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Lords of Frost The rules of nature dictate that the strong eat the weak. To overcome the great adversity you will soon face, you must free yourself from the skin of prey and become the predator. That is the only way you will survive the harsh and unforgiving realities of the Frostwilds. The snows of the north are a cruel and uncaring master, and in exile from the civilized world, you shall learn this lesson well...

This is designed to be played using the martial classes from Path of and Path of War: Expanded by Dreamscarred Press, Spheres of Power by Drop Dead Studios, and the archetypes found within these books for ’s classes. These books are excellent resources that help to patch many of the balance issues that exist within the core game, especially the divide between casters and martials, as well as the “utility belt” feel that comes with Vancian Casting. Should you not possess these books or would rather work with only canon Paizo material, a rebuilding guide that contains rough mechanical equivalents for each class listed may be found in the back of the first book.

Introduction Character Creation Welcome to the Player’s Guide for the Lords of Frost This Adventure Path is designed for a higher level of Adventure Path! This Adventure Path will take you to power than most adventure paths, beyond the the untamed wilderness of the Frostwilds, home to a advantages given by the classes made available dozen disparate tribes of man who take their living through Path of War and its expansions. In the of from the frozen soil of the north and the spoils of raids the epic heroes you are meant to be emulating, the upon the fat of the south. This Adventure Path takes its typical 20 point buy assumed for Paizo’s adventure inspiration from the tales of , the paths has been deemed insufficient. By the end of stories and comic books of Red Sonja, the Wildlings game you may well be kings, but even from the from A Song of Ice and Fire, the Poetica Edda and other beginning there was a spark in you, something that Norse Mythology, the Nibelungenlied, and to a lesser saw you stand out from the crowd. extent, the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Twelve Labors of The game begins with the party taking on the role Heracles. Strength and cunning, wit and fortitude, of exiles with nothing, less than nothing, stranded in stamina and charisma, and unmatched conviction are the unforgiving wilderness with little but the rags on the running themes of this adventure path. their backs. Meant to die, for one reason or another. This Adventure Path will stay within the area of Many of the campaign traits available for this the Frostwilds throughout all of its chapters, an area adventure path give an explanation as to why your roughly the size of Scandinavia. Tribal politics, most character has been exiled. If you take one of the ones notably the politics of strength and the notion that that do not give an explanation, or refrain from taking “the strong eat the weak”, will churn in the background a campaign trait, have a reason for your exile. It can be of each adventure. The tribe that you will come to be a as simple as sleeping with the wrong person to the part of will not suffer a weak leader, for it is known that assassination of an important political figure. Make without a strong chieftain at their head, the tribe will sure your GM knows it. not survive the frosts of winter. This strength might The following are the Adventure Path’s advised not only be physical, of course – the cunning who lead guidelines for character creation: their warriors to victory in the face of insurmountable • Characters should be built on a 25 point buy. odds are every bit as strong as the one who could crush • Characters may select two (2) traits, with one a bear’s skull with his bare hands. trait being a campaign trait. Ultimately, “victory” is the greatest measure of • Characters may gain an additional trait if they strength a leader can bring, while “defeat” is the choose to select drawback. greatest sign of weakness. The barbarians of the north • Characters begin play with no equipment save are ultimately a meritocratic people, and those who for a bronze dagger and a set of prisoner’s rags. bring them victory will find themselves fast acceptance • Background skills are assumed to be in play. among the tribes. Those who bring them defeat, or who • It will be assumed that all “Martial” PCs are cannot bring them victory, will not. using the Path of War subsystem. • It will be assumed that all “caster” PCs are Patrician’s Congress, but most people are satisfied with using the Spheres of Power Subsystem. their rule. These are the rules that the adventure path You are not one of these people. At the moment, assumes that the players will be following when they you have been taken prisoner on charges that may be create their characters, and the challenges within the trumped up by your political enemies, or may very well adventure path reflect this. If your group does not be legitimate grievances of the state and people. typically play with either of these systems and would Perhaps you are an anarchist, who sees the gap in rather not take the time to learn them, the back of the fundamental rights between the nobility and the first book will contain a brief conversion