The Hunger of Sejanoz: Improved Grand Master Disciplines

Improved Grand Master Disciplines

As you rise through the higher levels of Grand Mastery you will find that your Disciplines will steadily improve.

Kai Grand Master Superior

If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Kai Grand Master Superior, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Animal Mastery: Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are able to deter predatory animals in the wild by exuding a scent which is repellent to them. In order for this improved Discipline to work effectively, a Kai Grand Master Superior must be aware of the species of predatory animal he/she wishes to deter. The scent can only be detected by the targeted animal.
Assimilance: Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this skill are able to create a noise and project it up to 15 yards away from their location. The noise is akin to the rumbling sound of thunder and it can be used to distract or divert an enemy’s attention. This improved Discipline requires a degree of preparation and therefore it cannot be used during combat.
Astrology: Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are skilled in the use of all mechanical devices designed to measure and/or observe the cosmology of Magnamund. Such devices include sextants, astrolabes, and orreries.
Herbmastery: Kai Grand Master Superiors who have this Discipline are able to purify water, thereby making contaminated or briny water suitable for consumption. Roughly two pints of water per day can be purified using this skill alone. This daily total steadily increases as a Grand Master advances in rank.
Elementalism: Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this skill are able to condense pure water out of the surrounding air. This water can be made to fall as a fine spray or as a sudden deluge. It can also be made to fill any suitable container or receptacle. Using this skill, Grand Master Superiors can create the equivalent of one large bucketful of fresh water.
Bardsmanship: Kai Grand Master Superiors who possess this Discipline are able to utilize their musical skills to pacify an excited or hostile animal.

Kai Grand Sentinel

If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Kai Grand Sentinel, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Grand Weaponmastery: Kai Grand Sentinels who possess this Discipline are, when physically parted from their Kai Weapon, able to detect its location. This power of detection will pass through solid objects, with the notable exception of lead. Accuracy and range of detection steadily increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Grand Pathsmanship: Kai Grand Sentinels who possess this skill are able to predict the weather accurately for the forthcoming 3 hours. The range of this ability is an area 10 square miles around the Kai Grand Sentinel. Duration and range steadily increase as a Kai Grand Master rises in rank.
Astrology: Kai Grand Sentinels who possess this Discipline are able to detect psychic residues left on an object by its owner. The more valuable the object is to its owner, the stronger will be the lingering psychic attachment. The majority of everyday or shared objects do not retain such residues.
Herbmastery: Through their knowledge and use of common plants, Kai Grand Sentinels who have this Discipline are able to make contaminated or rotten food fit for human consumption.
Elementalism: Kai Grand Sentinels who possess this skill are able to charge particles of air electrically around any man-sized or smaller object. The particles will automatically discharge and cause damage should the affected object be touched or opened. Kai Grand Sentinels are able to handle a charged object without discharging it.
Bardsmanship: Kai Grand Sentinels who possess this Discipline are able to use their singing or playing to counter a hostile sonic attack. The effective use and range of this sonic defence steadily increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Kai Grand Defender

If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Kai Grand Defender, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Deliverance: Kai Grand Defenders who possess this Discipline have the ability to repair the effects of natural decay in materials such as wood, stone, cloth, metal, etc. By touching the decaying object, a Kai Grand Defender is able to reverse damage caused by rot, rust, or mould.
Telegnosis: By use of this Discipline, a Kai Grand Defender is able to locate a known or familiar material object. Initially the range of this ability is limited to a 15-foot radius, however this distance steadily increases as a Kai Grand Master advances in rank.
Astrology: Kai Grand Defenders who possess this Discipline are skilled in the use of all common astrological devices used to predict future events. Such devices include cards, dice, and crystal spheres.
Herbmastery: Kai Grand Defenders who possess this Discipline are able to neutralize any poisonous toxins that may be present in organic materials such as plants, berries, and fruits. Through the use of this skill, the transformation of toxins can sometimes result in an increase in ENDURANCE and/or COMBAT SKILL when the previously poisonous matter is swallowed.
Elementalism: By using this Discipline, Kai Grand Defenders are able to summon up a dense, misty vapour to obscure themselves from both normal vision and infravision (night sight). This mist will occur within 5 feet of the Kai Grand Defender and will last for three to five minutes. Range and duration increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Bardsmanship: Kai Grand Defenders who possess this Discipline are able to use their musical skills to pacify (and/or implant a suggestion into the mind of) an intelligent creature within audible range. This improved Discipline is similar in effect to the Brotherhood Spell Mind Charm (Kai-alchemy).

