly spellcasters in certain skills necesarry in their service to the God and the Legion. This is kept separate from the Legionnaire list as some mages will enroll in the school to serve the Tanu in some fashion other than in wildspace. In addition, Cabalist characters will also possess skills which most Tanu will not have access to, and so they can select from this category as well if you choose to use them in your campaigns. Cabalists may otherwise select from the Wizard & General lists available in the Players Handbook.

Tanu Nonweapon Proficiency Groups

GENERAL

Proficiency

slots Relevant Ability

Modifier

Animal Handling

Wisdom

-1

Appraising

Intelligence

+3

Artistic Ability

Wisdom

Contact

Wisdom

Dancing

Dexterity

Direction Sense

Wisdom

+2*

Endurance

Constitution

Etiquette

Charisma

Fire-Building

Wisdom

-1

Food Recognition

Intelligence

+3

Heraldry

Intelligence

Languages, Alien

Intelligence

Local Tanu History

Intelligence

+2

Mental Armor

Wisdom

-2

Riding, Land-Based

Wisdom

-2

Riding, Prehistoric

Wisdom

-2

Rope Use

Dexterity

Singing

Charisma

+2

Slow Respiration

N/A

N/A

Sound Analysis

Wisdom

Weather Sense

Wisdom

-1

GUILD

Proficiency

slots

Relevant Ability

Modifier

Agriculture

Intelligence

Animal Training

Wisdom

Armorer

Intelligence

Black-smithing

Strength

+1

Bowyer-Fletcher

Dexterity

Brewing

Intelligence

+1

Carpentry

Strength

Cobbling

Dexterity

Cooking

Intelligence

Engineering

Intelligence

Gem Cutting

Dexterity

Glassforger

Intelligence

-5

Glass-masonry

Intelligence

Herbalism

Intelligence

Leather-working

Intelligence

Lock-smithing

Dexterity

+1

Mining

Wisdom

Pottery

Dexterity

-3

Seamstress/Tailor

Dexterity

-2

Weapon-smithing

Intelligence

-1

Weaving

Intelligence

-2

WARRIOR

Proficiency

slots

Relevant Ability

Modifier

Alertness

Wisdom

+1

Animal Lore

Intelligence

0/+1

Blind-fighting

N/A

N/A

Gaming

Charisma

Hunting

Wisdom

-2

Intimidation

Strength/Charisma

Mountaineering

N/A

N/A

Survival, wilderness

N/A

N/A

THIEF

Proficiency

slots

Relevant Ability

Modifier

Alertness

Wisdom

+1

Blind-fighting

N/A

N/A

Disguise

Charisma

-2

Forgery

Dexterity

Gaming

Charisma

-1

Lip Reading

Intelligence

-2

Local History

Charisma

Juggling

Dexterity

-2

Musical Instrument

Dexterity

-2

Pest Control

Wisdom

Set Snares

Dexterity

-1

Tightrope Walking

Dexterity

Tumbling

Dexterity

Ventriloquism

Intelligence

-2

PRIEST

Proficiency

slots

Relevant Ability

Modifier

Ancient History

Wisdom

Astrology

Intelligence

Astronomy

Intelligence

Healing

Wisdom

-2

Herbalism

Intelligence

-2

Languages, Ancient

Intelligence

Local Tanu History

Charisma

Musical Instrument

Dexterity

-2

Reading/ Writing

Intelligence

+1

Religion

Wisdom

Spellcraft

Intelligence

-2

Spelljamming {Helmsmanship}

Intelligence

-2

Spelljamming History

Intelligence

-1

PSIONICIST

Proficiency

slots

Relevant Ability

Modifier

Contact

Wisdom

Gem Cutting

Dexterity

Harness Subconscious

Wisdom

Meditative Focus

Wisdom

+1

Mental Armor

Wisdom

Musical Instrument

Dexterity

Reading/Writing

Intelligence

+1

Rejuvenation

Wisdom

Religion

Wisdom

Musical Instrument

Dexterity

-2

LEGIONNAIRE

{note: Italicized entries are for psionic individuals only}

Proficiency

slots

Relevant Ability

Modifier

Astronomy

Intelligence

Carpentry, Spelljamming

Strength

Fishing

Wisdom

-1

Freefall

Dexterity

Harness Subconscious

Wisdom

-1

Meditative Focus

Wisdom

+1

Mountaineering

N/A

N/A

Navigation

Intelligence

-3

Navigation, Wildspace

Intelligence

-2

Navigation, Phlogiston

Intelligence

-2

Planetology

Intelligence

-1

Rejuvenation

Wisdom

-1

Riding, Land Animal

Dexterity

-2

Riding, Prehistoric

Dexterity

-2

Sail Manipulation

Dexterity

Shipwright

Intelligence

-2

Sign Language

Intelligence

+2

Signalling

Intelligence

+2

Space Fighting

Dexterity

+2

Spaceman-ship

Dexterity

+1

Spelljamming {Helmsman-ship}

Intelligence

-2

Spelljamming History

Intelligence

-1

Survival

Intelligence

Survival,Wildspace

Wisdom

-3

Weapon Loader

Dexterity

+1

Wildspace Navigation

Intelligence

SPECIAL

Proficiency

slots

Relevant Ability

Modifier

Astrology

Intelligence

Astronomy

Intelligence

Magickal Theory & Formulae

2+

Intelligence

-1

Signalling

Intelligence

+2

Survival

Intelligence

Weapon Loader

Dexterity

+1

Nonweapon Proficiencies

New proficiencies are described here, with additional information about Tanu proficiencies. Those not described are unchanged from the descriptions in the Player's Handbook.

Alertness: A character with this proficiency is able to instinctively recognize signs of disturbance or potential ambush, both by animals and humanoids, in the immediate vicinity. This gives a +1 bonus on the character's surprise rolls when he makes a successful proficiency check.

Animal Lore: The effectiveness of this proficiency varies according to the background of the Tanu. A Tanu who has lived his entire life on the Homeworld knows little about animals living on Greyhawk or other worlds, but he will be very knowledgeable about the dinosaurs of his

homeland. In this case, a Tanu gains a +1 modifier to his Intelligence when dealing with dinosaur-like animals {not merely reptiles, but any "prehistoric" creature}, but has no knowledge of magical creatures {hydrae, dragons, medusa, etc.}. He will also have almost no knowledge of local water-creatures unless they spend part of their lives on land.

Tanu with backgrounds of trade with other races or who spelljam to other worlds, may choose normal animal lore proficiency with no modifiers, knowing both prehistoric and magical animals. A character may imitate the calls and cries of known animal types as described in the Player's Handbook.

Armorer: Tanu are more adept at making armor than other races when they work in native materials. Their armorers are the finest in any world and their special skills are carefully hidden from outsiders. They are capable of producing high quality armor very quickly. Instead of 2 weeks per level of AC below 10, a Tanu armorer requires only 1.5 weeks per point of AC below 10. While a human armorer takes 10 weeks to make a suit of chain mail, a Tanu armorer labors only 7.5 weeks.

In order to gain this proficiency, the Tanu must first have the Glassforger proficiency.

The Complete Fighter's Handbook contains extensive rules about the use of the armorer proficiency and is recommended to any character interested in utilizing this proficiency to the fullest.

Astrology: Astrology is available to any Tanu, and is as described below, but if taken by a groundling Priest character, it assumes the character has knowledge of only one single crystal spheres celestial mechanics. The world on which the Tanu studies is the only world/sphere who star patters and actions he will be familiar with. Cabalist characters will also seek out this proficiency.

This proficiency gives the character some understanding of the supposed influence of the stars. Knowing the birth date and the time of any person, the astrologer can study the stars

and celestial events and then prepare a forecast of the future for that person. The astrologers insight into the future is limited to the next 30 days, and his knowledge is vague at best. If a successful proficiency check is made, the astrologer can foresee some general event. The DM decides the exact prediction. Note that the prediction does not guarantee the resultit only indicates the potential result. If the proficiency check is failed, no information is gained unless a 20 is rolled; in which case the prediction is wildly inaccurate. Characters with the astrology proficiency gain a +1 bonus to all navigation proficiency checks, provided the stars can be seen

Astronomy: This proficiency gives the character an understanding of celestial mechanics for both standard and non-standard systems. In any system, the character may be able to determine the relative placement and future courses of celestial bodies (even variable orbits of comets and asteroids) by studying the overall system pattern. The smaller celestial body, the more difficult the task becomes. Phases of heavenly bodies are also easily determined.

Characters with this proficiency may also construct and use all of the instruments related to this field, such as astrolabes, sextants, and even simple telescopes. Time and materials are required, and an unmodified proficiency check with a -10 penalty is required for success. Failure indicates that the object is flawed in some way and is useless.

The character can also use this proficiency to determine which planets have intelligent creatures, civilizations, etc. This use of the proficiency may require preparation by the DM, since information regarding a new crystal sphere might be discovered when the characters first enter it. Characters with this proficiency and the navigation proficiency gain a +1 bonus to all navigation proficiency checks, as well as a +1 bonus to all astrology proficiency checks.

Blind-fighting: Blind-fighting is cheaper for Tanu, and also not really beneficial; they only gain the benefit when fighting invisible opponents. Their inherent infra/ultravision allows them to fight effectively, even in total darkness.

Carpentry, Spelljamming: The character is familiar with the techniques for building wooden spelljamming ships, and can oversee normal carpenters working on spelljamming vessels. This is not the same Tanu skill as Shipwright, listed below, for such a character is not familiar with Glass-built ships, only those made of wood {or the wooden components of Glass-built ships}. The tools, machinery, and materials necessary must be available. Unusual and complicated jobs may require a shipwright to oversee the work. Jury rigging to restore hull points, masts, or spelljamming rigging requires a successful proficiency check. If this check fails, the character either fails to repair the damage or the repair must save as thin wood vs. crushing blow each time it is stressed, at the DMs option.

Contact: This proficiency gives characters access to the psionic attack forms necessary to open a closed mind. Contact allows characters to gain psionic attacks as they become available with level advancement.

Psionicists automatically receive this proficiency. It doesnt take up any of their available slots. As a psionicist increases in level, he automatically receives psionic attack forms as outlined on the Psionic Progression table. Psionic attack forms dont fill up a psionicists proficiency slots.

Wild talents, on the other hand, must select contact and place it in an available nonweapon proficiency slot if they want to gain its benefits. Once contact is slotted, a wild talent selects one psionic attack. He may select an additional attack by placing it in an available nonweapon slot after he has advanced the appropriate number of levels, according to his groups progression rate. Wild talents may never have more than three of the five psionic attack forms.

Endurance: A hardy and resilient race, Tanu automatically may gain the Endurance proficiency (see the Player's Handbook, page 58) at only 1 character point in cost

Food Recognition: Although they prefer not to, Tanu sometimes have to survive alone in the hostile wilderness, either in self-imposed adventure/exile or when scouting alien worlds. When

your friends are relying on you to sustain them while on expedition, it is useful to be able to tell edible plants, creatures & fungi from the poisonous or unwholesome varieties. Approximately 50% of alien flora are poisonous when other guidelines are not available. They may cause an upset stomach or be so poisonous they cause death.

If the character has plenty of light and an opportunity to study the foodsource in question closely for 10 minutes, no proficiency check is required. If he is unable to see the food properly, often the case when using infravision, or has to make a hasty decision about edibility, a proficiency check must be made. As many checks per day can be made as the character has points of Intelligence {one per round given sufficient resources}, and each success can feed one man for one day.

Freefall: This proficiency is handy when a ships gravity plane shifts. This can cause objects, cargo, weapons, and crewmembers to fly across the deck, or even straight up! This proficiency gives the character the chance to personally counter these shifts. If the proficiency check is successful, the character does not need to roll the usual Dexterity check. The character recovers quickly enough and continues with his current duties as though nothing happened. If he is manning a weapon, he can still attack. If loading, he is not interrupted. If the proficiency check fails, the character is required to roll the standard Dexterity check to see if he maintains his balance. This proficiency does not negate the disruption of activity due to a Ship Shaken hit.

Gem Cutting: A Tanu with this proficiency may cut 2d8 gems per day instead of 1d10. He also has a greater chance of increasing the value of a gem. If a Tanu rolls a 1 or a 2 during cutting, he increases the value of the gem to that of the next most valuable class (see page 134 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). For example, Duram is cutting a fancy stone with a finished value of 100 gp. He does an exquisite job and actually increases its value to that of a precious gem with a value of 500 gp.

Any character who fails a gem cutting roll cuts the gem, but does so poorly and reduces its value to the next lower category.

A character who rolls a 20 when cutting a gem splits it in half and ends up with two uncut gems with a combined value one class lower than that of the original gem. Duram starts one more gem. It has a value of 50 gp. He places his cutting clamp, over tightens the jaws, and splits the gem in half (he rolls a 20!). He now has two uncut gems with a value of 5 gp each.

Glassforger: The most elite craft a Tanu can learn, the glassforger is the most revered worker of nearly all of Tanu life. A secretive craft, the glassforgers do not accept apprentices into their ranks, but rather screen potentials without their knowledge, then approach them with the offer of a position. More likely, apprentices are the young relatives or offspring of those already in the guild.

A Tanu with the glassforger proficiency can identify and sort grades of soil for conversion into glass; build and maintain a high-heat smelter to render the raw materials into workable glass, or prepare the vulcaforge for use if hes lucky enough to have one. Once the ingots are cooled, they can be further worked into other items if the glassforger also takes such related proficiencies {for example: armorer, weaponsmith, glassmasonry}. Any glassforger can make simple, household or common items without further skill. The glassforger may also add other ingredients to create tinted glass of any shade, and can harden the glass for improved strength/magical-plus-emulation using the secrets of his trade. A proficiency check is required for each of the above activities seperately. If one is falied at any time during Glass production, the artisan can attempt to rectify the batch/item once at a 5 penalty; failure here voids the entire project and load of soil, and all must be discarded.

