Petty Magic for Petty Matters—Part #2: Divine

Last time we talked about how Petty Magic (Arcane) could be used by a Magister to improve the lives of the smallfolk—peasants, merchants, etc. This time, we're looking at Priests and Petty Magic (Divine)!

Petty Magic (Divine)

Petty Magic (Divine) falls into a weird grey area, for me. On the one hand, I tend to have Divine magic much rarer, in my WFRP, than Arcane magic. Divine magic is literal miracles, and rarely, if ever, is it exact or reliable. Petty Magic, on the other hand, is more along the lines of blessings, which I can forgive as being rare, but no more so than secular wizards (which are super rare, anyway).

Whilst everyone in the Warhammer world would have been blessed at some point, and most of them often and repeatedly, few would encounter true blessings in their lives (and very very few multiple times throughout their lives). But the big thing to note is: believers think that every blessing they receive is a true blessing. Every "spell" below represents what occurs when the blessings seem to have tangible effects. These would be welcomed, if misunderstood, by the people who receive them, and would give common folks a heightened sense of faith in their Gods.

Blessing of Courage

The Priest speak inspirational words, emboldening the audience to shake off fear and terror.

Whilst there are plenty of chances to use a prayer like this in combat, there might not seem to be as many chances outside of it. You'd be wrong. Consider the moments of your life which are scary or terrifying, in which people freeze up, or don't have the courage to act quickly…

A bully is harassing the children of a nearby school, and the kids don't have the courage to stand up for themselves. A fire is raging in a local tavern, and everyone is frozen with indecision about whether to rush in and save the folks inside or not. Someone needs to go down into the dark well and fish out the bucket that got cut loose.

These moments may seem inglorious, but then many instances of folk prayer are. They're not asking the priest to embolden them before battle, but to aid them in simple tasks which are made not-so-simple because of the circumstances. A priest whose words seem to miraculously lift the hearts of the people would soon find themselves beloved of the smallfolk.

Blessing of Speed

The Priest touches the beneficiary, who moves faster and with more agility.

Delivering a message just in time. Running for cover out of a terrible storm. Or just having the chance to get everything you need to get done in the few hours of the day you have to work (because peasants rarely have time to be idle).

The Blessing of Speed could be used near constantly by anyone in the Old World, and their lives would be better for it. Obviously, such flippant use of miracles would come with the ire of the Gods, but perhaps Taal would look kindly on a Priest who blessed the running of a hunter, or Rhya the busy work of a nurse maid, or Sigmar to speed of the blacksmith, to ready weapons for the coming Greenskin Waaagh!

Blessing of Fortitude

The Priest touches the beneficiary, who becomes tougher of body and mind.

This is the catch-all "please help guide me" prayer that the smallfolk ask of so many Priests. A blessing like this could aid them in choosing the wisest course of action—which grains to grow, or where to send their sheep. It could aid them in passing uncooked or spoiled food, or accepting the death of a loved one, or… You get the idea.

This would likely be the most requested blessing, and also the least understood. Because it's only a small boost to Toughness and Will Power characteristics, often the results might never be observed. Did the peasant do better because of the blessing? Or because they were more confident? Maybe both? To the simple mind, though, correlation is easy to draw, and a Priest who dispenses these blessings would be very popular.

Blessing of Healing

The Priest touches the beneficiary, who heals a single Wound.

I don't think I even need to go into why this would be useful. It's only a single Wound, so it's not a huge difference, but it is significant if tipping the balance between Heavily Wounded and Lightly Wounded (and that's a difference of getting better in a single day, rather than two).

Even speeding healing by one day is enough to separate a peasant who starves (and potentially dies) and one who doesn't. Not to mention if the healing comes during harvest season…the lack of healing could have follow-on effects for the rest of the year, or longer, if the peasant needs to sell themselves to a Lord in exchange for the extra food that is missing.

Blessing of Might

The Priest touches the beneficiary, who becomes stronger and more skilled with a blade.

