HOLY/UNHOLY ALCOHOL Because of the great benefits from possessing holy/unholy alcohol, the GM should be careful in maintaining game balance by limiting the availability of the alcohol. For those clerics able to create their own alcohol, the GM has many opportunities to screw up his work. USAGE When drinking holy alcohol, Constitution intoxication checks penalties are doubled and if greatly intoxicated the penalties to saves vs. poison are doubled as well. Spiritual magic in the holy alcohol causes special effects to the imbiber. For example, holy alcohol created by clerics of the god of merriment would cause great celebration and a non-violent intent amongst its imbibers. Holy alcohol belonging to the god of knowledge calms and relaxes the imbibers and gives them a higher intelligence while intoxicated. The holy alcohol of the god of light, the sun, and the truth gives the imbibers the powers to detect lies and deceptions. The special magical effects are left to the GM and player keeping in mind game-balance. Becoming greatly intoxicated from holy alcohol of their deity allows a cleric or priest of 9th level or higher to receive visions from their deity. Evil clerics using unholy alcohol to receive visions are indeed brave or foolish given the damage the receive from drinking it. The visions received are solely up to the GM. Other more concrete powers are the following: Holy Alcohol - Ingesting holy alcohol will heal 2d4 points of damage, cure disease (3rd level), and causes a state of great intoxication. - Ingesting with holy alcohol will have the beneficial effect of slowing the onset of lycanthropy or becoming undead. For each serving so used, the process is slowed by 1d4 days. - Affects most forms of undead creatures from the lower planes like holy water, but does twice as much damage. Unholy Alcohol - Ingesting unholy alcohol will cause 2d4 points of damage, cause disease (3rd level, reverse of cure disease), and causes a state of great intoxication. - Ingesting with unholy alcohol will have the effect of speeding-up the onset of lycanthropy or becoming undead. For each serving so used, the process is speeded-up by 1d4 days. - Affects affects paladins, creatures whose purpose is to defend good (lamaasu, shedu, etc.), and creatures from the outer planes like holy water, but does twice as much damage. CREATION Only clerics are able to prepare holy alcohol - or unholy alcohol in the case of evil clerics. As a third level spell is involved, it requires a cleric of not less than 5th level of experience to manage to create such a fluid. The Planting Take a fallow field and perform a ceremony of consecration (Ceremony, 1st level, Unearthed Arcana) to a specific deity upon it. Typical deities are the deity of nature, the deity of agriculture, the deity of the sun, Ebrietas the deity of good intoxication, Malus Temulentia the deity of liquor and the evil it brings, Vinumus the deity of wine, and Excitarus the deity of brew. Some deities will call for blood sacrifice, while some may simply prefer that you simply sprinkle the fertilizer with holy water (bonus for using fertilizer from holy cows or fish, if that is kosher for the GM). Use appropriately blessed/cursed (1st level) implants such as ploughs for preparing the sacred field. All creatures of the earth that are used to assist in preparing the field are sacrificed as an offering to the deity of the field. The seeds whether grape, grain, or other appropriate type are blessed/cursed (1st level) and sprinkled with holy water before they are sown. During the sowing, prayers and chants are made to the appropriate deity asking for a good crop. The character must make a successful wisdom check to maintain his/her concentration during this stage. The Harvest During the harvest, prayers and chants are made thanking the appropriate deity for the crop. The character must make a successful wisdom check to maintain his/her concentration during this stage. Only the best of the crop can produce holy alcohol. At most only 25% of the crop can be considered high enough in quality to be used. The use of the augury spell (2nd level) must be cast to find out how much of the harvest can be used for processing, how much can be disposed of for any purpose, and how much should be sacrificed to the god in gratitude for the crop. In the case of a good god, the remainder of the crop that can't be used is distributed to the poor whether directly, baked into bread or made into alcohol without the appropriate holy ceremony. In the case of a evil god, the remainder of the crop that can't be used is destroyed typically in a sacrificial fire. The harvest must be performed by people who have at least been initiated into the mysteries of that deity though they need not be a full cleric, just someone