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Battlelords of the 23rd Century Scenario

                               

Blood Druid Powers

 

* These are mystical abilities and as such are enhanced by the presence of ley lines/places of power.

* All powers can be used as a natural ability - one melee attack. Usually Blood Druids will cast them through powerful rituals. 

Tears of Blood; target cries blood doing damage and blinding the foe - D6 MDC or SDC/HP per level of caster {which ever is appropriate}. (NB: direct to HP on mortal target not in EBA) per level of the caster.  The visual impairment results in -6 s/p/d.  Standard magic save required.  Range 20ft per level.

Poison Blood; target's blood turns to poison damaging them for duration; does 1D6 x10 MDC/HP {whichever is appropriate} to the target per Melee. Once damage starts been taken then a save versus Pain needs to be made, a failed roll means the person gets afflicted with all that entails when you fail against "Agony" spell. Roll to save each melee for duration of affect irrespective whether saving throw was passed or failed in the previous melee. This also prevents all natural healing for the duration of affect.  Standard magic save required.  Range 10ft per level.  Duration 1 minutes per level.

Beasts of blood; supernatural predators created from the blood of the druid through a ritual and stored in the serpent's egg; the greater the druid the greater the beast. This can be cast as a natural ability but as it requires the Blood Druid to shed his own blood, it is not something done in the heat of battle, unless it is absolutely necessary. Apart from the Cardinal Lords, whose disembodied Head drips blood, and if they so wish, they sometimes cast this ability on that dripping blood. This effect is frightening to behold for onlookers, for when the drop of blood hits the ground, the "Wrath" Beast of Blood starts forming and appearing right in front of your eyes. The other Blood druids try to imitate this effect by storing their created Beasts of Blood in their Serpent's egg, and then casting Tears of Blood on themselves and releasing the Beasts of Blood through that way. The ones released through the Serpent's egg or via ritual can last indefinitely unless destroyed or cancelled by Blood Druid. All Beasts of Blood are excellent trackers, if they get your blood scent, then they will hunt you down across the whole world till the end of time. There is no hiding from them only evasion if they get the victims Blood Scent.

 

·        All Beasts of Blood have the ability to track you once they have your "Blood Scent".

·        All Beasts of Blood last indefinitely when cast via a ritual and/or if they are then stored in a Serpent's egg. Most Blood Druids will only have as many Beasts of Blood created and at their disposal as they are able to store in their Serpent's egg.

·        All Beasts of Blood are immune to anything that actually effects the mind, they do not appear to have a mind.

·        All Beasts of Blood are immune to sensory deprivation. Blinding grenades, sonic booms and other similar means of attack will not effect them. Sensory deprivation spells/psionics will have no effect on them either.

·        All Forms of attacks against all Beasts of Blood will only have HALF the effect they normally do. Magic will have half effect, inflict half damage and it will have half duration. Physical attacks, whether they be firearms, melee, punches, psionics or magic will do half damage and any of their effects will be half duration.

·        All Beasts of Blood can be dispelled anytime by the blood druid who created them. NB: if the Beasts of Blood are stored in the Serpent's egg, then the Blood Druid doesn't dispel them out of existence but stores them back into his Serpent's egg.

·        All Beasts of Blood are back to full power within twenty-four hours of being down to their last 10% of damage capacity. This is reduced to EIGHT hours if they are stored back into a Serpent's egg when they are down to their last 10% of damage capacity. The Blood Druid can store his Beasts of Blood back into the Serpent's egg whenever he wishes, irrespective of the damage they have taken. Beasts of Blood recover about THREE times quicker when stored in their Blood Druid's Serpent's egg.

·        All Beasts of Blood are magical creatures and their attributes and attacks should be seen as magical and supernatural for game purposes. (where appropriate)

·        All Beasts of Blood last 1 minute per level of Blood Druid, if cast in 1 (ONE) attack as a natural ability. If cast this way they can not be stored in the Serpent's egg.

