300th Post!- And Now for Something Completely Different

This is indeed my 300^th post on Skullduggery in the Smoke! In celebration of this milestone, I have a very exciting project to share with you. In February, I finished reading the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. For those unfamiliar with this wonderful series, it’s over 40 books long. Closing the last book left me with the certain satisfactory sadness only brought by the completion of a great journey.

So I started writing a series of short fantasy stories. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but never really thought I could. As the projects for this blog grew in length and complexity, my confidence in my writing grew too. I figured if I can write 34,000 words about Constantinople, I can produce a 5,000 word short story. I’ve written 3 so far and have started 2 more. My goal is to write 10 stories and get them out in the world in some form, whether I e-publish it myself or submit it to a publisher.

The basic idea for these stories is halfling private inquisitive, Oskar Mooseknuckle, uses his wits, his skill as a thief, and his knowledge of city management to navigate his clients’ very odd jobs. It’s sort of the Rockford Files set in Lankmar instead of Las Angeles.

As exciting as this all is, it means I have to change how I produce content for this blog. Weekly 500-800 word posts require lots of research for very little writing, which I why I have switched to larger projects in the last few years. I think I can do these larger projects with a much freer hand if I’m not worried about a weekly post. So I will be producing content for Skullduggery in the Smoke, but not every week. This will also allow me to focus on other writing projects without the distraction of creating a weekly post. I’ve gone almost 6 years with only a handful of missed Friday deadlines. It’s time to make a little change and see how it works. While this is starting to sound like a good bye, think of it as while our visits will grow less frequent, but they will be much longer.

Victoriana is quite a game, well worth writing between 150,000 and 240,000 words about. It’s certainly worth another 300 posts. Thank you, Cubicle7, for producing such a great edition of my favorite role-playing game.

Thanks you so much for reading this blog. I hope you’ve enjoyed its facts, fancy, and foibles. I’ve enjoying writing every post (or at least I remember it that way), and I couldn’t have done it for so long with you wonderful people reading them.

Their Finest Hour- Now With 100% More Vril!

The new version of the “The Blitz Spirit” PDF is now available for free! Before, the pdf ably covered the multitude of new character options brought to life by the 1940 setting. This new version features 10 new pages exploring the supernatural possibilities of World War II, such as Technological Magnetists, Ascended Magnetists, new spells, alternate uses for Vril, and the magical history of the 20^th century! This and many other resources for the Victoriana Roleplaying Game can be downloaded here:

Their Finest Hour- Illustrations of 20th Century Magic

Those of you kind enough to be a long-time reader of this blog have probably guessed I’m working on another PDF, AND YOU ARE CORRECT! The material I’ve previously posted about magic in the 1940s and more will be incorporated into the most recently released PDF: The Blitz Spirit. The new content and illustrations bloat the document up to a healthy 29 pages. We’ll be adding the expanded and even more magical version of "The Blitz Spirit" to our Resources page in the next few weeks.

In the meantime, here are some of the new illustrations from old pulps of the time and altered to suit the setting of Their Finest Hour:

Their Finest Hour- Ascended Magnetists p2

With the right training and iron discipline, the human mind performs wonders few would ever imagine possible! Here are a few more of  the amazing powers of the Ascended Magnetist!

Mental Veil

Difficulty: 2 (See description)

Vril Cost: 2

Prying eyes cannot pierce the Ascended’s mental power! The Ascended chooses a living person or creature in eyesight and activates this ability. Those clouded by the Mental Veil cannot see or hear the Ascended for a number of minutes equal to the Ascended’s Concentration skill. The difficulty increases by one for each additional person targeted by the ability.

Those with clouded perceptions may still notice physical evidence of the Ascended’s presence (objects seeming to move by themselves, footprints in sand, etc.). If suspicious, each individual may attempt a Perception + Resolve test with 9 black dice to see through the trick. If successful, the Mental Veil loses its obfuscating power over them. 

If more persons or creatures arrive during the abilities duration, the Ascended may attempt to cloud their presence from them as well. The Ascended activates the ability again with the difficulty adjusted by the number of new targets. If successful, they fall under the Mental Veil. If unsuccessful, only the original targets remain affected. 

