18
When the Sky Falls
misfortune, to their wearers. A black engram may be the result of residual Dark Plea contamination, a botched attempt by the memekeeper at Checklist reconstituting an Determine initial damage of engram, or simply the engram ark impact. cast-off neurosis of an Determine EMP effects. alien refugee that was Determine length of local weather not properly purged cooling. from the Rune Sea. Determine presence of acid rain. Common Black Determine presence of Engram: A large number changestorms. of different effects are Determine extent of wildfires. possible for an engram Determine distribution of bombs and ark guardians. seeker afflicted with a Determine distribution of meteoritic black engram. Roll on iron and thaumeteoritic iron. the table below when Determine lava-cooling time in crater. someone gains a black Determine distribution of tektites engram (or the DM may in crater. decide on an effect not Determine whether any NPCs have mentioned here). As reached the engram ark first, and what their responses are. with any other engram, an engram seeker may dive again to lose a black engram in favor of another type. D12 1 2
3 4 5 6 7
8
9 10 11 12
Effect Gain one wish. Upon use, the black engram evaporates and is gone. Gain two negative levels (negative levels remain while the engram is worn—they can’t be removed, nor will they convert to level loss). Gain 3,000 XP for as long as the engram is worn. Gain a +2 bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma (forehead visibly swells). Gain a –4 penalty to Constitution. Gain a –2 penalty to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma (forehead visibly shrinks). Gain acid sensitivity (lose natural resistance or immunity, if any); take extra 2d6 damage from any acid attack. Gain cold sensitivity (lose natural resistance or immunity, if any); take extra 2d6 damage from any cold attack. Gain plasma resistance 20. Grow third eye—an utterly black orb on forehead. Gain blindsight 60 feet. Grow leathery wings and fly speed of 50 feet (good). Grow one size category larger (use the rules in the MM for advancing a creature to a larger size category).
Uncommon Black Engram: There is only one variety of uncommon black engram. Each of these engrams provides a benefit or misfortune as noted above, and in addition it saddles the character with a partially reconstituted mind generated from the engram. This shadow consciousness attempts to affect its wearer’s actions, cajoling the seeker to return it to the Rune Sea. Each day of cajoling requires a Will saving throw by the wearer against a DC equal to a roll of 1d20+5. On a failed save, the seeker is affected as if by a suggestion spell from a 12th-level caster and attempts to return the black engram to the Rune Sea. Even rarer black engrams may exist, but these are completely up to the DM’s desire to create, introduce, and balance against campaign needs.
Other Meteorites An engram ark is of course only one possibility for an object that is not “merely” meteoritic or thaumeteoritic in nature. Other strange objects, wrapped in a shell of rocky material (like engram arks), share the outward appearances, destructive potential, and lingering after-effects of standard meteorites. But when adventurers come to look over the edge of the crater, they may find something more exotic than a mere hole. What could it be? The possibilities, and resulting adventures, are nearly endless. A few examples are given in the following list. Some of these examples are expanded upon in Chapter Eight: I Found it in the Crater. • Angel thrown down to earth for its vile deeds (see “Angel Down” in Chapter Eight) • Chunk of arcane machinery (see “The Machine” in Chapter Eight) • Colossal celestial soldier fallen in battle • Crash-landed starship • Evil artifact disposed of by another world (see “Onyx Plaque” in Chapter Eight) • First-wave vessel of invading alien race • Frozen entity of prehistoric origin • Green-glowing meteorite rock (see “Spiteful Clot” in Chapter Eight) • Mis-materialized plane-traversing skiff • Mobile space (or planar) gateway • Part of a dead god (see the Requiem for a God event book from Malhavoc Press) • Piece of superdense exotic matter • Pieces of a crumbling moon • Space seed, sending forth rootlets (see “Fungus Fall” in Chapter Eight) • Starfaring beast looking for prey • Undead heart