Whilst clearly focused on battle, here, there are situations when being stronger would aid in the day-to-day work of a peasant. Carrying bundles of hay, back and forth, would be much easier with this little boost. Being able to thresh grain from wheat stalks more effectively. Being slightly less tired from hauling enough water back from the well…

This blessing is similar to the Blessing of Fortitude, in that when it works, it's not certain if it's thanks to the Priest or not. But most folks would be thankful for the blessing, regardless.

Blessing of Protection

The Priest bestows the protection of their deity upon the beneficiary.

Now, this one requires a bit of GM fiat. Whilst the prayer's description is entirely focused on combat, that doesn't make too much sense for most of the Gods. Why would Rhya care about a battle? Why would Ranald care about protecting from sword swings?

Instead, I would rule this prayer gives, essentially, narrative proof against the areas of influence of the chosen God. Either the GM should choose a new target for the foulness, or should roll at a -10% to see if it affects them, or the character gains a +10%, or… You get the idea.

Maybe Rhya gives a +10% bonus to gathering food, or against food spoilage, or makes sure a mother's child isn't targeted (but perhaps the mother is targeted instead?) Maybe Ranald makes it so a thief thinks twice before taking your purse (rolls a Will Power at -10%, or chooses another target). Maybe Ulric has less snow fall on your house and your fields, not destroying your crops quite as much as your neighbours.

As you can see, Petty Magic (Divine) sometimes needs a little more thinking through than Petty Magic (Arcane), but such consideration is good! You'll get more of an idea how priests fit into your game world, when you examine how their blessings would be received and even misinterpreted. Next time we'll touch on Petty Magic (Hedge)!

Petty Magic for Petty Matters—Part #1: Arcane

With On the Edge of Exile in full swing (I'm still trying to figure out how to write it up and present it, so watch this space!) I've been thinking not just about Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition a lot, but also the lives of the common folk—much of the campaign revolves around the humble backwater of Dunkeldorf in the Border Princes, and the lives of the people there.

This ruminating has resulted in me figuring out what A Day in the Life of a Dunkeldorfer would look like. But more recently, I've been thinking about how magic could influence that life. Whilst magic is anything but mundane in WFRP, we do have a Magister in the party (Apprentice Astromancer Glory Bramblewish), and she is of the more humble sort, caring about the lives of the peasants…

Below, I've written up a short description of each spell from the Petty Magic Lores from the core rule book, as well as potentially unconventional and interesting ways how these spells could influence the lives of ordinary folk…for better or for worse.

I've broken it into 3 parts. For now, here's Part #1: Petty Magic (Arcane).

Petty Magic (Arcane)

Petty Magic (Arcane) is the one Glory has, as she's a Magister of Azyr, the Celestial Wind. These spells are your standard "Cantrips" from Dungeons & Dragons, though filled as well with the usual terror of WFRP magic…

Glowing Light

The Magister causes an item to glow with light for an hour, whilst held.

I don't think, in the modern day, we give as much credit to non-burning light sources as we should. Consider, truly, how dangerous it is to be carrying a fire in a thatched-roof house, or in a mine shaft, or on a sailing ship!

Whilst the item has to be in the hands of the Magister, I daresay there would be many in a village who would find this non-burning-torch-wielding person to be VERY useful, late at night…

Sounds

The Magister makes a phantom noise, from a whisper to a roar. Any type of noise, excepting speech.

This one is riddled with uses. From sound effects in a play put on for the local children, to calls used to lure out animals on a hunt, all the way to a rallying signal when no one has a bell to hand.

Sounds is an incredibly useful spell that, whilst likely disconcerting, could be used to liven up and aid in the day-to-day minutia of village life.

Drop

The Magister compels someone to instantly drop what they're holding.

A thief is taking off at a run with stolen goods? A young child has picked up something dangerous—a snake perhaps?!—and their parents are out of reach? A careless worker is about to imbibe a waterskin filled with befouled wine? Sounds like you could use the Drop spell!

