Care to help make a Gothic Asia netbook?

[HuManBing]

One thing I was thinking about (after I'd had two glasses of Merlot) was changing magic in terms of its casting time.

Instead of the "rest a day and action/round/turn casting time" model, we could increase the casting time and integrate the memorization time into it.

So Asian mages would not just go to sleep and then read their books. They would have to build in that "good night's sleep" preparation time into a ritual instead.

I was thinking something like increasing the casting time by a factor of 2.

So something that takes an action to cast now takes a turn to cast (action - round - turn - hour - day) and other spells may take hours or days, which you'd add onto the end of the automatic one-day ritual just to memorize the spell.

There also should be something like a Dark Powers check to see if the spell is granted at all. Instead of a Dark Power trying to subvert it, this check would rely on the willingness of a Dragon to grant arcane magic, or the TianTang Celestial Bureaucracy to grant divine magic.

The longer the ritual and the more cost and care goes into the offerings and prayers and rites, the higher the chance the spells will be granted. Also, the caster's experience level would play a part too, as the Dragons and gods respect seniority among mortals.

This also means that many spells that Western mages rely on (Magic missile, vampiric touch) for a quick-effect, would almost never be cast by an Asian mage. It is simply too time-inefficient to set up a censor and start praying just to be able to cast (a day later) a spell that does 1d4+1 hp damage to something.

Benefits
Of course, this would appear to give Asian mages and priests a big disadvantage. But you could also have the change in time work both ways. Sure, they'd spend a lot of time preparing and casting the spell, but you could argue that the spell's duration is similarly lengthened.

Thus, a silence spell could take a day and a few hours to cast, but would last much longer than normal, making it worthwhile. Fly also would last longer, allowing for some spectacular lengthy missions to be undertaken while airborne.

This still means that Asian mages would never bother to cast Magic MIssile, since an instantaneous spell has no extension by its duration. This means that Asian magic is much more subtle, much more reliant on time, and has somewhat greater gravity in its casting than "bang! fwish!" Forgotten Realms style invocation.

It could even be that the truly powerful wizards and priests have spent so much time in their prayers that de facto they can be considered to have pretty much any spell already ritualized and memorized - they would still need to go through the casting time (which would be longer) but imagine a being that could cast a powerful, extended spell with a few rounds' preparation.

The Ancient Dead emperor Hua Gaozu very likely has all sorts of magical spells at his disposal.

Psionics
The one school of mystic power that is unaffected is psionics. THrough rigorous training, this is able to manifest itself immediately, making it the specialized interests of many monks. Since no rituals are involved, the monk can call upon his inner power, qi, to effect wondrous results.

[mistshadow2k4]

Sorry I'm so late in replying; we've had sort of a crisis with sick little kitties here.

Anyway, I like the ideas you got there HuManBing, but we do need to keep some spells quick and easy to use. Spellcasters -- especially sorcerers and wizards -- are just too close to defenseless without access to spells they can cast quickly. We need to balance actual Asian magical lore with game balance here. Basically, I'm proposing that some attack/defend spells, as well as more minor magics, remain in the quick & easy category, while more powerful spells require ritual casting.

[Gemathustra]

I agree...
If one simply wishes the differences to be theatrical, one can simply replace the act of memorizing spells with the magician ritually beseeching the appropriate dragon, divine accountant or spirit for particular spells.

[mistshadow2k4]

Hello? Anyone still here? I hope we can keep working on this. You guys have done so much, I'd hate to see it all get forgotten because we didn't finish it.

Anyway, on to religion. I know little about Chinese religion and we need to keep from imitating Asian religion too closely lest we offend. Do you guys have any ideas?

[Gemathustra]

Hello? Anyone still here? I hope we can keep working on this. You guys have done so much, I'd hate to see it all get forgotten because we didn't finish it.

Anyway, on to religion. I know little about Chinese religion and we need to keep from imitating Asian religion too closely lest we offend. Do you guys have any ideas?

You dare to imitate the Chinese?
But, aside from that, "religion" in China is hard to pin down.
Back in the Imperial days, everyone performed various rituals to appease the spirits, faeries, gods and ancestors, so that the world and all of the various events of the year would go smoothly and with much fortune.
You know, like, offering food for the spirit of your great grandmother, so that she can continue to watch over your household, or smearing honey and candy over the mouth of the kitchen god's idol so that he can only say sweet things about you when he returns to Heaven to report on your actions, or offering up a roast pig's head so that the evil Black Lizard Faerie will be less inclined to steal children, or how the Emperor would make a sacrifice in the Temple of Heaven so that Heaven allows the crops of the Empire to have a bountiful harvest.

Stuff like that

[HuManBing]

Now it's time for everybody's favorite defiant matriarchy to be listed in the Asianloft thread!

Penglin Nüguo ("Roc-forest female kingdom")
(The Peng is a mythical enormous bird with bright tail feathers, similar to a "roc" in Arabic mythology.)

Sandwiched between the Liang and the Que kingdoms, the Penglin Nüguo is a stubborn holdout against the authority of Liang. The king of Liang has sworn to conquer and cow the female archers and spear-throwers of the forest, but every patrol he has sent has returned in tatters, telling of the horrors of the forest.

