Step into the Gloom - Night Watch (3.5e Sourcebook)/The Night, the Day, and the Twilight

= Introduction =

Welcome to the World of Watches! If you haven't read Serghei Lukyanenko's tetralogy yet, then I would highly suggest closing your browser and going out to buy a copy. For those of you who are too lazy to do so, you might ask "What is Night Watch?" Simply put, it's a gritty pseudo-fantasy take on the world at large (Although the books primarily take place in Moscow and other locales around the former USSR). The story revolves around the conflict between the forces of Light and Darknesss (as most stories do), fought by soldiers called "Others". In most cases, Others are very much human-like in temperament and appearance. It is their supernatural powers that set them apart from the rank and file. Their's is a war fought in secret, away from the prying eyes of humanity in a realm known as "The Gloom."

True History
As long as humanity has existed, there have been Others among us.

They're human, yet they have abilities beyond those of ordinary men.

''Witches, sorcerers, shape-shifters... the Others are as varied as stars in the sky.''

The Others are soldiers in the eternal war: The struggle between Dark and Light.

Light Others protected mankind from the Dark Others, who plagued and tortured humans.

Legend tells of a day when the two armies met on a bridge.

''Geser, lord of the Light and Zabulon, general of the Darkness, faced each other. And neither one'' would give way.

And so began a great battle, bloody and merciless.

Zabulon gloried in the slaughter. But Lord Geser wept.

As the screams of the dying reached heaven, Geser realized the armies were equally matched, and he knew that unless the fighting stopped every last soul would perish.

So he stopped the battle.

Thus, the forces of Light and Darkness forged a truce.

Geser spoke for the Light and, Zabulon spoke for the Darkness.

And these things were agreed:

No one could be forced to good or evil, without choosing freely.

The soldiers of light would be called Night Watch, making sure Dark Others obeyed the truce.

And the soldiers of darkness would be called Day Watch, to do the same.

And so the balance would be kept for centuries to come.

- Night Watch, By Sergei Lukyanenko.

The Night Watch
Although the war has "ended" for the most part, the embers of conflict still burn in the hidden recesses of the world. The Night Watch, manned by the forces of Light, seek to guide prospective Others to their side through reason, logic, and general goodwill. They police the forces of Darkness, making sure that they keep to the truce that was agreed to centuries ago. Although they see themselves as agents of goodness, a more apt description would be lawfulness.

The Day Watch
Along with the Night Watch, the Day Watch polices the Others in Moscow and all over the world. Not all Day Watch members are necessarily Evil, just as not all Night Watch members are necessarily good. But regardless of their Alignment, they choose to uphold the ideals of the Watch they belong to. The Day Watch does not always perform Evil acts, and the core of their ideals is personal freedom for every Man, woman, or Other to perform any act that they choose, good or evil. This seems solidly Chaotic Neutral. But regardless of their acts or their intentions, they see no problem in crushing the rights and lives of others under their heels to get what they want. This, is what makes them an Evil organization.

The Inquisition
Drawn from the ranks of both the Night Watch and the Day Watch, the Inquisition polices both organizations to make sure that the finer points of the truce are followed. All Others must follow the directives of Inquisitors who levy commands upon them in accordance to the treaty, however an Other may demand a written command from the Inquisitor's superior if there is reason to believe that the Inquisitor is acting out of turn.

The Gloom
The gloom is a plane of existence that exists over top of our own. The wisest of Dark and Light Magicians know that there are Seven Levels of the gloom. Each successive level of the gloom is more and more taxing on the mind and body. Utilizing the gloom is performed in three parts.

Step One - Enter the gloom: To Enter the gloom, or to move down to the next level (or up to the previous level), a character must make a concentration check.

Step Two - Staying in the gloom: To stay in the gloom, an Other must continue to make Concentration checks every round with a slowly increasing DC every round. Even if you move up or down layers, the total amount of rounds spent all levels of the gloom count towards the increasing DC.

Step Three- Calculating Success: A person may fail their Concentration checks several times before their Mental Defenses completely break down and the gloom begins to consume their life force. They may fail a maximum number of times equal to their Wisdom Bonus. So an Other with 18 Wisdom may fail 4 Concentration checks before he has to start making Fortitude Saves to resist Constitution Damage.

Special- Ascending or Descending Rapidly: Normally, a person can enter the gloom as a standard action, or move up or down a layer with a standard action. As a full round action, however, you may move up or down -two- layers. You must make separate concentration checks for each layer you wish to move. By accepting a -10 penalty to your concentration check, you may attempt to move up or down -three- layers at once as a full round action.

Mechanical Effects of the gloom: While in the gloom, you may only physically attack someone who is on the same Level of the gloom as you are. Force Spells of any level will work, so long as you are aware in some way that they are present (Via See Invisibility, for example). If you wish to cast a Non-Force spell at an opponent that is deeper (Or less deep) into the gloom, you must cast a spell who's Spell Level is equal to the difference between the levels you are both on.

