Poisoned Pages for Shadow of the Demon Lord

A true name is a secret word that both grants and lexicon could wreak on their creation. Thus after making
expresses the essence of the thing or being it names. the world, they buried deep the knowledge of the
True names grant form and reflect identity. Without a language, erasing virtually all signs of its existence from
name, the creature or object would unravel, returning reality. Thus, most people have no idea what their true
to the primordial chaos from which the genies made names are, let alone that they have them at all. However,
creation. Since true names are so integral to existence, despite the genies’ efforts, traces of these words have
learning a true name grants considerable power over the been uncovered over the centuries; syllables, words, and
thing named. Merely speaking the name does nothing, even phrases are spoken aloud by users of magic when
but an investiture of magical energy allows the speaker they cast spells.
to call forth the being or thing named, to force it to obey Although well hidden, the existence and power of true
his or her commands, or to destroy the thing named by names have not been forgotten, and no small effort has
partly or fully unraveling the name. been made to uncover them as a result. Discovering a
The genies spoke the words of power that brought true name is no small feat. Researchers might work their
about the universe but recognized the chaos the creative whole lives scouring ancient texts, exploring the vaults
of forgotten cities, and communing with dark and alien
powers to find but a fragment of the name they seek.
For most, the challenge of tracking down true names
proves too great and their efforts prove fruitless.
Player characters, however, venture into places
others do not dare, confront horrors beyond the ken
of most mortal creatures, and, for their efforts, come
across all manner of strange and powerful treasures.
Every once in a while, they might stumble upon a
true name. Will they dare to speak it aloud?

~Credits~
WRITING AND DESIGN:
rOBERT j. sCHWALB
Editing: Jay Spight
Proofreading: Kara Hamilton
ART DIRECTION: rOBERT j. sCHWALB
Graphic Design: Hal Mangold
and Kara Hamilton
LAYOUT: kara hamilton
ILLUSTRATION: Kim Van Deun, Britt Martin,
and Bob Schwalb
Power in a Name is ©2016 Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.
All rights reserved.
Shadow of the Demon Lord, Poisoned Pages, Power in a Name
Schwalb Entertainment, and their associated logos
are trademarks of Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.
SCHWALB ENTERTAINMENT, LLC

PO Box #12548, Murfreesboro, TN 37129

info@schwalbentertainment.com www.schwalbentertainment.com

Gustavo Gomes (Order #11265091)

