Chinese Mythology

Sung Chiang’s avatar appears in so many forms that it is impossible to describe them all. Most, however, are at least vaguely human.

Int 18 Wis 14 Cha 18

MV 18 SZ 6’ MR 15%

AC -2 HD 18 HP 144

#AT 1 THAC0 3 Dmg 1d4 (dagger) +6
Special Att/Def: Sung Chiang’s avatar can use his dagger as either a melee or missile weapon. When his dagger is thrown, another appears in his hand and the first disappears after it has inflicted its damage. Anyone hit by his dagger must save versus poison or suffer a loss of 3d6 points of Constitution. If this reduces their Constitution to 0 or less, they are slain. If not, the lost points will return over the course of the next 1d6 days.
Duties of the Priesthood

All of Sung Chiang’s priests are multi-classed Priest/Thief characters. The normal prohibition against human multi-classed characters is waived in the case of these individuals.

Lao Tzu is the legendary philosopher who compiled the Tao-te-Ching, the basis of Taoist thought. After finishing this wonderful book, Lao Tzu was deified. He mounted a green ox and rode away into the sunset. Lao Tzu is now venerated as the founder of Taoism. He is worshipped by mystical philosophers hoping for assistance in achieving true enlightenment.

Lao Tzu’s avatar appears to be an ancient hermit with a spry step and twinkle in his eye. He can draw upon the all, animal, elemental, healing, plant, and weather spheres for his spells.

Int 18 Wis 20 Cha 18

MV 15 SZ 6’ MR 15%

AC 0 HD 12 HP 96

#AT 1 THAC0 9 Dmg 1d6 (staff)
Special Att/Def: Anyone hit by the staff of Lao Tzu’s avatar must save versus paralyzation or be permanently paralyzed. Nothing short of a wish can counter this curse.
Duties of the Priesthood

Priests dedicated to Lao Tzu or Taoism must preside over a wide range of ceremonies. Their most important duty, however, is achieving their own enlightenment — a process which requires untold hours of meditation. Once per year, each priest makes a roll to determine whether or not he has achieved enlightenment. He stands a l% chance of success for each year he has been a priest (double the chance of success for priests with a Wisdom of 18 or greater). Priests making a successful roll automatically rise three levels (to minimum Experience Points needed), have their Wisdom increased to 18 or by 1 point if their have already have a score of 18 or better). Further, they receive the ability to commune with Lao Tzu once per week and control weather once per day.

K’ung Fu-tzu, known as Confucius to westerners, is the Great Teacher. He is one of the great philosophers who advised the rival lords during the turbulent period of “The Hundred Schools.” K’ung Fu-tzu tried to teach his fellow Chinese (especially rulers) to respect the wisdom of the past, to behave courteously and unselfishly, to be loyal to their family, friends, and countrymen, and to strive to do that which is right. By doing these things, he believed, life would become much more rewarding and serene for all men. Because of K’ung Fu-tzu’s great deeds, Yen-Wang-Yeh sent the sage to eat the peaches of immortality when he presented himself at the First Law Court of the After-world.

K’ung Fu-tzu’s avatar appears as a well-dressed sage of venerable age. He can draw upon the all, charm, guardian, healing, and protection spheres for his spells.

Int 19 Wis 20 Cha 16

MV 15 SZ 6’ MR 10%

AC 2 HD 13 HP 104

#AT 1 THAC0 9 Dmg 1d6 (staff)
Special Att/Def: Anyone hit by the staff of K’ung Fu-tzu’s avatar must save versus paralyzation or be stunned for 1d10 rounds.
Duties of the Priesthood

Followers of K’ung Fu-tzu honor the spirit of the Great Teacher through ceremonies performed in his temple, spreading his teachings, and by the careful observation of venerated traditions.

The Four Dragon Kings, Ao Ch’in, Ao Kuang, Ao Jun, and Ao Shun, are the rulers of the four seas which surround the earth. Each inhabits a magnificent crystal palace beneath the sea under his control. To aid them, each has a cabinet of ministers made up of the greatest members of each species of animal in his sea. They also have an army of fish, crabs, and crayfish who serve as watchmen and who police the sea floor.

Of more importance to the peasants who worship the four dragon kings, however, are their terrestrial duties. They are responsible for bringing rain to the sections of the earth adjoining their seas, but can only do so on the orders of the Celestial Emperor himself. The dragon kings also oversee their smaller relations, the chiang lung, who dwell in every river, lake, and waterway in China.

In their true form, the dragon kings are huge, serpent-bodied oriental dragons. They can also take the form of men or women.

As they have no avatars, dragon kings must appear themselves when they want something done. Because of their unusual natures, they are permitted to travel to the Prime Material Plane and are an exception to the rule forbidding gods to set foot on the earth in person. They can cast up to two wizard and priest spells of each level per day, selecting from any sphere or school of magic.

