Read All The Things #5 - Cowbow Ninja Viking

One can likely tell from the title that this book is fun.  Our protagonist, the cowboy ninja viking, has a very severe case of multiple personalities.  Our 'hero' faces many challenges being a triplet, and the subject of military experimentation to create a better warrior.  He reunites with some other triplets, his ex, some antagonists and some allies.  This graphic novel is packed with crazy...

Cowboy Ninja Viking gets 8 strips of bacon on the scale.

Which brings us to the triplet subrace.  DNA and Interzone would likely experiment in this type of field, likely at the cost of the subject's sanity.

Triplet (Subrace) - World of Damnation

-The victim's warrior, mage and priest sources are not restricted by level type.  A triplet can choose a warrior, mage or priest source instead of the level type.  The victim's cyber source is unaffected.  (The victim may have three warrior sources for example.)

Restricted - Human only.

Madness - +2 madness points.

Pigs, Monkeys, Squid and Nightmares

As Transcendence reaches nearspace more races are being encountered. There are also other races who don't appear in the Zero Terminus book who are an uncommon sight. Protoforms (hyper-evolved animals) and Cephylim (alien squid beings) are exclusive to the Fifth, both races inhabiting colonies in nearspace. Griffins, Blessedm'n (and their dark kin, Terrors) and the Nosferatu are an uncommon sight in all the dominions.

Protoforms

A protoform animal has had its DNA altered to artificially advance a species to higher intelligence levels. The protoform project first began within Syberian bunker-labs during the Ice. Some of the attempts were a success, while most others were failures. The lab was later found by Asian agents and the data recovered. Within a short time, during 2aw, protoform primates were successfully created. Most corperations treat protoforms equally, but they unerve society at a moral level. The majority are employed in Nearspace projects such as the Lunar Ring and Titan.

Subrace: All protoforms must select one of the following subraces; Ape, Chimp or Hog.

Stats:

Ape; d10, +5 Str, -2 Wis, -2 Int.

Chimp; +5 Dex, +2 Str, -2 Chr, -2 Man.

Hog; +2 Str, +2 Per, -2 Int.

Size/Mortality: Normal, mortal.

Starting Languages: Wild, one regional.

Cephilym

The Cephilym race resides in a system near Earth with a colony within Jupiter. They are squid-like in appearance with a triangular body/head assisted by many tenticles. Some of these limbs are used for movement and manipulation and others are more specialized for sensory imput. Their bodies are extremely resilient and can live in human conditions with only a rebreather. Cephilym cannot speak, other than telepathically, but do have a written language.

Stats: d10, +5 Stm, +2 Per.

Bonuses: Telepathy, Pressurized skin (mutation)

Size/Mortality: Small, mortal.

CL Adjustment: +1.

Starting Languages: Cephilym.

Blessedm'n

When a mortal visits Quiddity it can result in a hybrid of dream and flesh. These beings are known as blessedm'n, for they have many unique and unusual qualities. When a blessedm'n reaches maturity they are given a choice between staying in Quiddity or to travel the dominions.

Stats: 2d10

Bonuses: Ten mutation points during victim creation.

Restrections: May only purchase Rahk, the Art or nature as a priest source. May not purchase mutation points after victim creation.

Mortality: Immortal.

Starting Languages: Any two.

Terrors

Very rarely, a child is born from a nightmare. The Dark Blessedm'n, or Terrors, are very simular to their kin, but deviate in their theological cores. These are the blighted childeren of fear, the tormented tourmenters.

Stats: 2d10

Bonuses: When purchasing a level, Dark Blessedm'n gain 5 mutation points. Five bonus mutation points during victim creation.

Restrictions: May only select Chaos, Rakh or Denial as a priest source.

XP Pen: +10.

Mortality: Immortal.

Starting Languages: Any two.

Griffons

Griffons are a combination of large feline and eagle. They are usually quite intelligent and social creatures while spending time outside settlements in the wilds.

Stats: d10, Fl Dex, +2 Int.

Bonuses: Darkvision, +1 to any one stat each level, changeform (humanoid).

Size/Mortality: Big, mortal.

XP Penalty: +5.

Starting Languages: One regional, Wild, one other.

Nosferatu

A nosferatu is a type of vampire who feeds upon the will and resolve of thier victims. With the gift of immortality, they are cursed with a weakness to fire. They are uncommon in undead society, with members of the bloodline placed in each population. Due to not consuming material, they take on a gaunt and emaciated appearance.

Becoming Nosferatu:

Upon the death of a mortal, a nosferatu can transfer thier prayer into the deceased. The target will replenish one wound for each prayer transferred this way. If the target's wound pool is full they gain the nosferatu subrace.

Bonuses: Appitite; faith, wraithtouch, (see 'Other Powers, Book of Tools', Zero Terminus). A nosferatu meets any requirement regarding undying.

Wound Pool: A nosferatu does not replenish wounds when resting.

