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).