Alexandria
Once upon a time, the Council of Wizards decided it would be a good idea to build a library. So each archmage set out to search the four corners of the world for a perfect place. They couldn't agree on anything when they reconvened, so they eventually ended up settling for the center of a city instead. Nobody was particularly happy with this turn of events, especially not the residents who would be displaced, but government officials agreed to give the wizards a permit if they would please stop setting senators on fire.
And that's how the streets of Alexandria were replaced by conjured domes and soaring geomantic towers.
The Council filled its library with every arcane secret known to man, and lesser mages flocked to Alexandria to learn them. Tomes were consulted, experiments were undertaken, and soon the gaggle of wizards came up with new findings to add to the shelves. Within a few short years, they needed to dig catacombs to deal with the sheer volume of paper. It's said that they eventually amassed enough tomes to fill six or seven levels.
Their knowledge and power shined like a metaphysical beacon. In fact, they glowed so brightly that they could be seen far outside the confines of reality, in realms inhabited by things made from nothing but hunger and malice. Old gods were drawn to it like moths to a candle, and the veil keeping them out grew thinner by the day. When they finally broke through, the wizards didn't stand a chance. The lucky ones were slaughtered where they stood. The rest succumbed to corruption.
Alexandria still stands, but only as a monument to what's been lost. The city is a dark fortress and its secrets are long since buried.
But they’re still there, if you set out to find them.
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This game is about a bunch of journeyman wizards searching for ancient magical knowledge. They'll get it, too, but a lot of them will probably end up dying along the way.
It uses normal RTD mechanics. That means that I'll determine the outcomes of difficult actions with a D6, using a results table that looks something like this:
1: Critical failure. If you're casting a fireball, it probably explodes in your face.
2: The action is merely ineffective. The fireball misses and flickers out.
3: Minor success. It lands on the wood floor and sets it alight.
4: Success. You hit target and burn it.
5: Major success. It explodes and engulfs the victim in flame.
6: Overshoot. Now everything is burning.
Rolls can also have modifiers as a result of stats or circumstance. These will affect the result of the roll rather than the roll itself, meaning that a 5+1 will be a better success rather than an overshoot and a 1+1 will be a failure that doesn't hurt you as badly.
Wizards who want to do something magical will generally accomplish it by casting something from their spellbook. Each spell has set requirements and effects, but they tend to be versatile enough to be used creatively.
Characters start with a single spell, but it's possible to learn more by exploring Alexandria and overcoming its dangers. Certain tomes, tablets, and scrolls will reliably teach you new spells, and characters can have arcane revelations of their own after interacting with powerful magic.
You can cast one spell each turn while doing something else, or two if you use your physical action to stay still and focus.
Name: Keep it pronounceable.
Appearance: A short physical description.
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You have two statpoints to distribute. Each will give you a +1 on relevant rolls.
Strength: Raw force output and proficiency in melee combat.
Dexterity: Finesse, acrobatics, and skill in ranged combat.
Insight: Awareness of things both mundane and magical.
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Finally, you can begin the game with one of the following spells:
Augmentation: Temporarily gives the caster unnatural strength and speed. It doesn't necessarily include the skill to use them safely.
Mage Lightning: Causes raw magical lightning to leap from the caster's hand.
Clairvoyance: Expands the caster's awareness to include everything in a hundred-foot radius.
Author
Topic: Alexandria: Wizardly Dungeoneering (Read 4270 times)