Favours
Medicine Way: Trickster
Appeasement Required: 3
Duration: 1 hour per 2 ap's over minimum
Range: 1 mile per 2 ap's over minimum
Description
Darkness can be your best friend or your worst enemy. If you're planning a raid then nightime is the best kind of cover you can use, but if you're trapped in a church surrounded by blood-hungry Vampires then one prays for the dawn to arrive early - which is one of the uses of this Favour. It is a powerful Favour which pleads with the Nature Spirits of the skies to alter the cycle of the sun over a certain area - either to make the sun appear to set or rise a few hours early or late. The actual movement of the sun (or more precisely - the earth's rotation) doesn't change, the extended or reduced daylight/nightime is mere trickery on the part of the Spirits and only affects a limited area.
The Shaman first requires 3 AP's for the Favour to work at all and then for every 2 AP's over this minimum requirement the sun appears to either set or rise an hour early or late over a radius of 1 mile per 2 AP's, depending on the time of day the Favour is used. For example - Many Horses uses this Favour during the daylight hours and spends 7 AP's. The sun will then appear to set 2 hours early or late (this is up to the Shaman). If he has used this Favour within 2 hours of actual sunset then an area 2 mlies in radius is immediately plunged into darkness as day turns to night, or if he was trying to delay sunset then he is allowed 2 hours of extra daylight. This is reversed if the Favour is used at night - either he may delay sunrise by 2 hours, or bring the sunrise forward by 2 hours.
If anybody leaves the affected radius then daylight/nightime returns to normal as the Spirit's trickery only has effect over a limited area
Medicine Way: Earth
Appeasement Required: 2
Duration: 1 hour per appeasement
Range: Variable
Description
The wilderness provides a lot of places for one to camouflage themselves, but sometimes natural foliage isn't enough, or, on the plains and deserts, is not readily available. This Favour provides the Shaman with a degree of magical camouflage courtesy of the Spirits of the air who distort the light around the Shaman or his target and appears to blend them into their surroundings. Anybody nearby looking straight at a person or object affected by this Favour needs to pass an Fair(5)Cognition test to actually notice something is there, with +2 to the TN for every extra AP spent on the Favour. Harder rolls may be required if the hidden person/object is further away or well hidden anyway.
The area affected by the Shaman is determined by the number of AP's he spends, at higher levels he may also affect an area around himself with Nature's Cloak. Consult the following table:
You get the idea. When used on people they may move up to half pace and still remain hidden, so long as they stay within range of the Shaman who may also travel at half pace, but bear in mind that moving targets are more easily spotted (+2 to cognition rolls to spot moving targets affected with this Favour). In the case of large areas affected by the Favour, such as an Indian encampment, the area becomes visible to any outsiders stepping within the affected area
This favour will not work in built up environments - the Nature Spirits do not hold with camouflaging things in the white mans towns...
Medicine Way: Earth
Appeasement Required: 2
Duration: Concentration or 1 round per appeasement
Range: 50 yards
Description
Many people swear the grasses of the plains and praires of the Sioux Nations are alive owing to the way they sway and undulate in the wind. If anybody saw the effects of the Praire Grass favour then they wouldn't be far wrong. Praire Grass allows the Shaman to breathe life into any patch of grass over a radius of 5 yards per appeasement point, the grass immediately grows in length by a couple of feet and tries to entangle and trap any creatures and people caught within it's reach. The earth spirits and the spirits of the plains grant this favour and they aren't too fussy about whom the grass strangles in it's viney grasp, only the Shaman is left unmolested by the monstrous grass. The Shaman may end the favour anytime he wishes, but to keep it going longer than is allowed by the AP's spent requires concentration, as soon as this concentration is lost the grass reverts back to it's normal length and manner
Whilst "active" the grass gets to make one attack against anybody within range at the start of every combat round. Targets recieve no defence bonus apart from that granted by edged weapons and if the grass scores a hit then it may attempt an opposed Strength roll against the target as it wraps stems and vines around their legs (or arms if the grass is long enough), scoring a success keeps the target entangled and "rooted" to the spot, a raise will bring the target to the floor at which point the grass can begin to strangle it's target, future Strength rolls causing the difference in wind to the target. To escape the Praire Grass a victim must himself score a raise on the opposed Strength roll or cut his way out by hitting with an edged weapon in combat and causing more than 6 damage (1 wound) - this won't defeat the grass as a whole, just causes enough damage to free the target. If 30 hits (5 wounds) are caused then the area of grass around the target is defeated, but more grass will attempt to attack the target if it is able. The Praire Grass has the following game statistics:
STRENGTH 5d4 + 1d4 per AP over minimum casting cost
BRAWLING 2d8 + 1d8 per AP over minimum casting cost
HITS 30 (for every area surrounding an opponent)
Submitted by Mitchel Harvey of Birmingham, UK
Medicine Way: Trickster
Appeasement Required: 2
Duration: 1 hour
Range: Earshot
Description
The Indians of the old west had to rely on words to get what they wanted nearly as much as they had to rely on war. Many famous Indian chiefs and spokesmen were excellent orators and could probably have held their own in the white man's government given half a chance. Many pacts and treaties were formed with the white man based soley on the Indians ability to argue their case if need be (not that any treaty with the white man was worth a damn).