This spell might seem like it's intended to cause all manner of nuisance, but there are plenty of times when people would rather not be holding onto something.

(A modern-world situation may be if the target is holding onto a live electric wire, and being electrocuted…but that's outside the scope of WFRP.)

Marsh Lights

The Magister summons a bunch of distant bobbing lights that follow their commands.

Usually lights like these are surrounded by superstition, with folks fearing to tread into a bog when they see them…and that's, honestly, a good use for them as well. Marsh Lights work as a simple deterrent—keeping the peasant's mind ignorant of the perhaps terrifying horrors outside the village, whilst also keeping them hemmed in and safe.

Marsh Lights may also be used to help search for a missing child in the woods—more ground is covered by the bobbing lights, so the child might see them better. Or they may look like torches in the forest, making the village seem better defended than it really is, acting as a deterrent for bandits and beastmen from coming closer…

Whilst Marsh Lights mightn't win the Magister any favours (or love) from the peasants, they are certainly useful in a multitude of circumstances.

Magic Dart

The Magister summons a small magic missile to attack.

This one is straight forward—whenever the villagers would need to shoot something, like on a hunt, or to kill vermin (because magic missiles rarely miss!), this would come in handy. Not much else to say, really.

Sleep

The Magister puts someone to sleep.

Now, this one might require a bit more GM fiat, but I'd rule it that, whilst the spell puts them to sleep for 1d10 minutes, it doesn't necessarily mean they wake up after that point. If the person is already prone to sleep (such as lying in bed), or tired, they may not wake up again afterwards…

Anyone with children will immediately see where this is going: a perfect spell to get a sick child to sleep, or just one that's having trouble getting down for the night. Whilst this is, perhaps, ethically questionable, I think most parents would agree that sometimes their kids just need to go to bed. Besides, imagine how much more you could do with your day if the kids went to bed when they were supposed to!

This would be a favourite spell among parents and healers, with the ability to control one's sleep being miraculous and celebrated.

Next up, I'll explore Petty Magic (Divine)! Until then, give some thought to how the spells use din your game could, and would, change the everyday lives of the people!

D&D 5E: Legendary Resistance Revamped

I've discussed this before, but it's so pressing for me whenever I run D&D 5E battles, that I think about it often. I dislike Legendary Resistance. A lot. It is probably my least favourite thing about D&D at the moment, and I've never been a massive fan of the system. I like 5E more than most, and am now coming to the end of my 3rd year running it, but Legendary Resistance keeps me mad.

I won't labour the point, but the main reason I dislike Legendary Resistance is that it needlessly takes away a player's shiny thing. They get to use an ability, and the GM just gets to tell them that it doesn't work.

I tried, in my last article on the subject, to fix this with a few different methods. I've now scrapped all of those workarounds, and come up with a new alternative which I prefer a lot more.

Legendary Resistance (3/day). [Creature] gains advantage on a saving throw of their choice. This advantage may be in addition to advantage they already had, allowing them to roll up to three dice, and choose the highest result.

Simple.

Sorted.

And just in time for Strahd.

Extra Little Character Building Questions

We've now completed character generation for On the Edge of Exile, but we're yet to play the first session (that's next week). The players are still fleshing out their characters, so in that spirit, I wrote a few little questions to help them build backstories that will inform the campaign, and the themes, that we're going to explore.

Also, don't worry, I'll post write-ups of all the characters once they're finished and we get started.

These questions are optional, of course, but they act the same as the Extra Little Worldbuilding Questions, but for player characters, rather than the GM. It's a good idea for GMs to come up with their own pointed (and loaded) questions for their own campaigns, so that they better fit the themes, but I hope my list gives you some inspiration.

