Voyage of the Moonstone Read online

8 = Rune 8 = Strider

  9 = Brave 9 = Shield

  New Order Kai Grand Master Disciplines

  Kai and Magnakai Disciplines

  During your distinguished rise to the ranks of the New Order of Kai Grand Masters, you have become proficient in all of the basic Kai and Magnakai Disciplines. These Disciplines provide you with a formidable arsenal of natural abilities which will serve you well. A brief summary of your skills is given below:

  Weaponmastery

  You are proficient with all close combat and missile weapons. You are a master of unarmed combat and suffer no COMBAT SKILL loss when fighting bare-handed.

  Animal Control

  You are able to communicate with most animals and have limited control over hostile creatures. You can use woodland animals as guides and you are able to block a non-sentient creature's sense of taste and smell.

  Curing

  You are able to restore ENDURANCE points lost as a direct result of combat. You may restore 1 ENDURANCE point for every numbered section of the book you pass through in which you are not involved in further combat. The maximum number of ENDURANCE points that can be restored in this way is limited to 10 per adventure.

  You also possess the ability to heal the wounds of others, and you can neutralize the harmful effects of most poisons, venoms, and toxins.

  Invisibility

  You can hide effectively in most environments, mask any sounds made during movement, and you can cause minor alterations of your own physical appearance. Also you are able to mask your own body heat and scent.

  Huntmastery

  You are an expert hunter of food in the wild. You possess great physical agility and a keen sense of vision (day and night). Your senses of hearing and smell are especially acute.

  Pathsmanship

  You are able to understand most languages, magical symbols, and hieroglyphics. You are expert at reading footprints and tracks. You have an intuitive knowledge of the compass points and can detect the threat of an enemy ambush up to a distance of 500 yards. You possess an ability to cross terrain without leaving tracks. You can converse with sentient creatures and mask yourself from psychic spells of detection.

  Psi-surge

  You are able to attack enemies using the powers of your mind. Also you can set up disruptive vibrations in inanimate objects and cause confusion in the minds of unsophisticated enemies.

  Psi-screen

  You possess strong mental defences against hypnosis, supernatural illusions, charms, hostile telepathy, and evil spirits. You are able to divert and re-channel some hostile psychic energy to your own ends.

  Nexus

  You can move small items by projection of your mind power. You can withstand extremes of temperature and are able to extinguish fire by force of your will alone. You have a limited immunity to flames, toxic gases, and corrosive liquids.

  Divination

  Your famous Kai Sixth Sense can warn you of imminent danger. You can detect invisible or hidden enemies, and you are able to communicate telepathically. You can recognize magic-using and/or magical creatures, detect psychic residues, and you have a limited ability to leave your corporeal body (‘spirit-walk’) for short periods.

  New Order Kai Grand Master Disciplines

  After years of martial training and study at the Kai Monastery, and by the rigorous practice of the teachings of your illustrious mentor — Kai Supreme Master Lone Wolf — you have achieved the noble rank of Kai Grand Master Senior.

  Following in the footsteps of Lone Wolf himself, you have vowed that one day you will become totally proficient in all 16 of the New Order Kai Grand Master Disciplines. By doing so successfully you will share with Lone Wolf the responsibility, the honour, and the future glory of leading the New Order Kai as a Supreme Master.

  Your present rank of Kai Grand Master Senior means that you have mastered four of the New Order Grand Master Disciplines listed below. It is for you to decide which four Disciplines these are. As all of the New Order Grand Master Disciplines may be of use to you at some point during your mission, pick these four skills with care. The correct use of a New Order Grand Master Discipline at the right time could save your life. When you have chosen your four Disciplines, enter them in the Grand Master Disciplines section of your Action Chart.

  Grand Weaponmastery

  This Discipline enables a New Order Grand Master to become supremely efficient in the use of all weapons. When you enter combat armed with one of your Grand Master weapons, you may add 5 points to your COMBAT SKILL. The rank of Kai Grand Master Senior, with which you begin the New Order series, means that you are skilled in the use of one of the weapons listed in the Equipment section.2 For every adventure that you complete successfully in the New Order series while possessing the Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery, you will gain proficiency with one additional weapon.

  If you have the Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery with Bow, you may add 5 points to any number you pick from the Random Number Table, when using the Bow.3

  Animal Mastery

  New Order Grand Masters have considerable control over hostile, non-sentient creatures. Also, they have the ability to converse with birds and fishes, and use them as guides.

  Deliverance (Advanced Curing)

  New Order Grand Masters are able to use their healing power to repair serious battle-wounds. If, while in combat, their ENDURANCE is reduced to 8 points or less, they can draw upon their mastery to restore 20 ENDURANCE points. This emergency ability can only be used once every 20 days.

  Assimilance (Advanced Invisibility)

  New Order Grand Masters are able to effect striking changes to their physical appearance, and maintain these changes over a period of one to three days. They have also mastered advanced camouflage techniques which make them virtually undetectable in an open landscape.

