Yoth-Algol: Men & Magic

[JMiskimen]

Men & Magic

Allowed Classes
All Core classes - Fighting-Man, Cleric, & Magic-user; but also including Greyhawk's Thief Class.

The following classes are also permitted, though in lesser numbers.

Blackmoor's Assassin
Eldritch Wizardry's Druid
Strategic Review's Ranger (SR1) & Illusionist (SR4)

All Hit Dice are d6, as per Men & Magic rules.

Other Men of Yoth-Algol

HYPERBOREANS
Small and slender, Hyperboreans are human-like but seldom more than five-feet tall. Their hair is light blue to a pure white, while their eyes are gray or green. All possess prominent, straight noses and very long ear lobes. Some have bluish beards and mark their faces with strange blue-colored sigils. Each wears unusual clothing, fanciful and strange. Their manner is curious and sometimes unexpected, yet clearly, they are a civilized people.

The Hyperboreans are a great race who built a fabulous culture that rose and fell before the dawn of recorded history. Said to be masters of magic, science, and art, the heritage of these people was passed down to the lands of Mu and Atlantis. The Book of Eibon was written by a Hyperborean wizard who dwelled in the province of Mhu Thulan.

Hyperboreans are always Dual-Classed characters, functioning as Fighting-men and Magic-users, limited to 7th level in both classes.

MEN OF K'N-YAN
Tall and lean, these dark-robed humanoids have black hair, dark-coppery skin, and expressionless, aquiline faces. Their long-headedness is pronounced by long and narrow, sharp-nosed faces. Their eyes are large and bulged slightly. Unlike humans, their ears have long lobes, and the tops of are flat rather than curved. Their clothes are black robes decorated with ornate symbols.

Carried at their sides are unusual weapons; bizarre swords and knives, which seem wrought from unknown metals and alien in design. They live in K'n-yan, a blue-lit, subterranean empire beneath the surface.

K'n-yan is a vast, blue-lit, subterranean empire beneath the earth, where secret tunnels lead from K'n-yan up to the surface world, as well as down into the black Gulf of N'kai and other more dreadful realms. Many kinds of strange plants and creatures live in K'nyan, although the most significant residents are the K'nyanians: an advanced race of people with spectacular abilities and knowledge. Some sources (including certain K'n-yanian sects) believe that the K'n-yanians came to Earth from the stars, although others doubt such claims. It was around the time of the destruction and sinking of Atlantis that the people of K'n-yan shut themselves off from the surface dwellers.

They pursue savage games that test strength and skill and stamina, and they create and partake of various mind-altering substances. Besides the crumbling remains of their advanced scientific, artistic, and magical knowledge, the people of K'n-yan possess great mental powers and are effectively immortal, as death only occurs from unnatural sources (such as violence) and the power to reanimate the dead is known to them.

K'n-yanians may be either Fighting-men or Magic-users limited to 9th level.
K'n-yanians are Immune to disease, aging, and paralysis.

Psionics
All K'n-yanians possess Psionics and roll %dice for their Psionic Ability and gain a +15 for their Psychic Potential.
Regardless of Class, they automatically gain the following abilities: ESP & Etherealness.

SEA CHILDREN
Thin humans, stoop-shouldered, with watery eyes that never seem to blink. Their whole demeanor seems wrong, and they lurch or shamble forward as if on unsteady legs. Some have facial deformities: receding chins or foreheads, half-realized noses or ears, or misshapen and wide mouths. Their skin is often pale and pockmarked, and mostly hairless. Despite such troublesome features, they could pass for human, although close examination of the strange creases on their necks would reveal vestigial gill slits. There are others for which the change was particularly progressed and they are less than human, with tentacle-like arms or legs, bulbous heads, and scaly skin.

Sea Children are, in the main, the progeny of deep one and human mating. Although the offspring of such unions are usually born as normal humans, changes in appearance and physiology tend to occur in late teens. Some are unaware of their heritage and, as the change begins to come upon them, they may feel drawn to their birthplace physical changes are accompanied by an awakening of new senses, strange dreams of undersea cities, and a longing to visit seaside locales particularly ancestral homes or the individual's birthplace. By middle age, most Sea Children display some form of gross deformity and such individuals retire to the privacy of their close-shuttered homes. Within a few years, the hybrid undergoes the final transformation into a full deep one and embarks on a new life in the sea.

