FHG1000 Free

NOVUS Fantasy Role-Playing Game

Firehawk Games

Credits Firehawk Games

Chronicle City

This edition is printed and distributed, under license, by Interior Art: Chronicle City of 58 Woodville Road, New Barnet, Herts, EN5 Some artwork copyright Kosuke Mita, used with 5NG, UK. For further information about other Chronicle City permission. games please check out our website and forums at Some artwork copyright Maciej Zagorski, Silwia Siwiec, http://www.chroniclecity.com Pawel Dobosz (The Forge Studios), used with permission. Some artwork copyright William McAusland (Outland Publishers Arts), used with permission Angus Abranson Some artwork copyright ©2006 Reality Deviant Production Manager Publications, used with permission. Simon Emmins Some artwork copyright ©2003 V Shane.

Project Specific Contributions: Author & Designer: Tim Dugger Editors: Tim Dugger and Lori Dugger; Proofreading: Tim Dugger, Ken-ichi Futaba, Mitch A. Williams & the Playtest Team; Special Thanks to Diaper Dan Davenport for making my head explode with a rash of last minute suggestions -- One day, I shall get even! Playtesters (and helpers extraordinaire): Steven Alban, Steve Albert, Geoff Atkinson, Jason “me, the GM!!” Belack, James Bennett, Graham Bottley, Massimiliano Caracristi, Matt Clay, Clint “No Toes” Conner, Jason DeYoung, Sam Deckoff, Jayson “Jigger” Driscoll, Bastian Flinspach, Travis Friedman, Ken-ichi Futaba, Chris Garland, Josh Rellik Georges, Tim “Samwise7” Harper, Nozomi Hatakeyama, Bryan “The man with two first names” Henry, Tom Hoffer, Craig Huber, Jon Huber, Craig Johnson, Dustin “Togar Skullcrusher” Kiefer, Masao Kobori, Viktor L. Korimir, Marybeth Langdon, Gina Mekic, Nick Mekic, Ward Miller, Christopher “GM” Morrell, Pete Mujica, Tina Mujica, Eiji Murayama, Jerry Nye, Kallen Ondrako, Bennett Osterwise, George Osterwise, Raphael Päbst, James Lynn Parnell, Don Pierce, Victoria Pierce, Right Wing Wacko “RWW”, Brian Ross, John Ross, Thomas Søderberg, Bruce Sorensen, Greg Stough, James “Witchking” Walker; Firehawk Games Website & Forums: http://www.firehawkgames.com

Published by Chronicle City

Novus Copyright © 2011 by Tim Dugger and Firehawk Games. All rights reserved. No reproductions without permission. Firehawk Games Stock #1000 ISBN 978-1-909126-00-8 Chronicle City SKU: CHC51901

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Table of Contents Introduction........................... 4

System Mechanics Overview....5 Glossary...........................................6

Character Creation................. 7

Character Creation Overview...7 Character Concept............................ 8 Choose Race....................................... 8 Humans........................................9 Elves..............................................9 Dwarves.....................................10 Halflings.....................................10 Half-Elf.......................................11 Half-Orc.....................................11 Choose Background........................ 12 Barbarian...................................12 Hillock........................................12 Rural...........................................12 Subterranean.............................12 Sylvan.........................................12 Urban, Lower Class..................12 Urban, Middle Class.................12 Urban, Upper Class..................12 Choose Character Class.................. 13 Archer........................................13 Fighter........................................13 Mage (Classic)...........................14 Mage (Dual)..............................14 Martial Artist.............................15 Minstrel......................................15 Scout...........................................15 Thief............................................15 Generate Stats.................................. 16 Stat Generation.............................16 Secondary Stats.........................17 Develop Your Character................. 20 Character Points.......................20 Learning Skills...............................20 Resolving Skills.............................21 Skill Descriptions............................. 22 Acrobatics..................................22 Athletics.....................................22 Combat Skills............................22 Crafting......................................23 First Aid.....................................23 Gimmickry................................23 Influence....................................23 Lore.............................................23 Magecraft...................................24 Navigation.................................24 Perception..................................24 Performing Arts........................24 Riding.........................................24 Spellcasting................................25

Stealth.........................................25 Streetwise...................................25 Survival......................................25 Tracking.....................................25 Trickery......................................25 Talents............................................... 26 Talent Descriptions..................26 Equip Your Character..................... 32 Money........................................33 Equipment.....................................33 Accessories................................33 Armor & Shields.......................35 Food & Lodging........................36 Transport...................................37 Weapons.....................................38 Encumbrance................................40 Finishing Your Character............... 40

Combat................................. 41

Combat Basics.................................. 41 The Combat Round......................... 42 Combat Round Sequence........42 Special Situations..........................43 Combat Moves................................. 47 Combat Styles.................................. 53

Magic.................................... 55

How Magic Works........................... 55 Schools of Magic.......................55 Types of Casters........................57 Learning Spells..............................57 Casting Spells................................57 Casting Boons ..........................58 Counterspells............................58 Spell Lists.......................................... 58 Spell Descriptions.........................58 Spells Vs. DEF...........................58 Universal Spells................................ 60 Black Magic...................................... 63 Divine Magic.................................... 66 High Magic....................................... 69 Mysticism......................................... 72 Natural Magic.................................. 76 Wizardry .......................................... 79 Summoning Spells & Rituals.......... 82 Summoning Procedures..........82 Results of the Summoning......83

