| Battle dancer statistics | Combat skills | Rising in rank | The capoeira circle | - |
| Dragon | - | Classes | - | Dragon 159 |
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22. MAGIC ITEMS =
Many players brought into an AD&D®
1 s t E d i t i o n
Oriental Adventures campaign
will never again accept a game world
without martial
arts. After playing a monk
or a kensai, players see combat without
consideration for sophisticated techniques
as stumble-bum affairs. As a result, some
DMs use all of the Oriental Adventures
character classes in every imagined world
and country, not merely the Kara-Tur
setting or its equivalent. However, there
is
an alternative. Characters can go to a
wholly different continent having nothing
of an Oriental nature, yet still having
martial arts?but martial arts of a unique
nature. A study of real-world history
yields examples of systematized fighting
styles worthy of comparison to the Asian
methods yet completely independent in
origin. Perhaps the best example comes
out of Africa, by way of South America.
During the colonial era, many black
slaves escaped from Portuguese masters
in
Brazil to form communities hidden in the
jungle. To defend themselves against white
pursuers or hostile Indians, the former
slaves developed a style of fighting based
on the combat methods of their African
ancestors. This came to be known as
capoeira (pronounced cop-WAY-rah),
and
its practitioners are capoeiristas.
A new
NPC class is offered here, based on the
capoeiristas (whose art is still practiced
today) but using the simpler name of battle
dancer.
The most distinctive features of capoeira
are its highly acrobatic nature (including
handsprings and spinning like a top on
one?s head) and the fact that all its
techniques are learned and practiced to
music?music that has served to pass along
the oral traditions of the displaced Africans
who devised the system. Regardless
of whether or not battle dancers are conceived
of as living anything like the
fugitive-slave existence of the original
capoeiristas, this cultural flavor and
a
strong sense of community solidarity are
essential to the class.
To make a quasi-African zero-level NPC
into a battle dancer, there must be a
capoeira circle for his training. This circle
consists of five or more battle dancers
standing in a ring, simultaneously demonstrating
movements and singing capoeira
songs, while close at hand are two or
more other persons (who can; at need,
be
noncombatant members of their community)
playing musical instruments. The
capoeira circle not only provides training
but can (as will be described later) confer
on its participants a sort of collective
magical-clerical ability. This gives the
battle dancers? villages a fighting chance
of
survival in a world that ruthlessly demands
the use of spells to deal with some
perils, yet without having any of the
familiar spell-casting types present. In this way,
normal PC types are just as strange to
the
battle dancers as the battle dancers are
to
the PCs. At the same time, though their
survival as a group is promoted, no single
battle-dancer character is outrageously
unbeatable.
When creating the tropical territory in
which far-traveling PCs can encounter
battle dancers, it is suggested that any
one
battle-dancer village be part of a confederation
of three or more such villages, and
that there be several separate confederations
in the region. If there are cities in the
area, there could be some urbanized battle
dancers as well.
Note that battle dancers can serve both
as warriors and spell-casters, but they
are
not as flexible as the specialized classes
can be. In a capoeira culture, almost
no
other classes will be found. It is possible
that a capoeira culture having contact
with other parts of the world might find
its old ways eroding under the influence
of the outside world, with some hostility
between the generations that practice
either the battle-dancing ways or the
?new? and more specialized ways.
A battle dancer must have a strength
of
not less than 14, a dexterity not less
than
14, a constitution not less than 12, and
a
c o m b i n e d intelligence
and wisdom not less
than 17. Any charisma score is allowable,
but an individual with charisma lower
than 8 will never rise above 9th level.
A
battle dancer gains no bonus for exceptional
ability scores, nor can he ever have
a second class. Table 1 shows most of
the
relevant information on the class?s abilities.
This class is patterned after the monk
of the 1st Edition Players Handbook.
Battle dancers have six-sided hit dice,
with two dice at 1st level. Those of this
class must be human, and they use the
combat and saving-throw tables of fighters.
