MYSTIC WILLOW RCC
 
Author Unknown
 
The Mystic Willow is the layman's term for a tree of immense 
magical power.  Many theories exist about the origin of the tree, 
the most common being that the tree is the physical manifestation 
of a creature existing past the Astral Plane, or that it is 
another supernatural being.  There are also local myths about the 
origin of Mystic Willows (ie, a town may think a person was once 
so sad, they turned into a magical tree).  It is important to note 
that Mystic Willows are created good, with all intent to make 
people happy, but, if they are around one being for a long period 
of time, the Mystic Willow will take on that being's personality.  
If someone who delights in pain lives near a Mystic Willow, the 
Willow too will delight in pain.
The Mystic Willow looks like a giant shell of golden needles, 
some big, some small, from the outside.  If the Willow doesn't 
like someone, it's quills become energized with a type of static 
electricity, which draws them toward the person, even when the 
quills aren't shot out.  This is usually used as a warning of when 
the tree is nervous, and is not necessarily a hostile act.  This 
always happens toward supernatural creatures, good or bad, and 
prevents them from touching the tree.  If the tree approves of a 
person, it's branches will part, like curtains, and the person can 
enter the Mystic Willows.  Inside the Willow's curtain of needles 
is an open area with a carpet of green moss, a web of light brown 
branches overhead, and a shimmering silver trunk, about 5 feet in 
diameter.
The Tree needs a PPE rich environment (Earth's normal 
environment is enough), some sun, and a lot of water.  They are 
usually found up north, near a lake in Minnesota.  Though they 
could live south of Ohio, they have not been found there.
 
Height: 20' tall + 1'/10 years (above ground)
Radius: 12' branch radius + 1'/10 years
Alignment: Normally Good
IQ: About 5 + 1/20 years
MDC: Trunk: 3d6 * 10 + 10/10 years
     Branch: 3d6 + 2/10 years
     Leaf: 1
Awe Factor: 15
PPE: 6d6 * 10 + 50 / 10 years
Natural Abilities:  Has 2 types of leaves - QUILLS:  3" needles 
covered with a wet, slippery oil.  Naturally attracted to 
Supernatural creatures and anyone the tree wants to attack (SEE 
ABOVE).  The quills can be shot out 40 feet, as many as 20 per 
action, they have +2 to hit against Supernatural creatures, and 
act as wood against Vampires and similar creatures, doing 1d6 MDC 
each.
Fruit:  1 foot by 1 inch Bananas, that's it, just normal bananas 
OK?  Not Supernatural or nuthin' Just like any other Bananas OK?
Moss: The carpet of moss under the tree is actually part of the 
tree.  It can be squeezed for water (Moss-water, mm-mm good), and 
releases a low altitude gas that acts as the psychic power Induce 
Sleep.  This gas covers the floor of the tree, up to 2 feet up.  
Makes small animals and anyone who lies down tired.
Gift: The tree has gifts it can bestow to people, if it wants (see 
below).
Combat:  4 attacks + 1/50 years.  Shoots Quills (SEE ABOVE), also 
PPE Shock, goes out 100 feet, 2d6 MDC, Paralyze Shock 75 feet - 
Save vs Fairy Magic (16) or be Paralyzed for 1d6 melee.  If over 
50 years, the tree can cause Lay Line Storm (See ATLANTIS book), 
1000' radius if not near Lay Line otherwise normal.
NOTE: if someone is attacking the tree from inside, EVERYTHING is 
doubled for the tree (Bonuses, damage caused by & done to tree, 
attacks, etc.)
Bonuses:  +5 vs Magic, Natural kinship with animals, Immune to 
Normal Fire, Cold, Poison, Gas.  1/2 Damage from other fire, cold 
and Supernatural creatures.
Penalty: NO DODGE OR PARRY!  (It's a tree.)
Magic:  Globe of Daylight (inside tree only), Concealment, Energy 
Field, Call Lightning, Heal, Control Plants + 1 spell / 10 years.
Psionics: Telepathy, Empathy (NOTE: Telepathy and Empathy are 
constant and automatic, it is how the tree "Sees", and can 
penetrate Power Armor, but NOT Mind Block.)
 
Gifts
 
Gifts are what the Mystic Willow gives to people who have helped 
it a great deal, or it likes for some other reason.  They are 
difficult to make, and the tree must go dormant for a few days, 
and can only make 1 gift at a time. The user of a gift need not be 
Psychic or Man of Magic.  All abilities go by the user's 
abilities.  They use the user's ISP or PPE, and level to determine 
their power.  All items have 10 MDC for every day of the tree's 
dormancy, unless otherwise noted.  They can regenerate within 24 
hours, if they have any MDC left.
 
Quill Ring:  This is a simple thin wood branch twisted into a 
ring.  With it comes 4 quills.  The ring gives telekinetic control 
over the quills, as Super Telekinesis.  One quill per level can be 
manipulated, using the wearer's ISP.  Dormancy: 1 day
 
Friendship Amulet:  This is the most basic gift.  It is a wood 
knot that is recognizable to all Mystic Willows, and anyone with 
Mystic Herbology.  The Willows will treat the wearer as a friend.  
The wearer also has a kinship with animals (like a Psi-Stalker) 
and Empathy.  Dormancy: 1 hour
 
Cudgel:  This is a wooden club, given to great defenders of a 
tree.  It can become a Psi-Cudgel (Psi-Sword), and lets the user 
cast Armor of Ithan.  Dormancy:  2d4 days.
 
Moss Sandal:  The moss can either form a shoe, or cover an 
existing shoe. It gives the wearer +20% prowl, and +5 speed while 
worn.  Dormancy: 1 day
 
Needle Cloak:  This is a cloak made of the tree's quill, over a 
moss base. It gives the wearer Chameleon, Armor of Ithan, 
Charismatic Aura, +1d6 PB, and acts as a Quill Ring with 100 
Quills.  NOTE: It is too big and clumsy to be used as a shield, it 
only blocks attacks from the back.  Dormancy: 2d6 days
 
Dress of the Thief:  This is not necessarily a dress, but armor 
or clothes covered in Moss.  This gives FREE Chameleon, and Create 
Chloroform (quick evaporating sleep liquid used in movies, save: 
Non-Lethal Drug 16), and gives the wearer the ability to use: 
Simple Invisibility, Mind Block, Globe of Silence (4' radius), 
Armor of Ithan, Empathy.  The Moss only has 20 MDC, which is added 
to all armor, but it can regenerate in one hour.  Dormancy: 3d6 
days
 
Knowledge Staff:  This gift is normally given by old trees to 
mages and scholars.  It is a 6 foot, gnarled, knotted staff.  It 
can be used as a symbiotic bank.  It will form a psychic bond with 
whoever it was made for, and that person need only touch it to put 
in or take out PPE and information. The most PPE the staff can 
hold is half the tree's PPE, and can NOT regenerate PPE.  The user 
can store one spell per 10 years of the tree in the staff by 
spending the PPE needed for the spell, and then can cast that 
spell in half the time.  This spell can be used as long as the 
user has enough PPE, or until the user erases the spell from the 
staff to download another spell into the staff.  Only spells, not 
Rituals can be put into the Staff.  Dormancy: 2d6 days.
 
There are rumors of other gifts, so use your imagination.  One 
rumor especially is that of a Supernatural Creature with silver 
skin somehow linked to the trees.  These creatures appear as every 
type of DB, only with silver skin, and are great travelers of the 
dimensions.

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