Cortex - Wheel of Time

I was disappointed in the D20 version of the Wheel of Time, so a small group of friends and myself decided to make out own using the Cortex rule system from Margart Weis Productions.

So far my friends and I are busy making all the advantages necessary to facilitate the complicated world of The Wheel of Time.
Posted below is what we have so far. Some of it is obviously incomplete, as it is a work in progress. Advice and constructive criticism is welcome.

New Skills

Focus: This skill is used to calm the mind and focus on a task. There are many ways this skill is explained, such as the flame and the void and ko'di. A skill user spends one round in meditation and rolls Focus against a difficulty that depends on the surrounding distractions. If successful, the Focus user gains bonus plot points that may be spent on the Focus skills specialty only, or any skill if the base Focus skill is used. The number of plot points awarded is based on the level of success. Succeeding at the base difficulty awards three plot points, plus one for each additional difficulty level achieved. For example: a blade master, Lan, attempting to focus at the beginning of a battle would spend one action and meditate. Lan would then roll his Willpower + Focus against an average difficulty of 7 (The battle has not started). Lan rolls a 16, a formidable success, which is 2 difficulty levels higher than average, so Lan gains 5 extra plot points to be used with his specialized skill focus.

Specialties: Any other general skill category, except focus.

Ride: This skill is used to ride and guide animals that are being ridden or pulling a cart or wagon. Most routine uses by casual riders do not require this skill, and are not usually rolled at all. Seasoned riders or wagon drivers will have this skill.

Specialties: Horse, Raken, To'raken, Grolm, S'redit, Wagons, Carriages

Sailing: This skill is used to guide boats across the sea and waterways. Most routine uses by casual sailors do not require this skill, and are not usually rolled at all. Seasoned sailors and Atha'an Miere will have this skill.

Specialties: Raker, River Ship, Darter, Caravel, Galley, Barge

Siege Engines: This skill is used to set up and use siege engine weapons. These weapons are often used on stationary targets. Siege Engines do large or massive scale damage.

Specialties: Ballista, Catapult, Trebuchet, Siege Tower, Battering Ram

New Assets

Videre Ta'veren (d

Unweaving (d

Fast Leaner (d

Foretelling (d

Feel Ter'angreal (d

Craft Ter'angreal (d

Craft Angreal (d

Craft Cuendillar (d

Multi-Weaver (d

Channeler (d2+): This asset provides the character with access to the One Power. The asset die is used when weaving threads and determining how many weaves the channeler may hold. The channeler may hold one per level of the channeler asset. In addition, the more powerful the channeler, the less fatigue the channeler takes when weaving. This asset may be purchased beyond d12 to a maximum of 9d12+1d4, if the GM allows.

D6+: When male channelers have this trait at a d6 or higher, you gain the unstable trait at one die lower than your channeler trait die.

D12: If you have this trait at D12 or higher, you may tie off a weave.

Ta'veren (d12): A ta'veren is a central focal point for a Web of Destiny (or ta'maral'ailen) in the Pattern. These people are spun out and used by the Wheel to correct itself when the weave begins to drift from the intended Pattern. Since the purpose of ta'veren is to influence life threads to create change, the destinies of ta'veren themselves are more strictly controlled by the Wheel of Time itself than those of an average person.

Whenever a Ta'veren would be killed, roll the trait's die. If the result is 3, or higher, the pattern weaves in such a way that arranges for the Ta'veren to survive. Once the pattern is finished with the Ta'veren, or if the Wheel requires it, the Ta'veren will be no longer be protected by this asset.

Element Affinity (d2+): Certain channelers have special affinity for weaves of a particular type. This asset allows a character to chose one of the five elements (Air, Earth, Fire, Spirit, or Water) and add their trait die to weaves of that type. When weaving threads with more than one element, the level of the trait die is reduced by the number of non-affinity threads. For example: When a fire affinity (d6) channeler weaves a Globe of Light, the asset die is reduced to a d4, because Globe of Light requires a weave of fire and air.

