Read Trail of the Wolf Online

Authors: Joe Dever

Tags: #Fiction, #Fantasy, #Lone Wolf, #Magnamund

Trail of the Wolf (5 page)

Equipment — How to use it
Weapons
The maximum number of Weapons that you can carry is
two
. Weapons aid you in combat. If you have the Grand Master Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery and a correct Weapon, it adds 5 points to your
COMBAT SKILL
. If you find a Weapon during your adventure, you may pick it up and use it. You may only use one Weapon at a time in combat.
Bows and Arrows
During your adventure there will be opportunities to use a Bow and Arrow. If you equip yourself with this Weapon, and you possess at least one Arrow, you may use it when the text of a particular section allows you to do so. The Bow is a useful Weapon, for it enables you to hit an enemy at a distance. However, a Bow cannot be used in hand-to-hand combat; therefore it is best to equip yourself also with a close combat Weapon, such as a Sword or an Axe.
In order to use a Bow you must possess a Quiver and at least one Arrow. Each time the Bow is used, erase an Arrow from your
Action Chart
. A Bow cannot, of course, be used if you exhaust your supply of Arrows, but the opportunity may arise during your adventure for you to replenish your stock of Arrows.
Backpack Items
These must be stored in your Backpack. Because space is limited, you may keep a maximum of ten articles, including Meals, in your Backpack at any one time. You may only carry one Backpack at a time. During your travels you will discover various useful items which you may decide to keep. You may exchange or discard them at any point when you are not involved in combat.
Any item that may be of use, and which can be picked up on your adventure and entered on your
Action Chart
, is given either initial capitals (e.g. Silver Mirror, Gold Key), or is clearly identified as a Backpack Item. Unless you are told that it is a Special Item, carry it in your Backpack.
Special Items
Special Items are not carried in the Backpack. When you discover a Special Item, you will be told how or where to carry it. The maximum number of Special Items that can be carried on any adventure is 12.
Kai Weapon
Your Kai Weapon is a Special Item and it can be carried and used in addition to two normal Weapons. If you possess the Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery for a weapon type which is the same as your unique Kai Weapon, you may add the Grand Weaponmastery bonus of +5 to your
COMBAT SKILL
. This is in addition to the bonus gained when you use your Kai Weapon in combat.
Food
Food is carried in your Backpack. Each Meal counts as one item. You will need to eat regularly during your adventure. If you do not have any food when you are instructed to eat a Meal, you will lose 3
ENDURANCE
points. However, if you have chosen Grand Huntmastery as one of your four Disciplines, then you will not need to tick off a Meal when instructed to eat.
Potion of Laumspur
This is a healing potion that can restore 4
ENDURANCE
points to your total when swallowed after combat. There is enough for one dose only. If you discover any other potion during the adventure, you will be informed of its effect. All potions are Backpack Items.
Gold Crowns
The currency of Gazad Helkona is the Gold Crown. These are always carried in the Belt Pouch. It will hold a maximum of fifty Crowns.

[5] If you have completed any of the previous
Lone Wolf New Order
adventures (Books 21+), you already possess a Kai Weapon.

[6] These bonuses are
not
cumulative.

[7] ‘Valiance’ is also effective against magical creatures.

Rules for Combat

There will be occasions during your adventure when you will have to fight an enemy. The enemy's
COMBAT SKILL
and
ENDURANCE
points are given in the text. Your aim in the combat is to kill the enemy by reducing his
ENDURANCE
points to zero while losing as few
ENDURANCE
points as possible yourself.

At the start of a combat, enter your own and the enemy's
ENDURANCE
points in the appropriate boxes on the Combat Record section of your
Action Chart
.

The sequence for combat is as follows:

  1. Add any extra points gained through your Grand Master Disciplines and Special Items to your current
    COMBAT SKILL
    total.
  2. Subtract the
    COMBAT SKILL
    of your enemy from this total. The result is your Combat Ratio. Enter it on the
    Action Chart
    .
    Example
    You, Grand Master (
    COMBAT SKILL
    32), are attacked in a forest by a pack of Wild Dogs (
    COMBAT SKILL
    31). You are taken by surprise and are not given the opportunity of evading their attack. You possess the Grand Master Discipline of Kai-surge to which the Wild Dogs are not immune, so you add 8 points to your
    COMBAT SKILL
    . You also possess the Kai Weapon ‘Ulnarias’, so you add an additional 5 points to your
    COMBAT SKILL
    . This gives you a total
    COMBAT SKILL
    of 45.
    You now subtract the Wild Dogs'
    COMBAT SKILL
    from your own, giving a Combat Ratio of +14 (45−31=+14). +14 is noted on your
    Action Chart
    as the Combat Ratio.
  3. When you have your Combat Ratio
    , pick a number from the
    Random Number Table
    .
  4. Turn to the
    Combat Results Table
    . Along the top of the chart are shown the Combat Ratio numbers. Find the number that is the same as your Combat Ratio and cross-reference it with the random number that you have picked (the random numbers appear on the side of the chart). You now have the number of
    ENDURANCE
    points lost by both yourself and your enemy in this round of combat. (E represents points lost by the enemy; GM represents points lost by yourself — Grand Master.)
    Example
    The Combat Ratio between you and the Wild Dogs has been established as +14. If the number picked from the
    Random Number Table
    is 1, then the result of the first round of combat is:
    • You (GM) lose 3
      ENDURANCE
      points (plus an additional 1 point for using Kai-surge. This loss is in addition to the loss suffered as a result of combat).
    • Wild Dogs lose 9
      ENDURANCE
      points.
  5. On the
    Action Chart
    , mark the changes in
    ENDURANCE
    points to the participants in the combat.
  6. Unless otherwise instructed, or unless you have an option to evade, the next round of combat now starts.
  7. Repeat the sequence from
    Stage 3
    .

This process of combat continues until the
ENDURANCE
points of either your enemy or yourself are reduced to zero or below, at which point that combatant is declared dead. If you are declared dead, the adventure is over. If the enemy is dead, you can proceed but with your
ENDURANCE
points possibly reduced.

A
summary of Combat Rules
appears in the back of this book.

Evasion of Combat

During your adventure you may be given the chance to evade combat. If you have already engaged in a round of combat and decide to evade, calculate the combat for that round in the usual manner. All points lost by the enemy as a result of that round are ignored, and you make your escape. Only
you
may lose
ENDURANCE
points during that round (such is the risk of turning tail and running away during combat!). You may only evade if the text of the particular section allows you to do so.

Levels of New Order Kai Grand Mastership

The following table is a guide to the ranks and titles you can achieve at each stage of your journey along the road of Kai Grand Mastership. As you successfully complete each adventure in the
New Order
series, you will gain an additional Grand Master Discipline and progress towards the pinnacle of Kai perfection — to become a Kai Supreme Master.

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  
  4.  
  5. Kai Grand Master Senior —
    You begin the
    New Order
    adventures at this level of Kai Grand Mastery
    8
  6. Kai Grand Master Superior
  7. Kai Grand Sentinel
  8. Kai Grand Defender
  9. Kai Grand Guardian
  10. Sun Knight
  11. Sun Lord
  12. Sun Thane
  13. Grand Thane
  14. Grand Crown
  15. Sun Prince
  16. Kai Supreme Master

[8] It is unclear why a New Order Grand Master becomes a Supreme Master by mastering only 15 of the 16 Grand Master Disciplines. It is also unclear why New Order Grand Masters must master four extra Disciplines in order to receive the same improvements to their Disciplines as Lone Wolf did with fewer.

Improved Grand Master Disciplines

As you rise through the higher levels of Grand Mastery you will find that your Disciplines will steadily improve.

Kai Grand Master Superior

If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Kai Grand Master Superior, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Animal Mastery
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are able to deter predatory animals in the wild by exuding a scent which is repellent to them. In order for this improved Discipline to work effectively, a Kai Grand Master Superior must be aware of the species of predatory animal he/she wishes to deter. The scent can only be detected by the targeted animal.
Assimilance
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this skill are able to create a noise and project it up to 15 yards away from their location. The noise is akin to the rumbling sound of thunder and it can be used to distract or divert an enemy's attention. This improved Discipline requires a degree of preparation and therefore it cannot be used during combat.
Astrology
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are skilled in the use of all mechanical devices designed to measure and/or observe the cosmology of Magnamund. Such devices include sextants, astrolabes, and orreries.
Herbmastery
Kai Grand Master Superiors who have this Discipline are able to purify water, thereby making contaminated or briny water suitable for consumption. Roughly two pints of water per day can be purified using this skill alone. This daily total steadily increases as a Grand Master advances in rank.
Elementalism
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this skill are able to condense pure water out of the surrounding air. This water can be made to fall as a fine spray or as a sudden deluge. It can also be made to fill any suitable container or receptacle. Using this skill, Grand Master Superiors can create the equivalent of one large bucketful of fresh water.
Bardsmanship
Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are able to utilize their musical skills to pacify an excited or hostile animal.
Kai Grand Sentinel