Running Novus..................... 84

Resolving Rolls................................. 84 Types of Rolls............................84 Base Difficulty Ratings.............85 Snags ..........................................86 Boons..........................................86 Common Tasks.........................86 Common Modifiers..................86

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Occupational Hazards..................... 87 Falling Damage.........................87 Extreme Temperatures.............87 Handling Traps.........................87 Landslides/Cave-ins.................88 Light & Vision...........................88 Watery Hazards.........................89 Strategic Movement......................... 90 Movement By Terrain Type.....90 Injuries, Healing & Death............... 90 Injuries & Healing........................90 Death & Dying..............................90 Spheres of Influence........................ 90 Advancing Levels............................. 91 Awarding Experience Points.......... 91 Experience Awards...................91

Creatures & Treasures.......... 93

Encounters........................................ 93 Planned Encounters.................93 Random Encounters.................93 Creatures........................................... 94 Demons (all)..............................96 Devils (all).................................99 Dragons (Wyrms)...................101 Spirit Entities (all)...................105 Undead (all).............................110 Treasures......................................... 114 Treasure Table.........................114 Sample Magic Items...................115 Herbal Remedies.....................115 Potions.....................................116 Scrolls.......................................117 Magical Weapons & Armors.117 Staves, Rods & Wands............118 Amulets, Rings, & Jewelry.....120 Miscellaneous Magic Items...121

Appendix............................ 122

Combat Boons........................122 Snags.........................................123 Casting Boons.........................123 Skill Boons...............................123

Character Sheet.................. 124 Index................................... 126

Player’s Section

Introduction

Welcome to the Novus RPG. The introduction is usually where the game explains what role-playing is and what it is all about. Unlike other games, I am not going to do that here. This is because I fully expect that you will have played role-playing games before, and because there are, quite frankly, games out there that serve as a better introduction to role-playing games. This game was designed to be fun and exciting, and to be flexible enough that an experienced Game Master (GM) will be able to easily adapt it to whatever setting he prefers to use for his games. This is sometimes known as Rule Zero. Each gaming group is different and will approach the rules from their own unique perspective. There will be aspects that they rely upon more heavily than other groups. There will be instances where the rules don’t cover every possibility. Novus doesn’t even try to, but it does try to give you, the GM, the tools with which you can resolve things in a consistent manner. There will be times when you want to create or add in your own rules to better suit your group or the setting you will be playing in. We fully encourage this, but also feel that it is important that any alterations to the rules be fully discussed with the whole gaming group before they are implemented. This makes sure that everybody knows what is going on and what rules are to be used and thus makes the game more fun for all.

All readers should also feel free to stop by the Firehawk Games website and discuss any rule changes or potential changes for their games. We have a great group of people there and they would all be more than happy, myself included, to aid you in devising any rules you might need for you specific group/game. Acknow ledgements To paraphrase a famous quote, “no game is an island.” This means that game designers and game authors are and always will be influenced, to some small degree by every game that they have ever read or played. The same is true here. Considering that I have read and played many games over the years, I am sure that folks will likely see tiny bits of many different games that have inspired me. To all of the game designers that have come before me, I salute you! You are true inspirations, one and all. To everybody who tries this game and plays it, I hope that you enjoy the hell out of it and do so for many years to come. Special Thanks Before you delve into the game itself, I would like to take a moment of your time to give thanks to my play-testers. Without their prodding and feedback and suggestions, this game might never have gotten as far as it has. With such friends and support, all things are possible!

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Player’s Section System Mechanics Overview Before we move on to how to create your character, we will do a quick overview on the mechanics of the game. Basic Mechanics Novus uses a simple roll over Target Number (TN) system. What this means is that you roll the dice, add in any bonuses or other modifiers and if the result is equal to or higher than the TN of the task or action that you are attempting then you have succeeded in the task. It is up to the GM to determine the TN of a given task. Combat uses the same basic mechanic, with the TN required to hit the foe being his DEF (Defense) rating. However, the defender, the person being attacked, can often take actions that may make it harder for them to be hit. This is explained more fully in the Combat Chapter. Since Novus uses a 2d10 die roll in task resolution, this will result in the majority of the rolls being in the 10 to 12 range. This means that the actual skill ranks that a character has in a given skill will become more and more important as time progresses, especially for the more difficult tasks. Saving Throws There will be times when the player is asked to roll a Save against a certain stat in order to avoid some or all of the effects of a spell, poison, or some other type of attack or move. A Saving Throw has a default Target Number of 15. Certain effects and spells may have different Target Numbers for their Saves. To make a Save, the player makes an Explosive (see below) 2d10 roll and adds in his character’s Save Modifier (5 + the appropriate stat bonus), along with any other special modifiers that might apply. If the result equals the Target Number of the Save or is higher, he succeeds and is not affected (or receives a lesser effect in some cases). Exploding & Imploding Dice Mechanic The mechanics for Explosive Roll and Implosive Rolls are not complex at all. When you roll the dice for a task, you look at each die before adding them together with whatever bonuses apply to the task you are attempting to accomplish. If the number is from 2 to 9, then you continue as normal. However, if the die has a 1 or a 10 (some dice have this marked as a 0, but it is read as a 10), then it implodes or explodes accordingly. Exploding Dice: When the result on a die is a 10, then it explodes. This means that you get to sum the two dice, and then reroll the one that had the 10 on it and add that to your total as well. You can continue to do this as often as your die result comes up a 10. Once a die has exploded, it cannot implode during the reroll process. Imploding Dice: When the result on a die is a 1, then it implodes. This means that you get to sum the two dice, and then reroll the one that had the 1 on it, and subtract that from your total. You would continue to do this as long as you continued to roll ones on the imploding die. Once a die has imploded, it cannot explode during the reroll process.

