The Corporeal Forms of Jinn

The corporeal form of a jinni is considered part of its Essential Nature. It can maintain this form indefinitely and dissolve it at will. Though created by magic, it is considered a natural body and not repelled by Magic Resistance. Indeed, jinn can mate with humans and produce children with magical blood. While in corporeal form, a jinni must eat, breathe, and sleep, just like a human being, and killing the corporeal body destroys the jinni. A jinni knows this weakness and will change into its spirit form to avoid death.

The jinn presented here have the Variable Power Virtue and Restricted Power Flaw in conjunction with the pow-

The sun burns hot in the deserts, meaning that characters need to take precautions against heat and sunstroke. This includes covering their skin to avoid sunburn and carrying adequate supplies of water to stave off dehydration. The Deprivation check time for lack of water is reduced in the desert to 4 hours, while the sunlight does +1 non-combat damage if skin is left exposed (see ArM5, pages 180–181). Powerful magi can easily protect themselves from the heat and their thirst by using magic such as the Ward against Heat and Flames or Ritual magic to create water. However, some magi may lack these capabilities and there are also the companions, grogs, and pack animals to consider.

Another (usually natural) hazard is dry quicksands, which can swallow a man and his mount in seconds. If a character steps on one of these, he begins to sink immediately and is pulled under within two rounds. Death from suffocation follows if he is not rescued (again, see ArM5, pages 180–181). A character who is caught in an area of dry quicksand may make a Strength or Quickness stress roll against an Ease Factor of 9 in the first round to leap or pull himself free before he sinks a significant distance, with a botch indicating that his arms are trapped in the following round. Thereafter it is up to his companions to help him escape its clutches, though if his arms are free he may assist in the second round, reducing any further Ease Factors that he may have to roll against by 3. Thereafter he is pulled under and not be able to help.

er Donning the Corporeal Veil (Realms of Power: Magic, page 102). This links the power to the Shapeshifter Ability (taken as a Major Quality), allowing the jinni to manifest in a number of additional forms equal to the Ability score. The jinni doesn't need to roll to switch forms; it simply discards one form and manifests in the shape desired. Each form is considered part of the jinni's Essential Nature. The power isn't limited to just animal shapes. Jinn may choose variants such as an elemental form, a more regal (or more humble) version of their normal self, or even an inanimate object. The jinni can vary the size of its manifestation, from as large as its base size + Shapeshifter score, to as small as base size – twice Shapeshifter score. So, for example, an 'afrit with a Size of +1 and a score of 3 in Shapeshifter can appear as large as Size +4 or as small as Size –5.

The Restricted Power Flaw has the effect that, no matter what the alternate form, there is always some tell-tale sign of the jinni's true identity. Beast forms have certain distinct similarities and contribute features to other shapes. An elemental form may take the shape of the jinni or bear his likeness somehow. Even an alternate human form still exhibits a signature quirk or carries a trademark object. The jinni cannot lie about his identity, though he may introduce himself by any one of the different parts of his true name, use a recognized nickname, or spell the name backwards.