  Grand Huntmastery

  New Order Grand Masters are able to see in total darkness and they possess great natural speed and agility. They also have a superb sense of touch and taste. If you have chosen the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery as one of your skills, you will not need to tick off a Meal when instructed to eat.

  Grand Pathsmanship

  New Order Grand Masters are able to resist entrapment by hostile plants. Also they have a super-awareness of ambush, or the threat of ambush, in woods and dense forests.

  Kai-surge

  When using their psychic ability to attack an enemy, New Order Grand Masters may add 8 points to their COMBAT SKILL. For every round in which Kai-surge is used, they need only deduct 1 ENDURANCE point. Grand Masters have the option of using a weaker form of psychic attack called Mindblast. When using this lesser attack, they may add 4 points to their COMBAT SKILL without loss of ENDURANCE points (Kai-surge and Mindblast cannot be used simultaneously). New Order Grand Masters cannot use Kai-surge if their ENDURANCE score falls to 6 points or below.

  Kai-screen

  During psychic combat, New Order Grand Masters are able to construct mind-fortresses capable of protecting themselves and others. The strength and capacity of these fortresses increase as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.

  Grand Nexus

  New Order Grand Masters are able to withstand contact with harmful elements, such as flames and acids, for upwards of an hour in duration. This ability increases as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.

  Telegnosis (Advanced Divination)

  This Discipline enables a New Order Grand Master to spirit-walk for far greater lengths of time, and with far fewer ill effects. Duration of the spirit-walk and the protection afforded to his inanimate body increase as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.

  Magi-magic (Old Kingdom Magic)

  Under the tutelage of Lone Wolf, you have been able to master the rudimentary skills of Old Kingdom battle-magic. These arcane skills include the use of basic Old Kingdom Spells, such as Shield, Power Word, and Invisible Fist. As you advance in rank, so will your knowledge and mastery of Old Kingdom magic increase.
<
br />   Kai-alchemy (Brotherhood Magic)

  Under the tutelage of Lone Wolf and Guildmaster Banedon (the leader of Sommerlund's Guild of Magicians), you have mastered the elementary spells of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star. These spells include Lightning Hand, Levitation, and Mind Charm. As you advance in rank, so will your knowledge and mastery of Brotherhood magic increase.

  Astrology

  The celestial bodies which occupy the skies above Magnamund have long been known to affect the lives of its inhabitants. Mastery of this Discipline enables a New Order Grand Master to predict and shape the future by studying the relative positions of the Sun, the Moon, and the myriad planets and stars. The number and accuracy of these predictions increase as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.

  Herbmastery

  Mastery of this New Order Discipline enables a Grand Master to identify readily any substance derived from living or growing organic material. He is aware of any secret uses to which an organic material may be put, and he is skilled in effecting the release of a substance's medicinal and/or magical properties.

  Elementalism

  This Discipline enables a New Order Grand Master to manipulate the four basic elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. By drawing upon individual elements that are available, or combinations thereof, he is able to detach, affix, increase, concentrate, intensify, remove, or accelerate this matter to fulfil a specific purpose, e.g. create a wall, hurl a rock, spray sand, remove air, intensify fire. The versatility of this Discipline increases as a New Order Grand Master advances in rank.

  Bardsmanship

  Through mastery of this Discipline a Kai Grand Master of the New Order becomes a multi-talented performer, proficient in the use of any musical instrument. He is able to sing or chant, recite or compose tales of legend, mimic speech or dialect, and stimulate a wide range of emotions among sentient creatures. The effect and power of his bardic abilities will steadily increase as he advances through the Grand Master ranks.

  If you successfully complete the mission as set in Book 21 of the Lone Wolf New Order series, you may add a further Grand Master Discipline of your choice to your Action Chart in Book 22. For every Grand Master Discipline you possess, in excess of the original four Disciplines you begin with, you may add 1 point to your basic COMBAT SKILL score and 2 points to your basic ENDURANCE points score. These bonus points, together with your extra Grand Master Discipline, your original four Grand Master Disciplines, your Kai Weapon,4 and any other Special Items and Backpack Items that you have found and been able to keep during your adventures, may then be carried over and used in the next New Order adventure, which is called: The Buccaneers of Shadaki.

  [2] Given the rules for the previous Lone Wolf books, it seems odd that a Grand Master is only allowed to choose to be proficient in one of the few Weapons listed in the Equipment section. In view of the unprecedented nature of this rule, you might decide that it is acceptable to be proficient in any of the ten Weapons that the Kai typically train to use.

  [3] The rules in the Collector's Editions state that the bonus for Grand Weaponmastery with Bow is 5. Certain sections direct the reader to use different bonuses when using a Bow, ranging from 3 to 5, if you have Grand Weaponmastery with Bow. This may be the author adjusting the Grand Weaponmastery bonus on a case-by-case basis (and therefore this bonus should be used instead of the standard bonus) or an error (and therefore all of these bonuses should be 5). It is up to you to decide, but it seems most reasonable to follow the first alternative, to replace the Grand Weaponmastery bonus with whatever bonus is mentioned in that section.