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Nova Roll: This occurs when you roll a 10 on one die and a 1 on the other. Instead of having one die implode while the other die explodes, the two cancel each other out, and the roll is resolved normally without an explosion or implosion, just as if you had rolled an 11 using any other two numbers. The character also receives a Fate Point (p. 17) when this happens. Regardless of success or failure, the GM has the option of resolving the action in an unusual manner or through an unusual circumstance. Whether or not to do this is completely up to the GM. If the GM decides to use an unusual event to describe the resolution of the action, the actual event, or sequence of events is entirely up to the GM, and they should not change the actual results of the roll. Here are two examples of how a GM might resolve this situation. Example 1: Joe’s character is picking the lock on a door. Joe rolls a 10 on one die and a 1 on the other. This is a Nova roll. The 11, along with the skill bonus of Joe’s character is not enough to succeed in opening the lock. The GM decides that Joe’s character breaks his lockpick in the lock and in a sudden fit of irritation, bangs his fist against the door. This pops it open for a second, before it bounces off the hand of Joe’s character and shuts again. The door shutting jars loose the broken bit of lockpick, spitting it out of the lock, allowing another attempt to open the lock to be tried. Example 2: Joe’s character is picking the lock on a door. Joe rolls a 10 on one die and a 1 on the other. This is a Nova roll. The 11, along with the skill bonus of Joe’s character is just enough to succeed in opening the lock. The GM decides that Joe’s character has set off a poison dart trap, but that Joe’s character spots it, and rears back to avoid it (no rolls required for any of this). In doing so, Joe’s character knocks into another character standing behind him, with a sword at the ready. This other character falls forward and to one side, his sword slipping between the door and jam, and as he shifts to the side, his weapon pries open the door, without breaking either the door or the weapon. Unless stated otherwise, all dice rolls should be considered to be “Explosive Roll.” For example, initiative rolls will specifically state that they are a “non-Explosive Roll.”

Player’s Section Combat Skill – This is the character’s skill in combat. There are several different Combat Skills, one for each of a group of similar weapons. Additionally, Combat Styles also count as Combat Skills. Combat Style – This is a special skill for combat. It is used to allow a character to learn more advanced combat techniques, and most Combat Styles also give discounts on purchasing Combat Moves. Damage Rating (DR) – This, plus the stat bonus of the skill used in making an attack determine the Base Damage of that attack. Defense (DEF) – This is the number that must be equaled or beat in order for an attack to hit the target. Game Master (GM) – This is the person who controls the actions and events of the entire campaign setting. He is NOT the enemy of the players. Hit Points – This is a measure of how much damage a character can take before going unconscious and before dying. At 0 hits, a character may do nothing except to try and heal himself. At -11 hits, the character is unconscious, and at -(Constitution Stat Value + 10) the character will actually die. Magic Stat – The stat that is specifically associated with a given spell using Character Class or School of Magic. If a character is not of a spell using class, then he will use the stat, Intelligence, as his Magic Stat. Non-Player Character (NPC) – This is a character or monster that is controlled by the GM. Player Character (PC) – This is the character that is controlled by the player. Saving Throw (Save) – This is a roll to resist or avoid being affected by something (spell, poison, etc.) that is not covered by any other type of roll. There are 8 types of Saving Throws, one for each stat. The basic bonus used for making a Saving Throw is the Stat Bonus of the applicable Stat plus 5, plus any other appropriate modifiers. School of Magic – This is both a method of casting spells and a philosophy towards casting that colors how a character who knows that School casts spells and what spells they learn to cast. Spell Points (SP) – This is a measure of how much energy, magical or otherwise, that the character is able to manipulate before he must rest. It could be considered a measurement of mental exhaustion. Stat Bonus – This is a number that is based on the character’s Stat Value for a given stat. This number is added to skills and is part of the Save Modifier used in Saving Throws. Stat Value – This is the sum of the raw stat, any racial modifiers and any miscellaneous modifiers from other sources, such as Talents. Stats – These are numbers that are used to describe various attributes of the character.

Snag & Boon Point Mechanic With exploding and imploding dice, we can easily have rolls that are well below or well above the Target Number (TN) of the task at hand. On the high side, for every 10 points above the TN of the task that the player’s total roll is, including all modifiers, he earns one Boon Point. Boon Points (see p. 86) are then spent to enhance the results of the roll in some manner. Perhaps the character succeeded better than required, or took less time, or earned a bonus to his next attempt at the same skill. The choice would be up to the player, as he would use the Boon Points to purchase the special effect. Combat and spell casting will have their own Boon Point Tables for options that can be purchased. For the general Boon Points table, the player may only purchase those options that would apply to the skill being attempted. On the low side, the player earns 1 Snag Point for every 10 points below the TN of the task that his roll was. As with Boon Points, Snag Points (see p. 86) must then be spent to create a complication from those available. Of course, the complication must apply to the skill being attempted.