dedicated to that god. The Creation Before creation, the cleric must spend a week in prayers and meditations. Each day, a successful wisdom check must be made with a -3 penalty. Grain threshing, grape stomping, etc. can be performed by people who have at least been initiated into the mysteries of that deity though they need not be a full cleric, just someone dedicated to that god. The harvest is processed into alcohol in the normal process whether brewing, distilling, or wining. All items used in the process must be of fine workmanship and made specifically for this purpose. The items must be engraved with the holy/unholy symbols of the cleric's deity. Also, they must also be properly consecrated (Ceremony, 1st level, Unearthed Arcana). Water used in the creation process must be from the spell Create Water (2nd level) and a vail of holy/unholy water must be added as well. The cleric casts the following spells in succession while robed in formal vestments: Create Alcohol (2nd level), Purify Food & Drink or its reverse (1st level), Bless or its reverse (1st level), Chant (2nd level) for one turn, and Prayer (3rd level). Note that the Create Alcohol spell does not actually create alcohol in this instance, which would ruin the brewing process. It simply "charges" the mash or pulp. The amount of alcohol produced is dependant on the GMs desires for reasons of game balance and role-playing. The Aging Bottles, kegs, barrels, or any other type of storage vessel used to store the sacred alcohol must be consecrated. The vessels used are 10 to 100 times more expensive. The concoction must age properly as that of its normal counterpart after which it will be holy/unholy alcohol. The Product If the priest hasn't been properly faithful to his/her deity, the product may be ruined like foxed beer (thick, ropy, horrible stuff) or vinegar instead of wine. Alternatively, if there is a time of crisis and the faithful are flocking in to pray for help, the god may age the stuff faster than usual to aid the people. Subtle miracles tend to be easier. Depending on the deities portfolio, the holy alcohol may carry unusual appearance properties. For example, holy wine made under the auspices of the sun god may glow with a warm yellow light if a white wine, or a sunset-red if a red wine. Holy liquor of the god of death would actually absorb light to some extent. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ALCOHOL ORGANIZATIONS OF ALL SORTS "Friends don't let friends fight dragons when drunk." "Don't drink and dungeon." "Remember, alcohol and dragons don't mix." --- The Phantom Before diving into the alcohol organizations, a question must be asked: Could an alcohol organization truly exist in an RPG medieval world? Although this question specifically pertains to alcohol organizations, it can pertain to any organization in an RPG campaign. The answer to this question is presented in a discussion format with those FOR organizations in a RPG who believe they can exist, and those AGAINST organizations in a RPG who believe they can't exist. AGAINST: Reliable long-distance communication would be needed to give a larger base of support than the immediate vicinity, of an organization. Most people in the medieval times could live out their lives in an area a few miles around. Having well-defined organizations, rather than the occasional meddling priest, requires a lot of agministrative effort that usually isn't available. FOR: As always to compensate for technology there is magic which can greatly effect communications. A single high-level mage can send messages (or items) across vast distances. Spelljammers can carry mail and items over vast distances in a day (if the price is right, and a 'jammer is available). A modified mage spell could be created with the ability to copy writing from one page onto another (instant printing press). And using spells to augment a speech (including Phantasmal Force and Audible Glamer (for a voice boost)) can make a major impression on an uneducated crowd ("Were you at the speech Zeb the Persuasive made? I've never seen any illusions like the ones he used!"). Again, all this depends on the level of magic and its acceptance. Another aspect is that of the government. Nobles seem to have good access to lines of communication. And most organizations have some governmental influence. AGAINST: The basic problem with getting something like Alcoholics Anonymous or a Temperance Union is getting enough people together for it to become a movement. There are no postal services, telephone services, or technological wonders such as the printing press. When large segments of the population are illiterate and untraveled and it takes weeks for new ideas to get from one city to another, an organization doesn't get the broad national