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Chaosium Digest Volume 02 Number 12
Chaosium Digest Volume 2, Number 12
Date: Sunday, July 4, 1993
Number: 1 of 1
Contents:
The Adventure of the Dancing Tree (Eric Rowe) PENDRAGON
Review: H.P. Lovecraft's Dreamlands (Gary Au) CALL OF CTHULHU
Occult Tomes for CoC (Jason Corley) CALL OF CTHULHU
Editor's Notes:
Chaosium has a new catalog available. You can get it free by calling
(510) 547-7681 or writing Chaosium at: 950-A 56th Street, Oakland, CA
94608.
I've added another book list to the FTP site, this one an almost
complete list of Michael Moorcock's fictional works. It's available
as /pub/chaosium/sources/stormbringer on soda.berkeley.edu.
Recent Sightings:
For people interested in Cybercthulhu, there is a Cybercthuloid
scenerio in Challenge #61.
Marketplace:
Alistair Langsford (langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au) is selling off some CoC
supplements that he hasn't been using. They're all in 'as new'
condition. His list includes: Horror on the Orient Express ($25),
Escape from Innsmouth ($20), Tales of the Miskatonic Valley ($20),
Cthulhu Casebook ($20), The Stars are Right ($20), Great Old Ones
($20) and Fearful Passage ($20). All prices are in Australian dollars,
and exclude postage and packing. If you're interested, drop Alistair
a line.
--------------------
From: Eric Rowe <rowe@soda.berkeley.edu>
Subject: The Adventure of the Dancing Tree
System: Pendragon
Introduction:
This short adventure can occur in any forest near Logres. The knights
will hear the story of a hunter who one night came upon a glade in the
woods wherein danced a small silvery ash tree. The local lord has
asked for some knights to investigate this occurrence in his lands.
The player's knights are those lucky enough to be chosen. Their task
is simply to discover the truth of this tale and investigate its cause
if such a tree exists. The lord considers himself an avid
horticulturist and will also ask for a few clippings to be taken from
the tree for him to plant back at the castle.
Background:
Several months ago, a young knight named Sir Terorfor was out
adventuring in the forest. He met a young woman named Viviene who was
out gathering mushrooms. Romance was natural between the youngsters,
but Sir Terorfor had no intention of bringing this unlanded woman back
as his wife. Broken hearted, she ran weeping back to her house in the
woods. Her mother, a Witch specialized in shapeshifting magics,
turned herself into an enormous bear and chased the young knight. Sir
Terorfor's squire escaped and reported Sir Terofor slain by the bear.
In truth, Sir Terorfor survived the attack. However, the witch cursed
him with the form of a tree. Every night he turns into a tree. If he
remains standing, his roots will dig into the earth and he will become
a tree forever. Thus, he dances. In the day he returns to human
form, but is exhausted. Each time he has tried to leave the glade, a
great bear has come and driven him back in to it.
Finding the glade:
With the hunter's tale of his discovery it is fairly easy to find the
glade of the Dancing Tree. A simple hunting role will allow it to be
found. Bringing the hunter himself along to help will give a +5 to
this roll. A critical success will allow discovery of Viviene at her
house. A fumble will result in the knights becoming lost in the
forest [For ideas here, see the 'Lost in the Woods' solo in Pendragon
3rd edition].
The Glade of the Dancing Tree:
It is best to have the knights arrive late in the evening, once Sir
Terorfor has already gained his foliage and begun his dance. An
awareness success will reveal a pile of nearly gone supplies of food
under a bush. Markings upon the material clearly reveal it to belong
to a knight. A Read Latin will confirm that it belongs to Sir
Terorfor, a knight who was recently killed by a bear. A critical
success on the awareness roll will also reveal that the knights are
being watched from the woods by an enormous bear. This is the witch.
If she is seen, she will run off for a while, but will return. If
players give chase, go to the section "The Witch."
As players study the tree, have them make Faerie Lore rolls. A
success will indicate to them that this is some sort of magical trick
and may be a Faerie happening that goes away during the day. A
Critical Lore roll will reveal that this is not Faerie work at all,
but rather a magical curse. This last fact will also be realised by
any magical druids or clergy with the knights who make a sight roll
(see 4th edition, coming soon to a game store near you.)
The adventure can actually end here. The knights may see the hunter
was telling the truth, take some clippings and head home. More
likely, they will look around some more or wait until morning. If
they wait, they will see the tree transform into a knight in armor,
missing his sword and shield. He will immedately collapse in
exhaustion. If there have already been some clippings taken, he will
also be in pain, clutching at his bleeding hand which now is a few
fingers less than most. Once given some time to recover (merciful
knights will also give him food and water) Sir Terorfor can tell his
tale. He will say that an evil witch cursed him and left a vicious
bear here to guard him until he turns into a tree forever. He will be
remiss about mentioning Viviene and their short relationship.