Weapons usable by them are axes
(hand), blowguns, clubs, daggers, darts,
javelins, knives, spears, swords (onehanded),
and any sort of stick (bo or jo) or
staff. Oil and poison cannot be used as
weapons. One weapon is learned at 1st
level (with a new weapon gained every
two levels thereafter), and a nonproficiency
penalty of - 3 applies to the use of
unfamiliar weapons. Though they do not
use armor, they can use shields, but while
doing so they forfeit the use of their
special unarmed attacks. Any magical weapon
or shield can be used by a battle dancer
within the above restrictions, as well
as
any magical item that can be used by any
character class and (as is described later)
certain magical musical instruments.
Due to their wilderness life, these characters
must choose their first four nonweapon proficiencies gained at 1st level
from the lists in either Oriental
Adventures (page 15, under ?jungle
barbarians,?
excluding armorer, chanting, dancing,
and
music) or the Wilderness Survival
Guide
(page
12, excluding charioteering, mountaineering, riding, and cold or desert
survival). All proficiencies chosen must be
appropriate to the campaign environment.
One new nonweapon proficiency is earned
for every two levels after the 1st.
The majority of battle dancers are of
neutral-good alignment: morally good
because the survival value of cooperation
has taught them to cherish love and loyalty;
philosophically neutral because, while
a hatred for slavery inclines them away
from excessive lawfulness, the discipline
of capoeira equally inclines them away
from chaos. No battle dancer can be of
an
evil alignment, as slavery, woe, and treachery
are opposed to all of a battle dancer?s
beliefs.
Just as monks gain special abilities with
advances in rank, so do battle dancers
acquire abilities relating to the power
of
music. They improve in movement speed
and inherent armor class much as monks
do, and they inflict increasing amounts
of
damage (to human-size foes only) with
their fists and feet. Because capoeira
differs from any fighting method that most
characters will have ever seen, its practitioners
have a chance to completely surprise opponents with their handspringing
kicks, flying takedowns, and other movements
(see Table 2). Monks, ninja, and
sohei have less chance than others of
being thus surprised, and no such person
will be caught off-guard by battle dancers
more than once.
The surprise attack against a non-battle
dancer foe is rolled for at the start
of
combat, regardless of which antagonist
is
the aggressor?unless the combat began
with a successful surprise attack by the
non-battle dancer foe. In that case, the
battle dancer will get his chance at the
very start of the second round. A successful
attack for the battle dancer means that
his opponent automatically suffers the
maximum damage that the battle dancer
is
able to deliver by kick or punch (unless
the opponent?s armor class is 4 or. better,
in which case a normal damage roll is
made). Thereafter, the battle dancer can
either break off and retreat, or else
make
a regular attack at + 1 to hit probability
before the opponent can act again.
Battle dancers have many special abilities.
These include the following:
They can perform the martial-arts special
maneuver Instant Stand automatically,
a talent that takes up no special-maneuver
slot and can be performed at any level
(see
Oriental Adventures, page 104).
They can each sing, dance, and play 1-2
musical instruments, as per the appropriate
nonweapon proficiencies, well enough
to earn a modest living as an entertainer
in a city.
In brawls involving no weapons, a battle
dancer?s adversary does not gain attack
initiative if he charges to attack. Also,
while brawling, the battle dancer gains
a
+ 2 bonus to his armor class against unarmed
combatants, thanks to acrobatics.
The traditional songs of the capoeira
culture, describing the exploits of gods,
goddesses, and heroes, have beneficial
effects on members of this class. Any
battle dancer hearing these songs sung
by
a colleague of 6th level or higher will
be
immune to all fear for the duration of
the
singing.
The radius in which a battle dancer?s
singing or instrument playing has a beneficial
effect on others of this class equals 10?
per level of the singer or musician. The
battle dancer's voice will carry beyond
this
radius, but special abilities such as
those
listed here are more limited in effect.
A 2nd-level battle dancer (Handstander),
while hearing the singing of a 6th- or
higher-level colleague, gains a +2 on
saving throws against psionic blasts and all
enchantment/charm spells and those
powers involving mental control.