For Example; Anton Gorodetsky (Magician) wishes to attack Kostya (Vampire). Anton is on the Third Level of the gloom, and Kostya is on the Fifth. Anton casts See Invisibility, and on the next round, he Casts Fireball. Since there is only two levels separating the combatants, Anton's Third Level Spell cuts through the levels of the gloom that separates them and strikes Kostya.

Looking Into the Gloom
Looking into the Gloom allows an Other who is currently in the "Real" world to look into the Gloom without subjecting himself to it's dangers. It will discern if a person being observed is an Other, and, if they aren't attempting to conceal themselves, how powerful they are. Depending on the Other, it may also reveal other information, such as whether or not they are a registered agent of the Day Watch or Night Watch.

Concentration DC: 5 Concentration DC to Stay: None. Fortitude Save DC: None Constitution Damage: None Benefits Against those in the Gloom: It allows you to see the normally invisible creatures in the gloom (It will not allow you to see invisible creatures who are invisible due to a spell, however).

The First Level of the gloom
Concentration DC to Enter: 10 Concentration DC to Stay: 10 + 1 per round that you stay in the gloom, even if you move up or down a level. Fortitude Save DC: 15 + 1 per round since your First Fortitude Save. Constitution Damage: 1 Benefits Against those Not in the gloom: Invisible Other Benefits: 10' bonus to Move Speed Benefits Against those in the First Level of the gloom: None

The Second Level of the gloom
Concentration DC to Enter: 15 Concentration DC to Stay: 15 + 1 per round that you stay in the gloom, even if you move up or down a level. Fortitude Save DC: 18 + 1 per round since your First Fortitude Save. Constitution Damage: 1d2 Benefits Against those Not in the gloom: Invisible and Incorporeal Other Benefits: 15' bonus to Move Speed, +1 to Attack rolls and AC. Benefits Against those in the First Level of the gloom: Invisible Benefits Against those in the Second Level of the gloom or lower: None

The Third Level of the gloom
Concentration DC to Enter: 20 Concentration DC to Stay: 20+ 1 per round, even if you move up or down a level. Fortitude Save DC: 20 + 2 per round since your First Fortitude Save Constitution Damage: 1d3 Benefits Against those not in the gloom: Invisible, Incorporeal or Ethereal (Player's choice) Other Benefits: 20' bonus to Move Speed, +1 to Attack rolls and AC. Benefits Against those in the First Level of the gloom: Invisible, Incorporeal, Benefits Against those in the Second Level of the gloom: Invisible Benefits Against those in the Third Level of the gloom: None

The Fourth Level of the gloom
Concentration DC to Enter: 25 Concentration DC to Stay: 25 + 1 per round, even if you move up or down a level. Fortitude Save DC: 23 + 2 per round since your First Fortitude Save Constitution Damage: 1d4 Benefits Against those in the First Level of the gloom and Below: Invisible, Incorporeal or Ethereal, whichever is most beneficial Other Benefits: 25' bonus to Move Speed, +2 to Attack rolls and AC. Benefits Against those in the Second Level of the gloom: Invisible, Incorporeal Benefits Against those in the Third Level of the gloom: Invisible Benefits Against those in the Fourth Level of the gloom: None

The Fifth Level of the gloom
Concentration DC to Enter: 30 Concentration DC to Stay: 30 + 1 per round, even if you move up or down a level. Fortitude Save DC: 25 + 3 per round since your First Fortitude Save. Constitution Damage: 1d6 Benefits Against those in the Second Level of the gloom and Below: Invisible, Incorporeal or Ethereal, whichever is most beneficial Other Benefits: 30' bonus to Move Speed, +2 to Attack rolls and AC. Benefits Against those in the Third Level of the gloom: Invisible, Incorporeal, Benefits Against those in the Fourth Level of the gloom: Invisible Benefits Against those in the Fifth Level of the gloom: None

The Sixth Level of the gloom
Concentration DC to Enter: 35 Concentration DC to Stay: 35 + 1 per round, even if you move up or down a level. Fortitude Save DC: 30 + 3 per round since your First Fortitude Save. Constitution Damage: 2d4 Benefits Against those in the Third Level of the gloom and Below: Invisible, Incorporeal or Ethereal, whichever is most beneficial. Other Benefits: 35' bonus to Move Speed, +3 to Attack rolls and AC. Benefits Against those in the Fourth Level of the gloom: Invisible, Incorporeal Benefits Against those in the Fifth Level of the gloom: Invisible Benefits Against those in the Sixth Level of the gloom: None

The Seventh Level of the gloom
Concentration DC to Enter: 40 Concentration DC to Stay: 40 + 1 per round, even if you move up or down a level. Fortitude Save DC: 35 + 4 per round since your First Fortitude Save. Constitution Damage: 2d6 Benefits Against those in the Fourth Level of the gloom and Below: Invisible, Incorporeal or Ethereal, whichever is most beneficial Other Benefits: 40' bonus to Move Speed, +5 to Attack rolls and AC. Benefits Against those in the Fifth Level of the gloom: Invisible, Incorporeal Benefits Against those in the Sixth Level of the gloom: Invisible Benefits Against those in the Seventh Level of the gloom: None