The most likely option at this time is for the players to attempt to
escort Sir Terorfor out of the forest. As they do so, they will come
across Viviene's house. Sir Terorfor will tell them that it is the
house of the witch and they should all flee (Reckless/Prudent). If
they do flee they will not meet Viviene and will eventually encounter
the bear. Go to "The Witch."
Viviene's House:
It is likely the players will at some time discover Viviene's house.
When they enter, they will see a beautiful young woman sitting in a
chair sewing. Leaning against a wall near her are the sword and
shield of Sir Terorfor (Heraldry). There are a couple of
possibilities.
The players might not yet have met Sir Terorfor. In this case, the
young women will tell the player knights that the arms belong to an
evil young man who betrayed her. They were brought to her by her
mother who chased him out of the forest. If asked how, she will
simply state that you should see her mother when she gets angry. She
will continue her tale of woe with how lonely it is here and how there
are no handsome men to talk with. If any of the knights show any
interest, she will focus her comments on them. While she loves her
mother, she would like to get out of the forest and live in a big
castle and wear long, lovely dresses.
On the other hand, Sir Terorfor might be along when the knights. In
this case, Viviene will believe he has returned for her and attempt to
run to him. Terorfor will cowardly hide behind a player knight. When
Viviene finds out that Sir Terorfor has not come for her, she will
burst into tears. After some time, she can be comforted, and will
probably take a liking to whomever does so. As mentioned before,
Viviene has always wanted to live in a castle. If asked about the
Witch, Viviene will say that her mother was just protecting her from
this mean man. She will only forgive him if another knight promises
to take her away, either to marry or to place on the staff of some
rich lady.
Viviene:
SIZ 12 DEX 14 STR 10 CON 10 APP 28
Important skills/passions: Industry 17, Love (family) 16, Faerie Lore 16
Honest 18, Generous 16.
The Witch:
If the players are chasing the bear/witch in an attempt to kill it,
then this will just be a standard fight. Recall though that the bear
is a person and will use every advantage possible in a fight. In game
terms, the only way to corner her will be on foot and no more than two
men at a time will ever be able to reach her.
If the players chase the bear for questioning or run across the bear
while trying to escort Sir Terorfor out of the forest, other options
are available. The bear will growl a lot and seem to be talking to
the party. If a knight approaches cautiously and unarmed, the bear
will take a rune carved stick in its mouth and give to the knight. If
the knight takes it, he will suddenly understand the bear's speech.
The witch will then explain the story again from her side. The bottom
line is that she will not let Terorfor go unless her daughter forgives
him for his betrayal (If the daughter is already there, this will play
out very easily). The knights may choose to fight or (more sensibly)
return (escorted by the bear) to Viviene's house to attempt to get
Viviene's forgiveness to Sir Terorfor.
The Witch (in bear form):
SIZ 40 DEX 10 STR 35 CON 25
Move 10, Dam. 10d6x2, Heal Rate 6, Hit Points 65
Major wound 25, Unc. 16, Knockdown 40, Armor 15
Minus to Valor (-8), Glory to kill 150
Attacks: 2 paw swipes @ 18 each round.
The Return:
If the knights simply verify the story and then head home, they will
be startled (as will their lord) when they unwrap the clippings to
discover a few bloody human fingers. It is likely a return to the
forest will be due in this case.
If the knights return with Sir Terorfor and the the bear slain, they
will get standard glory awards for their deeds. If they return with
Viviene (and the bear alive) there should be a 25 glory bonus for the
knight responsible. This should be doubled once Viviene's 'situation'
is sorted out at the castle.
Eventually the witch will come to stay with the daughter and will get
along famously with the lord, for she also has a great interest in
horticulture. The knight who talked to her will be highly commended
by the lord and will receive another 15 glory for her kind words. If
Viviene has managed to marry a knight, they will receive no glory for
the marriage, but it could be very useful to have a powerful witch
friendly to the lord be your mother-in-law.
--------------------
From: gau@tauon.ph.unimelb.edu.au (Gary Au)
Subject: Review: H.P. Lovecraft's Dreamlands
System: Call of Cthulhu
Edition: 3rd, Index number 3308
Date of Publication: September 1992
Length: 123 pages
This is an extensive sourcebook which describes the Dreamlands, a
Lovecraft world which people can travel to while they sleep. To
appreciate this world, it is useful to read "The Dream Quest of
Unknown Kadath," which can be found in the combined volume "The
Mountains of Madness." The Dreamlands are more a place of fantasy
than horror. It is essential to create an atmosphere of fantasy in the
Dreamlands, otherwise PCs will tend to think they are in the normal
Cthulhu world.
