The Duel - PeeDee Pages



The Duel

This is the log of a magical combat that took place on September 21st, 1998 on IRC. The system is Talislanta. The left column is almost verbatim what was said during the game, and the right column is a blow-by-blow explanation of the game mechanics involved.

Think of it as a sneak peek into the mind of a Talislanta GM. Maybe it'll give you some ideas on how to handle player's spells in your game... Maybe it'll give you some new ideas to spring on your unsuspecting GM. Either way, maybe you'll enjoy it.

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|PC: Laeolisar is determined to leave an impression on the |  |We start our observation at the end of one session. The party|

|Aamanians. | |has just managed to enter and escape the Aamanian Donjon. |

|  |

|GM: Laeolisar: You sense approaching magic... Big magic. |  |At this point the Aamanians have detected Laeolisar's use of |

|Centered on you. | |witchcraft from a distance, and are invoking mighty magics to|

|PC: Laeolisar rushes up the stairs and peeks into the street,| |strike him down. As GM, I don't even bother having him roll a|

|and casts down his bundle of clothing.. | |magic rating check to detect it... I decide that the upcoming|

|GM: Your magical senses cringe, as if to say "This is going | |blast is easily detectable by anyone with magical training. |

|to hurt.. a lot." | | |

|GM: Forces converge on the hapless Tanasian.. three streams | | |

|of divine energy. | | |

|GM: Nifara and Askir are tossed aside like ragdolls. | | |

|PC: Laeolisar focuses his will upon one thing, survival..... | | |

|  |

|GM: Laeolisar: Roll a speed-check to see if you can put up |  |Here I'm giving the PC a chance to save his worthless hide. |

|some sort of magical defense at the last moment. | |He gets a 14, easily enough to allow him to cast a |

|PC: Laeolisar rolls D20, 14 | |counterspell. |

|GM: In the last instant, as your magical senses scream "OH | |He then casts a defensive spell, level 11. It's enough to |

|NO", you manage to raise your arms and... | |save his life, but not enough to stop the three level 15 |

|PC: Laeolisar makes a last ditch effort and rolls D20+5, 14 | |attack spells. |

|PC: Laeolisar throws up his arms and screams out a | | |

|necromantic phrase, causing a sheet of darkness to flash | | |

|before him and intercept the trio of blasts... | | |

|GM: The blasts come crashing through, your defense torn to | | |

|shreds. | | |

|GM: Laeolisar is knocked back into the Donjon, Nifara and | | |

|Askir are knocked to the sides. | | |

|  |

|GM: Nifara: You take no direct damage, just a few bruises. |  |Nifara and Askir, (Danuvian and Ahazu) rush off, since time |

|GM: Askir stands, shaking his head. | |is crucial at this point. They're trying to prevent a friend |

|PC: Nifara continues her northward course after again picking| |of theirs from being burned at the stake. |

|herself up, scrambling to make the best time possible. | |Thus Laeolisar is left behind to deal with whatever just |

|GM: Askir follows, looking back as three white-robed | |blasted him. |

|archmages descend from the sky and enter the Donjon. | | |

|PC: Laeolisar lays upon the cold stone, shaking with the | | |

|exertion. | | |

|[pic] | | |

| | | |

|That was the end of one session... At the beginning of the | | |

|next: | | |

|[pic] | | |

|  |

|GM: Anyways... when we left off, three archmages were |  |Descriptions... |

|floating down towards the Donjon. | | |

|GM: You were just climbing up from the rubble of their | | |

|initial blast. | | |

|GM: You stand inside the entrance of the Donjon. The | | |

|passageway to your right leads down a flight of stairs. | | |

|PC: Laeolisar shudders and expounds, "All this for one | | |

|Thrall...", stepping towards the runes he had scratched in | | |

|the stone floor. | | |

|GM: Ahead is something akin to an office space, with desks on| | |

|the left and various drawings of wanted heretics and infidels| | |

|on the right. | | |

|  |

|GM: Outside the entrance you can see the descending feet of |  |Here Laeolisar has put up a ward against Attack spells, a |