 

 

Cardinal lord creates a 1D6 x1000 MDC Wrath. Attributes are P.S. 90, P.P 20, P.E 30, Spd 30. M.E attribute is not applicable, it appears not to have a mind to effect. Instead of M.A it has a Horror Factor of 19. And it has animal predator level intelligence. Wraths are massive in scale, about the size of an apartment block. They have FOUR heads and are covered in bony protrusions. They will do their PS attribute damage X4 + 3D6 X10 MDC from bony Protrusions. (for game purposes this could 2D6 X 100 MDC) on HTH attacks. Each of their Four heads will do 2D4 X100 MDC on a bite attack. They are capable of hurling enchanted Blood from their mouth and Four Protrusions on their body. On impact these will manifest as offensive spells, like power bolt, fireball and so on. The mouth will do 4D6 X100 MDC on target. Where as the ones on the back will do 2D4 X100 MDC to 50FT radius around point of impact. They have 36 (THIRTHY SIX attacks in total) each head has 9 (NINE) attacks. Wraths are only used in wartime. Their Long Range attack range is 20 Miles.

 

Archbishops create a "Beast of War" with 3D6x100 MDC. Attributes are P.S. 60, P.P 20, P.E 30, Spd 30. M.E attribute is not applicable, it appears not to have a mind to effect. Instead of M.A it has a Horror Factor of 16. And it has animal predator level intelligence. These are the size of houses and they do X2 damage of their P.S. attribute damage on HTH strikes + 2D4 X10 of all the bones protrusions. Their bite does 1D6 X 100 MDC, anything that is smaller than them and they are able to grab with their mouth, they are likely to swallow. The Protrusions on their back also allow them to hurl enchanted blood. These spells manifest as offensive spells when they impact target. Usually this is power bolt, fireball and so on. Whatever the case each of these does 6D6 X 10 MDC at target. Range is about 5 Miles. This enchanted blood attack is hurled from their mouth and a large mouth like protrusion on their back. They get +5 strike and dodge. They rarely dodge. Used only in war situations, especially during sieges of the enemy or to charge into enemy lines. They have 12 (TWELVE) attacks.

NB: The Basilica if its in a "playing" mood may seal a powerful player group with one of these in a room. Usually the intruders will walk into a room or corridor in the Basilica being none the wiser, When one of these will start forming, by the time they realise what it is and turn to run, it will be too late. They will turn to see their entrance sealing up, and the only other exit lies beyond this monstrosity.

 

Bishops create a "Dog of War" with 1D4 x100 MDC. Attributes are P.S. 45, P.P 30, P.E 20, Spd 120. M.E attribute is not applicable, it appears not to have a mind to effect, and instead of M.A it has a Horror Factor of 14. It has predatory animal level intelligence.  They have 8 (EIGHT) attacks, +9 to initiative and +9 to strike and doge. Their Dodge is an Autododge as well.

These are larger versions of the Priests Beasts of War, and are covered in protruding bones and quills. They have retractable claws and a mouth full of razor teeth. (These allow it to do +6D6 MDc damage on top of its standard P.S. attribute damage on all HTH attacks). They also have a prehensile tail. Which gives + 1 attack and can be used as a weapon and to knock down opponents.

On a strike with its feet or "paw" it does damage based on its P.S. Attribute.

Its pounce attack will do X3 its power "paw" swipe strike. This pounce attack is capable of causing knockdown very large supernatural sized targets (Thornheads or people in power armour and robots). All opponents must roll versus balance if the leaping pounce attack hits target. If a person is knocked down they are likely to be pinned by the Beast of Blood with at least its front two legs on the victim's chest, if it is not standing on top of target. Once it has opponent in pin it will continue to bite at victim's face and throat. A successful strike at throat while opponent is pinned this way will do X3 damage. 

"Dogs of War" are able to hurl enchanted blood from their mouth, which manifests itself as an offensive spell (fireball, powerbolt and so on) on impact. This will do "2D4 X10 MDC on target at a range of 400ft)

 

Priests create 'blood hounds' with 4D6 X 10 MDC. Large Wolf sized beast.