 onto the walls of ancient temples, or inscribed on the
Discovering surface of the world, visible only from high in the sky.
Just as beings have true names, so too do things,
True Names though discovering those names tends to be much
harder and less worthwhile. Most users of magic rely
True names do not reveal themselves readily. They on the words of power that underpin the spells they
hide in the world, buried deep in the creature or learn to achieve the same effects of learning the true
object to which they belong. To uncover these words name of an ordinary thing. In the case of enchanted
of power, one must research the oldest books and objects and relics, the items might reveal their true
scrolls, explore dangerous places, and when all else names to their bearers. This usually happens when
fails, resort to powerful magic. an object requires its bearer to speak a word of power
Learning a true name does not always mean that to call forth its magic. This word of power is the
knowledge of it will last forever. Each time the name object’s true name. Knowledge of the name remains
is spoken, there’s a chance the memory of that name for as long as the bearer wields or carries the device,
fades, evaporating like a half-remembered dream. To and it fades once the object passes from one owner
guard against its loss, namers might record the true to another.
name in their research, though they rarely scribble
the name on a bookmark or in the margins of a page.
Instead, they hide the word in the text. They might
use magic to render the writing invisible, weave it into
Learning
other text, or obfuscate it so that a reader can only
make sense of the word with a cypher. Furthermore,
True Names
writings containing these words tend to be rare Discovering a true name is but the first step toward
and protected. They can be found buried in library being able to speak it and use its power. Until learned,
vaults or sealed inside ancient chambers guarded by a true name appears to be gibberish, a string of
fantastical monsters, traps, and dark magic. People go nonsensical characters that fail to stick to memory,
to great lengths to protect the knowledge they gain, the letters dissolving as the eye moves across them.
for if the name finds its way to another, the creature To commit the name to memory and learn it, you
named might use the speaker of it to avenge itself on must spend time studying it, fighting against the
a cruel or demanding master. genies’ wards to bind the characters to your mind.
As few people in the world are even aware that they To learn a true name you have discovered requires
have true names, let alone what those names are, you to concentrate on the name for 1 minute and get
the only recourse for discovery is the use of powerful a success on an Intellect challenge roll. The named
magic, such as discover true name spell, described here. creature’s Difficulty might grant boons or impose
banes on your roll. Find the creature’s Difficulty on
DISCOVER TRUE NAME DIVINATION ATTACK 7 the Difficulty by Power table. If your Power score
Target One creature or object you can see within equals the corresponding Power indicated by the
medium range creature’s Difficulty, you make the roll with no boons
Your vision shifts to see the fundamental building blocks or banes. For each point of Power that your score
of creation and then returns to normal. If you target a
creature, you make a Will attack roll against its Will. If the exceeds that indicated by the Difficulty, you make the
target’s Power is greater than yours, you make the attack roll with 1 boon. For each point of Power that your
roll with 2 banes. On a success, you discover the target’s score is under that indicated by the Difficulty, you
true name and can attempt to learn it at any time before
you complete a rest. On a failure, you become stunned for
make the roll with 1 bane.
1 round. On a success, a line of tiny writing—the name—
If you targeted an object, you discover its true name and appears just under the character’s skin or etched
can attempt to learn it. onto his or her hide and remains there for as long
Attack Roll 20+ You make attack rolls against the target as the character retains knowledge of the name.
with 1 boon until you complete a rest. On a failure, you gain 2d6 Insanity and you cannot
Some creatures, however, have discovered their attempt to learn the name again until your Power
own names, usually in the hopes of growing their score increases by at least 1.
capabilities. Doing so is dangerous, as the knowledge For example, Adelmar the Magician, has Power
can be plucked from a person’s mind. A read minds 1 and stumbles upon the true name of a bogie, a
Telepathy spell (Demon Lord’s Companion)), for Difficulty 5 devil detailed in Exquisite Agony. To make
example, could uncover a true name if the target the roll without banes, Adelmar would have to have
is aware of it and thinking about it when attacked. Power 2, so he makes the Intellect challenge roll with
For this reason, people who learn their true names 1 bane. Later, Adelmar comes upon the true name
eventually pluck the memory of the name from their of a nymph, a faerie described in Terrible Beauty.
minds and embed it into some physical thing, hiding The corresponding Power for the nymph’s Difficulty is
it in a place where no one would think to look. True 6, so Adelmar would make the challenge roll with
names could be stored inside holy relics, chiseled 5 banes.

Gustavo Gomes (Order #11265091)

 Difficulty by Power
Difficulty Power Example Creatures
Speaking a
1
5
1
2
Goblin
Gremlin
True Name
10 3 Organ Filch
Speaking a true name aloud has no effect unless you
invest it with magical power. To do so, you must use
25 4 Barrow Wight
an action to expend the casting of a spell you have
50 5 Angel (Exquisite Agony) learned. The casting must be from a spell of the
100 6 Unicorn (Terrible Beauty) minimum rank required or higher, as shown on the
250 7 Barghest Minimum Spell Rank table.
500 8 Hag
750 9 Incubus/Succubus
Minimum Spell Rank
(Exquisite Agony) Difficulty Rank
1,000+ 10 A demon prince 1 0
(The Hunger in the Void)
5 1