The one restriction of this trade {and the reason for its guilds selectiveness} is that the Tanu must possess at least one of the following powers in order to be able to manipulate the Glass and achieve the proper results; each has its own modifier for proficiency checks by characters:

Create Object{+1}, Project Force{+1}, Telekinesis{+2}, Animate Object {+1}, Molecular Agitation {+2}, Molecular Manipulation {+2}, Molecular Rearrangement {+2},Clairvoyance {+1}, Control Flames {+1}, Molecular Bonding {+2}, Soften {+1}. Bonuses are cumulative to offset the heavy penalty for this skills roll.

Glassmasonry: This skill belongs to the Tanu architect. It allows one to design, supervise, and build Tanu homes and fortresses out of native material. This skill is separate from Glassforger, above, because it is not necessary for the glassmason to actually smelt his own Glass; he merely has the skill to assemble the blocks into cohesive Tanu architecture from the ground up. This skill is otherwise similar to the skill Stonemason, as follows:

A character with this skill knows how to cut Glass into blocks, make bricks, mix mortar, lay glassbrick, and carve simple designs and symbols into Glass. The glassmason can lay cobbles or bricks for roads and courtyards, and the work can include small arches and cantilevered platforms. None of these tasks require proficiency checks. The characters tools include hammers, chisels, cutters, saws, trowels, block and tackle, plumb lines, shovels, scaffolding, rollers, wedges, and hauling animals. If fully equipped, a typical glassmason can build a wall, 10' long, 5' high and 1' thick, in one dayif the Glass is already cut. The character can erect walls, buildings, pillars, stone abutments for bridges, etc.

The character can step up the speed of work by making a proficiency check. Also, if the glassmason doesnt have the benefit of the engineering proficiency, checks must be made for wall sections higher than 20', and for structures involving arches or elaborate corners.

Harness Subconscious: Through the use of this proficiency, a Tanu temporarily boosts his PSP total. To procure these extra PSPs, the psionicists PSP total must be at its maximum. Two full days (48 consecutive hours) must be spent gathering energy from subconscious reserves. At the end of this time, the Tanu makes a proficiency check. Success increases his PSP total by 20%, rounded up.

The extra PSPs remain available for 72 hours or until they are used up, whichever comes first. At the end of 72 hours, the psionic character loses as many PSPs as he gained from his current total (though the total wont drop below 0).

During the 72 hours of boosted energy, the psionic cant recover PSPs if his current total equals or exceeds his usual maximum. Once all of the bonus PSPs have been used, PSPs can be recovered normally up to the usual maximum.

Intimidation: This proficiency allows a character to intimidate others to do as he wishes. It involves an implicit threat of violence. Threatened NPCs will do as they are told, but will harbor resentments against him. If an opportunity arises for intimidated NPCs to revenge themselves they will do so.

Intimidation may be attempted with one of two abilities, Strength or Charisma. If intimidating by Strength, the character is threatening immediate, personal, bodily harm. If by Charisma, the intimidation consists of subtle threats, which need not be physical. No matter which ability is used, the intimidation attempt is always modified by the difference between the experience level of the intimidating character and the experience level or Hit Dice of the victim(s). Creatures with less than one Hit Die are considered to have a level of 0.

A 6th-level warrior attempting to intimidate an HD1-1 goblin would gain a +6 bonus to his intimidation ability. Against a 10th-level human warrior, our 6th-level Tanu's intimidation proficiency would be reduced by -4. Higher level characters are less likely to be intimidated.

When a character is attempting to intimidate more than one character, and all are within 1-4 experience levels of each other, the level is the average of them. If one or more characters are over five experience levels above the others, the highest experience level is used, the other characters gaining confidence from the presence of a powerful individual.

When attempting to intimidate more than one, the number of characters is used as a negative modifier. If a Tanu is attempting to intimidate five elves, his intimidate proficiency is reduced by -5.

Intimidation may only be used against intelligent creatures; slimes and shambling mounds are too stupid to notice that someone is trying to intimidate them.

Player characters are never forced to submit to intimidation, and may choose how they are going to react to an attempt.

Local Tanu History: This proficiency is different from the local history proficiency, a character with this proficiency is only knowledgeable about Tanu history. This is chiefly concerned with lineages and events affecting Tanu. It deals with the founders of guilds, outposts & strongholds, and traces descendants to the present. The battles and events of family and stronghold are known, as well as the fates of those who have left to establish new homes or who perished while adventuring.

The extent of geographical knowledge is dependent on the campaign background. Those who have had no contact with different worlds may be totally ignorant of what has transpired eslewhere, but will have extensive knowledge of their own stronghold. Those whose relatives have established new strongholds or are members of such strongholds would have knowledge of the area between the two and some knowledge of the geography surrounding them. Even so, most Tanu, unless they live in close proximity to other races, have a very hazy idea of where the sea is, for example.

While a character with this proficiency knows Tanu history, his knowledge of the history of other races is minimal. If humans fought a great battle against each other, a Tanu who did not live with humans is not likely to have heard of it. If the battle involved Tanu he would probably know of it. If it involved Tanu from his own psionic Guild or family, he would have extensive knowledge of the events leading to it and the course of the battle. As with some other Tanu proficiencies the exact extent of an individual's knowledge is determined by his background.

The local Tanu history proficiency may be used to entertain other characters. When so engaged, he gains a +2 bonus to his Charisma while dealing with Tanu. With other races he does not gain the bonus, because Tanu stories tend to be long, loud, bloody, and overly concerned with who is related to whom, their places of origin, and all of the places the heroes' ancestors fought along the way. Trying to tell a Tanu story to hostile beings is likely to incite them to violence. Halflings will not be impressed, even with the best-told Tanu tale.

Languages, Alien: The alien languages Tanu may learn are determined by the campaign background, but this has to do with languages alien to Arkaela. If a character lives in a foreign land, he may learn a local language, or even delve into the languages of magical creatures otherwise unavailable to him, such as dryad, dragon, etc. Tanu may learn any language that suits their background.

Magickal Theory & Formulae: This non-weapon proficiency is generally taken by specialist mages and those who intend to become instructors in the ways of a mage. It is also pursued by wizards who intend to create their own custom spells and enchant many items during their careers. While all mages must have some amassed knowlege concerning what makes magic work, compared to those with this proficiency the run-of-the-mill magician is a brute, following spell formulas by rote without a true understanding of the principles behind how they affect reality.

A wizard with this proficiency initially understands the basics which make up the formulation of magical spells, and the do's and don't's of their application {essentially, he becomes a specialist in 'the laws of magickal physics'}. This encompasses the entire magickal script alphabet, including that used in spells of a higher level than he could be able to cast currently, as well as those used by other races.

Additionally, the wizard will have an extensive understanding of the methods used to create magic items of all sorts, even those barred to his class {including clerical objects; however, he cannot create such clerical items nor concoct the formulae for building them, he merely understands how they are made and what they do.}

There are three stages of developement in this proficiency, with the addition of another slot needed to advance to the next learned level.

At the initial, Adept level of this proficiency, the mage will have the following bonuses:

+5% bonus to any rolls involving learning new spells, or achieving successes in the casting of spells for magic item creation. This also applies to the research of unique spells, but not of unique items.

-5% reduction in the time necessary to research new spells, and in the construction of magic items.

 A successful Proficiency Roll allows the mage to comprehend a spell formula of a level currently higher than he is able to cast. This allows him to copy the spell into his book for later use, but this does NOT allow him to memorize such a spell yet. He will have full knowlege of the spell's requirements and effects.

By adding a third slot in this proficiency, the mage is now at the Instructor level. This means he can competently instruct up to 20 wizardly students simultaneously, at any level of learning. While any name-level wizard may take on students, an Instructor is able to establish a fullfledged mage school {provided the facilities are available, of course} and initiate new magic users as well as to tutor advanced mages in things they need to know for further advancement.

In addition, he has the following bonuses:

+10% bonus to any rolls involving learning new spells, or achieving successes in the casting of spells for magic item creation. This also applies to unique spells or items created from scratch, as it were, by the mage.

-10% reduction in the time and cost necessary to research new spells, and in the construction of unique magic items.

A successful Proficiency Roll allows the mage to divine the full abilities and effects of any magical object merely by handling & examining it for 1d6 rounds, without the need of an Identify spell. Any negative effects of handling such unknown objects still apply.

By adding a fourth and final slot, the wizard achieves the title of Mastermage, the pinnacle of understanding the minutiae of interaction between magic, the physical worlds, and the beings who act as the catalysts between the two. Such knowlege is extrememly hard to come by, however; in order to achieve this last slot, the mage MUST have some personal connection with a creature of magic from another plane, who agrees to tutor him in knowlege unavailable to most mortals. DMs are encouraged to adjucate the availability {and price!} of this interaction as they see fit, and be downright mischevious about it.

A Mastermage also gains these bonuses:

 +15% bonus to any rolls involving learning new spells, or achieving successes in the casting of spells for magic item creation, including those unique in nature.

-15% reduction in the time and cost necessary to research new spells, and in the construction of magic items, including those unique in nature.

A successful Proficiency Roll allows the mage to cast a spell at it's maximum efficiency, just as if it had been augmented by certain metamagic spells. The spell will cause its maximum damage, affect the maximum number of potential targets, and last for its greatest possible duration and/or range, where applicable. A failed roll means the spell activates normally; a roll of 20 indicates a wildsurge occurs instead.

Optional for campaigns wherein Specialist Mages receive negatives for spells not in their school of specialization, and are prohibited from learning spells of diametrically opposing schools: A successful Proficiency Roll allows the mage to cast a spell from a school outside his area of specialization, without the attendant negatives. A failure here causes the spell to be cast as normal, including all subractions applicable. Also at this level, the mage can make a roll to attempt to learn a spell actually forbidden to his school. Failure means that specific spell is forever beyond his ability. However, assuming he succeeds, when he memorizes such a spell, he must make another Roll when actually casting it. A failure here causes a wildsurge to occur.

Meditative Focus: This proficiency allows a Tanu to focus his mental energy into one discipline, causing all powers within that discipline to receive MTHAC0 roll bonuses; powers related to other disciplines receive MTHAC0 roll penalties.

The Tanu must meditate for 12 consecutive hours. He recovers PSPs normally during this meditative state. When the period ends, the character makes a proficiency check. Success means he has focused his energy into the chosen discipline. All MTHAC0 rolls for powers within that discipline receive a +2 bonus for the next 24 hours or until his PSP total is reduced to 0, whichever comes first. All other disciplines get a 1 penalty for the same period.

Mental Armor: This proficiency allows a character to improve his mental armor class (MAC). Each time this proficiency is placed in an available nonweapon slot, the characters MAC improves. Nonpsionicists improve by +1 for each slot; psionicists improve by +2. The proficiency may only be slotted once per level advancement.

Mining: The Player's Handbook provides basic information on mining and this proficiency is described in detail in Chapter 8 of the Complete Dwarf Handbook. Tanu with this skill are considered oddballs by their fellows. However, on the Homeworld, this skill allows a Tanu to select soil usable for forging into Glass, and stands to make the character very rich. Also a good skill for those wishing to be asteroid miners.

Navigation, general: The navigation proficiency as it pertains to Tanu, indicates the ability to know how to fix ones location on land {or on solid bodies in wildpace} by observing celestial & geographic clues. Characters with a sextant (not necessarily available in all campaigns) and a compass, and who can see the stars or observe a sunrise or sunset, will know where they are no proficiency check is necessary. Such a skilled character can navigate across entire continents without becoming lost, though bad weather can obscure the celestial clues and lead the PC to wander off course.

If a character does not have the proper tools, or is forced to work with only a general idea of direction (fog obscures the sunset, for example), the DM should secretly make the proficiency check. Success means the character is reasonably accurate in plotting the days course. Failure means an off-course error that varies by the extent of the failurea roll of 20 has the character going practically the exact opposite direction!

Navigation, Wildspace: The character has learned the arts of wildspace navigation, avoiding hazards and using planetary motion to improve speed over long journeys. This proficiency is not useful on land or sea. In wildspace, a successful proficiency check allows the navigator to know his position relative to his destination, course, speed, and approximate arrival time. In addition, a successful proficiency check allows the characters spelljamming vessel to arrive at

its wildspace destination 10% faster than normal. An unsuccessful proficiency check indicates that no time is saved; on a roll of 20, travel time increases by 50%. A navigator can bypass large (celestial) obstacles and return easily to the desired course. A character with this proficiency on a ship equipped with a pool or series helm can use his THAC0 at half level to direct a ram attack..

Navigation, Phlogiston: This is the art of navigating from one sphere to another, a separate skill from navigating within a single crystal sphere. It is a difficult and risky activity, but it is sometimes necessary when a planetary locator is not available. A spelljamming ship that enters the Flow normally moves randomly, arriving at some other crystal sphere within 10-100 days. With a successful proficiency check from the ships navigator, the ship arrives at the chosen destination within that time. Of course, the destination must be one that is normally reachable.

If the proficiency check is failed, the ship arrives at a random sphere. This check is made in secret. On a natural roll of 20, the ship drifts in the phlogiston for 20-200 days; such ships may be in grave danger of exhausting their air supply before returning to a random crystal sphere.

Planetology: A character with the planetology proficiency has studied the various types of planets that may be found within crystal spheres. He is able to identify signs of groundling civilization from space and can determine the climate and probable inhabitants of a world by studying it for a short time, and making a successful proficiency check.

Rejuvenation: This proficiency allows a Tanu to recover PSPs more quickly than is usual by entering a rejuvenating trance. This state of deep concentration requires a successful proficiency check. For every hour a hero maintains this trance (and makes the check), he regains PSPs at twice the usual rate (one-quarter of his total instead of one-eighth). He cant expend PSPs while in this trance, and his state is much like deep sleep.

Riding, Land Animals: Those skilled in land riding are proficient in the art of riding and handling horses or other types of ground mounts. When the proficiency slot is filled, the character must declare which type of mount he is proficient in. Tanu will use this skill for riding of Hrungren, the aggressive proto-horse favored by the Legion, but normal horses or virtually any other surface creatures used as mounts by humans, demihumans, or humanoids can be ridden. Vastly different or larger creatures, such as elephants, dinosaurs and mammoths, are covered under another skill. Tanu do not generally train to ride flying mounts.

A character with riding proficiency can perform all of the following feats. Some of them are automatic, while others require a proficiency check for success.

