Xanth Adaptation Before getting onto the actual post itself, I will note that this particular version of the Xanth adaptation began a chain of comments that ended up being roughly three times the length of the original article. As a result of that feedback, any hypothetical revised version would have some quite different axioms and fewer world laws. The consensus reached was eventually: M 15 Soc 10 Spi 5 T 12 (natives only bother with 10, but 12 is supported for immigrants) LoPuns LoXanthianMagic (supports Talents rather than enhancement packages) Division of Conspiriacies From student.canberra.edu.au!u921953 Sat Jul 16 20:50:56 1994 Date: Sun, 17 Jul 1994 11:46:28 +1000 (EST) From: "Brenton / Saxon George (COM)" Subject: Xanth v.1 (long) To: The Black Marble Wombat's cosm X-bmw: Black Marble Wombat Version 5.0 Sorry this is a bit late guys, but the U of C is fiddling with some of the computers, presumably for start of semester 2, and I didn't realise that some of the networking facilities were still operating. This is the prelimary game mechanics for the Xanth fringe reality I promised a week or so ago. A final version (if I get time) would probably be a bit longer again to allow for descriptions and history, but most of that can be found in the guides and encyclopaedias to the novels, or even the novels themselves, so I'll spare you for now. Any constructive comments welcomed. Saxon Brenton ----- The reality of Xanth is based on the "Magic of Xanth" series of fantasy novels by Piers Anthony, and is a fringe reality of Core Earth. As a genre, it is humorous fantasy, with a heavy emphasis on puns. Xanth is literally made up of puns, which causes the environment to be extremely exotic, even by the standards of Aysle. By comparison with the highly magical and pun-infested Xanth, Core Earth seems rather boring and dreary, so Xanthians refer to their parent reality as Mundania and want as little to do with it as possible. Xanthians prefer the high magic environment of Aysle over that of Mundania, despite the lack of puns in Aysle's reality. Xanth is a north-south peninsula of land surrounded by ocean on three sides; the northern end is an isthmus that acts as a dimensional bridge to Mundania. The dimensional barrier around Xanth is attuned to individuals with Xanthian reality, so that it is much easier for a Xanthian to exit and then re-enter than it is for anyone else to cross over in the first place. The arrival during the Possibility Wars of mages from Aysle and Tharkold means possible easier access to Xanth for outsiders via use of the Extradimensional Gate spell. On the other hand, even after the creation of the Land Above made all of Core Earth's fringe realities easier to access, Xanth still cannot be reached by outsiders choosing to simply walk across the isthmus. GMs should arrange for non-Xanthians to have no chance of deliberately crossing the land bridge into Xanth without aid (although the GM can always allow people to wander in by accident, as is normal for that world). AXIOMS AND WORLD LAWS Magic 22 Social 10 Spiritual 2 Technological 12 Magic 22. Xanth has a high Magic axiom, but few people choose to study and use magic for casting spells; the only societies that are known to have colleges of magic are the demons and possibly the knowledgeable centaurs. Other species (including humans) usually prefer to make use of the abundant naturally occurring pun-related magics, and any innate magical abilities or talents they may possess. Thus, although Xanth has a higher Magic axiom than Aysle, it has smaller amount of magical research and lore relating to spells. Nevertheless, magic dominates the way Xanthians live. The high Magic axiom combines with the Law of Puns to fill the environment with pun-related items, and also with the Law of Magic to ensure that everyone and everything is in some way magical. Their way of thinking is so oriented to magic that they automatically ascribe everything to a magical source. This includes phenomena that more properly belong under the Technological axiom (e.g., rainbows, triangulation, tacking sailboats against the wind, the cube/sqaure ratio) or the Social axiom (hitchhiking, rude and insulting guestures, etc.). At this axiom, alteration processes begin to become easier, making all magic slightly easier. Spellcasters gain a bonus of -1 to the DN and backlash of their spells. The Magic axiom is also high enough for "wish" spells to operate, but not for them to be reliable. At this level such spells will regularly misinterpret the phrasings of wishes, and in this reality such misinterpretations usually take the form of harmless puns. At this axiom level very few wish spell should be allowed to function exactly as the caster desires, no matter how carefully worded the wish - they simply won't work properly. Only in cases where the caster achieves