A 3rd-level Handwalker, hearing capoeira
songs sung by a 6th-level battle
dancer, gains the same benefits he would
gain from a chant spell. The
chant spell
can work cumulatively with the capoeira
song after a one-round delay in which
the
battle dancer who is singing adapts his
song to blend with the cleric?s chanting.
A 4th level Handspringer is immune to
harpy songs and the bards musical
charm.
Also (due to their skills at team actions),
if
two or more 4th- or higher-level battle
dancers fight side by side, each gets
a + 1
bonus in armor class.
At 5th level, a Headspinner can move
silently, hide in shadows, and hear noises
as a 1st-level thief; these abilities
progress
with rank. Also, if two or three battle
dancers of this level or higher team up
against a single opponent (which battle
dancers of good alignment will not do
unless the necessity is great), one member
of this team per round (selected randomly)
gains an extra attack.
A 6th-level Rhythm Warrior is able to
benefit lower-level brethren by his singing,
as previously noted; however, he
cannot do so while personally engaged
in
melee. It is also at 6th level that he
becomes able to give qualified zero-level
characters the instruction in music and
movement that will turn them into 1stlevel
battle dancers. Moreover, the
Rhythm Warrior can handle a magical
bardic instrument without suffering harm
and, given 2-7 days to study such an instrument,
has a 15% chance of being able
to use it as a bard might. (This chance
goes
up another 15% with each level gained,
so
that a 9th-level battle dancer is 60%
likely
to master any musical magic item he acquires.)
Finally, the Rhythm Warrior is
surprised only on a 1 in 6.
The Dancing Warrior, level 7, receives
chant spell benefits when he hears
any
music not of a definitely hostile nature.
If
his fellows are singing, regardless of
their
levels, the Dancing Warrior gains double
the chant benefit from hearing
them.
The Singing Warrior, level 8, is able to
sing with benefit to all colleagues while
he
is fighting, and he can be heard even
through a magical silence
spell or effect.
The 9th-level Music Warrior enjoys a
special importance in the capoeira hierarchy.
For a 5th-level battle dancer to make
the passage to 6th level, he must spend
a
day having his musical skills examined
by
a 9th- or higher-level battle dancer.
There
is a 10% chance for every wisdom point
of
the candidate less than 18 that the Music
Warrior will have to give an extra 1-8
days
of musical coaching before the candidate
is promoted.
The Contra-Master, level 10, acquires an
added point of charisma upon reaching
this rank. He cannot now be surprised
except by opponent using magical spells
or
powers such as teleportation
or etherealness. Also, any 1st- or 2nd-level battle
dancer who observes a Contra-Master
serving as a practice sparring-partner
for
a Master (10th-level or above) will enjoy
a
10% bonus on any experience points he
may earn in the following week.
The 11th-level Master of Equilibrium is
immune to all mental attacks (including
all
enchantment/charm spells, possessions,
and attempts at mind reading, mind control,
and psionic assault), as long as he or
another Master is singing. If another
battle
dancer or a noncombatant member of
their community has been charmed,
hypnotized, etc., the Master?s song will act as a
dispel magic against this influence.
Furthermore, the Master can know alignment
of any being heard singing?regardless
of
such disguising powers as misdirection
or
aura alteration.
The 12th-level Uncle of Masters (a female
holding this rank would be called
Mother, not Aunt, since these titles derive
from the matrilineal system of many African
cultures) is immune to all death magic
(including the monk?s quivering
palm) as
long as he or a colleague of Master rank
is
singing. Also, the Uncle of Masters is
able
to teach allied non-battle dancers to
sing
capoeira songs well enough to confer
benefits on battle-dancer listeners. Such
teaching takes a number of weeks equal
to
30 minus the student?s wisdom score.
The Great-Uncle (or Grandmother) of
Masters, level 13, gains an overall 25%
magic resistance from sheer will-force
as
long as any battle dancer can be heard
singing or playing a musical instrument.
Moreover, if any mortal character of evil
alignment uses ESP or
telepathy on the
Great-Uncle of Masters, the innate gracefulness
and beauty of the mind being read
will require the mind-reader to save vs.
spells or change alignment to that of
the
Great-Uncle. (Evil extraplanar creatures
reading a Great-Uncle?s mind will not
change alignment, but they will temporarily
forget their evil intentions, initiating no
hostilities for 2-5 rounds.)
