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One of the four new cosms to become involved in the Possibility Wars, The New World (or El Mundo, as it is called in spanish) is also one of the most interesting. It is a realm of pirates, sea searpents, ghost ships, Spanish conquistadors, and buried treasure. It is a realm fertile with adventure potential.
Contents:
The History of El Mundo
The New World is a world of pirates, Spanish Conquistadores, and swashbuckling, roughly equivalent to Earth in the seventeenth century. It is a place of peril and riches, ghosts and tropical ports. It covers most of the Caribbean area, and the axiom wash has transformed all the islands into the stuff of pirate stories.
The cosm is named El Mundo, and is currently in the year 1665. However, it is far different than Earth’s 1665, in that the Spanish have nearly conquered the world. Only the English, French, Dutch, and Portuguese have managed to secure a hold anywhere else in the cosm, since the Spanish have colonized or at least explored practically everywhere. In fact, the Spanish Empire in El Mundo covers 50% of the globe, a huge percentage for the times. Of the other Eurpoean countries, England comes in second in might, with aspirations to take over all of Spain’s lands eventually. France is third, then the Dutch and Portuguese.
El Mundo looks like Earth, except that it is shaped like the maps of the period. That is, generally similar in shape, but with some very large differences. Unlike Earth, though, the maps of El Mundo are accurate. This is largely due to the influence of the Darkness Device and its Highlord, King Ferdinand DeFortunato XIII.
Another difference lies in the supernatural. In the cosm of El Mundo and the realm of the New World, ghosts and other supernatural creatures are far more than sailor’s superstitious ramblings. They are fact. Nearly every sailor has seen ghost ships manned by zombies, sea serpents, or mermaids. Although harder to find deep inland, these creatures form an integral part of the world of El Mundo.
The ancient cultures of the Maya and the Aztecs still live in parts of Mexico, the Yucatan, and Central America. Unfortunately, they are the source of the wealth of the Spanish Main. The Aztecs fight back with very bloody battles, but their fate looks grim, indeed.
In the realm of the New World, the English, French, Portuguese and Dutch outlaws have crossed the maelstrom bridges and taken large parts of Spanish territory. The English hold Jamaica and Nevis. The French hold Guadaloupe and Martinique. The Dutch have Antigua and Montserrat. The Portuguese have Trinidad and Tobago.
World Laws and Axioms
The New World has some major differences from Earth’s 17th century, but mostly they are in the area of magic. These are the axioms:
Technological: 15
Social: 12
Spiritual: 14
Magical: 12
Technologically, the New World is roughly identical to Earth’s 17th century: gunpowder, large ships, transoceanic voyages, the printing press, minted coins, and telescopes all exist. The Social axiom permits the church to be a formidable force, and for the leasing of property. The realm is strong spiritually, but miracles still require the focus skill. Most people believe in Catholicism, but there is a strong growth of voodoo. This is a combination of african religion, brought over by slaves, and Christianity. Even though outwardly, voodoo resembles a magical system, it is actually a religion where the practitioners call upon Loa for miracles. Voodoo “cantrips” and protection miracles are used frequently by sailors and most know some. The Magic axiom is actually weaker than it was in this cosm two hundred years before. Religion and technology are slowly replacing Western magic, which is rare and fading fast.
There are two World Rules that affect the New World: the Law of Morality and the Law of Swashbuckling.
The Law of Morality: This is identical to the Law of Morality listed in the Nile Empire sourcebook, with one change. In the New World, it is possible for characters to be neutral. All characters naturally fall under one of the three inclinations: good, evil, or neutral. Also, this Law gives a character the power to identify the inclination of another character. To do this, one must beat their spirit with a perception roll and spend a possibility.
The Law of Swashbuckling: This law is very similar to the Law of Drama and the Law of Action from the Nile Empire. It states that conflicts are infused with a sense of melodrama. This means rather than climbing down the rope ladder from the crow’s nest during a fight, a character is inclined to slide down it by sticking his or her knife through the sail and letting the friction glide them down. Another function to this law gives the performer of a dramatic action the chance to spend a possibility to roll twice for that action. The character then takes the best roll (instead of addidng them together.)
