DQGMGuide2005

The Official DQ GMs Guide

December 2005

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

This GMs Guide is a collection of resources to assist a GM in running their game in the shared world of the Seagate Adventurers Guild. Apart from some of this initial section, each and every resource is optional and descriptive rather than prescriptive. While best efforts have been made, we cannot guarantee it is the most upto-date information in all instances. The contributors to this guide would like to thank Andrew Withy for the extra effort in editing this guide.

Table of Contents Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................3 Campaign Principles........................................................................................................................................3 First Session Checklist ....................................................................................................................................4 Awards and Character Growth ........................................................................................................................4 The Known World................................................................................................................................................7 Key to the Known World ..............................................................................................................................8 The Baronies................................................................................................................................................9 Duchy of Carzala ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Map of Seagate......................................................................................................................................... 11 Seagate City ............................................................................................................................................. 12 Campaign Resources....................................................................................................................................... 15 Kinlu.............................................................................................................................................................. 15 Kinlu Weapons.......................................................................................................................................... 15 Kenjutsu .................................................................................................................................................... 17 Kyujutsu .................................................................................................................................................... 18 Shinobi ...................................................................................................................................................... 19 Ships............................................................................................................................................................. 21 Example Ships .......................................................................................................................................... 23 Storm Priests ................................................................................................................................................ 25 Magical Gems............................................................................................................................................... 32 Magical Herbs............................................................................................................................................... 37 Demographics .............................................................................................................................................. 42 Real Estate ................................................................................................................................................... 46 Households................................................................................................................................................... 51 The Powers .................................................................................................................................................. 57 Avatars...................................................................................................................................................... 60 Minions...................................................................................................................................................... 61 Minion Design System .............................................................................................................................. 62 Agents....................................................................................................................................................... 63 Invocations................................................................................................................................................ 65 Bestiary ............................................................................................................................................................ 66 Reactions Table............................................................................................................................................ 66 Bestiary Classification Table ........................................................................................................................ 67 Common Land Mammals ............................................................................................................................. 68 Avians ........................................................................................................................................................... 76 Lizards, Snakes and Insects ........................................................................................................................ 77 Aquatics........................................................................................................................................................ 79 Creatures of Night & Shadow....................................................................................................................... 82 Humanoids ................................................................................................................................................... 83 Fantastical Monsters .................................................................................................................................... 91 Undead ......................................................................................................................................................... 95 Dragons ........................................................................................................................................................ 99 Summonables............................................................................................................................................. 102 Lesser Powers............................................................................................................................................ 104 Demons .......................................................................................................................................................... 106 Archangels ..................................................................................................................................................... 122 Tables............................................................................................................................................................. 128

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Introduction This section is for both players and GMs, and explains the aims and goals of the campaign, the reasoning behind some of the established nature of the campaign, and provides guidance on the campaign norms.

Campaign Principles The Guild campaign is intended to foster and promote enjoyable, co-operative, long-term fantasy roleplaying within a multi-GM environment. Participation The Guild campaign is open to anyone who wants to play with us and is willing to follow the few restrictions placed on players and GMs in this campaign. Character Restrictions Some actions taken by characters against other characters can easily spill over into ill feeling between players, and in extreme cases emotional distress. We do not consider this desirable in the campaign and to this end, some player character actions are not condoned or supported within this campaign. It is not considered appropriate for player characters to murder, sexually assault, assault, or steal from other player characters. The in-game mechanism for controlling this is the Guild and the Guild contracts. Within the campaign the Guild does not condone activities such as wilful killing, theft, extortion etc., and any crimes committed against society will be answerable by the members concerned to that society. The Guild will not stand in the way of the normal course of justice. Within these strictures the campaign is intended to offer as wide as possible role-playing and characterisation opportunities, so this doesn't mean that all Guild characters have to be pleasant or good; they can be as unpleasant and unprincipled as you desire provided that they are prepared to honour the Guild contract, and that their players understand that the aim is for everyone to have an enjoyable roleplaying experience, that the inter-character restrictions are there to help ensure this, and that not everyone will have the same aims or goals in roleplaying that they do. Within the game your character does not have to like, or even wish to adventure with, certain of your fellow guild members, but it is expected that they will avoid attacking, deserting, endangering, injuring, stealing from, or withholding treasure from fellow guild members and avoid provoking other members into performing such activities. A breach of the standards of behaviour expected between guild members will result in an investigation using all the powers of the guild, and depending on the circumstances may be dealt with severely. 3

Party and Campaign Balance Part of the GM's role involves generally adjudicating for the enjoyment of the majority. This does not mean just the GM's friends, the players in their current specific game, or just new players etc. This means everyone who plays and GMs in the campaign. GMs should (within reason) turn away characters if they will greatly unbalance a party; the enjoyment of the majority will generally be diminished if they find themselves adventuring with Superman. If it is a particular item that the character possesses that makes them unbalanced for the GM's game then consider asking them to leave it at home as an alternative to being turned down. In the same vein, when handing out treasure, GMs shouldn't feel the need to plug up all of the "holes" in a character for whom they are devising rewards. A character that has no weaknesses has little need to adventure with other characters. Weaknesses provide an excellent rationalisation for players to form groups, i.e. to shore up their areas of vulnerability, and often offer fertile role-playing options. Characters that are good at everything are often boring.

Campaign Flavour The primary flavour and genre of the Guild campaign is pseudo-medieval european fantasy. Within this genre some GMs prefer heroic fantasy, while others prefer lower key games. Even within heroic fantasy there are many different ideas of what constitutes this sub-genre. To some GMs and players a single swordsman holding off three enemies is heroic, to others heroic is the single warrior standing against 1000. Not everyone has the same idea as to what is fantasy, or good fantasy, and the Guild campaign tries to cover as wide a spectrum of styles as possible. Alusia The core shared world of the campaign is Alusia, with the Guild being based in Western Alusia which maps (very loosely) to Europe in our world. Not all of Alusia is european; parts of it have cultures (somewhat) analogous to the middle east, the orient, the new world, and even the classical world. The GMs and Players Guides have information about Alusia and the Guild's home base of Seagate. Additional information can be found on the Campaign's wiki site. Technology The technology level of Alusia ranges in the most part from dark age through high medieval and into renaissance, with some odd parts that have no simple historical analogue. Technology level aside, gunpowder and many similar explosives fail to operate on Alusia (a campaign decision from early times) and that style of missile weaponry is not in use.

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Off Alusia There is considerable inter-planar access and travel to and from Alusia, which allows GMs to run games far and wide across many other worlds and planes. Some of these planes are similar to Alusia but give the GM an opportunity to run their game outside of the main shared world, others are strange, weird, and wonderful, and range from discs, to rings, to worlds in perpetual night, to elemental planes, to the homes of the Gods and other Powers. Breaking the Atmosphere Some things have a detrimental effect on the fantasy flavour of the campaign, and the worst offender seems to be high technology. Many GMs have over the years run games in worlds with a technology level higher than Alusia. Items brought back from such adventures risk significant damage to a fantasy environment; nothing seems to break the mood more than ray-guns and modern brand names. GMs are expected to ensure that treasures they award are not mood breakers, and fit with the fantasy genre of the campaign. In some cases this can be as simple as a more fitting description. For example, eye glasses or spectacles were known even in medieval times. Even tinted eye glasses are not a problem, but RayBan is going to break genre. GMs should also be aware that some players are not keen on out of genre adventuring and would prefer to avoid it. It is best if running an adventure of this sort to give players as much indication as possible during adventure sign-up, so that they may opt out of the party if they so wish.

First Session Checklist If the GM wishes they can fill in a GM's character record so that they will have the characters' statistics to hand during play.

Players The GM should have a look over each player's character, and ensure that any awards from the last time they played have been correctly spent. With new characters the GM should ensure that the PC has been seen by the Character Tribunal, is a Guild member, and understands the House rules. The GM may need to help with character generation if the player does not yet have a character.

Characters With the party together, a Guild Representative will ensure the adventure is properly set up. They will remind the party of the Guild Rules, suggest that a Party Leader and Military Leader be appointed, and require that a Scribe be nominated. Once the Guild requirements are out of the way, characters can introduce themselves with descriptions. The GM can introduce the adventure and the party can begin their preparations. 4

Awards and Character Growth Characters grow through play and the rewards gained on adventure. There are several ''currencies'' in the campaign of which the most common are Experience Points, Training Time and Treasure (which covers the monies, items and other loot gained from an adventure). These currencies are controlled to a greater or lesser degree in an attempt to regulate character growth. Too little reward can lead to players feeling frustrated, too much creates an unbalancing factor in a multi-GM campaign. GMs are expected to carefully consider the rewards guidelines and keep within campaign norms.

Experience Points Awards Experience points in the Guild campaign are awarded using a standard system. Experience points are a measure of a character's ability to learn or improve Statistics, Skills and Magic. Experience is awarded to a player's character based on the following four categories. Note that a Session is considered to be 3.5 to 4 hours of real time play and Sessions of greater or lesser duration should have their Experience Awards adjusted accordingly. Attendance and Preparation Potential Award: 0-500 EP / Session This category is awarded for turning up to game sessions on time and prepared to play. The full award should be given to characters whose players turn up on time with character sheets completed and the necessary accessories for play. Courtesy by a player in informing the Game-master when they may be late or unable to play due to other commitments should result in some award. Beginning players should be given leeway in respect of not having complete character sheets. A player who is constantly distracted or distracts others when they are trying to play is not properly attending should be given a reduced award. Guidelines: Full award for turning up on time and prepared to play. 75% award for incomplete character sheet. 50% award for no character sheet or unable to attend but supplying character sheet. 25% award for expected non-attendance without supplying character sheet. No award for unexpected non-attendance. Lateness should result in an appropriate adjustment to the entire experience award for the session dependent on the degree of lateness. (i.e. arriving 1 hour late should result in 75% of the total `normal' award for that session). Role-playing Potential Award: 0-500 EP / Session This category is awarded for good role-playing, both characterisation and player's enjoyment. It is possible to play an obnoxious or annoying character well but in such a fashion that other players `enjoy' the character. This category is totally up to the Gamemaster's judgement but should be based on consistency of motive and action and enjoyment by

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the players and Game-master. Take into account how well the player differentiates between being in and out of character and stays in-character when they should. Guidelines: Full award for believable and consistent characterisation which was enjoyable by most present. Half award for adequate role-playing or good role-playing that annoyed players. No award when a block of wood could have done better or they managed to seriously and continually annoy the Game-master or most of the players. Contribution Potential Award: 0-500 EP / Session This category is awarded for taking part in the action of the session, either by providing ideas (or nonideas) or by appropriate or innovative use of the abilities or possessions of the character. How much did the player and / or their character contribute to the game compared with how much they were able to contribute. Guidelines: Full award for consistently and interestingly being a major contributor to the action when possible and refraining from contributing when unable to do so in-character. Half award for contributing occasionally when able to and also occasionally when unable to. No award for consistently contributing when unable to and hindering other players’ or characters’ appropriate contributions. Quest Level Potential Award: 0-1,500 EP / Session This category is awarded based solely on the difficulty and complexity of the quest. The adjudged level of difficulty and risk should be announced at the beginning of the quest and the Game-master should endeavour to abide by this level. This means not making things harder when the party is able to overpower the quest and also not being easy on younger and less experienced characters when the quest seems too tough for them. Quest Levels Guidelines Very Low Level – 0 EP] The characters will be confronted with little personal risk, with death unlikely, low ability opponents, e.g. animals, low experience NPCs. Problems will have readily obtainable solutions with little, low Rank magic involved. Low Level – 300 EP The characters will be confronted with some personal risk with opponents of some ability, e.g. humanoid monsters, NPCs with some experience. Problems will have obtainable solutions with some low Rank magic and a little, medium Rank magic involved. Medium Level – 600 EP The characters will be confronted with definite personal risk, and possible death, with opponents of equal ability, e.g. undead, monsters, experienced NPCs. Problems will require thought and include magic, though little magic above medium Rank. 5

High Level – 900 EP The characters will be confronted with high personal risk, including the likelihood of death, with tough opponents, e.g. greater undead, devils, powerful mages. Problems will be difficult and involve much magic and/or ingenuity. Very High Level – 1,200 EP The characters will be confronted with death, possibly irresurrectable, with very tough opponents, e.g. powerful groups, individual dragons or Powers. Problems will require thought, ingenuity and magic to solve and will involve any (and probably all) magic. Extreme Level (World-Saving) – 1,500 EP The characters will be confronted with almost certain death, probably irresurrectable, with virtually unbeatable opponents, e.g. groups of Powers, Empires. Problems will be all but unsolvable and will involve any and all magic plus stuff not readily possible within the rules. Experience Point Awards for GMs Experience points are given to GMs if they do not role-play in the same season that they GM. The Experience Award is a flat sum of 7,500 EP This EP can be spent on any Character by the GM.

Time The Guild Campaign runs in close to real time. There are four Guild sessions each game year (one for each season) and these correspond to one real year. In normal play a party will start an adventure after a Guild meeting, the players will meet for 10-13 weeks, one night a week, and the characters will return to the Guild before the next meeting. Training time equals the 13 weeks of the Guild session less the time taken on adventure. Time is perhaps the most tightly controlled of the reward currencies in the campaign and GMs should consider very carefully before making any additional time available as treasure, whether through special training that takes less time than usual, or time distortion effects, such as planes where time runs at a different rate than Alusia.

Money Limits The maximum amount of monetary treasure, or overall share value, that characters should earn from an adventure is dependent on the experience level: • 1,000sp for low level • 2,000sp for medium level • 3,000sp for high level This amount is an average per playing session (approximately 3.5 to 4 hours of play time).

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Magic Items Powerful magic items can be quite a disruptive or unbalancing factor in the campaign as they move from one GM's game to another, or are sold by the original owner and pass into other hands. GMs are expected to exercise caution and restraint when designing magic items, balancing them to the level of the characters they are being given to, and ensuring that they are neither indestructible nor infallible. Even then items that are too tough should be avoided because it can create an inflationary cycle with respect to game balance factors such as damage and damage avoidance. Make it clear for the next GM Remember that another person will have to read your write-up, so it should be easy to read and understand. Write-ups that are difficult to understand make the administration of the game much more difficult. Before you write up the item, take some time to think about what you are about to create. And make it clear to the next GM what your intention is. Flaws It is generally best to add flaws (specific drawbacks) to the items being designed - weaknesses that help balance out their strengths, and reduce their overall value. The only shaped items that are generally without any flaws are those of minor nature (e.g. amulets, +5% BC swords). Flaws in an item cannot be removed without also removing the useful abilities. Additionally, no shaped item should be indestructible, there should always be a way to destroy it. If any part of a shaped item is broken then the magic is lost. Generally the more powerful the magic of the item, the worse will be the flaws. The difference between the powers and the flaws will represent the value of the magic in the item. Maximum Value As part of controlling powerful items, the maximum value that the Guild will place on any shaping is 50,000sp. If you design an item that you feel should be valued at greater than 50k then seriously consider removing some of its abilities and/or adding balancing weaknesses. Fragility, weight and magical drawbacks should all be considered when valuing an item. Bear in mind that this is the value of the shaping, not necessarily of the item – a magical manor house might be valued at greater than 50k, even though the shaping is simply magical servants who clean it. New GMs should have a look at items currently in the game to get a feeling for power and value, and should get their items reviewed by a couple of established GMs for their first few adventures. Other Limitations Even apart from flaws, no item should always work under all circumstances, and should be designed to leave GMs with “wiggle room“. Some design factors that GMs may want to consider are: 6

Expiry Date: While shaped items don't generally expire it can be worth put a date limitation on some items to encourage characters to use them before they lose them. It also helps to maintain a more balanced game economy and gives characters added motivation to adventure. Items that do not themselves expire may require recharging, which can be an opportunity for a further adventure. Actions Required to Use: Consider the range and type of actions that are available to a player, and under which circumstances the item can be used. If the process of using the item takes a lot of time and effort, then a character will most likely not use it in situations when they are under time pressure, such as combat. If the item can be used in Pulse time consider whether it will require a Pass action or a Fire action to activate. Running Costs: This could mean that the item uses something (usually rare and expensive) to stay active, though if the cost or difficulty is too high then players may simply let the item lapse. Nevertheless, it can be a good idea to assign a running cost in cash (simple) or items (less simple) to keep the item active. Exceeding Maximum Rank: Put a rank cap on the item, and don't let the item's effects take attributes, skills, or spells, etc. beyond the normal limit. If they do go beyond normal, make sure the effect is limited in breadth or scope. GM Headaches: Be aware that scrying, truth-telling, and detection items, for example, can easily destroy another GM's carefully constructed mystery adventure. Items that are always on, and act in a passive manner (such as danger detection) can be an administrative hassle for a GM who has to remember and allow for the item at all times. Items that give extra actions; besides being very powerful, every additional action doubles the amount of time the GM takes to administer the character, which often detracts from the enjoyment of the game for other players as they sit around and wait for one character to complete their actions. Special Abilities Although not technically magic "items", another form of similar award popular with both GMs and players is special abilities. These can range from abilities that function like magic items, but without the item (thus more valuable as they cannot be easily lost or broken), to standard but "out of college" spells, to unique rankable talents or spells which are not part of the standard game. Special abilities can personalise and differentiate a character, but there is a danger that they can be misused to cover the character weaknesses designed into the game system or break game-balancing factors, and they should be designed much like magic items, with careful consideration for balance and the level of the character.

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The Known World

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Key to the Known World

13 Borovia 14 Elfenburg 15 Alfheim - The Elven Lands 16 Brandenburg 17 Eltrandor 18 Artzdorf 19 Flugelheim 20 Caledonia 21 Glissom 22 Cauldersfield 23 Drakenburg 24 Western Marches 26 Alma Viva (Protectorate of Destiny) 27 Destiny

1 Five Sisters A Saktekorum B Kirkul C Ajepbar D Izmiraldi E Sheapur 2 Gatar Depression 3 Sea of Grass 4 Waterford 5 Tuscana 6 Brastor 7 Novadom 8 Superstition Mountains - Dwarven Stronghold 9 Newhaven 10 Carzala F Seagate, Home to the guild 11 Ranke G Sanctuary 12 Western Kingdom H Duma I Novalar J MMHS K Gracht L Freetown

For 28+ please see the DQ Wiki. Most states are human except: 15 Alfheim - Elves, and 46 Jotunheim - Giants, and some Dwarfs who have their own map.

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The Baronies

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Duchy of Carzala

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Key to Sites in Seagate Building are generally 2 storied There is room for a population of approx. 13000. This assumes 8 persons per building including vagrants, travellers and public buildings. Code

Name

Area

Notes

GM/Player

New Seagate New Seagate Old Seagate Southhill, New Seagate New Seagate The Hovel

High rank seamstress, appointments by introduction only

G:Jono

2 Eden Close Rk 3 Stonemason and carver

P:Martin

Tar and Feather brothel Fight 'N' Fuk Tavern The Dead Dog tavern Winged Demon Inn Devil's Eye Hotel Mother Gird's Hotel and Tavern The Diamond Spider Tavern

New Seagate New Seagate New Seagate New Seagate Old Seagate Old Seagate

run by Eidolon location variable as it is often closed down by the authorities

PiAndrew W

Old Seagate

Proprieter S. Braz. Two story, with a lean to kitchen attached.

G:Brent

Half-a-Loaf Hen Wen's Shadowmane's The Brass Door The Spinning Wheel Varley's Inn

The The The The The The

Artisans 34

Lady Katherine Blackened

1 33 8

Mortimer's Emporium Jeren Stonemason Alchemist Guild

2 23

Alphonse's Restaurant Dacaro's Herbal Ointments

Inns/Taverns/Brothels 13 16 14 15 5 35 28 25 22 26 30 3

Hovel Hovel Hovel Hovel Hovel Hovel

Merchants 9 *

Fizzgig's House of Frippery New Seagate (Purveyors of Fine Silk) a shop which you could only Variable ever find once which sold toys and other small intricate devices of wondrous manufacture.

P:Adam G:Adam

Religious 11

Church of the Powers of Light

20

Phaeton's Clinic/Soup New Seagate Kitchen/Church of Diancecht

17

Temple of the One Horned God Temple of Truth

Old Seagate

4 21 19 7

Covered amphitheatre A clock tower Customs House Gloranthian Trade Embassy

Between New Seagate New Seagate New Seagate

12 10 6

Silverfoot's Gallery The Butler's Hideout The Seagate Orphanage

New Seagate New Seagate New Seagate

29

Halt Shipping and Storage

The Hovel

31 24 32 27 *

Maccadee's Office The Ruined Bell Tower The The Pale Tower The The Windy Tower The a dark sphere in the sewers which very occaisionally was a portal to another plane, but it was an unstable gate

18

New Seagate & Old Seagate a converted warehouse on the Docks In Seagate, a small hospital/soup kitchen P:Keith dedicated to Diencecht has been set up on the docks by Brother Phaeton. Anyone is welcome there and payment is by donation or by volunteering service. Since there is no Healers Guild in Seagate, an arrangement has been made with the Adventurer's Guild for the training of new converts although basic health classes are done at the temple.

Old Seagate

Misc

Hovel Hovel Hovel Hovel

New Market

Run by Sebbcastion Silverfoot, financed by Logan Bury

P:Terry

a converted Warehouse on the fringe of the Docks Quarter near Old Seagate. PrBrent It was set up by a retiring adventurer called Yazmo in 1984 AP after generous donations by Von Kroft (played by Russel Barke) and an anonymous benefactor. Yazmo occasionally solicits for donations and volunteer workers at Guild Meetings. Wilkinson (played by Helen Chessum/Dickson) has worked at the orphanage since 1986 AP. Yazmo, an Earth mage, has concentrated on three prime aims : 1) Provide to all children food, healing, and a clean comfortable bed. (No meat is served, apart from eggs and fish). 2) Attempt to find gainful employment for older children (10 to 15 years), eventually leading to their taking up an apprenticeship. The orphanage also supplies "runners" for the delivery of messages around the town. (Certain establishments are no longer delivered to). 3) Take small groups on regular "wilderness trips" to a forest camp North East of Stonesboro, in order to give the children knowledge of and respect for nature.

