Book of the Magnakai

Transcription

1 Multiplayer Game Book Book of the Magnakai Written by August Hahn & Joe Dever Edited by Matthew Sprange Layout & Graphic Design by Will Chapman Interior Illustrations by Rich Longmore Cover Illustration by Nick Egberts Proofreading by Charlotte Law A Mongoose Publishing Book Published by Mongoose Publishing Limited Cricklade Road, Swindon, SN2 8AF With thanks to Jonathan Blake and all at Project Aon. 'Lone Wolf' is a registered trade mark owned by Joe Dever. All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Printed and bound in the USA by Mongoose Publishing. ISBN Joe Dever ( ) 1

2 Contents Introduction 3 Turning the Page 7 Annals of Power 16 2

3 Introduction Welcome, heroes! You have risen through the ranks and mastered your abilities well. You have fought battles, rescued the helpless and held back the tide of darkness through magnificent strength of arms and the might of magic. You have become paragons among your people, battling Giaks and Helghasts, packs of wicked Akataz and the fell minions of the Dark God Naar. You never shy from danger and your enemies have fallen by the score. By your bravery and skill, you have reached the pinnacle of your powers. You are the equal of your peers, you wield the greatest skills of your calling and you are more than a match for any in the world of Magnamund. However, whether you are a warrior without equal, or a mage of the highest order, you have reached the end of your path. There is nothing new to learn; there are no new tricks to your chosen trade. None, that is, until now! Just as Lone Wolf, the last of the Kai Lords who survived the terrible slaughter of his brethren on the Feast of Fehmarn MS5050, undertook a dangerous quest to discover the powers of the Magnakai, so too have new abilities become available to those rare few who are capable of mastering them. Weapon techniques and magic lost on ancient battlefields and in the mists of time, have now resurfaced and await discovery by the worthy warriors of this new age. Words of power and feats of mental prowess that once lay out of reach may now be seized by the greatest of Magnamund s few true heroes. Are you one such hero? Are you prepared to step past your present place in history as one of the masters of your calling and stride proudly into the annals of legend? Are you brave enough to risk the dangers 3

4 of such an undertaking, knowing that undoubtedly you will have to face foes whose wicked malevolence will eclipse anything you have confronted before? Ponder this challenge with care, be you a Knight of the White Mountain, a Dwarven Gunner of Bor, or any other of the hero classes of Magnamund. Do you really have what it takes to become a true living legend? If you think you do, then read on. This book contains all that you will need to step out of the world you have grown accustomed to, into a greater one and perhaps a much darker one than you have ever experienced before. The stakes will inevitably be high but for those who strive and survive, the rewards and the glory shall be immense. May the Gods Kai and Ishir grant you their blessings and shine their light on the difficult paths that lie ahead. Good luck, worthy heroes. You shall need strength, courage, wise judgement and good fortune like never before. Epic Powers The primary purpose of the Book of the Magnakai is to advance play for all Lone Wolf Multiplayer characters to a maximum rank of 20, a doubling from the previous rank of 10. This volume offers 10 new levels of adventure, each with its own special ability for each of the classes provided in both the core rulebook and the Heroes of Magnamund sourcebook. Each class has its new powers listed along with names for the advanced ranks, as well as other modifications which take effect as the level of play increases. In some cases, these powers are a direct improvement on prior abilities. In most such instances, the old ability still exists and the new power supplements it without replacing it in any way. Where this is not the case, the exception will be clearly stated in the description of the new power. Throughout this book, these new powers are called Higher Disciplines. It is important to note that Higher Disciplines are not what the denizens of Magnamund will call these powers. Few people in the world have words for these formidable skills. Many are but legend, rumour, or myth. The heroes who wield them effectively are very special indeed and have clearly been chosen for a destiny far greater than their fellows. The names given 4

5 to these abilities are drawn from the stories surrounding each profession, the titles of a bygone age, or from the ancient songs and verses of the bards. As such, many heroes may choose to name some of their own Higher Disciplines. This is perfectly fitting and acceptable. The power belongs to the hero who possesses it; there are few, if any, who may claim that it should be called by another name. For example, if a Knight of the Sun (a Rank 17 Sommlending Knight of the Realm) chooses to call his improved Code of Might the Stance of Champions, who among his lesser brethren would dare to argue the point? Epic Adventure Games Masters should note that this book is not simply about advancing characters to higher levels. It is also about advancing your games to higher levels as well. More powerful heroes will need far wider reaching stories and greater enemies to face. You will find advice in these pages on how to challenge your players and how to tell tales as epic as the heroes you are privileged to guide through them. As long as you can keep the plot lines interesting and the action intense, there is no limit to how far your adventures will go, how long your campaigns will last and how much enjoyment you and your players will experience. On the subject of plots, games at a higher level will need more than basic objectives such as kill a certain big bad villain or seek out a magical relic lost to the present age. While these are tried and tested fantasy quests and may be perfectly in tune with the basics of a game, epic stories can and should be about something more. Powerful heroes do not just explore the world; they shape it. This book will provide you with guidelines for transforming the heroes in your game into a vital and vibrant part of the story itself. Action lies at the very heart of any Lone Wolf game. Going blade to claw with terrible foes is part of the game s essential essence and at this higher level of play, that statement is no less true. Indeed, now that the heroes are stronger and more accomplished, it is only fitting that their new enemies should be the very stuff of nightmares. Epic heroes do not just battle the minions of the Darklords; they may well be capable of crossing blades with the rulers of Helgedad itself! 5

6 Accordingly, there are rules presented in the Book of the Magnakai for running such titanic battles without the bonuses and abilities of the heroes becoming so great as to overshadow the mechanics of the game. As the Lone Wolf Multiplayer Game is a system that has relatively few rules, so it becomes more important for Games Masters to maintain a fine balance when constructing their advanced adventures. Be ever mindful of the risks of letting the heroes gain too much power and ever diligent in your efforts to match their growing abilities with plots and creatures that will offer a suitable challenge. It may seem a little daunting but Games Masters may rest assured that there is as much in this tome for you as there is for your heroic players. Read on and may your stories become as legendary as the players who play them! 6