Sonance Misdirection

Difficulty: 1

Vril Cost: 2

Nearby ears and dull minds fall prey to the Ascended’s auditory tricks! The Ascended chooses a sound to mimic and a direction from which the desired sound emanates. Projected sounds may range from footsteps down the hall, air raid sirens on the roof, thunder from the sky, squeaking rats scurrying through the walls, etc. While this ability can mimic the human voice, it cannot form actual words and sentences. 

Once activated, anyone within yards equal to the Ascended’s Concentration skill hears the noises. The illusory sounds may last a mere moment up to minutes equal to the Ascended’s Concentration skill.

Telepathy

Difficulty: 1

Vril Cost: 2

With this astonishing ability, the Ascended and a few selected beings converse by projecting their thoughts directly into each other’s minds. Once activated, the Ascended picks a number of beings equal to or less than their Concentration skill. Targets of telepathic engagement must either be within a few miles and a trusted associate of the Ascended or simply in the Ascended’s line of sight. Those chosen may telepathically communicate for minutes equal to the Ascended’s Concentration skill. Any being engaged in telepathy may break their connection with the Ascended as they desire.

Vril Vampirism

Difficulty: 2

Vril Cost: 2

With a simple touch, the Ascended smashes through the mental defenses of a nearby enemy to devour their power! A target within reach suffers damage with dice equal to the Ascended’s Concentration + Presence. Instead of damaging the target’s health, this ability does damage to the target’s vril. If this ability drains the target’s Vril to 0, the target must pass a Fortitude test with 6 black dice or fall unconscious. In addition, the Ascended regenerates Vril equal to half the damage dealt by this ability (rounded down).

Their Finest Hour- Ascended Magnetists p1

The world once believed all magnetic abilities were innate. Some people simply develop fantastic gifts or gain them at birth. Now, mysterious legends from the east and modern psychiatry reveal the strange forgotten secrets of Ascended Magnetism.

While any mind is capable of so much more than commonplace thoughts and bodily control, few persons attain its pinnacle of potential. Legends run around the world of men and women wielding their charisma like a weapon. Their abilities fool the senses, elevate human consciousness, and break the spirit of their enemies. Through mental exercise and esoteric training, Ascended Magnetists unlock the hidden power of their minds. 

Ascended Magnetists bridge the gap between magnetists and magical disciplines such as Thaumaturgy and Sigil Scribing. Because of its “neither this nor that” nature, the Guild refuses to recognize Ascended Magnetism. The western magical community considers those touting Ascended Magnetism charlatans hiding behind smoke, mirrors, and mumbo-jumbo. While those teaching “Magnetic Miracle Classes” at 10 shillings a ticket never helped anyone attain enlightenment, a handful of men and women gifted with dangerous wisdom certainly exist.

Astral Projection

Difficulty: 2

Vril Cost: 2

The Ascended traverses our world on the astral plane by projecting their consciousness beyond their bodies! Their astral form floats through the material world at walking speed through the power of thought, passing through solid objects. This ability lasts a number of minutes equal to the Ascended’s Concentration skill. For its duration, the Ascended’s body lies helpless in a trance. Their astral form may end their wanderings at any moment and instantly return to the body at which point the Ascended awakes.

In astral form, the Ascended sees and hears as normal, but no one can see, hear, or detect them without magical means. Beings, creatures, or devices capable of detecting magical beings or presences will be able to notice the Ascended. Similarly, destructive magic damages an astral form. Any damage suffered by an astral form during Astral Projection spreads to the body upon return. Astral forms have all the same stats and attributes of their material bodies. If an astral form loses all its Health pips, it dissipates forever leaving their body an empty shell.

Hesitation

Difficulty: 1

Vril Cost: 2

The Ascended locks eyes with a single living being or creature and exudes tremendous, terrifying charisma! If engaged in combat, the target’s initiative rolls suffer 3 black dice until the end of the fight. The target also must pass a Resolve test with 9 black dice or suffer 6 black dice to their next test.

Ombromanie 

Difficulty: 1

Vril Cost: 2

Surrounding shadows appear to bend to the Ascended’s whims! This ability distorts a nearby shadow to the desired silhouette and manipulates its movements. Shadows can be projected to any surface within eyesight, even those blasted by direct light. If cast into a patch of darkness, the shadow deepens in shade but remains under the Ascended’s control. Shadows may be stretched or shrunk, but cannot completely blot out light. Control over shadows lasts minutes equal to the Ascended’s Concentration skill or until the Ascended chooses to end

Their Finest Hour- Hermetic Operations of the 20th Century

As the war effort stretches national resources to their breaking point, magicians utilize their arcane skills to make life in Britain safer and brighter. While the Guild’s concentrates its resources fighting the war on a magical level, civilian thaumaturgists teach their pupils a curriculum of “Emergency Aid Operations”. These few basic spells could make all the difference in their war-torn streets and neighborhoods.