Attributes are P.S. 30, P.P 30, P.E 20, Spd 75. M.E attribute is not applicable, it appears not to have a mind to effect, and instead of M.A it has a Horror Factor of 12. It has predatory animal level intelligence. They have 5 (FIVE) attacks, +5 to initiative and +5 to strike and dodge. Their Dodge is an Autododge as well.

On a bite it does 6D6 MDC Damage. On a strike with its feet or "paw" it does damage based on its P.S. Attribute.

Its pounce attack will do X3 its power "paw" swipe strike. This pounce attack is capable of causing knockdown very large human sized targets (even those who are supernatural, and have MDC damage capacity). All opponents must roll versus balance if the leaping pounce attack hits target. If a person is knocked down they are likely to be pinned by the Beast of Blood with at least its front two legs on the victim's chest, if it is not standing on top of target. Once it has opponent in pin it will continue to bite at victim's face and throat. A successful strike at throat while opponent is pinned this way will do X3 damage.

The "Blood Hounds" have been released into the Metro tunnels, which they roam and patrol in packs of 3D6 + 2. These also patrol the Basilica in similar sized packs.

NB: In the Ancient past, the Blood Druids may have released their "Blood Hounds" and "Dogs of War" to patrol an area in a similar way. These Beasts of Blood exist forever unless destroyed by their enemy or dispelled by the blood druid who created them. They could quite easily be left behind, when the Blood Druid who created them dies, or if the Blood Druid travelled to another dimension and forgot about his Beasts of Blood. Without new instructions from the Blood Druid who created them they would continue to follow his last instructions and carry them out until they were destroyed.  Could it be that it was the sightings of these Beasts of Blood in Prerifts times that gave rise to the legends of "Hell Hounds".  Hounds who never stopped until you were dead once they had marked you as their target.

The Blood Druids use these Beasts of Blood  (Blood Hound and Dogs of War) on their hunts. Did they use these creatures in what the ancient texts refer to as the Wild Hunt.

 

Blood Marionette - works on the "living" and "deceased". Recently deceased opponents can be reanimated though imbibing the blood of the druid. The Blood Druids pass this of as being able to bring the dead back to life (resurrection). When the Blood Druids first emerged on Rifts Earth they were able to utilise this ability to win over followers to their cause by bringing back to life the frightened humans deceased loved ones. By using this alongside the Blood Leech ability they are able to convincingly pull of this claim.

For effectiveness, especially for the effect to last for a while, the blood druids usually do this as a ritual. The ritual is also carried out, if the blood druids wish to add some special instructions and if they want to boost the power of the "Blood Marionette" target.

Duration 10 minutes per level if cast as a natural ability. This is only really done in the heat of battle, opponent gets standard magic save.

Blood druids much prefer to do this on captives and in a controlled environment, because on a ritual it can last for 1D6 years before the marionette needs to be "topped up" with enchanted blood, if the effects of the initial ritual are to continue to last.

Another use for Blood Marionette is to take control of a living victim's body and make it do what you want. Pretty much making the target a "marionette" for the blood druid. The Blood Druids are able to make the victims do whatever they want. In the heat of battle they may make one enemy turn on his comrades. They could use the "marionette" victim to allow them entrance to a secure site. For instance if they are going to do a bank robbery, they will take over the security guards and use them to allow them entrance into the vault, or get the victim's to do the robbery for them. 

A Marionette victim makes a good spy for the blood druids without even knowing about it. This is even more the case when this ability is used with the Blood Leech. This combination gives you an excellent long-term deep cover espionage operative. An operative who doesn't even realise that he is a thrall of another.

NB: During the current round of conflict on the NGR's western front, where the Monster Nations broke through the NGR lines on the western front and entered the western cities, when the NGR citizen militias alongside the NGR military defended their homes in hand to hand, street by street fighting. Many NGR troops and civilians fell victim to these abilities. Some are living marionettes for the blood druids, while others are deceased marionettes for the blood druids.  Having these Marionettes in place was the minimal goal of the Blood Druids from this particular offensive. The NGR has no idea about the extent of Blood Druid help to the Gargoyle Empire nor the full capabilities of the Blood druids. Due this lack of understanding the NGR has no idea that the main objective of the Gargoyle Empire assault on the western cities was to put in place "Blood Marionettes" in the heart of their enemy's territory.

