Varjipiak – The Last Refuge – clings to existence at the borders of time and space, a cluster of flotsam from fallen worlds, lost realms, and forgotten times washed up from the cosmic sea upon the shores of reality. There… a few mortals gather, refugees and dimensional wanderers cast away from disasters across the multiverse. Yet a final opportunity as well. From there, surrounded by the towering world-trees of the forest of eternity and the mysteries of the lingering spirits of near-forgotten fey, faded gods, and waning totems, adrift upon the cosmic seas, could brave souls set out across time and space to set such disasters to rights, in ways both large and small.
Yet few were the resources to be found at the edge of reality to support such questing – and each such successful quest would reduce them further, for with each such righting, each apocalypse averted, fewer resources would be set adrift upon the tides of eternity to wash ashore at the Last Refuge. There would never be nothing at all – for new disasters arose ever amongst the myriad realms – but Varjipiak would ever remain a hamlet of lost souls within an eternal wilderness.
But one young mystic of Varjipiak, his name now lost, refused to accept such limitations, seizing upon the few resources that he possessed in abundance even at the end of all things – indomitable will, the lore of eternity and what lies beyond, and his own soul, to forge a legacy – Vilmanemagi, The Last House, a cross between a pocket-realm and a conjuration, a base in which adventurers might refresh and equip themselves, practice their arts, and seek out the places where they were needed. Places where the intervention of a small, heroic, band might prevent – or at least soften – tragedy and set ancient wrongs to right.
Mortals, no matter how adamant of will and strong in magic, pass on at last – but what had been wrought endured. The Last House has continued beyond the passing of its creator and his friends, both in it’s own right and as a pattern for similar constructions created by aspiring heroes across reality. A House may occasionally intervene on its own, appearing for a group of adventurers to find, to clear of any noxious hitchhikers it may have picked up between the worlds – and then to renew themselves before continuing their quests or to be carried to other places where they can best intervene.
Houses are essentially tailored pocket realms, akin to that created by the Magnificent Mansion spell – albeit internally stable and with a mobile external access point. They “manifest” by overlaying their access points on some local feature of the environment – causing a rock-face, large tree, or similar substantial bit of scenery to manifest a door and windows as if the house was actually “inside” of it (although, if the disguise feature is active, it can alter that appearance – or even do the classic “Police Box” bit). Naturally enough, the “size” of the “containing” feature has no bearing on the house’s internal size. Consequently, a House can be accessed from the outside by simply opening the door or by simply breaking in through one of the walls, doors, or windows – and while the walls are basically “whatever it is manifested inside of” on the outside and wood on the inside, the doors and window-shutters are simply iron-bound wood buttressed by magic unless further augmented by the residents. They’re quite capable of keeping out the weather, most wild animals, and similar pests, but the place is not really much of a fortification under normal circumstances. It does require a DC 20 Spot Check to see the doors and windows up close (whether open or closed), and the DC goes up fairly rapidly as you get further away – but that is still only basic camouflage / concealment. All rooms (Pathfinder Downtime rules pricing) are Specialized for Half Cost / they provide no downtime revenue.
The extra-dimensional space is from the Spacewarp Spell Template (The Practical Enchanter): (L2 Base), modifiers of Stable (other spaces may come inside safely, dispelling/antimagic only closes the doors for a time, +1 SL), Multiply available space by caster level (+1 SL), Mobile (entrance anchors to a target and moves with it, +1 SL), Ambient Magic (casting time one minute, -1 SL), Item Powered (-1 SL), SL 3 x CL 12 x 2000 GP Unlimited – Use Use-Activated x ,2 (1/Day) x.7 (Contents beyond air and light must be purchased separately) = 7200 GP. The supplementary power source required is a Rod of Wonder (12,000 GP) x.5 (“Immobile” as part of the House) x .5 (Can’t be directly used, occasionally produces minor random effects inside) = 3000 GP. Net 10,200 GP. This provides some 45,000 square feet at 8′ ceilings or 1800 5×5 spaces (about the size of 15-20 normal houses or fairly well up there as a “mega-mansion”. If you really MUST have more space spend another 10,200 GP and double up on it. There’s no reason to unless you want to house a small army or try to evacuate a city or something though).
The basic House takes up about 30,000 square feet. Throwing in corridors, higher-than-basic ceilings in the Deeps, cupboards, stairwells, and a little extra room here and there (mostly in the Deeps), for another 3000 leaves about 12,000 square feet unallocated, which the Ward – with it’s 44,100 GP worth of Dream-Binding – can fill with brick-a-brac (clocks, alarm bells, weird statuary), additional rooms and teams (if you wish to rescue the people of Pompeii or something) – including actual physical aides, servants, and concubines if it wishes as well as weird arcane tomes, including exotic spellbooks (for those who use such things), magical items, and even “magical businesses“. All are reasonably common manifestations. Still, the Ward has it’s own ideas; there is no controlling what it (or the GM) wishes to install.
The base cost of a House is some 76,298.5 GP (Note that this is the price under a rule that states that Craftsmen and Professional types are skilled in five areas instead of one, since otherwise no one takes Craft or Profession skills at all seriously. The same applies to their workplaces. (If this is not acceptable you can either raise the base cost to around 90,000 GP or just assume that it’s covered by the Ward’s ability to upgrade the place). At it’s base cost the house is anchored to a physical item of some sort, such as a door-knocker, and manifests it’s entryway wherever said item is set up and activated. On the other hand, creating a House at this cost calls for a high caster level, many skills at fairly high levels, multiple item creation feats, and knowing many specialized spells – including, quite possibly, something like “Wish” for the various Unseen Teams. You can get “virtual items” – including mundane stuff – with Siddhisyoga (Eclipse), but it might be a lot more complicated to do it with item creation.
Creating a House through Siddhisyoga means that the entrance – while stationary with respect to whatever it is opened in – travels with the “user” automatically when shut, cannot be taken away or permanently damaged, doesn’t call for anything else beyond (possibly) a high spellcraft skill and lots of money, and makes it easy to justify purchasing “Unseen Aides” of various types since Siddhisyoga can be used for “virtual” mundane purchases as well. On the other hand, it’s a LOT of money – 2x the base cost for basic Siddhisyoga or 1.5x the base cost with the “Efficient” modifier.
Regardless of which option applies, you can apply the modifier “Requires a Specific Deed to Activate” (DMG or The Practical Enchanter) to make it cheaper – which, in the case of a House, generally means that “In it’s creation or travels the House has been occupied by a swarm of monsters – usually creatures from the Astral, Ethereal, or Outer Planes – which must be driven out (if they haven’t already come out to attack whatever area the House landed) before the Party can claim the House and become residents thereof”. Until this happens, the House will not help either side – although the current occupants may use some of the resources the house produces (Planar Staves, Obols, Etc) in their defense. They won’t have much of any other treasure though. What’s that worth in terms of a price break? That’s up to the GM depending on how tough he or she makes it to claim the place. It would probably be fairest to add up the value of treasure you could normally loot from the creatures involved and subtract it from the assessed value of the House.
Houses are essentially a tailored, mobile, pocket realms that employ quite a few esoteric rules – notably Wards Major (The Practical Enchanter), Obols (this blog), the Narrative Voyager spell (this blog), the Spacewarp Spell Template (The Practical Enchanter), Planar Magic (This Blog), Pathfinder’s Downtime Rules, Siddhisyoga (Eclipse), Dreambinding (This Blog), Applied Spellcraft (The Practical Enchanter), and more. In practice, an independent version of the House can shelter, and supply, a group of adventurers – albeit only with relatively low-level equipment in most cases – while employing the Narrative Voyager effect to carry them to suitable adventures across the multiverse. For a practical model think “Dr Who” and the TARDIS. The TARDIS offers basic supplies, and a comfortable spot to heal and recover and work on projects – but in return it keeps inserting you into weird adventures, effectively stranding you there, and expecting you to fix things before leaving.
The House Ward Major (22,400 GP):
A Ward Major (The Practical Enchanter) is what you get when you make an area or structure intelligent, creating a Genius Loci – a creature-“item” capable of having a variety of effects on the area and folk within it’s influence. The house ward isn’t a particularly grandiose example of it’s kind, but it serves it’s purpose admirably. Sadly, a Ward Major is generally too dispersed and inhuman a mind to communicate with (or to give directions to), but it can run a lot of the House’s functions. House Wards are generally oriented towards running the house, taking heroes to where they need to be (rather than to where they want), and to providing basic support services – all in their own idiosyncratic ways.
Ward Major V: Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 18 (+2 Wealth = 20). 42 Skill Points [(4 Base + 4 Int Mod) x 4 (Ward Rank 5) +10 (Wealth)], Two Feats: Access to two Occult Skills (Dream-Binding and Reality Mining) and Power Words (Eclipse, Cha Based in lieu of Con, can store 7 levels of spells for use as move-equivalent actions – normally Narrative Voyager (2 using the Lab as the source), Emergency Force Shield (4) and some first level effect. Generally for an emergency escape option). House Wards are normally Lawful Neutral (they just do their thing) but aren’t that picky about their residents.
Ward Skills:
- Dream-Binding, Specialized for Increased Effect/only to add rooms, teams, and facilities to the house; it cannot be used to provide equipment for the residents. 9 SP for +16, +5 Cha Mod = +21. This allows the Ward to add 44,100 GP worth of extra stuff to the House, although no single item may exceed 14,700 GP in value).
- Reality Mining: 11 SP for +8, +5 Cha Mod (as the House does not have a Con score, it uses it’s Cha Mod instead) +2 Morale = +15. As the eddies and currents of the cosmic seas sweep around and through the structure of a House, from that eldritch flow a House can sieve small amounts of occult resources – although each House has it’s own affinities. One may sweep up Demonic Essences, perhaps to forged into hellish weapons of war. Another may gather the Quintessence of Time, or Computronium, or Chaos Emeralds, or Dust from Remnant, or Energon, or Mana Crystals, or Vespene Gas, or Stygium, or Soulsteel, or whatever. In general there will be a small but steady supply – sufficient for small wonders if anyone can figure out what it is good for or how to work with the stuff. (What is gathered depends on what the +15 in this skill is applied to. Assigning +6 to Soulsteel, +4 to Stygium, +3 to Demonic Essence, and +2 to Adamant sounds like a fine recipe for making unholy weaponry for example). Note that, if a particular resource is required, a House can easily dream up a booster for this (or another personal) skill and start getting it.