Barrage Barrier

Cost: 1

Difficulty: 3

Range: 2 yards

Duration: Rounds or till destroyed (See description)

The thaumaturgist manifests a Vril field in the shape of a ghostly floating wall. Despite its semi-opacity, the wall is solid enough to reflect the charge of a bull, a hail of bullets, or a fallen roof.  The wall possesses structure points equal to 4 x the number of successes on the roll to cast Barrage Barrier. Once damage to the wall depletes the structure points, the wall instantly evaporates in a flash of light.

The wall measures 6 square feet in size and may be square, rectangular, or circular according to the thaumaturgist's wishes. The wall can be manifested in any direction around the thaumaturgist but it cannot be moved. Although it stops solid objects, the Barrage Barrier is not airtight or watertight.

Deluge

Cost: 2

Difficulty: 0

Range: 3 yards

Duration: 1 round or 5 minutes (see description)

The Deluge operation summons roughly 12 gallons of water dispersed at will by the thaumaturgist. The water gushes out all at once from the thaumaturgist’s hands in a powerful spray. Any creatures in the wave’s path suffer damage (3) and must pass a Dexterity or Fortitude test with 6 black dice or be knocked to the ground. This cone of water may hit multiple persons standing close together.

The thaumaturgist may also retain the water and trickle it out over the span of 5 minutes. If this is the case, the water sprays with a force strong enough to do little more than wash dishes. Any remaining water not manifested at the end of the 5 minutes is dismissed.

In either case, the water produced by the operation is drinkable.

Normalcy

Cost: 1

Difficulty: 0

Range: 10 square feet around the caster or one object (touch)

Duration: 2 hours

With a simple gesture, the thaumaturgist spins an illusion returning an area the size of a small room to a tidier state. Cracks in plaster smooth over, piles of rubble disappear, and torn clothes seem new. Even biological matter freshens up. Rotten food looks new and dead bodies appear ready for an open casket funeral. Unfortunately, this operation only fools the sense of sight and smell. Sound, taste, and touch hint at the truth. After the spell’s duration, the area returns to grim reality.

Their Finest Hour- Enchantments of the 20th Century

The Battle of Britain brought neglected folk magics back to the masses. Conjurors from the countryside offered their services to national defense and to those caught in the war’s devastation on the ground. Some saved lives in ARP. Others kept their neighborhoods and villages together through the Blitz with wisdom and enchantment. Still others found an opportunity in the chaos to raise their station through conjury-aided larceny.

Boundary Chain

Ritual Cost: 1                     Difficulty: 1

Ritual length: 2 hours      Activation range: touch

Activation cost: 1              Duration: 1 month

The focuses are two nearly identical objects small enough to be carried in one hand. During the ritual, the conjuror paces back and forth murmuring instructions to the objects. After activation, when any living creature or being passes between them or up to 20 feet above them, the conjuror hears a deep “thrumming” sound. The twin focuses may be placed up to 20 feet apart. Any further and the enchantment ends. 

Conjurors may increase the length of a Boundary marker by enchanting more than 2 nearly identical objects at a time. Each additional focus increases the perimeter size by 20, the ritual cost by 1, and the difficulty by 1. Additional focuses cannot be added later. They must all be enchanted in the same ritual.

The Sabini Reload

Ritual Cost:  2                     Difficulty: 2

Ritual length: 1 hour        Activation range: Touch

Activation cost: 2              Duration: Rounds

The conjuror creates a magical connection between a firearm and a carton of 20 bullets by ritually loading and emptying the bullets in and out of the firearm. The weapon becomes the focus for this enchantment’s activation. Once activated, the gun now reloads itself! Bullets disappear from the carton wherever it may be and magically appear in the firearm’s chamber or magazine. The conjured reloading continues until the end of the fight or the box empties. 