G:Jon A tower where a vampire dwelt

G:Jon G:Adam

Seagate Summer 805

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE and strategy. In the summer of 740WK, Baron Bolton negotiated a peace with the barbarians and Carzala has been a peaceful realm up until the encroachment of the Dark Circle.

Seagate City Seagate is a trading town positioned at the mouth of the Sweetwater River.

In 751WK Brastor was founded originally as a trading location for miners working the local hills, and grew as foresters, farmers and other settlers headed for the riches of unclaimed territory.

LOCATION: Carzala STATUS: Feudal Town GOVERNMENT: Duke Leto of Carzala POPULATION: 31,300 (District) 25,230 (Settlement)

Baron Bolton died in his bed in 771WK attended by his three surviving children and his grandson Leto.

Seagate City Taxes Property Tax (Residential): 5% per annum Property Tax (Guild): 3% per annum Hawking Licence Rate: 9% of goods' value Bonding rate (per month): 1% of goods' value Piloting Fee: 40sp (in or out) Wharfage Fee: 2sp per foot per day Vessel Registry: 25sp per foot per year The principal settlement of Carzala. Seagate has for a long time enjoyed being the main trading port and access point to the Sea of Grass and other areas to the east which are land-locked. On any given day ships from many nations and ports can be found moored in harbour. Of note a large amount of trade happens to the south with ships from The Five Sisters and Tycho City. Seagate is now more widely used and favoured than that of Sanctuary in Ranke.

History Carzala had been primarily wilderness with a few small fortified settlements up until about 1900AP (700WK) when Chilton DeWinter, younger brother of Count Alexis of County Erisberg arrived at the settlement now known as Old Seagate with his family and retainers and started construction of Castle Chilton. Six years later the Barony of Carzala was officially recognised by Bowcourt and Aquila when Baron Chilton of Carzala and his wife attended the midsummer festival in Bowcourt. Baron Chilton was succeeded by his son Regar in 727WK when he was killed in the Sweet Riding by raiding Barbarians. Baron Regar was reported to hate the Barbarians with a passion, he commissioned the construction of Regar's Keep as a southern outpost for his Barony and spent most of his life in the field driving the Barbarian raiders out of the Sweet Riding. Baron Regar died without issue of wounds received in battle in 739WK. He was succeeded by his nephew Bolton. Like his father, Baron Bolton was not a man of war but he demonstrated a shrewd ability in diplomacy 12

The Town The town of Seagate has always been the primary port for Carzala. Originally a small fishing village, the town expanded dramatically when Chilton DeWinter arrived and constructed the castle. After the peace with the barbarians had been established, the Baron began the building of new wharves further upstream to handle the larger volumes of trade and an increase in settlers to the region. Around the wharves grew the town known as New Seagate, and the Old Seagate wharves returned to their previous use as a fishing port. Old Seagate The original town is where most of the industry is for Seagate and Carzala as a whole. As such it is a bustling town heavy with the smells from blacksmiths, tallow renderers and the fish markets, and the bulk of the town is given over to these manufacturers and cheap housing for workers and the shops that supply them. The southern end of the town near the river is one of the two exceptions to this as it has grown into a very high class suburb where the wealthy merchants live close to the source of their wealth. The other exception is to the north where Dedication Road forms a temple district. This well tended area is populated with a number of temples, mostly to the Powers that used to be worshipped in Seagate before the rise of the Church of Light. Since the arrival of Church Knights in Seagate around 798WK, many temples closed but the buildings are still in good condition and their grounds well cared for. New Seagate New Seagate is a modern well-planned Town. With most of the industry a couple of miles away in Old Seagate there are few of the odours and grime that many other towns have. New Seagate is a prosperous town with a large number of well cared for taverns and merchants catering to the wealthy. These merchants and the relative prosperity in turn make Seagate one of the most popular markets in the West of Alusia. The large number of people who arrive in Seagate to seek their fortunes keeps the main roads swept and free of horse manure. The churches in New Seagate are almost exclusively dedicated to the Church of Light as the building of the town coincided with the growth in popularity of the Church.

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GM GUIDE

The Hovel This is part of Old Seagate and is the remains of the original fishing village. Dark narrow streets and small cramped houses are the norm, and the population (who are mostly still fishermen) are highly clannish, with strangers unwelcome. The Surrounds Seagate is set in relatively lush farmland, and large commons were set aside by Baron Bolton to commemorate the peace agreement. These commons are often used by the townsfolk for large markets on the high holidays as well as a training area for the local garrison. Travellers and traders are allowed to stay on the commons without cost for three days, and a number of small holders are able to use the land for their animals for a fee; however the Duke’s men strictly control the number of animals. Governance The current Duke of Carzala is Duke Leto, Baron Bolton’s grandson. The Duke has several hundred retainers who handle the taxes, trade and justice within the town and the Duchy. The bulk of these men and women work in a large building at the bottom of High Street. The Town Guard The town guard is split into three companies. During most normal times one company will be on duty in the towns, another will be in reserve at the barracks, and the third will be on-duty at Castle Chilton. Each company is further divided into watches, and the watches are split into patrols. The Guards are generally skilled men who benefit from the presence of the Guild by having invested items to assist them. The investeds are rarely attack spells but instead comprise of strength boosts, weapon enhancements and webs and walls to capture miscreants. However the presence of Guild members on the streets has left Seagate with little or no casual violent crime and the Guard deal mostly with large scale larceny or minor drunken scuffles. Mundane Crime With very little in the way of violent crime in Seagate, theft is the main criminal activity and there is an active organisation amongst the thieves and beggars. This has led to even major crimes being modest and generally low enough not to incur the wrath of the Duke. Any petty theft is punished by a brand on the back of the hand - more serious crime generally involves removal of the hand or life of the criminal. Magical Crimes The use of Magic in Seagate is frowned upon and there is an outright ban on offensive magic in the town and environs. Any breach is taken very seriously indeed and the guard carry cold iron manacles for the purposes of restraining mages. Punishments for crimes involving magic are generally punishable by prison (cold iron cells), confiscation of property and 13

effects or for more serious crimes exile or death. The punishments often vary dependant on the Mage and the Guild is often consulted in these cases. The Town Guard There are three Companies of guards that patrol Seagate, Castle Chiltern, and the nearby district. They rotate responsibilities regularly. Each company is divided into a number of watches. Dragon company is commanded by Sir Edward Abernathy, and run by Senior Sergeant Tarski. Phoenix Company is commanded by Sir Donald Jameson, and run by Senior Sergeant Albrecht. Griffin Company is commanded by Sir Gordon Chisholm, and run by Senior Sergeant Boyce. Black Watch: There is not a Black Watch and there never has been. But rumour has it that they are a watch that is specially formed when required to deal with difficult and unusual situations. Guild members are rumoured to have been part of Black Watch. Trade Trade is an important part of Seagate and, outside of the Guild, the largest source of income for the Duke. With land trade through the Sea of Grass from the Lunar Empire as well as sea trade from the Five Sisters and Arabie, Seagate is a major hub of Trade for the region. It is said that you can buy just about anything in Seagate and anything you can’t buy is illegal and available in Sanctuary. Artisans 1 2 7 8 12 16 34

Mortimer’s Emporium - Run by Mortimer Graves. Alphonses - High quality dining establishment, very popular with guild members and wealthy halflings. Gloranthan Trade Embassy - GM: Scott Whitaker Seagate Alchemists Guild. Silverfoot's Gallery - Run by Sabastian Silverfoot and financed by Logan Fizzgig's House of Frippery - Purveyors of fine silks. Lady Katherine Blackened - High rank seamstress, appointments by introduction only. (GM: Jono)

Religion Citizens of Seagate predominantly follow the Church of Light and there are a number of places of worship in the town. However there is still a number of other places of worship in the town, most of them in Old Seagate, that are dedicated to other deities. While the Church of Light would like to see these buildings razed the Duke has indicated his displeasure at such enthusiasm and so the churches survive and tithe well to the Duke. This however is the cause of significant friction between the Church and the Duke and is the cause of poor relations with Mordeaux.

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GM GUIDE

Religious Buildings 8 11 17 20 60 61

Temple of Truth. Various churches dedicated to the powers of Light. Church of The One Horned God Phaeton's Clinic/Soup Kitchen/Church of Diancecht Church of Seir Church of Uriel

The Adventurer’s Guild The guild has a significant effect on Seagate and its environs as befitting an establishment with the magical resources the Guild can muster. High Holidays The seasonal nature of the Guild’s business also affects the town and at the High holidays there are huge markets with people having travelled from hundreds of miles away. Most merchants will plan routes such that they will be in Seagate on the high holidays. These markets are complimented by parades by the Guards and Local Guilds and Churches. With the arrival of Guild members prior to the Guild meeting ale sellers and temporary drinking establishments will spring up in warehouses and on street corners, and while the Dukes taxes are high on these temporary retailers the profits can be excellent during these holidays. Magic While the Guild avoids providing magical items and investeds to the citizenry there is always someone willing to trade things and so the levels of magic are higher in Seagate than most other towns. This is reflected in the abilities of the Guardsmen who need to be able to cope with Magic when things get out of hand. A 25% Tax exists for all Mages practicing in Seagate - however this is waived for Guild members as such there are very few Mages in Seagate that are not Guild members.

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EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Campaign Resources Kinlu These weapons and skills are not an official part of the rules used by this campaign, but are offered here to GMs to use if they wish, either in Kinlu or in any similar oriental-styled adventure location.

Kinlu Weapons The chart below details the most common weapons in use in Kinlu that are substantially different from their Western Alusian counterparts and require ranking as a separate weapon. There are some Kinlu weapons that differ only from the Alusian ones in name, and for these the normal skills and statistics apply. The Warrior column shows the weapon category for the purposes of the Warrior skill. Weapon

Wt PS MD

SC DM

Range Class Use

Rk

Tanto War Fan Sai Kodachi Ninjato (1-2) Wakizashi (2) Katana (2) Nodachi (2) Tonfa Tetsubo (2) Nunchaku (2) Bo (2) Hanbo (1-2) Shuriken Yari (2) Naginata (2) Hankyu Daikyu Manriki-kusari (2) Tetsubishi Kataran

5/8 1 2 2 3 2 3 5 2 8 3 3 1 2oz 4 5 4 6 6 1 2

40 40 45 45 45 45 45 50 50 50 45 55 55 40 45 55 45 55 40 40 35

P P 6 P P P P P P P P P P 12 P P 60 180 2 6 P

9 10 10 9 9 10 10 8 9 5 8 9 9 10 10 9 8 8 10 4 9

7 8 8 11 14 14 15 18 14 22 14 12 10 9 13 14 14 16 14 5 12

10 15 15 17 17 17 17 17 15 10 17 16 16 15 17 18 15 15 19 15 16

+0 -1 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +6 +0 +7 +1 +2 +0 -1 +3 +4 +2 +4 +2 -3 -1

A A A/C B B B B B C C C C C A A B A A B A C

Tanto: A Kinlu dagger, similar in shape to the larger swords, and not suitable for throwing. This weapon uses the Dagger skill and need not be ranked separately. War Fan: Small folding war fans (tessen) are designed to look like normal decorative fans and will generally pass casual inspection as such. They may be used to strike or to distract an opponent and increase the user's defence (see Shields). Sai: May be used to either attack or deflect blows (see Shields). When used in Melee or Close, Sai may inflict either A or C class damage as the user chooses. However, because of their size and weight they cannot inflict C class Grievous Injuries. If a pair of Sai are used together to disarm (making neither available for defence or another attack during the action), then if the Disarm is successful the opponent does not receive a roll to retain their weapon and must drop it. A variant with only a single side-prong is the Jitte; it has the same statistics and abilities.

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MC MC RMC M M M M M MC M M M M R M M R R RMC R MC

EM Equivalent Dagger Main-Gauche Main-Gauche Estoc Estoc Rapier Rapier Scimitar Quarterstaff War Club Scimitar Quarterstaff Quarterstaff Dart Javelin Glaive Short Bow Long Bow Whip Grenado Cestus

Warrior Shortswords Shortswords Shortswords Shortswords Oriental Swords Oriental Swords Oriental Swords Oriental Swords Blunt Blunt Entangling/Chain B Class Pole Blunt A Class Pole B Class Pole

Entangling/Chain Unarmed

Kodachi: A shortsword that may be worn and used by non-Samurai classes, such as Merchants. It is common to see two Kodachi in one scabbard, one with the handle fittings, the second handle hidden as the bottom part of the scabbard. When used this way the scabbard is normally worn on the back with the handles pointing out to the sides, allowing both Kodachi to be Prepared as a single action. Ninjato: (also called Shinobigatana) are most commonly used by the Shinobi clans and usually consists of a wakizashi or cut-down katana blade, fitted with a full katana-length handle and placed in a katana-length saya (scabbard). The intent is to deceive one's opponents into miscalculating how quickly it can be drawn and also to conceal its nature as a Shinobi weapon. The extra space in the saya may also be used to store or hide other equipment or goods. It can be used with only one hand on the hilt (allowing the user to prepare shuriken, etc with the other hand). No damage bonus is conferred for using it 2-handed, and no other Melee weapon can be used in the off-hand unless the character has learnt the NitoKenjutsu skill.

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GM GUIDE

Katana & Wakizashi: are two different sized versions of the same weapon. They have slightly different uses in combat since the smaller Wakizashi can be more easily used in confined spaces. The major difference however is cultural in that the Wakizashi is viewed as a less hostile weapon and can be carried openly in most situations, much as a dagger will often be retained in Alusian society. It is only necessary to rank Katana once and the same rank will apply to both these weapons. Both are listed as 2-handed weapons due to the fighting style they use. Strictly speaking they are 1-2 handed weapons and can be used with only one hand on the hilt, however no damage bonus is conferred for using them 2-handed, and no other weapon can be used in the off-hand unless the character has learnt the NitoKenjutsu skill. Nodachi: A large sword of similar shape to the Katana, the Nodachi (Field Sword) is also known as the Horse Killing Sword as one of its uses is to allow Samurai on foot to attack mounted opponents. The blade on a Nodachi is typically around 3 1/2 feet long (giving an overall length of 5 1/2 feet), and as the sword is too long to be worn at the side by a human or elven sized figure it is usually worn strapped across the back. Tonfa: Consists of a handle with a knob, perpendicular to a shaft that lies along the hand and forearm. When holding the handle, the shaft protects the forearm and hand from blows. In attack, the shaft can be used to punch, or swung out to strike the target with considerable momentum. The Tonfa is traditionally wielded in pairs, one in each hand, and the techniques taught may only be combined with Unarmed or another Tonfa as an off hand weapon. If a Tonfa is not used to attack it may be used to deflect blows (see Shields). Tetsubo: An iron shod staff used in Kinlu by various sects of religious warriors. It is constructed out of heavy oak, plated with iron on the sides, and with large iron studs at the end. It is usually 6 to 7 feet in length. Nunchaku: Due to the Nunchaku's extreme speed in the hands of a Master, at Ranks 6 and above this weapon may be used to Multi-hex Strike. Bo: (also called rokushakubo - "6 foot staff") Bo are the quarterstaves of Kinlu. This weapon uses the Quarterstaff skill and need not be ranked separately. Hanbo: A short staff approximately half the length of a Bo. The fighting style is quite different from a long staff, and incorporates elements of sword techniques. It can be used one or two handed, but the techniques taught may only be combined with Unarmed or another Hanbo as an off hand weapon. One variant of the Hanbo is the Shakuhachi or Kinlu flute. These may be made of Bamboo, or more rarely of Bronze, Iron, Steel, or even Jade. They are fully functional musical instruments and may also be used as Hanbo. Shuriken: Up to three Shuriken can be thrown at one, two or three targets in one Pulse with no penalty. 16

Shuriken is a generic term for any small edged throwing weapons. They come in a wide range of shapes but use the same characteristics. Hankyu: This is the Kinlu Short Bow. This weapon uses the Short Bow skill and need not be ranked separately. Daikyu: The asymmetric longbow of Kinlu. These weapons are very tall -- most Erelheine would use a Daikyu of around 8 feet -- but the grip is positioned at about one-third the distance from the lower tip. This allows the bow to be used when mounted, and would also allow a shorter figure (such as a Dwarf or Halfling) to use the weapon if desired. The initial draw weight is less than that of a Western Alusian long bow, but the draw length is further, the release occurring behind the archer's head. The unusual shape and shooting style make this a separate weapon from long bow. Manriki-kusari: Several similar weapons are covered under this skill, including the Manriki-kusari, Kusarigama and Kyoketsu-shogi. All comprise a weighted chain or rope which may be used to Entangle, and a bladed weapon such as a small sword or axe. Like a whip these weapons may be used to Entangle and damage in the same Pulse. This damage has a DM of -2. The damage on the weapon table is for the blade which may be used in melee and also against opponents another hex away. The weapon can also Trip in Melee. In close the weapon may be used as a Garrotte. This is a complex and difficult weapon to use and GMs are encouraged to be inventive with Fumbles. Tetsubishi: are small, sharp caltrops scattered to delay and deter pursuit. The weight shown is for a single use of them and is enough to cover 1 megahex. The Strike Chance is the chance of throwing caltrops so that they scatter around a centre chosen by the player. In the case of a "miss" the GM should randomly determine their placement. It is possible to carefully place the caltrops, or toss them into adjacent hexes only with no chance of "missing". Kataran: are worn along the backs of the forearms and need not be prepared to use, and may be used to either attack or deflect blows (see Shields).

Shields All these weapons add to defence. Like Main Gauche, they provide to extra defence at Rank 0. Shield Type War Fan Sai Tonfa Kataran

Weight 1 2 2 2

Def / Rank 2 2 2 2

MD loss -1

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GM GUIDE

Kenjutsu

Yadomejutsu

Kenjutsu is the sword art of the warriors of Kinlu, and is usable only with the following Kinlu swords: Katana, Wakizashi, Nodachi, and Ninjato.

This sub-skill is the art of cutting missiles from the air. Whilst Evading, the student may attempt to deflect missiles or thrown weapons with their sword or a bare hand. The missile must either be aimed at the student, or aimed through the hex they occupy, and the student must be able to detect the missile. The Base Chance is: MD + Weapon Rank + 4/Rank of Yadomejutsu.

Kenjutsu ranks as Warrior for time and EP. It is not possible to add both Warrior and Kenjutsu bonuses at the same time, but where bonuses from both skills would apply the character gains the benefit of the greater. The student's effective Kenjutsu rank may not be higher than the Rank they have with the swords being used. Base Benefits The student's base chance with an appropriate sword is increased by 1% (+1/Rank). The student gains a bonus to their engaged initiative whilst they have an appropriate sword prepared of 1 (+1/Rank). The student gains a bonus to their Defence whilst they have an appropriate sword prepared of 1% (+1/Rank). At Ranks 4 & 8 the student gains a bonus of +1 to the Parry Calculation. At Ranks 5 & 10, the student inflicts an extra +1 damage. This will stack with either PS or weapon rank damage bonuses.

•

If the Strike Check is successful then the missile has been deflected.

•

If the Strike Check results in an "Endurance" then the missile may be "cut" and broken. • If the Strike Check results in a "Specific Grievous" then the missile may be caught. The student may attempt one missile deflection in a Pulse. At Rank 4, 2 missiles deflections may be attempted in a Pulse, At Rank 8, 3 missiles, At Rank 10, 4 missiles.

Iajutsu The Lightning Strike sub-skill allows a student to draw a sword and strike as a single action. This attack is made at -30% (+2/Rank), and the student's dice roll is reduced by 1 per Rank, min. 0.

Special Benefits

This is not cumulative with the Assassin ability to cause Grievous Injuries.

Piercing Thrust This ability is gained at Rank 4. A Piercing Thrust does A class damage. The attack is made with a penalty of -25% (+2/Rank) If a Specific Grievous injury is achieved, roll 2D10 (rather than D100) to ascertain the exact injury. This is a Special Attack, but may be combined with Reverse Cut or Iajutsu.

This is a Special Attack but may be combined with a Piercing Thrust.

Reverse Cut This ability is gained at Rank 8. It is an attack into any one of their flank or rear hexes. The attack is made at -10% if made to a flank or rearside hex, and at -20% if made directly to the rear. This is a Special Attack, but may be combined with Piercing Thrust.

The student may attack with one of the swords and defend themselves with the other as though it were a main-gauche.

NitoKenjutsu This sub-skill is designed around the use of 2 swords, either the Daisho (Katana & Wakizashi), or 2 Katana or 2 Ninjato.

Sub-Skills Kenjutsu contains 3 sub-skills, each of which must be ranked separately, and which rank for both time and EP as per Main-Gauche. The student may not have any of the sub-skills at higher Rank than they have Kenjutsu. These sub-skills are Yadomejutsu, Iajutsu, and NitoKenjutsu.

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The student gains 1/2 of this "main-gauche" defence against attacks made from their flank or rear. At Rank 4, the student learns the Okuden of Fire & Stone: The student may make an attempt to Disarm using both swords (at the normal disarm penalties). Both swords are used for this Disarm attempt and cannot be used for defence or another attack during the action. If successful the defending weapon must either be dropped or be broken. Some magical weapons may not be broken in this manner but will in that case certainly be wrenched from their wielder's grasp.

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GM GUIDE

Kyujutsu Kyujutsu is the art of the bow as practiced by the warriors of Kinlu, and is usable with the Kinlu Daikyu (longbow) and Hankyu (shortbow) and also with standard Alusian bows (Short, Long, etc). It cannot be used with Crossbows. Kyujutsu ranks as per Warrior for time and EP. It is not possible to add both Warrior and Kyujutsu bonuses at the same time, but should any bonuses from both skills be applicable the character gains the benefit of the greater. Base Benefits The student's base chance with a bow is increased by 1% (+1/Rank). The student gains an “engaged” initiative, whilst unengaged and with a bow prepared. This is calculated in the normal way, [AG + PC + Weapon + other bonuses], using bow rank for the weapon and adding an additional 1 (+1 per 2 full Ranks) with this skill. Using this initiative value the student may choose to act in the engaged portion of a Pulse rather than the unengaged portion, in order to fire into or otherwise effect melee combat. Only their initiative and the timing of their actions are altered, any and all action restrictions are still based on them being unengaged. The Strike Chance penalty for shooting a target in a sheltered hex is reduced by 5% (+1 / Rank) provided that the shelter is predominantly a linear obstacle between the student and the target, and there is sufficient ceiling height for the student to arch their shot.