The character can vault onto a saddle whenever the horse or other mount is standing still, even when the character is wearing armor. This does not require a proficiency check. The character must make a check, however, if he wishes to get the mount moving during the same round in which he lands in its saddle. He must also make a proficiency check if he attempts to vault onto the saddle of a moving mount. Failure indicates that the character falls to the ground--presumably quite embarrassed.

The character can urge the mount to jump tall obstacles or leap across gaps. No check is required if the obstacle is less than three feet tall or the gap is less than 12 feet wide. If the character wants to roll a proficiency check, the mount can be urged to leap obstacles up to seven feet high, or jump across gaps up to 30 feet wide. Success means that the mount has made the jump. Failure indicates that it balks, and the character must make another proficiency check to see whether he retains his seat or falls to the ground.

The character can spur his steed on to great speeds, adding 6 feet per round to the animal's movement rate for up to four turns. This requires a proficiency check each turn to see if the mount can be pushed this hard. If the initial check fails, no further attempts may be made, but the mount can move normally. If the second or subsequent check fails, the mount immediately slows to a walk, and the character must dismount and lead the animal for a turn. In any event, after four turns of racing, the steed must be walked by its dismounted rider for one turn.

The character can guide his mount with his knees, enabling him to use weapons that require two hands (such as bows and two-handed swords) while mounted. This feat does not require a proficiency check unless the character takes damage while so riding. In this case, a check is

required and failure means that the character falls to the ground and sustains an additional 1d6 points of damage.

The character can drop down and hang alongside the steed, using it as a shield against attack. The character cannot make an attack or wear armor while performing this feat. The character's Armor Class is lowered by 6 while this maneuver is performed. Any attacks that would have struck the character's normal Armor Class are considered to have struck the mount instead. No proficiency check is required.

The character can leap from the back of his steed to the ground and make a melee attack against any character or creature within 10 feet. The player must roll a successful proficiency check with a -4 penalty to succeed. On a failed roll, the character fails to land on his feet, falls clumsily to the ground, and suffers 1d3 points of damage.

Riding, Prehistoric: This proficiency is rare among Tanu, and is most frequently found in those living in remote mountain, jungle, or steppes areas, among Tanu who have either befriended, trained, or psionically controlled a native beast of unusual size or shape. This proficiency may not be used to leap onto the backs of such mounts, because in most cases, they are just too large, and are irked by the sensation; it feels as if a predator has leaped upon them to attack. Nor is the ability to leap from a mount to the attack gained, for the height is simply too great. In other respects, this proficiency is similar to the above skill. All other benefits are identical to the above, including distances the mount can be urged to leap or cross. Creatures possible are elephants and related animals {rhinoceri, mammoths, mastodons, etc.}, velociraptors {under tight psionic control!}, brontosaurs, and ceretopsians to name a but a few.

Shipwright: The shipwright proficiency, as it pertains to Tanu, allows a character to construct and repair all kinds of space-going craft up to a maximum size of 60 tons. Larger vessels cannot be built without a second taking of this skill, and the assistance of at least one other equallytrained person. This skill does not actually pertain to waterborne planet-bound craft per se, but a shipwright could assist other artisans with such craft.

The time required to build a ship depends on size, if complete design plans are already available. As a general guide, a boat requires one week of construction time per foot of length, whatever the final tonnage. Two characters with the shipwright proficiency cut this time by half; three reduce it to one-third. A maximum of one shipwright per 5 feet of length can work on the same vessel.

The basic ship includes hull, masts (if applicable), deck, and benches as required. Features such as a cabin, landing gear, ram, turrets, or a sealed hold add about a week apiece to complete. Various Spelljammer boxed sets offer more detailed rules for construction. Characters without the shipwright proficiency can aid the shipwright in construction, but two such characters equal the time savings that one additional skilled wright could provide. Note, however, that non-military craftsmen attempting to build a Tanu-designed warcraft will likely find themselves hunted down by the Legion.

Sail Manipulation: This proficiency allows a sail master (officer) to control the use of sails with such skill that the ship gains a one step bonus to its Maneuverability Class for one turn. The ships MC cannot go above A. If more than one character succeeds in using the sail manipulation proficiency in one round, the ships Maneuverability Class is reduced by one step, to a minimum of MC F. The person controlling the sail can not do any other task otherwise the benefit is immediately lost. A PC must have some other boatcraft-like proficiency before this NWP can be chosen.

Sign Language: Sign language is most frequently used by Tanu who were engaged in long running warfare with other Tanu or alien races. It permits silent communication with anyone who sees and understands the signals. The maximum range is usually line of sight in a lit area, or the extent of the receiver's ultra/infravision. Sign is not an extensive language capable of handling long conversations, but simply a means of communicating a few easy to understand phrases such as "attack," "foes behind the rock," or "you three move left." A proficiency check is made when speaking or interpreting sign. The +2 bonus should only be used when giving short, easily recognized commands. More detailed signals require a -1 modifier.

Signalling: The signalling proficiency allows a character to send messages among spelljamming ships or between watchtowers using paired flags or lights {torch equivalent or brighter}. The message transmitted by this proficiency resembles morse code or semiphore and it may be used to send extensive messages or short commands and instructions. Maximum sending distance is 3 miles barring visual imparements {nebulae, etc.}, and 10 words can be sent each combat round. Sender and receiver must both have this proficiency for it to be successful. To send a message, roll a proficiency check. If successful, the message transmits as desired. If not, the message may be only partially understood or complete nonsense. It may even convey a meaning contrary to the message sent. Successful transmission of a message is no guarantee that it will be understood by the receiving end and proficiency checks are required to correctly interpret the message. It is possible to fail to understand an incorrectly sent signal, yet still infer a message from it, one very different from what was intended.

Slow Respiration: A character with this proficiency has the ability to enter a deep trance and reduce the amount of air he needs to stay alive. To induce the trance, he must be in a restful position, either sitting or lying down. After concentrating for one turn, pulse and breathing drop well below normal, so that breathing requires only 10% of the rate when resting. The character emerges from his trance at will, fully aware of anything that has occurred nearby. Particularly useful for those shipwrecked in wildspace.

Sound Analysis: This proficiency allows a character to gauge the size of enclosed and underground areas by generating noise and analyzing the echoes that return. Using this skill, he can calculate distances up to one mile, and determine sound direction.

To use sound analysis, the character must work in absolute silence. The sound created must have a sharp, staccato quality. A howl or wail is ineffective, but a clicking sound, or loud "hey" works well.

The PC must make a proficiency check. If the check is successful, he has correctly analyzed the size of the area in question to within plus or minus 25% of its height, width, and length. If the check fails, the echo has become garbled in its reverberations. No further attempts by the PC to analyze that area will succeed, though others with the proficiency may try.

A proficiency check of 5 or less means the character has learned not only the size of the analyzed area, but other details as well: the number of branching side passages, whether there is a straight or wandering corridor, and whether or not water exists.

The disadvantage of this ability is that, while it is useful for learning about a completely unknown area, it announces the characters to all creatures in hearing range. They will certainly be prepared, and may go looking for the intruders.

Space Fighting: Beings do not suffer an attack penalty while adrift in space, and instead gain +1 AC bonus in situations in which they can drift freely, simulating their ability to move in space to avoid attacks. If this proficiency is used, it must be chosen initially by spaceborn characters and its effects must be given naturally to experienced spacefaring monsters, not just to PCs. Groundling PCs may not begin their space careers with this proficiency; it cant be taught while on a world.

Spacemanship: The character with this proficiency is familiar with spelljamming ships. He is qualified to work as a crewman, although he cannot actually navigate. Trained spacemen have general knowledge of all parts of their ship, can recognize the insignia of all ships ranks, know basic information about air consumption, gravity plane orientation, and phlogiston safety, as well as being trained to perform common shipboard tasks. Crews of trained spacemen are necessary to manage any spelljamming ship.

Spelljamming {Helmsmanship}: Characters with the spelljamming proficiency are experts at manipulating a spelljamming helm to maneuver a vessel. Any spell-caster can operate a helm, but this proficiency provides additional benefits. The character can boost the SR of his ship by 1 with a successful proficiency check. This boost lasts only one combat turn in the Spelljamming campaign.

The character can boost the maneuverability of his ship with a proficiency check. This boost lasts only one turn. A character cannot boost both the speed and maneuverability of his ship at the same time. The character gains a -1 to his die rolls to determine which vessel gets initiative each turn. In order to use these benefits, the character must be operating the ships spelljamming helm. Bystanders cannot help, regardless of their proficiency.

Spelljamming History: The character is a storehouse of facts about the history of spelljamming as it pertains to the various creatures of space. This knowledge includes when a certain race gained spelljamming capabilities, the types of ships they have used in the past, the participants in the Unhuman Wars, the major breakthroughs in spelljamming technology, and various other facts. While the breadth of knowledge is generally wide, a proficiency check is required to recall any type of specific information. Exacting information requires a proficiency check with penalties between -2 and 10 depending on the obscurity or exactness of the information. On a failed roll, no knowledge may be recalled. If the roll is 20, erroneous information is related. The DM roll should be made in secret.

Survival, Wildspace: This proficiency gives the character an understanding of the hazards he might face in wildspace. He knows the methods required for survival in the emptiness between the celestial objects. A character with this proficiency can survive on one-half food, water, and air rations each day he makes a successful proficiency check. Each day the character fails the proficiency check, he uses a full days supply of water, food, and air.

Once the air, food, and water supplies are exhausted, the character must roll a Constitution check every day at a cumulative -2 penalty to stay alive. After three days consecutive with no food, water, or clean air, the character passes out, never to awaken until exposed to clean air, food, and water. Once the character fails the Constitution check, he will die in a number of days equal to his Constitution unless rescued. If rescued, the unconscious character gets a Constitution check every day at a cumulative +1 bonus until he awakens. he must have complete bed rest for three days before he can exert himself again.

Weapon Loader: This proficiency allows a character to load and arm the large weapon of choice better and more quickly. These include large ship-mounted weapons such as ballista, catapults, jettisons, bombards, and others. The weapon crew to which this character is assigned can reload one round faster. The weapon loader proficiencies of several different characters cannot be applied to the same weapon. Characters with this proficiency are valuable crew members, and often receive double pay because of their skill.

Weaponsmithing

A Tanu weaponsmith is not only more skilled than a human one (Intelligence -1, instead of -3), but capable of producing weapons at a faster rate. The costs remain the same.

Weapon Construction Table

Weapon

Construction Time

Material Cost

Arrowhead

7/ day

1 cp

Battle Axe

7 days

10 sp

Hand Axe

3 days

5 sp

Dagger

3 days

2 sp

Crossbow, H

15 days

10 sp

Crossbow, L

12 days

5 sp

Fork, Trident

15 days

10 sp

Spear, Lance

3 days

3 sp

Short Sword

15 days

4 sp

Long Sword

23 days

10 sp

2-H Sword

34 days

2 gp

The Complete Fighter's Handbook contains extensive rules on the use of the weaponsmithing proficiency and is highly recommended to those interested in using the proficiency to the fullest.

Chapter : 5

Composition of the Kits

I have tried where possible to maintain the setup and order of Kits as they are presented in other works. Originally, the Valiant and Cabalist character layouts were presented, as in the 1st Edition of the AD&D rules, as distinct sub-classes of the Fighter and Wizard classes, respectively. I will attempt to recreate these two classes as kits here someday, but the sheer number of abilities and customizations for these two character types will take extensive work. Therefore, I will begin with the more "standardized" character kits here first; the Valiant and Cabalist will appear as kits here at some point in the future. Until then, please use their layouts and abilities as presented in their own respective web pages on the World of Arkaela Spelljammer website.

Also, the Kits presented here are not restricted to Tanu characters unless otherwise stated; however, while they are open to many races played in an Arkaela-specific campaign, some elements may be inconsistent without using this particular game-setting. In any case, native Tanu will usually select one of these racial kits.

Four different character classes are discussed in this chapter. There are kits for warriors, priests, thieves, and {non-Tanu} wizards. The Psionicist is not featured here as there are many kit ideas for it available on the web and in print, and Tanu psionicists will follow such kits where available.

A character may only use a kit if his class is capable of using it. It is not possible, for example, for a thief to use a warrior kit. Multi-class characters are an exception. A player with a multiclass Tanu character is not restricted to these options; a warrior/priest could choose a warrior or a priest kit. A character may have only one kit. Characters of a race other than Tanu in an Arkaela campaign may select from the kits available to their specific race & class, subject to DM ruling. DMs may also allow Tanu characters to select other kits, if they so choose.

The kit entries also include the following sections:

Role. Game purpose & role-playing suggestions are offered, as varying kits can play widely different roles in a campaign.

Restrictions. If a member of a specific race or class cannot take this kit, that restriction is noted.

Weapon Proficiencies. A character with the kit in question should take recommended proficiencies but must take required ones. Weapon proficiencies required for a kit are not bonuses unless specified. They must be taken to fill the weapon proficiency slots available to a 1st-level character.

Secondary Skills. The use of Secondary Skills, while a mainstay of 1st Edition play, has been eliminated here in favor of the newer Proficiency charts.

Nonweapon Proficiencies. A given kit usually requires the character to choose certain nonweapon proficiencies. Sometimes a proficiency merely is recommended--the character doesn't have to take it. Often kits offer a bonus proficiency, which does not use up a proficiency slot. Bonuses or requirements will be noted.

Equipment. A few kits limit the type and amount of equipment the character can start with, acquire, or use.

Special Benefits. This paragraph details additional abilities, if any, gained with this kit.

Special Hindrances. This section discusses any kit's restrictions, limitations, or disadvantages.

Wealth Options. Usually the character starts with the standard for his general class.

Warrior Kits

The Illrigger

Role: The Illrigger is the effective paladin of the Doomgiver faith. A Lawful Evil knight, the Illrigger acts as the paragon of the Tanu warrior creed, displaying both the strength and conviction of his faith to the masses, as well as performing the duties commanded of him by the church.

Restrictions: Illrigger characters must follow the requirements for the Paladin kit in terms of attributes and such, with the exception that Illriggers must be of Lawful Evil alignment. Should they ever stray from this ethos due to enchantment, they must seek atonement as is described for Paladins. They are otherwise less likely, in general, to commit acts that permanently strip them of their anti-paladinhood, unless they knowingly forsake their creed and turn against their church. They are then forever after a Fighter, stripped of all powers and benefits.