support base so the need exists to get a large number of people in the city. What is needed is a very strong idea indeed for that to work. FOR: No requirement in this section demands that an alcohol organization be on a large-scale. An organization could be but a few irate people. However, an organization could be a town or city united because of certain events led them to it. And whose to say that the Temperance League in one city must be exactly the same in another. They could have the same basic cause but work completely different for that cause. What really matters is how the GM wishes to develop an organization. Organizations can spring up elsewhere, especially in places that have contact with an organization of a large city, but they would likely be quite independent of each other after the original formation. A Temperance League (or general "underground" movement) could survive as long as there was a sufficiently responsible and charismatic branch leader in each chapter. Without at least one person to direct the group's actions, it'll fall apart pretty quickly. More educated groups like mages or nobles could be held together by intellect -- they know what they want to do, and don't abandon their goal easily. Its not quantity, its quality. AGAINST: A strong idea is how religious succeed someone burning with the fires of inspiration gets people enthused. Alcoholics Anonymous certainly isn't going to do that, and the Temperance Union is going to have a tough time getting volunteers in a pre-suffrage era. Going out on the street and preaching against the evils of liquor is a good way to receive mud and cobblestones hurled by people who like to get drunk. The Temperance Union would only go out in force with a number of people. FOR: Guilds exist in most RPG campaigns and certainly religious orders exist. If they can function, then why can't an alcohol organization. As long as their is a strong belief in the cause, any organization can live and whose to say that believe in prohibition can't be as strong as belief in a guide or one of the many deities. AGAINST: Handbills and posters are important tools in getting penetration, but those only work with a literate population and the printing press. FOR: Reading materials are tools but not the only ones. Criers could play an exciting role in the movement. Having a few bards give a play on the dangers of alcohol or recite some beautiful poetry for the cause. One must remember that it is a fantasy world where much amusement could exist. The whole purpose of the alcohol organizations is to enhance role-playing. AGAINST: Religions don't need the communication lines because they set up one dogma and stick to it. The alcohol organizations function on different lines from many social movements. FOR: And so this only opens up many more role-playing opportunities. "Why doesn't the Temperance League in this city protest against the nobles' drinking?" This section of the guide is a collection of pro and con alcohol- related organizations to be used in a RPG campaign. The organizations typically have religious or political support. The natural advantage that any religiously based group has is that it can justify any action because it is the will of whatever perverted version of any deity that they worship. Additionally, they can characterize their opponents as heathens, heretics, sub-humans, and demon worshipers. The natural advantage that ant politically based group has is that it there opinions can be backed with law which in turn is backed by law enforcement. The organizations presented here are the following: Alcohol and Drug Abuse Clinic Alcoholic Cures Through Extreme Means The Ambrosiac Society Anonymous Alcoholics Citizens Against Drinking And Charioteering Governmental Revenue Task Force Kill the Drunken Bastards Mothers Against Alcohol, Dragons, and Dungeons People Against Bull Shiting Temperancers Temperance League Terrorist's Tactical Temperance League The Old Pledge Temperance League Organization: Alcohol and Drug Abuse Clinic Abbreviation: A.D.A.C. The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Clinic is a less violent organization than A.C.T.E.M. that has just as much success in its work and is even more greedy. A.D.A.C. is an establishment that resembles a hospital in many aspects. A.D.A.C. specializes in those people that have an alcohol or drug problem. The "qualified" staff specializes in many forms of therapy. Among some forms of therapy are counseling, astrology, hypnosis, special diets, and dancing. Basically, A.D.A.C. is nothing more then a well organized scheme. Although the clinic's staff as well as its customers may believe in A.D.A.C., the organization is nothing more than quick-fix cures that don't work given by an odd-lot staff that believe that their