guide to help citizenry, between the citizenry and the resident transition the NPCs found within each book to first barbarians, between the resident barbarians and the party classes. The assumption that Background Skills non-citizens, and took justice into your own hands. Or are in play is a matter of personal preference; the maybe you slept with the wrong person; or worse, are Adventure Path does not require the use of Background the bastard child of two people who really should not Skills in any task, though rolls of Lore (Frostwilds), have lain together without some measure of Lore (Cortova), and Lore (The Black Sun) might reveal protection. Perhaps it’s heresy, a crime against the more detailed information than a general Knowledge gods and that must be punished. (History) check. Your sentencing was simple. Your choice, even: For Spheres of Power, the presence of Advanced Death, or Exile. Talents will be up to the GM. The AP will not require You chose exile. If you hadn’t, your character Advanced Talents to be in play, though having certain would already be dead, and you’d have to reroll a new Advanced Talents can help expedite the storyline if one who would have chosen exile instead. That is the they are used properly. starting block on which this adventure path is built – civilized men and women being thrown into an Exiled From Civilized Lands... uncivilized realm, and surviving as best they can, until they can stop surviving and begin to thrive. The reasons a citizen might be sentenced to Exile from Having chosen exile, you have been dragged in the Republic of Cortova, ranging from adultery with an chains to Norskarthing, less a village and more a aristocrat’s spouse to heresy against the gods and citadel built into the center of a wall some six centuries angels, or even high treason against the Congress. The old, built to keep out the monstrous beasts of the far charges may well be truthful, but it’s just as likely that north and the barbarous men who choose to consort they are a fabrication of their enemies – a rival in the with them. Your sentence is to be carried out on the Collegiate, a business competitor, a spurned lover, a morrow, where the military governor will read out your political opponent, or anyone else who might want to crimes and have your marched to the north side of the see your character gone. wall, never to return to Cortova upon pain of death. The Frostwilds is a cold and unforgiving place, where Where It Begins and Where It Ends winter spirits keep the land blanketed in white, or so Your story begins in the land of Cortova, a civilized they say, but men can live there. Can’t they? realm of law and order, where men and women strive to be good folk. Cortova is a green land, that stretches Races in Cortova & the Frostwilds over two thousand miles between its furthest borders, Aasimar are the race of the great patrician classes of and has a culture that is mostly unified, with some the Republic of Cortova, the grace of the angels local quirks from town to town. Official Buildings are running through their veins being seen by the religious hewn from granite when they are not elegant works of caste as being their divine right to rule. Should a marble pillars and mathematic principle, while most Human family give birth to an Aasimar child, they are commoners homes are made from brick and lumber of considered to have been blessed by the gods, and are to varying quality. It is a time of plenty – the truly be elevated to the status of a minor noble as is worthy impoverished are few in number, and most everyone of their child’s blood. Like most of their kind, these has a full stomach to do their work. The nobility is Aasimar are raised from birth to navigate the vipers revered as the children of angels, and for the most part den of politics and intrigue that is the Republic’s they are fair in their rule; perhaps a bit decadent, and Capital of Cortova, which will eat those not initiated to certainly conniving in their games of politics at the the subtle arts of diplomacy alive. Aasimar born to non-citizens and resident wield the three sister spears – the hasta, the lancea, barbarians of the Republic occupy an odd space in the and the pilum. The typically disdain swords, social realm, as while the offer of nobility is not seeing them at best as mere sidearms and at worst as extended to their families, it is still recognized that the foolish toys for those who have not seen the truth of angels have graced their blood. Aasimar born to slaves war and conflict. The elves greatest strength, however, are often taken as prized concubines by the holder of is the vast experience they are able to gather during their parents’ contract, or are given positions of greater their extended lifespan. Those who aren’t soldiers or authority among the non-citizenry. Aasimar born to generals become valued majordomos for the breadth of resident barbarians find many of the doors that would their knowledge. have been closed to them due to their lineage held wide open and waiting. Gnomes are the Wanderers, the Tinkers, the folk without a land to call their own. The gnomes like to Dwarves are the merchant race, capitalists and view themselves as free spirits and creatives, who bring craftsmen to a man, without a homeland to call their art and invention to the regions their visit. own thanks to the