Special Benefits Rank 4: the student gains the ability to stack an additional Aim action. Rank 5: the student gains an additional free action every Pulse. Rank 6: the Strike Chance penalty for shooting at long range is reduced to -2 per 5 hexes after first 5. Rank 7: the student may attempt a ranged Disarm attack. This is calculated as for an engaged Disarm. Rank 8: the student gains the ability to stack an additional Aim action. Rank 9: the Strike Chance penalty for shooting at long range is reduced to -1 per 5 hexes after first 5. Rank 10: the student gains an additional free action every Pulse. Additional Aim Actions No other actions may be taken between the Aim actions. Each additional Aim action increases their Strike Chance by +10, and raises the chances of Endurance and Specific Grievous damage by 5% of the modified Strike Chance. (e.g. at Rank 4 the student may use a Pass action to Aim like any other archer, then follow that with another Pass action to Aim again to gain a total of +30 to Strike Chance and raise their chances of Endurance and Specific Grievous damage to 25% and 15% of modified Strike Chance respectively). Additional Free Actions Additional free actions granted by Kyujutsu ranks may only be used to Load, Aim, Fire, Prepare, or Unprepare a Bow.

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EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Shinobi

Shinobi-jutsu

The Shinobi, stealer-in clans, may be found in the mountainous areas of Kinlu. They work for the great houses undertaking reconnaissance, spying, and assassination. A fully trained Shinobi will be skilled with many weapons (several concealable), unarmed combat, the Spy, Thief, & Assassin skills, Stealth, Courtier (or Courtesan), and with Shinobi-jutsu, the "art" of the Shinobi, and Shinobi-do, the "way" of the Shinobi

Ranks as per Unarmed Combat.

Shinobi-jutsu and Shinobi-do are quasi-mystical skills and may only be correctly acquired at Rank 0 from a Shinobi-sensei (Teacher).

At Rank 0 the student may make Multi-hex Strikes using unarmed, provided that both of their hands are free and used for this purpose.

Once acquired the skills may be ranked normally, either with the Sensei, or with a student of higher Rank. It is not possible to increase rank in either skill without the tutelage of a Sensei or a higher ranked student. Should a character acquire the skills from a Shinobi who is not a Sensei they will have to pay double the normal EP costs and will never be able to Rank the skill above Rank 5.

(note that ranking time is as a weapon). A character's Rank in Shinobi-jutsu may not be higher than their rank in Unarmed Combat). Basic Taijutsu Acts as a bonus to unarmed combat.

At Rank 4 the student's unarmed combat base damage is raised to D-3; at Rank 8 it is raised to D-2. This additional damage will stack with other skill or PS bonuses. All other aspects of unarmed combat are calculated normally from their Rank with unarmed. Iron Skin By tensing specific muscles and rolling with blows the student is able to lessen damage to their body. This ability is not cumulative with armour, but the student will receive the better of the two protections. Providing that they are Evading and are aware of the source of the damage, the student suffers: 1/2 Ranks, min. 0 less damage from C class sources. 1/5 Ranks, min. 0 less damage from B class sources. Breakfall By learning how to fall and roll properly the student may reduce damage from Falling or being Thrown (such as by TK Rage) by 1 (+1/Rank). Instant Stand The student learns to jump up from Prone almost instantly, providing that they are physically capable of doing so (e.g. has not had a leg chopped off). This does not require an action in combat but has a Base Chance of AG (+7/Rank). If the student fails their Instant Stand roll then standing up will require a Pass action as normal.

GM Note: These skills are intended to be rare. The privilege of acquiring these closely guarded skills should involve considerable character commitment. Advanced forms of both skills are rumoured to exist but their secrets are well concealed by the Shinobi clans.

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Flips & Leaps The student is able to leap 5 feet (+1/Rank) vertically. This requires a run-up of twice the height to be jumped. If no run-up is available then the height that may be achieved is halved. During leaps it is possible for the student to change facing. When leaping over a opponent, a comparison of IVs is made. If the opponent's IV is at least the (student's IV -10), they may attempt an attack on the student as they pass over.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE Meditation By using the meditative technique of kuji kiri, "nine ways cutting", the student enters a form of trance.

Shinobi-do Ranks as per Assassin. Block Pain The student learns to isolate pain within their mind. They gain a bonus to recover from Stun of 2 (+4/Rank). Note that this is an advanced form of the Erelheine Block Pain talent and is not cumulative with it, though the higher of the two may be used. All-round Sight The student becomes attuned to their surroundings and is increasingly better at defending against attacks from their flank and rear. Provided that the student is capable of detecting an Attacker, the Attacker receives (3% x Rank) less advantage for attacking through a flank or rear hex, minimum of 0% advantage. Blind Fighting The student trains for long periods either blindfolded or in darkened rooms, and develops the ability to fight using other senses. If the student cannot see their opponent, but the opponent is not undetectable, the student has a chance of sensing them of: PC (+5/Rank). This is rolled at the start of a Pulse and if successful the student's modifiers for lighting or vs. Invisible opponent are reduced by 5% (+3/Rank) in Melee, or 2% (+2/Rank) in Ranged combat, minimum 0. Resist Toxins Through a mystical control of their body the student is better able to resist the effects of disease and poisons. The student's chance of resisting or throwing off a disease or infection is increased by 5% (+5/Rank). Damage taken from poisons is reduced by 1 (+1/2 Ranks). No Sleep The student is trained to go without sleep. They may go for a period of up to 1 day (+1/3 Ranks) without feeling adverse effects. After the duration expires the student must rest for 10 hours (+4/each additional day without sleep).

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The Base Chance of achieving this state is WP (+5/Rank), with each failed attempt wasting 1/2 hour. Whilst meditating the student focuses and regains their internal energies. Each hour spent meditating is equal to 2 hours of restful sleep. Whilst meditating the student is oblivious to hunger, thirst, and harsh (though not physically damaging) temperatures. In addition, a Rank 10 student who rolls a triple effect for this skill will levitate a foot or so off the ground during the trance. The student does become less aware of their surroundings and suffers the same penalties on surprise or initiative as if sleeping. A student may remain meditating for up to 1 hour (+1/Rank), after which they may not use the meditation ability for a period equal to half the time spent meditating. This ability is rumoured to have additional applications if the student has acquired the advanced Shinobi skills.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Ships Skiff / Dinghy A skiff is a small open boat, with up to four pairs of oars and often a single sail. This category includes rowboats, tenders, the smallest sailing vessels, and any boat carried on a larger ship. Skiffs vary between 10 and 20 feet in length, and have a draft of less than two feet. River Boat A river boat is a smallish boat which is wide and shallow, designed to take maximum cargo across placid waters. River boats are usually 18 to 30 feet long, although coastal and lake versions may reach 40 feet or more. River boats will usually have several sets of oars, for pulling upstream or manoeuvring at dock. The single stepable mast will have one squarerigged, or two lateen-rigged sails. Square-rigged boats are slightly slower and have less manoeuvrability, but require significantly smaller crews. Canal Barge A canal barge is not really a boat, but merely a floating storage area. They have no sea-worthiness, and can only be used on lakes and canals, where they are usually pulled along the shore by oxen or horses, or towed by more elegant vessels. These floating warehouses may reach lengths of 60 feet, are flat-bottomed, and often nearly rectangular. Knarr A knarr is the merchant ship of the lands north of Destiny. The knarr is a one-masted square-rigged broad-beamed ship, with a single sail and a steering oar. There are no cabins; instead tarpaulins protect the cargo and crew. They cannot sail against the wind. Fishing knarrs may be 20-30 feet, coastal knarrs are typically 30-45 feet, and ocean-going or long-distance traders may reach 60 feet in length. Longship A longship is the warship of the northern lands. They are long and slender, with a single square-rigged massive sail, and up to 20 oars on a side. They require very large crews, who double as rowers and assault troops. Minimal cargo space is available. They are usually shallow and flat-bottomed so they may be beached during an attack. They cannot sail against the wind. The warships start at 60 feet, and may reach more than 100 feet in length, although seaworthiness and manoeuvrability suffer in longships over 80 feet.

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Cutter A cutter is a one or two-masted coastal ship, usually lateen rigged, with a steering oar or rudder. It is designed to manoeuvre through shoals and reefs, and be easy to operate with a limited crew. Cabins are small or absent, and the vessels often beach or anchor at night. These boats, with regional variations, exist across the baronies and are used for fishing, short coastal journeys, smuggling, and other vital economic activity. Arabia dhows and Azurian xebecs fall into the same general class of vessel. Cutters are usually from 30 to 60 feet in length, but can be larger. Cog Cogs are a true sea-faring sailing ship, inheriting some of the characteristics of the knarr, but are better against the wind, and with more cargo space and freeboard. They are also single-masted and squarerigged, clinker-built, but have a keel, a square stern and rudder. They are slow, but very safe in high seas, and require few crew. Cogs are usually 40 to 70 feet long. Large Cogs The large cog is a scaled-up version of the small cog, with fore and aft castles. It still only has one mast and a single square-rigged sail. It has a full covered deck and a hold. The great breadth of these ships, along with their simplicity of handling, makes them useful for bulk haulage up and down the baronies, but relatively few cogs are built over 100 feet, as the crew size grows too large, and the advantages over the more sophisticated carrack are lost at this scale. Carrack A carrack is a three or four-masted sailing ship developed in the last century. It has a high rounded stern, with fore and aft castles and a bowsprit. It is square-rigged on most masts, and lateen-rigged on the rear or mizzenmast. The combination of sails gives flexibility, with the large square sails providing propulsion, and the smaller sails at bow and stern allowing manouvering and sailing across the wind. Carracks are the only proper ocean-going ships outside Destiny: large enough to be stable in heavy seas, and roomy enough to carry crew, provisions and also cargo for long voyages. However, the large superstructures of these ships make them prone to toppling in strong winds. Carracks are around 100 feet long.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Caravel A caravel is a small, highly manoeuvrable multimasted ship often used for long voyages of exploration. It is a specialised kind of carrack. Because of its relatively small size, the caravel is able to explore upriver in shallow coastal waters, and it can be sailed with the precision necessary for inshore surveying in unknown waters. Using the lateen sails it can go speedily over shallow water, while with the square sails, the caravel is very fast. Its versitility, speed, agility, and power makes the caravel the best sailing vessel of its time. It generally carries two or three masts with lateen sails. It has the same rig as a carrack, with a foresail, square mainsail and lateen mizzen, but minimal fore- and aft-castles. Caravels are usually 60 to 75 feet long. Galleon The galleon is a standard Destinian design. The Destinians have always been radically advanced in ship building. A galleon is a large, multi-decked sailing ship used for both military and trade purposes. The galleon differs from the conventional carrack primarily by being longer, lower and narrower. Galleons are purpose-built warships, and are stronger, more heavily armed, and around half the time to build as a carrack, and are therefore a much better vessel. Galleons can also be rigged to sail with minimal crew; essential for taking prizes or after casualties. Galleons are usually over 100 feet long. Trireme The nations past the Isles of Adventure are in an inland sea, with relatively peaceful waters. Dealing with high seas and strong winds is not as important as short-term speed for ramming. These factors led to a different kind of great ship, the trireme. This vessel is powered by three banks of oars, and is very narrow, as it has no sails and therefore need not sail into the wind. Triremes are shallow in draft, so may land on beaches, need few skilled crew, no wind, and are highly manoeuvrable in combat. Triremes are 80 to 120 feet long. Smaller biremes only have two banks of oars, while quinquereme with five banks of oars are used for flagships. Galley The galley is an advanced Lunar Empire trireme with a length of at least 100 feet, 18 to 24 oars, a single mast with either a square or lateen sail, and a square stern with a rudder. A cross between the galley and carrack, the larger galleass, with 30 or more oars a side, fore- and aft-castles and three masts, is currently being developed by the Azurian Empire. The galliot is a small, light type of galley, around 60-80 feet long. All these vessels need vast quantities of rowers, who are usually slaves or convicts.

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Junk The junk is a huge ocean-going vessel devised in the Orient. While far older in origin, it has similar properties to the caravel. The elliptical sails are lateen rigged, but have battens at regular intervals, giving more rigidity, flatter sails and more control of reefing. The holds are wide, and up to 4 decks deep, and have multiple water-tight compartments. It is said that Junks had the first rudders. Junks can vary between 100 and 300 feet long, and have between 4 and 8 masts. Smaller coastal junks are between 60 and 120 feet, and have 3 to 5 masts. Elven Trimaran The sea elves have ships consisting of three very long, thin hulls, and a platform joining them above the waterline. They appear to be very fast and manoeuvrable, with very large decks for troops, cargo, or deck parties. They are also very stable in high seas. It is unclear how this design works, as attempts to reproduce it have all failed. Presumably magic is used in the construction, but the ships themselves can be sailed without magic. They are usually lateen rigged, and often have multiple masts. They vary in size from multi-hull skiffs to hundreds of feet long, but are usually 50 to 100 feet in length. Magical Vessels There are a number of ships that can fly, travel over land, or otherwise behave miraculously. Each ship is unique, but is usually similar in appearance to the standard water-based vessels of the ship-builder’s culture. Crewing, manoeuvrability, and speed will usually be vastly superior to a mundane ship. Magically Powered Vessels While a magically created and powered vessel may theoretically be of any shape, the vessels formed are usually those familiar to the Adept. Creating an inherently unseaworthy vessel will have undesirable consequences on open water, regardless of the supporting magic. Powering a mundanely assembled vessel at extreme speeds can lead a vessel to stave in and scuttle itself under the extreme forces. Other ships Ships made of bound reeds, hundred-foot canoes carved from a single tree, rowboats of animal hide and many other peculiar boat types exist in other cultures. Most of these are either rowed or use a single square-rigged sail. Of other races, dwarves and halflings have no naval tradition, while orcs tend toward the simplest muscle-powered galleys or longships.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Example Ships While individual ships of each type will vary wildly, statistics for a typical example of each ship type is listed below. The crew size is a recommended typical size – less will reduce performance and increase risks. The speeds (in knots) are average speeds sustainable for an hour, under fair conditions, with an average crew and a master (Rank 8) Navigator. Any greater speed may put undue strain on the boat – magical speeds without magical protection can rip a boat asunder.

Vessel

Length Beam

Draft Weight

Usage

Crew Size Cost (sp)

Skiff

15

6

2

500 lbs

anywhere

3

200

River Boat 30

11

2

6 tons

river + lake

10

2,000

Barge

50

20

3

25 tons

lake + canal

4

2,500

Knarr

40

12

3

10 tons

coastal ocean

15

4,000

Longship

80

16

4

35 tons

coastal ocean

70

10,000

Cutter

40

15

4

15 tons

coastal

12

5,000

Cog

60

24

8

80 tons

ocean

25

20,000

Large Cog 90

36

12

300 tons

ocean

60

50,000

Carrack

100

35

10

500 tons

ocean

100

100,000

Caravel

70

15

6

80 tons

ocean + coastal 25

60,000

Galleon

120

34

9

300 tons

ocean

40

140,000

Trireme

100

20

5

60 tons

inland sea

120

20,000

Galley

130

26

6

120 tons

inland sea

200

40,000

Junk

200

60

15

2000 tons

ocean + coastal 250

N/A

Trimaran

80

60

7

10 tons

anywhere

N/A

Vessel

Best Best Best Sail Angle to Oars / Rowing Masts Sail Type Speed Wind Side Speed

Good Maximum Distance Wind / Day Force

Skiff

0/1

20

either

6

70

2

3

40

5

River Boat 1

either

6

80

4

3

40

4

Barge

0

none

--

--

4

2

15

3

Knarr

1

square

8

90

8

3

50

7

Longship

1

square

9

90

16

5.5

70

7

Cutter

1

either

8

70

2

2

70

8

Cog

1

square

7

80

--

--

50

9

Large Cog 1

square

7

80

--

--

50

8

Carrack

3/4

both

9

70

--

--

90

8

Caravel

3

both

9.5

60

--

--

100

9

Galleon

3/4

both

11

60

--

--

120

9

Trireme

0

square

--

--

50

6

60

6

Galley

1

square

9

80

80

5

80

6

Junk

3-8

lateen

12

60

--

--

130

9

Trimaran

1-3

lateen

16

40

--

--

180

10

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EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Vessel Usage • • • • • • • • •

River Boats and Barges are used by all inland nations on rivers and lakes. The Western Kingdom, Eltrandor & Ranke have large river networks with several lakes. Alfheim has magical canal barges. Knarrs and Longships are used by the nations north of Destiny, such as Norden and Svenway. Coastal cutters are used by all coastal baronies. Cogs are used by the less-adept seagoing nations. These includes Aladar, Aquilla, and Bowcourt. Carracks and Caravels are used at sea by Ranke, Carzala, Flugelheim / Artsdorf, and Azuria Galleons are used exclusively by Destiny and their colonies such as Bretonnia and Ebola. Triremes and Galleys are used by the Lunar Empire and Hellenic States and other sheltered coasts. Junks are used by the Five Sisters, Kin Lu and the drow of coastal Terranova. Trimarans are used by the Elvish Isles.

Five Sisters Junk

Aladarian Cog

Norden Knarr Carzalan Caravel

Eltrandorian Cutter

Destinian Galleon 24

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Storm Priests

per Rank) per dose. The cost is 50 Silver Pennies. The Base Chance is 60% (+2 per Rank).

Storm Priests are practitioners of the College of Witchcraft who have dedicated themselves to Kukulak (Khulian God of Storms) and concerned themselves especially with the destructive forces of nature. Storm Priests are affected by the same Restrictions and Base Chance Modifiers as other members of the College of Witchcraft, except that they gain an additional +5 to all Talent, Spell, and Ritual Base Chances when those magics are performed within a storm. In addition to the magics listed below a Storm Priest also learns the Witchcraft General & Special Knowledge Counterspells, Ritual Spell Preparation, and Ritual of Purification; and may learn the Ward Ritual, but may not learn the Ritual of Investment.

Distilling Love Philtres: The ability to distil from a variety of substances a Love Philtre which will cause the imbiber to fall in love with the first entity upon whom he or she sets eyes after drinking it (regardless of species or sex). The Base Chance to prepare the Philtre is 30% (+3 / Rank). The cost of the materials will average 600 silver pennies. The effects of the substance will last for 1 week (+1 / Rank), unless dispelled by the casting of the General Knowledge Counterspell of the College of Witchcraft by the creator of the Love Philtre, or by the successful use of the Curse Removal Ritual. In the latter case, the curse is treated as minor.