ideas really work on duped customers who pour much gold into the organization's profits. No matter what the customer's therapy is, the customer is "cured" when the organization's payments are no longer made and the customer is dismissed. A common practice of some is to send a disliked relative to the organization for a long period of time to be "cured". Some customers are just bizarre, rich, hypochondriacs who are looking for a solution to their "problem". As mentioned previously, the group has an unbelievable "success" in its work, mainly because they decide that all who leave are cured. Activities: The organization's purpose is to "cure" customers with whatever the miracle cures are this week. Funding: A.D.A.C. is a business organization that makes money through its customers. Organization: Alcoholic Cures Through Extreme Means Abbreviation: A.C.T.E.M. Alcoholic Cures Through Extreme Means is a organization similar to Anonymous Alcoholics with its ultimate goal of helping alcoholics but with almost everything else being different. The organization is a business whose purpose is to make money. It does so by receiving alcoholic customers and curing them of their illness. They guarantee a full recovery and monitor customers for life to uphold the guarantee. The alcoholic customer may be a willing customer or a forced customer with payment made from a loved or unloved one. Rates vary depending on the various therapies required for the cure but the rates are always high. Whenever the organization excepts a customer, they promise a cure and will not give up. Some people wanted to discontinue being in the program, but the organization doesn't allow this. Once signed up, it is for life. A.C.T.E.M. does extensive research into the customer's life to gain information to be used in the cure. Special "counselors" are assigned to the customer to spy on him/her as well. Techniques used to cure alcoholics are very extreme and usually illegal. For example, during one session a customer watched his wife get tortured with electrical shock every time he drank an alcohol beverage. His "therapy" was going well until he was observed by a "counselor" sneaking a drink. His wife was reported dead one hour later. He never again had a drink. The group has unbelievable success in its work, and it is reported that all of those who enter the program never have a problem again. In fact, A.C.T.E.M. keeps track of customers until they die to ensure their continuing success. Activities: Each customer enters a special, individual, therapy program specifically created for them. Funding: A.C.T.E.M. is a business organization that makes money through its customers. Organization: The Ambrosiac Society Abbreviation: T.A.S. The Ambrosiac Society is a very loose conglomerate of non-lawful individuals whose primary reason for being together is their love of alcohol. Not just any alcohol is acceptable, for it must be of the highest quality. A refined sense of taste in alcohol is expected, for the brewing and sampling of alcohol is considered to be a form of artistic expression. Unlike wine-tasting societies, however, there is no sense of decorum to limit quantities, and the ability to imbibe vast quantities is another highly valued skill. They are not content merely to throw themselves into a stupor, however; as they become progressively more inebriated, they enjoy silly behavior. In particular, they are the bane of bards, because of their interactive approach to entertainment. Members don't consciously heckle the entertainer; rather, they seek to improve the occasion by acting out the events described by the bard, throwing miscellaneous equipment around if it can be construed as relating to the song, and worst of all, loudly and in unison adding lyrics of their own to those of the bard, usually drowning out the original words and usually making the song considerably more embarrassing than it might have been. Activities: The Ambrosiac Society's only important activity is consuming alcohol. Funding: Funding is provided by the members who chip in for alcohol consumed at meetings and other events. Organization: Anonymous Alcoholics Abbreviation: A.A. Anonymous Alcoholics is a fellowship of men and women who share their experiences to help each other solve their common problem of alcoholism. These people also work to help others recover from alcoholism through companionship and counseling. Anonymous Alcoholics is based on religious beliefs. Although not affiliated with any one god, the fellowship looks to gods for help and guidance. The group has had remarkable success in its work, and it is reported that about half of those who join never have a single relapse. Activities: Anonymous Alcoholics chapters have group meetings for discussion of alcoholism. They also