FADAD Chapter 2

FADAD
Free-form, universal, do-it-yourself gaming engine for Advanced Dungeons And Dragons
by Peter Mikelsons
Version: March 2000

Table of Contents

Legal Stuff

2 Supernormal Powers

FADAD deals with many kinds of supernormal powers. The most common is spell casting. Other kinds include the "natural" abilities of fantastical races like faeries and dragons, the divine powers of the gods, and the innate psionic powers of some races and rare individuals.

2.1 Supernormal Power Terms

Supernormal power:: that which is beyond the capability of human beings as we know them. Supernormal powers are treated as powerful gifts. Some may have associated skills (which are taken separately, using the normal skill rules).
Magic:: things that happen that are not normal (as we understand "normal" in this world). Magic may be studied and performed by humans, many races have innate magical abilities.
Miracle:: magic performed by a deity. Miracles are often subtle. Holy persons can attempt to work miracles by invoking their deity. Miracles occur when a deities wills reality to change.
Psionics:: the art of influencing events by redirecting one's own Ité. Many kinds of psionics can be considered to be magic.
Non-human Races:: certain races (actually species) have abilities beyond the human norm, such as being much stronger, or able to fly, etc. Most of these abilities could also be classified as Magic or Psionics, so they are not treated separately, except for Mass and Strength.
Scale:: characters may have certain attributes that are well beyond the human norm, one way or the other, but that need to be related to the human norm. Prime examples include Strength, Mass, and Speed. Such attributes are rated in Scale. Human Scale is 0. A race (or individual) of greater than human average strength, for example, would be Scale 1 Strength or more, while a race of lesser average strength than humans would be Scale -1 Strength or less. Individuals can then be of Fair strength, or Good strength, etc., relative to those of their own Scale.
Spell:: A specific magical effect caused by a person. Spells are grouped into 9 different levels of power, usefulness, and difficulty. They are further divided into wizard spells and priest spells.

2.2 Powers at Character Creation

Supernormal powers are treated as gifts. Players may use their free gifts to obtain supernormal powers, and may exchange skill or attribute levels as well.

Undefined Powers have a default of non-existent - that is, they do not have a default value of Fair, like attributes, or Poor, like skills. If a supernormal power is not defined for a character, he doesn't have it.

2.2.1 Powers Available

See sec 1.3.3 for a description of commonly available supernormal powers. The GM may limit the number of Wizard or Priest levels that a character may have, as powerful magi and clerics are quite rare.

2.2.2 Associated Skills

There are a few skills associated with the Wizard and Priest gifts. Some of these are the Spell Targeting skills, which reflect a character's experience in putting the effects of magic where she wants them. Another is the Spellcraft or Dwoemercraft skill, reflecting both general familiarity with spell casting and particular knowledge of the components and effects of common spells. Note that knowledge of associated skills and actual supernormal powers can be entirely separate. See 1.3.2.3 Sample Supernormal Skills for a skill list.

2.3 Non-humans and Scale

For a general discussion of what Scale means, read section 2.3 of FUDGE.

For a detailed Scale table, see my expanded Scale rules.

If you are using the Objective Character Creation system, each step of increased Strength/Mass Scale for a player character costs two attribute levels. This is because each level of Scale includes +1 Strength and extra Mass, which is the equivalent of the Damage Capacity attribute.

For Scales below the human norm, each step of Mass Scale includes a trait equivalent to sub-Fair Damage Capacity, and the GM may allow this to be used to balance other traits like any other fault - see Section 1.6.4, Trading Traits.

2.4 Legendary Heroes

The AD&D genre allows human characters to develop beyond the realm of the humanly possible. Often, AD&D campaigns eventually involve planes of existence beyond the mundane as the PCs require greater and greater challenges.

This style of gaming is represented in FADAD by Legendary Levels. Section 1.2, Levels, introduced the concept of Legendary traits as a goal for PCs to work toward. This section expands that concept infinitely.

Any skill can be raised beyond Legendary. Instead of renaming each level, simply use a numbering system: Legendary 2nd Level Long Swordsman, Legendary 3rd Level Archer, etc. Attributes can also be raised, but (except for Strength) this is much rarer.