Their meat and drink is the Law of the God, and they must fulfill all commands and satisfy all needs of their Church, without fail. In addition, they must display their psionic power to their opponents, where applicable, to show their foes the superiority of their race. Any foe who is also a psionic {and of which the Illrigger is aware}, must be met in mental combat before any physical confrontation can begin.

Weapon Proficiencies: A beginning Illrigger must choose either a sword or hammer proficiency at the start. These are the weapons of his religion, and he must wield at least one of them all of his life. An Illrigger cannot ever take a distance weapon proficiency for an item that cannot also be used in melee, such as a bow. All weapons he wields must be primarily face-to-face weapons. He can, however, select {and hurl} such items as daggers, hammer, spears, etc., for these are also used as melee tools.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: NWP selection from: General, Guild, Warrior, Priest. Bonus: Meditative Focus, Riding {land animal}.Essentially, the Illrigger is a Lawful Evil Paladin. When using Character Points, mirror the amounts {60 beginning pts.} & selection for the typical Paladin. A standard Illrigger begins with: circle of power 5, curative 10, detection 5, faithful mount 5, healing/harming 5, health 5, protection from good/evil 5, saving throw bonus 10, and turn undead 10.

Circle of power (5): If the Illrigger has an unholy sword, he can project a circle of power 10' in diameter. This circle dispels hostile magic at a level equal to the experience level of the Illrigger

Curative (10): Cure diseases of all types once a week for every five experience levels. For example, a 10th level Illrigger can use his cure disease ability two times a week. (This ability is ineffective against lycanthropy.)

Detection (5): Detect the good/evil bent of persons or creatures up to 60' away by concentrating. A Illrigger can do this as often as he wishes, but each use takes one round.

Faithful mount (5): The Illrigger can summon a special steed at 4th level. This faithful steed will be a hrungren of exceptional breeding {+2 h.p.'s per HD}. This steed is bonded to the Illrigger. However, this steed does not simply appear when called. The Illrigger likely must find his mount in a memorable way, such as on a quest.

Healing/Harming (5): The ability to heal himself or another by the laying on of hands once a day. The Illrigger can restore two hit points per his experience level. In addition, the Illrigger can harm others with his baneful touch {successful to-hit roll required}, for the same amount of damage.

Health (5): Immunity to all forms of disease. (Illriggers are not immune to lycanthropy and mummy rot.)

Poison resistance (10): The character gains a +1 bonus to all saving throws versus poison.

Priest spells (10): The Players Handbook states that at 9th level an Illrigger can cast priest spells from the following spheres: combat, divination, healing, and protection. However, by purchasing this ability, Illriggers can cast spells beginning at 4th level. Illriggers do not gain extra spells for possessing high Intuition scores, nor can they cast spells from cleric or druid scrolls. The spell progression chart for Illriggers is identical to that used for Paladins.

Protection from good/evil (5): The Illrigger has a natural aura with a 10' radius. Within this aura, summoned creatures suffer a 1 penalty to all attack rolls, as do creatures of Good alignments. Creatures affected by this aura know the Illrigger to be the source of their discomfort.

Resist charm (10): Illriggers with this ability gain a +2 bonus to saving throws versus charm-like spells and abilities.

Saving Throw Bonus (10): Illriggers with this ability gain a +2 bonus to all saving throws.

Turn undead (10): When the Illrigger attains 3rd level he can turn or control undead as an evil priest. This ability functions as if the Illrigger were a cleric two levels lower. For example, a 6th level Illrigger would turn undead as a 4th level cleric; those the Illrigger chooses will fall under his command if he so declares & the roll is successful. See the Players Handbook for information on turning and controlling undead.

Weapon specialization (10): This Illrigger can specialize in a particular weapon. The character point cost must be met in addition.

Equipment: One of the above-mentioned weapons, full Glass plate armor. Otherwise, the Illrigger follows the restrictions of a paladin as concerns owned equipment and monies.

Special Benefits: An Illrigger stands out as a knight of his religion, and can expect free {or greatly reduced-cost} healing services if he manages to locate a priest of his church for those maladies he cannot mend himself. In addition come all the added powers of the kit. Illriggers who later join the Legion will be placed in command positions, of men and, eventually, of ships; they may also begin choosing new NWPs from the Legionnaire chart if they wish.

Special Hindrances: An Illrigger does not attract followers at name-level as a fighter does, though he may hire such henchmen, as long as they are of Lawful Evil alignment. Illriggers must follow the orders of their church superiors, live by a code of chivalry delineated for their alignment, and place themselves at the forefront of battle unless expressly ordered otherwise. An Illrigger may choose to take the Fanaticism Disadvantage to offset his code of behavior requirements with more CPs.

Optional Restriction:

An Illrigger can gain bonus character points to spend on the above abilities by accepting voluntary restrictions on his warrior abilities. The restrictions are the same as those listed for Fighters.

Wealth: As a Paladin.

The Legion Marine

Role: The Legion Marine is the trained boarding soldier of the Tanu Legion. Recruits who show some promise with great battle prowess or psionic power will be transferred to this branch of the service. A Legion Marine will be the warrior called upon to board enemy ships and form battalions for strikes upon foes and strongholds on the ground. They must be at home in any

clime or condition, and able to respond to the needs of their commanders with competence and diligence.

Legion Marines will take part in day-to-day ship operations, but when battle is in the offing, they gather to ward their ship from invaders and take enemy ships from their owners. While they may take the skills needed to man sails or large weapons, this is not their main duty.

Restrictions: Minimums are Int:12, Str:14, and Con:14. Legion Marines must be warriors. The Legion does not disperse the talents of spellcasters in their ranks, for the Marines are expected to hold their own with their might and psionic skill. War Wizards, Scouts, and Ship's Faiths are separate divisions, and while they may accompany the Marines during boarding actions, the Marines are commanded by members of their own units. They will be at the forefront of shipto-ship actions and first on the ground for surface invasions. Ascension through the ranks by duel-like combat is allowed in the Marines, so commanders must remain on their toes.

Weapon Proficiencies: Legion Marines will take both melee and distance weapons. Since they are expected to perform combat in space between opposing vessels, a starting Marine must take a distance weapon with a range that can reach 60 feet or greater for firing at enemy ship crews. Polearms are also useful during boarding actions, and selecting at least one pole arm proficiency is recommended. Marines must also allocate a slot for specific proficiency in the armor they choose to wear.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Take from: General, Guild, Warrior, Legionnaire. Bonus: Contact {psionic characters only}, Spacefighting, Spacemanship. Required: since Marines are constantly taught and drilled, they will accumulate more Legionnaire NWPs than others once they enter service. No more than one-third of the NWP slots they gain can be filled with non-Legionnaire NWPs. Also, it is required that they fill one slot with the Gunnery skill as soon as is possible. If a Marine enters service with a good Guild skill {e.g. Glassforger, Engineer, Weaponsmith}, they will be promoted and tasked to perform such services for their ship or assignment. Since they are expected to fill in for fallen comrades, useful shipboard skills like Sail Manipulation, and similar, are recommended. Also recommended are Alertness, Survival{any}, and any of the psionic-based NWPs where applicable.

Equipment: Marines start with a suit of standard-quality Glass armor {their choice} and single set of weapons in which they are proficient. The Marine is expected to maintain his equipment himself; items lost or damaged, even in battle, are his responsibility to repair/replace. They can only keep whatever other items they can store in their bunk-spaces & lockers, however, and space aboard military vessels is tight, to say the least.

Special Benefits: Marine characters can expect to visit distant places, do lots of work, and kill lots of people and monsters. When exposed to new things and methods, they adapt quickly. As such, a Marine character whose assignment spends more than 3 months in any foreign port or world can select a single NWP from the General or Warrior charts at half cost. If this results in a half-slot filled, the character can instead 'specialize' in the skill {as if he had spent another slot on the same skill} and gain bonuses on their proficiency rolls without spending a CP. In addition, since this is an armed service, room and board are essentially free.

Special Hindrances: The Marines are, as had been mentioned, first on the scene of any Legion battle. They are the grunts of the Legion, and can expect to be sent into dangerous, unknown situations and return at least one survivor to report back. Unless an Illrigger commands them, they can expect that command figures will remain in the rear while they take the brunt of any first-wave action. While they can rise very high in the ranks through skill, duels and valor, unless an individual performs some vastly important deed, Marines cannot receive a shipcommand position; that is reserved for spell-casters and the Illriggers.

Wealth: Marines receive a monthly pay, as well as shares of spoils from battle commensurate with their rank. Typical share splits of loot are:

Ship Commander: 1 share

Ship officers: 1 share split among all

Ship spellcasters & helmsmen: 1 share split among all

Marines: 1 share split among all, though command positions receive 2 portions each.

Deck crew: 1 share split among all

The Moon Guard

Role: The Moon Guard is comprised of deep-space guards and explorers for the Tanu Legion. They specialize in locating and assessing new territories for the Tanu, exploring and reporting back to the Homeworld. They also act as deep-space border guards of both dangerous areas inside Tanu territory that are far from other lines and outposts, and warding seeded colonies until reinforcements arrive from home.

The Moon Guard is responsible, for example, for the outposts on the moons of Gozan and patrolling the Bleem in Arkaelaspace. If there is a hazard in areas where Tanu ships roam, the Moon Guard is the Legion's first line of containment & defense, and is charged with keeping others away from the danger. Also, when the first Tanu ship is sent to examine a new sphere for potential colony sites, it is the Moon Guard who crew that ship.

Restrictions: Any class can join the Moon Guard. However, all the character's attributes must be above average, that is, 13 or higher in all statistics. Also, since this arm of the Legion is farthest from the Homeworld {and Andraxas' control and oversight}, they must be entirely dedicated to the Tanu race. As such, they will undergo extensive examination by Tanu psionicists, making sure the applicant is not an enemy spy for some other race or the Old Ones. Those not of the Doomgiver faith will have to accept implantation of a suggestion, geas, or other such charms to insure they do not betray their crew.

Weapon Proficiencies: The Moon Guard are a widely varied, misfit bunch, and as such, will bring their own skills to any battling the Guard may have to do. In most cases their numbers will be bolstered by a contingent of Marines, but the Guard are expected to fight as well. They may take any weapon proficiencies they can, as relates to their class.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Take from: any applicable for class or race plus Legionnaire. Bonus: Identify Food, Spacemanship, Survival/Wildspace. Required: anyone joining the Moon Guard must have at least one Guild proficiency at the start. Alien members for whom the Guild group is not available had best have a great degree of demonstrable skill from, perhaps, the General lists that would come in handy for the Guard {perhaps bonuses to proficiency rolls would qualify here}. The explorer arm of the Moon Guard spend years, potentially, in frontier and hostile environments with only themselves and their crewmates to meet their day-to-day needs, so a wide variety of skills is sought for any ship crew. In addition, once the Guard's ship sets off for parts unknown, he can reasonably be expected to learn new skills from his other crewmates only; he cannot fill subsequent slots with skills that are not already taken by another ship member. Recommended: Astrology, Engineering, Mountaineering, Navigation, Planetology, Signalling.

Equipment: Along with the same basic equipment provided to a Legion Marine above, a Moon Guardsman can expect to receive equipment relating to his or her Guild skill at half prices, so long as the equipment will be loaded aboard their assigned ship. For example, a weaponsmith can expect to fully outfit himself at half the cost, provided that his workshop is inside the spelljamming vessel he serves. Sometimes, ship commanders can finagle supplies for free if a Guardsman is particularly valuable to his crew.

Special Benefits: Aside from equipment provisions above, the Moon Guard tend to be assigned to the larger Legion ships, for these are better exploration vessels. Mega Triops, often equipped with cloaking helms, are typical. Those who serve as border guards wind up on the swift Dragonship.

Special Hindrances: Moon Guardsmen spend long periods of time in areas where the usual amenities are completely absent. Crews are kept together in hazardous environs, and attrition is high, while resources are low unless the crew can come up with what they need with their ingenuity and skills. Priestly spellcasters will suffer reduced spell availability when in alien spheres. As mentioned above, new skills not found aboard ship cannot be learned, nor will replacement equipment be available unless one of the crew can construct needed items from scratch.

Wealth: Moon Guardsmen are not paid monthly as other Legionnaires; it's simply impractical. Once they depart local space, they are assured land grants from new colony areas in lieu of pay. This makes some quite wealthy, although collecting such rewards depends on successful missions, of course.

The Outlander

Role: In the days of their youth, some Tanu strike out into the wilds of the land to test and hone their powers and ability to survive. Rather than become a lowly apprentice in some Guild, they find the skills that come to them naturally in their exposure to daily hazards and the basic needs of living amid the wide plains and deep jungles of their world.

The Outlanders are essentially Tanu Rangers for those campaigns which do not use the Ranger as a separate class. They do not share that kit's alignment restriction, however, for they are not compelled to aid their society per se, or act as wilderness protectors; instead, they act and live as a part of the world at large, one cog in the great machine of life. Their time in the wilds have taught them the deepest truths of living, of hunting for survival and the power of nature, and they know that to overstep one's place generally results in nature striking back to restore its balance. They do not, however, revere nature as an embodied deity or thinking being; merely the way the world itself has become organized through an inevitable balancing process. It is, of course, possible that an Outlander may suddenly seek out a Nature deity to take for his own.

Restrictions: Str & Dex: 13 or greater, Con 14 or higher. Also, depending on what rules a DM chooses to use, the opportunity to eventually gain the abilities of wizardly spellcasting are forbidden to Tanu Outlanders. They may only maintain what wealth they can carry on their person and mount {if they have one}. They may only take the Priest Spells ability {see below} if they come to revere some Nature deity or local personification of the wilds in which they lair.

Weapon Proficiencies: As per Warrior.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Outlanders are identical to Rangers in terms of CPs and abilities available to them, which can be found in more detail in the Player's Option: Skills & Powers handbook; also use the charts provided there for spellcasting and thief-like abilities if chosen. They receive 60 CPs for selection of bonus abilities, and can use leftover points for more Weapon Proficiencies or later application.

