The Green: Wealdling Magic

WEALDLING MAGIC


The grove is the centre of their whole religion.
It is regarded as the cradle of the race and the dwelling-place
of the supreme god to whom all things are subject and obedient.
-Tacitus, Germania


When in the springtime of the year
When the trees are crowned with leaves
When the ash and oak, and the birch and yew
Are dressed in ribbons fair
When owls call the breathless moon
In the blue veil of the night
The shadows of the trees appear
Amidst the lantern light.
-Loreena McKennitt

In the Green the trees themselves are the most significant and evident force of nature. To the people who live in the boughs, the ubiquitous trees supply the floor to walk on, the limbs to swing from; they supply the food that is eaten and the tools and weapons that people use to make a living…. the trees also provide essential magical forces to those spiritually talented and attuned enough to used them. This sympathetic magic using the runes of tree and wood is called Wealdling magic.

Wealdling magic works as sorcery, but does not require Power attribute of 16. Wealdling magic generally requires components from trees, ritual tattoos, or a spell focus to make it function properly. Spell foci are typically a variation of the Tree or Growth runes and are carved into staffs, spears, wands ,talismans or tatoos. Many spells just activate the inherent magic in pre-worked wooden items or products. It is assumed that the process of creating foci, resins, or carvings necessary for the spell are learned when the spell is taught.

There are many different traditions of wealdling magic. No particular Grove or conclave will teach all of the following spells. Some traditions only know a couple of spells. Spell availability is determined by the treespeakers and witawealds or dryadics of any particular grove. Even spells with the same name and powers may be essentially different in varying traditions and may require different components to bring off the effects.


Common spells:

Barkskin (1-4)(Sorcerer’s Armor): Barkskin requires that the skin is ritually tattooed when the spell is learned. When the spell is cast, the skin of the caster takes on a rough bark-like texture.

Treemask (1-4)(Cloak of Night): Different variations of Treemask need a cloak or bodily tattooing to function.

Forest eyes (1)(Sorcerer’s eye): need focus

Limbleap (1-4)(Sorcerer’s Leap): need focus

Leafsneak (1-4) (Sorcerer’s Sureness): need focus

Warbough (1-4) (Sorcerer’s Sharp flame)(Sorcerer’s Hammer)(Sorcerers razor): This spell functions as any of the sorcerer weapon spells provided it is cast on a pre-prepared wooden, hand-held weapon. The weapon must be prepared with runes and foci before the spell can function. . If the point or cutting edge of the weapon is not wood it needs to be coated with a resin made from tree materials.

Spikethorn (1-4) (Sorcerer’s Sharp Flame): Works only on a pre-prepared, wooden missile weapon. Generally used with arrows, darts or spears. If the point of the missile is not wood it needs to be coasted with a resin made from tree materials.

Splinterthorn (1-3): This spell is cast upon a pre-prepared missile. When the missile is fired it splinters into additional shafts which are rolled as separate attacks of the same type of missile. Each level of the spell allows for an additional splinter. Splinters may not gain effects from Special or critical hits, but the original missile still can.

Woodmeld (1) (Make Fast)(Make Whole): This spell imitates the effects of both Make Fast and Make Whole but only works on trees and wooden objects. A focus is necessary. This spell is often used to splice smaller vines and trees onto the great boughs for a greater variation of products in tree gardens.

Vinewrithe (1-3): At level 1 this spell calls a vine or branch to the caster or may allow the caster to easily throw a vine around a bow and make it fast from a distance. At level 3 Windvine becomes (Unbreakable Bonds) Instead of using invisible chains this spell uses vines branches and foliage of the surrounding forest to form the bonds. As such it is only effective in forested areas but it does affect undead. A focus rune is necessary to cast this spell.

Smokenut (Midnight)(1): To cast this spell a user must throw a prepared nut that in concert with the spell releases a smoky cloud that obscures vision. The weirdling may move the cloud 3m per turn as long as it is in sight , but does not need to “grasp” the cloud to move it.

Heal (2): Works exactly as Heal except that special unguents and derived from tree products must be placed on the wound or special elixirs and teas drunk.

