First Newbie Question

dalmagar

Mongoose
Just picked up the book last week.

One question I'm trying to work out (more on the way I'm sure) is what exactly it means to be under somebodies "thrall". It's mentioned under the rule of the master in the Sorcery section as well as the Awful Rite of the Werebeast, that the beasts are "partially under the Thrall of the caster". What does that mean?
 
Thrall is an ancient Viking term for slave. By extension it means "under the power (yoke) of".
 
I was wondering if more specifics had been discussed. For instance, I turn my companions into were-hyenas. I know they follow me around, and probably don't attack me. I know if I order them to do something they might attack me, but what about between those two. Will they defend me if I'm attacked randomly? Or are they mostly just for show/intimidation unless I take the risk to actually order them to do something?
 
dalmagar said:
I was wondering if more specifics had been discussed. For instance, I turn my companions into were-hyenas. I know they follow me around, and probably don't attack me. I know if I order them to do something they might attack me, but what about between those two. Will they defend me if I'm attacked randomly? Or are they mostly just for show/intimidation unless I take the risk to actually order them to do something?
I think you must DM this out. This is where the term "partially" comes into play.
IMO you don't want to be a slave but you have no choice. So I would say they only obey on orders. However they may also think they will be freed one day and try therefore to be zealous.
 
Here's something I might rule as a GM in that instance (note that turning your own companions into werehyaenas is...ahem...frowned upon).


Anytime the were-character wants to make an act of free will, he simply cannot. each time he's given an order by his master, he's allowed a WILL save - any corruption he's got (including any for realizing he's a were-nasty!) to resist the command, act all "snarly" and whatever for a round. Each time his master commands him thereafter in subsequent rounds, it's a further -1 penalty to that WILL save. If the master uses an Intimidate check to command him, it's -X where X is the total of the master's d10+Intimidate roll. If it's a command that would put the were-being's life at risk, he can apply his WIS modifier again to his WILL save.

Howzat?
 
"Thrall" is not a listed game condition. "Flanking" is a listed game condition, the rules tell us exactly what it means. You need to not concentrate on figuring out what the word "thrall" means (I consider it to be simply flavor text) and look at the rest of the rules.

A master can do to his student exactly what it says he can do under "Rule of the Master" (plus since a master probably possesses a magical link to his student he can cast any magical link spell to make their lives miserable).

Likewise someone turned into a were-beast by the spell "Awful Rite of the Were-Beast" will do exactly what the spell says he will do: attempt to remain within 500 feet of the sorcerer and get a will save to break free every time the master gives a direct order. Expounding on this I note the line in the spell that says
the risk of losing control is just too great and few were-creatures created by this spell will hold back if they get a chance to attack their erstwhile master.
from that I deduce that a were-creature who is not released from command is prevented from attacking the sorcerer, no direct order required. I would also rule that the order "protect me from anyone who attacks me" only ever needs to be given once, not each time the sorcerer is attacked. Fruthermore I notice the line in the spell that says
any time the sorcerer gives the target a direct order he must make a magic attack roll against the target's Will save to compel him to obey.
From that I conclude that the sorcorer is free to ask the target to do something, using the normal rules for Diplomacy and Intimidate, without prompting a Will save. A sorcerer probably has many ways to charm/reward/punish his were-beast slave and so need only use the compulsion aspect of the spell when quick and sure results are required.

Hope that helps.
 
Okay. Picture this:

The evil sorcerer is standing in his throne room, dressed in black and red robes, emblazoned with skulls and symbols of evil. Before him stands a great were-beast, a towering mountain of fangs and muscle. The sorcerer says...

"So would you do it for TWO scooby-snacks?"










I'm sorry. I had to say that. :p
 
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