have small alcoholic-prevention campaigns when funding allows. Funding: A.A. is a non-profit organization that accepts donations from any reasonable source. The majority of income is from governmental funding and responsible alcohol establishments. Organization: Citizens Against Drinking And Charioteering Abbreviation: C.A.D.A.C. Citizens Against Drinking And Charioteering is an association that was originally created in a large community where there was a large problem with intoxicated charioteers killing pedestrians. Eventually, other communities realized that they had a problem as well with intoxicated drivers killing or injuring people with their disorderly behavior. In retaliation, they formed their own C.A.D.A.C. chapters. Activities: C.A.D.A.C. does extensive lobbying in political arenas to push through stiffer penalties for those operate a moving vehicle under the influence of alcohol. They also have an extensive ad campaign to prevent and warn people of the dangers of drinking and driving. Prevention is as important as punishment. Funding: C.A.D.A.C. is a non-profit organization that accepts donations from any reasonable source. The majority of income is from community fund-raisers, governmental funding, and responsible alcohol establishments. Organization: Governmental Revenue Task Force - Alcohol Division Abbreviation: G.R.T.F. - A.D. Governmental Revenue Task Force is a federal (or imperial) government organization whose purpose is to seek out and capture those who are making revenue without paying tax on it, which is typically through illegal means. The Alcohol Division's purpose is to seek out and reprimand those people who are illegally creating, illegally distributing, and illegally selling alcohol. This illegal activity is known as bootleging. The government makes a large amount of revenue from taxes collected from the sale of alcohol. When alcohol is sold illegally, the government doesn't get their rightful (in their opinion) cut of the sale. The proper course of action for the government is to set up a task force to eliminate the problem. Field agents of the alcohol division are known as Revenuers. Those people that the Revenuers wish to capture are known as Bootleggers. Activities: G.R.T.F.-A.D. seeks out and destroys any illegal alcohol actions. Funding: G.R.T.F. is funded by the government. Organization: Kill the Drunken Bastards Abbreviation: K.D.B. Kill the Drunken Bastards is an association made of fanatics who take it upon themselves to rid their community of extremely intoxicated people. The organization has been successful in their campaign to rid the streets of drunks. People watch what they drink given the harsh consequences of their actions. The majority of people killed by the organization are those that wouldn't be missed like street urchins and other dregs of society. Activities: K.D.B. members patrol the streets at night looking for those people who are greatly intoxicated. They prefer comatose victims because those are the ones easiest to kill. Funding: Although no proof can be found, most of the K.D.B.'s funds are received from the government. The government doesn't mind K.D.B. ridding the communities of some of the more seedier members of society that serve no purpose like undead. Organization: Mothers Against Alcohol, Dragons, and Dungeons Abbreviation: M.A.A.D.D. Mothers Against Alcohol, Dragons, and Dungeons is an organization composed of concerned women whose purpose to protect children from harm caused by evil influences. During the forming of the organization, the leaders of the group sited three main areas of harm: alcohol, dragons, and dungeons. Alcohol (and those that consume the demon spirits) is exposed to children in everyday life in great quantities from various sources and is an important concern to the organization. Dragons whether good or evil ultimately cause nothing but harm to civilizations and must be destroyed. Dungeons and adventurers give children a false sense of reality and may lead them away from a good, safe, long life. Activities: In addition to the usual protests and lobbying, M.A.A.D.D. has an extensive propaganda campaign. Some of visuals of the organization are tapestries showing the carnage caused by alcohol, dragons, and dungeons that are typically displayed at schools and other public areas. They also post holy symbols at locations where any innocent persons were killed by one of the deadly problems. Yet another visually aid of theirs is shattered and burned armor to show the destructive effects of dragons and to discourage those who want to adventure in dungeons. Funding: M.A.A.D.D. is a non-profit organization that accepts donations from any reasonable source. Most income to the organization is from families and lawful, strict, religions. Organization: People Against Bull Shiting Temperancers Abbreviation: P.A.B.S.T. P.A.B.S.T. is an unorganized organization composed of anybody who enjoys drinking. Its founders were a bunch of drunks in a tavern who were getting sick of listening to the bull-shit (i.e. propaganda) of some alcohol protestors and thus formed this organization to anti- protest. A P.A.B.S.T. member can be identified by a small blue ribbon worn somewhere on his clothing. Members meet whenever they want at any alcohol place. Meetings consists of drinking alcohol and playing games. "Hey honey, I got to go to an important PABST meeting tonight." Activities: Whenever anybody hears of an alcohol protest, P.A.B.S.T. members get drunk and find the protesters to anti-protest. Their anti- protest consists of drinking more alcohol, loud obnoxious chants, and the occasional burps. Usually, their anti-protests end up in a fun brawl. Funding: Alcohol establishments collect money for the organization, what the money is used for is generally unknown since there is little need for it. Organization: Temperance League Abbreviation: T.L. Temperance League is an organization formed to peacefully stop the manufacture and sale of all types of alcoholic drinks and create a society of total abstinence through religious and political parties, and other groups. But it does not affiliate itself with any political party or god, and it does not express opinions on subjects not connected with the alcohol problem. The league tries enforce prohibition laws. It tries to build up public sentiment against alcoholic beverages. Activities: The Temperance League holds many protests around alcohol establishments of all types from creation to consumption. They also do extensive lobbying in political arenas to push through prohibition laws. Furthermore, T.L. has an extensive propaganda campaign to saturated populated areas telling of the evils of alcohol. One technique is to show extreme cases of "dangerous" exotic alcohol beverages like Minotaur Malt Liquor and Lycanthrope Moonshine which are cited as the "ultimate" level of perversion of alcohol. Alcohol created by monsters is the work of the 9 Hells and the 666 Layers of the Abyss. Funding: T.L. is a non-profit organization that accepts donations from any reasonable source. Organization: Terrorist's Tactical Temperance League Abbreviation: T.T.T.L. Terrorist's Tactical Temperance League is a temperance organization who believes that the way to stop the manufacture and sale of all types of alcoholic drinks and create a society of total abstinence is through violent means because the ends justify the means. Destroying the source of alcohol production and sales is the best way to get rid of the problem. This league is not condoned by the The Temperance League publicly, but off the record they find some of their work acceptable. Activities: Terrorist's Tactical Temperance League prefers a more direct approach to stopping alcohol consumption. Destroying alcohol establishments is one of their favorite techniques. They are selective though. Destroying only one place every few months sends fear to patrons and a warning to owners. Destroying to many places in a short time might cause a major crack down on terrorist activities which could destroy the organization. Fear is the key to success and causing fear is T.T.T.L.'s main activity. There are a few less dramatic techniques then total destruction but equally effect in causing fear. The simplest and usually legal form of expression is picketing bars, wineries, breweries, etc.. Picketing the homes of workers with alcohol related jobs is a little more effective. Better still is harassing the families of these workers (an exceptionally nasty version of this is to have other children harass the target's children at school). Harassing the customers entering and leaving bars would also be effective. Blockading, both in terms of nailing doors and gates shut and blocking entrances with their own bodies, alcohol establishments is also very telling. Stench bombs targeted at bars and production sites are capable of sending a message. Funding: T.T.T.L. is a secret organization that accepts donations by any means possible, i.e. people donate willingly or unwillingly. Various fund-raisers include thievery, extortion, kidnapping, etc.. Organization: The Old Pledge Temperance League Abbreviation: T.O.P.T.L. The Old Pledge Temperance League used to be The Temperance League until The Temperance League's goals became that of total abstinence or teetotalism. Thus, those of The Temperance League who believed in The Old Pledge created The Old Pledge Temperance League. The Old Pledge is a pledge to be abstinent from spirits but allows the consumption of wines and beers which seems necessary to substitute the dangerous, polluted water. The Old Pledge Temperance League functions like The Temperance League with only their goals being different. Activities: The Old Pledge Temperance League holds many protests around alcohol establishments that sell liquor or create liquor. They also do extensive lobbying in political arenas to push through liquor, prohibition laws. They also have an extensive propaganda campaign to saturated populated areas telling of the evils of liquor. Finally, they try to counter any points that The Temperance League makes against them. Funding: T.O.P.T.L. is a non-profit organization that accepts donations from any reasonable source. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- REVENUER: FIGHTER KIT Description: The Revenuer is a field agent for the Governmental Revenue Task Force - Alcohol Division. The Revenuer's job is to seek out those people who are illegally creating, illegally distributing, and illegally selling alcohol; activities known as bootleging. The Revenuer is very intelligent and understands the criminal mind quite well. The Revenuer has a very professional appearance when not undercover. He wears a business suit or appropriate formal wear for the locality, is clean and well-kept. When dealing with the public, the Revenuer is very courteous and polite unless dealing with the seedier side of the public in which case a show of power and strength may be in order. Because the Revenuer works for the government, he must keep accurate notes and make accurate, complete reports to his superiors. Role: Being on the side of the law, the Revenuer isn't always loved by the people. The Revenuer represents the tax grip on society the government has and few like it. This is not to say that the Revenuer is hated. The Revenuer is very professional and kind in dealing with the public and has made some friends especially those that receive gold for information. Sometimes local authorities don't like the interference from supposedly superior law enforcement such as the Revenuers, and dealings with them can get touchy. However, the true enemies of the Revenuer are bootleggers or worse, organized crime aka the mob. Alignment: A Revenuer must be lawful, but this doesn't mean he is totally law abiding. He obeys and respects laws and is lawful in everyday life. But when it comes to work, a Revenuer may overlook the law to succeed, usually with the approval of those that make the laws. Weapon Skills: Bonus: Skilled mastery in Cimarron Six-Shooter (DRAGON #176, The Voyage of the Princess Ark. The Complete Guide to RPG Technology). Required: Specialization in one form of non-lethal combat (i.e. punching, wrestling, martial arts). Recommended: Any Schnell & Wilkes Products (The Complete Guide to RPG Technology), War Hammer for smashing up contraband, Dagger or Knife because it never hurts to have a small handy weapon. Non-Weapon Skills: Bonus: Reading/Writing (native language), Tracking. Required: Etiquette, Land-Based Riding. Recommended: Animal Handling (dog), Modern Language. Distilling, Brewing, and/or Wine-Making because it helps to know exactly how its done. Equipment: The Revenuer may spend his money as he wishes. The Revenuer's equipment such as a weapons and transportation are provided by the government as well as room and board if necessary. However, most Revenuers eventually buy their own equipment so as to get better quality items. As stated previously, the Revenuer typically wears a business suit or appropriate formal wear for the locality unless undercover in which case he wears appropriate clothing. When on a dangerous assignment like an alcohol raid, the Revenuer does wear armor. The Revenuer sometimes uses dogs such as boozehounds in his career. Some Revenuers buy their own dogs for use in work and for companionship. Another animal of great use to the Revenuer is the golden spirit hamster. In an area where all alcohol is illegal like in a "dry" society or an evil illegal alcohol manufacturing center and the man- power of all the Revenuers cannot stop the problem, turning loose golden spirit hamsters to destroy all alcohol is a practical and economical practice. Special Benefits: The Revenuer gains a bonus equal to his level to his Tracking proficiency when tracking bootleggers. At 5th level, the Revenuer can intimidate all enemies of lesser level causing there moral to be lowered by 5. Special Hindrances: Because of his unpopularity with the less fortunate, the Revenuer takes a -3 reaction adjustment when meeting persons of the lower lower class, the middle lower class, the upper lower class, and the lower middle class. The more successful the Revenuer is in his job, the more enemies he makes and the more his enemies would prefer him dead. Thus, the Revenuer should always be careful of attacks from