Ward (3): Instead of walking the perimeter, five special warding steaks are necessary to mark out the boundary of the warding.

Lemur Vision (1): This spell works similar to rat vision but the Object of the spell is a lemur rather than a rat.

Muddle (1): as description. A focus is needed. Some variations of this spell require a successful play drum or flute roll for the spell to function

Poisonthorn (2): This allows a weapon to deliver poison more effectively. A spear, dart, or arrow with poisothorn cast on it that does not penetrate armor may roll an extra die as if it impaled. The extra damage can be used to overcome armor but will only inflict a maximum of 1pt of damage(Just enough to inject the poison). Arrow must be prepared and smeared with poison.

Hailshard (1-4): This spell causes trees to launch or fire thorns and spikes at an enemy. Each shard does d4 damage and has the users Dex x 3 chance of hitting a target. Hailshard need a focus and must be cast close to wood or foliage to work. A focus is needed to cast this spell.

Greenlife (1-3) (Sorcerer’s Vitality):There are two variations of this spell depending on tradition. One requires the Weirdling to drink a sap-elixir the other allows the user to touch and draw life directly from a tree.

Bougharm (1-3)(Sorcerer’s Strength): There are two variations of this spell depending on tradition. One requires the Weirdling to drink a sap-elixir the other allows the user to touch and draw strength directly from a tree.


Treespeakers

When a character’s wealdling skills and devotion to the forests or groves reach a point they may become Treespeakers. Tree speakers are the spiritual leaders of small clans and families.

Initiation: to become a Treespeakers a character must have a pow of at least 18.
Their skill in Woodlore must be at least 75% and have three other Wealdling skills at at least 75%.

(If using the allegiance option characters must have a score of 20 or more higher allegiance to the forest or grove than any other allegiance).

The character must then go through a initiation ceremony. Applicants may also be required to make a special quest before they are initiated. This often requires them to seek out a weirding tree or grove and locate their own weirding staff.

Benefits: Treespeakers may create a magic staff as discussed in the magic powers section. Treespeakers gain access to restricted spells. Treespeakers are allowed and often required to teach unrestricted spells to members of their communities.

Wood Weave (4): This spell allows a user to bend and shape wood making it pliable. With this spell a weirdling can literally walk through or hide in the trunks of trees. Wood Weave can allow for the bending of the great boughs of the Green and is used for making bough roads and other tree shaping for settlements. Wood Weave is also necessary for the Grove Guard creation ceremony.

Summon Dryadic (1): A Dryadic is a tree spirit or tree elemental. There are various types of Dryadics each requiring a different spell to use. For now use earth elemental statistics. The wealdling must also know the Wood Weave spell to summon a Dryadic.


Witawealds

Witawealds are the spiritual leader and magicians of the Groves. They are particularly potent Wealdling magic users. In order to become a Witaweald a character must already have been a treespeaker for at least two years and have a Woodlore skill and at least two perception skills at 90%. Additionally they must have a play drum or flute flute skill of at least 75%. They must also know at least 12 points of Wealdling magic. (Optionally, they must have an allegence to grove score of at least 40). Three existing Witawealds must agree to perform the ceremony of rising a treespeaker to a witaweald and they must all be convinced the applicant is ready for such an honor and responsibility. Sometimes this requires a service or quest on the part of the applicant and sometimes involves a gift.

Benefits: Witawealds have several abilities and spells unavailable to simple treespeakers.

Witawealds no longer need components to cast spells. They drink special concoctions which allow their bodies to act as the spell components. Instead they may still use the physical components to boost the effects of the spells they know by one level. They must still expend the extra Pow. This only works for spells which require a component. Spells that simply need a focus are not affected.

Create Treehold: (Brazier of Power) A tree is used rather than a brazier. The tree must be inscribed with runes.

Browreath: A treespeaker may create a garland woven crown that will store spells for him. The leaves or twigs of the wreath are inscribed with potent miniscule runes. To create a wreath the Tree speaker must expend 1pt. of Pow. This will store ½ his Int worth of spells.


