First Law

1
 3. Skills ............................................................... 22
Innhold Specialized skills ............................................ 22
Introduction .............................................................. 4
Skill synergy ................................................. 22
1.1. Basic game mechanics ....................................... 5
3.1. Skill Descriptions ......................................... 22
1.2. Actions ......................................................... 6
4. Talents, Resources and Flaws .............................. 33
Standard actions ............................................... 6
4.1. Talents ....................................................... 33
Extended actions .............................................. 6
4.2. Resources .................................................... 60
Opposed actions ................................................. 6
Ally ............................................................ 61
Reflexive actions ............................................... 7
Contacts ........................................................ 62
1.3. Style points .................................................... 7
Fame ............................................................ 62
Chance dice ...................................................... 8
Fencing School ............................................... 63
1.4. Experience...................................................... 8
Followers ....................................................... 71
2.1. Archetype .................................................... 10
Patron........................................................... 71
2.2. Motivation ................................................... 13
Rank ............................................................ 72
2.3. Attributes ................................................... 16
Refuge.......................................................... 73
Body ............................................................. 16
Status .......................................................... 74
Dexterity ....................................................... 16
Wealth .......................................................... 75
Strength ........................................................ 17
4.3. Flaws......................................................... 75
Charisma........................................................ 17
5. Combat and Hazards ........................................... 83
Intelligence..................................................... 17
5.1. Combat Overview .......................................... 83
2.4. Secondary attributes ....................................... 18
5.2. Combat Turns and Actions ........................... 83
Size .............................................................. 18
5.3. Combat Maneuvers ...................................... 85
Move ............................................................ 18
5.4. Attack ....................................................... 89
Perception ....................................................... 18
5.5. Defense ..................................................... 92
Defense ......................................................... 19
5.6. Move ........................................................ 95
Stun.............................................................. 19
Encumbrance .................................................. 95
Health ........................................................... 19
5.7. Damage ...................................................... 96
2.5. Skills ......................................................... 19
5.8. Mounted combat .......................................... 97
2.6. Talents and resources .................................... 20
5.9. Health ........................................................ 97
2.7. Flaws ......................................................... 20
5.10. Healing..................................................... 99
2.8. Finishing touches.......................................... 20
5.11. Social Dueling .......................................... 100
2.9. Permanent Style points ................................... 21
5.12. Environment ............................................ 101

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 Deprivation ................................................... 101 Animals ..................................................... 133
Disease........................................................ 102 New inventions ............................................ 133
Drowning & Suffocation.................................. 103 8. The Cycle of the Word....................................... 136
Exposure ..................................................... 103 History ........................................................... 136
Falling ........................................................ 103 The Union ................................................... 138
Fatigue........................................................ 104 *The Northlands .......................................... 140
Caustic Damage ............................................ 104 *Styria ........................................................ 142
Fire ............................................................ 104 *Gurkhul ..................................................... 144
Poisons and Drugs........................................ 105 8.3. Inhabitants of the Circle of the World ........... 145
Attacking Objects ........................................ 107 Friends and Foes ........................................ 145
6. The Gifts of Euz ............................................. 108 Followers ..................................................... 151
6.1. The High Art ........................................... 109 *Animals .................................................... 152
Magickal Energy ......................................... 109 Unnatural.................................................... 155
Channeling Extra Magickal Energy ................ 110 Index ................................................................. 159
6.2. Disciplines of the Art ................................ 110
6.3. Casting Rituals.......................................... 112
Spell Modifiers ........................................... 113
Formulating Rituals ...................................... 114
Examples of Magick Use .............................. 117
6.5. Spirit talkers ............................................. 119
7. Gear................................................................ 121
7.1. Money ................................................ 121
7.2. Weapons .................................................... 121
*Melee Weapons............................................ 121
*Ranged Weapons .......................................... 124
7.3. General Equipment ...................................... 125
*Armor ....................................................... 126
Clothing ....................................................... 127
Outdoor & Survival Gear ................................ 128
Tools & Kits ................................................ 130
Miscellaneous Equipment ............................... 131
Common Services ........................................... 131
Transportation............................................... 132

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Introduction
First law is set in the Circle of the World created
by Joe Abercrombie. The genre could be best
described as Fantasy Noir. Although there are
heroic actions and sometimes acts, there are no
real heroes. There are those who try their best
against a harsh and careless world, but even the
best intentions often do the worst harm.

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1. Game mechanics
For playing All for One you will need a couple of
six-sided dice (d6) of any type (d6 are used for
random tables within this book), character sheets
and pencils. Additionally, you will need a copy of
Hollow Earth Expeditions.
As mentioned above, each action may achieve
different degrees of success/failure. Subtract the
difficulty from the rolled successes and compare
to the table below. The GM determines what
each degree of success actually means:

1.1. Basic game mechanics Successes vs. Degree

Difficulty
Dice pool +5 or more Amazing Success
Whenever the GM requests a test, dice are roll. +4 Exceptional Success
The number of dice is called dice pool. Its size
+3 Major Success
depends on the test type. For an Attribute test
the dice pool is the relevant attribute level +/- +2 Complete Success
modifier. The dice pool for a Skill test is equal to
the sum of skill level, attribute level and specialty
+1 Simple Success
+/- modifier. 0 Minor Success
After rolling the dice, each die showing a result of -1 Simple Failure
4 or more is counted a success.
-2 Complete Failure
Difficulty -3 Pitiful Failure
Some tasks are more difficult than others. The -4 Dreadful Failure
GM may set a difficulty rating according to the
task (see table below. This rating is the minimum -5 Abysmal Failure
number of successes necessary to perform the Critical Failure
task. Every success over this number represents a
greater degree of success. If you fail to roll any success at all, the test results
in a critical failure. Depending on the task, this
Difficulty table Rating may be embarrassing or outright dangerous. In
general, the higher the task’s difficulty, the worse
Easy 1 the blunder.
Average 2
Modifiers
Tough 3
There are many things that may help or hinder
Hard 4
performing a task. Exceptional tools may make a
Very Hard 5 test easier as make-shift tools make it more
difficult.
Nigh Impossible 6+
Another factor that may influence the outcome
Degree of success/failure of a test is time. Hasten a job usually makes it

5
more difficult, while taking good time may
increase the quality of the result. See the
1.2. Actions
following table for examples:
There are four basic action types, some take
Modifier Example Dice more time than others, some take no time at all,
and some pit two or more characters against
Pool
each other.
Superior A team of highly trained +8
bonus assistants. Standard actions
Base time x 10 These are straight forward actions like jumping
across a chasm or picking a lock. Any action that
Major Bonus Base time x 5 +4 can be resolved by a single die roll, is considered
Moderate Good tools +2 a standard action. Roll your appropriate dice pool
against the set difficulty to determine the
bonus Base time x 2 outcome of a standard action.
Minor bonus Some practise +1
Extended actions
No modifier Normal conditions 0
Some tasks are more complex, requiring time to
Minor Penalty Obscure vision -1 complete, such as building a lumber hut or
Moderate Improvised tools -2 repairing a stage coach. In such cases the GM sets
a cumulative amount of successes required for
Penalty completion of the task, usually something
between 5 and 10, as well as the time elapsing
Major Penalty Crippling wound -4
between each roll. Just like standard tasks,
Twice as fast extended tasks have difficulties; only successes
exceeding the difficulty are added to the required
Severe Penalty Pitiful Failure -8 total. Extended actions are a good dramatic tool
Three times as fast when characters have limited time to prepare for
a coming event.
Taking the Average
As each die in the pool will have 50/50 chance of Opposed actions
succeeding, the average number of successes is
halve the rolled dice in the pool. If this number is In this case, two or more characters compete
equal to the difficulty set by the GM, no die roll is against each other. The degree of success is
needed. determined by comparing the individual success,
counting the exceeding successes of the winner.
If the dice pool has an odd number, you take A tie means neither part has a success, in combat
halve the value, rounded down, but write a + this would be a near miss.
behind the average number. This means that you
roll just one die, adding a success to the average. In case where two or more characters race
towards a goal, the GM sets required number of
successes as in an extended test. The character
achieving the necessary successes first, wins.

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Reflexive actions
Some actions require almost no time or happen
automatically. Examples would be resisting a
poison or instinctive actions. Reflexive actions
area variant of opposed actions, ties go to the
defender.
1.3. Style points
The player characters are the heroes of your
story. And as in fiction, heroes often are lucky,
escaping tight situations or perform over the top.
Style points are used to represent that heroic
extra. They can be used to boost skill or talents or
to reduce damage.
At the end of each adventure, all Style points are
lost. The character begins the next adventure
with Style points equal to his Permanent Style
point total (see Style points in Character
creation). At the start of each session, a player
may also earn Temporary points for real-world
actions like hosting the game (see below). There
is no advantage to hoarding Style points.
Earning temporary style points
The Gamemaster may award Style points as he
sees fit; however, Style points are normally
earned through roleplaying and other activities
that generally benefit the game. Style points not
used during an adventure are lost. You may earn
Style points during play for a variety of different
reasons:
* Pursuing your character’s Motivation: 1 pt.
* Succumbing to your character’s Flaw: 1 pt.
* Heroic actions (Cool Tricks, daring stunts, brave
acts, etc.): 1 pt.
* Character (Roleplaying, humor, etc.): 1 pt.
* Out of Character (Game report, diary, etc.): 1–3
pts. These points are earned at the start of the
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session the game report, diary, or whatever is
handed to the GM .
* Miscellaneous (Hosting the game, bringing
treats, etc.): 1 pt.
There is no limit to the number of Style points
you can earn during play; however, to keep it
from getting out of hand, the Gamemasters may
limit you to earning five Style points per game
session.
Earning or losing style points during
game play
The amount of Style points a character begins
each adventure with can change, though it
requires something special from the character. A
truly honorable, brave, or notable act can earn
the character a Permanent Style point. The most
he can ever begin an adventure with is five
points, however.
To earn a point of Permanent Style, the
character’s action must be witnessed by a large
number of people (typically 10 or more). It must
also be an exceptional action or one which
involves serious risk to the character. For
instance, saving the life of the King from an
assassin at a ball is an exceptional and
noteworthy deed. Helping an old lady carry her
shopping, while undoubtedly a good deed, isn’t
worth a Permanent Style point.
Similarly, any deed must involve a very serious
risk of injury or death. Leaping in front of a blade
meant for a friend is brave, but not if the player
knows the blow likely won’t hurt the character
due to a high Defense rating. Leaping in front of a
cannonball doing 14L damage, however, is a very
risky action, and deserves rewarding. Likewise,
running into a burning building to rescue a
comrade when you know the building is stacked
with barrels of gunpowder which could explode may gain up to 10 dice than way. It is not allowed
at any moment is exceptionally brave. to take the Average when using chance dice.

Conversely, public acts of cowardice or

committing a dishonorable or treacherous act
1.4. Experience
causes the character to lose a Permanent Style
After game session or after completing an
point, thus reducing the number of Permanent
adventure the GM may reward experience which
Style points with which he starts each adventure.
can be used to improve your character’s abilities.
A character can never have fewer than one
Resources are usually gained or lost through role-
Permanent Style point.
play.
The GM is the final arbiter on whether a deed
earns or loses a character a Permanent Style Earning Experience points
point.
The GM should be careful when awarding
Spending Style points experience points. The balance of the game may
tip, if the characters improve too fast. Slow
Style points can be spent for a variety of benefits: improvement on the other hand is somewhat
frustrating for the players.
• Bonus dice: You receive 1 additional die for
A good rule of the thumb is an average of 3
each Style point spent for one particular
experience points per game session, rewarding
die roll.
solved key points of the adventure. Remember;
be generous with Style points and cautions with
• Boosting talents: For every 2 Style points experience!
spent you can improve a talent by one
level. This improvement lasts for an
entire scene such as a combat scene. You
must have the talent to boost it! Spending Experience points
Experience reflects what the characters have
• Damage reduction: You may spend 2 Style
learned during their adventures or represents
points to reduce damage taken by 1
training during off–time. Experience may be
point.
spent the following ways:

Chance dice • Improve trait: costs new attribute level x

5 points (unmodified maximum 5)
Sometimes you may run out of Style dice but
desperately need to improve the odds. In that • Improve skill: costs new skill level x 2
case you may as the GM for chance dice. You can points
do this any time, not only when out of Style
points. • Buy new skill: 2 point

For each 2 bonus dice the GM allows you, the • Buy first level of zero-level skill: 1 point
difficulty rating for the task you want to use the
• Buy/improve specialization: costs 3
chance dice for, is increased by one. That way
points (maximum 5)
you take a bigger risk in order to succeed. You
• Buy/improve talent: costs 15 points

8
• Buy/improve resource: costs 15 points
and requires GM permission.

• Buy Zero-level resource: costs 7 points

• Improve zero-level resource to level 1:

costs 8 points

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 • Buy/improve specialization: costs 3
2. Character creation points

Player characters are the heroes of your story. • Buy/improve talent: costs 15 points
The following chapter let you create a hero for
• Buy/improve resource: costs 15 points
your game. The character creation is divided into
and requires GM permission.
7 steps:

1. Choose Archetype 2.1. Archetype

2. Choose Motivation The Archetype represents the role of the hero
and is used as a guide for character creation and
3. Use 220 Experience point to buy and role play.
increase Attributes, Skills and Talents.
Attributes start at level 1; you may not
use more than 120 Experience points on
attributes. Otherwise, you may distribute
your Experience points as you wish.
The experience point costs are listed
below.
Attribute and skill maximum for character
generation is 5.
Any remaining experience points are
noted on the character sheet and can be
used later.
Academic
4. Calculate secondary attributes.
The majority of the population in the cycle of the
world is uneducated, academics are a rarity. They
5. Choose a flaw.
may be part-time students or university magisters
(professors) who spend their time researching or
6. Finishing touches.
teaching a particular subject matter (e.g., history,
philosophy, or linguistics). Not all Academics are
7. Permanent Style points at game start.
confined to the library. Many of them thrive and
even excel in the field. Notable universities are
Experience costs
found in Adua, Dagoska, most cities of Styria and
• Improve trait: costs new attribute level x Gurkuhl.
5 points Examples: Scholar, Lawyer, Scribe, Natural
scientist
• Improve skill: costs new skill level x 2
points Adventurer
• Buy new skill: 2 point Adventurers are always on the move in an
endless quest for danger and excitement. They
• Buy first level of zero-level skill: 1 point
are typically well traveled and often have a useful
skill, such as survival training or skill with a blade.

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They are experienced at getting into and out of
tight spots and can fight when the situation calls
for it. Adventurers are fiercely independent and
tend to do things for their own reasons.
Examples: Explorer, Prospector, Soldier of
fortune
Barbarian
Although the Union despises Northlanders as
Barbarians, most Northerners do not fall under
this label. Beyond the Crinna, there are wild
people who do wander the mountains and hunt
for game. They have little knowledge of smith
craft and metallurgy, using stolen blades or stone
tools. The Kantic desert tribes, although a little
more cultivated than the northern tribes, can also
be called barbarians. There are also the pale, red-
haired Ghosts of the Far country who roam this
wilderness west of Starikland.
Examples: Crinna Barbarian, Tribal warrior, Ghost
Criminal
Criminals have broken the law or been framed for
a crime, and are usually on the run from the
authorities. They are seen as untrustworthy and
unless they’re trying to go straight, they will try
to keep their past a secret. Criminals bring many
useful things to a group of adventures, including
money and connections, but may be a liability if
their crimes follow them.
Examples: Convict, Highwayman, Outlaw
Doctor
Doctors are highly educated medical
professionals who bandage wounds, treat
diseases, and dispense medicine. A skilled doctor
along can make the difference between life and
death when operating away from the amities of
civilization. Unfortunately, many who call
themselves doctors are little more than quacks
and charlatans.
Examples: Midwife, Physician, Military surgeon
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Everyman
Not every person is a hero born. Most people
want just to get by. But circumstances and fate
might change the path of an average man. War,
plague or other troubles may force a man make
unusual decisions. Great heroes and notorious
villains began as farmer’s sons or daughters.
Examples: Farmer, Merchant, Craftsman
Guardian
Guardians are devoted protectors of persons,
places, or objects. They might be protective for
reasons of greed, ideological conviction, or
unexamined subconscious need, but all
Guardians share the will to supplant their
immediate desires with constant preparation
and eternal vigilance. Whether the threat is
physical, political, or otherwise, Guardians train
their minds and bodies for the moment of
crisis, passing their free time contemplating
every scenario that might present a threat to
what they hold dear.
Guardians who have lost their charge sometimes
feel that they owe their own lives as penance, but
most will seek redemption by attaching
themselves to something or someone else in
need of protection.
Examples: Bodyguard, City watch, Temple guard
Hunter
Hunters are expert scouts and trackers. While
initially trained in hunting animals for food
and/or sport, their skills make them very useful
scouts. They are often deadly with ranged
weapons, but they may seek to challenge
themselves by using less effective weapons.
Examples: Poacher, Royal huntsman, Scout
Judiciar
The judiciary is a representative of the law. In the
country side, the role of solving crimes are left to
the constabulary, which consists of little more
than thugs. There are exceptions of cause, but
mostly the constable catches the obvious culprit
and delivers him to the court house. The
delinquents caught by the constabulary or city
watch must then stand trial presided over by a
judge. If caught red-handed a constable far from
the next court house might skip the trial and hang
the offender at once. The most feared maintainer
of the law in the Union is the Inquisition, which
has almost unlimited executive power, even
nobles get nervous when an Inquisitor is nearby.
The Inquisition’s main task is to find and
eliminate enemies of the Crown, by any means
necessary. This includes torture, black mail, and
intimidation to name the more pleasant ones.
Examples: Constable, Inquisitor, Judge
Luminary
Luminaries are famous for their talent, their
looks, their wealth, or for performing an amazing
or outrageous action. Some Luminaries have tired
of the spotlight, travel to get away from the
pressures of life, while others see adventures as a
way to further their quest for fame. These
individuals will go to any lengths to either find
inspiration or simply to get away from it all.
Examples: Artisan celebrity, Hero of the People,
Master craftsman
Noble
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Nobles are those with titles, wealth, and land, or
those who aspire to such things. Military service
is a fitting way for a younger son to spend his
time, and in a unit such as the King’s Own
Regiment one may actually win great favor with
the King. Nobles can be arrogant and pompous by
nature, a result of their being elevated above the
unwashed masses, but their experiences outside
their pampered home might also open their eyes
to the suffering that wracks may places in the
Cycle of the World.
Examples: Aristocrat, Courtier, Disgraced noble,
Poor gentry
Magus
Magi are fascinated by the arcane and unknown
in the world. They have an ear for strange rumors
and they live to investigate mysteries. They have
unique philosophical and religious views that can
make them seem unbalanced or insane. Some
magi are little more than academics, but others
know how to invoke spells. Magick is, however is
tricky and difficult to learn, taking a lifetime to
master.
Example: Student of the Art, Occultist,
Wandering Scholar
Outcast
Outcasts are rejected, scorned, and shunned by
their people. Some chose this path as a sacrifice
for their ideals or their loved ones, but most have
the role of Outcast thrust upon them as the result
of a crime, a plague, or a lowly birth. Many live
on the outskirts of the society that rejects them,
but more were ejected from their homes and
doomed to wander—forever seeking a place to
settle but never fitting in anywhere. Although the
stigma is often unpleasant, many come to value
their position, finding it liberating to be free of
the societal expectations that most cultures place
upon their members.
Examples: Ex-Slave, Northern Marauder,
Stariklander Rebel
Soldier
Soldiers are professional warriors trained to fight
in a variety of environments and situations. They
may be cavalrymen, archers, infantrymen, or
artillerists, city watch, regular army or
mercenaries. Most soldiers tend to think that any
problem can be solved with the judicious use of
force.
Examples: Snobbish officer, Grizzled Sergeant,
Mercenary
being outlawed.
Examples: Refugee of War, Near Country farmer
Swordsman
While many men are trained to use a blade, the
swordsman is a master. Some swordsmen are
duelists, specialists in one-on-one fighting. Others
may be masters of Florentine or experts in
fending off multiple foes. They may also be hired
blades—hire a swordsman to insult someone you
want removed, force a duel, and then kill the
victim. Swordsmen may be gruff killers or
dashing, carefree heroes.
Examples: Blade-for-hire, Braggadocio, Duelist

Spy
Spies are secret agents charged with discovering
(and possibly thwarting) the plans of their
enemies. Everyone has spies—the King and
Queen, the Gurkish, nobles, and secret societies.
Some agents may even play one group against
another for their own personal gain. Spies are
masters of deception and subterfuge, capable of
lurking undetected in the shadows, or working in 2.2. Motivation
the open, using an alias. They have a variety of
tools at their disposal including seduction, This is the major motivation of the character and
sabotage, and assassination, and will do the main reason for adventuring. The GM should
whatever it takes to get the job done. encourage role-playing motivation and reward it
Examples: Foreign agent, Intelligence officer, with style points.
Snitch
Duty
Survivor
The character has a strong sense of duty; keeping
Survivors have escaped some kind of disaster or his word and follow his responsibilities.
personal catastrophe. They may be victims of a
You earn Style points when your character acts
famine or plague, or they may be fleeing
according to his obligation or convinces someone
religious, ethnic persecution or the threads of

13
to do so.
Typical for: Soldiers, Guardians

Escape
The character runs from his past, a memory or
the law. He tries to avoid it by any means.

You earn Style points when your character

escapes from danger or helps someone run from
their past.
Typical for: Outcast, Survivor

Faith
The character is a true believer. He is devoted to
a higher power or motivated by strong beliefs or
principles like the Old Ways.

You earn style points whenever his beliefs are

supported or you convert someone to your
beliefs.
Typical for: Guardian, Judiciary

Fame Honour
The character wants to be famous. His actions are Our character keeps always his word and never
flashy and public. lies. He will not tolerate being slandered or
ridiculed and will go great lengths to safeguard
You earn Style points whenever your character
his good reputation.
does something noteworthy or increases his
reputation. Your character earns Style points whenever he
Typical for: Luminary, Swordsman protects his honour or inspires someone to act
honourably.
Greed Typical for: Noble, Soldier

Money makes the world go round, and your

character. The character is looking for the easy
buck or dreaming of the next big score.
You earn Style points whenever your character
makes a lot of money or gets something really
valuable.
Typical for: Criminal, Noble
Hope
Your character is over-optimistic and believes
that everything will work out just fine. He always
tries to see the best in people and often make
excuses for others.
Your character earns Style points whenever his
optimism is justified or he convinces somebody
not to give up.
Typical for: Survivor, Outcast

14
Justice given up hope of setting things right, anyhow,
and he will do anything to achieve redemption.
Your character has a strong sense for what is
Your character earns Style points whenever rights
right and wrong. He will take measures to ensure
a wrong or convinces someone to seek
the law, and protect those not capable of
forgiveness for what they have done.
protecting themselves.
Typical for: Criminal, Outcast
Your character earns Style points whenever he
rights a wrong or convinces someone to do the Revenge
right thing.
Typical for: Guardian, Judiciary Your character has been wronged and wants to
see the felons punished. He might want vigilante
Love justice or a proper trial. Maybe he even extends
his thirst for revenge on other wrong-doers.
Your character will do anything for love.
Your character earns Style points whenever he
Answered or not, the character tries to impress
settles a score or encourages someone to take
or support his loved by any means
revenge.
You earn a Style point whenever your character Typical for: Criminal, Outcast
does something romantic or persuades someone
to follow his heart. Survival
Typical for: Adventurer Everyman
You character simply wants to stay alive. And he
Preservation would go far…. But maybe he extends this
motivation to others, too.
Your character wants to preserve a threatened
Your character earns Style points whenever he
way of life or simply maintain the status quo.
defies death or saves someone’s life.
Northerners defend their way of life fiercely, just
Typical for: Everyman, Survivior
like many nobles want to keep things just as they
were.
Truth
Typical for: Barbarian, Guardian
Your character is obsessed with knowledge,
Power discovery and truth. Mysteries and riddles are
there to be solved.
Your character wants power, controlling others,
overcoming his enemies act as he wishes. He will You character earns a Style points whenever he
scheme or fight for it by any means makes a discovery or finds out a secret.
Typical for: Academic, Magus
You earn Style points whenever your character
acts selfish or persuades someone to use their
power for personal gain.
Typical for: Noble, Spy

Redemption
Your character has done something terrible or
tragic and cannot forgive himself. He has not

15
 4 Great 8–9
5 Excellent 10 – 12
6 or more Amazing 13 or more
Body
The constitution and toughness of your character.

Resistance

Dice Pool: Body x 2

Type: Reflexive Action

Make a Body roll when your character is

poisoned or exposed to a contagious disease. The
Difficulty of the roll depends on the potency of
the toxin or disease. Failing the roll means that
Wisdom
your character is poisoned, or has contracted the
Your character is searching for the answers to a illness and will suffer its effects.
dilemma or simply ties to understand the
Disease / Toxin Difficulty
universe. To gain this wisdom he studies at the
feet of a master or travels the world. Mild food poisoning 1
Common cold 2
You earn 1 Style point when you gain insight into
the mysteries of life of help someone else to do Malaria 3
so. Snake venom 4
Cyanide 5
2.3. Attributes
Attributes defines the base abilities of your Dexterity
character. Each primary attribute the first 1 level
but no more than 5 levels (Talents and size may The character’s coordination and agility.
change these limits.) A description of the ratings
is given in the table below. Balance

Attribute Ability Secondary Dice Pool: Dexterity x 2*

rating
0 Abysmal
1 Poor
2 Average
3 Good
attribute rating
Type: Reflexive Action
0–1
Make a Dexterity roll when your character is in
2–3 danger of losing his balance. The number of
successes you roll must equal or exceed the
4–5 Difficulty of the task being attempted in order for
6–7 your character to keep his footing. Failing to roll

16
enough successes means that your character
loses his balance and falls (see Falling).
Balance Difficulty
Walking uneven ground
Walking across a log
Hopping from stone to stone
Walking along a narrow ledge
Walking a tight rope
* Characters with the Athletics or Acrobatics Skill
may substitute either Skill rating for this roll.
Strength
The character’s vigor and muscular power. It
determines how much damage the character
deals in close combat and how much weight he
can carry.
Feats of strength
Dice Pool: Strength x 2*
Charisma describes the natural charm and to
some degree appearance of your character. It
also represents your ability to befriend animals.
1 Influence
2
Dice Pool: Charisma x 2*
3
Type: Standard Action
4
5 Make a Charisma roll whenever your character
tries to influence a non-player character (NPC).
The Difficulty of the task is equal to the NPC’s
Willpower rating. Allies loyal to you are easier to
sway, so you receive a +2 bonus to your Charisma
roll. Conversely, sworn enemies are harder to
influence, so you suffer a –2 penalty to your
Charisma roll. The Gamemaster determines the
NPC’s initial attitude toward your character, and
each success rolled in excess of their Willpower
rating improves their attitude by one step. Failing
to roll enough successes degrades the NPC’s
opinion of your character by one step for each
success fewer than the required number.

Type: Standard Action Influence is not used for Etiquette, Seduction,

Negotiation or Leadership, for that you need the
Make a Strength roll when your character
appropriate skill.
attempts to pick up an item. The Difficulty of the
task depends upon the weight of the object. Attitudes range from Loyal (+2 bonus) over
Failing to roll enough successes means that your Helpful, Friendly, Neutral, Unfriendly, Hostile to
character did not pick up the item, or only Enemy (–2 penalty).
partially lifted it.
* Characters with the Diplomacy Skill may
Weight Difficulty substitute that Skill rating for this roll.
50 lbs 1
Intelligence
100 lbs 2
250 lbs 3 This attribute reflects the character’s ability to
analyse and remember.
500 lbs 4
750 lbs 5 Reason
* Characters with the Athletics Skill may
substitute that Skill rating for this roll. Dice Pool: Intelligence x 2*

Charisma Type: Reflexive Action

17
Make an Intelligence roll when your character
tries to make sense of a piece of information or
2.4. Secondary attributes
understand the reasons behind a series of events.
Secondary attributes are calculated from primary
The Difficulty of the roll depends on the
attributes. Some talents may affect secondary
complexity of the information or situation. Failing
attributes as well (see below for talents).
this roll means that your character is unable to
figure it out, or only figures out part of what is
going on.
Size

Reason Difficulty Most characters have a size of 0. Some Talents

may increase or decrease size by 1. For each
Clear directions 1 point of size over 0 modify Health by +1 and
Complex instructions 2 Active Defence by -1.
Bizarre situations 3 For each point of size under 0 modify Health by -1
Esoteric information 4 and Active Defence by +1.

Arcane mysteries 5 Typical sizes: Elephant +2; Bear, Horse +1; Human
* Characters with Investigation or an appropriate 0; Dog -1; Jackrabbit -2; Rat; -3; Insect -4.
knowledge skill may substitute that Skill rating for
this roll. Move
Willpower Move represents how fast your character can
move in combat and while walking or running.
Willpower represents the resolve and courage of
your character. Move = Strength + Dexterity

Courage The Athletics skill may replace the Move rating.

Dice Pool: Willpower x 2 For each point of Move the character can move 2
yards, Swim, Jump or Climb 1 yard in one turn, or
Type: Reflexive Action walk ½ mile or run 1 mile per hour.
Make a Willpower roll whenever your character is
in a life-threatening situation. The Difficulty of
Perception
the roll depends on how threatening the situation
The ability to notice and observe the
is. Failing this roll means that your character is
surroundings. Degrees of success grant more
shaken and will try to remove himself from the
information.
situation as soon as possible.

Courage Difficulty Perception = Intelligence + Willpower

Facing danger 1
Initiative
Being hurt or wounded 2
Being maimed or disfigured 3 This attribute represent how quickly your
character responds to danger. It determines
Facing certain death 4 when he acts during a combat round.
Facing slow, agonizing death 5

18
Initiative = Dexterity + Intelligence
Defense
Defense represents your character’s toughness
and ability to avoid attacks. An attacker must roll
more successes than your character’s Defense
rating to hurt him. See chapter combat for more
information about attacks, defense and damage.
Defense = Active defense + Passive defense
Active defense = Dexterity rating – Size
Passive defense = Body rating
Sometimes, your character will only get to use his
Active or Passive defense. Passive defence is used
when the character is unable to avoid an attack.
Active defense applies in cases when the
character wants to avoid being touched or similar
circumstances.
Any Defences can never be below 0
Stun
Stun represents the ability to shrug of damage
and keep fighting. If your character takes more
damage than his Stun rating in a single blow, he is
stunned and loses his next action. Damage higher
than twice the Stun rating results in a knock-out
for a number of minutes equal to the excess
damage the character took.
Stun = Body rating
Health
Health represents the character’s vitality and
capacity to take damage. This covers both lethal
and non-lethal damage. Your character can suffer
damage equal to his Health rating without ill
effects. If it falls below 0, he drops unconscious. If
Health is lowered to -5 the character dies.
19
Health = Body + Willpower + Size
Small creatures may have a negative Health. In
this case, first after damage taken, the Health
level has any effect.
2.5. Skills
Skills represent your character’s training and
education. The skill rating or skill total is the
number of dice, you may roll to attempt a skill
test, adding or subtracting any modifiers. The skill
rating is the sum of skill level and attribute level.
Your character may not have a higher skill level
than 5 at character creation.
You may also buy specializations (see below). You
cannot have more than 1 level specialization per
skill at character creation.
Zero-level skills do not applying the -2 modifier
for untrained skill. The following list shows Zero-
level skills for different cultural backgrounds, you
may pick one package fitting to your character.
This must not necessarily correlate with your
archetype of status. Noble upbringing for
example could mean that you grew up in a noble
household, as the son of the butler. A peasant’s
son might has come to the city to be Adua’s most
renown gambler!
Northerner: Athletics, Brawl, Survival, Stealth
Rural: Athletics, Brawl, Survival, Ride
City: Athletics, Brawl, Diplomacy, Streetwise,
Noble: Athletics, Diplomacy, Bureaucracy, Ride,
Gurkish: Athletics, Brawl, Ride, Survival
The following list gives an overview over skills in
First Law. The relevant attribute is given in
parentheses. Skills marked with ● are specialized
skills which must have a focus. Each focus is a
single skill; suggestions are given following the
attribute.k
For a complete description of skills see chapter 3.
Melee (Strength)

Academics ● (Intelligence): History, Law, Literature, Occult, Natural Philosophy ● (Intelligence): Biology, Chymistry,

Philosophy, Religion Engineering, Geology, Physics

Acrobatics (Dexterity) Performance (Charisma)

Animal Handling (Charisma) Ride (Dexterity)

Archery (Dexterity) Seamanship (Intelligence)

Art ● (Intelligence): Music, Painting, Sculpture, Writing Spying (Intelligence)

Artillery (Intelligence) Stealth (Dexterity)

Athletics (Strength) Streetwise (Charisma)

Brawl (Strength) Survival (Intelligence)

Bureaucracy (Intelligence) Warfare (Intelligence)

Con (Charisma) 2.6. Talents and resources

Craft ● (Intelligence): Blacksmithing, Carpentry, Masonry,
Talents represent your character’s aptitudes and
Medicines, Weaponsmithing special abilities. Resources represent friends,
riches, influence and special equipment. You may
Diplomacy (Charisma)
choose one talent or one resource at character
Empathy (Intelligence) creation. See chapter 4 Talents, resources and
flaws for more details.
Fencing ● (Strength):
Firearms (Dexterity) 2.7. Flaws
Gambling (Intelligence)
Flaws are physical, mental or social drawbacks,
Intimidation (Charisma) which hinder your character in some way. A
character may choose 1 Flaw at character
Investigation (Intelligence)
creation, but – with GM permission may take
Larceny (Dexterity) additional flaws. For each flaw you choose during
character generation, you gain 1 Style point.
Linguistics (Intelligence)
Additionally, role-playing flaws may grant you
Magick ● (Willpower) (Requires Magickal Aptitude Talent) more Style points during play, if the flaw causes
problems for your character. See chapter 4
Aeromancy, Benignus, Cryomancy, Enchantment,
Talents, Resources and Flaws for more
Faunamancy, Floramancy, Geomancy, Herbalism, information.

Homomancy, Hydromancy, Pyromancy, Transmutation,

2.8. Finishing touches
Transportation
Find a name and fill in details about your
Medicine (Intelligence)
character, how he looks and so on.

20
The GM may give some equipment according to
skills and character background or you just get
some money to buy starting equipment. A proper
sum would be 60 + 2d6 Marks of Silver plus
money granted through the Wealth resource.
Assume one set of clothing according to the
character’s station for free.

Remember to add the weight of the gear your

character as on his person. You should add the
weight of the normal gear the character is
wearing in a combat, armor, all melee and ranged
weapons, ammunition and shields, to determine
encumbrance in combat (see 5.6. Movement).
Only gear listed can be used in combat. Outside
combat, the character might transport some of
his weapons on a horse.

2.9. Permanent Style points

You start every adventure with your permanent
style points. Each character has 1 style point plus
1 per flaw taken. A good written character
background grants another 1-2 permanent Style
points. Giving the GM a plot hook he can exploit
(e.g. a rival or dependent) should be reward with
an additional Style point per plot hook. A
character may never have more than 5
permanent style points.

21
 There some common skills most people of a
3. Skills certain background have at least some
Skills represent your character’s training and knowledge of. Treat these skills as level-0 skill if
education. you have not purchased further levels, not
applying the -2 modifier for untrained skill. The
Each skill has an attribute it is based upon. For following list shows Zero-level skills for different
determine the skill rating add the base attribute cultural backgrounds, you may pick one package
level and the skill level. This is your dice pool fitting to your character.
when using the skill.
Northerner: Athletics, Brawl, Survival, Stealth
Skill rating Ability
Rural: Athletics, Brawl, Survival, Ride
0–1 Abysmal
City: Athletics, Brawl, Diplomacy, Streetwise,
2–3 Poor
Noble: Athletics, Diplomacy, Bureaucracy, Ride,
4–5 Average
Gurkish: Athletics, Brawl, Ride, Survival
6–7 Good
8–9 Great
Specialized skills
10 – 11 Excellent Some skills are so broad that they require
focusing on one area. For skills like Academics or
12 or more Amazing Arts you must choose a discipline, like History,
Skill specializations Law, Music or Painting, with is treated as a
separate skill. Specialized skills cannot be used
A specialization represents a specific aspect of a untrained.
skill your character is particularly good at. Maybe
he is a crack shoot with a rifle or poker genius. Skill synergy
Whenever a specialization applies to a test you
add the specialization level to your pool. Whenever your character has more than one skill
applicable to a given situation, you receive bonus
A specialization may never be higher than its skill. dice to the test roll. Use the highest skill rating,
The maximum value for a specialization is 5. but add +2 for each applicable skill with a rating
of 4 or more (max 10 bonus dice).
Untrained skill rolls
If you do not have any levels in a skill but want to 3.1. Skill Descriptions
use it anyway, you may roll the appropriate Academics
attribute rating -2 plus any modifiers. If that
lowers your dice til 0, you automatically fail the Specialized Skill
test. Some skill simply cannot be used by an
untrained person; the GM decides what is Base Attribute: Intelligence
possible.
Academics represent general knowledge of the
Zero-level skills humanities and liberal arts, acquired through
formal education or intensive self-study. Your
character has spent time studying a particular

22
subject (such as history, philosophy, or religion)
and can discuss this topic at length.
Your character must focus on a specific Discipline:
* History: The study of human history from pre-
historic to modern times
* Law: The study of law and the understanding of
various legal practices
* Literature: The study of literature, and
familiarity with writers and their works
* Philosophy: The study of logic, thought and the
meaning of life
* Religion: The study of theology, and familiarity
with various religious beliefs
Acrobatics
Base Attribute: Dexterity
Acrobatics represents experience and training in
performing highly demanding physical feats such
as contortion, juggling, and tumbling. This skill is
often performed before an audience but has
more practical uses as well, such as balancing on
a narrow ledge or breaking a fall.
Characters with this Skill may substitute their
Acrobatics rating for Dexterity rolls.
Your character may specialize in the following
activities:
* Balance: The ability to keep balance in risky and
dangerous situations
* Breakfall: The ability to break a fall and take less
damage
* Contortion: Your character’s ability to contort
his body into unusual shapes
* Juggling: The ability to juggle multiple objects
simultaneously
* Tumbling: The ability to roll, flip, and jump with
grace and style
Animal Handling
23
Base Attribute: Charisma
Animal Handling represents the ability to train
and care for animals. This covers befriending or
domesticating an animal, working with it, and
teaching it basic commands. Not all animals are
capable of learning tricks, and wild animals are
unlikely to obey commands until your character
has earned their trust.
Your character may specialize in the following
animals:
* Cats: The ability to work with cats, tigers, and
other large felines
* Dogs: The ability to work with dogs, wolves, and
other canines
* Horses: The ability to work with horses, mules,
and donkeys
* Birds: The ability to work with carrier pigeons,
falcons, and other birds
* Rodents: The ability to work with mice, rats,
and other rodents
Archery
Base Attribute: Dexterity
Archery represents proficiency with ranged
weapons, including bows, flatbows and slings. It
also covers the use of more exotic weapons
found among the world’s more savage tribesmen,
such as blowguns, nets, and bolas.
Your character may specialize in the following
weapons:
* Bows: Proficiency with short bows, longbows,
and various arrows types
* Flatbows: Proficiency with different flatbows
and bolt types
* Nets: Proficiency with nets and other ranged
entanglement weapons
* Slings: Proficiency with slings and various
projectile types
Art
Specialized Skill
Base Attribute: Intelligence
Art represents experience and training in a
specific art form. It covers a wide range of artistic
disciplines such as painting, sculpting, and
writing. Characters with this Skill are able to
create, design, or critique art within their chosen
field.
Your character must focus on a specific Discipline:
* Music: The ability to write and compose songs
and musical scores
* Painting: The ability to draw, illustrate, and
paint images
* Sculpture: The ability to carve and sculpt both
busts and statues
* Writing: The ability to write poetry, novels, and
short stories Improved healing ability
Artillery
Base Attribute: Intelligence
Artillery represents skill and accuracy with
emplaced and siege weapons. It covers artillery,
bombs, cannons, and older weapons such as
catapults and ballistas. Characters with this Skill
are able to destroy enemies with various types of
heavy weapons.
Your character may specialize in the following
weapons:
* Ballista: Skill in the logistics and firing of
ballistas
*Catapults: Skill in the logistics and firing of
catapults
* Falcon: Skill in the logistics and firing of falcons
* Culverin: Skill in the logistics and firing of
culverins
* Great Culverin: Skill in the logistics and firing of
great culverins
* Cannon: Skill in the logistics and firing of
cannons
Athletics
Base Attribute: Strength
24
Athletics represents a talent for performing
common physical activities such as running,
jumping, and swimming. It also covers climbing
and throwing—including throwing weapons in
combat. Characters with this Skill may substitute
their Athletics rating for their Move rating,
Strength rolls, and Dexterity rolls.
Your character may specialize in the following
abilities:
* Climbing: The ability to scale trees, walls, and
other obstacles
* Jumping: The ability to leap horizontally or
vertically into the air
* Running: The ability to run over short and long
distances
* Swimming: The ability to swim across rivers,
lakes, and other bodies of water
* Throwing: The ability to throw objects
accurately and over a great distance
Brawl
Base Attribute: Strength
Brawl represents your character’s ability to fight
with his bare hands. It covers everything from
disciplined martial arts maneuvers to clawing and
biting. Characters with this Skill are not only
adept at hand-to-hand combat, they are able to
easily knock down, incapacitate, or throw their
opponents.
Your character may specialize in the following
attacks:
* Dirty Tricks: The ability to do whatever it takes
to hurt an opponent
* Grappling: The ability to grapple and immobilize
an opponent
* Kicking: The ability to use knees and feet to hurt
an opponent
* Punching: The ability to use hands and elbows
to hurt an opponent
* Throws: The ability to flip an opponent or knock
him to the ground
Note: Animals, Demons, and Monsters may * Fast Talk: Your character’s ability to get what he
specialize in their natural weaponry (e.g., claw, wants by fast-talking someone
bite, and tail attacks). * Lying: The ability to lie convincingly and with
apparent sincerity
Bureaucracy * Tricks: Your character’s ability to trick someone
into doing what he wants
Base Attribute: Intelligence * Seduction: The ability to seduce someone with
charm and wit
Bureaucracy represents knowledge and
understanding of administration and
organization. It also includes familiarity with
Craft
different kinds of power structures such as Specialized Skill
business enterprises, academic institutions, and
various levels of government. Characters with Base Attribute: Intelligence
this Skill know how to manipulate the system to
get what they want. Craft represents experience and training in a
specific profession or trade. It covers a wide
Your character may specialize in the following range of technical skills and crafts, such as
organizations: carpentry, masonry, and smithing of all sorts.
Characters with this Skill are able to build, repair,
* Academia: Knowledge and understanding of or modify items in their chosen craft.
university policies
* Church: Knowledge and understanding of Your character must focus on a specific Discipline:
Church regulations
* Government: Knowledge and understanding of * Blacksmithing: The ability to prepare and create
governmental regulations various non-weapon metal goods
* Legal: The ability to understand and navigate * Carpentry: The ability to build and repair
the legal system wooden structures and furniture
* Military: Knowledge and understanding of * Masonry: The ability to build and repair stone
military protocol structures
* Medicines: The ability to prepare and create
Con various tonics and medicines
* Weapon smithing: The ability to prepare and
Base Attribute: Charisma create metal armor and weapons

Con represents a talent for lies and deception. It Diplomacy

covers bluffing, fast-talking, seduction, and
tricking others. Characters with this Skill may get
what they want, but they are mistrusted and may
have to quickly move on before the marks realize
they’ve been duped.
Your character may specialize in the following
deceptions:
* Bluff: Your character’s ability to appear stronger
or weaker than he really is
Base Attribute: Charisma
Diplomacy represents experience and training in
handling various social situations. This covers
leadership, etiquette, and politics. It also covers
negotiation and swaying others to a particular
point of view. Your character is inspiring and has
the ability to motivate others. Characters with
this Skill may substitute their Diplomacy rating for
Charisma rolls.