efforts of the Orcish Horde. The Every camp they make is a fairground or a circus, with twelve great dwarven clans – Ironblood, Oakhewer, all the delights and vices one might expect to find Stonetooth, Steelfist, Silverfang, Goldhair, Blackrose, within; most especially alcohol, of such a potency that Steelhead, Bronzeblade, Tineye, Glasshaper, and many decent folk decry it as the devil’s own brew. Titanjaw – together hold a majority share in the Gnomish clockwork, it should be noted, is prized in Republic’s great banks. Many within the Republic every corner of the republic for its elegance and believe that the Dwarves are steering it towards their accuracy. own end, and there is no small amount of truth to that, The other races view gnomes as eccentrics at best, as the leaders of the Twelve are not shy about putting and conniving scoundrels at the very worst, for while financial pressure on the nobility. the fairs they bring with their caravans bring relief to That being said, no one with financial leverage is the common man from his daily labours, they also shy about putting pressure on the nobility to see laws bring with them crime. Purses, jewelry, and the other be passed towards their own ends. The Dwarves simply small things one might carry that hold particular value have a lot of it, much of which is a product of their find themselves disappearing among the fairgrounds culture. Military might having failed in the defense of all too often, which has lead many to assume that all their ancestral home from Orcish invasion, they Gnomes are thieves. The Twinsprocket Brothers, who instead seek to instill economic might in their new run the largest caravan, have made strides to home, hoping an adamantine infrastructure will stem police their people and cooperate with local authorities the tide of their ancestral enemy. Thus it is paramount to catch sneak-thieves in hopes to reduce this that every able do his or her part to make the prejudice. Most caravans, however, are far more economy stronger. clannish, and will refuse to hand one of theirs over to the Big Folk. Elves are often called the fair folk, though in truth they are no more fair than any of the other races. Half-Elves are the children of a human and an , Mostly a segregated society from the Republic proper, often caught between two cultures. There are not they joined voluntarily as an alliance of convenience, enough half-elves in the world to form a discrete against the Orcish Horde at their doorstep, which had culture, however, largely due to the age gap between been slowly gaining ground within their desert adult humans and adult males being too large for most homeland ever since the Dwarven Mountain Holds fell cases to overcome. That they are incapable of to them centuries ago. Elves venerate their fallen conceiving or fathering children with members of ancestors and care a great deal about honor – both either parent’s race, or even their fellow half elves, their personal honor and their family’s honor. Few contributes to their small numbers. elves resort to base trickery to achieve their goals, preferring to face their foes with their heads high and Halflings are the smallfolk, the little people, the tillers their backs straight. of the Earth who keep themselves to the quiet life of Elves are warriors to a man, woman, and child, for the countryside and are content to ignore – and be even the lowest slave among their people is taught to ignored by – the politics, hustle and bustle found in the great cities of man. You will rarely find one away from to be the Sun incarnate, and holds dominion over their farm, for in some corner of their hearts they each chaos, justice, light, fire, masculinity and life. He is wed share in a love for the things that grow in the dirt. Now, to their Selene, who is seen to be the Moon incarnate. whether that love is for the crops they’re happy to care She holds dominion over law, compassion, darkness, for – corn, wheat, barley, gourds, and all manner of water, femininity, and death. other grains and fruits – or the crops that make them Their children, who are the 843,523 stars that light happy – tobacco, hashish, cacao – is entirely up to the the night sky, are the Angels, who hold dominion over individual Halflings. all the little things in between their Mother and Father. Those few who find themselves living in the cities Thus the importance of the Aasimar within the of man are almost entirely of the latter camp rather majority-Human Republic. Seen as the descendents of than the former, though even they believe in keeping Angels, the blood that flows through their veins is their green thumb sharp. Where the Halflings of the ultimately the same blood that flows through the veins countryside are famous for running the great bread- of the gods themselves. Their divine mandate to rules basket of the Republic, the Halflings of the cityscape comes from their descendance from the King of Kings are notorious for their involvement in the drug trade, and his Queen of Queens, the Holy Eclipse manifest to a point where even the most law abiding Halfling within a human form. you’ll every meet likely has a pot or two of a restricted plant growing somewhere in their home. are fairly rare, for few conjurers choose to call upon – who are the sins of humanity Half are the slave-race of the Orcish Horde, born