How to Scare your Players' Pants Off

Image Courtesy of @ Rakesh Rockey via 500 px

Okay, let’s face it. Any GM with any common sense knows that trying to scare their players is something like trying to rob Fort Knox: doomed to failure and almost guaranteeing future ridicule. However, it is certainly possible to use elements of fear to enhance the fun of the game. Most players show up to have fun, not to be scared of a guy rolling plastic dice and talking to himself. This article will outline a few tips and tricks you can use to—well—not scare your players—but use fear to enhance the game, and (with luck) scare their pants off.

Kill off Henchmen: Nothing says ‘this is supposed to be a scary adventure’ like killing off a half a dozen unimportant people accompanying the group. Sometimes it helps if the people dying off just kicked the butt of the party and were sent with them to ‘keep track’ of the player characters. While no player is bound to sweat much if a peasant falls in a pit trap, if a trained warrior wanders off and screams—things are bound to get interesting.

Split the Party: Normally, there’s nothing worse you can do than let the party split up. It’s tantamount to saying ‘I want this game to go down the tubes with random cut scenes’. However, separating just one cocky player from the group (and preferably his weapons, light source, and way back) can do loads to add to the drama in the game.

Employ the Cliché GM Chuckle: Yes, it’s a cliché. Yes, you’re an experienced GM who never uses it. Yes, that’s why giving a heartfelt chuckle while rolling a load of dice will make your players virtually piddle their pants as they try to cover exits and bar the room.

Hide the Mystery Monsters: Nothing kills the uncertainty and fear in a game like knowing what’s going on. If you say, “Ten orcs ambush you”, the only one liable to be scared is the guy walking past the cafeteria. Saying, “A 78 ft., oblong shadow with tentacles rips the thief in half before disappearing”, is bound to be a little more interesting.

Try actual Danger: There are few things as scary as actual danger in a game. If your long-term campaign story is too precious to risk killing a single PC, you might want to run a one-shot and let the players know they might die. Then you can feel free to use actual danger without which fear is like peanut butter without the jam sandwich.

Describe things Fearsomely: Players often take most of their cues about the game world from the GM’s descriptions. After all, it’s all they have to go on. If you start rambling on about how deadly, dangerous, mysterious, gloomy, magical, and purely insane a location would be to enter; the party will most likely think twice. However, think carefully before using this advice, or the group might just skip your adventure location completely.

Remove Key Reference Points: This may sound like I’m advising you to destroy the party’s lecture notes. However, I’m actually suggesting knocking out their key lines of support and defense. A good party will often maintain several key elements for their survival such as: knowing their location, marking exits, maintaining light, keeping ready food and water supplies, maintaining equipment for the venture at hand, and so forth. You may have gotten into the habit of just letting them have this stuff and not worrying about it too much. A good way to make them sweat is to allow them to lose a couple key references. If the dungeon shifts like mad and makes them lose their bearings, their torches run low, monsters rip/steal their food and supplies, and the temperature suddenly (and unexpectedly) drops to -100 degrees Celsius; the party will probably have some trouble on its hands. Expect the group to complain loudly if you do this kind of stuff. Remember, you don’t have to take it all away to make them sweat. Any one thing should do nicely.

Use Elaborate Magic: Otherwise known as ‘being cheap’ magic is there to be abused. Don’t just settle for teleporting the party to random locations. Have magical traps inflict bizarre forms of insanity, possession, or warp the laws of physics and reality. Endless corridors, reverse gravity rooms, and more are all options. Make sure you leave a way out and allow such afflictions to be cured eventually. In the meantime, unexpected magical effects can really mess with the party’s strategy.

Allow the Party to make a mess of things: Opportunity to enhance the fear element of a game may be no farther off than the party’s next bogus maneuver. Instead of saying something unhelpful like, “That’s impossible” or, “Do you really want to do that?” consider letting the party try to dive to the ocean floor, swim across the lake, jump the chasm, or enter the storm at sea. When they’d normally die, you can invent something absolutely bonkers to get them in trouble and enhance the game. When the thief is swimming a sea monster drags him to the bottom and a secret chamber, the ship is destroyed but the party washes up on a deserted island, the fighter falls in the pit and breaks through fifty feet of fungus into a hidden chamber, etc.

While it may not be realistic (this is a fantasy game, right?) it can sure add a whole new dimension to the game when you offer whacky solutions to otherwise certain death. When the party insists on taking on an army (and fails) consider having them sold into slavery or something else interesting rather than just killed or told off (by you).