The origins of the female kingdom lie in the excesses of patriarchal rule in times gone by. Once, women lived like chattel, with their feet broken and bound to prevent them from leaving the house. Often, well before marriageable age, they would be bought and sold as wives in their childhood for future husbands. Unable to help in the fields and barred from courts and offices alike, a girl faced a bleak life - often, her family could think of nothing save finding a family who will accept her as a wife. Once married, the girl's name vanished from her family's books - and likely forever, for very few grooms' families would bother to add hers to theirs.

Those who were married were considered the lucky ones, even though they were subject to the slightest whim of their husbands, and even though they often had to compete with other wives for his affections. Wives had economic support, financial stability, and servants to do their chores for them. But once married, a woman's only claim to existence was her womb - she existed solely to produce children, and male children at that.

Bitter indeed was the hatred of the first wife, who bore only daughters. Such pain she would feel in seeing her husband's younger wives bear sons. Jealousies flared, sometimes resulting in abductions, poisonings, murder, or infanticide - all the stuff of high tragedy and compelling stories.

No story is more famous than that of Xiao Mei, or "Dawn Beauty". Born without a surname to a poor family in western Liang, she would run in the fields and pick wild fruits. In her fifth year, she was betrothed to a local landowner's son, who had just been born. Secure in the knowledge that their daughter's future was confirmed, the family spent the next twelve years grooming her to be a demure and attentive wife.

Xiao Mei arrived at her husband's family amid much rejoicing. She slept by her lord and husband, but took five years to bear him a son (at which point she would have been 22 - old for a first-time mother, and her husband would have been 17). During that time, she endured the abuse of her mother-in-law, who desperately wanted a grandson, and the scorn of her sisters-in-law, who resented her nominal higher status through marriage to their brother.

Her life became immeasurably easier after the birth of her son, Depei, as the family left her alone. But Xiao Mei found she practically became a ghost, confined to the courtyards and rooms, and without a purpose save to raise her infant.

Unable to forget the freedom of her early childhood, she secretly prayed to be set free from her wifehood, which countless other women had endured quietly to their graves.

Xiao Mei's wish came true when the local peasants, taxed into abject poverty, rose up against her husband's family during a New Year celebration. They slew the patriarch and hung the family's sons and brothers. Xiao Mei had spent the holiday visiting the remnants of her original family, now woodsmen in the forests, and returned to find her husband swinging from a juniper tree, his lungs and liver already removed by medicine-men to feed tuberculosis sufferers.

She escaped with Depei to the southwest of Liang, to a small village in the Penglin forest and valley, where her exhausted footsteps finally ended. There, she got all the chance she wanted to run in the fields and forests - life was hard, and women were allowed... indeed, expected... to do most of the work. She worked all day and much of the night collecting kindling in a basket strapped to her head and carried on her back. Some evenings, she would return so famished and exhausted that she would forget to put her crying baby to her breast.

Depei grew up sickly, meantempered, and spoiled, but he was his mother's only comfort. Not long after Depei's third birthday, he went missing. Xiao Mei searched for him frantically throughout the village, but among the people who didn't just drive her away, nobody had seen him. Finally, she found his red shirt in the forest, and a few footsteps later, his leggings and cap.

Xiao Mei married a village man who raped her, beat her, and cursed her for a year and then drove her out of his house when she remained childless. After another year of sleeping in the wild and seldom entering the village, Xiao Mei returned one night as he slept and stove off his head with a woodcutter's axe.

The village's menfolk gathered in strength and combed the valley for her. They found scraps of her passing - a pile of bones from a meal, a pile of seeds or pips - but Xiao Mei eluded them. However, they still caught glimpses of her in the distance. When they returned to their homesteads, they spoke of a woman gone mad, howling her anger and rage. Several menfolk beat their women, if only to drive home the lesson of the renegade.

Among the women themselves, tales began to circulate. Of strange thefts and gifts. For those few who were still brave enough to go into the cliffs and forests to gather wood, they reported seeing a changed woman, dressed first in filthy garments, then in the skins of animals.

Slowly, the women began disappearing, leaving their lives of servitude behind and vanishing into the woods. Paranoia began to grip the men after one of their member, wandering drunk in the forest, turned up dead in a mountain well - his limbs deformed from repeated beatings. Xiaomei's name - the dutiful wife - fell into disuse, and a new name of Baofu - the vengeful wife - was now spoken in whispers. Men beat their wives even more harshly, as if to make up for the inability to find Baofu.

In later months, the women of the forest grew bolder, and crept forth in the evening to break into houses. They seemed to need no light, and carried crude clubs of hewn wood. While there, they beat the men to an inch of their lives and took the women. The village slowly surrendered to the forest. Finally, Baofu's tribe infiltrated the landowner's house in the middle of the night and hung his family from trees. When the remaining villagers found them, the bodies had been beaten so brutally that they resembled sacks of pulp - almost every bone had been broken from the ferocity of the beatings. Most villagers abandoned the cursed village and scattered to the winds.

Since then, Baofu has been visited her wrath upon village after village in the valley and beyond. Her main targets are those where women are overworked and clearly abused, but lately she is not above killing males just for the sport of it. Tales of her clan tell of wolves, bears, and even leopards running alongside her women, who no longer resemble civilized people.