Kai Grand Guardian

If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Kai Grand Guardian, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Assimilance

Kai Grand Guardians who possess this skill are able to summon a cloud of fog-like vapour within 15 yards of their location. This fog will obscure both normal vision and infravision. The duration of the fog increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Herbmastery

Kai Grand Guardians who possess this Discipline are able to use their advanced knowledge of Herbmastery to produce explosive compounds from simple organic materials.

Elementalism

Through the use of this Discipline, Kai Grand Guardians are able to protect themselves from the effects of storm-force winds by creating a sphere of calm air around their bodies. Initially this protective bubble lasts for one minute, but duration steadily increases as a Grand Master ascends in Kai rank.

Grand Huntmastery

Kai Grand Guardians with this skill enjoy increased mobility when travelling across all types of terrain, whether on foot or on horseback. This improved ability can be very useful when used to outdistance a pursuing enemy.

Kai-surge

Kai Grand Guardians who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to attack up to three enemies in psychic combat simultaneously.

Kai-screen

Kai Grand Guardians who possess this Discipline are able to exercise a defensive psychic skill known as Mindblend. This cloaking ability enables a Kai Grand Guardian to protect their mind and also prevent it from being detected by a hostile psychic probe.

Magi-magic

Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian are able to use the following battle-spells of the Elder Magi:

Splinter—This causes breakable items such as bottles, jugs, mirrors, windows, etc., to shatter to pieces. The range of this spell increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Flameshaft—This causes the tip of any Arrow, or Arrow-like missile, to burn fiercely with a magical flame which cannot readily be extinguished by normal means.

Sun Knight

If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Sun Knight, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Grand Weaponmastery

Sun Knights with this Discipline are able to wield two-handed weapons (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, and Spear) with full effect using only one hand.

Grand Pathsmanship

Kai Sun Knights with this skill are able to repel at will all normal-sized insects within a radius of three yards. The range and number of insects so affected increase considerably as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Deliverance

Sun Knights who possess this skill are able to repair serious wounds sustained by creatures other than themselves. By the laying of hands upon the affected creature’s body, a Sun Knight can cause an open wound (or other serious injury) to mend itself. The speed at which this healing process takes place increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Telegnosis

Sun Knights who possess this Discipline are able to communicate telepathically over great distances. Initially the range of this ability is approximately 100 miles, but this distance increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Grand Nexus

Sun Knights who possess Mastery of this Discipline are able to feign death. By placing themselves into a state of suspended animation, outwardly they are able to achieve all semblance of being truly dead. However, whilst in this state, the only sense that a Sun Knight retains is the ability to hear.

Astrology

Sun Knights who have this Discipline are skilled in the art of chiromancy—the ability to tell fortunes from the skin creases and patterns found on the palms of hands.

Bardsmanship

Sun Knights who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to use their musical skills to launch sonic attacks against any individual within audible range. The effect of a sonic attack is dependent upon the target creature’s sensitivity to sound (i.e. a deaf creature would be unaffected by such an attack).

Kai-alchemy

Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Knight are able to use the following Brotherhood Spells:

Halt Missile—This causes any projected or hurled missile (e.g. arrows, axes, crossbow bolts) which may pose an immediate threat to the life of a Sun Knight, to cease its flight and remain stationary in mid-air. The effect of the spell lasts for 2–3 seconds, allowing the Sun Knight time in which to move away from the missile’s line of flight. Initially only one missile can be affected by this spell, but the number increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Strength—By casting this spell, a Sun Knight is able to greatly increase his or her physical strength for a short duration. It can be used to lift or move heavy objects, or to effect a temporary increase in COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE scores whilst fighting an enemy.

Sun Lord

If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Sun Lord, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Grand Weaponmastery

Sun Lords with this Discipline are able to cause the metal edge of any non-magical weapon to ignite and burn fiercely. When a Weapon thus affected is used in combat, it inflicts an additional 1 ENDURANCE point loss upon an enemy in every successful round of combat. This ability cannot be used with a wholly wooden Weapon such as a Quarterstaff.

Herbmastery

Sun Lords who possess this Discipline are able to cause living plants, e.g. grasses, bushes, flowers, weeds, rushes, to entwine themselves around the limbs of hostile creatures, thereby hampering their free movement. Sun Lords are able to target only one creature in this way. An additional creature can be affected for every level a Grand Master rises above the rank of Sun Lord.