If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Kai Grand Sentinel, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Grand Weaponmastery
Kai Grand Sentinels who possess this Discipline are, when physically parted from their Kai Weapon, able to detect its location. This power of detection will pass through solid objects, with the notable exception of lead. Accuracy and range of detection steadily increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Grand Pathsmanship
Kai Grand Sentinels who possess this skill are able to predict the weather accurately for the forthcoming 3 hours. The range of this ability is an area 10 square miles around the Kai Grand Sentinel. Duration and range steadily increase as a Kai Grand Master rises in rank.
Astrology
Kai Grand Sentinels who possess this Discipline are able to detect psychic residues left on an object by its owner. The more valuable the object is to its owner, the stronger will be the lingering psychic attachment. The majority of everyday or shared objects do not retain such residues.
Herbmastery
Through their knowledge and use of common plants, Kai Grand Sentinels who have this Discipline are able to make contaminated or rotten food fit for human consumption.
Elementalism
Kai Grand Sentinels who possess this skill are able to charge particles of air electrically around any man-sized or smaller object. The particles will automatically discharge and cause damage should the affected object be touched or opened. Kai Grand Sentinels are able to handle a charged object without discharging it.
Bardsmanship
Kai Grand Sentinels who possess this Discipline are able to use their singing or playing to counter a hostile sonic attack. The effective use and range of this sonic defence steadily increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Kai Grand Defender

If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Kai Grand Defender, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Deliverance
Kai Grand Defenders who possess this Discipline have the ability to repair the effects of natural decay in materials such as wood, stone, cloth, metal, etc. By touching the decaying object, a Kai Grand Defender is able to reverse damage caused by rot, rust, or mould.
Telegnosis
By use of this Discipline, a Kai Grand Defender is able to locate a known or familiar material object. Initially the range of this ability is limited to a 15-foot radius, however this distance steadily increases as a Kai Grand Master advances in rank.
Astrology
Kai Grand Defenders who possess this Discipline are skilled in the use of all common astrological devices used to predict future events. Such devices include cards, dice, and crystal spheres.
Herbmastery
Kai Grand Defenders who possess this Discipline are able to neutralize any poisonous toxins that may be present in organic materials such as plants, berries, and fruits. Through the use of this skill, the transformation of toxins can sometimes result in an increase in
ENDURANCE
and/or
COMBAT SKILL
when the previously poisonous matter is swallowed.
Elementalism
By using this Discipline, Kai Grand Defenders are able to summon up a dense, misty vapour to obscure themselves from both normal vision and infravision (night sight). This mist will occur within 5 feet of the Kai Grand Defender and will last for three to five minutes. Range and duration increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Bardsmanship
Kai Grand Defenders who possess this Discipline are able to use their musical skills to pacify (and/or implant a suggestion into the mind of) an intelligent creature within audible range. This improved Discipline is similar in effect to the Brotherhood Spell
Mind Charm
(Kai-alchemy).
Kai Grand Guardian

If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Kai Grand Guardian, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Assimilance
Kai Grand Guardians who possess this skill are able to summon a cloud of fog-like vapour within 15 yards of their location. This fog will obscure both normal vision and infravision. The duration of the fog increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Herbmastery
Kai Grand Guardians who possess this Discipline are able to use their advanced knowledge of Herbmastery to produce explosive compounds from simple organic materials.
Elementalism
Through the use of this Discipline, Kai Grand Guardians are able to protect themselves from the effects of storm-force winds by creating a sphere of calm air around their bodies. Initially this protective bubble lasts for one minute, but duration steadily increases as a Grand Master ascends in Kai rank.
Grand Huntmastery
Kai Grand Guardians with this skill enjoy increased mobility when travelling across all types of terrain, whether on foot or on horseback. This improved ability can be very useful when used to outdistance a pursuing enemy.
Kai-surge
Kai Grand Guardians who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to attack up to three enemies in psychic combat simultaneously.
Kai-screen
Kai Grand Guardians who possess this Discipline are able to exercise a defensive psychic skill known as
Mindblend
. This cloaking ability enables a Kai Grand Guardian to protect their mind and also prevent it from being detected by a hostile psychic probe.
Magi-magic
Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian are able to use the following battle-spells of the Elder Magi:
  • Splinter
     — This causes breakable items such as bottles, jugs, mirrors, windows, etc., to shatter to pieces. The range of this spell increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.
  • Flameshaft
     — This causes the tip of any Arrow, or Arrow-like missile, to burn fiercely with a magical flame which cannot readily be extinguished by normal means.

The nature of additional improvements and how they affect your existing Grand Master Disciplines will be noted in the Improved Grand Master Disciplines section of future
Lone Wolf New Order
books.

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