Adventure World: the Kruoserer

Introducing THE KRUOSERER

Kruoserers are strange experts on magic. They have electric fingertips, poor dress sense, creepy minds, dour expressions, and eyes like gilded knives. They stand at the back of the room and stare out at everybody else like they are ants on a windowpane. They know your secrets before you do.
They’re just the sort of tasteful retainer that no well-equipped lord can do without.

NAME
Akiro, Endlor, Gritch, Humfrey, Idelfyn, Montagar, Niven, Thulsa, Trent, Zarih
Atheri, Delia, Elinore, Iris, Jael, Judith, Kahina, Martine, Morrigan, Rezia

STATS
Choose one set:
• Valor=0 Power=0 Moxie=0 Alert+1 Magic+2
• Valor=0 Power+1 Moxie-1 Alert+1 Magic+2
• Valor+1 Power-2 Moxie+1 Alert+1 Magic+2
• Valor+1 Power=0 Moxie+1 Alert-1 Magic+2

KRUOSERER MOVES
You get this 1:

The Basic Arts: you twist energies out of your body in order to assist you with simple tasks. To activate this spell you simply take -1ongoing and choose an effect which lasts as long as you want it to, or until you rest:
• a small light with the size and luminescence of a torch appears, either at arm's length above your head or from an object held in your hand.
• an independent telekinetic force will carry half your weight in items directly behind you.
• minor illusions capable of producing incoherent sounds or a slowly moving image.
• any nonmagical item that can be held in one hand can be mended or repaired.
You can choose to activate multiple effects, each one requires you spend -1ongoing. When you end the spell, or rest, the -1ongoing also ends.

Then choose 2:

Arcane Armor: you are always protected by an arcane energy field and are always considered to be wearing 2-armor. This doesn't add to worn armor, and if you're wearing armor with a better rating, use that instead.

Breath of Life: you can breathe underwater. Alternately, if you prepare for it, you can hold your breath indefinitely but suffer -1ongoing until you breathe air again.

Clairvoyance: when you examine an environment, roll+magic instead of roll+alert. You do not have to be present to examine a room, as long as you know the location exists or have been there before.

Evocation: in battle, cast this spell to summon arcane energies to damage opponents. Spend 1-crystal, and roll+magic. On a 10+ you inflict 3-damage ap to a perceived enemy. Choose the form:
• fireball which sets things on fire
• energy bolts which pierce objects and armor
• icy spears which shatter on impact and momentarily blinds the target
• black clouds which billow around your target, suffocating them
• bolts of lightning that travel through the air and along objects
• rats that burrow up out of the ground and bite at your opponent's feet
• player details
On a 7-9, choose 2:
• lose ap
• -1damage (may be chosen twice)
• the arcane nexus twists and you suffer -1magic ongoing until you rest
• it works this time but you lose the Evocation spell until you rest
On a miss, the MC can choose 3.

Familiar: many kruoserers employ animals in their service. When you first acquire a familiar, and any time you need to replace it in the future, you must first select what kind of animal it is: bat, cat, hawk, lizard, owl, rat, raven, snake, toad, or weasel.
Second, while the familiar is in your presence, choose 1 of these stats to receive a +1ongoing: valor, moxie, or alert.
Third, the animal is telepathically linked to you and can communicate easily and from any distance, you can expect a familiar to be as intelligent as a well-educated child.
Lastly, the familiar grants you a special move. At the beginning of the session, roll+magic. On a 10+, hold 2. On a 7-9, hold 1. You can spend a hold for the familiar to either have some special knowledge which helps you or allows the familiar to interfere with another character without fear of being harmed. On a miss, your familiar is absent (not dead) for the session.

Identify: whenever you handle or examine something interesting, roll+magic. On a hit, you can ask the MC questions. On a 10+, ask 3. On a 7–9, ask 1:
• who handled this last before me?
• who made this?
• what strong emotions have been most recently nearby this?
• what words have been said most recently nearby this?
• what has been done most recently with this, or to this?
• how was this made?
• what’s wrong with this, and how might I fix it?
Treat a miss as though you’ve tapped the arcane nexus and missed the roll.

