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| Artwork by Louis Glanzman |
Altought Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells is a Science Fantasy brother of Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells, I wanted to make it a RPG that took sword and sorcery into space. Thus, much of the post-apocalyptic themes of standard sword and sorcery will be present in SB&CS also, including the rarity of special items, making advanced technology things of the glorious and almost forgotten past.
What follows is a small part of the book, where some of these marvelous artifacts of the ancient time are described. Again, this is only a draft, and some changes might occur in the end.
Strange Artifacts
These strange and rare items were developed in a lost age of wonder and are some of the most precious artifacts of Universe. Their functionality might baffle most of the sentients who are alive today, but once one figures out how to activate them, the possibility are endless. In game terms, to understand the functionality of one of these items, a character must spend a few hours studying the object and succeed at an Intellect test with a Difficulty set by the Overlord. If he fails this test he needs to expend a few days studying it again, then a few weeks, then a few months and so on.
Stardust
Most, if not all, strange artifacts use a very powerful yet limited power source: Stardust. This mystical dust is the very essence of the Universe and can be found in the forbidden center of it or where a star has just exploded. Galactic Overlords banned its use from common people, but an illegal hunt for this is a common motivator for many adventurers amongst the stars. Not only each use of the strange artifacts require the expenditure of this dust, but experienced sorcerers discovered they can expend Stardust in place of their own life essence when conjuring their spells. In game terms, for each point of Vitality that would need to be sacrificed for casting a spell, a point of Stardust Durability must be spent. This way, the life energy of the sorcerer is preserved. This explains why the Galactic Overlords are so determined to collect all the Stardust they can find.
Cloning Chamber
This tubular chamber is about the size of most sentient humanoids and is connected to a similar tubular chamber. When activated and a Stardust Durability Roll is made, the cloning process begins. The whole ordeal takes 1d6 hours but it can be quite shocking to the user, who must succeed at a Willpower test to avoid losing 1d6 points of Sanity (see Sanity and Madness over Chapter 4: Rules of the Game). The clone himself will need to be instructed, but will have a basic understanding of how things works.
Mind Saver
This bulky helmet is connected through dozens of wires to a large computer (which is then connected to larger servers). Once the user is properly connected to the helmet and an Intellect test and a Stardust Durability Roll is made, the process of saving the mental map of the character can begin. This will take about 1d6 hours and once done, the mental image can be downloaded to any cyborg body or used on holographic projectors. This mental image will be completely sentient, but will not be able to learn new things. The user, however, will need to pass a Willpower test during the ordeal or lose 1d3 points of Sanity.
Desmaterializer
This shimmering suit must be worn by the user and, if correctly activate and if a Stardust Durability Roll is made, his material body is turned into pure energy, allowing him to travel in light speed, cross material barriers and perform many other fantastical deeds. However, the experience of turning yourself into energy can be traumatic to most users, who need to make a Willpower test to avoid losing 1d3 points of Sanity.
Star Jumper
This is the most well known artifact of the ancients in the current age of the Universe. Although many know of its existence, few sentients really get to see one in action and fewer actually get to use one. Star Jumpers allow for Faster Than Light (FTL) travel, and so are integral to starships that travel between the many galaxies of the Universe. To activate it, the user need to make an Intellect test and a Stardust Durability Roll. Failure means the dust wasn’t enough for a full jump and something bad could have happened. For full details on Star Jumps, consult Chapter 7: Vehicles and Starships.
Other Strange Artifacts
Other astonishing artifacts made by the highly advanced societies of past ages do exist, and the Overlord is encouraged to create more as the needs of the campaign dictates. However, because of their potential to do incredible things beyond the scope of normal items and the comprehension of most sentient species, we advise to make them hard to find, difficult to use, and potentially damaging to the user’s state of mind, as demonstrated above.
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