This favour boosts the recipient's ability to persuade and orate, increasing their Tale Tellin' and Persuasion aptitudes by a level for every appeasement point spent for the duration of the favour. For example if Sitting Horse has 2d10 in Persuasion and 4d10 in Tale Tellin' and uses this favour with 3 appeasement points then his Persuasion becomes 5d10 and his Tale Tellin' 7d10! - a good way of racking up those legend chips no doubt
The Favour also has another use. If the Shaman wishes he may try to influence the actions of others using his supernaturaly enhanced Persuassion. The Shaman needs time to be able to talk to the target and the target must be able to understand the Shaman. An opposed Persuasion against the target's Smarts is made, then consult the following table:
This favour can be very useful during tense situations, saying the right thing can often avoid violence completely. Also don't forget that Tale Tellin' is used to reduce the Fear Level in an area to gain Legend Chips, often this task is left to the Shaman or the Preacher in a posse...
Medicine Way: Visionseeking
Appeasement Required: 1
Duration: Until found
Range: 20 miles per Appeasement
Description
Finding water in the wilderness is sometimes a difficult task even for the most learned Indian braves, and once water has been found you never know if it's really safe to drink. This is the Weird West after all....
With this favour the Shaman is made aware by the Water Spirits of the direction, distance, and current state of the nearest safe water supply. The Shaman may also use this Favour to perhaps ask the Water Spirits exactly what is wrong with a certain spoiled water supply (if it has been poisoned, or if there are any Tummy Twisters present). The Favour lasts until the Shaman finds the water supply he has been guided to (or ends prematurely if he wishes), bearing in mind it may take several days to get to the nearest water supply if it is 50 miles away across hot desert!
Medicine Way: Earth
Appeasement: 2
Duration: Ends when the recipient leaves the water
Range: Touch
Description
Another favour asked of the Water Spirits is this rather helpful spell. Used primarily by the Shamans of the Necessity Alliance in the Great Maze and other coastal Indians it helps the recipient to swim and survive better in the water, just like a fish can. Every AP spent on the favour raises the Shaman's Swimmin' aptitude by one point, adds +2 her swimming pace, and allows her one extra minute underwater without needing to breathe (in addition to her own breath-holding capabilities - which is roughly equal to her Vigor dice type divided by four, in minutes). This means that at the minimum required casting cost (2 AP's) the Shaman's Pace is +4 in water, her Swimmin' aptitude increases by two points and she can hold her breath for 2 extra minutes underwater. On top of this the Favour also renders the Shaman immune to the effects of "the bends" and other pressure related ailments as well as slightly improving her eyesight underwater.
This favour is not as effective as the Shapeshift favour (where one can actually turn into a fish) hence it's lower appeasement cost, and is more suitable for situations where the Shaman may have to "abandon ship" suddenly, no need for lengthy rituals to get those AP's!
The favour ends when the Shaman completely leaves the water, but must be initiated just before she enters the water in the first place
Medicine Way: Blessing
Appeasement Required: 2
Duration: 6 hours
Range: 10 yards from "Ritual Item"
Description
True Medicine Men know the art of healing in many forms and for this favour to work the Shaman must use either the Totem, Sacrifice, or Coup Ritual. The recipient(s) of the favour must all sleep within 10 yards of the Totem, Sacrifice, or Coup Stick for 6 hours as Dream Spirits come to visit them and make them well again, all targets under the spell may make an (un)natural healing test for every 2 appeasement points spent by the shaman (who must watch over the sleepers for the 6 hour duration). If anybody is rudely awakened before the 6 hours is over (by being shaken or attacked) then they do not recieve the benefits of the favour. Soothing Dream can also be used to cure diseases at varying ap's, or a curse (minimum 5 ap's) and will not affect the Shaman himself.