Strike at the Heart: Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of experienced players like the loss of their most prized possessions. If the magical turkey explodes any gold or gems he gets near, if the wraith drains 57 levels with a touch, or if the evil wizard can destroy magic items; the party will likely become very angry. It’s probably just to hide their fear, or maybe they just hate the GM for being so arbitrary towards them and destroying all their hard-earned spoils for no good reason.

***

Like I said, most savvy GMs don’t try to actually scare their players. They just ‘set the mood’ and hope for the best. Oh, yes… “Heh…heh….heh.” *Rolls too many dice*.

...How to Keep Your Game Running Smoothly 

...Challenger's Music Playlist 

...Funny Twitter Tweets

...Canada? 

How to Keep your Game Running Smoothly

Image Courtesy of Imgur.com via Google Currents "Calvin!!!"

This article is intended as a satirical joke. Please do not take it too seriously. Thanks. Merry Christmas and Happy 2013 Everyone!

RPGs are not what they used to be. When you started out with the original D&D game you had maybe a couple hit points and a rule or two to worry about. Now, there are far more books, far more rules, and far more pointless arguments and rules discussions which can bog down your game. Even games which try to be ‘retro’ or ‘different’ tend to be a little more long-winded out of sheer survival instinct. Some player is always bound to ask, “What if I do x?”
 

There are generally three options available to a GM of such systems: 1. Memorize absolutely everything the instant it comes off the printing presses, 2. Consult your notes for 15 ½ hours every single game session to find the ‘right way’, and 3. Make up random crap and then (possibly) look up the proper way to do it after the game is over. As you can probably guess, this article will be focusing on number 3.

The Fine Art of B.S.

Since the ancient days of the original D&D game, making up random junk has been one of the primary strategies of the GM. It has perhaps been forgotten, though I seriously doubt it. Depending on your particular stance, you may consider this article either: A. a formative lesson, B. a refresher course, C. or absolute baloney.

At its core, the B.S. strategy focuses on making stuff up. After all, the GM makes up the adventure, why not do a bit of it with the rules as well? The next time the players ask you something, you can’t readily answer. Whatever your answer—no matter how inane and ludicrous—they have to buy it. You’re the GM, after all.

Here are some examples:

A. Player: What happens when I hit x with x combined with x using my x racial ability and the fact he’s under xxxxxx, oi3399, 039403, and y conditions?

Wrong Answer: I don’t know.

Right Answer: Your head explodes. Take 12d7 damage.

B. Player: I forgot how Super Long-Stride X-wing attack of doom at level 7 works, and what my modifiers are.

Wrong: Look it up.

Wrong: Pick a high number.

Right: You miss, and would have done only 1d6 damage even if you hit.

C. Player: I do x.

Wrong: Hm, I wonder what skill that is?

Right: Roll ‘insert random skill here’.

Or (If you’re nice)

Right: Just pick your highest skill and roll that.

Making it Believable

Image Courtesy of Colby Brown via Google Currents.

Okay, let’s say you’re actually buying all this hokum and want to believe me (unlikely). Your next likely question is: “How the heck am I going to make my players buy into this, and do I even want to?”

Whenever the players sit down to play your game, they’re already ‘buying into it’. If they can actually sit around long enough to play your crazy plot you’ve probably got them so messed up in the head they’d believe it if you said the moon crashed into their campaign world. The only likely time they are to dispute this is if it adversely affects their characters. For example, while they might have no problem with the moon crashing into the earth, you can bet your bacon if it’s heading for their castles they’ll raise a huge, scientific stink.

Just play it cool and speak as you normally would describing a whacko magic item, your incredible plot, insane magic, horrendous monsters, and physically impossible dungeon structures. If anyone tries to dispute you, just scream you’re the GM, give them -10 billion xp, or ask them “Well, what do you think should happen?” Please note: Whatever they say, you can still ignore it. It’s just a delaying tactic to get your way and seem democratic.

As to the second question, why you would even want to in the first place: What’s more fun? Sitting around and watching a guy page through a book, argue, or whimper about modifiers for 3 hours; or actually playing the game? Besides, making up crazy stuff is fun anyway and you can look it up after the game if it’s really that important.