- Profession/Narrative Piloting +8 (8 SP) +1 (Wis) +2 (Morale) = +11. While traveling via the Narrative Voyager spell usually takes you to plot-important places more or less at random, a House is capable of tweaking things a bit, most often to take the residents somewhere where something they badly want is available (if likely only with great effort) or to get its over stressed residents a brief vacation or to visit friends and relatives or some such. It may only be after a lengthy trip through time and space, but anyone traveling by House WILL make it to the church on time!
- Knowledge/Local, Specialized for Increased Effect / only provides a very short “briefing” about whatever location the House is currently in or headed for, but this can be made available to the residents if the “Location Database” is currently installed. +8 (16) (8 SP) +4 (Int) +2 (Morale) = +22.
- Escape Artist, Specialized and Corrupted for Increased Effect / only for escaping dimensional restraints and otherwise closed universes. +8 (24) +4 (Int, stands in for Dex for creatures without Dex) +2 (Morale) = +30. A House tends to be very good at finding it’s way in and out of sealed off or apocalyptic universes, the negative zone, “inescapable” underworlds, and so on – even if it has to spend a while dreaming up boosters that will temporarily raise this skill to an absurd level.
Minor Abilities (Four, Caster Level 15 if relevant):
- Good Hope: This provides a +2 morale bonus on saving throws, attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls for those within the house. There usually isn’t any fighting in the house (Unless you have the version which needs to be cleared), but the skill bonus is handy.
- Industry: Mundane productivity within the house is multiplied by a factor of seven, allowing a weeks worth of work to be done in a day.
- Sustenance: Those inside the house need not eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. This will allow those working inside to get in a days work during their daily downtime – generally allowing them to craft their own gear and supplies if they wish.
- Health: Diseases are not communicable inside, attribute damage recovers at one point an hour, attribute drain and lost levels recover at one per day each. In general, this means that the residents cannot carry diseases between realms since such things cannot be passed on and are swiftly cured for those inside.
Major Abilities (One, Caster Level 15 if relevant):
- “Wealthy” (The Practical Enchanter). This gives the Ward +2 Cha, adds +5 Hardness and +20 HP to it’s doors, walls, and shutters, provides very nice furnishings and decorations, makes the place look good, grants +10 Skill Points, gives it a virtual maintenance staff that will do minor repairs, sweep up, and take care of similar small tasks around the place, and gives it the effects of 7 Charms and 3 Talismans (145 GP). Masterwork tools are presumed for everyone working within it, although that has little effect since buying a relevant facility normally includes them anyway (and is a major part of the expense since three sets of masterwork tools are normally about 150 GP).
Charms (The Practical Enchanter):
- All-Weather Cloak: The House is comfortable in almost any weather.
- Bardic Instrument: Pleasant background music is available.
- Bracers Of Force: Insects and rain cannot get inside, items do not fall off tables or break if dropped, gas molecules and particulate radiation are generally too small and light to enter.
- Contraceptive Charm: Sexual activity within the House will never result in pregnancy unless both partners are willing for that to happen. This is generally regarded as a strong indication that the original designer was a young male.
- Deathwand: Mold, skin fungi, bedbugs, etc are never a problem within the house; it does not carry vermin between realms.
- Diplomatic Sash: The House can instantly decorate itself for holidays and parties.
- Sweat Stone: Time spent in the baths or sauna is equivalent to time spent with a Skill +8 healer attending to you.
Talismans (The Practical Enchanter):
- Ironcloth Loom: Cloth and cloth items produced in the House are so sturdy that they provide a +1 Armor Bonus to the wearer, resist fire, stains, and water, are easily cleaned, and will not wear out for many, many, years. This way the Doctor residents can continue wearing the same outfits for years if they wish.
- Preserving Chest: Food in the pantry and clothing in the closets is always fresh and is never damaged by vermin.
- Industrious Tool: Each week the Ward may pick one of the “crafting teams” and double it’s total normal output (to 1200 GP) for that week.
General Notes:
Yes, using the Narrative Voyager spell to travel basically makes the House a TARDIS. Why would you want to allow such a thing? Because it’s a near-ideal way to keep throwing people into whatever adventure comes into your head at the moment. The party arrives, gets some very basic information about the area, has to discover what is going on through their own investigations, and then find a way to deal with it without outside support. Once they’ve dealt with the local plot they can move on – abandoning any local resources they may have acquired to deal with a fresh problem elsewhere. If their solution would create later problems… they may well have to deal with those problems even if they take centuries to develop. As an adventure format it’s almost ideal. There was a REASON why Dr. Who went on for so long.
Water is supplied by a Perpetual Fountain I, 250 GP. Up to 1200 gallons per hour, which should be plenty. (The Practical Enchanter)
Double Blinds x2 (Pathfinder Rooms and Teams, 360 GP) camouflage the house’s manifestation, requiring a DC 20 Spot or Perception check to note the presence of the House even when quite nearby and providing total concealment to those who might be outside the doors or looking through windows. (If the TARDIS options are in play, increase the base Spot or Perception DC to 30).
Many of the rooms host one or more of the following:
- Unseen Craftsmen Teams (Three Workers): x.5: These unseen aides only exist to produce a limited set of specialized crafts or services, and can be called on for nothing else (100 GP per incidence, see individual rooms, below).
- Unseen Housekeeping Services (Cooks and Maids): Stray items will be regularly picked up and put away, the place will be cleaned, beds made, dishes washed, and similar chores done. The kitchen will always have a pot of soup on, fresh bread available, and a choice of cheese, preserves, honey, and butter ready to put on it. (Two general sets, 200). This could be assumed from the wealth level, but it’s cheap enough to pay for explicitly to make SURE that the food is good.
- Unseen Crafters (Various): These have Masterwork Tools (like anyone else working in the house) and produce specific items – although they can produce magical items like any others – albeit paying the full cost (functionally identical to making trade goods and buying items normally). Skill +7, Morale +2, Tools+2, Take 10 = 21. 21 x 21 x .1 (convert to GP) x 3 (# of workers) x2/3 (for Materials Cost) x7 (Industry) = 617.4 GP/Week, usually rounded down to 600. Note that, as written, they are using an option from the Condensed Skill list – giving Crafters five “Craft” subskills and Professionals a wide field. If the game is using specific skills their cost will be higher – but there is plenty of room in the Dream-Binding budget to make local adjustments. See individual rooms, below.
- Unseen Aides: These unseen aides only exist to provide “aid another” bonuses to the characters working with particular skills and to keep the workplace place tidy. They do nothing on their own. Since they have a +7 Base with the +2 Morale bonus and a minimum roll of “1” they never fail to provide a +2 Aid Another bonus each. See individual rooms, below.
Note that the technology level really doesn’t matter in d20; masterwork tools or a workshop offers a +2 bonus on working metal, whether it takes the form of a ritual circle, a blacksmith’s shop, a modern machine shop, an automated production line, or a futuristic “nanoforge”. It’s +2 in any case. Given that working in the house usually provides a +2 Morale Bonus and – in most cases – a +6 Assistance Bonus on top of the +2 tools bonus, and lets a weeks work of work be done every day, how the place is described makes little difference.
So you want the rest of the Tardis functions? If it’s appropriate, the House can add them with a little dream-binding. Here you go:
- Chameleon Circuit: Hat of Disguise (Immobile Variant, x.5): 900 GP. What with the Ward Major, the house is (via technicality) a creature – which makes this item sufficient to allow it to disguise itself. Note that the passengers do not control what it disguises itself as. This makes it possible to temporarily lose the door or to enter various adventures without being obvious about it.
- Cloister Bell: Omen Of Peril (SL 1 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.5 Immobile = 1000 GP). The Cloister Bell is technically only 71% accurate, but being able to cast it every round pretty well covers that. Basically, if the House is headed into a disastrous situation the bell will toll, more and more quickly as disaster draws closer. So if the bell starts ringing… you must scramble to find out what is going on and do something about it!
- Communications Array: Akhasic Dream (SL 1 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.5 (Immobile) x.5 (Activates at random, no one has any control over this) = 500 GP. While this occasionally allows the people in the house to talk with random acquaintances, relatives, or enemies, this occurs entirely at random. Equally randomly, it occasionally presents the user with distress calls, offers of weird missions, notifications of various events, and other randomness. It will also occasionally allow you to “watch the news”, but this pays no attention to time or space. The user may or may not choose to act on any of this.
- Emergency Shields: Emergency Force Sphere (SL 4 x CL 12 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated .5 (Immobile) x .2 (Usable twice per week) = 9600 GP. The emergency Shields can hold off some pretty big attacks for a bit, but it will be best to get out of the area before they collapse. Overall, the usual effect is to create dramatic tension – you must do something to escape this situation before the shields fail!
- Or you could just install a Lyre Of Building (13,000 GP x .7 (Only the “prevent damage” function works, the construction function is unavailable) x.5 (Immobile) = 4550 GP. That makes your doors, windows, walls, and all entirely invulnerable for half an hour once a day, Go ahead, upgrade it to 22,750 GP (x5 to upgrade 1/day to “unlimited use”) and just make the House permanently invulnerable. This is a lot less interesting than rapidly-depleting shields though.
- Environmental Sensors: Detect Environment (SL 1 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x ,5 (Immobile) x .8 (Takes a few minutes to read anything subtle) = 800 GP. This will tell those inside if the environment outside is a vacuum, highly radioactive, toxic, etc. This usually doesn’t matter – but the occasional slowly-toxic environment can make finding a solution to a problem more urgent.
- Location Database: Locate Self (SL 1/2 x CL 1 x 1800 GP Unlimited-Use Command-Word Activated x .-5 (Immobile) x.5 (requires several minutes to check) = 225 GP. With just a couple of minutes of fooling about this useful little item will tell you where and when you are. That doesn’t actually help much, but at least you’ll have a name for wherever the Narrative Voyager spell effect has dumped you this time.
- Psychic Defense: Mind Thrust (SL 1 x CL 4 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x .6 (May only be directed at targets inside the house x.5 (Only works against creatures who are actively invading with the intent of attacking current residents as designated by the House) = 2400 GP. This doesn’t usually show up much, but – on rare occasions – the House will decide to try and help out a bit with major threats. Don’t count on it.