Each level of Legendary gives a +1 bonus to any action resolution. The character Hugh Quickfinger, for example, has a Longbow skill of Legendary 2nd Level. This gives him a total bonus of +5 (+3 for Superb, and +2 for two levels of Legendary). In any contest against a Fair Longbowman (+0), Hugh should easily triumph.

The Objective Character Development system, Section 5.2, lists suggested experience point costs for attaining these levels. Notice that the cost per level of skill remains the same even for Legendary skills. The main limitation on how high skills can be in FADAD is Potential; max skill is Potential divided by 3. Beware of "Level 20" characters, as they may be Legendary 3rd level (+7) at some things.

2.5 Magic

2.5.1 Rules of Magic

Some general guidelines to how magic works in the world of FADAD...

The Law of...	In other words...
Conservation	There's no such thing as a free lunch. Don't forget to pay the piper. Everything has a cost.
Causality	Law of Karma. There are no coincidences. Cause and effect.
Law	What worked once will work again. If you play by the rules, no one gets hurt.
Chaos	Caveat of contradiction. Every law has exceptions. Magic has fuzzy edges, and rules can always be bent.
Complications	When Chaos acts, it tends to make situations more interesting or complicated. Related to the strong Anthropomorphic principle: the laws of the universe are such that we can exist and thrive.
Contagion	Once together, always together. Birds of a feather stick together. Like using someone's toe-nails to cast a curse on them
Sympathy	Like begets like. As above, so below. Like making a "voodoo doll" in the shape a a person to cast a spell on a person.
Soul	Souls and spirits are always tougher than matter and flesh. Mind over matter.

2.5.2 Spells

Spell casting in FADAD works just like in AD&D, with some exceptions.

The AD&D spell casting procedure is somewhat unusual and fairly strict. First, the caster must gather and store energy to cast the spell. This step is known as "memorization," although the term is misleading because the process is only superficially similar to learning. Wizards memorize for specific spells while priests only have to memorize a particular level of spell. Next, the caster must perform a ritual, which may require verbal, somatic, and material components. If any components are missing or disturbed, the spell may fail. The ritual unleashes the memorized energy to produce the magical effect. Part of the magical effect is often to draw in even more energy from the universe, thus leveraging the small memorized energy into a large effect. After casting the spell, the caster no longer has it "memorized."

One odd thing about spell casting is that metal armor prevents casting wizard spells, but not priest spells. One exception is for elves, who can cast wizard spells while wearing elven chainmail. A metal helmet can be used to disable captured wizards. These facts makes little sense and are usually chalked up to an ancient curse place on those uppity wizards by the gods, with an elven loophole.

2.5.2.1 Bending the Rules

As long as spell casters obey the standard AD&D magic rules, their spells will behave as expected. Their targets may resist, causing the spells to fail, but the spell will otherwise always work. There are no "fumbles" or "critical successes." This is a result of the Law of Law.

However, if a spell caster wants to break or bend the rules, then she steps outside the safety of Law and becomes subject to the Law of Chaos. Only her competency at magic prevents complete failure or disaster. When the spell casting rules are broken, the GM will make or require a roll of some sort. By default, this uses Intelligence for wizard spells and Wisdom for priest spells. If the rolled degree is low, then something bad happens. The GM may change this penalty on a case by case basis to preserve game balance: again, the effect of Chaos. Possible rule bending:

Memorizing spells that are too high level.
Casting spells that have not been memorized.
Memorizing too many spells.
Extending the range of a spell.
Extending the duration of a spell.
Making a spell harder to resist.
Casting a spell without a component (verbal, somatic, material).
Reducing the casting time.
Continuing a casting after being injured.

Possible results of failure, in order of likelihood:

Nothing happens
Spell effects are diminished/amplified/reversed/misdirected/bizaare.
Memorized spell(s) lost.
Memorized spells cast involuntarily.
Caster is injured.
Caster is cursed.