The High Lord, King Ferdinand deFortunato XIII
El Mundo and the New World are ruled by King Ferdinand deFortunato XIII of Spain. He was born of Portuguese parents in 1452, and at the age of 22, had fought back the Moors and established a monarchy with his wife, Isabella. He was known as Ferdinand the Fifth of Castile, and ruled the areas of Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, and the Balearic islands. Four years later, in 1478, to quell a rising rebellion, Isabella deFortunato instituted the Inquisition through the Pope at the time, Pope Sixtus IV. She hoped it would turn people against one another with suspicion, thereby preventing groups of people form gathering to rebel. It worked better than she had hoped.
In 1492, the year Columbus sailed from Genoa, Italy, the last Moorish kingdom of Grenada fell. With his army, Ferdinand drove the remaining Moors to the sea. As he led his men down a sloping field toward the distant beach, Ferdinand discovered a sinkhole and thought he heard something form within. His men were to far away to hear his calls, so he entered alone, cautiously. Inside, he found a man, nearly insane, who attacked him with a fine ebony Salamanca sword. Ferdinand defeated him easily, and took the sword. Immediately his mind was filled with images of conquest and power. He told no one about the find.
The year they established rule, Isabella and Ferdinand had a child, named Juana. She was a curious girl growing up, but stayed mostly out of the affairs of the state. In the time of her adolescence, she witnessed a change in her father. He became more cunning, more thirsty for wealth, and in fact, more vicious. One evening, while Ferdinand was away on a campaign in Morocco, she wandered into a wing of the castle she had never felt interested in enough to explore. There, she found the Darkness Device resting on a golden stand. It lashed out at her mind. All the guards saw was Juana flee from the palace, screaming. She was found, and eventually recovered, but her dreams were plagued with horrible visions. She eventually married Maximilian the First of Hapsburg, but not before earning the title of “Juana the Mad,” for her endless ravings of endless hunger, destruction, and murder.
By now, Ferdinand had learned the secrets of the Darkness Device, which called itself “El Diablo,” and used its power to dramatically increase the power and influence of the Spanish Empire in El Mundo. He stages his death periodically, returning to claim himself the son of the late King, thereby retaining his rule. He is currently on the eighth incarnation, Ferdinand deFortunato XIII.
Ferdinand still maintains his palace in Spain, but has built a “home-away-from-home” in Cartegena. It lies atop the tallest hill overlooking the heavily fortified port of Cartegena. From here, he rules his latest conquest: the Spanish Main. His Armada is the strongest maritime force on El Mundo. It sends fear into the heart of the most stalwart of enemy captains, be they British Admirals or cunning pirates.
As the years went by, Ferdinand became more and more cruel. His latest discovery appeals to his sense of trickery and barbarism. He has carefully studied the English language, and makes himself appear to be a burly, black-haired British pirate by the name of Captain Fortune. In this guise, he takes to the sea with his crew of cutthroats in his ships, the Debauchery, the Ravage, and the Phantom. The three ships (often sailing alone) are spectral and black, and Ferdinand will often use his magical knowledge to conjure a terrible storm. He plies the trade routes and open seas, taking or terrorizing any and every ship he spies, including those of Spain. Often he is also known as Blackbones, because he flies a specialized Jolly Roger depicting a black skull and bones with white borders. Ferdinand has never been discovered at this game, and is so good at faking his English accent, it is likely he never will.
