Black Company Errata

[Midnight]

A question on the Rite of Taking.

On page 184, second colum, paragraph 5, the BCCS book says "The Rite of Taking requires at a minimum of eight hours of uninterupted spellcasting. During this time, the spellcaster targets the subject with one spell effect of every spell she knows, of which the subject may not resist, voluntarily failing all saving throws."

Does this mean that the target automatically fails all saves during the Rite, or that the subject must VOLUNTARILY fail all saves?

I ask because I suspect that none of the Circle (Whisper, Journey, Feather) were volunteering for this, but the text sort of seems to imply it will only work on willing targets.

I would simply subsititute the word automatically for the word voluntarily in that description.

Midnight

[Yuan-Ti]

The spell descriptor for Create Energy says that it requires a Verbal prop, but the description of the spell says that the caster simply points his finger at his target, sending out a bead of energy. Should we assume that Somatic prop is required and verbal can be added to a spell effect? Or are both required?

Water talent says that the duration is instantaneous or "1 round for augmented effect." Duration is not one of the augmentations for this talent. To what does this refer? Also, the spell says you could use it to make it rain. For 1 round and no more? Any rules for rain-making? Does the 1 gallon cover rain for 1 round in a 5ft radius? 10 ft radius? Naturally, I am concerned here that it would be difficult for me to come up with a fun "Acid Rain" spell blending.

[Yuan-Ti]

Another question for RJS: Is it possible to downgrade a spell effect from Area to Target? I was thinking of the energy creation talent and how it might be nice to shoot an acid arrow, or imbue an actual arrow with an acid effect if fired within one round of the casting. It doesn't seem to work easily with the rules as written. At best, it could be done by increasing the Magic Use DC in return for a lesser effect.

[RJS]

Create Energy. I would change the prop from Verbal to Somatic.
Water Talent. Add Duration to list of Augmentations

Downgrading Effects. I think this is an acceptable idea in this case. Generally speaking, all effects are at the minimum already. However, in certain cases, I can see the appeal.
For an acid arrow/flame ray/whatever here's what I would do:

I'd reduce the base DC by -5 (eliminating the built in augmentation of "change from target to any area).

However, this said, I'd also test the hell out of it to ensure it doesn't have any "broken" side-effects, which seems like it could. We opted not to have DC reductions in favor of keeping the math at a minimal level.

[Yuan-Ti]

Thanks for the quick answers! You have been awesome supporting the book by answering the questions which come up. Some companies take days or even weeks to get around to responding to questions like these.

Downgrading Effects. I think this is an acceptable idea in this case. Generally speaking, all effects are at the minimum already. However, in certain cases, I can see the appeal.
For an acid arrow/flame ray/whatever here's what I would do:

I'd reduce the base DC by -5 (eliminating the built in augmentation of "change from target to any area).

However, this said, I'd also test the hell out of it to ensure it doesn't have any "broken" side-effects, which seems like it could. We opted not to have DC reductions in favor of keeping the math at a minimal level.

Hmmm... yeah, I was actually thinking, could a wizard choose to switch from Area to Target without paying extra for it. So, I would not even be as generous as reducing the DC. I was thinking, for example, switching to a single target from 5ft burst but leaving the DC at 15. It would just make things more flexible and therefore more flavorful.

Thanks again!

[Tharen the Damned]

Hi,

the third magnitude modifer for magic use should be +16 not +12 as printed on page 310/311.
This is also wrong on the free PDF Download.

[dr. strangemonkey]

Does anyone know the story on all the refrences to Shaman?

Was it orignally intended to be a core class, if so could we see what it looked like?

It's mentioned in several places and as a core class on p. 11 and on the starting age table on p. 105 Table 7-2.

I apologize if this has been dealt with before, I checked around the forums and didn't see anything that seemed to address this.

[Valkrist]

Dr strangemonkey:


Look on page 82.

Shaman is a Green Ronin Core Class (from their line of alternate Core class books). The BCCS tried to incorporate all Core classes from the PHB and Green Ronin lines, at least enough to mention their existance.

[dr. strangemonkey]

I saw that, but it doesn't make sense in terms of the individual references.

The bit on p. 11 says that you will see it as a core class later in the book, and the table information contains no other GR classes not listed in the book.

There's lots of feat information that mentions shamans as well.

I imagine the GR shaman does similar things but according to the write up it lacks BCCS magic which seems a shame since I would have thought that several different characters might qualify for the Shaman class, particularly Murgen.

Isn't part of Tobo's power that he mixes the weird spirit talents of his parents?

[Nokura]

Isn't part of Tobo's power that he mixes the weird spirit talents of his parents?

Oddly enough, Tobo doesn't have the prestige class mentioned below, but all I can think of is that they intended for it to be a core class and either a) dropped the class in favour of having a single spellcasting class (Wizard) or b) changed it to the Spirit Shaman prestige class or c) both of the above. Either way they forgot to remove the references to the class in the editing I guess.

I think that you can certainly make your wizard character 'shaman flavour' until he is ready to prestige class as a Spirit Shaman. The Tribesman or Hunter background might be a good start, as well as appropriate choices of Talents and description of magic.

