On the playlist... Anvil of Crom

From my favorite soundtrack of all... playing while I'm working on Worlds Apart.

Worlds Apart Sample (pages 2-35)

I've entered the dungeon known as "Layout" and I've gotten to the 35th page! So far it looks like Worlds Apart is going to be around 100 or so pages. Here's a full-spread sample I've uploaded to ScribD for you all so you can see what's going on. There's no art yet, of course.

Worlds Apart Preview

I'm really looking forward to the completed work.

Grand Dweomercraefter Bammon Nine-Fingers

The sample character from Worlds Apart.

Grand Dweomercraefter Bammon Nine-Fingers

Race/Age Human/40: 6 terms: 3,924 sp (600 sp on person): 3,000 sp annual pension

Str 7 (+0) Dex 4 (–1) End 10(+1)
Int 7 (+0) Edu 10 (+1) Soc 3 (–1) Mag 12 (+2)

Skills: Agriculture 0, Language (faru) 1, Language (lyartian) 1, Language (seso) 0, Leadership 1, Magic 3, Magical Language (korora) 2, Magical Language (nigilri) 0, Social Sciences (philosophy) 1, Strength Burn 2

Magical Talents: Magical Talent (abjuration) 0, Magical Talent (elf) 1, Magical Talent (enchantment) 1 (receives a +1DM to all enchantment throws), Magical Talent (necromancy) 1, Magical Talent (wizard) 1

Possessions: light crossbow (3d6) and 20 quarrels, chain armor (4 protection), staff of deflecting (2d6, Mag 6+ to deflect missile attack as minor action)

Misc: 2 contacts, 1 rival, 1 enemy

Worlds Apart Preview (iv)

 Another magical preview from Worlds Apart...

Enchantment
Enchantments affect the minds of others, influencing or controlling their behavior.

Alter Opinion (Enchantment)
Difficulty: Routine (+2)
Cost: 1+ (see below)
Casting Time: 1 Round
Range: Short

Casting this spell allows the enchanter to alter one opinion of the target or group of targets. Every additional target increases the difficulty by one step. For example two targets results in an Average (+0) difficulty, while four targets ups the difficulty to Very Difficult (-4). The altered opinion lasts for one hour’s time.

Forget (Enchantment)
Difficulty: Routine (+2)
Cost: 1+ (see below)
Casting Time: 1 Round
Range: Short

An individual targeted by this spell forgets what happened in the last minute. For every additional point of Magical Strength spent during casting, the target forgets another minute. For example, 5 Magical Strength points results in the target forgetting the immediately preceding 5 minutes. A target may resist this spell by throwing Magical Strength 10+.

Friendly (Enchantment)
Difficulty: Average (+0)
Cost: 2
Casting Time: 1 Round
Range: Short

Casting this spell makes the target friendly to the caster providing the target fails to throw Magical Strength 8+. This friendship is fleeting, lasting only an hour. If during this time the ensorcelled is asked to perform a task that they would not normally do for one of their friends, he is allowed another Magical Strength 8+ throw to shake off the spell.

Ignore (Enchantment)
Difficulty: Difficult (-2)
Cost: 2
Casting Time: 1 Round
Range: Personal

This spell creates an aura around the caster through which none notice him as anything unusual or unexpected. The spell last for 1 hour or until the caster does something so out of the ordinary (such as attacking) that forces observers to note that the caster is not who they thought he was.

A caster can choose to cast this spell upon another, but doing such costs an additional 2 Magical Strength Points.

Another Inhabitant of The Goremont Grim

Stair Beasts: These extremely large ambush predators slowly excavate out a portion of the Grim in which to lair. When ready, the beasts open their gigantic maws and their internal digestive tract mimics the appearance of a normal stairwell. After several victims, a small pile of non-digestible material (typically metals and magic items) collects at the bottom of the “stairs,” helping the beast be even more successful.

Worlds Apart Preview (iii)

Another magical preview from Worlds Apart. Today's is Divination.

Divination
Divination spells enable characters to learn secrets long forgotten, to predict the future, to find hidden things, and to foil deceptive magics.

Finding
Difficulty: Difficult (-2)
Cost: 2
Casting Time: 1 Hour
Range: Continental

Meditation upon a single creature or object brings knowledge of its location to the caster of this powerful magic.