King Ferdinand deFortunato XIII
DEXTERITY 13
Acrobatics 20, Dodge 18, Heavy Weapons 16, Beast Riding 16, Maneuver 18,
Melee Weapons 19, Fire Combat 19, Stealth 16, Swimming 18, Unarmed
Combat 15
STRENGTH 12
Climbing 15
TOUGHNESS 12
PERCEPTION 15
Alteration Magic 17, Divination Magic 17, Evidence Analysis 21, Find 22,
Language 19, Scholar (Caribbean) 25, Tracking 22, Trick 22, Water Vehicles 25
MIND 20
Apportation Magic 23, Conjuration Magic 26, Willpower 24
CHARISMA 13
Persuasion 15
SPIRIT 22
Faith (Catholicism) 26, Intimidation 25, Reality 29
Arcane Knowledges: Death, True Knowledge, Time, Darkness, Aquatic,
Elemental, Entity, Folk, Air, Water
Possibilities: 60
Equipment: Ferdinand always wears some form of armour. As ruler of Spain, he
wears conquistador armour (TOU+5/25). As Captain Fortune, he wears a leather
vest and a breastplate (TOU+4/20). He is armed with El Diablo only if he is going
to specifically fight Storm Knights. Otherwise, he wears a brace of twelve
flintlocks, and wears a cutlass at his side.
The Darkness Device, El Diablo
El Diablo is a Salamanca broadsword, black as can be. It was discovered by Ferdinand in 1492, and it has shown him immortality. Its maelstrom bridges appear as waterspouts out in the ocean which never move and never fade away. It is fully possible to sail a ship right up a waterspout maelstrom bridge and down its counterpart into the seas of El Mundo! The stelae are cannon which are either sunken in wrecked ships or buried on land.
Gospog in the New World are unique. Their first form, of course, is normal walking vegetable matter. In their second form, they appear as first planting Gospog wearing conquistador armour. In their third form, they appear as a giant crab. The fourth form is of a giant octopus, and the fifth is a sea serpent.
People and Places of El Mundo
Note: this section is incomplete.
Aztecs and the Native Caribbean peoples
The New World resembles, in many ways, Core Earth in the 1600s. However, unlike Core Earth, the indiginous peoples of the Caribbean and Central America are faring much better against the onslaught of the Europeans. While by no means are they doing well, their civilizations still stand proud.
In El Mundo, the cosm of the New World, these peoples and their civilizations can be found everywhere. The Incas still live in the Andes, the Maya in the eastern Yucatan, the Mixtec and Toltec in isolated patches in southern Mexico, the Darians in Panama, Chibcha in Columbia, various small tribes along the northern end of South America, and the largest of all, the Aztecs in Mexico. In the Caribbean, the peaceful Taino and Lucaya in the Bahamas and Jamaica, the Arawaks in Cuba, Hispaniola, Borinquen (San Juan), and parts of South America, and the cannibalistic Caribs in the Lesser Antilles, Venezuela, and the Orinoco river delta.
Each of these different tribes has their own religion which is a separate entity, but only a couple have a great impact on the realm of the New World. These will be discussed at greater length, along with the peoples themselves.
The Amazonians
Most Amazon tribes believe in Jaguar spirits, along with spirits of other jungle animals. Their religion is animism. Not much is known about their religion or way of life, since they are extremely difficult to find, having adapted to the jungle way of life.
The Inca
These amazing people live mostly in the Andes mountains of Peru and Chile, and are seldom seen as well. They have built incredible cities and monuments which will not be discovered for many years to come. They are peaceful people, who believe in gods from the stars. They are written about in great detail in the Space Gods sourcebook.
The Mixtecs and Toltecs
Both these tribes are spinoffs of the Aztec or Maya people. Their cities only number around ten and pale in comparison to the fabulous wonders of their parent cultures. Since they are derived from Aztecs and Maya, their religion tends to be an offshoot of one or both of them. Neither culture is nearly as violent as the Aztecs, nor as intelligent as the Maya. Consequently, hope for their future is grim.
The Chibcha and Dariens
Very similar to their Amazonian cousins, these tribes show very little evidence of civilization in the form of cities. They prefer to live in semi-mobile bands that spend the majority of their time ear the coastlines searching for food in the jungles. Barter with the Europeans is fast becoming a way of life, though, phasing out the old self-reliance of these magnificent people. They are not warlike, but are known for their ferocity in battle, when it is called for. The Dariens are most famous for killing Francois L’Ollonois in1651, in response to his horrible cruelty. A testement to the peace-loving yet savage natures of these tribes.
