"In a crisis, one must adapt to survive."
(Indigo, Apostle of Consequential Change)
Those changes specified in the document "Mainstream Anarea Systems Changes '96, discussion draft 0.2/27 December 1995" are in play with effect from 1 January 1996. The document is now at version 1.1/1 December 1996, but no systems changes have been made from the above version of the discussion draft.
No other changes playtested in the Proving Grounds of Hell are in effect.
1 October 2000 The ability to be invulnerable to silver and non-magical attacks has been defined as a Power of certain beings, an Elementalist Spell and a Potion. Note that, in consequence of this, with effect from 1 Oscow 2503 the Potions previously described as "Invulnerability", which gave increased ADS, are now reclassified as "Body Armour". The newly defined Invulnerability Potions are assumed to have always existed, but to be often unavailable due to the difficulty of producing them and high demand, despite the high prices.
Those changes specified in the document now entitled "Mainstream Anarea Systems Changes 2001", are in play with effect from 26 Oscow / Day 177 2503 (Midsummer's Day) game time.
2 November 2003 Species Equalisation has been added as an option for the DM to specify in Character design. It will not apply for Mainstream Anarea, but may be used for 1-offs.
22 November 1994 I have now completed the write up of the 3rd edition of Sword & Axe, the Anarea Combat System, including a first complete version of the Unarmed Combat system.
I have corrected the Shield rules from the version published in December (having checked it against the old handwritten rules), and have now included the Disembowelling rules (the types of Dis dice and the % chance of Lodging have been changed from the old 2nd edition system).
7 January 2001 The Shattering system for Weapons, Armour and Shields in combat has been defined. The rules for Shields are as per the original handwritten system, except that the amount of Dam Magical Shields can take before shattering has been reduced from 10 * ADS to 6 * ADS (i.e. double the amount non-magical ones can take). The rules for Weapons and Armour are new, though such effects were previously at the DM's discretion.
13 September 2003 I have increased the probabilities of taking non-fatal wounds in Army Combat. I have also added some clarification re how the wounds are applied and experience is calculated. The change takes effect as from 1 Destri 2504.
15 August 2007 Weapons Table figures for Longbow and Composite Bow revised and Elven Bow added as a new type of Longbow as from 7 Weven 2504, but to be used retrospectively for historical runs.. Black Men now have an SM of +1 on Assegai and Elves an SM of +2 on Elven Bow.
1 January 2010 Army Combat system modified as from 1 Aval 2505 to increase the risk of being on the defeated side.
28 April 2011 Combat Damage Pain effects added.
21 July 2021 to 6 September 2023 The 4th Edition of the Fighter System is being gradually introduced - follow the link for the main Sysytems Changes.
1 January 1997 The 3rd edition of Cloak & Dagger, the Anarea Thief System is now available. This contains no system changes, but is a complete rewrite of the basic system (now including the unrestricted Activity Specs) including system changes since the 2nd edition (which predates Anarea itself).
Players are reminded of section 10.5 (3rd edition) / 2 (iii) (b) (2nd edition) of the Thief System re Encumbrance effects on DL. This states, as a general rule of thumb, that where "w" = each full 500 weight points carried, a DL is incurred of +w(w+1)/2 on HIDE, MtoM and CLIMB Activities: ie DL1 @ 500wp, DL3 @ 1000wp, etc. Note that this is in addition to Armour effects (section 11, 3rd edition / as above, 2nd edition), which apply a multiplication factor to the Roll, and also in addition to Armour Dx -s (as per Fighter System). The result is that armour can have a triple effect on Thievish Activities for which Dx(Ph) is the Relevant Char. This is discussed in section 11.3 of the Thief System (3rd edition), which explains the effects of the typical mixed armour worn by Ft / Ths. I mention this here because I am conscious I may not always have played it correctly in the past and it may therefore be perceived as a change. However, Players are reminded that the current system is (and has always been) as stated above, which will now be played with full effect.
I have also now published an expanded Thievish Activity List, including a number of Restricted Activities (thanks to John's design of Jherem the Assassin for a number of these). Although the standard Character Specification spreadsheet includes some of these Restricted Activities, characters may only use them if they fall within the categories now defined for their use, or if they have previously been awarded pluses on them. If your character falls within the applicable category for a newly added Restricted Activity, you may add it to his Character Specification spreadsheet and start using it, but with zero pluses.
The versions of the unrestricted Activity Specs published on this website have been rewritten from the original handwritten specs. This is mostly for clarity, but a few minor changes have been made.
17 November 2001 The Thief System has been further amended to take proper account of the Phases of the Moon in the Light and Darkness section.
22 September 2002 I have revised the Light & Darkness section of the Thief System so that Clerical, Elementalist or other Radiation Spells have effect throughout their specified Radius, and deteriorate at minus or plus one LI (for Light and Darkness respectively) beyond that Radius for further equal distances, down to LI+1/-1. This is how they used to work before they were last changed. The relevant Spell Specs. have been correspondingly amended. Change Radiance Spells, in contrast, still only have effect within their specified Radius. The rules for lanterns and torches have also been adjusted, essentially as requested.
1 November 1998 The 2nd edition of GODS: the Art of Clericism, the Anarea Clerical System is now available. This is a complete rewrite of the basic system including system changes since the 1st edition (with game times they came into force). I have added more guidance on discretionary elements, in particular credit (some of which are effectively system changes) and included rules for the first time on Wish-Storing Items and Clerical Spells. A standard Clerical Spell List is included for one God of each Alignment, and those Spell Specifications I have in typed form.
17 November 2001 The Clerical System has been further amended to take proper account of the Phases of the Moon for MIRIMI Clerics.
