Wardens of Mars

A one-page setting by Dan Suptic ©2012

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Mars, the red planet, 4 from the sun, should be a peaceful
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Common magical abilities are listed below - these lists are
world. The intelligent race that inhabits the planet is a simple not meant to be all-inclusive, and players can take any magic
group of people. Tall and thin, hairless with dark red skin, the ability they like, with GM approval.
Martians are a very community-driven people; each gifted with
a strong but incomplete magical power, they work together to Common Gifts of Phobos (action-type abilities) include:
form beautiful hive-structures, create food and drink of many  Create - Make something from nothing.
varied styles, and mold the basic rocks and sand of their planet  Destroy - Eliminate a quantity of something.
into works of art.  Animate - Cause something to move on its own for a
while.
Sadly, Mars also hosts an odd phenomenon. Periodically,  Shape - Change the shape of something.
breaches in reality open, and inhabitants and landscape from  Alter - Usually needs 2 focus-types, change
other dimensions begin to encroach upon the face of Mars. It
something to something else.
has been a long time since anyone has attempted peaceful
 Strike - Launch a bolt made out of something as an
communication with these outsiders, since the different alien’s
attack.
intentions have been universally hostile. A new class of citizen
 Move - Move a quantity of something from point A to
grew, the wardens, tasked with using their powers to create
point B.
weapons and destructive magical spells to fight off the invading
forces that visit the world.
Common Gifts of Deimos (focus-type abilities) include:
 Stone - Rocks, boulders and most walls.
The PCs in Wardens of Mars are a group of wardens, tasked
 Sand - From fine sand to piles of pebbles.
with eliminating breaches. These breaches are usually the size
 Metal - Hard iron and steel.
of a large city block, and finding the focal point of the breach
requires fighting several monstrous aliens and exploring alien  Air - Breathable, nitrogen rich air.
architecture that has overtaken the area.  Water - Rarely found naturally, but useful for many
things.
PCs are made with 10 dice, with advanced options up to the  Fire - Burning flames.
GM. Aside from their magical cliché (explained below),  Body - Martians and anything Martian-shaped.
warden’s clichés almost always include a combat cliché or two  Mind - Thoughts, feeling and memories.
(using anything from a staff or spear, to crafted weapons that  Energy - Lightning, laser and plasma.
shoot beams of energy). Other clichés range from explorative
clichés, to social or occupational clichés from their former life. Closing breaches requires wardens to first travel to the
breach, possibly encountering alien scouts on the way. Once
Every character (and indeed, every Martian) is gifted with one there, they need to investigate the alien structures to find the
(and only one) magic power. No single Martian can perform breach’s focal point (which manifests as a swirling orb of
magic on their own though - a Martian needs at least one other energy that gives off a low hum). Other alien hazards besides
Martian’s power combined with theirs to make an effect. At the inhabitants and structures can hinder the PCs - environmental
very least, each magical effect requires an action-type and a effects are commonly encountered as well, like extreme
focus-type of power combined. So, to create some water, one temperatures and harsh weather. Once the focal point is found,
Martian would need to use Create magic, while another would one of the wardens must spend a few minutes dispelling it. Any
need to use Water magic. More complex magic may require warden (and indeed, any Martian) has this ability to dispel focal
more abilities - creating a stone golem from thin air would points, but once the process starts, it will send out a silent call
require the Create and Animate action-type abilities, and the to alien inhabitants in the area - the other wardens will need to
Stone and Body focus-type abilities. guard the one dispelling the focal point.

Magic clichés are listed as Gift of Phobos (for action-type Once dispelled, the breach will quickly melt away. Any aliens
magic) or Gift of Deimos (for focus-type magic), and are then and alien environment will disappear within seconds, leaving
followed by the specific flavor of magic. So, someone who has the normal Martian landscape. The wardens can now return
Fire focus magic at 3 dice would list it as Gift of Deimos - Fire home and enjoy a nice break before the next breach appears.
(3). When casting magic, all Martians involved roll their magic
cliché, and the highest rolled total is the result of the attempt. Background image is © Eyeza Visuals, all rights reserved.
Risus: The Anything RPG is ©1993-2001 by S. John Ross.
Magic used in combat works the same, but if the highest rolled
Symbols at the top-right of the page are from the Crop Circle Dingbats font,
result still fails the combat roll, whoever rolled the lowest result which is © David Hirmes.
takes the die of damage to their magic cliché. This fan work is ©2012 by Dan Suptic, and may be distributed freely.