Typically, Sea Children inhabit remote coastal villages, although they can be found farther afield (particularly in the initial stages of their transformation). As the final transformations take place, the hybrid either learns to accept their monstrous heritage or goes mad in the process. Deep ones and other Sea Children who have embraced their ancestry will attempt to lure Sea Children to their lairs or places of safety, where they can supervise the final metamorphosis and ensure the hybrid is appropriately schooled in the ways of the deep ones. Around 10 percent of Sea Children do not complete the full transformation and are doomed to spend the rest of their life as a half-human half-deep one, while a further 10 percent do not undergo the metamorphosis at all, with the deep one gene essentially skipping a generation only to manifest in a future descendant.

Sea Children may become Fighting-men up to 6th level, Clerics limited to 9th level, and are unlimited as Thieves.
Water-Breathing: As the Magic Spell, without limitations.
Swimming/Water Freedom: Sea Children may swim unimpeded by nets, obstacles, or magic.

TCHO-TCHO

Alleged to have originated near the Cold Wastes of Kadath or the Plateau of Leng (or Sung.) The tcho-tcho are variously described as dwarfish humans, degenerate humans, or a hybrid of human and monster. Perhaps some of these stories share a grain of truth. Consensus suggests that the tcho-tcho are humans tainted by years of proximity to the Mythos, corrupting their genetics in varying degrees in some, the taint of the Outer Gods grows strong while in others it is diminished, somehow buried or lost. Perhaps this factor alone helps to determine the nature of certain tcho-tcho communities: whether they work to foster the return of the Great Old Ones or settle into society with little awareness of their strange heritage.

What can be certain is that the tcho-tcho are not bound by any particular locale, as they may be encountered almost anywhere in the world. It is also clear that the tcho-tcho are not easily described by ethnicity, as over the centuries they have traveled far, and their bloodline has mixed with numerous other peoples. For some communities of tcho-tcho there remains a tangible connection through their unsavory beliefs, cannibalistic customs, and folklore passed down the generations, while in others, whose ancestors left such communities behind, there is no knowledge of the Mythos or the uncertain facts of their heritage. Thus, the tcho-tcho may come in all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities.

Tcho-tcho may be Fighting-men and Thieves as Dual-Classed characters up to 9th level with the following bonuses to Thief abilities:

Dex Score Adj to Thief Skills
2-3     -30 percentiles
4-5     -20 percentiles
6-8     -10 percentiles
9-12     no modifier
13-15   +10 percentiles
16-17   +20 percentiles
18-19   +30 percentiles

Demi-Men Classes (Race as Class)

Title	XP	Fighting Capacity	Spell (if any)
Veteran	3000	Man+1	2 - - -
Warrior	6000	2 Men+1	3 2 - -
Master	12000	3 Men+1	3 3 - -
Hero	24000	Hero	4 3 2 -
Legend	48000	Hero+1	4 4 3 -
Lord	96000	6 Men+1	5 4 3 2

Hit Dice progression is 1+1 for every level attained for each Demi-man class.

DVEORG
The Dveorg are a cryptic bearded race of 'dwarfs.' With the rise of humanity, they were driven underground to build cities of great beauty unmatched in their architectural brilliance. Legend says the Dveorg originally lived off the corpses of dead gods. The Dveorgs are effectively shape-shifters and their true shape remains a mystery.

Dveorg must have a minimum Constitution Score of 12 and a minimum Strength Score of 9. Prime requisites for being a Dveorg are both Strength & Constitution.
+1 to hit & damage with axes, hammers, and picks.
+1/level to hit humanoids/Giants.
Cannot be surprised underground and surprise opponents in underground settings: 1-3/d6.
Move Silently/Hide in underground settings, both 40%+Dex Modifier and +5%/level.
Detect/Remove traps: 1-2/d6
Detect slanting passages, shifting walls and new construction in underground settings.
In underground settings, Dveorg may always track their quarry, unless means are taken toward obscurity. In such cases, Dveorg track quarry at 60%.
Dveorg Save as Fighting-Men.
May create Magic Items & Weapons as Clerics and/or Magic-users at 6th level at one third the cost and thrice the quality (+3 or x3 where applicable.)

GNOMES
These stone or concrete-created 'elves' are, in the main, inanimate; however, some are in fact ugly little creatures brought to life by magic and alien design. Some believe the Dark Mother with a Thousand Young or her children imbue life into these vessels, which lie dormant during daylight hours but can spring to life at night to carry out vile and devious acts. The awakening of these small, stone monsters may be linked to the cycles of the moon, and they may be able to function only at specific times such as full or new moons, with much depending on the magic used to enchant them or the source of that magic. Apart from some affinity to Shub-Niggurath, reports suggest that certain wizards and witches may have uncovered the necessary spell or spells to conjure life into such vessels for their own ends, using gnomes to carry out tasks and meter out harm as directed.