NB: The NGR may decide to use the humans and others in what used to be the Pre-rifts country of France to build a force that could fight the Monster Nations there. This may be an avenue worth pursuing. The NGR has to balance its resources, with the lack of help coming from the Coalition States, it has found itself in a precarious position. The NGR can not over stretch, yet it has to quickly find a way to hold back the enemy tide, which will inevitably strike soon. If its enemies realise the NGR's current position, the NGR is finished. Its only hope lies in finding a way to buy time to recuperate.

Getting the humans and others in what used to be the Pre-rifts country of France to keep the Monster Empire on its Western Front busy. The NGR can concentrate on its other fronts, but the problem is the NGR has no room to manoeuvre, even a slight mistake in its current condition will be lethal, as it has nothing left in reserve.

The fault in this strategy is that many of the villages, communities it will look to inspire, win over and turn against the Monster Empires, are in fact under the Blood Druids control. Those communities not under their control may have Blood Druid presence. Usually this presence is hidden and the Blood Druids will have a greater influence and presence than is initially perceived. There are likely to be Blood Druid "Blood Marionettes" in these communities.

Even worse there are entire communities that are made up of "living marionettes" or "deceased marionettes". These are going to be small isolated communities. They exist to lure the unwary into the clutches of the Blood Druids, or to give a false impression of the Blood Druids. On the face of things these will offer a safe haven to those who are weak and alone from the terrors of Rifts Earth but in reality these tiny hamlets or farmsteads act as traps for the Blood Druids. If the NGR does go for this option they may well be helping their enemy and in their current state this will be fatal for the NGR. 

Blood sustenance - Mystical drink opponents blood. There is no physical drinking of blood but the blood druid is mystically draining the victim of their blood. For Game Purposes the Blood Druid will get 1D4 X10 MDC per attack. While the victim will lose this amount of MDC or SDC/Hit points whichever is appropriate. (SDC first and then Hit Points). Once the victim loses half their MDC/SDC they will need to make a save versus lethal poison, a failed roll means they feint for a MELEE. The damage lost this way will return at half the normal rate. For every melee of combat and other exertions they remain at half their natural MDC/SDC damage the victim will need to make this roll. If the victim fails this roll three times, the he will fall into a coma. Even when not fighting they will need to make this roll every hour. They need to get serious amounts of medical treatment or get healed either by psionics or magic to above half their natural MDC/SDC and even this treatment will restore lost damage at half the normal rate.

Blood Leech - This allows the Blood Druids to drain the subject of their essence and memories. This allows the Blood Druids to erase memories of victim, as well as using a blood leach to transfer essence and memories from one target to another. The blood leech may well be kept for generations by the Blood Druids to be used when they need it. One of the uses for this is to imprint valuable information into a spy, such as skills and codes. NB: This can be used to transfer knowledge from one person to another, maybe mechanical skills to a mage, or mystic lore to a engineer. Blood leeches are used for keeping important information and knowledge safe that they do not want to lose. A lot of key knowledge from Blood Druids is kept safe in the Basilica. In fact there is a section for Blood Leeches in the libraries of the Basilica that is accessed and used by the Blood Druids, instead of relying on books and digital disks. The Blood Druids also use this to implant false memories into the victims. These can be used to make a person do something the Blood Druids want done from an unwilling victim, without the victim even realising. This could be as simple as making the victim think they hate someone so much that they ought to kill that person, to making the victim think they owe their live to the Blood Druid and should give their life to help them.

The Blood Druids also use the Blood Leech in conjunction with the Blood Marionette to "resurrect" the deceased. The Blood Leech is used to get the essence and knowledge of a target. Then when the Blood Marionette is used to resurrect the deceased, the blood leech will be used to restore a great majority of the "resurrected" Blood Marionettes knowledge and memories. To all extent and purposes the deceased is back alive and kicking. The only difference is the "resurrected" deceased is back only in body not spirit. The new body is in effect a robot, programmed by the Blood Druids and under their control. 

