Cunning-folk Writeup

You are here: [ Gamimg Page > Ars Magica for d20 > Cunning-folk Writeup ]
 

Site Contents

Gamimg Page
Ars Magica for d20
Change History
General Rules
Hermetic Mage Writeup
Cunning-folk Writeup
New Feats
New Skills
Magic Mechanics
Spell Casting Aids
Laboratory Mechanics
Spell Conversion Notes
Samples and Downloads
Glossary
Designer Notes
Campaign
AD&D Cheat Sheet
House Rules
Master Maneuver Chart
Optional Rules Sheet
Player's Encyclopedia
Skill Costs
Player's Timeline and Narrative
Characters
Primer
Schedule
Silhouette
Utilities
Site Map

Contact me...

 

Converted from the Hedge Magic sourcebook from Atlas Games.

General
Game Rule Information
Class Skills
Class Features
Class Progression

General

Cunning-folk represent a group of people who are the minor magic-workers of rural communities, less commonly traveling healers and purveyors of potions and salves.

Cunning folk do not cast spells per se, but instead have abilities to construct magic talismans, and other minor items.

These skills are often conveyed from generation to generation within a clan or family.

Adventures: Cunning-folk, owing to their rural backgrounds, tend toward sedentary lifestyles. Situations may drive them to adventure, however, particularly if the safety of their community or clan is threatened.

Characteristics: Cunning-folk are specialists in potions, charms, and banes. Leveraging their deep knowledge of herbalism, they can quickly create potions to boost skills and resistances. By taking longer periods of time, they can craft more potent potions that rival the power of Hermetic magic. Their charms and banes represent magics that can affect wearers or users with magical enhancements or curses.

Cunning-folk also show a connection to the fey. They can often discern faerie realms and auras and see their magics.

Finally, cunning-folk often use the messages in dreams and visions to guide their communities or persons under their care.

Religion: Some cunning-folk tend toward paganism, owing to the ancient roots of many of these magical traditions. On the other hand, some religious of the Church are also trained as cunning-folk, often a result of their rural roots or predilection toward ministering to the infirmed.

Background: Cunning-folk usually come from modest birth, usually from rural areas. 

Races: Generally human, may rarely have faerie blood.

Other Classes: Reaction to cunning-folk can vary. To those communities unfamiliar with their magics, cunning-folk may be viewed with suspicion--perhaps even as witches. Hermetic magi view them with anything from haughty distance to active distain as amateurs or fakes.

Game Rule Information

Abilities: The essence of the cunning-folk is their intuition about Nature around them. As such, Wisdom is a critical ability, used for making potions, stimulating and interpreting visions, seeing into the Faerie realms, and finding wild vis. Intelligence is also important, used for crafting charms and banes, as well as quickly advancing skills.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d4

Class Skills

The class skills are: Profession (herbalist), Heal, Craft (bane), Craft (charm), Knowledge (faerie lore), Faerie Sight, Knowledge (folk magic), Visions

Skill points at first level: (6 + Int modifier) × 4.
Skill points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Cunning-folk have no proficiencies with armor.

Magically Attuned : Cunning-folk must start with either of the two feats The Gift or Minor Gift. This represents the character's inborn ability to manipulate magic. Those taking The Gift will have the ability to significantly advance their skills, perhaps by multiclassing to a Hermetic Mage over time.

Herbalism: Cunning-folk can use their knowledge of herbalism to brew potions of various strength.

Potions: These potions take some time to prepare, but store for a long time. Cunning-folk potions are defined and function much as do those made by Hermetic magi.

Minor Potions: Cunning-folk can brew these potions quickly, but they must be used within one day. Minor potions typically improve some skill.

Rules for constructing potions may be found in the Laboratory rules.

Wild Vis: They can identify and harness a special variety of vis called wild vis, and can find special magical materials. 

The can gather wild vis at the following rates (each in pawns per season):

Casual collection (Wis + Profession (herbalist) + Faerie Sight + BLB + aura) ÷ 20
Dedicated collection [Wis + Profession (herbalist) + Faerie Sight + BLB+ (3 × aura)] ÷ 6
Wis: Wisdom modifier.
Profession (herbalist), Faerie Sight: Ranks in respective skill.
BLB: Base Lab Bonus from character advancement chart.
Aura: value of aura (higher of Magical or Faerie) in the region.

This vis may be used in their potions or the construction of banes and charms.

To search for a specific magical material, make a Profession (herbalist) roll, using the following table to calculate the DC:

Casual Search

Rarity DC
Common 25
Uncommon 30
Rare 35
Very Rare 40

Season-long Search

Rarity DC
Common 10
Uncommon 15
Rare 25
Very Rare 30

For every 10 points the roll is exceeded, you get one extra sample of that material.

To know the special properties, roll a DC of 15 using a Profession (herbalist) based on Int

Visions: At 3rd level, the character gains he ability to have and interpret prophetic dreams and visions. See the ArM book Hedge Magic for rule details.

Charms and Banes: At 5th level, the character gains the ability to build small talismans that can either harm or aid the target. See Laboratory rules.

Class Progression

Level

Base Attack Bonus

Fort Save

Ref Save

Will Save

Base Lab Bonus

Special

1

+0

+0

+0

+2

+1

The Gift or Minor Gift, Greater Herbalism, Faerie Sight

2

+1

0

0

3

+2

3

+1

1

1

3

+3

Visions

4

+2

1

1

4

+4

 

5

+2

1

1

4

+5

Bane Maker and Charm Maker

6

+3

2

2

5

+6

 

7

+3

2

2

5

+7

8

+4

2

2

6

+8

9

+4

3

3

6

+9

10

+5

3

3

7

+10

 

11

+5

3

3

7

+11

 

12

+6/+1

4

4

8

+12

 

13

+6/+1

4

4

8

+13

 

14

+7/+2

4

4

9

+14

 

15

+7/+2

5

5

9

+15

16

+8/+3

5

5

10

+16

 

17

+8/+3

5

5

10

+17

 

18

+9/+4

6

6

11

+18

 

19

+9/+4

6

6

11

+19

 

20

+10/+5

6

6

12

+20

 

Home ] Ars Magica for d20 ] Campaign ] Characters ] Primer ] Schedule ] Silhouette ] Utilities ]