a Superior success against the wish's DN should anything even remotely like what was desired be given, and even then it should be a minimal effect. Because it is easier for an inhabitant to use materials existing naturally in the environment to achieve what he wants than to waste time with such fickle spells, even those cultures that use individually cast spells rather than prepared magic items, like the centaurs, haven't bothered to create wish spells. Social 10 The various species in Xanth usually live separately and are ruled by different Kings or Queens, although political alliances between species are common. In the case of humans the position of King is for defensive purposes, with the selection criteria being the most powerful magical talent. Individual villages have their own Council of Elders or other form of representatives to advise the King and handle routine administration (CA, pp. 29-30). Conventions that have developed mean that human rulers are always titled "King" and the ruler's spouse will always be "Queen", regardless of what their actual genders are. The human throne is not traditionally hereditary, though lineages, such as the current one, can occur (CL, p. 152). Many of the older laws are unwritten conventions, but new ones tend to be codified. The abundance of naturally occurring items (through the Law of Puns) which would otherwise need to be made means that manufacturing is on a cottage basis, and the economy is primarily self-sufficient, supplemented with barter. There is no use of coinage (CA, p. 110) or money generally (TCoHP, p. 207; DDD, p. 154) although both are usable concepts. Silver has some worth as a medium of exchange, but this is because it is a magical metal that can be used for certain magical items, not because it is a "precious metal" (ASfC, p. 72). Gold is worthless as currency, (CA, p. 200) but is hoarded by the likes of dragons (because they think it looks nice) and Mundanians (because they're stupid) (GitG, p. 104). At this axiom level libaraies are possible, but tend to be private rather than public. The ability to disseminate information, along with the use of relatively sophisticated alphabets, supports the publishing of books. The Tech axiom is too low for printing presses, but multiple copies of pages can be made for binding with the use of copycats. Spiritual 2. Xanth has little concept of spiritual matters, and no use for miracles at all. People are aware of certain spiritual aspects of life - such as the existence of souls, life after death, and some are even aware of the fact that Xanth owes its existence in its current form to X(A/N)th - but they do not think of them from the point of view of religion. Thus, although they have some concept of afterlife and higher beings, but they aren't silly enough to bother worshipping them. Most Xanthians consider such matters as being some type of magic, just as they think of everything as magic. In fact, those Xanthians who are even aware of the concept of organised religion dismiss it as something that only the crazy Mundanians do. People who concern themselves with religion are more likely than not to have been forced to do so by being bitten by a hera-tic, or perhaps stung by a bee-leive from a bee have - the effects of both these insects forcing people to temporarily become obsessed with matters of faith. At this axiom level the invocation of even minor miracles takes a lifetime of study and prayer, and the presence of the entire community of faithful. No such groups of faithful have been documented to exist in Xanth. If some people chose to experiment with religion it is unlikely that they could form a large enough group to be effective community of faithful, or that in the face of the relative abundance of magic in this reality that they would have the patience to implement a successful prayer. For instance, healing can be gained usually by simply finding an appropriate magical healing spring; less commonly healing may be by talents, items, or spells. Other "miraculous" effects are similarly replaced with magical sources, or done without. Technological 12. Xanth has a medieval level of technology. There is no demand for technological expertise, since there is almost nothing that cannot be done by technology that is not possible and easier by magic. In most cases the staples of life (whether goods or services) can be gained simply by harvesting items off trees or otherwise from the wild; others can be gained by someone in the community, either currently or in the past, having a talent for creating some needed item; or more rarely because someone in the community has bothered to learn how to cast "standard" spells. Moreover, Xanthians think of everything in terms of magic. Those that know enough about Mundania tend to think of science as a stunted and deformed type of magic (HC, p. 