The Grimoire - Agone, Prehensility

The final book in the Agone system I have is "The Grimoire: Volume 1". I am not  able to find that there was ever a Volume 2 printed and released in the United  States. I suspect that there may be a French version of the book but can not  state that with 100% certainty. If there isn't then this is a good reason to  never print Volume 1 on a book when you don't already know there will be a  Volume 2.

I have actually read less of this that I have the Gray Papers. This is a book,  as the title would suggest, dealing with Magic. I really do want to dig the book  out of storage or if it is easier just find another copy and give it a good  reading. Since I am not sure I even cracked the book open before I ended up  scanning it and storing it I will have to leave you with simply the information  from the back and the assumption that it will be as good as the other books  written for the Agone system have been.

Published: 2001
Pages: 144

From the back cover:

The Muses are the creators of Harmundia. Since the dawn of time, Concordists  have paid homage to them with their opuses. But today the Concordists are few in  number.

Most mages do not concern themselves with the Magical Arts of Tune, Scansion,  Shape, or Vista. Instead they use the sparks of their Dancers to develop  powerful spells.

But the Enemy draws near, and neither the Cipher-sorcerer order, nor the  Concordists are able to deal with the threat alone. The Arts have been tainted  and the order is corrupted!

There is only one hope... It is time for you to rediscover the Arts of Magic.

The Grimoire Volume 1 contains all the knowledge necessary to complete a  player's understanding of Ciphered Mages and Concordists, as well as additional  information for the Eminence Grise revealing the most powerful secrets of  Harmundia, including the Square and the Cipher-sorcerer.

This sourcebook will disclose the techniques of the most potent mages, numerous  new spells and opuses, the fundamentals of the devastating practice of  Choreography, the methods of artifact creation, and other arcane mysteries  reserved exclusively for the most experienced players.

The Grimoire also describes numerous new assets and faults, and includes  "Requiem for a Dead Mage," a lengthy drama set in Lorgol.



Spell:

Prehensility

Level: Second
Range: 6"
Duration: 1 Turn/Level
Area of Effect: One Creature
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 6 Segments
Saving Throw: None

By means of this spell the magic user is able to give the target of the spell  prehensile appendages. The spell does not add any appendages but modifies the  existing ones.

The recipient of the spell will have the same level of dexterity and range of  motion in the newly prehensile appendages as they do in their hands. This will  allow the recipient to perform action they would normally do with their hands  with their feet should their hands be otherwise occupied or restrained.
The spell will not allow additional attacks with the modified appendages in  combat.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last,  were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not  appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then  it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells  that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to  comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these  in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper  credit.

The Gray Papers - Agone, Delayed Damage

The Gray Papers is a book that I purchased and have not done more that a cursory look over on. The purpose of the book is to help the EG (DM) expand the setting of the Twilight Realms. This is done through three means in the book. The first is by providing a set of guidelines for creating and also evolving a realm. I like the passage from the back of the book "Domains are like mortals...eventually they die". The book also provides a number of realms that have already been designed which can be dropped into a campaign. Finally it provides templates for NPC creation. The book also includes a drama which is always a nice addition.

As I have said Agone is a game I have not had a chance to explore in any great detail but am fascinated with. I think the book sounds like something that could be used even if one is not playing the system though. The creation of what the game calls realms is something I struggle with. Just the examples they provide on the back cover blurb would be enough for me to pick the book up and mine it for ideas. As with the other books I have written about in the system they can be picked up for a song basically so why not roll the dice.


Published: 2001
Pages: 144

From the back cover:

New intrigues abound!

Twin medusae rule together over the land of Scarletstone, yet they are immortal enemies...

Suleïdin's cravan relentlessly hunts Phoenix Flames across the desert of Keshe...

Holy Post is threatened by the menacing shadow of the Liturgicals... And who will stand in the way of the Lyphanian Horde?

Explore ten unique Domains, from Lightning-Dragon crest to the Barony of Arboline. in these exotic locales, players can find many new manifestations of the Masque, and perhaps even a little hope in their ongoing battle.

Domains are like mortals, they come to life, they struggle from day to day, and eventually they die.