Bow bonus (5): An Outlander with this ability gains a +1 attack bonus when using any type of bow.

Climbing (10): An Outlander can climb trees, cliffs, and other natural formations. The rangers climbing score is equal to his Dexterity/Balance score plus the hide in shadows percentage (see Table 22) for a character of his level. Note that a ranger does not have to have the hide in shadows ability to have a climbing ability, the two skill simply use similar numbers.

Detect noise (10): As the thief ability. Use the Outlander's Int. score plus his move silently percentage to determine his chance for success.

Empathy with animals (10): When dealing with a domestic or non-hostile animal, an Outlander can approach and befriend it automatically. The Outlander also can discern the health and nature of such animals. When approaching wild animals or those trained to attack, the animal must make a saving throw vs. rods to resist the Outlanders friendly overtures. There is a 1 penalty to the roll for every three experience levels of the Outlander.

Find and remove wilderness traps (10): These traps include pits, snares, etc. An Outlanders chance for success is equal to his move silently percentage. See the table in PO:S&P.

Followers (10): At 10th level, the Outlander attracts 2d6 followers. Use Table 19 in the Players Handbook to determine what kind of creatures the Outlander attracts, or create a "prehistoric creature" list from scratch when dealing with an Outlander reaching this level on the Homeworld. The Outlander does not need to build a stronghold or fort.

Hide in Shadows (5): An Outlander can hide in shadows, as the thief ability, in natural surroundings if he is wearing studded leather or lighter armor. See Table 22 for the Outlanders chance of success. The Outlander also can attempt to use this ability in other settings, but his chance of success is halved

Move silently (5): An Outlander can move silently, as the thief ability, in natural surroundings if he is wearing studded leather or lighter armor. See Table 22 for the Outlanders chance of success. The Outlander also can attempt to use this ability in other settings, but his chance of success is halved.

Pass Without Trace (10): By selecting this ability at character creation, an Outlander gains the druid ability to pass without trace once a day.

Priest spells (10): Starting at level eight, an Outlander can learn priest spells of the plant and animal spheres. He follows the normal rules for priest spells, though he does not gain extra spells for a high Wisdom/Intuition score. An Outlander cannot use clerical scrolls. The Outlanders spell progression is presented on Table 21 in PO:S&P.

Sneak attack (10): If an Outlander successfully moves silently and hides in shadows, he can sneak-attack in natural settings, as the thiefs backstab ability. The Outlander strikes and does backstab damage as a thief of the same level.

Speak with animals (5): Once a day an Outlander can speak with animals, as the spell.

Special enemy (10): Outlanders focus their efforts on one exceedingly bothersome type of creature. An Outlander must choose his special enemy before reaching 2nd level. Sample enemies depend entirely on the Outlander's place of origin and DM collaboration. The DM must approve the players choice. From that point on, the Outlander gains a +4 bonus to his attack rolls when encountering that type of creature. The Outlander can attempt to hide the enmity he feels for these creatures, but he suffers a 4 penalty on reaction rolls vs. that type of creature. Further, the Outlander should seek out such creatures over other foes in combat, unless there is some greater danger.

Tracking proficiency (5): The Outlander gains the tracking proficiency, and the characters tracking skill automatically improves by +1 for every three levels. For example, a 10th level Outlander improves his tracking score by +3.

Two-weapon style (5): A ranger can fight with two weapons and suffer no penalties to his attack rolls. No shield can be used when a ranger fights in this manner. If the ranger wears armor heavier than studded leather, the standard penalties for two-weapon fighting apply.

Weapon specialization (10): The Outlander can specialize in a particular weapon. The character point cost must be met in addition.

Equipment: As per Warrior.

Special Benefits: Aside from the above choices, Outlanders may select from the General and Warrior charts for NWPs with any CPs left over. Bonus: Alertness, Survival {choose}.

Special Hindrances: As the name implies, Outlanders have foregone the Guild associations of other young Tanu, and struck off on their own. They do not begin play with any Guild skill, and must pay twice the cost in slots/CPs if they later choose to learn one, to reflect their hatred of stagnation and remaining in one place too long. In addition, they cannot begin with any form of wildspace-based NWPs. Those who go into space may learn them later, where applicable.

Wealth: As per Ranger. Previously stated, an Outlander must keep his wealth on his person and aboard any mount he has, ridding himself of the rest in the most immediately convenient manner.

The War-Seeker

Role: This is a good kit for those Tanu who do not wish to become part of the Doomgiver's military machine. A free-spirited wanderer, the War-seeker prefers to make his own way, placing himself where the action is, without all the rigors and restrictions of Legion life. He knows there was battle and blood to be had before the Doomgiver came, and that it's still out there, waiting for him or her to share in the joy of combat.

The War-seeker is a Tanu sell-sword, travelling from place to place and world to world, seeking out hot spots of conflict and finding a place for himself somewhere in the action. He may or may not be as racially conscious as his fellows, and may join a side opposing his own race if this pleases him more. Perhaps he is simply less religious than others of his race, and does not want to place his allegiance and path in the direct hands of the gods. For him, the fight is important, not the cause or ideal behind it. He may charge a high price for his skill, or simply ask for a pittance as an excuse to be let in on the coming warfare, and keep himself in pocket money until one conflict ends & another begins elsewhere.

Restrictions: War-seekers are independents, and owe no allegiance to Guild or church. As such, they will receive no help or assignment from such institutions, unless manpower is truly scarce in some locale and need is great. Should this happen, it is likely the War-seeker will find himself on the front line, or given a more dangerous assignment. In addition, a War-seeker may not later join the Legion. In addition, they may not take Guild NWPs unless they learn a similar skill elsewhere; Tanu Guilds will generally not take them, for they began their career in warfare at an early age, forsaking the typical cultural paths. Some, even though their powers may qualify them, may refrain from even taking membership in a Tanu Psionic Guild {whose membership is a separate affair from one's artisan Guild or profession}, for it places them under the scrutiny of some organization.

Weapon Proficiencies: Any applicable. Weapons used will depend entirely on the needs & interests of the War-seeker.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Take from: General, Warrior. The restriction of Guild or Legion skills has already been noted; however, the wandering War-seeker is free to locate similar sources of learning in his travels.

Equipment: As per Warrior; the War-seeker likely comes with his own equipment, unless something is provided to him by an employer as a part of his price for service.

Special Benefits: A War-seeker proceeds along in his career as any typical adventurer's class. They collect henchmen where applicable and may build their own strongholds if they so choose.

Special Hindrances: The War-seeker lives on the fringe of Tanu society, an anomaly in the strictly adhered to hierarchical culture. Others will look down upon him somewhat, unsure as to why he would forsake this part of the racial culture. He can expect to be considered lower in the social scale than a similarly able associate. In addition, he can expect to be treated as the Tanu would any other outside when it comes to, for example, healing at a Tanu church or offers of refuge at a Tanu stronghold in a hostile area. His motives will be suspect, and unless he can prove by test of might that he is due respect, he may be shunned.

Wealth: As per standard Warrior.

Priest Kits

The Crusader

Role: The Crusader is the Tanu priest sent out to bring his religion to the infidel. Whether assigned this task by his superiors, divine guidance, or his own personal sense of duty, the Crusader girds himself with the symbols of his faith and sets off into foreign lands with one goal: convert or conquer.

Restrictions: Crusaders must be priests or fighter/priests. There are no other real requirements; if you're of a mind to spread the Word in hostile places, the church is behind you!

Weapon Proficiencies: Crusaders will adhere to the blunt-only weapon restriction of other priest classes, despite the chance to wield swords that normal Doomgiver priests receive. The reason for this is, they do not seek to shed blood, but to teach. And sometimes, a lesson has to be hammered home. {Ed.'s note: sorry.}

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Take from: General, Priest, Special. Crusaders are generally too impetuous to take Guild proficiencies. If they choose to take from that list, they must pay as they would for an out-of-class skill. Bonus: Reading/Writing, Religion. Required: Etiquette, Local Tanu History. Recommended: Survival {any}.

Equipment: Priests who choose to go haring off into new territories seeking to educate the natives will carry whatever they feel will keep them alive longest. In addition, many Crusaders can be considered to have been rescued and educated by the Church {doing what they do out of a sense of duty to their saviors}, and so, may not have accumulated much personal wealth. Therefore, the Crusader starts with whatever equipment the starting money for a cleric can buy him. They believe that by strength and faith alone, they can provide for themselves.

Special Benefits: Crusaders will enjoy a great deal of autonomy for a priest, for the upper echelon in the Church feels that the Crusader knows how best to operate in his individual circumstance. Thus, they are basically free-wheeling adventurers furthering the Doomgiver faith, occasionally able to call upon the authority of the Church to push through their needs, so long as the Church itself doesn't have to get directly involved. In addition, followers of the Crusader kit begin accumulating their henchmen immediately via their conversion efforts. They need not wait for name level and construction of a fortress to gain their followers. While roleplaying will play a huge part in this process, DM's are encouraged to allow the PC to attempt conversions among NPC's and have the player collect his followers from his successes. They

may either roll up standard followers at the start and accumulate a few every so often, or the DM can take NPCs of opportunity as play continues. Note that those lost to hazards and death will not be replaced.

Special Hindrances: Required: Fanaticism Disadvantage. In exchange for its hands-off approach to the Crusaders, the Doomgiver Church does not want to have to constantly bail out their wayward children from trouble. Thus, Temple Guardsmen, War Wizards and spelljamming ships will not be coming to the Crusader's rescue when things go awry. In addition, Crusaders will not be given lofty positions in the Church hierarchy; giving them a desk-job, as it were, kills their usefulness. Should their efforts to establish a physical church {i.e., a temple structure} in new territory succeed, a high priest with a contingent of Temple Guards will arrive to take over the running of the church {though all acquired followers remain the character's}, leaving the Crusader to go off and continue his good work. Lastly, Crusaders are never assigned to military spelljamming vessels as crew; they are considered "official passengers" to be dropped off once the ship arrives at its destination. Most are expected to work their passage. This does not prevent them from locating their own private ships, of course.

Wealth: As per Priest.

The Temple Guard

Role: A Tanu church is arranged like a heavy fortress, to display to outsiders the war-infused ideals of the Doomgiver faith. Such edifices face attack both when nestled snugly on the Homeworld thanks to the on-going god-wars, or erected hastily in newly conquered territory to hold off the angry natives. Their defense is the purview of the Temple Guard.

A Temple Guardsman will be a heavily-armed and -armored warrior, a medieval "walking tank" with some psionic and clerical power thrown in for good measure. While there are some nonTanu in this role, such individuals are rare; more than likely it is an alien who has been adopted as blood-relative by some Tanu family, and converted to the Doomgiver faith.

Restrictions: Temple Guardsmen must be of the Doomgiver faith. A non-Tanu with this kit must be considered a blood-relative of a Tanu family {this is essentially like having a sponsor}

for admission, and not be merely an alien worshipper. If the non-Tanu does not possess psionic power, then at least two of his stats must be 17 or better.

Weapon Proficiencies: Required: As a defender of the faith, a Temple Guard must wield either a sword or hammer {the two weapons of the Doomgiver religion} at the start. A sword is the only bladed weapon they may choose, though. A distance weapon, such as a crossbow, is also recommended. In addition, the temple Guard must choose an armor proficiency of banded or heavier mail. Full plate armor {of Glass, naturally} is recommended. A shield proficiency {bladeshield} may be taken as well.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Take from: General, Guild, Priest, Special. Bonus: Alertness, Gunnery, Mental Armor. Required: Reading/Writing, Religion. Recommended: any of the psionic-based skills, a solid Guild skill. Life within a stronghold can be harsh in far-flung or colony areas, so the more self-sufficient a temple priest is, the better.

Equipment: Temple Guardsmen will be provided with armor by the temple they are assigned to, but must provide their own weaponry. They otherwise receive free room & board at the temple they serve. Monthly pay depends entirely on the situation {i.e., more in a major city, less or none on a colony world}.

Special Benefits: While they are armsmen, Temple Guards are still active priests. Those who reach name level are assumed to have been promoted to command by that point, and attract followers as a normal priest. These NPCs will add their numbers to the temple population, and can be assumed to form a squad under the Guardsman's command. It is possible such a Guardsman will be allowed to stake a claim elsewhere and build his own temple, taking his followers with him {or be sent off to man a temple established by a Crusader}, though it is likely he himself will not remain the head cleric; a non-Guardsman will probably be shipped in from elsewhere unless great valor on the Guardsman's part has been noted, or he himself financed the entire operation. In the former case, henchmen still remain his own, however.

Special Hindrances: Required: Fanaticism Disadvantage. Also, Temple Guardsmen are assigned to a specific place, and DMs may limit the availability of new NWPs, or opportunities for casual adventuring trips depending on location.

Wealth: See the Equipment listing above for the bad news. Starting money is as per priest.

The Ship's Faith

Role: Legion ships need their helmsmen and someone to help the crew keep their faith strong; these are the duties of the Ship's Faith. Skilled both as a spelljamming helmsman and as a roving supporter and spell-caster for the crew during action, the Faith is an important part of a vessel's command crew.

Restrictions: Ship's Faiths must be Doomgiver clerics. In addition, those without psionic powers will not be assigned to ships with psionic helms.

Weapon Proficiencies: As per Doomgiver clerics.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Take from: General, Guild, Priest, Legionnaire, Special. Required: Navigation {any}, Religion, Spelljamming {Helmsmanship}. Recommended: any psionic-based skill, any other Navigation skill not taken to fill the requirement above. Since they spend their lives in the service aboard ship, any such valuable skill should be taken.

Equipment: Standard for Legionnaire.

Special Benefits: Ship's Faiths are valued members of a vessel's crew, and are considered part of the command structure, even if they are of relatively low levels. While they most likely have no direct command over crew per se, their words carry great weight with both the lowly deck crew and their fellow officers, since they speak for the God, essentially. Even the lowestranked Faith can expect a command-crew-share of spoils, as well as better cabin space and a say in day-to-day operations. Faiths may gain ship command at higher levels, but, they will be expected to continue manning the helm, for their higher level assures a faster ship.