221). Quite a number of items exist that seem to exceed the Tech axiom, such as bullets, spectacles, glass mirrors, clocks, microscopes, matches, and the sentient machine Com-Pewter. These items, however, are actually magically created and powered analogues to technological things. The Tech axiom is nevertheless occasionally used by new colonists from Mundania, who during the first few generations in Xanth often rely on skills, such as blacksmithing. Eventually, however, they settle down to use the magical talents and items of the reality to their full potential, and come to rely less and less on the Tech axiom. For instance, even fire is less often used; few things need cooking, and anything needing cooking or reheating can have firewater poured over it, (CR, p. 153) or be placed on a hotseat. Law of Puns The high Magic axiom of Xanth combines with this world law to permeate the entire reality with puns, and to a certain extent influence how people think as well. This does not mean that people go around speaking in puns (although that can happen). Instead, almost all things and creatures operate according to the twisted logic of double meanings; "Everything in Xanth makes sense, for those with the wit to fathom it" (CA, p. 56). The landscape is littered with creatures, items and situations that are puns. It's as if the entire fringe reality is one big in-joke that someone has to get only by recognising the puns. It has even been suggested that puns are the fundamental building blocks of Xanth (NM, 93). It is this world law that provides the various useful food and item producing plants and animals that people and animals live on: pillow bushes, pie trees, sugar sand, milkweed pods, spectacles bushes, bed bugs, tent catapillars, etc.; as well as many of the dangers: bumble bees, curse burrs, midas flies, torment pines, loan sharks, etc. The Law of Puns also creates puzzles and challenges, as well as affecting how people usually try to deal with them. There is a preference intellectual or diplomatical solutions, and these types of solutions gain a +3 modifier. Often they are puzzles of some type, and so have to be solved intellectually. Violent solutions are not penalised with combat modifiers, but people use them as a last resort since non-violence means they often have more chance of success. Despit the low Spiritual axiom souls do exist, and are subject to an interesting effect. They can be divided in half, and eventually these halves will regenerate into whole souls if left to heal in a living being normally capable of possessing a soul (OO, p. 267). The regenerative capacilty of souls is how babies gain their own - they gain half from their mother (VotV, p. 249). Law of Observation This world law functions as described in the Aysle sourcebook. That which can be observed is real. This is particularly so considering that much of Xanth's reality is illusion; "In Xanth, things were mostly what they seemed to be, so that illusion was often reality" (OO, p. 42), "Much of Xanth is illusion... The rest is puns and dragons." (DDD, p. 206). Law of Magic This law is similar in most respects to the Law of Magic in Aysle. Magic is real, even though it cannot be observed by the usual senses. Xanth supports higher attribute limits than many other realities (Dex 14, Str 15, Tou 15, Per 14, Min 14, Cha 13, Spi 13), and many creatures are so inherently magical as to be able to use magical enhancement packages. A major difference between these two versions of this law is that whereas Ayslish Folk gain one magical skill and one arcane knowledge at birth, Xanthian Folk gain an innate magical ability known as a talent. It is believed that the possession of a talent is linked to the possession of a soul (VGtX, p. 32). Species of human descent count as being capable of possessing souls, and therefore of having talents, but within this restruction there seems to be no set pattern, so that souls and talents do not always manifest. Nymphs and fauns have neither, for example. The categories can even change over time: "Some magically spawned races, such as centaurs, have been established for so long that they have become a natural race, and so have developed their own individual talents." (VGtX, p. 32), while others like the naga hope one day to reach the point where they will gain talents (MfM, p. 194). The theory is that some species _are_ magic, and gain magical abilities that are common to all members of the species, while others _do_ magic, and have individuall talents. Talents come in three levels of power: spot-on-the-wall talents, what will here be called intermediate talents, and Magician level talents. Spot-on-the-wall talents usually cost nothing to have since they are generally useless, for instance changing the colour of a pebble, or wilting a single leaf. Intermediate talents are more powerful, and can