[Cryptworld] New Thing: Djinn

A Diabolical Wish-Granting Thing for Cryptworld

DJINN

STR: NA --- WPR: 8 (120)
DEX: NA --- PER: 8 (120)
AGL: NA --- PCN: 9 (135)
STA: NA --- PWR: 150
ATT: 1/* --- WND: 0*
MV: teleport anywhere instantly

Experience: 1,500

A Djinn is a supernatural creature who can bend and warp the fabric of reality to grant the inner-most wishes of its "master." However, it does this as a means to an end, as the Djinn collects the wisher's soul as "payment" for services rendered.

A Djinn is actually a form of Demon (see Cryptworld rulebook, page 57) who uses its powers to unleash humanity's baser instincts. A Djinn is initially encountered trapped within a vessel of some kind: a bottle, a lamp, a mystical jewel, and even a book has held the malevolent spirit. Once released, the Djinn will grant its "master" one wish in exchange for their eternal soul. The Djinn makes it clear that he will collect the soul only upon the wisher's natural death. What the wisher doesn't realize is that all Djinn wish-magic grants the wish in the most unfortunate -- and deadly -- means possible.

• "I wish for $50 million." = A drug lord's bank account is re-routed to the wisher's account along with an easily-followed paper trail.
• "I wish for women to throw themselves at me." = A gun-toting jilted lover will be knocking at the wisher's door very soon.
• "I wish for so-and-so to die." = They die of food poisoning, along with everyone else who ate at that restaurant, including the wisher.
• "I wish for my enemy to end up in prison." = And he will...after being convicted of the wisher's murder.
• Even something as innocent as "I wish I were taller" will see the victim's skeleton stretch and grow, while his muscles, skin, and organs stay the same size, shredding his body from the inside-out.

Once its "master" is dead, the Djinn absorbs the victim's soul, growing even more powerful. It then wanders the earth, looking for new victims to tempt with "their heart's desire." A Djinn can instantly teleport to where it feels the "desire" is greatest. It will then make the offer to a new victim, offering them one wish in exchange for their soul. It will continue these diabolical deals until stopped or until it reaches its goal of 1,000,000 human souls.

When encountered, a Djinn is actually a slave to the wish-granting contract, i.e., it cannot cast any magic of its own choosing, and can only cast magic at the behest of a wisher. Although it cannot cast magic of its own, the Djinn is not powerless! It is a cunning deceiver and very charismatic, able to talk the weak-willed into doing his bidding. He may hold back someone's wish until they do a "favor" for him first. ("I shall grant your heart's desire, but first you need to do something for me...") Once a Djinn has collected and absorbed 1,000,000 human souls, it is freed from its wish-granting contract and will be free to cast magic of its own desire. At that time, the Djinn will unleash chaos as its own desires and wishes take form. The world will bow and call HIM "master"! The Djinn has been collecting souls for millennia, so it is left to the CM as to how close the Djinn is to achieving this world-ending goal!

Stopping a Djinn is incredibly difficult as the creature does not have a physical form. Attacks pass through him as the Djinn stands there with a bemused smirk before disappearing to sow more chaos and death. But every Djinn has a specific weakness, and the method of stopping him is left to the CM depending on the campaign he wishes to run:

• The Djinn's essense could be tied to his vessel. If the vessel is destroyed, the Djinn will also be destroyed.
• The Djinn will be trapped in its vessel again if it comes into contact with it. The Djinn will have taken steps to hide it away from those who might interfere.
• An obscure ritual may need to be performed to undo all of the magic the Djinn has unleashed. The PCs will need to do some investigating in esoteric texts and ancient manuscripts. Meanwhile, the Djinn will manipulate its victims into stopping the PCs!
• Someone could wish for the Djinn's destruction. This would require an act of self-sacrifice, as granted wishes always end with the death of the wisher. (The Djinn and the wisher could both "wink" out of existence.)

The CM is warned that introducing a Djinn could be campaign-altering as the creature has the ability to warp and bend the laws of reality. If you wish to "soften" the nature of the chaos, you could determine that reality returns back to normal upon the wisher's death, and whatever they wished for vanishes. Or, upon the capture/destruction of the Djinn, "everything goes back to normal." (With the exception of any deaths caused by the Djinn's wish-magic. Victims remain dead and their souls destroyed.)

Djinn Powers

Grant Wish: The Djinn can look into the heart of anyone and instantly know what they truly desire. Once they see this, they begin to cajole and prod their victim, telling them that they can have that desire in exchange for their soul. The wisher MUST say "I wish..." during his request for the magical contract to take effect. The wish is immediately granted, but the CM should alter the nature of the wish so it is granted in the most diabolical of ways, ending in the death of the wisher. (See some wish examples and their results in the creature description above.) Granting a wish costs the Djinn 100 points of WPR. Although the wish contract is fulfilled, the Djinn will stick around until the wisher's inevitable end, so it can consume the released soul.