Talents Farsensing (T-1) Range: 15 feet + 15 / Rank Duration: Active Concentration Experience Multiple: 150 Target: Familiar Effects: The Adept can, by remaining stationary and actively concentrating for the duration of the talent’s workings, see, hear, taste, smell and feel the same things as their familiar, provided that the familiar is within range. This talent allows no special communication with the familiar, merely the ability to use their senses. The Adept must have already acquired a familiar through the use of the Finding Familiar Ritual (Q-1) for this talent to be effective. It takes 10 seconds (-1 / Rank) for the Adept to tune in to the familiar’s senses. If the familiar is killed while the Adept is using this Talent, the magical backlash is harsher, due to the tighter link, and the amount of magical damage incurred is increased by 5 points, see Q-1. Special Alchemy (T-2) Experience Multiple: 350 Effects: The Adept gains certain knowledge of Alchemy. The specific benefits accruing to the Adept are: Distilling Venoms: The Adept gains the ability to distil venoms from such plants as belladonna. The Adept functions as a Rank 1 Alchemist for this purpose. See the Alchemist Skill. Distilling Toad’s Sweat: The ability to distil a dose of a potion of Toad’s Sweat that will remove blemishes, warts, corns, pimples, etc., at the rate of 1 disfigurement (wart, corn, etc.) (+1

Distilling (In)Fertility Potions: The ability to distil from a variety of substances a Potion of Fertility or Infertility that increases or decreases the chances of conception by 5% (+5 / Rank). It has a 30% (+3 / Rank) chance of working and may be passively resisted by the imbiber. The effects of the Potion of Fertility last 1 day (+1 / 3 or fraction Ranks) whilst that of the Potion of Infertility last 1 week (+1 / 3 or fraction Ranks), unless dispelled by the casting of the General Knowledge Counterspell of the College of Witchcraft by the creator of Potion or a Ritual of Remove Curse is employed. If the latter option is taken, the curse is considered a Minor Curse. The cost of ingredients is 100 silver pennies. The Base Chance of conception for player character races may be found in the Character Generation section. A roll for conception should not be made more than once in 48 hours. Distilling Restorative Potions: The ability to distil from a variety of substances a potion which, when imbibed, subtracts 2 from Endurance and restores 4 lost Fatigue. The amount subtracted from Endurance is increased by 1 and the amount of Fatigue restored is increased by 2 per Rank. The Fatigue so restored may have been lost through damage or tiredness, including spell casting. The potion will only restore lost Fatigue. The Endurance damage caused by this potion is physical damage and thus may stun and can be healed by normal means. The effects of drinking this potion may be passively resisted. The ingredients for this potion cost 500 silver pennies. The Base Chance is 30% (+3 / Rank). Distilling Strength Potions: The ability to distil from a variety of

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substances a potion which will increase the imbibers Physical Strength by 1 (+1 / 2 full Ranks) for 10 minutes (+10 / Rank). The cost of ingredients is 200 silver pennies. The Base Chance is 30% (+3 / Rank). Whenever a Storm Priest wishes to distil potions they must spend [D+7] hours with the appropriate equipment (fire, pot/cauldron, condenser, potion bottle etc.) and pay for ingredients. The quantity mixed does not effect the time required, but they are limited to the manufacture of one end product at any time and a single success or failure roll applies to the entire batch. Making Amulets: The ability to make the following amulets. The Adept gains the ability to make one amulet, of their choosing, per Rank of Talent. Amethyst: Wards bad dreams and assists the wearer in achieving a restful sleep. Increases the wearer’s Fatigue recovery during sleep periods by 10% (round down). Cost: 3000 sp Aquilegias: The wearer subtracts 10 from all rolls on the Fright Table. Cost: 2400 sp Beryl: Increases the wearer’s ability to detect traps and ambushes by 5. Cost: 4000 sp Betony: Decreases the wearer’s Base Chance of infection by 15. Cost: 2200 sp Bloodstone: Prevents miscarriage and decreases Base Chance of infection by 20. Cost: 3000 sp Carbuncle: Decreases damage done by poison by 2 points of damage per pulse or day. Cost 9600 sp Chalcedony: No undead will willingly approach closer than 10 feet to the wearer in most cases. Cost 4800 sp Diamonds: all of the wearer’s Strike Chances are increased by 2. Cost: 8000 sp Elder Flowers: Makes the wearer proof against the Evil Eye. Cost: 400 sp Hypericum: Increases the wearer’s Magic Resistance by 10 to any magical act performed by a Demon or Daemonic being. Cost: 800 sp Iron: No Demon or Daemonic being will willingly approach closer than 10 feet to the wearer in most cases. Cost: 4000 sp Jade: No undead will willingly approach closer than 30 feet to the wearer in most cases. Cost: 4000 sp Jet: No Demon or Daemonic being will willingly approach closer than 50 feet to the wearer in most cases. Cost: 4800 sp Luck: Made from tiger’s or alligator’s teeth. It increases the wearer’s Magic Resistance by 3 and subtracts 2 from

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005 any Strike Check made against the wearer. Cost: 2400 sp. Note that the “cost” is the cost of material necessary to manufacture the amulet. Each amulet requires 3 days to manufacture once the necessary materials have been gathered or purchased. Amulets are usually sold at (cost + 25%). The time taken to prepare an Amulet is full-time work, and no training may be undertaken at the same time. Those amulets that prevent the “willing approach” of certain creatures create a “circle of protection” around the wearer. The creatures protected against will not willingly cross the circle’s boundary, but if forced across it, for instance by the approach of the wearer, are no longer inconvenienced by the protection. Witchsight (T-3) Experience Multiple: 200 Base Chance: Perception +5 / Rank Effects: The Adept has a Base Chance equal to their Perception (+5 / Rank) of seeing objects which are normally invisible or which have been rendered invisible by magical means (ie. such spells as Walking Unseen, Blending, and Invisibility). The Adept may also see in dark and/or stormy conditions as a Human does on a cloudy day, with an effective range of 150 feet under the open sky, and 75 feet elsewhere. Storm Affinity (T-4) Experience Multiple: 250 Effects: The Adept and their possessions are completely protected from all forms of water damage. Due to their close association with the environment, the Adept can modify the Force downwards and Gauge upwards on the Weather Scale Table by 1 per 4 full Ranks, for themselves. Further more, they will not be harmed by storms unless of a magical nature with a Rank greater than their Rank in this Talent (this includes the Spells of: Whirlwind Vortex, Windstorm, Freezing Wind, Maelstrom, Rainstorm, and Waterspout). Predict Weather (T-5) Experience Multiple: 50 Base Chance: 30% (+4 / Rank) Effects: The Adept may predict the local weather over the next day (+1 / 3 full Ranks). The Adept must be outside or able to see the sky to use this ability. If the Adept has resided in the area for a length of time they will be more familiar with the local weather. If they have lived in the area for over one month they will receive a bonus for predicting weather in the

GM GUIDE season they are familiar with. If they have lived in the area for over one year they will receive a bonus in any season. Time

Familiarity

Bonus

1 month

Current season

+5% †

1 year

Complete

+10% †

† only one modifier applies

General Knowledge Spells Damnum Minatum (G-1) Range: 15 feet +15 / Rank Duration: 10 seconds +10 / Rank Experience Multiple: 200 Base Chance: 40% Resist: May be actively & passively resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Target: Entity Effects: The Adept curses any one target within range with a particular unpleasantness as listed below. If the effects of the curse are doubled or tripled, the Adept may inflict 2 or 3 different results. The curse is permanent until a General Knowledge Counterspell of the College of Witchcraft is cast over the afflicted entity, a Ritual of Remove Curse is employed, the duration expires, or the effect is cured by a Healer of the appropriate Rank. Curses that have a duration, or which may be cured by a Healer, are indicated in their descriptions. If a Ritual of Remove Curse is employed , the Damnum Minatum is considered a Minor Curse. A separate Counterspell or Ritual of Remove Curse must be used on each separate curse. Identical Damnum Minatum effects are not cumulative. Note that the Adept may always choose to inflict a curse of a lesser Rank than their actual Rank. The curses that the Adept may inflict are dependent on the Rank of the spell: Rank Curse 0-3 Boils 1 (+1 / Rank); Warts 1 (+1 / Rank). 4-6 Clumsiness (-1 AG); Maladroitness (-1 MD). 7-9 Weakness (-2 PS); Poor Health (-3 EN); Cowardice (-3 WP & +5 to all Fright Table rolls); Total Deafness. 13-15 Partial Amnesia (-1 Rank from all Magic and Skills); Insomnia (only regain half Fatigue (round up) during sleep periods for D10 weeks); Virulent Skin Disease (intense pain and a hideous appearance, -10 PB & -3 WP until cured by a Healer - permanent loss of -1 PB for each full week of infection as a result of scarring). 16-17 Total Blindness; Delirium Tremens(-5 MD & -3 PC); Migraines (1 WP & -3 MA until cured by a Rank 2

26

Healer); Periodic Muscle Spasms (-5 MD & reduce EN by half (round down) until cured by a Rank 2 Healer). 18-19 Total Muteness; Arthritic Enfeeblement (-4 MD & -3 AG & reduce Fatigue by half (round down) until cured by a Rank 3 Healer); Creeping Senility (-10 to all Spell Base Chances & -2 MA and an additional -2 MA for each full week). 20 Total Amnesia (lose all skills, knowledge, ranks and magical abilities except native language for a period of D10 days). Darkness (G-2) Range: 15 feet +15 / Rank Duration: 15 minutes +15 / Rank Experience Multiple: 100 Base Chance: 60% Resist: May not be resisted Storage: Ward Target: Volume Effects: The Adept creates a volume in which non-magical light is partially suppressed. The volume will be 1000 cubic feet (+500 / Rank), and may be in any one contiguous area that the Adept desires, provided that no dimension is smaller than 1 foot. The entire volume must be visible and within range at the time of casting and may not be moved. At Ranks 0-5 the amount of light within the volume is reduced to 10% (appears as though lit on a cloudy night), at Ranks 6-10 it is reduced to 5% (as though a windowless room), at Ranks 11-15 it is reduced to 1% (so dark that night vision like that of a cat will take about a minute to adjust), and at Ranks 1620 all light is banished (i.e. totally dark). Although infravision works off heat and elvish and dwarvish vision work in total darkness, it is still not possible to see at all at Ranks 16-20. It will not aid in providing magical bonuses for casting purposes, though it will reduce penalties due to natural light by up to 5% +1 / Rank. If the lighting conditions are lower than that provided by the spell, no effect will be apparent. Note that because light is only being suppressed, it may still pass through, and no shadows are generated. If it is possible to see through a darkness, all beyond it is perfectly visible. This spell can engender silhouettes of lit objects against the darkness, though not create shadows. Any of this volume may be overridden by a higher Ranked Spell of Light, or neutralised (back to original conditions) by an equal Rank. Evil Eye (G-3) Range: 15 feet +15 / Rank Duration: 1 day +1 / Rank Experience Multiple: 300

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005 Base Chance: 20% Resist: May only be passively resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Target: Entity Effects: By use of this spell, the Adept curses the target with ill-fortune. Unless the target resists, all their Base Chances, Strike Chances, and their Magic Resistance are reduced by the Rank of the spell (1 if unranked). This spell is a minor curse. False Rumours (G-4) Range: 15 feet +15 / Rank Duration: 10 seconds +10 / Rank Experience Multiple: 100 Base Chance: 40% Resist: May only be passively resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Target: Entity or Area Effects: The Adept subdues the spirits of the air within range of the spell and makes them set up aural illusions to mislead the enemy. Anyone within, or entering, the area must passively resist or hear false rumours and the sound of conspiratol whispering (or any other distortion from scraps of conversation, the clank of armour, the sound of falling bodies, of marching armies, of song etc., so long as the noises are in some way threatening to the listener). Alternately the Adept may target a single entity, in which case they need not remain within range but will be followed by air spirits and harassed with half-heard sounds for the duration of the spell. Fear (G-5) Range: 15 feet +15 / Rank Duration: Immediate Experience Multiple: 350 Base Chance: 20% Resist: May be actively & passively resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Target: Entity Effects: The Adept instils in the target an uncontrollable fear. Unless the target successfully resists they must roll on the Fright Table. If a double effect is achieved the Adept may choose to modify the Fright Table roll up or down by an amount equal to the Rank of the spell. If a triple effect is achieved the Adept may modify the Fright Table roll by twice the Rank of the spell. See the Fright Table for the exact results of Fear. Harm Entity (G-6) Range: 15 feet +15 / Rank Duration: 10 seconds +10 / Rank Experience Multiple: 200 Base Chance: 20% Resist: May be actively & passively resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap

GM GUIDE Target: Entity Effects: Unless successfully resisted, the Adept causes the target intense pain for the duration of the spell. The target must check to see if their concentration is broken and must subtract 10 (+3 / Rank) from their Strike Chances whilst suffering the pain. The difficulty multiplier for the Concentration Check is dependent on the Rank of the spell: Rank 0 Rank 6 Rank 11 Rank 16 Rank 20+

To rank 5 To rank 10 To rank 15 To rank 19

3 2½ 2 1 ½

No actual damage is inflicted as a result of this spell. Note that Mind Mages will be somewhat unaffected by this spell, and may halve the reduction to their Strike Chances. Hypnotism (G-7) Range: 15 feet Duration: Concentration (maximum 5 minutes +5 / Rank) Experience Multiple: 200 Base Chance: 40% Resist: May be actively & passively resisted Storage: None Target: Entity Effects: The Adept may lull an entity that is within range into a trance-like state in which they will be subject to suggestion. The spell may not be cast over a totally hostile entity. Once the subject has been hypnotised, the Adept may make suggestions (provided that they can communicate verbally with the subject) that will be readily accepted unless they directly conflict with the subject's best interests. The subject will remain suggestible so long as the Adept maintains concentration and the subject remains in range. The subject will continue to implement implanted suggestions for 3 hours (+3 / Rank) after the suggestions have been made, even when no longer hypnotised. The subject will never have any idea where the suggestion that it is implementing came from. Mind Cloak (G-8) Range: Self Duration: 1 hour +2 / Rank Experience Multiple: 250 Base Chance: 30% Resist: May not be resisted Storage: Potion Target: Self Effects: The Adept creates a cloak around their own mind so that their thoughts cannot be detected or read. This spell does not prevent the Adept's presence or emotions from being

27

detected, but their mind will simply not appear to be there when an attempt is made to "read" it. Storm Calling (G-9) Range: Works at any range Duration: 60 minutes +30 / Rank Experience Multiple: 200 Base Chance: 40% Resist: May not be resisted Storage: Magical Trap Target: Special Effects: The Adept may summon any storm front which may exist anywhere in sight. Upon reaching the spot occupied by the Adept at the time of casting, the storm front will slow and finally cease moving and begin a downpour (snow, rain, hail, sleet, or whatever else the GM feels the clouds may contain). Generally a storm front can be seen for 20 or 30 miles. If no front can be seen the spell may still be cast, but the Base Chance is reduced by 20. The storm front will take D × 3 1 / Rank minutes to arrive. Once the duration has expired, the weather will gradually return to normal over a similar amount of time. Walking Unseen (G-10) Range: 1 foot +1 / Rank Duration: 1 hour +1 / Rank Experience Multiple: 100 Base Chance: 60% Resist: May not be resisted Storage: Potion, Ward, Magical Trap Target: Entity Effects: The target of this spell may move unnoticed, not invisible. This means that it will not transmit light. As a consequence the target will cast a shadow, which may or may not be noticed, depending on the lighting conditions, etc, and will have a reflection in a mirror or other reflective surface. However, the target may not be noticed even if another entity is looking directly at them. An entity will get a Perception check to notice the target if the target becomes invasive to the entity's senses (e.g. putting their hands over the entity's eyes). Note that a Crystal of Vision or similar means of viewing is considered direct viewing and is affected by this spell. If the target, or the target's possessions, are touched by another entity, or an entity's possessions, then the spell is broken. Although not truly invisible, the target may be detected by using magical means to detect invisible entities (e.g. Witchsight). Wind Whistle (G-11) Range: 25 feet +25 / Rank Duration: 10 minutes +10 / Rank Experience Multiple: 100 Base Chance: 40%

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005 Resist: May not be resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Target: Area Effects: The Adept can affect the course and strength of airflow within range. By so doing they will be able to change the wind direction so that they can hear whispered conversation at 5 hexes (+1 / Rank), blow out candles or lanterns, or spread the progress of a fire in a particular direction. They may set the speed of the wind at up to 5 mph (+1 / Rank). The Adept may also use this spell to bring a pocketful of breathable air to an airless room, although they will not be able to use this spell to allow them to breath under water.

General Knowledge Rituals Ritual of Finding Familiar (Q-1) Duration: Special Experience Multiple: 250 Base Chance: 40% +4 / Rank Resist: May not be resisted Target: Storm Devil Cast Time: 1 hour Actions: Concentration Materials: A storm must be present Concentration Check: Standard Effects: The Adept may attempt to summon a Storm Devil which will serve them as a familiar. This Ritual must be performed within a storm, in which case a Storm Devil will arrive at the Adept’s location in (25 - Rank) minutes. The Adept must promise to protect the Storm Devil and show it a good time. The GM should roll a reaction check for the Storm Devil. If the result is Enraged it will attack, if Belligerent it leaves immediately, otherwise it will agree to serve the Adept as a familiar. If the Adept mistreats it in any way, the Storm Devil will run away and a new familiar must be found. The Storm Devil will serve the Adept to the best of its ability, warning them of danger, and so forth. If the familiar is killed, the Adept suffers [D+5] points of damage in the form of a magical backlash. The damage may not be resisted. An Adept may only have one familiar at a time. Ritual of Rune Reading (Q-2) Duration: Immediate (during ritual) Experience Multiple: 300 Base Chance: 20% +3 / Rank Resist: May not be resisted Target: Special Cast Time: 30 minutes Actions: Casting runestones Materials: Bowl, runestones, and drops of fresh blood from those entities to be subject to the divination

GM GUIDE Concentration Check: None Effects: The Adept may cast runestones to gain insight and information. Rune Readings may be used in one of two ways. Divining Enchantment: The Adept may use their runestones to attempt to determine if an entity or object is currently, or has recently been, subject to a magical effect. An object must be present, within 5 feet (+1 / Rank), for the entire duration, or three drops of blood from the entity concerned must be collected in a bowl containing the runestones. Upon successfully performing this ritual the Adept gains knowledge of all magics currently affecting the subject and all magics that have been in effect during the previous Rank weeks. The exact name and college of the magics are revealed, or if non-colleged in origin, their general effects are revealed. Used in this way, the Ritual of Rune Reading will not Backfire. Divining the Future: The Adept may attempt to learn something about future events concerning those from which they have collected three drops of blood. The Adept must decide on a question to be posed or a general course of action being considered before attempting the divination. The GM may make the reading as simple or as complex as they desire, but in all cases the information gained should be vague. Example: If, for instance, the Adept and companions were considering entering a ruined castle, that the GM had determined to contain a particularly nasty troll and a considerable sum of money, then the reading might be: “Grave danger guards the path to fortune.” If the Adept fails in this option the reading will be gibberish and obviously a failure, but if a Backfire occurs, a sensible but otherwise false reading will be gained. Ritual of Storm Dancing (Q-3) Experience Multiple: 350 Actions: Dancing Materials: A storm must be present Effects: For every hour that the Adept spends dancing within a storm they will be restored of [D10 + Rank/2 (round down) - 5] (minimum 1) points of Endurance then Fatigue lost due to damage or tiredness, including spell casting. This ritual will also cure any infections and diseases, and repair any damage, which could be healed by a Healer of Rank/3 (round down).

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Ritual of Windspeak (Q-4) Experience Multiple: 150 Base Chance: 2 × MA +3 / Rank Actions: None Materials: None Effects: The Adept can speak with the whispering spirits of the wind, learning what they have seen or heard and even soliciting their aid. All winds within 400 feet (+400 / Rank) can be communed with in this manner. There is no backfire.

Special Knowledge Spells Ball of Lightning (S-1) Range: 35 feet +10 / Rank Duration: Immediate Experience Multiple: 350 Base Chance: 30% Resist: May only be passively resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Target: Entity or Object Effects: This spell creates a ball of lightning which shoots from the caster to the target. The ball is utterly silent and moves in a straight line. Anything standing between the caster and the target will be struck instead. Upon striking anything the ball explodes, in a bright flash, causing [D-1] (+1 / Rank) electrical damage. If the target successfully resists the damage is halved (round up). If the target fails to resist they are also blinded for Rank / 4 pulses (round down). Barrier of Wind (S-2) Range: 5 feet +1 / Rank Duration: 30 minutes +30 / Rank Experience Multiple: 150 Base Chance: 30% Resist: May not be resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Target: Entity Effects: This spell forms a swirling pattern of wind around an entity in all directions. Thrown and missile weapons passing through the barrier have a chance of being deflected from their course, to impact harmlessly elsewhere. The deflection adds 5 (+2 / Rank) to defence against missiles. This spell provides a bonus of 5 (+1 / Rank) to defence in Melee or Close Combat. Blessing Crops (S-3) Range: Sight Duration: 1 year +1 / Rank Experience Multiple: 125 Base Chance: 40% Resist: May not be resisted Storage: None Target: Area Effects: This spell increases the richness of the soil of 1 acre (+1 / Rank). For the duration of the spell everything grown in that soil will be

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005 proof against locusts, droughts, flooding, frost and other natural disasters. This spell will also dissipate the effects of a Spell of Blighting Crops which has previously been cast on the target area of this spell. Blessing on Unborn Child (S-4) Range: Sight Duration: Until birth of target's child Experience Multiple: 200 Base Chance: 20% Resist: May be actively & passively resisted Storage: Potion, Magical Trap Target: Entity Effects: The Adept may curse or bless any unborn child whose mother is in sight while she is pregnant. The Adept may increase or decrease any one characteristic of the child by 1 (+1 / 3 or fraction Ranks). This spell may only be cast on the same unborn child more than once if it is cast by different Adepts, and is used on different characteristics. The spell may raise characteristics above normal racial maximums. If cast so as to curse, it is a Major Curse and may only be removed before the child is born. Note that if this spell is made into a potion, the target of the spell is the imbiber. The imbiber may only passively resist the effects of the potion's magic. Blighting Crops (S-5) Range: Sight Duration: 1 year +1 / Rank Experience Multiple: 125 Base Chance: 45% Resist: May not be resisted Storage: None Target: Area Effects: This spell causes 1 acre (+1 / Rank) of land which is within sight to become sour and lose fertility. There is a 20% (+1 / Rank) chance of future crops failing while this spell is in effect. Those years that the crops do not fail, they will be stunted and approximately half a normal yield will be obtained. This spell is a Minor Curse. This spell will also dissipate the effects of a Spell of Blessing Crops which has previously been cast on the target area of this spell. Bolt of Lightning (S-6) Range: 60 feet Duration: Immediate Experience Multiple: 225 Base Chance: 30% Resist: May be actively & passively resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Target: Entity or Object Effects: The Adept may throw a single bolt of lightning 60 feet long from their finger-tips. The bolt must extend the

GM GUIDE full 60 feet and will deflect off stone until it reaches its full extent. All targets that are in the path of the bolt suffer [D+5] (+1 / 3 Ranks) damage (save for half - round up). In addition any target who fails to resist is automatically stunned. Creating Plague (S-7) Range: 15 feet Duration: 1 day +1 / Rank Experience Multiple: 200 Base Chance: 20% Resist: May be actively & passively resisted Storage: Potion, Ward, Magical Trap Target: Entity Effects: This spell infects any one target with one of the following diseases: The target will not die of the disease, but will become habitually ill and all who come in contact with them (except the Adept who cast the spell) may contract a potentially fatal dose of the disease. In effect the target becomes a carrier. This spell is a Major Curse. Note that if this spell is made into a potion, the target of the spell is the imbiber. The imbiber may only passively resist the effects of the potion's magic. Rank 0-5 6-10 11-15 16-18 19-20

Disease Measles Consumption Typhoid Bubonic Plague Pneumonic Plague

Damnum Magnatum Range: 20 feet +15 / Rank Duration: Special Experience Multiple: 600 Base Chance: 5% Resist: May be actively & passively resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Target: Entity Effects: The Damnum Magnatum is a Major Curse and may take one of three forms, as chosen by the Adept. The Damnum Magnatum may normally only be removed by the use of a Remove Curse Ritual, by a Counter Spell cast by the Adept who laid the curse, or by the death of the target. This spell may not be dissipated. Affliction: The Adept may choose to torment or kill the target. If the effects of the affliction are intended to be deadly, the target may not die as a result of the curse before (24 - Rank) hours have passed. The Adepts player states what the affliction is to do, and then the exact effects and results must be decided by the GM. In addition to the normal ways of lifting a curse,