Gnomes must have a minimum Intelligence Score of 12 and a minimum Strength Score of 9. Prime requisites for being a Gnome are both Strength & Intelligence.
Due to stoney construction, -4 to be hit by all weapons.
Save as Magic-users, +2 to all Saves.
Immune to turn to petrification/paralysis/poisons.
Immune to Charm, Hypnosis, and other mind affecting powers.
Unable to function or act during daytime/daylight, unless a save vs. magic is made x1/day.
May use Thief Skills and cast Illusioinist spells.

THE SHINING ONES
The Shining Ones are spirit-like entities, naturally invisible but often manifest as a halo of light that makes them shine like stars. In fact these beings can appear in all sorts of ominous ghostly shapes, from beautiful maidens to dreadful things with golden wings and bronze talons. Some accounts also allude to the unwholesome smell that accompanies them. Shining Ones have the gift of being able to move very quickly, and even, some say, to be everywhere at once.

The Shining Ones are innumerable, they know neither good nor evil, and they walked the earth long before mankind. Now they wander forever, 'not in the spheres we know, but between them' the ultimate abyss filled by Yog-Sothoth.

Shining Ones may meddle in human affairs from time to time. Many tales relate how they breed with the daughters of men and spawn monstrous offspring, like werewolves, and also how they teach men forbidden knowledge.

Shining Ones require a minimum Dexterity and Charisma Score of 12. Prime requisites for being a Shining Ones are both Dexterity & Charisma. Unlike human Magic-users who use Intelligence to modify spells and magic, Shining Ones use Charisma.
+1 to hit with swords and bows.
Immune to disease/aging/paralysis.
Invisibility: As their natural state, this ability can function at will until Dispelled or making an attack.
Brilliance: When used, functions as a Continual Light Spell with x3 the range and effectiveness.
Dimension Door: As the Magic-user Spell, usable x3/Day.
Pass Without Trace in wilderness, Shining Ones move through any type of terrain - brush, mud, snow, etc. - and leave neither footprint nor scent. Thus, tracking a Shining Ones in wilderness settings is typically impossible.
Shining Ones Save as Magic-users.
Shining Ones may Read/Detect magic as per magic spell x3/day.
Magic Spell usage. All spell lists may be learned.

MYCONIDS (MUSHROOM MEN)
Mushroom men are commonly found in wet, dark places deep in enchanted forests or deep beneath the surface world in underground caverns. Most Myconids are peace loving creatures of Lawful alignments that never venture far from their native lands, but there are a significant few who venture into the light in search of adventure. Myconids have superior night vision, able to see clearly in total darkness, however they are at a -2 disadvantage in full daylight. They vary in size from 2 to 12 feet tall, depending on their state of development, which shall be measured by their limited levels. They are also quite intelligent, though unable to verbally communicate, relying on telepathic communication achieved at 3rd level. Mushroom men are asexual, reproducing through spores upon their deaths.
Myconids save as Clerics.

The following abilities are gained by all Myconids as they advance in levels:
1st level ability - Distress - Warns all nearby Myconids of imminent danger and/or calls for help.
2nd level ability - Reproduction - Seeds the ground with spores that eventually grow into a new Myconid(s). These are automatically released if a Myconid dies.
3rd level ability - Rapport - Allows telepathic communication between two or more Myconids (they don't speak), or any other intelligent organism, regardless of what, if any, language it normally speaks/understands.
4th level ability - Pacification - Causes any sentient creature to become, failing a save vs poison, completely docile for a short period of time (1-6 rounds + current HD of Myconid.)
5th level ability - Hallucination - These are normally used for mind-melding with other Myconids, but they can also be employed against aggressors to confuse/distract them while the Myconids escape or otherwise deal with the threat. There is, unfortunately, an element of risk in this, as an opponent(s) sometimes become even more violent under the influence of these spores. Save vs poison, those that save become enraged for 1-6 rounds.
6th level ability - Animation - Used to temporarily animate the corpse of a non-Myconid for several weeks by coating it with Purple Fungus. Myconids never kill other living things for this purpose; they simply bring back any dead bodies that they happen to find while out exploring nearby tunnels, caves, etc. These "zombies" serve as bodyguards/servants for the Myconid community--only the Myconids of 6th level can create these entities and they are not classified as Undead, because it's living fungus that animates them, not necromancy.

Sporcerers
Sporcerers are a rare and magical mutation of the common Myconid, and as such, they accumulate levels at a reduced rate compared to the other Mushroom Men. They Save as Magic Users.