The basic tweak converts a memorized spell into another, familiar spell of the same level and school. (This is not useful for priests, who can freely exchange spells within a level, but the variations on the basic tweak may apply to priests.) The basic tweak requires a Good attribute roll to accomplish. Changes in difficulty due to varying this formula:
-1 new spell is lower level
+1 new spell is different school (wizards only)
+1 new spell is unfamiliar
-1 to -10 new spell is not "official"

Factors which may be traded off in altering a spell: intensity (damage, saving throw, speed), area, size, range, casting time, components.

2.5.2.2 Spell Conversion Notes

Spell casting times are usually shorter to fit in with the shorter combat rounds. To get casting time in seconds, multiply the 2nd Ed. AD&D Casting Time by 0.6. Spells that take 1 round to cast still take 1 combat round, only the round is 6 seconds long. The exception are spells that take 1 turn or more to cast; the casting time still uses 1 turn = 10 minutes.

Spell durations may also change. If the spell is primarily for use in combat, then 1 round = 6 seconds. If the spell has many non-combat uses, then 1 round = 1 minute. The GM decides if a spell is combat or not.

A saving throw versus magic is handled by a roll using the victim's Reté attribute. A rolled degree of Great means the "saving throw" succeeds. Spells that give a penalty to the saving throw may require a Superb or even Legendary roll to resist, while spells that give a bonus to the save may only require Good or Fair to resist.

Quick 'n Dirty spell damage conversion: for every d6 of damage, the spell has weapon strength +1. For d4s, subtract one-third. For d8s, add one-third. For more slow and clean conversion, see section 6.1.1.5.

2.5.2.3 Comments on Various Spells

New spells for FADAD, conversion notes, and significant modifications.

Charm Person
Chill Touch
Continual Light: This spell is not permanent. The duration depends on the material on which it is cast. No harm comes to the materials used, but some just hold the enchantment better than others.
Cure Light Wounds: Heals one Scratch or Hurt level wound completely. Caster's choice if the victim has more than one Hurt. Has no effect on more serious injuries.
Fireball

Friends
Identify
Levitate
Magic Missile: This spell causes damage with a weapon strength of +3. Armor does not protect, but Damage Capacity does, and a damage roll is used.
Magic Stone
Melf's Acid Arrow
Reincarnation: This spell in FADAD differs from in AD&D. Its range becomes 1 mile per level of the caster and the duration is 1 day. After it is cast, the affected (dead) person is reborn in to a newborn creature. The newborn must be born after the spell casting is done and within range of the casting. If no appropriate creatures are born in range and time, then nothing happens and reincarnation may be cast again. After a successful reincarnation, Raise Dead and Resurrection have no effect on a character.
Void Sense
Web
Wildspace Vision

2.5.2.4 Cantrips

Cantrips are minor wizard spells, less powerful than Level 1 spells. Cantrips require so little energy expenditure and ritual that no "memorization" is necessary. Instead, the wizard uses her own body's energy to power the spell. This means that casting cantrips can cause fatigue if cast too often. One cantrip causes no noticeable fatigue, and the recovery time is about 15 minutes. Four cantrips in quick succession will cause noticeable sweating, heavy breathing, and a -1 to all actions.

For examples of valid cantrip effects, see Unearthed Arcana. In general, cantrips can do any anything except inflict more than -10 damage, disrupt a spell casting, create permanent and valuable items, etc.

There is also a 1st level spell known as Cantrip (Player's Handbook 2E). This still exists under these rules, and it lets the caster do unlimited cantrip effects for the spell duration without fatigue.

2.5.2.5 Spell Research
New spells can be created, or wizards can add published spells to their spell books. All that is needed is, as for anything else, time, space, energy and skill/luck:

Time: Every spell requires one "research success" per spell level. The minimum time for one success is 2 weeks. The time for 1 success can be reduced to 2 days for the cost of 1 experience point.
Space: These rules assume the wizard has a nice lab to work in, or the priest has an accommodating temple. The outlay for such a work space is 1000-10000 gold pieces. If only mediocre facilities are available, costing 100-1000 gold pieces, a -1 penalty is applied to the skill roll. If all that is available is a quiet spot and something to make notes on, the penalty is -2 but there is no g.p. cost.
Energy: = CASH. Each attempt at a success costs 100-1000 gold pieces. Spending an experience point drops the cost to 10-100 g.p. The GM modifies this cost by whim, looking at things like cash flow in the campaign and creativity on the researcher's part.
Skill/Luck: After finding a space and spending the time and money, the researcher makes a roll on an appropriate Attribute, like Intelligence for wizards. On a Good result he or she racks up 1 success.