Most enigmatically, some reports tell of a frail, young man running alongside them. Though slender of arm, he is long of limb, and seems to be in his early teens - about the age of little, lost Depei.

Based on: The Naxi matriarchical tribes of southwestern China (prevalent in Yunnan province).
CL: Elements of CL 4 in some places, ranging down to 1 in others.
Landscape: Thick forested hills, with caves and ravines. Dotted villages rarely exceed 50 in population.
Major Settlements: None. This was a backwater of the Liang kingdom before falling under Baofu's sway.
The Folk: 99% human (97% Penglin, 2% Liang, 1% Que). The Penglin folk are short, stout, and sturdy. By contrast, Baofu is tall and was once willowy, but a lifetime living in the wilds has lent her great sinewy strength. The women who follow her are in generally excellent condition and can run for hours through the forest.
Population: In total, fewer than 10,000 individuals, spread around 200 villages.
Languages: Liang, Que, Zhengyu/Zhengti.
Religion: Here the teachings of Shuangqi Jiao and Minglun Jiao are distant, with folks much more concerned about survival. Many of the rustic villagers hold various sometimes-contradictory superstitions, often involving animals and spirits. The appearance of Baofu has only increased those superstitions.
The Law: Nominally, the Liang kingdom's laws apply here, but much to his frustration the atmosphere of fear limits the true extent of his influence. Baofu has remained largely silent on the issue, although one village that she spared apparently survived because the women had revolted first and wrested power away from the men. Baofu left the village alone, after taking a few men for her own clan. Internally, it is suspected that her tribe is openly matriarchical, treating its menfolk as slaves and servants.
Trade: Some herbs and spices are found only in the Penglin valley. Mostly, the valley exports timber.
Resources: Some fields are tended, traditionally by women. Baofu does not interfere with this, as she is conflicted between her hatred of exploitation of women's labors, against her hatred of being shut up indoors.
Coinage: The Matriarchy primarily subsists on barter.
Characters: The Matriarchy is a dead-end venture, with women striving for emancipation from a brutal social order, but without the guidance to set up a suitable replacement. Male PCs would be treated as slaves and pinioned and fettered. Female PCs, though higher status, would still live a harsh life of forest survival and hard work in the fields. Baofu has led the women to a new life, but what she has to offer them has several important deficiencies from the lives they left behind.
Politics: Baofu is the unquestioned leader of the Matriarchy, and Depei is the only male who holds any sort of status in the tribe. Most of the women in the tribe have long histories of being beaten, raped, or otherwise mistreated, so for the foreseeable future Baofu's ideas of social isolation are still viable. But the recent incursions by armed soldiers from Liang's armies are worrying for the women, who are not trained fighters by nature. Also, Depei has an intimidating mastery over animals, especially wolves, with whom he converses constantly. No other human, save for his mother, can understand him or communicate with him.
Encounters: Wolves, lynxes, bears, and leopards stalk the forests. Yet the most frightening of all are Baofu's women, who will fall on a male victim in a frenzy and tear him to shreds in their berserk rage.
Darklord: Baofu has driven the memories of her life and two marriages far from her mind. She lives with the abandon of a soul plucked from the wild and put through a hellish social charade, finally returning to the hardship she preferred. Each life she took has added to her powers, and she no longer needs light to see. She can live on the bark of trees and can stalk deer in the woods. However, her own powers pale in comparison to her son's. Although she can barely understand him, she believes he spent his early life with wolves or other forest predators. He runs with inhuman speed and can scent prey far more acutely than other humans. He likes Baofu and tolerates the women she brings. He is already starting to mimic her hostile, violent behavior towards male humans. Depei runs on all fours and appears to be unwilling to walk on hind legs, though sometimes he carries sharp stones in his hands as he runs. In one engagement with Liang troops, Depei leapt from an overhang and throttled a soldier to death, tearing at his throat with his jaws.
Liang's most immediate concern is that the mother and son may spread their chaotic rule into his territory. For the longterm, however, he knows that even if he kills them both, their example will still pass along the undertrodden classes... if a group of strong willed women could confound a king, what's to say a village, or town, or province could not?

[mistshadow2k4]

That's awesome, HuManBing!

I'm working on magic right now. It's pretty hard -- D&D's magic system just doesn't accomodate a mystical feeling at all and magic is very mystical, no less in Asia than elsewhere. I suppose I'm going to have to make do with magic rules similar to those in Oriental Adventures, which isn't exactly the best. OTOH, most people won't want to play a character if a lot of their power has been taken away, whether in the interest of realism or not. So trying to balance the two concerns is very difficult.

Add to that it's actually rather difficult to even find a great deal of info about Asian magical practices in a language I can read. Plus, we still need to come up with domains covering other Asian cultures as well -- and in-depth information about those cultures is even scarcer.

[HuManBing]

Here's a sample character from the new continent of Asianloft. This is Bane, who was referred to once in canon products (in "Forged of Darkness" for 2nd ed.). In that product, he was known only as the gun-wielding martial artist whom Strahd von Zarovich sent to assassinate Azalin. The gun he used was called "Bane's Adder" because it was said to resemble a snake.

This write up looks at it from an Asian viewpoint - the weapon is called the "SheTou" instead (which can mean "Snake's Head" or even just "a tongue").