be simulated by the automatic use of effects from spells, miracles, psionics or pulp powers. A combination of lowering the effect value of the talent and/or other constraints could be applied to keep some of the more combat oriented effects from getting out of control. Magician level talents are the most powerful. On the surface many of them may seem less potent than many powers or spells that Storm Knights have access to. However, a key feature of Magician level talents is that they have wide ranging ramifications beyond what others can hope to counter (DoaP, p. 97; GitG, p. 98). In game terms not only should they have high effect values to their abilities and few, if any, drawbacks, but the profoundness of their talents should be reflected in "freebie" effects related to the primary concept of the talent. For instance, a normal person who could summon a storm would only be able to summon one type, but the Magician Storm King could summon up any type (as well as make them larger, last longer, and do more damage). Thus, while most people (Storm Knights included) have their abilities limited to a specific effect, Magicians' talents may consist of a parcel of interrelated abilities based on the same theme that greatly increase their versatility. It may also be necessary to make all Magicians possibility-rated (which would explain why there have only ever been a few of them). Naturally, Magicians should not be available as PCs. Intermediate talents and Magician level talents have to be paid for in one of two ways: either accept a permanent limitation on one attribute to 7; or pay an adventure cost in possibilities, the exact cost of which depends on the talent (make comparisons with Nile pulp powers). The adventure cost of Magician level talents is a token only. They are supported primarily by the Law of Magic itself, and so the adventure cost does not need to be commensurate with the power of the talent. For the most part each talent is unique, although there are exceptions: the group powers of the Curse Friends, and the complementary half talents of the harpies and goblins should be noted. Additionally, the similarities between the finding talent of Crombie, Sammy, and Alister, has led to speculation that talents might repeat occasionally, but that it is the way they work that is unique (TCoHP, pp. 147-145). Magical talents require both a Magic axiom of 12 and the Law of Magic to maintain without contradiction. Additionally, the Law of Magic causes new species to be brought into existence in amazingly short periods of time through changes made to existing species. There are two ways this can happen. The first is that some of an established species can mutate over only a few generation as its offspring become increasingly more magical. This is a type of evolution that occurs much more rapidly than in Mundania, and has little to do with Darwinian selection. Thus, human stock has diversified into various humanoids, including giants, ogres, elves, gnomes, nymphs, and fauns; cats into felinoids like cat o' nine tails, catatonics, catapults, copycats, picklepusses, scaredycats, etc.; horses into equines like night and day mares, unicorns, etc. The second means of magical evolution is that of crossbreeding two species (no matter how dissimilar) to create a viable new one. Normally creatures of different species cannot interbreed to produce offspring, and many that can only produce infertile mules. In Xanth this restriction does not apply; any creature can crossbreed with any other creature (whether animal or plant) to produce fertile descendants, allowing for xenogenesis - a creature resulting from two different types of parents. Such creatures include beings that would be considered half-folk in Aysle (centaurs, naga, harpies, minotaurs (the cow-pokes)) or monsters elsewhere (for example, Xanthian vampires are human-bat hybrids, not undead). Further crossbreeding may take place, leading to the likes of winged centaurs, hippogryphs, chimera, and manticores. It should be noted that often xenogenesis is not a result of conscious choice by the parents, but rather a result of them drinking at a love spring, which causes instant carnal desire for the first creature of the opposite sex that the drinker sees. The continual dilution of original species, whether from mutation or crossbreeding, is part of the reason why the Waves are so important. The Waves are usually composed of a destructive army of invaders from Mundania who so disrupt society as to throw Xanth into periodic Dark Ages. They are nevertheless needed to occasionally supply new blood from Mundania (DDD, p. 161). The Law of Magic not only infuses not only all living creatures with some form of magic, but also the inanimate as well; "Everything is magic in Xanth" (DDD, p. 204). This gives objects and features of the lanscape a rudimentary