- Self-Repair Systems: Greater Make Whole (SL 4 x CL 12 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x .8 (Only affects the House and it’s various systems) x .2 (Once Per Day) x .7 (Can require hours for major damage) x,5 (Immobile) = 5376 GP. The House will gradually repair itself if it is somehow damaged. Note that this is a high enough caster level to repair any of the other house systems. It may take a while if the damage involves a lot of different systems though.
- Translator: This is normally handled by d20’s “Common Tongue”. Admittedly, that’s a bit of a handwave, but the TARDIS version – which amounts to “anyone who has ever been in the TARDIS can speak to anyone and read all languages save for when that is not convenient for the plot” – is rather poorly defined bit of handwaving anyway.
- Viewer: This is normally handled by looking out a window. Honestly, does “you can look outside” really need much of an explanation? If you feel like designating one window as having really tough glass in it (over and above the boost to hardness and hit points the house already supplies) I suppose you could throw in a small cost for a really tough sheet of glass.
- Weapons De-activator: Shatter (SL 2 x CL 5 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.5 (Immobile) x .6 (May only be directed at targets inside the House which can reasonably be described as weapons) = 3000 GP. It may take a few minutes, but the house will bust any unwanted weapons brought within it fairly well – when it wants to. Sometimes it may allow weapons, or forget or a weapon may prove unbreakable.
- That’s 23,801 GP – well within the Wards 44,100 GP Dream-Binding allowance. Specialized facilities – a laboratory for use with particular skills with a set of Unseen Aides to provide a +6 bonus on top of the House’s benefits is a bit less than 300 GP. You will still have about 20,000 GP left in the budget (and plenty of unassigned floorspace) for additional facilities, which can change regularly.
For some more blatantly magical possibilities, consider:
Mirror Of Visions: Scry (SL 2 (after -1 level for requiring several mintes to activate) x CL 3 x 1800 GP Unlimited-Use Command-Word Activated x.2 (one use per day) x .5 (Immobile) x .8 (occasionally activates on its own, showing what some higher power thinks the owners should be aware of) x.5 (user must sacrifice three spell levels to the mirror to activate it voluntarily) = 432 GP.
A Mirror of Visions is basically another plot device, allowing the game master to throw in random foreshadowing, glimpses of why various missions are so important, and let the characters briefly check up on family, friends, and allies once in a while, letting them know when they are needed at home.
The next two items employ the Applied Spellcraft rules (The Practical Enchanter) to make them cheaper – in both cases because, while they’re very thematic and impressive, they’re also both mostly just laboratory dressing.
An Atheric Spire is a massive chunk of crystal, inlaid with mystical symbols laid out in golden wire and filled with glittering stars of raw mana entangled in a constantly shifting aurora borealis of mystical power. They are relatively common features in magical laboratories and temples, for it is their power to reach out into the cosmos to tap into various sources of magical power, filling themselves with a pool of energy that their owner can tap for various effects. Unfortunately, whichever power is available and appropriate to invoke – which changes with the seasons, stars, and shifting relationships between the planes – will be owed a minor favor for channeling a bit of power into the Spire for the owner to use. Once so activated, a Spire will contain a pool of twelve spell levels, similar to a Rod of Absorption, which the owner can tap into to power his or her own spellcasting – although the spire cannot power spells of above level six.
- Atheric Spire: This crystal pillar is inscribed and inlaid in gold with a +3 Power Amplification Circle for Channel The Gift (Applied Spellcraft DC 25, +10 for reduced size, -5 for only affecting the built-in spell= DC 30, +250 GP). Channel The Gift (L6 Base, -1 for Karmic Debts, -3 for Power Amplification = L2 x CL3 x 1800 GP Unlimited-Use Command Word Activated x .5 (Immobile) x .8 (User must make a DC 15 Arcana, Religion, or Planes check to think of an appropriate power to call on for any given project – and, thanks to the Karmic Debts modifier will owe that power some minor favor) x.6 (Two subdividable charges) = 2592 + 250 = 2842 GP.
- The Atheric Spire is quite powerful in theory – and rather useless in practice unless someone is invading your base. After all, owing even small favors can be a pain – and it being immobile makes it pretty much a downtime item for player characters. How often are you worried about running short of spells during downtime? Besides, the enchanter needs to be able to handle that DC 30 Spellcraft check.
Quintessenal Athanor: This alchemical furnace is full of vents, tubes, injectors for adding weird materials to the flames, slots which hold an assortment of crucibles, distillation coils, bubbling beakers, and stranger apparatus. The Athanor is capable of applying effects of up to level six to ease or enhance alchemical procedures – allowing simpler items to be completed in mere minutes and allowing the user to create effects of Low, Middle, and High Alchemy. Unfortunately, it must be fueled with rare alchemical reagents including a portion of the user’s life energy and cannot be used very often.
- +2 Power Amplification Circle (The Practical Enchanter) for Alchemy-Enabling effects, Applied Spellcraft DC 30, +10 for reduced size, -5 for only affecting the built-in spell = DC 35, 250 GP worth of materials). Greater Invocation of Alchemy L7 Base, -2 levels for amplification circle, -1 spell level for Ambient Magic Limitation (Requires considerable puttering around to work), -1 spell level for requiring rare alchemical ingredients to work (typically 7d6 GP worth per procedure), -1 spell level for each procedure causing 3d6 damage to the user, SL 2 x CL 3 x 1800 GP Unlimited Use Command Word Activated x,5 Immobile x.9 User must have Craft/Alchemy or similar x,6 Seven Uses/Week = 3166 GP.
- Alchemy… can be fun, but even at it’s strongest it’s slow, complicated, time-consuming, and of limited effectiveness compared to upper-level magic. In effect, this is simply a rather clunky, slow, and overly complicated way to get access to a heavily limited version of the “Greater Alchemy” occult skill. It might be worth it for someone who wants to dabble though. Plus, of course, you need the enchanter to be able to handle that DC 35 Spellcraft check.
The Ground Floor:
Most of the Ground Floor rooms have solid iron-bound wooden doors with internal bars and/or iron-reinforced windows to the outside with their own internal bars. Thanks to Wealth these are all Hardness 15, HP 50 (75 for the Doors), Break DC 32, 38 when Barred (1200 GP). Still, someone could always just break in through the walls.
Entryway: The door from the outside opens into a modest hexagonal entryway, with a set of stairs spiraling up and down in the center. The walls are of polished chestnut wood, as are the stairs. While there is a rack of pegs and a spot for wet cloaks and boots and such, most of the walls are decorated with paintings – many of them very strange indeed, showing scenes of ancient times, fey forests, gods and legendary beasts, flying cities, mighty cataclysms, and alien worlds. None can be removed, although they occasionally change when no one is looking. (Hallway, No Cost).
- The heavy door and rack provide Partial Cover for anyone defending the entryway. There are Lamps (10 GP) and Good Locks for the outside doors (80 GP).
- The Cleansing Table between the door to the private rooms and the door to the workshop cleans, dries, presses (if necessary), folds (if desired), and performs minor repairs on one modest laundry basket worth of goods – whether cloth, leather, fur, or even jewelry or metal (removing tarnish and similar) when the stuff is left sitting on it for one minute or longer. (Cleansing Ring, 62.5 GP)
Left Hall: A short corridor, with five modest private rooms opening off it – two on each side and one on the end. While they are paneled with a variety of woods, each is a little over twelve feet square and contains a couple of comfortable fold-down beds with storage underneath, a small fold-down table/desk and some chairs, a few shelves, and some cabinets and pegs. They’re kind of tight for two, but quite comfortable for one (Lodging, 215 GP). The rooms provide a comfortable, quiet, spot to sleep and store your belongings, but have no other special functions to start with. If someone wants their gear cleaned, polished, and given general maintenance, the Cleansing Table in the Entryway will handle it.
Left-Forward: Magical Workshop. This sizable rectangular room is paneled in dark wood with a twisted grain that seems to draw the eye into it’s depths. The floor is of some utterly black substance which muffles footfalls and gives the impression that the various occult seals and sigils set into it are floating above a bottomless void. Oddly, dust, wood shavings, and other bits of small trash do indeed seem to fall through it into nothingness. The walls are lined with cabinets and workbenches, with tools and apparatus – a small lathe, the fine hammers, scribing tools, furnace, and molds of a jeweler, watchmakers tools, a still and set of kegs for brewing, and even a few loose bolts of cloth – occupying various surfaces in competition with half-completed projects (Artisans Workshop, 180 GP).
- The domed area displays charts and diagrams full of occult symbols, shelves of esoteric books, and short pillars bearing peculiar instruments of crystal and clockwork (Observation Dome, dimensional variant, for peering into the multiverse and performing rituals, 220 GP)
- Power Amplification Circle (Applied Spellcraft, The Practical Enchanter): Reduces effective level of spells for casting purposes by two within the lab (Applied Spellcraft, DC 35, Pigment and Binder Materials (100 GP). (Paint to Inlay minor ritual):
- Spiraling winds mixed streams of powder – lapis lazuli, gold, verdigrised copper, and the black of iron oxide, with molten beeswax, binding it into the ancient encaustic formula, the art of elder days, in the heat and pressure of the magic. Across the floor the runes formed, laid out by a vortex of pigment, blue, green, gold and black, shimmering with a subtle hint of protective oil. The process required time undefined, countless intricate details, laid out one after another with great care in the time which is not, between the instants of the common time which is. The intricate diagram flared with flames of red and black, merging with the void of the laboratory floor, becoming a permanent part of it – and filling the room with a shimmering mist of unfocused power.
- A ticking crystal mechanism of whirling gears, knobs, levers, switches, and cycling pistons that emits an odd blue glow is the focus for the Narrative Voyager spell, 100 GP. Narrative Engine SL2 (in the lab) x CL3 x1800 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x.2 (twice per week) x.5 (Immobile) x.8 Arcana 20+ for anyone but the Ward to activate = 864 GP).
- It is both lit and dominated by the drifting orbs and strands of shimmering light which fill the dome – an occult Grand Orrery (Fixed, 500 GP) reflecting the status of the planes and worlds nearest to the current world-anchor.
- A minor ritual (Tapping The Lifestream: Healing Belt x4, User’s must go into the “observation dome” and spend at least five minutes messing around with minor rituals per charge used (x.4), No +2 bonus to Heal (x.8) = 960 GP) allows a certain amount of rapid healing if someone is injured.