25
Your character may specialize in the following
fields:
* Etiquette: The ability to act appropriately in a
variety of situations
* Leadership: The ability to motivate and inspire
others
* Negotiation: The ability to bargain with
someone and make a deal
* Persuasion: The ability to sway others to a
particular point of view
* Politics: The ability to obtain and hold on to
political power
Empathy
Base Attribute: Intelligence
Empathy represents the ability to read people
and understand their feelings and motivations.
This includes interpreting body language and
detecting lies, as well as general intuition and gut
feelings about a situation. Characters with this
Skill have very good instincts and are hard to fool.
Your character may specialize in the following
areas:
* Body Language: The ability to accurately read
another’s body language
* Emotions: The ability to correctly identify
someone’s emotional state
* Intuition: The ability to get the feel of an
ambiguous situation
* Lies: The ability to detect when someone is
lying
* Motives: The ability to figure out someone’s
true motivation
Fencing
Specialized Skill
Base Attribute: Strength
Fencing represents your character’s proficiency
with different styles of swordsmanship and
26
armed combat. It includes a variety of
philosophies and fighting styles, each with their
own strengths and weaknesses. Characters with
this Skill have spent time studying a particular
style and can use its various techniques to defeat
opponents. The various fencing schools are
described on page 44.
In general, Fencing is a more formal form of
Melee. You may use your fencing skill with any
melee weapon, use the same specializations. In
combination with the Fencing school resource
however, your character gains several bonuses,
but only when using the primary or secondary
weapons for that fencing (see Fencing schools for
more).
Your character must specialize in a specific
fencing style:
* Anatomy: Fencing style emphasizing precision
strikes to weak points
* Cavalry: French fencing style focused on
fighting from horseback
* Dance: Fencing style emphasizing grace and
finesse
* Dardi: Fencing style focusing on using a cloak
for defense
* Gurkhish: Derived from traditional Gurkhish
fighting style with saber and shield.
* New Keln: Fencing style focused on speed and
effectiveness
* Riovarra: Fencing style emphasizing deception
and dirty tricks
* Iron stance: Fencing style focused on holding
your ground
* Scarlotti: Fencing style emphasizing patience
and defense
* Bold: Fencing style focused on offense over
defense
Note: Characters with proficiency in more than
one fencing style (including those with the Well-
Educated Talent) may switch fencing styles as a
reflexive action on their turn. The character
immediately gains the benefits of the new
fencing style, but also suffers the associated
penalties until their next turn.
Firearms
Base Attribute: Dexterity
Note: This skill is very rare, as small fire arms are
still highly unusual. Only Union military
characters should be allowed purchase this skill
at character creation.
Firearms represents proficiency with handheld
firearms. This most commonly includes pistols
and forkguns. Characters with this Skill are able
to shoot and maintain all manner of firearms with
skill and accuracy.
Your character may specialize in the following
weapons:
* Forkguns: Proficiency with all types of forkguns.
* Blunderbuss: Proficiency with all types of
blunderbusses.
* Flutegun: Proficiency with all types of flute guns
Gambling
Base Attribute: Intelligence
Gambling represents expertise at games of skill
and chance. It includes everything from chess to
tennis, as well as more exotic games. Characters
with this Skill have better than average luck and
usually walk away from the gaming table with
more money than they started with.
Your character may specialize in the following
games:
* Active Games: Skill at betting on active sports,
such as tennis, and knowledge of variant rules
* Board Games: Skill at playing games like
backgammon and chess and knowledge of variant
rules
27
* Card Games: Skill at playing a variety of card
games, such as Bone-Ace and La Bete, and
knowledge of variant rules
* Cheating: The ability to cheat at a variety of
games of chance
* Dice Games: Skill at various dice games, and
knowledge of variant rules
Intimidation
Base Attribute: Charisma
Intimidation represents the ability to browbeat
and frighten people. It includes making threats,
barking orders, and interrogation. If the situation
calls for it, your character can even torture
someone to get what he wants. Characters with
this Skill are imposing, and generally given a wide
berth.
Your character may specialize in the following
activities:
* Interrogation: The ability to get information out
of someone verbally
* Orders: The ability to get someone to obey
direct orders
* Stare-down: The ability to get someone to back
down by staring at them
* Threats: Your character’s ability to scare
someone into giving him what he wants
* Torture: Your character’s ability to physically or
psychologically torture someone to get what he
wants
Investigation
Base Attribute: Intelligence
Investigation represents the ability to search for
clues and uncover evidence. It also includes
researching information and piecing together the
clues that your character discovers. Your
character is able to interview someone to get
their story or get his questions answered.
Characters with this Skill are able to unravel
virtually any mystery. Characters with this Skill
may substitute their Investigation rating for
Intelligence rolls.
Your character may specialize in the following
activities:
* Crimes: The ability to investigate crime scenes
and look for clues
* Enigmas: The ability to unravel mysteries and
solve enigmas and riddles
* Interview: The ability to interview someone and
get answers to questions
* Research: The ability to do legwork and
research to find answers
* Search: The ability to search an area for clues
and hiding Places
Larceny
Base Attribute: Dexterity
Larceny represents an aptitude for stealing and
robbing. It covers everything from petty theft
such as picking someone’s pocket, to disabling
the locks on a duke’s vault. Characters with this
Skill are able to steal anything that catches their
eye, no matter how tricky the security.
Your character may specialize in the following
activities:
* Alarms: The ability to set up or bypass alarms
* Lockpicking: The ability to pick a lock using any
available tools
* Pickpocketing: The ability to pick someone’s
pocket without anyone noticing
* Sleight of Hand: The ability to palm small items
and perform magic tricks
* Strong Boxes: The ability to crack a strong box
using a variety of methods
Linguistics
Base Attribute: Intelligence
Linguistics represents knowledge and
understanding of language structure. It covers
28
encrypting written messages, translating spoken
languages, reading lips, and understanding
gestures. It also represents the number of
additional languages your character speaks.
Characters with this Skill are proficient translators
and usually fluent in many different languages.
Note that only around one in ten Union citizens
are literate, and of those, most know only basic
grammar. In the North or Starikland, there are
even less literate people.
There many languages spoken in the Circle of the
World: Northern Tongue, Styrian, Kandic,
Gurkhun, New Tongue (Union) and Old Tongue
(the language of the Old Empire, still in use
among nobles and learned). In the lands South of
the Ghurkish empire, one finds even more
languaages and dialects. The Ghosts and
Northern barbarian have also their own
languages and dialects.
Your character may specialize in the following
areas:
* Codes: The ability to encrypt languages and
break secret codes
* Deciphering: The ability to decipher texts,
carvings, or tablets
* Gestures: The ability to communicate through
the use of expressive gestures
* Lip Reading: The ability to understand someone
by reading their lips
* Translation: The ability to translate spoken
words from one language to another
Magick
Specialized Skill
Base Attribute: Willpower
A character must have the Magickal Aptitude
Talent before he can choose this Skill.
Magick represents experience and training in a
specific disciplinet of magick. It covers a variety of
specialized areas, such as geomancy (earth
magick), homomancy (human magick), and
pyromancy (fire magick). Characters with this skill
are able to invoke spells within their area of
expertise.

Your character must focus on a specific Discipline.

Each Discipline is referred to as a magickal Art.

See chapter 6. The Gifts of Euz for a fuller
description. When your character takes the
Magickal Aptitude Talent he gains one Level in a
chosen Discipline for free. Your character may
learn other Disciplines as normal, subject to any
restrictions.

* Aeromancy: Knowledge of spirits of air, vapor,

and wind.
* Benignus: The ability to summon beneficial
spirits for healing and fighting demons.
* Cryomancy: Knowledge of spirits of ice and
cold.
* Enchantment: The ability to imbue physical
items with magickal powers.
* Faunamancy: The ability to control and
summon animals.
* Floramancy: The ability to control plant life.
* Geomancy: Knowledge of spirits of the earth.
* Homomancy: The ability to manipulate the
human mind and body.
* Hydromancy: Knowledge of spirits of water.
* Pyromancy: Knowledge of spirits of fire and
heat.
* Transmutation: The ability to alter the nature of
materials.
* Transportation: The ability to move great
speeds or teleport.
Medicine
Base Attribute: Intelligence
Medicine represents medical training and
experience. It covers the diagnosis and treatment
of diseases for both humans and animals. It also
includes bandaging wounds and performing
surgery. Characters with this Skill are able to treat
illnesses, tend to wounds, and save people’s lives.
Your character may specialize in the following
fields:
* Diagnosis: The ability to diagnose an illness by
observing the patient’s symptoms
* Diseases: The ability to prevent and treat a
disease with the proper medication
* First Aid: The ability to bandage wounds, stop
bleeding, and revive a patient
* Surgery: The ability to perform necessary
surgery to correct a medical condition
* Veterinary: The ability to examine and treat
animal maladies

Melee
Base Attribute: Strength

Melee represents proficiency with a variety of

handheld weapons. It includes common weapons

29
such as clubs and knives, as well as axes, swords,
and spears. Characters with this Skill are deadly
with virtually any hand-held weapon.
Your character may specialize in the following
weapons:
* Axes: Proficiency with axes, pole-arms, and
other chopping weapons
* Clubs: Proficiency with maces, clubs, and other
blunt weapons
* Knives: Proficiency with knives and other small
bladed weapons
* Spears: Proficiency with spears, lances, and
other extended weapons
* Swords: Proficiency with swords, rapiers, and
other bladed weapons
Natural Philosophy
Specialized Skill
Base Attribute: Intelligence
Natural Philosophy represents your character’s
education and training in the physical or life
sciences. It covers biology, chymistry, geology,
engineering, and physics. It also covers
mathematics and experimental methods for
these Disciplines. Characters with this Skill are
trained in a specific science and can experiment
in their chosen field.
Your character must focus on a specific Discipline:
* Biology: Knowledge of botany, zoology, and
experimental methodology
* Chymistry: Knowledge of mundane chemical
compounds and experimental methodology
* Engineering: Knowledge of engineering
principles and design methodology
* Geology: Knowledge of minerals and natural
resources, and their composition
* Physics: Knowledge of forces, motion, and
experimental methodology
Performance
30
Base Attribute: Charisma
Performance represents the talent for
entertaining people through performance arts
such as acting, dancing or singing. It also covers
playing musical instruments and delivering a
rousing speech. Characters with this Skill are fun
and interesting, entertaining, and can often move
their audience to laughter or tears.
Your character may specialize in the following
performance arts:
* Acting: The ability to play the part of a
character or impersonate a specific person
* Dancing: The ability to jump and dance with
style and grace
* Musical Instrument: The ability to play a
musical instrument with precision and flair
* Oratory: The ability to deliver a persuasive and
motivational speech
* Singing: The ability to sing with power and
subtlety, with or without music
Ride
Base Attribute: Dexterity
Riding represents your character’s aptitude for
riding all different kinds of mounts, including
horses, mules, camels, and more exotic animals.
Characters with this Skill are able to ride expertly
and control their mounts in combat.
Your character may specialize in the following:
* Dismount/Mount: The ability to mount and
dismount horses and mules
* Galloping: The ability to control mounts at the
gallop
* Jumping: The ability to control mounts while
jumping obstacles
* Remaining Seated: The ability to stay in the
saddle
* Vehicles: The ability to steer carts, wagons, and
carriages
Mounts in Combat
When a character is mounted, the mount shares
the character's Initiative, and the character uses
his move action to control the mount. The
character uses the mount's Move and Active
Defense ratings. When attacking, your attack Skill
is limited to the rating of your Ride Skill (e.g., if
you have Melee 6, but Ride 4, you would attack
with Melee 4).
Stealth
Base Attribute: Dexterity
Stealth represents the ability to avoid detection
in a variety of circumstances. It covers shadowing
someone, hiding, and sneaking about. It also
includes your character’s affinity for disguising
himself and others. Characters with this Skill
leave no trace of where they have been and are
hard to detect.
Note: Your character’s Size rating modifies your
Stealth rolls. It is harder for larger characters to
go unnoticed, while smaller characters are more
difficult to spot.
Your character may specialize in the following
activities:
* Camouflage: The ability to hide objects or
people by blending them into the surroundings
* Disguise: Your character’s ability to disguise
himself
* Hiding: The ability to hide by blending into the
surroundings
* Shadowing: The ability to follow someone
without being spotted
* Sneaking: The ability to move without being
seen or heard
Streetwise
Base Attribute: Charisma
Streetwise represents the ability to get
information and items from the criminal
underworld. It includes buying and selling items
31
on the black market, haggling over prices, and
scrounging for used items. It also covers
carousing, gathering information, and rumor-
mongering. Characters with this Skill are well
informed and able to get their hands on virtually
any item.
Your character may specialize in the following
areas:
* Black Market: A talent for buying and selling
items on the black market
* Carousing: A talent for getting into nightclubs
and having a good time
* Haggling: A talent for getting items and services
for lower prices
* Rumors: A talent for gathering information and
spreading rumors
* Scrounging: A talent for tracking down used or
discarded items
Survival
Base Attribute: Intelligence
Survival represents your character’s ability to find
food and shelter in the wild. It also covers
navigation, as well as hunting and tracking game.
Characters with this Skill are at home in the
wilderness and can not only take care of
themselves; they can also feed and guide others.
Your character may specialize in the following
activities:
* Foraging: The ability to gather edible plants and
find sources of fresh water
* Hunting: The ability to find, trap, and kill
animals for food or clothing
* Navigation: The ability to determine general
location and direction of travel
* Shelter: The ability to build or locate suitable
shelter from the elements
* Tracking: The ability to follow the tracks of
people and animals
Warfare
Base Attribute: Intelligence

Warfare represents knowledge and skill in the art

of war, whether acquired through classroom
education or direct combat experience. It covers
everything from large scale campaign strategy
and logistics to small unit tactics and
organization. Characters with this Skill are able to
outwit, outmaneuver, and outlast their enemies
on the battlefield.

Your character may specialize in the following

areas:

* Logistics: Ability to move and maintain a

military force
* Organization: Knowledge of military
organization and chain of command
* Strategy: Ability to plan an overall military
campaign
* Tactics: Ability to employ military units in
combat
* Terrain: Select one from Forest, Plains,
Mountains, Naval, or Urban

32

4. Talents, Resources and
Flaws
4.1. Talents
Talents reflect your character’s aptitudes and
special abilities. They cover a wide range of
activities and give your character a new ability or
improve one he already has. Talents also let you
“break the rules” by ignoring certain penalties, or
by doing something normally not allowed.
There are two types of Talents: standard and
unique.
Unique Talents can only be taken once, while
standard Talents may be taken multiple times. A
Talent is available to any character that meets
the prerequisites (if any). While most Talents can
be purchased anytime, some are only available
during character creation.
Where a Talent lists a Skill as the prerequisite, the
number is the Skill rating, not the Skill Level.
Advanced Talents
Standard Talents may be purchased more than
once— representing an even greater expertise or
ability—to provide your character with an
increased benefit. Advanced Talents may be
purchased a specified number of times, limiting
their maximum benefit. See the individual Talent
descriptions for more information.
Talent Descriptions
Accuracy
Prerequisites: None
Your character can attack with pinpoint accuracy,
picking targets out of a crowd, hitting them
33
behind cover, and aiming for their vulnerable
spots.
Benefit: Your character makes Called Shots at a
reduced penalty. He may ignore up to a –2
penalty for targeting a specific location—such as
when an opponent is wearing armor, or hiding
behind cover. This Talent also reduces penalties
for attacking opponents smaller than your
character.
Normal: When making a Called Shot to hit a
specific target, your character suffers a penalty
between –1 and–8, depending on the size of the
target area, the amount of cover the opponent
has, and other factors.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to four
times. Your character may ignore an additional –2
Called Shot penalty per Level (e.g., the first
purchase allows him to ignore up to a –2 penalty,
the second allows up to a –4, and so on).
Agile
Unique; only available during character creation
Prerequisites: None
Your character is exceptionally graceful, limber,
and coordinated. His speed and agility far exceed
that of the average person.
Benefit: Your character gains a +1 Dexterity
rating. This bonus affects his Dexterity rolls and
all Dexterity-based Skills. It also factors into his
Secondary Attributes and raises his maximum
Dexterity rating by one point.
Normal: Your character’s Dexterity rating is
unmodified.
Alertness
Prerequisites: None
Your character is remarkably attentive to his
surroundings. He is vigilant and rarely lets his
guard down.
Benefit: Your character gains a +2 Perception
rating.
Normal: Your character’s Perception rating is
unmodified.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent twice,
gaining your character an additional +2
Perception rating.
Animal Affinity
Prerequisites: None
Your character has a way with animals and
intuitively knows how to handle them. As a
result, animals like him and tend to react more
positively when he is around.
Benefit: Your character gains a +1 Charisma
rating when dealing with animals. This bonus
affects his Charisma rolls and all Charisma-based
Skills.
Normal: Your character’s Charisma rating is
unmodified when dealing with animals.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times, gaining your character an additional
+1 Charisma rating per Level.
Attractive
Prerequisites: None
Your character is more attractive and seductive
than the average person. People tend to like him,
and are more easily influenced when he is
around.
Benefit: Your character gains a +1 Charisma
rating when dealing with people. This bonus
affects his Charisma rolls and all Charisma-based
Skills.
34
Normal: Your character’s Charisma rating is
unmodified when dealing with people.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times, gaining your character an additional
+1 Charisma rating per Level.
Barbed Tongue
Prerequisites: Charisma 3
Armed with an astute wit, a cutting tongue, and a
knack for striking raw nerves, your character can
tarnish the reputation of Adua’s great and good
with a few, well-chosen words.
Benefit: The character adds +2 to his rolls in a
social duel (p. 109).
Normal: You have no modifiers in a social duel.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times. Your character gains an additional +2
bonus per Level.
Berserker Fury
Prerequisites: Fencing school Bold 1, Fencing:
Bold 6; or Northman
Your character can enter a state of reckless battle
frenzy, increasing his power and aggression at a
cost to his own health.
Benefit: As a free action, your character can exert
(take one point of nonlethal damage) to gain +2
bonus to all Strength-based Skill and Attribute
rolls until the end of the combat turn.
Normal: Your character cannot exert himself in
battle to gain an advantage.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +4 bonus to
all Strength-based Skill rolls at second level and a
+8 bonus at third level.
Blind Fight
Prerequisites: None
Your character can target opponents without
having to see them. He might hear them
breathing, catch their scent, or feel their
presence, but he always seems to know where
they are.
Benefit: Your character makes blind attacks at a
reduced penalty. He may ignore up to a –2
penalty due to poor visibility (e.g., fighting in
partial darkness or with blurred vision).
Normal: You suffer a –4 penalty when your
character makes a blind attack against an
opponent, if he knows the opponent’s general
location. Making a blind attack against an
opponent whose location is unknown results in a
–8 penalty.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to four
times. Your character may ignore an additional –2
visibility penalty per Level.
Block
Prerequisites: Brawl 6
Your character is adept at defending himself in
hand-to-hand combat. He instinctively blocks
blows and deflects strikes without having to go
on the defensive.
Benefit: Your character performs the Block
maneuver as a Reflexive Action (See 5. Combat).
Any Defense bonuses provide a bonus to the
Block maneuver as well. If your character loses
his Active Defense, he loses his Block ability as
well.
Normal: Your character performs the Block
maneuver as an attack action.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times, gaining your character an additional
+2 Active Defense bonus against Brawl attacks
with each purchase after the first.
35
Blunt Strike
Prerequisites: Melee 4
Your character knows how to use weapons to
incapacitate opponents without killing them,
pummeling them into submission with the flat of
a blade or the haft of an axe.
Benefit: Your character may do nonlethal
damage with lethal weapons at no penalty. If
wielding a nonlethal weapon, such as a club or
staff, your character gains a +2 Melee bonus to
his attack.
Normal: You suffer a –2 penalty to your attack
roll whenever your character tries to do nonlethal
(instead of lethal) damage with a melee weapon.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent twice,
gaining your character an additional +2 Melee
bonus.
Bold Attack
Prerequisites: Charisma 3
Your character is daring and courageous, and
knows opponents with his unshakable
confidence.
Benefit: Your character uses his Charisma rating
as the Base Attribute for a specific combat Skill,
such as Athletics, Brawl, or Melee (designate one
when you take this Talent).
Normal: Your character uses the standard Base
Attributes for his combat Skills.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent multiple
times, but the benefit is applied to a different
Skill each time.
Bold Defense
Unique
Prerequisites: Charisma 3
Your character is fearless and confident, using the
strength of his presence to defend himself. He
scares his opponents into making feeble attacks.
Benefit: Your character uses his Charisma instead
of Dexterity when calculating his Active Defense
and Defense ratings.
Normal: Your character uses his Dexterity when
calculating his Defense ratings.
Special: You may not buy this Talent if your
character already has the Calculated Defense
Talent.
Calculated Attack
Prerequisites: Intelligence 3
Your character is wily and clever, able to use his
intellect as a weapon. He knows how to take
advantage of an opponent’s mistakes and exploit
weaknesses in defenses.
Benefit: Your character uses his Intelligence
rating as the Base Attribute for a specific combat
Skill, such as Athletics, Brawl, Archery, or Melee
(designate one when you take this Talent).
Normal: Your character uses the standard Base
Attributes for his combat Skills.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent multiple
times, but the benefit is applied to a different
Skill each time.
Calculated Defense
Unique
Prerequisites: Intelligence 3
Your character is shrewd and smart, anticipating
his opponent’s attacks and expertly defending
against them.
Benefit: Your character uses his Intelligence
instead of Dexterity when calculating his Active
Defense and Defense ratings.
36
Normal: Your character uses his Dexterity when
calculating his Defense ratings.
Special: You may not buy this Talent if your
character already has the Bold Defense Talent.
Callous Rider
Prerequisites: Ride 6
Although cruel, your character can coerce and
force her mount to perform well beyond its
natural abilities.
Benefit: Your character can force her mount to
exert itself (taking one nonlethal wound).
Following this exertion, the character gains a +2
Ride bonus until the end of the scene.
Normal: Your character’s mount will not exert
itself.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times. Your character gains a +4 Ride bonus at
second level and a +8 Ride bonus at third level.
Captivate
Prerequisites: Performance 6
Your character is a magnetic and attractive
performer. He is able to capture attention with
his performance abilities and the sheer force of
his personality.
Benefit: As an attack action, your character can
attempt to entrance his opponents during
combat. Make a single Performance roll against
all opponents within 10 feet of your character. If
you roll more successes than an opponent’s
Willpower rating, he is beguiled by your character
and unable to attack for a number of turns equal
to the number of extra successes you rolled. An
entranced opponent may defend himself
normally, but the spell is broken if he is attacked
during this time. If you roll more than twice an
opponent’s Willpower rating, he is completely
enthralled and loses his Active Defense rating for
a number of turns equal to the total number of
extra successes you rolled.
Normal: Your character may only attempt to
entrance his audience outside of combat. They
automatically lose interest in him if the situation
turns violent.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times, gaining your character a +2 Performance
bonus for each additional Level purchased.
Charismatic
Unique; only available during character creation
Prerequisites: None
Your character is exceptionally charming and
persuasive. His ability to influence people far
exceeds that of the average person.
Benefit: Your character gains a +1 Charisma
rating. This bonus affects his Charisma rolls and
all Charisma- based Skills. It also factors into his
Secondary Attributes and raises his maximum
Charisma rating by one point.
Normal: Your character’s Charisma rating is
unmodified.
Climb
Unique
Prerequisites: None
Your character is naturally skilled at climbing
trees and scaling walls. He can climb with
surprising speed and agility.
Benefit: Your character’s climbing speed is
doubled (see Move).
Normal: Your character climbs at normal speed.
Cloak the Form
37
Prerequisites: Fencing school Dardi 1, Fencing:
Dardi 4
A character carrying (not simply wearing) a cloak
can use it to distract foes, deflect weapons, and
conceal his outline.
Benefit: Your character gains the benefits of half
cover (+2 Defense) when using his cloak in this
manner. He need not take an action to gain this
benefit—it is automatic. He may simultaneously
use her cloak in his off-hand in this manner and
wield a weapon in the dominant hand. Missed
attacks puncture or slash the cloak, but never hit
the swordsman.
Normal: Your character cannot use a cloak to
conceal his form in combat.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains the benefits of
major cover (+4 Defense) at second level and a
heavy cover (+8 Defense) bonus at third level.
Special: The benefits of this Talent are lost if the
character is disarmed of his cloak.
Combat Aptitude
Unique
Prerequisites: Intelligence 3
Your character has a gift for combat; he knows
how to use his expertise for both offense and
defense.
Benefit: As a reflexive action on your character’s
turn, you may take up to a –4 penalty on his
Defense rating to add an equal amount of bonus
dice to his attack rating, or vice versa. You may
not reduce either rating to zero in this manner.
These modifiers remain in effect until your
character’s next action, when you may reallocate
dice once again.
Normal: You may suffer a –4 penalty to your
attack roll to gain a +2 bonus to your Defense
when your character fights defensively.
Combat Skill
Prerequisites: Non-combat Skill 4
Your character is adept at keeping himself out of
harm’s way when using a non-combat Skill (such
as Medicine, Larceny, or Diplomacy) during
combat.
Benefit: Your character gains a +2 Active Defense
bonus whenever he uses a specific non-combat
Skill in combat (designate one when you take this
Talent).
Normal: Your Defense rating is unmodified when
using non-combat Skills in combat.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent twice for any
one Skill, gaining your character an additional +2
Active Defense bonus when using that Skill in
combat.
Counterstrike
Prerequisites: Brawl 6
Your character may counterattack after blocking
a blow, shifting immediately from defense to
offense.
Benefit: Your character may reflexively attack as
part of the Block maneuver. Resolve the Block
normally, but your character inflicts damage if
you roll more successes than the attacker. Any
Defense modifiers that apply to the Block
maneuver apply to the Counterstrike ability. If
your character loses his Active Defense, he loses
his Counterstrike ability as well.
Normal: Your character Blocks normally.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +2 Active
38
Defense bonus when blocking against Brawl at
second Level and a +4 bonus at third Level.
Courage
Prerequisites: Willpower 3
The character has nerves of steel. He resists fear
and intimidation.
Benefit: Your character gains a +2 bonus to any
Courage test or tests against intimidation, also
those magickally induced.
Normal: Your character does not receive any
bonuses.
Advanced: You may take this Talent three times.
Each level granting a cumulative +2 bonus.
Dance Macabre
Prerequisites: Fencing school Dance 1, Fencing:
Danse 6
The character has learned the greatest secret of
the Academy of Dance. The Danse Macabre is a
highly energetic but short dance involving a
whirling combination of slashes.
Benefit: As a free action, your character can exert
(taking one point of nonlethal damage) to use
Performance: Dance as a Skill Synergy with
Fencing: Danse. This bonus may only be used to
make attacks—never to block, dodge, or parry.
Normal: Your character cannot use Skill Synergy
with Performance: Dance to boost his Fencing:
Danse Skill.
Advanced: You may take this Talent three times.
The character gains a +4 Skill Synergy bonus at
second level and a +8 Skill Synergy bonus at third
level.
Danger Sense
Unique
Prerequisites: None
Your character can sense unseen threats, such as
sneak attacks and ambushes. Because he is
constantly alert to danger, he’s never caught with
his guard down.
Benefit: Your character retains his full Defense
rating when surprised or ambushed. This includes
attacks he cannot see coming, such as
backstabbing and sniper attacks. Sometimes the
Gamemaster will make an Empathy roll on your
behalf to see if your character gets an unbidden
premonition or a bad feeling about a situation.
Normal: Your character loses his Active Defense
rating when surprised or ambushed.
Devil blood
Prerequisites: Gamemasters permission
Your character is a descendent from a demon of
the other side. He has a drop of devil blood in his
veins, giving him the ability of handling things and
substances from the other side with relative
security. Your character has one skill he exceeds
with. But this skill is tainted in a way, useful for
destructive or damaging deeds, never for
creation of beauty or love.
Benefit: You character gains +2 on any resistence
tests when getting in touch with things from the
other side. You do not need to make a test simply
because you touch something from the other
side. Your character gains +2 Skill rating to a
specific Skill (designate one when you take this
Talent). This is a general bonus and does not give
your character any free Skill Levels. The bonus
cannot be used for creating something of beauty,
inspire or create positive feelings. A woman can
be seduced by will not fall in romantic love, for
example.
Normal: Even touching things from the other side
requires a resistance test. Your Skill ratings are
unmodified.
39
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to four
times, gaining +2 skill and resilience bonus for
each additional level.
Diehard
Prerequisites: None
Your character is hard to kill! He can continue
fighting even after taking enough damage to kill
an ordinary person.
Benefit: Your character does not fall unconscious,
and automatically stabilizes, when reduced to
negative Health. He may continue to act, but will
suffer wound penalties on all actions equal to his
current Health.
Normal: Your character falls unconscious when
reduced to negative Health, and will continue to
lose Health unless he stabilizes.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Each additional Level increases your
character’s death threshold by two points (up to
–11 Health).
Direction Sense
Unique
Prerequisites: None
Your character does not need a compass. He has
an innate sense of direction and rarely gets lost.
He knows which way is north even when he can’t
see the sun or stars.
Benefit: Even in adverse conditions, your
character automatically knows which direction he
is heading without having to make a roll. This
Talent also gives you a +2 bonus to all navigation
rolls.
Normal: When lost, you must make a Survival:
Navigation roll (Difficulty 2) for your character to
determine his direction of travel.
Dirty Blow
Prerequisites: Fencing school 1, Riovarra,
Fencing: Riovarra 6
Students are taught how to follow up stunning
blows with a rapid pommel blow for extra impact.
Benefit: If your character makes a Fencing: Del
Rio attack with a blade and stuns an opponent,
he may make an immediate attack to deliver a 0N
pommel strike (using Fencing) against the same
target as a free action. The free attack suffers a –
4 penalty and must be a straight attack—no
maneuvers (such as Called Shot or Total Attack)
can be used in conjunction with it.
Normal: Your character cannot follow up a sword
strike with a pommel bash.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +2 bonus to
his Fencing roll to deliver the pommel strike at
second level and a +4 bonus at third level.
Special: If your character has the Florentine or
Flurry Talents, he may perform a pommel strike
after each sword attack that leaves his opponent
stunned. The Flurry penalty applies only to the
initial attacks, not the follow-up blows.
Disarming Strike
Prerequisites: Fencing school Riovarra 1, Fencing:
Riovarra 6
A foe without a weapon presents less of a threat
and is often easier to kill or subdue. Your
character suffers no penalty when performing a
Disarm maneuver.
Normal: Your character suffers a –2 penalty to
perform a Disarm maneuver.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +2 bonus to
Disarm a foe at second level and a +4 bonus at
third level.
40
Special: Bonuses from the Fencing Style Bonus
Table apply as normal. Thus, while any student
who knows the basic style of Del Rio has +1 to
disarm foes, for a –1 penalty overall, members of
the school who learn the full technique end up
with a net +1 on taking this Talent for the first
time.
Dodge
Prerequisites: Athletics 4
Your character has an innate ability to avoid
ranged combat attacks. He expertly ducks and
weaves, making himself harder to hit.
Benefit: Your character performs the Dodge
maneuver as a Reflexive Action (see Dodge, p.
31). Any Defense bonuses provide a bonus to the
Dodge maneuver as well. If your character loses
his Active Defense, he loses his Dodge ability as
well.
Normal: Your character performs the Dodge
maneuver as an attack action.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times, gaining your character an additional
+2 Active Defense bonus against ranged combat
attacks.
Escape Artist
Prerequisites: Acrobatics 6
Your character can wriggle out of tight spaces,
slip out of wrestling holds, or escape from
shackles.
Benefit: Your character can attempt to escape
from her bonds by contorting her body. Make an
Acrobatics roll versus the difficulty of restraints.
Escaping from reasonably snug ropes around the
wrists is Difficulty 2. Squeezing through the
bamboo bars of a cage is Difficulty 3 (or Difficulty
4 in the instance of iron bars). Wriggling free of a
straitjacket is Difficulty 5. This Talent does not
assist in picking locks, so your character might be
able to slip free of handcuffs but could not unlock
her friends, nor would this Talent help free her
from a locked room.
Additionally, your character can substitute an
Acrobatics roll to free himself when being
grappled.
Normal: Your character cannot use Acrobatics to
escape bonds. Your character must make an op-
posed Strength roll to free herself when being
grappled.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +4 escape bo-
nus at second level and a +8 bonus at third level.
Evasive Riding
Prerequisites: Ride 6
You can direct your mount to weave and dodge in
an unpredictable pattern, thereby making you
much harder to hit.
Benefit: Whenever your character is mounted on
a cooperative animal, you may substitute your
Ride rating for your character’s or his mount’s
Defense rating. All Defense modifiers apply to the
new Defense, including the penalty for Size. Your
character cannot use Evasive Riding if either he or
his mount is prevented from using Active
Defense.
Normal: Your character and the mount must roll
Defense as normal.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +2 Defense
bonus at second level and a +4 bonus at third
level.
Expeditious Retreat
Prerequisites: Fencing school Scarlotti 1, Fencing:
Scarlotti 6
41
Your character has quick legs, being able to spring
back and begin his escape after dealing his foe a
sturdy hit.
Benefit: When your character stuns an opponent,
he may move up to five feet away from him as a
free action. This free move may be taken once
per combat turn, no matter how many opponents
he strikes.
Normal: Your character can only move away from
an opponent by taking a Move action.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Each additional level allows your
character to move an extra five feet as part of his
free action.
Fast reload
Unique
Prerequisites: None
Your character can reload weapons with amazing
speed. He is so fast it seems as though he never
runs out of ammunition.
Benefit: Your character may reload a ranged
weapon in half the normal time. Bows and slings
can be shoot every turn as reloading becomes a
reflexive action. Light flatbows can be fired every
other turn, and heavy flatbows can be fired every
third turn, as long as attack actions are used for
reloading the other turns.
Normal: Reloading might takes several attack
actions (see Gear, p. 129). Your character must
wait until his next turn to shoot a weapon after
reloading it.
Fearsome
Prerequisites: Intimidate 4
Your character knows how to use fear and
intimidation as a weapon. He can unnerve his
enemies and even cause them to turn tail and
run.
Benefit: As an attack action, your character may
attempt to scare his opponents. Make an
Intimidation roll against all opponents within 10
feet of your character. If you roll more successes
than an opponent’s Willpower rating, he suffers a
–2 penalty to his attack and Skill rolls for a
number of turns equal to the number of extra
successes you rolled. If you roll more successes
than twice your opponent’s Willpower, he flees in
terror for a number of turns equal to the total
number of extra successes you rolled.
Normal: You may make an Intimidation roll
against a single opponent in an attempt to scare
him.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times, gaining your character a +2 Intimidation
bonus per Level.
Feign Death
42
Unique
Prerequisites: Fencing school Anatomy 1, Con 6
Advanced students are taught techniques
allowing them to temporarily slow his
metabolism to the point where he appears to be
dead.
Benefit: Your character can voluntarily suppress
his respiration and slow his heartbeat to the
point where even a medical examiner might be
fooled. Your character’s eyes must be closed
while feigning death, but otherwise remains fully
conscious, and may revive himself whenever he
chooses. Anyone attempting to detect signs of
life must make an opposed Medicine roll against
your character’s Con roll.
Normal: Your character is unable to feign death.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times. Your character gains a +2 Con bonus at
second level and a +4 bonus at third level when
undergoing medical examination.
Finesse Attack
Prerequisites: Dexterity 3
Your character is quick and agile and knows how
to use speed as a weapon, slipping his attacks
past an opponent’s defenses.
Benefit: Your character uses his Dexterity rating
as the Base Attribute for a specific combat Skill,
such as Athletics, Brawl, or Melee (designate one
when you take this Talent).
Normal: Your character uses the standard Base
Attributes for his combat Skills.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent multiple
times, but the benefit is applied to a different
Skill each time.
First Strike
Prerequisites: Fencing school Keln 1, Fencing:
Keln 6
Your character has learned to kill his enemies
before they can gang up on him.
Benefit: Once per round, your character may
make a single Fencing: Keln attack one opponent
who moves within reach of his weapon as a free
action. No combat maneuvers may be used in
conjunction with this special attack. This
maneuver does not cost your character his Attack
action for the round if he has not yet acted, nor
does it change his place in the initiative order if
he is holding his action.
Normal: Your character has no ability to attack a
foe that moves adjacent to him unless he is
holding his action and chooses to attack.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times. Your character gains the ability to strike
one additional opponent per combat round who
moves adjacent to him at each level.
Florentine
Prerequisites: Dexterity 3
Your character can wield a weapon in each hand,
doubling the amount of damage he can inflict on
his enemies.
Benefit: Your character may attack without
penalty when using a weapon in his off-hand.
Alternately, he may attack two times (using one
weapon in each hand) by making a Total Attack
with a –2 penalty on both attack roll. These
attacks may be made at different targets.
Normal: Attacking with a weapon in your
character’s off-hand results in a –2 penalty.
Alternately, your character may attack twice by
making a Total Attack with a –4 penalty to his
primary attack and a –6 penalty to his off-hand
attack (see Total Attack).
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Advanced: You may buy this Talent up two times,
allowing your character to attack twice without a
penalty at level 2
Flurry
Prerequisites: Dexterity 3
Your character can attack the same opponent
twice in quick succession, doubling the amount of
damage he inflicts on enemies in close combat.
Benefit: Your character may attack the same
opponent twice by making a Total Attack with a –
2 penalty on each attack roll. Both attacks must
be made with the same weapon, a weapon and
an unarmed attack, or two unarmed attacks.
Normal: Your character may attack the same
opponent twice by making a Total Attack with a –
4 penalty on each attack roll (see Total Attack).
Advanced: You may buy this Talent two times,
allowing your character to attack the same
opponent without a penalty at level 2.
Focused Attack
Prerequisites: Willpower 3
Your character is dogged and relentless, able to
use his discipline as a weapon. He focuses his
attacks to wear down an opponent’s defenses.
Benefit: Your character uses his Willpower rating
as the Base Attribute for a specific combat Skill,
such as Athletics, Brawl, Firearms, or Melee
(designate one when you take this Talent).
Normal: Your character uses the standard Base
Attributes for his combat Skills.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent multiple
times, but the benefit is applied to a different
Skill each time.
Focused Defense
Unique
Prerequisites: Willpower 3
Your character is stubborn and unyielding. He
focuses his will to defend himself, shrugging off
blows and never letting his guard down.
Benefit: Your character uses his Willpower
instead of Body when calculating his Passive
Defense and Defense ratings.
Normal: Your character uses his Body when
calculating Defense ratings.
Special: You may not buy this Talent if your
character already has the Strong Defense Talent.
Furious Slash
Prerequisites: Fencing school Bold 1, Fencing:
Bold 6
The watchwords of the school are “total” and
“aggression.” Students are taught there is no
need to worry about your defense, if your
opponent cannot hit you back.
Benefit: Your character gains a +4 bonus to his at-
tack roll when making a Total Attack. This Talent
allows your character to make just a single attack
(it cannot be combined with Florentine or Flurry).
Normal: Your character has a +2 bonus when
making a Total Attack.
Giant
Unique; only available during character creation
Prerequisites: None
Your character is over seven feet tall and weighs
more than five hundred pounds. He towers over
normal people and is bigger, stronger, and
tougher than they are. Finding clothing is a
constant challenge!
44
Benefit: Your character is Size 1. In addition, he
gains a +1 Body and +1 Strength rating. Your
character’s maximum Body and Strength ratings
are increased and the Damage rating of all
natural weapons is increased by one (i.e., kicks
and punches are increased to 1 N).
Normal: Your character is Size 0.
Special: Your character’s Size will also penalize
attack, Defense, and Stealth ratings (see Size).
Additionally, your character must eat at least
twice as much as an average human adult or
suffer from the effects of deprivation.
Guardian
Prerequisites: Intelligence 3
Your character is gifted at looking out for others
and protecting them from injury. He shouts
warnings, deflects blows, and pulls people out of
harm’s way.
Benefit: As an attack action, your character may
grant a +2 Defense bonus to all allies within 10
feet of him. He must be able to see and speak to
his allies in order to grant this bonus.
Normal: Your character cannot grant Defense
bonuses to allies.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent twice,
allowing your character to provide an additional
+2 Defense bonus to his allies.
Headstrong
Unique
Prerequisites: Willpower 3
Your character is steadfast and unshakable, and
uses his indomitable will to shake off even the
most powerful blows. He can literally will himself
to keep fighting, even when his body aches to
collapse.
Benefit: Your character uses his Willpower
instead of his Body when calculating his Stun
rating.
Normal: Your character uses his Body when
calculating his Stun rating.
Herb Lore
Prerequisites: Medicine 4
Science may be taking great leaps forward in the
medical arts, but there was healing long before
the study of anatomy. Your character has
knowledge of the old ways, of herbs and
minerals. Such lore may be considered witchcraft
by some, but to those in need it can be a life
saver.
Benefit: When in the wilderness and there is a
reasonable amount of time to search for proper
ingredients, your character is always considered
to have supplies when making Medicine rolls.
Normal: Without medical supplies, characters
must make Medicine rolls at a –2 penalty.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +2 Medicine
bonus at second level and a +4 bonus at third
level.
High Pain Tolerance
Prerequisites: None
Your character can ignore grievous, nasty
wounds. He still feels pain, but it doesn’t slow
him down the way it would others.
Benefit: Your character doesn’t automatically fall
unconscious when reduced to negative Health.
(You still have to make a stabilization roll or your
character will continue to lose Health each turn.)
He remains conscious and ignores wound
penalties until reaching –3 Health, at which point
he falls unconscious as normal.
45
Normal: Your character automatically falls
unconscious when reduced to negative Health,
and must make a stabilization roll or continue to
lose Health each turn.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent twice,
allowing your character to remain conscious and
ignore wound penalties until he reaches –5
Health (at which point he falls over dead). If your
character also has the Diehard Talent, you may
take the High Pain Tolerance Talent one
additional time for each Level of Diehard that he
possesses. Each Level increase allows your
character to ignore two additional wound
penalties.
Inspire
Prerequisites: Diplomacy 4
Your character is skilled at motivating others. He
can infect people with his confidence and
enthusiasm, and drive them to perform better
than they thought possible.
Benefit: As an attack action, your character may
grant a +2 Skill bonus to all allies within 10 feet of
him. He must be able to see and speak to his
allies in order to grant this bonus.
Normal: Your character does not grant any Skill
bonuses to his allies.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent twice,
allowing your character to provide an additional
+2 Skill bonus to allies.
Intelligent
Unique; only available during character creation
Prerequisites: None
Your character is exceptionally bright and clever.
His intellect far exceeds that of the average
person.
Benefit: Your character gains a +1 Intelligence
rating. This bonus affects his Intelligence rolls and
all Intelligence-based Skills. It also factors into his
Secondary Attributes and raises his maximum
Intelligence rating by one point.
Normal: Your character’s Intelligence rating is
unmodified.
Iron Jaw
Prerequisites: None
Your character is exceptionally sturdy and solid.
He is extremely hard to daze and can take quite a
beating before losing consciousness.
Benefit: Your character gains a +1 Stun rating.
Normal: Your character’s Stun rating
unmodified.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
four times. Each additional Level grants your
character an extra +1 Stun rating.
Iron Stance
Prerequisites: Fencing school Iron stance 1,
Fencing: Iron stance 4
Your character is perpetually aware of her stance
and her balance. Even when struck violently, she
maintains her footing.
Benefit: Treat your character as having +1
Strength for the purpose of resisting Knockback
and Knockdown.
Normal: If your character takes more damage in
one blow than her Strength rating, she is knocked
backward five feet per point of damage in excess
of her Strength rating. If the damage is more than
double her Strength rating, she is knocked down
as well.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times. Your character gains a +1 Strength bonus
to resist Knockback and Knockdown for each level
of this Talent.
Iron Will
Unique; only available during character creation
Prerequisites: None
Your character is exceptionally courageous and
driven. His resolve and determination far exceed
that of the average person.
Benefit: Your character gains a +1 Willpower
rating. This bonus affects his Willpower rolls and
all Willpower-based Skills. It also factors into his
Secondary Attributes and raises his maximum
Willpower rating by one point.
is Normal: Your character’s Willpower rating is
unmodified.
Jack of All Trades
Prerequisites: Intelligence 3
Your character has broad familiarity with a
variety of different tasks. He may be a handyman,
drifter, or Renaissance man, but he can perform
tasks without any formal training.
Benefit: Your character may ignore the untrained
Skill penalty when using any general Skill (see
“Untrained Skill Rolls,” p. 18). In addition, he may
make an untrained Specialized Skill roll at a –2
penalty.
Normal: Your character makes untrained Skill
rolls with a –2 penalty and may not make
untrained Specialized Skill rolls at all.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times. Your character gains a +1 Skill bonus to
untrained Skill rolls at second Level and a +2
bonus at third Level. This bonus also applies to
untrained Specialized Skills.
Jump
46
Unique
Prerequisites: None
Your character is naturally gifted at jumping and
leaping. He is capable of jumping surprisingly
large distances, both vertically and horizontally.
Benefit: Your character’s jumping distance is
doubled (see Move).
Normal: Your character’s jumping distance is
unmodified.
Keen Sense
Only available during character creation
Prerequisites: None
Your character has a particularly acute sense,
such as vision, hearing, or smell. He has amazing
sensitivity and rarely misses anything.
Benefit: Your character gains a +4 Perception
bonus when using a particular sense, such as
vision, hearing, touch, taste, or smell (designate
one when you take this Talent).
Normal: Your character’s Perception rating is
unmodified.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent multiple
times, but the benefit will be applied to a
different sense each time.
Knockout Blow
Prerequisites: Brawl 6
Your character is a master of nonlethal combat.
He knows exactly where to hit an opponent to
daze him without hurting him very much.
Benefit: Your character gains a +1 bonus to stun
his opponent. This bonus is only applied to the
damage total for purposes of the stun check after
you’ve determined whether or not the blow hit.
No additional damage is done, but this bonus
47
makes it possible for your character to stun or
knockout an opponent without doing much
damage to him.
Normal: Your character’s unmodified damage is
compared to your opponent’s Stun rating.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to four
times. Each Level grants your character an
additional +1 bonus to stun his opponent.
Lethal Blow
Prerequisites: Brawl 6
Your character’s hands are deadly weapons. He
knows exactly how and where to hit an opponent
to do the most damage. He’s not trying to
incapacitate his opponent— he’s going for the
kill.
Benefit: Your character’s Brawl attacks do lethal
damage. Every two points of nonlethal damage
inflicted does one point of lethal damage instead.
Leftover points do nonlethal damage, as normal.
Normal: Your Brawl attacks do nonlethal damage.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times. Each Level grants your character an
additional +2 Brawl bonus when making a lethal
attack.
Lifesaver
Unique
Prerequisites: Medicine 4
Your character is a gifted healer. His touch is
soothing and he has an amazing ability to treat
wounds. People under his care heal much quicker
and cleaner than normal.
Benefit: Your character heals one lethal or two
nonlethal wounds per one success rolled on your
Medicine roll.
Normal: Your character heals one lethal or two
nonlethal wounds per two successes rolled on
your Medicine roll (see Healing)
Long Shot
Unique
Prerequisites: None
Your character is skilled at attacking distant
targets. He intuitively adjusts for the range, and
can hit his target accurately over very long
distances.
Benefit: Your character’s weapon ranges are
doubled, allowing him to shoot or throw at
distant targets with a reduced penalty.
Normal: Your character’s weapon ranges are
unmodified.
Lucky
Prerequisites: None
Your character is exceptionally lucky and
somehow manages to get out of dangerous
situations and pull off tricky maneuvers.
Benefit: Once per game session you receive a +2
luck bonus to any dice roll.
Normal: Your dice rolls are unmodified.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
five times. Each additional Level grants your
character an extra +2 luck bonus per game
session. These bonuses may either be used
separately or added to the same roll multiple
times.
Magickal Aptitude
Unique; only available during character creation.
Prerequisites: None
48
Your character has the innate ability to channel
magickal energy, and use them to cast spells and
perform rituals.
Benefit: Your character may perform rituals and
cast spells. Your character must pick one
Discipline when he takes this Talent. He also gains
one Level in a single Discipline of the Magick Skill.
Normal: You character cannot use magick.
Magickal Sensitivity
Unique; only available during character creation
Prerequisites: None
Your character is able to sense magickal energy in
his surroundings. He does not display any specific
powers, but occasionally gets flashes of insight,
has prophetic dreams, or senses power in a
person, object, or specific area.
Benefit: You make an Empathy roll whenever
your character tries to sense magickal energy
around him. The more successes you roll the
more sensitive your character is to the strength
and source of the magickal energy. Sometimes
the Gamemaster will make this roll on your
behalf to see if your character gets an unbidden
flash of insight, or senses an unseen power at
work.
Normal: You are unaware of any magickal
phenomena
Mobile Attack
Prerequisites: Dexterity 3
Your character excels at fancy footwork, and can
make accurate and powerful attacks, even while
moving.
Benefit: Your character may attack without
stopping his movement (up to his total Move
rating).
Normal: Your character may move and attack, or
attack and then move, but he may not attack
while moving.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent twice,
granting your character the ability to
simultaneously run and attack.
Mounted archer
Prerequisites: Fencing school Cavalry 1, Ride 6
Mounted archers are light cavalry trained to fight
mounted and as infantry. The Academy of Cavalry
is the only institution in the Union currently
teaching riders how to use wield firearms in the
saddle effectively.
Benefit: When mounted on a cooperative animal,
your character can use Ride in place of Archery
rolls.
Normal: Your character uses his normal Archery
rating while mounted. Note that combat skills are
limited by your Ride skill (see combat).
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +2 Ride bonus
at second level and a +4 bonus at third level.
Mounted Attack
Unique
Prerequisite: Ride 6
49
In combat, your character moves so closely with
his mount that he can use the animal’s
momentum to power and guide his own attacks.
Benefit: When mounted on a cooperative animal,
your character can use Ride in place of Brawl or
Melee rolls.
Normal: Your character uses his normal Brawl or
Melee rating for attack rolls.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +2 Ride bonus
at second level and a +4 bonus at third level.
Mounted Charge
Prerequisites: Ride 6
Your character may spur her mount into a charge
directed at the enemy and use the full force of
the animal’s momentum in the strike.
Benefit: When mounted on a cooperative animal,
your character’s mount will perform the charge
maneuver upon command. Your character and
her mount gain the +2 charge bonus to the attack
roll without losing their Active Defense.
Normal: Your character can command her mount
to charge, but both character and mount lose
their Active Defense rating.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times. Both your character and her mount gain a
+4 charge bonus to attack rolls at second level
and a +8 bonus at third level.
Natural Leader
Unique
Prerequisites: Charisma 3
Your character makes friends easily and inspires
people to help him achieve his goals. When
necessary, he can call up old friends or recruit
new people to join his cause.
Benefit: Your character may recruit a temporary
Ally. The cost of the new Resource is equivalent
to boosting a Talent (see “Boosting Talents,” p.
94). Your character gains a new Ally equal to the
number of boosted Levels (see Ally). The boosted
Resource lasts for the remainder of the scene, at
which point the new companion departs.
Normal: Your character is unable to recruit
temporary allies.
Pack Mule
Unique
Prerequisites: None
Your character is able to carry greater weight
than most people of his stature.
Benefit: Your character treats his encumbrance
level as one less than the weight he carries would
normally impose. The character's Maximum Load
is not increased. For example, a character with
Strength 3 carrying 200 pounds would only be
carrying a Medium Load rather than a Heavy
Load.
Normal: Your character is encumbered per
normal rules.
Painful Jab
Requirements: Fencing school Anatomy 1,
Fencing: Anatomy 6
Your character knows exactly where to hit an
opponent to daze him without hurting him very
much.
Benefit: Your character gains a +1 bonus to stun
his opponent. This bonus is only applied to the
damage total for purposes of the stun check after
you’ve determined whether or not the blow hit.
No additional damage is done, but this bonus
makes it possible for your character to stun or
knockout an opponent without doing much
damage to him.
50
Normal: Your character’s unmodified damage is
compared to your opponent’s Stun rating.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to four
times. Each level grants your character an
additional +1 damage bonus to stun his
opponent.
Parry
Prerequisites: Fencing or Melee 6
Your character is adept at parrying armed combat
attacks. He automatically deflects cuts and
thrusts without having to go on the defensive.
Benefit: Your character performs the Parry
maneuver as a reflexive action (see Parry). Any
Defense bonuses provide a bonus to the Parry
maneuver as well. If your character loses his
Active Defense, he loses his Parry ability as well.
Normal: Your character performs the Parry
maneuver as an attack action.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times, gaining your character an additional
+2 Active Defense bonus against melee attacks.
Patient Strike
Unique
Prerequisites: Fencing school Scarlotti 1, Fencing:
Scarlotti 6
Students are taught how to watch patiently for
an opening in a foe’s defense while beating a
hasty retreat. Scarlotti taught that wasting energy
on constant attacks was a mistake. “Strike once,”
he said, “but strike well!” Proponents of the art
often parry turn after turn, waiting for the right
time to strike.
Benefit: For each combat turn your character
uses Parry against the same opponent, he gains a
+2 bonus to his Fencing: Scarlotti roll when he
decides to strike back. The first attack your
character makes against the opponent (including
a Cautious Attack or Riposte) uses the
accumulated bonus. If the character attacks a
different foe, fails to parry a blow from his
opponent, or does not strike before the
encounter ends, the bonus is immediately lost.
Normal: Your character gains no bonuses for
delaying his attacks.
Provoke
Prerequisites: Con 4
Your character is gifted at taunts and insults. He
can draw attention to himself, and away from his
friends and allies.
Benefit: As an attack action, your character may
attempt to provoke his opponents into attacking
him. Make a Con roll against all opponents within
10 feet of your character. If you roll more
successes than an opponent’s Willpower rating,
he will attempt to attack your character for a
number of turns equal to the number of excess
successes rolled, or until he is attacked by
someone else. If you roll more successes than
twice an opponent’s Willpower, he will continue
to attack your character even if someone else
attacks him.
Normal: You may make a Con roll to taunt one
enemy into attacking your character.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times, gaining your character an additional +2
Con bonus per Level.
Quick Draw
Unique
Prerequisites: None
Your character is able to draw weapons with
amazing speed. He is so fast that his weapons
seem to just suddenly appear in his hands.
51
Benefit: Your character draws weapons as a
reflexive action, allowing him to ready a weapon
and attack in the same turn. Weapons that
normally take longer than a turn to ready only
take an attack action to draw.
Normal: Drawing a weapon takes an attack
action, but some weapons take longer to ready
depending on how they are carried. Your
character must wait until his next turn to use a
weapon after drawing it.
Quick Healer
Unique; only available during character creation
Prerequisites: Body 3
Your character heals at a remarkable rate. Even
life threatening wounds don’t keep him down for
long. He’s back on his feet again in no time!
Benefit: Your character heals at twice the normal
rate. He heals two nonlethal wounds per day, or
one lethal wound per three days of rest. Exerting
himself during this time makes him heal twice as
slowly.
Normal: Your character heals one nonlethal
wound per day, or one lethal wound per seven
days of rest. Exerting himself during this time
makes him heal twice as slowly.
Quick Reflexes
Prerequisites: None
Your character reacts to danger much faster than
the average person, allowing him to take action
well before they do.
Benefit: Your character gains a +2 Initiative
rating.
Normal: Your character’s Initiative rating is
unmodified.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent twice,
gaining your character an additional +2 Initiative
rating per Level.
Ramrod-wise
Unique
Prerequisites: None
Your character can reload weapons with amazing
speed. He is so fast it seems as though he never
runs out of ammunition.
Benefit: Your character may reload a
blackpowder firearm in half the normal time.
Normal: Reloading a firearm takes several attack
actions (see Gear). Your character must wait until
his next turn to fire a weapon after reloading it.
Ricochet Shot
Prerequisites: Archery 6
Your character is skilled at hitting targets with
indirect shots—ricocheting bullets or throwing
axes off nearby objects to hit opponents hiding
behind cover or standing around corners.
Benefit: Your character may make a Called Shot
to hit a target hiding behind cover with a reduced
penalty. He may ignore up to a –2 penalty due to
cover (see “Cover”). To benefit from this ability,
there must be an appropriate object to ricochet
off, such as a rock or metal plate.
Normal: When making a Called Shot to hit an
opponent hiding behind cover, your character
suffers a penalty equal to the amount of cover his
target has.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times. Your character may ignore up to a –4
penalty at second Level and up to a –8 penalty at
third Level.
Ride by Attack
52
Prerequisite: Ride 6
You character is deft when attacking with a
mount, and can attack at the most opportune
moments, even when the mount is moving
erratically.
Benefit: When mounted on a cooperative animal,
your character can attack without stopping his
mount’s movement (up to the mount’s total
Move rating). Alternatively, while your character
is riding, your mount can attack without stopping
its movement.
Normal: Your character and the mount can move
and then attack, or attack and then move, but
cannot move both before and after the attack.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent twice,
granting your character or the mount the ability
to simultaneously run and attack.
Riposte
Prerequisites: Fencing School or Melee 10
Your character may immediately attack after
parrying with a melee weapon, turning his
opponent’s attack to his advantage.
Benefit: Your character may reflexively attack as
part of the Parry maneuver (see Parry). Resolve
the Parry normally, but your character inflicts
damage if you roll more successes than his
attacker. Any Defense modifiers that apply to the
Parry maneuver apply to the Riposte ability
equally. If your character loses his Active
Defense, he loses his Riposte ability as well.
Normal: Your character Parries normally.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times, gaining your character a +2 Active
Defense bonus against Melee attacks for each
additional Level.
Rising Handspring
Unique
Prerequisites: None
Your character can get back on his feet with
amazing speed and grace. When knocked to the
ground, he immediately bounces up again.
Benefit: Your character stands up as a reflexive
action, allowing him to get up and attack in the
same turn.
Normal: Standing up takes an attack action.
Robust
Prerequisites: None
Your character is exceptionally hale and hearty.
His physical fitness is far superior to the average
person. As a result, he is able to soak up a lot
more damage before losing consciousness.
Benefit: Your character gains a +2 Health rating.
Normal: Your character’s Health rating is
unmodified.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent twice,
gaining your character an additional +2 Health
rating per Level.
Run
Unique
Prerequisites: None
Your character is swift and fleet of foot. He runs
much faster than the average person and can
even keep up his amazing speed over long
distances.
Benefit: Your character’s running speed is
doubled. (see Move).
Normal: Your character runs at normal speed.
Savvy Fighter
53
Unique
Prerequisites: Dexterity 3
Your character is adept at defending himself and
never lets his guard down. He can defend himself
even while making an aggressive, reckless assault.
Benefit: Your character always retains his full
Defense rating.
Normal: Under certain circumstances, your
character may only use his Active or Passive
Defense rating when defending himself.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times, gaining your character an additional
+2 Defense bonus per Level. This bonus also
stacks with all other Defense modifiers and
increases the benefit of the Total Defense
maneuver (see Total Defense).
Shield Bash
Prerequisites: Fencing school Gurkish 1, Fencing:
Gurkish 6
Students are taught how to follow up stunning
blows with a rapid shield smash for extra impact.
Benefit: If your character makes a Fencing:
Gurkish attack with his sword and stuns an
opponent, he may make an immediate attack to
deliver a 0N shield bash (using Fencing) against
the same target as a free action. The free attack
suffers a –4 penalty and must be a straight
attack—no maneuvers (such as Called Shot or
Total Attack) can be used in conjunction with it.
No off-hand penalty applies to the shield bash.
Normal: Your character cannot follow up an
attack with a shield bash.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +2 bonus to
his Fencing roll to deliver the shield bash at
second level and a +4 bonus at third level.
Special: If your character has the Florentine or
Flurry Talents, he may perform a shield bash after
each sword attack that leaves his opponent
stunned. The Flurry penalty applies only to the
initial attacks, not the follow-up blows.
Skill Aptitude
Prerequisites: None
Your character has a natural affinity for a
particular activity or subject matter and is
considered a prodigy or expert in his field.
Benefit: Your character gains +2 Skill rating to a
specific Skill (designate one when you take this
Talent). This is a general bonus and does not give
your character any free Skill Levels.
Normal: Your Skill ratings are unmodified.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent multiple
times, but the benefit is applied to a different
Skill each time.
Skilled Assistant
Prerequisites: None
Your character has a knack for helping people,
even if he knows nothing about the task they are
performing. He expertly gathers materials,
organizes tools, and performs other minor duties
in order to maximize efficiency.
Benefit: When assisting another character, as
long as your character has even one Level in the
applicable Skill, your character may provide a +2
teamwork bonus, even if his rating is not 4 or
greater (see “Teamwork”).
Normal: Your character only provides a
teamwork bonus if he has an applicable Skill
rating of 4 or higher.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times. Your character grants a +4 teamwork
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bonus at second Level and a +8 bonus at third
Level.
Special: Regardless of the potential bonus
provided by this Talent, the actual bonus cannot
exceed the Skill rating possessed by the assisting
character. For example, if you possess Skilled
Assistant at Level 2 (+4 bonus), but your Skill
rating is only 3, then you can provide a maximum
+3 bonus.
Spirit talker
Prerequisites: Northerner, GMs permission
Your character is one of the few people left who
can talk to spirits and ask them for favors
Benefit: Your character can call upon primeval
spirits of the world, talk to them and ask them for
favors. He must make a Willpower*2 test to call a
spirit. See chapter 6. The Gifts of Euz for more
information about Spirit talkers.
Normal: Your character cannot talk to spirits.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +4 bonus to
the Calling test at second level and a +8 bonus at
third level.
Staggering Blow
Prerequisites: Brawl 6
Your character’s unarmed blows are extremely
powerful; he can stagger an opponent or even
knock him off his feet.
Benefit: Your character gains a +1 bonus to
knockback his opponent. This bonus is only
applied to the damage total for purposes of the
knockback check after you’ve determined
whether or not the blow hit. No additional
damage is done but the bonus makes it possible
for your character to stagger or knockdown his
opponent.
Normal: Your character’s unmodified damage is
compared to his opponent’s Strength rating.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to four
times. Each Level grants your character an
additional +1 bonus to knockback your opponent.
Static Defense
Prerequisites: Fencing school Iron stance 1,
Fencing: Iron stance 6
The school’s defensive techniques are built
around remaining stationary. Your character has
mastered the secret of moving his body while
keeping his feet still.
Benefit: Your character can forfeit his Move
action to gain +2 to his Active Defense for that
round. The bonus is lost even if the character
moves involuntarily, such as by suffering
Knockback or Knockdown.
Normal: Your character gains no bonus to
Defense by remaining stationary.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +4 Active
Defense bonus at second level and a +8 bonus at
third level.
Strong
Unique; only available during character creation
Prerequisites: None
Your character is exceptionally muscular and well
built. His might and vigor far exceed that of the
average person.
Benefit: Your character gains a +1 Strength
rating. This bonus affects his Strength rolls and all
Strength-based Skills. It also factors into his
Secondary Attributes and raises his maximum
Strength rating by one point.
Normal: Your character’s Strength rating is
unmodified.
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Strong Defense
Unique
Prerequisites: Strength 3
Your character is stalwart and vigorous. He uses
his powerful build to defend himself and resist
damage.
Benefit: Your character uses his Strength rating
instead of Body when calculating his Passive
Defense and Defense ratings.
Normal: Your character uses his Body rating
when calculating his Defense ratings.
Special: You may not buy this Talent if your
character already has the Focused Defense
Talent.
Subtle Strike
Prerequisites: Stealth 4
Your character is a master assassin, capable of
disguising himself or sneaking up on prey and
striking with lethal accuracy.
Benefit: Your character may use his Stealth rating
when making an unarmed or melee attack
against an opponent who is unaware of his
presence. Make a Stealth roll (including weapon
modifiers) against your opponent’s Passive
Defense (plus armor modifiers). If you roll more
successes than your opponent, you inflict one
point of damage per extra success. If you roll
fewer successes than your opponent, your attack
has failed. Once your character attacks his target,
he automatically loses the element of surprise
and cannot use this Talent again on the same
opponent (unless he gets away and finds a way to
surprise him again).
Normal: Your character may not use his stealth
offensively.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times. Your character gains a +2 attack bonus at times. You may ignore to a -4 sweep penalty at
second Level and a +4 bonus at third Level. second level and a -8 penalty at third level.

