FMA2 Endless Armies, Focus Hatred

FMA2 Endless Armies is the set in the Maztica setting. This is a  setting I have written about before. The first time was for FMA1  Fires of Zatal and then for FMQ1 City of Gold. The FMA modules  are adventures while the other is a setting with some adventure  included.

It was said with FMA1 that this is a setting that I have a hard  time getting excited about. The Al-Qadim setting of Zakhara is  one that I find much more interesting and exciting. Maztica is  still a setting is different enough that it may cause players to  have renewed interest if theirs is waning. Both are outside the  norm of what most fantasy games are based on that they stand out.

Endless Armies is very much a tried and true adventure trope  though I use that word not in a bad way. Most adventures could be  described using that word. This is a module that if you changed  the just a few words with find and replace you could use is a  50's radioactive horror setting or in Call of Cthulhu. With that  being said it would be enjoyable in any of them.

The premise is that someone wants to bring forth a old forgotten  entity that will then provide them with power to rule over  peoples who have wronged or misjudged them. I won't go into too  much detail as there may be some that are inspired to run this or  have them run through it at some point. I am not sure that  writing much more would hurt though as the cover gives most of  the key plot points away.

The module provides us with the Bacar who serve as the minions in  the story. They are a race that could easily be exported out and  used in a setting even outside the Maztica line with very little  effort. I again can see them just as easily in another genre of  gaming as well though.

In the end this is a module that is worth picking up. The players  may very well figure out the plot line and be able to predict what  is going to happen well down the line. This is true with many  modules. The encounters are well done and a timeline for the end  is provided if that is needed. These are seen off and on in the  secondary market so I am not sure what the print run was like but  it may have been smaller than some other modules from that era.

Published: 1991
Pages: 32

From the back of the module:

Deep within the heart of the jungles of Far Payit is a city lost  to time and the modern people of Maztica. Long ago abandoned by  its people, it holds a deadly secret deep beneath its ruined  surface, a secret held safe by a tribe of inhuman guardians.
A secret that has remained inviolate until now.

A cleric of the church of Helm has disappeared. A piece of a map  to the lost city of Ixtzul has been found. Great armies of ants  perform deadly assassinations. And in the jungle, a new leader  has appeared, promising power to those who follow her into the  forbidden vale.

Now the heroes must follow as well, to uncloak the mystery and  prevent the unleashing of a deadly force on the surface world of  Maztica, a force that threatens both people of Payit and the  newcomers' civilization in Helmsport. Should the heroes fail to  defeat the endless armies of their foe, all in Maztica will  perish!


Spell:

Focus Hatred

Level: Fifth
Range: 9"
Duration: 1 Round + 2 Rounds/Level
Area of Effect: One Creature
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 4 Segments
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast the magic user will cause the target  creature to become the focus of anger for all they may be in  combat with. This will have the effect of making all involved  ignore all others to focus on the selected target.

In game terms this will mean that any opponents who are actively  involved in melee combat will be required to focus their attacks  on the target creature. When this spell goes into effect even  those actively engaged in combat with others will move to fight  the target of the spell.

If there are more opponents involved than can reach the target  they will try and force their way into range to attack the  target. If this occurs all trying to attack who are impacted by  others trying to get into attack them will have their attack  rolls modified by a -2.

It is possible for the caster to change the target of the spell  after it is cast. Doing so will cut the remaining time of the  spell in half though. The target of this spell must be a willing  target and trying to cast it on a non willing target will cause the  spell to fizzle. When the spell expires those affected will spend  one round regaining the command over their targeting and will not  be able to attack.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the  write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the  80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other  than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be  slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of  spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :)  Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on  me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please  let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.