- The Falling Star Forge:
- The drifting spheres of the Orrery Of The Planes that occupies the dome of the laboratory are, through contagion, an aspect of what they portray. They wrap themselves in inter-dimensional currents and celestial forces that govern the relationships between the planes, a multidimensional panorama extending to the Far Realms – the eye-twisting nothing at the edge of the multiverse. From the hearts of dissolving realms descend stars of crystallized magic – the primordial sparks known to the Wise as Ioun Stones.
- The Falling Star Forge brings tiny sparks of cosmic power into the world, manifesting them as the original, primal, versions of Ioun Stones. These may be set into a necklace, set whirling about the user, or installed in a Wayfinder as usual. Sadly, at the moment, the Forge is of very limited power – manifesting only some 1200 GP worth of Stones per week, meaning that truly powerful stones might require many years to form. Two Crafting Teams (Ioun Stones and Accessories – Wayfinders mostly, 200 GP).
- +6 to Craft: Brewing, Charms and Talismans, Jewelry, Tailor, and Wands/Rods/Staves (100 GP).
- +6 to Occult Skill/Gadgetry and it’s variants (100 GP).
- +6 to Profession: Celestiologist, Demonologist, Elementalist, Healer, and Ritualist (100 GP).
- +6 to Spellcraft (100 GP).
- +6 to Knowledge: Arcana, Geography, Nature, and Planes (100 GP).
Straight Ahead: The Master Bedroom is primarily a comfortable bedroom / study, with a large bed, a wardrobe (sadly, absent any connection to Narnia), chairs, a small table, a few shelves and cabinets, a desk, a couple of chests, a rug, and a crackling (if smokeless) fireplace (Fireblock 180 GP). While there is a large mirror by the wardrobe, most of the room is focused on comfort (Bedroom, 150 GP, Office 60 GP). A set of secondary chambers opening off the room provides private rooms for servants and concubines if the current master employs any (Lodging, 215 GP).
- +6 Assistance Bonus to Profession/Playboy and any related activities (100 GP).
- It is commonly assumed that this room suffices to demonstrate that the original designer was a adolescent or teenage humanoid male.
Forward Right: A spacious Kitchen and Pantry, complete with a perpetual smokeless fire to heat the stove and water, pots, utensils, silverware, a dining table, chairs, etcetera, handy for teenage midnight snacking. With a flagstone floor and basic timbered walls heavily hung with pots, pans, and other implements, the area is most blatantly a “country kitchen”. If you want fresh flour, you’ll have to spend a few minutes turning the handle on the hand-quern – but thanks to the “Industry” modifier, this isn’t at all laborious (Kitchen 80 GP, Storage 60 GP, Fireblock 180 GP).
- +6 Circumstance Bonus to Profession (or Craft)/Cook (from Housekeeping Services, already paid).
- Food and drink stored in the pantry will never spoil.
- There is always a pot of soup on, fresh bread available, and a choice of cheese, preserves, honey, and butter ready to put on it.
- Stored Items: Bread, Cheese, Flour, Dried Beans, Dry Noodles, Hardtack, Honey, Syrup, Herbal Teas, Nuts, Carrots and Onions, Cured Meat, Salt, local Spices, dried fruit, and Herbs (A.K.A. Forty days worth of “Good Meals” for eight), a dozen bottles of good wine, two casks of Mead, two casks of Beer, a cask of Applejack, a cask of Whiskey, and a Water Keg. This all exists simply because the House is a completist: if this actually gets used… the house has the Supply Cabinets, an onboard brewery, and more. Food is not really a problem (200 GP).
Right: Stables. This modest stable is suitable for up to six horses or what-have-you with it’s own (large) door to the outside when it’s manifested. Brushes, blankets, tack and veterinary gear are stored on a side rack, while the loft space stores hay and grain. Stored Items: 40 days worth of fodder, suitable for horses, mules, pegasi, and similar animals (If you’re keeping gryphons or nightmares or something you will need to feed them yourself) (3 x Stall, 375 GP).
- +6 Circumstance Bonus to Handle Animal and Heal (Animals) (100 GP).
- Any reasonably normal creatures kept here will be well tended without requiring attention from the residents.
The Stables also currently include the Vehicle Bay, which, after all, uses the same oversized outside door.
Vehicle Bay: The whirling cogs of self-winding clockwork engines, steel and bronze, steam and oil, drive automatic lathes, drills, grinding wheels, and the whirling metal brushes that polish cold-forged parts to a blinding gleam. The hammer-forge and molds shape small parts with delicate precision, while delicate watchmakers tools are ready to hand and tiny bearings and cogs of gemstone, brass, invar, and adamant wait to be fitted to their purpose. Here is everything a Mechanic – or a Clockwork Engineer – might seek, as well as the space to work on three major projects at once – or for three engineers to work, either together or on their own projects.
- Clockwork Shop (180 GP), Masterwork Tools for Mechanics / Engineering / Clockwork Engineering (+2). Unseen Engineering / Mechanics / Clockwork Engineering Assistants (100 GP, +6 via Aid Another).
- Skill Mastery (Engineering, Clockwork Engineering and Similar) +2 Competence Bonus to that group (SL 1/2 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x .5 Stationary x .5 Utilitarian Village Magic x .9 Requires 5+ Skill Ranks to take advantage of x .8 requires several hours of tinkering to take advantage of: 180 GP).
- Working in the Vehicle Bay grants a +10 bonus to Engineering, Mechanic, Clockwork Engineering, and similar skills, but generally requires that the points be invested in a single large gadget – such as a Mecha, Steam Car, Mole Drill, or similar creation.
The Lower Floor:
The spiral stairs continue down – but the landing on the next floor down opens onto a similar similar hexagonal room, once again of deep red-brown chestnut wood decorated with various paintings and statuettes, although none of the six doors opens to the outside and there are no windows. Nevertheless, a gentle current of air flows through, carrying away smoke and odors.
Landing: Supply Cabinets. These are capable of providing up to 750 GP worth of supplies per week – although they can only provide items that could be purchased in a small town, actual magic items cost double, and actual cash “costs” triple. (An immobile version of the Bejeweled Noble’s Supply Pouch, 4112 GP. Normally this is set up for 500 GP for supplies and 250 GP to expand the House).
Forward (directly across from the landing) is the Workshop and Forge, with it’s furnace, smelter, bellows, hammers, vises, saws, quenching tubs, scrapers, chisels, lathes, sanding blocks, draw knives, and other tools and apparatus for working metal, leather, and wood. The walls are padded in places with scorched leather, muffling the noise that would otherwise echo deafeningly, the ceiling is braced with massive beams, and the walls are hung with pegs and tools. The scents of hot metal, smoke, and scorched wood mingle here, where most of the light comes from the flames of the forge. While the place somehow manages to remain tidied up, there is no power in the worlds which can keep a smithy from accumulating scorch marks, sooty patches, and oil stains here and there. Those wishing to add runes, engraving, or ornamentation to their finished work are, however, better off working upstairs or in the alchemical laboratory. A Cleansing Candle burns beside the furnace and smelter, dealing with the inevitable smoke and sparks (Forge, 185 GP, Cleansing Candle 50 GP).
- +6 Assistance to Craft: Metals, Weapons, Armor, Leather, and Wood (100 GP).
Forward Right: Baths and Lavatories. Several steps lead down to a stone floor, slanted slightly to the side to lead any excess water to the drain. Here another perpetual smokeless fire provides light for the room, steam for the sauna, and hot water for the hot tub, baths, and showers. Another Cleansing Table ensures that there are always plenty of fresh towels and clean clothing. The soap, however, is a bit unreliable; it tends to be whatever the alchemy lab has made in the past few weeks – and so there are tubs and jars of soft soap, herbal washes, cleansing oils, variously-scented bars, and even a supply of crude lye soap for those who wish to show how tough they are. It is, however, wise to check the labels on the shampoo before using any of it, or you may wind up with hair down to your waist, a sudden green Afro, or appearing as if your head was on fire for the next few days (Bath, 65 GP, Cleansing Ring 62.5 GP, Fireblock 180 GP). The lavatory section (60 GP) is very nicely appointed and very comfortable (60 GP), lit by Cleansing Candles (x4, 200 GP) and the waste (including what is dropped down from the Kitchen) is handled by instant composting (Composting Chute, 250 GP), so there is neither odor nor mess. Other than that… there isn’t much to say about bathrooms.
- Spending some time in the Sauna counts as receiving the services of a skill-8 Healer (Sweat Stone).
- The area provides a +4 bonus on saves against disease and for recovering from negative levels. This is usually superseded by the Ward’s healing function.
- If you mess with the shampoo without checking, I suppose you might get a bonus to Disguise if you want to conceal your identity.
Rear Right: The Wreck Rooms: This small complex includes a Bar (125 GP), Brewery (190 GP), Game Room (150 GP), Dojo (160 GP), and another Fireblock for the brewery and good cheer (180 GP). Overall, its look is quite traditional – wooden beams, battered tables, a trunk full of practice weapons, barrels, bottles, and stills, stools, tables, and various games, and snacks to go with the drinks. At some point someone added some minor Runic Inscriptions (basically powering Video Games, 200 GP) to the entertainments.
- Counts as a Training Facility in general.
- Retraining. Thanks to the Ward bonuses, this can be done at a rate of 2 CP per day. Spells and Powers known can be retrained as well, as can hit points (up to the maximum you would qualify for normally at +1/Day), skill point allocations, and attribute gains.
Rear: The Alchemy Lab, with it’s potentially flammable and toxic contents, is placed opposite the Forge to reduce any chance of flying sparks. Here are alembics and athanors, beakers and glassware, a small glass furnace, miniature stills, packets of odd herbs, bottles of chemicals, anatomical models and charts, syringes and droppers, mirrors, smokes, fireworks, and colored liquids in bottles. Why there is a miniature stuffed alligator hanging from the ceiling no one knows, but somehow the way it grins dissuades folk from removing it. Oddly for a medieval lab, the fume hood functions properly (195 GP).
- +6 Assistance to Craft Alchemy and Constructs, Craft or Profession/Herbalism, Profession/Healer, and Perform/Illusionist, (100 GP).
- Alchemical Crafting Team (100 GP): The alchemy lab generally produces about 600 GP worth of alchemical stuff each week – ranging from household chemicals, soap, and herbal extracts on through fireworks and the more esoteric stuff. This tends to be a bit random however, so what is available is entirely up to the game master.