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afflictions may have durations or conditions worded into them, in which case the curse is lifted when the duration expires or the condition is met. Players should note that afflictions are particularly capricious, and can never be relied upon to operate in precisely the same manner twice. Some sample afflictions are: Target begins to age at 10 years per day. Target may die of old age. Once the curse is lifted the target will age backwards to their correct age at the same rate. Target contracts a deadly disease (including open, running sores) that may not be cured by the arts of a Healer. Target is transformed into a frog or other small creature (but retain their own mind). Condition: the curse may be lifted by the kiss of a member of royalty of the opposite gender. Target is cursed with lycanthropy (random species). Target will fall into a century long sleep (see Hibernation, College of Air Magics). Ill Luck: Add two times the Rank of the Adept with this spell to any percentile dice roll involving the target's use of their abilities. This may never be applied favourably. Note that this is an addition to the dice roll, not a subtraction from Base Chances. Doom: A doom is a pronouncement, by the Adept, upon an event which will occur in the target's future, such as "You will die by the hand of a loved one." The statement, which must be indefinite, will come true in not less than 24 - Rank weeks. The doom remains until it is fulfilled, and may not be removed by a Remove Curse Ritual, or even by the death of the target, unless the death fulfils the doom. The target is immediately aware of the nature of the doom, and its wording. A doom may be modified, so as to decrease its severity, make the time factor longer etc., by the casting of a modified doom on the same target, by an Adept with Rank in this spell at least equal to the Rank at which the original doom was cast. The exact effects of the doom must be decided by the GM, and players should note that two dooms, even if worded the same, need not have precisely the same effects. Darkeyes (S-9) Range: 15 feet +15 / Rank Duration: 1 hour +1 / Rank Experience Multiple: 100 Base Chance: 60%

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005 Resist: May not be resisted Storage: Ward, Potion Target: Entity Effects: The target of this spell will be able to see perfectly even in pitch blackness to a range of 50 feet (+10 / Rank). The limits of vision are the same as for the target during the day, except that they will be able to detect infinitesimally small movements that would normally not be noticed by a character during daylight. If a sudden light is produced in front of a character using this particular spell, they will be blinded for D10 pulses. Earth Tremor (S-10) Range: 15 feet + 15 / Rank Duration: 5 seconds +5 / Rank Experience Multiple: 350 Base Chance: 20 % Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Resist: May not be resisted Target: Area Effects: By the use of this spell the Adept causes the very earth to pitch and roll uncontrollably as though in a tremendous earthquake. The area that may be affected is 5 feet diameter (+5 feet / Rank). Any entities within the area must roll 1 × AG to retain their footing. Those who fail to remain standing fall prone immediately and may not rise for the duration of the tremor. Objects within the area will tend to topple and roll around. if the spell is cast under part of, or all of, a building, wall, or other such construction, significant structural damage will occur, probably causing partial or total collapse. Flash Flood (S-11) Range: 600 feet +600 / Rank Duration: 30 seconds +30 / Rank Experience Multiple: 500 Base Chance: 2% Resist: May not be resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Target: Watercourse Effects: The Adept causes a particular watercourse within range to swell and burst its banks. The watercourse can be a stream, dry river bed, small or large river (i.e. anywhere that might be subject to such an occurrence naturally, including drains and sewers). The flood will occur with very little warning. After 30 seconds of low rumblings, the water level will suddenly rise, sweeping all before it. The flood will wipe out any small bridges and dams within range, wash people away, unhorse riders, wash wagons and carts away (chance of destruction is dependent upon construction). The effects are most noticeable on small rivers and dry river beds. On a large river, the flood might appear as a large wave which would

GM GUIDE look rather innocuous at a distance but which would wreak just as much havoc. After the spell duration expires, the water level will drop just as quickly as it rose. All those caught in the flow must make a successful swimming roll to avoid drowning. If a person is unhorsed they must make a horsemanship roll to stay with their horse, in which case they may use their horse's Rank in swimming (generally 8) to avoid drowning. Lightning Strike (S-12) Range: 10 feet +10 / Rank Duration: Immediate Experience Multiple: 675 Base Chance: 5% Resist: May only be passively resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Target: Entity Effects: The Adept calls forth from a storm bolts of lightning to strike 1 (+1 / 4 full Ranks) entities within range. Those struck by the lightning suffer [D+5] (+2 / Rank) damage (save for half - round up). Any targets who fail to resist are automatically stunned. This spell may only be cast outside when a storm is present. Maelstrom (S-13) Range: 30 feet +30 / Rank Duration: 10 seconds +10 / Rank Experience Multiple: 500 Base Chance: 10% Resist: May only be passively resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Target: Volume of water Effects: The Adept creates a horrifying watery vortex with a diameter of 10 feet (+10 / Rank) which exists entirely within the spell's range. All objects and entities within 20 feet of the vortex must successfully resist or they are sucked into the eye of the vortex and down to the sea bottom. This spell will only be effective if cast over a large body of water (sea, ocean or lake). Mass Fear (S-14) Range: 10 feet +15 / Rank Duration: 30 seconds +10 / Rank Experience Multiple: 400 Base Chance: 10% Resist: May only be passively resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Target: Area Effects: This spell instils in all entities within range, other than the Adept and those who successfully resist, an unreasoning and uncontrollable fear. All entities who fail to resist must roll on the Fright Table. Pestilence (S-15) Range: Sight Duration: 1 month +1 / Rank Experience Multiple: 150

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Base Chance: 45% Resist: Special Storage: None Target: Livestock Effects: This spell may be cast on up to 5 (+1 / Rank) livestock that are within sight. All livestock so cursed that do not resist (individually) are infected. Any new stock which comes into contact with the infected stock while the curse is in effect must also resist (individually) or become infected. This spell is a Minor Curse on each individual. This spell will also dissipate the effects of a Spell of Blessing on Livestock which has previously been cast on the targets of this spell. Summoning Storm Devils (S-16) Range: 20 feet Duration: 10 minutes +10 / Rank Experience Multiple: 550 Base Chance: 15% Resist: May not be resisted Storage: None Target: Storm Devil(s) Effects: The Adept summons 1 (+1 / 5 full Ranks) storm devils to do their bidding. They will remain for the duration of the spell or until their corporeal form is slain or they fail to resist a Witchcraft Special Counterspell. The storm devils will do their best to carry out the instructions of the summoner, but they are not terribly bright and have a malicious streak. For each storm devil the Adept rolls D10 (+1 / 4 full Ranks) to determine its type: 1-5 Imp, 6-13 Half Devil, 14-15 Devil; and D10 to determine its college: 1-4 Air, 5-8 Water, 9-10 Ice. This spell may not be re-cast while any storm devils previously summoned remain on the same plane as the Adept. Thunderclap (S-17) Range: 20 feet +20 / Rank Duration: Immediate (during Pulse) Experience Multiple: 325 Base Chance: 30% Resist: May only be passively resisted Storage: Investment, Ward, M. Trap Target: Area Effects: This spell causes the air in the targeted area to violently compress with a loud crash. The target area has a diameter of 5' at Ranks 0-5, 15' at Ranks 6-12, 25' at Ranks 13-19, and 35' at Rank 20. The entirety of the affected area must be within the caster's spell range for the spell to be effective. All those within the area suffer [D+1] (+1 per 2 full Ranks) concussive damage (resist for half round up). Those failing to resist can hear nothing except a loud ringing for Rank pulses. On a Double or Triple effect any entities who fail to resist are

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005 also stunned (normal stun recovery applies). Note that this spell can be heard from a distance as per normal thunder. Virility (S-18) Range: 5 feet + 5 / Rank Duration: 2 hours + 1 / Rank Experience Multiple: 100 Base Chance: 30% Resist: None Storage: Investment, Ward, Magical Trap, Potion Target: Male Entity Effects: The spell is cast over a male entity and greatly increases the target’s virility. In addition the chance of the target’s partner conceiving is increased by 5 (+ 5 / Rank). Note that if this spell is made into a potion, the target of the spell is the imbiber. Walk on Air (S-19) Range: 5 feet +1 / Rank Duration: 30 minutes +30 / Rank Experience Multiple: 250 Base Chance: 30% Resist: May not be resisted Storage: Potion Target: Entity Effects: This spell binds spirits of the air to support the targets weight. When the target transfers their weight to a foot, the air will support that foot until such time as the foot is lifted. This means that they may walk on air as if it were a solid surface, steps, or suchlike, and will not slip or fall as long as they maintain their balance on their feet. Water Breathing (S-20) Range: Touch Duration: 1 hour +1 / Rank Experience Multiple: 100 Base Chance: 25% Resist: May not be resisted Storage: Potion Target: Entity Effects: The target of this spell forms a set of gills and a transparent film across their eyes. This allows the target to breathe and see equally well under water as on land. The target may cast spells subject to the restrictions of their College. This spell does not affect the target's ability to operate on the surface. Windstorm (S-21) Range: 30 feet +30 / Rank Duration: 10 seconds +10 / Rank Experience Multiple: 200 Base Chance: 40% Resist: May not be resisted Storage: Ward, Magical Trap Target: Area Effects: The Adept creates a windstorm of Force 9 centred on the

GM GUIDE Adept and extending out to the full range of the spell. Once cast the windstorm will not move. The winds in the area of a windstorm are random and violent, they do not prevail in a particular direction. All entities within this area except the Adept and those in the same hex must check against 2 - (Physical Strength + Agility) - 2 × Rank, every pulse, to regain their feet and/or remain upright. Every time an entity within the area falls prone, they take [D-2] damage. This damage is physical. For the duration of the spell they have TMR halved. All entities attempting to use missile or thrown weapons through or inside the area of effect have their Base Chance reduced by 5 per every 2 hexes of windstorm travelled through.

Special Knowledge Rituals Controlling Weather (R-1) Duration: 8 hours × Rank (minimum 1) Experience Multiple: 300 Base Chance: 30% + 3% / Rank Resist: None Target: Area Cast Time: 1 hour Material: None Actions: Dance Concentration Check: None Effects: The Adept may change one or more of the three components that make up the weather by performing a ritual dance. The three components of weather are: Precipitation, Temperature, and Wind. The GM should consult the Weather Table and advise the player of the current level of each of the three components before they start dancing. The Adept may change one component by Rank / 2 (round down), or two components by Rank / 3 (round down) levels each, or all three components by Rank / 4 (round down) levels each. The changes are independent and may be in any direction. The weather will change gradually over 30 minutes (-1 / Rank) per level shifted. The area of the effect is circular and the diameter is 2 miles / Rank. This ritual counts as Strenuous activity and the Adept will lose Fatigue. This ritual may not Backfire. Creeping Doom (R-2) Duration: Special Experience Multiple: 450 Base Chance: 20% + 4% / Rank Resist: Special Target: Entity Cast Time: 2 hour Material: 13 bones Actions: Carving bones Concentration Check: None Effects: As per Wicca ritual of the same name.

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Dead Man’s Candle (R-3) Duration: Special Experience Multiple: None Base Chance: Automatic Resist: None Target: Materials Cast Time: Variable Material: As detailed Actions: As detailed Concentration Check: None Effects: As per Wicca ritual of the same name. Hand of Glory (R-4) Duration: Permanent Experience Multiple: None Base Chance: Automatic Resist: None Target: Severed hand Cast Time: Variable Material: Murderer’s hand Actions: As detailed Concentration Check: None Effects: As per Wicca ritual of the same name. Storm Riding (R-5) Range: 5 hexes Duration: 1 hour +1 / Rank Experience Multiple: 300 Base Chance: 2 × MA +3 / Rank Resist: May be passively resisted Cast Time: 1 hour Effects: This ritual will summon a storm which will pick up the Adept, and one other entity per Rank, in a swirling vortex of air. The storm will then transport the affected entities at 10 mph (+1 / Rank) for up to 1 hour (+1 / Rank) to a location of the Adept’s choosing. Maximum range is [Rank + 10] × [Rank + 1] miles. The Adept need not know the location; they may, for example, have the storm carry them 90 miles North-West. Travelling within the storm is Strenuous Exercise; reduced by one level for every 4 full Ranks of the Aerial Affinity or Storm Affinity Talents the rider has.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

Magical Gems This section lists those rocks, stones, and gems which are commonly considered to have special magical or chemical properties which make them useful in the performance of magic, manufacture of spells, or performance of alchemical rites. Any of these items may or may not have any actual effect or market. These items may, for the most part, only be used by Adepts of the College of Witchcraft to create those amulets listed in T-3, by Adepts of the College of Shaping Magics as vessels for their magic, by astrologers to aid their arts, or by alchemists in preparing potions, elixirs and the like. Usually, player characters will be able to dispose of most non-precious gemstones only to buyers interested in their magic properties. AETITES Market Value: None. Magic Value: 100-200. Description: A small yellowish stone found in the head, neck, or stomach of an eagle. Effect: Aetites are used to make the Amulet of Aquilegus described in T-3 of the College of Witchcraft, a powerful amulet that brings good fortune and courage to the bearer. AGATE Market Value: 1 - 100. Magic Value: 100-150. Description: A variety of Chalcedony characterized by coloured bands cutting through the body of the stone. Usually cabochon-cut. Comes in six varieties characterized by colour: Red (or Blood Agate), Brown (Tawny Agate), Green (Sea Agate), Black, Moss (Living Agate), and Grey (Dawn Agate). Effect: Agates are used to manufacture the Amulet of Chalcedony, described in T-3 of the College of Witchcraft. Three stones are required for this purpose, and they must be set in the shape of a triangle. In addition to the normal effects of this amulet, the wearer will be blessed, if the type of Chalcedony used is Agate, with the special eloquence and a general feeling of well-being. If a serpent is engraved on the Agate, the Base Chance of any poisonous insect or snake striking the bearer is reduced by 20. If the amulet is placed on the breast of a sleeping woman, she will talk in her sleep, truthfully answering all questions put to her.

GM GUIDE ALECTORIUS Market Value: None. Magic Value: 300 - 500. Description: Alectorius is a greenish stone found in black cocks. The stone inside the cock will only be found, however, if the cock is killed and cured on an anthill for three days. Effect: The stone is used to manufacture the Amulet of Alectorius lost to the College of Witchcraft. In addition to the wealth-increasing properties of this amulet, it will prevent thirst if held in the mouth and tends to promote amicable feelings toward the wearer, especially as regards to the opposite gender. AMBER Market Value: 1 - 4. Magic Value: 1 - 4. Description: A translucent or cloudy yellow, green, or brownish fossil resin. Acquires a negative electrical charge when rubbed. Effect: Both Yellow Amber and Red Amber (the brownish variety) may be fashioned into amulets by an Adept of the College of Shaping Magics. Red Amber makes the wearer immune to the Evil Eye Spell (S-9 of the College of Witchcraft) and decreases the Base Chance of the wearer contracting a disease or infection (natural, or via magic or minor curse) by 5. Yellow Amber decreases the Base Chance of the wearer contracting a disease or infection by 10. Green Amber may be held against any Type A (puncture) wound to stop the bleeding. The bleeding will begin immediately if the Green Amber is removed from the wound. A special variety of Amber (called Living Amber) contains fossilized insects or animals. This type of Amber may be used as the heart of any type of golem except the flesh golem. Golems with hearts of Living Amber remain active for twice as long as similar golems without such hearts (multiply the total period of activation by two). AMETHYST Market Value: 30 - 500. Magic Value: 300 - 600. Description: A purple gem-quartz. Usually faceted, but sometimes cabochon-cut. Effect: May be used by an Adept of the College of Witchcraft to make an Amulet of Amethyst . Amethyst may also be ground and used in antidotes to poisons. Used in this manner by an alchemist, Amethyst doubles the efficiency of the potion versus magically created poisons. An Adept of the College of Shaping Magics may use Amethyst to fashion an Amulet of Sobriety which makes it impossible for

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the wearer to become drunk. The Amethyst must be incised with the symbols for the sun and moon and fastened about the neck with a necklace of peacock feathers. ANTIMONY Market Value: None. Magic Value: 100 - 700. Description: A white, metallic element usually found in powdered form or in small pebbles. Effect: Antimony may be fashioned into an amulet by an Adept of the College of Shaping Magics. The amulet increases the resistance of the wearer versus magic of the College of Witchcraft, the College of Necromantic Conjurations, and the College of Ensorcelments and Enchantments by 5. It increases the resistance of the wearer versus any spell cast by a demon by 10 (15 if the demon is member of the College of Necromantic Conjurations, the College of Witchcraft, or the College of Ensorcelments and Enchantments). BERYL Market Value: 3 - 2500. Magic Value: 400 - 2500. Description: There are 7 distinct types of Beryl, ranging in colour from a pale, almost colorless green, yellow, or pink through a vibrant dark green or blue. Beryls are almost always faceted (though the Goshenite Beryl may be cabochon-cut). The types of Beryl, their colour and relative value follow: Type Aquamarine Black Star Emerald Golden Beryl Goshenite Green Beryl Morganite

Colour Blue-Green Deep Brown Pale/Vibrant Green Yellow

Value 20-400 50-2,500 10-1,500

Opaque Pale Green / Yellow Pink / Pink

3-100 5-500

5-1,000

30-1,300

Only those gems which have a market value of at least 400 may be used in magic, the others being too inferior in weight or quality to be of value. Effect: Beryls may be used by Adepts of the College of Witchcraft to create an Amulet of Beryl . The amulet has the side effect of making the wearer both impotent and totally uninterested in sexual activity. Beryl may be used by alchemists to create more powerful antidotes to poison, salves, and antipyretics (increase the potency of such creations by increasing their Base Chance of working by 10).

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005 BEZOAR Market Value: None. Magic Value: 300 - 500. Description: This stone originates in the stomach of a stag. Effect: May be powdered and mixed in a poison antidote. An antidote created with Bezoar functions as if it was created by an Alchemist of two Ranks higher. BLOODSTONE Market Value: 5 - 100. Magic Value: 50 - 125. Description: A dark green Chalcedony with red spherule. Also called Heliotrope. The Jasper spherules in the stone resemble drops of blood, and it is from these that the gem takes its name. Effect: Bloodstones may be used by an Adept of the College of Witchcraft to create an Amulet of Bloodstone . Five such stones set at the points of a pentagon are necessary to manufacture the amulet successfully. CARBUNKLE Market Value: 1 - 60. Magic Value: 30 - 70. Description: A deep red gemstone, often classed as a type of Garnet. Cabochon-cut. Often smoky. Effect: May be used by an Adept of the College of Witchcraft to create an Amulet of Carbunkle. Often believed to hinder lust, sadness, and dreams. Half a dozen stones should be set in the amulet to form a hexagon. If all of the stone used are of the highest possible quality, the amulet will take on the additional attribute of monitoring the wearer's life force, growing brighter as the wearer grows in strength and energy and dulling as he tires. It is often used by healers as monitor on seriously ill patients for this reason. CARNELIAN Market Value: 10 - 300. Magic Value: 100 - 350. Description: A deep red quartz often banded in white. Usually cabochoncut, but sometimes carved. Effect: An Adept of the College of Shaping Magics may use this stone to manufacture an Amulet of Carnelian, which decreases the wearer's chances of contracting a disease or infection by 5%. Any craftsman may fashion Carnelian into a necklace which halves the rate at which the wearer loses fatigue or endurance as a result of having his blood drained by a vampire.

GM GUIDE CHALCEDONY Market Value: 1 - 100. Magic Value: 50 - 100. Description: A type of milky Quartz, generally white. Cabochon-cut or carved. Effect: May be employed by an Adept of the College of Witchcraft to form an Amulet of Chalcedony. A minimum of three stones are necessary to form the amulet. An Alchemist may grind the stone up and dissolve it in water blessed by a servant of the Powers of Light. The decoction will break all fevers within one hour of drinking. One ounce is required per dose. CHELIDONIUS Market Value: None. Magic Value: 300 - 500. Description: A red or black stone taken from the craw of a swallow. Effect: The prime ingredient in all potions designed to cure madness or improve a failing memory. May be powdered and mixed by an alchemist into an antidote for senility. CHRYSOLITE Market Value: None. Magic Value: 100 - 200. Description: Greenish-yellow transparent type of magnesium iron silicate. Effect: Powdered and taken in large quantities, it is said to be a restorative and curative. An alchemist can make a dose out of three stones sufficient to temporarily check the progress of most diseases in a patient, but the manufacture of the medicine is wearisome and time consuming. An Adept of the College of Shaping Magics can use a piece of the stone to manufacture an Amulet of Chrysolite which will increase the wearer's resistance versus magic of the College of Sorceries of the Mind by 5. CHRYSOPRASE Market Value: 1 - 100. Magic Value: 30 - 100. Description: A bright green or greenish-yellow Quartz, which is usually cabochon-cut. Effect: An Adept of the College of Shaping Magics may fashion this stone into an amulet which will increase the wearer's range of vision in the dark by 50%. CORAL Market Value: 1 - 250. Magic Value: 25 - 250. Description: A pink or red stone manufactured by the secretion of certain marine animals. Usually cabochon-cut or cut into polished sections.

