FMA2 Endless Armies, Focus Hatred

FMA2 Endless Armies is the set in the Maztica setting. This is a  setting I have written about before. The first time was for FMA1  Fires of Zatal and then for FMQ1 City of Gold. The FMA modules  are adventures while the other is a setting with some adventure  included.

It was said with FMA1 that this is a setting that I have a hard  time getting excited about. The Al-Qadim setting of Zakhara is  one that I find much more interesting and exciting. Maztica is  still a setting is different enough that it may cause players to  have renewed interest if theirs is waning. Both are outside the  norm of what most fantasy games are based on that they stand out.

Endless Armies is very much a tried and true adventure trope  though I use that word not in a bad way. Most adventures could be  described using that word. This is a module that if you changed  the just a few words with find and replace you could use is a  50's radioactive horror setting or in Call of Cthulhu. With that  being said it would be enjoyable in any of them.

The premise is that someone wants to bring forth a old forgotten  entity that will then provide them with power to rule over  peoples who have wronged or misjudged them. I won't go into too  much detail as there may be some that are inspired to run this or  have them run through it at some point. I am not sure that  writing much more would hurt though as the cover gives most of  the key plot points away.

The module provides us with the Bacar who serve as the minions in  the story. They are a race that could easily be exported out and  used in a setting even outside the Maztica line with very little  effort. I again can see them just as easily in another genre of  gaming as well though.

In the end this is a module that is worth picking up. The players  may very well figure out the plot line and be able to predict what  is going to happen well down the line. This is true with many  modules. The encounters are well done and a timeline for the end  is provided if that is needed. These are seen off and on in the  secondary market so I am not sure what the print run was like but  it may have been smaller than some other modules from that era.

Published: 1991
Pages: 32

From the back of the module:

Deep within the heart of the jungles of Far Payit is a city lost  to time and the modern people of Maztica. Long ago abandoned by  its people, it holds a deadly secret deep beneath its ruined  surface, a secret held safe by a tribe of inhuman guardians.
A secret that has remained inviolate until now.

A cleric of the church of Helm has disappeared. A piece of a map  to the lost city of Ixtzul has been found. Great armies of ants  perform deadly assassinations. And in the jungle, a new leader  has appeared, promising power to those who follow her into the  forbidden vale.

Now the heroes must follow as well, to uncloak the mystery and  prevent the unleashing of a deadly force on the surface world of  Maztica, a force that threatens both people of Payit and the  newcomers' civilization in Helmsport. Should the heroes fail to  defeat the endless armies of their foe, all in Maztica will  perish!


Spell:

Focus Hatred

Level: Fifth
Range: 9"
Duration: 1 Round + 2 Rounds/Level
Area of Effect: One Creature
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 4 Segments
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast the magic user will cause the target  creature to become the focus of anger for all they may be in  combat with. This will have the effect of making all involved  ignore all others to focus on the selected target.

In game terms this will mean that any opponents who are actively  involved in melee combat will be required to focus their attacks  on the target creature. When this spell goes into effect even  those actively engaged in combat with others will move to fight  the target of the spell.

If there are more opponents involved than can reach the target  they will try and force their way into range to attack the  target. If this occurs all trying to attack who are impacted by  others trying to get into attack them will have their attack  rolls modified by a -2.

It is possible for the caster to change the target of the spell  after it is cast. Doing so will cut the remaining time of the  spell in half though. The target of this spell must be a willing  target and trying to cast it on a non willing target will cause the  spell to fizzle. When the spell expires those affected will spend  one round regaining the command over their targeting and will not  be able to attack.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the  write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the  80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other  than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be  slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of  spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :)  Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on  me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please  let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit. 

FMQ1 City of Gold, Partial Endowment

FMQ1 City of Gold is a campaign resource/adventure for Maztica setting. This was published by TSR in 1992 and introduced the idea of combining a module with a supplement based on its own description. I thought this might have been done previously but who am I to argue.

The product is weighty coming in at eighty or so pages and then having an additional sixteen page pull out section. In addition to the campaign setting information and the adventure it offers a new player race, new classes and a new type of magic. The product packs quite a bit in to the pages it has though in some areas of the setting portion it paints broad strokes as opposed to giving a lot of specifics....which is good in some cases.

Campaign Resource

The first portion of the module is the Campaign Resource. This lays out the information that the DM will need to run the campaign. It begins by providing a synopsis of the history of the area based on the beliefs of the areas inhabitants. It then goes on to describe the Azupozi who are the primary people the module concerns but it also describes in brief the other people that in habit the area. These consist of other tribes of humans as well as dwarves, elves and halflings.

The resource area next breaks down the geography of the area. It covers the terrain types that the players will encounter in the area. These range from brush-lands, to deep desert to mountains. It then discusses the geographical features which include buttes, canyons, mesas, salt flats and washes. Next there is a very brief mention on climate which is followed by points of interest. The points of interest is a list of seventeen location including Michaca which the City of Gold and the point of the adventure.

