Nuclear Beasts

Kenshar

Kenshar is a meditative technique practiced in Fashor. It enables the practicioner to tap into their inner magic to produce subtle, internal effects. It isn't widely thought to be a magical art, but it is.

Mostly it extends or expands on other skills, so, for example, a super-leap technique should add to or multiply your jumping distance... but you still have to use your Athletics skill.

Possible effects:

• Breath-holding
• Endure heat/cold
• Endure Starvation/Thirst
• Postpone fatigue effects (like Deryni, it'll come back worse, though).
• Resist torture/pain.
• Speed healing
• Resist disease/poison
• Enhance athletics
• Blind-fighting

I might just give it 3 skills instead of 6, so that it's cheaper to master than Wizardry or Sorcery. I'll have to think about it.

They're probably all Magic based skills, but your Magic rating won't matter as much for the effect... it's all subtle internal stuff that doesn't require a lot of power.

So, let me think... 3 skills would probably be plenty. The 3 basic precepts of Kenshar are:

• Discipline and Self-denial, to endure the endless hours of huddling beneath a sand-storm.
• Self-control, to master the functions of one's body.
• Concentration of Energies, to direct them towards a single task.

Head, Heart and Hand? Head, Heart and Tail? Self-Denial, Self-Control, and Directed Energies?

Anyway, Self-denial lets you survive without food or water and lets you post-pone the effects of Fatigue until later (at a risk of making the fatigue even stronger when it finally comes back). Resisting torture probably falls under this skill, too.

Self-mastery lets you control things like your heart rate, breathing and sleep in a special trance state that makes it easier to wake up if something happens nearby. It's the body-control power.

Concentrate Energies lets you aid Brawn and Athletics rolls by throwing all of your body's strength into a task.

All 3 are Magic-based skills, but your Magic rating doesn't affect them a whole lot beyond aiding your skill rolls.

Posted by Kiz at February 4, 2006 07:35 AM