Combat
skills: When a battle dancer
ranks high enough to make more than one
attack per round, the number of attacks
made is the same whether he uses a
weapon or not. If a shield is also used,
no
unarmed techniques can be used and the
battle dancer's number of attacks must
be
referenced on the table at the top of
the
next column:
| Battle dancer's level | Weapon attacks per melee round |
| 1-5 | 1/1 |
| 6-10 | 3/2 |
| 11+ | 2/1 |
When armed but shieldless, the character
can choose how many of his attacks will
employ his weapon and how many will
employ a foot, fist, or elbow. If an armed
but shieldless battle dancer is fighting
humanoid foes only, then once in any
combat, after two rounds of using only
unarmed attacks, the battle dancer can
make a feint with his weapon (causing
no
damage), followed by an unarmed attack
that enjoys a +4 bonus to hit because
of
the feint, If this sneak attack succeeds,
it
does double normal damage and can be
followed up with a weapon attack at +2
to hit against the foe. Monks, ninja,
and
sohei are less susceptible to this strategy,
so the unarmed portion of the above tactic
has a +2 to-hit bonus and does only normal
damage, while the armed follow-up
has but a + 1 bonus to hit.
Rising in rank:
There is less exclusivity and conflict involved in battle-dancer
level gains than in those for monks. Up
through level 9, there is no limit on
how
many characters may hold each rank. The
only limit on the number of ContraMasters
(level 10) is that, in any one capoeira culture, the number of Masters
of
Equilibrium (level 11) cannot exceed the
number of Contra-Masters, lest a Master
be without a Contra-Master sparring partner
to keep him in practice. This is important, because a major function of
ContraMasters in the capoeira culture is to keep
Masters in mental and physical condition.
Any Master who fails to work out with
a
Contra-Master at least one a week while
not adventuring will gain only one-half
normal experience credit for the next
adventure he undertakes. A Master who
passes a full year without working out
or
adventuring?not counting the ordinary
hunting of common game?will drop
a
level in rank.
Thus, if a community has Masters and
Contra-Masters in equal number, any
promotion-eligible Contra-Masters will
just
have to wait until two or more Music
Warriors climb to Contra-Master rank,
unless there exists another capoeira community
of friendly alignment that has an
extra Contra-Master available for transfer.
For this reason, many Contra-Masters will
take Music Warriors out on frequent adventures
so that one Music Warrior, rising
to fill a Contra-Master?s post, will free
that
Contra-Master to seek his own promotion
to Master. In such a case, the former
Music Warrior usually becomes the sparring
partner of the former Contra-Master who
helped him to rise in rank.
The promotion from Contra-Master to
Master involves combat, but no one is
demoted thereby. In
fact, it is not against
the Master of Equilibrium that the Contra
M a s t e r f i g h t s ,
b u t a g a i n s t a n y o f
t h e s e
c o m b i n a t i o n s o
f o p p o n e n t s , i n o r d e r
o f
p r e f e r e n c e : t w
o f e l l o w C o n t r a - M a s t e r s ,
i n
i m m e d i a t e s u c c
e s s i o n ; o n e f e l l o w C o
n t r a M a s t e r , f o l l o w e d b y
f i g h t i n g t w o S i n g i n g
W a r r i o r s s i m u l
t a n e o u s l y a f t e r a b r i
e f r e s t ;
o r a S i n g
i n g W a r r i o r a n d t w o
D a n c i n g
W a r r i o r s s i m u l
t a n e o u s l y o n o n e d a y ,
f o l l o w e d b y f i g h t i n g
t w o M u s i c W a r r i o r s i n
i m m e d i a t e s u c c
e s s i o n t h e n e x t d a y .