|the first archmage, his white robes just now coming into | |prudent move when facing three opponents who have already |

|view. | |displayed the ability to cast devastating assaults. |

|PC: Laeolisar stands in his circle he etched earlier... | |The "rune above his head" is a description this player has |

|PC: Laeolisar, after composing himself he begins, his voice | |used before, and while I don't agree that it fits in with |

|rasping; "By my word and will, I ward myself against those | |witchcraft (I think it sounds more like cryptomancy) it's his|

|magics which harm the flesh, which weaken the body and bring | |character. |

|death all too near. By my word and will I bid this deed | | |

|done." | | |

|PC: Laeolisar rolls D20+5, 12 | | |

|GM: A small golden rune sputters to life above the warlocks | | |

|head... | | |

|  |

|GM: --Talislanta Initiative-- |  |After Laeolisar got his ward up, it was the beginning of the |

|Laeolisar rolls D20, 10 | |combat round. |

|GM rolls D20, 13 | |Initiative was rolled, and the Aamanians went first. The |

|PC: Laeolisar draws his wand from within his robes and firmly| |first one through the door, seeing the warlock before him, |

|points it out the door, towards the white robed Archmagi that| |naturally decides to finish him off with one last attack |

|walks his way. | |spell. His spell is blocked by the ward. The Aamanians will |

|GM: The first archmage lands, his face a grim mask of | |have to be more creative than that to take out this infidel. |

|determination. He appears to be a middle-aged man, his face | | |

|etched with years of patient study and prayer to Aa. In his | | |

|hands he holds a brass staff, atop which is a single, staring| | |

|eye in a triangle. | | |

|GM: As you draw your wand, the archmage cries out "You shall | | |

|die for your crimes, warlock! You dare dabble in the evils of| | |

|witchcraft here within the very walls of the Holy City! I | | |

|smite you with the righteous wrath of Aa the Omniscient!" and| | |

|a bolt of pure white radiance shines forth from the tip of | | |

|his staff... | | |

|GM: The incandescent energies play across your ward, being | | |

|tossed aside like so much rainwater. | | |

|  |

|PC: Laeolisar recites the triggers and lets loose a violet |  |Laeolisar is using a wand he discovered early in his career. |

|ball of fire towards his target and rolls D20+10, 26 | |The actual damage from the fire is minimal... only 5 points. |

|GM: You fire your pyromantic wand... The archmage is | |But the blast radius is ten feet, so the impact of the |

|surprised by the attack, his defenses obviously having been | |fireball is greater than its heat. The Aamanian is knocked |

|prepared for a witchcraft or other form of attack. | |back, and his clothing catches fire, but he isn't seriously |

|GM: The fire knocks him back, catching his pristine robes | |wounded yet. |

|aflame. He falls back to the ground, batting at the fire. | | |

|GM: The other two archmages still stand out of view, beyond | | |

|the door. | | |

|  |

|GM: --Talislanta Initiative-- |  |A new round begins, and the two Aamanians who stayed outside |

|Laeolisar rolls D20, 13 | |last round have observed the result of their companion |

|GM rolls D20, 19 | |waltzing in, and so are going another route. |

|GM: You can hear one of them chanting a prayer to Aa, and a | |Initiative is rolled, and once again Laeolisar loses out. |

|moment later you see a shining, angelic figure appear in the | |The two archimages cooperate on a spell... It's an attack |

|doorway. A single eye adorns its face. You hear from outside | |spell, but rather than taking the form of a blast or a |

|"Avatar! Go forth and bring the evil one to our justice!" | |hand-held weapon, it is taking the form of an attacking |

|GM: The glowing, muscular figure steps in. | |creature. |

|PC: Laeolisar steps back, startled... | |(This is a spell-effect that has been used before in my |