enemies. WACO. Although any good GM will realize this and won't need rules for it, assign a percentage chance per level of a contract being placed on the Revenuer's head. There is a 1% per level, rolled upon attaining each level to see if a contract to kill the Revenuer is made. Kinda makes the player nervous when the character exceeds 10th level. To maintain role-play, this would be in addition to any contracts or general rewards for the death of the Revenuer that were the result of any specific action. The Revenuer is under employment of the government and if he doesn't show results, the government may dismiss him. Wealth Options: A Revenuer starts out with 4d4x10 gold pieces. Working for the government gives the Revenuer a steady income that is dependent on the economy of the region he works in. GMs should give the Revenuer a weekly pay that is fair and reasonable. Races: The Revenuer can be of any race but is usually the race that is in the majority of the country he works in and the government he works for. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS & THEIR WORK Walfuerth Trading Company (formerly the Ambrosiac Trading Company) Run by Hermann Siegmund, Markgraf von Walfuerth, formerly in partnership with the halfling thief, Kendor. [Note: precise stats for both characters best left to the GM for the purposes of his campaign, as Walfuerth is *quite* high level. He is a Nosferatu vampire of more than a thousand years of age, who in life was a dual-classed Fighter- Mage. He reached 5th level as a fighter before progressing to magic; at the very least, he is now an arch-mage. Kendor was once a 10th level thief, and is now a Nosferatu vampire slave of Walfuerth.] Years ago, when Kendor had first retired as an adventurer and set up a thieves' guild in Narwell, he had a moderate stock of very fine, highly-intoxicating wine. After he had met the Markgraf von Walfuerth, and was first exposed to the effects of the spell Metamorphose Liquids, he was entranced by the possibilities of producing vast quantities of this wine for sale. Thus began the partnership. Even though the high market value of the wine kept the level of sales low, this arrangement proved quite lucrative. Walfuerth was responsible for the production of the wine, and Kendor for its sale, and both prospered. However, when Kendor came out of his retirement and took once more to adventuring, his ambition and desire for vengeance led him to murder a fellow adventurer, and he was seduced to evil. Seeing his opportunity, Walfuerth began to dominate Kendor, and eventually made him an undead slave. At about this time, Walfuerth took once more interest in politics, and took control of the Duchy of Garnburg. Now with an entire Duchy to finance, he expanded his alcohol trade to a broader trading company, but the wine remains an important component of his sales. Aronwy Mac Ley (Male human 14th level priest of Goibhniu) AC 3/2; MV 9"; hp 60; #AT 1; THAC0 12; D by weapon +1, SA spells; SD +3 to saves vs. mind-affecting spells; AL NG; S16, I15, W17, D14, Co13, Ch12) Weapon skills: bastard sword, halberd, war hammer, spear, short sword. Non-weapon skills: Brewing, Weaponsmithing, armorer, spellcraft, carpentry, healing Spells: 8,8,7,6,3,2,1 Arms/Armor: splint mail, shield, bastard sword, halberd, spear, war hammer. Now in his retirement in his later fifties, Aronwy remains healthy and muscular. He is 6'5" tall and weighs in at 225 lbs.. A typical Celt, he has fair skin, red hair, and blue eyes. A dedicated if roving priest of Goibhniu, Aronwy often found the necessity to fight on behalf of his people in his youth, and out of this grew a moderate if violent adventuring career. In the face of an overwhelming cataclysm that killed off most of his tribe, however, he decided to look elsewhere, and took to Wildspace. Landing eventually upon the Rock of Bral, Aronwy met a fellow drinker and part-Celt in Trent, and the two often went carousing between forays into space. It was this that prompted Aronwy to learn the arts of brewing, and he soon set up a small establishment for the part-time brewing of beer. On one foray into space, Aronwy learned the arts of making wine (from the Duchy of Laval) and vodka (from the Principality of Zhernokoviya), and eagerly added these recipes to his brewery. Shortly thereafter, he retired as an adventurer, and settled on the Rock of Bral. He has also opened up his brewery to the public. Aronwy's operation is not large, available space on the Rock and the need to import all supplies precluding too much expansion, but it is of high quality. Furthermore, the relative scarcity of vodka (since Zhernokoviya produces only for its own consumption) ensures a steady clientele. -----------------------------------------------------------------------