Special Hindrances: Ship's Faiths are assigned to a specific ship, and generally are not sent out on walkabouts unless there is a suspicion that his or her clerical skills will be needed by ground operations. In addition, they will be called upon daily to fill the helm of their ship, thereby draining them of either all spell-casting or psionic abilities. Spending each day so-drained may lead to the DM imposing some Disadvantage, as one's respective abilities suffer some atrophy

through non-use. Also, Ship's Faiths do not gain followers as a usual priest at name level; instead, they are promoted, and receive other Faith underlings {of the DM's devising}.

Wealth: As per priest at the start, then, monthly command pay and share of spoils.

Thief Kits

The Guild Assassin

Role: It is a frequent quip among aliens to ask of their Tanu friends, "Is there a Guild for that, too?" In Tanu society, even the Assassins have a public Guild. The Guild consists of individual organizations, each of which has de facto claim to a city or region of towns. They are publicly acknowledged, but their membership and methods are kept secret. Often the rumor of their mere presence in a town can keep the incidence of trouble down, for the creation of their Guild was actually meant to reduce mayhem and theft, while giving those individuals with the penchant for such activities a meaningful job. The Assassin's Guild takes it's job as crimestopper very seriously; wayward footpads and cutpurses will be hounded out of their territory, if not killed outright, as an abject lesson to other interlopers.

They also have another purpose. When two rich Tanu come into conflict, the results can be bloody. In olden times, merchants or politicians would wage war in the streets to eliminate rivals; now, the Assassin's Guild does the work for pay, and keeps the splashover onto bystanders and the uninvolved in check. There is a complex code of honor that the Guild must follow in its dealings, even {and especially} when two locals have each hired the same Guild to solve the matter for them. In matters of assassination, the Guild is allowed 13 days in which to complete the assignment; in that time, the victim may take refuge in any church or sacred spot, and be free from the Guild's long reach {if he somehow learns of the contract out on him}. If they survive the "assassin's week", as it's called, the contract for them ends {the Guild is paid in either case} and the person may return to their lives without further repercussions. Of course, such failure often drives a rival to rehire the Guild to try again. In this case, the Guild will send a formal representative with notification {with a day's head start, as it were}, and the victim faces another span of time in which the Guild seeks his blood. Should the target so

choose, he may hire the Guild himself to send protection. In this case, tensions increase, for usually, both the hunters and the guards are working associates of the same Guild. They must obey protocol, however, and face-to-face meetings are carried out in full bloody fashion. There are complex terms of engagement & surrender, so fellow assassins need not slaughter their own friends. But each assassin or group will perform to their cunning fullest, attempting to lure the mark out into the open and trip up his guards. The outcome of this bizarre dance is that family members, uninvolved family hirelings, and other persons are not killed indiscriminately by warring families or organizations.

Should either contractor or victim hire assassins from a Guild outside of their territory, the rules change slightly. Rival Guildsmen may kill each other without remorse, unless there is previous tacit agreement between their respective Guildmasters.

Should the Guild be hired for something other than killing {say, sabotage or theft of company secrets}, the span of time to accomplish the job is far shorter: two days. The Guild cannot ever be required to steal money, or valuables, unless somesuch qualifies as information of a new invention, for example. There is also a two-day limit when the Assassin is hired merely to "rough-up" the victim.

Restrictions: The Assassin's Guild member must be of the Thief/Rogue class. Non-Tanu members may be multiclassed thieves if the DM allows. However, they cannot ever use their skills for petty theft or other non-Guild activities. Once you enter the Guild, you are forever lifted above the common thief and cutpurse, and those who break this rule are usually simply killed, or permanently harmed to remind them of the seriousness of Guild law. Also, noninvolved targets may not be slain in the performance of a contracted "job", for this defeats the purpose of the Guild itself. Breaking this rule usually results in the offender being turned over to local authorities, with all written and other proofs of his crime handed over by the Guild as evidence against him.

Weapon Proficiencies: As per Thief.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Take from: General, Guild, Thief. Required: one Guild proficiency at the start. In order to maintain their anonymity, a Guild Assassin must have some other skill as a front to his other activities. Bonus: Disguise, Heraldry. All Assassins work in concealing clothing {they are basically like the feudal Japanese Ninja clans, keeping up a normal lifestyle & concealing their darker activities}. They operate in fully concealing clothing unique to their Guild, and have the occasion to disguise themselves as others to scout out marks. Each Guild also has an identifying sigil to be left behind to prove it was they that performed a killing, and

the Assassin must be able to recreate it, and identify those of others. Recommended: there are many helpful proficiencies pertaining to thieves and on other lists that an Assassin should seek out; they are too numerous to list here, especially if DMs make netbooks of proficiencies and such available to players.

Equipment: While the Guild will provide Assassins with their working uniforms and specialized weapons and equipment where applicable, the Assassin himself will be paying for these things out of his cut of contract monies.

Special Benefits: Guild Assassins lead double lives, and as such, will receive money from their front occupation as well as gold for their shadowy work. So long as they are not identified and turned in, they need not fear arrest or prosecution for jobs performed by the Guild's stringent and complex rules. This of course is contingent on them operating in Tanu-controlled territory. They are also part of a brotherhood of concrete rules; no one ever turns in or sabotages a fellow assassin.

Special Hindrances: Required: Fanaticism Disadvantage. Assassins must successfully disguise themselves before all "work", lest they be revealed and hunted by civilians or turned in. During contract work, they cannot harm someone outside the contract unless that individual draws blood from them first {in other words, fisticuffs are met with fisticuffs, weapons with weapons, but the outside individual must attack first}; nor can they ever attack law-keepers within their own Guild territory {unless said person proves unwise, ignores Guild sigils and attacks}. They also cannot ever pursue casual thief activities, for they have left that lifestyle behind. Lastly, it is Guild law that no members ever take a bribe to botch or ignore a job; to do so results in death at the hands of the Guild. The Guildmaster himself cannot fudge amounts for contracts, for to do so allows his own assassination.

Wealth: Income from both the front occupations, plus cuts from contracts. DMs may compose ideas for how much a Guildsman gets for his work, but the Guildmaster Assassin will be taking the lion's share of any job.

The Legion Scout

Role: Before invasions, the Legion takes great pains to secure a total picture of the workings, strengths, weaknesses, and defenses of territories it plans to take for its own. To slip members in undetected, discern such intelligence, and return it to the high command is the job of the Legion Scout. Any exploratory mission of Moon Guards will also staff a few Scouts, in case the new frontier they are headed for turns out to be inhabited. When warfare finally comes to pass, the Scout will be the advanceman, patrolling ahead to alert his fellows of approaching foes, and slipping behind enemy lines to disrupt their operations and melt away without a trace.

Restrictions: Scouts must be of the Thief class, unless the DM uses the Monk-kit {or 1st Edition Monk class}, in which case Monks may also take this kit. Intelligence and Wisdom scores must equal or exceed 12. If used, the Monk-Scout is to be considered a member of the Tanu Crimson Brotherhood assigned to the Legion.

Weapon Proficiencies: Scouts may not take polearm proficiencies, for they hinder the swift mobility the Scout must maintain. DMs may also restrict any fully two-handed weapons. Lastly, if a Thief, the Scout must adhere to that class' armor requirements; if a Monk, he must follow that class' restrictions.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Take from: General, Thief, Legionnaire. Required: Alertness, Direction Sense. Recommended: Disguise, Endurance, Food Recognition, Lip Reading, Riding/Land Animal, Signalling, Navigation, Survival {any}. They may select a Guild skill if it is useful in wilderness settings {e.g. Herbalism}. If the DM makes them available, other proficiency sources in print & on the web list other valuable skills for the Scout.

Equipment: Scouts are provided with all equipment they need for their armor, weapons, and mobility. They are somewhat favored by their commanders, because through their hazardous duties the entirety of the Legion succeeds.

Special Benefits: Inside combat zones, the Scouts receive priority when supplies are thin. Their quarters on the ground will be assembled by other units, and other general camp care duties will be taken up by someone else, so Scouts can expect a minimum of actual grunt work in this respect. Even under conditions where the basics of food and water are spread so thin as to hinder other troops, Scouts will receive full rations where possible, so they suffer no gaming penalties. They also receive all back-stabbing bonuses for their level if they are thieves.

Special Hindrances: Because of their pampered status in the military machine, most Scouts are ill at ease in many social situations, for they feel others hold them in some contempt despite the importance of their work {in some cases, they are correct}, and do not relate well to those outside their division. As such, they suffer -1 to proficiency checks amid all social occasions. Other Legionnaires may react poorly toward them {DMs may impose other penalties or Disadvantages}. They do not attract followers and may not hire henchmen, except as temporary native guides. Lastly, they are not given ship commands, though this generally sits well with the type who becomes a Scout.

Wealth: The Scout will not own more than he can comfortably carry on his person, and will compress any monetary wealth into gemstones {easy to carry and more readily acceptable as bribe material in foreign realms}. They will usually discard weapons & items for magicked or otherwise better replacements. They do not build strongholds for themselves even if they retire from the service. Their pay is typical for the Legion.

Wizard Kits

The Fixer

Role: Andraxas realized early in his own career that mages often prefer to work alone. He also came to realize that his people needed competent magical researchers to both offset the powers of the Old Ones, and in exploration and conquest. Thus, he created the organization of wizards known as the Fixers. This quasi-secret branch of the Legion is staffed by wizards who agree to work for Andraxas, receiving his substantial support and backing, in exchange for taking on nigh-impossible tasks and/or going into troubled areas to sort things out. They are charged with discovering buried secrets and turning them over to the Legion, discovering how they might best benefit the Tanu against their foes. Or, to travel to some new territory and puzzling out its mysteries, or infiltrating its defenses long beforehand as an inside agent.

Restrictions: Int.: 16, Wis:16. They may be Specialists, or multi-class Mages, as per their racial limits.

Fixers must make detailed reports back to direct representatives of Andraxas & the Legion at set intervals, taking all possible precautions that their messages are not intercepted. They may not reveal the nature of their activities to others when tasked to operate in secret, on pain of death. They frequently must accept geases or other implantations to insure this. They never act independently; they are simply too valuable to the God to be allowed to wander about, poking into dungeons and tombs for the odd bit of treasure.

Weapon Proficiencies: As per Mage. In addition, smokepowder weaponry is available to them.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Take from: General, Legion, Wizard, Special. Bonus: Magickal Theory & Formulae. The full NWP charts from the various handbooks may be open to them, for a Fixer will never be a Tanu; any applicable race chart the DM allows will do.

Equipment: A Fixer may be outfitted with special equipment if upcoming missions warrant it. They begin play with a full set of wares as per starting wizard. One of the benefits of their service is a broad pallet of free gear, for it will be used in service to the Legion & the Doomgiver. The occasional artifact has been handed out {for proper use & return, of course}.

Special Benefits: At 7th level, having proved their ability, they receive the innate ability to commune/contact other plane {either/or} once per week to communicate with Legion Command. The Fixers operate both within and outside of the Legion, and are granted a huge amount of autonomy when their identities are used publicly in the service. Many, of course, are in disguise, operating in secret even among the ranks. They receive advice & orders either directly from the God himself, or through his personal minions, and can ask for aid otherwise unavailable to most mortal spellcasters when they cannot handle things themselves. When aboard a ship with public identities and rank, they may supercede the orders of the vessel's command if they believe the situation warrants it {explanations will later be expected}. Also when publicly assigned aboard ship, they are considered outside the official crew, able to go haring off on their own without notice, though courtesy generally allows them to leave word. Fixers frequently are given full command of their own ships {especially captured designs}, depending on circumstances.

Special Hindrances: As a kind of Legion Secret Service, the rest of the Legionnaires look upon the Fixers as both figures inspiring suspicion, fear and awe, and as those who can do the impossible whenever someone needs it. Thus, they find themselves alternately hated by their comrades, or asked to do things no-one else would sensibly wish to undertake. Danger of discovery haunts those assigned to infiltrate enemy locations, where they can expect to sit about leading double lives for months at a stretch. Implanted suicide geases and suggestions add to the stress of being a Fixer. The occasional exposure to perilous artifacts rounds out the fun.

Wealth: Varies greatly. Fixers can amass great personal wealth while on duty, but they may also expect items to be taken from them abruptly if some unusual property renders it important to the Legion. They start with typical coinage as per Wizard.

The Legion War Wizard

Role: Despite a racial lack of magic-use, the Tanu know the value of a mage in battle. Since they encounter other races so equipped, they too must field wizards trained in the art of war. With the teachings of the Wizard school created by the Archmage Zaroth, the Legion War Wizard serves as the magical arm of the Tanu military machine. Aside from providing mystic firepower and defense, they serve as effective science officers, discerning the nature of new things and hazards encountered by their ships. They may also be called upon to find remedies for curses and magic-based maladies among their crew.

Restrictions: War Wizards cannot specialize in one school/sphere of magick, they must be aware of all, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each, and suffering no penalties in their use. They can be of any applicable race and alignment {though elves will be closely scrutinized in case they are IEN spies}. Also, they serve aboard a specific ship or are assigned to a specific base, so gadabout adventuring will be greatly restricted.

Weapon Proficiencies: As per mage. In addition, smokepowder weapons are available to them.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Take from: General, Wizard, Legionnaire, Special. Bonus: Astronomy, Spacemanship. Recommended: Astrology, Navigation {Wildspace}, Navigation {Phlogiston}, Spellcraft, Spelljamming {Helmsmanship}. Those who take any of the Navigation

skills or Spelljamming {Helmsmanship} will be promoted to either Navigator or Helmsman status, respectively. Those who are capable should consider taking Magickal Theory and Formula as well.

Equipment: Standard for mage. The War Wizards strut quite a bit, so any clothing and equipment they purchase for themselves will be of above-average quality. The Legion merely supplies them with the standard uniform and weapons.

Special Benefits: Like the Scouts, the War Wizards receive some preferential treatment from their commanders, though not so much as the Scouts {after all, can't one of them just summon up a tent with campfire and food inside?}. All War Wizards are considered command crew {see Ship's Faith}, though only a few will receive actual command of men. If they are constructing a magical item for the use of the Legion, they can expect to lay out almost no money for supplies {although mystical components attainable by quest will be the Wizard's own problem}. They may receive command of a ship after name level, but, those with Helmsman skill will be expected to continue such duties.