| | |games. It's called a "Fighting Avatar" and it's certainly not|

| | |in accordance with the rules as presented. I like it, |

| | |though.) |

| | |The combat rating of the Fighting Avatar is equal to half its|

| | |level, and it does damage the same as an attack spell would. |

| | |Unless a counterspell is used, the attack spell lasts for one|

| | |round per level, and can take 3hp damage per level before |

| | |being destroyed. |

| | |In this case, the Aamanians naturally chose a form based on |

| | |their religion. For them, the attack spell is an Avatar of Aa|

| | |the All-Knowing. |

|  |

|GM: Laeolisar, firmly thrusts his wand in his belt and |  |Laeolisar, not to be outdone, performs a similar spell. Since|

|brandishes his dagger, "By Malingnar's Oaths, I gather forth | |his is necromancy rather than invocation, the visible result |

|all the pain and death that permeates these stone corridors | |is quite different. His "swarm of specters" is in game terms |

|and halls ... I direct it to these fools, rip out their | |a single Avatar. |

|spirits as they have done to so many others!" | |Had Laeolisar been a pyromancer, his Avatar might have |

|PC: Laeolisar rolls D20+5, 15 | |resembled a fiery elemental. Had he been a mystic, his Avatar|

|GM: More than a dozen dark specters rise from the stones, | |might have attacked the mind rather than the body, rendering |

|moaning their hatred and eternal agony... | |the victims unconscious. It's all up to the GM. |

|GM: The dark entities dart forward as one, engaging the | | |

|glowing avatar. | | |

|  |

|GM: The black souls of those damned by Aamanian evil attack |  |The two combat spells go at it, neither being very effective |

|the avatar, and rolls D20-1, 1 | |this round. |

|GM: The Avatar swings its arm in a broad sweep, attacking the| |The Avatar had a combat rating of 8, being a 16th level |

|swirling spirits, and rolls D20+1, 5 | |spell. The black souls were from a 14th level spell, so are |

|GM: Neither conjuration gains the upper hand this round. | |at a slight disadvantage with a combat rating of 7. |

|  |

|GM: --Talislanta Initiative-- |  |A new round begins, and Laeolisar finally wins the initiative|

|Laeolisar rolls D20, 8 | |roll. |

|GM rolls D20, 5 | |He is casting an aura of protection, just in case something |

|PC: Laeolisar casts the charred shells of a tortoise upon the| |nasty gets past his ward. The description of the devil-like |

|ground, "Malingnar, sheath me in your power!" and rolls | |appearance is the player's idea, of course. |

|D20+5, 17 | | |

|PC: Grey mist form at the necromancer’s feet, twisting around| | |

|him in an ethereal armour that looks akin to the skeleton of | | |

|a devil. | | |

|  |

|GM: Two Aamanian archamages (the burnt one is still putting |  |This is a Move mode spell, used for grappling. |

|out his robes) enter the doorway, standing on the far side of| | |

|the raging conflict between the avatar and the damned souls. | | |

|GM: One of them points to Laeolisar and says "Down, | | |

|devil-worshipper! Down among the vermin you love so well!" | | |

|and a white fist appears in the air before him... the Hand of| | |

|Aa... and darts forth, growing to monstrous size as it | | |

|reaches for Laeolisar. | | |

|  |

|GM: Laeolisar: You may dodge or use magic to defend yourself.|  |Here I explain the options the player has. It is reasonable |

|PC: (Is this an attack spell?) | |to let the player hear his options and make a careful |

|GM: (No, It's a "grab your butt and push you down to the | |decision, since his character is no doubt far more aware of |

|ground" spell, Move mode.) | |his surroundings and options than the player himself is. |

|PC: (hrmmm) | | |

|GM: A third option is to try to resist the hand with physical| | |

|strength... I failed to mention that option for obvious | | |

|reasons. | | |

|  |

|GM: You've still got another Aamanian archmage who's |  |While he's thinking about how his character will respond to |

|attacking this round, so I'll go ahead and describe his | |that approaching hand, the other Aamanian tries a spell of |