The Aztecs
This is the largest of all the groups of natives, or more accurately, the most numerous. Their land is spread out less than other people’s, but the Aztecs have used their land to build great cities which are a monument to their amazing wealth and power. Their only downfall is their violent tendencies. Bloody games are popular, as are horrible wars between city-states. They sacrifice live people on their altars to numerous gods who demand blood. The most influential of the gods are Quetzalcouatl and Huitzilopochitli, although there is a pantheon of others.
It would be rare to encounter an Aztec, along with a member of any other of the peoples listed above, in the realm of the New World. On El Mundo, they are prevalent in the Americas. What follows, though, are the peoples who have appeared in the New World as a result of the axiom wash. Almost all are transformed, but a few have travelled down the maelstrom bridges to explore this new land.
The Taino and Lucayas
Taino hail from the Bahamas, and strangely, Jamaica. They are one of the most peaceful native people in all of the Americas. Thought to be slow-witted and inbred, they actually create beautiful works of art out of wood, and have many ingenious devices to help them with everyday life. No great buildings mark their towns; only huts bordering on hovels and naked people living in dirt. Despite their crude lifestyle, they are very happy and helpful people.
Since Columbus landed on San Salvador, in the southeastern Bahamas, these people have started taking an alarming downward turn. Disease and slavery, along with the introduction of alcohol and the taking of wives by seamen, are deteriorating the numbers of these kind folk.
In the cosm of the New World, they worship dolphins, calling them zemis. There appears to be one true deity they worship in daily life, but its name is forbidden to speak. They are incapable of casting miracles because of this. The visitor would notice all adults seem to have large heads; this is due to the tying of a board to the forehead as an infant, a rite they believe increases beauty. It is unclear where this practice originated, but rumour connects it to a lost tribe called the Ciboneys, said to live on the island of Cuba.
Taino and Lucayas occupy the following islands in the Bahamas: Grand Bahama, Great Abaco, Andros, Eleuthera, San Salvador, Cat Island, Long Island, Acklins Island, Great Inagua, and the three Caicos islands. They can also be found on Jamaica.
The Arawaks
Anywhere in the Greater Antilles one can find Arawaks. Large numbers of them live on Hispaniola, and to a lesser degree, Cuba and San Juan. They tend to fields of tropical plants, which form the staple of their diet, while they eat little meat. They are peaceful people. However, they are sometimes driven to war by the constant pressure from the Caribs, who come from elsewhere in the Caribbean to raid.
The Caribs
In Core Earth, they are probably the most misunderstood and misrepresented of all Native American tribes. There, they were not cannibals, but the victims of cruel labelling by the Europeans. On El Mundo, though, they are godless and cruel, and so ugly it is said husbands will abandon wives and mothers abandon children to flee their sight. Although this is an exaggeration, there is little to respect about this tribe. They will eat parts of those who are captures. Or at least those who aren’t deemed fit for slavery. It is unclear why the Caribs are cannibals, although ritualistic cannibalism is likely the reason.
Caribs cannot cast miracles because in El Mundo they worship nothing. They have a strong predisposition to learning voodoo, though, and most know at least a little bit.
The Maya
Perhaps the single most influencial group of indiginous peoples in the realm of the New World, the Maya are also the most intelligent. They have built cities to rival the Aztecs, but have topped them with scientific (specifically astronomical and mathematic) advances which are amazing to behold. The Maya have perfected a calandar which runs on an intricate set of numerals. In various locations throughout their empire, they have erected massive astronomical observatories which they use to carefully track the motions of the heavenly bodies. It is believed by Nile Empire mathemeticians that another hundred years or less could bring about the discovery of mathematic principles close to those practiced in the Nile.
However, as of yet their quite grand pyramids have not yet reached to size or perfection the Egyptians have mastered. Instead, the pyramids seem to be merely constructs for elevation, presumably by the holy, rather than diagrams of the universe.