Int 19 Wis 19 Cha 18

MV 12, 39f, 3j, 18s SZ 150’ MR 50%

AC -10 HD 20 HP 160

#AT 3 THAC0 1 Dmg 1d10/1d10/6d6
Special Att/Def: The breath weapon of any dragon king is a cone of steam 90’ long, 30’ wide at its end that does 24d12 points of damage. A saving throw is allowed for half damage. The dragon kings can cast a bless or detect lie spell up to three times per day and an animal summoning or quest spell once per day.
Duties of the Priesthood

The Dragon Kings maintain no ties with those who worship them. One exception is the matter of drought, when an effigy of the appropriate Dragon King is paraded through town and then left by the side of the road. It is hoped that this will persuade the Dragon King to bring rain.

The Ch’eng Huang are place gods, divine guardians of specific localities. Most of these localities are villages, cities, towns, but they have been known guard bridges, mountains, and other areas of importance. Sometimes known as “Gods of Walls and Ditches,” they are charged with protecting the inhabitants of the town in which they are honored. Usually, Ch’eng Huang are spirits of mandarins or bureaucrats who served the town well during their mortal life, who were subsequently nominated by a Celestial Bureaucrat for the honor of protecting it in the Afterlife.

Int 9-18 Wis 9-18 Cha 9-18

MV 12-15 SZ 4-7’ MR 5-15%

AC 5 to 0 HD 8-10 HP 64-80

#AT 3/2 THAC0 11-13 Dmg ld8 (sword) + 2-8
Special Att/Def: As a rule, any Ch’eng Huang avatar assume wraithform at will. Even when not in such a state, they can only be hit by +1 or better weapons and magical spells.
Duties of the Priesthood

There is no established order for worshipping the Ch’eng Huang and thus they generally have no priests. Rather, duty of worshipping the god of a given place falls on shoulders of the entire community. If the governor or prefect happens to be a priest, he may dedicate himself to locality’s Ch’eng Huang and receive spells and powers outlined below.

The Eight Immortals are legendary persons who became immortal through the practice of Taoist doctrine. Other than the fact that they have all engaged in many comical adventures, they have little in common. They are:

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   Han Chung-li. A great teacher and a free spirit who enjoyed wild parties. By some accounts, he was also a skilled warrior. (Priest 12, Fighter 8.)
   

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   Chang-kao Lao. He traveled thousands of miles on his white donkey, which he could fold up into the size of a piece of paper. He was a well-known conjurer. (Conjurer 14)
   

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   Lan Ts’ai-ho. The patron of gardeners and renowned street singer. He rose to heaven on the fumes of wine. (Druid 8, Bard 8.)
   

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   Li T’ieh-kuai .While his spirit was visiting Lao Tzu, Li T’ieh-kuai’s body was destroyed. When he returned, he had to occupy the body of a deceased beggar. He is honored by pharmacists and exorcists. (Priest 14.)
   

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   Han Hsiang-tzu. A youth who loved flowers, music, and poetry. He learned to grow plants with poems on their leaves. (Bard 15.)
   

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   Ts’ao Kuo-chiu. A reformed murderer who was admitted to the Eight Immortals because there happened to be a vacancy. (Rogue 10.)
   

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   Lu Tung-pin. Standing eight feet tall, Lu is a great alchemist who is famous for fighting evil spirits. (Wizard 14.)
   

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   Ho-Hsien-Ko. The only female member of the Eight Immortals. She attained immortality by eating mother-of-pearl given to her by a ghost. (Necromancer 12.)
   

Among the most terrifying monsters that inhabit the Chinese countryside are the neglected spirits of ancestors. As long as one’s descendants make the proper sacrifices, ancestral spirits are neutral or beneficent beings. But if an ancestral spirit is ignored, it eventually goes mad and begins preying on humans. The first victims are inevitably the descendants who ignored it. Later, however, it is not so selective, and may attack anybody unfortunate enough to happen by at the wrong time.

Ancestral spirits invariably take on the shriveled appearance of their mortal corpses, save that they grow long yellow fangs and claws, have burning red eyes, and extremely foul breath. Ancestral spirits are a form of undead and can be turned by priests with that ability. In such cases, they are treated as spectres.
AC -2 1 SZ 6’ XP: 9,000

MV 18 (f) ML 18 AL ce INT high

HD 8 HP 64 MR 10% THAC0 13

#AT 3 Dmg ld8/ld8/ld12

Each kind of animal is lead by a powerful, extremely intelligent member of its species. These magical leaders are known as Generals, and serve their fellows in functions similar to a cross between human emperors and deities. Each general appears to be an extremely large, beautiful specimen of its breed.