T h e s e
c o m b a t s a r e
f o u g h t u n a r m e d a n d t o
t h e
a c c o m p a n i m e n t
o f c a p o e i r a m u s i c ( p e
r f o r m e d b y M a s t e r s w h
e r e p o s s i b l e ) f r o m
w h i c h b o t h
s i d e s d r a w b e n e f i t . D
a m a g e i s
t r e a t e d a s
s u b d u a l d a m a g e , n o t k
i l l i n g
d a m a g e . O n c e
t h e w o u l d - b e M a s t e r h
a s
p a s s e d t h e
t r i a l b y c o m b a t , h e
s p e n d s 2 - 5
d a y s c o m p o s i n g
a n o r i g i n a l c a p o e i r a
s o n g
( a c r e a t i v e
o p p o r t u n i t y f o r a n y D
M w i t h
m u s i c a l o r
p o e t i c t a l e n t ) . U p o n
p e r f o r m i n g
t h i s s o n g
f o r t h e c o m m u n i t y a n d
t e a c h i n g
i t t o e n o
u g h p e o p l e t o u s e
i t i n a c a p o e i r a
c i r c l e , t h e
c h a r a c t e r i s i n i t i a t e d
a s a M a s t e r o f E
q u i l i b r i u m .
T h e p r o m o t i o n
t o U n c l e / M o t h e r o f M a
s t e r s i s c o n d u c t e d i n
a s o m e w h a t m o r e
m o n k l i k e f a s h i
o n . T h e r e c a n b e
o n l y o n e
a c t i v e U n c l e
o f M a s t e r s i n a n y
c a p o e i r a
c o m m u n i t y . T h e
e l i g i b l e M a s t e r f i g h t s
t h e
r e i g n i n g U n c l e
( a s w i t h m o n k i s h p r o m
o t i o n , t h e c h a l l e n g e r
h e r e t e m p o r a r i l y
a c q u i r e s p o w e r
s e q u a l t o t h e i
n c u m b e n t ) .
I f t h e c h
a l l e n g e r l o s e s , h e d r
o p s i n e x p e r i e n c e p o i
n t s t o t h e m i n i m u m
n u m b e r f o r a
M a s t e r o f
E q u i l i b r i u m . I f t h e c
h a l l e n g e r
d e f e a t s t h e
U n c l e o f M a s t e r s , t h e
l o s e r
d o e s n o t
d r o p i n r a n k , b u t
t h e d e f e a t e d
U n c l e o f
M a s t e r m u s t d o o n e
o f t h r e e
t h i n g s , a s
d e c i d e d b y t h e v i c t o r
i o u s n e w
U n c l e o f
M a s t e r s . F i r s t , h e c a
n g o i n t o
s e m i - r e t i r e m e n t ,
o c c u p i e d m a i n l y w i t h
n o n c o m b a t a n t a
c t i v i t i e s l i k e s o n g c
o m p o s i n g . ( I n t h i s c a
s e , t h e d e f e a t e d U n c l
e ? s
f i g h t i n g a b i l i
t y w i l l d r o p o n e
l e v e l a f t e r a
y e a r , a n d
a n o t h e r l e v e l e v e r y s
i x m o n t h s
t h e r e a f t e r ; b u
t i f a n d w h e n t h
e s u c c e s s o r
U n c l e g o e s
o n t o a c h i e v e t h e
t o p m o s t r a n k
i n c a p o e i r a ,
t h e e x - U n c l e , i f l e s s
t h a n 6 0
y e a r s o l d ,
c a n r e s u m e n o r m a l a c t
i v i t y a n d
w o r k u p w a r d
i n l e v e l a g a i n ) . S e c o
n d , h e
c a n l e a v e
t h e c o m m u n i t y , a c c o m p a n i e d
o n l y b y t
w o o r t h r e e h i g h - l e v e
l f o l l o w e r s
a n d t h e i r
f a m i l i e s , t o f o u n d a
n e w s e t t l e m e n t n o t l e
s s t h a n t w o d a y s ?
t r a v e l a w a y .