The Maya borrow greatly upon their neighbors, the Aztecs, and although they are violent compared with other Central American and Caribbean people, they have not allowed it to hold their culture back from achievement. The Aztecs are by far the richest culture on El Mundo, but in the realm of the New World that distinction is held for the Maya. Their treasures nearly overflow their coffers. Priests wear robes coated with gold dust. They wear masks of pure gold. Entire walls are gilded or layered with silver. They seem to have accumulated these riches from veins in the nearby jungles and hills, but to date nobody has found where this might be, exactly.
Bacab is the name of the religion of the Maya. It invloves worship of a supreme diety, named Itzamna. The name means “Lizard House.” He appeared as an old man with a strikingly Romanesque nose. His wife is Ix Chel, “Lady Rainbow,” an old woman who is the goddess of weaving, medicine and childbirth. However, she also appears as a moon goddess with snakes in her hair and clawed hands and feet. There are several other dieties as well, including a sun god named Ah Kinchil, but none of them seem to match the importance of this pair. Only miracles asked in the name of either of them can be granted.
Disk of the Sun
Spiritual rating: 10
Community rating: 10
Difficulty: 12
Range: effect
Dur.: 20 sec.
Effect: Creates a disk of intense light capable of blinding and even burning victims. Effect value for the disk is 20.
Wrath of Itzamna
Spiritual rating: 8
Community rating: 12
Difficulty: 12
Range: sight
Dur.: effect
Effect: The victim is subject to fits of nausea and/or crippling vomiting until the victim overcomes a 15 with his or her TOU.
Tresses of Ix Chel
Spiritual rating: 10
Community rating: 12
Difficulty: 10
Range: self
Dur.: 1 hour
Effect: Hair of the invoker is turned into a mass of snakes and the hands turn into claws (STR+3). Snakes do STR+4 and inject a poison value of 20.
Voodoo in The New World
Real Voodoo: In the game TORG, the cosm of El Mundo and the realm of the New World is rife with the strange and the bizarre. These bizarre elements are all a result of the heavy magic influence in the area. The native Arawaks and Caribs practiced magic, and the slaves brought over from Africa their magic, called Jou-jou. This form of African shaman magic eventually led to the formation of Vodoun (or voodoo, as it is known today) which also incorporates aspects of Catholicism.
Real Voodoo is a complicated affair, involving Loa and a group ceremony. It requires a ‘high priest’ of sorts called a Houngan who opens himself up, with the help of the group, to be possessed by a spirit (the Loa.) This is accomplished by singing and dancing and offering samples of the Loa’s favorite foods, and often involves animal sacrifices or trial by fire. The only thing really gained by these ceremonies is knowledge. Curses can be invoked by voodoo, but this usually involves a single person, be it a Houngan or a Hounzi-Kanso (which is a ‘student’ of voodoo,) who lights candles and meditates to achieve the result. In fact, Voodoo is traditionally referred to as Voodoo magic, even though it is truthfully a system of miracles. Practitioners beseech magical spirits, called Loa, into assisting them.
Game Voodoo: For game purposes, voodoo can do a little more than it can in real life, although it stops short of what is typical of magical abilities. The practitioner can not throw fireballs, though they can create zombies. The rule of thumb with voodoo is that the result is seldom tangible or direct.
There is a lot more involved in Voodoo than in, say, Core Earth Christianity. Loa are powerful spirits of the dead or quasi-dieties. To cast a Voodoo miracle, the practitioner has to know the Loa, or rather, the Loa has to know them, and they have to have appeased it. Loa are vain and aware of their power: they require something to be given. After this, of course, rolls must be cast, each with whatever modifiers are involved. If successful, then the miracle is cast. This requires the caster to have Faith (Voodoo), the Focus skill, and at least one add in the appropriate Loa. The Loa almost take the place of Arcane Knowledges used in magic spells. Loa are considered unskilled, so they can be used by practitioners without the appropriate Loa, but they do so at -3. A character from another cosm cannot use the voodoo skill or any Loa without first gaining at least one add.