Glossary The following is a short list of terms and words that may be confusing to those who are new to Novus. Action Points (AP) – Every round has 5 Action Points. Players determine how much they may accomplish in a given round through the number of Action Points that their declared action will take. Armor Rating (AR) – This value is subtracted from the damage dealt to the character. It is subtracted from the total amount of damage that is dealt. Attack Bonus (AB) – This is the character’s skill bonus for the weapon that he is using, along with any special modifiers for that weapon based upon the situation or the Combat Move being used. Attack Roll – This is the total of a 2d10 roll along with the attacking character’s Attack Bonus. Base Damage (BD) – This is the minimum amount of damage that a successful attack deals. Character Class – This is method of defining certain aspects of the character, such as which skills are Favored Skills and which are not, as well as how many Hit Points he receives each level and any special training or ability the character receives. Character Points (CP) – This is a pool of points used to develop the character. They can be spent on ranks in specific skills, Talents, Combat Moves, and Spells. Combat Move – This is a special move that the player may elect for his character to perform while in combat. It often gives modifiers to the character’s AB, his DEF, the number of AP the move will take and the effects of the actual attack.

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Player’s Section

Character Creation

In this chapter we shall show you how to make a character from the ground up. We will start off with a short overview of the process and then go through each step again, but in full detail. At the end of this chapter, a player should be able to create a full first level character in short order.

Character Creation Overview Step 1: Character Concept (p. 8) As silly as this may sound, you should have a basic idea of the type of character that you would like to play before you even attempt to create a character. This Character Concept will be important as you make your decisions in the other steps. Many of those later decisions should come naturally and easily based upon the concept that you have devised for your character. Step 2: Choose Race (p. 8) This aspect of the character is something that should have been fully decided in determining your character concept. You need only select that race which fits your character concept, record the racial information on your character sheet and then move on to the next step. Step 3: Choose Background (p. 12) One of the things to determine in the character concept is where the character comes from, his Background. One of the primary benefits of a Background is that it gives the character a number of free ranks in various skills. Additionally, a character’s Background can often determine a number of other factors about the character, such as which languages he has access to and thus can learn. Backgrounds often also

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instill a number of base perceptions and attitudes that can be used as a starting point for the character’s personality. Most often, the specific details of a Background will depend upon the setting that is being used for the game. We have included a number of generic Backgrounds that can be used. Step 4: Choose Character Class (p. 13) Once you have selected your character’s Race and Background, the next thing to do is to select your character’s Class. This class defines some of the most basic information about the character, such as what skills he has an affinity for. Each Class has a number of skills that are designated as Favored, which means that they have a lower cost than other Standard Skills. A character’s Class will also define one or more special capabilities that the character might have, such as access to a specific School of Magic or additional Favored Skills. It should be noted that it is quite likely that none of the given character classes is a perfect match for your character concept. This is quite okay, nothing is likely to be a perfect match, but you should choose the Class that is closest to your concept. Step 5: Determine Stats (p. 16) Not everybody is going to enjoy the same method of determining their character’s stats. Novus offers you 3 separate methods for generating these numbers. There is the Random Method, the Point Buy Method and the Stat Array Method. This section will also tell you how to determine any secondary stats such as how many Spell Points your character has and how many Hit Points he has.

Player’s Section Step 6: Develop Your Character (p. 20) The player receives 30 Character Points (CPs) to use in creating a first level character. For each level beyond first level that the character achieves, he receives 15 additional Character Points. These Character Points may be spent on learning Skills, Spells, Combat Moves or acquiring Talents. Individual Skills are the last type of item a player may purchase for his character. Players are limited on how many total skill ranks that the character may have in an individual skill. Refer to the section on Learning Skills (p. 20) for more information. Spells are codified methods of utilizing magical energy to create specific effects. Combat Moves are special actions that can be performed instead of a normal, standard attack. They allow the character to produce results other than simple damage. Talents are special capabilities that do not require or invite continued improvement once learned. In most cases, a Talent may only be acquired once. Some Talents may also require other Talents as prerequisites. Step 7: Equip Your Character (p. 32) Once the player has spent all of his character’s Character Points, it is time for him to spend his gold. Every character will start with a few basic items as described in the beginning of this section, but the player will likely want to get him some more equipment, specifically for the adventuring that he is planning on his character doing. The tables given in this section will provide you with the most common items that an adventurer may require or want. Step 8: Tally Bonuses (p. 40) This is the point in time where the player should, if he has not done so already, go over his character and make sure that he has tallied all skill bonuses and to make sure that he has not forgotten anything. Step 9: Begin Play! Of course, this requires that you have other players and a GM to run things

Character Concept While you might think that this is a superfluous step, spending a few minutes thinking about your character and what you want him to be like will prove to be very beneficial in the long run. Your initial character concept can answer many questions about your character. You will likely want to sketch out a small bit of his history, and then start adding to it as you create the character. You will want to decide upon his Race, his Background, the things that you think he should be good at. You will want to put some thought into his personality and motivations. Are there events in his past that shaped his outlook? What drives the character to do the things that he does? Is he interested in fame or wealth? Is he running away from some dark secret in his past? While these rules do not give Alignment labels like a certain famous set of rules, there are traits known as good and evil, and many shades of grey between the two extremes. You should figure out what sort of tendencies your character will exhibit. Once you have given this all some thought, and gotten at least a basic idea of what you want your character to be like, you can then move on to the next step and actually begin creating your character.