Level	XP	Fighting Capacity	Sporcery Circle Effects	Height
1	2500	Man	1 1 -	2ft
2	4500	Man+1	2 2 1	4ft
3	9000	Man+1	3 3 2	6ft
4	18000	Man+2	4 3 3	8ft
5	36000	Man+3	5 4 3	10ft
6	70000	Hero	6 5 4	12ft

These unusual "Magic Users" generate spores that emulate and tap into existing magical energies.

Spore Effects - Resisting Sporcery is made as a Save vs Poison. Due to the physical nature of Sporcery, most spell effects have a radius of 10' and are to be considered Area Effect Spells, unless otherwise stated.

1st Circle
Spores of Sneezing - As effect of Dust of Sneezing and Choking.
Spores of Blindness - All those within 10' radius become blinded for 1-6+Sporcerers level rounds.
Spores of Itching - Cause a -4 to hit due to excessive and unbearable itchiness.
Spores of Burning - Spores ignite upon contact with opponent for 1d6 damage that smolders and burns for as many rounds as the Sporcerer has levels.
Spores of Poison - Save vs Poison at -2.
Spores of Paralysis - Save vs Poison at -2, or become immobilized for 1-6 rounds.
Spores of Charm - As Magic User Spell.
Spores of Darkness - As Magic User Spell.
Phosphorescent Glow - Creates a dim otherworldly glow on whatever it is cast upon.
Detect Spores - Ability to detect spore usage within the last 24 hours.
Speak with Fungi - Ability to communicate with Fungus for as many turns as the Sporcerer has levels.
Slime of Slipperiness - As effect of Oil of Slipperiness.

2nd Circle
Spores of Stinging - Causes recipients to attack at a -2 /defend at a -2AC for as many rounds as the Sporcerer has levels.
Spongeskin - Reduces armor class by 1 and absorbs 1-6 damage for as many rounds as the Sporcerer has levels.
Phantasmal Cloud - As the Magic User/Illusionist Spell Phantasmal Force.
Second Sight - Enables the caster to see Invisible Creatures/Objects for as many rounds as the Sporcerer has levels.
Neutralize Sporcery - Acts as a specified Dispell Magic against other Sporcerers.
Neutralize Poison - As the Cleric/Druid Spell.
Caps of Healing - Causes 1-6 healing mushrooms to rapidly grow. Heals 1-6+1 damage per cap devoured.
Fungus Growth - Cause existing fungus to grow to giant proportions.
Slime of Stickiness - As the Magic User Spell Web.

3rd Circle
Control Fungus - The ability to control as many fungi as the Sporcerer has levels.
Fungal Parasite - Creates a malevolent growth that drains 1 level per round as the Sporcerer has levels.
Broth of Wisdom - This potion takes 1-6 turns to create, but drinking it grants 10%-60% Magic Resistance for as many rounds as the Sporcerer has levels.
Broth of Regeneration - This potion takes 1-6 turns to create, but drinking it grants Ring of Regeneration ability for as many rounds as the Sporcerer has levels.
Broth of Mind Expansion - This potion takes 1-6 turns to create, but drinking it grants Random Psionic ability for as many rounds as the Sporcerer has levels.
Corrosive Slime - An acidic slime that damages for 1d6 and degrade armor by 1 point per round for as many rounds as the Sporcerer has levels.
Flame Jelly - A stream of Flammible Jelly coats the target. When ignited it burns for 2-12 damage on the first round and 1-6 for as many rounds as the Sporcerer has levels.
Summon Amorphite - Randomly Summons on 1d4 1-Green Slime, 2-Gelatinous Cube, 3-Grey Ooze, 4-Black Pudding
Telekinetic Slime - This thick coating will grant the recipient TK abilities for as many rounds as the Sporcerer has levels.
Spawn Fungus - Creates enough living Fungi to encompass the Area of Effect
Animate Non-Living - causes 1-6 non living materials to grow animating fungi. Each animated object may be considered as a Veteran Fighting Man with a 7-5AC, depending on the material animated.

Combat
Chainmail rules will be used rather than the d20 Alternate Combat Table presented in Men & Magic.
All weapons do 1d6 damage.

Magic
Concentration: In order to cast and maintain any spell, a Wizard must be both stationary and undisturbed by attack upon his person. Any successful attack will disrupt his concentration and negate the spell.

Counter-spell: If there are two or more opposing Wizards in combat, the stronger magician can successfully cast a counter-spell with a two d6 score of 7+, while a weaker magician needs a score of 8, 9, 10 or 11, depending on his relative strength. A counter-spell fully occupies a magician's powers.