Monday 15 November 2010

New OSRIC Class: The Houri (Part II)




Part II of this article provides game rules for the Spell-like abilities of the Houri character class.

Please note: Normally Kiss spells require that both parties (caster and recipient) are willing, representing an actual Kiss. However, a Houri can also use a Kiss ability on a helpless, restrained or unconscious foe.

Level 1:

Charm Person: As per magic user spell.
Ventriloquism: As per magic-user spell.
Detect Charm: Enables the Houri to ascertain whether an individual or creature is under the influence of any kind of charm or hold spell, including geas, suggestion, charm person, charm animal, charm monster, etc. Ranged 30ft. Duration 2 turns.
Fascination: Affects a single individual attracted to the Houri who thereafter is unable to perform any activity save follow the Houri wherever she goes, unable to take his or her eyes off the Houri. If attacked they will try to beat off any opponents, including his own comrades, in order to continue following the Houri. Range: 60 ft. Duration 20 turns.
SilverTongue: Enables the Houri to lie so convincingly that the recipient will believe anything she says (unless his sense tell him otherwise. He will not believe that there is no-one else present when he can clearly see another characters foot sticking out from un
der the curtain). Affects 1D6 HD worth of individuals. Duration 6 turns.
Impotence: The recipient (who must be male) becomes impotent for 24 hours. During this period he will attack at -2 and make all morale checks and saving throws at -2. The character will feel downright miserable and inadequate throughout.
Kiss of Healing: Requires a Kiss. No saving throw. Restores 2-7 hp of damage to an injured character. requires a kiss. Note that this kiss does not magically re-seal wounds or staunch bleeding. Rather, it provides a "Zoweeee" factor that gets the wounded individual back on his feet and back into the battle.
Kiss of Sleeping: Requires a Kiss. No save. The recipient falls into a deep coma for 1d10 turns plus the Houri's level and cannot be awakened by normal means.
Kiss of Waking: The reverse of the above spell. Will also negate a sleep spell or any other form of magical slumber such as a curse.
Read Languages: As per magic-user spell. Huori are well educated in order to please their partners with conversation as well as by more physical means.

Level 2:
Charm Nor
mal Animals: Affects any normal animals (but not giant animals or monsters) in the order of 1-20 small insects, 1-8 small animals (rats, ferrets), 1-4 medium sized animals (dogs, badgers) or a single large animals (such as a lion, rhino or elephant). It dos not provide the Houri with a means of communicating with the animal. Range: 60ft. Duration: 6 turns plus the level of the Houri.
Influence: A variation on charm person. The recipient will remain completely unaware that he is charmed, even after the effect wears off. He behaves normally in all respects save that he must obey any command (or request) mad
e by the Houri (with the exception of orders to commit suicide, he'll simply assume these are a joke). He will obey these orders cheerfully, believing he does so because he wants to. This effect is non-magical and so subtle that it can be detected only by a Houri of a higher character level that the "caster". Range and Duration as Charm Person. "Casting" time 1 hour.
Transfer Charm: Transfers control over a charmed individual to the Houri herself. In essence, the Houri frees the character of the charm by her own wiles, effectively charming the recipient herself in the process. Range: 60 ft, Duration as per the original charm spell.
Jealousy: Affects 1D6HD of humanoids who are attracted to the Houri's race and gender, causing them to become jealous of one another to the extent that they will ignore the Houri and any others dangers present for 2D4 turns. There is a 20% that this might lead to blows. If it does, there is an additional 20% chance that the resulting fight will be to the death. If not to the death, the combatants will be freed from the effects of the spell-like ability when hit.
Ecstasy: Affects 1d8HD of humanoids who are attracted to the Houri's race and gender. The targets are affected in order of Hit Dice, with the lowest hit dice characters being affected prior to the higher hit dice targets. Victims so affected sit down and stare at the Houri helplessly so long as she continues to hold their attention whether by dancing, singing or other means. They offe
r no resistance to anything she does short of actually killing one of them. Partially affected characters are allowed a saving throw vs spells. Fully affected characters are not. Range: 20ft. Duration: 1D6 turns plus the Houri's level or until she stops her performance (whichever comes first).
Dispel Charm: Removes any sort of charm effect as if it were a dispel magic spell cast by a Magic User of the Houri's level. Range: 10ft.
Kiss of Strength: No saving throw. Requires a kiss. The recipient of the Houri's kiss is invigorated by her passion and high regard. Works as per the Strength spell.
Kiss of Weakness: No saving throw. The Houri's kiss leaves the recipient weak at the knees. As per the weakness spell. Requires a kiss.
Communicate: Enables the Houri to communicate with any intelligent creature in a pidgin version of it's own language. Duration equals the level of the Houri.

Level 3:
Hold Person: As per the cleric spell.
Love Spell: The spell requires some items belonging to the intended victim, these much be of a personal nature. Unlike most Houri spelll-like abilities, this is an actual spell. The words of the ritual are chanted over the item, causing the character they belong to to either fall in love with the next person t
hey see, a person of the Houri's choice or with the Houri herself. Duration as per Charm Person. The casting time is one hour and must be cast outdoors, in the light of the full moon, while naked.
Resist Charm: This hedges the Houri with a protective aura which makes her immune to any kind of charm or hold spell, including geas, suggestion, charm, quest and so on.
Disguise: Similar to the change self spell, but relying entirely on clothing and cosmetics. Any creature or NPC of a given named species or culture viewing the Houri must save vs spell or believe her to be an especially attractive member of the same species, culture or ethnicity. It enables the houri to use her special abilities against any creature attracted to her apparent gender which fails the save.
Suggestion: As per the magic-user spell
Charm Giant Animals: As per Charm Normal Animals, save that it works on giant and enchanted animals.
Bodyguard: This affects all 1-3 HD creatures within 30ft of the Houri who are attracted to her race and gender. Any who fail a save vs spells will immediately disregard any previous orders or alliances and leap to the Houri's side, forming a protective cordon around her. They will fight to protect her from any and all assailants, even their own comrades. After successfully defending the Houri for one combat, they will collapse to their knees for 1-4 turns in horror at their actions, becoming all but catatonic. Range: 30ft.
Kiss of Slavery: Requires a Kiss. Counts as a Charm Person spell with no saving throw. Checks to break the charm affect are made only after twice the normal duration. A victim of this spell will obey any order (even suicidal ones) without question.