Surgical Precision Swift

Unique Prerequisites: None

Prerequisites: Fencing school Anatomy 1, Your character is exceptionally fast. His speed far
Fencing: Anatomy 6 exceeds that of the average person.

The human body is riddled with weak spots and Benefit: Your character gains a +2 Move rating.
vulnerable areas, both well-known and obscure.
Students are taught how to locate them all, and Normal: Your character’s Move rating is
how to target them in combat. unmodified.

Benefit: The fencer ignores modifiers equal to his
Medicine level when making a Called Shot to hit a
vital area. This has no effect against Cover or
similar modifiers.
Normal: Your character suffers a penalty to his
opponent’s full Defense rating (including armor
and other Defense modifiers) when trying to
strike a vital area.
Special: The bonus applies only when attacking
human opponents, not animals or unearthly
beings (werewolves are human for this purpose).
Taking a Specialization in Veterinary allows this
ability to be used against animals.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent twice,
gaining your character an additional +2 Move
rating per Level.
Swift Mount
Prerequisites: Ride 4
With a little tenderness, the right tone of voice
and the occasional spur in the side, your
character can get surprising speed out of his
mount.
Benefit: When your character is riding a
cooperative animal, that animal gains a +2 Move
rating.

Sweep Normal: Your character’s mount moves at its

Prerequisites: Fencing school Keln 1 or Bold 1,
Fencing: Keln or Bold 6
Your character is adept at making wide, swinging
attacks that can hit multiple enemies in one blow.
normal Move rating.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent twice, gaining
your character’s mount an additional +2 Move
rating.

Benefit: Your character can ignore up to a -2 pen-

Swim
alty for sweeping (see opposite sidebar). If your
Unique
character sweeps over a greater distance, reduce
the sweep penalty by 2. Prerequisites: None

Normal: When performing a sweep, your Your character swims with surprising speed. He is
character suffers a -2 attack penalty per target or a natural in water, and it hardly slows him down
each five-foot distance between targets. at all.

56
Benefit: Your character’s swimming speed is
doubled (see Move).
Normal: Your character swims at normal speed.
Swirl of the Cape
Prerequisites: Fencing school Dardi 1, Fencing:
Dardi 6
As well as using a cloak defensively, students
learn how to ensnare weapons and knock them
from the wielder’s hands, and whip their cloak
around their foe’s feet to pull him off balance.
The character has +2 to perform Disarm and Trip
maneuvers when using his cloak in place of his
bare hands or a weapon. The character uses
Fencing: Dardi in place of Brawl when making a
Trip in this manner. He suffers no penalty for
wielding his cloak in his off-hand when
attempting these moves.
Normal: Your character gains no benefit from
using a cloak with either maneuver.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +4 bonus to
Disarm and Trip a foe at second level and a +8
bonus at third level.
Sword & Shield as One
Prerequisites: Fencing school Gurkish 1, Fencing:
Gurkish 6
The student has learned to strike with his sword
and buckler to deliver a single, more powerful
blow, though at the cost of using his buckler for
defense.
Benefit: Your character can forfeit the +2 Active
Defense bonus granted by his buckler and instead
add +2 to his Fencing roll. Defense remains
lowered until the start of the student’s next turn.
If the character loses his Active Defense for any
reason, he may not make this substitution.
57
Normal: Your character’s buckler grants +2 Active
Defense and it cannot be traded for attack dice.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +4 bonus to
his Fencing roll to deliver the twin strike at
second level and a +8 bonus at third level.
Special: Because the student has already used his
buckler as a weapon, this Talent cannot be
combined with Shield Bash.
The Great Dances
Prerequisites: Fencing school Dance 1, Fencing:
Danse 6
The character has learned one of the great secret
techniques of his school, allowing him to avoid
attacks with his dance-like motions.
Benefit: The character substitutes his
Performance: Dance rating for his Active Defense
in his Defense roll when using either the Block,
Dodge, or Parry maneuvers (pick one when this
Talent is taken). If the character loses his Active
Defense for any reason, he may not make this
substitution.
Normal: Your character substitute his Athletics,
Brawl, or Melee rating for his Active Defense in
his Defense roll, depending on whether he is
dodging, blocking, or parrying.
Advanced: This Talent may be taken three times.
Your character picks a second defensive
maneuver at second level. Your character uses his
Performance: Dance in place of his Active
Defense with all three maneuvers at third level.
Time Sense
Unique
Prerequisites: None
Your character does not need a watch. He has a
highly accurate internal clock and always knows
what time it is or how much time has passed.
Benefit: Your character always knows what time
it is without having to make a roll. He can even
tell how much time has passed while sleeping,
and wake up at a predetermined time.
Normal: You must make an Intelligence or
Survival roll (Difficulty 2) to determine the
approximate time of day.
Tinker
Prerequisites: Craft (Any) 4
Your character is never without the right tools.
He can improvise almost any tool he needs, using
everyday items around him.
Benefit: Your character may ignore the penalty
for using improvised tools.
Normal: Your character suffers a –2 penalty for
using improvised tools.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times. Your character gains a +2 tool bonus at
second Level and a +4 bonus at third Level.
Total Recall
Unique; only available during character creation
Prerequisites: None
Your character never forgets anything. He has an
eidetic memory, remembering each detail of
everything he’s ever seen, heard, or read.
Benefit: Your character always remembers
details without having to make an Intelligence
roll. (Taking notes during play is a good aid for
roleplaying this ability.)
Normal: You must make a successful Intelligence
roll (with a Difficulty determined by the
58
Gamemaster) to recall a particular piece of
information.
Tough
Unique; only available during character creation
Prerequisites: None
Your character is exceptionally hardy and robust.
His stamina and endurance far exceed that of the
average person.
Benefit: Your character gains a +1 Body rating.
This bonus affects his Body rolls and any Body-
based Skills. It also factors into his Secondary
Attributes and raises his maximum Body rating by
one point.
Normal: Your character’s Body rating is
unmodified.
Tough Attack
Prerequisites: Body 3
Your character is tough and resilient and can use
his fortitude as a weapon, shrugging off lesser
blows and plowing through his opponent’s
defenses.
Benefit: Your character uses his Body rating as
the Base Attribute for a specific combat Skill, such
as Athletics, Brawl, or Melee (designate one
when you take this Talent).
Normal: Your character uses the standard Base
Attributes for his combat Skills.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent multiple
times, but the benefit is applied to a different
Skill each time.
Trick Rider
Prerequisites: Ride 4
Your character has the ability to guide her mount
through, around, and over difficult terrain and
unusual obstacles, as well as perform tricks
involving her mount.
Benefit: When your character is riding a
cooperative animal, she gains a +2 Ride bonus
while performing tricks stunts.
Normal: Your character’s Ride Skill is unmodified
when performing tricks and stunts.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +4 Ride bonus
when performing tricks and stunts at second level
and a +8 Ride bonus at third level.
Tricky Fighter
Prerequisites: Intelligence 3
Some prefer to fight with swords, others prefer
firearms. Your preferred weapon is your
ingenuity and quick wits.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to your roll when
you perform a Trick.
Normal: You do not gain a bonus when
performing a Trick.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent twice.
The second time you purchase this Talent you
gain an additional +2 to your roll when
performing a Trick.
Unarmed Parry
Prerequisites: Brawl 4
Your character is capable of using his bare hands
defending himself against weapons, catching
blades and deflecting strikes without injuring
himself.
Benefit: Your character can block Melee attacks
with his bare hands at no penalty (see Block). If
your character loses his Active Defense, he loses
his Unarmed Parry ability as well.
59
Normal: Your character suffers a –2 penalty when
attempting to block a Melee attack with his bare
hands.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times. Your character gains a +2 Active Defense
bonus against Melee attacks at second Level and
a +4 bonus at third Level.
Vigorous Defense
Prerequisites: Dexterity 3
Your character keeps up an active defense—
always moving and turning to keep his opponents
at bay. Even multiple opponents have difficulty
wearing him down!
Benefit: Your character may be attacked twice in
the same combat turn without penalty.
Additional attacks penalize his Defense rating as
normal.
Normal: If your character is attacked more than
once during the same combat turn, he suffers a –
2 penalty to his Active Defense rating for each
additional attack.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to four
times. Your character can defend against an extra
attack per combat turn without penalty for each
additional Level (i.e., the initial purchase lets your
character defend against one additional attack
without penalty, the second allows two
additional attacks, and so on).
Wary Fighter
Prerequisites: Fencing school Riovarra 1, Fencing:
Riovarra 6
Your character is a student of tricks. His insight
allows him to spot tricks coming and respond
accordingly.
Benefit: Your character has +2 to resist Tricks
made against him. If your character loses his
Active Defense, he loses his Wary Fighter ability
as well.
Normal: Your character has no special bonus to
resist Tricks.
Advanced: You may purchase this Talent up to
three times. Your character gains a +4 bonus to
his roll to resist Tricks at second level and a +8
bonus at third level.
Well-Connected
Unique
Prerequisites: Charisma 3
Your character has good rapport with people, and
a large network of friends and acquaintances.
When he needs something, he either knows
someone who will help him or is able to find
someone who can.
Benefit: You may boost your character’s Contacts
Resource as if it were a Talent, but he does not
need to have this Resource in order to boost it
(see Boosting Talents). Your character benefits
from his increased sphere of influence for the
remainder of the scene, after which his Contacts
reverts back to its normal Level, and any bonus
Resources must be returned (see Contacts).
Normal: Your character is unable to boost his
contact network.
Well-Educated
Prerequisites: Intelligence 3
Your character is a genius in a particular field,
with expertise in all its various disciplines. He may
be a master craftsman, general scientific expert,
or schooled in a variety of academic subjects.
Benefit: Your character may take one Specialized
Skill—Academics, Art, Craft, or Natural
Philosophy (designate one when you take this
Talent)—as a general Skill, granting him general
60
expertise in all its Disciplines (which are now
treated as Specializations). Fencing does not fall
under this talent.
Normal: Each Discipline under a Specialized Skill
must be taken as a separate Skill.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent multiple
times, but the benefit is applied to a different
Specialized Skill each time.
Yield No Ground
Prerequisites: Fencing school Iron stance 1,
Fencing: Iron stance 6
Balance is an essential part of the style, and your
character has learned that lesson well. When
others fall, she bends briefly before straightening.
Benefit: When your character suffers a
Knockback or Knockdown she may make an
Acrobatics: Balance roll as a free action to avoid
moving or falling.
Normal: If your character takes more damage in
one blow than her Strength rating, she is knocked
backward five feet per point of damage in excess
of her Strength rating. If the damage is more than
double her Strength rating, she is knocked down
as well.
Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to three
times. Your character gains a +2 bonus to his
Acrobatics: Balance to resist Knockback and
Knockdown for each level of this Talent.
4.2. Resources
Resources represent the various contacts,
friends, influence, and wealth at your character’s
disposal. Characters without any Resources are
neither destitute nor outcasts. They have enough
to get by on but when the going gets tough,
which it enivitably will, they have to fend for
themselves. Characters with Resources get to call
on contacts and allies for favors and information.
They have followers to help them and enough
personal clout to get things done. They may even
be in possession of items with unusual
properties.
Advanced Resources
Just as with Talents, you may purchase the same
Re-source more than once and provide your
character with an even greater benefit. Don’t rely
too heavily on an advanced Resource, however,
as it can still be lost, killed, or stolen. Still,
advanced Resources can be incredibly useful not
only to your character, but to fellow adventurers
as well. To that end, player characters may wish
to pool their Resources together to create a more
powerful, shared Resource. As always, the
Gamemaster is the final authority on which
Resources may be pooled together.
Zero-Level Resources
In real life, friendships, influence, and wealth
grow and develop over time. They are rarely all-
or-nothing propositions. To reflect this, each
Resource has a zero Level that represents
fledgling Resources providing a lesser benefit for
a lesser cost.
Players may choose a Zero-level Resource during
character creation instead of a Resource at Level
1. Buying a new Resource at Level 0 costs 7
Experience points; upgrading it later to Level 1
costs 8 Experience points.
Bonus Resources
Many of the Resources listed below grant bonus
Resources at certain Levels. This represents how
fluid and interconnected Resources can be. A
character with a lot of Contacts may be able to
call upon them to borrow an important Talisman,
recruit a temporary Ally, or find a safe house to
hole up in for a while. A character may use a
bonus Resource to buy a temporary Level in any
other Resource (or two Resources at Level 0). It
may even be used to improve the Resource that
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provided the bonus, granting an increased
benefit.
The temporary Resource remains until it is lost
during play or is used to purchase another
Resource.
Gaining & Losing Resources
Resources are not permanent abilities, so they
can be easily gained or lost during play. Your
character should not abuse his Resources or use
them carelessly, or he might lose them. On the
other hand, your character should not be too
conservative with his Resources. Calling upon the
right one at the right time could literally save the
day.
Resources are interconnected, and characters
with friends and influence always seem to land
on their feet. If your character loses a Resource
during play through no fault of his own, or
through good roleplaying, the Gamemaster may
allow you to replace the lost Resource or swap it
out with one of an equivalent Level.
For example, if the Daughters of Medea murder
your character’s beloved uncle (Patron 2)
because he was attempting to foil their schemes,
the Gamemaster might allow your character to
inherit his stately mansion (Refuge 2).
Resource Descriptions
Ally
Ally represents a close friend or family member
that your character can count on in times of
trouble. He has Skills, Talents, and Resources of
his own, and will go out of his way to help your
character, even if it puts him in danger. However,
he will not throw his life away, so his assistance
only goes so far.
An Ally starts out loyal to your character, making
him easier for your character to charm and
harder for your character’s enemies to sway (see Contacts represent your character’s network of
Influence). friends and associates. They are not particularly
loyal and will only help if it is worth their while or
While you get to define the nature of your in their own best interest. Nonetheless, having a
character’s relationship with his Ally, the network of contacts enables your character to
Gamemaster ultimately controls this character, track down useful items and information
and determines what he will or will not do. whenever he needs it.
Abusing or taking advantage of an Ally will
negatively affect his attitude toward your Taking this Resource gives your character
character, possibly causing him to abandon him contacts in a particular area such as academia,
when he needs him most. the criminal underworld, or the constabulary. Any
time your character seeks equipment or
Purchasing additional Levels of this Resource information from someone within his sphere of
grants your character a new Ally, or improves an influence, you gain a bonus to the appropriate
existing one. Skill roll. Additionally, for each two Levels of
Level Example Attribute Skill Talent/ Contacts your character has, he may call upon his
Resource network of contacts and temporarily acquire a
bonus Resource. Purchasing additional Levels of
0 Weak 9 5 0
this Resource gives your character a new set of
1 Average 12 10 1 Contacts or increases his influence with existing
2 Talented 15 15 2 ones. Contacts Example Benefit

3 Influential 18 20 3 Level Example Benefit

4 Powerful 21 25 4 0 Dean +1 bonus
5 Mighty 24 30 5 1 Priest +2 bonus

When creating an Ally distribute the given 2 Bishop Bonus resource

number of levels for attribute on the primary 3 Archbishop +4 bonus
attributes, as well as the given skill levels for skill. 4 Cardinal Bonus resource
Additionally, an ally may have a number of
talents or resources as listed under Talents. 5 Pope +8

Example: Robert le Beau has Ally 1, representing

Jacques, a childhood friend and royal envoy who
helps him out from time to time. Robert likes
having friends around to bail him out of trouble
and decides to buy another Level of Ally. He could
improve Jacques, making him Ally 2 and
increasing his skills and abilities, but instead
decides to purchase a new Ally 1, Louis, a skilled
magician who can get him out of trouble in a
variety of novel ways.
Example: Pierre is investigating the theft of an
important holy relic. He has Contacts 2,
representing his influence with the Catholic
Church. He gains a +2 bonus when dealing with
churchmen, and he may use his network of
contacts to acquire a temporary Resource. He
talks it over with the Gamemaster and decides to
gain Ally 1. Pierre calls in a favor and convinces a
scholarly priest named Father Vincenzo to help
track down the missing relic.

Contacts
Fame

62
Fame is a measure of your character’s popularity
and notoriety. It also represents how well known
his name and face is. Being recognized as a
luminary has its benefits: people will often do
special favors for your character just because he’s
famous. On the other hand, being famous can
have its downside—it’s hard to keep a low profile
when your profile is easily recognizable. Your
character may be a renowned duelist,
knowledgeable academic who has published
numerous manuscripts, famous artist, or
daredevil hero. When someone recognizes your
character, you gain a bonus to all social rolls
related to that person. Additionally, for each two
Levels of Fame your character has, he may use his
popularity to gain a temporary Resource from his
adoring fans. Purchasing additional Levels of this
Resource increases your character’s popularity
and renown.
FLevel Example Benefit
0 Local celebrity +1 bonus
1 City council +2 bonus
member
2 Wanted Bonus resource
criminal
3 National hero +4 bonus
4 Dashing Bonus resource
swordsman
5 International +8
luminary
Example: Henri is an up and coming swordsman,
famous across Paris. He wants to increase his
renown, so he purchases Fame 2. His reputation
increases and now people are coming from all
over to see him fence. When recognized, he gains
a +2 bonus in dealings with that person and can
use his Fame to gain a temporary Resource. Henri
immediately decides to gain Patron 1—after
63
years of self-training, a fencing master has
decided to teach him some special moves!
Fencing School
Prerequisites: see individual school
Fencing School represents your character’s
membership in a particular school, lessons
learned from his teacher and relationship with his
fellow students. It is often an exclusive
organization, full of like-minded individuals that
look out for each other. Each school has a
prerequisite that must be fulfilled before
membership is extended to an individual (see
below).
Additionally, Fencing Schools are run by a skilled
and influential teacher to whom your character
defers. Although there is a lot a teacher can do
for your character, his loyalty is not a given; your
character will occasionally have to complete tasks
to stay in his good graces. Teachers generally stay
at the school and expect your character to take
all the risks, though. Still, they can be extremely
helpful—providing advice, training, and
Resources. They don’t even have to be present to
help—they can dispense wisdom through letters,
books, riddles, or even dreams and flashbacks.
While you get to define the nature of your
character’s relationship with his teacher, the GM
ultimately controls this NPC and decides exactly
what she wants and what she is willing to do for
your character. Harassing your teacher or taking
fellow students for granted will negatively affect
their attitude toward your character, possibly
causing him to be ejected from the school.
Fencing Schools provide a bonus to the Fencing
skill when using the school’s primary or
secondary weapons. This bonus applies also to
defensive weapons aligned to the school,
granting a bonus to Active defense.
Having studied the Fencing school, a student
Fencing schools teach certain talents which fit
their style. Since students train more purposeful,
and higher skill allows for more insight, they learn
school talent much easier. A student of a fencing
school may choose one school talent at level 1 for
free. Other school talents cost only 7 experience
points. This benefit is only granted if the student
has the Fencing school resource at level 1 or
higher. Note that level 0 resource does not grant
this advantage. Talents purchased that way must
be marked as school talent (e.g. Flurry: Keln) to
count as such; school talents can only be used
with their school’s primary or secondary
weapons.
In addition, for each two levels of Fencing School
your character has, he may temporarily borrow
one of his school’s Talents (as listed under the
school’s description) or Resources. Because of
the strong bond between members of a Fencing
School, you are not merely limited to the Talents
and Resources your teacher possesses.
Purchasing additional levels of this Resource
grants your character membership in a new
Fencing School, or improves his standing in an
existing one.
Level Attribute Skill Talents Benefit
0 12 10 1 +1 bonus
1 15 15 2 +2 bonus
2 18 20 3 Bonus
resource/talent
3 21 25 4 +4
4 24 30 5 Bonus
resource/talent
5 27 35 6 +8
Teacher Attributes Skills Talents/
Example: Andre is surrounded by three footpads
seemingly intent on robbing him. His character
has Fencing School 2 (Keln Academy),
representing tutelage under the noted fencing
master. Using its school’s primary weapon, a
64
Long Steel, Andre gains a +2 Fencing bonus. He
also uses a Main gauche, which is a secondary
weapon for the school. He not only gains the
usual +1 bonus an d active defense for using a
Main gauge but also +2 bonus for his Fencing
school training. He also recalls his teacher
demonstrating how to instinctively parry blows,
and gains the Parry Talent for the duration of this
combat.
Most popular fencing schools
All fencing schools have prerequisites which must
be met before a pupil may attend a school.
Main weapons are those weapons the school
uses for is fighting style. Secondary weapons are
weapons which can be used in a similar manner
thus allowing for the bonus and use of school
talents.
School talents may have their own prerequisites;
many a talent is unique for its school. Talent
descriptions are given in chapter 4.1.
Academy of Anatomy (Union)
Prerequisites: Medicine 4
Main weapon: Rapier
Secondary weapon: Long Steel, Dagger, Main
gauche, Short Steel
School Talents
Accuracy, Calculated attack, Calculated Defense,
Combat skill (Medicine), Feign death, Lifesaver,
Painful jab, Surgical precision
Although the Academy of Medicine was founded
as a fencing school, it has since gone on to
become one of the most famous medical
teaching schools in Dagoda, especially regarding
the study of anatomy. While not all medical
students must study fencing, all fencing students
must study medicine.
Training medical students has brought greater from stomach to chin. Advanced students are
wealth to the academy than training swordsmen. capable of inflicting painful yet nonlethal injuries,
As a result, the academy is now run as a giving their opponents chance to surrender, or
university. Lessons are ordered and set down the swordsman the opportunity to run away. If
according to a timetable, students must obey the pushed, they are quite capable of killing.
rules of the academy, and there is clear distinc-
tion between masters (called deans) and Academy of the Bold (Union)
students.
Prerequisites: Strength 3
Since it caters to both fencers and non-
Main weapon: Long Steel
swordsmen, the faculty and student body is
divided into two factions. While they mix in Secondary weapon: Longsword, Short Steel,
lessons, they have separate dormitories and Main gauche, Rapier
recreational facilities—a new practice, introduced
when Jesuit scholars applied to join the faculty. School Talents
This ensures that clerics sent to the academy for
Berserker Fury, Combat Aptitude, Flurry, Furious
training as healers are not tainted by excessively
Slash, Iron Jaw, Strong Defense, High Pain
fraternizing with those who trained to take lives.
Tolerance, Sweep
Students of the basic art, even if not current
Lyander dan Hagen founded the school over 100
members, may attend the university to continue
years ago. Its style is powerful and aggressive.
their medical training. Only those who are full
members are given advanced fencing instruction, The head of the King’s Guard Colonel Bremer dan
however. Gorst, a hero of the last Northern War, is the
most famous pupil of the Bold school. Gorst is a
Many students who learn both fencing and
master of the school’s fighting style. A bull of a
medicine go on to serve with the army, if only to
man, he may easily be the most dangerous
gain actual experience of both combat and
swordsman in the whole Union.
healing. Some see it as a fast track to promotion,
though this is rarely the case. Critics of the Bold style call it uncouth, its
students call it effective. The style favors bold,
Students learn how to defend themselves, since
powerful attacks over defense, the theory being
the ethos of the school is not to train wanton
that a dead opponent is one you no longer have
killers, but instead to instruct men of peace who
to worry about. Students who dally with their
can seek other ways to end violence—while
opponents or try flashy moves in the training
keeping foes at bay by delivering precision
room are punished with a wrap across the
strikes. Slashing attacks are frowned upon, since
knuckles from the master’s blade.
they inflict more damage than is considered
necessary to down a foe. Full members are given Swordsmen schooled in the Bold style can be
special instruction on how to inflict pain while single-minded in combat, seeking only a quick
minimizing physical injury, and how to target victory. They are powerful, brutal, and efficient, if
specific areas of the human body so as to inflict a bit lacking in grace and poise.
quick, clean kills.
Cavalry academy (Union)
When students must fight, they seek to end the
conflict as quickly and humanely as possible, Prerequisities: Ride 4, Rank 2 or Status 0
stabbing at vital organs rather than splitting foes

65
Main weapon: Lance
Secondary weapon: Cavalry sword, Shield, Sabre,
Rapier
School Talents
Callous Rider, Evasive Riding, Mounted archer,
Mounted Attack, Mounted Charge, Ride by
Attack, Swift Mount, Trick rider,
The Cavalry Academy is a prestigious school with
a fine pedigree. Many of its masters feel its
reputation has been irrevocably tarnished by
allowing non-noble officers to join. A great rivalry
exists both inside and outside of the school
between the old guard, formed of cavalry officers
and noblemen, and the new guard, which
comprises able officers of more modest
upbringing. Competition between the two
factions is intense, and more than one
“accidental” injury has occurred.
While it is acceptable to harm another student
(though only by accident, of course) during
sparring matches, harming a horse during training
bouts is an offense punishable by automatic
banishment for a set period of time.
Members must possess their own horse.
Extensive stables are available free to full
members, while general students of the style may
stable mounts at the school for a small monthly
fee so long as they left in good standing.
The basic style provides adequate training in
mounted combat, but there is far more to the
style. Advanced students are taught to use their
mount as an extension of their own body, to
avoid injury by staying low in the saddle, leaning
heavily to one side, or letting the mount take the
blow, as well as pushing their mount to greater
speeds. Full members have access to specialist
training.
Dancing school
66
Prerequisites: Charisma 3, Fame 1 or Rank 2 or
Status 1 or Wealth 1
Main weapon: Rapier
Secondary weapon: Cloak, Mauche gauche,
Long Steel, Dagger
School talents:
Bold Attack, Bold Defense, Captivate, Dance
Macabre, Dodge, Mobile Attack, Quick Reflexes,
The Great Dance
The most pretentious fencing school in Styria, the
School of Dance is the exclusive domain of the
rich and famous. Annual fees are high, and all
members are carefully vetted to ensure their
suitability. The school has never discriminated by
gender, though until sweeping reforms over the
last few years, their t-raining was limited to
purely defensive maneuvers. As well as being a
fencing school, the institute is a club for the social
elite of Styria. Their facilities boasts grand
ballrooms, small theaters, and several salons—
the latter are available for private hire. Quarters
for paid-up members are equal to those of the
great noble chateaus in size and elegance. Marble
statues and busts adorn the corridors and galler-
ies, paintings by the master artists hang on the
walls, and ornate drapes cover the large
windows.
Within these opulent surroundings, members can
enjoy refined company, gourmet dining, and first-
class entertainment, while engaging in gossip,
politics, backroom dealings, and intrigue. Some,
however, come here merely to dance and escape
their daily routine, or the backstabbing prevalent
at the royal court.
Those who wish to avoid social interaction
beyond dancing or enjoy a degree of anonymity
are required to don a mask. The school’s rules
prohibit masked individuals from being spoken
to, except by the staff or masters, though they
may speak if they so desire. In order to receive a
verbal reply though, they must first remove their
mask. Most often the conversation is restricted to
an invitation to dance or spar, which is answered
by a simple nod or shake of the head. Regardless
of why people come to the school, there is always
a certain amount of rivalry. No blood is permitted
to be shed on the plush carpets (perpetrators are
expelled). This has resulted in verbal dueling
becoming the norm; reputations have been
made, tarnished, and broken solely upon the
exchange of words within the walls of the School
of Dance.
The style is truly beautiful to watch, being a
deadly combination of elaborate footwork and
sweeping arms combined with slashing strikes
and wide, flourishing parries. Unlike dances,
which follow carefully choreographed patterns,
the Danse style teaches only basic steps—
students are expected to develop these into a
unique combat style. Thus, while most schools
have set moves a swordsman can recognize and
counter, the School of Dance has none.
The school has become popular among the
higher nobility in the Union, maybe in honour of
the Queen. A chapter has opened in Adua in one
of the fancier parts of the city, not far from the
Argiont, thus sparing the noble pupils the
endeavor of travelling through poorer
neighborhoods.
Dardi School (Styria)
Prerequisites: Willpower 3
Main weapon: Rapier
Secondary weapon: Cloak, Long Steel, Short
sword, Dagger
School Talents
Block, Cloak the form, Dodge, Parry, Florentine,
Swirl of the cape, Tricky fighter, Vigorous defense
While Dardi mythology claims the founder, Umbo
Dardi, designed his style around the cloak to
67
prevent blood from staining his fine clothes, the
truth is more prosaic: Dardi realized that the
cloak could be used defensively, buying him
opportunity to flee an unfair fight. A man with
many enemies, his newfound fencing style saved
his life more than once. Regardless of their actual
social class, Dardi considers its members to be
gentlemen and expects them to dress and behave
accordingly—or at least while in the academy.
Members must wear clothing appropriate to the
gentry, and always with a cloak, of course. In
addition, courtesy to each other and to guests is
de rigueur, as well as the showing of refined
speech and manners. While poorer members are
loaned suitable clothing from the school’s
extensive wardrobe, it can do little about the
rest. As a result, there is a certain amount of
snobbery between the rich and poor students.
While the school charter says every member is
equal in status and should be accorded due
respect as a brother, those without Rank, Status,
or Wealth 1 are known as Aspirants by the
snobbish gentry members (because they aspire to
be better than their true social status).
Members in general have a tendency to consider
their art the most refined for a gentleman, often
mocking those who favor more militant styles. In
return, they are often mocked for having bad
vices—a cloak hides many sins. The charter also
forbids guests from wearing cloaks in certain
areas unless they are full members.
The Dardi school’s strength and weakness, not to
mention its signature item, is the cloak. Even
without a weapon, they can ward off sword
blows by wrapping the cloak around their arm to
cushion impacts, entangle axes and daggers,
ensnare arrows, conceal their outline to foil
musketeers, and disarm and trip foes. They might
not be able to strike back efficiently, but that is
true of any swordsman caught unarmed.
Without their cloaks, however, the true
proponents of the art are robbed of their greatest
asset, leaving them unable to employ their
special techniques.
*In game terms, a student of Dardi without a
cloak in his hand loses his bonus to Feint and
Parry.
School of Iron Stance (Union)
Prerequisites: Body 3
Main weapon: Long Steel
Secondary weapon: Buckler, Longsword, Shield,
Unarmed
School Talents
Block, Dodge, Iron stance, Parry, Riposte, Rising
Handspring, Static defense, Yield no ground
While the School of Iron Stance has a good
reputation, many swordsmen are not
comfortable with its fighting mentality. The
natural instinct of a swordsman is to give ground
when necessary and force an opponent back
when possible. Students of the School of Iron
Stance learn to control the battlefield not by
forcing their enemy to yield ground, but by
denying him the chance to gain ground. True
masters of the style are virtually immovable,
capable of more effective parries when
stationary. They are, in their own words, the
immovable cliff upon which the sea futilely
pounds. While stories about the wooden boots
used to train students are legendary, those who
wish to master the art must first learn the art of
balance. The fighting style can be quite vigorous,
yet all movement is done from the hip upward. A
thrust too far or an energetic slash can easily
cause the fencer to lose his balance. Once the
student has proven he has a sense of balance, he
next learns how to defend himself while station-
ary. This is when he is introduced to the wooden
boots. During the earliest days of training
students often fall, for it is natural to try and
move one’s feet to secure a better position or
68
correct an overbalance. After receiving enough
bruises students either learn to use their non-
sword arm to help maintain their balance, or they
quit. Basic moves involve parrying and short,
sharp thrusts. Slashes, while a valid tactic, are
given secondary consideration—a skilled
opponent can quickly turn one’s momentum
against the swordsman. Feints require too much
movement to be fundamental to the style.
There is a common misconception that
practitioners of the style root themselves to the
spot once combat begins, refusing to budge until
it is over. Many stories of Iron Stance swordsmen
refusing to move even to help a comrade are
commonplace, but most are fictitious or fail to
tell the whole story.
Tactical choice of terrain is important to a
student. After all, only an idiot, a desperate man,
or a confident master chooses to stand in an
empty field where he can be attacked from
multiple sides. Proponents are similarly taught
that remaining stationary when someone
shooting arrows or flatbow bolts is a sure way to
invite death.
So long as they are not engaged in melee with a
foe, swordsmen are quite willing to move, either
to a more advantageous position or to assist
friends. But once a foe closes on them, they
adopt the stance. Despite rumors that students
remain static until they are hewn down, never
yielding an inch, only those with a death wish re-
fuse to flee when outnumbered or wounded—
there is no honor in a pointless death.
Gurkish Style (Dagoska/Union)
Prerequisites: Body 3
Primary weapon: Sabre
Secondary weapon: Buckler, Rapier
Special: Gurkhish style can only be used with a
sabre/rapier and buckler in combination.
School talents:
Florentine, Flurry, Knockout Blow, Shield bash,
Staggering blow, Strong Attack, Strong Defense,
Sword and Shield as One
The school, which operated out of a disused
tavern in Dagoska, focuses entirely on wielding
the long sword and buckler in combination. The
style comes from the fighting style of Gurkish
sword masters. Uhma, the current master of the
school is a native Dagoskian and knows many of
the Union officers in the city look down their
nose upon the style.
Students begin with just a long sword, getting
them used to basic fencing moves. Only when
they have proven their competency is the buckler
introduced. As well as learning how to use the
small shield to deflect blows, students are taught
how to use the buckler as an effective weapon.
Rather than academic subjects, the school’s
curriculum covers more practical skills—Athletics,
Intimidation, and Warfare.
After the fall of Dagoska, Uhma has relocated his
school to Adua. Unfortunately, the style is seen
as quite unpatriotic, which makes recruiting new
students harder. Luckily for Uhma, there are
some of the wiser officers who want to study the
enemy’s weaknesses.
New Keln school (Union)
Prerequisites: Agility 3
Main weapon: Long Steel
Secondary weapon: Long sword, Rapier, Short
Steel, Main gauche
School talents:
Finesse Attack, Flurry, Parry, Riposte, Florentine,
First Strike, Sweep, Savvy fighter
The New Keln school, or just Keln, is one of the
newest in Adua, but it has proven hugely popular
due to its focus on fighting multiple opponents.
69
The founder of the school, and it’s prime
instructor, is Wirram Werth, a Stariklander
veteran of the Gurkish Wars and the Angland
campaign, and a major in his August Majesty’s
army. After the Gurkish Wars Werth established
his school in New Keln. After being handsomely
rewarded during the Angland campaign, he could
afford to open a new chapter in Adua. His son
Marton is the current head of the original school.
Its origin let some swordsmen disdain the school,
not because its style lacks finesse or is easy—far
from it in fact—but because it is not a true
dueling style. Those who must enter combat on a
regular basis care little for the school’s pedigree if
what they learn will keep them alive.
The style focuses on solid defense and sweeping
slashes designed to drive foes back and inflict
maximum damage. When outnumbered, the last
thing one has is time to toy with opponents—“kill
them quickly and reduce the odds” is one of the
school’s mantras.
Students are not given instruction in one-on-one
fighting. From the moment they enter the school
they fight first against two opponents, slowly
building up to greater numbers are they develop
mastery of the techniques. Werth once fought
seven opponents simultaneously during a battle
against the Gurkish and emerged with only minor
cuts… or so the story goes.
The premise of the school involves fighting
multiple opponents when you must, not when
you can—only a fool or a madmen craves being
outnumbered by his enemies. Masters make it
clear that the longer a swordsman is surrounded,
the greater the chance one of their attacks will
strike home. As such, movement is a key part of
any battle, especially if it reduces the number of
foes who can attack you afterward.
Riovarra (Styria)
Prerequisites: Con 3
Main weapon: Rapier
Secondary weapon: Long Steel, Short sword,
Dagger, Main gauche
School Talents:
Dirty Blow, Disarming Strike, Tricky Fighter,
Provoke, Rising Handspring, Savvy Fighter, Subtle
strike, Wary Fighter
The Riovarra Academy, after the school’s
founding master) teaches students that victory is
the only thing that matters. Gentlemanly conduct
in a duel with a noble opponent may woo a lady,
but it will not win against a band of cutthroats or
a gang of mercenaries.
Students are taught that anything goes in a fight.
They learn all manner of tricks designed to
confuse, humiliate, and throw foes off their guard
before delivering the killing blow. While students
love having ample maneuver room and handy
objects about, they are just as skilled at fighting
in a narrow, deserted alley: with a smooth mo-
tion, the swordsman may run up a wall, vault
over your head (stealing your hat in the process),
and then deliver a blow to your exposed back.
Younger students often like to show off their skill
by toying with opponents, performing trick after
trick. They are quickly taught a lesson by a
master, who performs one trick and then places
his sword at the throat of his befuddled
opponent. As Riovarra himself once said, “the cat
that plays with its food too long may find the
mouse bites back.” A truly skilled master can
defeat his opponent seemingly without revealing
his swordsman’s prowess. When the killing blow
comes, it does so from a seemingly innocuous or
lucky move that resulted in the victim simply
being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Once an opponent realizes he is fighting a
Riovarra student, he may become cagey, refusing
to be drawn by feints, sweeping away scenery his
foe could possibly use to trick him with. But
Riovarra students are not just skilled at physical
70
tricks—a verbal bluff or quip can be enough to
create a momentary opening the fencer can
exploit with deadly efficiency. Many opponents
expect their Riovarra foes to try and trick them at
some point, little realizing that winning is all that
matters. Tricks are a valuable part of their
arsenal, but they are not compelled to employ
them. A Riovarra student may simply trick his
opponent by not playing any tricks, toying with
him for a while to build up a sense of paranoia
and expectation.
Visits to the academy can be extremely annoying,
especially for outsiders. Pranks, japes, and jokes
are the nature of the day. Unwary guests may
find the snuff they have just inhaled contains
pepper, their wine has been spiked with vinegar
(or worse), and the chair they sit upon has had its
legs partially sawn through. But there can be a
darker side to this japery: members taking a dis-
like to a comrade or visitor often use pranks as a
means of provoking a fight.
Scarlotti’s Academy (Styria)
Prerequisites: Intelligence 3
Main weapon: Rapier
Secondary weapon: Short Steel, Short sword,
Main gauche, Dagger
School Talents:
Block, Dodge, Expeditious Retreat, Parry, Patient
strike, Quick reflexes, Run, Swift
Scarlotti’s Academy is not one for dashing heroes,
but certainly ideal for scoundrels and ne’er-do-
wells, and those possessed of craven heart. The
hardest part in becoming a member of Scarlotti’s
Academy is even finding it in the first place. Many
of its members have enemies, and in order to
keep them away from the school, the master
changes continually changes its location. The
authorities have long considered Scarlotti’s to be
a den of thieves. Some suspect the master is
actually the head of a thieves’ guild. There is no responsible for paying their expenses while they
evidence to substantiate these claims, and while are working for him. Followers start out loyal to
considered a scoundrel, the master has friends in your character, making them easier for him to
high places. charm and harder for his enemies to sway (see
Influence).
The school’s lengthy official motto is proudly dis-
played on a plaque: “If you cannot run, hide. If You get to define the nature of your character’s
you cannot hide, fight. But always look for a relationship with his Followers, but the
chance to run.” The shorter version is “Run when Gamemaster ultimately controls these characters
you can.” and determines what they will or will not do.
Abusing or taking advantage of Followers will
The first thing students are taught is to put aside negatively affect their attitude toward your
all notions of honor and glory. There is no glory in character, possibly causing them to abandon him
dying or being maimed, no matter how noble the when he needs them most.
cause, and no honor in being captured. Thus, the
core tenet is survival at any cost, even ignominy. Purchasing additional Levels of this Resource
either increases the number of Followers your
While many of its students are the sort of character has, or improves his existing ones.
gentlemen who must flee enraged husbands,
debt collectors, or the authorities on a regular Level Number Attribute Skill Talent
basis, the Academy has a number of members of
with legitimate occupations, such as messengers, followers
envoys, and spies. Many thieves find the school 0 1 9 5 0
of use in their nefarious occupation, especially
1 2 9 5 0
the parts involving stealth and running fast.
2 4 9 5 0
The style’s core focus is on getting out of trouble
3 6 9 5 0
with minimum risk. Knowing how to parry is
essential. Specific training is given to disarming, 4 8 9 5 0
as an opponent without a weapon is less inclined 5 10 9 5 0
to chase an armed man, even one trying to avoid * Instead of increasing the number of Followers,
a fight. Ironically, the style is well-suited to those you may improve them by +3 Attribute points, +5
who must give chase to someone, for it teaches Skill points, and +1 Talent or Resource for each
stealth and athletics as part of its core cur- additional Level.
riculum. Sadly, it doesn’t teach students what to
do when they catch their quarry. Example: Luc has Followers 0, representing his
trusted lackey. He’s helped Luc out more than
Followers once, but he’s not very strong or smart, and the
Musketeer is afraid something will happen to
Followers represent your character’s faithful him. Therefore, he decides to purchase an
friends, retainers, and animal companions. additional Level of Followers to increase his
Followers are not always very skilled or lackey’s abilities, giving him a total of 12
influential, but they are fiercely loyal and will Attribute points, 10 Skill points, and 1 Talent or
accompany your character wherever he goes. Resource.
Followers are tremendously helpful and will take
care of everyday tasks, but your character is Patron

