Runequest #212 - New Gifts and Geasa for Humakti!
Humakt has long been one of my favorite Gloranthan deities. The first character I played (back in about 1980, was a Humakti) and the cult invariably figures in my games in some way. The cult is described in Cults of Prax, and elsewhere, and it provides pretty much everything you need to have player and non-player Humakti in your game. I have previously thought of Humakti as something akin to the Knights Templar, sworn to Honor and Death, rather than the protection of an earthly temple, but an order of chvalrous warriors who hold themselves apart from others by way of their devotion to their tenets.
But the cult write-up itself notes that certain aspects of its doctrine have change according to era and locale. I have played with that some in my Brightwater Company game, having the Esrolian Humakti tradition be family oriented, with ancestral sword saints, and familial traditions of worship, burial and congregatin that differ from the Sartarite approach, in which Humakti generally remove themselves from familial social and cultural ties like inheritance and thegnhood.
Here, I thought I would update and alter two tables from Cults of Prax: the Gifts of Humakt, and th Geases of Humakt. In Cults of Prax, it says that the Gifts of Humakt have varied over time. I have left some as is, but added or amended others. SImilarly the Geases table is not entirely different, but offers some variance from the original.
Chosen Gift # of Geasa
Increase 10% in attack with a cult weapon 1
Increase 10% in cult weapon parry or shield parry 1
Increase 10% in a cult-related skill 1
Increase a raiseable Characteristic by 1 point 1
Increase a non-raiseable Characteristic by 1 point 3
Make one sword unbreakable in your hands 2
Increase the Armor Points of a specific piece of armor by 3 points 1
Enchant a specific piece of armor to block 3 from Undead Drain attacks 1
Add +3 to CON when resisting poison ` 1
Gain Lore: Undead, at 25+Knowledge Bonus% 1
Gain “Sense Assassin” Ability at 25+ Magic Bonus% 1
Gain “Sense Truth” Ability at 25+ Magic Bonus% 1
Gain “Sense Undeath” Ability at 25+ Magic Bonus% 1
NOTES:
Cult Related Skills: Those skills eligible for consideration in the Runesword test, including the Sense skills here.
Lore: Undead: This lore skill conveys information about all sorts of undead, their habits, strengths, weaknesses and haunts.
Sense Skills: These supernatural skills are not spells and do not require speech, the expenditure of Power Points, or any overt signs associated with casting. They are also not affected by spells like Countermagic or others intended to hide such activity from detection. Rune spells that do so function normally against these skills. Sense skills work within POW x5 Yards of the sensor. The better the roll, the more information becomes known to the sensor.
Sense Assassin: The supernatural ability to sense one who intends to assassinate, ambush or otherwise, attack dishonorably, a person the Humakti is currently attached to,
whether as a part of a temporary adventuring party or a permanent fealty relationship. This includes an assassin intending to attack the sensing Humakti. The Sense will not tell the Humakti who the intended victim is, but does point out the assassin.
Sense Truth: The supernatural ability to sense truth when it is provided, as well as detecting the presence of the Truth rune. Sense Truth may be used in such circumstances in the same way as Insight.
Sense Undeath: The supernatural ability to sense the Undead, as well as detecting the presence of the Undeath rune.
Alternate Geasa for Humakt
Here is a variant Geasa Table that I use when I want a change, or when it seems like the geasa from the original are not sufficiently limiting those who have them. Note that many of the old geasa remain.
A Humakti can roll for a Geas as noted in the cult description. In addition, many Humakti being sent on desperate missions choose to take a gift and geas before undertaking their quest – the better to be prepared for the quest, and the better to reflect the tenets of Humakt.
ROLL 1D100:
01 - Favored by Humakt; no geas.
02-04 - Cast no battle magic 1 day per week.
05-07 - Cast no magic but Death magic on Death Day.
08-10 - Challenge any Zorak Zorani to a duel.
11-13 - Never eat with non-Humakti except those friendly to Humakt's cult.
14-16 - Never eat with non-Humakti: friendly or not.
17-18 - Fast for 1 day per week.
19-21 - Remain silent 1 week per season (this includes casting spells).
22-23 - Remain silent 1 day per week (this includes casting spells).
24-26 - Eat no meat on Windsday.
27-29 - Eat no meat on Death Week.
30-32 - Give a gift to any Priest of a Death or Truth rune cult.
33-36 - Offer a service to any Priest of a Death or Truth rune cult.
37-40 - Ride no animals 1 day per week.
41-43 - Ride no animals 2 weeks each season.
44-46 - Ride no animals 1 season per year.
47-50 - Never speak to a cultist of another Death rune cult.
51-57 - Never participate in an ambush.
58-60 - Never lie.
61-61 - Accept any challenge from a trustworthy cultist or cult.
62-65 - Double Power sacrifice each holy day.
66-67 - Triple Power sacrifice each holy day.
68-71 - Use no non-cult weapons.
72-75 - Cannot use Large Shield.
76-79 - Cannot use Large or Medium Shield.
80-81 - Cannot use any Shield.
82-85 - Cannot use metal armor (random location).
86-89 - Cannot use any armor in 1 location (random).
90-93 - Cannot use metal armor in 2 locations (random)
94-95 - Cannot use any armor in 2 locations (random).
96-98 - Roll twice more.
99-00 - Roll thrice more.
