GLoG: Nahualli (Mesoamerican Sorcerer Class)

(For use in the Lizard Lords of Zapotec Setting)

“Someone so in tune with the spiritual power of the Universe as to read its workings and cast spells, possibly even the ability to temporarily take another shape” (The Aztec Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Stories and Legends by Camila Townsend). Sorcery is the domain of the wise, doctors, soothsayers, and priests. Prudent chiefs and even humble farmers can become Nahualli if they are rich in practicality and devotion.

THE NAHUALLI

Each Template: +1 save, +10 Sacred Days revealed

Starting Equipment: obsidian dagger, incense, agave leaves, calendar codex with 20 Sacred Days revealed 

(You may take the A templates in any order. If your Will is +2 or higher, you may bypass the normal multiclass costs to enter into Nahualli)

A: +1 MD, Astrologer

A: +1 MD, Practitioner

A: +1 MD, Auto-Sacrifice

When you take your third template of Nahualli, you gain the ability to transform back and forth into a spiritually appropriate animal with a turn of effort.

D: +1 MD, Knowledgeable One

Sacred Days:

Generally, folk only have knowledge of the significance of their own birth day. In your preparations to become Nahualli you have learned the meanings of more days of the sacred calendar. Roll randomly to see which you learn when leveling up, if you already know that day you may pick any day to learn or roll randomly. One Rabbit is so infamous that all know its significance, which is where we get the expression “To be One Rabbited”, meaning to face total calamity. If you learn all the days of a particular sign, you gain an additional bonus:

Day Sign	Completion Bonus
Crocodile Wind House Lizard	Immune to Unwilling Mutation  Immune to Death by Falling  Cannot be punished simply for breaking the law +2 Reflex if injured
Snake Death Deer Rabbit	+2 Will if you have not been inside today  +2 hp  +2 to Fort if you are wearing horns on your head  Automatically succeed in running away from opponents
Water Dog Monkey Stave	Immune to Suffocation  Oaths made to you are binding  Animals will not attack you unless you attack them Immune to charms and compulsions
Goblin Jaguar Eagle Lost Sign	Barbarians will not attack you unless you attack them.  +2 to hit  Immune to fear.  ???
Movement Flint Rain Flower	Immune to being grappled  Cannot be killed by fire  If struck by lightning, you may redirect it as you wish. Immune to unwanted possession

Astrologer:

The hurricane sky blocks sight of the fate-revealing stars to the Anahuacans (those of the wider world), but even the Cemanahuacans (those of this land) can generally only see how the stars are placed currently. Your deep connection to the cosmos lets you see further. You can predict what days will come for the next 7 days. 

Practitioner: 

You are a fully trained doctor. You automatically succeed rolls to stabilize dying allies. Allies you attend to heal +[templates] injuries/day of rest. 

Auto-Sacrifice:

You may ritually cut yourself with the sharp edge of an agave plant. This deals 1 damage and…

-heals an ally your blood touches by 1d4, minimum [Templates], whichever is higher.

-gives an ally another saving throw to resist an ongoing affliction.

-bars a location from evil spirits until the sun has both risen and set. Evil spirits already present must save vs turning.

Knowledgeable One:

Roll a day on the sacred calendar. You hold this destiny inert, stored in your hair. You may swap it for the destiny of another person, including yourself, save negates.

Nahualli Spell List:

1. Forewarn : Add [sum] to a roll you observe

2. Meddle : Subtract [sum] from a roll you observe 

3. Summon Warrior Spirits : Summon a [dice] HD spirit of a great champion who died in battle (warfare) to serve you These spirits are unavailable from dawn until noon, as they are busy raising the sun in the sky. They serve for 10 x [sum] minutes. It used to be that each warrior spirit would spend 4 solar years raising the son before going to the Fading Place. Now, roll a d6 for every great champion every year. On a 6, they pass on and can no longer be called. Any PCs or important NPCs who die in battle are added to the roster of Warrior Spirits. At campaign start, there are:

-Paints the Days, 1 HD Black Blade

-Ignacio Iglesia, 2 HD Ziggurat Wizard

-Turquoise Flower, 3 HD Warlord

-Feathered Goblin, 4 HD Deity

4. Summon Cihuateteo : summon the ravening spirits of those who have died in battle (childbirth) to haunt a location. These spirits are unavailable from noon until dusk, as they are busy lowering the sun in the sky. Their manifestation lasts for [sum] minutes or [dice] months if cast on a crossroad. Each round, the spirits get 3 attacks, +[dice] to hit, 1d4+[dice] damage.

5. Evil Eye : target suffers -[dice] to rolls as long as you keep one eye closed.

6. Weal and Woe : Expend [dice] to gain [highest] questions on an action you plan to undertake. Receive answers of Weal, Woe, Weal and Woe, or Unclear.

7. Sinister Transformation : target becomes Left-Handed for [dice] hours, gaining +2 to hit against righties and +1 to saves

8. Consecrate : perform a 7-[lowest] hour ritual to consecrate a space. Ask [highest] questions to the divine forces. These are usually answered by totemic animals with a reaction of 1d6+[dice], but if performed near Sacred Bundles then gods may come.

9. Dance Like Hummingbird : a weapon leaps from its owner’s hands to serve the Nahualli (wielder may save). It attacks at +[highest] to hit for [dice] rounds.

10. Anointment : mundane clothing gains +[dice] to AC or saves for [sum] turns

11. Sleep : summon a ghastly spider that flits about like the fingers of a whiz hacking the mainframe. Every turn it squirts blood from its knees at up to [dice] opponents, save vs falling asleep. Once it has afflicted up to [sum] HD of enemies, the spider disappears.

12. Feathered Lizard’s Sudden Reversal : cast as a reaction, catch a…

- 1 MD - Projectile attack 

- 2 MD - Melee attack

- 3 MD - Ray, beam, or sonic attack

- 4 MD - Deception, Charm, Compulsion, or other magical effect 

..targeted at you, and make an attack roll to redirect it to anyone else in range.

Acknowledgements

This class is mostly inspired by what I read in Camila Townsend’s book on Aztec stories. If you know more about mythology, religion, or history from mesoamerica, let me know! It’s a fascinating topic I am just starting to learn about.

The Forwarn and Meddle spells come from Loch’s Oracle class. Many of the others come from the Ashes to Ashes spell list.