|action too. | |influence, 12th level. |

|GM: The other one cries out "Let the light of Aa's eternal | | |

|wisdom shine upon this wayward soul! Show him the error of | | |

|his ways!" and a light shines from the eye on his staff... a | | |

|very seductive light... it seems so reasonable... Just follow| | |

|Aa. Believe... | | |

|GM: (Will check at -6 to resist the charm. You may use Magic | | |

|Rating in place of will.) | | |

|  |

|PC: Laeolisar delves deep within his mind to resist the |  |He makes the roll, resisting the influence of the Aamanian. |

|magical works of this Arch mage... rolls D20+2, 22 | | |

|PC: (that is a roll!) | | |

|GM: (Hell yeah) You resist the seductive pull of the | | |

|Aamanian's mind-spell. | | |

|  |

|GM: (Now what are you doing about that approaching hand?) |  |To counterspell the hand, he uses a spell of Defense, a |

|PC: This.. | |spherical barrier. Rather than worry about precise details of|

|PC: Laeolisar casts the charred shells upon the ground again | |level vs. level, I decide to let both spells counter one |

|calling, "Darkness sheath that ill will in you un-light ... | |another. Their levels were approximately the same, so that |

|protect your servant!" and rolls D20+2, 14 | |was close enough for me. |

|GM: The dark barrier envelopes the shining hand, and both | | |

|spells are destroyed. | | |

|  |

|GM: The dark spirits swoop in at the avatar and rolls D20-1, |  |The avatar (being a 16th level spell) had 48 hp. The spirits |

|10 | |(being a 14th level spell), and acting as a single entity, |

|GM: The avatar is struck a glancing blow. | |had 42 hp. |

|GM: The avatar returns with renewed fury, sweeping at the | |The spirits got a partial success, and did 7 hp damage to the|

|dark wraiths, and rolls D20+1, 19 | |avatar. The avatar turned back and got a full success, doing |

|GM: Several of the dark spirits are destroyed. | |16hp damage to them, destroying a few. |

|  |

|GM: --Talislanta Initiative-- |  |Laeolisar again wins the initiative, and fires a powerful |

|Laeolisar rolls D20, 11 | |necromantic bolt at one of the archmages. However, the man |

|GM rolls D20, 10 | |manages to partially dodge the spell, and so only took half |

|PC: Laeolisar grits his teeth, chanting in Torquranian, the | |damage. |

|lost language of the Necromancer kings and rolls D20+5, 18 | | |

|PC: A shimmering bolt of infernal darkness fires forth from | | |

|my outstretched finger, darting towards the Aamanian on the | | |

|left. | | |

|PC: Laeolisar's black eyes glow with the passing of this | | |

|spell.. | | |

|GM: The archmage attempts to dodge the infernal energies, and| | |

|rolls D20, 9 | | |

|GM: It hits him in the shoulder, and he groans as the chill | | |

|of death grips his bones. | | |

|  |

|GM: The other Aamanian directs his staff like a weapon, |  |The other Aamanian tries an attack spell, either having |

|swinging it through the air as though at an unseen target. | |forgotten the ward or else not having seen its earlier |

|GM: When his staff "connects", it stops in mid-air, and the | |effect. |

|energy of the blow is transferred towards the necromancer... | | |

|GM: His ward, however, stops the blow. | | |

|  |

|GM: The scorched Aamanian enters the doorway, raises his |  |Here is an Alter spell, attempting to affect Laeolosar's |

|hands and calls out "Aa, smite this infidel for his crimes!" | |Magic Rating attribute. It's a 15th level spell, and |

|GM: His hands glow whitely, and you feel your magical | |Laeolisar's MR is +10. |

|energies being drawn from you. | | |

|  |

|GM: Roll MR check, -15 |  |Amazingly, Laeolisar survives the potent spell unscathed. |