Medicine Way: Ghost
Appeasement Required: 2 minimum
Range: Touch
Duration: Variable
Description
This curse has more bark than bite but can be potentially lethal. The Shaman actually bestows the favour on a cutting weapon, such as a knife, arrow, tomahawk, or even his own nails, and then has one hour in which to draw blood on an opponent who will be afflicted with the Blood Curse on a failed Vigor(11) check. The duration of the curse depends upon the appeasement spent;
The Blood Curse makes a target's skin very susceptible to damage and bleeding and any wounds caused cannot be healed by normal medicine or doctors, as tampering with the wound will only make it worse, his natural healing tests are all at +2 TN for the duration of the curse. In addition the sufferer takes an additional die of wind when damaged in combat as blood pours from even the smallest wounds, in fact if the target so much as takes a slight tumble he is liable to open up old wounds and takes d6 wind damage. Target Numbers to heal wind damage caused by bleeding are also at +2. A nasty curse, but one which can be overcome if the sufferer stays out of trouble.
Medicine Way: Trickster
Appeasement Required: 1 or 2
Range: 25 yards
Duration: (1 + appeasement pointst) rounds
Description
For Shaman's who truly do follow the Old Ways life without a peacemaker can be pretty tough when your enemies don't play by the Great Spirit's rules, but this Favour, granted by nature's Chaos Spirits, evens things up a bit for an out-gunned Shaman. When used this Favour will render any man made weapon useless - such as a pistol or shotgun - and if it is used whilst under this brief Curse then roll on the malfunctions table as if the weapon had just failed a reliability test. This costs one appeasement point, an extra weapon within range may be cursed in the same way per extra appeaemnt point spent.
I.e 5 gunmen stare down Watching Grass and it looks like a hangin's going to take place if she doesn't act quickly...so she uses her Pledge Ritual, rolls 21 (a success and 2 raises = 3 app.) and so may curse 3 of the weapons within 10 yards, the curse lasting 4 (1 + 3ap's) rounds, hopefully this will give her enough time to start running and gives those gunmen something to think about when they open fire and have their hoglegs blow up in their faces!
This favour will also work on the weapons of Mad Scientists, such as gatling pistols and flamethrowers, but requires 2 appeasement points to use as the weapons were created through arcane trickery ,and anyway, the resulting catastrophy will probably be far more spectacular!
NB - Cursed weapons revert back to normal when the Favour's effects end, damaged weapons remain damaged however, oh, and one more thing - remember that a gunman holding a cursed pistol will probably not know it is cursed until too late!
Medicine Way: Blessing
Appeasement Required: 2
Duration: 1 day per 2 appeasement points
Range: Touch
Description
Certain Indian tribes believe that on the plains there exists a ghostly white horse who is so fast that nobody can catch it. The horse is believed to possess all the qualities of a normal horse (speed, strength, nobility e.t.c) only is far superior. This favour allows the shaman to transfer some of the Spirit White Horse's essence into his own steed. When the favour is performed, with the Shaman resting a hand on his mount, the power of the White Horse enters the host horse for 1 day per 2 appeasement points spent (that's a minimum of 2 days), during this time the horse's pace goes up by +6, it's Strength, Vigor, and Nimbleness go up a die type, and the horse will automatically pass any guts checks. The steed also becomes very responsive to the Shaman (and only the shaman - the horse will let nobody else mount it) and the rider may add +2 to all Horse Ridin' or Animal Handlin' checks. After the Favour expires the horse reverts back to normal state
Medicine Way: Earth
Appeasement Required: 3
Duration: 1 hour per appeasement
Range: 1/2 mile radius per appeasement
Description
This favour has a specific Ritual that needs to be performed for it to work - Dance (or more correctly, Rain Dance). After the Shaman has finished her jig small clouds form overhead and within a few seconds it begins to rain heavily enough to water crops, put out small fires and generally give everything a good soaking. This favour is traditionally used in times of drought but is also useful for washing away tracks and flooding rivers or putting out fires.