|
|
These charms are not intended to be used by players; instead, they are meant as background, to demonstrate some of the "dark side" of blood charms, to show to players one of the reasons for their unpopularity in much of Barsaive, and to have at least some charms that are of no use to adventurers.
This charm is a creation of the Therans, and was developed to break the wills of unruly but valuable slaves. Its effect is to suppress the free will of the person who is forced to wear it: once attached and activated, the victim will have their Social defense reduced by 5, and will have to make a Willpower test against a target number of 10 in order to disobey any command. The Bind Will charm inflicts 2 points of permanent damage on the wearer.
As all blood charms take 24 hours to take effect, the victim is usually kept bound for this period. Once released, they can try to remove the Bind Will charm, but the charm's suppression of their will makes this difficult - to remove the charm requires a Willpower or Willforce test against a target number of 15, and may only be attempted once per week. Eventually the charm breaks the will of the victim: after every three attempts to remove the charm, increase the required success level needed to remove it, until an extraordinary success level is required to remove the charm.
As with other blood charms, the charm is destroyed after a year and a day of use, but most Namegivers who have worn a Bind Will charm for 12 months will undergo a permanent change in personality, and will need no charm to accept themselves as a slave.
Simply possessing one of these charms is a criminal offense in Throal; using one is a capital crime. Oddly, the Cult of Dis also disapproves of these charms, because they believe it removes the achievement of breaking another's will.
The charm consists of a chain of interlinked iron and lead rings; at either ends of the chain are barbed hooks that inflict the damage required by the charm.
Cost: 250 in the Theran Empire, usually 1000+ in most of Barsaive
Creation Difficulty: 13
These charms are a diverse group, created by filling a hollow charm with a drug while it is being constructed. Once attached, the charm induces a permanent state similar to that caused by whatever drug was used in its creation. A drug charm usually has no other effect, and inflicts 2 points of permanent damage on the wearer.
In Throal, the most common drug charms are made using alcoholic drinks of some sort; rarer ones are based on opium. The alcohol blood charms create a mild state of drunkenness, the opiate charms a mild anesthesia. Many more drug charms exist, especially in the Empire. Game-masters should be wary of creating beneficial drug charms without side effects.
These charms are unpopular with the authorities in most areas: wearing one is a sure sign of addiction, and permanently drunk or high Namegivers are rarely welcome. In Thera, to wear one is a sign of inadequacy, as one is rendering oneself less capable of commanding magic and slaves, and is a social faux pas - a Theran should be able to afford the real drug! Some healers may use an opiate charm as a permanent anesthetic, for patients who are dying or in permanent pain, but even this use is frowned on by most people. Even with this opposition, there is a market for these charms almost everywhere.
The charm consists of a hollow piece of transparent crystal, within which a solution containing the drug has been sealed. This solution enters the user's blood stream when first attached; from then on the charm is filled by the user's blood. Drug charms are one of the easiest blood charms to make, and are, at best, a disreputable source of income for those who can produce them.
Cost: Varies depending on drug used and legality, but at least 100 silver pieces.
Creation Difficulty: 9
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