Grove Guard
Among the treelings certain wealdlings have the ability to absorb a tough epidermis like armor directly from the trees and meld it to their bodily shape making them larger and stronger if less agile. This bark-armored tree form is called a gnarled host and the treelings who are able to transform themselves are called the grove guard. Grove guard act as the protectors and warriors of many treeling tribes when simple skirmishing tactics prove ineffectual.

Grove guard applicants must have a woodlore skill of at least 75% and be particularly dedicated to the well being of the forest or grove( allegiance score of 30 or more above any other allegiance). They must also know the barkskin spell at level 4.

In special ceremonies in the springtime of the year wealdling applicants are melded to their trees and are reborn with their new tree form called a gnarled host. They must first be tattooed with special inscriptions and runes. Particular saps and woodmilk is drunk and injected into their veins. Through the use of the Wood Weave spell applicants are entombed in trees overnight and reborn in the morning as grove guard. When the grove guard assumes the gnarled host form they are covered with a bark-like epidermis increasing their size, strength and armor. The form and bark patterns vary from gnarled host to gnarled host and is dependant upon the tree they were encased in, and the different saps and tattoos used during their initial ceremony. The bodily tattooing and tree runes are evident on the gnarled host form and tend to writhe and glow as a Grove guard moves. Gnarled host forms begin quite weak and skin is sometimes visible through the bark, but as they grow in size their armor thickens and their shapes become quite huge, hulking and terrifying to their enemies.

During the ceremony and entombment the applicants must sacrifice a number of permanent Pow points into their gnarled host form. Any time afterwards a Grove guard may touch a tree and cast Embody Host to assume their gnarled host form. In the initial ceremony applicants must sacrifice at least two points of Pow: One to increase size and strength and one to increase their armor. In the future a grove guard can go through a ceremony and increase their gnarled host’s power and abilities for the prescribed permanent Pow sacrifice.

Grove guard costs in permanent Pow:
1point for each +3 str and size, -1 dex.
1 pt for each +3 armor, -1 dex.
Additional options

1pt for spiky boughs or thornsfists. Each point allows for a damage bonus of +1.

1pt for shooty thorn or spikes that work as a hailshard spell. Each point of power sacrificed adds another thorn when this ability is used. Thorns strike at Dex x 5.

1 point for shield boughs (thick Popeye-like forearm boughs that can be used to parry with). Shield boughs block up to 8 points of damage. For a second point the shield bough will block up to 18 points.

Counterspell: Each point sacrificed will block its level or lower of offensive magic being cast at the Grove guard.

Regenerate: This ability allows the grove guard to naturally regenerate at 1 hit point per round per Pow sacrificed.

Extend: This ability doubles the time of the Embody tree spell. Each point sacrificed doubles again the time a character can remain in the Grove guard form.

Grove guard must learn athletic skills, including combat skills, separately for the grove guard armor form. This means that the Grove guard form should have a whole different entry on the character sheet.

Spell: Embody host (3)
Allows a tree child to encase his body in pre-prepared Gnarled host armor. In order to activate this spell the tree child must touch a tree or other amply large form of wood.


Wealdling Skills:

Primary skills: Craft(wood), Spear, Bow, First Aid, Hide, Play Drum or flute, Sense, Stealth, Wood lore.

Secondary skills:Climb, Dodge, Jump, Listen, Spot.

Woodlore: This skill represents a character’s knowledge in the ceremonies, customs and traditions of the Wealdling way. It can also be used to locate and determine certain trees and herbs that are important to the casting of Wealding magic. In addition, it represents a characters ability to transform and store the tree products properly so they can be used in spell casting. Finally it represents the knowledge of the different variations and uses of the tree and growing Runes.

Play Drum or Play flute: These skills are the users ability to play specially crafted wooden instruments. Wood flutes and particularly drums are used by wealdlings to communicate over distances in the forest. This music can be particularly restorative to the soul of wealdlings. Successful play drum or flute roles may restore d6 magic points to a Wealdling listening to the tune or rhythm. The restorative properties may only be used once per day and they take a half hour of peaceful uninterrupted playing or listening.