71
 with his Patron, the Gamemaster ultimately
controls this NPC and decides exactly what he
wants and what he is willing to do for your
character. Harassing your Patron or taking him
for granted will negatively affect his attitude
toward your character, possibly causing your
Patron to abandon your character when he needs
him most. Purchasing additional Levels of this
Resource grants your character a new Patron, or
improves an existing one.

Level Attribute Skill Talent/ Benefits

Resource
0 12 10 1 +1
Patron represents your character’s mentor,
1 15 15 2 +2
teacher, or protector. He is often a powerful and
influential person, connected to your character in 2 18 20 3 Bonus
some important way. He may be a distant blood resource/talent
relative, a senior member in your character’s
3 21 25 4 +4
organization, or a mysterious stranger who shows
up to provide much-needed information. 4 24 30 5 Bonus
Although there is a lot a Patron can do for your resource/talent
character, loyalty is not a given; your character
will occasionally have to complete tasks to stay in
5 27 35 6 +8
his good graces. Patrons generally stay at home
Example: Michel unwittingly finds himself locked
and expect your character to take all the risks.
in a social duel. The Musketeer has Patron 2,
Still, they can be extremely helpful—providing
representing his old teacher. Remembering his
advice, training, and Resources.
patron’s advice on social duels, Michel gains a +2
Patrons don’t even have to be present to help; Diplomacy bonus. He also recalls how his teacher
they can dispense wisdom through letters, used politeness to hide barbed comments, and
messengers, riddles, or even dreams and gains his Patron’s Barbed Tongue Talent for the
flashbacks. Patrons may provide a bonus to a duration of this social duel.
particular Skill (as long as the Patron has the
applicable Skill rating at 4 or higher, see Rank
Teamwork, p.19). In addition, for each two Levels
of Patron your character has, he may temporarily Rank represents your character’s military rank,
borrow one of his Patron’s Talents or Resources. membership in an exclusive (or secret) society or
Unlike other Resources, which allow your organization. As a result, your character has more
character to gain temporary Resources of their authority when dealing with other members of
choice, you are limited to the Talents and his organization, sometimes ordinary citizens as
Resources your Patron possesses. well, and may request aid or requisition
resources from the group. Depending on the
A Patron’s reasons for helping your character specific organization, he may even be able to give
may be a complete mystery. While you get to orders to junior members, just as he has to obey
define the nature of your character’s relationship the orders of those above him.

72
 Ranks of the Royal Inquisition
The Head of the Inquisition is Archlector
Sand dan Glokta. The Archlector is the
single most powerful person in the Union,
answering only the King. The highest
Inquisition officials in the provinces are
the Superiors who again answer only the
Archlector. The Superiors are supposed to
help the Lord Governor of the respective
province, but mostly the relationship is
reversed.
The Archlector and the Superiors
command a force of highly skilled
interrogators and investigators, the
Inquisitors. Some Inquisitors directly work
for Superiors or the Archlectors staff,
quite like staff officers to a general. These
Inquisitors are often called Senior
Inquisitors, although there is no official
title.
The soldiers, spies and thugs of the
Inquisition are the Practicals. Each
Inquisitor has 2-4 personal Practicals
helping him with investigations, arrests
and torture. Before becoming a practical,
one have to serve as a Practical novice for
several months, or sometimes years.
Unlike, the Army where the richest and
noblest obtain the highest ranks, the
Inquisition promotes only the most able
and devoted. Inquisitors are there for
highly skilled and fanatically loyal to the
crown and the Archlector.
Holding a position of authority grants your
character respect from other members of his
organization. You receive a social bonus anytime
your character wields his authority or acts in the
name of his organization. Additionally, for each
two Levels of Rank your character has, he can use
his authority to acquire a temporary Resource
from his organization. This benefit lasts until the
requisitioned Resource is returned, at which
point a new Resource may be requisitioned.
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While Rank has its privileges, abusing authority,
squandering resources, or breaking rules could
result in your character being demoted or
discharged from his organization. Purchasing
additional Levels of this Resource grants your
character membership in another organization,
or a higher rank in his existing one.
Level Military Inquisition Benefits
0 NCO Novice +1
1 Lieutnant Practical +2
2 Captain Inquisitor Bonus
resource/talent
3 Colonel Senior +4
Inquisitor
4 General Superior Bonus
resource/talent
5 Marshall* Archlector* +8
*There is just one Archlector and only one
Marshall. Players cannot purchase this rank
without it been vacant!
Example: Jean-Claude has Rank 1, representing
his position as a corporal in the Musketeers. After
a few adventures, he decides his character is
ready to take the next step and apply for
promotion. Jean-Claude purchases Rank 2,
representing his new position within the
Musketeers. He receives a +2 social bonus when
on official Musketeer business, and he can
requisition Resources as well. Since his Rank is
more senior, he decides his character has invested
in a small house in Paris. Jean-Claude decides to
gain Refuge 1 with his bonus Resource.
Refuge
Refuge represents your character’s home, private
retreat, or secret laboratory. He either owns it
free and clear or shares it with other members of
his organization. Whatever the case, this is a
place where he feels safe and productive. A
Refuge may provide one of three benefits:
Equipment, Security, and Size. Select a primary
benefit when buying this Resource.
Equipment: This benefit provides a bonus to all
rolls related to a particular Skill (selected when
you purchase this Resource) for anyone inside
your character’s retreat.
Security: This benefit inflicts a penalty to all Skill
rolls related to investigating or infiltrating your
character’s secret lair.
Example: Therram, a magus, has Refuge 1 (Size),
representing a large townhouse in Sipani. Thanks
to a successful sideline business as an apothecary,
he owns the townhouse outright and does not
need to worry about mortgage or rent payments.
Therram decides he needs a workshop for his
alchemical experimentations, so he purchases
another Level of Refuge. He now has Refuge 2
(Size), which grants him a bonus Resource. He
decides to take Refuge 1 (Equipment) to represent
his new laboratory

Size: This benefit increases the amount of space Status

encompassed by your character’s retreat, either
referring to the size of the building itself or the Status represents your character’s class and
land it occupies. A Refuge without any Size social status. This may result from success within
benefit is the size of a small apartment or large a respected profession (e.g., doctors or
workshop. Additionally, for each two Levels of academics), member of a guild like the Mercers
Refuge your character has, he may borrow a or Spicers, a member of an aristocratic family, or
temporary Resource from his home, such as a Named man from the Northlands. In any case,
having his butler accompany him on an your character’s position grants him respect that
adventure or taking a Talisman out of his can be used to impress people and get them to
workshop. This benefit lasts until the borrowed do favors. Any time your character’s social status
Resource is returned, at which point a new or position applies to a situation, you receive a
Resource may be borrowed. bonus to any related social rolls. Additionally, for
each two Levels of Status your character has, he
Purchasing additional Levels of this Resource
may use his Status to gain a temporary Resource
grants your character a new Refuge or improves
from his friends and subordinates. Purchasing
an existing one. With the Gamemaster’s
additional Levels of this Resource increases your
approval, characters can pool their Resources
character’s position and social standing.
together into a larger and more impressive
Gamemasters may limit the purchase of this
Refuge. In this case, each character has limited
Resource after character generation. Typically,
ownership and access to the location.
characters must be awarded a noble title—they
Level Equipment Security Example cannot simply claim one. Even those born to high
office must often wait until a relative dies before
0 +1 -1 House
they can secure a higher title unless they attract
1 +2 -2 Large house the king’s eye or their family is promoted in
2 Bonus Bonus status. In different parts of the world your status
may mean nothing.
resource resource
3 +4 -4 Small estate Note: It is fully possible to play a noble character
without the resource Status. This just means that
4 Bonus Bonus
the character is of an insignificant, poor noble
resource resource family, which no one recognizes or respects;
5 +8 -8 Large estate therefore no bonuses.

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Level Union/Styria Northlands Example
0 Esquire Named man +1
1 Baron Carl +2
2 Margrave Chief of a Bonus
Dozen resource
3 Count Thane +4
4 Marquis Clan chief Bonus
resource
5 Duke King +8 bonus
Example: Benrad is the eldest son of a duke. He
has Status 1, representing his title of baron and
granting him a +2 social bonus when using his
position to get people to do what he wants. After
some years adventuring, he decides to purchase
another Level of Status. He suggests to the GM
his older brother has been killed in the war. The
GM agrees. Because he has Status 2, he also
gains a bonus Resource. Bernad likes to live life to
the fullest, but money has always been tight, so
he decides to take Wealth 1, granting him a
modest income from his new lands.
Wealth
Wealth represents your character’s lifestyle,
income, and assets. It covers the amount of cash
he has on hand and money he has to invest.
Having money does not automatically accord a
character respect or authority, but a rich
character can buy almost anything he wants.
Characters without Wealth are not poor; they
simply have to work for a living. Your character
starts play with his monthly income in cash.
Unless the character has this Resource, his basic
food and lodging needs are covered by his
Musketeer wages, but that leaves him with
nothing to spare each month. For NPCs, the
monthly income is after all reasonable routine
expenses have been settled. Thus, a powerful
noble may not actually have a Wealth Level—he
fritters away his vast income on hosting balls, fine
75
food and drinks, extravagant clothing, and
expensive gifts. He’s immensely rich, but he has
no spare cash on hand. Wealthy characters can
invest their money in other Resources. For each
two Levels of Wealth your character has, he can
sacrifice a Level in order to buy a temporary
Resource or grant one to another character
(subject to Gamemaster approval). The extra
money makes the character more influential. The
temporary Resource lasts until the money is
withdrawn or invested in another area.
Purchasing additional Levels of this Resource
increases the amount of money your character
has at his disposal.
Wealth Example Monthly
Income
0 Squalid 10Marks
1 Modest 50 Marks
2 Comfortable 100 Marks
3 Affluent 500 Marks
4 Luxuriant 100 0Marks
5 Opulent 2000 Marks
Example: Mattim is preparing for an expedition.
He has Wealth 2, representing his personal
fortune, giving him 100 Marks in cash for
purchasing starting equipment. Because he has
two Levels of Wealth, he may also sacrifice one
Level in order to buy a temporary Resource or to
boost another character’s Resource. He decides to
buy an Ally to represent his personal valet
4.3. Flaws
Flaws represent your character’s physical,
mental, or social shortcomings. Whenever your
character is hurt or hindered by his Flaw during
play, you earn Style points that may be spent for
bonus dice when you need them. Therefore, the
more you roleplay your character’s Flaw, the
stronger and more versatile your character will
be.
Don’t constantly roleplay your Flaw, however, as
it will lose potency if overused. For this reason,
Gamemasters may limit the number of Style
points earned through Flaws to one per game
session.
You get one extra Style point if you take a Flaw
during character creation. Characters may start
play with only one Flaw but with the
Gamemaster’s permission, you may add, change,
or remove one during play. Following are
descriptions of some common Flaws. Feel free to
create your own, but be sure to get the
Gamemaster’s approval first.
Severe Flaws
Not all Flaws are created equally. Some may
come up more often than others during play, or
be more limiting for different character concepts.
For the most part, though, Flaws are self-
balancing. Characters that are hurt more often by
a Flaw get rewarded more often than those
whose Flaws come up less often in play. For the
most part, adjusting a Flaw’s reward is not
necessary, unless it is severely limiting and comes
up rarely during play.
For example, a crippled character will not earn
many Style points as long as he is in a wheeled
chair. He cannot walk at all if he is thrown out of
it, so his Flaw deserves a higher reward. He earns
two Style points when his Severe Flaw comes up
during play. Some examples of Severe Flaws are
detailed below; feel free to come up with your
own, but be sure to get your Gamemaster’s
approval first.
Physical Flaws
Blind (Severe): Your character cannot see and is
forced to rely upon his other senses to get
around. He may have suffered an accident or
been born that way, but he is completely blind.
You automatically fail any roll that requires your
character to see. You earn two Style points
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whenever a severe blunder or misunderstanding
occurs because of your character’s blindness.
Clumsy: Your character is awkward and
uncoordinated. He frequently drops things,
bumps into walls and tables, and knocks things
over. Your character suffers a –2 penalty to any
roll where grace and coordination are a factor.
You earn a Style point whenever your character
suffers harm or causes damage due to his
bungling.
Crippled (Severe): Your character cannot walk.
He may have suffered an accident or illness.
However, your character can still get around
normally with a wheeled chair. If knocked from
his seat, he can crawl but suffers a –4 penalty to
his Move rating (minimum rating of 0). You earn
two Style points whenever your character is
limited by his immobility.
Deaf: Your character cannot hear and may have
to learn to read lips in order to communicate. He
may have suffered an accident or been born that
way, but he is completely deaf. You automatically
fail any roll that requires your character to hear.
You earn a Style point whenever a severe
problem or misunderstanding occurs because of
your character’s deafness.
Dwarf: Your character is Size –1, causing him
both physical and social problems. He is often
looked down upon for not being as big or strong
as others. You earn a Style point when your
character’s size causes him severe difficulty or
when he is rejected because of it. You cannot
take this Flaw if you have the Giant Talent.
Dying: Your character is terminally ill and will die
soon. He may have cancer or some other kind of
incurable disease, but he hasn’t given up on
finding a cure. You suffer a –2 penalty to all rolls
whenever your character’s disease acts up. You
earn a Style point if your character is
incapacitated by sickness or forced to confront
his mortality.
Elderly: Your character is very advanced in years
and not as vigorous as he used to be. He suffers a
–2 penalty to any roll where strength, speed, or
endurance is a factor. You earn a Style point
whenever your character’s age slows him down
or he is taken advantage of because of it.
Glass Jaw: Your character has a weak constitution
and is vulnerable to shocks and blows. As a result,
he suffers a –1 penalty to his Stun rating
(characters with a Stun rating of 0 are stunned if
they take one point of damage, and knocked out
if they take two points of damage). You earn a
Style point whenever your character’s weakness
is exploited.
Hard of Hearing: Your character has poor
hearing. He may be deaf in one ear or just have
trouble hearing normally. Either way, you suffer a
–2 penalty on any roll when hearing is a factor.
You earn a Style point whenever your character’s
poor hearing gets him into trouble or causes a
critical misunderstanding.
Illness (Severe): Your character has a severe
illness that is not life threatening, but may
incapacitate him from time to time. He may have
epilepsy or suffer from recurring bouts of
malaria. Your character suffers a –4 penalty to all
rolls when feeling sick. You earn two Style points
whenever your character is incapacitated by his
illness.
Lame: Your character has a bad leg or foot that
slows him down. He may have been in an
accident or just been born that way. Either way,
your character suffers a –2 penalty to his Move
rating. You earn a Style point if your character is
unable to outrun danger, or if his bad leg gets
him into trouble.
Low Pain Tolerance: Your character is extremely
sensitive to pain. Bumps and bruises that others
shrug off are debilitating to him. Your character
suffers a –2 penalty to all rolls when in pain, such
as when damaged or attempting to resist torture.
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You earn a Style point whenever your character
suffers because of his sensitivity to pain.
Mute: Your character cannot speak and is only
able to communicate through hand gestures or
writing. He may have a problem with his vocal
chords, or had his tongue cut out, but it makes
speaking nearly impossible. You automatically fail
any roll that requires your character to speak.
You earn a Style point whenever a severe
problem or misunderstanding occurs because of
your character’s inability to speak.
Obese: Your character is grossly overweight. He
may have an eating disorder or medical
condition, but he weighs far more than an
average person his age. Your character suffers a –
2 penalty to his Move rating, unless he exerts
himself (see Encumbrance). You earn a Style
point whenever your character’s weight slows
him down or causes him difficulty.
One Arm: Your character is missing an arm. He
cannot wield two-handed weapons and his lifting
capacity is halved. If your character attempts to
perform an action that normally requires two
hands, you suffer a –2 penalty on the roll. You
earn a Style point when your character drops
something or makes a critical blunder because of
his missing arm. You cannot take the Florentine
Talent if you have this Flaw.
One Eye: Your character is missing an eye, but
may have a fake eye or wear an eye patch to
cover it. As a result, your character has poor
depth perception and you suffer a –2 penalty on
any ranged attack rolls. You earn a Style point if
your character critically misjudges distance or is
blindsided by someone.
Poor Vision: Your character has bad eyesight. He
may be nearsighted, farsighted, or just have dim
vision. If your character is not wearing his glasses,
you suffer a –2 penalty on any roll where sight is
a factor. You earn a Style point when your
character’s poor vision gets him into trouble or
causes him to make a critical mistake.
Sickly: Your character has a minor illness causing
him discomfort from time to time, such as
migraine headaches, chronic arthritis, or
hepatitis. When feeling sick, your character
suffers a –2 penalty on all rolls. You earn a Style
point whenever your character suffers from his
illness.
Skinny: Your character is scrawny and
underdeveloped. He may have an eating disorder
or a medical condition, but he weighs far less
than an average person his age. Your character
suffers a –2 penalty to any roll where strength or
toughness is a factor. You earn a Style point
whenever your character’s weak physique causes
difficulty.
Young: Your character is a child. He is Size –1,
causing him both physical and social problems.
He is often prohibited from participating in adult
activities, and looked down upon for being
young. You earn a Style point when your
character’s size causes him difficulty or he is
patronized because of his young age.
Mental Flaws
Absent-Minded: Your character is forgetful and
distracted. Whether he’s a daydreamer or just
preoccupied with more important things, he
tends to be unaware of what is going on around
him. As a result, you suffer a –2 penalty on all
Perception rolls. You earn a Style point whenever
your character overlooks a critical detail or
forgets something important.
Addiction: Your character is physically or
mentally addicted to a specific substance or
activity and will do anything to satisfy his need. If
he overindulges or goes too long without getting
a fix, you suffer a –2 penalty on all rolls until he
sobers up or overcomes his addiction. You earn a
Style point whenever your character’s addiction
hurts him or someone he cares about.
Amnesia: Your character has suffered some sort
of trauma that caused him to lose his memory.
78
He may recover part of his memory over time,
but it is exceptionally disorienting when it
happens, so you suffer a –2 penalty on all rolls
until the episode is over. You earn a Style point
when your character suffers a traumatic
flashback, or when something from his past
comes back to haunt him.
Blasé: Your character is easily bored, rapidly loses
interest in anything that he has seen or done
before, and is always seeking out new and
interesting experiences. Your character suffers a
–2 penalty on any repetitive task. You earn a
Style point whenever your character’s
indifference causes harm.
Coward: Your character is afraid of conflict and
won’t stand up for himself. He will run from a
fight, or surrender if unable to flee. You suffer a –
2 penalty on all rolls when he is threatened with
physical violence. You earn a Style point if your
character gives up without a fight or abandons
his friends to save his own skin.
Curious: Your character is insatiably curious. The
unknown fascinates him and he will leave no
stone unturned in his search for answers. He
cannot leave well enough alone and often ends
up in trouble. You earn a Style point whenever
your character’s curiosity gets him or his
companions into trouble.
Delusion: Your character has a deeply held belief
that is completely false. He may see or hear
things that aren’t there, or believe that he is at
the heart of a vast conspiracy. No amount of hard
evidence will convince him otherwise. You earn a
Style point whenever your character’s delusion
causes trouble.
Depressed: Your character is perpetually sad and
gloomy. He is pessimistic and believes the worst
of himself. No matter what happens, he always
expects circumstances to conspire against him.
You earn a Style point whenever your character’s
dire predictions come true or something happens
to crush his spirits.
Envious: Your character is discontent with his lot
in life. Other people always seem to have better
fortune than him, and he doesn’t like that. He
isn’t greedy, he just wants to be the same as
those he views as his betters. Feelings of envy
may be aroused by those with more wealth,
higher military rank, better equipment, or higher
social status. You earn a Style point when your
character’s envy causes trouble for him or his
companions.
Gluttonous: Your character is continually hungry
and whines about the lack of food. No matter
how much he eats, he always wants more. You
earn a Style point when your character’s appetite
causes problems for him or his comrades.
Illiterate: Your character is dyslexic, or maybe he
just never learned his letters. Either way, he
cannot read or write. This includes any additional
languages learned through the Linguistics Skill.
You automatically fail any task that requires your
character to read. You earn a Style point
whenever your character’s illiteracy causes him
severe difficulty or embarrassment.
Impulsive: Your character is impatient and
reckless. He detests waiting around and will take
action without taking time to plan. As a result, he
is often unprepared for trouble and forced to
improvise. He will jump into dangerous situations
without thinking twice. You earn a Style point
whenever your character’s impulsiveness gets
him or his companions into serious trouble.
Lustful: Your character has powerful urges with
regard to members of the opposite sex. He isn’t a
romantic; he’s just insatiable when it comes to
female companionship. You earn a Style point
whenever your character’s overactive libido gets
him or his companions into serious trouble.
Megalomania (Severe): Your character fantasizes
about having extravagant wealth and power, or
performing great deeds. Often this involves
taking over the world or unlocking the secrets of
the universe. You earn two Style points whenever
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your character takes a major step toward
realizing his destiny or has his plans foiled
because he was gloating over his victims.
Obsession: Your character is fixated on a
particular activity such as keeping himself clean,
organizing his possessions, or wooing the woman
of his dreams. If your character cannot indulge
his obsession regularly, you suffer a –2 penalty on
all rolls until he is able to satisfy his compulsion.
You earn a Style point when your character’s
obsession causes him to do something dangerous
or endanger someone else’s life.
Overconfident: Your character has a very high
opinion of himself—perhaps too high. He believes
there is nothing he can’t do better than anyone
else. His foolhardy attitude can get him into
trouble from time to time. You earn a Style point
when your character is forced to ask for help or
when his bravado gets him in over his head.
Paranoia: Your character is excessively concerned
with his well-being. He is wary and distrustful of
everyone, including close family and friends. He
may even have a persecution complex and
believe there is a vast conspiracy against him. You
earn a Style point whenever your character
pushes a friend away or actually catches
someone working against him.
Phobia: Your character is scared of a particular
situation, object, or type of person. He will
actively avoid the object of his phobia, and flee if
confronted with it. If he cannot escape, you
suffer a –2 penalty on all rolls until your character
is able to get away. You earn a Style point
whenever your character’s fear gets the better of
him.
Short Temper: Your character has a bad temper
and is unable to control his anger when
frustrated or provoked. When enraged, he may
hurt himself, his friends, or valuable equipment.
Your character suffers a –2 penalty to Willpower
rolls to keep his cool. You earn a Style point
whenever your character’s short temper causes
trouble.
Skeptic: Your character never takes anything at
face value. He questions everything and demands
to see incontrovertible proof before he will
acknowledge the validity of a claim. You earn a
Style point whenever your character proves an
assertion wrong or convinces someone else to
question his beliefs.
Thrill-Seeker: Your character enjoys living at
fever pitch. He laughs in the face of danger and
revels in putting himself in extreme situations. As
a result, he is much more likely to get hurt or
killed. You earn a Style point when your character
puts himself or his companions in danger just for
the fun of it.
Timid: Your character is nervous and hesitant. He
doesn’t like trying new things and hates being put
into unfamiliar situations. Your character suffers
a –2 penalty on any task that he hasn’t had
adequate time to prepare for. You earn a Style
point whenever your character’s anxiety causes
him to miss an opportunity.
Vow (Severe): Your character has made a solemn
promise or taken a sacred vow to perform a
specific deed, remain loyal to one person or
organization, or to maintain a condition such as
poverty or chastity. Your character earns two
Style points whenever he has to make a major
sacrifice in order to keep his vow.
Social Flaws
Aloof: Your character is distant and standoffish,
often more focused on the task at hand than on
the feelings of those around him. Your character
suffers a –2 penalty on social rolls when trying to
establish a rapport with other people. You earn a
Style point whenever your character’s business-
like attitude causes him trouble.
Bad Reputation: Whether it is deserved or not,
your character has a bad name. You should
80
create the event (or perhaps just a rumor) which
led to the bad reputation. He has –2 to social
rolls. You earn a Style point when you bad
reputation causes problems.
Callous: Your character is selfish, uncaring, and
insensitive to the suffering of others. He is
hardhearted and will not go out of his way to
help anyone. Pleas for mercy fall on deaf ears.
You earn a Style point when your character does
something particularly selfish or refuses to help
someone in dire need.
Condescending: Your character thinks he is
better than everyone else. It doesn’t matter if he
is actually superior or not—he knows he’s always
right; anyone that disagrees with him is clearly
mistaken and must be put in their place. You earn
a Style point whenever your character proves
someone else wrong or establishes his own
superiority.
Criminal: Your character is believed to have
committed a serious crime, regardless of whether
he actually did it. He may be a fugitive on the run
or he could have done time for his misdeeds.
Regardless, people distrust him and may turn him
in to the authorities if given the chance. You earn
a Style point whenever your character is hurt by
his negative reputation.
Disfigured: Your character has a nasty scar,
birthmark, or deformity that repulses other
people. As a result, he is considered ugly and
unattractive. You suffer a –2 penalty on all rolls
where your character’s appearance is a factor.
You earn a Style point whenever your character is
rejected because of his appearance.
Fanatical: Your character is passionately devoted
to a particular cause, ideal, or organization. He
will act in accordance with his beliefs even if it
costs him his life. You earn a Style point
whenever your character’s devotion causes harm
or he converts someone else to his way of
thinking.
Gullible: Your character is naïve and easily
cheated. He takes people at their word, even if
they have lied to him in the past. Your character
suffers a –2 penalty on rolls to resist deception.
You earn a Style point whenever your character is
taken advantage of because of his trusting
nature.
Honest: Your character is sincere and
straightforward. He always tells the truth and
plays by the rules, even if his opponents act
dishonestly. Your character suffers a –2 penalty
on social rolls whenever he tries to lie or cheat.
You earn a Style point whenever your character’s
honesty causes trouble.
Inscrutable: Your character is mysterious, hard to
read, and rarely shares his thoughts. As a result,
he is difficult to relate to and often
misunderstood. Your character suffers a –2
penalty on social rolls when trying to connect
with other people. You earn a Style point
whenever your character is misunderstood or his
mysterious motives cause trouble.
Intolerant: Your character is prejudiced against
certain situations, behaviors, or types of people
(i.e., a particular race, sex, or religious group). He
may react with disgust or even hostilities when
confronted with the object of his dislike. You earn
a Style point when your character’s intolerance
causes trouble, or he convinces someone else to
detest the same thing he does.
Liar: Your character embellishes the truth and
makes up stories to impress people. His lies are
almost always believable, but when confronted
with the truth, he will simply make up another
lie. You earn a Style point whenever your
character’s dishonesty causes trouble or his lies
catch up with him.
Lovelorn: Your character is unlucky in love. He
may have lost his sweetheart or be suffering from
unrequited love, but he will go to great lengths to
gain attention from the object of his affection.
You earn a Style point whenever your character’s
81
affections are rejected or he suffers hardship in
the name of love.
Merciful: Your character is kind-hearted and
sympathetic. He believes that violence is wrong
and prefers to live and let live. He will do
everything he can to ease the suffering of others.
You earn a Style point whenever your character
shows compassion to an enemy or refuses to
retaliate when wronged.
Pacifist: Your character is opposed to violence
and war under any circumstances. He believes
that aggression and use of force are morally
wrong, and he always tries to find peaceful ways
of settling disputes. You earn a Style point
whenever your character is able to prevent
violence or resolve a dispute peaceably.
Secret: Your character has some sort of shameful
secret that would be extremely embarrassing if it
came to light. As a result, he will do everything
possible to keep his secret hidden. You earn a
Style point if your character is confronted with
the truth or goes out of his way to protect the
secret.
Shy: Your character is uncomfortable in social
situations and tries to avoid them as much as
possible. He dislikes being the center of attention
and prefers to let others take center stage. You
earn a Style point if your character misses out on
getting recognition or a reward for his actions
because he won’t assert himself.
Speech Impediment: Your character has trouble
speaking clearly. He may have a stutter, lisp, or
some sort of disfigurement that makes
understanding him difficult. This may cause
important information to be misunderstood or
delivered too slowly. Your character suffers a -2
penalty to social dueling rolls. You earn a Style
point whenever a severe problem or
misunderstanding occurs because of your
character’s speech impediment.
Stubborn: Your character is obstinate and goods. You earn a Style point whenever your
hardheaded. He becomes unreasonably character spends his money unwisely or is unable
unmoving once his mind is made up. You earn a to buy a basic resource.
Style point when your character’s inflexibility
causes him trouble, or he forces others to go
along with his idea.

Superstitious: Your character is extremely

superstitious and will go out of his way to follow
his unusual beliefs. He will avoid performing any
activity that is considered “bad luck” and will
never miss an opportunity to do something that
will give him good fortune. You earn a Style point
when your character’s eccentricities cause him
trouble, or if one of his beliefs turns out to be
true. Primitive: Your character either comes from a
primitive culture or was raised far from
Vain: Your character is arrogant and egocentric. civilization. As a result, modern technology is
He loves to talk about himself and takes excessive foreign to him. You suffer a –2 penalty on any
pride in his appearance, talents, and Skill roll related to modern technology, such as
accomplishments. Anyone who doesn’t recognize Flatbow and Natural Philosophy. You earn a Style
his greatness is simply jealous. You earn a Style point whenever your character’s primitive nature
point whenever your character steals the hampers him or causes trouble.
spotlight or is forced to confront his
shortcomings. Unlucky: Your character is cursed, jinxed, or just
has chronic bad luck. Whenever anything is left to
Miscellaneous Flaws chance, circumstances will almost always
conspire against him. Once per game session, you
Danger Magnet: Your character attracts trouble suffer a –2 penalty on any one dice roll. You earn
and often ends up in dangerous situations. For a Style point if this causes your character’s action
some reason, he’s always the one picked to be to fail, or if you roll a Critical Failure.
the human sacrifice, the sole survivor of the
shipwreck, or the one targeted by the tempter
demon. You earn a Style point when your
character ends up in danger through no fault of
his own.

Hunted: A highly motivated individual or

organization is pursuing your character. He may
have vital information, a rare artifact, or an
unusual ability that they are desperate to
acquire. You earn a Style point whenever your
character is in danger of being caught.

Poor: Your character is perpetually broke and not

very good with money. He may be rash and
impulsive, or he just doesn’t care about worldly