Level 4
Charm Monster: As per magic user spell.
Resist Charm 10ft radius: As resists charm save that it protects all persons or creatures within a 10ft radius of the Houri. Duration: 6 turns plus one turn per level of the Houri.
Lovesickness: Affects a single target attracted to the Houri's race and gender. The victim becomes so madly in love with the Houri that as soon as he loses sight of her he begins to waste away. He foes off his food, turns to drink and becomes an emotional and physical wreck, fighting at -7. He will die or malnutrition and alcohol poisoning in a number of days equal to his Con score plus 4. There is also a 10% cha
nce per day of the character committing suicide. Whats more, he is compelled to obey any instruction the Houri gives him, including orders to leave her presence and never return. Wears off as a charm person spell, but otherwise must be treated by the Dispel Charm ability of another (higher level) Houri, a Remove Curse or a love spell which will make him fall in love with someone else.
Confusion: As per the magic user spell.

Hate Spell: Works like the Love spell, but in reverse. Must be performed in the full light of day, under a blazing sun, while fully clothed.
Enchant Male/Female: Must be used in conjunction with a special ability that would normally only affect creatures or persons attracted to the characters race and gender. Allows the ability to affect those who would not normally be attracted to her gender. The affected individual creature must still find itself attracted to the Houri's race however otherwise both Special abilities fail and their uses lost for the day. Must be followed by another spell-like ability with the same target next round.
Kiss of Paralysis: Requires a Kiss. No save. Affects last 1D4 game days or until the Houri removes it with a second application of the poison. Whichever comes first.
Kiss of Linking: Requires a Kiss. Links the mind of the Houri with that of the recipient for 2D4 game hours. During this time the two will think and act as one person. The Houri will be able to speak though the mouth of the other character and control their actions. If the Houri can cast spells she can cast them through the body of the other person, but she cannot use her special Houri abilities. There is a 10% that her mind will end up in the wrong body once this spell wears off. Should one of the mind linked characters die then both minds will end up permanently inhabiting the body of the survivor.

Level 5:
Change Sex: Unlike most Houri abilities, this is an actual spell. It alters the sex of any one humanoid creature who must be present throughout the casting process. Unless the victim has submitted to the change willingly he or she will automatically suffer the effects of the confusion spell for 1D10 turns after spell completion. Additionally, the change is so traumatic that the creature must make a system shock roll or die. Range:10ft. Casting Time: 12 hours. Material Components: a Full length silver mirror worth at least 1000gp. Duration: Permanent unless reversed.
Hold Monster: As per magic user spell.
Kiss of Disfigurement: Requires a Kiss. No saving throw.Permanently reduces the charisma of the victim by 1d4. Requires a kiss, during which the Houri bites of a chunk of the victims face such as a nose or ear.
Kiss of Death: Saving Throw vs Death. Victims making a successful save lose half their current hit points.
Kiss of Polymorph: Requires a Kiss. Requires access to a Polymorph potion. No Save Allowed. Works as per the Polymorph Other spell. One dose of Polymorph potion contains enough magic to prepare 1D6 such applications.
Stop: The Houri performs an outrageous action (such as suddenly removing all clothing) which causes all activity by living beings within a 30ft radius to stop for 1D4 rounds. Any creature touched or distracted by a loud noise or attacked during this period immediately breaks free of the effect. There is no saving throw against this spell. Even spells or magical items that protect against hold effects or paralysing are ineffective.

Level 6:
Heartbreaker: A spell-like ability that induces a sudden heart attack in the target if a save vs death is failed. If the recipient survives, he or she will be totally incapacitated for 6 + 1D6 game weeks and will permanently lose one point each from strength and constitution. Range: 30ft.
Mass Charm: As per magic user spell.
Blown Kiss: Enable the Houri to use any Kiss spell-like ability of levels 1-5 without actual physical contact with the recipient. Must be used in conjunction with a Kiss spell next round. Range:60ft.
Kiss of Regression: Causes the victim to regress mentally into an infant. Permanent unless dispelled. Counteracts the effects of aging magic or magical items, returning the victim to his natural age, both mentally and physically.
Geas: As per magic user spell
Kiss of life: As per the clerical Raise Dead Spell. Requires that the recipient make a system shock roll to be raised successfully.

Houri and Magical items:
May use any potions and items of magical jewellery, including those normally only permitted for a specific character class. May use magical weapons and armour in which they are proficient. May not use any wands, staves, rods or scrolls unless they are concerned specifically (and solely) with charm effects or lovemaking.





2 comments:

Timothy S. Brannan said...

Thanks for bring this back! I have the original WD she appeared in and remember at the time thinking it was cool. I am expanding on your thoughts here on my site, have a look if you like.
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2010/12/houri-class.html

Dangerous Brian said...

Yup, I was tickled pink when the idea of running a Hyborian Age OSRIC game gave me the perfect opportunity to dust off the Houri class. It's been my favorite White Dwarf article for years - much too good a concept to be left languishing in the dusty files of an old magazine.
Nice blog by the way.