Rear Left: The Conservatory Of The Trees. Hewn from the living rock, this sizable chamber slopes gently up towards the far end, where rippling curtains of tree roots support many instruments and the finer roots are musical strings themselves, humming faintly with delicate harmonies in the gentle movement of the air. When someone plays or sings within that stage-like grotto, those gentle breezes rise, drawing orchestral harmonies from the roots and the many instruments to accompany the musician (Auditorium, 455 GP). Back towards the entrance, stony shelves, cabinets, and work surfaces contain supplies, tomes of music and plays, props and costumes, with the gentle music of the roots, stirred by the winds in the trees of the forest far above, to stoke creativity. The music can flow upon the winds in the other way as well, resonating through the trees to be heard up to a mile away from wherever the House is currently located (Bell Tower, 225 GP).
- Inspirational Qualities: +2 Circumstance Bonus to all Perform skills.
- Background Orchestration: +6 Assistance Bonus to Perform (Music and Theater) and to Craft (Music and Theater) (100 GP). This will allow a musically-based mystic artist to access effects that would not normally be available as of yet.
- The Theater Globe: Synergestic Presentation, Ambient Magic limitation (SL 1/4 x CL 1 x 1800 GP Unlimited-Use Command Word-Activated x .5 (Immobile) = 225 GP. Also available as a Talisman.
- Synergestic Presentation: Divination, L0, Components V, S, MF (Source Material), Casting Time: One Full Round, Range: Touch, Target: Book, Scroll, Codex, CD/DVD, etc to be converted, Duration: Special, Saving Throw: None, Spell Resistance: Yes.
- Synergestic Presentation is loosely related to Scholar’s Touch, but instead of allowing one to instantly read a book, it simply produces a version of the material contained by the source in an audiovisual format, usually somewhat cutting down the time required to go through it. A lengthy volume covering the fauna and flora of a distant island might produce a lecture-with-visual-aides presented by an image of the author or a “national geographic special”, a copy of Romeo and Juliet with stage directions might be seen as a play, a travelers journal as a documentary, and an adventure novel as an exciting movie. Using it on a book like the Necronomicon is NOT recommended. The effect will continue until the presentation is complete or in four hour segments of the caster’s choice for truly lengthy works. Unfortunately, the spell does not automatically translate anything; if a book is in a language you do not speak, the presentation will be in that same language. The only “real” game effect is that it lets several people examine the material at the same time.
- OK, yes, this is a Movie Theater enchantment. Why not? It’s cheap enough. If you want it even cheaper (135 GP) limit it to three times per day (x.6) and limit your movie marathons. Or just use the Talisman version.
Forward Left: Dragonheart Caverns (Can be used as a temple of Bahamut, Tiamat, Night, Dragon Pantheon, Primordials): The breath of winter flows through the cracks and crevices of the rocks, settling deep within the earth. There, insulated from the sun by massive layers of earth and stone, frost grows into layers of iron-hard ice, while trickles of water fill dark pools and fill deep streams, plunging yet further into the depths of the world. Elsewhere the welling magic of the world’s incandescent core bubbles up in pools of molten stone. Between ice and fire heated vapors become coiling mists, seething with magic as in the youth of the world. Here, where the mana of the deeps brushes against the surface of the world, is a dragon’s lair – a place of rugged chambers, rough-hewn stone, and secured fastnesses. The ragged, near-vertical cavern offering access to the outside world is slick with dripping water, secure only for a creature large enough to brace itself against opposing walls (Habitat for Dragons, 395 GP, Altar 105 GP, Sanctum 190 GP)
In the farthest depths, where that water falls into the magically-charged fiery pools where elemental mana wells up from the heart of the world and meets the eldritch planar magic of the house the impossible is brought into reality as droplets fall and chime like tiny hammers, forging the deep magic of the worlds into arcane crystals – Obols of Elemental Magic. In Winter, the translucent bluish-white of Water and Ice, in Spring the glittering, near-invisible crystals of Air, in Summer, the rubies and sunstones of Fire, and in the Autumn the brown and gold of the leaves and the great harvest of the Earth. Twenty-four such fantastical gems appear each week, glittering richly in the depths of the black tarn – there to slowly accumulate over the years to form a horde to delight any dragon’s heart. Crafting Team (Elemental Obols, 100 GP).
- Why is there a Habitat for dragons on board? Why because there CAN be a habitat for dragons on board. If you ever have one in the party, or someone has a dragon mount or something… here you go.
- As for the Obols… well, it’s long been true that potions simply aren’t worth buying. Compared to cheap wands, and the Use Magic Item skill, and permanent uses/day items, they’re just too expensive and limited for what you get. Ergo, Obols – fairly cheap, entirely fungible, and versatile. Sure, it still hurts to use up a non-renewable resource,but they’re versatile enough to see some actual use.
The Deeps:
Magic flows from the hearts of worlds. There, where fire, water, earth, air, life, and death blend under pressures unimaginable. there is naught to use the power that flows from creations heart. Each mote contributes it’s speck of power to a mighty fountain that rises eternally, flowing towards the deeps between the stars. At last, as that wild magic flows outwards to where pressure fades, it finds expression. The deep caverns are opened and sustained by that endless current, pouring through roots and streams and veins of stone, focused by geology and happenstance, enchanting the waters and the very air of the depths. From that unshaped power springs the veins of gems and adamant, the strange gases, the mithril and earthsblood, the magical springs and streams, and the ever-growing fungi that are the wealth of the depths. That same wild magic renders access perilous, distorting spells that pass through it, blocking far-scrying, teleportation, and other methods of easy access.
Here, embedded in the bedrock and the roots of the world, are placed the sacred places. The chestnut spiral stairs open up into a dark space, dimly lit by flickering starlike motes of drifting light, the air moving back and forth as if driven by the breath of the gods. Currents of magic – the lifeblood of the worlds – pulse through the air and stone, driven by the world’s heart and easily felt by any magic-wielder, While there are doors, they are set in stone archways, opening into spaces carved from the living rock. The length of the stairs is somewhat inconsistent, and – no matter which shrine you come seeking – it’s entry is always directly ahead when you step onto the floor of the cavern.
- Each shrine counts as a permanent fixture dedicated to the relevant power for the purpose of consecrate and similar spells and provides a +6 circumstance bonus on appropriate religious rituals, including prayer and meditation. (Six times Altar 105 GP, Sanctum 190 GP, and Common Room 150 GP = 2670 GP).
The Spirit Caverns (Shamanism, Tribal Pantheons, Totemic Magic): An archway curtained in the hides of great beasts leads to an earth-lodge – a cavern which lies upon the threshold of the spirit world, touched by the deepest roots of the elder forest, yet nestled amongst the deep currents of the wild magic even as the primal forest begins to give it form and it’s final threads are gathered into magic’s weave. The fires flickering light and drifting smoke upon the whispering currents of the air makes the timeless images of beasts and spirits of the elder world move upon the walls. Here are gathered the the sacred hangings and the hidden secrets encoded in Khipu. Implements of the shamans trade – drums that echo the deep thunders of riven rock and air, a shimmering pool that reflects the stars rather than the stony roof, incense to cast upon the fire that it’s smoke may give form to the formless, wind-flutes, bottles of rare oils, bundles of herbs, fur and bone, and pouches of colored sand to lay out the ever-changing medicine wheels – the gates of spirits – upon the floor. Close your eyes, let the currents of magic carry you into a trance, and open your eyes to the Spirit World. Who knows what insights and mighty quests may come from the voices of the spirits?
- The echoing drums and chimes of the cavern now subtly amplify the magic of the wild lands, enhancing the arts of the shaman and the strength of the totems and primitive gods. All such magic and/or powers have their effective levels reduced by two for casting purposes within the cavern (Power Amplification Circle, 100 GP).
- The Astral Seine: Across the astral plane, the wind blows, carrying dreams, the energies of the outer planes, and fragments of list worlds. Here the last breaths of fallen gods drive astral storms. From that endless flow of wonder the Astral Seine gathers the energies of magic, grounding them into the physical world – manifesting the tools of the shaman’s art. From the Seine flows strange herbs, incense, rare oils, and small works of art, offerings suitable for spirits (with a value of 100 GP per week) – and the occasional beaded feather, dancing within the cosmic flow until they gather together into Dream Catchers (one per week). (Crafting Team, 100 GP).
- Dream Catcher: (A fragmented version of the Supply Pouch) From this small medicine wheel dangle many feathers from various birds, each ornamented with tiny beads and leather ties. When one such token is plucked from the wheel and breathed upon, it will dissolve into a sparkling mist – and the will of the user will be made manifest. Each year the wheel will supply enough feathers to call forth 180 GP worth of goods and services which could be obtained in a small town, including spellcasting services of up to level three. Calling forth actual magical or psionic devices costs double their base price while cash costs three times it’s “base price” and generally comes in the form of trade goods rather than coins. Oddly enough, Dream Catchers can be combined, their vivid and intricate symbols growing more elaborate and evocative with each addition. The value stacks until certain thresholds are reached; four will provide 750 GP value / year, eight will provide 750 GP value / month, sixteen will provide 750 GP value / week, and thirty-two will provide 750 GP value per day. For some prices:
- Door and suitable framing, with bar, installed to fit 10 x 10 area: Wooden (Hardness 5, 10 HP) 10 GP, Reinforced Wooden (Hardness 5, 20 HP) 40 GP, Iron (Hardness 10, 60 HP) 500 GP.
- 10 x 10 Wall: Masonry (2′ thick, hardness 8, 180 HP, Break DC 25) 250 GP, Packed Earth (3′ Thick, Hardness 2, 30 HP, Break DC 19) 10 GP, Wood (1′ Thick, Hardness 5, 120 HP, Break DC 26) 100 GP.
- Dig out 10 x 10 x 10 cube of: Earth 5 GP, Clay/Rocky Soil 15 GP, Stone 50 GP. Yes, you can put holes under creatures, but it’s only a DC 16 Reflex save to avoid falling in. Just as bad, going more than fifty or sixty feet down in earth tends to lead to the walls collapsing before anything can fall that far, leaving any possible victims landing on a pile of soft earth about sixty feet down for 3d6 damage.
- Build a Well (5 x 5, 100 feet deep) 200 GP. It comes with rope, winch, and bucket. While fitted stones hold the well open, trying to open one under someone allows them a DC 11 reflex save to jump away in time – which is unlikely to catch anything of the least importance.