awareness, and accounts for their ability to occasionally be perversely stubborn in trying to provoke the animate (DoaP, p. 23). They can also use their own magic, such as with the river that replenishes its fish population by transforming any creature that comes in touch with it, or Lookout Roc's attempts to avoid being quarried by making itself into a useful observation points (ASfC, pp. 2-3). Law of Obligations This law dictates that people will be either Honourable or Corrupt, using the definitions for those two moral positions that exist in Aysle. However, Xanthian Honour and Corruption do not exist in a spectrum as they do in Aysle, where people may gain or lose Honour and Corruption adds to move out from morally neutral to become increasingly more Honourable or Corrupt. Instead, Xanth uses a moral absolutism reminiscent of the Good and Evil Inclination of the Law of Morality of the pulp realities of Terra and the Nile Empire. People are therefore either Honourable or Corrupt - there is no in-between state. The relative proportion of Honourable and Corrupt people is much the same as Terra's - roughly 90% to 10% respectively. This balance is apparently mainatined by the delivery of bad dreams sent from the dream world in the Gourd and delivered by the nightmares; "If no one ever suffered the pangs of conscience or regret, evil would prosper without hinderance and eventually take over the world... The bad dreams are realisations of the consequences of evil, a timely warning that all creatures require" (OO, p. 258). The Law of Obligations gives Xanthians abilities corresponding to the Inclination Detection and Inclination Seduction of the pulp realities, but not the Honour and Corruption abilities of Aysle. The pulp realities' Price of Evil is also applicable in Xanth. Xanthians who travel to realities where moral stance is relevant will gain theses abilities as (and if) appropriate. Note that Xanthians are considered to fall at the 12 add "Honourable" and "Corrupt" positions on the world law scales when in Aysle, much as pulp characters do. GMs may choose to have Xanthians act either Honourably or Corruptly in accordance with the Ayslish model. However, in the novels Xanthians' approach to morality tend to be far more extreme. As an alternative, a purist GM may wish to use the following guidelines for how characters should act. This world law causes beings to feel obliged to honour their agreements. For example, when Grey Murphy became trapped in the scheme of the then evil Com-Pewter, he was honour-bound to serve the machine because of a deal made by his parents before he was born, putting Com-Pewter in a position being close to, if not actually, in control of Xanth. The option of simply repudiating the obligation because he had not made it himself, or ignoring it because Com-Pewter couldn't physically leave its cave, or even accepting Queen Irene's offer to have a sphinx "accidentally" step on Com- Pewter and destroy it, were not considered. Grey insisted on dealing with the problem himself, and in the "right" way, even at the cost of potentially going into exile from Xanth and losing his fiancee. A person who wants to do right will either honour all agreements made, no matter how distasteful the deal is, or will not make the deal in the first place. No matter how bad the situation. Honourable people will not make a deal that they do not intend to keep, or break an agreement if it later turns sour. Someone who breaks an agreement cannot rationalise or justify it, even to himself. People may renege on agreements, but in doing so they are in the wrong, know they are in the wrong, and suffer the penalties of this world law. It is the nature of this world law that people who regularly break commitments will grow bitter at the self knowledge of their own evil, and feel compelled to regularly break all agreements to match it as well as acting corruptly in general. Good and honourable people will feel ill at ease with themselves for breaking agreements, and if they wish to continue to keep their self-respect and the respect of others will try to honour all commitments. Division of Conspiracies This world law divides the population up along ageist and sexist lines: into either the Adult Conspiracy or the Juvenile Conspiracy, and into either the Female Conspiracy or the Male Conspiracy. From the novels the best known of these is the Adult Conspiracy. All adults are automatically part of this group. The age of adultdhood varies between species. In humans it is 16ish. The hallmark of the Adult Conspiracy is that all members will act in a mature and responsible manner, at least as long as children are around who need to have an example set for them. Adults are expected to make sure that children eat their greens, avoid sweets, take caster oil when sick, brush their teeth, have early bedtimes, do