 

Serpent's egg - The Blood Druids wear what appears to be two crude entwined blood torques, nearly the size and shape of an ostrich egg, overtime this becomes a small but breathtakingly exquisite gem. Antiquarians and other collectors value this gemstone as priceless. The sepent's egg main assistance to the blood druid is that it acts as a mystic energy reservoir, as well as carrying activated spells in it. These can be released at a moment's notice. The Serpent's egg also allows the blood druid to carry created "Beasts of Blood" and "Blood Leeches", as well as enchanted blood. The serpent's egg is not a blood torque per se. It's existence came about, because this was just one of the methods used by the Blood Druids to try and control the massive energies surging through them due to them drinking enchanted blood. They tried to dissipate these energies from their bodies, but found the released mystic energies just coagulating outside their body. This process does buy the Blood Druid a few more years before the onset of mutations and the destruction of his body. While it didn't solve their long term problem of saving their body, it did show them a way to collect and store mystic energy, as well as find other uses for it, like using it to store "Beasts of Blood" in.  For Game purposes the Serpent's egg allows the Blood Druid to store 10 PPE at first level and then it doubles every other level, up to level 15 (FIFTEEN). It will not increase after level 15 (FIFTEEN). The size of the serpent's egg will decrease, while it's flawless quality will increase every other level. 1 (ONE) "Beast of Blood" and 1 (ONE) "Blood Leech" can be stored per level in the Serpent's egg per level. The Blood Druid is able to store any 3 (THREE) spells at a time, for 10 (TEN) minutes per level. Sometimes instead of spell magic, the blood druids store spells cast as a ritual in them, the ritual spells last for a WHOLE DAY per level of the Blood Druid. The Serpent's egg is able to store 3 (THREE) Ritual spells at a time. These spells can then be released/cast by Blood Druid in 1 (ONE) attack as long as the spells remain in Serpent's egg. The Blood Druid is able to store 3 more spells if all the stored spells used up. They can even cancel stored spells and store three other spells.

Blood Tattoos - The Blood Druids enchant blood taken from the newly deceased and then smear it on themselves. The Blood Druids usually do this to the blood of animals or to the blood of supernatural animals. For instance when the Blood Druid activates a Blood tattoo made from enchanted fury beetle blood, an undead fury beetle will appear. For all intents and purposes it will be your average and typical fury beetle, the only thing being it will be undead. The methods used to destroy the average undead will work to destroy the Blood tattoo fury beetle, but methods that can hurt a conventional fury beetle will not work on the Blood tattoo fury beetle. The Blood tattoo creature is under the blood druid's command. These blood tattoos can be of any creature, and when one of these Blood tattoos creatures/animals is activated that creature/animal will appear but be undead.

For Game purposes These Blood tattoos can only be used ONCE. The Undead creature will last for a 1 (ONE) hour per Level of the Blood druid casting it and Blood Druid can activate one Blood Tattoo creature per level at any one time.

These Undead creatures are so life like in behaviour and looks that to the casual observer they will be undiscernibly from the real creature. If you encounter them you may realise after a bit that it is under the control/command of another. How quickly this is realised will depend on how soon you figure out its actions are being planned and are not the instinctive behaviour of an animal. If the commanding Blood Druid is killed or knocked out, the Blood tattoo creature will continuing carrying out whatever the last instruction to it was from its blood druid.

NB: These Blood tattoos can be cast on objects, such as armour, swords, shields, walls and doors. Work same way as above, need to be activated by the casting Blood Druid.

Another use for this is that these Blood Tattoos are modified and enhanced when cast through a ritual. The drawings that are encountered in the Basilica and the Metro Tunnels for instance, that range from crude to extremely realistic and even to life like sculptors of eyes, ears and supernatural creatures are in fact modified Blood Tattoos cast as a Ritual. The Blood Druids use them as surveillance and security devices. During the ritual to create them, they are given their instructions of activation and purpose. The simpler these instructions, the shorter the ritual and the cruder the drawing. The more complex purpose of these type of Blood Druids, the longer the ritual and the more complex the Blood Tattoo has to be.

