Expanding the Tekumel Collection page

I've added most of my Tekumel-related posts to The Tekumel Collection page. This brings all my material together in one place.

Inside you'll find:

• My GURPS and TFT Tekumel rules, as well as conversions from EPT to GURPS or T:EPT.
• A spreadsheet of adventures available on the Web.
• My suggestions for starting a Tekumel campaign.
• My two-page summary that I hand out at cons.
• Random tables for tubeway car stations, family background, clan status, amulets, and ancient technological device failures.
• Surveys of various aspects of the Tekumel presence on the Web.

Come stop in and see what's what.

New Spell for Pé Chói

The Pé Chói, a graceful and magical insectoid race from Tékumel, have an innate psychic ability that connects all members of the race. When a Pé Chói dies, all other Pé Chói within a 3-mile radius can feel it. They will seek revenge on those who kill other Pé Chói without cause.

So, here I present a new spell for Pé Chói who follow the Black Old One, the Pé Chói Change deity, similar to Hrü'ü or Ksárul.


Empire of the Petal Throne

Visions of Death
Group II
Range: 3 miles
Duration: 1 turn
Temples: Black Old One
If cast within one minute of feeling the death of another Pé Chói, the caster gets a mental image of what the Pé Chói saw at the time of their death. At level 5, the caster can see the area in a 20 foot radius around the Pé Chói victim. At level 7, the spell lasts for a day and the caster knows the direction and distance to the perpetrator. At the end of the day, they can recast the spell and continue their pursuit.


The Fantasy Trip

Visions of Death
IQ: 14
Type: Thrown
STR Cost:  3 + 2 per day to maintain
Range: 3 miles
Duration: 1 day
Temples: Black Old One
If cast within one minute of feeling the death of another Pé Chói, the caster can see the area within 2 megahexes of the victim for a minute. The caster also knows the direction and distance to the perpetrator. This knowledge of the attacker lasts for a day, letting the caster pursue them to exact their revenge.


GURPS

Visions of Death
Type: Regular
Cost:  3/2
Range: 3 miles
Duration: 1 day
Temples: Black Old One
If cast within one minute of feeling the death of another Pé Chói, the caster can see the area within 6 hexes of the victim for a minute. The caster also knows the direction and distance to the perpetrator. This knowledge of the attacker lasts for a day, letting the caster pursue them to exact their revenge.

Try it out and comment. I'm going to playtest this in my next Tekumel game.

(Edit: TFT and GURPS versions changed after Peter's question.)

Tsolyani Names

After posting some clan descriptions last week, someone asked about names, especially lineage names. So I pulled this list from a few Tékumel products. You can now make over 4000 male and 4000 female name combinations. That should keep you in character names for a few years.

Male Given Names

Achán Adlár Arkháne Bálesh Chúrisan Dlamúz Drakóhl Ekuné Fíru

Gámalu Gayán Hárisu Héttukeng Hóru Jesékh Jijékmu Kágesh Kánkolu

Kémuel Kotáru Marján Mígor Mízhotl Mnéktu Mórusai Mottán Mridók

Nirún No’ómu Núromen Omél Osumétlu Pí’ur Qárras Réshmel Sánjesh

Shémek Tákodai Treshélmu Tsodlán Túrisan Visán Zagár Zhurák Znayáshu

Female Given Names

A’én Arimái Asháne Atín Balané Chaikúra Chashána Dijáya Dirúla

Dzái Elulén Halé Háya Isúra Jashána Ke’él Layéth Linátla

Liyása Mára Mikúsa Mísa Nélel Ngáya Osuré Paluél Qiláin

Raisákka Rayána Réluen Sáyi Senértha Shánü Shekkára Sherésa Sídla

Srúdhal Ta’ána Talía Tálodel Tlayésha Umá Visháya Zhána Ziyá

Lineage Names

hiAmiyála hiArusá hiBarrégga hiBeshyéne hiBurusá hiChagotlékka hiCháimira hiChaishyáni hiChakrésa hiChánkolel hiChársha hiChiggéne hiChorúkka hiChunúr hiDelashái hiDulumésa hiFa’ásu hiFershéna hiFesrengála

