Number Appearing & Distribution

On any monster chart in the Bestiary, the number appearing indicates how many individuals of that monster will normally appear within a two-mile hex.  Thus, in the example on the right, the number of camels that would be foraging in a hex of that size would number 3-12.

This number will be distributed in various patterns depending on the behaviour of the monster.  These patterns include:

• Tight group: in a cluster moving closely together, usually less than one body length apart, frequently touching one another.
• Group: in a body moving one to three body lengths apart, usually in the same direction, highly conscious of one another.
• Loose Group: in a collection moving four to seven body lengths apart, generally in the same direction with stragglers.  Beta-male groups are sometimes distinct from the alpha-male with females group.
• Scattered Group: creatures gather in groups of 2-4, often out of sight or unrelated to each other, foraging or hunting over a very wide area.  Separate groups gather together seasonally for mating.
• Scattered: creatures may appear singly or in family pairs, mating with other singles or remaining alone through their lives.
• Widely scattered:  nearly always encountered as individuals.

The chances of any camels being in such a hex (because often a hex should have no monsters of that type at all) is equal to the relative power of the monster.  For that we use the following formula:

"SA" denotes special abilities, so the formula below the line for the wild camel would be 1 special ability (spit) plus the square root of 3 HD, a total of 2.73.  Then, 1 over 2 to the power of 2.73 equals 0.151, or a 15.1% chance that the two-mile hex includes a herd of wild camels.

Desirably, once we could calculate all the creatures present in a given hex, a ranger with sufficient sage knowledge would be able to explore such a hex in a few days and identify the spoor of most of the natural animals present, even if they were not actually seen.  Should a particular kind of monster with many appearing be indicated, obviously these would be quite easy to find.  However, a single highly dangerous monster might take a long time to root out ~ if its presence could even be detected.

For what monsters appear in what environments, see Range (monster habitats).

Tea Leaf Reading (occult practice)

Also called tasseography, this practice is based upon directing energy through brewing, drinking and carefully observing the patterns of tea leaves as they gather in the bottom of a tea cup.  The practice is demanding for some and simple for others ~ the occultist must be able to discern images in the cup using their imagination as a keen observer.

The tea must be brewed with tea leaves that are purchased before they are minced; for the beginner, black teas are recommended because they are easier to read.  The tea leaves are placed directly into the traditional cup, which should be made of white china and have a handle.  A strainer is not used.  As the tea steeps and the hot water cools, the occultist will take a few moments to reflect on their thoughts.  During this process, it is believed that wild magic begins to transfer its energy into the tea.

The occultist, or querent as it is called in tea leaf reading, should begin sipping the tea, contemplating a question in their minds.  When there is very little tea left in the cup, no more than a tablespoon, the querent holds the cup in their left hand and swirls it three times from left to right.  Then, without transferring the cup out of the left hand, the querent inverts the cup over the saucer, letting the water drain out.  The cup is left for a minute, then turned three times in a complete circle before it is turned upright again.  Done properly, tea leaves will cling to the cup in a variety of shapes.

These shapes will form animals, mythical beings, objects, letters and numbers ~ but the occultist must be able to physically look at the leaves and actually see these things.  Additionally, the tea cup's handle, held away from the querent, helps define if the objects describe immediate events or things relating to family, wealth, luck and so on ~ this last need not be fully investigated at this time, as this entry serves as a placeholder until such a time as a player chooses tea reading as their occult practice.

See Occultism

Tarot (occult practice)

The manner of divining events through drawing cards from a specific deck containing 78 cards, including the suits of Cups, Petacles, Swords and Wands (together known as the minor arcana), as well as 22 cards of the Major Arcana.

The cards are drawn and laid down to first deduce which card is pulled, then the orientation of that card ~ whether it is upright or reversed.  Each card that is pulled with the express purpose of divining events or characteristics of the world causes the manifestation of wild magic to occur.  This effect results whether one card is pulled or many, but only if the occultist draws the card and only if the act of drawing the card is done specifically to learn the secrets the card will tell.  The more cards that are drawn, the more complex ~ and potentially chaotic ~ the results may be.