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Effect: May be fashioned by a member of the College of Shaping Magics into an amulet which will increase the wearer's resistance versus the Evil Eye Spell of the College of Witchcraft by 10. This amulet may also be used in the same manner as an Amulet of Carbuncle to monitor patients under the care of healers. The coral loses its colour as the patient wanes and becomes more vibrant as he heals. If this amulet is dipped into a substance containing poison, it will permanently lose colour, the coral becoming bone white. An Alchemist may grind Red Coral into a powder useful in curing impotence. One ounce is required per dose, and the powder must be consumed in solution. DIAMOND Market Value: 20 - 20,000. Magic Value: 100 - 20,000. Description: A brilliant, super-hard gem, usually clear with touches of colour ranging from pink or greenyellow through blue. Always faceted, if faceting has been discovered in the culture in which adventure occurs. There are actually 5 distinct type of diamonds, all of which may be used in magic. However, such stones are extremely expensive and generally a maximum of one or two cheap or flawed diamonds will be used in an amulet or talisman. Following is a list of diamonds by type which also gives colour and value for each stone. Type Clear Pink Green Yellow BlueWhite

Colour Transparent Pink Bright green / yellow Bright yellow Light blue / white

Value 20 - 12,000 40 - 14,000 40 - 14,000 40 - 14,000 50 - 20,000

Effect: An Adept of the College of Witchcraft can fashion one or more diamonds into an Amulet of Diamonds. In addition, Alchemists sometimes use water in which Diamonds have been washed as the solution in which other ingredients are dissolved when manufacturing medicines (increase the medicine's effectiveness by 20). Clear Diamonds worn in a ring may be used by the wearer to increase his Base Chance of casting any spell by 2. The Diamond focuses mana and such rings may be made by any artisan.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005 EMERALD Market Value: 10 - 1500. Magic Value: 10 - 1500. Description: A small Beryl ranging in colour from pale green to vibrant green and always faceted. Effect: This gemstone may be used to manufacture an Amulet of Beryl (see Beryl). It also repels insects when worn around the neck (10% chance that any insect landing on the wearer will fly away without attacking). Devils and Imps are also repelled by Emeralds, and there is a 5% chance that any Devil or Imp who approaches within 10 feet of anyone wearing an Emerald or bearing an object containing Emeralds (such as a jewelstudded sword hilt) will immediately retreat as far as possible from that individual and will have to roll on the Fright Table. Snakes are affected in the same way as Devils and Imps, but have a 20% chance of being repelled. FELDSPAR Market Value: 1 - 10. Magic Value: 1 - 10. Description: A milky-white green stone, highly brittle and characterized by a smooth texture. Effect: When worn as an necklace, adds 10 to the wearer's resistance to all spells involving dazzling lights or blindness. FLINT Market Value: 1 - 2. Magic Value: 1 - 5. Description: A hard black stone used in conjunction with steel to strike fires. Effect: Flint is a powerful ward against Incubi and Succubi. There is a 50% chance that no Incubus or Succubus will willingly approach within 5 feet of a piece of flint unless it is covered (e.g., secured in a bag or draped with cloth). GALACTITE Market Value: None. Magic Value: 50. Description: A stone composed of nitrate of lime and appearing chalky in composition. Effect: A prime ingredient in Love Philtres. Should be powdered and dissolved in water along with other ingredients. GARNET Market Value: 10 - 1300. Magic Value: 500 - 1300. Description: Small stone, usually milky. Faceted (though Almandite, Grossular, and Pyrope are often cabochon-cut). There are 6 distinct types of Garnet. They are listed along with their colour and value. Only Andarite has magical properties.

GM GUIDE Type Almandite

Colour Value Purple/ 1 - 250 Brown Andradite Yellow1 - 900 green Grossular Brown/ 1 - 100 Orange Pyrope Dark red 1 - 125 Rhodolite Purple/ 1 - 700 Red Spessartine Red/ 1 - 500 Orange Effect: Powdered Garnet is used to cure skin diseases and an alchemist may use it to make medicines for this purpose. Such medicines will, in addition, arrest (but not cure) leprosy (which is a Major Curse). Any figure wearing a piece of Andradite on his person will be immune to the effects of nightmares. GOLD NUGGETS Market Value: 5 - 60. Magic Value: 10 - 1000. Description: Gold nuggets are usually small (less than an ounce) rough stones of a greenish-black colour with golden metallic flecks. Effect: Gold nuggets are greatly prized by magicians far above their numismatic worth. The same nugget which might fetch 10 Silver Pennies on the money market would fetch three or four times that from almost any Adept. The larger the nugget, the greater the discrepancy between numismatic and magical value. It is said that a gold nugget worn about the neck will reduce the rapidity of aging, but such nuggets are primarily used by Adepts of the College of Shaping Magics to manufacture Amulets of the Sun (Gold is governed by the Sun). Such an amulet increases the luck of the bearer as follows: in all D100 dice rolls directly affecting the wearer, the dice roll number is adjusted by 3 in the wearer's favour. If the wearer is solaraspected, the die roll number is adjusted by 8. IRON Market Value: 1 - 5. Magic Value: 1 - 5. Description: Iron ore is found in large rocks (several pounds or more) of a reddish hue. Effect: Iron ore is primarily used to form objects of Cold Iron. The price of Iron Ore is governed by its quality (the actual iron contents in the ore) and the prices given are for a small wagon load. Iron may be fashioned, while in ore form, into an Amulet of Iron by an Adept of the College of Witchcraft. It may also be smelted and used by an Adept of the College of Shaping Magics to make magical vessels (weapons and the like).

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JACINTH Market Value: 200 - 400. Magic Value: 300 - 400. Description: A red-orange Zircos, ruled by the sun. Jacinth will change colour to reflect the weather, becoming paler and more orange when storms approach and becoming a more vibrant red in bright sunlight. Always faceted. Effect: Jacinth may be fashioned by an Adept of the College of Shaping Magics into an Amulet of Jacinth which will protect the wearer from fascination (+20 to resistance against magic of the College of Sorceries of the Mind and against all spells of binding, controlling, or summoning). JADE Market Value: 40 - 750. Magic Value: 40 - 100. Description: Green or black mineral, frequently mottled with white. Cabochon-cut or carved. Effect: Jade may be powdered and used in medicines to cure diseases or illnesses of the digestion, to help ward infection (decrease the Infection Chance by 10), and to increase stamina. It may also be fashioned by an Adept of the College of Witchcraft into an Amulet of Jade. Note that only small Jade stones (usually the less valuable Nephrite rather than Jadette) will be purchased for magical purposes and only in relatively small amounts. Jade is also a popular material for use in the manufacture of ceremonial weapons. When Black Jade is used for this purpose, it forms a weapon which affects demons, imps, incubi, and succubi in the same manner as a magical weapon. JASPER Market Value: 1 - 1000. Magic Value: 1 - 1000. Description: An opaque Qartz tinted green. Cabochon-cut. Effect: Jasper may be fashioned by an Adept of the College of Shaping Magics into an Amulet of Jasper which increases the wearer's ability to disbelieve illusions by 10. Rare stones flecked with red have the side-effect of inflicting the wearer with lycanthropy if worn when the moon is full. The lycanthropy passes immediately when the Jasper is removed from the person of the wearer. JET Market Value: 1 - 10,000. Magic Value: 1 - 10,000. Description: Jet usually refers to a type of Agate, a deep black stone superficially resembles coal (but much harder). Can be polished to a sheen like marble. Cabochon-cut.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005 Effect: Breathing the vapours of Jet which has been powdered and burned in a censor increases the ability of an individual to disbelieve any illusion by 10 for eight hours thereafter. In addition, any Demon that breathes such vapours must make an immediate roll on the Fright Table. An Adept of the College of Witchcraft can fashion the stone into an Amulet of Jet. This Amulet will contain an inverted cross on one side and a heart on the other and will be disk-shaped. LAPIS LAZULI Market Value: 20 - 150. Magic Value: 20 - 30. Description: A deep blue stone veined with white or gold. May be cabochoncut, but will usually be found as a form of inlay. Effect: Lapis Lazuli may be ground into a fine powder and burned in a censor. When breathed by an individual, the fumes will have a 20% chance of curing melancholia and a 3% chance of at least partially curing madness. LEAD Market Value: 1 - 5. Magic Value: 1 - 5. Description: A dark dense, soft slatecoloured stone found in small veins or rocks. May be made into a soft alloy. Effect: Lead may be used to form a shield against Demonic Presidents. It may also be powdered and used as an ingredient in slow-acting, long-term poisons (see the Alchemist skill). However, Lead is quite common and has very little real value to either magicians or merchants. The values listed are for small wagonloads of the substance. LODESTONE Market Value: 5 - 20. Magic Value: 5 - 10. Description: A natural Magnitite which attracts iron. Effect: Lodestone is used by Rangers and Navigators as an aid to plotting a course across the water or through low visibility areas (wilderness and the like). It may also be used by any character (not necessarily an Adept) to indicate the direction of some desired goal or item. The individual should hold the Lodestone in his mouth for a moment and then suspend it from a string so that it can move freely. If asked the direction of a place or object, there is a 20% chance that the Lodestone will seem to turn and point in the direction of that place or object, or 10% chance that it will seem to do so but will, in fact, be pointing in the wrong direction, and a 70% chance that nothing will happen.

GM GUIDE OBSIDIAN Market Value: 5 - 1000. Magic Value: 500 - 1000. Description: A black, shiny volcanic glass. May have gold or white snowflake markings or a gold sheen. Sometimes used in jewellery in which case it is cabochon-cut, but it will be used to make stabbing or cutting tools or weapons. Effect: Obsidian is a favourite material for the manufacture of ceremonial and sacrificial knives. When Obsidian is used for this purpose, it is classed as a magical weapon, doing the same damage as a dagger, but having the capacity to wound or kill those entities normally harmed only by magical weapons. When used as a weapon outside of a ceremony, it is not classed a magical weapon. Only a designated sacrificial being which has been prepared for sacrifice may be harmed by the knife during a ritual of sacrifice. If an entity which can only be harmed by magical (or silvered) weapons and which has not been prepared for sacrifice during a ritual were to interrupt that ritual, for example, the Obsidian knife would not inflict any damage on that individual. OLIVINE Market Value: 10 - 25. Magic Value: 10 - 25. Description: A yellow-green, opaque stone, usually cabochon-cut. Effect: Olivine may be powdered and dissolved in liquid by an Alchemist as a (10% effective) cure for impotence. OPAL Market Value: 5 - 10,000. Magic Value: 300 - 12,000. Description: Small, fairly dense stone which comes in four types, each distinguished by a different colour and internal "fire." Always cabochon-cut and highly polished. The four types include: Type Colour Value White White 10-500 Opal Fire Opal Yellow/red 10-400 Catseye Yellow/green 5-100 Black Grey/black 90-9,000 Opal Effect: All type of Opals, except Catseye, may be set and polished into seeing rings or crystals by a competent jeweller or artisan. They may then be used by an Astrologer of Rank 5 or higher to foretell the future with 5 - 25% greater accuracy. The Astrologer looks into the "fire" present within the Opal and sees there an image in answer to the question asked by him. The image will appear with various amounts of clarity depending

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upon the quality of the Opal used. There is a 2% Chance that anyone using an Opal for this purpose will be cursed with Ill Luck as a result. See Major Curse for details. QUARTZ Market Value: 1 - 2000. Magic Value: 50 - 2000. Description: Usually translucent stone, geometrically shaped. There are a score of types of this material, of which only those discussed elsewhere are discussed herein. The following list does not include enchantments on stones mentioned elsewhere (including stones aged or heated to give a different texture or hue). Each stone is followed by a description by colour and an estimate of Market Value. Almost invariably, Quartzes are cabochon-cut, though some types may be faceted. Stones which have been cabochon-cut or faceted have no magical value unless they are large enough to be carved. Type Aquamarine Catseye Cacoxemite Citrine Rock Quartz Rutilated Quartz Smokey Quartz Star Quartz Tigereye Tourmalinate Quartz Carnelian Moss Agate

Colour Blue-green/ Yellow Quartz Green/ Yellow/Red Clear/Violet/ Yellow Red/Yellow Clear Clear/Gold crisscrossed Grey Clear Yellow-brown Clear/Smokey/ Black needles Red/White bands Translucent/ green filament

Value 1-20 5-60 5-60 1-2,500 1-500 10-150 1-300 5-100 1-100 10-50 10-300 1-1,000

Effect: Quartz may be formed by an artisan into a clear polished seeing crystal for use in fortune telling by either Adepts or Astrologers. Only non-smoky Quartzes may be used for this purpose. In addition, Quartz may be shaped into ceremonial or sacrificial daggers which operate in the same manner as Obsidian daggers. Only large Quartzes may be used for this purpose, and those interested in such things will pay three or four times normal Market Value for an appropriate-sized piece of otherwise relatively valueless Quartz.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005 RUBY Market Value: 50 - 6000. Magic Value: 50 - 6000. Description: A vivid crimson stone, faceted. Effect: May be fashioned by an Adept of the College of Shaping Magics into an Amulet of Protection, which will always glow more brightly as danger draws near. SAPPHIRE Market Value: 10 - 15,000. Magic Value: 500 - 5000. Description: A (generally) bluish type of Corundum which may be cabochoncut are faceted. There are 7 varieties listed:

GM GUIDE TOURMALINE Market Value: 1 - 500. Magic Value: 1 - 500. Description: Tourmalines may be one of half a dozen colours or may be bicoloured or multi-coloured. They are usually faceted, but may be cabochoncut on occasion (especially Rubellites, Indicolites, and Tourmalines proper). There are five types of Tourmalines which are listed together with their colour and Market Value. Type Achroite Dravite Indicolite Rubellite

Type Black Star Blue Sapphire Green Sapphire Sapphire Purple Orange Sapphire Star Yellow Sapphire

Colour Black Blue/Violet

Value 5015,000 10-2,000

Green/ Yellow-green Red/Purple

1-250 20-300

Red/Orange

10-500

Red/Blue/ Purple/green Yellow/Gold/ Orange

5010,000 10-300

Effect: Sapphires permanently fade to dead black when immersed in most poisons. Star Sapphires glow in the presence of treachery. Their brightness increases as such treachery approaches and dims as it recedes. TOPAZ Market Value: 1 - 1000. Magic Value: 1 - 20. Description: A gemstone composed of silicate of aluminium. Always faceted. May be purple, red, orange, bright yellow, blue, pale yellow, brown, or clear (in descending order of Market Value). Brown Topaz always fades with time, becoming almost eventually. All Topazes have the same Magic Value, which is more or less minuscule in comparison with Market Value. Effect: Topaz may be used in potions designed to stifle lust, make one generous, or cure insanity (5% chance). When used in potions, the Topaz is ground into powder and dissolved in liquid by the Alchemist. Topazes will increase the chance of a potion being created successfully by 10.

Tourmaline Proper

Colour Clear Brown Blue/ Blue-green Violet/Red/ Purple Bi-coloured/ Multicoloured

Value 3 - 20 1 - 50 5 - 100 5 - 500 1 - 70

Effect: Tourmalines always shine with a brightness in direct proportion to perturbations in the flow of mana. The greater the concentration of mana in an area, the greater the flow of magical energy around the surface of the Tourmaline and the brighter it will shine. In Low Mana areas, the Tourmaline becomes dull and lifeless. When in the presence of potent spells (and always during the casting of a spell by the wearer), the Tourmaline also shines exceedingly bright. For this reason, it is a great and valuable indicator of magic, but is not altogether reliable in that it does not distinguish between the presence of powerful magical spells, magical (fantastical) beings, and concentrations of unused mana. The higher the quality of the Tourmaline (and the more expensive it is), the greater the likelihood (from 5% to 40%) that an individual will notice (or be able to differentiate and read) changes in the Tourmaline when not specifically searching for such changes by scrutinizing the stone. TURQUOISE Market Value: 10 - 600. Magic Value: 10 - 600. Description: A light, medium-blue stone spider-webbed with fine black lines. Cabochon-cut in all cases. Effect: Turquoise may be fashioned into an Amulet of Turquiose by an Adept of the College of Shaping Magics. This Amulet will make the wearer immune to the Evil Eye Spell (S-9) of the College of Witchcraft.

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EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

Magical Herbs Magical plants, trees, herbs, roots, leaves, nuts, fruits, and other magical plant products play an important role in DragonQuest magic just as they do in all mythologies and magic systems. In the following list are the most well known properties. Many herbs can be used in only one manner, but a few have numerous uses. As a guide to players, the following index divides the herbs into four main groups. When a player wishes to find an herb used for healing, for example, he would investigate any of those listed under the Healing Herbs category. All herb descriptions should be examined, as there are herbs, which fit into no particular category, and a use may be found for any. Also detailed in the heading for each category are instructions for using the specified type of herb. Potionable Herbs The following may all be distilled into potions, which will have certain quasimagical effects. Only an Herbalist may distill these and, once distilled, they may be used by anyone. All listed effects are for the quaffing of one dose (one vial). Angelica, Bloodroot, Cowslip, Cyclamin, Fern, Ginseng, Henbane, Hemlock, Laurel, Marigold, Saint John’s Wort, Sunflower, Vetch Healing Herbs The following all work to heal damage, cure disease, infection, fever, and salve skin. Herbalists will produce distillations or powders from those. A Healer may make use of any powder produced by Herbalists to aid their own inherent powers. They expend 2 Fatigue Points when using a powder, in order to activate the powers of the herbs themselves. Rangers use these herbs freshly picked, to make infusions, poultices, or tinctures and heal and salve in that manner. The Healer will also make infusions and so forth, but will be using his powders to do so. Agrimony, Amaranth, Anemone, Angelica, Basil, Betony, Black Hoarhound, Catgut, Catnip, Bryony, Chervil, Daffodil, Hellbore, Marjoram, Mistletoe, Mugwort, Sage, Saffron, Snakeroot, Satyr Orchid, Valerian Magical Herbs These herbs, when dried and then burned as incense or fashioned and worn as Amulets, produce a variety of magical effects. Their use differs greatly from herb to herb. Any Adept

GM GUIDE may use the incense, and anyone may use the Amulets. Anemone, Angelica, Asatoetide, Euporbia, Garlic, Jasmine, Jimson Weed, Laurel, Lotus, Marigold, Mistletoe, Moonwart, Myrrh, Saffron, Sandlewood, Sunflower, Sweetflag Poisonous Herbs Poisons may only be distilled or powdered by an Alchemist. Some poisons work in their raw state; these and any distilled or powdered may be used by any skilled individual. Anyone but an Assassin will find them hard to buy or handle safely and even harder to successfully introduce into anyone's food. All the poisons must be ingested to cause harm. Listed with each poison is a "kill %." This is the Base Chance the poison will kill anyone who ingests it, whether in distilled, powdered, or solution form. If in solution, and that solution is drunk by more than one person, divide the percentage by the number of people ingesting (round down) and the result is the "kill %" applied to each drinker. If a person survives a poisoning attempt, reduce his Fatigue to zero until he gets a good night's sleep. Aconite, Belladonna, Euphoria, Hellbore, Hemlock, Henbane, Holly, Mandrake, Mistletoe. ACONITE (Wolf's Bane, Leopard's Bane, Monk's Hood) Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Field, Marsh, Woods. Potency Loss: Dried and powdered, Aconite retains potency almost indefinitely. Decrease potency by 10% within 24 hours of its being picked, but otherwise there should be no effect. Description: A poisonous plant easily recognizable by its pale, hood-shaped flower. Aconite is often believed to have been the first commonly used poison, and it is extremely lethal. Alchemists may powder it and it may be sprinkled in food with a 95% chance that the eater will die. It takes about two hours for the poison to take effect and several more hours for a fatality to occur. AGRIMONY Availability: Common. Habitat: Fields, Woods, Rough. Potency Loss: Loses 20% of its potency within one day of being picked and 10% per day thereafter down to a level of 20% potency which it will retain for 4-5 months after picking. Description: A variety of bright yellowflowered plant of the genus Agrimonia. Agrimony will be an effective cure (100% BC) for poisoning as a result of snake bite when the leaves are freshly picked. An Alchemist can distil the anti-venom.

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AMARANTH Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields, Woods. Potency Loss: Loses 40% of potency within one hour of being picked and 10% of remaining potency per week thereafter until reduced to 10% of original potency. Description: An herb with small red or white flowers often confused with a (seemingly) legendary plant of the same name. The legendary Amaranth is said never to fade and to be the prime ingredient in an amulet which causes the wearer never to age. The plant described herein has no such magical powers. Instead, the petals of the red variety may, when fresh, be made into a poultice, causing the blood to clot and the bleeding to stop within D+2 Pulses. It will heal 1 Endurance Point per day for D10 days. ANEMONE (Wind Flower) Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Woods. Potency Loss: Loses 30% of potency in the first 24 hours after picking and a continued loss of 10% of potency per week. Description: A tall, leafy stalk with large rich purple flowers having black centres. Anemone can grow literally overnight. Steam from the boiling petals may provide anyone who breathes it with a +10 on any Base Chance involving spells which predict the future. A poultice made of the petals has an 80% chance of curing any blindness except that due to a major curse or to loss of eyes. ANGELICA Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Loses 5% of potency within 24 hours of picking and 1% per week thereafter. Description: A leafy green herb which may be worn about the body when fresh as a protection against the evil eye. When worn in this fashion, resistance to the Evil Eye Spell (S-9) of the College of Witchcraft is increased by 5. An Alchemist may distil potions designed to cure colds, infections, and add 10 to the user's Magic Resistance for D5 hours. Tinctures of this herb brushed on a wound will decrease the chance of infection by 20. ASATOETIDA Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Woods. Potency Loss: Never potency.

loses

any

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Description: A gum resin-bearing plant found in deep woods and sometimes cultivated as a houseplant. The unpleasant odour of the resin (which may be smeared on the body) is only annoying to most occupants of this plane, but Demons heartily dislike it and Incubi, Succubi, Devils, and Imps will not normally approach within 5 feet of an individual carrying the smell of the resin. However, Hellhounds are maddened by the smell and will immediately attack the wearer of this resin.

BLACK HOARHOUND Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Marsh. Potency Loss: Never loses any potency. Description: An herb which can be brewed into a tea which works in the same manner as Betony to aid in the recovery of Fatigue. It can also be fashioned by an Adept of the College of Shaping Magics into an Amulet of Calmness which decreases all of the wearer's rolls on the Fright Table by 10.

BASIL Availability: Common. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Loses 30% of potency within an hour, 50% within 24 hours, and 100% of potency within a week. Description: A common herb characterized by green waxy brittle leaves. Basil can be used to make a poultice which will cure any type of insect, bee, or wasp bit or sting. The herb will cure 1 Endurance Point per day for D10 days.

BLOODROOT Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields, Woods. Potency Loss: Loses 1% potency per week. Description: A weed characterized by fibrous, liquid-bearing roots, the juice from which can be used by an Alchemist to distil a potion which will act like a control spell on whoever ingests it, causing him to obey the first sentient being he meets as if that being were the caster of the spell.