 

Blood Torques - The ability to create Blood Toques. This is a ritual only ability. It is the mixing of enchanted Blood with the purest molten gold, shaped into something that is in one piece and can close a circle. All Blood torques have to be go around the body, and can never be part of something else. For instance a Blood Torque can never hang of a necklace. One end of the Blood Torque appears to be swallowed by the other, when it is closed, and the circle form is complete. All Blood Torques must be touching the body when worn. Blood Torques shine as if they are made of solid gold. On touch however they feel organic and pulsating with life. From afar they appear to be made up of one piece of solid gold. However Blood Torque's are made up of intertwining strands, criss-crossing each other over and over again, forming knots all around the Blood Torque. It appears the more of these Knots there are in the Blood Torque, the more powerful it is. Blood Torques can be made in any size, but whatever their design they have to be able to close the circle. The Rituals install incredible powers into these torques. The most common Blood Torque is worn around the neck, and is worn by all the Blood Druids. Variations on this are worn around the arms, legs, waist and chest.

 

There is another Blood Torque, that is worn by the Blood Druid Prisoners and victims and this is the Blood Oath torque. This is an enforcer device used on their victims. It inflicts incredible pain on its wearers. It is a flawlessly simple yet beautifully ingenious device for its purpose. This device is used to break prisoners, it forces them to do whatever the Blood Druids want. When the victim puts on this torque a quick ritual is performed. NB: The victim must put it on of their own free will, a short period spent under normal torture means the victim is ready to do anything. During this ritual the instructions/conditions are given to the victim, they can be short and vague, but the Blood Druids like to be thorough and go into minute detail. What this means for the victim is as long as he doesn't go against these instructions nothing happens. However the moment he goes against it he gets it with agony spell with no saving spell, with his life being drained at 10% per attack with no saving throw. Another thing that gets activated is a "mind trap". As soon as the victim desists that caused the activation of the Blood Oath Torque, the agony and life drain will stop. NB: the agony and Life Drain will stop when 10% of the victims MDC/Hit points are left, however the Mind Trap will continue. In the Mind Trap the victim experiences his nightmares over and over again. For the victim this nightmare usually involves being close to getting what he most desires and losing it at the last moment. The Mind Trap puts the victim into a nightmare reality of his own creation. The Blood Oath Torque doesn't just break the victim physically but destroys their spirit. Effectively for every year the victim wears the Blood Oath Torque, he loses 1D4 of all his attributes and loses 10% of their MDC or SDC/Hit points (whichever is appropriate). A save versus insanity needs to be made once every four months while wearing the Blood Oath Torque. This usually means most average victims are dead in three to four years of wearing this torque. If the torque is removed from the victim, then he recovers 90% of the physical loss, but the broken spirit is a totally different thing.  Apart from most likely having a insanity or three the victims comes out changed. In Game Terms, change of disposition, change of Alignment, change of behaviour.

Any attempts to remove the Blood Oath Torque will cause the above punishments to start, and physical removal of the torque by victim is impossible once these punishments start. If another person is doing it, the above punishments to the victim will start and if the person will persist, removal of the Blood Torque will result but the victim will die. NB: The Blood Druids can not intentionally do this, nothing happens to the victim if they try to remove it. The Blood Druids can remove the Blood Oath Torque via another ritual.

The worst thing of the Blood Oath Torque is after the initial duration, which isn't more than 3D4 months, the victim can remove the Blood Oath Torque and end his torture. However by that time the victim is permanently stuck in his "mind trap", only now and again snapping out of it for short period. The Mind Trap state becomes the norm for the victim, as well as a refuge from his prison.  Victim is not sure which is the real reality. The victim is broken, and in a state of terror and confusion, not knowing friend from foe, probably having lost the ability to speech and other natural functions. The victim's body is in the real world but the spirit is living in the Mind Trap reality, and is oblivious to what is going on in the real world.

 

 

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