This is because tarot cards can offer profoundly beneficial and profoundly malignant events ... and the more cards that are pulled, the more likely that a malignant event will place itself at the heart of all other events dictated by the cards.

This is not how traditional tarot works precisely ... but of course, tarot as a practice is all talk and no substance.  In terms of game, real magic results as the cards are drawn, not mere words ~ and it takes very little badness to undermine even a lot of goodness, as we all have experienced.

Descriptions for the tarot cards themselves, and what the DM is to do about them, can be downloaded through this link.  Each card comes with a phrase to give the players, which they must decipher for themselves; this is followed by a prescription for the DM's in-game response.  I do not fear the full disclosure, as obviously the tarot reader would have some idea of what was coming, and a careful DM will be able to hide their tracks well in a school of red herrings.

See Occultism

Numerology (occult practice)

An interpretation of the divine and mystical relationship between numbers and fate, through which the recognition of patterns gives insight into the manifestation of wild magic.  As role-playing is the process of generating numbers, the occult practice of numerology works in a meta-game sense to the rolling of dice ... of which the player is aware but the player character is not.

As such, we should resolve this player ~ player character conflict by imagining that while the player rolls a number than brings about a significant event in the game (say, a 17), the player character that there are 17 grommets in the enemy's belt, notices there are 17 stones on the ground next to the enemy's body or perhaps remembers there were 17 biscuits in the pan for breakfast that day.  None of which really matters; beyond the playability of the occult practice, we need give no more thought to the meta-game aspect than this.

In practicing numerology, the occultist identifies the life path and destiny root numbers for as many as are practical to track.  These numbers are calculated through the method of Chaldean Numerology, which is a method based upon ancient Babylonian practises.  These numbers are calculated by the names of characters and by their date of birth.  When these numbers emerge commonly in play, charts are consulted that indicate the significance of this number reoccurring.

Until such time as a player chooses this occult practice for their character, I prefer to leave the remainder of numerology as a placeholder at this time.

See Occultism

Astrological Chart (occult practice)

Not to be confused with the sage study, Astronomy and Astrology, the study of celestial bodies and the sky.

The making of the astrological chart is a means of divining the fate of an individual by noting the position of the zodiac, the planets, the sun and the moon at the precise moment of an intelligent creature’s birth. Astrology has no power over the lives of brute creatures, including humanoids with an average intelligence less than seven.

Tracing its roots 3,500 years into ancient Mesopotamia, the act of charting an individual’s astrological chart irrevocably sets the fate of that individual, so that events over a period of months, years or even decades will slowly compound to bring about the visitation of that fate. The fate reckoned relates to what heavenly bodies are placed in which houses, balanced by the motions of those bodies at that time, such as the phase of the moon or whether a planet is in retrograde motion. The charts of individuals may indicate they are destined to be rich or poor, popular, cursed, healthy, lucky, to find greatness or possibly die in obscurity.

Obviously, player characters may not wish to know their fate and may resist the occultist investigating these things. However, as the game world is the Earth, as astronomical charts exist to describe the placement of every planet and its movement, as the birthplace is known for each individual and as the time of birth can be determined randomly, it is possible to create an exact astrological chart for any existing character, player or non-player alike.

The exact interpretation of the astrological chart can be left for later when this becomes relevant to game play, which won’t be until a player either chooses this interest as an occultist, or a player pays money to an NPC to have their chart read (which will cost a pretty penny). Until the time when the player and DM can discuss the actual personal time the player needs to make the chart, it is enough that plenty of content already exists surrounding astrology to make a reading practical.

See Occultism

Bone Throwing (occult practice)

A form of occultism by which wild magic is comprehended through the casting of bones or various objects.  For players with little experience in this practice but with sufficient knowledge in the occult, the bones are typically represented by dice.  A more dedicated player may, if wished, employ a more authentic collection of throwing bones ~ though players should be warned that the actual practice of bone throwing is not to be taken lightly.  For the role-playing dilettante, a simple set of dice are recommended.