made flesh, by their religion and by the ’s own to a man, woman, and child to captive humans, elves, admittance – and Devils – who are the crimes of dwarves, and other . Used for hard labor and Humanity against the gods given form. The calling of other tasks the proper Orcs deem beneath their an angelic avatar is much more common, as they are stature, the economy of the Orcish Horde is dependent both more reliable servants, and there is also the hope upon the forced labor of Half-Orcs slaves. Be they that the avatar might give the summoner an Aasimar tilling fields or building new monuments to the egos of child. Still, enough are tempted by the idea of taking an the Orcish Sultans, keeps a keen eye on their incarnation of lust to their bed that Tieflings are not laborers. Yet still, a few Half Orcs make it to the unheard of. relative freedom of the empire, where their hate for Viewed with some suspicion when outed of their their Orcish masters is treated with applause rather Devilish or Demonic lineage, Tieflings try to keep than the lash, and their strong backs and stronger work themselves from standing out in a crowd whenever ethic will see them advance in their society. possible. When the plague comes to a village, or Like Half Elves, Half Orcs are not viable with misfortune befalls a market, if a known lives members of either of their parent races, nor are they near by or participated in trade, they make for a viable with each other, making them a relatively rare convenient scapegoat. Witch hunts are not uncommon sight outside of those few city-states within the Orcish when a Tiefling gets outed, but nor are they universal - Horde where they are bred from captive soldiers and but still, because of the fear their existence inspires, citizens of the Republic. Many mistake Half Orcs for Tiefling culture is one of distance and Paranoia. their Orcish brethren due to their similar appearance; Half Orcs do not have the exaggerated shoulders and Other races are, by and large, considered exotic within hunched posture of their Orcish kinsmen, nor the the Republic of Cortova and even the more untamed porcine tusks. The dull green of their skin, and the Frostwilds to its north. Some might come from a land shades of their hair match their Orcish kin, a fact that far to the east, where people live in tribes decimated by sees them suffer no small amount of prejudice by the great diseases from the west that have swept over their ignorant. lands. Others might come from the west, where a great Empire in parallel to the Republic has fallen into Humans are Humans. The everyman, found just about decadence, its bureaucracy rotting from the inside, everywhere except the Orcish Horde, they truly need with barbarians at their door waiting for the corruption no introduction. In Cortova their religion is the to cause the society to burst. Largely, this is up to GM dominant one, and the only one that is officially discretion – if you play something not on these lists, be recognized by the Republic. Their god, Regius, is seen sure to talk it over with them! Additional Class Options Animal Companions While your Animal Companions will not be with you Bloodlines from the beginning of the adventure, largely due to the circumstances of your exile, there will be plenty of Bloodlines in Cortova and the Frostwilds can be time early on to obtain one. In the Frostwilds, the something of a tricky matter, as for the most part the obvious companion for those in search of one is the offspring born from interracial couplings tend to be noble wolf and its more friendly cousin the dog, packs nonviable. Beings of sufficiently magic blood, however, of which roam the forest in search of prey. The large can bypass this general rule, which is how most cat is not alien to the forests either, being found most Sorcerer and Bloodrager Bloodlines come to be. For the often alone, or in mated pairs. Bears, Rams, and Elk most part, the only Bloodline that does not work in this would also make fine animal companions for your time setting is the Bloodline, as Orcs are not by in the north, and if you’re in search of something a bit themselves sufficiently magical to bypass the rule of more exotic, the Weasel and the Mammoth might non-viability. The Nanite Bloodline would also be be what you’re looking for. inappropriate, as the setting does not possess that In terms of flying companions, the Dire Bat, the level of technology in any of its regions. All other Roc, and the Giant Raven are your best choices. The Bloodlines work within setting. companions best to be avoided are those that are That being said, certain bloodlines may be more Insects, Reptilians, or are otherwise cold blooded appropriate than others. Sorcerers who have studied at creatures, as the frozen wastes of the north are far off Cortova’s Mages’ College would most appropriately from their chosen habitats indeed. And while we can possess the Arcane Bloodline, for they might well be all agree that Dinosaur Companions are every bit as the latest in a long line of students in their family. An awesome as they sound, they do not exist within the Aasimar Bloodrager might find themselves twice setting. blessed by the angels, with a Celestial Bloodline tying them closer to their ancestors. Dalliances with Demons, Daemons, and Devils are common enough for Favored Enemies their respective