Module description

This is the Magic Will Simulator, a module that serves as a tool for any role-playing game system and allows the Game Master to leave it up to free will what happens whenever a character wants to use a magical item. Any object or artifact that has been enchanted, charmed or bewitched to have special magical abilities has a purpose in its creation. Whether it is simply to beautify a city, help with household chores, advise with knowledge and predictions or even be powerful weapons of war. No matter what the motive, there is always a reason. That is why there are times when dwarven smiths, chaos lords or high elves tend to bestow part of their own will on the magic item. In this way they manage to ensure that the object will be used for the purpose for which it was created.

This will of the item is similar to a mission that a character has and is usually described along with the magic item. Although not everyone has to have will or intelligence, it is true that as a general rule the most powerful objects have disadvantages for those who dare to take their use lightly or do not have enough power to master it. In this context, this Will roll simulator was designed to test if the character is able to resist the will of the object or if, on the contrary, he is subjugated to it. There are many examples of magical objects with wills, the most obvious being Tolkien's One Ring, although there are many more such as Harry Potter's wands, Thor's hammer, DC's Green Lantern's ring, Marvel's infinity gems, "The Mask", Doctor Strange's levitation cloak, Maleficent's "The Spinning Wheel", and so on. As you can see, the most powerful magic items are those that have wills of their own.

In the Treasures and Rewards module you will find many optional purposes if you want to add them to your games to use this simulator. We recommend that, either if you play in worlds where magic is something rare and rare, or in backgrounds where magic is more common than technology today, you implement this simulator on some magic items to make players aware that great power also comes with risks that must be taken. Otherwise it is possible that in the end magic items will be considered by the players as simple tools to use indifferently and without concern, as if they were simple weapons or shields that give bonuses and are safe to use. Magic is something more complicated than this and you never know what or who is on the other side of it...

Note that not all purposes require rolling in this simulator. Sometimes the purposes are not quests or desires of the magic object but setbacks, hindrances or restrictions that affect it. For example: If the object has the opposition of only being able to be activated under the moonlight, a simulation will not be required, because no matter how much the character wants and his will is strong, the object will not really activate because it does not depend on it. Therefore, each object is unique and particular and this Simulator should only be used when there is really a need. Second example: If the object has the purpose of defending a race, if ever the bearer tries to use this weapon against them, he will have to make a will check with this simulator so that the weapon accepts to go against what it was created for. Likewise, if the character ever sees a hostile character harassing that race, he will have to make an effort to oppress the will of the object that encourages him to act. 

There are many magic items that have alignments. Actually this is neither a help nor a hindrance for the wearer to fight against the will of the magic item, as even evil minds can fall prey to an evil item just as easily as an item of good can convert its wearer to a new fanatical faith. The alignment has other connotations that will affect its use in some areas, ethical codes or picturesque scenes that will end up taking their toll on the characters, since if a warrior of good ends up equipping himself with evil equipment, he may end up having conflicts in his exploits.

Adding an epic or legendary item to a group of low-level characters makes sense if it has a hidden purpose and a will of its own. Characters could use the magnificent qualities of the magic item, but its use would always have a danger. In this way the characters would use these powers only in desperate moments, where the possible benefit outweighs the risk, giving a more role-playing and decisive touch to the story. Example: A group of hundreds of zombies herded by a wizard of the black magic school surrounds the house. The characters inside have already spent all their skills and strength trying to repel them, but they are outnumbered. The first windows have already been broken. Pieces of rotting flesh fall from the holes in the roof. Will the characters use this object that makes them sweat when they remember its shape, tremble when they see it and dread when they touch it? Will this be the only way to get out of there alive? Will the remedy be worse than the disease? ...

How does this module work?

Every time a player uses or carries a magic item you can use this Magic Wills Simulator to check what happens. You can directly hit the "Simulate" button to take a standard profile of both the player and the object. On the other hand, you can adjust the parameters to represent different situations and favor or worsen the relationship of the player with the object, making it more powerful each time or on the contrary, being dominated by the player. There are four fillable fields:

• Races: depending on the race of the character that equips the magic item will have more or less facilities to yield to the will of this one. For example, Hobbits or Halflings/Halflings natively have a certain strength to this type of magical manipulation, while the Undead, on the contrary, are susceptible to yield more easily to higher wills.
  
  
• Item Level: Depending on the power of the object, it will have more or less strength to subdue the will of its "false master". As a general rule, Common and Very Common magic objects have been created for purposes of little relevance, being nice gifts or simple tools, so their wills are more referred to a practical and simple end than to a purpose or mission, so they are easy to dominate. On the contrary, objects as powerful and legendary as the One Ring or "The Mask" have the power to manipulate minds, seduce them, deceive them and even subjugate them to be their slaves if the wearer is not strong enough.
  
  
• Last roll: Unless it is the first time the character uses or equips himself with the magic item, it is important to remember what was the last result obtained for future simulations. This is because if a character has already been subjected to the power of the item, it is easy for it to get it again, since he knows what his weak point is and therefore it should be represented in the equation when measuring strengths. On the other hand, if the character has overcome the will of the object once, it is possible that he can do it twice or even end up taming it, controlling it or even appointing himself as its new Master.
  
  
• Religious Class: Although not in all game systems and fantasy worlds is the same (since in some games these things are governed by Will, others by Charisma, others by faith, etc.) for this simulator this box has been used to represent in the equation all those characters with a stronger willpower than the rest, either because they are devoted to their principles and are difficult to manipulate or because they are wise and experienced adventurers who have seen a lot of world and will not fall easily to the wiles of these magical objects. 

Category

Generic Role

Tags

ItemsSimulator