Choose Race The next step in creating your character is to choose your character’s Race. Each race has several aspects that help define your character. Stat Modifiers Humans are the standard race against which all other races are compared. Average Humans will have stats ranging from 6 to 20 (see p. 16 for more information on the stats and stat generation). Other races receive Stat Modifiers. These modifiers apply to both the character’s actual stat as well as the potential maximum that the character may have. For the current stat, the Stat modifier is simply applied to the number generated for that stat. For the character’s potential maximum for a stat, you simply apply the modifier to 20, the maximum for a Human. Example: Halflings have a +2 modifier to Dexterity and a -4 modifier to Strength. The player would generate their stats as normal, and then apply the modifiers to both the actual stat and the stat’s maximum. If the player generates a 16 for his Dexterity and 17 for his Strength; then after applying his racial modifiers, he would have an 18 (16 + 2 = 18) for his Dexterity and a 13 (17 – 4 = 13) for his Strength. And his potential maximums would be 22 (20 + 2 = 22) for Dexterity and 16 (20 – 4 = 16) for Strength. Special Abilities Many races have a number of abilities and capabilities that are unique to all members of that race. This section of the racial description details them for you.

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Player’s Section Humans

Elves

Humans are versatile and able to adapt to many locations and climes that other races might not be able to. They also tend to be driven, to reach further, to try new things, to expand their horizons in a way that no other race seems capable of. Most Humans live to be between 60 and 80 years of age if they can survive that long. However, it is not unheard of for a Human to live up to 100 years, especially if they have access to magical healing. Demeanor: Despite being one of the most diverse and adaptable races, humans all tend to have one thing in common, ambition. The amount of ambition differs from person to person, but it seems that all humans continually strive to build and expand, to reach above and beyond their current means. Appearance: Humans run the gamut of skin coloring and body shape. They are one of the most diverse races when it comes to appearance. They range in height, 5’4”-6’4” for men; 5’-5’10” for women and have a range of builds from thin to stocky to fat. Their hair and eyes run the entire spectrum of normal shades. Males sometimes grow beards or mustaches. Quite often humans from a specific geographic area will all share similar racial traits. For example, humans from near the equator tend to have darker skin and less body hair, while those from northern climes often have more body hair and paler skin tones. Stat Modifiers: None Size: Medium (Base Movement: 10’ per Action Point) Special Abilities: Adaptability: Players may spread 4 points among the character’s stats (not stat bonuses), No stat may receive more than 2 points from this ability. This special Adaptability bonus to stats does not affect the potential maximum of a Human character’s stats. Nor can they be used to increase a character’s stats beyond their normal maximums. Skill Flexibility: The player may select 3 skills to be Favored Skills for his character. This applies to individual skills only, not all instances of a skill that needs to be specialized.

Though basically similar to Humans in many ways, Elves have several important, if subtle, differences. Elves are more refined in appearance than Humans, having finer features and unmarred skin. Their long lifespan, of approximately 450 to 500 years, tends to give them a more unique perspective of the world, to be able to take a long view on plans. They often have no problem waiting decades for a plan to come to fruition. Demeanor: Elves deeply respect nature and this shows in their outlook on the world around them. Appearance: Elves are shorter than Humans, and more slender overall, though still muscular. Elves average 5’ tall, with females of the race ranging only a few inches shorter. All have very lithe forms with Elven males weighing around 140 pounds. They have upswept ears that top off in delicate points. Elves are unable to grow beards. Their skin color is usually a light brown, similar to that of an acorn, while their eyes are often some shade of grey, green, purple or amber. Elves retain a youthful appearance until just before the end of their lives, aging dramatically over their last 5 years. Stat Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +1 Dexterity, +2 Speed, -2 Strength, -3 Willpower Size: Medium (Base Movement: 10’ per Action Point) Special Abilities: Nightvision, Greater: This ability allows a character to see outdoors as well on a bright night as he would on a cloudy, overcast day. When he is indoors, this allows the character to see 3 times as far as normally allowed by a light source. Enhanced Senses: Excellent senses grant a +2 bonus to all Perception rolls.

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Player’s Section Dwarves

Halflings

Probably the overall physically toughest of the races, they are very resistant to poisons and diseases and have exceptional life spans of up to 350 years. They are superior craftsmen and love to mine the earth for precious gems and metals, forging them into weapons of strength and artifacts of beauty and power. Not as fertile as humans, they have few children; and less than a third of their people are women, who are guarded jealously within their societies. Demeanor: Dwarves are very straightforward and dislike ‘beating around the bush’. They admire strength and directness in others and dislike what they consider to be fripperies. To the Dwarves, something that is artistic should be functional as well. This attitude shows in their demeanor and dealings with others. Appearance: Dwarven males stand around 4’ 5” tall, while the females are slightly shorter at 4’ 3” tall. A very stocky race, the Dwarves look as though they have been compressed, their bodies expanding in width. Often weighing twice what would be expected for someone their size, they generally average 200 pounds. Dwarves are very fond of their beards, which may grow to lengths that hang past their waists. For many Dwarves, hair and beards (for men) are almost always woven into braids, weaving in colored stones and beads and rings that are more than just decorations. These items will each have a special significance to the Dwarves. Stat Modifiers: -1 Charisma, +3 Constitution, -2 Dexterity, -2 Speed, +2 Strength Size: Medium (Base Movement: 10’ per Action Point) Special Abilities: Darkvision (30’): Character may see up to the distance listed when in total darkness. If surrounded by darkness and within an area of light (i.e. like that from a torch), he may see the distance given plus that of the light source. The character may see clearly up to twice the given distance on a starlit night, and 10 times the given distance on a brightly lit night. Stone Sense: Dwarves are able to notice hidden things in stone such as slight slopes, dangerous stone work, secret doors, etc. much easier than others. All Perception rolls involving gathering information about stone objects gain a bonus of +5.