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5. Combat and Hazards
All for One is a game about heroic and
swashbuckling endeavors in a corrupt,
dangerous, and dark world, where characters will
come face to face with fierce and deadly foes. As
such, combat is virtually guaranteed to occur with
great regularity. The rules below are designed to
be quick and easy, while still being fun and
cinematic or gritty and deadly. The Game master
can control the degree between these two
extremes quite easily with the flow of Style
points.
5.1. Combat Overview
Step One: Roll Initiative
Roll Initiative to determine when your character’s
actions are resolved during the combat turn. The
character with the most successes takes the first
action, and the character with the fewest
successes goes last.
Step Two: Combat Actions
Your character may attack, defend, and move
each turn. Declare your character’s Attack action
and determine the Skill or Attribute roll required
to resolve it. Defense actions are reflexive and do
not need to be declared. Move actions must be
declared but do not require a dice roll to resolve.
Step Three: Attack
The first attacker calculates his attack rating,
including appropriate modifiers, then rolls his
modified dice pool.
Step Four: Defense
The defender calculates his Defense rating,
including any appropriate modifiers. He rolls his
modified dice pool and compares the number of
successes rolled to his opponent’s attack roll.
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Step Five: Damage
If the attacker rolls more successes than his
opponent, his attack is successful. Each extra
success inflicts one point of damage. If the
attacker rolls fewer successes than the defender,
his attack missed. If both characters roll the same
number of successes, the attacker narrowly
misses or strikes his foe without causing any
damage.
Step Six: Health
If the attack inflicts damage, mark off the
appropriate number of Health levels and resolve
any additional damage effects, such as stun or
knockback. If your character is reduced to
negative Health, he falls unconscious. If he is
reduced to –5 Health, he dies. After damage is
resolved, return to step three and go on to the
next character in the Initiative order.
5.2. Combat Turns and Actions
Combat can be very confusing. There is often a
lot going on, and keeping everything straight can
be difficult, especially when there are many
different characters involved. To simplify things,
combat is divided into six-second combat turns,
making it easier for the Gamemaster to keep
track of all the characters and resolve all their
actions in order.
Each combat starts with an Initiative phase that
determines when each character acts during the
turn. This ensures that each character has a
chance to attempt his chosen task during the
combat turn.
Initiative
At the beginning of combat, every character
involved rolls their Initiative rating to determine
when they get to act in each combat turn. The
number of successes rolled determines the order
of Initiative, with the character scoring the most
successes taking the first action and the character
with the fewest successes going last.
In the case of a tie, the character with the highest
Initiative rating goes first. If two characters have
the same Initiative rating, the character with the
highest Dexterity rating goes first. If there is still a
tie, then both characters actions are resolved at
the same time.
Once a character’s Initiative has been
determined, it remains the same for the duration
of the entire combat, but there are ways to alter
it.
Holding Actions
Sometimes a character will want to hold his
action until another character does something in
particular.
For example, he may want to hold his attack until
his opponent goes for his weapon or shows his
head from around a corner. In this case, the held
action is resolved before the action that triggers
it.
Once a character acts, his initiative changes, and
he acts at that point in the Initiative order for the
remainder of combat, or until he holds his action
again. An action may be held from one turn to
another; a character may also stop holding his
action, in which case he loses the action he was
holding and his initiative remains unchanged.
Surprise
Occasionally, a character may be caught
unawares by an attack. Usually this is due to an
ambush or an unforeseen accident. When a
character is caught by surprise, he does not get to
act in the first turn of combat. He still rolls
Initiative, however, and may take reflexive
actions and defend himself normally.
Combat Actions
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There are three different types of actions your
character can take in combat: attack, defense,
and move actions. Your character may perform
one of each type of action every combat turn
without penalty.
For example, your character can move, attack,
and defend all in the same combat turn. Your
character doesn’t have to perform all three types
of combat actions if he doesn’t want to; however,
giving up one action doesn’t allow him to
perform two of another type.
If he wants to give up his defense action in order
to make two attack actions in the same combat
turn, he would have to perform the Total Attack
maneuver (see Total Attack). Each type of combat
action is described below.
Attack Action
Attack actions are used to attempt to hurt an
opponent. Depending on the type of weapon
being used, the most common attack actions are
Melee, Brawl, and Ranged attack. Each attack
action uses a different combat Skill roll to resolve
the action (see Attack). Unless otherwise stated,
all attacks are general in nature and don’t
damage a particular part of the target.
In addition to attacking an opponent, your
character may also use his attack action to
perform a particular combat maneuver (see
below).
Defense Action
Defense actions are a special type of reflexive
action that are used to prevent damage from an
attack. Your character’s Defense rating
represents his ability to both evade attacks and
resist damage.
Your character does not have to bother thinking
about defending himself. He does it instinctively.
As a result, you do not have to worry about
taking a defense action. You simply make a
Defense roll in response to an opponent’s attack
action every time your character is attacked.
Move Action
A move action allows a character to move a
certain distance based on his Move rating. Your
character may perform a Move action in addition
to attacking and defending himself. You do not
have to roll any dice to resolve a move action;
your character simply moves the appropriate
distance based on his Move rating.
5.3. Combat Maneuvers
In lieu of taking a standard attack action, your
character can perform a variety of different
combat maneuvers. Combat maneuvers may
provide bonuses and penalties to attack
opponents or allow your character to do other
useful things.
Aim
Aiming improves your character’s accuracy and
damage with a ranged weapon. For each full turn
that your character spends aiming, you gain a +2
aim bonus on your attack roll, up to a maximum
+4 aim bonus.
Special: Aiming takes your character’s full
attention, and he cannot move or actively defend
himself. If he is attacked, you only get to roll your
character’s Passive Defense rating (plus any
applicable Defense modifiers) for his Defense roll.
Your character may continue aiming as long as he
doesn’t take any damage.
Alternately, your character may choose to stop
aiming when attacked (and forfeit his
accumulated aim bonus) in order to defend
himself, using his full Defense rating.
Block
Instead of making an attack, your character
attempts to block all Brawl attacks made against
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him during the turn. When a Brawl attack is made
against him, substitute your Brawl rating for your
Active Defense in your Defense roll. If you lose
your Active Defense for any reason, you may not
make this substitution.
Normally, only Brawl attacks may be blocked. If
your character wants to block Melee attacks, he
may, but suffers a –2 penalty on the attempt.
Special: Against attacks which are not being
blocked, your character uses his normal Active
Defense rather than substituting his Brawl rating.
Called Shot
Sometimes your character will want to strike a
specific target location, such as an object held in
an opponent’s hand, or a weak spot. Conversely,
your character may want to avoid hitting
something—such as a friend grappling with an
opponent. Both scenarios require a Called Shot,
and the attack roll suffers a number of penalty
dice equal to the opponent’s Defense rating or
the Size rating of the object being attacked.
Vital Area: If your character really wants to hurt
his opponent, he can make a Called Shot to hit a
vital area. He suffers a penalty on his attack roll
equal to his opponent’s full Defense rating
(including armor and other Defense modifiers),
but successes rolled automatically inflict damage
on the target. If your modified dice pool is zero or
less, your character’s attack automatically misses.
Held Object: If your character wants to hit a
handheld object, you suffer a penalty equal to
the object’s Size rating (see Attacking Objects). If
the person holding the item is trying to prevent it
from being struck, you use the base Defense
rating of the person holding it or the object’s
Defense rating (whichever is greater). Any
successes in excess of the Defense roll do damage
as normal.
Shooting into Combat: If your character attempts
to shoot around a friend to hit an opponent, he
makes a Called Shot with a penalty equal to the
amount of cover his target has (see Cover).
Obviously, a critical failure on this roll would be
disastrous for your character’s friend.
Specific Location: If your character wants to hit a
specific target location on an opponent, refer to
the following chart:
Target area Attack modifier
Torso -1
Limb -2
Hand -4
Head -4
Eye -8
The result of hitting a specific location is up to the
Gamemaster to interpret based on the specific
circumstances, but it can be anything from
forcing someone to drop a weapon to blinding
your opponent. It can also be used to target
locations not as well armored. For instance, a
breastplate gives a foe +4 Defense, but only to
attacks against his torso. By striking a limb, this
Defense bonus is negated.
Cautious Attack
Your character may elect to make a Cautious
Attack, focusing more on his defense than on
harming his opponent. Your character suffers a –
4 penalty on his attack roll but gains a +2 bonus
on his Defense roll for the remainder of the
round.
Charge
When charging an opponent, your character
makes a reckless, headlong assault using either a
Brawl or Melee attack. Charging grants a +2
charge bonus to your attack roll. Your character
may move up to his normal move before making
the attack, but cannot move again afterward.
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Shove: Instead of making a standard Charge
attack, your character may attempt to shove his
opponent rather than damage him. In this case,
he makes a touch attack (see Touch Attacks)
against his opponent. If successful, he does no
damage. Instead, compare the opponent’s
Strength rating with the amount of damage your
character would have done. If you rolled more
damage than his Strength rating, he is moved
back five feet for each success in excess of his
Strength rating.
If the damage you rolled is less than or equal to
your opponent’s Strength rating, your character’s
shove attempt failed and he ends his movement
standing directly in front of the opponent.
Special: When making a Charge attack, your
character cannot actively defend himself. If he is
attacked, you only get to roll your character’s
Passive Defense rating (plus any applicable
defense modifiers) for his Defense roll.
Disarm
Your character may attempt to disarm his
opponent by knocking the weapon from his hand
with a melee weapon, or by stealing it, using a
hand-to-hand attack. Make an opposed Melee (or
Brawl) roll against the opponent, but you suffer a
–2 penalty for striking at his weapon. In addition,
your opponent receives a +2 bonus if he is
holding his weapon with both hands. If you roll
less than or equal to the number of successes
rolled by the opponent, your character fails to
disarm him. If you roll more successes than the
opponent, your character knocks the weapon
from his grasp, flinging it 2 yards away per extra
success rolled. Or, if your character was
attempting to steal the weapon with a Brawl
attack, he now has the weapon.
Dodge
Instead of making an attack, your character
attempts to dodge all ranged attacks made
against him during the turn. When a ranged
attack is made against him, substitute your
Athletics rating for your Active Defense in your
Defense roll. If you lose your Active Defense for
any reason, you may not make this substitution.
Special: Against attacks which are not being
dodged, your character uses his normal Active
Defense rather than substituting his Athletics
rating.
Note: If your character has the Acrobatics Skill, he
may use that Skill in place of Athletics when
dodging ranged attacks.
Grapple
Your character attempts to immobilize his
opponent without harming him. Make a Brawl
touch attack (see Touch Attacks) with a penalty
equal to the Size rating of the opponent. If
successful, you do no damage. Instead, compare
the opponent’s Strength rating with the amount
of damage your character would have done.
If the damage you rolled is less than or equal to
your opponent’s Strength rating, your character’s
grapple attempt fails.
If you roll more damage than his Strength rating,
your character grabs him. On his next turn, the
grappled character cannot attack and must
succeed in an opposed Strength roll in order to
free himself.
If you roll more damage than twice the
opponent’s Strength rating, your character pins
him, and he only gets to use his Passive Defense
rating for Defense rolls.
Parry
Instead of making an attack, your character
attempts to parry all Melee attacks made against
him during the turn. He must have a shield or be
holding an appropriate weapon in order to
perform this maneuver. When a Melee attack is
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made against him, substitute your Melee rating
for your Active Defense in your Defense roll. If
you lose your Active Defense for any reason, you
may not make this substitution. Normally, only
Melee attacks may be parried. If your character
wants to parry Brawl attacks, he may do so, and
inflicts damage on his attacker if you roll more
successes on your Defense roll.
Special: Against attacks which are not being
parried, your character uses his normal Active
Defense rather than substituting his Melee rating.
Ready Weapon
Your character draws a weapon and readies it for
combat. Most weapons only take a single action
to ready, but some weapons may take longer to
ready based on how complicated they are and
how they are being carried.
Reload Weapon
Your character reloads a ranged weapon. Note
that flat bows are notoriously slow to reload and
generally take four turns. Reloading a sling or
bow takes one turn.
Run
Instead of making an attack, your character
doubles his Move rating to determine the
distance he runs during the combat turn. He may
defend himself normally, but is unable to perform
any other actions while running.
Sprint
Instead of making an attack, your character
quadruples his Move rating to determine the
distance he sprints during the combat turn. He
may keep up this speed for a number of turns
equal to his Body rating. After this time, he may
exert himself—and suffer a nonlethal wound—to
continue to sprint for another turn. If he wishes,
he may continue sprinting until he collapses from
exhaustion.
After your character stops sprinting, he must rest
for a number of turns equal to his Body rating
before he can sprint again.
Stand Up
Falling down is easy; it’s getting up that is hard.
Your character may fall prone as a reflexive
action, but standing up requires him to give up an
attack action. Your character may move and
defend normally after getting to his feet.
Throw
Your character attempts to throw his opponent
to the ground with a Brawl attack. Make a Brawl
touch attack against the opponent (see Touch
Attacks). Your character suffers a penalty equal to
the Size rating of the opponent. If successful,
your character does no damage. Instead,
compare the opponent’s Strength rating with the
amount of damage your character would have
done. If the damage you rolled is less than or
equal to the opponent’s Strength rating, your
character fails to throw his opponent.
If you rolled more damage than the opponent’s
Strength rating, your character throws him five
feet per success in excess of his Strength rating. If
this causes the opponent to strike an object and
he cannot move further, he suffers a point of
nonlethal damage for each five feet he still needs
to move. Additional damage may be done
depending on where the opponent lands.
Total Attack
When all that matters is taking an opponent
down, your character may go entirely on the
offensive—disregarding his own safety—and gain
a +2 bonus to his attack roll. Instead of making a
standard Total Attack, your character may make
two attacks in the same combat turn.
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Florentine: Your character may make two
attacks, using one weapon in each hand. He may
make two Melee attacks, two Ranged attacks, or
one of each. He doesn’t even have to attack the
same target. However, attacking with two
weapons is difficult: you give up the normal Total
Attack bonus and suffer a –4 penalty to attack
with the weapon in his primary hand and a –6
penalty to attack with the weapon in his off-hand
Flurry: Your character attacks the same target
twice, in quick succession, using either a melee
weapon or his bare hands. You give up the
normal Total Attack bonus and suffer a –4
penalty to both attacks when making a flurry
attack.
Sweep: A sweep is a type of total attack in which
your character swings a long weapon in a broad
circle with the intent of hitting multiple targets.
Make a Brawl, Fencing, or Melee attack at a -2 for
each target and each empty five-foot space
between targets. All targets must be within the
normal reach of your weapon and must form an
uninterrupted line; therefore, if an ally is
between two enemies then you may not strike
both enemies unless you include your ally as a
target. Longer reach is an advantage when
performing this maneuver, so a character can
reduce his total penalty by an amount equal to
his Size.
Special: When making a Total Attack, your
character cannot actively defend himself. If he is
attacked, you only get to roll your character’s
Passive Defense rating (plus any applicable
defense modifiers) for his Defense roll.
Total Defense
In dire circumstances, your character may focus
entirely on his defense: blocking blows, parrying
strikes, and dodging ranged attacks all at the
same time. By giving up his attack action, your
character gains a +4 bonus to his Active Defense
rating until his next turn.
Trick
A Trick is a non-damaging attack designed to put
an opponent in a disadvantageous position. Tricks
never inflict damage, whether lethal or nonlethal.
If a character wants to inflict damage, he must
make an attack as normal.
Tricks make for great cinema, and thus should be
rewarded with a Style point. As an attack action,
your character can attempt to trick his opponent
during combat. The character must describe his
trick. The GM then decides what Attribute or Skill
the character must roll. Tricks involving physically
touching your opponent in some manner are
typically Touch Attacks. The GM must also decide
how the defender resists. Typically this will
involve Active Defense only as a trick is non-
damaging, though sometimes an Attribute or Skill
roll may be better suited.
Some examples are shown below. These are not
hard rules—individual Tricks may be affected by
circumstances, what the attacker is trying to
achieve, and how the defender resists.
Trick Attacker Defender
Beer in the face Athletics Active defense
Hat over eyes Brawl Touch
Yanking a rug Strength Acrobatics + size
If you roll more successes than the opponent’s
Willpower rating, the character is tricked and
unable to attack for a number of turns equal to
the number of extra successes you rolled. A
tricked opponent may defend himself normally,
but the spell is broken if he is attacked during this
time. If you roll more than twice an opponent’s
Willpower rating, he is completely baffled and
loses his Active Defense rating for a number of
turns equal to the total number of extra
successes you rolled.
Example: Xavier wants to carve an “X” into a
foe’s tunic. Melee is the best Skill for this. Because
89
the rapier only needs to touch clothing, not pierce
flesh, the GM rules it is a Touch Attack. The
Defender resists with his Active Defense. Xavier
rolls 6 successes, while his opponent scores just
two, so four successes to Xavier. His opponent’s
Will is 3, which means the villain is tricked for 1
round. The GM describes the opponent as staring
open-mouthed at his slashed tunic.
Trip
Your character attempts to trip his opponent and
knock him down. Make a Brawl touch attack
against the opponent (see Touch Attacks). Your
character suffers a –2 penalty to his trip attack if
his opponent has four or more legs.
If successful, your character does no damage.
Instead, compare the opponent’s Strength rating
with the amount of damage your character would
have done. If you rolled more damage than his
Strength rating, your character knocks him down,
otherwise your character fails to knock his
opponent down.
Use Item
Instead of making an attack, your character may
use an item or operate a simple piece of
machinery. He may open doors, pull levers, or
other similar tasks, as long as it doesn’t require a
Skill roll to accomplish.
Use Skill
Instead of making an attack, your character
performs a Skill in combat, such as Diplomacy,
Medicine, or Stealth.
5.4. Attack
An attack represents a character’s ability to strike
and damage an opponent. It not only determines
if your character hits his opponent, but more
importantly, how much damage he does to him.
Because an attack covers both the power and
accuracy of a blow, it is resolved with a single powerful but inaccurate attacks and weaker but
dice roll. highly accurate attacks may end up with the
same attack ratings. One attack uses power to
blow through an opponent’s defenses, while the
Dueling
other targets his weak spots—both are equally
damaging to the opponent.

Combat Skills
Your character’s base attack rating is equal to his
appropriate combat Skill rating:

Ranged Attack: Athletics, Archery, Firearms, or

Gunnery
Duels are fought between two parties when honor
has been impugned. Brawl Attack: Brawl
A duel begins with a challenge. Normally a challenge
Melee Attack: Fencing or Melee
is issued after an insult to one’s honor has been
delivered. Exactly what constitutes an insult is open
to interpretation, but an insult delivered in front of
Attack Modifiers
witnesses is harder to ignore than one delivered
privately. There are numerous factors that can modify your
The insulted party must initiate the duel. Normally character’s attack rating. The weapon being used,
he throws down his glove as a sign of his the size of and range to the target, visibility
displeasure, but he has the option of a verbal conditions, and any wound penalties your
challenge. character has, may all affect the outcome of an
Once the challenge is made, the other party has no attack.
choice but to accept. Refusing to duel is the mark of
a coward and a clear sign the insult is fraudulent. Weapon
Both parties then nominate a second. A friend,
preferably one skilled in blade, is preferable, since a
Each weapon has a damage rating depending on
second may, in rare instances, be called upon to
how powerful and accurate it is. Typically, the
fight.
larger the weapon, the more bonus dice it adds
Gentlemen do not discuss the details of where they
meet. That honor is left to the seconds. to the attack rating. Because this is an abstract
The offended party has the choice when it comes to concept, however, lighter, more accurate
determining victory conditions. Sword duels can weapons may do just as much damage as
have one of three conditions. A duel to first blood is powerful but awkward weapons.
quite literally what it says. To help detect minute
traces, duelists commonly wear white shirts. A Weapons also determine the type of damage
grade up from this is a duel to incapacitation. being inflicted, either lethal or nonlethal.
Fighting continues until one man physically cannot,
or will not, continue. It is permissible to kill a man in Size
such a duel. Finally, the duel may be to the death.
Even though our version of France is filled with
Attack Rating rampaging demons, ghastly undead, and wild
animals, human-sized characters are the norm.
A character’s attack rating represents how
Therefore, everything is scaled for attacking and
powerful and damaging an attack is. Very

90
defending against Size 0 creatures. Average-sized Visibility Example Modifier
humans receive no Size modifier to their attack
Blinding light, direct sunlight -8
rating, but larger and smaller creatures do. Larger
creatures receive a penalty equal to their size Bright light, Spotlight -4
rating to their attack rating, representing how Well-lit, diffused light 0
hard it is for them to hit humans. The same way
Dim light, Candle or Torchlight -2
do smaller creatures receive a bonus to their
attack rating, representing how easy it is for them Near darkness, Moonless night -4
to hit a relatively larger target. Complete darkness, Underground cave -8
Human-sized characters do not have any
modifiers to attack larger or smaller creatures, as
the difficulty of being hit by a Size 0 attacker is
already factored into their Defense rating (see
Defense)

Range
When attacking with a ranged weapon, your
character’s distance from his target modifies his
attack rating. However, different weapons have
different ranges where they are most effective.
You can hit a distant target more accurately with
a flat bow than with a thrown dagger, for
example.

The distance at which a weapon may be used to

attack a target is its effective range. Attacking a
target farther than this suffers a penalty to the Wound Penalties
attack rating.
When your character is seriously wounded, he
Range Modifier suffers wound penalties to his attack rating equal
to his negative Health rating. In addition, his
Short 0
ability to act is limited (see Health).
Medium -2
Long -4 Attack Roll
Extreme -8 The dice pool for your attack roll is equal to your
Range Distance Modifier
character’s attack rating plus or minus any
circumstantial modifiers. If your modified dice
Visibility pool is 0 or less, your character’s attack
automatically misses.
It’s hard to attack effectively when unable to see
clearly. Very dim light, or very bright light shining Roll your modified dice pool and compare the
directly in your character’s eyes, can modify his number of successes to the opponent’s Defense
attack rating. roll. If you roll more successes than the
opponent, your character has damaged him. Each

91
extra success inflicts one point of damage and
may have additional effects (see Damage).
If you roll fewer successes than the opponent,
your character’s attack is a clean miss. If you both
roll the same number of successes, your
character’s attack narrowly misses or strikes his
target without enough force to do any damage.
This is similar to the close calls in television and
movies where bullets and knives get caught in
clothing, are barely deflected by armor, or only
graze a character.
5.5. Defense
While an attack roll represents a character’s
ability to strike his opponent, his Defense rating
represents his ability to both evade an attack and
soak up any damage. Because Defense covers
both a character’s agility and toughness, it is
resolved with a single dice roll.
Defense Rating
A character’s Defense rating represents how hard
he is to hit and how resistant he is to damage.
Therefore, frail but agile characters and slow but
tough characters may have the same Defense
rating. One defender relies on his natural
toughness to shrug off blows while the other
relies on not getting hit in the first place. Both
characters are equally resistant to damage;
however, there are situations that require a
character to use only one aspect of his Defense
rating.
Your character’s Defense rating is calculated as
follows:
Defense = Passive Defense + Active Defense –
Size
Passive Defense = Body (+ Armor, if applicable)
Active Defense = Dexterity (+Defense weapon, if
applicable)
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Your character may be limited to using only his
Active or Passive Defense ratings against certain
attacks, such as Touch Attacks and Area Effect
attacks.
Defense Modifiers
Several factors can modify your character’s
Defense rating. Your character’s Size and armor
(if any) are the most common modifiers. Cover,
wound penalties, and even the number of
attackers your character faces also affect how
effective his defense is.
Size
The standard scale of combat is human-sized.
Average-sized characters receive no modifier to
their Defense, but larger and smaller ones do.
Larger opponents (like bears) are easier to hit,
while smaller creatures are harder to strike.
Consequently, larger creatures suffer a penalty
equal to their size on their Defense rating while
smaller creatures receive a similar bonus.
To make up for this, larger and smaller creatures
also receive a modifier to their Health rating.
Although larger creatures may be easier to hit,
they are also harder to kill. Conversely, smaller
creatures may be harder to hit, but they are also
easier to kill because they can’t take as much
damage.
Armor
Armor, whether natural or worn as clothing,
deflects incoming attacks and prevents blows
from doing as much damage as they would
without the protection. To represent this, bonus
dice from armor are applied to a character’s
Passive Defense rating.
Armor covers only certain parts of the body, a
helmet protects the head, gauntlets the arms.
This comes in to play when attacked by a called
shot to a certain area. A general attack, which
does not target specifically one part of the body,
the defender uses the armor bonus of the torso
armor. If he is wearing other armor parts with a
higher defense bonus than his torso armor, he
receives a one-time +1 bonus to his Armor bonus,
regardless how much higher the armor value of
the other parts is or if he wears one or more
additional pieces of armor. If a character does not
wear torso armor but any other piece of armor,
he has an Armor bonus of 1, when attacked by a
non-targeted attack.
Note: When the torso is specifically targeted, only the
torso armor is counted, no bonus for other armored
areas.
Example: Dan Gorst wears a reinforced leather
armor with an armor bonus of +2. He also wears
a visor helmet (+3) and metal gauntlets (+3). His
General armor bonus is therefore 3; reinforced
leather covering the torso (+2), +1 for armor parts
with a higher bonus than the torso armor.
Red Jon wears nothing but plain cloths and a
helmet (+3 for head), his General armor bonus is
+1.If targeted at the torso, he does not have any
defense bonus.
Armor is heavy and restrictive, though, and may
also impose penalties on the character wearing it.
See the Gear chapter for specific stats on armor.
Defensive weapons
Some weapons, like shield, buckler or main
gauche, are used to block or parry attacks. These
weapons provide a bonus to Active defense. See
the Gear chapter for specific stats on defensive
weapons.
Cover
Taking cover is an excellent way to defend against
attacks, especially against ranged attacks. The
more cover your character has, the harder it is for
attacks to harm him.
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In game terms, cover provides a bonus to your
Defense rating. The more cover your character
has, the greater the bonus you receive. Be aware
that missed attacks are likely to hit the object
being used as cover, so think twice before hiding
behind those casks of gunpowder.
Cover Modifier
Full cover +8
Major cover +4
Half cover +2
Partial cover +1
No cover 0
Partial cover: Most of your character is visible to
the opponent, such as when hiding behind a
small box.
Half-cover: Half of your character is visible to the
opponent, such as when firing from behind a
tree.
Major cover: Very little of your character is
visible to the opponent, such as when peering
around a corner
Full cover: No part of your character is visible to
the opponent, such as when hiding behind a huge
boulder.
Multiple Attackers
As in real life, it’s hard to defend against multiple
attackers. Groups of opponents can easily
outmaneuver and overpower your character;
defending against one attacker leaves him open
to another. Likewise, multiple attacks from a
single attacker are similarly challenging to defend
against.
Your character may only use his full Defense
rating against one attack per combat turn. He
suffers a –2 penalty to his Active Defense rating
for each additional attack made against him
during the same combat turn.
While these penalties may reduce the character’s
Active Defense to zero dice (it can never go
negative), his Passive Defense is unaffected.
Example: Henri has Active Defense 3 and Passive
Defense 3, for a total Defense of six dice. He is
attacked three times in the same turn. He rolls his
full Defense against the first attack. Against the
second attacker his Active Defense is reduced by
two, giving him just four Defense dice overall. The
third attacker reduces his Active Defense by four,
which gives him –1 Active Defense. However, the
penalties for multiple attackers can never reduce
this below zero. Henri ends up defending with just
his three Passive Defense dice. Had there been a
fourth or fifth attacker, Henri would still roll his
Passive Defense.
Size Bonus: Large creatures are able to handle
multiple attackers more easily than smaller ones.
For every two levels in Size, a creature may use
its full Defense rating against one additional
attack per turn. Therefore, a Size 2 creature does
not suffer any penalties for being attacked twice
during the same combat turn and a Size 4
creature does not suffer any penalties for being
attacked three times. A Size 8 creature may
defend itself up to five times per turn using its full
Defense rating! This bonus only applies when
attacked by human sized (or smaller) creatures. A
larger creature will suffer normal penalties for
multiple attacks by creatures of its own size.
Wound Penalties
When your character is seriously wounded but
remains conscious, he suffers wound penalties to
his Defense rating equal to his negative Health
rating. In addition, his ability to act is limited (see
Health).
Touch Attacks
Sometimes you only need to determine if an
opponent touches your character, such as when
he is trying to Grapple him or burn him with a
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torch. Because Grapple attacks are not concerned
with doing damage to your character, you do not
get to use your character’s Passive Defense rating
for your Defense roll. Likewise, when facing an
opponent wielding a torch or some other highly
damaging weapon, you only get to use your
character’s Active Defense rating for your
Defense roll. With touch attacks, your character’s
size, cover, and wound penalties still factor into
your Defense roll. Armor does not normally factor
in unless your character is being attacked with a
dangerous weapon (or when skin to skin contact
is important).
Note: Touch attacks rarely do damage in and of
themselves. Often the amount of damage that would
have been done is compared to one of your character’s
Attributes to determine another effect, such as with a
Grapple attack. Touch attacks that result in damage
(e.g., being attacked with a burning torch) do a
specified amount of damage if successful. Extra
successes on the touch attack do not increase the
amount of damage inflicted.
Area Effect Attacks
Some attacks, such as explosions, damage
everything within a given radius. Because they do
widespread damage, there isn’t an effective way
to dodge such an attack. Characters caught in the
radius of an area effect attack only get to use
their Passive Defense rating for their Defense roll.
Creature Size and wound penalties (if any) are
not factors when defending against area effect
attacks, but any cover your character has or
armor he is wearing will grant him some
protection.
Area effect attacks made with fire, acid, or some
other caustic material (see Caustic damage)
ignore your character’s Active Defense and
Passive Defense. The only modifiers that factor
into your Defense roll are armor and cover.
Note: While area effect attacks are very powerful, only
the weapon’s damage rating is used for the attack roll.
An opponent’s Skill rating is not a factor, except when
it comes to placing or throwing the weapon into a
particular location. This does not normally require a
roll on his part, except when accuracy is important—
such as when tossing a grenade into a Protestant
encampment.
Defense Roll
The dice pool for your Defense roll is equal to
your character’s Defense rating plus or minus any
conditional modifiers. If your modified dice pool
is 0 or less, then your character is defenseless,
and any successful attacks will inflict full damage.
Roll your modified dice pool and compare the
number of successes to the opponent’s attack
roll. If you roll more successes than your
opponent, his attack is a clean miss. If you both
roll the same number of successes, however,
then his attack narrowly misses or strikes your
character without enough force to do any
damage. The blow may have been just a graze or
was deflected by armor, for example.
If you roll fewer successes than your opponent,
your character has been hit and suffers damage.
Each extra success your opponent rolled inflicts
one point of damage and may also have
additional effects (see Damage).
5.6. Move
Movement does not require a dice roll to resolve.
Your character simply moves the distance
allowed by his Move rating for the type of
movement he is making. Typically, only one sort
of movement may be undertaken in a given
round, though specific circumstances dictate
otherwise.
Move = Strength + Dexterity*
* Characters with the Athletics Skill may
substitute that Skill rating for their Move rating.
How far your character moves per combat turn is
based upon your character’s Move rating and the
type of movement he is making.
Wounds
Wound penalties reduce your character’s
effective Strength rating for the purposes of
determining his Move rating and the amount of
weight he can carry (see Encumbrance).
For example, a character with Move 5 and
Strength 3 is currently at –2 Health, reducing his
Move rating to 3 and his effective Strength rating
to 1 for determining how much weight he can
carry.
Encumbrance
Carrying too much weight can severely impede
your character’s movement. While it may be
tempting to lug around all your character’s gear
and ammunition, there are limits. Carrying
around more weight will either slow your
character down or tire him out fairly quickly. Both
cases can be potentially fatal. Of course, a strong
lackey is worth his weight in gold when it comes
to carrying gear, as is a horse.
The amount of weight your character can carry
without penalty is based upon his Strength rating.
Strength Light load Medium load Heavy load
1 0-10 lbs 11-25 lbs 26-50 lbs

Move Rating 2 0-25 lbs 26-50 lbs 51-100 lbs

3 0-50 lbs 51-100 lbs 101-250 lbs
Your character’s Move rating is a combination of
4 0-100 lbs 101-250 lbs 251-500 lbs
his speed and vigor. Strong and agile characters
are fast, while weak and clumsy characters are 5 0-250 lbs 215-500 lbs 501-750 lbs
slow. Your character’s Move rating is calculated
as follows:

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The total weight your character is carrying immediately life threatening. Only a few weapons
determines his encumbrance category and the do nonlethal damage, but it is often caused by
associated penalty (if any). environmental conditions.

Light Load: Your character moves and performs Effects of Damage

actions without penalty.
Stunned: If your character takes more damage in
Medium Load: Your character is encumbered and
one blow than his Stun rating, he is stunned and
suffers a –1 penalty to his physical Skill, Active
loses his next action. However, he may still
defense and Move ratings.
perform reflexive actions and defend himself
Heavy Load: Your character is heavily normally.
encumbered and suffers a –2 penalty to his
Knocked Out: If your character takes more
physical Skill, Active defense and Move ratings.
damage in one blow than double his Stun rating,
Maximum Load: Your character can attempt to he is knocked out for one minute per point of
carry up to double his Heavy Load weight, but he damage in excess of his doubled Stun rating. He is
suffers a -4 penalty to physical Skill, Active defenseless and helpless during this time.
defense and Move ratings. If this reduces his
Knockback: If your character takes more damage
Move rating to 0 or less, he can pick up the load
in one blow than his Strength rating, he is
but not carry it. Each turn your character carries a
knocked backward five feet per point of damage
maximum load he must exert himself.
in excess of his Strength rating. He may take
Exerting: If your character is encumbered, he additional damage, fall over, or suffer other
may exert himself—and suffer a nonlethal unforeseen consequences, depending on what is
wound—to move and act normally for a single behind him.
combat turn, or one hour of game time if outside
Knockdown: If your character takes more
of combat.
damage in one blow than double his Strength
rating, he is knocked down in addition to being
5.7. Damage knocked back, and must stand up on his next
There are two types of damage: lethal and action.
nonlethal. Most damage is lethal, which means
Continuous Damage: Some attacks will continue
that you will die if you take enough of this type of
to inflict damage over time. Both fire and poison
damage. Nonlethal damage, on the other hand,
damage, for example, often inflict damage each
will only make you fall unconscious if you take
combat turn until the fire is put out or the poison
enough of it. Massive amounts of nonlethal
wears off. Starvation or exposure to the elements
damage can become lethal, however, so it is
will inflict damage over a longer period of time.
possible to die if you take enough. Basically, all
combat can be very dangerous to your health. Killing Blow: Helpless, unconscious, or dying
characters could potentially be dispatched with a
Lethal: Cutting, slashing, stabbing, bludgeoning
single killing blow. The attacker ignores the
with heavy objects, burning and other major
victim’s Defense, inflicting damage with every
trauma that is highly damaging and will quickly
success rolled on his attack roll.
kill someone. Most weapons do lethal damage.

Nonlethal: Bruising, fatigue, illness, shock, and

other such minor traumas that are not

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5.8. Mounted combat
Riding Animals
Any animal that is at least one Size category
larger than a rider may serve as a mount, but
some creatures are much more accommodating
than others. Mounts are considered either
cooperative or hostile depending on how (and if)
they were trained. Either way, while the mount is
in motion, Skill rolls made by the rider are limited
by his Ride Skill level. For example, if a character
has a rating of Firearms 6 and Ride 4, he attacks
as though he had Firearms 4 in those combat
turns during which his mount takes a movement
action.
A cooperative mount is any animal that has been
trained or accustomed to take riders, The rider of
a cooperative animal need not make a Ride check
to stay mounted except in extreme
circumstances, such as when the animal jumps
over an obstacle or suffers Knockback (in which
case the Ride difficulty is equal to the animal’s
Athletic Skill difficulty or the degree of
Knockback, respectively).
Rider versus foot
A rider fighting an unmounted person has a
distinctive advantage over his opponent. He gains
a +1 attack bonus due to his superior position.
Additionally, the opponent’s defense receives a -
1 penalty.
Attacking a mounted opponent is also penalized
by -1; the only exception is when the attacker
uses a pole arm or spear.
Stunts
Riders can attempt all sorts of stunts such as
turning sharply, dodging between carts, jumping
over obstacles blocking the road, or pressing their
mount to leap down a steep hill. Such unusual
actions require a Riding roll versus a Difficulty set
97
by the Gamemaster. Characters will often
attempt a stunt while being pursued, forcing a
follower to perform the same stunt, slow down,
or give up the chase. Failing to perform a stunt
successfully may have a variety of consequences,
depending on speed of the mount and the degree
of failure, such as minor collisions, the rider being
thrown, or even catastrophic crashes.
5.9. Health
Your character’s Health rating represents how
much damage he can take before falling
unconscious, suffering wound penalties and
dying. When your character’s Health falls below
0, he suffers penalty dice equal to his negative
Health rating to all actions—if he remains
conscious at all.
There are two types of damage: lethal and
nonlethal. As their names imply, they represent
different kinds of wounds and have very different
effects on characters.
Lethal damage represents wounds that are
immediately life threatening, such as broken
bones, lacerations, punctures, etc. If your
character’s Health reaches 0 due to lethal
wounds, he is disabled and is only capable of
taking limited action. If his Health falls below 0,
he falls unconscious and begins to die. If his
Health reaches –5 due to lethal wounds, he dies.
Nonlethal damage represents non-life-
threatening wounds, such as bruises, fatigue,
shock, etc. If your character’s Health reaches 0
due to nonlethal wounds, he is exhausted, and is
only capable of taking limited action. If his Heath
falls below 0, he falls unconscious. If his Health
reaches –5, any additional damage converts his
nonlethal damage to lethal damage on a point-for
point basis.
Whenever a character takes damage, lethal
damage is subtracted first from his Health, and
nonlethal damage is subtracted second. The
remaining Health total is used to determine if the
character falls unconscious or suffers any wound
penalties.
Example: Whirrun has a base Health of 4. He
suffers two lethal and two nonlethal wounds,
making his current Health 0. He is badly beaten
and exhausted, but still on his feet. Unfortunately,
he suffers two more lethal wounds, making his
current Health –2. Instead of falling unconscious
and dying, however, he is only unconscious
because it is the two nonlethal wounds that
reduced his Health to –2. Without them, he’d
have a current Health of 0 and be merely
disabled. If Whirrun suffers any more lethal
damage, he will start dying. He will be in big
trouble unless he receives medical attention soon.
States of Being
Exhausted: If your character takes enough
nonlethal damage to reduce his Health to 0, he is
exhausted and only capable of taking limited
action. Instead of attacking, defending, and
moving all in the same combat turn, he may only
perform one of these actions each turn. If he
wishes, he may exert himself and perform all
three actions normally, but suffers a nonlethal
wound immediately afterward, causing him to fall
unconscious.
Disabled: If your character takes enough lethal
damage to reduce his Health to 0, he is disabled
and only capable of taking limited action. Instead
of attacking, defending, and moving all in the
same combat turn, he may perform only one of
these actions each turn. If he wishes, he may
exert himself and perform all three actions
normally, but suffers a lethal wound immediately
afterward, causing him to fall unconscious and
begin dying.
Unconscious: If your character takes enough
nonlethal damage to reduce his Health below 0,
then he falls unconscious. He will remain
unconscious for one minute per point of damage
below 0. Even after regaining consciousness, his
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Health remains negative. If your character takes
three points of damage, reducing his Health to –
1, he will regain consciousness in one minute.
Dying: If your character takes enough lethal
damage to reduce his Health below 0, he falls
unconscious and begins dying. He will continue to
take one lethal wound per turn until he receives
medical attention or stabilizes on his own.
Dead: If your character takes enough lethal
damage to reduce his Health to –5, he is dead,
but may be resuscitated if he receives immediate
medical attention.
Remaining Conscious: If your character takes
enough damage to knock him unconscious, he
may try to remain conscious through sheer
willpower. Make a reflexive Willpower*2 roll with
a Difficulty rating of 2. Your character suffers a
penalty to his Willpower roll equal to his negative
Health rating.
If you roll fewer than two successes, your
character falls unconscious as normal. If you roll
two or more successes, your character remains
conscious but is considered exhausted or
disabled as appropriate, and suffers a penalty to
all actions equal to his negative Health rating. If
he takes any additional damage, he must make
another roll to remain conscious using the new
penalty.
Example: Nicolas takes three lethal wounds,
reducing his Health to –3. The hero wants to try
to remain conscious, but his Willpower rating is 2,
giving him a modified dice pool of 1. He
automatically falls unconscious because he
cannot possibly roll two successes with one die.
Stabilizing: If your character is dying, he may
attempt to stabilize himself each combat turn.
Make a reflexive Body*2 roll with a Difficulty
rating of 2. Your character suffers a penalty to his
Body roll equal to his negative Health rating. If
you roll fewer than two successes, your character
continues to die as above, but may attempt to
stabilize again next combat turn using the new
penalty. If you roll two or more successes, your
character stabilizes and does not lose any
additional Health. When he wakes up, he is
considered disabled and suffers a penalty to all
actions equal to his negative Health rating.
Example: Nicolas has been reduced to Health –3
and is dying. On his turn, he makes a stabilization
roll. His Body rating is 3 and he suffers three
penalty dice on the roll, so his final dice pool to
stabilize is three. He rolls the dice and scores two
successes. He stabilizes before he loses any more
Health, but he is still unconscious and will be
disabled when he wakes up.
Note: A skilled doctor may attempt to stabilize a
dying character. Make a Medicine roll with a
Difficulty rating of 2. The doctor attempting to
stabilize the dying character suffers a penalty
equal to the injured character’s negative Health
rating. If he rolls two or more successes, the
dying character is stabilized as normal. If he rolls
fewer than two successes, the dying character is
not stabilized, but he may try again next turn.
5.10. Healing
The Cycle of the World is a dangerous place, and
characters will get hurt. They might eat
something poisonous, run afoul of a demonic
entity, or have a fight with Gurkish henchmen.
Player characters lead dangerous and exciting
lives, and that means they are going to need
medical attention from time to time if they want
to live to tell the tale.
First Aid
First aid can literally be a lifesaver. When
properly administered, first aid can reduce the
severity of an injury or even bring someone back
from the brink of death. The most life threatening
aspect of a wound is the shock and trauma that
go along with it. Treating an injured person for
99
this can actually reduce the severity of his
wound.
Make a Medicine roll to treat a wounded
character. Each rolled success heals one point of
nonlethal damage, or converts a point of lethal
damage into nonlethal. Nonlethal damage is
always healed before lethal, representing easing
the shock and trauma of the wounded person.
First aid takes one minute to perform and must
be administered within one hour after injury to
have any benefit. After the hour is up, the
damage becomes permanent and the wound
must heal naturally. First aid may be
administered each time a character is wounded,
but it cannot heal more than the most recent
damage.
Example: Rudd is in bad shape. He suffered eight
points of lethal damage, reducing his Health to –
3. The Dogman performs first aid on him. The
Dogman makes a Medicine roll and scores three
successes. The first success converts a point of
lethal damage into nonlethal, and the second
success heals the nonlethal wound completely.
The remaining success converts another point of
lethal damage into nonlethal, leaving Rudde with
six points of lethal damage and one point of
nonlethal. He’s still badly hurt, but better off than
he was before.
Medical Care
Healing takes time, but can be aided with medical
attention. Normally, nonlethal damage heals at
the rate of one point per day, and lethal damage
heals at the rate of one point per week. Under
the care of a skilled medical professional, a
character heals much faster.
The number of successes rolled by the character
treating the patient proportionally decreases the
amount of time it takes to heal a wound. For
example, a character with one lethal and two
nonlethal wounds receives medical assistance.
The doctor looking after him rolls three
successes, meaning that he will heal three times
faster. Therefore, the two nonlethal wounds will
heal the first day and the lethal wound two days
later.
Trying Again
If a character wishes to treat an injured person
again, hoping to get a better result, he may do so,
but each successive attempt imposes a
cumulative -2 penalty on the Medicine roll. The
new result, for better or for worse, replaces the
previous result.
5.11. Social Dueling
Social dueling involves using barbed comments,
overt insults, witty slander, and backhanded
compliments rather than swords and fists. These
rules are designed for social occasions, such as
balls and dances, and should never be used
during standard combat. Insulting someone
properly takes time, requires a crowd of
onlookers to witness the comments, and cannot
be achieved while dodging bullets and parrying
blows.
Be warned, though, before you open your mouth
and insult someone. Trying to smear someone
with a bad Reputation could easily get turned on
you, and you should not go after famous people
unless you’re pretty sure you can win.
Trading Insults
Social combat uses opposed rolls. The time a roll
takes is variable based on the situation. Two
characters standing face to face might require no
more than a few seconds per roll. Insulting a rival
while waltzing around the dance floor may take a
full minute per roll as the characters may only
exchange comments each time the dance brings
them close. Starting a war of rumors might take
days or weeks to produce any effect..
Dice Pools
100
Both characters make a roll of Con, Diplomacy,
Intimidation, or Streetwise (their choice). Con
represents lies and slanderous comments,
Diplomacy delivers compliments with a hidden
barb, and Intimidation is essentially being rude,
but with style. Streetwise represents starting
malicious rumors, a process which takes much
longer than a conventional duel of wit.
Both parties get a bonus based on their Contacts,
Fame, Rank, or Status (see the appropriate
descriptions). The character only gets to use the
highest bonus that applies—modifiers from
multiple Resources do not stack. The GM may
wish to disallow certain Resources based on the
type of duel. For instance, Contacts is ideal for
starting and spreading malicious rumors around
Sipani, but of little use when face to face with
your opponent at a social event.
Additional bonus dice can be earned through
roleplaying—either by the player delivering a
witty remark or the character revealing
information discovered during play. Some
examples are included below.
Example Modifier
Delivering a crude insult -4
Relying on an existin bad reputation -2 to -4
Roleplayed a witty quip +1 to +4
Rebuke based on dark secret +4
Rebuke based on dark secret with hard +8
evidence to back it up
Example: Tunny wishes to confront the Colonel
about his “unhealthy animal interests.” Tunny
decides to use his honor as a Cavalry lieutnant to
back his claims. He has Rank 2 (lieutnant) and
thus has a +2 bonus. The Colonel, by comparison,
relies rather on his noble status as a Duke as
defense against slander. He has Status 5, which
nets a whopping +8 bonus! Tunny better have
some damning evidence if he wants to avoid his
slander backfiring.
The Duel
Only two people can actively participate in a
social duel and risk their reputations. Friends can
use the Teamwork rules, adding quips and slight
insults to help their compatriot. Whoever begins
the duel (the attacker) rolls first and tallies his
successes. His rival (the defender) then counters
with a defense, a counter insult, or barbed
comment.
If the defender fails to beat his attacker’s total
but scores equal to or greater than half his
opponent’s successes, he loses the duel and
suffers a slight tarnish to his reputation.
If he rolls less than half his attacker’s successes,
his reputation has taken a serious battering.
If the defender scores more successes than his
accuser, he has turned the tables, forcing the
attacking character to roll again or gain a Bad
Reputation himself.
Example: Tunny knows that the Colonel has an
unnatural obsession with sheep and has proof in
the form of a bejeweled collar from his latest
favorite. Faced with the Colonel’s social status,
Jean-Claude elects to confront his adversary with
the necklace, giving him a +8 bonus. Jean-
Claude’s player comes up with a witty remark,
giving him an additional +2 bonus. He rolls his
modified Con and gets eight successes. The Duc’s
player rolls his Diplomacy rating plus eight bonus
dice for his Status. He scores a measly six
successes.
Losing a Duel
The loser of a social duel gains an appropriate
Bad Reputation Flaw. If he rolled less than half
the victor’s successes, his reputation is sorely
tarnished. The Bad Reputation lasts until the
character can disprove it through gameplay or by
make the person that insulted him apologize and
recant it.
101
Otherwise, the penalty is not so harsh—the Bad
Reputation lasts for the rest of the current
adventure and the entirety of the next
adventure. After this time, the social harpies
grow bored and find new scandals to sate their
wagging tongues.
Example: The Colonel’s retort comes off as weak,
and he is tarred with a reputation as “Colonel
Mutton”. He suffers a –2 penalty to social rolls for
the remainder of the adventure and the next
adventure. The upshot of this is that the Colonel
gets a Style point every time he is hurt by his bad
Reputation. If the Colonel’s player had rolled less
than half the number of successes as Tunny’s
player, the bad Reputation would last much
longer. Now, if the Colonel’s character had rolled
more successes than Tunny’s player, he’d have
turned the tables and Tunny would have to roll
again to avoid getting a Bad Reputation himself.
If he chose to use the collar again, he’d still get
the bonus, but would get less of a bonus for
reusing it (anywhere from –2 to –4 dice). He
would also have to think up a brand new quip if
he wanted to get the bonus dice again.
5.12. Environment
Environmental damage comes in many forms.
Your character could have an accident, contract
an illness, or suffer from exposure to the
elements. Depending on the nature of the
situation, environmental damage can be either
lethal or nonlethal.
Deprivation
Whether due to an accident, miscalculation, or
outright treachery, going without food or water
for an extended period of time is bad for your
health. A character’s Health rating is the primary
factor that determines how long he can
withstand deprivation before expiring.
Dehydration: Your character suffers a lethal
wound each day he goes without water. He will
continue to take lethal damage until he once
again has a steady supply of water.
Starvation: Your character suffers one lethal
wound each week he goes without food. He will
continue to take lethal damage until he gets a
steady supply of food.
Note: If your character goes without both food
and water, he suffers damage from lacking both.
Also—as if effects of deprivation weren’t bad
enough—dehydrated or starving characters lack
the energy to heal their wounds. All healing stops
until the character regains regular access to food
and water.
Disease
Different diseases pose different problems.
Whether battling the common cold or a more
debilitating disease, a character is likely to take
damage over time, and possibly suffer more
serious effects if the malady is left untreated.
Most diseases and illnesses have an Infection
rating, which represents how hard it is to avoid
contracting the disease or to fight off the illness.
Make a Body*2 roll whenever your character is
exposed to an illness (see Resistance) and
compare the number of successes to the
Infection rating.
If you roll at least as many successes as the
disease’s Infection rating, your character avoids
contracting the disease; however, he may
become infected later if he is exposed to it again.
If you roll fewer successes than the Infection
rating, your character contracts the disease and
suffers its effects.
To recover from a disease, make an extended
Body*2 roll against the Infection rating of the
disease. Typically, each roll represents one day of
sickness; you will need to accumulate between
five to ten successes to fully recover from the
disease. If being tended by a doctor, he may
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substitute his Medicine rating for your
character’s Body roll.
Sample Disease: Pneumonia
Pneumonia, an infection of the lungs, is a
common malady and a leading cause of death.
Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, viruses,
fungal spores, and even parasites. For game
purposes, all forms of pneumonia are assumed to
be identical.
Symptoms: Chest pains, chills, vomiting, clammy
skin, a hacking cough delivering up thick sputum,
shortness of breath, fatigue, raging fever, and
body aches are all symptomatic of pneumonia.
Different patients often exhibit different
symptoms, which makes diagnosis difficult.
Infection: 2 (3 if in close proximity to a patient).
Direct, prolonged, face-to-face contact is typically
required to catch pneumonia through airborne
particles. Pneumonia kills in a variety of ways.
Blood poisoning, asphyxiation through congested
lungs, and secondary infections like pleurisy due
to a weakened immune system are the most
common, though normally it is the young, elderly,
and already sick who succumb. After the first
week, the character takes a lethal wound per
week until he recovers or succumbs to the
disease. Characters infected with pneumonia
suffer a –1 penalty to all actions due to lethargy
and fatigue.
Recovery: 2 (6 successes are required to recover
from the disease). Each Body roll represents one
week of illness, starting from the day pneumonia
is contracted. Long-term rest also aids in the
recovery of pneumonia. A patient who gets
suitable bed rest gains a +2 bonus to his Body roll
for the purposes of recovery.
Sample Disease: Smallpox
Smallpox is a very serious and sometimes fatal
disease that is only transmitted by humans. The
name is derived from the Latin word for
“spotted” and refers to the raised bumps that
appear on an infected person. Infection usually
occurs by inhaling the virus, which can remain on
clothing, bedding and other surfaces for up to
one week. As such, the disease usually starts in
the lungs, invades the bloodstream, and
eventually spreads to the rest of the body.
Symptoms: At first, the infected character suffers
from a high fever, lack of energy, aches and
pains, and sometimes vomiting. Later, sores form
in the character’s mouth and a rash spreads all
over his body, eventually becoming raised
bumps. By this point, the character is usually too
sick to perform normal activities.
Infection: 2 (3 if in direct contact with bodily
fluids). Direct, prolonged, face-to-face contact—
or contact with infected bodily fluids—is typically
required to catch smallpox. An infected character
usually feels fine for the first week, and displays
no symptoms. He gradually begins to suffer
symptoms over the second week, at which point
the disease has taken hold. After the first week,
the character takes a lethal wound per day until
he recovers or succumbs to the disease.
Characters infected with smallpox suffer a –1
penalty to all actions due to lethargy.
Recovery: 2 (10 successes are required to recover
from the disease). Each Body roll represents one
day of illness, starting from the day smallpox is
contracted. Long-term medical attention has
almost no affect on smallpox.
Drowning & Suffocation
Under normal circumstances, your character can
hold his breath for one minute per point of Body
rating. In combat, your character holds his breath
for one turn per success on a reflexive Body*2
roll. After this time passes, your character will be
forced to take a breath and suffer the effects of
whatever he breathes in. If he inhales water or
thick smoke, for example, he will receive one
nonlethal wound per turn until he is able to
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breathe normally. Your character cannot hold his
breath again until he has had a chance to catch
his breath.
Exposure
Extremely hot and cold conditions can be
detrimental to your character’s health. Prolonged
exposure can even be fatal. Exposure to extreme
temperatures does nonlethal damage every hour
that your character is without shelter. The
amount of damage your character takes is
determined by how extreme the conditions are.
Temperature (Celsius) Damage
Over 50 degrees 4N
45 to 50 degrees 3N
40 to 44 degrees 1N
0 to 5 degrees 1N
-5 to 0 degrees 2N
-6 to -10 degrees 3N
below -10 degrees 4N
Having adequate protection, such as warm furs,
will keep your character from suffering from
exposure. However, the Gamemaster will
determine the level to which your character can
afford protection. Even the thickest furs won’t
protect him long when the temperature is –30
degrees. Also, weather conditions such as rain,
wind, or high altitude may intensify the damaging
effects of exposure.
Falling
Characters need to be on their toes all the time.
In particular, they need to watch their handholds
and footing or they may slip and fall. Whether
they fall a few feet off a ladder or hundreds of
feet off a cliff, landing is likely to hurt your
character. Most falling damage is nonlethal,
unless your character lands on something sharp
and pointed, such as jagged rocks. Your character
takes one nonlethal wound per ten feet he falls
(rounded up).
Terminal velocity: Your character reaches
terminal velocity once he falls 100 feet and will
take no additional damage for falling farther.
Once he’s reached terminal velocity, however,
falling damage is lethal.
Breaking a fall: If your character has the
Acrobatics Skill, he may try to break his fall by
grabbing objects to slow down, or by trying to
land in a softer spot. The Difficulty rating to break
a fall is 2, but the Gamemaster may adjust it up
or down based on circumstances. Make an
Acrobatics roll to reduce your character’s falling
distance. For each success in excess of the
Difficulty, the character reduces his effective
falling distance by ten feet.
Hard and soft landings: If your character happens
to land in a soft spot, such as water or a snow
bank, the Gamemaster may reduce the amount
of damage for the fall, depending on how soft the
landing area is. Conversely, if your character
lands on a particularly hard surface, such as
jagged rocks, the Gamemaster may increase the
amount of damage he takes or convert it to lethal
instead of nonlethal damage.
Fatigue
A character can do without rest or sleep for a
short time, but he will eventually suffer ill effects.
Your character suffers one nonlethal wound for
each day he goes Your character can perform a
strenuous activity, such as jogging or heavy
manual labor, for a number of hours equal to his
Body rating. After this limit, your character
suffers a nonlethal wound for each additional
increment of time based on his Body rating. The
fatigue remains until the character rests or sleeps
for eight hours plus the number of wounds he
has suffered.
Caustic Damage
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Caustic Damage—most notably that caused by
fire and poison—is scaled for human-sized
characters but would prove a greater or lesser
threat depending on the victim’s size. To account
for this, reduce caustic damage by one point for
each two Size levels above zero, or increase it by
one point for each two Size levels below zero. For
Size 1 or -1 creatures, a “+” sign is added to the
damage to indicate the possibility of taking an
extra point of damage (see Taking the Average of
Odd Numbers). Larger creatures take no damage
from caustic damage that is reduced to zero, but
may still feel pain when they come in contact
with it.
Example: Luc is armed only with a torch when he
is attacked by a gargoyle. Against an average-
sized human, the torch would do 1 point of lethal
damage, but the gargoyle is Size -1, so the
damage increases to 1+. As with Taking the
Average, the “+” indicates a 50% chance of an
extra point of damage. In this case, one die is
rolled and it comes up a success, so the gargoyle
takes two points of fire damage from the torch.
Unfortunately, the next opponent Luc encounters
is a huge bear, which is Size 2. The torch’s
damage is reduced to zero against the large
ursine. Burning the bear with a flame that size
would probably startle and enrage it, but not
injure it. If only he could use the torch to make a
bigger fire…
Fire
Fire is crucial to survival, but it can also be an
extremely dangerous hazard. Fire consumes
nearly everything it touches, and can be an
extremely potent weapon. Care should be taken,
however, as a fire can easily get out of control
and turn on the person who set it.
If burned, your character automatically takes
damage based on the intensity of the fire. If an
opponent is attacking your character with a
flaming weapon, such as swinging a torch, a
touch attack is made (see Touch Attacks). Your
character gets to roll his Active Defense rating
against the attack, also including armor bonuses,
to avoid taking damage. In general, the hotter the
fire, the more damage it does. Note that fire is
caustic damage (see Caustic damage) and will
have a reduced affect against larger creatures.
Fire intensity Damage
Molten rock or metal 4L
Chemical fire 3L
Campfire 2L
Torch 1L
If your character is exposed to flame for more
than a turn, anything combustible he is wearing
catches fire, and he will continue to take damage
even if he escapes from the original blaze. Rolling
on the ground or jumping into water will
normally extinguish a fire and prevent your
character from continuing to take damage.
If there is no water available, you must make a
Dexterity roll with a Difficulty equal to the fire’s
damage rating in order to extinguish the fire by
rolling on the ground. If your successes equal or
exceed the fire’s damage rating, your character
puts the fire out and will not continue to take
damage. If you roll fewer successes than the
damage rating, your character continues to take
damage, but may make another attempt to put
out the fire on his next turn.
Poisons and Drugs
Poisons and drugs can all be detrimental to your
character’s mental and physical well-being. They
can also have a variety of different side effects,
which usually translate into bonus or penalty dice
on certain actions. Some poisons and drugs affect
your character only once, while others affect him
repeatedly over a period of time.
There are several different methods for ingesting
a drug or poison. Depending on the specific toxin,
105
your character may have to inhale it, ingest it,
inject it, or simply touch it to suffer its effects.
There is little defense against ingesting or
inhaling a drug or poison. Your character either
has to detect the poison before eating it, or hold
his breath to avoid inhaling it.
In the case of an injection or injury, your
character defends himself normally. If the
poisoned weapon does damage to your
character, he also has to resist the effects of the
poison. If an opponent is merely trying to touch
your character with a toxin, such as a lethal
contact poison, a touch attack is made (see Touch
Attacks). Your character gets to roll his Active
Defense rating against the attack (also including
armor bonuses) to avoid skin contact with the
poison.
Most drugs and poisons have a Toxin rating,
which represents the Difficulty of resisting the
effects of the substance. Make a Body*2 roll
whenever your character is dosed (see
Resistance), and compare the number of
successes to the Toxin rating. If you roll at least as
many successes as the Toxin rating, your
character resists the effects of the poison.
However, he may not be so lucky if he gets
another dose.
If you roll fewer successes than the Toxin rating,
your character suffers from the effects of the
poison. If the poison inflicts damage immediately,
your character takes an amount of damage based
on the poison’s potency.
If the poison does damage over time, the Toxin
rating simply determines if the poison takes
effect. The poison will then do damage over time
until your character accumulates enough
successes on an extended Body*2 roll to get the
poison out of his system. Typically, each roll
represents one hour and your character will need
to accumulate between five to ten successes to
fully clean the poison from his system. The
Recovery entry under each toxin gives the details
for time intervals and necessary successes. If
being tended by a doctor, you may substitute the
doctor’s Medicine rating for your character’s
Body roll.
Note: Poison is considered caustic damage and
will have a reduced effect against larger
creatures.
Toxin Damage
Deadly toxin (Cyanide) 4L
Dangerous toxin (snake venom) 3L
Strong toxin (toxic spores) 2L
Weak toxin (food poisoning) 1L
Sample Drugs
Alcohol
Your character can safely consume as many
alcoholic drinks per hour as his Body rating. For
each additional drink beyond that, he suffers a –1
penalty to all actions.
However, alcohol can temporarily reduce the
effects of pain and cold. Drinking alcohol
increases your character’s tolerance to cold for
the remainder of the hour. The effects of alcohol
slowly fade at the rate of one penalty die per
hour, until your character is completely sober
again. However, if your character has more drinks
than twice his Body rating, he will become
violently ill and suffer a nonlethal wound. If he
continues to drink beyond that, the Gamemaster
may impose even harsher penalties.
Husk
Husk is made from the resin of the pivot flower.
The dried resin is smoked in a pipe. Inhaling the
smoke, calms the use down, reduces pain and
causes mild and pleasant hallucinations for for
eight hours minus the character’s Body rating.
Someone who smokes husk is lethargic and
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difficult to get into action. A character under the
influence of husk must make a Willpower test
against Difficulty 2, if he wants to act in a given
scene (e.g. engaging in a combat). If he fails the
roll he just stares into the air. Even if he makes
the roll, all actions receive -4 penalty due to the
slowing effect of husk. On the upside, any pain-
related modifiers, due to wounds or torture do
not affect a character under the influence of
husk.
If still under the influence of husk after the scene
is over, new action requires a new test. The
Gamemaster may also ask for additional tests if
the character has the chance to be idle.
Husk is very addictive; a character who uses husk
must make a Willpower + Body test against
Difficulty 2 to resist the urge to take Husk again
within the next 24 hours. Every time a character
uses husk within 2 weeks the difficulty is
increased by 1. If he fails, the character is
addicted to husk and must take a dose every 24
hours of suffers a -4 penalty to all actions (except
those for obtaining the drug) the first day without
the drug, and -8 for a week after the last use.
During that time After a week the drug is out of
the system and the character is considered clean.
But any exposure to the drug or any temptation is
one step more difficult from now on.
Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens can be taken in a variety of ways,
but whether they are ingested, inhaled, or just
touched, they disorient the drugged character
and may make him act erratically and possibly
see things that aren’t there. Depending on the
strength of the hallucinogen, the character will
suffer a –1 to –4 penalty to all actions. However,
depending on the nature of the drug, the
character may experience tremendous insights or
visions of the future. The effects of a
hallucinogen normally last for eight hours minus
the character’s Body rating.
Sample Poisons resistant it is to damage. Attacking an object is
subject to the same modifiers for size and range
Arsenic as attacking an opponent. All successes rolled in
excess of the object’s Defense rating damage the
Toxin rating: 4 (onset ½ hour) item.

