Aysle Preview #3 – Perks
Today we’re going to take a quick, short look at some of the Perks detailed in the Aysle Sourcebook. Please remember that the Perks previewed below are still in development, so may change in the final product.
We’re going to skip Magic Perks in this preview since we already discussed those last week.
Dwarf
In addition to the Runemaker Perk, which allows dwarves to imbue items with arcane power by inscribing runes into them, Dwarves who have taken the Forsaken Perk from the Torg Eternity Corebook can also take Godsbane, and finally Godscourge:
Darkness
New Darkness Perks include Born to Darkness, which allows a character to take up to six Darkness Perks instead of three before falling to Darkness, but beware! It is possible for a character to be tempted to take the quick and easy path and be “gifted” with a Darkness Perk without choosing to! Other Darkness Perks include Necromancer, which provides access to the Necromancy spell list, Shadow Assassin, which upgrades the Shadow Step Perk, and Blood Magic:
Elf
In addition to allowing elf spellcasters to get even more spells via the Elven Magic Perk, an upgrade to the White Wolf Perk, and elves can embark down a new Perk Tree that eventually leads to becoming a drake rider!
But first, the elf must bond with a baby drake, which follows the usual animal companion rules:
Light
Additional Light Perks include Aura of Light, which literally allows the hero to glow, and reduce Darkness vision penalties, and Multi-Target penalties when intimidating, and Beacon of Light, which grants the character’s benefits from her Light Perks to nearby allies.
Outsider
Those who do not embrace Light or Darkness can take Outsider Perks. Many Vikings follow this path, including the skalds:
Prowess and Social
We cap this preview off with the Prowess Perks, which highlight the martial abilities of knights and archers, and the Heirloom Social Perk, which grants the Storm Knight a magic item!
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this preview, head on over to our forums!
By popular demand, here are the Beta Clearance Primers for Torg Eternity, which provide additional Perks, resources, and a summary of the large scale events of the rest of the first year of the Possibility Wars.
Note that these are still previews, and the contents may yet be updated.
Beta Clearance GM’s Primer
Beta Clearance Player’s Primer
Out of all the cosms that invaded Core Earth, Aysle is by far the most magical. Magic pervades the reality, and there are many ways in which this manifests. Although the magic system in Torg Eternity was substantially streamlined, some of the elements of the original magic system are coming back, just as specific elements of Aysle’s arcane traditions.
Just a reminder, the Aysle Sourcebook is still in development and playtesting, so the previews shown are provisional and may change in the final product.
Arcane Knowledges
Fans of Original Torg will remember arcane knowledges, and they’re back in Torg Eternity. Arcane knowledges are 22 fields of discovery that are divided into four categories: Essences (the primal forces of magic including Life, Death, Time and True Knowledge, Mixed Forces (combinations of the Essences including Darkness, Inanimate Forces, Light, Living Forces, and Magic), Kindred (living beings including Folk, Entity, Elemental and others), and Elements (physical substances such as Air, Earth, Fire, Metal, etc.).
The arcane knowledges mostly manifest themselves through the spell lists a character can select spells from.
Specialist and Generalist Mages
In Aysle, wizards can either learn spells of all types, or specialize in one field. Generalists have access to the Aysle Mage list from Torg Eternity which now includes all of the spells in the Aysle sourcebook, except those in the Necromancy list.
Specialists get one more spell that generalists do, but at the cost of only selecting those from a certain list, like Elemental Magic:
Those who wish to specialize in a field choose a Magic Perk, one of Elemental Magic, Essence Magic, Kindred Magic, or Principle Magic. Accessing the Necromancy list is done in a similar fashion, but is instead a Darkness Perk, with all that entails.
Magic Perks
The Aysle Sourcebook adds some other new Magic Perks including learning more spells through ownership of a spellbook, the crafting of a homunculus, making one of your spells a trademark spell, or using your magic skill to dodge ranged attacks.
Furthermore, advanced Aylish spellcasters can take the Esoteric Spell Perk, which allows them to pick a spell from any list, even those from other cosms:
Aysle Spells
Naturally the Aysle Sourcebook comes with plenty of new spells, some of them quite advanced that may require Beta Clearance or even a less powerful version of that spell, like heighten backlash:
Disfavored
But what’s this “Disfavored” condition? This is a new condition introduced in the Aysle Sourcebook that essentially is the balance to “Favored”. The two counter themselves out, but if the Disfavored condition is in effect, the victim loses their first roll again, whether that comes from an Up condition, rolling a 10 or 20, or spending a Possibility. Longtime fans will recognize this as essentially the Original Torg Stymied condition.
Cantrips
Finally, Aysle’s Magic Axiom is high enough that nearly anyone is capable of casting at least simple spells, called cantrips. Anyone who has the proper magic skill can cast them without needing a Perk, even those from other realities (and they can do so without contradiction). Cantrips can still be cast by Aysle spellcasters outside of the realm, but with the normal contradiction check. These still cause backlash if they fail, but there is no extra effect from Good or Outstanding results.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this preview, head on over to our forums!
Now we move our focus to Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the nations of Scandinavia, where the reality of the fantastic realm of Aysle holds sway.
(more…)
Happy Lux Splendor to you all!
December 25th, by the reckoning of the Holy Terra calendar, is the celebration of the Radiance of Light — Lux Splendor. On one level, it is a time of sadness, for it is the death-day of the Prophet Zebulon. Hence, this most bright of holidays retains an undercurrent of mournfulness for all we have lost. But it is also the day that the Prophet’s sacrifice cleansed and consecrated the jumproutes against the Dark, making them safe for travel.
(more…)
This week, we’re doing a couple previews of the Fires of Ra adventure book, which is featured in the Nile Empire Kickstarter.
We’ll let the preview speak for itself, although be warned – there are definitely a few spoilers in this one…
(more…)
We here at Ulisses Spiele International are ecstatic about the recently announced Divinity: Original Sin 2 + The Dark Eye Campaign, launching today (Wednesday, November 21st 2018)
We are also incredibly excited to provide the PDF for the Prison of Shadows campaign right here: Prison of Shadows PDF
Get to adventuring!
Please make sure to follow Larian Studios on Facebook & Twitter!
Halloween has come and gone, but the chills aren’t over yet. This month we’re talking about something truly scary, something that causes every faithful Church inquisitor to tremble: we’re talking about… technology! The horror! The horror!
(more…)