BELLADONNA Deadly Nightshade Availability: Rare. Habitat: Woods, Marsh. Potency Loss: Loses 10% potency within 24 hours of picking. Loses 1% of potency each week thereafter for all purposes except the manufacture of poison. Description: An herb characterized by black berries and dark crimson leaves. An Alchemist may use Belladonna to distil flying potions (lasting D10 minutes). Both Alchemists and Adepts of the College of Witchcraft may distil a powerful poison from Belladonna (100% kill chance). Anyone may feed the berries to a victim they desire to poison, though their bitter taste will probably make the victim unwilling to eat enough to do serious harm. Death is by heart and respiratory failure within several hours of ingestion.

BRYONY (Snake Grape) Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields, Woods. Potency Loss: Never loses any potency. Description: A flowering vine with grape-like fruit and tendrils which can be distilled by an Alchemist into a potion which will heal broken bones if drunk three times a day for seven days.

BETONY (Wood Betony) Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields, Woods. Potency Loss: Loses 1% of potency per week. Description: An herb of the mint family. Betony may be used by the College of Shaping Magics in any type of amulet involving an increase in the Physical Strength, Endurance, or Fatigue of the wearer. Anyone may brew it into a tea when freshly picked which will allow the drinker to recover Fatigue as if he had just eaten a hot meal.

CAPER Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields, Rough. Potency Loss: Loses 1% potency per day. Description: Capers are the fruit of a small shrub which in bud form may be picked and used by an Alchemist to manufacture a potion which will serve as an antidote to impotence (whether naturally or magically occurring). Capers are also a prime ingredient in Love Philtres and Potions of Fertility. CATGUT (Turkey Pea, Goat's Rue, Devil's Shoestring) Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Woods, Rough. Potency Loss: Loses 10% of potency an hour after picking and 1% per hour thereafter. Description: An herb whose tough roots may be ground and brewed into a tea which functions in the same manner as Betony as an aid to the recovery of Fatigue.

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CATNIP Availability: Common. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Loses 1% potency per week. Description: An herb of the mint family, often domestically grown. Catnip can be distilled by an Alchemist into a potion which will promote healing. Distilled by an Alchemist, it will heal 3 Endurance Points. CHERVIL Availability: Common. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Loses 20% of potency within one hour and 1% thereafter until distilled. Description: An herb of the parsley family which can be made into an infusion and used to bathe wounds decreasing the chance of infection by 10 and increasing the chance of the body healing itself if it does become infected by 10. An Alchemist can use it to distil a healing potion, working in the same fashion. COWSLIP Availability: Common. Habitat: Fields, Woods. Potency Loss: Loses 5% potency per week. Description: A yellow wildflower which often grows in pastures. Cowslip is sometimes used by Alchemists to distil Sleeping Potions and has from time to time been substituted for more potent ingredients in Sleep Dust by Adepts of the College of Ensorcelments and Enchantments (with a 90% loss in the effectiveness of the dust). The pollen of the flowers is the active ingredient. CYCLAMEN Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Woods, Marsh. Potency Loss: Loses 40% of potency an hour after picking and 1% per hour thereafter until distilled. Description: A flowering herb which may be distilled by an Alchemist into a Sleeping Potion or a Love Potion (both lasting D10 hours) or by an Adept of the College of Witchcraft into a Love Philtre. DAFFODIL Availability: Common. Habitat: Fields, Woods, Rough. Potency Loss: Loses 20% of potency after one hour and 5% of potency per hour thereafter until distilled. Description: A yellow flower which may be made into a poultice and applied to wounds to heal 1 Endurance Point per day for D10 days. Daffodils may also be mashed and their juices distilled into a Love Philtre by an Adept of the College of Witchcraft.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

DAMIANA Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Woods, Rough. Potency Loss: Loses 10% potency per month. Description: A leafy herb often used in teas designed to have a slight euphoric effect. An Adept of the College of Witchcraft may use it in a Love Philtre, but the Philtre will last only a couple of months.

wearing of Garlic of use in preventing shipwrecks; but this is only a mere myth. The substance does have a slight repellent effect on Greater Undead other than Vampires, and no one wearing Garlic can ever be affected by the Evil Eye spell (S-9) of the College of Witchcraft. Further, the resistance of the wearer versus all spells of the College of Witchcraft is increased by 5.

EUPHORBIA Availability: Rare. Habitat: Woods. Potency Loss: Never loses any potency. Description: A poisonous plant (35% kill chance) often used by Alchemists in distilling synthetic poisons and by Adepts of most Colleges for use along with various forms of incense and precious oils to burn in censers while performing ritual magic.

GINSENG Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Woods. Potency Loss: Never loses any potency. Description: A variety of plant, the root of which can be ground and used by an Alchemist in the manufacture of Love Potions (lasting D10 days). May also be brewed into a tea which has minor aphrodisiac qualities.

FENNEL Availability: Common. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Loses 10% of potency per month. Description: A feathery green flowering herb whose seeds may be used by an Adept of the College of Shaping Magics to manufacture an amulet designed to repel Spectres. Used in this manner it will repel all Spectres who fail to resist its effect (by rolling twice Willpower or less on D100). FERN Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Woods, Marsh, Caverns. Potency Loss: Loses 5% of potency per day once picked. Description: A delicate, feathery plant usually found in dimly lighted areas (wooded glens, cave entrances, etc.). The male plant can be dried and powdered and used by adepts of the College of Witchcraft to make Love Philtres. The female plant may be distilled by an Alchemist into a Potion of Invisibility (for D10 hours). GARLIC Availability: Common. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Never loses any potency for most purposes. Description: A purple-flowered member of the lily family. The flowers may be used as a protection against Vampires, but they are not nearly as effective as the plant's root which forms bud- like rhizomes that may be eaten or strung into garlands that offer the best protection against the attentions of such beings. See 74.2 for details. Sailors consider the eating or

HELLEBORE Availability: Rare. Habitat: Woods, Marsh. Potency Loss: Loses 2% potency per week once picked. Description: A generally poisonous plant which comes in two varieties; Green and Black. The green variety is used by Alchemists to distil potions designed to cure madness (60% chance). The Black variety is used by Alchemists to distil a number of different types of poison (60% kill chance). HEMLOCK Availability: Rare. Habitat: Woods, Marsh. Potency Loss: Loses 2% potency per week. Description: A variety of evergreen whose bark is useable by Alchemists to create Flying Potions (lasting D10 minutes) or a powerful poison (100% kill chance) which causes slow paralysis eventually causing cardiovascular failure. HENBANE Availability: Rare. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Loses 5% potency per week for most purposes. Description: A poisonous herb often used by Alchemists in distilling poisons (50% kill chance) and Love Potions (lasting D5 days). Ingestion of the untreated herb raw or cooked in food usually results in extreme hallucinations followed within hours by death.

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HOLLY Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields, Woods, Marsh. Potency Loss: Loses 5% potency per day. Immediately loses all remaining potency if touched by Cold Iron. Description: A flowering, fruit-bearing plant held sacred by Druids. The berries are a bright red, very attractive, but bitter. They are also extremely poisonous, killing within hours (70% kill chance). The leaves may be made into an Amulet of Luck by an Adept of the College of Shaping Magics similar to the Amulet of the same name of the College of Witchcraft. JASMINE Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Loses 20% potency an hour after being picked and 10% per week thereafter. Description: A flowering shrub said to make a powerful ingredient for use in manufacturing Love Philtres. In actuality, it has no value at all except to make such liquids sweet smelling. However, Jasmine incense has some magical value in the performance of certain magical rituals, especially those having to do with summoning and purifications (+2 to Base Chance). JIMSON WEED Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Rough, Waste. Potency Loss: Loses 5% of potency per month. Description: A narcotic plant whose seeds and roots are often ingested as part of mystical ceremonies. An Alchemist may use Jimson Weed to distil potions that create hallucinations or make the drinker susceptible to control or mental manipulation. It may also be fashioned by an Adept of the College of Shaping Magics into an Amulet of protection against spells of the College of Witchcraft and the College of Ensorcelments and Enchantments (+5 to Magic Resistance). LAUREL Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Woods, Rough, Marsh. Potency Loss: Loses 10% potency an hour after picking and 5% per week thereafter. Description: A small evergreen whose leaves may be burned as a protection against Incubi and Succubi (they will not willingly enter a room in which the substance is being burned). The leaves may also be distilled by an Alchemist to create a potion which increases the drinker's ability to disbelieve illusions (+25 to success percentage).

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005 LOTUS Availability: GM's discretion. Habitat: Woods, Marsh. Potency Loss: Never loses any potency. Description: A type of five-petalled flower which appears in several distinct varieties. The White Lotus may be used in the production of Love Philtres by Adepts of the College of Witchcraft. The Yellow Lotus is sometimes dried and used by Adepts of the College of Shaping Magics in the manufacture of Amulets of Luck similar to the Amulet of the same name of the College of Witchcraft. The Pink Lotus is the most common type, but has no magical properties. The Purple Lotus is Rare and is often used in potions which increase the resistance of the drinker versus magic of the College of Sorceries of the Mind (+5 to Magic Resistance). The Black Lotus is Very Rare and is the most powerful of the five. The pollen from this flower is the active ingredient in both Sleep Dust and (in larger quantities) Poison Dust, the manufacture of both substances being part of the General Knowledge of the College of Ensorcelments and Enchantments (and such a closelyguarded secret that none except an Adept of this College has ever been able to duplicate either). The Black Lotus is also a powerful ingredient in Alchemists' Aphrodisiacs, Love Potions, and Potions used to cause hallucinations or gain control over the drinker. MANDRAKE Availability: Rare. Habitat: Rough, Waste. Potency Loss: Never loses any potency. Description: A narcotic herb whose root forms the shape of a human figure. The berries can be used as either an aphrodisiac, a narcotic, or a poison (30% kill chance), depending on the dosage. the same applies to the root. In addition, the root is often used by Adepts of the College of Witchcraft in Love Philtres (lasting D10 days) and Fertility Potions. MARIGOLD Availability: Common. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Loses 5% of potency per month. Description: A yellow-flowered plant whose seeds are often powdered and made into incense for use in magic rituals. They may also be used by an Alchemist to distil Potions designed to cause the drinker to speak only the truth and answer all questions asked.

GM GUIDE MARIJUANA Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Loses 3% of potency per month. Description: A flowering plant readily identifiable by the distinctive shape and arrangement of its leaves. May be used by anyone as a mild painkiller (with euphoric side effects) and is often ingested (via smoking) for this purpose. An Alchemist can distil the raw plant into a compact mash which is sometimes used in religious ceremonies. In this form, the drug is extremely powerful and causes hallucinations, disorientation, and a reduction in resistance to all magic (5), and especially to magic of the College of Sorceries of the Mind (-10 to Magic Resistance). MARJORAM Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields, Woods. Potency Loss: Loses 10% of potency per hour. Description: An herb often used to brew teas having calmative and restorative powers. Drinking a cup of this tea will decrease subsequent die rolls on the Fright Table (44.8) by 5 and will allow the drinker to recover Fatigue exactly as if he had just eaten a hot meal. MISTLETOE Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Woods, Forests. Potency Loss: Loses 5% of potency per hour. Description: A parasitic shrub like plant whose white berries are often used by Adepts of the College of Witchcraft in the creation of Love Philtres. Untreated, the berries are slightly poisonous (5% kill chance). The entire plant except the berries may be made into an infusion which is used to wash fresh wounds, causing the subject to regain 2 points the Fatigue and increasing the chances of the body recovering from any nonmagical infection by 15. As a sideeffect of this healing phenomenon, the subject will for the next several weeks undergo an increase of several hundred percent in fertility or potency. A sprig of mistletoe used to make a set of lock picks will increase by 10 the chance of anyone picking a lock with those picks. MOONWORT Availability: Rare. Habitat: Woods. Potency Loss: Loses 5% of potency per day.

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Description: A fern known for its crescent-shaped leaves. It is often used by Adepts of the College of Witchcraft as an ingredient in Love Philtres. Its greatest value, however, is as a material for use in fashioning lock picks. The chances of anyone picking a lock are increased by 15 if the picks they are using are made of dried Moonwort stems. Moonwort should, however, be kept out of close proximity with Cold iron on which it exercises an extremely rapid oxidizing effect (loses 1% of the metal's strength for each hour that it is in contact with Moonwort). MULLEIN Availability: Rare. Habitat: Fields, Woods. Potency Loss: Never loses any potency. Description: A course-leafed weed. The leaves may be used and fashioned by an Adept of the College of Shaping Magics into an Amulet designed to protect the wearer from enchanted monsters, who will not approach the wearer closer than 20 feet. MYRRH Availability: Rare. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Never loses any potency. Description: A resinous plant often tapped for the sweet-smelling gum which is one of the most important ingredients in perfumes and in the incense used in magical rituals (especially those having to do with summoning beings from other dimensions +2 to Base Chance). OPIUM POPPY Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Loses 2% of potency per month. Description: A type of poppy characterized by bright red flowers. The buds yield a gum used by Alchemists in the manufacture of opium, a powerful narcotic ingested by smoking or by drinking while in suspension of tea. Healers use the drug to kill pain. It can, however, kill if ingested in large quantities. Frequent use leads to addiction and progressive mental and physical deterioration. Ingestion of the herb produces mild and reoccurring hallucinations which develop into horrible fantasies in habitual users.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005 RUE Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields, Woods. Potency Loss: Loses 5% of potency per hour. Description: A yellow-flowered herb which may be brewed into a tea which allows the drinker to recover Fatigue exactly as if he had just eaten a hot meal. Has the side effect of making the drinker impotent for the ensuing 24 hours. SAFFRON Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields, Woods. Potency Loss: Loses 1% of potency per week. Description: A variety of Crocus whose stamens may be powdered and used by Alchemists to distil Potions designed to cure blindness (75% chance) or disease (70% chance). Saffron stamens may also be used in the manufacture of incense for use in magic rituals. SAGE Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Loses 2% of potency per week. Description: A leafy herb whose juices are sometimes used by Alchemists in the manufacture of Potions designed to cure disease. The plant may also be brewed into a calmative tea which will reduce die rolls on the Fright Table (44.8) that day be 3. SAINT JOHN'S WORT (Hypericum) Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Woods, Marsh. Potency Loss: Never loses any potency. Description: An orange-flowered plant which may be distilled in an Alchemists Potion designed to increase the resistance of the drinker to magic of the College of Witchcraft and the College of Necromantic Conjurations (+10 for D10 hours). SANDALWOOD Availability: Rare. Habitat: Woods, Forests. Potency Loss: Never loses any potency. Description: A tree whose bark is valuable as an ingredient in most incense used in magic rituals.

GM GUIDE SATYR ORCHID Availability: Very Rare. Habitat: Woods, Forests. Potency Loss: Loses 50% of potency after an hour and 10% per hour thereafter. Description: A green-flowered Orchid which may be eaten as an aphrodisiac or stimulant. One flower will allow the eater to recover 4 Fatigue immediately. Any number of flowers may be eaten, but there is a 10% chance (+20% for each flower above one) that eating the flower(s) will cause the eater to gradually (in D10 weeks + one day per Endurance Point currently possessed by the victim) turn into a Satyr. Treat this latter effect as a major curse. SNAKEROOT Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Woods, Rough. Potency Loss: Loses 50% of potency one hour after picking and 10% potency per day thereafter. Description: An herb whose root can be chewed and spat into a snakebite neutralizing the poison of the snake within D-5 minutes. Alchemists distil it into a variety of Antidotes and Potions for healing diseases. SUNFLOWER (Heliotrope) Availability: Common. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Never loses any potency. Description: A tall, bright-yellow flower (often growing to above man height). Incubi, Succubi, Devils, Imps, and Hellhounds will not enter a stand of Sunflowers, though individual flowers have no effect on them. The seeds may be eaten for food, but in large quantities they produce hallucinations and visions of the future, some of which (about 5%) will be accurate and valuable to the seer providing he can decipher them. The juice from the seeds is sometimes used by Alchemists to distil Potions which have as their object the controlling of the drinker, as Bloodroot. SWEET FLAG Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Loses 30% of potency per day. Description: A tall, bright flower which is unpleasant to Wights, Wraiths, and Night-Gaunts. Each of these types of Undead must roll their Willpower or less in order to approach a character draped in Sweet Flag or cross a threshold draped in Sweet Flag.

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TEASEL (Venus's Basin) Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Loses 5% of potency per week. Description: Actually the plant, itself is of no value. However, water which collect at the base of this tall, burred, red plant is an ingredient in Toad Sweat Potions designed to remove blemishes (see 46.3). Alchemists also sometimes use the water in beauty potions. THYME Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields. Potency Loss: Loses 5% of potency per week. Description: An herb of the mint family which may be brewed into a tea that will decrease the drinker's subsequent rolls of the Fright table within the next 6 hours by 3. VALERIAN Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Woods. Potency Loss: Loses 20% of potency after one hour and 10% potency per day thereafter. Description: A flowering herb used by Alchemists to distil Sleeping Potions (lasting D5 hours). May be brewed into a tea which will allow the drinker to recover 2 Fatigue exactly as if he had just eaten a hot meal. An Alchemist's distillation will heal 4 Endurance Points immediately and also cure diseases. The tea has the side effect of making the drinker extremely attractive to members of the opposite effect for a period of two hours after drinking. VETCH Availability: Uncommon. Habitat: Fields, Rough. Potency Loss: Loses 10% of potency per month. Description: A purple-flowered clover often found in hilly or even mountainous regions. Used by Alchemists to distil Potions designed to increase the Physical Strength or Endurance of the drinker by 1 per Rank for D10 minutes.

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GM GUIDE

Demographics Creating a consistent flavour of society and development across multiple GMs is difficult. This document is a baseline for towns and cities in the baronies, which GMs can use as a point to deviate from or contrast with as they choose. Population Density In a stable, well-established and civilised region, population density is primarily dependant on the terrain type, and to a lesser extent, the technology and magic levels. The population levels in the following table should be modified downwards for areas recently at war or being settled. They should also be modified by up to 20% up or down for unusual levels of magic or technology. A society that is primarily non-human will have distinctly different population levels. The maximum sustainable population given up-todate agricultural techniques is around 200 people per square mile. A country as a whole will rarely exceed 80 ppm, although fertile river valleys will be more densely populated. However, even the most densely populated areas will usually have no more than half the land in cultivation. Within a region, the population will not be evenly distributed. Settlements will be more common near the coast and rivers, along major roads, and at cross roads and where rivers meet. Dominant Terrain Fields / Rural Rolling Hills Light Woods Hills Plains Wooded Hills Wetlands / Marsh Mountains Barren / Broken

Popn / sqm 120 90 70 60 60 40 30 25 20

No town has a self-sustaining population. Without constant immigration from the countryside, towns would wither and die. In famine, plague or war, there is insufficient spare food to sell in town markets, so towns empty as people return to the land. Conversely, in times of plenty, less people are required to grow crops, and more opportunities exist in the big smoke. Town populations thus fluctuate wildly, while villages change slowly. Age Distribution In the country, life expectancy is around 50. In town, if you get past 10, its about the same. The population is younger, and ages more quickly than a modern society. Child mortality is over 20%, mostly in the first couple of years of life. On the other hand, nearly 40% of people survive until 60, barring famines or plague. Less than 4%, usually the better off, survive past 80. The age distribution will be similar to the table below. Age Group 0-4 5-14 15-34 35-54 55-74 75+

%age 10% 18% 31% 25% 15% 1%

Children under 5 may be kept swaddled in the home, be underfoot in a smithy, or anything in between. Children under 15 may be employed, but usually are working by their family or apprenticed out, and aren’t expected to produce as much as an adult. By 45 many are effectively elderly and infirm; if lucky they are looked after by relatives.

Urban Vs. Rural Cities are inherently unhealthy and violent places. No city will sustain its population without immigration. City dwellers will be several inches shorter than their rural cousins, and will be weaker and less healthy. Disease and starvation is prevalent in the lower parts of any city. Up to a third of deaths in a city are from violence or accident. On the other hand, the excitement of city life provides a lot more intensity and experience, enabling townsfolk to learn more and work less. The country lifestyle is based on a constant routine, of hard work, which puts food on the table (more) reliably, but provides little excitement or opportunity for learning. Typical city-dwellers will have 2-3 less PS and EN, 5 more PC and two to three times the EP spread over a wider range of skills compared to country-folk.

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Religion Religious employment is one of the most common occupations outside agriculture. However, not all clergy are equal. Only one in ten will be an ordained priest. Maybe one in twenty of those is actually an Agent. Of the rest, most are lay brethren serving the various churches and cults. In a village there will not be an ordained priest, and in a town, there are far too many activities for a priest to manage without vergers, curates, rectors, parsons, choir masters, grave diggers, candle bearers and acolytes. In the baronies, the most common religion is the worship of the Powers of Light. However, there are also many worshippers of local or forgotten gods, or of the Dark Powers, small cults of foreign gods, and druids worshiping nature. All these people need clergy. Those worshipping non-approved religions will not be obvious, and may not be specially garbed. However, they still work hard for their congregations.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Settlement Types Around 5-10% of the population will be isolated, living in the wilderness, in a lone farm house, or otherwise not in a community. Up to 10% more will be living in towns and cities. The other 85% will be living in villages and hamlets, usually of between 50 and 500 people. Using these figures, you will be unlikely to generate huge cities – you will find the available urban population simply isn’t available. A town is any settlement much over 500 people which can’t support itself purely through its agrarian base, and that hosts a market to provide produce for its inhabitants. A city is any settlement over around 5,000 people that requires further infrastructure and smaller satellite towns for its support. At around 30,000 people, a city is shaping the economic direction of large country, and is almost completely dependant on politics and international trade for its survival. These mega-cities are very rare. Isolated Populace Families or people living alone include woodcutters, charcoal burners, rangers, hunters, trappers, shepherds, farmers in alpine valleys, bandits, hermits, druids, as well as people who live outside of a village for peace and quiet. They will make up the fixed population of wilderness or non-rural areas. Transient Populace Most people travel very little, and are tied to their land. Those travelling more than a few miles include mendicants and tinkers, priests, entertainers, traders, merchant caravans, factors, younger children of nobles, servants, and messengers. Occasionally refugees, skilled tradesmen, soldiers, scholars, mages, knights, and others may be seen on the roads. Household A household can vary from 1 to 20 people, but will average 6-10 in the baronies. In larger towns the household will be smaller, and in hamlets, larger. Lands further east tend to larger households. A household is an economic unit, with all goods and money going through the hands of the head of the household. Larger households may be an extended family, including any of grandparents, children, grandchildren, apprentices, aunts, and servants. Smaller households may be a couple without children or a widow. Hamlet A hamlet is a sleepy cluster of up to a dozen households, or around 100 people. Every household in a hamlet will make their living from farming, although individual members of some of the households support the others with crafts such as weaving or smithing. There will be virtually no specialist artisans. There is likely to be a lay priest, healer, herbalist or other mundane collector of wisdom and healing.