Despite its obvious military applications, this enchantment sees little use in Britain’s armed services due to both the ill-repute of conjuring and the impracticality of its standardization. However, some commanding officers of RAF airfield in the countryside hire conjurors on the sly to bolster the combat efficiency of their aircraft. Targeting an aircraft’s armament (or other weapons larger than a soldier can carry) requires greater skill than enchanting a mere handgun. The conjuror also has to be present to activate the enchantment before the aircraft takes off!

The Sabini Reload (Armament)

Ritual Cost:  4                     Difficulty: 3

Ritual length: 3 hours      Activation range: Touch

Activation cost: 3              Duration: Rounds

Vigilance  

Ritual Cost: 1                      Difficulty: 0

Ritual length: 30 min       Activation range: Touch (Edible)

Activation cost: 1              Duration: 12 hours

To create the focus for this enchantment, the conjuror places a small piece of candy or food in a paper bag and screams into the bag for half an hour. Despite all the yelling, any observers of the ritual hear no screaming. The bag absorbs all the screams during the ritual. Anyone may activate the focus by consuming the candy or food. Once activated, the target stays wide awake for the next 12 hours. Even if they desire sleep, it will not come. In addition, this enchantment grants its target +6 dice to dice pools for tests to remain conscious (such as choking, anesthetic, or loss of health).

Their Finest Hour- Technological Magnetists p.2

Even as science fully eclipsed magic in the early 20th century, a new specimen of magnetists effortlessly mixed the two.  Here are a few more incredible gifts of the Technological Magnetists:

Capacitor

Difficulty: 2

Vril Cost: 2

After touching a power outlet or device plugged-into an outlet, the technolist uses this gift to draw tremendous power into their body. They may now release all of it as a single destructive bolt of lightning at their choosing. If they do not hurl it out as a raw destructive force, the technolist retains the electricity until the next time they sleep or fall unconscious. Until then small static and magnetic disturbances follow their presence wherever they go.

Absorbing electricity takes 5 minutes and casting a lightning bolt counts as an action. Lightning bolts have a range of 60 yards and do 15 dice of lethal damage. Casting the bolt requires a Presence + Technological Magnetist skill test. The target may attempt to dodge as in a normal ranged attack.

Arc Light

Difficulty: 1

Vril Cost: 2

Successful use of this ability charges the technolist’s Vril into bright arcs of electricity between the fingers of one hand, their choice. The technolist uses the chosen hand as normal, but they should avoid handling delicate instrumentation or anything which may be adversely affected by low wattage sparks. The illumination ends when the technolist chooses, they fall unconscious, or they run out of Vril.

While this ability is in use, anyone touching the technolist feels a mild shock but takes no damage. The low wattage is only dangerous to very small animals.

Tele-portation

Difficulty: 2

Vril Cost: 2

A technolist touching a telephone may call on this ability to near-instantaneously travel through the telephone’s wires, across the switchboard, and emerge at their desired destination’s telephone. The technolist must know the number they wish to reach and must be within 10 miles of the desired location. The destination’s telephone starts ringing a half-second before the technolist’s arrival, unless they pass an Electronics test with 6 black dice.

                If in combat, Tele-portation takes an action, as does arrival. Only about 10 pounds weight of matter follows the technolist’s transmission through the phone lines. Unless the technolist takes extraordinary measures, about half of that weight is taken up by their clothing.  If a technolist tries to take even more weight when they tele-port, some or all items may be left behind at the Gamemaster’s discretion.

Mend

Difficulty: 1

Vril Cost: 2

The technolist touches a damaged or destroyed target and focuses their Vril into its restoration. This ability works on any solid structure or device manufactured and utilized by humanity. This ability restores structure pips equal to the bonus successes of the ability roll x2.

In general the larger the target, the more structure pips it had, requiring many casting to fully mend. For example, one casting may only add a few bricks to a collapsed wall.

Meter

Difficulty: 1

Vril Cost: 2

With this ability, technolists sense the use of any technology powered by petrol, electricity, gas, or steam within Wits x 10 yards. Their gift also detects any increases in power, speed, and heat of devices in use. This gift cannot identify  devices but it can intuit the general size,  power source, and location (for example, a large device powered by petrol traveling quickly about 60 feet away, or 2 small devices powered by electricity upstairs in the bathroom).

