Friday, April 17, 2015

Swords & Wizardry: the Followers of Tset

Today is Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day!  In honor of this auspicious occasion, I present the Followers of Tset, a cult dedicated to the worship of an ancient being who desires to tear down society through corruption and deceit, and rebuild it to his desires.  Players of a specific personal horror storytelling game should quickly pick up on the influence.  :)

The remainder of this post is designated Open Game Content as outlined in section 1(d) of the Open Game License.

The Followers of Tset
While many horrors face the heroes of every fantasy world, few are more frightening than the Followers of Tset.  The Tsetians worship an ancient being that believes it will one day return to a world built to suit its own desires, and the Tsetians work tirelessly to pave the way for that being.  They seek to subvert and destroy all that is good in life, one person at a time; by doing so, the Tsetians believe they are removing the bonds which tie people to a flawed world and are preparing them to receive their dark master when it returns.

To help in their mission, Tset himself grants specific powers to his faithful.  These powers are expressed as cleric spells, but one does not need to be a cleric to cast them; one only needs to be a faithful worshiper of Tset.  Once a Follower reaches a level that, were he or she a cleric, would grant him the ability to cast one of the Tsetian spells, he or she will be able to do so regardless of his or her class.  Note that these Tsetian spells require very minimal verbal, somatic, and material spells in their casting; most are cast with a simple wave of the hand and a mental prayer to Tset.

Contradict
Spell Level: C1
Range: 120 ft.
Duration: Instantaneous
Using this spell, the Follower of Tset disrupts the target's thought processes, causing the victim to take the opposite course of action from what was intended.  A magistrate might release a criminal he was about to sentence, for instance, or a lover about to forgive their partner for a transgression might chastise them instead.  A saving throw negates the effect.

Subvert
Spell Level: C2
Range: 120 ft.
Duration: Variable
This spell is much like Contradict in that, if a saving throw is failed, the subject will act on his or her darker impulses, taking the opposite course of action that he or she would normally take.  But unlike Contradict, Subvert lasts much longer; each day, the target gets a new saving throw.  If the saving throw is failed, the target remains under the effects of the spell.  Only when the saving throw is successful will the spell end.

Dissociate
Spell Level: C3
Range: 120 ft.
Duration: Variable
Using this spell, a Follower effectively causes the victim to be shunned by the rest of society.  If the victim fails a saving throw, those with whom the victim interacts - be that PCs, NPCs, retainers, whatever - will perceive the victim as sullen and unfriendly.  The harder the victim tries to socialize, the stronger the effect will be.  The spell continues each day, much like Subvert, until the victim succeeds in a saving throw.

Addiction
Spell Level: C4
Range: Touch
Duration: Variable
One of the Tsetians most powerful weapons, Addiction creates just that in the spell's victim if a saving throw is failed.  The Tsetian introduces a substance or a feeling to the victim, and it is to that substance or feeling which the victim becomes addicted.  The victim sees the Tsetian as the only person who can provide for their addiction, thus keeping the victim coming back.  As with Subvert, the effects of Addiction continue on a day-to-day basis, until a daily saving throw is met with success.

Dependence
Spell Level: C5
Range: Touch
Duration: Variable
The ultimate form of the Addiction spell, Dependence creates a need for the Tsetian itself in the mind of the victim.  Should the victim fail a saving throw, all of his or her desires and efforts will be dedicated to insuring he or she is in close proximity to the Tsetian at all times.  Should he or she get separated from the Tsetian, he or she feels helpless and lethargic.  Like Subvert, the victim makes a new saving throw every day and will only be free of the spell's effect with a successful roll.

Edwin Bristletoes, sample Tsetian
4th level chaotic halfling fighter
STR: 11, INT: 10, WIS: 12, DEX: 14, CON: 13, CHA: 12
AC: 7 [12], HP: 20, SAVE: 11
Equipment: Leather armor, short sword (1d6-1), sling & stones (1d6-1)
Spells: Contradict, Subvert
At one point, Edwin was a typical, happy-go-lucky halfling adventurer, until he joined up with an adventuring group who secretly had a Tsetian as one of its members.  The Tsetian took great joy in corrupting the little man and converting him to the service of Tset.  Now, retired from the adventuring life, Edwin frequents Muddyfoots - his local tavern - constantly on the prowl for strangers or newcomers (those who have weak ties to the area) or those who seem down on their luck.  If they easily succumb to the powers of his Tsetian spells (which to Edwin means a weak will) he will make attempts to befriend them and, eventually, take them before the high priest of Tset in the area.


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