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Village A village is a bustling, thriving collection of 20-50 households (150-500 people), full of activity and gossip. A few specialist craftsmen and artisans will exist, most likely including a blacksmith, priest, and a tavern. A leader such as a reeve or village elder will have some official tie to the nearby manor. There may well be gentry in the village, such as a squire or other influential person. Many villages will have a focus on a specific industry – they may be a mining, lumber, wool or fishing village, or a trading post in the wilderness. However most will be primarily subsistence agriculture. In fertile areas, villages that are not overly-taxed can reach very comfortable standards of living, with abundant fresh produce, a range of local crafts, an active community life, and enough people so you don’t have to marry your cousin. Town A town will contain some hundreds of households (1,000 to 5,000 people), and be big enough so that not everyone knows each other. A town will be the focus of a number of villages, and act as a regular market and trade conduit for them. The town will be placed at a key point; either at a cross roads, on a river, or near a defendable feature. Towns are often walled. If on a bridgeable or fordable river, they often have 20-40% of buildings on the far side of the river. A town will usually have a town square, but the civic buildings (town hall, churches, guard house, granary, etc) may be scattered around the town. Towns either arise from commerce, in which case they will be run by a council of wealthy gentry and merchants, or from a military need, where they will have a keep or castle, and will be run by the military leader. The sorts of businesses in a town are addressed in a table below. City A city will contain 500 to 5,000 households, or 5,000 to 30,000 people. Cities are rare, and will be transportation hubs near waterways. The rapid and easy supply of food from the surrounding countryside is one of the keys to a city’s survival. However, a city must also have a larger reason for existence, as a hub for politics, trade, and crafts. Each city will have a distinct flavour and focus. A city is not just a collection of people and buildings, it has an attitude and an approach to the world. MMHS, Sanctuary and Seagate are examples of cities with a focus. The range of businesses in a town are addressed in a table below. Mega Cities Cities over 30,000 people are rare enough that they are all exceptions. While some Eastern countries have very large cities, there are not many in the baronies. Currently, they include MMHS, and the capitals of Aquila and Eltrandor. In another generation, Seagate may aspire to this status, due to its constant influx of population, inter-planar trade, and continual generation of wealth.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Town Design Density A medieval town has around 100-200 people to the hectare. Walled towns will usually be denser than unwalled, and old towns denser than new towns. This will include open spaces and public buildings in the town. Renaissance towns are often denser, at 200300 people per hectare. Cities are usually a little denser than towns. Towns also regularly grow and shrink in population, depending on economic and political trends. Size The above figures mean a city a mile across will hold around 50-70,000 people. The following table gives a typical range of sizes for different city populations and densities. The first number for each density is the radius in yards of a round city. The second is the number of hectares (100 yard squares) your city will contain. Popn. 1,000 3,000 5,000 10,000 20,000 30,000

Spacious 320 8 530 22 670 35 920 67 1,270 127 1,540 185

Average 250 5 420 14 540 23 750 44 1,050 86 1,270 127

Crowded 220 4 360 10 470 17 650 33 910 65 1,110 96

Districts A city will have many faces, and even a small town is not homogeneous. People will live amongst others in their social strata. Some cities insist all business of a certain type (e.g. moneylenders, temples, whores, jewellers) are on a single street, for ease of taxation; often similar businesses will cluster together anyway. This creates a distinct favour to that street or area. I always decide what different “quarters” my city has. When I create a city schema or map, I first place any geographic features, such as harbours, rivers or hills. Then place a keep or castle, if any. The water edge often has docks, fishing boats, and odorous activities such as tanning and rendering. Richer areas often are high on a high or near the keep, although sometimes this is merely the oldest part of town, and not the best. Within a district, there will always be exceptions. A large town-house in a wealthy area may be run as a tenement, and an up-and-coming merchant may stay near the tanneries to look after her sick father. Priests and officials will be found everywhere. However, the district should have its own activities, sounds and smells, and its own distinctive vibe. Even a recent visitor should be able to stand blindfolded in a street and pick the quarter they are in from the buzz of the lives around them.

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Districts may include: • Wealthy • Mercantile • Artisan • Foreign Quarter • Docks • Slums • Markets • Red Light • Entertainment • Animal Markets • Any specialist districts Key Buildings Key buildings should be included on any map of a town. These include a keep or castle, town square(s), main churches, markets, town or guild halls, town gates, any landmark buildings, bridges, and large open areas inside the town. Movement in Cities While a medieval city or town may be quite small, movement through the streets is remarkably slow. The streets will be crowded, not just with people, but with livestock, stalls, carts, goods and rubbish. Do not expect to travel 100 yards in under five minutes, nor to have a line of sight of more than 20 yards. Magic The level and availability of magic in a town varies wildly from region to region. Seagate is an extreme, where 2-3% of the population are Guild mages, and there are a number of other commercial mages. Broadly speaking, there are three types of mages. The amateur mage has a small number of spells that they can or will cast. They have only partial mastery of a college. This includes hedge witches, priests, aristocratic dilettantes, and people who have picked up odd spells relating to their profession. Some of their “spells” may be hocus-pocus. Most of these will not admit to spell casting. The generalist mage is a professional making their living from casting whatever spell is required. They will usually be Earth, E&E, or Witch, or Water on the coast. They will have a large number of spells at low to competent ranks. Their services will often be available to the general community like other tradesmen. The specialist mage is in the employ of a noble or merchant prince. They have specialised in a limited range of magics, which they cast often and have at high ranks. Colleges include Water or Air for ships, Celestials or Earth for elite forces, and Celestial, Air or Rune for travel. These people will not be accessible except via their employer, and will be part of a support unit for their employer’s operations.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Law Towns and cities will have law enforcement. As a rule of thumb, there will be one town guard per 150 people. On the frontiers, or in tyrannical towns, this ratio may be much higher. In a peaceful, prosperous town it may be lower. Town guards are usually not trained killers, although they have weapon training – they are not the army. If an army is enforcing law in a town, it is under martial law, and the following paragraph may be dispensed with, along with justice. Their behaviour and skills will depend largely on the quarter they patrol and the level of corruption in the town. Their job is to keep the peace in the area that they live. This means that they will know most locals and the street layout well. They will know who is a liar and who is honest; who to lean on, and where to find informants; when to drag someone out and thrash them, when to lock them up overnight, and when to dump them on their mother’s doorstep for a good telling-off. They will know the local criminals and ne’er-do-wells. They will have very little experience in foreign magical killers, and if neither treating them like normal citizens, nor bluff and bluster works, will usually only approach in overwhelming numbers. Artisans The following list represents the make-up of a typical mid-baronies town or city. Each town has a different economy, and will have a slightly different make-up. Coastal cities will have more fishmongers than inland, and wool towns will have more weavers than grain towns. However, this list is a place to deviate from. To use this table, divide the population of the city by the first column. This gives the number of artisans plying that craft in the city. The second column gives the number of artisans in a city of 10,000. Approximately one in ten of the populace will be described. Occupation Clergy Shoemakers Law Enforcement Genteel Families Maidservants Tailors Taverns / Restaurants Fishmongers Amateur Mages Barbers Medic/Herbalist / Healers Rank 3+ Jewellers Old-Clothes Thieves Advocates Beast Masters Masons Mercers Carpenters Bakers

1 per N 120 150 150 200 200 200 200 250 300 350

N/10000 83 67 67 50 50 50 50 40 33 29

350 350 400 400 450 500 500 500 550 600

29 29 25 25 22 20 20 20 18 17

Occupation Weavers Scabbard-makers Pastry cooks Chandlers Saddlers Wine-Sellers Hat-makers Coopers Water-carriers Chicken Butchers Blacksmiths Purse-makers Spice Merchants Inns Priests/Priestesses Butchers Fishmongers Astrologers Beer-sellers Buckle-makers Plasterers Noble Families Painters Locksmiths Doctors / Herbalists or Healers Rank 5+ Roofers Bathers Rope-makers Tanners Copyists Sculptors Generalist Adepts Rug-makers Harness-Makers Bleachers Hay Merchants Cutlers Wood-sellers Glove-makers Woodcarvers Weapon smiths Alchemists Magic-Shops Bookbinders Illuminators Assassins Booksellers Surgeons / Healers Rank 7+

1 per N 600 650 700 700 700 750 800 850 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,100 1,100 1,100 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,500 1,500 1,500

N/10000 17 15 14 14 14 13 13 12 10 10 10 9 9 9 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 7

1,700 1,800 1,900 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,100 2,300 2,300 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,500 2,500 2,800 3,000 3,900 4,500 6,300

6 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 2

8,000

1

In addition to these artisans there will be their apprentices and journeymen. Not in this list are market gardeners and subsistence farmers, and service industries including entertainers, pawnshops, moneychangers, gamblers, whores, thugs, cowhands, ostlers, food sellers, market stall holders, shysters, merchants, beggars, and visitors. Children, the frail elderly, and housewives make up the remainder of the population. 45

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Real Estate Everyone has to live somewhere, and DQ characters are no exception. Given free reign, PCs may adopt nomadic lifestyles, staying in inns and carrying their possessions on their backs. This is a rootless, expensive lifestyle, which real people adopt only in dire necessity. If only to give their PCs one more headache, GMs should encourage then to establish households, somewhere to put up their feet after a long bout of adventuring, a place to hang their helms and call their own. Choosing a Place to Live Characters do tend to travel, so they may have difficulty deciding what region to live in, let alone in which town or district. Keeping in mind the need for most guild members to attend the Guild meeting every three months, close proximity to Seagate may be their only real option. For most guild characters, birthplace is also a dominant consideration. Characters with families might want to locate close enough to stay in touch, or, depending on their relationship with the families, as far away as possible. Another consideration is work, other than Adventuring. Everyone has to eat, and even PCs may have to resort to some kind of honest labour to get by from time to time. Many PCs start play with only lowly ranked skills, and a desire to improve or better one’s self. Adventuring helps dictate a somewhat nomadic lifestyle, and a rather variable standard of living, but those with regular jobs (other then adventuring) should not plan too long a commute. Even those who prefer working only when absolutely necessary must still consider local job markets before setting up Households.

Fee Simple and Fee Taile Land that is held in fee-simple may be "owned" and/or inherited by anyone, without regard to class. The sovereign retains fundamental rights, but fee-simple property can be bought and sold, more or less freely. This is as close as anyone other than the monarch can come to outright ownership. Land that is held fee-taile can only be owned by persons of a specified class. Many landholders, from great nobles to lowly peasants, hold their land in feetaile with the restriction that only an heir of the same family who takes the appropriate oath(s) of homage and fealty to the liege can inherit. Institutional land is usually fee-taile with the provision that it be held by the institution (e.g. a church) in perpetuity. Of course, all grants can be negotiated and modified by mutual consent of liege and holder. Some families claim to hold their land in fee-simple but only mean that they can choose their own heirs without interference, provided they honour the succession laws/customs. Even then, the liege may retain the right to bar an heir from inheritance, and nearly always requires oaths of fealty or homage from the chosen heir. Fee simple land remains within the governmental jurisdiction of the fief where it is located. Markets, Towns, and Charters The marketplace is the heart of any successful town. In most jurisdictions, the right to hold a fair or market can be granted only by the crown. A town's charter spells out its rights and privileges and invariably includes the following features: 1. A crenulations licence to permit the building of town walls.

Owning and Holding Land Despite its relative abundance, land is the ultimate measure of wealth. In feudal society, all land belongs to the monarch. Lesser lords do not own their land, they hold it. This right of holding can be inherited, delegated, sometimes even bought and sold (usually with restrictions) but the land remains the property of the crown which retains mineral, taxation, expropriation, and other rights. Restrictions On Land Transfer Feudal land is held in exchange for service/rent and as long as the obligations attached to the land are honoured, the grantor may not care to whom the land passes. Nevertheless, feudal land grants forbid holders from alienating land without permission from their lieges. Feudal estates are held in trust. The lord governs and subinfeudates, exercises various delegated rights and virtually unlimited de facto power, but is always beholden to their liege.

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2. Transformation of town jurisdiction of fee simple (instead of fee taile). While this has been the custom in most Northern Barony towns, there are feudal towns elsewhere with some or all fee taile land. 3. Provision for government, taxation and defence. These attributes determine whether the town is a Freetown or feudal town. Freetown charters are usually granted to associations of guildsmen in exchange for substantial fees. Freetowns are self-governing. Their charters remove them from the feudal structure; they owe fealty directly to the king (or the grantor of their charter). Such arrangements are unpopular with feudal lords, especially if their land is expropriated for the purpose. A town with a feudal charter remains within the jurisdiction of the lord on whose land it stands, who makes their own provision for taxation, defence and civic government.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Patterns of landownership in fee-simple towns vary a great deal. In feudal-fee-simple towns, the charter lord owns the property, and can rent/lease it for revenue, but there are usually other major land holders. These include churches, the Crown (which usually receives land in part payment for the original charter) various merchants, and the bestower of a Freetown also generally retains title to significant parcels of land.

Leasing Leasing is simple renting with tenure. A lease is a contract. Its terms describe the duration of the leasehold, the rent, and any other obligations. Some lease contracts make the tenant responsible for maintenance and/or taxes (generally at less rent). Seven, fourteen, twenty-one and ninety-nine years are common leasehold terms. A lease may or may not be transferable; if it is, the landlord's permission is usually required. Transferable leases have market value, which declines as expiration draws nearer; the decline is less if there is an option for renewal in the lease. Leaseholders usually have options to sub-let or rent out the property although this does not diminish their responsibilities. Some urban real estate is sub-let several times over. Most rural "freeholders" are, in effect, leaseholders with perpetual, heritable tenure. Urban Property

Buy, Rent or Lease Choosing a household location also depends on whether characters intend to buy, rent or lease. If the character wants to buy they will probably have to live in a town because that is where nearly all free property is owned by wealthy gentlefolk or guildsmen who lease or rent it out for revenue. Fee simple land is almost unheard of in the countryside where most land is held in exchange for agricultural labour, military service, or rent. Rural land cannot be alienated without the consent of the person from whom it is held (liege). In practice however, peasants (even the unfree) often trade land, with the tacit consent of their lords. Renting Renting demands minimal capital, but tenants are at the mercy of landlords and can evicted without notice (although a few days notice is usually given) if they miss a payment or if the landlord simply wants them out. Laws protecting tenants are few and far between. Many landlords shamelessly exploit the poor. Rents range from 1 to 3 percent of real property value (as opposed to assessed value) per month (12-36% per year). Landlords can seize chattels for non-payments of rent.

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Most urban land is held in fee simple by wealthy gentlefolk or guildsmen. If the towns not a fee-town, its lord usually keeps much of the land himself. Usurers have a tendency to accumulate urban property in fee simple or leasehold. They appreciate the security of local real estate, and are able to obtain property by foreclosure on mortgages and by investing profits. The Litigants Guild In large settlements there are often litigants who specialize in realty, offering a range of services to buyers and vendors. Litigants act as agents for property sellers, earning commissions ranging from 5% to 15% when a sale is completed. They can also aid clients with leasehold and mortgage contracts, transfer of title deeds etc. Litigant fees for such service vary by location and expertise, but are typically 12-36SP per day. Most real estate transactions can be completed in a single day. The Masons Guild The Masons Guild is a dominant player in the urban real estate market. In response to guild pressure and public demand for minimal safety standards, most civic authorities require that all buildings within their jurisdictions be constructed, repaired, and maintained by masons who usually sub-contract all or part of the work to woodcrafters or other guildsmen. Some towns permit only stone buildings. Those who circumvent the Mason's monopoly, even if they manage to convince (bribe) a civic official to grant an exception, will find it almost impossible to get supplies from guildsmen to build or repair a home. Persistent or flagrant offenders of guild privilege can expect special attention.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Mortgages

Lot Values

A mortgage is any loan secured by real property. Most usurers require the would be borrower to own the real property before it can be used as security for a loan. The idea of mortgaging a house one does not yet own has not caught on. In most cases, characters will have to acquire the full purchase price of a property before buying it. Once a character owns real property there is no reason why they should not mortgage it to raise the money to buy additional properties.

The size and shape of a lot can be designed by the GM or read off the local map. Lots tend to be rectangular. Values is based on square footage and neighbourhood, tending to be highest within walled towns. Suburban land values outside town walls, but still within civic jurisdiction, are 30-70% lower.

Most usurers deem real estate good collateral so mortgage interest is usually lower than it would be for unsecured loans: 1-1.5% (12-18% per annum) compounded monthly. Persons of good repute, those well-known to and trusted by the lender might obtain rates as low as half a percent per month (6% per annum). Repayment of the mortgage is in monthly, quarterly, or annual payments, but interest on the declining balance must be paid each month or quarterly. In most civilized jurisdictions, the mortgager has the right to seize the property (including all goods therein) if one interest payment is missed. One day's grace is required by law in most settlements. Obtaining a refund for previous principal payments or negotiating the return of seized household effects can prove difficult. Title Deeds While it is not mandatory, characters who are buying will probably want a deed, provided by the vendor or their designated agent. It is a good idea to have the deed transfer witnessed and sealed by an alderman or registrar, depending on local government organization. These officials charge the buyer a fee for this service, ranging from 3 SP to 18 SP (perhaps more for fast service). Finding a House

A lot’s basic value per square foot, according to its neighbourhood, can be read off the Real Estate Value Table. Inflation is not a major factor in long-term property values, but prices do fluctuate in the short and medium term, and show gradual gains over decades and centuries. GMs should take political, geographical, agricultural, and other factors into account when haggling over home prices. For reasonable fees (e.g. 13SP) litigants will proffer advice on the market situation. While vacant lots within the walls of most towns are hard to find, PCs may be able to acquire an empty lot to build a house of their own design. If there has recently been a fire or war, or the town is fairly new or has recently extended its walls (a natural part of growth) there may be one or more empty lots here and there. Demolition & Renovation Most folk do not move house very often, so cityscapes evolve slowly. Many of the buildings are centuries old. Characters may have to demolish or renovate an existing house if they hope for decent living space. The cost of demolition for any building is generally about half the cost of constructing a slum of the same square footage. Renovation, either to improve a building's quality or to add space is rarely cheaper then building. Laws in many settlements require that masons do all demolitions. Lot Value Fluctuation

Large towns consist of neighbourhoods or quarters. The urban poor, most of the population, tend to rent multi-story tenements in slum districts, typically lowlying areas around docks and rivers, or areas furthest from the market and city gates. Middle and upper class neighbourhoods tend to be upwind, in higher parts of town, closer to public squares and markets, with wider streets. Better neighbourhoods may have special security: extra patrols, private guards, or understandings with the locale thieves guild. If the characters can protect themselves, they may not mind living amid neighbours who live by redistributing other peoples' valuables and body parts.

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Lot value is not easily changed by the owners alone, although a whole neighbourhood that upgrades itself or neglects maintenance can have an effect. GMs who develop lot values for settlements where PCs live will produce dynamic, interesting situations: Divide the town into neighbourhoods and modify lot values for each neighbourhood according to random factors and known trends.

EDITION 1.0 DECEMBER 11, 2005

GM GUIDE

Lot Value Trend Table The GM can use this table to modify neighbourhood lot values by on a monthly or yearly schedule. Alternately, lot values can be fluctuated quarterly using either the Month or Year column. D100

Lot Value Trend

Month

Year

01-02

Bust (Collapse in price)

-1d3%

-2d6%

03-10

Rapid Panic)

-1d2%

-2d6%

Decline

(Mild

and lot size are 600 square feet and it has 31/2 floors. Inside, it is divided into three 600 square foot dwellings rented to three families, and a half-flat in the attic occupied by a single person (or very poor family). Tax Summary Lot Building

Area

Value

600 sq ft 2,100 sq ft

450 sp 787 sp

Total

11-35

Slight Decline

-1%

-1d6%

36-60

Little to no change

-

+/- 1d3%

61-90

Slight Improvement

+1%

+1d6%

91-98

Major Improvement

+1d2%

+2d6%

99-00

Boom (Rampant Speculation)

+1d3%

+3d6%

1,237 sp

Taxes

99 sp

Rent Summary Ground Floor Second Floor Third Floor Attic Total

Area 600 sq ft 600 sq ft 600 sq ft 300 sq ft

Rent 80 sp 96 sp 82 sp 42 sp

2,100 sq ft

300 sp

Trend roll modifications The Maximum modification is 1 (so boom & bust are always possible). If positive factors exceed negative ones, add one to the Trend Roll, if negative factors exceed positive, subtract one from the roll. With this system, the GM can establish and maintain price per square foot for each neighbourhood. The following factors may affect land prices (the Trend Roll);

The landlord is paying 8% property tax on an assessed value of 1237 sp for a total of 99 sp per annum. An average landlord sets his total rents to bring in about 3 times his total taxes (on both the building and lot); in this case 3 sp more than that. The total rent for the building is divided among the tenants roughly in proportion to the size of their flats. In practice, his assessed taxes would be lower than the 99 sp given, and his rents might also.

Property value in adjacent neighbourhoods. Political situations (usually applies to whole towns) Landlord / Speculator buying / Selling in the area. Change in building quality and / or condition.

Building Size Floors 1d100