The official term for someone with three adds or more in Faith (Voodoo) is “Houngan”. If the character only has one or two adds, they are called a “Hounzi-Kanso.”
Casting the Miracle: As described in the TORG Rulebook on page 126, miracles require the faith and focus skill. There have been some changes made here, though, to reflect house rules regarding rolls. The person with the focus skill rolls a d20 to generate a total. If successful, the person with the faith (Voodoo) skill adds the amount by which they beat the miracle’s difficulty to the faith value to find the overall effect value of the miracle. The focus and faith skill can be from the same character. From this effect value you subtract the target’s faith value (but only if of another faith) or his or her Spirit. This can be voluntarily reduced, say, in the case of a healing miracle, but the characters must roll for the spiritual struggle which will ensue.
Loa manifest themselves in some way during the miracle, but not necessarily in a noticable way. They appear long enough to perform the miracle, but no more. If it strikes a Loa’s fancy, a person (Houngan or not) may be drawn to where the Loa exists, a sort of nether dimension which is like a dream world. In fact, it is the dream of the Loa. No time passes there and there are tiny borders. The laws of physics work entirely upon the Loa’s whim. This place cannot be entered on will, but it may be left at will, requiring a test of wills versus the Loa.
If, when casting a miracle, the caster gets below his focus, there is no miracle. If he or she gets an S result, the miracle succeeds, but with a disruption (see below). If the miracle, minus the target’s Spirit, results in a negative number, there is no effect, as the Loa has appeared and performed the miracle, but was unable to work it against the target. However, if the roll results in a negative number on the focus skill, the Loa is displeased with the practitioner and the result by which the attempt failed is read on the damage chart. The Loa attacks the caster’s physical form.
Another thing to consider is the Drogue. It is a miracle common to all Loa, where a pattern or symbol is made into a 3-D object or carved into a surface. A drogue works like impressing a spell: the miracle keeps working for a length of time equal to the value by which the caster beat the difficulty number.
Voodoo use sometimes disrupts natural laws in strange ways. When a spell is cast, a disruption results with an S result, as described above. The exact disruption is listed with each Loa.
Finally, the use of an element while casting a miracle gives a +3 to the success of the focus roll.
The Sacrifice: To avoid a displeased Loa, the caster must perform a sacrifice to the Loa once per month, appropriate to the Loa. To do this, gather the Loa’s elements, or its representative materials, and follow the ritual involved. Examples of elements include chicken blood, rum, smoke, and bone. The caster then rolls faith (Voodoo) normally, attempting to beat a difficulty number of 8. The number by which this fails or succeeds results in the following bonuses or penalties:
success rate penalty bonus Minimal 0 0 Average -1 +1 Good -3 +3 Superior -5 +5 Spectacular -8 +8
This bonus or penalty is applied to the practitioner’s faith skill, not focus. A practitioner who is unsatisfied with his or her result has to wait another month before they may make a new sacrifice. This must be done for every Loa known to the practitioner. These bonuses and penalties are cumulative. That is to say, if a Houngan gets a Superior failure on his first sacrifice, the next time he makes the monthly sacrifice, he has that -5 to his faith. Failure to perform the sacrifice results in an automatic Spectacular success. It is good to keep up on your Loa’s happiness!
