Wheel of Time

[p_Clapham]

I was never 100% happy with the D20 treatment given to the Wheel of Time setting. Over the past few months I've been kicking around different systems for the One Power. For those of you unfamiliar with the setting the One Power is a kind of magic that is broken down into five elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Spirit, and Water. A channeler(caster) uses one or more elements in weaves(spells) to create a wide range of effects, from holding someone in place with solid air, to throwing lightning. This is what I have so far.

The One Power uses a modified version of the Sorcery rules. You have each element: Air, Earth, Fire, Spirit, Water, and Manipulation. The elements act as grimores and represent the "brute strength" of the channeler, while Manipulation is their skill. When a weave requires multiple elements such as a lightning strike (Air/Fire), the channelers lowest element is used to determine the strength of the weave.

Male channelers start off with a score in Air, Spirit, and Water equal to their POW, and a score in Earth and Fire equal to their POW x2. Female channelers start off with a score in Earth, Fire and Spirit equal to their POW, and a score in Air and Water equal to their POW x2.

I am considering including rune magic in the system as well. Certain weaves are far too powerful to be represented as a sorcery spell. Balefire being a great example.

 

[p_Clapham]

I'm working out some rules for overchanneling. Basically adding more manipulations to a weave than your Manipulation score, or casting a fixed intensity weave that is higher than your element. At best you would become exhausted, possibly pass out. At the worst you would lose your ability to channel temporarily or permanently.

I also gave some thought to Angreal and S'Angreal. They are artifacts from the age of legends that let a channeler boost their limits, allowing them to channel more power than they ordinarily could. Each Angreal and S'Angreal is keyed to one or more elements, giving the channeler a corresponding bonus to their element score. Angreal and S'Angreal vary in power, in the series we see some that add 20% and others that add 300% or even 500%.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Check out the new Legend book: Arcana of Legend: Elemental Magic

I think it may be similar to what you are looking for. At least it has lots of good ideas. Some you will obviously have to throw out like the inability to use the opposite element of your chosen path, but it might give you some good ideas.

I have always thought Legend would be a good fit for Wheel of Time. The various cultures can be easily modeled using the background info and since culture is so important to the story, it is nice that Legend can help tailor the backgrounds of the characters in such a clean and consistent way.

 

[p_Clapham]

The Elemental Magic book is what cinched my decision to go with Legend.

Check out the new Legend book: Arcana of Legend: Elemental Magic

I think it may be similar to what you are looking for. At least it has lots of good ideas. Some you will obviously have to throw out like the inability to use the opposite element of your chosen path, but it might give you some good ideas.

I have always thought Legend would be a good fit for Wheel of Time. The various cultures can be easily modeled using the background info and since culture is so important to the story, it is nice that Legend can help tailor the backgrounds of the characters in such a clean and consistent way.

 

[p_Clapham]

Some legendary abilities adapted/ renamed from Legend and MRQ II

Aes Sedai
Requirements: Manipulation 50% or more, 3 or more Elements at 50% or more
Hero Points: 5

You learn weaves much faster than normal. You may roll your element twice when attempting to learn a new weave and take the better result. You are also subject to the three oaths. To speak no word that is not true. To make no weapon with which one man may kill another. Never to use the One Power as a weapon except against Darkfriends or Shadowspawn, or in the last extreme defense of her life, the life of her warder, or another Aes Sedai.

Blademaster
Requirements: Dex 15, Combat Style incorporating a sword 90% or higher
Hero Points: 5
While using a sword the following effects take place.
The character can parry one additional attack per round
The character gains +10% to their weapon skill when parrying
Increase the weapon damage by +1

Sniffer
Requirements: Perception 75%
Hero Points: 5
You can smell the psychic residue left behind by violent acts and follow the trails of the characters or creatures that committed them. The power and intensity of the odor give you some sense of the magnitude of the violence, how recently it occurred, or both. This heroic ability allows you to not only sense roughly when and where violence occurred, but it also allows you to track the perpetrators using your Perception skill. Extreme acts of violence such as torture and murder leave a strong trail. The smell fades over time, with the worst acts lingering for about a week. Shadowspawn such as Trollocs and Fades always leave a clear trail whether they have committed violence or not.

Dark One's own luck
Requirements: Pow 15+
Hero Points: 5
You are cursed or blessed with the Dark One's own luck. Whenever you spend a Hero Point to get a Second Chance, you also get a +10% to the re-roll attempt. When killed you may put yourself in the hands of the gamemaster. You will always survive, but your Hero Points are reduced by 1D6 and you will likely end up in a very dangerous or unpleasant situation. This heroic ability cannot be activated if you have no hero points.

I still need to do Old Blood, Dreamwalker, Warder, Wolfbrother, and Wise One. The Blademaster legendary ability is going to be the prerequisite to a bunch of other legendary abilities. The various forms described in the book. I might make Ta'Veren a legendary ability too. Originally the idea was that all of the Player Characters in the game are Ta'veren, which is why they have Hero points.

 

[p_Clapham]

Here are some Blademaster forms/ Legendary abilities. They are adapted from MRQ I.

Parting the Silk
Requirements: Blademaster Legendary Ability, Combat Style incorporating a sword at 90% or higher
Hero Points:8
Duration: One Melee attack using a sword

If wielding a sword, you can maximize its damage for a single blow.

Eyes of the Crane
Requirements: Blademaster Legendary Ability, Combat Style incorporating a sword at 90% or higher
Hero Points: 8
Duration: One Melee Attack using a sword

Eyes of the Crane is declared before a precise attack, targeting a specific location on your opponent. Attempts to dodge or parry this attack suffer a -20% penalty. Should the attack hit, all Armour points from non-power wrought sources are ignored.

Heron Spreads his Wings
Requirements: Blademaster Legendary Ability, Combat Style incorporating a sword at 90% or higher
Hero Points: 8
Duration: One Round

While using a sword the blademaster is able to make a series of lighting fast strikes against his foes. You can make two Melee attacks against the same target with a normal Combat Action.