- Build a Trail 1 GP/100 Feet. This means clearing out the trees and brush, and enough leveling to let a small wagon get dragged through.
- Build a Road: 1 GP/30 feet, x5 for difficult terrain. x2 for Gravel, x3 for Cobbles, x5 for a solid base and mortared stones.
- Build a Bridge: 5′ x 5′ section: Rope-and-Board 2 GP, Wood 10 GP, Stone 25 GP, Iron 150 GP.
- You can also buy “Spellcasting Services” – pulling ouy a variety of minor spells to help out. Unfortunately, they are cast at the caster level you pay for up to a maximum of caster level thirteen.
- Level Zero: 5 GP x Caster Level
- Level One: 10 GP x Caster Level
- Level Two: 20 GP x Caster Level
- Level Three: 30 GP x Caster Level
The Sanctum Of The Art (Magic, Law, Planes): The two sides of the arch and the thick double doors of the entryway are carved with the black and white trees, the twin poles of the balance of magic. From them, descend nine steps into the circular chamber of the Art – one for each school of magic, each wrought in the corresponding color of the school, showing the full rainbow of magic with the final step – the universal school – in marble-white. The lower walls are lined with bookshelves and display cases, some full, others still awaiting being filled with tomes of magic and ancient lore. The floor displays the seven great seals of magic inlaid in eldritch metals – the Thaumaturgic Triangle for operations of Mind, Body, and Spirit, the Magical Square for Material, Shadow, Astral, and Ethereal, The Pentagram for the five polar forces of the Outer Planes, the Hexagram for the six Elemental Forces, the Spiral Heptagram for the Far Realms, where worlds touch upon what Is Not within the angles of time, and the Octagram of the Cosmic Sea for what lies outside the myriad worlds (although working any significant magic drawing upon THAT lies beyond the reach of any mortal) and the great binding circle which is both the beginning and end of magic. Above hang seven crystal lamps, as of seven stars, their myriad colors casting an endless weave of magical luminescence across the walls. Above the shelves, the walls are decorated with the entwining runes, glyphs, and symbols of magic, flowing into each other in a mortal representation of magic’s endless weave. The ceiling, of course, seems to be a spiraling crimson mist. Among the cabinets, directly across from the stairs, stands a simple altar of polished wood, on which items can be consecrated. Above it… hangs a mask, representing an androgynous face. Sometimes it seems to change from the face of a living being to a deathmask. Perhaps that represents some omen, a response to the prayers offered here – and perhaps not. None can as yet be sure.
- Loom Of Magic: Four times per year, on each Solstice and Equinox, several items will appear upon the altar within the sanctum; one Timelord’s Scarf (as per a Robe of Useful Items, albeit with a 1-3 bonus packets of jelly babies, 7000 GP) – a reminder not to rely entirely on the casting of spells – and a set of scrolls containing three level zero, two level one, and one level two randomly chosen spells (237.5 GP) (Crafting Team, 100 GP).
- It is said that – if any mage can obtain a Tome of Ancient Lore (Magic Item Compendium dedicated to whatever god of magic happens to exist in the setting) and slot a fifth level Pearl Of Power into the cover to provide the required daily spell slot donation, he or she will be blessed by the local god of magic if they donate the tome to the shrine. Even lacking such an amazing boon, the shrines of older Houses often contain a variety of spellbooks, mystical tomes, and donated volumes from which magi can study.
The Waters Of Memory (Psychics, Druids, Nature, Rogues, and the Froglord): The irregular tunnel descends and opens up into a sizable cavern where a narrow strip of “beach” borders a great underground pool. Here, veins of crystal refract and amplify the rays of sunlight they channel down from the surface far above, spreading a maze of variously-directed shafts of light across the surface of the waters, the moss-covered cavern walls, and the pillars of stone which help support the roof. Unhindered by heat, cold, and drought, the lichens hang like curtains and the water-plants are strewn across the surface, their perpetual blooms rendering the air thick with scent. Insulated from the greater world by vast thicknesses of stone, the sounds here are entirely those of a hidden pond – the splashing of rivulets and droplets falling into the greater waters, the croaking of frogs, the splashing of fish, the drone of dragonflies chasing midges and mayflies, and the chirping of crickets. A few fat ducks feed among the cat-tails at the edges, and a tiny flock of hummingbirds, dart about as aerial jewels, sipping the nectar from the water-blossoms. Deeper in, behind the glacially-slow flowing lichens and outcroppings of rock lie many a private watery grotto or pocket of rich soil, accessible only by small boats, and perfect to relax, meditate, or grow exotic plants in. A small dock extends a short distance into the still waters, supporting a few oars and personal coracles hung up next to the pot of oil used to keep them in good condition. An annex here across an ornamental bridge holds a druidical shrine, where a small waterfall cascades musically across mossy rocks and a curtain of rivulets conceals the Froglords niche overlooking the limpid pool of water-lilies, cattails, and darting fish that serves as the shrines threshold, his miniature kingdom and shrine to the all-powerful Froglord (The Froglord, a fairly normal frog, is basically a druidical mascot – although someone apparently believed him to be a disguised god). Beside the pool, a small altar ornamented with jade-green frogs stands, thriftily conserving space by also serving as a chest for pool-maintenance supplies and frog food, just in case the Froglord is bored with the bounty of his personal pond (Greenhouse x 4, x.5 for being mostly water-filled and so less productive, 300 GP). For those interested, some 50 GP worth of herbs, teas, and spices can be harvested from the area each week and once per season an extra frog will appear upon the altar – an Amulet of the Frog (Crafting Team, 100 GP).
Amulet of the Frog (Strong Transmutation): 6500 GP, Throat Slot, Caster Level 19’th, Aura (DC 24) of Strong Transmutation. Standard (Command) activation or self-activated by Intelligence. Weight: –
This mottled greenish-yellow amber frog pendant appears to have recently swallowed a large beetle, and looks rather smug about it. It exists to aid the skillful in performing similarly impressive feats that are merely supplemented by magic rather than relying on it entirely. As long as it’s user attempts daring feats making good use of skills and mundane equipment the inhuman (and slightly dim) intelligence of the amulet will activate it’s various powers to aid him or her in such pursuits. If the user does not, the amulet will subtly urge said user to do so.
Base: An Amber Amulet Of Vermin (Giant Stag Beetle) (Magic Item Compendium), CL 19, 1200 GP):
Intelligent (+500 GP): Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10, Alignment; Uncaring, Empathy, 30′ Senses, Ego 5, can cast each of the following spells 3/Day Each:
- Improvisation: User gains 38 luck points. Up to nine points can be added to an Attack, Skill, or Ability check as desired. Unused points vanish after 19 rounds (1200 GP).
- Skill Trick: This variant on Skill Mastery (The Practical Enchanter) grants a +2 Competence Bonus to any one skill for ten minutes per caster level in the form of a Skill Trick for that skill that the target is otherwise qualified for. (1200 GP)
- Greater Slight: (L1 Conjuration) Conjure an item worth up to 2 GP + 2 GP per caster level (in this case 40 GP). Such items last for up to one hour unless dismissed, but are obviously conjurations and unsalable (1200 GP).
- Resurgence: Target may reroll a saving throw that they just failed (1200 GP)
While unusual in that this item is automatically intelligent, it is a rather focused intelligence, and cares little about anything save for it’s bearers daring deeds.
The Lunar Shrine (The Moon, Woman’s Magic, Shapeshifters, Dreams): The archway is filled with massive twin chestnut doors, carved with images of the Maiden, Mother, and Crone, the three aspects of the ever-changing Moon. The stairs beyond rise up, curving slightly and cloaked in darkness, concealing the inward mysteries of the shrine. At the entryway a curtain of glittering beads, of labradorite and iolite, form a glittering veil for the shrine proper, delicately chiming to announce visitors to the Lunar Sanctum. To the right, a smaller arch hidden by shadows conceals a modest bunkroom (200 GP), where children, supplicants, and shrine attendants can rest.
Within the stony walls of the cavern are carved a myriad images of women and maids of many races, of beasts and birds, and of transformations between those forms. As the shadows play the images seem to shift and change, an illusion of life aided by the mighty roots of the great trees far above. Here those roots have responded to the light by putting forth leaves and branches in profusion, drawing across the walls a rustling living cloak of silver-edged leaves, blossoms, and fruit of walnut and almond, oak, ash, and thorn. Around the edges of the ceiling hang seven baskets of lunar glowvine, it’s trumpet-like blossoms contributing a soft silvery radiance to the illumination. The obsidian floor bears a circle of images wrought of silver and copper, portraying the moons monthly progression – new, waxing, full, and waning, progressing leftwards towards the opaline altar at the far end, the station of the full moon in its splendor. Above the constellations of the lunar zodiac are picked out in moonstone, glinting against the blackness of the domed roof.
Lunar Magic cast within the circle of the moon is reduced by -2 spell levels for casting purposes only (Power Enhancement Circle, 100 GP).
In the center of the ceiling is set a lattice of moonstone, both a map of the hidden face of the moon and a lens through which the light of the moon – and only the moon – shines, focused upon the altar – an Opaline disk cradled in the branches of a stylized tree of silver, the axis mundi. There the moonlight gathers, and slowly liquefies, forming drops of lunar essence that drip slowly from the altar into the crater-pit which occupies the center of the floor, the Lunar Forge, In those secret depths the glimmering essence of the moon is gradually solidified, gathered, and wrought. The daring may walk the spiral of dark steps which descend into the pit to find what is created there (Crafting Team, 100 GP).
- The Lunar Forge produces moonstone, opal, and obsidian, silver and mithril, and fine crystal, forming beautiful crystals, betrothal and wedding rings, holy symbols of the moon, courting gifts, shining blades of alchemical silver, and crystal vials of holy water – although the process is slow, producing only 100 GP worth of materials per week.