The Loa and their miracles
Loa name Type of miracles Element/Drogue/Disruption Miracles Agwie water rum/circle/in- seek water, purify water, creased humidity dehydrate, breathe air, walk on water, fog, rain Baron Samedi necromancy sugar and blood/ death vision, sense spirit, skull/dislocation summon spirit, create zombi, 30’ rad., -1 to PER skull spirit, soul jar, age Bruitté sound preserved ear/ear/ sounds, voice, thunderclap, inceasing of sound silence, noise, far-hearing, sound vision Clarte light/darkness copper/sun/air light, glow, colors, flash, brightens darkness, blur, hide, invisi- bility, night sight Damballah mind mead/skull/mind fear, bravery, sickness, sleep, haze, 30’ rad., -1 to berserker, foolishness, night- MIN mare, daze, loyalty, suggest Dion air glass/X/air cools purify air, no smell, predict 5 degrees F weather, breathe water, odor, wind, freeeze, heat Ecora knowledge live snake/ serpent find direction, aura, trace, circle/mind haze, 30’ pathfinder, divination, see rad., -1 to MIN secrets, time Eterné making/breaking sand/dagger/equip- find weakness, weaken, ruin, ment heats 10 de- shatter, disintigrate, repair, grees F sharpen, strengthen Foncé food dry intestine/infin- test food, preserve, seek food, ity symbol/hunger, decay, purufy food, poison, 30’ radius distill, ferment, wine to water Joujou meta bird feathers/omega magic resistance, spell shield, /magic items glow reflect, dispel, pentagram, bless, curse, remove curse Kritsch illusion/creation beads/devil’s face/ illusion, dispel illusion, dis- tracers behind guise, create object, create moving objects animal, mass hypnosis Legba body bone or blood/pent- itch, spasm, pain, stun, dex- agram/sickness, 30’ terity, clumsiness, might, read., -1 TOU vigor, deaf, blind, paralyze Lividé fire lit candle/triangle/ shape fire, resist fire, ignite, air heats 5 degrees heat object, cool object, fire- proof, extinguish Maitre d’Carrefour protection smoke/swastika/ shield, armour, sense danger, air tightens, 30’ rad. watchdog, missile shield, luck, guardian Menti animal distilled water/ox soothe, master, summon, head/animals cry out control swarm, control, soul rider, possession Mistriss Originne healing eggs/heart/tingling lend, recover, awaken, heal, skin sterilize, cure disease, youth, antidote, restoration Monde earth fine sand/square/ shape earth, turn to stone, ground heats 5 de- raining stones, petrify, earth grees F sense, sandstorm Mother Sunday plant tree bark/tree/all identify plant, heal plant, plants blow as in growth, wither, bless plants, wind tangle growth, vampire rose Ogoun enchantment berries or fruit/beta enchant, hex, wish, remove /high-pitched noise, enchantment -1 to MIN Sesui empathy/ nautilus or conch/ life, foe, possession, exorcise, communication hand/burning smell emotion, truth, read mind, soul rider, switch bodies Vera movement lead/wing/disorient- haste, slow, wallwalker, ation, 30’ rd., -1 to poltergeist, locksmith, undo, DEX levitation All Loa varies varies sense loa, visions, ritual of hope, purification, make drogue, loa possession
Note: this section is incomplete. Watch this space in the future for detailed listings of voodoo miracles. Until then, be creative!
Running The New World in Torg 2000
The New World is a world of exploration, combat, adventure, and danger. It is best run as an over-the-top pirate-fest, with ghosts, sea serpents, animated dead, and hidden treasures. King Ferdinand is at this time not particularly active in terms of relations with the other High Lords, and little is known about his goals for the Spanish Empire.
Most adventures revolve around finding a lost treasure, person, etc., but there is a lot of room for improvising here. Adventures having to do solely with the Spanish are possible, as are adventures in the jungles of Central or South America. The characters can meet up with some of the Native American tribes listed above, trying to protect them or trying to steal from them, or they can just become hopelessly lost in the jungle and have to find a way out.
The supernatural abounds in our version of the New World, but adventures with less or more of the supernatural are conceivable. You might leave out the sea serpents and just go for some naval battles between English and Spanish ships-of-the-line, or you could go the other way and have the characters use giant conch shells as scuba tanks to visit Atlantis. The choices are endless.
Recommended Materials: Movies: Cutthroat Island Treasure Island Blackbeard the Pirate The Spanish Main Books: Tim Powers, On Stranger Tides Alexandre Dumas, The Man in the Iron Mask, The Thre Musketeers Raphael Sabatini, Captain Blood (Anything I've missed? Send me an e-mail!)
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