Damage: 2L (every hour after onset) Material Defense

Glass 2
Recovery: 8 successes (every hour after onset)
Wood 4
The effects of arsenic poisoning may include
vomiting, convulsions, shortness of breath, loss of
Stone 6
consciousness, and death. It is usually Metal 8
administered as a poison through inhalation or
ingestion.
Structure
Venom
The amount of damage that an item can take
Toxin rating: 4 (onset 10 minutes) depends upon the item’s size and quality of
construction. To calculate an object’s Structure,
Damage: 1 - 4L (every 2 hours after onset)
add the Size modifier below to the object’s
Recovery: 6 successes (every 2 hours after onset) Defense rating. However, the Size modifier
cannot drop an object’s base Structure below
There are plentiful venomous creatures in the zero. Also, unlike humans, an object will break as
world that villains can import for their nefarious soon as its Structure drops below 0. If its
plots. The forests are also home to many species Structure reaches –5, it is utterly destroyed and
of poisonous fungi and berries. The amount of can never be
damage done by a venomous creature is not
necessarily determined by its size. Even very tiny Attacking a Hand Held Object
creatures can be deadly to humans if their venom
is potent enough. In addition, some venom can When attacking an item held in an opponent’s
inflict additional side effects, such as paralysis, hand, the character must make a Called Shot to
that will affect the character for a short time. hit the object, using the base Defense of the
person holding it or the object’s Defense
Attacking Objects (whichever is greater). Any successes in excess of
the object’s Defense roll do damage as normal.
Sometimes a character will want to break an
object, such as smashing in a door or breaking a
lock. Objects take damage much like people do,
but the amount of damage they can take
depends on the size of the object and its
durability. A small object made of metal will be
harder to break than a large one made of glass.

The type of material the item is made out of

determines its Defense rating. In this case, the
Defense rating of the item represents how

107

6. The Gifts of Euz
Euz is a half-human half-demon from the early
days of the world, when there was but chaos. He
is also known as Almighty Euz, vanquisher of
demons, closer of gates, father of the World. He
rose up against the demons and banished them
to the Other Side, thus allowing humans to
flourish. After that, he gave gifts to his three
eldest sons – the three pure disciplines of magic –
and then left them, telling his sons to bring order
to the world. Euz is presumed dead, but his exact
fate is unrevealed.
The sons of Euz
Juvens, who he taught the High Art (magic)
Kanedias, who he taught Making (crafting of
artifacts)
Bedesh, who he taught how to speak with spirits
Glustrod, who received no gifts from his father
apart from his blessings
The two Laws of Euz
Euz commanded his sons (and their followers) to
obey two laws:
The First Law: Do not communicate with the
Other Side.
The Second Law: Do not eat the flesh of men.
After teaching his sons their part of his gifts, Euz
left the world; he bade his sons to bring it to
order. Juvens did so by finding a people on the
river Aos and grooming them into power. He gave
them laws, government, learning, science, and
the power to defeat their enemies. This new
nation was the Old Empire, as it is now called,
and its capital was Aulcus. Through the years, the
Emperors of Aulcus followed one another, but
always Juvens was there by the Emperor's side,
108
guiding and advising to shape the Empire's fate.
The empire grew to encompass Isparda in the
south, Anconus in the north, and reach to the
shores of the Circle Sea in the east.
But Juvens' younger brother Glustrod was
envious of this splendour, and with his demon
allies he infiltrated Aulcus and began a rule of
terror and blood. The Empire fell into chaos.
When Juvens saw this, he called for his other
brothers to aid him. Kanedias would not come,
but rather locked himself inside his House. But
Bedesh came, and together he and Juvens raised
an army and armed them with terrible weapons.
The war covered the entire continent, but in the
end Juvens won and Glustrod was besieged in
Aulcus. As a last resort, Glustrod tried to break
the barriers to the Other World that his father
Euz had set, but his ritual went awry, and Aulcus
was destroyed and the surrounding areas became
the Deadlands. Thus the Old Empire fell.
Juvens and the Order of the Magi
Juvens gathered eleven apprentices in all, and
taught them the High Art – these were the eleven
Magi. Exactly when he took these apprentices on
is not known, but his first apprentice Bayaz was
young and inexperienced at the time of the war
with Glustrod.
Because the High Art requires much knowledge
of the world, each apprentice only specialized in
a certain area of expertise. Only Juvens himself
could hope to know all of the High Art.
The Death of Juvens
Juvens' death at the hands of his brother
Kanedias signals the beginning of end of the Old
Time. The Magi all rose up in arms against
Kanedias, and after much fighting finally killed
him. This was the last time the Magi gathered
together. Kanedias’ gift was lost.
According to Bayaz, Kanedias came for him
because he had seduced his daughter Tolomei
and stolen his secrets from his House. Juvens
would not give up Bayaz, however, and he fought
Kanedias. In the end, Juvens was dead. But his
rival Khalul claimed that Bayaz himself killed
Juvens and then wrongly accused Kanedias.
Of all the sons of Euz, only Bedesh is unaccounted
for. But his gift of speaking to spirits suggests that
he may have passed it on to people in the North,
maybe living there in a hidden refugee.
The War
Since the death of Juvens and Kanedias the First
of the Magi, Bayas, and Khalul, the Second of the
Magi, also called the prophet, have been at war
with each other; both claiming the leadership
over the Order of the Magi. Most Magi sided with
Bayaz, as his claim is strongest, and Khalul
embraced the forbidden Art.
It is said the Prophet has broken the Laws of Euz,
dabbing in the Other Side, a realm of devils and
demons. His pupils, the Hundred Words, are
Eaters who have broken the Second Law,
devouring man flesh to increase their unnatural
powers.
It is also said the Prophet is the true power
behind Uthman-ul-Dosht the Gurkish emperor,
but Khalul and Bayaz have fought their thousand
year-long conflict all over the Cycle of the World,
mostly through puppet kings and nations.
6.1. The High Art
The Art is not an ability everyone can develop.
Magick requires an aptitude. Without this, one
could study for a hundred years and be no more
capable of creating a tiny flicker of flame than a
hawk can fly to the Moon. That does not mean
that the Art comes easily to those with the
aptitude. Mastering requires yearlong dedicated
hard work and study und a master of the Art.
Every magus character has been the apprentice
under a master of the Art, maybe even under one
109
of the original Eleven Apprentices of Juvens, the
Original Members of the Order of the Magi.
These masters usually live in desolate areas
keeping for themselves (Most people have only
superstitions about Magick, other think of it as
stuff from myths). There are no magical
academies with hundreds of students. A magus
might choose his master as a Patron resource.
The level depends on the influence the Master
has on others. Bayaz or Khalul would definitely go
as a Patron 5!
There are those who have the ability of calling on
and talking to the primeval spirits of the world.
Those have become rare, people with this ability
are now only found in the Northlands. More on
Spirit talkers later on in this chapter.
Note: Khalul’s pupils, or others that have broken
the Laws of Euz, like the Eaters, and their special
magick is reserved for non-player characters.
These beings have lost much of their humanity in
exchange for immense powers, which would
unbalance a regular player group. Users of
Forbidden Art should be powerful enemies in
epic campaigns or – very rarely – unreliable allies
who use the characters for their own ends.
Creatures and people who have broken the First
and Second Law draw much of their power from
the Other Side. For these beings many of the
rules for casting spell given below are not
applied. The GM can therefor invent whichever
magickal effect he might wish for in an adversary
without being caught by rule lawers! The magic
of Eaters and some other examples are described
in 8. The Circle of the World.
Magickal Energy
Magi speak of magickal energy, an invisible force
which pervades the universe. Terms used to
describe this ethereal energy are always based on
water—tide, flow, river, or ocean—a practice
which dates back many centuries. Magi tap into
the magickal energy to bring these forces under
their command.
There is no limit to magickal energy. A thousand
magi invoking complex spells simultaneously
drain magickal energy from the universe no faster
than breathing drains the world’s atmosphere.
When performing a ritual the magus channels
magickal energy through his body, shaping the
flow into the desired effect. Thus, despite the
watery allegories, magickal energy is sculpted,
not unlike the way a potter molds a lump of
formless clay into a pot or vase.
Certain locations and artifacts can help channel
magickal energy, but they are rare, and most
casters must go without. When a practitioner
needs extra power, he must either channel extra
magick through himself.
Channeling Extra Magickal Energy
When channeling extra magick, the magician
suffers a nonlethal wound for each +2 Magick
bonus. For the purposes of calculating stun and
knock out, treat magick as a single blow delivered
immediately after making the Magick roll. Casters
casting a ritual together may share this cost,
spreading the damage out among themselves. A
magician can use Style points to negate this
damage as normal.
6.2. Disciplines of the Art
Every magician follows at least one discipline. An
Art defines a mage’s power by what he cannot do
as much as by what he can. Each discipline sets
boundaries from which the caster cannot depart.
A magus trained only in Pyromancy, for example,
cannot open a portal in a brick wall by
commanding the stones to part, though he could
blast a hole through a wall or melt the stones.
Similarly, without knowledge of the Benignus
tradition, no magus can cure ills.
110
The disciplines are not rigid categories set in
stone. Rather, they are general, broad descriptors
with a degree of crossover. For instance, an
Enchanter could imbue a flat bow with the ability
to inflict more damage, but so could a
Geomancer. One affects the weapon as a whole,
while the other imparts power into the steel bolt.
The overall effect is identical, though the rituals
used differ in their words and gestures.
Magick is a Specialized Skill, one for each
Discipline. Once a magician has multiple
Disciplines under his belt, he can combine effects.
For example, a student of Aeromancy and
Pyromancy could make it rain fire, or create a
wind so hot it scorches flesh. The disciplines and
their characteristics are detailed below. The
examples in each of the disciplines’ descriptions
give ideas as to possible Specializations for each.
Aeromancy
Aeromancy is the elemental power of the air.
Aeromancers, as practitioners are known, can
bowl over enemies with powerful winds, create
choking clouds of noxious fumes, fly over castle
walls, levitate foes, breathe underwater by
wrapping themselves in a bubble of air, raise fog
clouds, still the winds in a ship’s sails, cause it to
rain, or summon lightning bolts from the
heavens.
Benignus
Benignus is beneficial magick. Magicians of this
tradition are healers, able to cure diseases and
mend wounds. They can bless allies (by granting a
skill bonus) or protect them with mystic shields
(by imbuing an armor bonus), but have absolutely
no power to cause harm or hindrance except to
demons and other supernatural evil entities.
Cryomancy
Those schooled in the discipline of ice and cold
can perform many wonders. With the right words
a cryomancer can freeze a river solid enough to
hold horses and wagons, freeze a man solid,
summon jagged icicles capable of piercing armor,
snuff out fires by draining their heat, or cause it
to snow in midsummer.
Enchantment
Enchantment imbues inanimate objects with
magickal power. A magician wise in this discipline
can enchant a blade to unerringly strike foes (a
Melee bonus) or inflict grievous wounds (by
adding to damage), imbue a target’s boots with
speed or cause them to constrict and slow a foe
(by altering Speed), harden clothes to the level of
the toughest steel (giving them an armor bonus),
or animate a weapon and have it fight on its own.
Faunamancy
Students of this discipline have the power to kill
beasts, make them stronger, faster, or more
combat effective, dull their senses, calm the wild,
and even summon swarms of rats or bees. Their
powers are just as effective within an urban
environment as in the wilds, and some would
argue their spells are more useful in a town or
city, due to the number of animals present.
Floramancy
This ancient discipline is concerned with the living
world, and gives practitioners power over plants.
It also covers “dead” plants, such as wooden
walls or hemp rope. Floramancers can entangle
foes in vines or grass, create a wall of razor-sharp
thorns, shred linen clothing, cause plants to
conceal their presence, shatter wooden walls,
cause barrels or wooden floors to explode in a
hail of splinters, wither plants, and bless crops.
Geomancy
Geomancers are masters of the earth. This covers
not just rock, but brick, mud, gemstones, and all
metals. Through his rituals a geomancer can grow
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walls from the ground, shatter or bend weapons,
force walls to part to allow him access, turn
cobblestone roads into quagmires, animate
statues, or shower enemies with chunks of rock.
Homomancy
The homomantic (“homo” meaning “man”)
discipline is simultaneously one of the most
powerful and one of the weakest. Through his
discipline, the magician can make humans faster,
stronger, smarter, or more attractive. He can
boost their Skills (though an untrained character
remains untrained—he just gains bonus dice to
help offset his penalty) or lower them, enhance
or dampen the five senses, control individuals
through the power of his mind, change
someone’s physical features, and even rend their
flesh to cause pain. What he cannot do is affect
the greater world in any manner. He has no
power over animals or plants, nor the four
elemental forces. As such, magicians of this
discipline must be versatile in the way they use
their magick, even if it means having to cast more
complex spells than others. For instance, a
hydromancer could part water to help cross a
river and a Geomancer could raise stepping
stones, but a student of this discipline could only
help by boosting the Swimming of everyone who
wanted to ford the river.
Hydromancy
Hydromancers understand the power of water.
They can cause a victim’s lungs to fill with water,
alter the properties of liquids to cleanse poisons
or turn wine into a deadly toxin, speed up and
slow running water, or summon water to quench
a thirst.
Pyromancy
Fire is both life-giver and destroyer. It can warm
hearths, cook food, and drive away shadows, but
it can also burn flesh and devour buildings.
Pyromancy is often regarded as the most potent
form of magick in terms of damaging effects.
Transmutation
The discipline of transmutation involves altering
the structure of objects, both living and
inanimate. While practitioners can change like to
like, they cannot alter an object into a completely
different substance unless he knows the
appropriate tradition. So while any magician
could turn a steel sword into tin or bronze, he
could not transmute it to wood unless he also
understood Floramancy.
Transportation
This unusual form of magick is concerned solely
with travel. Magicians can fly, levitate others, run
faster, heighten their reflexes, make their
enemies stumble and fall, and leap greater
distances. Their most powerful ability is the ritual
of teleportation, which enables them to travel
instantly to any location they can see, or which
they know intimately.
6.3. Casting Rituals
In order to work magick, a character must have
the Magickal Aptitude Talent. Without this, he
can no more cast magick than he could wield a
sword if missing both arms, or read a text if
unschooled in his letters. Taking the Talent allows
a magus to also take the Magick Specialized Skill.
When he learns the Skill, he must pick a single
magickal Discipline.
Magi cannot invoke power simply by waving their
arms, throwing around a few ingredients, and
speaking a few words. It takes time to work
magick, and even a small interruption can cause a
ritual to fail. All magick rituals are extended
actions that require a number of successes to
complete (the ritual total, see Formulating
Rituals). The Difficulty for casting any spell is
always 2.
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By default, each roll represents six seconds (1
combat turn). A magician may take more time
with his casting to increase some effects of the
spell.
Once a magus has begun invoking a spell, he
must devote his attack action to the casting
process (using the Use Skill Combat Maneuver)
each round until the spell comes into being.
Failure to do so automatically disrupts the energy
flow or otherwise ruins his ritual—the ritual is
ruined and the caster must begin from scratch.
For this reason, casting in combat poses more
problems than quietly sitting in a locked room
reciting words of power.
When the magus achieves a number of successes
equal to the ritual total, he may delay the spell’s
release for a maximum number of combat turns
equal to his Willpower rating. During this time he
suffers a –2 penalty to any other actions as he is
concentrating on holding back the unearthly
forces he has unleashed. When he finally releases
the spell, he does so as a reflexive action.
Should he fail to release the spell before reaching
his Willpower rating in elapsed combat turns, the
magickal energy dissipates.
Rituals are not learned by rote or memorized
from texts, nor is there any limit on the number
of spells a caster knows. Every caster has the
ability to shape the magickal energy of the world
into whatever pattern he chooses on a whim,
subject to the restrictions of his Discipline. This
means there is no universal spell list. Rather, a
system is presented below which allows players
and GMs to create a spell as required for a
particular situation.
The system is not designed to be completely
restrictive—imagination and interpretation of the
rules plays as much part in formulating a ritual as
the strict letter of the rules.
As an art rather than a science, it perhaps comes
as no surprise that while there are treatises on
the theory of magick, there are no spellbooks.
Synergy: A magus casting a spell combining two
or more Disciplines uses the Skill Synergy rule. He
rolls the highest Discipline rating when casting,
but gains +2 bonus dice for each applicable
Discipline with a rating of 4 or higher. For
example, if your character is trying to conjure a
scorching wind, and your character has Magick:
Aeromancy 6 and Magick: Pyromancy 4, you
would roll 8 dice for your Skill roll (6 dice for your
character’s Aeromancy rating with +2 bonus dice
for his Pyromancy rating).
Teamwork: Magi may aid each other in the
casting of rituals. Any helpers must have the
same Tradition as the lead character and have a
minimum Magick rating of 4 in the Discipline
being used to create the spell. If the spell
combines two or more Disciplines, the helpers
must have Level 4 or higher in all the Disciplines
being utilized.
As detailed below, helpers may not Take the
Average. They do not suffer nonlethal damage if
the lead caster rolls a critical failure.
Drawbacks
Manipulating magick requires immense
concentration, as well as the willpower to
harness and channel the energy flow and
summon and command spirits. There are many
drawbacks.
* A magus cannot Take the Average when casting
spells. The flow of magickal energy is not smooth
like a road, but swirls with unpredictable eddies
and currents. A magus can Take the Average
regarding the effects of his spell, just never the
actual casting.
* Mistakes, while rarely deadly, can have harmful
effects on a magus. If the magus suffers a critical
failure on a roll while casting, he suffers one
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point of nonlethal damage automatically in
addition to losing successes.
* Should his total successes ever drop to zero or
lower, the spell is ruined and the magus is
automatically stunned. Since he cannot then
devote an action to casting, it also means the
ritual is ruined.
* Every time the number of casting rolls exceeds
the magician’s Magick rating he suffers 1N
damage. For instance, a magician with Magick 6
suffers a single point of nonlethal damage on
making his seventh roll, and another point should
his spell extend to a 13th or 19th roll. The damage
is suffered after a specific roll – in the previous
example, the first point of damage would be
dealt after the seventh roll.
Spell Modifiers
While the section on formulating spells details
the number of successes required to successfully
cast individual rituals, there are several blanket
modifiers which apply to all casters’ rolls.
Event Modifier
Caster channels extra energy +2*
Caster consults a grimore according to +2
his Discipline
Caster has not studied an Discipline -8
involved in spell
Caster performs minor hand gestures or -2
hides his paraphernalia
Caster performs minor hand gestures or -2
hides his paraphernalia
Caster is unable to speak -4
Caster is unable to gesture -4
Taking another action while performing -4
the ritual
* Your character suffers a nonlethal wound and
gains a +2 bonus. Your character may channel
additional magickal energy to gain additional
bonus dice at the rate of one nonlethal wound for
every +2 bonus. Should the damage taken in a
single round exceed his Stun, he is stunned after
the dice roll is made.
Formulating Rituals
Creating a ritual involves four steps, as detailed
be below. During each step, the caster will have
to make some decisions, such as how complex he
wants the casting to be, its range, duration,
effect, and so on. The number of successes
required to complete a ritual is called the ritual
total. The ritual total is always 2 plus a number
determined by the formula, with each step
potentially increasing it with complications.
The subtlety of working magick, especially in
combat situations, is not being able to produce
the most powerful spell, but knowing what power
level to invoke to make your magick most
effective. Crafting a Pyromancy spell capable of
incinerating everything within a 100-foot radius is
all well and good, but it’s of little use to your
comrades if the fight is over by the time you utter
the final syllable.
Designing a ritual is an art, not an exact science.
The entries are deliberately left open to
interpretation to allow players and GMs to create
a wide range of effects with minimum fuss. As
always, the GM has the final say on what entries
must be used to create specific effects.
Should the player disagree, encourage him to
accept your ruling for now and discuss it with him
after the game—don’t interrupt the flow of play
quibbling over the rules. There are example
rituals at the end of this section to show how the
system works.
1. Spell Range
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Spells cast upon the caster or someone he is
touching are far easier to create than those which
are designed to affect distant targets. Thus,
healing rituals after combat are easier to perform
than trying to stitch up a friend’s wounds when
he is dozens of feet away. When determining the
range, it is often better to use a category higher
than you need, especially when affecting foes. A
villain might well be within 10 feet when the
caster begins his enchantment, but if he moves
beyond that distance the caster is forced to
abandon the spell, move closer to his target
(which makes the casting more difficult), or select
a new target within range (if one exists).
Had the mage picked the “Up to 500 feet”
category when sculpting the spell, his foe would
have needed to run some distance to avoid being
affected. Note that when teleporting, the Range
is that of the final destination. A magician who
wants to teleport 10 miles, for example, requires
+6 complications. A teleporter need not see his
final destination for his spell to work, but he must
have a very clear image of the destination.
Teleporting into one’s own study is quite easy,
but it is impossible to appear out of thin air in the
lair of the evil villain unless the hero has visited
the lair before.
Complications Range*
+0 Touch
+1 Up to 5 yards
+2 Up to 150 yards
+4 Up to 1 mile
+6 Up to 10 miles
* For range beyond Touch, the caster must be
able to see the target, or must possess something
personal belonging to the target (like a lock of
hair).
2. Spell Duration
The Duration of a spell is, in most cases,
determined by the effect. Spells designed to take
effect in the blink of an eye are quick to cast,
whereas those designed to last longer require
more effort and preparation. Instant spells
generally inflict damage, heal injuries, or detect
hidden objects. Whether a damaging spell can
have a longer duration is up to the GM’s
discretion. If he approves this, damage is taken
every round on the caster’s initiative. However,
allowing a mage to cause even 3L damage round
after round to a foe by invoking a single spell may
be a game breaker, especially if the caster is
allowed to target an individual and extend the
duration.
Ideally, this should only be allowed if the spell has
a radius effect. An example of such a spell is a
writhing mass of sharp thorns, which lacerate all
who enter the affected area. By limiting
continuing damage to an area, it allows foes to
avoid the spell’s effect (and creates tactical
choices for the magician’s allies, such as whether
to forgo an attack and push an opponent into the
area of effect). The GM is strongly advised to
think long and hard before allowing such spells.
And don’t forget, what the player characters can
do, the villains can as well!
Spells designed to boost an ally’s Skills or reduce
those of a foe, provide armor, create solid objects
(conjuring a sword or brick wall), create holes in
solid objects (such as allowing the party to pass
through a wall), swathe an area in dense fog, and
so on, are normally cast with a longer duration.
After all, what good is boosting a warrior’s Melee
if the effect is over before the target gets a
chance to benefit from the magick?
Once a non-instant spell is successfully cast, the
caster may end it at any time as a free action.
Otherwise, the spell automatically expires when
the duration is reached.
You cannot extend a spell’s Duration once it is
cast. Complications Standard
Complications Duration Extended
Duration*
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+0 Instant** 12 hours
+1 5 combat turns (30 24 hours
sec)
+2 1 minute 3 days
+4 1 scene or combat 1 week
+8 One hour 1 month
* Spells with an extended duration require far
greater preparation. Rather than taking one
action per Magick roll, the casting time is
extended to one hour per die roll. As always, any
interruptions cause the spell to fail automatically.
The usual rules on Exertion apply.
** Unless a magus delays his ritual, it takes effect
immediately after the ritual total is met.
3. Spell Area of Effect
A spell’s area of effect must fall into one of three
categories— people, area, or time. The People
entry is used when directly affecting allies or foes
who aren’t standing close together, or are
intermingled with those the caster does not wish
to affect. All intended targets must be within
Range of the spell when it is cast. Through this
method, a caster can strike down his enemies
with crackling lightning while leaving allies
unharmed, or aid his comrades with armoring
enchantments without accidentally affecting
foes.
The Area column is used for spells which blanket
an area. Individual targets within the area are
affected by the magick, but only for so long as
they remain in the area. Examples include fog
clouds or a zone of silence. The center of the area
of effect need not be determined until the
moment the spell is cast, but once chosen it
cannot be altered afterward. The center of the
area must be within the chosen Range and the
caster’s line of sight.
The key difference between this entry and People
is that an area effect spell is not selective. If you
cause a 50’ radius to be filled with flame,
everyone and everything in the area is affected
equally.
Complications People Area
+0 Individual 2 yard radius
+2 2-4 people 5 yard radius
+4 5-9 people 10 yard radius
+6 10-19 people 20 yard radius
+8 20+ people 50 yard radius
4. Spell Effect
The effect of a spell is the most important part to
determine, but can also be the most complex.
Certain spells may not require an effect. In these
instances, the spell is always cast with a zero
complications from this step.
The Primary column is used only when a magus
wishes to modify a target’s Primary Attributes.
The Secondary/Skill column applies when
modifying a Secondary Attribute or Skill, or when
a generic modifier is required (such as enhancing
a weapon’s existing damage or changing the
ambient visibility level).
Note that in the case of Primary, Secondary, and
Skill modifiers, only the highest modifier applies
when stacking spells of the same type. A soldier
who has had his Melee 4 magickally enhanced by
+4 and who is then subjected to a further +2
Melee spell, regardless of the source, retains his
+4 bonus rather than gaining +6.
However, if the soldier’s rapier was also imbued
with a +4 bonus as well, he would have a final
bonus of +8.
The Damage column is used when inflicting
harm. The first entry is for nonlethal damage and
the second for lethal damage. The magician must
pick which type of damage he wishes to inflict
before he begins casting.
Enchanting or blessing a weapon to inflict more
damage does not use this entry—it uses the
Secondary/Skill column as detailed above, as the
weapon’s existing damage is being augmented by
a flat numeric value.
When a damaging spell is cast, roll the
appropriate damage just once, regardless of how
many targets are affected. Victims may use only
their Passive Defense to resist.
The Opposed entry is used for effects which
mimic ones requiring an opposed roll or the
simulation of a Skill made at a range the Skill
could not normally be used (i.e. healing someone
without touching them). Each entry lists the
number of dice granted by the spell. If the spell
opposes an attribute, the defender uses twice his
attribute rating.
For instance, a spell designed to knock foes down
with a blast of wind would be opposed by the
target’s Strength*2. Creating a spell to animate a
rug to trip up foes works as a regular Trip, with
the spell’s dice acting as the rug’s Brawl.
Similarly, binding a foe (perhaps using animated
rope) functions as a Grapple. Trying to dominate
a member of the Duke’s Guard into following
your every order also falls into this category.
When affecting multiple foes, the die pool is
rolled only once—every target resists against that
value. It is also used when summoning an animal,
demon, or other such entity. The Opposed dice
are rolled against the creature’s Willpower*2,
with success bringing the entity to the magician’s
side. Humans and animals are not teleported to
the caster’s location in a puff of smoke, but
rather receive a telepathic urge to come to his
aid. Thus, there must be suitable targets within
Range of the spell. They arrive on the scene the
instant the spell is finished, having been en route
since the ritual was started and they first
received the call to the mage’s locale.
Size is used when affecting inanimate objects or a
creature in a manner not covered in one of the

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other entries. For instance, a caster who wants to taking the 2–4 People entry adds another +2
fly would use the Size column, since no other complications.
category fits the bill. It is also used if the caster
wishes to conjure a creature into existence. Effect: Henri has been considering two options.
When affecting multiple foes, only the highest First, he could control the guards to unlock the
Size rating is used. gates and then walk away until the spell ends.
That gets them out of the way, but it won’t help if
Complicatio Primary Secondary Damage Oppo Size someone notices their absence and sounds the
ns / Skill sed alarm. His second option is to make the guards
+0 +/-2 4N/2L 4 0 think he is their master. He decides the latter
option carries less risk, since he knows the master
+2 +/-1 +-/4 6N/3L 6 1
of the chateau is miles away in Tallins. Since he is
+4 +/-6 8N/4L 8 2+ trying to take control of the guard’s minds, he
+6 +/-8 10N/5L 10 4+ must overcome their Willpower*2. The GM
refuses to tell him the guards’ Willpower ratings.
+8 +/-2 +/-10 12N/6L 12 8+
Henri takes a guess they are only lowly minions,
like to have Willpower 2. Consulting the Opposed
column, which is used for this type of effect, he
Examples of Magick Use decides 8 dice is enough. That’s another +4
complications he needs.
Weak Mind
Henri plans to disguise his appearance as that of
Mordui Lador is a talented magician specializing the guards’ master. However, that won’t alter his
in Homomancy. He is lurking in bushes a few voice or mannerisms, or grant him any special
hundred feet away from a chateau he knowledge, and getting caught up in conversation
desperately needs to enter covertly. A pair of could be disastrous.
guards is standing outside the main gate. Mordui
decides to make them do the work for him. Casting: Henri’s ritual total is 14. With success, he
plans to ride up the path to the gates, hoping the
Range: Mordui is 80 yards from the chateau guards will see their master coming and open the
entrance, so he must pick the “Up to 150 yards” gates without question, thus allowing him to ride
entry (+2 complications). through without having to open his mouth.

Duration: Before his spell wears off, the magician
has to cross the open ground between his bushes
and the gates and get inside. He doesn’t feel a
minute is long enough to safely achieve his goal,
so he takes the “1 scene or combat” entry,
hoping the GM is kind enough to consider his
breaking and entering as a single scene. That’s +4
complications added to the ritual total.
Area: Although the guards are relatively close
together, choosing an Area would free the guards
from Mordui’s spell if they walked away. He
settles on affecting them both, and in doing
Stemming the Bloodflow
Parla is a lackey, albeit one with a working
knowledge of Benignus. Her master collapses,
badly wounded during a skirmish. The sorceress
has no intention of getting involved in the melee
(still raging, as her master was not fighting alone),
but wants to at least stop him from bleeding to
death. She declares she wishes to stabilize him.
Range: Gordon is 10 yards away, so “Up to 150
yards” entry is used for the spell (+2
complications).

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Duration: The effect will be Instant, just as if
Parla were making a Medicine roll (+0
complications).
Area: She’s trying to stabilize only her master, so
that’s an Individual (+0 complications).
Effect: Her master is on –2 wounds when Parla
starts casting. Stabilizing someone is covered in
the main rules, so the GM uses that as the
baseline. Stabilizing has a Difficulty of 2 and there
is a penalty equal to the patient’s negative
wounds (–2 in this case). For this to work, Parla
would need to make an Opposed roll with a –2
penalty against Difficulty 2.
Looking at the Opposed column, we see she only
needs to take 6 dice (+2 complications). Her six
dice would be reduced to four by the wound
penalty, but since she only needs to equal the
Difficulty of 2 for her master to be stabilized, with
four dice she could Take the Average to ensure
automatic success. Healing the wounds fully will
have to wait until the fight is over.
Casting: Parla’s ritual total is 6. With a Magick:
Benignus Skill of just 6 she will, on average, need
to make six rolls against Difficulty 2. With her
master on –2 wounds, that’s not enough time to
stop him dying.
Parla cannot spend Style points (she doesn’t have
any), but she can channel extra energy. With a
Stun rating of just 2, she can afford to channel +4
bonus dice, taking two nonlethal wounds per
round (anymore and she would be stunned and
thus unable to hold the spell together). However,
with Health 4 she can boost two rolls safely. (By
attempting a third channeling she’ll pass out after
the die roll is made, but then her master only has
that long to live anyway.) It’s going to be touch
and go!
Instant Access
Arano the geomancer finds himself in manacles
after being captured in battle. He doesn’t much
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fancy spending time in a Union jail, so as the
prisoners stop for the night on their route to jail
he plans his escape. He lacks the Larceny Skill and
suitable tools, so he has no hope of picking the
lock on his manacles. Instead, he plans to crack
them open with his magick. While it would be
much simpler to escape alone, Arano refuses to
leave his men behind. Thus, he is going to have to
work his will on multiple sets simultaneously.
Arano knows what he is doing could see him
burned as a witch, especially being Gurkish, but
he has few other options. Arano whispers to his
comrades that these particular types of manacles
are quite weak—it’s a lie, but he hopes it will be a
plausible enough cover story. He quietly urges
them to test their bonds.
Range: Arano is acting as the focal point for his
spell, which makes his life much easier (+0
complications).
Duration: The effect Arano desires is to open the
locks. He argues that once the locks are opened,
they will act as if he had used a key, thus making
it an Instant duration. The GM agrees, so that’s
+0 complications again.
Area: There are 30 prisoners, but all are being
held within a 10 yard radius of the magician. He
checks with the GM and asks whether he can use
an Area effect. He explains that while the locks
are individual targets, they are all within his
chosen Area. He adds that if anyone is still
wearing their manacles when they leave the
radius the locks will snap shut again.
The GM ponders this, considering for a moment
whether Arano is trying to misuse the rules. Were
Arano trying to unlock cell doors, inanimate
objects completely incapable of moving outside
his Area, he would have refused. However, since
the manacles are technically part of each person
and move with them, he accepts the argument.
Arnaud needs +4 complications.
Effect: The Effect is not as easy to determine as
Arano would like. He isn’t trying to boost the
Larceny skill of his comrades, nor is he trying to
smash the locks—he just wants to tinker with the
mechanism. The GM proposes a solution to the
problem. He suggests Arnaud roll a number of
dice from the Opposed column against the
manacles’ material Defense of 8 minus their Size
(–4) but plus the complexity of the locks
(Difficulty 2). Arnaud would be looking at a total
of 8-4+2, or 6 successes needed on his Effect roll.
So long as the magician achieves a Degree of
Success of at least zero on his Effect roll, his spell
works. Arano agrees this suits his image of how
the spell will work. He decides upon 8 dice. That’s
another +4 complications required.
Casting: The ritual total is 10. Arano’s Stone
specialty in is of no use, so he has just 7 dice in
his Magick: Geomancy. Arano achieves the 10
successes required and the spell is cast. Although
he cannot Take the Average when casting, there
is no such restriction on the spell’s effect. He
currently has 8 dice to play with for the Effect, an
average of just four, not enough to help here. He
rolls his 8 dice and gets five successes; good, but
not good enough. Arano decides to spend Style
points on the roll. He burns four Style points and
gains four dice. Two successes are rolled, enough
to push his final tally to 7. In a series of quiet
clicks the locks pop open, freeing the prisoners.
Whether they can escape their guards or not
without incident is another matter!
6.5. Spirit talkers
In the desolate wilderness of the Northlands
some people still can call upon the ancient spirits
of the country. Maybe this was a gift of Bedesh,
maybe not. Anyhow, there are no masters or
mentors who can teach this ability, you are born
with it or you are not.
The primeval spirits are nature or elemental
spirits who can be called by performing a simple
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ritual. The Spirit talker must be in a remote
wilderness place as these ancient spirits shun
people and cultivated lands.
To call a spirit, its element has to be at the ritual
site, calling a fire spirit requires a flame of at least
torch size, a water spirit can be call at a pond or
river.
Calling a spirit works similar to ritual casting. The
base difficulty is 2. If the caster wants to call for a
more powerful spirit, he must add complications.
Damage is the chosen damage a Spirit may deal,
the Spirit talker decides if it is lethal or non-lethal.
The Spirit strength entry in the table is the dice
pool the spirit uses for all tests.
Complicat Damage Spirit
ions strength
+0 4N/2L 4
+2 6N/3L 6
+4 8N/4L 8
+6 10N/5L 10
+8 12N/6L 12
The ritual for calling a spirit involves a small
offering of some sort and takes about 1 hour.
Spirit talker then must make a Willpower*2 test
against the Difficulty (no Take the Average
allowed!) If he makes the roll, a spirit will
approach. If the roll is unsuccessful, no spirit
answers the Talker call.
A spirit will not do as the talker bids, just because
he calls the spirit. If the Spirit talker wishes for a
service or two he has to convince the spirit of
doing so by an opposed Diplomacy test against
Spirit strength. The GM should grant bonuses for
good role play. On a success the spirit will help
the Spirit talker with one task per success. Spirits
will vanish when they have provided their help or
at sunset/sunrise, whatever comes first. Spirits
will never go against their nature, a fire spirit will
under no circumstances jump into water. Water
spirits must be transported in a bottle, or cask if
they shall be used farther away from their body
of water.

Spirits will also avoid cities and towns, although

one might talk them over to come into a village
or single building which is counted as a service.