Special Hindrances: Like the Ship's Faiths above, War Wizards can expect to be stuffed into the helm every day, if their ship is equipped with a magic-using helm. There will usually be some rotation set up so that a ship has at least one undrained War Wizard at all times, so a Faith may suffice if only one Wizard is aboard. Ships with psionic helms will be much sought after by them, as one can imagine. War Wizards will also be included on away teams to provide their own brand of back-up, and be called upon to plumb their knowledge when new {and potentially hazardous} phenomena are discovered. War Wizards do not attract followers and cannot hire henchmen, nor may they construct a tower for themselves while in the service. DMs may also assign Disadvantages as pertains to feelings of resentment from other Legionnaires.

Wealth: As command crew, War Wizards receive higher share of spoils, along with their standard Legion pay. Naturally, they are the only ones eligible to receive alot of mage-specific items that may turn up as booty.

The Mage-School Instructor

Role: Commanded by Andraxas early in the Tanu expansion, Zaroth created a system by which the God could initiate and instruct a new generation of mages to serve him and his people. After a time, some of those whom Zaroth taught became teachers themselves, capable of initiating new mages and instructing those already practicing; thus it was that the school spread. Starting with one isolated school on Greyhawk, there soon sprung up several centers of wizardly learning among the various Tanu territories.

Instructors are masters of the ways of magic, fluent both in the delving of its mysteries and concentrating its power in magical items.

Restrictions: Instructors cannot specialize in any specific school/sphere, but must have access to all, as a mage. They cannot be multi-classed, and of course, they cannot be Tanu. Both Intelligence and Wisdom scores must equal or exceed 14.

Weapon Proficiencies: As per mage. In addition, smokepowder weapons are available to them.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Take from: General, Wizard, Legionnaire, Special. Required: Magickal Theory and Formulae, Reading/Writing, Spellcraft. Recommended: Ancient History, Ancient Languages, Engineering, Herbalism. There is a wealth of additional proficiencies valuable to such a character available in other written and web-based sources, especially if item-creation is in the character's plans.

Equipment: Instructors will require a huge library/laboratory at their disposal, and all those at a school will be required to split the costs of a communal facility. DMs should have the character begin amassing his wealth for the sole purpose of spending it all on the highest level of laboratory library available, and improving it as time goes on. After levels accumulate, it is likely the character will begin researching and enchanting items for his own use.

Special Benefits: Such a mage will be able to command high prices from prospective students, and find his services in demand. Such characters gain a +1 to their Charisma when dealing with any mage of lesser level, and any other PC/NPC who may have need of his services. At lower levels, Instructors are just that, working the day away with the students of their master, and researching at night or going off in search of esoteric things at the behest of their superiors. While they may attract followers after name level, any students they take must be advised that a prerequisite for instruction is that they must serve the Tanu.

Special Hindrances: At lower levels, Instructors will be at the beck and call of those above them in the School. Their freedom to go off adventuring will be extremely limited, unless something needed by their masters will be gained thereby {after all, experience is the best teacher}.

Wealth: See above. Such mages will have to pool all excess wealth into a fund for the purchase of their facility and equipment. Even after its establishment, excess money goes to add to/expand the lab.

Chapter 6

The Vulcaforge Originally constructed by the ancient Tanu who were able to become wizards, the vulcaforges were considered the property of the Glassforger Guild, and possession by anyone else was punishable by death. After the Paring, most were lost, but in the years afterward, some few were unearthed and put back into use. However, the mysteries of their creation were lost forever, it seemed, until offworld mages once again entered Tanu society. The method to construct them is once more known, and once again, is the purview of the Glassforgers Guild. A vulcaforge is, in fact, two distinct pieces of equipment which together make a psionic item: the actual smelter, and the vulcaforge stone which powers it. In appearance, a vulcaforge stone looks to be a simple, unremarkable lump of pumice stone, a dollop of cold volcanic rock. However, closer inspection reveals that each stone weighs in at over ten times that of a piece of normal stone of the same size. Its size depends entirely on the needs and resources of the Glassforger who owns it, though even the smallest stone is one foot across; the largest currently known is over twenty feet in diameter. The stones are activated by a coded mental nudge from the glassforger using one of the psionic powers listed under the proficiency description; no others can activate its power.

The vulcaforge stone acts as a heating element inside the thickly-built walls of the smelter, and can raise the temperature of Arkaelic soil to that of free-flowing magma. Every foot of diameter of the stone can convert one ten-foot-cube of soil into a five-foot-cube of liquid Glass in one hour. The glassforger then opens a runnel in the side of the vulcaforge smelter, and the material pours out into whatever molds are prepared. In practice, though, so much raw

material is not typically smelted at once, unless building material is being created. Weapons & items require far less. Note that a small vulcaforge stone can liquify very large quantities of soil just as readily as a large one; however, the time requirement increases appropriately, and in general, the Guild frowns on small-stone owners who attempt to liquify massive amounts of soil at once. Such a craftsman is known colloquially as a "glutton".

Vulcaforge stones are specially tuned at their creation, and will only heat in the presence of a burying layer of Arkaelic soil. No other substance will ever allow one to activate. In addition, any final contaminating substances within the used soil will either sink to the bottom, or float to the top {depending on their composition} to be easily collected and removed. Naturally, someone with a cunning mind could conceivably use such a stone for sabotage, but such activity is seen as sacrilegious by the Guild.

The smelter itself is composed of a massive vat of Glass, hardened to +5 equivalent. Such hardness of Glass cannot be achieved within a vulcaforge itself, but must be created by a craftsman in a vat dug directly in the earth. Therefore, all such smelters are rough-walled, their surface having fused with the raw, unsifted soil of whatever area they were created upon, and containing many unique artifacts {stones, gems placed for such purpose by their creators, etc} sealed within their substance. Each one appears unique, and are typically crafted for the tastes of the owner, unless they are heirlooms passed down through the Guild.

Once the soil is plasticized and reduced, the Glassforger will add other compounds for color, opacity, and, if the project warrants, secret ingredients for hardness. When plusses are to be forged into the Glass object, the substance is folded on an anvil, allowed to cool {another series of secret steps in itself}, and then re-smelted and reduced again. Each plus of hardness will compress the Glass material to one-eight its original volume, and increase the heating time by ten-fold, so one must plan ahead. Strangely, such hardening never adds weight to the final load of Glass, no matter how many plusses are added by reduction; it is surmised outside the Guild that the vulcaforge stone itself somehow absorbs the added mass, which is why they themselves are unnaturally heavy. From this formula, one can imagine that the creation of a new vulcaforge vat is a massive undertaking, so those which exist are worth a kings ransom, and are guarded with appropriate vigor by the Guild.

On an upnote, placing more than one vulcaforge stone within the same smelter will combine the powers of the two, so several Glassforgers cooperating can drastically reduce smelting times. In addition, the hardened surfaces of the smelter completely contain the heat of the material inside, thus protecting the operators; contacting any substance of such intense heat would likely be instantly fatal for any fleshy creature.

Should a Glassforger be unfortunate enough to have to operate without a vulcaforge stone and smelter, they are in for a rough time. Such artisans will be forced to construct native smelting pits beside a source of volcanic heat, along with pipes through which the liquid may flow. Such tubes would be constantly redug, for a ten-foot cube of smelted Glass will seal up such a runnel in but one outpouring, as cooling Glass builds up and constricts the flow.

To clarify, here are the separate steps of Glassforging which each require a successful proficiency check:

Soil choice & sifting

Even heating

1st Cooling

Subsequent reheating

Subsequent cooling

Final shaping

Any other actions are considered to be accomplished without proficiency checks being required. Also note, any plus successfully added to the material passes on its bonus to subsequent checks, along with the bonuses provided by the Glassforgers own applicable psionic talents.

New Weapons

For the most part, Tanu weaponry and armor mimics any other one might find, with the exception of the materials used to construct them, and their value. DMs are free to alter pricing for Tanu arms based on where they are being purchased, but prices will always be higher {by many factors on alien worlds}. Pricing of weapons and armor on Arkaela itself will likely be close to double those found in the Players Handbook and other sources, since preparation for even a basic, unhardened item is so exacting, and the entire process is overseen by a single Guild. In addition, as stated elsewhere, Tanu weapons and armor are over-decorated with stylish extras, spikes, flanges, inlays, fearsome animals and other totems meant to inspire awe and fear in opponents, which will also drive prices way up.

Bladeshields

One object differing from typical equipment is the usual shield carried by Tanu who use them. Most Tanu view the familiar, solid-bodied shields carried by the average adventurer as a cowards defense, a screening wall to hide behind. Their answer to this is the bladeshield. Composed entirely of Glass, the Tanu bladeshield is a simple handgrip mounted upon a small disk, from which sprout many blade-edged spokes in a generally roundish pattern {some are square or oval}. As few as four, and as many as a dozen such spokes may adorn a bladeshield. Their ends are typically pointed and sharp in their own right, and are all connected by a band which unites the spokes in a wagon-wheel shape. Often, the outer face of the bladeshield sports additional angled, outthrusting blades as well, along with additional cross-pieces between the spokes. This presents a deceptively open appearance to foes, luring them to try and strike through such defenses.

The whole is used exactly as a spiked buckler by Tanu armsmen, with one addition: enemies using stabbing or thrusting weapons will find the Tanu seeking to break their foes blades amid the spokes of the bladeshield. An attack with such a weapon against a bladeshield-equiped Tanu which fails by four or more under the needed die-roll risks having the weapon caught between the spokes {much like a swordbreaker} and snapped {weapon saves vs. crushing blow or is destroyed}. As can be surmised, bladeshields add a plus to defense against small missile fire only if they are hardened.

Utilized as a spiked buckler attack {characters must have the appropriate weapon proficiencies where applicable}, a bladeshield does 1-6 points of damage to both small & medium and large creatures. They cannot be hurled, though, for they are balanced for wielding, not casting. Plussed bladeshields are possible, but rare.

Item

Cost {gps}

Weight {lbs}

Size

Speed type

Damage {all}

Bladeshield 45 +

5-15

1d6

War Machines

As the Tanu developed their methods of siege warfare through the ages, they tended to rely more heavily on psionic power to sunder walls and flatten defenders, rather than constructing

lumbering engines. But while some large weapons were already a part of Tanu culture, they later found many better models during the wars on Greyhawk, and adapted them for their own use. Now, the gamut of catapults, ballistae, and the like are among the tools of the Tanu military; however, there is one particular design the Tanu have brought with them, which found much action and great success in their wars.

The Anklysaur is modelled after the creature of the same name which roams the jungles and forests of Arkaela. It measures some 30 feet in length and nearly twelve feet in width, as well as sporting a 40-foot hinged arm mounted upon its upper carapace. When time and supplies permit, the anklysaur is constructed entirely of Tanu Glass; sometimes, circumstance has forced its users to improvise with lesser versions made of wood or other material. It is a wheeled vehicle, usually sporting 3 axels of two wheels each, and requires the efforts of 10 strong warriors to push it along, all of whom work protected underneath the vehicle's shell itself. The upper surface and sides are armored and spiked, and the surfaces all slant downward to guide liquids away from the men inside, as well as deflecting stones and other missiles. When time permits, the whole is fashioned to truly resemble the animal whose name it bears, though crude, quick-built versions have been seen. Even if such an engine, constructed in an isolated locale, must be made out of wood, the Tanu will strive to find enough Glass to fashion into a ball, for the see-through, armored sphere on the armature "tail" is the most important part of this weapon.

At the end of the armature is fastened the swivelling, armored ball {always of Glass} nearly 7 feet in diameter, inside which a Tanu will sit upon a small, embedded chair. The Glass will be sealed and unbroken in surface, save for a slim arrow-slit-like openning on the face of the ball. There is also a locking hatch on the underside of the sphere for access and to allow the outflow of liquids. Thus enarmored, the Tanu warrior will be wheeled to within 40 feet or so of an enemy fortress wall, then lifted high by his comrades from inside the vehicle. The arrow-slit is used by the Tanu inside the ball as a space through which to slip his hand, so that he might direct psionic attacks at his enemies. Since the ball itself is completely opaque, and psionic attacks depend on line-of-sight, the Tanu may broadcast all manner of harmful mental powers at his foes while safe from enemy fire within the armored ball.

Since the ball is composed of near-solid Glass at least three inches thick, the operator inside is practically immune to small weapons fire, and even some magical effects. Trying to strike his extended hand or fire through the tiny slit requires a called shot at AC -10. If made entirely of Glass, the ball & lower vehicle are considered AC -3, and can shrug off any strike which causes under 10 points of damage {these have no effect}. The operator is also protected from fire attacks {save at +4 against any not based on liquids, for half or no damage; fluid-fire attacks will still only do half damage, as most flows over the ball itself or out through the hatch}.

Anklysaur:

Size

Move

Crew

Damage

AC

Hull points

L {30'x12'x20'}

2" per round

10 + 1 operator

special

-3

Body: 5

Sphere: 4

The VALIANT

Ability Requirements:

INT, WIS, CON: 17 in at least one, others must equal/exceed 15

All others: 11+

Prime Requisites: Wisdom, Constitution

Alignment Requisite: Any Lawful

Races Allowed: Tanu, Human, Elf {any subrace}, Dwarf, Gnome, Giff

History:

Comprised of the most intense and implacable of warriors, the Valiant are the knightly followers of Abbadon Doomgiver. Masters of conflict, be it armed, unarmed, or guerrilla warfare, the Valiant will seem to his opponents to be unstoppable, relentless, and everywhere at once. They are enemies of slavery, defenders of the weak, and hunters of the dishonorable.

The Valiant character is a combination of cavalier and monk, a class requiring intense discipline from its practitioners. All are of some Lawful alignment. Aspirants to the Valiant class must possess a score of at least 17 in one of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Constitution, with the other two scoring at least 15; all other abilities must be at least 11. To maintain his discipline, the Valiant must be an excellent specimen of his race. A Valiant may come from Human, Tanu, or Elven stock; while very rare, Dwarves also make excellent Valiants. Other races are allowed into the order only on personal consideration.