  [4] Details about the Kai Weapon appear in the next section of the game rules.

  Equipment

  Before you leave Holmgard on the first stage of your long voyage to Elzian, you acquire a map of your sea route and a pouch of gold. To find out how much gold is in the pouch, pick a number from the Random Number Table and add 20 to the number you have picked. The total equals the number of Gold Crowns inside the pouch, and you should now enter this number in the ‘Gold Crowns’ section of your Action Chart. Fifty is the maximum number of Gold Crowns you can carry in your pouch at any time.

  You may also select five items from the list below, only two of which may be Weapons.

  Quarterstaff (Weapons)

  Bow (Weapons)

  Quiver (Special Items) This contains six Arrows; record them on your Action Chart.

  Flute (Backpack Item)

  Dagger (Weapons)

  Sword (Weapons)

  2 Meals (Meals) Each Meal takes up one space in your Backpack.

  Rope (Backpack Item)

  Potion of Laumspur (Backpack Item) This potion restores 4 ENDURANCE points to your total when swallowed after combat. There is enough for only one dose.

  Axe (Weapons)

  List the five items that you have chosen on your Action Chart, under the appropriate headings, and make a note of any effect that they may have on your ENDURANCE points and/or COMBAT SKILL.

  Kai Weapons

  Upon reaching the ultimate rank of Kai Supreme Master, Lone Wolf received as a reward from the God Kai many new skills and abilities. One of these skills was Kai Weaponcraft. Using his newfound mastery, Lone Wolf forged ten weapons of magical power in the armoury furnaces of the Kai Monastery. These magical weapons are reserved for the élite of the New Order Kai who attain the rank of Grand Master.

  In recognition of your rank and achievement, you may choose your own Kai Weapon from the table below or, if you prefer, you can generate one at random. To generate a Kai Weapon, pick a number from the Random Number Table and consult the first column. The magical Axe, Sword, or Broadsword which corresponds to the number you have picked will be your own personal Kai Weapon. Record this magical weapon and its unique properties in the Kai Weapon section of the Special Items List.

  Example

  Say you choose the number 8 from the Random Number Table, your Kai Weapon will be the Broadsword ‘Illuminatus’.

  When using this Kai Weapon in normal combat you may add +5 points to your COMBAT SKILL. Each Kai Weapon has a unique property. When you use your Kai Weapon in combat against the type of enemy that matches its unique property, or use it at the optimum time or location, then you may add the higher bonus to your COMBAT SKILL.5

  Example

  If you were to use ‘Illuminatus’ in combat against an enemy in an underground cavern, cave, or tunnel, you could add the higher bonus of 7 to your COMBAT SKILL. If you were to fight this enemy in any other location, the bonus to your COMBAT SKILL would remain at 5.

  Kai Weapon Table

  RNWeapon TypeWeapon NameCSUnique PropertiesCS

  0 Axe ‘Spawnsmite’ +5 versus reptilian enemies +6

  1 Axe ‘Alema’ +5 versus undead enemies +7

  2 Axe ‘Magnara’ +5 versus rock or stone +8

  3 Sword ‘Sunstrike’ +5 when used in daylight +6

  4 Sword ‘Kaistar’ +5 when used at night +7

  5 Sword ‘Valiance’ +5 when used versus magicians6 +8

  6 Sword ‘Ulnarias’ +5 when used underwater +9

  7 Broadsword ‘Raumas’ +5 versus winged enemies +6

  8 Broadsword ‘Illuminatus’ +5 when used underground +7

  9 Broadsword ‘Firefall’ +5 versus fire-emitting enemies +8

  RN = Random Number CS = COMBAT SKILL

  Equipment — How to use it

  Weapons

  The maximum number of Weapons that you can carry is two. Weapons aid you in combat. If you have the Grand Master Discipline of Grand Weaponmastery and a correct Weapon, it adds 5 points to your COMBAT SKILL. If you find a Weapon during your adventure, you may pick it up and use it. You may only use one Weapon at a time in combat.

  Bows and Arrows

  During your adventure there will be opportunities to use a Bow and Arrow. If you equip yourself with this Weapon, and you possess at least one Arrow, you may use it when the text of a particular section allows you to do so. The Bow is a useful Wea
pon, for it enables you to hit an enemy at a distance. However, a Bow cannot be used in hand-to-hand combat; therefore it is best to equip yourself also with a close combat Weapon, such as a Sword or an Axe.

  In order to use a Bow you must possess a Quiver and at least one Arrow. Each time the Bow is used, erase an Arrow from your Action Chart. A Bow cannot, of course, be used if you exhaust your supply of Arrows, but the opportunity may arise during your adventure for you to replenish your stock of Arrows.