- Once per week, on the appropriate phases of the moon, the forge will produce a an Echo Of The Moon (New, Waxing, Full, or Waning) – a pendant with seven charges, each capable of being expended to produce a cantrip-level effect of lunar magic appropriate to the phase of the Echo as a standard action when the pendant is grasped, albeit only at caster level one. If the user can explain how the effect can be produced by chaining together cantrip-level effects, two charges, and a full round, may be expended to produce a first level effect. Four charges and two full rounds will produce a second level effect. All seven charges and three full rounds will produce a third level effect (although, unfortunately, the caster level always remains one). When a pendants power is expended it will crumble into dust. Anyone willing to pay their respects to the Moons power may use them. The simplest of lunar magics – dancing lights, fertility blessings, and household magic – are suited to any phase of the moon. Otherwise appropriate effects include:
- New Moon Talisman: Darkness, Dreams, and Female Magic,
- Waxing Moon Talisman: Healing, Rebirth, and Purification.
- Full Moon Talisman: Light, Divination, and Transformation.
- Waning Moon Talisman: Illusion, Time, and Weapon Magic
- Four times a year, at the changing of the seasons, the Forge will produce two Sigils Of The Changing Moon (Neck Slot) – each granting the wearer the use of the following abilities for seven hours once per month. Unusually, these are cumulative: wearing two will grant these powers twice per month, and so on up until the user is wearing thirteen sigils, which will make the powers granted continuous.
- Sigil Of The Changing Moon:
- Damage Reduction, Specialized and Corrupted for Reduced Cost/only versus physical attacks, not versus Silver, 4/- (3 CP).
- Innate Enchantment. All enchantments Spell Level One, Caster Level One, Unlimited-Use Use-Activated, and Personal-Only. Specialized for Reduced Cost / comes with animalistic instincts (and the need to make occasional will checks to resist such impulses), pack loyalty, and the traditional signs of being a werewolf. It may or may not come with a compulsive urge to party all night during the full moon. 6480 GP inherent value (3 CP).
- Aspect Of The Wolf (2000 GP). The user may continue to walk on two legs and keep his or her pants on if desired (or may describe this as “Aspect Of The Cat” or “Aspect Of The Bear” or some such) but this has no game effect.
- Speak with Animals (1400 GP).
- Wrath. Morale bonuses of +2 Str, +2 Con, +1 Will, and -2 AC when in use (1400 GP).
- Endure Elements 1/Day (280 GP).
- Fast Healing I for 18 Rounds 2/Day (560 GP).
- Relieve Illness (Hedge Wizardry List) 1/Day (280 GP).
- Relieve Poison (Hedge Wizardry List) 1/Day (280 GP).
- Lesser Restoration 1/Day (280 GP).
- Note that the spell level reduction function of the shrine applies to the effects of the Echoes Of The Moon and the Sigils Of the Changing Moon as well. Using the Echoes within the room gets the -2 spell level adjustment, while activating a Sigil there extends the duration of the effect to three days. It is theoretically possible to change the items produced by the Lunar Forge, but doing so would require many rituals and prayers to the moon.
- The Crafting Team of three Lunar Smiths produces:
- Assorted Lunar Jewelry/Materials: 100 GP/Week
- Lunar Echo Pendant: Spell Level One (Greater Invocation; Any Lunar Magic Cantrip) x Caster Level One x 250 GP (seven use-activated charges) x .8 (phase of the moon restrictions) = 200 GP.
- Changers Moon Pendant: Spell Level Four (Grant Complex Mental Feat for One Hour/Level) x Caster Level Seven x 1800 GP (Unlimited-Use Command-Word Activated) x .05 (Once Per Month) x.8 (user must make an offering to the moon) = 2016 GP (317.4 GP x 52 Weeks = 16,504.8 GP – enough for creating eight per year).
The Realm Of War (War, Strategy, Chaos, Battle, Sun): The great doors are of oak bound with iron, scarred and scorched with the marks of weapons, spells, and alchemy. Little remains of the scenes of battle which once ornamented it, save for a version of the Star of Battle carved out by the very scars and gouges hacked into the wood – the eight-arrowed circle of Chaos wielding Axe, Bow, Dagger, Flail, Hammer, Mace, Spear, and Staff, at it’s center the single, upright, burning Sword of War. Behind them, obsidian stairs, their walls carved with scenes of ancient battles, descend into the darkness, opening into a torch-lit arena of packed earth – or sometimes of poles, or a ships rigging, or a steep mountainside, or even a swamp. From outside, the muffled sounds of ancient battles can be heard. Mounted on the walls surrounding the combat ground an assortment of weapons – both lethal and nonlethal, simple, martial, and exotic – hangs ready for use. At the far end stands an altar, beneath the Star of Battle. The simple silver bowl upon it will accept offerings to any Battle God, or – if he user sacrifices 1 HP worth of his or her own blood – will call forth a monster to fight (the fight is worth experience, but the monster will not be pulling punches and the damage it inflicts is real. There is no treasure however, the creature simply vanishes after ten rounds. The monsters summoned are typically one from Monster Summoning VI, or 1d3 from Monster Summoning V, or 1d4+1 creatures from Monster Summoning IV or below – but once in a great while the war gods will send a more powerful creature to deliver some message during the fight. If the would-be combatant seizes upon one of the shrine’s weapons for the battle, it will function as a +1 weapon for the duration).
- Perhaps most importantly, if a weapon in need of maintenance is laid before the altar, repairs will be made – and if a particular weapon or weapons must be forged or enhanced it will gradually be infused with the divine blood (at a rate of 1200 GP Value / Week). Valuable offerings can speed up this rate, just as if you were spending such funds normally.
- Armory: The walls offer a great variety of weapons (195 GP).
- Dojo: Provides training facilities and nonlethal weapons (155 GP)
- 2x Crafting Team (Three Weapon Smiths, Three Rune Smiths, 200 GP): Provides 1200 GP / Week for the creation, maintenance, or upgrading of weaponry.
- Summon Monster VI, CL 12 (SL 5 (6-1 Ambient Magic) x CL 10 x 1800 GP Command-Word (A short prayer to Tempus) activated x .5 (Immobile) x.5 (User may not choose monster – or monsters from lower-level tables. The GM does) x.1 (Monsters are hostile the the user, and promptly attack) x.6 (No more than three times daily) x.8 (user must pay his or her respects to the Gods of War and offer up 1 HP worth of blood) = 1080 GP.
- Magic Weapon (SL 1 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use Activated x.5 (Immobile) x .2 (only when the person who activated the monster first picks up a weapon to defend themselves) x.6 (maximum of three uses daily) = 120 GP
- Assorted extra weapons, bandages, instruction manuals, and other minor supplies suitable for training (180 GP).
The Vaults Of Time-Not, The Invisible Labyrinth (The Far Realms, Mystic Martial Arts, Entities): The thick doors of rich chestnut wood are inlaid in greenish metal with the spiral heptagram of the Far Realms, where the worlds touch upon that which exists outside of time. At the center they are inset with the Elder, and other curious, signs in yellow crystal. From beneath the door flows strange wisps of mist, a breath of timelessness intruding upon the world. Here may mortals set foot upon the timeless web, the weave of Atlach-Nacha spun between what IS and what now NEVER WAS. A drifting maze, defined by coiling mist and yawning void, filled with cyclopean basaltic pillars carved with strange runes, crystalline statues of beings unknown, a bizarre fluting music which hovers always on the edge of comprehension, and even more haunting visions of impossible pasts and futures that will never be, of paths not taken and lessons never learned (Labyrinth, 185 GP).
- Here a portion of that power may be taken onto the wanderer; every ten minutes of walking within, and contemplating, the Invisible Labyrinth grants the wanderer one Sigil of Power (appearing on his or her skin), whether that Sigla be of the Past, the Present, or the Future. Sadly, no one wanderer can bear more than three Sigla at any one time and no more than one person at a time can wander the Invisible Labyrinth. For those who are troubled, the mists will occasionally whisper wise advice, or even provide minor clerical support (Effectively a L3 Priest of the Elder Ones, 405 GP, has enough Mana with Spell Enhancement to every so often provide a clerical spell of up to level four) – but every so often a Wanderer will see something in the future that will almost demand their intervention (Free GM plot hooks).
- Create Magic Tattoo, Renewable (+1 Spell Level, can support up to 144 tattoos / “Sigla” at one time). Spell Level 3 x Caster Level 13 x 1800 GP (Unlimited-Use Command-Word Activated) = 70,200 GP, +100 x 100 GP (materials cost) = 80,200 GP. x.5 (Immobile) x.5 (Supports a maximum of 24 Sigla, instead of 144), users occasionally catch glimpses of things that they must urgently intervene in and must respond to at least some of them or their Sigla will cease to work (Free GM hooks, x.8) = 16,040 GP. “Team” of Craftspeople (Artists to “draw” the Sigla, only for that purpose, 100 GP).
- Available Sigla Include:
- +1 luck bonus on attack rolls.
- +1 deflection bonus to AC.
- +2 resistance bonus on saving throws.
- +2 competence bonus on attack rolls.
- Spell Resistance 12.
- +2 Enhancement Bonus to any one Basic Attribute (May be repeated for different attributes).
- Cast Spells at +1 Spellcaster Level when determining level-based variables.
- +5 Enhancement Bonus to any one Skill or a +3 Enhancement Bonus to a group of up to four skills.
- Sigla can be dispelled (they are treated as having a Caster Level of 13) or removed by an Erase spell, but otherwise last until the user dies or decides to walk The Invisible Labyrinth again to replace one or more of them.
- Crafting Team x3: Planar Staves (300 GP). These turn out a Lesser Planar Staff every six months, a Planar Staff every year, and a Grand Planer Staff every three years.
The Upper Floor:
Landing: The spiral stairs open into another hexagonal room, where gentle breezes blow, there is the rustling of foliage, and the songs of birds – a gentle and ever changing melody, as if the chambers here were suspended high within a forest canopy. The chestnut walls are decorated with window-paintings of forested hills and valleys – from which faint scented breezes blow. The light of sun, moon, and stars shine in their times, clouds and storms blow by, and birds fly, nest, feed, and sing – occasionally emerging from the paintings to fly around for a bit, to visit friendly occupants, beg for favored foods, and duck into other paintings (although no one else can follow). Above, the ceiling is the mottled green of young leaves woven together while the trim is formed of clustered chestnut flowers. A number of padded benches offer comfortable seats for those wishing to read in comfort or to enjoy the view.
- General to the floor: The windows are basically just a Habitat for ornamental and singing birds – populated with Charming Budgerigars, Fussy Cockatiels, Musical Canaries, Cooing Doves, Fluttering Finches, Chatty (and Colorful) Parrots, Superb Lyrebirds, Mantling Macaws, Northern Mockingbirds, Ominous Ravens, Whistling Thrushes, and Musician Wrens. (395 GP). Housekeeping and Animal Care Team (100 GP). Minor Illusions to provide the “forest canopy” view (250 GP).