[Tharen the Damned]

The Shaman was intended to be a new Core Class but ended as the prestige Class: Spirit Shaman.

[Soulmage]

The appendix spell reference table lack the 1 minute duration augmentation option, skipping instead straight to 1 hour. (Thanks rag!)

[8bitjunkie]

I think this is a typo...
The Call to Arms optional feat on pg. 192 references an "s" in the description for table 11-2.
What is "s"? Just curious as I think I will be running a Company Style campaign. =)

[RJS]

Indeed, "s" is a typo.

[8bitjunkie]

Indeed, "s" is a typo.

Should I ignore "s" or is it a placeholder for something else?

Thanks!

[RJS]

Strike it. It is not a placeholder.

[Jackdelavert]

In the example of this spell it inflicts damage per round, but the damage portion of the spell is instantanious, have i missed something? if you combine an instant effect with a duration effect does it change the damage to per round of the other effect (in this case the mist)?

[Tharen the Damned]

I have some compiled questions and errata:

p. 68: Inspire Zeal: all allies within 20ft. or one ally within 30ft.?

p. 79: Third Magnitude +16 not +12 like on p. 151/310

p. 91 Ghost sound. What range? I presume close 25ft. + 5ft./2 lvls.

p. 92. Resistance: resist disease. No specification. I think this should read: You may substitute a Resistance check for your Fortitude saves to prevent instances of repeated damage and to recover from disease.

p 105. Shaman staring age: obsolete entry.

p. 182. The Blending Spells example. Both numbers, in the text and the table are incorrect. Here are the (hopefully) correct tables:

Modified Destroy
Base DC 25
(not 20 -p. 166: Destroy 3rd Mag.Base DC 25)
Target-any area +5
(not +4 -this is Augmentation: Add one Target)
Cloud 20° +24
100ft. +10 (not +20)
Damage +12

Total: 25 + 5 + 24 + 10 + 12 = 76

Modified Water
Base 15
Mist +5
100ft. +9
Cloud 20° +18
Duration +4

Total: 15 + 5 + 9 + 18 + 4 = 51

Modified Fear
Base 15
Target-any area +5
(not +4 -this is Augmentation: Add one Target)
100ft. +10
Cloud 20° +24
Duration +4

Total: 15 + 5 + 10 + 24 + 4 = 58

DC: 76 + (58/2) + (51/4) = 76 + 29 + 13 = 118

Drain: 1d8 + 23
(118/5 = 23)

That was it for now, if I find the time I will post more errata here.

Soldiers Live!

[Tso]

A question, and a couple notes...

The question is, in the Campaign Sparks section on p213, idea #1 gets cut off half way through - what is the rest of it?

A couple notes - not as much for errata, more for a reprint if it ever happens:

- One-Eye didn't die fighting the Forvalaka, he died of old age at the end of Soldiers Live.

- Toadkiller dog actually switched sides for that last battle in The Silver Spike. His entry implies that he died fighting at the Limper's side.

- p. 233 at the top, the page numbers are missing for the Generic Taken and Generic Black Company. (They are p 255-6 and p. 268 respectively.)

[Jackdelavert]

- One-Eye didn't die fighting the Forvalaka, he died of old age at the end of Soldiers Live.


Read your book again (I am currently re-reading Soldiers Live) I've just got to the part where One-Eye gets killed by Lisa Bowalk aka the Forvalaka! and Croaker is recuperating after being steamed alive!

[Soulmage]

Correct. Tom Tom (One-Eye's brother) died to the Forvalaka.

[RJS]

Yep. Both Tom-Tom and One-Eye died from wounds caused by a forvalaka (though not the same one). Lisa Bowalk was forced into the werepanther form through a contingent curse of some type imposed by Shapeshifter. Granted, Bowalk was not a true forvalaka, but neither was the forvalaka that killed Tom-Tom (that was Shapeshifter). In short, I equated the term forvalaka with werepanther/wereleopard.

[Tso]

It's frustrating to be at work w/o my books to look at it, but I could have sworn there's a bit at the end of Soldiers Live where the annals have passed over to one of the girls, and they talk about how One-Eye had some more strokes and then eventually died? Am I completely out of my gourd here?

Thanks!

Edit: Checked when I got home... One-Eye dies at the end of Water Sleeps in the new world, after more years and more strokes.

[Nameless]

Checked when I got home... One-Eye dies at the end of Water Sleeps in the new world, after more years and more strokes.

So says Sleepy. She also says Longshadow was paroled for the sake of Tobo's education.

As it turns out in Soldiers Live, the last book in the series, neither statement was true. One-Eye was very definitely killed by the forvalaka. And Longshadow was given to the Hsein to be tortured and killed.

Apparently Glen Cook felt the need to alter the "ending" in Water Sleeps a little when he wrote Soldiers Live. Or... to explain it within the BC world... Sleepy was less than entirely forthright when she set down for posterity what really happened to One-Eye and Longshadow.

Croaker was more honest about both characters' fates.

[Yuan-Ti]

SPOILERS