This build for him assumes he comes from the kingdom of Wen, from a monastic order that had done some research and experimentation with ores. It also uses the "Smoke Sword" template for monks found in "The Quintessential Monk" supplement book by Mongoose Publishing.

(I can heartily recommend this book, as it is surprisingly accurate for many aspects of martials arts - at least in China. It also wisely chooses not to introduce dozens of extra feats and skills, instead showing new ways of using old feats/skills.)

As a smoke sword monk, Bane is able to choose a separate weapon to focus on singlemindedly - this accounts for the fact that he is able to use a martial-style unique weapon.

Beiying (Bane) "Eagle of the North":
Male Human Mnk12 (Smoke Sword; CR 12; Size M (5'6"); HD 12d8+24; hp 81; Init +3 (Dex); Spd 30' (+40' if unarmored); AC 22 (touch 22, flat-footed 19); Base Atk +9/+4, flurry +9/+9/+9/+4; Atk +12/+7 melee fists (2d6+3/2d6+3) or +14/+9 melee SheTou (1d8+6/19-20)/(1d8+6/19-20) or +12/+7 ranged SheTou (2d6...+3 (x3)/2d6...+3 (x3)); Face/Reach 5'/5'; SA Improved Disarm, Stunning Fist (DC 20), fists count as lawful and magic; SQ Heal 24 hp/day, SR 15, DR 5/bludgeoning, also DR 10 vs fire, Evasion, Immune to disease and poison, Immune to disarms while using the SheTou (Smoke Sword special ability); AL LN; SV Fort 10, Ref 11, Will 12 (+2 vs enchantment/charm); Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 14.
Skills and Feats: Balance 13, Climb 10, Concentration 12, Diplomacy 7, Escape Artist 10, hide 10, Jump 18, Listen 11, Move Silently 13, Tumble 18, Spot 11. Weapon Focus and Specialization (SheTou), Stunning Fist, Blindfight, Two-weapon Fighting, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Reload.
Special Attacks: SheTou can disarm at +1 if QiangJi head used. TieZhu sash gives +3 to disarm - Bane will use this as a whip like weapon if he is unable to use his SheTou.
Languages: Wen, Hua Zhengyu/Zhengti, Darkonian.
Possessions: SheTou firearm/longarm: +3 Long Arm. Front: Qiangji (1d8/19-20), back: Iron Staff.(1d6/x3). Can be used as an arquebus, firing for 2d6...+3 (add and reroll all 6s) with x3 crit. Reloading is normally a move-equivalent action - a special type of individually-prepared powder charge allows faster reload than the usual full-round reload. (And Bane's own Rapid Reload feat allows him to reload once as a free action, giving him an extra attack per round.) The Qiangji longarm head allows a +1 to disarm. TieZhu Beads: necklace bestows regeneration 1, DR 5/bludgeoning, SR 15, usable only by monks. TieZhu Sash: belt bestows +3 AC deflection, energy resistance DR vs. fire, can be used to disarm with +3 to roll, usable only by monks.

Beiying, known to non-Asians as Bane, was a student at the TieZhu Miao (Temple of Iron Bamboo) in northeastern Wen. Ethnically a descendant of the Nürfan tribes, Beiying was taller and stronger than the other monks. Naturally, he excelled at the martial arts, training with the bao gun staff and other longarms. In his early twenties, he aided a workshop team studying the properties of mined ores from the Wen mountains. This resulted in the development of the She Tou, an early gunpowder weapon that could be reused without re-treating the barrel material.
Bane’s personal journies took him to the Western Core, where he met up with a fellow Wen kingdom expatriate, LiZhiWen (Leadger Wynn), who was making a living in Il Aluk as a herbalist and medicinist. Wynn proved to be his link to joining L’Agence d’Affaires.

The SheTou has been produced in limited numbers in Wen, but it is almost assuredly unique in the Western Core of Ravenloft. It bestows all projectiles fired from it with magical damage. Wen usually fires lead shot from it, but sometimes fires other projectiles such as silver, cold iron, and even pebbles and rocks, depending on need and availability.

Changes from the Bane's Adder of FoD:
The firearm he used actually appears to be a slightly modified spear. The spearhead is a Qiangji (like a normal spear, but with an added inward-facing crescent almost parallel to it for disarming), and the buttstock of the spear is heavy Iron Staff binding. Hidden in the spear itself is a metal barrel with an open breach. The trigger, flintlock, and powder charge are all built into a removable mechanism about the size of a pocketwatch, halfway down the spear's "handle". Bane has to remove this and replace it each time between shots. Because these take quite some time to prepare beforehand, Bane rarely fires the SheTou more than a couple of rounds each combat... but against undead and other creatures with special resistance, the SheTou's firearm nature can be deadly because it's very versatile - Bane can literally load any type of ammunition he wants, as long as it fits into the barrel (like you could with a blunderbuss). Even silver pieces or gemstones can, do in a pinch. (And the former will overcome various undead or werecreatures' damage resistances.)

The other magical items he has are slightly excessive for a character of his level, but I thought it would be good to show how new future monk-based items could run. So far, the DMG has relatively few items for monks, who cannot use armor effectively. Offensively, monks might not be too interested in things that give numerical bonuses - instead, they might benefit most from things that bolster their special combat options, such as trips, disarms, and bull rushes, etc. Defensively, they might benefit from bonuses to Dodge or Total Defense.