The Gray Papers contain secret reports from the eminences grise, who have traveled throughout Harmundia. Herin are detailed a wide variety of Domains: baronies, schools of war, a caravan and even a simple haven. Explore their histories, points of interest, important personalities and the secret plots that threaten to destroy them.

These are ready-to-play lands, ideal for adventurous jaunts or long-term campaigns. Best of all, for each place you will find unique assets and faults to help you create a detailed background for your players' Troupe that is completely interwove with the storyline!

The Gray Papers includes Domain creation and management rules. This sourcebook also contains descriptions of numerous occupations that can be found throughout Harmundia. Finally, a lengthy Drama will lead your inspired through three different Domains that are mysteriously connected...

The shadowy path into the Domains and intrigues of the Twilight Realms begins here...



Spell:

Delayed Damage

Level: Third
Range: 9"
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: One Creature
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 Segment
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast the magic user will cause the recipient of the spell to only suffer half of the damage they would normally suffer for the duration of the spell. The mitigated damage will eventually catch up with the recipient at some point though.

The spell will reduce the damage taken by the recipient for a number of rounds equal to either the casters intelligence or the constitution of the recipient based on which ever is the greater of the two. The DM will need to record the damage taken as the damage is halved with the initial damage being rounded down and the delayed damage being rounded up.

The delayed damage will be held off for one turn plus a number of rounds equal to the casters level. The caster can end the delay at any time though. When the spell expires in addition to the damage the recipient will suffer one point of damage for every three rounds the damage was delayed.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

King of Spring - Agone, Protect the Dead

Some time ago I wrote about Agone which is a game I am fascinated with but have  never had a chance to give a full run through for any period of time. The King  of Spring is the first adventure released for it (at least here in the United  States). The system refers to them as dramas and given the higher level of role  playing involved I think it deserves that label.

Though it is treated as an adventure the drama in my opinion would be better  served as a drawn out story arc with other events placed between the three acts  that make up the drama. This is not required but I think it would make the  adventure play better. Using it as written though possible makes it seems a  little rushed and perhaps contrived.

It is a drama that grows as it progresses starting out as a simple mystery to solve and growing into something much larger and more sinister eventually  threatening the realms of the adventurers. The drama starts with the characters  being asked to help the Baron of a neighboring realm stave off a curse that has  plagued his family for over seven hundred years. I wont go into it much further  than that except to say it becomes much more than that.

The cover of Agone is one of the first reason I ever picked up the game to see  what it was all about. The cover to the King of Spring picks up right where the  cover of the core rulebook left off. I wish more modules and games went with  this type and level of art in their products. The interior art and layout though  spartan is well done and has an overall appeal using if not the same page  framing as the rulebook one that is very close.

The adventure is again one that is more roleplaying than combat though it is not  without that. In the end it might take a special group to appreciate Agone in general and King of Spring specifically. If the group is looking for a dungeon  crawl this won't be for them. If the players want a game steeped in drama and  political intrigue with a number of mysteries to solve...and oh yeah combat in a  level that might be realistic then this is for them. The game and the module can  be picked up very reasonably so I think it is worth giving it a try.


Published: 2001
Pages: 64

From the back cover:

With the coming of winter, all doors and shutters in Gloomwind are locked tight.  The inhabitants live along with their fear, as their baron suffers from his  curse. The pall of death has fallen upon the Barony of Melif once again...

With the coming of winter, seasonlings of Spring and Summer are weakened by the  bitter cold of the Draaken Mountains. Yet, war is imminent. The Decans have awoken ancient enmities.

With the coming of winter, the eminences grise ensconce themselves in safe  hiding places and exchange dark secrets. They plot the destiny of Harmundia and  its rulers. Perhaps, they may discover a Sentence from the immortal Janus to  restore peace to the land.

The King of Spring is a ready-to-play Drama for a Troupe of four to six  Inspired.

As the Troupe goes to the assistance of the Baron of Melif, the Inspired have  many strange encounters and attract the attention of unexpected enemies to their  Domain. War is at the gates. The Legions of the Seasons begin to confront one  another openly, and to target the members of the Troupe.

What did the Inspired do?
Are they victims of someone's sinister machinations?
Or of destiny itself?
How can they overcome their unknown enemy?