Their Finest Hour- Technological Magnetists p.1

As revolutionary movements shouted for the world to turn away from the horrors of mechanized warfare and return to nature, and a new specimen of magnetist emerged. In 1928, young children around the world spontaneously manifested a remarkable affinity for the electrical devices spreading into middle-class homes. Small girls powered their father’s shaver by holding the plug. Gangs of young boys mischievously surprised inattentive adults in the street with mild shocks. The Guild studied this new phenomenon and classified the children as “Technological Magnetists”. They manipulate the energies and frequencies harnessed by mankind’s machinery. Their gifts rely on the control and the presence of technology.

By the start of the war, the first of these technolists reached adulthood. What was a nuisance to the electric company in peace, became a vital resource in war. Even during a blackout, power outages endanger civilian lives and interrupt national defense.

Sender/Receiver

Difficulty: 2

Vril Cost: 2

When using this ability, the technolist can transform their thoughts into radio waves and send their signal to a specific wireless at a distance of miles equal to their Presence Attribute. Those listening to the wireless clearly hear the technolist’s voice coming in over the set. As a side benefit,  technolists “hear” radio waves when using this gift, and their brain translates the signal into “sounds” as desired, allowing for two-way communication.

This ability can also send a burst of “static” directly into a person’s mind, disrupting their nervous system. The technolist picks a target in eyesight and rolls a Technological Magnetist test against the target’s Resolve + Concentration. If successful, the target feels a terrible pressure in their ears and suffers 6 black dice to a single test. If performed during a combat round, this test counts as an action and can be sustained each round with an action and a single pip of Vril but no roll is needed.

Prime Mover

Difficulty: 0

Vril Cost: 2

The technolist channels their Vril as raw energy to power a nearby device  requiring petrol, electricity, gas, springs, or steam. One of the technolist’s hands must remain in contact with the device for the Vril to continue powering the device. If contact ends, the Vril stops flowing but the technolist may establish contact to power a new device or power the same device again.

Once activated, this ability is passive and does not require effort to maintain, only Vril. Other tasks may be attempted while this power is activated with no penalty provided the tasks do not require two hands. This ability may be turned off by the technolist at any time.

If the device can be carried by a human-sized creature, it costs 1 pip per hour. If it can only be carried by an Ogre it costs 2 pips per hour. If even an ogre cannot carry the device (such as a car or airplane), powering it costs 3 pips per hour.

                While I was planning to unveil the fantastic gifts of the Technological Magnetists in a single post, we'll have to return next Friday with the five remaining abilities.

Their Finest Hour- Sigil Magic for the Great Depression

In 1929, the Great Depression spread across the world, leaving many millions without jobs or homes. The legions of wandering vagrants (known as hobos in America) in England, Continental Europe, and the United States developed a series of symbols called Hobo Signs. They carved their mysterious symbols into fences, painted them on tree trunks, and drew them with chalk onto rocks. The symbols gave succinct and coded information about the area, such as pointing out safe places to get food or warning of inhospitable towns.

As the world’s economy recovers, sigil scribes of the lower and lower-middle classes and criminals still use Hobo Signs as runes. They inscribe thier symbols on tools, practical clothes provided by their customers, or whatever they have on hand.

This way- Direction, Help, Clues

Barking dog nearby- Ferocity, Bluffing, Silence

Good place to hop a train- Progress, Smoke, Machinery

A dangerous place- the Wild, Hunting, Peril

This is the right place- Guidance, Learning, Leadership

Get away from here immediately- Speed, Preparation, Warning

A well guarded home- Security, Walls, Treasure

This man owns a gun- Stealth, Accuracy, Death

Careful, the law is watchful here- Vigilance, Skullduggery, Safety

Good road for traveling- Endurance, Travel, Weather

Be on your guard- Defense, Wounds, Caution

This man/woman is a cheat- Dishonesty, Thrift, Suspicion

A gentleman- Society, Bravery, Family

You can use the telephone-Communication, Distance, Sound

Doubtful- Mystery, Suspicion, Fear

Tell a sympathetic Story- Trials, Charm, Manipulation

Rich people- Prosperity, Provision, Neglect

Don’t drink the water-Poison, Survival, Hazard

Hospitable People - Accomplishment, Refreshment, Home

Home of a policeman- Risk, Authority, Rules

Nothing worthwhile here- Failure, Searching, Misdirection

Jail- Locks, Time, Crime

Medical care if you need it- Trauma, Healing, Shelter