Always Keep Speaking

In addition to your existing campaign rules of: Anything I say is law, look up rules after the game, and annoying me equals -10 billion xp, you should also come up with some kind of “No stopping the game” rule. Something to the effect that if you go to the bathroom you’re struck by lightning, if you discuss things off-topic you lose your turn, and 6 second combat rounds last for 6 seconds in real life too. Players are quite fond of explaining their actions for hours on end during fast-paced battles. A little planning is okay, just not all the time. Even a ten minute time limit on a 2 second combat round is better than nothing.

If you absolutely must check notes, maps, or rule-books; always keep the game running either by speaking or letting the players continue their actions and GM themselves. If they abuse this power, you can just kill them off when you return to power.

Use the actors’ trick when you feel like it. The one where anything someone says can’t be ignored, it must be played off of.

Example 1:

Player: I killed all the orcs.

GM: Okay, but ten million more round the bend.

Example 2:

Player: I kill them too.

GM: Tough.

Your game should be one continuous narrative. The movie at the theater doesn’t stop when you go for popcorn, does it? The script director doesn’t run onto the screen and yell, “Hang on, what would happen here? Let me look up a rule.” The actors don’t forget their lines and wander off to check scripts, do they?

You can argue that movies have many cut scenes. Well, too bad. RPGs don’t. It’s all improv and you can use this to your advantage. When people mess up their lines, do silly stuff, or whatever; you can feel free to ‘make stuff up’ and get them in all kinds of trouble.

Time Limits

No game is perfect. Sometimes there will always be a slow up. When this happens, time limits are very handy. If the party is totally stuck, give them a clue or a time limit and force them to act. Even if it’s a totally stupid action, it’s better than nothing (see above).

Dice Rolling

Most of the time, most of the players will get to do practically nothing while they wait for their turns. This can be remedied by nuking turns and saying whoever yells the loudest gets multiple actions. A more reasonable solution could be to ensure lots of dice are being rolled in your game. Rolling dice means ‘Something is Happening’ to players. GM rambling, role-playing, and cool plots often don’t count; but no player can bemoan their fate when they’ve rolled 12 hundred d6 in under an hour. Okay, that’s a lie.

Writing Notes

Another trick is to either encourage, or force the players to write things down. Whenever the players receive something physical (like a map handout, or a thwack to the head) they become more ‘into’ the game. While it might not trump dice rolling, getting sweet stuff to write on your character sheet can improve a game no ends. If the players are doing this without your help you’re probably a master GM and ought to write your own article on the subject.

Here are some of the main ways you can encourage writing stuff:

1. “That guy’s name is important.”

2. “You find 3,434.4 copper/silver/gold coins.”

3. “Aren’t you going to loot the bodies?”

4. “The note says ‘insert random cryptic riddle which sounds important here’.”

5. “Write that down!”

6. “You took 20 hp/stamina/lung cancer/transformation points.”

7. “Remember to write down your deeds on the adventure because I’m handing out xp for the best three things you did this adventure, but if you forget them you get zilch.”

The Players Totally Destroy the Plot

This kind of happens a lot. They skip the adventure, they instant kill the villain at the start, they nuke the dungeon, whatever. When this happens, just laugh evilly and use the above strategies to create a successful adventure. If you can’t be creative on the spur of the moment, you can try the following to buy time:

1. “You’re surrounded by impenetrable fire, try to find a way out while I write some stuff down.”

2. “Who wants to GM for the next half hour?”

3. “The locked room has this riddle on it ‘insert random jibberish here’.”

4. “Huh, well, what do you guys want to do?”

How to Interpret/Make up Rules

Most of the time, you’ll have a pretty good idea of how a ruling should go. I.e. the player’s power doesn’t work, or the interpretation kills them dead. Other times, you have no clue and are very tempted to open a rule-book. Don’t open the rule-book! (Just put your elbows on it and smile).

You have a couple of options. Most of them equally unworkable:

1. “Your head explodes.”

2. “It fails.”

3. “It succeeds.”

4. “Okay guys, let’s vote. My vote is worth the number of players +1.”

5. “What do you think should happen?”

6. “Based on reasonable scientific/magical/no evidence x should happen.

7. “Roll x and if you get a number which I’m not going to tell you, it works.”

8. “Okay, we’re going to ignore that rule until later.”

9. ‘Insert completely weird and random result here’. After all, it doesn’t really matter what happens does it? So long as the game keeps running smoothly.

Settling Arguments

The other primary thing which will ruin your game’s flow are arguments. Usually, these are caused by the players. Why should the GM ever need to argue? You’re in charge. You don’t have to explain yourself.