120

7. Gear
This chapter provides a list of items commonly
available in most part of the Circle of the World
although some items which are common some
place maybe unheard of in another.
7.1. Money
In civilized areas coin is the standard of payment,
high sums may even be moved by Letters of
Credit, issued by a bank like the powerful Valint &
Balk which has offices all over the Union and
even in Styria.
The most common coin values used in the Union
are the Mark of Silver or just Mark. Most people
have bids in their pockets, for smaller purchases
and services. More seldom but still used are
Marks of Gold and gem stones of assigned value.
The relative values are:
1 Mark of Gold = 100 Marks of Silver
1 Mark of Silver = 10 bids
For simplicity’s sake are other currencies based
on their metal value as well, making an Imperial
gold coin equal to a Union Gold Mark or a Styrian
silver piece equal to a Mark of Silver.
7.2. Weapons
Damage (Dmg): The number of bonus dice added
to your attack roll when using the weapon. It also
indicates the type of damage it inflicts: lethal (L)
or nonlethal (N).
Strength (Str): The minimum Strength rating
needed to wield the weapon effectively. A
character with a lower Strength rating suffers a –
2 penalty to his attack roll for each point of
Strength he is under the minimum. Using a two-
handed weapon with one hand increases the
minimum Strength required to wield the weapon
by 3 points.
121
Range (Rng): The distance in yards for each range
increment (Short, Medium, Long, Extreme). Ich
increment beyond Short imposes a penalty to the
attack roll (Medium -2, Long -4 , Extreme -8).
Cost: The cost of the weapon in Marks of silver
(m). If the item is cheaper, the price might be
given in bids marked by (b). This number may be
adjusted up or down to account for supply and
demand.
Note: There are supreme weapons, made by
master smiths, most famous of all - the Styrian
sword smith Calvez, whose blades sell all over the
Circle of the World. These weapons might provide
a +1 attack bonus, at discretion of the GM. The
costs should by at least 20 times above the listed
price.
Weight (Wt): The weight of the weapon or item
in pounds. Characters that carry too much weight
cannot move as fast and tire out sooner.
Notes: 2-handed, Shooting rate, melee weapons
usable for throwing, all this is marked here. The
weapon description provides further information.
*Melee Weapons
The weapons listed below are those known to the
Union, Styria the North and border regions of
Gurkhul. Truly foreign lands might know of a
bewildering variety of melee weapons.
Acid Dagger: Favored by assassins, the slim,
fragile blades of these weapons are constructed
of thin glass. Contained within is a deadly and
powerful acid. Since the glass breaks on impact,
each dagger can be used to make but one
successful attack. A critical failure means the
attacker has broken his blade, perhaps by
slamming it into an inanimate object by error, or
dropping his weapon. Either way, it is broken and
useless.
Axe: Two-handed axes include battle axes and
more mundane axes used for chopping wood.
Northerners wield a variety in battle, but in more
civilized countries, axes are mere tool.
Axe, Hand: Small one-handed axes, such as
hatchets and throwing axes. Again, outside the
Northlands these weapons are rarely use as
something different than tools.
Range (in yards): 3/6/12/24
Cavalry sword: Cavalry swords have become
somewhat out of fashion. Slightly curved, with
only one edge, these are ideal weapons for
mounted combat, but the more fashionable
rapier has been replacing the cavalry sword
among fashion-conscious officers. Most mounted
troopers, however, still use this effective weapon.
Chain: Chains make excellent weapons, as they
can entangle limbs, strangle opponents, or simply
bludgeon the victim. If using a chain as a ranged
weapon, it has a range of 3 yards. Chains longer
than 3 yards in length cannot be used effectively
as a weapon.
To entangle an opponent, make a Melee touch
attack. If your character’s attack is successful, no
damage is done. Instead, compare the amount of
damage your character would have done versus
the opponent’s Strength rating. If you rolled
more damage than his Strength rating, the
opponent is entangled and must succeed in a
Strength roll in order to break free on his next
turn. The Difficulty is equal to the number of
successes the attacker scored above the bound
character’s Strength. If you rolled more damage
than twice your opponent’s Strength rating, he is
completely entangled and may either be
disarmed or knocked to the ground.
Cleaver: A heavy blade found in most kitchens.
Club: Clubs include anything from chair legs,
sturdy wooden branches, and other bludgeoning
implements. Because a bat can be fashioned from
anything, they have no effective cost.
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Club, Two-handed: Includes any large club wielded
to hands, whether a strengthened war club or a
large tree branch.
Dagger: Daggers are small-bladed weapons.
Daggers can be thrown.
Range (in yards): 2/4/8/12
Dagger, Concealed: Shorter and with thinner blades
than regular daggers these small blades are easily
concealed and thus are favored by assassins. A
variety of forms and styles exist, thus enabling
users to hide them inside fans or disguise them as
long hair pins.
Halberd/Pike: Halberds, pikes, and other pole-
arms comprise large blades attached to the end
of a heavy pole. They are used by ceremonial
guards, but are most often found in Union and
Stryian armies, where pikemen fight in densely
packed units.
Lance: Lances are the heavy-set spears used by
heavy Union cavalry. Gurkhish lances are
somewhat lighter, more akin to long spears. They
can be used on foot as well as from horseback.
Long Steel: The Long Steel is a typical weapon for
Union swordsmen. Somewhat of a blend
between a long sword and a rapier, the Long
Steel is used for slashing attacks as well as
thrusting. It’s often ornate basket hand guards
are effective for catching or deflecting an
opponent’s blade.
Improvised Weapon: An improvised weapon can be
any item capable of inflicting damage but which is
not specifically designed for that purpose. Such
items are often unwieldy and unbalanced. Users
of improvised weapons have a –2 penalty to
attack rolls.
Main Gauche: A main gauche is similar to a
dagger, but has a wide basket handle or
horizontal prongs to aid parrying. The purpose of
this weapon is more defensive than offensive.
Held in the off-hand, the main gauche is used to
deflect incoming blows, leaving the dominant
hand to wield a rapier or other one-handed
weapon. A character using a main gauche in his
offhand has +1 Active Defense against Brawl or
Melee attacks.
Rapier: The Styrian trademark weapon of a
gentleman, Rapiers have narrower blades than a
sword or Long Steel, and are designed for
thrusting rather than slashing attacks. The guard
of the rapier is often large and ornate, used to
catch and deflect an opponent’s blade. Rapiers
are often used in conjunction with a dagger or
main gauche in the off-hand.
Saber: A curved blade favored by the Gurkish, it
bears a resemblance to the cavalry sword but is
even more curved and somewhat lighter.
Short Steel: Like its counter-part, the Long Steel,
the Short Steel is a blend of a main gauche and a
Short sword; a broader blade with a basket hand
guard Union swordsmen use the Short Steel
effectively for defensive Parries, but also for quite
powerful counter attacks. A character using a
Short Steel in his offhand has +1 Active Defense
against Brawl or Melee attacks.
Sap: A sap is a small leather pouch stuffed with
lead shot, sand, or other heavy, dense material.
Its main use is to strike someone on the head
while they are unaware, more than likely
knocking them out in the process.
Short sword: Small swords include large knives and
small double-bladed swords. Small swords are
light enough that can be wielded in the off-hand,
often in conjunction with a larger primary
weapon.
Spear: The spear has been replaced by long pikes
and halberd in modern armies but among
Northlanders and colonists in Starikland it still is
very common, as it is versatile both for hunting
and fighting. A spear is a to-hand weapon but can
123
be wielded with one hand and a shield in the
other. In this case attacks are penalized by -1.
Sword, Great: Two-handed swords include the
Styrian claymore and the more crude
Greatswords of Northlanders. They are slow to
use, but deliver incredible amounts of damage.
Sword, Long: Any sword with a blade in excess of
18 inches that can be wielded one- or two-
handed counts as a long sword. They are rarely
found in the hands of gentlemen, but more
common among the Northerner.
Weighted Cloak: Metal balls sewn into the hem of
the cloak allow it to be swung as a weapon.
Whip: Whips can entangle limbs, wrap around
throats, or safely swing a daring adventurer over
pits. Whips do little actual damage, but inflict
incredibly painful wounds, and produce a loud
crack that can intimidate lesser foes. To entangle
an opponent up to 3 yards away, make a Melee
touch attack (see Touch Attacks). If your
character’s attack is successful, no damage is
done. Instead, compare the amount of damage
your character would have done versus the
opponent’s Strength rating.
If you rolled more damage than his Strength
rating, the opponent is entangled and he must
succeed in a Strength roll in order to break free
on his next turn. If you rolled more damage than
twice the opponent’s Strength rating, he is
entangled and may be either disarmed or
knocked to the ground.
Melee Weapons
Weapon Dmg Str Cost Wt Notes
Acid dagger 4L 1 100 0.5
Axe 3L 2 20 5 2-handed
Axe, Hand 2L 2 15 1.5 Throw
Cavalry 3L 2 26 3
sword
 Club 2N 2 - 2 gauntlet
Club, large 3N 2 - 8 2-handed Pick axe 3L 2 2 8
Dagger 1L 1 8 1 Throw Pitch fork 2L 2 1 4
Dagger, 0L 1 12 0.5 Notes Shovel 2N 2 1 5
concealed Torch, 1L 2 3b 1 Fire damage
Halberd/Pike 4L 2 20 8 2-handed burning
Lance 4L 2 32 10 Mounted Weighted 1N 2 8 3
Long Steel 3L 2 27 2.5 cloak
* Fire damage: A torch may be used to club or burn an
Long Sword 3L 2 25 3
opponent. To burn an opponent, male a Melee touch
Main gauche 1L 2 16 1,5 Active attack. If your attack succeeds, he inflicts one point of
lethal damage. If his opponent is wearing something
Defense +1
combustible—such as loose clothing—or has been
Rapier 2L 1 22 2.5 doused with a flammable liquid, he is set on fire and
continues to take fire damage each round until he fire
Sap 1N 1 1 0.5
is extinguished.
Saber 2L 2 18 2
Short Steel 2L 2 18 2 Active *Ranged Weapons
Defense +1
Described here are a variety of ranged weapons.
Short sword 2L 2 18 2
Bow: Bows are used by some hunters and armies
Spear 3L 2 14 5 2-handed
outside the Union as the ranged weapon of
Sword, Great 5L 2 20 8 2-handed choice. They can shoot a variety of different
Whip 0N 2 6 2 entangle arrow types. You can fire a bow every other
action.

Improvised Weapons Flatbow: Flatbows are the main ranged weapon of

the Union army. Flatbows fire projectiles called
Weapon Dmg Str Cost Wt Notes bolts, which are shorter than regular arrows.
Bottle 1N 1 - 1 Breaks after Flatbows come in several sizes, the heavier the
more powerful, but also slower to reload.
1 attack
Flatbows are very accurate; they penetrate armor
Bottle, 1L 1 - 1 more effectively than any other weapon. Reduce
broken any armor bonus of a target by 1 for light
flatbows and by 3 for heavy flatbows.
Buckler 1N 1 20 2 Active
Defense + It takes time to reload a flatbow. Heavy flatbows
have an in-build crack or lever to make reloading
Chain 1N 2 12 5
easier. You can fire a light flatbow every 4 turns
Cleaver 2L 2 25b 2 and a heavy flatbow every 6 turns, when the
Hammer 2N 2 2 1 attack actions during the other turns are used for
reloading.
Metal 1N 1 15 4 See armor

124
Javelin: Javelins are slender, light, throwing 80
weapons. They are ineffective during melee
combat and rarely used in civilized armies. Net - 1 5 20 5/-/-/-
Sling 1N 1 - 0.5 15/30/60/90
Longbow: Bigger, thicker, and requiring more Accessory Cost Weight Notes
strength than a regular bow. They have superior Accessoir Cost Wt
range and penetration. Reduce the armor of a Arrows (20) 1 1
target by 1.
Bolts (20) 1 1
Net: Primarily used for either fishing or trapping Bowstring 15b -
game, nets are found in the hands of those
Quiver (holds 20 bolts or arrows) 2 1.5
wanting to capture their prey alive. A net that can
be carried and thrown by a single person is three
by three yards-wide (large enough to catch a Size
0 creature) and includes a trailing rope used to 7.3. General Equipment
pull the captured victim back. To entangle an As well as weapons, the character might need
opponent, make an Athletics touch attack (see armor and general equipment to survive. Listed
Touch Attacks). If your character’s attack is below are some of the armor, clothing,
successful, no damage is done. Instead, compare equipment, and tools that might come in handy
the amount of damage your character would during the course of an adventure.
have done versus opponent’s Strength rating. If
you rolled more damage than her Strength rating, Defense (Def): The Passive Defense bonus
the opponent is entangled and she must spend a provided by the piece of armor.
turn to free herself from the net. If you rolled
Strength (Str): The minimum Strength rating
more damage than twice the opponent’s
needed to wear the armor. A character with a
Strength rating, she is trapped and cannot escape
lower Strength rating suffers a –2 penalty to
until someone frees her.
attack rolls for each point of Strength he falls
Sling: Slings use either small rocks or lead bullets, below the minimum.
and are still utilized as an effective hunting tool. Cost: The cost of the item in Marks of silver. If the
Because slings are crafted from simple, easy-to- price is given in bids, the number of bids is
find materials, they effectively have no cost. followed by b. This number may be adjusted up
or down to account for supply and demand.
Ranged weapons
Weight (Wt): The weight of the item in pounds.
Weapon Dmg Str Cost Wt Range
Characters that carry too much weight cannot
Bow 2L 2 24 3 15/30/60/90 move as fast and tire out sooner.
Flatbow, 3L 2 30 7 30/60/120/1 Locations (Lc): The areas covered by armor.
light 80 Exposed areas can be targeted with a Called Shot
Flatbow, 4L 2 40 10 50/100/200/ to the specific location. A Called Shot made in this
manner denies the defender his armor’s Passive
Heavy 300 Defense bonus. Unless a Called Shot is made, all
Javelin 1L 2 5b 2 8/15/30/60 attacks are deemed to be made against the torso
Longbow 3L 3 40 3 30/60/120/1 (the largest area). If he is wearing other armor
parts with a higher defense bonus than his torso

125
armor, he receives a single +1 bonus to his Armor
bonus, regardless how much higher the armor
value of the other parts is or if he wears one or
more additional pieces of armor. If a character
does not wear torso armor but any other piece of
armor, he has an Armor bonus of 1, when
attacked by a non-specificially targeted attack.
*Armor
Boots: Knee- or thigh-high leather boots designed
to protect the legs. A pair of boots grants +1
Passive Defense but only against attacks targeting
the legs.
Buff Coat: The commonest armor worn by
soldiers is a coat made from flexible yet thick
leather. It gives a +2 Passive Defense bonus, but
can be bypassed by a Called Shot to the legs.
Chainmail coat: The chainmail is heavy and
cumbersome but protects torso, arms and thighs.
This armor is nearly exclusively found among rich
warriors and clan heads of the Northlands. It
grants a +3 Passive Defense bonus to the torso,
arms and thighs.
Chainmail shirt: A shirt of mail covering the torso
only. Quite common on Gurkhish soldiers and – in
a cruder fashion- worn by Northern Carls,
chainmail shirt have become old-fashioned in the
Union. It grants a +3 Passive Defense bonus to
the torso.
Gauntlets, Leather: Sturdy leather gloves designed
to protect the hand and lower part of the arm.
They provide +1 Passive Defense, but only against
attacks targeting arms and hands
Gauntlets, Metal: Flexible metal plates on a
leather backing designed to protect the hand and
lower part of the arm. They provide +3 Passive
Defense, but only against attacks targeting the
arms and hands.
126
Helmets, Faceguard: Helmets serve to protect the
head against blows. This one has metal guards to
protect the side of the face. It provides a +3
Passive Defense bonus, but only against blows to
the head.
Helmets, Metal Cap: A basic pot helm designed to
ward blows from above. It provides a +2 Passive
Defense bonus, but only against blows to the
head. Facial features are unprotected.
Helmets, Leather Cap: A basic cap made of
stiffened leather. It provides a +1 Passive Defense
bonus, but only against blows to the head.
Leather Jacket: Favored by peasants, this armor
made of stiff hide or thickened leather provides a
+1 Passive Defense bonus without overly
affecting mobility. It can be bypassed by a Called
Shot to the legs.
Plate: Expensive and cumbersome only generals
and rich nobles wear plate. Plate armor grants a
+5 Passive Defense bonus, but slightly restricts
movement. Characters wearing plate armor
suffer a –1 Dexterity penalty. This affects all
Dexterity based secondary attributes, traits and
skills. Plate includes gauntlets in price and weight.
If targeting once specific area, the Defence bonus
is reduced by 1.
Plate, Cuirass: A thick breastplate designed to
protect the front and rear of the torso. Favored
by heavy cavalry, heavy infantry and nobles, it
offers a +4 Passive Defense bonus without
restricting mobility, but can be bypassed by a
Called Shot to the head or limbs.
Plate, Three-Quarters: Worn by heavy cavalry,
front-rank, pikemen, and officers. Essentially a
cut-down suit of plate armor, three-quarters
plate grants a +4 Passive Defense bonus without
affecting mobility. However, the arms and legs
are uncovered at the rear to help reduce weight
and cost, thus granting no protection from Called
Shots to the limb made in the wearer’s rear
Leather cap
facing.
Leather +1 1 18 6 Torso, arms
Reinforced leather: A tunic of hardened leather,
jacket
reinforced by metal rings or coins, or hardened
by boiling the leather in wax , it offers a +2 Plate +5 3 130 50 Torso, arms,
Passive Defense bonus to the torso. hands, legs
-1 Dex
Shield, Buckler: A small shield, generally a foot
across, worn strapped to the back of the hand. Plate +4 2 60 20 Torso
Effective against most melee weapons, but cuirass
useless against ranged attacks. It provides a +1
Plate three- +4 3 100 40 Torso, limbs
Active Defense bonus against melee and thrown
attacks, but nothing against Archery or other quarters (front only),
ranged weapons. hands
Shield, Round: A large, wooden or leather shield Reinforced +2 2 30 10 Torso, limbs
with reinforced rim. While uncommon in the leather (front only),
Union or Styria, round shields are often used by
hands
Gurkish infantry and Northland Carls. It provides
a +2 Active Defense bonus against melee and Shield, +1* 1 20 2 *Active
ranged attacks. Buckler defense
bonus
Armor and Shields
Shield, +2* 2 30 6 *Active
Armor Def Str Cost Wt Location Round defense
Boots +1 1 5 5 Legs bonus
Buff coat +2 1 25 8 Torso, arms
Chainmail, +3 3 90 20 Torso, arms, Clothing
coat thighs The Union, especially Adua, considers itself the
Chainmail, +3 2 50 14 torso center of fashion. Hence, styles come and go with
great regularity. A person who wants to be part
shirt
of the social scene needs to keep abreast of such
Gauntlets, +1 1 8 2 Arms, changes, and thus have deep pockets. Any outfit
Leather hands which grants a Charisma bonus remains
fashionable for just one year from the time it is
Gauntlets, +3 1 15 4 Arms,
purchased.
Metal hands
After this, the Charisma bonus drops one point,
Helmet, +3 1 20 8 Head
to a minimum of zero. Royal outfits thus remain
Faceguard partially fashionable until the end of the second
Helmet, +2 1 10 4 Head year, after which they are passé. Wearing an out
of date outfit in the higher echelon social scene
Metal cap
can lead to ridicule from one’s peers.
Helmet, +1 1 4 1 Head

127
Outfit, Average: Average outfits are just that—
the sort of clothes worn by regular people during
the day.
Outfit, Courtly: Courtly clothes are worn by
courtiers and nobles, and by those who wish to
emulate them socially. They are always of the
latest fashions and cut from the finest cloth. This
outfit may result in a +1 Charisma bonus in
circumstances where a person’s clothing could
have a social impact.
Outfit, Crafter: A typical crafter’s outfit comprises
sturdy pants and shoes, a leather apron, and
possible leather gloves. It is the sort of garb worn
by blacksmiths and carpenters, but also
Inquisition’s Practicals, rather than scribes and
artists.
Outfit, Formal: Formal clothing is worn during the
day by wealthy magistrates, merchants, and
master craftsmen, as well as university magisters
(teachers), Inquisitors 8other than Practicals),
well-heeled gents, and military officers. Such an
outfit immediately marks the wearer as a person
of some means or status in society.
Outfit, Poor: The typical garb of the peasant class.
It is dirty, out of date, patched together, or all of
the above. This clothing may result in a –1
Charisma penalty in circumstances where a
person’s clothing could have a social impact.
Outfit, Royal: Extravagant to excess, this is the
sort of clothing worn by the king on a daily bases
and by nobles attending a major social function.
This clothing may result in a +2 Charisma bonus in
circumstances where a person’s clothing could
have a social impact.
Uniform: This is a catchall category covering
everything from a soldier’s badges or markings to
a doorman’s outfit. Uniforms can be practical and
designed to withstand abuse, or decorative and
impractical for anything beyond ceremony.
128
Clothing Cost Wt
Outfit, Average 8 2
Outfit, Courtly 50 4
Outfit, Crafter 6 4
Outfit, Formal 24 3
Outfit, Poor 2 2
Outfit, Royal 100 8
Uniform 10 2
Note: Clothing styles vary much depending on status
and origin. Most men in the Union or Styria wear a
shirt, trousers and an overcoat or waistcoat. Wide-
brimmed hats are popular, but felt caps or hoods are
not uncommon either. Women wear long dresses,
often with waist coat and an apron, but it is not
unknown for women to use trousers and blouses.
Ladies of society have more elaborate corselet dresses
with accessories like parasols, shawls and fancy hats.
Long coat and jacket protect against the weather, as
well as cloaks worn by flamboyant gentlemen. With
exception of silk, the finest fabrics and softest
leatherworks come from Styria; the embroidered
Sipani velvet is highly valued all over the Circle of the
World.
In the Northlands, clothing is rougher and less colorful.
Fur and wool coats are supposed to keep the wearer
warm. Tunics and trousers are worn under by most
men, while women use simple dresses with aprons.
In Gurkhul wide light and flowing fabrics are worn.
Most commoners wear linen kaftans, with caps, fezes,
or shawls on the head as sun protection. The Kantic
use turbans and exquisite weaved silk kaftans.
Outdoor & Survival Gear
Backpack: A basic leather-over-wicker pack
designed to be worn over the back. Backpacks
can hold up to 30 pounds of equipment.
Bedroll: A woolen blanket large enough may a
man to wrap himself in to stay warm and dry.
Camp Cot, Portable: A camp cot has a wooden
frame which can be disassembled for easy
transportation. Sleeping on a camp cot always
makes for a comfortable night’s sleep off the
ground.
Candles (12): The price and weight are for a
dozen tallow candles. Each taper candle burns for
eight hours.
Flint & Steel: Sometimes called a tinderbox, this
small, metal box holds a piece of flint and steel
for generating sparks, and a small amount of
tinder for starting fires.
Grappling Hook: A three-tined hook used for
climbing, granting a +2 bonus on climbing rolls. If
used as an improvised weapon, treat as a club.
Kit, Mess: Issued to all soldiers, a mess kit
contains a pewter mug, a tin plate, and cutlery.
Kit, Personal Basics: This basic toiletry kit
comprises a shaving brush, a small razor, combs,
clippers, soap, and other personal hygiene
essentials.
Lamp Oil, 1-Pint: A ceramic flask containing one
pint of lamp oil.
Tarpaulin: A twenty-foot by twenty-foot sheet of
oiled canvas with eyelets on the corner and
middle edges, making it ideal for protecting an
encampment from inclement weather.
Telescope: A rare and expensive item, telescopes
are the cutting edge of optical technology. They
can be extended to allow a character to see four
times further than the unaided eye, and they
collapse for easy carrying. Because your character
uses only one eye when looking through a
telescope, the field of vision is flat and does not
grant easy depth perception.
Tent, 1-Person: A canvas, hemp rope, and wooden
stake and pole tent small enough to be carried by
a single person.
Tent, 4-person: As above, but with enough room
to comfortably hold four people and their gear.
Tent, 10-Person: As above, but with enough room
to comfortably hold ten people and their gear.
These cumbersome items are typically issued to
squads of soldiers, and are transported on mules.
Waterskin: A soft bag often made from an animal’s
bladder for storing liquid. A cork bung prevents
spillages. Holds four pints of liquid.

Lantern, Oil: An oil lantern throws off light is a 10 Survival gear Cost Wt
yard cone (3 yards wide for every 5 yards of
Backpack 2 4
distance) if shuttered and a 5-radius if
unshuttered. A pint of oil lasts for eight hours Bedroll 6b 1
continuous usage. Camp pot, portable 10 8

Rations, Field (per day): Cured or dried meat, a Candles (12) 1 1

few slices of hard bread, and a measure of salt Flint & Steel 3
are the basic provisions contained in field rations.
Grappling hook 4 2
Rope: A coil of strong hemp rope. Kit, Mess 5 2

Satchel: A waterproof leather satchel worn across Mess, Personal basics 10 1

the shoulder. Typically worn by messengers to Lamp oil, 1 pint 5b 1
protect the letters they carry. A satchel can hold Lantern, Oil 6 2
5 pounds of equipment.
Rations, field (per day) 5b 1

129
 Rope, 10 yards 1 4 Kit, Carpenter: Includes hammers, awls, planes,
rulers, a saw, and other implement used for
Satchel 3 1 carpentry.
Tarpaulin, 5x5 yards 8 5
Kit, Healer’s Bag: This small kit contains basic
Telescope 500 2
materials to perform first aid. A healer’s bag
Tent, 1-person 20 10 provides a +2 bonus to first aid rolls, and is good
Tent, 4-persons 50 25 for five uses.

Tent, 10-persons 100 50 Kit, Lockpicking: A Lockpicking kit contains picks,

Waterskin 1 1 tongs, tweezers, skeleton keys, and other
implements used to open locks. This kit provides
a +2 bonus to lockpicking rolls.
Tools & Kits
Kit, Surgeon: A surgeon’s kit has everything
The tools described here are typically grouped
necessary to perform surgery. It includes scalpels,
into “kits” of several types of tools and
forceps, bandages, powders designed to sterilize
equipment that are commonly used by a
wounds, and other special medical equipment.
craftsman or artisan. Unique tools, or those
This grants a +2 bonus to Medicine rolls, and is
commonly used alone, receive their own
good for ten uses.
description.
Pickaxe: In addition to loosening dirt and stone, a
Crowbar: A crowbar grants a +2 bonus to Strength
pickaxe can also make an effective melee
rolls when breaking open chests, prying walls
weapon. A mattock is a similar tool, but has a
apart, or performing other feats of brute
broad-bladed end rather than the narrower one
strength. It can also be used as a club.
common to pickaxes.
Handsaw: A small saw designed to cut through
Shovel: An essential wooden tool for peasants
wood.
working in the fields.
Kit, Actor: A portable box that contains basic
Kits and Tools Cost Wt
makeup, fake noses, moustaches, spirit gum, and
other material used to create an effective Crowbar 2 1
disguise. This kit provides a +2 bonus to disguise Handsaw 5 1
rolls, and is good for five uses.
Kit, Actor 10 4
Kit, Alchemist: This small kit contains vials, Kit, Alchemist 24 8
tweezers, tongs, ceramic flaks, glass tubes, small
Kit, Blacksmith 400 100
jars of acids, minerals slats, and powders, and
other equipment vital to the alchemist’s trade. Kit, Carpenter 100 50
An alchemist’s kit provides a +2 bonus to Natural Kit, Lockpick 40 1
Philosophy: Chymistry rolls, and is good for ten
Kit, Surgeon 30 3
uses.
Pickaxe 25b 6
Kit, Blacksmith: Includes small anvil, tongs,
Shovel 2 3
hammers, and other implements used to forge
tools and weapons.

130
Miscellaneous Equipment much and give the owner a +2 bonus to gambling
rolls.
Described below are various pieces of equipment
Writing Equipment: Quills, paper, and ink, ideal for
that do not fall into any given category.
taking notes, keeping a journal, and sending
Chagga: A small leather pouch holding enough communiqués. Good for 10 uses.
dried and ground Chagga leaves for ten full pipe
Miscellaneous Cost Wt
bowls.
Husk (6 pipe bowls) 3 -
Husk: A narcotic substance made from the resin
Chagga (10 pipe bowls) 1 -
of the pivot flower. The resin is dried and smoked
in a pipe. The effect of husk is tranquillizing, pain Pack saddle and harness 6 25
relieving and mildly hallucinogenic. More on Husk Saddle and harness 12 20
under Drugs and Poisons.
Saddlebag 2 4
Pipe: A long- or short-barreled pipe for smoking Manacles 5 1
tobacco or husk. The bowl (where the tobacco is Playing cards 2 -
held) and stem can be plain or intricately carved,
depending on the smoker’s purse. Writing equipment 3 0.5

Pack Saddles and Harness: A wooden frame with Common Services

carrying hooks, breast collar harness, bridge and
reins, halter and hitching straps, etc. Adjustable Unless otherwise noted, all prices are in Marks.
for horses and mules. Accommodation includes one meal of similar
standard, but not drinks.
Riding Gear: Comprises a saddle, bit, harness,
stirrups, and other equipment necessary when Inn (per night and person) Cost
riding a horse. Excellent quality* 7+
Saddle and Harness: A leather saddle with coat Good quality* 3
and stirrup straps, saddle blanket, reins, halter, Common quality** 1
curb bit, and all the other equipment needed
Poor quality 5b
when riding a horse.
Stabling per horse 2b
Saddlebags: A pair of sturdy leather bags for * Private room.
horses or mules. Each saddlebag can hold 5 ** Can be a private room for an extra Mark.
pounds of equipment.
Food and Drink Cost
Manacles: Used to secure either the hands or Ale, 1 gallon 2b
ankles of prisoners, manacles comprise two metal
claps connected by a short length of chain or a
Ale, one mug 1b
rigid iron bar. When used to bind the legs, Brandy, one mug 3b
prisoners have their Speed rating halved and Cider, one mug 2b
cannot run.
Wine, one bottle, good quality 1
Playing Cards: A set of playing cards suitable for a Meal, excellent* 5
variety of games. Marked cards cost five times as

131

Meal, good**
Meal, common***
Meal, poor****
Horse feed, per day
* Fresh bread, variety of cheese, meat and
vegetable soup, beef, pork, lamb, or venison
(either sliced or in a creamy sauce), goose liver
pate, stuffed partridge, variety of pastries,
potatoes, fresh vegetables.
** Fresh bread, cheese, meat and vegetable
soup, hunk of beef, pork, rabbit, or chicken,
smoked sausage or bacon, some fresh vegetables,
stuffed pastry.
*** Bread, cheese, thin vegetable soup with a
single chunk of meat.
**** Almost stale bread, thin soup with no lumps
of vegetable (and definitely no meat), overripe
cheese.
* Depending on the establishment, who is
2
performing, and where one wishes to sit.
4b
2b Transportation
8b
Described below are various vehicles.
Size: The relative size of the vehicle as compared
to average humans (Size 0). Vehicle Size modifies
its Defense and Structure and factors into how
many passengers it can carry.
Defense (Def): How difficult it is to hit and
damage the vehicle.
Structure (Strc): The amount of damage a vehicle
can take before it is inoperable. Vehicle continue
to move until their structure is reduced to zero
(or less), at which point the stop functioning.

Speed (Spd): The speed at which a vehicle moves

in miles per hour. If driven in combat, a vehicle
moves five times its speed rating in feet (e.g. a
carriage pulled by a pair of horses moves 75 feet
in a single combat turn). The driver may take a
double move with a vehicle, as normal (see
Move, p. 106).

Handling (Han): How maneuverable a vehicle is

and how easy it is to operate. Handling modifies
the operator’s Ride rolls.

Crew: The number of people required to operate

a vehicle.

Passengers (Pass): The number of passengers a

vehicle can carry.

Cost: The amount it costs, in Marks of Silver, to

purchase a vehicle outright.

Land Vehicles
Entertainment Cost
Horse-drawn (or mule-drawn) conveyances base
Lady’s “company” 5b to 100 Marks
their Speed on the vehicle type and number of
Opera ticket 2b to 12 Marks animals (a.k.a., the “team”) used. Carts and
Theater ticket* 1b to 8 Marks wagons, lacking any form of suspension, are
limited to far slower speeds than carriages.

132
Speeds are average speeds based on not
overworking the animal and allowing for rest
stops every few hours.
Carriage, Enclosed: A four-wheeled wooden box
mounted on a chassis. Carriages have primitive
suspension, making them a more comfortable
ride than a cart or wagon. Although a carriage
only requires a crew of one (a coachman), those
used by nobility also have a footman, who job it is
to open the door and lower the folding steps for
the passengers.
Carriage, Open: As above, except the passengers
are exposed to the elements (and attacks).
Cart: A two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle, used
for transporting goods or people. They lack
suspension, and thus are uncomfortable to ride
for long periods.
Sedan Chair: An enclosed wooden box mounted
on two poles and carried by a pair of human
bearers. Excellent for short trips across town, but
of little practical use for long journeys.
Wagon: A four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle, used
for transporting goods or people. They lack
suspension, and thus are uncomfortable to ride
for long periods.
Water Vehicles
First Law doesn’t make much use of large
waterborne craft. Should the heroes be aboard
an oceangoing vessel attacked by pirates or a
foreign nation, the GM should adjudicate any
naval combat as he wishes – ideally skipping
straight to the boarding action, in which the
heroes can be involved.
Rowboat: A small boat powered by oars. Good for
crossing rivers and lakes, and taking short
voyages on the open sea.
Animals
133
A price list of domestic animals. Stats for most of
these animals are found in chapter 8.
New inventions
Gurkish fire: Gurkhish fire has been used by the
Empire in decades; mostly for siege mines or for
bombardments with catapults.
Gurkhish fire is not difficult to use. To create an
explosion, one simply inserts a fuse in a cask or
barrel of Gurkhish fire, lights the fuse, and then
runs or catapult the barrel over to the enemy.
Similarly, defusing Gurkish fire requires only the
fuse to be pulled out or extinguished, such as
with water or stamping on it.
Styrian grenades: Styrian mercenaries observed
the devastating effect of Ghurkish fire when the
walls of Dagosta were brought down by barrels
filled with this explosive substance. When a
barrel of the fire fell into their hands the
industrial mercenaries filled pottery with a
mixture of nails, shards and Gurkish fire to
produce anti-personnel mines. Soon the fragile
pottery was replaced by metal casings and the
new Styrian grenade could be found on most
battle fields of the civilized world.
Styrian grenades are iron-spheres packed with a
small amount of Gurkish fireand ignited by a
slow-burning fuse. A typical fuse burns down in
just one round, but this can be extended to
virtually any length of time simply by inserting a
long fuse. Lighting the fuse requires an attack
action.
Artillery: Artillery pieces are simply large tubes of
metal. Which are filled with Gurkish fire and a
metal or stone ball. The Gurkish fire is then set
off and the explosion propels the ball towards the
enemy. The name of an artillery piece depends
on the size of the ball and of the artillery piece.
The smallest are called falcons, then culverins
and the largest cannons.
Artillery pieces are not designed to target
0/90
individuals. Armies comprise massed ranks of
pikemen and flatbow men, and artillery is used to Culverin 6L 4 3800 1500
smash these formations (and shatter Great 10L 5 6900 3500
strongholds). Attempting to hit a single person
Culverin
inflicts a –10 penalty on the gunner’s Artillery roll.
Cannon 12L 6 10 000 9000
Crew: Artillery pieces require a large number of
crew, as detailed below. These are usually highly-
trained professionals, often mercenaries, rather Explosives Dmg* Str Cost Wt Notes
than regular parts of the army. Operating a gun is Gurkish fire, 10L* 2 45 20
equal parts science, ritual, and faith.
cask
Falcon: 1 master gunner & 2 assistants Gurkish fire, 6L* 2 15 1
Culverin: 1 master gunner & 5 assistants
canister
Great culverin: 2 master gunners & 10 assistants
Cannon: 3 master gunners & 15 assistants Styrian 4L* 2 4 0.5
grenade
Line of Effect: Cannonballs don’t explode on *Area Effect: Accurately throwing a grenade requires
impact. When used against troops, rather than an Athletics roll, but extra successes do not increase
fortifications, cannonballs damage everything on the damage.
When a grenade explodes, it damages everything in its
a straight line measured from the cannon area of effect (see Area Effect, in Chapter 5 Combat).
through the target point. Roll the listed damage Roll the listed damage rating once against all
rating once against all opponents in the line, not opponents in the area, not for each individual target.
for each individual target. The damage inflicted is The damage inflicted is reduced by one point for each
2 yards an opponent is from the explosion.
reduced by one point for each yard an opponent
is from the initial target. Firearms: Once artillery was tested successfully,
intrepid Union engineers have experimented with
Example: A culverin fires into a company of
smaller, portable weapons manageable by a
pikemen. The ball successfully strikes the first
single soldier.
rank and keeps going for a further 5 yards. The
Firearms light the Ghurkish fire by a fuselock,
first pikeman takes the full rolled damage. The
which prone to misfire, especially in humid
man in a direct line behind him from the cannon
conditions. To reflect this, a gunner must make
takes one point less, the next man two points
an Intelligence-base Average (2) Firearms test as
fewer, and so on. Anyone standing 6 yards or
a free action to see if the gun will fire. Rain or
further from the first target suffers no damage–
other impeding conditions raise the difficulty to
the ball runs out of momentum before it reaches
Hard (4) or even Very Hard (5). If the test is
them.
unsuccessful, the result could be everything from
Mobility: Usually artillery is not moved around on an extinguished fuse to an explosion, depending
the battle field; a falcon is small enough, on the failure of the roll.
however, to be loaded and unloaded on a
Forkgun: The Forkgun is the first successful
carriage fast enough to be transported around.
personal firearm in the Cycle of the World. A
Artillery Dmg Line Cost Wt Range fuselock lights the Ghurkish fire to propel a lead
ball with high speed and accuracy towards the
Falcon 4L 2 1900 500 15/30/6
target. Forkguns are heavy and unwieldy, difficult

134
to fire free-standing. Thus, most forkgunners for misfire), but also much more expensive.
carry a staff with the name-giving fork which can Fluteguns penetrate armor quite easily; reduce
be used to brace the gun for better handling. If the armor value of a target by 2. Reloading a
the gun is not braced apply a -2 penalty. flutegun takes 6 turns.

Weapon Dmg Str Cost Wt Range

Forkgun 4L 2 180 10 15/30/60/90
Blunder- 5L 3 154 8 10/20/30/40
buss
Forkguns require 8 turns to reload. The lead ball Flutegun 3L 2 120/ 3 10/20/40/60
fired by a forkgun has excellent penetration 500*
ability. Reduce the target’s armor by 4. *Price for a Wheellock flutegun

Blunderbuss: The blunderbuss is a shorter weapon Firearms accessoirs Cost Wt

than the forkgun, usually not used with a fork.
The muzzle of a blunderbuss widens to spread a
load of projectiles at the target. The load can
consist of anything from shards, stones to smaller
lead balls or a load of forkgun balls. The
blunderbuss fires a cone of Shot. Each 10-yards
range increment spreads the cone by 1 yard,
allowing the targeting of multiple opponents with
one shot. The attack is reduced by -2 for every 10
yards. If your character fires a blunderbuss at a
target 10 yards away, you suffer a –2 attack roll
penalty, but will target the opponent and anyone
standing next to him. Blunderbuss shots do not
penetrate armor better than other attacks. To
reload a blunderbuss takes 10 turns.
Flutegun: The flutegun is a smaller version of the
forkgun, which can be fired with one hand.
Originally, thought as a backup weapon, the
flutegun has become somewhat popular for
stationary troops like artillery crews and dug-in
defenders. Although small enough to be worn in
a sash, the burning fuse makes the flutegun quite
unsafe to carry that way. Clockwork makers of
Sipani have developed a complicated firing
mechanism using a cranked-up steelwheel
scraping against a flintstone when the trigger o
the flutegun is pressed. The flying sparks ignite
the Gurkish fire. The invention is called wheellock
and is much more reliable than fuselocks (no roll
Bandolier 2 2
Ghurkish fire canister (60 shots) 15 1
Lead shot (20) 1 1
Fuse (2 ft) (10 lengths of 10 minutes 6b -
Powder horn (holds 60 shots) 2 0,5
Bandolier: Hanging from shoulder diagonally
across the body to the waist, a bandolier holds 12
apostles. An apostle is a wooden tube containing
a measured amount of Ghurkish fire. The loader
simply bites or tears off the end, and pours it into
the barrel.
Canister: a small barrel containing enough
Ghurkish fire for 60 shots. See also under
explosives.
Lead Shot: Firearms fire balls of different weights
and sizes. For ease of play, we assume all
firearms use the same size balls.
Fuse: A length of treated cord designed to glow
slowly. A single length is good for creating 10
fuses for a firearm.
Powder Flask or Horn: Ranging from crude
hollowed-out horns with caps to gilded brass
flasks decorated in relief. Can be used as an
improvised grenade (-4 on throwing accurately).

135

8. The Cycle of the Word
History
Euz was a half-human half-demon from the early
days of the world, when there was but chaos. He
is also known as Almighty Euz, vanquisher of
demons, closer of gates, father of the World. He
rose up against the demons and banished them
to the Other Side, thus allowing humans to
flourish. After that, he gave gifts to his three
eldest sons – the three pure disciplines of magic –
and then left them, telling his sons to bring order
to the world. Euz is presumed dead, but his exact
fate is unrevealed.
The sons of Euz
Euz had four sons:
Juvens, who he taught the High Art (magic).
Kanedias, who he taught Making (crafting of
artifacts).
Bedesh, who he taught how to speak with spirits.
Glustrod, who received no gifts from his father
apart from his blessings.
After teaching his sons their part of his gifts, Euz
departed the world and told his sons to bring it to
order. They did so in their own manners, but
Glustrod was jealous of the gifts the others had,
and eventually came to rise against Juvens.
Juvens and Bedesh then made war on Glustrod,
killing him. Later, Juvens was murdered by
Kanedias (by some accounts), and in revenge
Juvens' apprentices the Magi attacked Kanedias,
and Bayaz killed him. Of the four sons of Euz, only
Bedesh is unaccounted for.
The two Laws of Euz
Euz commanded his sons (and their followers) to
obey two laws:
136
The First Law: Do not communicate with the
Other Side.
Juvens and the Old Empire
When Euz left the world, he bade his sons to
bring it to order. Juvens did so by finding a people
on the river Aos and grooming them into power.
He gave them laws, government, learning,
science, and the power to defeat their enemies.
This new nation was the Old Empire, as it is now
called, and its capital was Aulcus. Through the
years, the Emperors of Aulcus followed one
another, but always Juvens was there by the
Emperor's side, guiding and advising to shape the
Empire's fate. The empire grew to encompass
Isparda in the south, Anconus in the north, and
reach to the shores of the Circle Sea in the east.
But Juvens' younger brother Glustrod was
envious of this splendour, and with his demon
allies he infiltrated Aulcus and began a rule of
terror and blood. The Empire fell into chaos.
When Juvens saw this, he called for his other
brothers to aid him. Kanedias would not come,
but rather locked himself inside his House. But
Bedesh came, and together he and Juvens raised
an army and armed them with terrible weapons.
The war covered the entire continent, but in the
end Juvens won and Glustrod was besieged in
Aulcus. As a last resort, Glustrod tried to break
the barriers to the Other side that his father Euz
had set, but his ritual went awry, and Aulcus was
destroyed and the surrounding areas became the
Deadlands. Thus the Old Empire fell.
Juvens and the Order of the Magi
Juvens gathered eleven apprentices in all, and
taught them the High Art – these were the eleven
Magi. Exactly when he took these apprentices on
is not known, but his first apprentice Bayaz was
young and inexperienced at the time of the war
with Glustrod.
Because the High Art requires much knowledge
of the world, each apprentice only specialized in
a certain area of expertise. Only Juvens himself
could hope to know all of the High Art.

The Death of Juvens

Juvens' death at the hands of his brother
Kanedias signals the beginning of end of the Old
Time. The Magi all rose up in arms agains
Kanedias, and after much fighting finally killed
him. This was the last time the Magi gathered
together.

According to Bayaz, Kanedias came for him

because he had seduced his daughter Tolomei
and stolen his secrets from his House. Juvens
would not give up Bayaz, however, and he fought
Kanedias. In the end, Juvens was dead. But his
rival Khalul claimed that Bayaz himself killed
Juvens and then wrongly accused Kanedias.

The Circle of the World

137
 In cities and large towns, nobles and influential
The Union guilds like the Mercers guild compose the city
councils, which control trade, taxes and tolls
The Union is arguably the strongest nation in the
through the city guard. The largest cities in
circle of the world, and is subject to being
Midderland are Keln and Marihof, and of course,
secretly controlled by Bayaz for his own private
Adua!
use in his war against Khalul, who controls the
Gurkish Empire. The Union consists of
Midderlands, Dagoska, and Angland. The colony
of Starikland, once part of the Old Empire, has
been reclaimed a generation ago. But the
rebellion, quenched in the Midderland by the
heroic efforts of his august Majesty Jeazal I., has
been rekindled in Starikland.