Just a few thoughts.

[elliott20]

new poster here. Just wanted to say hi. I'm a personal friend of HMBs and he told me to drop on by and take a look at this thread. Apparently, I have inspired the rabid shapeshifter boy.

very nice stuff.

the magic system:

Actually, the whole fantastic display of magic power does exist in Chinese lore. There's a series of stories called the LiaoZhai Zhiyi which features a lot of folklore creatures, many of which actually does possess very fantastic powers, in the same way that the monkey king from journey to the west can spontaneously make duplicates of himself by blowing our a bit of his hair into the air. Now whether or not this still fits the flavor this setting is a completely different story, since the stories of the Journey to the West starts to actually meddle with the Celestial Beauracracy itself, and might be a little too high fantasy for this.

Since we haven't actually dealt with feats like how Quicken Spell will change this mechanic, I suggest we look to changing that mechanic to help.

Long story short, prior to this Quicken Spell makes casting certain kinds of spell a free action. In this case, we can simply say Quicken spell allows the spell to be cast at it's normal casting time. And since you need to use it as a spell slot 4 levels higher, this automatically takes a lot of the ridiculous high level flashy display of mages arbitrarily and whimisically raining meteors down on people. But at least this means a sorc/wiz of higher enough level can still go adventuring, still bust out a magic missle every so often if the circumstances call for it.

thoughts?

[HuManBing]

More magical items and artifacts:

YuXi, the Imperial Seal
This massive jade "chop" seal requires two hands to hold it and use. It symbolizes the Emperor's mandate to reign under heaven, and commands fealty from his subjects. The seal is ornate, resembling a carved cube at the bottom with a sphere at the top (to represent the square of Earth and the circle of Heaven in Chinese symbolism). Miniature carvings of dragons, elephants, deer, and tigers illustrate the seal's sides and top.

The bottom face of the seal carries an intricate Chinese character set which represents the current Emperor, by name, dynasty, and title. This imprint can magically change itself to adjust to a new ruler on the Dragon Throne.

It is invested in the Emperor's name in a ceremony that requires the ruler's own blood as the first red ink used in signing a banner of assumption. Thereafter, it transforms its carving to fit the ruler's name and title, and confers the ruler with a circumstance bonus of +10 to Intimidate, Bluff, and Diplomacy checks in conversation. (This bonus does not apply to combat applications of Bluff, for example.)

Created centuries ago by a brilliant jadesmith in an enlightened reign, the YuXi has several powers, of which only some are described here. The seal is generally used in red ink drawn from a replenishing magical gourd in the palace, said to contain the blood of a qilin (ki-rin, an Asian mythical creature faintly resembling a unicorn). The usual effect of the seal is to sign edicts, and merely witnessing the signature on an edict is enough to affect viewers with a Suggestion spell.

Greater indepth ceremonies are possible, with the end result affecting readers with a geas-style spell. However, the prudent Emperor is warned to be judicious in his use of these powers, as Heaven has been known to revoke or even reverse the benefits of his seal if he abuses its powers (to say nothing of reputational damage among his subjects).

Bajiaosan
This immense plantain leaf is a fan over 10' long in its natural state. However, it can be shrunk by size categories to slightly less than an inch in length with the relevant command word. Each size allows the user to increase or decrease wind weather conditions by one category (see DMG), up to a maximum of "Hurricane" strength. However, the fan itself must be increased in size to each category desired, and is said to require an ever-increasing Strength to use effectively.

This fan was last seen used by Sun Wukong, the mischievous Monkey King, when he put out the fires of the Flaming Mountain in his Journey to the West.

JinGuZhou headband
This cursed golden headband grants the wearer a +2 circumstance bonus to Spot and Listen checks. Otherwise, it is an unremarkable golden band. However, in the right hands, it can be an effective tool for bringing even the most mischievous Monkey Kings under control. To use its full powers, the band requires a controller, oftentimes designated in a blood ritual.

Once the controller is determined, he or she can then cause the headband to cause viselike crushing pains in a wearer by chanting a command verse continuously. The headband itself does not actually tighten noticeably - the effect is a mental magical one, but no save is allowed if the wearer has willingly allowed the headband to be set in place.

The crushing pains immediately knock the wearer prone and leaves him or her helpless and writhing in agony on the floor. This negates spellcasting and other attention-reliant abilities on the wearer's part. In most cases, the wearer needs a supreme focus of concentration just to retain marginal awareness of his surroundings.

The grip can be halted if the controller merely stops chanting. However, the victim is still helpless until the controller voices the loosening command, which causes all pain to disappear. The headband cannot actually be removed unless the controller completes a convoluted ceremony to do so.

These effects may be dependent on a DC based on the creator's level. This will vary from headband to headband. In mythology, Sun Wukong was a tremendously powerful Monkey King spirit, and his controller was a relatively meek Buddhist monk named Sanzang. (However, it is implied that the headband's creator was Buddha himself, and it is safe to assume Buddha's CL is considerably higher than Sun Wukong's.)

The headband grants a permanent telepathic bond between the wearer and controller, regardless of distance, as long as the headband is worn. This headband can also be used against demons or other outsiders, although the demon can transmit terrifying thoughts to the wearer (which may require a Horror or Madness save). It is largely useless against undead, who are immune to mental effects and worse still can transmit their frightful thoughts back to the would-be controller.