The book begins with ways in which to enter the Dreamlands. Four are
outlined. It is possible to take objects with you. However, the
writers evoke a technical trick to stop you taking any modern
equipment like guns along. They bring up the concept of an oject
whose "reality has not yet been set." In other words, an object which
hasn't existed in the real world for more than 400-500 years. Such
objects are transformed into their classical equivalent. A gun, for
instance, would be turned into a sword on entry. However, when you
return, the sword stays a sword.
Two new skills are introduced. These are "dreaming" and "dream lore."
The first skill is used to alter the Dreamland world. You can make
things with this skill. The builder of Celephais, King Kuranes, used
his dreaming skill to build up the city over a lifetime. The skill
level is allocated to a PC according to the percentile amount
equivalent to the PCs POW. The dream lore percentile represents a PCs
knowledge of the Dreamlands.
There is a large section devoted to Places. New spells are also
outlined, some of which are impossible to cast in the normal CoC
world. There follows an extensive illustrated bestiary of Dreamland
inhabitants. An interesting map of the Earth's Dreamlands is supplied
in the latter part of the book.
Six scenarios are provided in the second half of the book, designed to
introduce your PCs to their new world. PCs have much more power in
the Dreamlands than in the normal CoC world, due mainly to the
dreaming skill. They can create anything they want! Starting GMs may
find this world difficult to handle, due to the amount of control they
must relinquish to their PCs. Instead of following the ready-made
adventures, it is much more interesting to let the PCs explore the
Dreamlands on their own.
--------------------
From: corleyj@GAS.uug.Arizona.EDU (Jason D Corley )
Subject: Occult Tomes in CoC
System: Call of Cthulhu
Here's a list of occult tomes I found in rec.games.frp.misc a long
time ago. Many of them are "real," that is they can be found in
actual real-life libraries (props, anyone?) I have added my own notes
to a few. The nature of the Occult in your game may vary. It's quite
possible that the occult is man's (incorrect) way of "understanding"
events that are controlled by the Mythos. In this way, a high Occult
skill may not give any Mythos knowledge, but will at least help give
the right attitude towards it (fear and fascination simultaneously).
The SAN losses for the Occult knowledge may seem a little arbitrary.
There's a good reason for that. It is arbitrary. To me, Occult
knowledge does not necessarily upset one's Sanity, but some of it
points towards the Mythos, and that kind of Occult knowledge is
definitely unnerving.
So here it is. It's sorta long. If anyone has any to add, just mail
me or the list and I'll jam it on the end somewhere...
AN INQUIRY INTO THE HERMETIC MYSTERIES, WITH DISSERTATIONS ON THE MORE
CELEBRATED OF THE ALCHEMICAL PHILOSOPHERS, by Mary South, in English,
1850. Sanity loss 0/1d3, Occult +5, Cth.Myth +2, no spells. Cthulhu
Mythos points only from unabridged version. A copy of the unabridged
version is at Cambridge in England.
ARCANUM HERMETICAE PHILOSOPHIAE OPUS, by Jean D'Espagnet, in Latin,
1623. Occult +3, no spells.
BOOK OF THE LAW, by Aleister Crowley, in English, 1904. Occult +5, no
spells. A copy is at Oxford in the restricted access collection of
Crowley's work.
BOOK OF SACRED MAGIC OF ABRA-MELIN THE MAGE, trans. by Samuel Mathers,
in English, 18??. Sanity Loss 0/1d2, Occult +8, Cth.Myth +1, spell
multiplier x2, Summon Guardian Angel (may have a Mythos counterpart).
CLAVIUS SOLOMONIS, by Olaus Wormius, in Latin, 16??. Occult +3, no
spells.
CORPUS HERMETICORUM, author unknown, 2nd century, Latin. Sanity loss
1/1d3, Occult +10, Cth.Myth +2, no spells. This was an important
collection of "magical" texts which were used as the basis for many
Middle Ages and Renaissance grimoires. Like reading the Dead Sea
Scrolls instead of the King James Bible.
DE ARTE CABALISTICA, by Johannes Reuchlin, 1517, in Latin. Occult +4,
no spells.
DE LAPIDE PHILOSOPHICO, by Trimethius, 13??, in Latin. Occult +2, no
spells.
DICTIONAIRRE INFERNAL, by Collin de Plancy, 1844, in French. Occult
+5, no spells. This book lists and describes the major devils of
Hell.
DOGME DE LA HAUTE MAGIE, by Eliphas Levi, 1856, in French. Occult +5,
no spells. Both this work and a copy of the Dictionairre Infernal are
at the Bibliotheque National in Paris, misfiled by mistake until 1957.
THE EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD, translated E.A. Wallis Budge, in
English (original in hieroglyphics), 1895. Occult +5, no spells.