bloodlines to show up, the blood not For Rangers, the required archetype at the beginning quite thick enough to render their descendant a of the document replaces Favored Enemy with a more Tiefling. Any of the or Bloodlines general offensive bonus you receive against targets would be appropriate, with those tied to Cold and Fire that you flank or otherwise ambush. That being said, being the most thematic for the campaign. should your GM permit Martial classes that are not The Starsoul bloodline is viewed as heretical for its Initiators, you may find yourself having to choose a ties to beings that claim to have traveled among the favored enemy. In the Frostwilds, Animals are a stars. As the stars are venerated as the true bodies of constant threat, but so are your fellow humanoids, and Angels, the very existence of such being is viewed as in the long term, invaders from the East will prove a heresy by the most devoutly religious, and having the worrisome foe. blood of a heretical creature flowing through you is a Favored Enemy (Human, Elf, Dwarf, Animal, and crime with two punishments. To be burnt at the stake Orc) will all serve you well throughout the campaign, and thus be redeemed for your sins against the though some will be frequent foes sooner than others. Children of Selene, or to be banished forever from the Favored Enemy (Magical Beast, and Dragon) might also land, and die and sinner damned to hell. A Player prove useful to have. Keep in mind that Retraining your Character may well have chosen the latter. Favored Enemy is always an option, as the categories On the flip side, some of the Bloodlines are of foe that you face start to shift towards one type of certainly possible within the setting, but might be less enemy or another. appropriate considering the region where the players As this game takes place in a frosty wilderness are coming from. , Rakshasa, and Shaitans do not dominated by dense forests and scraggy mountains, play much into the mythology of Cortova or the Favored Terrain (Cold) rules the day as the single best Frostwilds, and as such their bloodlines would be option to take. Favored Terrain (Forest) and Favored unlikely to show up within the natives. Terrain (Mountain) are also good choices, especially as warmer times come, or your group ventures back south in the later sections of the Adventure. or guard of one of the great patrician houses. In any Familiars, being rather small critters that might case, you inherited their resilience against the cold of normally go overlooked, have a greater chance at the frozen north, and were never bothered by the having survived a Character’s imprisonment in paltry winters Cortova had to offer. You always count preparation for their exile, and thus might well be able as wearing a full set of winter clothes regardless of to follow their masters into the wilderness. Thus, what you are actually wearing when making a Wizards and other casters who possess familiars have Fortitude Save to resist the effects of cold weather, and free reign to choose whatever they so desire, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all Fortitude Saves. though it might behoove them to refrain from reptiles and other cold blooded creatures that will not fare as Forbidden Scholar: You have been sentenced to exile well in the Frostwilds as mammals. for the crime of curiosity, having poured over texts Should they have released their old familiar from deemed forbidden and heretical by the Republic at service, either knowing that the familiar would not be large. Normally, that would not have gotten you in too able to follow them, or seeking to keep the familiar much trouble - the Mage’s College holds those texts for alive in the aftermath of their arrest, finding a new a reason, that the knowledge held within is not lost to familiar in the north will not prove difficult. Arctic time. You, however, made the grand mistake of trying Foxes, Hares, and Terns are abundant in the Frostwilds, to expand upon that . Be it a lost branch and Snowy Owls are almost as common. Each of these of meant to conjure up a being forged would serve as an ideal and thematic familiar for this from the collective wrath of humankind, or dark blood Adventure Path. magics whose power is drawn from the sacrifice of your fellow man upon an altar of stone, your curiosity got Campaign Traits the better of you, and you tried to adapt the magic for modern sensibilities. This got you expelled from the Angry Man: Many who protest the rule of the College, and would have seen you burn if not for your Patrician’s Congress are men of philosophy, men who familial connections. Choose a Sphere of Power - when sit in libraries among books on reason, justice and law using Spell Completion or Spell Trigger items of this whilst writing books on law, justice, and reason. You Sphere, you gain a +1 trait bonus to the item’s caster are not one of these men. Many men make level and save DCs. impassioned speeches in the street corners to all who would heed their words, demanding that the Runescarred: Be you a collector of eclectic knowledge, proletariat who work in the cities, the peasants who or perhaps a soldier who heard tell of a way to increase work in the country, and the patricians who claim your might on the battlefield, or a scholar seeking to ownership of the land all receive equal rights