their homework, and stay out of mischief (CL, p. 287). Among many others. Moreover, no adult is allowed to tell a child about sex (HC, p. 45)(or summoning the stork as it is called, which is not an euphemism in Xanth), nor use bad language in a child's presence (QQ, p. 308; TCoHP, p. 78). Attempts to explain sex to minors are negated, as are sexual expletives. This may involve the offending adult suddenly going hoarse, or an event occurring that distracts the participants. An adult who is treading close to the limits of what can be talked about may get a warning of distant thunder (QQ, p. 213). It is even possible that the words will be dubbed out so that no sound emerges, although this type of censoring must be accompanied by smoke from the censors of passing censorships. It is known that if by happenstance children do learn forbidden knowledge the effect of the Conspiracy may drive them insane (TCoHP, p. 189). A benefit of belonging to the Adult Conspiracy is the ability to use an Adult Stare at members of the Juvenile Conspiracy (TCoHP, p. 70; QQ, p. 16). This gives a +3 bonus to Intimidation attempts, and allows the adult to force the child to do what he is told (for his own good, of course). Opposing the Adult Conspiracy is the Juvenile Conspiracy, consisting of all children and teenagers who are underage. The hallmark of this conspiracy is that its members are innocent and carefree, and enjoy life because they are not yet burdened with the responsibilities of adulthood (HC, p. 210. The members of the Juvenile Conspiracy instinctively feel the need to do such things as not eat their vegetables, not to go to be early, and to get into mischief (DoaP, p. 105). Children are also fascinated by the prospect of finding out how to summon the stork, and thus bypass adults when it comes to having babies. The children are unlikely to ever unlock this secret, however, since members of the Juvenile Conspiracy are repelled by romance, kissing, and the other "mushy stuff" integral to summoning the stork. The members of the Juvenile Conspiracy gain the ability of the Innocent Look, whereby they can gain a +3 modifier to Persuasion attempts against people belonging to the Adult Conspiracy by looking innocent, waif-like, and put upon. All females belong to the Female Conspiracy, which asserts that while men may have the brute strength to be in nominal control, women are smarter and should manipulate the situation from behind the scenes so that they can prevent any calamities that the men would otherwise blunder into (DoaP, p. 4). The final conspiracy is the Male Conspiracy, which strictly speaking doesn't exist. Whereas females tend to form together as a united group to manipulate the males, the males have not formed their own comparable grouping. Thus, they are easy prey for any woman who wants to hog-tie them into marriage: "The boys were then either too stupid or too embarrassed to acknowledge the situation, so they ignored it. They did not even tell each other. That was the universal way of it. Everyone knew all about it, except the men, and of course no woman would tell. It was the mirror of the Adult Conspiracy, only in this case the victims did not know it existed until it was too late" (HC, p. 191). Of course, men are not totally helpless, since the Male and Female Conspiracies have an identical game mechanic. Members of both groups get a +1 bonus to attempts to Charm members of the opposite sex (MfM, pp. 41-42). If the person doing the Charming has a high Charisma (11 or greater) then the bonus increases to +3. This accounts for the way most women can manipulate men, while truly beautiful women can cause them to become incoherent (especially if they show their panties (IoV, p. 66; TCoHP, p. 143)). The Female Conspiracy, as an organised group, has mastered various ways to use this bonus, including That Tone (QQ, p. 18), while men, who are not part of an informed group on this matter, can only rely on their instinctive use of their bonus to keep the females off-guard (NM, p. 297). Publishing details of Code Book edition I've used Copyright ASfC A Spell for Chameleon Futura, 1984 1977 SoM Source of Magic Futura, 1984 1979 CR Castle Roogna Futura, 1984 1979 CA Centaur Aisle Futura, 1984 1981 OO Ogre, Ogre Futura, 1984 1982 NM Night Mare Futura, 1984 1982 DoaP Dragon on a Pedestal Futura, 1984 1983 CL Crewel Lye Futura, 1985 1985 GitG Golem in the Gears Futura, 1986 1986 VotV Vale of the Vole New English Libaray 1989 1989 HC Heaven Cent Avon, 1988 1988 MfM Man from Mundania Avon, 1989 1989 IoV Isle of View Avon, 1990 1990 QQ Question Quest Avon, 1991 1991 TCoHP The Colour of Her Panties Avon, 1992 1992 DDD Demons Don't Dream Avon, 1993 1993 HT Harpy Thyme New English Library, 1993 1993 VGtX Visual Guide to Xanth Avon, 1989 1989 ----- Saxon Brenton University of Canberra Canberra, Australia