Foresight
Difficulty: Difficult (-2)
Cost: 2
Casting Time: 1 Hour
Range: Personal

This spell reaches into the far planes and retrieves an answer to a single question about the future. The answer is usually truthful, but not always. Casters are reminded that knowledge of the future often carries a hard price.

Hindsight
Difficulty: Average (+0)
Cost: 2
Casting Time: 1 Hour
Range: Personal

This spell reaches into the far planes and retrieves an answer to a single question about the past. The answer is usually truthful, but not always. Casters are reminded that the past is often forgotten for a reason.

Identify Item (Divination)
Difficulty: Difficult (-2)
Cost: 2
Casting Time: 10 Minutes
Range: Personal

Through meditation and the subtle working of magic, the caster gains knowledge of the powers of a magic item.

Magical Sight (Divination)
Difficulty: Simple (+6)
Cost: 1
Casting Time: 1 Round
Range: Long (but within sight)

This dweomer allows the caster to see magical auras around those who can use magic as well as to detect magic objects, areas, writing, or any other forms of magic. The caster gains knowledge about what type of dweomer is seen, but not of its power or abilities. The spell lasts 10 minutes.

Sight Beyond Sight
Difficulty: Simple (+6)
Cost: 1
Casting Time: 1 Round
Range: Personal

This handy magic allows the caster (or a target creature at an additional cost of 1 Mag) the ability to see regardless light or obscuring conditions. This means the affected can see perfectly in pitch blackness as well as in the thickest smoke.

More Worlds Apart Previews

Still editing away. Below is another bit 'o magic from Worlds Apart.

Conjuration
Conjurations bring manifestations of objects, creatures, or some form of energy to you, actually transport creatures from another plane of existence to your plane, or transport creatures or objects over great distances. Creatures you conjure usually, but not always, obey your commands.

Confusing Space
Difficulty: Average (+0)
Cost: 2
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Medium

The powers of the caster conjure a small piece of another plane into the mortal realm, causing confusion in those with the area. The conjurer chooses a central location around which all within 30 feet are mentally subjected to the strange angles and maths of some distant, unearthly land. Every creature within the area must throw Magical Strength 8+ or become confused and unable to do anything but defend themselves from attack for the next two rounds.

Mark Object (Conjuration)
Difficulty: Simple (+6)
Cost: 1
Casting Time: 1 Minute
Range: Personal

The dweomercraefter places a unique magical mark upon an object. Each caster has a unique mark, unable to be duplicated by others. Depending upon the caster’s choice, the mark may be seen by all or invisible to all but the caster and those possessing magical sight. Marked objects are magically linked to the caster, allowing the marker to manipulate them in other magical ways. A caster can have three marked objects. Additional markings erase the oldest existing mark. An object can only bear one mark.

Summon Marked Object (Conjuration)
Difficulty: Easy (+4)
Cost: 1
Casting Time: 1 Round
Range: Truly Far

With this powerful magic, the dweomercraefter summons a previously marked object to either his hand or on the ground within 10 ft.

Summon Smoke Servant (Conjuration)
Difficulty: Routine (+2)
Cost: 2
Casting Time: 1 Minute
Range: Short

The caster brings forth a smoky form that willingly obeys the caster’s commands for 10 minutes. The form flies at 100 feet per round, can pass through any size crack or hole, and has an effective Strength of 4. The shape of the form varies, and some claim that what shape a smoke servant takes is an omen. The smoke servant cannot fight, nor can it be injured except in the most unusual of circumstances.

Worlds Apart Update

I'm still chugging away at Worlds Apart, our Fantasy game based upon the OGL version of Traveller. I'm editing and enjoying that moment when you read something that you wrote and feel the desire to start gaming. I thinking that I mayrelease the Worlds Apart rules as a free PDF and have a pay version that includes art. I've never done this before, so am a bit hesitant to do so, but I'm thinking about it.

Here's a bit from the work - the spells of the Abjuration magical talent...

Abjuration
Abjurations are protective spells. They create physical or magical barriers, negate magical or physical abilities, harm trespassers, or even banish the subject of the spell to another plane of existence.