JinGuBang
The famous Golden Cudgel used by Sun Wukong the Monkey King was said to be immensely powerful and an artifact in its own right. This particular staff is not Sun Wukong's famous staff, but a minor sibling to it.

The Golden Cudgel was one of several pins holding down the Dragon King's palace to the seabed. Once Sun Wukong removed it, the Dragon King recognized his power. However, it is conceivable that the remaining golden pins may be retrieved or gifted to others.

Usual stats are that the pin can change in size from a needle to a quarterstaff. (Sun Wukong's cudgel could grow even larger - he was known occasionally to roll it on top of enemies and crush them under it.) Used as a quarterstaff, it functions as a +5 double weapon, with gold and adamantine qualities. It can be shrunk to the size of a mace and still be used as a light weapon (useful for monks with Two-Weapon Fighting).

Finally, the pin can be activated as a Rod of Immobility at any size, although its size will affect how much mass it can secure.

QingLong YanYue Dao (Azure Dragon Crescent Moon Blade)
This massive yanyue dao (crescent moon blade, or sometimes "guan dao") is said to be immensely heavy. It was used by the famous general Guanyu of the Three Kingdoms era. Guanyu was a virtuous and good leader, and the blade reflects his battle prowess as well as his inspiring nature.

It has these typical guan dao traits (taken from the "kwan dao" entry in the Quint. Monk): it does 1d10 damage per hit. It has reach of 10' but can also be used in close combat without penalty. It cannot be set to receive charges.

As a martial artifact, it enjoys an increased critical threat range of 17-20. Its primary use is for a leader who likes to lead his men from the frontlines. Allies of good alignment gain a +1 morale bonus to their attack rolls when within 100', and add a +4 morale bonus to any rolls against Fear checks.

The wielder himself is imbued with some fragment of Guanyu's legendary power. If he does not already have it, he gains the Cleave feat. For those who already have Cleave, the blade bestows Great Cleave.

Legends also tell of a secret method of unlocking a powerful sundering effect to destroy other mundane and magical weapons, but this has since been lost. It is whispered in hushed and alcoholic tones at enthusiastic fanboy conventions that such a power might allow the user the chance to negate such vaunted blades as King Arthur's Excalibur, Cloud Strife's Buster Blade, and maybe even Luke Skywalker's Jedi lightsaber...

[elliott20]

I think with the increased critical of the Guan Dao, you'll want to specify it as Keen. Because right now with the wording, the weapon is technically still eligible for gaining more benefits from Keen Edge or Improved Critical.

[HuManBing]

More Magical Items, part II.

Divining Candles
This concept was taken from the Jet Li film Hero, although the theory behind it has changed somewhat. In that movie, the Emperor had normal candles arrayed before him, and his visitor's powerful qi causes the candles to blow and flicker.

In this game, the candles themselves are magical agents, which allow the astute and knowledgeable user to learn secrets of nearby individuals.

Each candle burns indefinitely, giving off a normal amount of light for a candle. They cannot be extinguished naturally. The exact method of reading is left up to the DM, but I propose possible mechanics below. In each case, the candle must be interposed directly between the viewer and the subject for the magical flickering and lightness to show. Only the viewer can see the effects, and only the nearest living creature directly behind the candle can be "read" by the candle. (Although a canny viewer can discreetly move around to target different creatures by the candle.)

Jinghuo "Soul Candle": This candle can show the alignment of the person beyond the candle. The brightness or dimness of the flame indicates their moral alignment (good/evil), and the stillness or flickering of the flame indicates their ethical alignment (law/chaos). In Ravenloft, the moral alignment is masked, but it is rumored that beings who share a portion of the Dark Powers (such as Hua Gaozu, the very powerful Ancient Dead First Emperor in the Necropolis) can nonetheless detect this axis. Most people can only see the Law/Chaos axis.

Xinhuo "Mood Candle": This candle can indicate the attitude and mood of a nearby person. Brightness or dimness indicates attitude of the subject towards the viewer, and stillness or flickering indicates whether they are peaceful or unsettled. It is possible, for example, to have a seemingly contradictory reading of "hostile" attitude but "calm" mood.

If a monk enters an Ancient Dead's lair, intent on killing it, but with a firm purpose and confidence, the candle could burn very low but very still. (This shows the monk has extremely negative or hostile attitude towards the Ancient Dead viewer, but is very calm in that mindset.)

A reading of "positive" attitude but "agitated" mood is also possible. A noblewoman who receives a suitor may use a Xinhuo to detect whether her suitor is interested in her to the point of distraction. These candles are also useful in diplomacy.

Spirit Candle "Shenhuo": This reflects the health and condition of the subject. The flame's size indicates the subject's capabilities at full health (suggestive of Hit Dice, special abilities, etc), and the flame's activity shows how far that creature's current health has fallen from the full. (So a mighty dragon that has suffered a mortal curse may still appear to be healthy, but the candle will show a large flame, trembling violently.)

The tomb of Hua Gaozu in the Zong'Anling necropolis features dozens of divining candles in its audience chambers and rooms. Hua Gaozu is expert at reading them, and he himself does not register in their readings (being undead).