2.5.3 Mind Control

The character imposing control is referred to here as the attacker, while the character being controlled is referred to as the victim. To impose control, by default the attacker's skill must exceed the victim's resistance. For mind control spells, the attacker's skill is usually Great while the victim defends with Mind Magic Resistance.

The victim may attempt to resist any particular command from the attacker. Roll a contest between the victim's Willpower attribute (or AD&D Wisdom) and the attacker's skill. The effort reduces the victim's willpower by one until the victim can rest. If the victim is successful, that command can be disobeyed until it is repeated, but for at least one combat round. If the contest is a tie, then the victim may partially disobey the command, if appropriate.

Besides resisting, any time the attacker makes use of the control, the victim may attempt to break control. To do so, the victim must spend 1 Ité and win a contest of the victim's resistance (usually Mind Magic Resistance) vs. the attacker's skill. If the victim wins the contest, then the power of the spell or control is ended. If the contest is a tie, the control is maintained but is weaker somehow.

2.5.4 Shape Changing

When the physical form of a character changes, the new form reflects essential and unique traits of the character's soul/spirit. Essential traits include sex and age. This means that ordinary shape changing magic cannot change a male human into a female elf, or a kitten into an ancient dragon. The unique nature of souls means that each individual has one preferred form in every race or species. So shape changing into the same species has no effect. And every time one is changed into a zebra, one gets the exact same pattern of stripes.

Of course, sufficiently powerful magic can break these rules. The 9th level wizard spell Shape Change allows arbitrary choice of form. Many polymorphing creatures can assume any shape, although dragons are usually restricted until they reach adulthood.

2.6 Miracles

Miracles in FADAD occur when deities intervene in mortal affairs. The gods have superior powers that can override any mortal spell or magic. Miracles are most commonly encountered when characters plead with their patron gods to save them from some hopeless situation. In such cases, the GM should usually decide what happens by answering some of these questions:

How important or pious is the petitioner? What can he offer (i.e., sacrifice) in return for aid?
What enemies of the god can be smitten by intervention? Is the petitioner on some special quest for the god? Is the request really significant enough to bother with?
Would deific intervention be appropriate for the plot? Would it be dramatic or awkward, hilarious or just silly?

Or, the GM could just roll some dice to decide what happens. Roll 6dF. On a +6 or higher, the god helps out in some way. Subtract one if the deity is a Greater Power. Add one for each of the following modifiers:

Petitioner is a Priest.
Petitioner has Potential level 3 or higher.
Petitioner has Potential level 11 or higher.
Deity has demi-god status.

Some unpleasant deities will occasionally notice and take offense if their names are spoken out loud. The "miracle" resulting from this sort of deific intervention is usually painful. If a character speaks such a name, roll 6dF: a miracle occurs on a +6. If the name is really being abused, add +1 to the roll (i.e., "Hey Cthulhu! Over here! Here, Cthulhu, Cthulhu, Cthulhu!").

2.6.1 Turning/Controlling Undead

With the authority of their deity behind them, some priests can repel undead. This ability is treated as a very hard skill in FADAD. A priest can exercise the ability using a "holy" symbol (or reasonable facsimile) while gesturing and uttering arcane words. The priest can continue to turn for as long as she wants.

Turning is resolved as a contest between the priest's skill and the undead's resistance to turning. See 6.3.2.18 Turning Resistance for examples of undead resistances. If the priest gets a relative degree of +1 or better, the number of undead turned is:

6 + Relative Degree + 4dF

If the relative degree is +5 or better, that number of undead are utterly destroyed. If the contest of skills is a tie, the undead pause for that combat round, defending themselves but not attacking; the priest may try to turn again on the following round.

Some priests, typically evil ones, can command and control undead instead of turning them. They follow similar rules to the ones above. Each priest can usually control about 12+control skill undead. Instead of being destroyed on a relative degree of +5, the undead become permanently subservient to the priest. Free-willed undead can break control by the usual methods (2.5.3 Mind Control).