This asset may be purchased more than once, with each purchase corresponding to one of the five elements. It is extremely rare to have a channeler with more than one or two affinities, but it is possible. When weaving a thread with two threads and they are both affinities, an average of the dice are used, rounding up. When a fire affinity (d6) and air affinity (d2) channeler weaves a Globe of Light, the asset die would be a d4, as the average of the d6 and d2 is d4. If the air affinity was a d4, the asset die would still be a d6, as a d5 does not exist, but rounding up is required.

Reborn (d2+): If you are reborn, you may access knowledge and languages that you previously possessed in a different life. You and the game master decide on a past era, such as the Age of Legends or After the Breaking, you gain your trait die to all knowledge rolls corresponding to the selected era.

D6+: If you have this Trait at d6 or higher, you hear the voice of your previous life. Besides offering advice, the second personality allows you to resist mine influencing effects, including madness gained by channeling. Add your trait die to resist mind influencing effects and Saidin induced madness.

D12+: If you have this Trait at d12 or higher, you may choose a single specialty skill, any Plot Points you use on rolls that include this specialty skill count for more. Increase the bonus die you get from spending Plot Points by a +2 step. This only works on Plot Points spent before the roll, not those you spend after.

Sniffer (d8): With this trait, you can literally smell violence or the residue of violence. The worse and more recent the violent act the stronger and more foul the smell. How long the smell lasts depends on the severity of the violence; the smell of a murder will last much longer (up to a year for a violent murder) than the smell of a petty robbery (a few minutes). Sniffing is a very rare ability and it is not known how the ability works, but it has been confirmed that it is not related to the One Power.

You may add this trait die when rolling survival/tracking or perception tests against a violent individual or area where violence recently took place.

Treesinging (d2+): An ability unique to the Ogier, in the modern day, that allows you to stimulate the growth of plants, usually trees, with special songs. Singing for ten minutes adds about a month of time to the growth of trees and plants. You may sing for a number of minutes equal to ten times the trait die step and take a point of stun damage for every ten minutes sung.

Treesingers are known to produce extremely distinctive, valuable wooden crafts. They are able to make these wooden crafts without in any way harming the tree, "pulling" the shaped wooden artifact out of the tree without hurting it, as long as the mass of the tree is at least five times as big as the object you are forming. This costs one point of stun damage, but reduces crafting time to a tenth of what it normally would be. Add your trait die to any Craft/Woodworking rolls.

Dream Walker (d2+): You may access Tel'aran'rhiod in your dreams and at higher levels, the waking world. The trait die is added to all actions when in Tel'aran'rhiod.

D6+: If you have this Trait at d6 or higher, any Plot Points you use on rolls that include this Trait count for more. Increase the bonus die you get from spending Plot Points by a +2 step. This only works on Plot Points spent before the roll, not those you spend after.

D12+: If you have this Trait at d12 or higher, you may physically enter Tel'aran'rhiod at will.

BUNDLES

Wolf Brother (d4): A wolfbrother is someone who develops a relationship with wolves and gains some wolf like characteristics. To date all wolfbrothers have been male. Not much is known about the origins of the condition except that it is "older than the One Power", likely dating back to a much more primitive man. Stories of men running with wolves are older than the Age of Legends. Some wolves claim to have memories of their ancestors running and hunting together with men. Soon they will run with men again, to the Final Hunt. Although suspected by some Aes Sedai to have some involvement with the One Power, it is entirely unrelated to the ability to channel.

Ogier may not take this bundle.

Wolf Telepathy (d8): Wolfbrothers gain telepathic communication with wolves and other wolfbrothers within die step times five mile circle radius. Wolves can relay messages with each other, extending the range, if the wolves agree to.

D6+: If you have this Trait at d6 or higher, you may summon a number of wolves equal to a roll of your wolf telepathy trait die, as long as enough wolves are within your telepathic circle. The wolves are compelled to come, but do not have a supernatural means of travel and must run or walk to you. The wolves are also not required to do anything you request of them, but may be bargained with.

