Catalysts are the remains of the Elder Gods who slew each other during the fabled Godswar. Their immense power persists even in death, and those brave or foolish enough to seek that power can earn vast rewards.
Those seeking to tap the divine strength of dead gods merely bathe in the energies at the site of the god’s death. If they survive the process they gain one of the powers that Catalyst can grant. However, one in three absorb too much energy and die in horrible agony.
Player characters begin the game as godtouched, which grants them immunity to the possibility of death. In addition they gain a godtouched Catalization at 1st and 2nd level. These catalizations can be from any aspect, and the character can choose any ability from the list without needing to roll.
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Game Mechanics for Catalizations
Each time a character catalizes they gain an ability from the specific catalyst where the catalization occured. The player rolls a d20 and may select any result on the chart equal to or less than their roll. Human characters gain a +4 bonus to the roll.
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Trolls & Catalysts
One of the phrases most commonly used by adventurers in Shattered Gods is ‘as sure as trolls’. This is hardly surprising, as trolls are drawn to Catalysts from hundreds of miles away. They flock there by the thousands, and if they are left to their own devices will build an entire civilization around the Catalyst.
The reason for this is simple. When the gods birthed their mortal children they needed a template from which to create them. Untyped trolls are that Template and all races are descended from them.
Since trolls are an incomplete race waiting to be shaped by the gods they instinctively seek them out. Unfortunately the gods are dead, so the Trolls have no choice but to congregate around their corpses.
The gods have power even in death and their fragmented minds still affect trolls. Given time a Catalyst will re-shape a troll into a race pleasing to the god.
For example untyped trolls brought to the Hammer of Reevanthara will become dwarves. Those brought to the Tree of Blood will eventually become Na’Elfen.
While these trolls strongly rememble the new race they are not the same. Trolls shaped by a Catalyst cannot breed. They only way to increase their numbers is to bring more trolls to the Catalyst.
After several centuries these trolls will breed true, after which they finally become the race they resemble. From then on there is no difference between them and any other member of the species they have morphed into.
Trolls are an ever-present hazard at most catalysts. Even if adventurers previously cleared out an entire clan they can re-populate in less than a year. The longer they are left unmolested the stronger they become, and some troll cultures have grown so strong that wise adventurers find a way to sneak to the Catalyst rather than risk angering the trolls.
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List of Known Catalysts
Below is a list of the commonly known Catalysts that dot the unexplored lands of the West. I still need to transcribe them from the Shattered Gods manuscript, so right now most of them are blank.
- The Arm
- The Reactor
- The Tree of Blood
- The Heart of Frost
- The Arena
- The Radiant
- The Heart of Fire
- The Rent
- The Hammer of Reevanthara
- The Forge of Reevanthara
- The Ship
- The Drowned God
- The Maw
- Dragon Scar
- The Skull of Xalegos
- The Gateway of Shadows
Creating Catalysts
You can find rules for creating your own catalysts here.