2.7 Psionics

FADAD's rules for psionics are heavily based on those in The Complete Psionics Handbook, (Steve Winter, TSR Inc., 1991), called CPH hereafter. Primary descriptions of psionic powers are left to that book, and understanding the rules for using psionics may require reading it.

2.7.1 Concepts/Glossary

Psionicist. A person with extensive training in psionics.
Wild Talent. A person without training in psionics, who nevertheless has the ability to use a very small number of powers (usually one).
Primary Attribute. Every psionicist or wild talent needs to identify one attribute that relates to her powers. This attribute should relate to enlightenment, willpower, and/or "understanding and mastery of the inner self" (CPH). This attribute determines PSPs. Raising powers above the attribute level costs 2 EP/level instead of 1.
Power. An individual psionic ability, like Cellular Adjustment or Shadow-Form. Each power is a separate skill in FADAD. These skills are Average difficulty for a psionicist being taught by another psionicist, otherwise they are Very Hard skills.
Discipline. A grouping of powers. The six disciplines are Clairsentient, Psychokinetic, Psychometabolic, Psychoportive, Telepathic, and Metapsionic.
Science. A major power. A psionicist must learn 3 devotions in a discipline at Fair before learning any sciences in that discipline. Furthermore, she must know two devotions at Fair for every science.
Devotion. A minor power.
PSP. Psionic Strength Point. A psionicist or wild talent gets PSPs equal to (12 + Primary Attribute) x Ité. For psionicists (but not for wild talents), PSPs return at 3/hour when walking, 6/hour when sitting still, or 12/hour when sleeping or meditating. None return if a power is being maintained.

2.7.2 Various Psionics Rules

Making a power work requires an activation roll on the skill in that power. Failing the activation roll costs one-half of the activation cost in PSPs. The required degree for activation is usually Mediocre, Fair, or Good, depending on the difficulty of the power.

Power Score Modifier	Minimum Rolled Degree for Activation
-7 or lower	Good
-6 through -3	Fair
-2 or higher	Mediocre

Rolling -4 on the dice for activation always means that activation fails. It may also cause the effects described in CPH when a "20" is rolled for that power. Rolling +4 on the dice always means that activation succeeds. If the rolled degree would have succeeded with the +4 roll, then use the description in CPH for that power on a "Power Score" result.

A power may not be maintained while sleeping. Powers can be voluntarily deactivated all at once, or one at a time once per round. Maintenance times expressed in rounds are either combat rounds or minutes, depending on whether the power is primarily combat oriented or not.

Normally, only one power can be activated per combat round, and activating a power costs one action.

For powers where relative degree matters, the activation roll is normally used for the psionicists rolled degree. If the power is used against multiple targets, only the first must use the activation roll. The psionicist may roll again for each target after the first, and may at any point decide to use the last rolled degree for the remaining targets. The activation level plays no role after the initial activation roll.

2.7.3 Telepathic Combat

I am not bothering to write much on this complicated subject until some PC with attack modes appears :-)

In short, psionic combat is a straight contest of skills, with modifiers to attacker's skill based on an offense-defense table.

Penalty to Attack Mode, as function of Attack-Defense combo
(PSP costs are in parentheses.)

              defense modes
      M-(0) TS(1) MB(3) IF(4) TIW(6)  effects
MT(2)  +3     0    -1    -1    -2     causes power loss
EW(4)  +3     0    -1    -1    -1     gives -2 penalty
II(5)   0     0    +1    -1    -2     incapacitates
PC(7)  +1    -1    -1    -1    -2     physical injury
PB(10)  0     0    -1    -1    -2     imaginary injury

2.7.4 Power Conversion Notes

The stuff in parentheses is (Discipline, power type, activation roll, PSP cost, page number in CPH). The disciplines are CS=Clairsentience, PK=Psychokinesis, PM=Psychometabolism, PP=Psychoportation, TP=Telepathy, MP=Metapsionics. An activation roll of Attack/Defense means that the power is a Telepathic combat mode with no activation roll.

Biofeedback (PM, Devotion, Fair, 6+3/r PSP, p. 55) Adds one to the psionicists Damage Capacity (+1 DDM). Also, some special injuries which cause severe blood loss can be negated.