In all likelihood, most of these arguments will be due to the unfair rulings you imposed above or an assortment of other piddly little things like: character death, arbitrary loss of money or magic items, and so forth.

While you can hear them out like a reasonable person, it’s probably much better to keep the game rolling by imposing a random end to the argument.

1. Randomly pick a winner for the argument. Usually, yourself.

2. Have both sides roll 1d6 with the high roller winning.

3. Call for initiative and the first one to cause x damage wins.

4. Call for a random and arbitrary skill or ability check to determine a winner.

5. Make the argument redundant by removing the root cause: fire-balling the party, nuking the monsters, removing two weapon fighting from the game, or possibly doing something so ridiculous and unfair that the argument is immediately forgotten and focused on you.

6. “Let’s call for a vote. As always, my vote counts for 51%...”

Conclusion

So, it can be concluded, that the best way to keep the game running smoothly is to: ignore rules, do arbitrary and random things, abuse the players, hit people, and make stuff up. Sounds kind of like the job description of GM, doesn’t it?

Warning: The above article should not be tried at home, at work, or anywhere really.

...New Challenger Races and Classes 

...More GM Advice 

...Gangnam Style 1 Billion Hits on Youtube (May be Inappropriate for younger viewers)

New Challenger Classes and Races #1

Introduction

All of the following Classes and Races were designed and submitted by Micah Greenspoon. They will probably be included in an upcoming Challenger RPG expansion. In the meantime, you can feel free to use them in your official Challenger RPG games with the approval, as always, of your GM.

If you have your own cool ideas to submit, please feel free to head on over to the Class and Race submission link on the sidebar on this website. Enjoy! Thanks Micah, we all appreciate your hard work!

 Angel

A messenger or servant of deities or other divine beings, angels are usually winged immortal humanoids specializing in some sort of skill, whether it is magic, combat, carrying messages, making the best tacos in all of existence, etc. They are usually good in nature, and some are sent down from the heavens to help bring peace, protect the innocent, and fight for justice and goodness.

Natural Weaponry: d4

0 Versatile: Bonus: You gain +2 to any one skill which hasn’t been boosted yet.

1 Flight: Bonus: You have the ability to fly at movement rate 24. You can fight normally while in the air and foes must hurl their weapons at you or otherwise be able to hit you if they wish to attack you.

2 Banish Undead: Full Magic: Once per adventure you may call upon a powerful immortal being. This being may banish 2d6 x 5 hp of undead creatures (round down) within 40 ft. of you.

3 Call upon Deity: Full Round: Once per adventure you may call upon a powerful being. You may request anything, but the being will choose whether to answer you pleas for help or not. This power can accomplish truly amazing things if the GM allows.

Fallen Angel

This angel has betrayed its deity or divine being due to a loss of faith or being driven to insanity. It has abandoned its mission and either pursues the exact opposite of it or perverts the meaning of it (i.e: instead of protecting the innocent, it seeks out and punishes the wicked).

Natural Weaponry: d4

0 Versatile: Bonus: You gain +2 to any one skill which hasn’t been boosted yet.

1 Angelic Persuasion: Skill: Once per encounter you gain a +4 situation bonus to any one social roll to convince an NPC to do something because you’re an “Angel”. The GM may disallow this bonus under special circumstances. The person may be convinced to do things it normally wouldn’t consider with this power.

2 Protection: Bonus: Once per adventure you gain damage reduction 5 against agents of your former master/powerful being or its servants. Reduce all damage you receive from such agents by 5 to a minimum of 1 for the duration of a single encounter.

3 Warped Mission: Bonus: Talk to the GM and decide what your original mission as a normal angel was. Once per adventure gain +3 to any roll that would contradict your original mission (i.e: an Angel is sent down to participate in a war, and instead gains +3 to a roll regarding the brokering of a peace treaty).

Confused Person

A person of one race who has been raised by another to believe it is one of them, or just in general raised by another race without any major secrets about their own race kept from them. Usually having been abandoned by their parents/caretaker at birth or another young age, the person doesn't really remember them and is sometimes scarred emotionally by the fact they would be abandoned. They also usually have some characteristics of the race they were raised by that their own race wouldn't normally/naturally have (i.e: a human raised by wolves may be more ferocious than most humans and have sharper teeth, an orc raised by sphinxes may be way more intelligent than the average orc, a halfling raised by giant/regular sized eagles may have a keener sense of sight, etc).