1. Who are your parents? Where are they now? Do they know what you are? Do they know where you've been sent? How do they feel about that?
2. Do you have any siblings? Where are they now? Which ones do you remember fondly? Which ones bring up complicated feelings? Anger? Jealousy? Hatred?
3. Who was your best friend? Where are they now? Why aren't they here with you?
4. Who was your worst enemy? What did you do to them to inspire them to follow you? What lengths will they go to to get payback?
5. What dream did you hold, that now slips through your fingers? Is it gone now, forever? What would you do if presented the chance to get it back?

Hammer & Anvil—Crafting in WFRP2e

In 2014, I wrote a blog post called "I Hit It With My Hammer... Constructively" in which I outlined a hack for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition. At the time, I was very happy with it.

But I have grown since then, as a GM and a game designer, and as such it's time to release a revision. This revision started small, and quickly grew into a mini fan-supplement much like my last one, Tides of War.

And here it is! I hope you enjoy Hammer & Anvil!

Hammer & Anvil is an unofficial fan supplement for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition focusing on crafting. This system seeks to add a deep yet simple system to the core rules of WFRP that enables crafters of any variety to ply their trades. With some small substitutions, this system could be used with any roleplaying game.

Download Hammer & Anvil now!

Tides of War—Mass Combat in WFRP2e

With On the Edge of Exile on the horizon, I've been thinking about mass combat in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition, again. Hacking WFRP2e has always been a passion for me, so I dove straight into this, and came up with the following.

I hope you enjoy Tides of War!

Tides of War is an unofficial fan supplement for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2^nd Edition focusing on mass combat. This system is broad enough in scope, and general enough with mechanics, that it could easily be adapted to any RPG system, fantasy or otherwise, with minimal modification.

Download Tides of War now! 

Extra Little Worldbuilding Questions

Because my On the Edge of Exile campaign has had to be delayed for a few weeks, I've been going 'round in circles thinking about it. What this tends to mean is I write far too much about it, realise I don't want to plan/plot everything out, and then perform a cull. I'll add stuff, then trim it back, over and over again.

During this process, I've been thinking about some worldbuilding questions that rarely come up in guides to flesh out a settlement. These are pretty minor things, and not every settlement needs them all answered, but having an idea of them will help you stretch the verisimilitude of wherever the PCs go. Also note that for larger settlements - towns and cities - you can answer these per district or neighbourhood.

• Who cuts the people's hair? 
• A barber; 
• The lord's ex-manservant; 
• A communal hair-cutting circle; 
• Everyone's Nan?
• Who pulls teeth when they break or hurt? 
• A barber-surgeon; 
• The bartender (because they have a heavy door and string); 
• They get in a brawl at the tavern; 
• The local priest of the healing god?
• Who maintains the well? 
• A young chap with nothing better to do; 
• A chartered guild of well-workers; 
• The guards; 
• A retired mason?
• Who settles disputes? 
• A travelling judge; 
• Whichever outsider merchants are in town; 
• A Mafioso; 
• The lord's children, learning their command?
• Where do people go when they want to relax? 
• A back-alley dice game; 
• A local pub; 
• A drug den; 
• A serene garden?
• Who do people turn to when they have a problem? 
• A local crime boss; 
• The constable; 
• A wise village elder; 
• A kindly priest?
• Who does everyone know you can rely on and trust? 
• An honest bar fly; 
• The bouncer at the pub; 
• The sergeant of the guard; 
• The Robin Hood-esque local pick-pocket?
• Who does everyone revile or make fun of? 
• A known thief; 
• A disgraced ex-guardsman; 
• The noble lord; 
• The opportunistic mayor?

As a general rule of thumb, think about the things you do every day, and how the people in your world would fill those same roles. Every time you're out and about, think about how someone in your world would do the same. Where do you buy groceries, or do you grow your own? Who do you turn to when a button falls off your shirt, or do you stitch it back on? Where is everyone getting the thread, and the needles, if everyone sows their own buttons?

As I say, these aren't necessary questions to answer - but they are a useful tool, and they can make boring errands in your everyday life less boring!