Catfall (PM, Devotion, Mediocre, 4 PSP, p. 57) User always lands on her feet. Falls of 30 feet or less do no harm. Falls of more than 30 feet are treated as if only one-half as high.

Cell Adjustment (PM, Devotion, Fair, p. 57) When healing disease, a Fair result means that one extra minute of healing is needed. Healing disease costs 5 PSP per minute.

For injuries, one wound can be healed by one level in one minute for 10 PSP. The power can be maintained to fully heal severe wounds, at 10 PSPs per minute per level.

If the activation roll is -4, then the psionicist suffers feedback damage equal to the injury being healed. The feedback wound cannot be healed by cell adjustment.

Chameleon Power (PM, Devotion, Mediocre, 6+3/minute, p. 58) Time unit is minutes.

Observers make a contest of skills between Perception attribute and chameleon power activation roll. Psionicist gets +1 if not moving and -2 if against unnatural background.

Chemical Simulation (PM, Devotion, Fair, 6+3/r, p. 58) As a weapon, gives a damage bonus of +1. Items resist the activation roll with their acid resistance attribute.

Complete Healing (PM, Science, Mediocre, 30 PSP, p. 50) The 24 hour trance is only broken if the psionicist suffers a Hurt or worse. If the activation roll fails, then the trance lasts one hour, costs 5 PSP, and heals nothing.

Detonate (PK, Science, Fair, 18 PSP, p. 38) Slays skeleton and zombie targets. Fraction destroyed is relative degree divided by three: Good=33%, Great=66%, Superb=100%. The explosion does 4+4dF damage to anyone within a ten-foot radius.

Double Pain (PM, Devotion, Fair, 7 PSP, p. 59) The victim may resist the activation roll with Willpower or a similar attribute, but with a -2 penalty. If affected, the effect lasts 10 combat rounds (one minute). During this time, the victim's Damage Capacity (Constitution) attribute is lowered by three levels. Keep track of exactly how much damage causes each injury during this time. After the effect wears off, all wounds suffered with the -3 penalty become 3 points less severe. If the victim was Incapacitated or Near Death because of the penalty, she wakes up 1 to 10 minutes later.

Example: Joe is slapped with double pain. Then he gets hit on the head with a club. Normally the attack would do 4 damage, Hurting him. With his lowered pain threshold, this is bumped up to 7 damage, so he feels Incapacitated. The GM rules he passes out in shock. A minute later the power wears off, and the wound drops back down to 4 damage, or a Hurt. But since he passed out, he won't wake up for another 5 minutes or so.

Intellect Fortress (TP, Devotion, Defense, 4 PSP, p. 86) Three yard radius. All attack modes are at -1 against this defense mode.

Levitate (PK, Devotion, Fair, 12+2/minute, p. 47) Allows upward motion at 6 feet per round, or 60 feet per minute. For every 50 pounds carried, skill is at -1 for the activation roll.

Mind Blank (TP, Devotion, Defense, 0+0/r, p. 88) Can be maintained while sleeping, meditating, or maintaining other powers. Particularly vulnerable to mind thrust and ego whip.

Molecular Agitation (PK, Devotion, Mediocre, 7+6/r PSP, p. 48) Time unit is combat rounds. Causes a progressive wound on living targets. Damage is 1 in round 1, 2 in round 2, 4 in round 3, and +2 damage per round thereafter. If the burn is from touching a molecularly agitated object, then damage is +1 per round starting in round 3.

Magic items get to oppose the activation roll with a Fire Resistance attribute based on their what they are made of, but with a -2 penalty.

Molecular Manipulation (PK, Devotion, Fair, 6+5/r PSP, p. 48) Time unit is combat rounds. Magic items get to resist the activation roll, usually with Fair strength.

Project Force (PK, Science, Mediocre, 10 PSP, p. 41) This attack uses the activation roll for an attack roll. Only Target can be used for defense, unless the target is aware of the psionicists ability, when the defense roll still suffers a -3 penalty. The damage bonus for this attack is +3.

Return to Table of Contents
Continue on to Chapter 3