Natural Weaponry: d4

0 Multi-talented: Bonus: You can speak the languages of both races. In addition, the GM may allow you to take powers and/or abilities from both of the races you have chosen.

1 Kinship: Bonus: You feel at home with and easily bond with NPCs of both of the races you have chosen. You gain a +2 bonus to social checks used with either race. In addition, you and the GM should come up with a background power in collaboration. It should be the inherited ability of your foster race as described in the race description.

2 Origin Discovery: Bonus: Once every three adventures, at the end of an adventure you discover an object (or maybe a blood relative recognizes you) that answers a question about the circumstances surrounding your abandonment (or maybe even disappearance). This discovery de-muddles your mind, getting rid of a distraction and allowing you to see things more clearly, giving you +3 to mental skill rolls during the next adventure.

Mage

A type of wizard, a mage specializes in offensive, defensive, and combat magic, such as fireballs, lightning bolts, and magical barriers (and sometimes healing or weak telepathy as a minor training), but neglects other types of magic (scrying, magical crafting, magically picking locks, etc). They usually use magic staffs, quarter staffs, glaives, scythes, and sometimes even dual sided or double bladed scythes to keep opponents at bay as they cast their spells.

Class Subtype: Magic

Skill Access: Magic

Weapon Training: Magic 1d6

Armor Training: Light

Mage Powers:

0 Combat Magic Only: You specialize in combat magic only. This means you can only take powers of magic which focus on defensive, offensive, or healing spells. No matter which classes you take, you cannot gain other magic powers such as: telekinesis, mind reading, scrying, or magic item crafting.

1 Lightning Bolt: Full Magical Attack: Once per encounter you may hurl a lightning bolt up to a distance of 40 ft. ahead of you in a direct line. Anyone in the path of the lightning bolt is struck for 2d6 electrical damage. If it’s unclear how many targets there are, this power effects 4.

2 Healing: Full Magic: If a character took damage you may, once per battle, attempt to heal that character. Roll 1d20 and on an 11 or higher heal that character 2d6 hp. You may use this power up to five times per adventure. You must be able to touch someone to heal them. Healing Skill: Bonus: You gain access to, but not training in the healing specific skill. Takes up the mage’s minor training, and cannot be learned if the Preemptive Dodge skill is known.

3 Preemptive Dodge: Once per battle, if you be hit by a normal or magical attack it does not hit you. On the first level tier, only you can avoid the attack. At Legendary level, you have the ability to ‘warn’ a single teammate/ally instead. At Epic level, you can ‘warn’ up to five teammates/allies. This power uses a weak form of telepathy, and cannot be learned if the Healing skill is known, as this takes up the mage’s minor training (basically, you learned a weak form of telepathy instead of healing). Does not work if the foe cannot be influenced by mind control, is insane, or is acting upon pure instinct (or if the GM has another reason).

3 Magic Armor: Full Magic: Once per encounter gain 5 temporary hp from magical armor. For the duration of the battle, your armor is considered to be 2-4.

4 Fireball: Full Magical Attack: Once per battle, roll a magical attack on a single d20 and apply this attack against up to 5 nearby foes. If you fail this roll, only one may attack you back. You negate the other attacks you would normally receive. Fireball does 1d6 magic flame damage to each foe on any hits.

5 Stave Mastery: Bonus: You add +1 to your damage whenever you wield your favored weapon. This weapon must be one listed in the class description.

6 Combat Magic: Bonus: Add +1 damage to all of your magical attacks.

7 Spell Turning: Free Action: Once per adventure you may instantly block any one hostile magical effect which was targeted only at you. If the opposing caster is more powerful, this power fails. If the opposing caster is far weaker, you have a 50% chance (11-20 on 1d20) to reflect the spell back at the caster.

8 Legendary Power “Thunder Storm”: Full Magical Attack: You gather clouds over the battlefield and start a lightning storm. This storm drops 8 lightning bolts randomly from the sky that inflict 5d6 lightning damage each with a radius of 1.5 ft. x2 damage to any flying creatures hit. Underground creatures are not affected unless a piece of metal attached to it is sticking up out of the ground, which then acts as a lightning rod that automatically is hit by 1 of the bolts and causes x1.5 damage rounded up to the creature.

9 Legendary Power “Chasm”: Full Magical Attack: You slam your staff into the ground, and the ground crumbles in a line in the direction the staff pointed for 30 ft, then caves in and makes a 50 ft deep chasm 20 ft. wide, causing 1d6 damage per 10 ft fallen to all who fall in.