T h i r d , h e
c a n r e m a i n i n t h e
o l d s e t t l e m e n t
w i t h a s i
m i l a r h a n d f u l o f c o m p
a n i o n s ( p l u s
a n y o n e u n f i t
f o r t r a v e l ) , w h i l e t h
e n e w
U n c l e o f
M a s t e r s l e a d s t h e m a j
o r i t y o f t h e
v i l l a g e r s a w a y
t o f o u n d a n e w c
o m m u n i t y
i n s o m e d
e s i r a b l e l o c a t i o n .
T h e G r e a t - U n c l e
/ G r a n d m o t h e r o f M a s t e r s
i s l i k e t h e m o n k i s h
G r a n d M a s t e r
o f
F l o
w e r s i n t h a t t h e r e
c a n b e o n l y o n e
h o l d e r o f
t h i s t i t l e p e r r e g i o n
. H o w e v e r ,
t h e h i g h l y
a r t i s t i c a n d f r a t e r n a l
n a t u r e o f
c a p o e i r a m a k e s
i t f e e l i n a p p r o p r i a t e
t o
d e c i d e p o s s e s s
i o n o f t h e t o p r
a n k m e r e l y
b y t h e o u
t c o m e o f a s l u g f e s t .
T w o a l t e r n a t e m e t h o d s
o f f i l l i n g t h e p o s i t i
o n a r e
s u g g e s t e d , b o t
h o p e r a t i n g o n t h e
a s s u m p t i o n t h a t t h e G
r e a t - U n c l e h o l d s l i f e t i m e
t e n u r e a n d
t h a t a c o n t e s t f o r
t h i s r a n k c a n
Table 1:
Battledancer Experience and Skills
| Level | Title | 6-sided hit dice | Inherent AC | Move | No. of attacks | Unarmed damage | Experience points |
| 1 | Tumbler | 2 | 9 | 14" | 1 | 1-3 | 0 - 2,500 |
| 2 | Handstander | 3 | 9 | 15" | 1 | 1-4 | 2,501 - 4,750 |
| 3 | Handwalker | 4 | 8 | 16" | 1 | 1-4 | 4,751 - 9,000 |
| 4 | Handspringer | 5 | 8 | 17" | 5/4 | 2-8 | 9,001 - 17,500 |
| 5 | Headspinner | 6 | 7 | 18" | 5/4 | 2-12 | 17,501 - 40,000 |
| 6 | Rhythm Warrior | 7 | 7 | 19" | 4/3 | 2-16 | 40,001 - 80,000 |
| 7 | Dancing Warrior | 8 | 6 | 20" | 4/3 | 4-16 | 80,001 - 160,000 |
| 8 | Singing Warrior | 9 | 6 | 21" | 3/2 | 3-18 | 160,001 - 320,000 |
| 9 | Music Warrior | 10 | 5 | 22" | 2 | 2-20 | 320,001 - 600,000 |
| 10 | Contra-Master | 11 | 4 | 23" | 5/2 | 3-24 | 600,001 - 900,000 |
| 11 | Master of Equilibrium | 12 | 3 | 24" | 3 | 4-24 | 900,001 - 1,200,000 |
| 12 | Uncle / Mother of Masters | 13 | 2 | 25" | 4 | 3-20 <?> | 1,200,001 - 2,000,000 |
| 13 | Great-Uncle / Grandmother of Masters | 14 | 1 | 26" | 9/2 | 4-32 | 2,000,001+ |
Table 2
Surprise Attack Success Probability
| Level | vs. non-martial artist who never saw capoeira combat before | vs. non-martial artist who has seen capoeira one before | vs. ninja, sohei, or monk of same or lower level | vs. ninja, sohei, or monk of higher level |
| 1 | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 2 | 5% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 3 | 10% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| 4 | 15% | 5% | 0% | 0% |
| 5 | 25% | 10% | 1% | 0% |
| 6 | 35% | 20% | 5% | 0% |
| 7 | 45% | 30% | 10% | 1% |
| 8 | 55% | 40% | 15% | 5% |
| 9 | 65% | 50% | 20% | 10% |
| 10 | 80% | 65% | 25% | 15% |
| 11 | 90% | 75% | 30% | 20% |
| 12 | 95% | 85% | 35% | 25% |
| 13 | 99% | 90% | 40% | 30% |
occur only when he dies or retires:
1. All candidates are told by their gods
in
a vision to undertake some quest beneficial
to the order of battle dancers as a
whole. The one who best fulfills the mission
becomes the Great-Uncle/Grandmother of Masters. As all battle dancers
are NPCs, the DM can decide the winner
of this contest with a single die roll.