The Valiants are a military religious order whose Lord is the Dark Angel of Morning. Trained to utilize the powers of their bodies and minds to their deepest depths, Valiants are knights with a purpose. Each individual must decide what goal he seeks to achieve by honing his spirit in the forge of life, and this purpose is what fuels him to conquer all obstacles. The goal is chosen as the completion of a Valiant's spirit quest; some task which must be done to right a great wrong, around which the Valiant's existence revolves. It can be as simple and concrete a thing as revenging oneself on the slayer of a loved-one, or as difficult as a life-long quest to battle slavery. The quest must be something which the Valiant believes he can accomplish, and will never be something which does not display honor or glory.

Valiants are unrestricted in their choice of weapon or armor. However, their spirit weapon {see below} will so outdistance other weapons in the Valiant's attention that only one other weapon may be chosen as a secondary proficiency for the Valiant's life. However, the Valiant may, in a pinch, grab and use any other weapon at a -2 to hit; after 10 successful hits with the new object, the -2 disappears for that weapon, so great is his grasp of combat principles. Note, however, that the Valiant will immediately abandon this weapon should his spirit weapon be reachable.

Experience Points

Level

d10 Hit Points

Special Abilities

0-3000

1+5

3001-6000

6001-12000

12001-24000

24001-48000

48001-75000

75001-125000

125001-200000

200001-300000

300001-600000

10

10

600001-900000

11

11

900001-1,200000

12

12

*300,000 xp's per level above 12th; Valiants gain +3 hp's per level thereafter.

Special Abilities: A -The Valiant has mastered these studies:

1.Open locks Valiants operate as Thieves of equal level

2. Find\Remove\Set Traps

3. Move Silently Level 4. Hide in Shadows

5. Hear Noise 6. Climb Walls

B -The ability to mask the mind so that ESP will not function against him. Starting at 30% resistance, the

chance increases a further 2% per level thereafter.

C -The Valiant begins to manifest suppressed psionic power. He gains psi-points equal to his combined Int., Wis., & Charisma, the attack Psychic Crush, and the defense Thought Shield. His points increase every three levels thereafter, at one-half times the IWC per three levels. {ie. x1 1/2 at 6th, x2 at 9th, etc, and max out at x5 at 27th level}, {Max of 270 possible}. Natural psionics use their own max, but their disciplines develop as per a Valiant.

D -Normal missiles which might have hit can be knocked aside or caught if the Valiant saves vs. pertification. Caught weapons normally launched by hand can be returned as a first attack next round if the Valiant chooses.

E -The Valiant is no longer subject to disease of any sort {this does not include lycanthropy}, nor slow spells.

F -The Valiant gains the discipline Energy Control, and the defense Tower of Iron Will.

G -The Valiant can induce a death-like trance similar to Feign Death, with a maximum predetermined duration of 24 hours. If the Valiant remains this way for a full day, he can induce Complete Healing for a cost of 40 psi-points.

H -The Valiant gains the Disciplines Cell Adjustment & Mind Bar, as well as the remaining Psionic attacks and defenses.

I -Beginning at 9th level, Valiants may seek out master Psionicists and attempt to learn new disciplines. Only one new power can be sought per level, and the Valiant must stay secluded with his mentor for a month's time. At the end of this period, a successful Int check on d30 means the ability has been mastered. Failure indicates that power can never be learned by that individual. Any restrictions and prerequisites must be followed.

J -The Valiant gains an expert disarm. When using his spirit weapon, he must make a successful hit roll at -4; if successful, the Valiant can place the opponent's weapon anywhere he wants {including into his own grasp} within a 20' radius.

K - The Valiant gains an expert grapple. The attack {against humanoid or weapon-using opponents only} must be announced before initiative is rolled; if the Valiant wins the initiative by 4 or more, and then makes a successful hit at -4, the Valiant has closed with his opponent

and, using his combat skill, has fouled his enemy's weapon. He may then make a full series of attacks, and any hit deals maximum damage. Failing the initiative roll causes the Valiant to lose all attacks that round, even if he won initiative by less than 4; losing the first to-hit roll results in a normal continuation of attacks.

L -The Valiant gains the use of the quivering palm. However, this dread attack will only be used on enemies who have proven particularly powerful, or are the target of a quest.

In unarmed hand-to-hand combat, Valiants are the equal of Monks. If bereft of armor other than normal clothing or robes, their skill allows them an effective armor class, and an increased movement base. Their chances to stun or kill with bare hands are identical to a Monk's.

Level

Effective AC

Open hand Att/round

Open hand damage

Effective Move

10

1-4

12"

15"

1-6

5/4

18"

2-7

3/2

2-8

2-8+1

21"

2-12

3-12

10

3-12+1

24"

11

5/2

3-12+2

12

-1

4-16

13

-2

4-16+1

27"

14

-3 max

5-20

15

6-24

30"

16

5-30

31"

17

5 max

6-36 max

32" max

This table does not include Spirit Weapon bonuses to damage or to-hit additions if the Valiant chooses his body as his Spirit Weapon.

~~~

In pursuit of their goals, Valiants seek to perfect their knowledge and skill at combat. Valiants have their own THAC0 table:

Level

11

13

15

17

19+

THAC0

19

17

15

13

11

10

Valiants have the same Attacks per Round as Cavaliers; their spirit weapon {see below} is considered a weapon of choice. This means the spirit weapon is treated the same as a mounted Cavalier's lance, granting +1 to hit at 1st level, +2 to hit at 7th level, +3 at 13th level, etc. The number of attacks with the spirit weapon {but NOT his THAC0} are also made as if the Valiant were 5 levels higher. When fighting with their spirit weapon Valiants gain +1 hit point of extra damage per two levels, due to their focus on the weapon and their knowledge of anatomy. Valiants gain no bonuses specifically for mounted combat.

Valiants save as Clerics of equal level. However, they share the Monk's ability to reduce or eliminate potential damage exactly as that class does.

Spirit weapons and Spirit Warriors

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At first level, the Valiant chooses what device will be his spirit weapon, the item which he feels best suits him in war. There is always some significance in this choice, for the Valiant must feel some affinity or connection to the weapon: perhaps it personifies the strength of his race or faith, or reminds him somehow of his spirit quest. This weapon can be any combat weapon he can use, and will serve the Valiant throughout his life, and while it need not be a specific

individual item, the weapon's style with be one of the defining components of his personality, and his skill with it will one day surpass all ordinary weapon-masters.

Valiants realize that sometimes, such preferred weapons will not be available or appropriate, and so devote equal intensity to the study of unarmed combat. The Valiant's body itself is a weapon, more versatile and controlled than any other, and its deadliness is exploited to the fullest. It is possible for the Valiant to choose his body as his spirit weapon; such spirit knights apply the weapon damage bonuses to hand-to-hand attacks instead {see below} in addition to the normal hand-to-hand damage, and will generally disdain weapons and sometimes armor altogether, relying on their bodies to carry them through. This does not prevent the Valiant from learning or carrying other weapons, it simply means his greatest trust lies with himself.

While a subclass of cavalier, Valiants lack certain of that class' bonuses. They are not the horsemen cavaliers are, and possess no riding proficiencies or bonuses at the start. Also, they cannot normally increase their attributes over time as that class does. However, they do possess that class' immunity to fear and similar effects.

Valiants' intense discipline allows them to tap the inner strength of their bodies and minds, causing them to eventually manifest their suppressed psionic powers, and to perform beyond the normal limits of their ability scores when faced with desperate situations.

Once per day, the Valiant can summon hidden reserves of strength to increase one ability score. The number of points added are equal to the Valiant's level divided by 5, and will last for an equal number of rounds. Any increase will max out an ability score at 24. This surge occurs at will, and does not take up an attack or action. However, the increase will last until its complete duration expires.

Valiants are very secretive concerning their skills and training, and many are closed-mouthed in general about themselves and their motives. The secret location of the Valiant Citadel {on a Tanu settlement in the Astromundi Sphere}, a combination of temple, training ground, and sanctuary for the Valiants, is never revealed to outsiders, except to the most trusted associates, and then only if it's unavoidable. Also, the Valiants' tendency to return from the dead for revenge is never discussed, for obvious reasons {see below}.

The Secret of the Valiants

Lastly, certain Valiants will return from the grave to wreak revenge on their slayers if their spirit quests are unfulfilled. Valiants whose spirit quests are based on revenge, or who are slain with their goal in sight, and whose bodies are not otherwise enspelled or incinerated, will rise as a revenant 24 hours after death. The new revenant will be armed and armored as the Valiant, but otherwise possesses the attributes of a revenant. The sole exeption is that the revenant will always use its spirit weapon, discarding all others hereafter {those bereft of this or who have chosen their bodies as such will utilize their hand-to-hand skills; Valiant revenants do NOT possess the strangulation attack of this type of undead.}.

While the undead knight's immediate goal will be to slay those involved in its death, the Valiant's spirit is strong even in death. After its killers are destroyed, the undead Valiant will make an unmodified save versus petrification. Those who fail disintegrate into dust as normal. Those who succeed remain corporeal, and must now move to complete their original spirit quest.

Such undead knights will isolate or disguise themselves from others, operating in secrecy, as they are ashamed of their undead status {it is, after all, an indication of failure}. However, those who locate other Valiants may communicate with these living brethren, who will understand and respect the fallen knight's devotion to his quest, and render what aid or sanctuary they can. Niether living nor risen Valiants will ever reveal the possibility of return from death to outsiders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Valiants are a widely varied lot; some are brazen warriors, wearing ornate armor as befits a cavalier, gathering great armies and riding in force against their foes, while others are introverts who travel in disguise and alone, operating in secret. Whatever their methods, the Valiant's actions reflect his deep need to complete his spirit quest.

Due to their Lawful nature, it is possible for Valiants to be drawn into other's quests and conflicts along the way. They sympathise with other's needs, and do not see rendering such aid as an interruption of their own geas. Often they cannot help themselves; however, those of neutral or evil inclination may require some service or aid in return. However, Valiants will never hire out for simple dungeon crawls, unless some vital clue or item pertaining to their own quest will thereby become available to them.

Valiants are knights, first and foremost, and believe their problems can be resolved by conflict with the forces arrayed against them. Thus, like normal cavaliers, they will never shy from combat, though they are often more circumspect in their methods than normal cavaliers, and are not required to charge uncontrollably into battle. Like that class, they will usually fixate on leader-types and their associates, leaving others to mop-up retainers and monsters {a duty which they refer to as "grub work"}.

All Valiants adhere to some code of chivalry, modified for their alignment; they view such values as the glue of their discipline. Even those of opposing alignment can recognise other Valiants on sight, and will often cease hostilities to take counsel together. This is because they are honor-bound to make sure their purposes do not cross: they realize that potential disaster awaits those around them, should two Valiants oppose each other. Rather, two Valiants whose spirit quests oppose one-another's will meet to determine if the conflict can be settled by mutual agreement; if this cannot be, single combat ensues, to determine the outcome then and there. No-one else may interfere or prevent such combat: friends and relatives {even kings!} are warned to stay out of such a clash.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once a spirit quest is finally completed, the Valiant will spend a week purifying himself through fast and ritual, shedding the accumulated bad karma and polluting influences which have accumulated after such an intense and single-minded pursuit. If desired, his close associates may throw some celebration in his honor first, but the Valiant will seek solitude immediately after to freshen his spirit. He will then disappear, as he will make his way back to the hidden citadel of the Valiants, to pay homage to his Lord, the Dark Angel of Morning, for aiding him in his quest.

His lifelong quest fulfilled, some Valiants are actually driven to suicide by the ending of their spirit quest; while a rare thing, this is not seen as dishonorable, but as the ultimate sacrifice to their god. If this is truly the Valiant's end, he will be attended by his clergy, and sent to Valhalla with honor and dignity. However, his brethren are sad at his passing, and will try to convince him to remain, to aid in the training of new Valiants. This often succeeds, as the Valiant discovers there are other quests to undertake, other foes to vanquish.

However, most Valiants chose to remain, using their great skills to assist others in their quests.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To simplify all this stuff, here is a condensed combat info sheet for the VALIANT-class character.

Required Weapon Proficiencies: One single weapon-type as Spirit Weapon required for all specialization slots.

Bonus Weapon Proficiencies: distance/hold-out weapon, typical: bow or spear

Required Proficiencies: Hand-to-hand combat {use included chart}

Bonus Proficiencies: See included chart

Special Benefits:

Spirit Weapon: The Valiant's spirit weapon allows multitude of combat bonuses as described elsewhere here. Special Abilities: The Valiant gains cumulative powers & abilities as he rises in level. Generalized Weapon Skills: May use any other type of weapon in a pinch when the spirit weapon is unavailable, at -2 to hit. Ten successful attacks will eliminate this penalty. Open Hand Combat: Monk: The Valiant automatically learns the progressing martial arts abilities of a Monk at the start, detailed elsewhere. Special Hindrances:

Spirit Quest: The Valiant must choose, at the start, a focus quest for all the character's subsequent activities. He cannot merely wander aimlessly and perform simple dungeon crawls. Specific Weapon: Use of his spirit weapon precludes the use/carrying of others aside from his hold-out/distance weapon. Valiant characters may possess, at any time, only the chosen spirit weapon and one other.

Enemy class: Cabalists: Valiants are the declared foes of the Cabalists, and vice versa. Each will oppose the activities of the other at any opportunity. This does not interfere with the above Quest restriction. Level

11

13

15

17

19+

THAC0

19

17

15

13

11

10

Save as Clerics; always suffer half damage {in hit points ONLY} from spells {save equals no damage when applicable}; save vs. petrification to catch/dodge normal missiles.

Open-Hand damage and attacks:

Level

Effective AC

Open hand Att/round

Open hand damage

Effective Move

10

1-4

12"

15"

1-6

5/4

18"

2-7

3/2

2-8

2-8+1

21"

2-12

3-12

10

3-12+1

24"

11

5/2

3-12+2

12

-1

4-16

13

-2

4-16+1

27"

14

-3 max

5-20

15

6-24

30"

16

5-30

31"

17

5 max

6-36 max

32" max

Bonuses not included.

The Code of Chivalry is found on pg.16 of Unearthed Arcana.