Halflings are one of the smallest of the civilized races, as well as one of the hardiest. They like to carve their homes into the side of hills and live in small rural communities, away from other races. Halflings live to be about 120 on average. Demeanor: Halflings are a small race, and they are often treated dismissively by the larger races. They rarely feel safe when there are larger races around, so they will be on their guard at all times. Halflings have also learned to use their size to their advantage; often by presenting nonthreatening or childish appearance that allows the larger races to underestimate them. Appearance: Halflings resemble miniature humans, between 3’ and 4’ in height, with females ranging only a few inches shorter. They have slightly pointed ears, although not quite as pointed as Elves. Male Halflings average about 55 lbs in weight, with females being slightly less. Stat Modifiers: -1 Charisma, +1 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, +2 Speed, -4 Strength, Size: Small (+2 DEF & Stealth; Base Movement: 5’ per Action Point; Must use Halfling-sized weapons) Special Abilities: Nightvision, Lesser: This ability allows the character to see, when outdoors on a bright night, up to 500’ as if it were just a very dark day. When he is indoors, this allows the character to see twice as far as the light source normally allows. Nimble Fingers: This ability grants the character a +4 bonus to all skills involving the manipulation of items with the hands (Gimmickry, Trickery, and crafts requiring fine work such as jewelry making, etc.). Note 1: Halfling-sized weapons have a Damage Rating that is 1 point less than normal-sized weapons. Halfling-sized weapons will always have a Damage Rating of at least 1. Note 2: Halfling-sized equipment weighs about twothirds of the weight listed in the equipment tables. In all other ways, except as listed in Note 1, it should be treated as identical to normal sized equipment.

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Player’s Section Half-Elf

Half-Orc

Half-Elves can often pass as fully human in many cases. The only thing that gives them away is their slightly pointed ears. Unlike their Elven parents, many Half-Elven males are capable of growing beards. Half-Elves usually live to be around 300 years old. Demeanor: Half-Elves will have an attitude and outlook on life based on where they are raised, who they are raised by, and how that culture views those with mixed parentage. Appearance: Half-Elves resemble humans more than they do Elves, ranging from 5’2” to 5’8” tall, with slim builds, and weighing from 150 to 180 lbs on average. Hair and skin color can vary widely, just as with humans. The only real tell-tale of Elven parentage is that they have slightly pointed ears. Stat Modifiers: +1 Charisma, +1 Dexterity, +1 Speed, -1 Strength, -2 Willpower Size: Medium (Base Movement: 10’ per Action Point) Special Abilities: Nightvision, Lesser: This ability allows the character to see, when outdoors on a bright night, up to 500’ as if it were just a very dark day. When he is indoors, this allows the character to see twice as far as the light source normally allows. Enhanced Senses: Excellent senses grant a +1 bonus to all Perception rolls. Skill Flexibility: The player may select 2 Standard Skills to be classified as Favored Skills for his character. This applies to individual skills only, not all instances of a skill that needs to be specialized.

Half-Orcs are among the rarest of the racial crossbreeds. This is usually due to the habit of Orcs not allowing Half-Orc babies to live. Most Half-Orcs live to be around 80 years old. Demeanor: Half-Orcs often have a very aggressive nature, and may seem combative at first meeting. However, they are also fiercely loyal to those that they call friend. Appearance: Half-Orcs resemble large muscular humans with a slightly bestial appearance. The most common characteristics are a low hanging brow, jutting jaw and small tusks thrusting up from the jaw, though rarely as pronounced as those found on Orcs. Half-Orcs are often between 5’8” and 6’6” tall and weighing in at roughly 200 to 250 lbs on average. Stat Modifiers: -2 Charisma, +2 Constitution, +2 Strength, -1 Wisdom Size: Medium (Base Movement: 10’ per Action Point) Special Abilities: Nightvision, Lesser: This ability allows the character to see, when outdoors on a bright night, up to 500’ as if it were just a very dark day. When indoors, this allows the character to see twice as far as the light source normally allows. Keen Sense of Smell: This grants the character a +2 bonus for all Perception and Tracking rolls that can be made using the character’s sense of smell. Sturdy Build: The character is very tough. This ability grants him a one time bonus of 5 additional hit points starting out, a +1 Strength modifier. This Strength modifier has already been figured into the Stat Modifiers listed above.

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Player’s Section

Choose Background Once you have selected the race of your character, the next step is to decide his Background. A character’s specific Background can influence the character’s personality and outlook, among other things. More importantly, the Background also tells you the sort of skills that he learned as a child. This childhood and adolescent development is represented by the Background giving the character free ranks in a number of skills. Each Background lists the skills along with the number of free ranks in parenthesis after the skill’s name. If the free ranks are given in a skill that needs to be specialized, and the Background does not list the actual specialization, then you, the player, must place those ranks into individual, specialized versions of the listed skill. However, no individual skill is allowed to have more than 3 ranks placed into it in this manner. Example: A given Background is allowed to give 3 ranks to the Stealth skill because that skill is specialized. However, if a Background gives 4 ranks in Combat Skills, then the player may only place a maximum of 3 ranks in one Combat Skill, and the remaining rank in a second Combat Skill, or split the 4 ranks evenly between 2 skills, or any other viable combination. Once you have chosen a Background for your character, you should record the number of skill ranks you received in the BG column of the Skills section of the Character Sheet.