ZhaoYaoJing
This polished metal mirror, about 1' in diameter, is framed in engraved jade and sandalwood. It has two powers that we know of. The mirror constantly reflects an image of true seeing on whatever it perceives. Thus, an adventurer able to carry it might be able to defeat a tomb's illusions by looking into the mirror continuously. Also, a shapechanged paladin might carry this mirror to others to show them her true form (assuming she doesn't get lynched first).
The second use (requiring a command word) allows the mirror to shoot forth a 60' beam that dispels illusions.

ZhaoYinLang "Shadow Summoning Corridor"
This corridor is comprised of two facing walls leading to the inner sanctum and final resting place of Hua Gaozu. The walls feature expertly-carved stele representations of various people and creatures, starting from human soldiers, generals, and court officials near the entrance, and progressing to more fantastical creatures closer to the Emperor's resting place. Few living humans have made it this far and returned to tell of what they've seen, but the order appears to be similar to: Swordsman, Halberdier, Archer, General, Court Official, Minister, Draft Horse, Warhorse, Elephant, Tiger, Qilin, Phoenix, and Dragon.

It is said that unwelcome guests find the walls darkening in shadow, and when the light is restored, a hazy form resembling the relevant guardian has been summoned. The few reports that remain tell of quasi-real shadow soldiers cutting down the adventurers and grave robbers. None have ventured further into the corridor to see the fantastical beasts, but the prospect of a dragon - even a shadow evocation of a dragon - attacking intruders is enough to keep most away.

HunHuiShi Soul Drawing Stones
In Chinese calligraphy, a horsehair brush (bi) is used with black ink rubbed from an inkstone (moshi). This particular brush, inkstone, and parchment set must be used together for the effect to work.
The brush on its own provides a bonus to skill checks made using it, which can include Forgery, Perform, and even Profession or Craft skills.
The inkstone produces a neverending supply of high quality ink. When the two are used together, they can create illusions of objects and living creatures.
The parchment is stored in a scroll, and it can produce a neverending supply of parchment. When used with the ink and brush, it can summon permanent objects and animals. The process of doing this is lengthy and much care must be taken over detail. It is conceivably possible that large-scale changes to the landscape can be done, but the preparation for that would take months if not years. A famous painting in the HuangJingCheng at Yujing shows an artist using this parchment sketching the landscape of the initial excavation of the ground around the Zong'Anling tombs. However, that painting is controversial because it shows the actual landscape blending seamlessly in with the artist's landscape in his parchment. Whether this is a trick of parallax and perspective, or some hint of the parchment's true powers is unknown.

Hua Gaozu also has a trusted artist servant who manifests himself as an incorporeal undead. This servant, known to some as Hua Kui, has been knwon to travel the land and paint sketches of people and places to bring back to Hua Gaozu. If true, this would mean that the imprisoned Ancient Dead Emperor is actually as well-informed as his living counterpart, if not moreso.

Mo Wang Hu Pool of Recollection
This large stillwater pool allows a viewer to recall a scene from their past, and allows other viewers to see that scene and understand information from it. It can also portray tentative future possibilities, but this is much more uncertain and can be more easily misunderstood.

Hua Gaozu uses this to recall his own personal glory in unifying the Hua Empire, thousands of years ago. Some of his incorporeal undead servitors use it to communicate with the live visitors who come to the tombs seeking audience with the Emperor.

Requiem Instruments MingQi
These instruments are unique in that they can affect the emotions of sentient undead. Hua Gaozu treasures these as they are one of the few consolations left to him. To the living, they only sound of eerie lament, barely audible in the distance.

TianDi DongLiang Heaven and Earth Pillar
This mighty artifact is a ceremonial +5 longsword, with clearly high-quality but unostentatious materials and trimmings. It was used by Hua Gaozu in his living days to unify the land. It is designed with the idea of a battle leader who leads his troops from the middle ranks. When drawn, it inspires allies within 200' with the effects of Heroism, provided the wielder can see them. Likewise, visible enemies in the same radius must make a Will save (DC 15) each round or be affected as by Cause Fear.
The power of the sword meant that oftentimes Hua's army would collapse enemy formations and rout the opposing army regulars, most of which were conscripts or low-level fighters. The sword's fear effect was less useful against high-ranking enemies, but its application meant that these enemy leaders were easier to capture once their rank and file had deserted them, especially those who stood and fought an impossible battle.
The sword is intended for use with (and is the masculine Yang component of) its scabbard, the TunShi TianDi. When a wielder has both, he gains additional powers, including (some say) applications of True Strike and Moment of Prescience. Some say he gains Deflect Arrows, but like all information about this item, this is uncertain.