Flying/levitating creatures are not affected unless unable to currently fly/levitate, and underground creatures are hit for x2 damage. If the staff is struck straight into the ground, the ground crumbles in a circle with the staff as the center point with a radius of 15 ft, and a circle of 4 ft of undisturbed ground around the staff itself.

 10 Epic Power “Lightning Storm”: Full Magical Attack: The same as Thunder Storm, except with double the bolts and they are not randomly dropped. This power can only be used if Thunder Storm is known.

Warrior Mage

A mage who divides his time pursuing the arcane combat arts and perfecting his mastery of weapons combat. A warrior mage knows offensive and combat magic, and can use any type of melee weapon, though prefer staves as they are best to keep the enemy at a distance while casting magic. They wear plate and magic armor for their torso and helms, but wear medium, light, and magic armor for the rest of their body so as to not constrict movement. An expert warrior mage is a powerful and valuable ally who can tear through the ranks of enemy soldiers, and a master warrior mage is an almost unheard of and priceless asset, who is an army in and of himself.

Class Subtype: Magic

Skill Access: Magic and Athletics

Weapon Training: Expert and Magic 1d6

Armor Training: Heavy

Warrior Mage Powers:

0 No Multi-classing: Bonus: If you take this class, you cannot multi-class at all.

1 Lightning Bolt: Full Magical Attack: Once per encounter you may hurl a lightning bolt up to a distance of 40 ft. ahead of you in a direct line. Anyone in the path of the lightning bolt is struck for 2d6 electrical damage. If it’s unclear how many targets there are, this power effects 4.

2 Magic Armor: Full Magic: Once per encounter gain 5 temporary hp from magical armor. For the duration of the battle, your armor is considered to be 2-4.

3 Fireball: Full Magical Attack: Once per battle, roll a magical attack on a single d20 and apply this attack against up to 5 nearby foes. If you fail this roll, only one may attack you back. You negate the other attacks you would normally receive. Fireball does 1d6 magic flame damage to each foe on any hits.

4 Weapon Mastery: Bonus: You add +1 to your damage whenever you wield your favored weapon.

5 Reinforce Allies: Full Magic: Once per adventure confer +1 to all rolls to all allies within 20 ft. for one encounter. This power cannot boost any combat roll beyond the usual maximum of +5 to an attack roll.

6 Fire Skin: Full Magic: Up to twice per adventure you coat your skin in fire dealing 1d6 fire damage to anyone who directly touches you in battle. You can also use fire skin to set flammable objects on fire. Each use of this power lasts for one encounter or 5 minutes outside of battle.

7 Combat Magic Mastery: Bonus: When you take this power you can learn any combat magic power in the book which you have access to in-game and which the GM will allow. If the GM allows, you can also use it to learn a combat magic of your own creation.

8 Legendary Power “Obskinian”: Full Magic: You turn your skin to obsidian, making it as hard as heavy armor while not constricting movement.

9 Legendary Power “Magic-Focusing Weapon”: Bonus: You focus your combat magic through your weapon, giving it 30 charges per adventure and the ability to do the following: Flame Slash: Bonus: the weapon is trailed by flame that goes outwards 3 ft, burning victims for 1d6 fire damage for 20 seconds (2 rounds). Cost: 2 charges. Lightning Tip: Bonus: the tip/end of your weapon shoots out a bolt of lightning, inflicting whoever it hits with 2d6 electrical damage. Cost: 3 charges per bolt. Ice Touch: Bonus: for the next 15 seconds (2 rounds), people hit by your weapon receive an extra 1d5 ice damage, are frozen, and die (or lose the frozen limb) (GM's discretion) if not thawed out within 65 minutes. Cost: 4 charges. Energy Blade: Bonus: Turns the blade (or striking surface) of the weapon into energy, which cuts (or bashes) through and breaks through armor and deals 2d8 damage to whoever is hit by it for 15 seconds (1 round). Cost: 6 charges.

10 Epic Power “Maelstrom”: Full Round: You gather the winds and cause a funnel cloud of immense proportions to descend onto the battlefield, hitting all (other than you) within a 50 ft. radius of its center for 4d10 damage, and picking up anyone within a 100 ft radius and throwing them, dealing 1d6 per 10 ft. fallen.

...Class and Race Submissions 

...GM Advice