hiGaján hiGurúma hiHyáguru hiJalchéma hiJarásh hiKarélsa hiKétkolel hiKhanúma hiKhorsán hiKoródu hiKurúshma hiKutonyál hiMaróda hiMirkétme hiMmórsa hiMraktiné hiMrékka hiMritlékka hiMriyén

hiNáshomai hiNemuné hiNezár hiNrashkému hiPagártra hiPakáillu hiQolyélmu hiQúrrodu hiRánmiyel hiReretlésa hiRi’inyússa hiSáika hiSanyél hiSayúncha hiSénkolum hiShálane hiShanátl hiSharítla hiShétla

hiSorúna hiSráshar hiSrúnel hiSsáivra hiSsánkoral hiSsánmirin hiSsanyúsa hiTáika hiTánkolel hiTigál hiTikéshmu hiTishkólen hiTlakán hiTlanátl hiTlekólmü hiTlélsu hiTlénggeku hiTsúnkai hiTukéshmu

hiTukkolén hiTuplángte hiUséna hiVáika hiVaisonér hiVaisúra hiValúro hiVárchal hiVasháka hiVayéshtu hiVessúma hiViridáme hiVíridu hiVoruséka hiVorússa hiVrázhimü hiVriyón hiZhayárvu hiZhnáyu

Cleanup

+Rob Conley just reorganized his OSR and GURPS stuff, so I thought it would be a good idea to do the same with my Tekumel material. My left navbar was a little crowded. Now it's not.

The Tekumel Collection includes all of the same files from the navbar. I also found that my EPT to GURPS conversion link was pointing to my EPT to T:EPT (Tri-Stat) conversion. That has been remedied. Also, I still have a lot of stuff to move from Weird Realm.

While I was in there, I noticed that almost none of the Tekumel stuff had labels. That has been fixed, as well.

My GURPS material is next.

Tsolyani Family Charts

So I was looking at the family generation charts in Gardasiyal and Swords and Glory. They are complicated with multiple die rolls per section, all d100 and d10. So I sliced and diced, making most everything a single die roll per item. I also used different types of dice in order to allow the Roll-Them-All style, except you don't roll a d20.

For those not intimately familiar with Tsolyani society, it's rather complicated. The Tsolyani people practice both polygyny and polyandry, where each gender can marry more than one member of the opposite sex. Another complication is that as far as families are concerned, Tsolyani clan tradition considers one's father and the father's brothers as clan-fathers, and their mother and the mother's sisters as clan-mothers. Also, the clan-mother's husbands are also clan-fathers and the clan-father's spouses are clan-mothers. The father's sisters and their husbands are clan-aunts and clan-uncle's, respectively, the mother's brothers and their wives are clan-uncles and clan-aunts respectively. The children of clan-fathers and clan-mothers are siblings, and the children of clan-aunts and clan-uncles are clan-cousins.

Yes, that's a mouthful. Perhaps the gentle reader, and even the rough ones, could use a picture to be clear.

Family Relations

So, here are the tables for generating the family of a Tsolyani character.

Start by rolling a d6, d8, d10, and a d12.

Parents: d10-1
    If more than 4 parents are rolled, add +2 to the Siblings roll.

Siblings: d12-2

Spouses: (optional)

d8	Spouses
1-4	Not married
5-6	1
7	2 (+1 on Child roll)
8	3 (+1 on Child roll)

-1 if person is 20 or less
+1 if person is 31 or more.

+1 if person is female
+1 if person lives in a rural area

If concubines are to be included, roll again on the Spouse Table for the number without the bonuses.

Children: d6-3

-1 if person is 20 or less
+1 if person is 31 or more

Having children does not require being married.

Each roll is an open-ended roll, so if the maximum roll is rolled, roll the same die again, apply the same modifier, and add the result to the total. For instance, if rolling parents, a d10-1 roll. If you roll an 9, roll d10-1 again and add.

What do you think?

Clans of Tsolyanu

I'm writing new descriptions for the Tsolyani clans on Tekumel for my new game. Here is a quick sampling of some noble clans of Very High status.