Death and True Names 10

25
2
3
Death of a creature or the destruction of an object 50 4
does not remove the knowledge of the true name
from your mind; however, it does affect what happens 100 5

when you attempt to call upon its power. Generally, 250 6

speaking the true name of a dead creature or 500 7
destroyed object has no effect other than to reveal the 750 8
state of the being or thing named. However, if you 1,000 9
speak the true name of a dead mortal creature for More than 1000 10
the purpose of summoning it, the creature appears as
normal, except it is a manes if the soul resides in the True Name Effects
Underworld, or a lemure if it is in Hell. Summoning
a lemure might attract attention from Hell and allow Each time you speak a true name and expend a
casting, choose one of the following effects.
the devil that owns the soul to come with.
SUMMON
Choose an open space on a solid surface within short
range. Then, make a Will challenge roll. You make the roll
with 3 banes. For each rank of the spell you expended that
is above the minimum spell rank required, you make the
Will challenge roll with 1 boon. On a success, the named
creature appears in the target area. On a failure, nothing
happens, and the casting is wasted.
When the summoned creature appears, you can use
a triggered action to make a Will attack roll against the
creature’s Will. On a success, the creature becomes
compelled for 1 minute. On a failure, the creature cannot be
summoned or expelled by speaking its true name until after
it completes a rest.

EXPEL
Make a Will attack roll against the Will of one creature
that is within short range of you and that you summoned
by speaking its true name. On a success, the creature
disappears, returning to the spot from which it was
summoned. On a failure, you gain 1 Insanity and the
creature cannot be summoned or expelled by speaking its
true name until after it completes a rest.

Gustavo Gomes (Order #11265091)

 UNRAVEL DEFENSES
Namer Master Path
For 1 minute, you make attack rolls against the creature
you named with 2 boons and the creature you named More than anyone, namers know there is great power
makes challenge rolls to resist your attacks with 2 banes. in names, power that gives them ultimate authority
over the being or thing named. Some began their
PAIN careers as scholars, researchers into forbidden
If the creature you named is within medium range, it things, while others happened upon these words of
becomes impaired and slowed for 1 minute. power, discovering the secret language of the cosmos.
The ones who turn their attentions fully to the
DENY POWER apprehension and mastery of names become namers,
If the creature you named is within medium range, it takes masters of the lexicon.
a –1d6 penalty to its Power for 1 minute. Namers know several true names, having
researched them for specific purposes such as
BESTOW MINOR AFFLICTION defense, information, and to serve as their agents.
If the creature you named is within medium range, choose Most namers learn, right away, to use their knowledge
one of the following afflictions: charmed, deafened, with caution, as naming creatures can create powerful
diseased, fatigued, frightened, impaired, poisoned, or enemies.
slowed. The creature gains that affliction and retains it
for 1 minute. Level 7 Namer
Attributes Increase three by 1
BESTOW MAJOR AFFLICTION Characteristics Health +2, Power +1
If the creature you named is within medium range, choose Languages and Professions You can speak another
one of the following afflictions: blinded, compelled, dazed, language or gain a profession.
or immobilized. The creature gains that affliction and Learn True Name You learn one true name of a creature
retains it for 1 minute. whose Difficulty is equivalent to your Power score or
less. In addition, each time a path would let you learn
UNDO TRUE NAME a spell, you can instead learn another true name of a
If the creature you named is within medium range, gain 1 creature whose Difficulty is equivalent to your Power
Corruption and then make a Will attack roll against its Will. score or less.
On a success, the target takes 10d6 damage and becomes Hasty Dismissal When a creature you summoned by
stunned for 1 round. On a failure, you take half the damage speaking its true name would be incapacitated, you
and the knowledge of the true name fades from your mind. can use a triggered action to attempt to expel that
If the damage would incapacitate you or the target, the creature. If you get a success, the creature immediately
unraveling of the true name is complete and erases the heals 1 damage and returns to the place from which you
incapacitated creature from existence. summoned it.
Namer’s Authority Against creatures you have named, you
make attack rolls with 1 boon, and such creatures make
challenge rolls to resist your attacks with 1 bane.

Level 10 Namer
Characteristics Health +2
Learn True Name You learn one true name of a creature
whose Difficulty is equivalent to your Power score
or less.
Eternal Thralls When a creature you summoned by
speaking its true name dies, it disappears and returns
to the place from which you summoned it. After you
complete a rest, the creature is restored to life and
heals 1 damage.

Gustavo Gomes (Order #11265091)