- Altar (The Fates, 105 GP), Seer (Oracular “Priest of Fate”, x.5 additional for limited usefulness, 200 GP): The three Ravens occasionally come out to convey strange oracular pronouncements, declaim bits of prophecy, or announce possible missions. No one knows why or has any influence on when they appear. They provide no other priestly services, but do provide the GM with an excuse for making comments or dropping in various directives. .
Forward: The Library: Directly ahead a pair of double doors, inscribed in verdigrised copper with an ancient tale of creation on the left and a somewhat dubious prophecy on the right and emblazoned with the star of wisdom in the center, open to the Library – a surprisingly light and airy place, containing a wealth of books, scrolls, and manuscripts covering a multitude of subjects on low shelves, as well as desks, tables, lecterns (to support the weightier tomes), supplies of paper, ink, and quills (the quills often left laying around by the various birds), and comfortable chairs to allow reading, note taking, and other forms of research. For good or ill, the painting-windows here are screened, to keep the birds out of the books – although their songs are still heard in the background and the ravens seem to get in whenever they want to in any case. Here too are displayed a variety of minor mementos – small carvings, models of historical structures, ancient maps, images of exotic beasts and locations, and various weathered scholarly artifacts. Basic Room (Shelves, tables, chairs, desks, lecterns, supplies of paper,ink, and pens, etc – including some locked shelves for more valuable (or dangerous) tomes (200 GP).
- Assistant Group: Unseen Librarians who handle sorting and filing, bringing you relevant books, cleaning up, repairing and caring for the books, and so on (100 GP).
- Masterwork Tools (various books, scrolls, and tomes: +2 Circumstance (Equipment)) for Appraise, Arcane, Engineering, Linguists, Local Knowledge, Religion, Scholar, and so on through the Knowledges – although using them requires some hours. Technically unnecessary to note since masterwork tools are assumed for anyone in the house, but a lot of GM’s feel that “books” are different – so here they are explicitly called out.
- Skill Mastery (Group Above) +3 Competence Bonus to the skills noted above. (SL 1 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated x .5 Stationary x .5 Utilitarian Village Magic x .9 Requires 5+ Skill Ranks in the skill to take advantage of x .8 requires several hours of research to take advantage of = 360 GP),
Forward Right: The “Trophy Room” (125 GP) – a museum area suitable for displaying souvenirs, stuffed monster heads, broken bits of automata and golems (such things should be checked to make sure that they are drained of all Power and / or Magic, but have minor runic inscriptions to restrain them anyway. 100 GP), diaries and notes and pictures from assorted adventures, and various other oddities. Unsurprisingly, it connects to the library above: the short entryway between them contains a series of minor displays – maps, pictures, common relics and fossils, and small dioramas, depicting the major (known) periods of the world’s history (50 GP). Oddly, no matter which end of the entryway you start from, the displays always start with the earliest material and progress to the present.
Rear Right: The Great Hall: This large and comfortable chamber is stocked with comfortable chairs, a large table, counters, and a small runic inscription that allows for the easy display of various centerpieces, maps, and similar items via a tiny exercise of illusion magic. Here a party can gather for meetings, more formal meals, parties, and planning sessions. Following the pattern, a side door leads to the Trophy Room. (“Sitting Room”, 240 GP, +50 GP Minor Runic Inscription, +100 GP Unseen Wait Staff).
Rear: The Zoo: To the rear is a small zoo (395 GP) – a series of chambers, grottoes, and the occasional open area, pool, or gurgling riverlet set up to accommodate familiars, larger group pets (other than pet birds, who mostly spend their time in the paintings), and occasional random bits of wildlife. The zoo is invariably already occupied by a Tiger (which seems to come with the house. No one knows why. 325 GP), by a few squirrels (which apparently come with the trees, free), and possibly by some otters or fish (it is hard to tell what is in the pools). Housekeeping and Animal Care Team (100 GP).
Forward Left: The Vault: This massive door of bronze and iron is heavily locked, airtight, sealed and barred, with runes of Warning, of Containment, and Protection carved upon it. Here, is a space where any truly dangerous items that the residents of a given Housecollect can be locked away with care in individual chambers in their own dimensional pocket.
- Vault (150 GP): Massive metal door and frame, assorted locks, and warning inscriptions.
- Inward-Facing Protection From Evil (Runic Inscription, Arcana 58) 150 GP). The standard for containing mental influences and malevolent creatures from the Outer Planes.
- Basic Containment Ward (Runic Inscription, Arcana 56, 150 GP).This won’t stop some massive escape attempt, but it generally suffices to keep more subtle influences contained.
- Unseen Caretakers (100 GP), These keeps things secured, report disturbances, and keep the place neat and well-labeled.
Rear Left: Nursery Complex: All too often heroes pick up youthful apprentices, enthusiastic hangers-on, or rescued kids with no place else to go – usually from some remote corner of the map hundreds of miles away from civilization and a place to drop them off! There’s no getting around it; children are extremely vulnerable and no decent hero will abandon them. Ergo, the base has a modest accommodation for rescued children, youthful apprentices, pitiful orphans, possible offspring, and lost or rescued princesses or princelings until some more permanent accommodation can be found for them. Here are cribs and beds for smaller children, toys, games, and supplies for arts and crafts, a few educational aides, tables and supplies for caring for the younger set – as well as some unseen caretakers to spare the heroes from having to find time to change diapers. Perhaps unsurprisingly this is one of the larger mini-complexes in the base.
- Nursery (125 GP), All the basic child-care stuff.
- Lavatory (60 GP). Wastes and appropriate trash go to the composting setup lower down.
- Classroom (125 GP). While this is only meant to cover the basics, no child who spends much time here will be unaware of the basics of life and mathematics, some practical socialization, and how to speak and read the common tongue.
- Bath (65 GP). Kids. Bathing counts as receiving the attentions of a Skill-8 Healer (Sweat Stone) and provides a +4 bonus on saves against disease and for recovering from negative levels – although this is usually superseded by the Wards healing function. Kids do catch lots of stuff though, and things like “Colic” aren’t really diseases.
- Bunks (200 GP). These ten train-style – nooks come with some drawers for personal belongings, curtains to be drawn for darkness or privacy, mattresses, bedding, blankets, cushions, and reasonably comfortable accommodations.
- Unseen Nannies (100 GP) and Caretakers (100 GP) round out the basic accommodations, take care of kids, and teach the basics, rounding out the major features.
- A Cleansing Table (cleans, dries, presses (if necessary), folds (if desired), and performs minor repairs on one modest laundry basket worth of goods – whether cloth, leather, fur, or even jewelry or metal (removing tarnish and similar) when the stuff is left sitting on it for one minute or longer. Cleansing Ring 62.5 GP.
- The Hearth contains a crackling (if smokeless) fire (Fireblock 180 GP) suitable for warming up, cooking snacks, heating water, and gathering around for story-time.
- A couple of Cleansing Candles (100 GP) take care of any minor messes.
- A Crafting Team of three Fatecrafters (100 GP) produces twenty-four Obols – six each of Life, Death, Order, and Chaos – each week, ensuring that the staff always has access to various minor magics in case a child gets hurt or into trouble. Given that unused collections of Obols, however useful they may be in emergencies, are potentially troublesome (especially where children are concerned) any excess production is usually relocated to the magical laboratory on the first floor.
For a Production Summary:
- Everyone working inside gets a weeks work done every day.
- Those inside need not sleep, and so can get a weeks work done during daily downtime.
- The House may double the work (+600 additional GP value/Week) of a selected team each week.
General:
- Kitchen: Provides excellent meals. If PC skills are thrown in they may be much better than merely “excellent”.
- Supply Cabinets: 500 GP/Week of basic supplies, +250 GP towards expanding the House.
- Wreck Rooms: Retraining or HP Training (+1/Day up to the maximum you might have).
Crafting Teams:
- Falling Star Forge (2 Teams): +1200 GP of Ioun Stones and/or Wayfinders every week. Obviously, powerful stones may take quite some time to produce.
- Alchemy Lab (1 Team): 600 GP worth of Alchemical Items/Week. What is available depends on the House Ward’s whims however. In theory the House could dream up a set of potion-crafters as well – but in practice it simply lets the residents use the Obols it produces.
- Caverns (1 Team): +600 GP / 24 Elemental Obols/Week (Half that if the GM decides to value them at 50 GP each). Type depends on the season.
- Spirit Caverns (1 Team): Herbs, Incense, Oils, +100 GP/Week. Dream Catcher 1/Week.
- Sanctum of Magic (1 Team): Solstices and Equinoxes: Timelords Scarf, scrolls (3L0, 2L1, 1L2, random spells).
- Waters of Memory: (1 Team): 50 GP of Herbs, Teas, and Spices/Week, one Amulet of Frognarok per season.
- Lunar Shrine (1 Team): Jewelry, Silver, and Lunar Materials 100 GP/Week, Echo of the Moon 1/Week, At Seasons Change two Sigils of the Changing Moon.
- War Room (2 Teams): 1200 GP worth of weapons, weapon repairs, or weapon enhancements, weekly.
- Labyrinth (3 Teams): Sigils (3/User, 24 Max). Lesser Planar Staff every six months, Planar Staff every year, Grand Planar Staff every three years.
- Nursery Fatecrafters (1 Team): 6 Obols (Half that if the GM values them at 50 GP each instead of 25 GP) each of Life, Death, Law, and Chaos each week.
- The House sometimes dreams up a brewing team (and some bartenders), but at 600 GP/Week it doesn’t take long to stock up on beer, wines, liquor, and assorted bar snacks. Having unseen bartenders on duty is pretty normal though.
A House is a productive – and incredibly useful – base of operations, but it also tends to drag the player characters into an endless stream of episodic adventures that often lack major rewards, thus making up for the items and income that it provides.
Vilmanemagi has wandered through several campaigns already and generally works fairly well. It does take all the stress off of basic survival – it can provide plenty of food, water, and basic supplies, as well as a certain amount of healing and (given enough time) several very useful items, but it also comes with any number of plot hooks. It generally works best in a lighter, more episodic, game then a grimly serious one, but d20 is rarely all that grim anyway.
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