under the experiment with the ways of the tribal primitives to the law. You are not one of these men. Some men hear north, you somehow came across the method of these words, read these books, and with blood frothing engraving a runescar onto your body. Unfortunately, with rage decide to lash out against the system all too the method that you read up on was imperfect, and it literally with the heaviest object they can swing. You did not grant you, say, the ability to call upon the are one of these men. You take no penalties when spirits of your fallen ancestors to aid you in battle. It is, wielding an improvised weapon in both hands, and however, undeniably magical, and the magic it has these weapons count as Discipline Weapons for the granted you has proven to be quite handy when the Primal Fury Discipline. occasion to use it arose. You gain a small runescar somewhere on your body that sheds light as a candle, Blood of the North: For one reason or another, your and may be used to channel life force in a minor parents or grandparents came down from the fashion. Choose one ; you may cast this cantrip Frostwilds to seek their fortune in Cortova. Perhaps at will. they were farmers, tired of toiling day in and day out to eke their living from frozen soil. Maybe they were a hunter, who came down south to sell exotic pelts to the patricians, and stayed for the warm climate and a beautiful spouse. Or perhaps they were a great warrior and mercenary who sought their fortune in the service Magic Items of the Lords of Frost impose a different negative effect, this effect cannot be removed until the Runescar has been removed. Removing a Runescar requires that the Runescar Magical Arms and Armor first be dispelled and suppressed for 1d4 rounds. Once GLORIOUS suppressed, a beneficial Runescar can be removed by +1 Armor Special Ability subjecting the Runescar to the Destroy ability of the Creation sphere, with the bearer of the runescar taking This armor is designed to flaunt the hard earned figure the Destroy damage. A harmful Runescar must instead of the wearer, appearing to be little more than a have the bearer of the Runescar be subjected to the formfitting piecemeal set of plate, chain, leather, or Break Enchantment Life Talent once the Runescar has even silk. Wearers of Glorious Armor receive a been suppressed; once the curse is broken, the mark of circumstance bonus to Charisma Checks equal to the the Runescar fades away as if it was never there. enhancement bonus of the Armor (minimum 2) when Creation Requirements: Craft Magic Tattoo, the interacting with creatures that can see them. In spell you wish to imbue with the Runescar. addition, the armor encourages reckless action in Creation Cost: As per a Spheres of Power Rod. combat, halving the penalty to Armor Class the wearer receives when taking the Charge action. Special: The armor retains its appearance and a +2 Feats of the Lords of Frost circumstance bonus to Charisma Checks when placed The Lords of Frost introduces a new feat meant for within an Anti-Magic Field. games in which only the Path of War is used, to allow players playing the Mystic and other classes that make New Magic Tatoos use of the magical side of Initiation to gain one of the most iconic aspects of any student of the supernatural RUNESCAR – a familiar. The details of this feat are listed below. Aura Strong (Varies) Caster Level (Varies)

Martial Familiar Runescars are a ritualized form of self mutilation used Prerequisites: Spellcraft 1 rank, Handle Animal 1 rank, by the mystics of the frozen north to imbue themselves ability to initiate a Strike, Boost, or Stance from the with a measure of arcane might. While each runescar Black Seraph, Cursed Razor, Elemental Flux, Shattered involves the same process of carving intricate Mirror, Silver Crane, Sleeping Goddess, or Veiled Moon into the skin of the ritual’s primary performer with a disciplines. silver knife costing at least 100gp, the scar left behind can vary greatly in appearance based upon the Benefits: You may treat your highest Initiator Level as performer's personality. Some might leave behind your Caster Level for the Improved Familiar feat, and angry red lines upon their skin, pulsing with magical you gain a familiar as if you were a Wizard of your energy. Others might leave behind a coloration to the highest Initiator Level, with the following changes. skin that can be likened to warpaint, and in many a magic glow seems to race beneath their skin like little Share Initiation: Whenever her master initiates a boost lightning bolts. Regardless, once a runescar has been or enters a stance that has the Supernatural descriptor, carved, it is near impossible to hide its presence unless a martial familiar receives the benefits of that boost or it is fully covered. stance as well. This replaces share spells. When inscribing a Runescar, the creator may choose a Sphere effect with a duration greater than instantaneous and a target of one or more creatures. The creature who receives the Runescar permanently receives the benefits of that effect, save when caught inside an antimagic field. Should the Runescar impose a penalty or deal damage or ability damage, the target takes the maximum damage or penalty the spell can deal, and this damage or penalty cannot be healed or removed until the Runescar is removed. Should a spell