Weakness (Fire): A nosferatu may never buy elemenal immunity (fire). All burning, fire and flame based damage (including unsoakable) is doubled against a nosferatu. May not select fire as a talent or use flame as a discipline.

Mortality: Immortal.

Until next round, be well.

Of Ridden Dragons

Very seldom, a mortal is allowed to be present during the hatching of a dragon, rarely does this mortal become a Dragon Rider. A bond is formed with the hatchling which ties the two together, both mind and soul. It is known that at some point in the Dominions' history Dragon Riders had formed the Draconus Templar which is now only rumored to exist. Most known Dragon Riders exist in the Nightlands, with notable exceptions on both Earth and Sogrum.

A Dragon Rider's strength is the combination of power and knowledge. They can access any of the talents providing they learn the requisite lores. Also, they can draw upon the dragon's well of mana. A Rider's dragon is a "bonded dragon" and is born tied to their Rider. As the Rider progresses, so does the dragon, and the bond intensifies. At maturity, or draccus, the dragon and rider are nearly the same being with a dragon's power and a mortal's ingenuity.

Bonded Dragon

(Dragon Subrace)

Bonded dragons are those which hatched in the presence of the one who was destined to be their Rider. The bond that is formed between the two is immediate and permanent. A Bonded Dragon is affected by the choices of their Rider as much as their own. When a Bonded Dragon reaches maturity (Draccus) their style of breathe weapon is dictated by their Riders skills in magic and faith (mage and priest source).

Stats: d10, Fl Dex

Levels: A bonded dragon gains a level when their Rider purchases one. This level is of the same type as the Rider.

Sources: A bonded dragon has the same sources as their Rider.

Mana Pool: The bonded dragon may share an amount of mana equal to their max pool with their Rider each turn, this is the only way they may spend mana.

Dragon: A bonded dragon gains all of the rules regarding dragons (see Zero Terminus; Book of Races).

Note: A bonded dragon is not a victim race. These are the companions to Dragon Riders (see Zero Terminus; Book of Magic).

Other Power

Heart of Draccus Cost: 6

Draccus

When a dragon reaches maturity their "essence" can be contained within a diamond-like crystal that grows within them. Disgorging this crystal before final death, the dragon will live on within it. The size of the crystal is based on the dragons CL (base is about 6" diameter, doubling every 5 levels). The crystal has a Stm of double the dragon's and a wound pool equal to the dragon's (at the time of disgorging it). Upon the death of the dragon, the soul is transferred to the crystal retaining Int, Wis, Man and Chr. The dragon's pools (other than wounds), knowledges, wu's, powers, etc. are also transferred but not accessible. The dragon also retains their CL.
Through various means like necromancy and technology, the dragon may be re-animated, this will require the creation of a new body to inhabit. Through some powers, like telepathy and scrying, the dragon may be conversed with, (this will allow a Dragon Rider access to the dragon's mana pool). If the dragon was bonded to a Rider, then the Rider will not succumb to Lunacy at the death of their dragons physical body.

Hope that sheds some light on things, until next round.

Some (Kinda) New Stuff

Here is some new stuff I dug up...

Subrace:
Fate-Touched
There are some who wander the dominions incomplete. A fate-touched' soul is split in two, and they usually live out their lives separately. Although, when one corpus dies, the fate-touched is awakened to the missing element of the other. Most of the time, the fate-touched has no clear idea of the reason for the path they take to the joining. When the two essences meet, they join to become whole once more.
Base Race: Any.
Bonuses: The joining; when the two victims meet they will spend one hour per CL joining into a single form. Add all like stats together and divide by two, add like pools and knowledges together, and combine all abilities, gear and penalties (including xp penalties and CL adjustments). The victim's new base race becomes the base race of the victim with highest CL, the subrace becomes the other victim's. The joining is a combining of the two victims, in all ways, and will be combined on a single victim sheet. The two minds share the knowledge and memory of the other in a completely natural way.
Restrictions: The victim must begin as a fate-touched, and only if the player has a recently dead victim. The fate-touched must have the same sources and disposition as the diseased victim. The victim must be CL12 to attempt the joining.

SL's Note: This is the compromise for killing off a beloved victim. With this subrace a player has the possibility of getting their murdered victim back, but changed. This is written so the SL has the opportunity to devise a test (or quest) to see if the diseased is worthy to reincarnate.

Parries:
-In order to attempt a parry, the victim must have one action (war) remaining in their turn, such as a saved attack. Or a victim can use a "free" parry given by the dueling weapon use.
-Declare what attack roll the victim attempts to parry.
-Roll as if the victim was attacking with the parrying weapon.
-If the attacker wins, they hit, roll to wound as normal.
-If the parry is higher the attack was stopped, roll a weapon vs weapon roll (both weapons add their unsoakable to the die roll, the DoS equals wounds dealt to the weapon).