21 April 2003 Basic Spell Specs. at least describing their effect (as for the Druidic Spells) are now in place for all standard Clerical Spells. Some Spells are fully specified, including all healing Spells. These are essentially the same as those old handwritten specs. that existed, but some small changes may have been made and clarifications added.
3 May 2003 Excel-format Clerical Spell Lists are now available for all Clerical Gods. These are in effect immediately and retrospectively, and prevail over any inconsistencies in any HTML lists not yet replaced.
24 February 2007 Undead Level is now specified as being based upon a Base Level for turning adventurers into Undead.
22 August 1999 With effect from 1 Aval 2503, the Spell specification on Natural Portal (and equivalent Druidic Teleportal Spells: eg Mist Portal) has been amended to give a minus to the effective Duration for each "unnatural" user of the Portal, in an equivalent way to how actions reduce the effective Duration of Invisibility. This will effectively stop the abuse of the Spell by certain NPCs, who have used it to transport armies, destroying the Natural place which is the basis of the Spell. This change will affect existing Spell specs., and is an "in-character" change, being announced to affected Druids by their Spirits on 1 Iarom 2502. Exact details of the change will be given to Druids who have learnt, or now learn, the Spell.
1999 With effect from 1 Sarm 2503, the 2nd edition of Mistletoe & Magic, the Anarea Druidic System is in force. This includes some significant changes to the Media rules, and the customisation of the standard system to accommodate local cultures and unique Cults has been further developed. The new system comes into force on the same date as the 2nd editions of the Clerical and Elementalist systems. I know this was slightly backdated, but nobody had run any significant Druidic Spell Casts since then. Players may amend their plots and records from 1 Sarm in respect of the harvesting of Media. They may not backdate any harvesting of privet on 13 Varech. The decaying of Media first occurred on the New Moon of 18 Sarm 2503.
25 December 2000 With effect from 26 Oscow / Day 177 2503:
1. The maximum plus to a Druidic Spell Cast which may be obtained from Media without using additional SP and IP is whichever is the lesser of (DrL of Caster) or (Bonus given by Medium).
2. Extra SP and IP expended over base cost give +s as follows:
- +1 for each of the first m extra (1SP+5IPs), where m is the amount (if any) by which (DrL of Caster) < (Bonus given by Medium), e.g for a DrL3 Dr using +13 Media, m = 10, but for a DrL10 Dr using +8 Media, m = 0
- then +n on the Spell for a further ((n+1)(n+2))/2 SP and 5 times that many IP expended
5 January 2002 The lore of the Beastmasters Druidic Cults and a Beastmasters Spell List are now available, systemizing some previous ad hoc character designs. Existing Animal Cultist Druids may amend their specifications to correspond with the newly-defined system.
19 August 2002 The rules about Druidic media storage stones have been clarified by the addition to the Galadhwaith and Keragund pages of a note that a new plus may be stored in a stone in excess of its capacity, and the oldest stored pluses, sufficient to allow the new one to be stored, are automatically erased. This is to overcome the problem of decaying pluses clogging up stones.
16 July 2005 The spec. on Druidic Heal Wounds has been corrected to match that of Extra Healing Potions.
17 June 2006 The spec for Druidic Witch Wind has been changed to increase the Radius and allow it to be moved. The top speed for Control Winds has been reduced.
4 September 2010 With effect from 12 Destri 2505 the base cost of Casting a Druidic Command (in SP and IP) is equal to the base cost of a Druidic Spell of the Level of the Command plus the base cost of the nearest equivalent Druidic Spell the Effect of which is being Commanded. E.g. to Cast Ranian Command (L7) for the Effect of a Natural Gateway (L9) costs 8 +10 = 18SP + (18 * 5) = 90IP.
4 May 2011 In order to restore some balance, Non-Cultist Druids may use those Druidic Commands they have learned to produce the effects of any Cultist Spells, subject to certain significant restrictions as stated in section 7.3 of the Druidic System. Cultist Druids may not use Druidic Commands to request the effects of the Spells of other Cults, unless those effects would also be available as a Spell to their Cult.
24 November 2024 The 3rd Edition of the Druidic System is now available. This does not include any major systems changes, but gives more detail of how it has been run since the last edition, including the mystical and Cultist aspects.
8 April 2000 The Insanity section has been amended to conform to the newly-defined Madness System.
17 July 2005 The spec. on Elementalist Dodge has been amended to smooth out the bonuses, and some additional Notes added.
18 June 2006 The Air Spells Witch Wind and Control Winds have been defined to match the changed specs. of their Druidic equivalents. Blow has been respecified as a Word Spell.
10 February 2007 The way Illusions interact with the Undead has been clarified. I have also specified that victims are aware of being targeted by the Detect Life ability of Undead, to prevent Invisible Ghosts being too powerful.
10 September 2023 The 3rd Edition of the Elementalist System will be in play from 1 XIV 2505 Game Time. There are a few minor tweaks to reflect how the System has actually been played, but the main Systems Change is the introduction of Multi-Elemental Spells, which should make Air and Water Elementalists more playable.
11 October 2023 Reflex Spells have been added to the 3rd Edition of the Elementalist System, enabling Counterspells to be Cast by Reflex (in 1/10 sec) without a casting time minus.
"To sleep: perchance to dream": The Dreamer System, Version 1.2, 1 December 1996 is in play. This is a statement of certain unwritten rules previously in play, and the opportunity is taken to resolve some previous inconsistencies.
Note that Dreaming will only earn non-stress experience, unless there is a chance of real death: ie Spiritual Dreaming will normally earn non-stress plusses, whereas Physical Dreaming will earn full plusses (See para 4.7 of v1.2 of the System.).
28 August 2005 The ability for Adepts at wandering the Realm of Madness to exercise a degree of control over their wanderings has been inserted in the Madness System. The Seekers of the Lost had this ability.
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