THE EMERALD TABLET, translated into many languages, apparently from
Arabic or classical Greek original, author or authors unknown, c. 200
AD. Occult +1, Chemistry +1. The central alchemical text for
medieval Europe. Cryptic and elusive as the Tao Te Ching of classical
China.
THE GOLDEN BOUGH, by Sir George Fraser, 1890, in English. Occult +5
for expanded version, +3 for abridged version, Sanity loss 0/1d2 for
expanded version only. A classic twelve-volume work published
1911-1915. A derivative work of comparative anthropology is available
in some version in every significantly large public library in the
United States.
ISIS UNVEILED, by Madame Elena Petrovana Blatavatsky, 18??, in
Russian. Occult +10, Sanity loss 0/1d2.
THE KEY OF SOLOMON, translated into many languages, supposedly from
King Solomon, actioally written c. 14th century. Composed in two
books, the first of which indicates how to avoid drastic mistakes when
dealing with spirits, and the second discussing the magical arts. The
ritual magics revealed are astonishingly complex, supplying plenty of
excuses as to why a spell didn't succeed. A genuine spell might be
among the dross. No Sanity loss unless adding a Mythos spell. Occult
+5, Spell multiplier x2 at Keeper's option.
KEY OF WISDOM, by Artrephous, translated by Farthington Brainthewaite,
1834, in English or Ancient Greek. Sanity loss 1/1d3, Occult +6, no
spells.
MALLEUS MALEFICARUM, by Jakob Sprenger and Heinrich Kramertrans, 1486,
in Latin and then many translations. Occult +3. The "hammer of
witches," a guide for Inquisitors of the Middle Ages on the
identification and torture of witches. This book sent an estimated
nine million people to their deaths. The German translation of 1906
has the delightful title "Der Hexenhammer." Say it a few times.
THE MAGUS, by Francis Barret, 1801, in English. Sanity loss 1/1d4,
Occult +10, Cth.Mythos +2, no spells. This book helped start the
occult renaissance of the 19th century. Barret was considered learned
by some and a fraud by others, but this book is a mainstay of modern
occultism and deals with alchemy, astrology, ceremonial magic and
demonology.
MANUSCRIPT OF BETH ELOIM, auth. unk., 158?, in Hebrew. Occult +5.
This book is a cabalistic treatise on angels, demons, the soul of man,
how and why they exist, and what relationship they have to each other.
MISSION DE L'INDE EN EUROPE, by Saint-Yves d'Alveydre, 1886, in
French. Occult +3
MUSINGS OF THE WHITE WITCH, by Olga Hatcher, 1853, in English. Occult
+6.
NEW WORLD RITUALS, by Raymond Lully, 1874, in English. Occult +2.
THE OCCULT PHILOSOPHY, by Cornelius Agrippa, 18??, in German. Occult
+4
THE ORACLES OF NOSTRADAMUS, by Michel de Nostradame, 1555-1557.
Occult +1. Contains about a thousand four-line verses, purporting to
be prophecies specific to various events until the year 3797 AD. The
actual words are non-specific and imagistic, lending themselves to all
sorts of applications. Some Keepers may find this book or the I
ching, the famous Chinese book of divination handy as an ongoing plot
device.
OUR INHERITANCE IN THE GREAD PYRAMID, by Piazzi Smyth, 1880, in
English. Sanity loss 0/1, Occult +1. The subject of this short,
self-published book is the cross-breeding between the ancient
Egyptians and the spirits of the earth.
PHANTASMS OF THE LIVING, by Edmund Gurney, 18??, in English. Occult
+4.
SARGOZASHT IS-SAYYIDNA, by Hasan as-Sabbah, a possible descendant of
Abd Al-hazrd, in Arabic, time of writing unknown. Occult +2.
LE SATANISME ET LA MAGIE, by J.K. Huysmans, 1895, in French. Occult
+5.
LE TOMBEAU DE JACQUES DE MOLAY, by C-L Cadet-Gassicourt, 1797, in
French. Occult +1.
TURBA PHILOSOPHORUM, author unknown, 14??, in Latin. Sanity Loss
1/1d4, Occult +10.
VOODOO RITES AND RELIGIONS, by A.M. Asher, 18??, in English. Occult
+1d3.
THE WITCH-CULT IN WESTERN EUROPE, by Dr. Margaret Murray, 1921, in
English. Occult +1, very common, modern work, found in many
bookstores and libraries.
THE ZOHAR, many different translations, original author Moses de Leon,
1280, in Hebrew originally. Sanity loss 1/1d3. Occult +4. This is
the fundamental work of medieval Jewish mystical thought, representing
an effort to know or to reach God through contemplation and
revelation. Astonishingly long, dense and difficult.
--------------------
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