|PC: Laeolisar's mind strikes forth to push the evil energies | | |

|away... rolls D20-5, 12 | | |

|GM: You manage to resist! | | |

|  |

|GM: The avatar strikes, sweeping at the dark wraiths, and |  |The two war-spells go at it again, and the dark souls are |

|rolls D20+1, 18 | |taking a beating. |

|GM: The wraiths move in as one, and rolls D20-1, 2 | | |

|GM: More than half of the dark specters are gone now, and the| | |

|avatar seems almost unharmed. | | |

|  |

|GM: --Talislanta Initiative-- |  |A new round begins. |

|Laeolisar rolls D20, 3 | |I decide that the Aamanians are going to blast Laeolisar, the|

|GM rolls D20, 19 | |building around him, and the horse he rode in on. They're |

|GM: Three Aamanians focus their energies on Laeolisar now, | |tired of his unrepentant resistance to the divine Will of Aa.|

|chanting in unison. | | |

|GM: ("Yer a gonner" is the translation) | | |

|PC: (yep..) | | |

|GM: The trio cast a unified spell to rip Laeolisar limb from | | |

|limb, focusing all their strength on a single spell. (Move | | |

|mode, strength +7) | | |

|  |

|GM: They roll D20+4, 5 |  |The luck of the ten thousand is with the warlock today! |

|GM: However, their deity deigns not to respond to their | | |

|prayers at this time, and they are left with nothing for | | |

|their efforts! | | |

|  |

|GM: The wraiths attack again, and roll D20-1, 14 |  |The avatar won the contest between itself and the dark souls.|

|GM: The avatar takes 14 damage, staggering a bit from the | |Things are looking grim for Laeolisar. |

|solid blow. | | |

|GM: The avatar jumps back to the fray and rolls D20+1, 18 | | |

|GM: The last of the spirits are destroyed. | | |

|GM: The avatar has taken a total of 21 hp damage. | | |

|  |

|PC: (ok ... tell me what I see ... how close are they, were |  |Description and drawn map. |

|is the avatar ... any corridors?) | | |

|GM: One sec, I'll draw a map. | | |

|GM: | | |

|_ _ | | |

|| x | | | |

||x x| | | |

|| A | | | |

|| | | | |

|| | | | |

|| |______ | | |

|| descending stairs | | |

|| L | | | | | | |

||_____________ | | |

|A = Avatar | | |

|x = Archmage | | |

|L = Laeolisar | | |

|  |

|PC: Laeolisar composes his worried mind, pulling a serpents |  |Laeolisar has a plan, but he knows he'll need speed for it, |

|skin out of his robes ... "By my word and will ... make me as| |and so uses an Alter spell, 9th level, to enhance his speed |

|swift as the serpent, to strike as fast as the viper." and | |by +3. |

|rolls D20+5, 13 | | |

|GM: Laeolisar: You feel your responses heighten, your | | |

|reactions becoming lightening swift. | | |

|  |

|GM: --Talislanta Initiative-- |  |The avatar is an attack spell, and Laeolisar's ward is still |

|Laeolisar rolls D20+6, 16 | |in effect. |

|GM rolls D20, 16 | | |

|GM: The Aamanians stay back a moment, allowing the avatar to | | |

|strike first. | | |

|GM: The avatar steps forth, prepared to lay the necromancer | | |

|low... But he seems unable to approach. | | |

|  |

|GM: The lead archmage points his staff at Laeolisar and says |  |The archmage, frustrated by the failure of the avatar, |

|"Let the might of Aa the Omnipotent destroy that ward..." | |decides to do something about that ward, by countering it. |

|GM: The archmage rolls D20+3, 4 | |His counterspell is ineffective, however. |

|  |

|GM: The second chants again, the seductive glow coming from |  |Yet another spell-failure for the Aamanians. The dice love |

|his staff... | |the PC today. |

|GM: The second one rolls D20+1, 5 | | |

|  |

|GM: The third Aamanian attempts to bind Laeolisar once |  |A partial success... But it might still be enough to slow |