TunShi TianDi Swallower of Heaven and Earth
Where the sword is the victor in battle, the scabbard is the ruler in peace. Although its name literally means "Swallower of Heaven and Earth", it is actually a reference to its function of sheathing the "Heaven and Earth Pillar" sword. It is the feminine Yin counterpart to that sword.
Like the sword itself, the scabbard is unassuming and simple in its appearance, with a hint of gold trim and a simple jade fob on an otherwise smooth black lacquer.
If pressed, the wielder can use the scabbard as a parrying weapon in his offhand, granting him a defensive bonus. The scabbard's main combat application gives the wielder a slight bonus to disarming attacks. If successfuly, it flawlessly sheathes the opponent's blade (must be a straight sword like blade) and wrenches it from their hands. The wielder can snap the blade with a simple twist of the scabbard, or drop it to the ground.
The scabbard also can summon the Pillar at anytime, across any distance. Even a seemingly-disarmed ruler is far from helpless as long as he has the scabbard. (He will still need to unsheathe the sword to use it, and this power does not work if the scabbard is otherwise occupied.)
The scabbard's true use, however, comes after the battle is fought and once the blade is returned to rest in it. The wielder can then cast charm spells simply by speaking with an air of authority within earshot of his victims. Depending on circumstances, he also can cast Emotion: Calm, Suggestion, Dominate Person, or Mass Suggestion. The use of the scabbard often requires the user to lay or tap it across the head or neck of the subject, as a sign of his leadership and will.
It is symbolic that these powers only work when the blade is sheathed. The most far-reaching powers of the scabbard only work when the wielder has achieved a form of peace.
Hua Gaozu used this power to cement his control over regions brought to heel through warfare. However, in his quest to live forever, he refused to surrender these artifacts to his successor emperors, with regrettable effects on the security of their rules.

[HuManBing]

JinLüYuYi Gold threaded jade clothing
These burial suits were comprised of thousands of squares of jade interlaced with threads ranging from gold to silk. They were intended to use the preservative powers of jade to keep a body from decomposing, and to preserve it in repose. Normal versions of these may act as Gentle Repose spells.
In the Necropolis, these exist as well, but their use is subverted to the creation of new Ancient Dead.

Every so often, live visitors come to the Necropolis. Most are eunuchs, whom Hua Gaozu largely tolerates. Some are grave robbers, and a very few are concubines and courtesans, offered as gifts by amibitious nobles.

Hua Gaozu is disdainful of those who offer such gifts, as he has virtually no use for their intended purpose. However, in his inner sanctum, his tombs slowly transform living creatures into Ancient Dead. To preserve their appearance, such candidates are placed in Jade Clothing and then manhandled into a tomb. Once the transformation was complete, Hua Gaozu occasionally sent them back out into the world beyond the mountains to act as spies and agents.

The same transformation is occasionally executed on would-be grave robbers, but more frequently they are merely killed and reanimated as mindless undead, tasked with guarding their intended loot for all eternity.

[elliott20]

hehe, this is fun.

lemme throw one in there too

TianCan BaoJia Heavenly Silk Armor

This armor is fashioned from a very special kind of silk with metal woven into it to create an extremely flexible yet surprisingly durable armor.

The armor is a +4 Chain shirt but with an astonishly low armor check penalty of -1 and a max dex bonus of 8. The armor is so light that it is possible for people to wear it under everyday clothes and even sleep in it. The armor, in addition to the amazing flexibility, also provides a DR of 5/adamantium


Mortar of Great Givings

This stone mortar looks just like your garden variety mortar you find in most farming communities. However, unlike most mortars, this one will upon uttering the command word (usually in the form of a short prayer), begin to churn out fresh rice for consumption. It can produce enough rice to feed about 12 medium size creatures in one day.

However, like the whimsical and tempermental god that create it, the mortar has also been known on a moment's notice begin to churn out rice that has been plagued with diseases and sickness.

Xian Tao (Divine Peach)

Legends have it that these fruits of the Celestial Heavens Garden can extend the lifespan of those who ingest them. Each peach takes about 1000 years to become ripe, where it is customarily given to the gods of the celestial court. Much to the chagrin of the court, the Monkey King before he was subdued by Buddha ate the majority of the peaches.

Ingesting a peach will grant the character a permanant +1 enhancement bonus to their Constitution and character is instantly healed as if the Heal spell was cast on them. Also, the character is free from needing to ingest food and water for a week.

However, seeing as delicacies such as these are usually reserved for the heavens, ingesting one will no doubt vex many of the celestial officials.

Yun Mu Huang Jing San (Motherly Cloud Gold Dust)

This dust is legend to be a small handful of earth that came straight from the heavens itself.

Spreading the dust over another creature reveals it for it's true natural form. The user needs to succeed in making a range touch attack (with a range increment of 10 feet) and upon success, whatever illusion that is cast on the creature is dispelled. In addition, it will revert any shape shifters back into their natural form. The creatures attempt to resist the affect of the shape shifting with successful Fort Save DC 18.

[HuManBing]

Huo Hu Captivity Gourd
A hollow gourd, perhaps of Allium scorodoprasum derivative, with the characteristic figure-eight cross section. The gourd can be activated as a standard action (needs to be uncorked), and a ranged touch attack made. On a successful hit against a size M or smaller target, the target must make a Will save (DC 15). If it fails, it is immediately shrunk 4 size categories and absorbed into the gourd. The user has a round to stopper the gourd. The gourd only holds one occupant at a time, and the occupant cannot leave until the stopper is removed by the individual who trapped him.
There is enough air in the gourd to typically allow a captive to breathe for a day. Unscrupulous users may trap a captive and then leave them to suffocate. Once released, the captive is disoriented and staggered for a full round.

Alternatively, the gourd can be smashed, which releases any captive. This is usually the only recourse if the original trapper refuses to release the captive.