Blade Raised High: The royal guard of the Priest-Kings of the Engsvanyáli empire are the ancestors of this clan. Members are often generals and military administrators, and the worship of Karakán and Chegárra predominates. Katalál and Usenánu are the centers of power for this clan, though they are spread across the empire.

Cloak of Azure Gems: Clan legend says the ancestors of this clan served Lord Ksárul at the Battle of Dórmoron Plain, though a more likely origin is that they are of Bednálljan aristocratic descent. Many in the clan are in the temple hierarchies or the imperial bureaucracy. This clan worships Ksárul and Hrü'ü and their Cohorts. The clan is centered in Mekú and Mrelú, with some influence in Sokátis, Béy Sü, and other cities.

Golden Bough: The governors of the southern provinces of the Engsvanyáli empire are the predecessors of this clan. Members are often in the imperial bureaucracy or the legions. This clan has no temple preference. Golden Bough can be found across the empire with huge clan houses in Jakálla, Thráya, and Jaikalór.

Golden Sunburst: This clan traces back to Engsvanyáli royalty, and it has clan houses across the empire. Many members are high up in the government bureaucracy, the military, or the temple hierarchy. The worship of Karakán, Chegárra, and Hnálla is very common, though other Stability temples are represented.

Ito: This clan worships Sárku and his Cohort, Durritlámish, exclusively. It inhabits the Chákas and also has clan houses in the other cities where Sarku worship is strong: the City of Sárku, Mekú, and Púrdimal. The Imperium views them with distrust, even before the rule of Emperor Dhich'une.

Our S&W Campaign Honor Roll

1. Mick StoneRoller, Dwarven thief, died in Quasqueton, killed by a zombie.
2. Titus Longinus, warrior, died onboard ship, killed by Elven pirates.
3. Mordecai Magpie, Halfling burglar, died in the undercity of Senzar, killed by a shadowy beast. His self-sacrifice will never be known to the pasty thralls on the surface.
4. Hyacinth, Elvish mage, died in Quasqueton, killed by larval proto-demons.
5. Magnus Magpie, Halfling thug and Mordecai's brother, and his hench-thing, Shaa the Cold-One, died in the wizard Raven's tower, killed by giant spiders.

No one died tonight. 

My first character generated by my new Tekumel rules

My new Tekumel rules (yes, I know I haven't finished the TFT Tekumel rules) are to the point I can generate characters. Since it's inspired by EPT with help from B/X D&D and Chivalry and Sorcery, the characters look a lot like EPT characters. So without further ado:

Réshmel hiMriyén

Class:	Priest
Level:	5th
Temple:	Ksarul
Gender:	male
Clan:	Woven Whip (Low)

STR:	24		Attack/Damage Mod:	-1
DEX:	34		Attack Mod:	0		Physical Skill Mod:	0
CON:	57		Hit Point Mod:
INT:	72		Skill Mod:			Class Skills at 1st:	4
PSY:	98		Spell Mod:	+2
APP:	81		Reaction Mod:	+1

Skills:
First Aid
Merchanting
Calligraphy
Gem Cutting
Veterinary Medicine
Mu'ugalavyani language
Livyani language
History (Mu'ugalavyani)

Spells:
Comprehension of Speech
Excoriation of Pernicious Contagion (Cure Disease)
Serious Recuperation (Cure Serious Wounds)
Kriyag’s Entrapment (Web)
Aeriality (Flight)
Vapor of Death (Gas cloud)

Quick and Dirty Clan Status for Tekumel

In prepping for games I'm running this fall, I wanted a random clan status for the members of the adventuring group. I decided on a very easy die roll for this purpose.

3d6	Clan Status
3-5	Very Low
6-8	Low
9-12	Medium
13-15	High
16-17	Very High
18	Imperial

Due to the Tsolyani tendency to not deal with folks with clan status much lower or much higher than their own, I shifted a Very High clansman to High and a Very Low to Low, and ended up with a surprisingly balanced 2 Low, 2 Medium, and 2 High Clan members.