The player is asked to obtain six unique six-sided dice without numbers, called story cubes or story dice.  Desirably these dice would contain images that were appropriate for the time period.  of the role-playing game (nothing anachronistic). Every image on every die should be unique, a total of 36 images. To this should be added an ordinary six-sided die, preferably with pips and not numbers.  It is important to understand that none of these seven dice should be thrown for any purpose other than rolling bones.

Of the six picture dice, one should be designated as “the self,” the die that specifically defines your game character. Obviously, the die should be chosen with this purpose in mind. Each of the other five story dice must also be assigned a meaning. These meanings can be personal, but unless the player has much experience with bone throwing, it is recommended that these five meanings should be health, wealth, relationships, magic and morality (evil vs. good, wrong vs. right).

The numbered die may then be used varyingly, as a 50/50 to designate male or female, few or many, friend or foe, yes or no and so on; or it may be used as a measure of 1 to 6 to describe importance, danger, chance of success and so on.

Much of the reading beyond this is an art form. The player must interpret the throws based on the meanings of the dice, how they fall, where they touch, the distance or lack thereof between the pieces, what falls nearest to the bone thrower and what falls furthest away. The dice must be thrown with two hands and then effectively a story is made from the results. The story must be explained and accepted as reasonable by the witnesses of the bone thrower.

Authentic Sets

If the bone thrower wants to perform a more authentic means of bone throwing, a collection of objects such as small rocks, bits of driftwood, smoothed pieces of glass, crystals, carved wood figures or whatever feels right should be collected.  Each item must have a genuine memory of location and meaning for when it was acquired, the emotional state it conveys and a comprehension for how the object falls, else a reading is not practical.

For instance, if a bit of petrified wood is included in your collection, that you gained as a child when on a journey to Arizona with your family, the wood will have a distinct shape and ways in which it will come to rest: “facing” away from you, towards you, laying on its back, pointing at another object, pointing at nothing, etcetera, as you interpret it. In this aspect it is your mother, in that your father; its relationships to other things are memories, conflicts, unresolved issues and so on. Bone reading can be extraordinarily esoteric and profoundly personal.

Ten or fifteen “bones” with these connections can make for an intricate reading, one that would be highly difficult for the non-bone thrower to see, since the pieces would be familiar to the reader alone.  Still, as long as the lay of the bones can be defended by the player, this form of authentic bone throwing can be accepted into the game.

Resolution

As ever, the reading made by the bone thrower causes events to come into being; an ill omen occurs, an expected relationship creates a compatible non-player character, enemies or friends turn up to threaten or sustain the party, while events spontaneously occur in keeping with the reading.  This can be a difficult process for the DM, who must be as flexible as the readings themselves.

Some players will attempt to manipulate the results by interpreting every reading as “good luck” or some promise of benefit or success. The DM must be cautious, designating certain pictures or patterns as clearly bad, whatever the player may say. For example, if the die symbolic of the self lands far from any other die in the throw, the player should not be encouraged to see that as “proof” of anything except the obvious meaning that the character does not benefit from the span of distance. Likewise, if the character’s self die lands close to wealth, but far from health, that too speaks to a particular kind of interpretation. Beware of players who will try to massage the interpretation as a means of controlling the results.

For this reason, bone throwing can be particularly troublesome as an occultist knowledge. Remember that it is often to the game’s benefit that the results be good; it does not mean that benefits will simply fall into the player’s lap. The DM is still entitled to create obstacles and require risks, though an occultist will have some warning of those risks.

Ether

Also spelled Aether, the medium of space that tangentially intersects between the Ethereal Plane and the Prime Material Plane.  While natural laws prohibit most animated creatures to leave Earth's atmosphere, even if possessing the means (through flying machines and various magical devices), because natural space is very cold and lacks the means to support life, it is possible through semi-planar travel to pass from natural space into ethereal space.

Ethereal space is not technically within the ethereal plane, but drifting ethereal matter interjects inself into the empty cosmos, filling the void and enabling travel through the resultant increased density.  Objects in natural space must be magically adjusted to take advantage of the dense matter, or "ether," that exists ~ though some creatures, such as the hippogriff, are able to do this naturally.

Knowledge of how to shift from natural space into ethereal space is not generally known.

See Campaign