Barbarian Those from this Background come from a variety of different tribal cultures. Some may be nomadic while others live in small villages as hunters and gatherers. Skill Ranks: Athletics (2), Combat Skills (4), Lore: Local Region (2), Navigation (3), Perception (2), Stealth (2), Survival (3), Tracking (2)

Hillock Those from this Background tend to live in small, quiet communities with their homes built into the side of hills. Skill Ranks: Athletics (2), Crafting (3), Combat Skills (2), First Aid (2), Lore: Local Region (2), Gimmickry (2), Perception (2), Stealth (3), Trickery (2)

the interior of mountains. Skill Ranks: Athletics (3), Crafting (3), Combat Skills (6), Lore: Local Region (2), Magecraft (1), Perception (2), Stealth (1), Survival (2)

Sylvan Those from this Background live in harmony with nature, often in villages found in deep forests. Skill Ranks: Athletics (1), Crafting (2), Combat Skills (4), Lore: Local Region (2), Magecraft (2), Perception (2), Stealth (3), Survival (2), Tracking (2)

Urban, Lower Class Those from this Background are often found in the worst parts of a city. These are the people who do most of the drudge work in the city. They are also the ones most likely to be associated with crime and thievery. Skill Ranks: Athletics (2), Combat Skills (3), Gimmickry (2), Influence (2), Lore: Local Region (2), Perception (2), Stealth (2), Streetwise (3), Trickery (2)

Urban, Middle Class Those from this Background are considered to be the backbone of the city. They are the merchants and the average workers. Skill Ranks: Athletics (2), Combat Skills (3), Crafting (3), Influence (2), Lore: Local Region (2), Lore: player’s choice (2), Perception (3), Performing Arts (1), Riding (1), Streetwise (1)

Urban, Upper Class Those from this Background often form the ruling class of the city. They are more educated and often feel a sense of superiority over those from the lower classes. Skill Ranks: Athletics (2), Combat Skills (3), Crafting (3), First Aid (2), Influence (2), Lore: Local Region (2), Magecraft (2), Perception (2), Riding (2)

Rural Those from this Background live in small towns and villages away from the hustle and bustle of the cities. Skill Ranks: Athletics (2), Crafting (2), Combat Skills (3), Lore: Local Region (2), Navigation (1), Perception (2), Riding (2), Stealth (2), Survival (2), Tracking (2)

Subterranean Those from this Background live in cities carved out of

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Player’s Section

Choose Character Class Review each of the Character Classes that we provide below and then select the one that best suits your Character Concept. Each has several aspects that help define them. They are as follows: Favored Skills: Skill costs are based on whether the skill is a Favored Skill or a Standard Skill, as well as how many ranks the character currently has in the skill. Starting off, Favored Skills cost 1 Character Point (CP) and Standard Skills cost 3 CP per rank, and the costs for both increase from there, depending upon the total number of ranks that the character has in the skill. The listing for Favored Skills may allow the player to select one or more skills to be considered as Favored Skills. In all such cases, the choice applies only to a single instance of a skill (1 Lore skill, 1 combat skill, etc.). Prime Stats: Every Character Class has 2 stats which are felt to be the most important for that given class. It is recommended, but not required, that you put your highest stat scores into those stats. If a listed stat has an asterisk (*) next to it, then this is considered the Magic Stat for that Class. The Magic Stat is the stat that is used for the Magecraft and Spellcasting skills. If a Class does not have a Magic Stat listed (i.e. no default School of Magic), then the Intelligence stat should be used for the Magic Stat. If such a character later learns a School of Magic, then his Magic Stat will change to be the one used for that particular School. Special Abilities: This section lists any special abilities that members of this Class will automatically have. If the special ability is part of a specific Talent listed in the Talent section, this will be noted at the end of the special ability’s description inside of brackets [ ]. Any character of that Class should be considered as having that listed Talent, especially when considering whether or not they may acquire that talent more than once. Some Classes may have special abilities that are not actually listed, such as the Favored Skill talent, but that are already figured or added into other areas of the Class description.

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Archer An Archer is a character who specializes in the use of a ranged weapon, such as a bow or a sling. He is also good at hunting out in the wilderness. Favored Skills: Athletics, Combat Skills (1 ranged & 1 other), Navigation, Perception, Stealth, Survival, Tracking, and 2 additional skills of the player’s choice. Prime Stats: Dexterity and Wisdom Special Abilities: • The character is trained in the wearing and use of padded cloth, furs, and soft leather armors. [Armor, Light] • Gain a +2 modifier to the ranged Combat Skill selected as Favored. [Combat Training I] • Gain a +1 modifier to all other Favored Combat Skills (excluding the one that received the +2 modifier). [Combat Training I] • Gain a +1 bonus to DEF. [Combat Training I] • Gain an additional 5 Hit Points. [Combat Training I] • May purchase 1 Combat Move for every 3 ranks in a given Combat Skill. [Combat Training I] • The character is an expert with one type of ranged weapon. So long as he is not mounted or has not moved in the round in which he fires, his penalty for each Range Increment is only -2 instead of the normal -4. If he takes a round to prepare before his shot, there is no penalty at all for range. The character cannot be wearing torso armor heavier than Reinforced Leather for this ability to work. [Extraordinary Aim]