Names in the Union

Surnames are mostly used by townspeople
and higher classes. Nobles use ‘dan’ in front
of the surname to indicate their station, f.ex.
‘dan Gorst’ or ‘dan Luthar’.
Lower classes use descriptions as call names,
like Tender, Swift, Friendly; often quite
ironically.
Surnames: Blink, Brinkhorm, Burr, Dimbick,
Eider, Frost, Ganmark, Gorst, Jalenhorm,
Lorzen, Luthar, Marovia Mitternick, Quai,
Rews, Severad, Sult, Sworbreck, Tunny, West,
Zoller
Female names: Ardee, Carlot, Corlin,
Demelza, Finree, Luella, Kelzee, Shylo, Vitari
Male names: Alder, Bremer, Collem, Dab,
Eltrik, Gregar, Harod, Jezal, Malacus, Nedus,
Ravinger, Salem, Sand, Terod, Tostig, Tranter
Midderland
The large island of Midderland is the heart of The
Union, where the city of Adua resides, and from
where most decisions are made. It is implied to
be similiar in terrain to Western Europe, and is
pre-industrialization, most peasants being farm
workers. In the country side the peace is held by
constables and army units, but since the Union is
engaged in several conflicts, the constabulary is
left on its own. Highwaymen and robbery have
become a real threat again.
Adua, the capital of the Union, the beacon of
Culture and Fashion is quite different to the rest
of the Union. Adua is a huge city with the Agriont,
the Royal citadel, towering above the sprawling
city. Adua has a University, dozens of academies
and fencing schools, a large harbor quarter. But
all this overshadowed by the House of the Maker.
The House of the Maker
A huge structure in the middle of Adua, the home
of Kanedias, the Master Maker. According to
Kanedias, his House was the very center of the
world, its axis, so to speak. The University, the
Agriont and Adua itself were all built in the
shadow of the House of the Maker, originally as
homes for the Maker's apprentices and workers.
The House of the Maker was locked and
impossible to enter without a special key, a
simple rod of metal. In the aftermath of Kanedias'
death, Bayaz took this key, and later used it to
enter with Glokta, Logen and Jezal looking for the
Seed. The inside of the House seem to possess an
impossible geometry, containing vast halls
seemingly larger than the outside diameter of the

138
House and making it possible to reach the top of
the tower without walking in stairs or inclines.
His eyes slid sideways, towards the great tower
that loomed up over the fortress.
Ferro knew little about beauty and cared still less,
but that building was a beautiful thing to her
mind. There was no softness, no indulgence in
that mountain of naked stone. There was a brutal
honesty in its shape. A merciless precision in its
sharp, black angles. Something about it
fascinated her.
–Last Argument of Kings, So Much in Common
The rest of Midderland is somewhat more rustic
than Adua. There are cities and towns but mostly
the people of Midderland live as peasants in rural
communities. Spirits and creatures of demonic
influence or origin once roamed the countryside
but have become rare over the last centuries. The
real threat are brigands and bandits these days.
Angland
North of Midderland is Angland, a province
carved from the Northlands, which has
Midderland culture lain over its own Northern
one, Angland is between the Union and the
North. It is a disputed land with both sides
claiming sovereignty. Due to this several wars and
constant border skirmishes have rocked the land.
139
The Inquisition has several prisons established in
Angland, where traitors are sent to live out the
remainder of their lives working for the Union.
Angland was also once part of The Northlands
and while its political and military infrastructure
has changed, its social structure is an amalgam,
which steadily becomes more 'Northern' the
closer you get to the river Whitestream, whose
lower course forms the border between the two
lands. It is a harsh, unrelenting land with
scattered townships. Prominent towns are
Ostenhorn, the harbor to Midderland and Ettrich,
another port and step stone to Starikland.
The Lord Governor of Angland XXX as his seat at
Ostenhorn, while the Northern Chief Dogman
holds the border lands for the Union.
Starikland
Once part of the Old Empire, Starikland was
abandoned by people after the fall of Auclus. For
a thousand years the Ghost barbarians and
Northern outlaws were the only people roaming
the wilderness of these western lands. A few
generations ago the Union sent out settlers and
colonist who managed to carve out a living from
the reconquered Starikland. Village became
towns and some towns became, well, more
important. New Keln, Rostod and Starika were
the trade hubs of the colony. But the Gurkish
Empire could not sit idle and watch the enemy
expanding. The emperor sends his own forces to
take a strip of the new, old land. The old city of
Caltis was rebuilt and serves as a commercial and
military outpost for the Empire.
Starikland, at the beginning a cauldron of people
who wanted to get away from the Union laws,
taxes or the Inquisition, became more and more
civilized as the Inquistion supported law and
order for the Lord Governor. Many newcomers
found Starikland even more oppressive than the
old country; so they moved even further west
into the Near Country, the new border to the
west. The Ghosts were driven out to the Far
Country, and pose rarely threat for the
Nearlanders. When rebellion broke out in
Midderland, the oppressed Stariklander seized
the opportunity and rose against the Lord
Governor. The situation got worse when gold was
found in the Far Country and riffraff from all over
the Circle of the World were drawn to Starikland
as starting point to the West. The situation is
explosive; the rebel forces under their leader
Conthus fights the Union forces under General
Brink and the Lord Governor Superior Pike. The
Gurkhish forces to the South watching carefully
for any violation of the borders as excuse to
engage in a new conflict with the Union.
The Starikland and especially the Far Country are
haunted by the past. Demonic and unnatural
creatures roam the wilds, dwell in ancient ruins
and may well prey on the unwary traveller.
Groups of cannibalistic Shanka from Aulcus can
be encountered all over the remnants of the Old
Empire.
Ghosts of the Far Country
A barbaric people found in the wide
wilderness of the Far country. They may be
derived from people of the Old Empire, but
their appearance with red hair and pale
complexion opposes somewhat the old
descriptions of people from the Old Empire,
been described as brown or fair-haired with
somewhat darker complexion.
Sangeed is a legendary chieftain of the
Ghosts.
140
Notes: The Union resembles a renaissance version of
the British Empire; the fashion is described not unlike
that of early 16th century Europe. Science is on the rise,
suppression through Inquisition and the higher classes
is rampant! Fencing is en vogue; money rules as well
as nobility; there are new inventions, like book print
and sowing machines! The most common ranged
weapons still are bows and flatbow, the Union flatbow
units are renown and feared. Gurkhish fire, an
explosive incendiary is the newest invention, which
entered the battle field just the most recent years.
Bayaz tested his “experiment”, a giant cannon, at the
battle of Osrung, using Ghurkish fire, and the Union
army employs now artillery guns of different sizes.
Styrian grenades have become another new
contraption of war. The Union has an experimental
unit consisting of forkgunners, stationed in Adua. The
high command is somewhat scepticla, but the low
costs, compareed to flatbows, were convincing. The
military consists of a standing army comparable to
that of Wellington; with those who bought their
commission and those who joined to escape prison or
worse.
Although most Union people acknowledge the
existence of God, most refer to Juvens or more
seldom to Euz, when praying or cursing. Euz and
his sons seem to bear resemblance to Saints, who
are closer and more accessible than a distant god.
That said, most Union people are pragmatic and
do not rely on prayers or the will of some distant
entity.
*The Northlands
The Northlands have an extensive coastline,
which for much of the year is ice-bound at its
northern extremes. Otherwise the land features
large areas of difficult terrain, in the form of
forests, mountain and hill ranges, interspersed
with areas of relatively poor agricultural land. On
the Northbank of the lower Whitestream, a plain
is home to a more fertile area, on which the
largest settlements, Carleon, Dunbrec and Uffrith,
are found.
Elsewhere there is a general lack of large
settlements and the population carries out mixed
farming in individual family homesteads,
clustered around central fortified villages and
small towns. With few exceptions, such
fortifications tend to be protected by merely a
ditch and stockade. Farming, crafts and a small
level of industry, are all conducted at subsistence
level, with barely any surplus.
While this structure of settlement is typical of the
area as a whole, the cultural and ethnic make-up
of the population varies between several
different groups, of which little is known, other
than those inhabiting the lower Northlands and
the border with Angland. Tales of giants and
other fantastic races are common however.
Spirits are encountered in every forest and pond.
Flatheads - or Shankar as they are also known-
may be seen creatures of scary tales, but here in
the North they pose a real threat.
Northern society is clan-based, both on a familial
basis and in a wider social sense, where those
dwelling within an area controlled by an
individual clan head, are part of the wider clan
group. Until recently there has been no tradition
of a centralized kingship and even so the concept
of kingship is still multi-layered and based on
individual clan leaders and their war bands
becoming allied or subservient to individual and
more powerful War Chiefs.
To a degree, clan leadership is reliant on
bloodlines and has become somewhat hereditary,
at least in the sense that the strongest son of a
clan chief often succeeds his father. However it is
also common for another from within the clan to
take over the leadership by a formal challenge
and a ritualized duel to the death.
The Warband is the core of each clan's military
might. Each clan leader maintains a body of
warriors, his Carls, on a permanent basis. These
men live in their Chief's hall and are dependent
on him for their subsistence. Generally they are
traditionally bound to their chief by oaths and a
'good lord' rewards his followers by gifts; usually
141
in the form of items, like armor, weapons,
jewelry, but occasionally with land, slaves or
cattle.
Long serving and senior Carls may thus become
minor chiefs (Thanes) in their own right, with
their own, somewhat smaller Warbands, dwelling
on land within the clan's holdings and supported
by a number of farmsteads. The Thanes and their
forces may be summoned to join those of their
lord when required. Warbands are quite variable
in size, with the smallest numbering around a
dozen, with the larger ones, when their Thanes
are gathered too, numbering in the hundreds.
The Warband is perpetually under arms and
active. When not actually guarding the clan chief,
they administer his lands, patrol its borders, hunt
and more importantly raid his enemies. War
between the clans is perpetual, which has led to a
complex web of alliances and blood feuds
between them. To maintain his warband, a chief
must continually reward his followers and as the
land itself is unable to do this, taking from other
clans, or from The Union, is the only way to do
this.
The Chief, Thane or Carl conducting the
Weapontake, appoints those individuals who will
command the men raised for service and
oversees the division of them into 'Dozens',
named after these same individuals, i.e. 'Fat Jon's
Dozen'. While typically composed of twelve men,
the 'Dozen' often numbers somewhat less,
particularly after casualties from the march,
disease and actual combat have thinned their
ranks.
The king of the Northlands rules over all carls,
thanes and chiefs. King Black Calder established
peace with the Union after the battle of Osrung
when he slew his predecessor Black Dow. Black
Calder is a master of politics; he keeps his allies
close and his enemies closer. His royal seat is
Carleon, as it has been for all kings of the
Northlands.
Named Men
Outside of the 'royalty and aristocracy', formed
by the Clan Chiefs and Thanes, the status of
'named man' is of great importance. Most
Northerners are given a single name at birth,
followed by their clan name, which is shared
across the clan and rarely used within it. To be
'named', is to receive a nickname from your
peers, which usually denotes some feat or
achievement, often performed in battle. Some
such names are flattering, some are not. Some
names directly relate to the feat performed,
while others are more abstract. Receiving a name
is the first step to developing your renown
amongst the people of the North. As a largely
illiterate society, the oral history of the clan and
the telling of tales, is both important and
entertaining. Stories of named men are amongst
the most popular of these and has contributed to
what is essentially a hero-worshipping society.
Dignity, prestige, honor and renown are
extremely important to Northern Warriors and a
man can be measured by the tales told about
him.
142
Northman names
People in the northlands use a simple first
name and if necessary, the name of the
father or the hamlet they are from. But when
having distinguished themselves in a battle or
fight Northmen might get another name,
becoming a Named man. This name often is
related to the situation where it was earned,
but as often as not quite ironically.
Female names:
Male names: Beck, Calder, Caul, Curden, Dol,
Dow, Fenris, Forley, Logen, Rudd, Tul,
Whirrun
Named men: Black, Cracknut, Ninefingers,
Shivers, Threetrees
Most named men (and occasionally women) find
service as Carls in the households of Chiefs and
Thanes. Fewer retire to normal life, only to return
to war when the Weapontake is summoned. On
this occasion, they are normally appointed to
command a 'Dozen' in the Clan's host. As the
easiest way to get yourself 'named' is to kill
another named man however, the eventuality of
someone turning up to challenge a 'retired'
named man is almost certain.
Notes: The Northlands can be compared to late
medieval Scandinavia, although the Northmen share
more traits with Scottish or Ango-Saxon society.
Clannish, warring, the Northmen have less advanced
technology than their Southern neighbors. Spear,
sword and shield are common weapons, armor
consists mostly of leather parts. Furs and rough-spun
fabrics are common clothing. Higher technology than
that is not available.
The Northmen believe there is God, but they do not
pray to him. He does not care anyway. A few might
decide to honor God by their deeds, but those are
often seen as cracknuts.
*Styria
Styria is the largest of the Thousand islands. It is
home of a dozen city states competing for control
over trade, politics and land. Most cities are ruled provocation to several powers in the world. The
by a Duke or Duchess, some by city councils Union has send troops to Styria to back other city
consisting of bankers, merchants and other rich states in the battle against the vile usurping witch
and powerful families. Styria is culturally rich; arts Murcatto.
and opera, architecture and the Art of fencing, all
sponsored by the wealthiest families. Styria
produces fine wines, finer blades and the finest
fabrics.

Names in Styria
In Styria people are very proud of their
heritage and families, even peasants use a
surname.
Surnames: Alatrist, Bialoveld, Cardotti, Cosca,
Dardi, Gangrier, Morveer, Murcatto, Riovarra,
Salier, Scarlotti, Verturio
Female names: Monza, Sesaria, Terez
Male names: Ario, Andiche, Benna, Brachio, Styrians acknowledge Juvens and Euz just as
Berma, Castor, Coria, Foscar, Nicomo, Orso, Unionists, as they share common ancestry.
Victus
Notes: Styria resembles the renaissance Italian city
states, blended with Flemish trade attitude of the
same period; including proud and long history, high
arts, intrigue, eternal warfare, rich traders, poor gutter
rats; and all with flamboyant demeanor! Inventors are
quick to adopt and improve contraptions of all kinds.
Like Styrian blades, Styrian clockwork is one wonder of
the Circle of the World.

Some say: “Springtime in Styria is wartime.” This

is more true than ever. During centuries the city
states have been battling each other; the most
notorious mercenary bands, like the “Thousand
Swords” or the “Company of the Gracious Hand”
hail from Styria. Traditionally, the city states kept
the quarrels to themselves, keeping good
relations with the Union. Tallins was even bound
by marriage to the Union, as the queen is the
daughter of the Grand Duke of Tallins. But since
Monzcarro Murcatto became Duchess of Tallins,
killing the Grand Duke, she has been a

143
 nations to conquer for the Gurkhul: Dawah,
*Gurkhul Muntax and Shamit are all independent nations
to the South. Luckily for these nations, Gurkhul’s
Gurkhul is a continent to the south, but it is also
conflict with the Union kept them off the
synonymous with the Gurkhish Empire. Gurkhul
attention of the emperor.
lies to the south of the Union, on the other side
of the Circle Sea. The Gurkhish Empire is ruled by
Emperor Uthman-ul-Dosht, but the emperor is
largely a puppet. The true rulers of Gurkhul are
the priests of the Prophet, and possibly the
Prophet himself, Khalul.

The Gurkhish Empire has swallowed many

nations on Gurkhul, fuelling its ravenous need for
manpower and slaves. Many nations tried to
resist or rebel, but were swept away. The last
people to try were the Kandic. But there are still

144
 Some peasants are too afraid to do more than
Gurkhish names
grumble about their lot in life. Others are willing
The names found on the Gurkish continent
to take up arms, whether because they feel it’s
come from the myriads of cultures on that
the only way justice can be served, because they
continent: Dagoskan, Kantic, Dawahli or
are greedy or lazy and see crime as the quickest
Shamito. In some cultures surnames are
solution to securing wealth, or because they have
found in others unknown.
been forced in outlawry by their own deeds or
Surnames: Maljinn
the deeds of others. Regardless of their motives,
Female names: Ferro
bandits are a threat to all travelers. While they
Male names: Jubair, Kahdia, Mamun, Uhma,
may allow a heavily armed party to pass in peace,
Sufeen
weak parties are liable to come under attack.
Most assaults take place on the open road, but
Gurkhul is currently in a state of war against the some bandits hang around taverns or other rural
Union, resulting in the siege and taking of buildings, such as windmills and farms, thus
Dagoska, and the Siege of Adua. Only heroic making use of cover to launch an ambush.
measures of the First of the Magi and his August Ally 1
Majesty himself (as well as the fleet of the Duke Style: 0 Health: 4
of Tallins) could repel the Ghurkish hordes in the Body: 2 Charisma: 2 Dexterity: 2
last moment. Adua was saved, but Dagoska, an Intelligence: 2 Strength: 2 Willpower: 2
Union-governed culturally diverse trade hub on Size: 0 Initiative: 4
the northern shore of Gurkhul was lost to the Move: 4 Defense: 4
Empire. Perception: 6* Stun: 2
Skills: Brawl 4, Archery 4, Intimidation 4, Melee
It is said that the influence of the other side is
4, Survival 4
strong in Gurkhul. Stories of half-demons in the
Talents/Resources: Alertness (+2 Perception
desert, weird creatures in the mountains and
rating*)
mad half-men are said to be more than just
Flaw: Criminal (+1 Style point when his negative
legends.
reputation causes problems)
Note: The Gurkhish Empire and its neighbors are Weapons: Punch 4N, Bow 6L, Short sword 6L
somewhat similar to the Ottoman Empire, with Persian
and African influences, resulting in the culturally most Citywatch (Guardian/Duty)
diverse part in the Circle of the World. The Gurkhish
believe in God (which most people in the Circle of the
These men are in charge of keeping the peace
World do) in their own way: everything is determined with in a town or a city, usually paid by the city
by God! The priests for God and their leader the council, which members might use the guards as
Prophet Kalhul reign with iron hand, justifying personal thugs from time to time. The citywatch
everything with the will of God. often knows about major crime operations in
town, but is usually not interested, too scared or
8.3. Inhabitants of the Circle of simply paid off to not take care of the situation.
The average street urchin, riff-raff or pocket thief,
the World however, must be on his guard.
Ally 1
Friends and Foes Style: 0 Health: 4
Body: 2 Charisma: 2 Dexterity: 2
Intelligence: 2 Strength: 2 Willpower: 2
Bandit (Criminal/Greed)
Size: 0 Initiative: 4

145
Move: 4 Defense: 4[6]*
Perception: 4 Stun: 2
Skills: Brawl 5, Intimidation 4, Melee 5, Streetwise
4
Talents/Resources: Rank 0 (City watch)
Flaw: None
Weapons: Punch 5N, Short sword7L, Halberd 8L
*Steel helmet, Leather armor

Duelist (Swordsman/Honor)
Some duelists live for the thrill of the fight.
Others are gentlemen who intend to keep their
reputation intact when insulted and so train in
the blade. A small few are little better than thugs,
challenging weaker individuals to duels simply for
their own amusement or in the vain attempt of
making a name for themselves. By changing the Foreign Agent (Spy/Duty)
duelist’s Motivation and Flaw, one can reuse
The foreign agent may fill a variety of roles. While
these statistics with a wide variety of swordsmen.
he or he may be an official envoy from his
Ally 2
homeland, the agent might just as easily be in
Style: 1 Health: 4
disguise. Likewise, an agent can be involved in
Body: 2 Charisma: 3 Dexterity: 3
any of a multitudinous number of plots—
Intelligence: 2 Strength: 3 Willpower: 2
assassination, intelligence gathering, playing false
Size: 0 Initiative: 5
information, and blackmail are the most
Move: 6 Defense: 5
common. While not a skilled combatant, foreign
Perception: 4 Stun: 2
agents often, but not always, have other
Skills: Academics: History 4, Acrobatics 6, Brawl
resources at their disposal. This ranges from a
5, Diplomacy 5, Fencing*8, Performance 5
few hired lackeys to a deeply seated intelligence
Talents/Resources: Fencing school 1, Any two
network. As such, the foreign agent’s statistics
school talents
represent a general overview. Specialists, such as
Flaw: Merciful (+1 Style point when he shows
seducers, assassins, cryptologists, and agitators,
mercy to an enemy)
can easily be created by the GM by reassigning
Weapons: Punch 5N, Rapier** 10L
attribute and skill points, or by picking skill
* Pick one Fencing school
Specialties.
** Or Fencing school primary weapon
Ally 3
Style: 2 Health: 6
Body: 3 Charisma: 3 Dexterity: 3
Intelligence: 3 Strength: 3 Willpower: 3
Size: 0 Initiative: 6
Move: 6 Defense: 6
Perception: 8* Stun: 3
Skills: Athletics (Throwing) 4(6), Con 6,
Larceny 5, Linguistics 7, Melee 5, Ride 4, Stealth 5,
Streetwise 6

146
Talents/Resources: *Alertness (+2 Perception These are the statistics for an experienced
rating, Danger Sense (Always retains full Defense surgeon or physician in one of the larger cities of
rating), Contacts 1 (Varies; +2 Social bonus) Midderland, Styria or Gurkhul. Doctors have
Flaw become more scientific over last century. Many
Paranoid (+1 Style point when he discovers doctors, however, still cling to the old ways and
someone working against him) even those that have forsaken them are still
Weapons: Punch 1N, Acid dagger 9L, 2 Throwing knowledgeable about medieval medical practices.
knife7L Range: 2/4/8/12
Ally 2
Style: 0 Health: 5
Kings Guard(Guardian/Duty)
Body: 2 Charisma: 3 Dexterity: 2
Ally 2 Intelligence: 4 Strength: 2 Willpower: 3
Style: 0 Health: 6 Size: 0 Initiative: 6
Body: 3 Charisma: 2 Dexterity: 2(1)* Move: 4 Defense: 4
Intelligence: 2 Strength: 3 Willpower: 3 Perception: 7 Stun: 2
Size: 0 Initiative: 4(3)* Skills: Academics: Occult 7, Empathy 6,
Move: 6 (5)* Defense: 5[9]*
Investigation 6, Medicine 9, Natural Philosophy 6
Perception: 5 Stun: 3 Talents/Resources: Intelligence (+1 to Intelligence
Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 6, Diplomacy 4, rating), Well-Educated (Natural Philosophy)
Intimidation (Orders) 4(5) Melee 6, Flaw: None
Talents/Resources: Rank 1 (Kings guard) +2 Weapons: Punch 2N, Knife 3L
Social bonus)
Flaw: Fanatical (+1 Style point when his devotion
Merchant (Everyman/Greed)
causes harm)
Weapons: Punch 6N, Long sword 9L
*Plate armor (-1 Dex) Noble (Nobel/Power)
Ally 2
Magus Style: 1 Health: 5
Ally 3 Body: 2 Charisma: 3 Dexterity: 2
Style: 0 Health: 7 Intelligence: 3 Strength: 2 Willpower: 3
Body: 2 Charisma: 3 Dexterity: 2 Size: 0 Initiative: 5
Intelligence: 4 Strength: 2 Willpower: 5 Move: 4 Defense: 4
Size: 0 Initiative: 6 Perception: 6 Stun: 2
Move: 4 Defense: 4 Skills: Bureaucracy 5, Con 6, Diplomatics (Politics)
Perception: 9 Stun: 2 6(7), Intimidation (Orders) 5 (6), Melee 5, Ride 4
Talents/Resources: Contacts 1 (Nobility; +2 Social
Skills: Academics: Occult 7, Empathy 6,
bonus), Status 1 (Baron; +2 Social bonus)
Investigation 6, Magick: any 2 Arts 10, Natural
Flaw: Callous (+1 Style point when he refuses to
Philosophy (choose one) 6
help someone in dire need)
Talents/Resources: Iron will (+1 to Willpower
Weapons: Punch 2N, Rapier 7L
rating), Magical aptitude, Refuge 1
Flaw: None
Weapons: Punch 2N, Knife 3L Northmen
The statistics below represent typical Northmen:
Medical Doctor (Doctor/Duty) Carl
Ally 2
Style: 1 Health: 5

147
Body: 3 Charisma: 2 Dexterity: 3 Inquisitors are the officers of the inquisition. They
Intelligence: 2 Strength: 3 Willpower: 2 lead investigations and interrogations to find any
Size: 0 Initiative: 5 threat to the king and the Union. An Inquisitor
Move: 4 Defense: 6[12]* has the power to arrest even nobles if there is
Perception: 5 Stun: 3 enough evidence. Their bonus resource would
Skills: Brawl 6, Intimidation 6, Melee 6, Ride 5, usually be their gang of personal Practicals.
Survival 5
Talents/Resources: Flurry, Parry Ally 3
Flaw: Short temper (-2 Willpower to keep his cool, Style: 4 Health: 6
+1 Style point when his short temper causes Body: 3 Charisma: 3 Dexterity: 3
trouble) Intelligence: 3 Strength: 3 Willpower: 3
Weapons: Size: 0 Initiative: 6
Punch 6N, Broadsword 9L Move: 6 Defense: 6
*Round shield, Chainmail shirt, Helmet Perception: 6 Stun: 3
Named Man Skills: Academics: Law 8, Brawl 4, Intimidation
(Torture) 10(11), Investigation (Interview)8(9),
Ally 3 Melee 7
Style: 2 Health: 5 Talents/resources: Fearsome (he can scare
Body: 4 Charisma: 2 Dexterity: 3 opponents as an Attack action), Skill Aptitude (+2
Intelligence: 2 Strength: 4 Willpower: 3 Intimidation rating, Rank 2 (Inquisition, +2 Social
Size: 0 Initiative: 5 bonus, Bonus resource)
Move: 7 Defense: 7[10]* Flaw
Perception: 5 Stun: 4 Fanatical (+1 Style point when his devotion causes
Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 7, Diplomacy harm)
(Leadership) 3(4), Intimidation 7, Melee 8, Weapons: Punch 4N, Club 9N, Cane sword 9L,
Survival 5
Dagger 8L
Talents/Resources: Fearsome, Flurry, Berserker
Fury
Flaw: Short temper (-2 Willpower to keep his cool, Practical of the Inquisition (Soldier/Faith)
+1 Style point when his short temper causes Practicals are the men and women who get their
trouble) hands dirty for the Inquisition. Inquisitors use
Weapons: them as thugs, guards and torturers.
Punch 6N, Axe 11L, 6 Throwing knifes 7L As well as locating, torturing, and executing
(2/4/8/12) traitors to the Crown, heretics and other
* Chainmail shirt, Helmet individuals dangerous to the crown, Practicals are
Northern Barbarian the soldiers of the Inquisition.
Scout Although quite different in their talents, most
Practicals are experienced back-alley fighters,
Royal Inquisition streetwise and of cause students of the art of
torture.
The statistics below represent typical Even nobles are careful in the presence of a
experienced members of the Royal Inquisition of practical, he may not have the power to arrest
The Union: without an order, but each practical serves an
Inquisitor to whom he reports, and who may
Inquisitor (Judiciary/Faith) indeed order the arrest even a Grand Duke!
Ally 2

148
Style: 1 Health: 5 The statistics below represent a variety of
Body: 2 Charisma: 3 Dexterity: 2 experienced soldiers the characters may
Intelligence: 3 Strength: 2 Willpower: 3 encounter as allies or enemies.
Size: 0 Initiative: 5
Move: 4 Defense: 4[5]* Officer
Perception: 6 Stun: 2 Ally 2
Skills: Academics: Law 5, Brawl 5, Intimidation Style: 1 Health: 5
(Torture) 9(10), Melee 5, Streetwise 4 Body: 2 Charisma: 3 Dexterity: 2
Talents/Resources: Skill Aptitude (+2 Intimidation
Intelligence: 3 Strength: 2 Willpower: 3
rating), Rank 1 (Practical; +2 Social bonus)
Size: 0 Initiative: 5
Flaw: Fanatical (+1 Style point when his devotion
Move: 4 Defense: 4 [8]*
causes harm)
Perception: 6 Stun: 2
Weapons: Punch 5N, Short Sword 7L
Skills: Diplomacy (Leadership) 5 (6), Intimidation
*Includes Leather uniform (Orders) 5 (6), Melee 5, Ride 4, Warfare 6
Talents/Resources: Rank 2 (Lieutenant; +2 Social
Senior Inquisitor (Judiciary/Faith) bonus, Bonus Resource)
Senior Inquisitors are the most cunning members Flaw: Stubborn (+1 Style point when his
of the Inquisition. Most started as Practicals, and inflexibility causes problems)
climbed up the ranks within the Inquisition, Weapons:
playing the dangerous game power. Only the Punch 2N, Cavalry sword 8L
smartest and most ruthless advance to the rank * Plate cuirass and visor helmet
of a Senior Inquisitor.
Cavalryman
Ally 5
Ally 1
Style: 4 Health: 8
Style: 0 Health: 4
Body: 4 Charisma: 5 Dexterity: 4
Body: 2 Charisma: 2 Dexterity: 2
Intelligence: 4 Strength: 4 Willpower: 4
Intelligence: 2 Strength: 2 Willpower: 2
Size: 0 Initiative: 8
Size: 0 Initiative: 4
Move: 8 Defense: 8
Move: 4 Defense: 4 [8]*
Perception: 8 Stun: 4
Perception: 4 Stun: 2
Skills: Academics: Law 11, Brawl 6, Intimidation
(Torture) 14(15), Investigation (Interview)11(12), Skills: Brawl 3, Melee 5, Ride 4, Survival 4
Melee 8 Talents/Resource: Combat Skill (+2 Defense when
Talents/resources: Charismatic (+1 Charisma using Ride)
rating), Fearsome (he can scare opponents as an Flaw: Overconfident (+1 Style point when his
Attack action), Skill Aptitude (+2 Intimidation bravado gets him in over his head)
rating, Skilled Assistant (grant +2 teamwork Weapons: Punch 3N, Cavalry sword 8L
bonus), Rank 3 (Inquisition; +4 Social bonus, * Plate cuirass and helmet
Bonus resource)
Flaw Flatbow trooper
Fanatical (+1 Style point when his devotion causes Ally 1
harm) Style: 0 Health: 4
Weapons: Punch 6N, Club 10N, Cane sword 10L, Body: 2 Charisma: 2 Dexterity: 2
Dagger 9L Intelligence: 2 Strength: 2 Willpower: 2
Size: 0 Initiative: 4
Soldier (Soldier/Duty) Move: 4 Defense: 4 [6]*

149
Perception: 4 Stun: 2 Size: 0 Initiative: 5
Skills: Brawl 3, Archery 5, Melee 4, Stealth 4, Move: 4 Defense: 6
Survival 4 Perception: 5 Stun: 3
Talents/Resources: Long Shot (Doubles weapon Skills: Archery (Bow) 5 (6), Brawl 5, Survival
ranges) (Tracking) 5 (6), Melee 6, Ride 4, Stealth 6
Flaw: Aloof (+1 Style point when his businesslike Talents/Resources: Danger sense, Direction sense
attitude causes problems) Flaw: Primitive (+1 Style point when his primitive
Weapons: Punch3N, Short sword 6L, Heavy nature hampers him or causes trouble)
flatbow 9L Range: 50/100/200/300 Weapons:
* Buff coat and steel cap Punch 5N, Bow 8L, Spear 9L

Pikeman Assassin (Power)

Ally 1 Ally 3
Style: 0 Health: 4 Style: 2 Health: 5
Body: 2 Charisma: 1 Dexterity: 2 Body: 3 Charisma: 4 Dexterity: 3
Intelligence: 2 Strength: 3 Willpower: 2 Intelligence: 3 Strength: 3 Willpower: 2
Size: 0 Initiative: 4 Size: 0 Initiative: 6
Move: 5 Defense: 4 [8]* Move: 6 Defense: 6
Perception: 4 Stun: 2 Perception: 5 Stun: 3
Skills: Athletics 5, Brawl 5, Melee 5, Stealth 4, Skills: Brawl 4, Con 6, Diplomacy 5, Empathy 6,
Survival 4 Larceny 6, Linguistics 5, Melee 6, Stealth 6,
Talents/Resources: Strong (+1 Strength rating) Streetwise 6
Flaw: Aloof (+1 Style point when his businesslike Talents/Resources: Flurry (attack same opponent
attitude causes problems) twice at -2), Quick draw (draws weapon as
Weapons: Punch 5N, Pike 9L, Dagger 6L reflexive action), Assassins Guild (+2 Social bonus)
* Cuirass and helmet. Flaw: Aloof (+1 Style point when his businesslike
attitude causes problems)
Weapons: Punch 4N, Acid dagger 10L, Concealed
Dagger 6L

Lore master

Ghurkish

Ghost
Ally 2
Style: 1 Health: 5
Body: 3 Charisma: 2 Dexterity: 3
Intelligence: 2 Strength: 2 Willpower: 3
Soldier

150
 Cavalryman
Archer
Sea captain
Followers
A list of possible followers: for player
characters, or simply minor characters for a
scene.
Bouncer
Follower 0
Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 1, Strength
2, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Willpower 2
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Perception
3, Initiative 2, Defense 3, Stun 2, Health 3
Skills: Brawl 4, Intimidation 4
Talents/Resources: None
Flaws: Short Temper (–2 penalty to Willpower
rolls to keep his cool. +1 Style point when his short
temper causes trouble)
Weapons: Punch 4N
Tavern Keeper
Follower 0
Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 1, Strength
2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Willpower 1
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Perception
3, Initiative 3, Defense 2, Stun 1, Health 2
Skills: Brawl 3, Diplomacy 4, Streetwise 4
Talents/Resources: None
Flaws: Curious (+1 Style point whenever his
curiosity gets him or his companions into trouble)
Weapons: Punch 3N
Herald
Follower 0
Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 1, Strength
1, Charisma 3, Intelligence 2, Willpower 1
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Perception
3, Initiative 3, Defense 2, Stun 1, Health 2
Skills: Diplomacy 4, Empathy 4, Melee 2,
Streetwise 4
151
Talents/Resources: None
Flaws: Speech Impediment (+1 Style point when
his speech impediment causes severe problems)
Weapons: Dagger 3L
Lady
Follower 1
Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 1, Strength
1, Charisma 4, Intelligence 2, Willpower 2
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Perception
4, Initiative 4, Defense 3, Stun 2, Health 3
Skills: Arts: Music (Singing) 4(5), Con (Seduction)
5(6), Diplomacy 6 (Etiquette 7), Empathy 7, Ride 4
Talents/Resources: Rank 1 (Baroness, +2 to
social rolls)
Flaws: Timid(–2 penalty on any task that she
hasn’t had adequate time to prepare for)
Weapons: Punch 1N
Midwife (Everyman/Survival)
Follower 0
Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2, Strength
1, Charisma 1, Intelligence 3, Willpower 1
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Perception
2, Initiative 3, Defense 2, Stun 2, Health 3
Skills: Medicine 4, Empathy 3, Survival 3
Talents/Resources: Herblore
Flaws: Poor (+1 Style point when he is unable to
buy a basic resource)
Weapons: Punch 2N, Farming tools 3L*
* Includes –2 improvised weapon penalty
Peasant (Everyman/Survival)
Follower 0
Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, Strength
2, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Willpower 1
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Perception
2, Initiative 3, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 3
Skills: Craft: any one 4, Melee 3, Ride 3
Talents/Resources: None
Flaws: Poor (+1 Style point when he is unable to
buy a basic resource)
Weapons: Punch 2N, Farming tools 3L*
* Includes –2 improvised weapon penalty
Seductress
Follower 0
Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 1, Strength
1, Charisma 3, Intelligence 2, Willpower 1
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Perception
3, Initiative 3, Defense 2, Stun 1, Health 2
Skills: Con 6 (Seduction 7), Streetwise 4 (Rumors
5)
Talents/Resources: None
Flaws: Vain (+1 Style point when she steals the
spotlight)
Weapons: Punch 1N
Serving wench
Follower 0
Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 1, Strength
2, Charisma 3, Intelligence 1, Willpower 1
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Perception
2, Initiative 3, Defense 2, Stun 1, Health 2
Skills: Brawl 3, Diplomacy 6, Streetwise 3 (Rumors
4)
Talents/Resources: None
Flaws:
Weapons: Punch 3N
Thief
Follower 0
Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 3, Strength
1, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Willpower 1
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Perception
3, Initiative 5, Defense 4, Stun 1, Health 2
Skills: Athletics 4, Larceny 4, Stealth 4
Talents/Resources: None
Flaws: Curious (+1 Style point when his curiosity
causes problems)
Weapons: Dagger 5L (thrown)
Local Riff-Raff
Follower 1
Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2, Strength
4, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Willpower 1
152
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Perception
2, Initiative 3, Defense 5, Stun 3, Health 4
Skills: Brawl 7, Intimidation 3, Melee 7, Streetwise
3
Talents/Resources: Lethal Blow (every 2 points
Brawl damage does 1 lethal damage instead, +4
for Brawl when making a lethal attack)
Flaws: Impulsive (+1 Style point when his
impulsiveness causes problems)
Weapons: Punch 7N, Dagger 8L
*Animals
Bears (Follower 2)
There are three more common kinds of bears in
the Circle of the World.
Common bear
The common or brown bear is quite curious and
can be found in wilderness areas all over the
Circle of the World.
Primary attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 3, Strength
4, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 4
Secondary attributes: Size 0, Move 6 (Run 12),
Perception 6, Initiative 2, Defense 7, Stun 4,
Health 8
Skills: Brawl 7, Stealth 6, Survival 6, Athletics 7
Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception)
Weapons: Bite 9L, Claw 9L
Red bear
The large Red bear, found in Angland, Northlands
and Starikland, is a dangerous animal, as it does
not fear humans.
Primary attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 3, Strength
5, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 4
Secondary attributes: Size 1, Move 6 (Run 12),
Perception 6, Initiative 2, Defense 8, Stun 5,
Health 10
Skills: Brawl 8, Stealth 6, Survival 6, Athletics 8
Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception)
Weapons: Bite 10L, Claw 10L
Ice bear
The Ice bear is even larger than the Black bear. It
is found in the frozen wastes of the Northlands.
Sometimes Ice bears stray south and cause havoc
in Northland communities.
Primary attributes: Body 6, Dexterity 3, Strength
6, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 4
Secondary attributes: Size 1, Move 6 (Run 12),
Perception 6, Initiative 2, Defense 9, Stun 5,
Health 11
Skills: Brawl 7, Stealth 6, Survival 6, Athletics 8
Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception)
Weapons: Bite 11L, Claw 11L
Wood buffalo
The Wood buffalo is found in large forest areas of
Starikland and northover. It is extinct on Styria
and probably also on Midderland ue to heavy
hunting.
Primary attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 2, Strength
5, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Willpower 2
Secondary attributes: Size 1, Move 7 (Run 14),
Perception 5, Initiative 3, Defense 6, Stun 5,
Health 10
Skills: Brawl 7, Stealth 2, Survival 6
Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception)
Weapons: Horns 9L, Kick 7L
Cattle (Follower 1)
Most domestic cattle is quite tranquil but in the
border lands on Near country where colonists let
their cattle roam freely, bulls can develop a
aggressive attitude against possible threats.
Primary attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 2, Strength
3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 2
Secondary attributes: Size 1, Move 5 (Run 10),
Perception 4, Initiative 2, Defense 6, Stun 5,
Health 8
Skills: Brawl 5, Stealth 2, Survival 5
Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception)
153
Weapons: Horns 7L, Kick 5L
Eagle (Follower 1)
These large raptors are found in many wild areas.
Primary attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 5, Strength
1, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 4
Secondary attributes: Size -1, Move 3 (Fly 6),
Perception 4 (Sight 8), Initiative 5, Defense 8, Stun
2, Health 5
Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 4, Stealth 8, Survival 4
Talents: Keen sense (+4 Sight)
Weapons: Bite 4L, Talons 4L
Horses (Follower 1)
Horses are the standard mean of transportation,
as mounts or draft animals for wagons and
coaches. There are several horse breeds
described below.
Kantic breed
These horses are bred for speed and endurance.
First bred in Gurkhul for races, these animals
have become prized all over Circle of the World.
Primary attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 5, Strength
3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 2
Secondary attributes: Size 1, Move 10 (Run 20),
Perception 4, Initiative 5, Defense 7, Stun 3,
Health 6
Skills: Brawl 8, Stealth 4, Survival 4
Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception)
Weapons: Kick 8N
Destrier
Destrier are bred for war. They carry armored
warriors into lance charges. These animals are
war-trained and very expensive indeed.
Primary attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 4, Strength
5, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 2
Secondary attributes: Size 1, Move 9 (Run 18),
Perception 4, Initiative 4, Defense 6, Stun 3,
Health 7
Skills: Brawl 8, Stealth 4, Survival 4
Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception), Pack mule
(treats encumbrance as one level less),
Run(double run speed)
Weapons: Kick 9N
Average riding horse
These are the average horses, used by most
riders, and armies. They have stamina and a
kindly nature. War training may increase their
price tremendous.
Primary attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 4, Strength
3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 2
Secondary attributes: Size 1, Move 9 (Run 18),
Perception 4, Initiative 4, Defense 6, Stun 3,
Health 6
Skills: Brawl 8, Stealth 4, Survival 4
Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception), Pack mule
(treats encumbrance as one level less), Run
(double run speed)
Weapons: Kick 8N
Mule
Often used as beasts of burden, especially in
rough terrain. Mules are very sure-footed.
Primary attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 2, Strength
3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 4
Secondary attributes: Size 1, Move 6 (Run 12),
Perception 4, Initiative 2, Defense 6, Stun 4,
Health 8
Skills: Athletics (Balance) 8, Brawl 6, Stealth 4,
Survival 6
Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception)
Weapons: Kick 8N
Mustang
Mustangs are feral horses living in areas with
scrub-type vegetation. They are durable and
sure-footed. Once broken, Mustangs are reliable
horses with “cow-sense” (+2 to Animal handling
(Herd) rolls).
Primary attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 4, Strength
3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 2
Secondary attributes: Size 1, Move 8 (Run 16),
Perception 4, Initiative 4, Defense 6, Stun 3,
Health 6
Skills: Athletics (Balance) 6, Brawl 8, Stealth 4,
Survival 6
Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception)
154
Weapons: Kick 8N
Mountain lion (Follower 1)
The mountain lion or cougar usually avoids
human beings, but if cornered it will fight. The
cougar lives in forest and brush area.
Primary attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 5, Strength
2, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Willpower 3
Secondary attributes: Size 0, Move 8 (Run 16),
Perception 6, Initiative 6, Defense 7, Stun 2,
Health 5
Skills: Brawl 8, Stealth 8, Survival 6, Atheltics 8
Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception)
Weapons: Bite 8L, Claw 8L
Stag, Deer or Elk (Follower 1)
Elk are hunting game and a good food source in
woodland areas.
Primary attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 4, Strength
2, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 4
Secondary attributes: Size 0, Move 8 (Run 16),
Perception 4, Initiative 4, Defense 6, Stun 2,
Health 6
Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Stealth 6, Survival 4
Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception)
Weapons: Antlers 6L
Swamp dragon (Follower 2)
A large scaly and amphibious lizard. The swamp
dragon lies just under the surface to attack prey
drinking on the shore. These dangerous animals
are found in Southern Gurkhul
Primary attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 4, Strength
5, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 4
Secondary attributes: Size 1, Move 4 (Swim 9),
Perception 6, Initiative 4, Defense 8, Stun 5,
Health 10
Skills: Brawl 8, Stealth 6, Survival 6
Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception)
Weapons: Bite 10L, Tail 8N
Poisonous snake (Follower 1)
There are all kinds of poisonous snakes. Although
they can be found everywhere, as a rule of the
thumb, the farer South you come the more Eaters
poisonous the snakes get. There are some
exceptions of this rule. The Stariklander Eaters follow the Forbidden Arts; they have
Dustworm, for example, has a very potent venom broken the Second Law, and sometimes even the
and can get over 2 yards long. First one.
Primary attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 4, Strength
2, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 2
Secondary attributes: Size -1, Move 4, Perception
2, Initiative 2, Defense 6, Stun 1, Health 2
Skills: Brawl 4, Stealth 6, Survival 2
Talents: -
Weapons: Bite 4L
Poison: If the rattle snake causes at least 1
wound, the victim gets poisoned, see chapter 5.5.

Wild boar (Follower 1)

Eater should never be cannon fodder but main
The dour wild boar can be encountered in brushy
adversaries in a campaign, often working from
areas all over the Old West. Although dangerous
behind the scenes. Most Eaters serve Khalul, or
to hunt, they provide a lot of tasty meat for the
are send by him to support his allies in their
successful hunter
struggle against Bayaz and his allies. Some are
Primary attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2, Strength
their own masters, and follow their own ends.
3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Willpower 4
One should not succumb to the impression that
Secondary attributes: Size -1, Move 5 (Run 10),
Eaters would not get their hands dirty. On the
Perception 6, Initiative 2, Defense 6, Stun 3,
contrary, Eaters are deadly efficient and will do
Health 6
what is necessary to achieve their goals.
Skills: Brawl 6, Stealth 6, Survival 6
Talents: - The consummation of human flesh grants them
Weapons: Tusks 8L power beyond most students of the High Art.
Every single Eater should be worked out by the
Wolf (Follower 1) GM, using an Ally 3 or higher template. There are,
Northern wolfs are large beasts which hunt in however, some common features for Eaters:
packs of 7-12 (1d6+6) animals. These stats may
• Eaters are not affected by wounds or
be used for large dogs as well.
pain. They do not bleed. In game terms,
Primary attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 3, Strength
Eaters suffer no ill effects for negative
3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Willpower 3
Health, they don’t have to make a
Secondary attributes: Size -1, Move 6 (Run 12),
Stabilize roll, wounds don’t get worse.
Perception 4 (Smell 8), Initiative 4, Defense 6,
There are no penalties for negative
Stun 2, Health 4
Health. There some limitations of cause:
Skills: Brawl 6, Stealth 6, Survival 6
If the Eater gets his arm hacked off he
Talents: Keen sense (+4 Smell perception)
cannot use it until it grows back on (yes,
Weapons: Bite 8L
Eaters can do that!).
Eaters still can get knocked down, fall
Unnatural unconscious or die. When Health falls
below -5 because of nonlethal damage

155
 the Eater is unconscious. If Health drops
below -5 because of lethal damage, the
Eater dies.
• All magick an Eater has worked on him-
or herself has no duration limit. The
effect will be in work as long the Eater
keeps on consuming man flesh, or he
chooses to end the effect.
Most Eaters have their already
formidable Attributes and Skill further
increased by their Forbidden Art. Making
them seemingly super-human.
• Eaters do not need to gesticulate or
chant to work magick, as they draw their
energy directly from the Other Side. As
such they are not subject to any of the
negative spell modifiers.
• Additionally, all magick which an Eater
performs on himself is worked as a
reflexive action, effectively allowing the
Eater one Magick roll besides Movement,
or Attack action in his own turn. An Eater
capable of homomancy or Begninus can
thus heal himself each round if he
collects enough successes.
Shanka (Greed)
The Shanka are a humanoid race living in the
North. They are hostile towards everything,
especially the Northmen, whose villages they
sometimes burn.
But the Shanka also live in the dead city of
Aulcus, where nothing ever rots. Feeding on the
flesh of dead humans, they swarm the city in
great numbers. They run a forge in the tunnels
beneath the city.
According to Bayaz, the Shanka are a creation of
the Master Maker, Kanedias. Made of clay, metal
and flesh, the Shanka were bred to help the
Maker in his war against his brother Juvens, and
the Order of the Magi. After his death, the Magi
tried to exterminate these unnatural beings, but
only managed to thin their numbers and push
them back into the corners of the world, where
they are now flourishing.
Ally 2
Style: 0 Health: 5
Body: 3 Charisma: 0 Dexterity: 3
Intelligence: 1 Strength: 4 Willpower: 2
Size: 0 Initiative: 4
Move: 7 Defense: 6
Perception: 3 Stun: 3
Skills: Athletics 7, Brawl 7, Melee 7, Stealth 5,
Survival 6
Talents/Resources: Strong (+1 Strength rating)
Flaws: Primitive (+1 Style point when -2 to
technology causes trouble)
Weapons: Claws 7L, Spear 10L, Bite 8L

The Shanka are "something between a man and

an animal", ape-like creatures. They have twisted
claw-like hands at the end of their long arms, a
grey face with a flat snout and forehead, a
hairless brow, and over-sized teeth. They use
tools and often fight with spears.

In the North, the Shanka live in small groups.

They travel south every summer, when the ice
melts, plaguing the countryside with raids on
villages etc.

156
157
158
Index
Academic;8 Dying;92
Active Defense;86 Effects of Damage;90
Adventurer;8 Enchantment;105
Aeromancy;104 Encumbrance;89
Aim;79 Escape;11
Alcohol;100 Everyman;9
Angland;130 Exhausted;92
Area Effect Attacks;88 Experience costs;8
Armor;87 Exposure;97
Arsenic;101 Extended actions;5
Attack Action;79 Faith;11
Attack Modifiers;84 Falling;98
Attack Rating;84 Fame;11
Attacking a Hand Held Object;102 Fatigue;98
Attacking Objects;101 Faunamancy;105
Balance;14 Feats of strength;14
Benignus;104 Fire;99
Block;80 First Aid;93
Body;13 Floramancy;105
Bonus Resources;56 Florentine;83
Called Shot;80 Flurry;83
Cautious Attack;80 Formulating Rituals;108
Chance dice;6 Gaining & Losing Resources;56
Charge;81 Geomancy;105
Charisma;14 Grapple;81
Combat Actions;79 Greed;11
Continuous Damage;91 Guardian;9
Courage;15 Gurkhul;132
Cover;87 Hallucinogens;101
Criminal;9 Health;16
Critical Failure;4 Holding Actions;78
Cryomancy;105 Homomancy;105
Dead;92 Honour;12
Defense;16 Hope;12
Defense Action;79 Hunter;9
Defense Modifiers;86 Husk;100
Defensive weapons;87 Hydromancy;105
Degree of success/failure;4 Influence;14
Deprivation;96 Initiative;16; 78
Dexterity;14 Intelligence;15
Difficulty;3 Judiciary/Inquisitor;9
Disabled;92 Justice;12
Disarm;81 Killing Blow;91
Disease;96 Knockback;90
Doctor;9 Knockdown;91
Dodge;81 Knocked Out;90
Drowning;97 Love;12
Duty;11 Luminary;9

159
Magickal Energy;104 Spending Experience points;7
Magus;10 Spending Style points;6
Medical Care;94 Sprint;82
Midderland;129 Spy;10
Modifiers;4 Stabilizing;93
Move;15 Stand Up;82
Move Action;79 Standard actions;5
Move Rating;89 States of Being;92
Multiple Attackers;88 Strength;14
Noble;10 Structure;101
Northlands;131 Stun;16
Opposed actions;5 Stunned;90
Outcast;10 Styria;132
Parry;82 Suffocation;97
Passive Defense;86 Surprise;79
Perception;16 Survival;13
Poisons and Drugs;99 Survivor;10
Power;12 Sweep;83
Preservation;12 Taking the Average;4
Pyromancy;106 Throw;82
Range;85 Total Attack;83
Ready Weapon;82 Total Defense;83
Reason;15 Touch Attacks;88
Redemption;12 Transmutation;106
Reflexive actions;5 Transportation;106
Reload Weapon;82 Trick;83
Remaining Conscious;92 Trip;84
Resistance;13 Truth;13
Revenge;13 Unconscious;92
Run;82 Union;129
Size;15 Untrained skill rolls;18
Skill specializations;18 Use Item;84
Soldier;10 Venom;101
Specialized skills;19 Willpower;15
Spell Area of Effect;109 Wisdom;13
Spell Duration;109 Wound Penalties;86
Spell Effect;110 Wounds;89
Spell Modifiers;107 Zero-Level Resources;56
Spell Range;108 Zero-level skills;19

160