|more... | |down Laeolisar at the very time when he wants speed. |

|GM: The third rolls D20-2, 10 | | |

|PC: (it is obvious to me that Aa wishes me to live...) | | |

|GM: Laeolisar: Another Hand of Aa, this one smaller and less | | |

|potent-looking, reaches for you. | | |

|  |

|GM: (Keep in mind that this is going simultaneously with |  |He makes it down the side-passage, evading the spell. |

|Laeolisar's action.) | | |

|PC: Laeolisar dodges to the right, down the stairs. | | |

|GM: Roll a speed check. | | |

|PC: Laeolisar employs his new speed just as intended, rushing| | |

|down the corridor to his right.. rolls D20+6, 15 | | |

|GM: You avoid the grasping Hand of Aa. | | |

|  |

|GM: --Talislanta Initiative-- |  | |

|Laeolisar rolls D20+6, 23 | | |

|GM rolls D20, 8 | | |

|GM: You can hear the archmages cursing. | | |

|GM: The sound of the avatar's steps echoes down the stone | | |

|corridor behind you. | | |

|PC: Laeolisar turns and he runs down the hall ... once he is | | |

|a sufficient distance down the hall, he turns aiming his wand| | |

|down the hall... | | |

|GM: The avatar turns the corner first. | | |

|  |

|PC: Laeolisar aims not at the avatar, but at the roof above |  |Laeolisar succeeds, perhaps better than he had hoped... |

|it, so as to block the pursuit of the mages. rolls D20+10, 20| | |

|GM: The blast echoes in both directions... | | |

|  |

|GM rolls D20-1, 0 |  |This is an ancient structure, and I decide that if it were a |

|GM: The ceiling begins to collapse. | |living being, it would only have a Con of +2. (A brand new |

|GM: (That was a check for the structural integrity!) | |stone structure would have a Con of +8 or higher to resist |

|PC: choke! | |destruction, in my opinion.) |

| | |A con of +2 means a roll of d20+4, minus the spell-level. The|

| | |spell-level is 5, so the roll is d20-1. Still a good chance |

| | |for the building to be unharmed, or at least suffer mild to |

| | |major structural damage. |

| | |But it rolls a 0... If the building were a person that would |

| | |mean death, so... |

|  |

|GM: With the collapse of that one section, other parts of the|  |Awarding XP is very subjective. The amount to give varies |

|ceiling begin to fall. | |greatly depending on what kind of campaign you want to run. |

|GM: The dust cloud begins to billow out from the site of the | |My advice, err on the side of caution at first. You can |

|blast, and the rumbling becomes ever louder and more and more| |always start giving out more later, but you can't take back |

|of the structure begins to fall! | |XP if you give out too much. |

|PC: Laeolisar runs as fast as he can, hoping that his wards | | |

|and defensive spells will do him some good. | | |

|GM: Your enhanced speed saves you... for now. | | |

|GM: By the time the rumbling ends and the floor stops | | |

|shaking, you are far, far beneath the surface, and the levels| | |

|above you are solid rubble. | | |

|GM: You're trapped in the Aamanian Donjon. | | |

|PC: (how sturdy is the place?) | | |

|GM: (Not very, obviously) | | |

|GM: (It's ancient) | | |

|GM: The Donjon was first built in the early days of the | | |

|Phaedran Empire, before the Cult Wars were ever heard of. | | |

|PC: Laeolisar looks for a passage deeper into the donjon, | | |

|were the intact structure may help to hold up the rubble and | | |

|there must be a drain of some sort. | | |

|GM: That's a good place to end it for today. | | |

|GM: You're trapped in the Donjon, searching for a means of | | |

|escape. | | |

|  |

|GM: Laeolisar: +5xp | | |

Drohem (July 7, 2010)- The Duel is a write of up Mark "Tipop" Williams’ Talislanta 10th Anniversary edition IRC game and was posted on the old Shooting Iron 4e Talislanta website.

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