Spell:

Protect the Dead

Level: Third
Range: 6"
Duration: 2 Rounds/Level
Area of Effect: 6" Radius
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 2 Segments
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast the magic user causes a sphere of protection to appear  that will partially shield any undead in its area of effect from harm. It will  also make the undead more effective in combat at the same time.

While in the area of effect any undead will have any damage done to them reduced  by one point per every die that is rolled. In addition they will receive a +2 to  any saving throw that they are required to make. If there are attempts to turn  the undead by a cleric that roll will be made at a -4 and the undead can not be  destroyed while under the spells effect. In addition to the protection the  undead will get a +1 added to all to hit and damage rolls and any saves from  special attacks by the undead will be made at a -2.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last,  were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not  appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then  it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells  that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to  comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these  in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper  credit.

Agone - Multisim, Arcane Syphon

Agone is an RPG published by Multisim. They are a French company that published board and RPG games. Agone was originally released in 1999 as a French game. It was translated into English and released again in 2001. It was supported by a few accessories and one module in translation but has many more products available if you can handle French.

I remembered seeing this book at either Barnes & Nobles or now defunct Borders and liking the look of it though I balked at the price. I was eventually able to find it on eBay at a deep discount. The game can still be found online and dirt cheap I might add.

The price that the game goes for is not indicative in any way of the quality of the product. Let me start by saying that this is one of the most eye appealing games I have ever seen. This starts with the cover which for some reason just draws me in. In the interior it is not done with full color glossy pages. There are some pages in color but overall it is done with b&w art that is amazing.

The game itself is a variation on the Unisystem with parts added from others. The GM sets difficulty levels and then the players roll against these. The are open and closed rolls which makes things more complicated at time. The mechanics themselves are secondary to the setting and the storyline here.

The setting is epic level high fantasy. The players are assumed to be established in their lives and have been called upon to fight the evil that threatens the world. They are called the Inspired and the GM is actually a character in the game who leads them.

I think one of the reasons most people will never have heard of this and fewer will ever own or play it is the fact that it is so different from your standard RPG fare. I think it is closer to Nobilis in nature than D&D. There is much that open to the creativity of the player which them must be handled and adapted to by the GM. The game is not one I would use to introduce someone into gaming.

The game world is Harmundia and there is a run down of all the countries that exist in the provided play world. Since this is one continent in size I wonder of some of the non English material explains on this. The nations described are varies in nature which will allow the GM to use a setting they are more familiar and their players might be comfortable in as a starting place.

Since the game can be had for a song as can the published supplemental material I would say pick it up just to see if I know what I am talking about. I think if noting else there is always something that can be "borrowed" for incorporation into existing games as house rules.



Spell:

Arcane Syphon (R)

Level: Fifth
Range: 9"
Duration: None
Ares Effect: One Creature
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 5 Segments
Saving Throw: Special

Through use of this spell the magic user is able to syphon away spells from another individual or creature that is able to cast spells or has spell like abilities. The intended victim must have spells that they can cast or abilities that would be in the repertoire of a magic user.

The spells syphoned away are converted to levels. The spells lost will start with the highest level and work down converting as needed so no levels of syphon are lost. If the victim does not have enough spells to complete the syphon then those levels are lost. The caster can then add spells as desired even exceeding the number they could normally cast in a day.

The number of spells that can be syphoned away is a function of the spells level and a combination of level and intelligence difference between the caster and the victim. The caster will be able to syphon five spell levels plus another (2-5 levels). They will also syphon away one additional level for every two experience levels they are higher than the victim. They will also take an additional level for every point of intelligence they have greater than the victim. If the victim is of higher level than the caster then they are entitled to a saving throw. The same will be true if the intelligence of the victim is more than three points higher than the caster.

The reverse of this spell will allow the caster to send spell levels to another caster. In the case of the reverse the recipient must be an actual magic user and not someone or something will spell like abilities. The caster will also be able to specify the number of levels they syphon away.

The material component of this spell is a lodestone that has been prepared for this purpose specifically. The cost of preparation will be no less than 100gp. Each lodestone will be able to serve as the syphon for 201 to 600 spell levels (100 plus 1d4x100 plus 1-100) before it crumbles away.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.