Banish (Abjuration)
Difficulty: Average (+0)
Cost: 2
Casting Time: 1 Round
Range: Short

This spell forces a single creature not of this realm (other planar) to return to its plane. The creature throws against its Magical Strength and its Effect is compared to the caster’s. If the caster’s Effect is equal to or greater than the creature’s, the creature is banished. If the effect is less, the creature is unaffected. A caster may attempt a second banishment against the same creature at a cost of 4. A third attempt can be made at a cost of 8. If a third attempt fails, the caster is physically enslaved to the wishes of the creature he tried to banish - his mind free, but his body captive.

Buttress the Soul (Abjuration)
Difficulty: Average (+0)
Cost: 1
Casting Time: 1 Minute
Range: Personal

This spell fortifies the soul against evil and foulness. Those protected by a buttress cannot be touched or physically attacked by evil creatures for 1 hour. Magical attacks by an evil creature against one buttressed may be reduced or negated in effect, according to the judgment of the GM.

Dispel Magic (Abjuration)
Difficulty: Average (+0)
Cost: 4
Casting Time: 1 Round
Range: Short

By channeling magical strength-of-will, the character can dispel an existing magical talent or magical effect. Dispelling a magical talent requires a successful opposed Magical Strength check against the caster of the spell to be dispelled.

When dispelling magics that are not recently created by another caster, the GM should apply situational DMs to a Magical Strength check depending upon the strength of the magic the character is attempting to dispel. A weak magic may have a DM of +2 while a powerful dweomer may have a -6 or even higher. Typical magics are considered +0 to dispel. Additionally, the dispelling character must spend additional Magical Strength points equal to the negative DM of the check if it is of above average difficulty. For example, a Very Difficult (-4) dispelling attempt requires the character spend an additional 4 points of Magical Strength when the dispel is completed. Only a single attempt to dispel can be made in this way - if failed, the character can never dispel the magic.

Shield (Abjuration)
Difficulty: Easy (+4)
Cost: Varies
Casting Time: 1 Round
Range: Personal

By channeling magical strength into a body-enveloping membrane of magical energy, the character can enhance his ability to absorb damage. A shield lasts for a number of rounds equal to twice the Effect of the check and provides an armor rating equal to the number of Magical Strength points expended. This armor stacks with worn armor as normal.

A caster can choose to cast this spell upon another, but doing such costs an additional 2 Magical Strength Points. These additional points do not add to armor.

Two Unique Inhabitants of The Goremont Grim

The Harvester of Eyes: This terrible ogre mage collects eyeballs that float in the air about him, hooked upon dozens of magical gold chains emanating from his body. The Harvester of Eyes cannot be surprised, possess true sight, is of triple normal HD, deals double normal damage, and casts as a 12^th-level magic user. The Harvester of Eyes flees if attacked via thrown powdered hot peppers.

The "Hornswoop me Bungo" Pony: Occasionally, walkers encounter a lone pony in the Grim. These ponies bear food and water for 10 people for 10 days, but more importantly each bears a small ornamental tin with the words “Hornswoop me Bungo” painted on the red lid. Within the tin, 2-8 applications of a powerful healing unguent reside. When spread upon a wound, it heals 6-24 hit points of damage, cures disease, cures blindness, and instantly regrows any lost limbs.

The Goremont Grim's Inhabitants

None of the native inhabitants of The Goremont Grim are natural, living creatures. They are all echo constructions created by the Grim from the memories and experiences of the real creatures that have passed through it. The only real creatures in the Grim are adventurers or the odd creature trapped within that cannot find, or chooses to not find, escape.

Although the inhabitants of the grim are not real, they seem absolutely real to all but the most knowledgeable. The main difference between an echo construction and a real creature is that echo constructions are not required to eat, drink, or sleep, but they do tend to enter quiescent periods where they stand in place dumbly, as if the consciousness that animates them is temporarily absent. Sages speculate that this behavior indicates the Grim poorly understands the concept of sleep and dreaming.

Jan 2013 OSR Calendar Sample Page

After several hours of effort, here's what I'm envisioning. I ow a great debt to Plaag over at The Acaeum for the original material information and an equally great debt to Guy Fullerton for his amazing OSR Hoard and Horde list. I'd love to include more info on other Old-School Games. There are 5 categories as indicated via color and the small legend at the top of the page. So far, I'm quite pleased with it.

EDIT: To view at full resolution, you may have to right-click and hit "view image."