Invisibility: this spell can conceal you from sight. Spend 1-crystal and roll+magic. On a 10+, the invisibility is complete and lasts for as long as the kruoserer wants. On a 7-9, choose 2:
• the invisibility is hard to maintain, you cannot do anything more than move while invisible
• the arcane nexus twists and you suffer -1magic ongoing until you rest
• the invisibility is not complete, others can detect you if you move
• it works this time but you lose the Invisibility move until you rest
On a miss, the MC chooses 2.

Paralyze: this spell lets you cripple an opponent by freezing them in place temporarily. Spend 1-crystal, roll+magic and choose options. On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7-9, choose 1:
• you don't have to touch them
• they're paralyzed for a longer time and are effectively helpless
• they fall over
• they are completely unaware of what is happening around them while paralyzed
On a miss, the spell doesn't work at all and cannot be used against the same character for the rest of the session.

Summon Entity: with this spell you may call upon the arcane nexus to fashion or conjure a companion who will defend and fight for you until their dying breath, until you summon a new one, or until the current situation ends. Roll+magic. On a 10+, describe what your ally looks like and choose 3. On a 7-9, choose 1 and the MC will describe what your ally looks like.
• has natural weapons that deal 3-harm (e.g. claws, bite)
• has natural 2-armor (e.g. leathery skin, chitinous plating)
• it has some power or ability that is useful right now
• there is more than one (up to 3, MC decides)
• pure arcane connection, while the ally is present and alive you get +1magic ongoing
• telepathic connection, the ally grants some move to the kruoserer (MC chooses)
On a miss, the MC chooses 3 and whatever you summoned is not an ally, but might still help you.

GEAR
You get:
• 2 fancy weapons
• 2 kruoserer gear
• a Kruos crystal
• oddments worth 2-gold
• fashion suitable to your look

Fancy weapons (choose 2):
• dagger (1-harm ap melee/thrown)
• dart (1-harm thrown infinite)
• hand Crossbow (1-harm ap ranged)
• quarterstaff (2-harm melee)
• short sword (2-harm melee)
• shortbow (2-harm ranged)
• sling (1-harm ranged)
• throwing knives (2-harm thrown infinite)
• whip (1-harm reach grapple)

Kruoserer gear (choose 2):
• animal carrier (3-armor)
This is an ideal resting place for a your familiar.
• arcane powder (tag alchemy)
Tagging someone gives you +1forward if you then use a move on them.
• flashpowder (tag blind)
This can be used to temporarily blind an opponent instead of inflicting damage on them.
• healing salve
For purposes of healing, gives you +1forward.
• spellbook
With lots of time and study, allows you to switch out one kruoserer move for another.

The Kruos crystal: this is how you focus and shape the arcane nexus to your will. It is a unique item because it can't be stolen or taken from you by force (except through magic). It is always considered on your person even if you are bound and stripped of all your clothing and belongings. You must have it in one of your hands when you use a move above that has the word 'spell' in it's description, thus you must have one of your hands free to use those moves.

HX
Everyone introduces their characters by name, look and outlook.
Take your turn.
List the other characters’ names.
Go around again for Hx. On your turn:
• Choose the character you find most intelligent. Tell that player Hx+1.
• Tell everyone else Hx-1. You keep yourself secret.
On the others’ turns:
• Choose the character you figure for the biggest potential problem. Whatever number that player tells you, give it +1 and write it next to the character’s name.
• One of them, you’ve been watching carefully for some time, in secret. Whatever number that player tells you, ignore it; write Hx+3 next to the character’s name instead.
Everyone else, whatever number they tell you, give it -1 and write it next to their character’s name. You’ve got other stuff to do and other stuff to learn.
At the end, find the character with the highest Hx on your sheet. Ask that player which of your stats is most interesting, and highlight it. The MC will have you highlight a second stat too.

KRUOSERER SPECIAL
If you sleep in the same room as another character, you automatically Identify them, as though they were a thing and you’d rolled a 10+, whether you have the spell or not. The other player and the MC will answer your questions between them. Otherwise, that move never works on people, only things.

KRUOSERER DEATH
When you die, everybody else advances face danger.

IMPROVEMENT
+1 Valor (max. +2)
+1 Power (max. +2)
+1 Alert (max. +2)
+1 Magic (max. +3)
get a new Kruoserer move
get a new Kruoserer move
get a new Kruoserer move
get a laboratory (detail) and followers
get a move from another playbook
get a move from another playbook