Assimilance

Sun Lords who possess this skill are able to cause the outline of their bodies to become blurred and indistinct. By so doing, they can greatly increase their chances of avoiding magical and/or non-magical missiles directed at them.

Grand Huntmastery

Kai Sun Lords with this skill are able to see, with acute accuracy, light in the infrared spectrum, i.e. they can see the complex patterns generated by heat in near or total darkness. They can also see light in the ultraviolet spectrum.

Kai-surge

Sun Lords who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to launch a Kai-blast—a pulse of intense psychic energy which is capable of affecting both psychically active and inactive enemies. This form of psychic attack is very effective, more so than a usual Kai-surge, Psi-surge, or Mindblast. It can cause an enemy to lose between 2 and 18 ENDURANCE points in one attack. A Kai Sun Lord using Kai-blast determines the damage inflicted on an enemy by picking two numbers from the Random Number Table. These numbers should be added together (a ‘0’ = 1) and the resultant total equals the damage inflicted. However, use of a Kai-blast will reduce a Sun Lord’s ENDURANCE points total by 4. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other form of psychic attack.

Telegnosis

Sun Lords who possess this Discipline are able to alter their body weight in order to walk successfully upon different kinds of surface, e.g. water, mud, lava, and quicksand. Time duration—and degree of surface difficulty—increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Magi-magic

Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Lord are able to use the following battle-spells of the Elder Magi:

Penetrate—This increases the penetrative energy of any Arrow, or Arrow-like missile, launched by a Sun Lord.
Energy Grasp—This spell enables a Sun Lord to discharge a powerful electrical force into anything he or she touches. It is similar in effect to the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand. It differs in that it is easier to control and channel the resulting energy. It also requires the actual touching of an object or enemy to effect the spell.

Bardsmanship

Kai Sun Lords with this skill are able to direct their musical abilities to disrupt the structure of inanimate breakable objects, e.g. glass, ceramics, urns, flasks, causing them to explode violently. Any person or creature in close proximity to the destroyed object risks injury from flying fragments.

Sun Thane

If you are a New Order Kai who has attained the rank of Sun Thane, you will now benefit from improvements to the following Grand Master Disciplines:

Astrology

Sun Thanes who possess this Discipline are expert in the art of hypnotism. By the use of a hypnotic stare, they are able to cause susceptible creatures (up to three individuals at any one time) willingly to carry out their orders. The number of creatures so affected—and the duration of the effect—increases steadily as a Sun Thane advances in Kai rank.

Animal Mastery

Sun Thanes with this Discipline are able to command an animal to fall asleep at will. Some hostile animals may be able to resist this command; however most will be affected by it in some way. The duration of effect and the number of animals which can be affected at one time will increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Grand Huntmastery

Kai Sun Thanes with this skill are able to protect themselves from the effects of being struck by natural electrical discharges, i.e. lightning.

Deliverance

Sun Thanes who possess this skill are able to conduct a Kai Exorcism. This ritual will banish any evil supernatural force that has taken possession of any goodly creature or object.

Elementalism

Sun Thanes who possess this Discipline are able to accelerate greatly the oxidation (rusting) of ferrous metals simply by touch alone. The longer the metallic item is touched by a Sun Thane, the more damaging will be the effect.

Grand Pathsmanship

Sun Thanes who possess mastery of this Discipline are able to alter the temperature of water by touch. By using this skill they are able to transform water into ice and vice versa. The volume of water affected and the duration of effect both increase as a Grand Master rises in rank.

Kai-screen

Sun Thanes who possess this Discipline are able to erect a special psychic defence called Mindfort. A Mindfort defence greatly reduces the effects of any psychic shock that would normally paralyse or weaken a lesser mortal.

Kai-alchemy

Grand Masters who have reached the rank of Sun Thane are able to use the following Brotherhood Spells:

Slow Fall—By casting this spell, Kai Sun Thanes are able to slow their rate of free-falling to three feet per second, thereby avoiding damage upon landing while the spell is in effect. The duration of the spell is limited at first, but it steadily increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.
Breathe Water—Using this spell, a Kai Sun Thane is able to breathe underwater for ten minutes. The duration of effect increases as a Grand Master rises in rank.

The nature of additional improvements and how they affect your existing Grand Disciplines will be noted in the Improved Grand Master Disciplines section of future Lone Wolf New Order books.