Next we are presented with information on the Daily life for the Azupozi people. The aspects of their lives covered here are fairly extensive. It starts by describing their menu of all things and then goes into their calendar. It then goes over their agriculture and pottery followed by the architecture that will be encountered among there cities and such. We are then given information on typical clothing and their festivals and ceremonies. The last section on the daily life covers age, death and finally burial.

Segueing from the burial we are presented with the section on spirits and priests. The priest of the Azupozi are not like other clerics that are used in the normal game. Their priests practice animism and as result do not worship one specific deity. They as a result deal with any number of supernatural beings and are better thought of as mediators between their people and all the gods. Nest we are told about the spirit realm which is a demi plane of the Happy Hunting Grounds called Wenimats. Nest is discussion on the actual spirits. Ten are described in detail and then there is a small blurb on animal spirits and other beings not described but that may still be important.

Adventure: Quest for the City of Gold

I wont go into detail here in the off chance that some one will play this. I know in the past I have given some detail and I will provide a little. The module portion comprises half of the main module. It is intended for four to seven characters of fifth to eighth level. It describes itself as being structured flexibly requiring role playing and thought over brawn. It also specifically states that it is relatively linear so it may not be to everyone's liking.

The first portion describes the location where the module will take place. It gives a history of the land as well as information on how Michaca got to where it is today. It also gives detail on why the explorers searching for the city want to find it.

The adventure expects the players to accompany a group in their search for the city. The second section describes the leader of this group and their motivation. It also makes allowance for the players to help develop the plan and an means to find out more about the leader of the group.

The next two sections of the module deal with the journey to the city from the starting point of the advanture. The destination of the hunt is a specific basin where the city is thought to be. The next portion describes the basin and introduces the Azupozi.

I won't go any further in describing the adventure other than to say that the city is eventually found. The bulk of the adventure is located in this section. Finally the module presents information on the return trip.

Further Adventures

This section lays out further possible adventures in the region. There six possible adventures that are described. Some are described in more detail serving as mini modules almost. Others are given just descriptions and most if not all is left to the DM to create.

This section also provides the DM with information on what sort of beasts that might be used in these adventures. It has an alphabetical list with the location where the monster can be found. Finally it introduces a new monster specific to the locale called the Pasocada Ghost.

Appendix Section

This is the pull out section that was mentioned earlier. It goes over new character kits that Azupozi characters may use. It allows for some from the Complete Fighter's Handbook as well. The kits are as follows:

Rogue Kits

The Clown
Fetishist
Trader

Warrior Kits

Hunter
Barbarian (CFH)
Peasant Hero (CFH)
Savage (CFH)
Wilderness Warrior (CFH)

Priest Kits

Azupozi Healer
Bent Priest
Pueblo Priest
Sunwatcher

Next we are presented with Nonweapon Proficiencies that the various classes might have open to them. The list consists mainly of one from the Players Handbook but there are others unique to the setting. There are descriptions provided for those unique to the setting.

There are two new magic types introduced in this section as well. They are Fetishist Magic and Talismantic Magic. The former is only available to the Fetishist rogue kit. The latter is intended for priest but I could see how this could be added to other spell casting classes as well.

The final section deals with economy and equipment as they exist in the campaign setting. The Azupozi work from a barter based society so this will pen up a whole new area of role playing possibilities for the DM. Finally is a list of stats for weapons and armor if different in the campaign setting.

As I have said in other posts this is very much an untapped setting that many players and DMs will never have had much experience with. This module alone can serve as a whole campaign setting in ad of itself without ever having to buy another one of the Maztica modules or supplements.

Spell:

Partial Endowment 

Level: Seventh
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
Ares Effect: Character Touched
Components: V,S   
Casting Time: One Turn
Saving Throw: None

This spell is an upgrade to the Transfer Spell Potential that was described  earlier. This spell when cast by the magic user grants access to a portion of  their spell repertoire to the recipient. The recipient will have access to all  spells fifth level and lower.

When the recipient is granted this access they will be able to cast spells  directly from the mind of the caster. This ability is a permanent effect  until such time as the caster revokes it. This can be done at any time and  has no requirements to occur other than the willing of it by the caster.

Any spells cast by the recipient will count against the spells that the  caster might have to cast in any given day. When the recipient is casting a  spell the magic user will not be prevented from casting. Should a situation  arise where both are trying to cast at the same time an initiative must be  rolled to see who started first. The caster can act while the spells are  being cast but anything that might break concentration will interrupt the  spell.

Casting of this spell is not done lightly though. Allowing someone else  access to their mind will many times have a detrimental effect on the caster.  There is a 50% chance that the caster will suffer some ill effect. If this  occurs there is an equal chance that one of the following will occur. The  caster losses one point of intelligence permanently, the caster will develop  a random insanity of the DMs choice (this will be a minor case and not  something that will incapacitate the caster), the caster will subject to  domination by the other (this is resolved exactly like intelligent weapon  conflict is resolved) or a situation develops where when the recipient casts  a spell there is a cumulative 5% chance that the minds will be switch for a  period of 1d4 days.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups  last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology  may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I  did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any  duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :)  Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If  anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in  advance and all I ask is proper credit.