Simp l e r y e t , j u s t a r b i
t r a r i l y c r e a t e a c h a r
a c t e r
who is assumed to have accomplished the
quest or will meet the PCs as he is pursuing
it.
2. All candidates must compose new
capoeira songs, to be judged by the old
Great-Uncle (if living) or by an assembly
of
all Masters of Equilibrium; the best song
earns the promotion. This would be very
much in the capoeira spirit. Again, if
compressing the process is desirable, one die
roll or DM?s fiat would settle the contest.
T h e c a p o e i r a c
i r c l e
What follows is a typical set of capoeiracircle
spell-like powers, which the DM
may modify from one confederation or
alignment to another:
I f t h e l e a
d e r o f a c a p o e i r a
c i r c l e i s o f
Rhythm Warrior level or above, the songs
of that circle can, once a day,
render a
nonmagical weapon temporarily able to
damage weapon-resistant monsters. This
weapon will gain no to-hit or damage
bonuses, but it can hurt all monsters
re
gardless of the magical bonuses usually
required to hit them. The duration of
this
power in combat is a number of rounds
equal to the experience level of the circle?s
leader, plus the number of other battle
dancers who joined in singing over the
weapon. If not used immediately, the
weapon will hold its special power for
a
time equal to the circle leader?s charisma
times 12 hours. A circle with a
Master
leading can empower two weapons per
day; with an Uncle of Masters, a weapon
can remain empowered for twice as long
as usual; and a Great-Uncle of Masters
can,
over his lifetime, permanently empower
a
number of weapons equal to his wisdom
score. (The DM can decide whether the
song-enchanted weapons will work
equally well for all wielders or for only
battle dancers.)
With a Dancing Warrior or above as
leader, the circle can cast (once each
per
day) a ?half-strength? version of
cure
disease and neutralize poison
spells?that
is, the victim?s life will be saved, but
he
will need time to recuperate. With a
Contra-Master or above as leader, these
spell effects will be of full clerical
quality.
With a Singing Warrior or above as
leader, the circle can cast remove
curse
and control weather.
With a Music Warrior or above as leader,
dispel magic can be cast.
With a Contra-Master or above, strength
can be cast on all in the circle.
With a Master leading, dispel evil,
exorcise, heal, and tongues spells can be cast.
Once a year, with an Uncle of Masters
leading, the circle can invoke the direct
aid of some powerful creature such as
a
lammasu or baku.
With a Great-Uncle of
Masters, the ceremony can be done twice
a year.
B a t t l e d a n c e r
s a n d o t h e r s
If player characters of non-Oriental
types happen upon battle dancers, they
should not find these NPCs too
terribly
astonishing?at least, not if they?ve ever
seen thief-acrobats before. But
s types may be very taken aback
by them?not because of their surprise
attacks or techniques, but because?
realizing battle dancers to be a kind
of
martial artist?Oriental-type characters
will expect battle dancers to act like
denizens of Kara-Tur . . . and the battle
dancers will not do so.
Members of the capoeira culture, even
ones of lawful alignment, are cheerfully
indifferent to many of an Oriental character?s
concerns for honor and ?face.? In
particular, a samurai?s readiness to commit
seppuku will strike battle dancers as
ridiculous, since a man who throws away his
own life is depriving family and friends
of
his help and protection. And an Oriental
character who tries to engage a battle
dancer in a psychic duel is likely to
achieve
no greater result than having the battle
dancer ask him, ?Are you feeling ill??
Whether visited by ?Eastern? or ?Western?
player characters, these ?Third
World? martial artists should serve to
lend
color to a far-ranging campaign?and force
adventuring parties to stay on their toes,
or else land on their backs.
zb.
1.
A shadowdancer.