Dream Walker (d4): You may access Tel'aran'rhiod in your dreams and at higher levels, the waking world. The trait die is added to all actions when in Tel'aran'rhiod.

D6+: If you have this Trait at d6 or higher, any Plot Points you use on rolls that include this Trait count for more. Increase the bonus die you get from spending Plot Points by a +2 step. This only works on Plot Points spent before the roll, not those you spend after.

D12+: If your Tel'aran'rhiod Mastery die is d12 or higher, you may physically enter Tel'aran'rhiod at will.

Enhanced Senses (d4): Your senses improve to the point that you can see and hear twice as well as a normal human. Your senses also improve to such a degree that you can see in near pitch darkness, identify and track by scent, and smell strong emotions, especially fear. The game master may allow you to add your trait die to any appropriate rolls, such as perception rolls.

Formidable Presence (d4): You are scary. Add your trait die to rolls to bully people, make people back down, or generally intimidate others.

Eerie Presence (d4): Your eyes look like wolf eyes that are gold or green. This puts most people on edge. Add your Trait die to the difficulty of any rolls to socially interact with humans or Ogier, except intimidation.

Out for Blood (d4): In the case of serious offenses, like combat, you may succumb to frenzy, attacking those you do not like and attempting to kill them with no thought to tactics. Often wolf brothers growl and foam at the mouth while succumbing to blood lust. You may restrain yourself, with an average Willpower + Discipline/Concentration roll, the difficulty is increased by your trait die.

Call of the Wild (d8): You risk losing yourself to the wolf. In moments of extreme stress (no more than once every two sessions), you should roll an average Willpower + Discipline/Sense of Self. If this roll is failed, you believe that you are a wolf and no longer human. This loss lasts for a trait die roll number of days, or until confronted with some aspect of your humanity. You roll again at the end of this time, or when confronted with the aspect of your humanity. If this roll is failed, you continue to behave and believe you are a wolf. After this time, roll once more, if this roll is failed, you lose yourself to the wolf forever. If any of the rolls are successful, you remember that you are human.

Ogier (d): A race of non-human creatures who have an intense love of knowledge and peace. Known as Tree brothers by the Aiel, they are great architects and stonemasons, responsible for many of the most impressive structures and cities of the world. Ogier stonework is known for its organic nature, often appearing to have been grown like plants. However, it is of lesser importance than their first love, forestry. They love the trees of their stedding, and grew groves near the cities they built to remind them of their home. Even their written language resembles growing leaves and vines.

Ogier may not be channelers or wolfbrothers.

Longevity (d6): The average human life expectancy is sixty five years, but Ogier can live to 400 years old, or more.

Formidable Presence (d4): You are scary. Add your trait die to rolls to bully people, make people back down, or generally intimidate others.

Fast on your Feet (d12): Your base movement is 35 feet.

Tough (d4): Add half of the value of your trait die to your life points. You may also add your trait die to any rolls you make to keep from dying, shrug off fatigue, or endure pain and suffering.

Master of Wood (d6): You are a master carpenter. Add your trait die too all craft rolls when crafting with wood.

Master of Stone (d4): You are a master stonemason. Add your trait die too all craft rolls when crafting with stone.

Reputation (d4): Add your trait die to all social rolls with humans who are used to dealing with Ogier. You are a member of a respected race.

Strong as an Ox (d6): You are very strong. Add your trait die to all rolls involving strength, including strength based damage rolls.

Longing (d6): You feel the pull of the stedding and must return to one, or die.

Slow to Act ():

Infamy (d4): Add your trait die to all social rolls with humans who are not used to dealing with Ogier, because you are often mistaken for a Trolloc.

Gullible (d4):

Honest to a Fault (d4):

Westland Ogier

Pacifist (d6):

Seanchan Ogier

Restricted (d6): You may not bear arms outside of stedding, unless under the command of a Seanchan noble.

Channeling

Weaving multiple threads increases the difficulty for each corresponding thread. The second is twice as difficult and third is twice again as difficult. For example: If the difficulty is 4 for the first weave, it is 8 for the second, and 16 for the third.