Fighter Fighters are primarily combat specialists. Fighters will find it easy to develop a variety of different weapons and to wear heavier types of armor. Favored Skills: Athletics, 3 Combat Skills, First Aid, Perception, Riding, Survival, and 2 additional skills of the player’s choice. Prime Stats: Strength and Constitution Special Abilities: • The character is trained in the wearing and use of reinforced leather armors (hard leather, leather scale, etc.) as well as in the wearing and use of padded cloth, furs, and soft leather armors. [Armor, Medium] • Gain a +2 modifier to all Favored Combat Skills. [Combat Training II] • Gain a +2 bonus to DEF. [Combat Training II] • Gain an additional 10 Hit Points. [Combat Training II] • May purchase 1 Combat Move for every rank in a given Combat Skill. [Combat Training II]

Player’s Section Mage (Classic)

Mage (Dual)

The Classic Mage is a spell caster who is dedicated to a single School of Magic. The specific School of Magic that he is dedicated to will aid in defining him. When a player selects this Class for his character, he must also select a specific School of Magic. The character’s actual Class title, Casting Style (see p. 55) and Prime Stats will be based upon the School selected. Favored Skills: Magecraft (all), Perception, Spellcasting and 3 additional skills of the player’s choice. Prime Stats: varies according to School of Magic Special Abilities: • The character must select one of the Schools of Magic from the Schools of Magic table. This will determine which School is his primary School and what his Prime Stats are going to be. [Major Adept] • When purchasing spells, the character uses the “Mj” CP costs instead of the “N” CP costs. [Major Adept] • The character begins with a base of 15 Spell Points. [Major Adept]

The Dual Mage is slightly more versatile than the Classic Mage, because he has access to two Schools of Magic. However, he pays a price for this by not being quite as strong in either School. When a player selects this Class for his character, he must also select two specific Schools of Magic. The character’s actual Class title, Casting Style (see p. 55) and Prime Stats will be based upon the primary School selected. Favored Skills: Magecraft (all), Perception, Spellcasting (School 1), Spellcasting (School 2) and 3 additional skills of the player’s choice. Prime Stats: varies according to primary School of Magic Special Abilities: • The character must select a primary School of Magic from the Schools of Magic table. This will determine what his Prime Stats are going to be. [Minor Adept] • The character must select a secondary School of Magic from the Schools of Magic table. [Extra School of Magic] • When purchasing spells, the character uses the “Mn” CP costs instead of the “N” CP costs. [Minor Adept] • The character begins with a base of 10 Spell Points. [Minor Adept]

Schools of Magic Prime Stats School Title Description Magic Other Black Magic Warlock Chr Will The study of the darker side of magic. Black Magic is often associated with evil among many cultures and thus many people fear it. Divine Magic Cleric* Wis Chr Divine Magic isn’t really a study of a specific field of magic so much as it is the collected disciplines and doctrines of Priests and Clerics empowered by the magical energies supplied by the caster’s deity or deities. High Magic Magician Int Will High Magic is the study of some of the most iconic forms of magic such as conjuration, illusions, etc. Mysticism Mystic Will Wis Mysticism is the study of the inner self, utilizing one’s own inner strength and spirit, focusing it through what is sometimes called chi energy. Natural Magic Druid Wis Con Natural Magic is the study of magic concerning plants and animals and the four basic elements; fire, earth, air and water. Wizardry Wizard Int Chr Those who study Wizardry have discovered how to use special words and phrases to shape magical energy and form spells. For them, words really do have power. * = Clerics are considered to be priests of a single generic deity who is opposed to evil. For Clerics of a specific deity, the GM should put together a Sphere of Influence spell list (see p. 90) based on the deity. 14

Player’s Section Martial Artist

Scout

The Martial Artist is a person who has dedicated himself to honing his mind, body, and spirit; turning it into a living weapon. Favored Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Combat Skill (Sanju), Combat Skill (Basic Martial Arts), Perception, Stealth, and 3 additional skills of the player’s choice. Prime Stats: Strength and Speed Special Abilities: • The character gains a +1 modifier to his DEF for every 5 ranks that he has in his best melee Combat Skill. This is in addition to the +1 for every 5 ranks that all characters receive. [Agile Defense] • Character learns 5 points worth of Combat Moves for Sanju or another Combat Style of his choice (see p. 47 for more info on Combat Moves). The character must have ranks in the Combat Style in order to receive the Combat Moves. [Combat Moves] • Gain a +1 modifier to all Favored Combat Skills. [Combat Training I] • Gain an additional +1 modifier to any one Favored Combat Skill. [Combat Training I] • Gain a +1 bonus to DEF. [Combat Training I] • Gain an additional 5 Hit Points. [Combat Training I] • May purchase 1 Combat Move for every 3 ranks in a given Combat Skill. [Combat Training I] • Select two weapons to use with a Weapon Kata [Weapon Kata x 2]

Scouts are at home in the wilderness. They often make their living as hunters or trappers, or even explorers. They have minor capabilities in a lot of areas, allowing them to be extremely diversified. This allows them to be very self-sufficient. Some Scouts occasionally take to a life of crime. They are often called Highwaymen or Rogues. Favored Skills: Athletics, 2 Combat Skills, Navigation, Perception, Riding, Survival, Tracking and 2 additional skills of the player’s choice Prime Stats: Strength and Dexterity Special Abilities: • The character is trained in the wearing and use of reinforced leather armors (hard leather, leather scale, brigandine, etc.) as well as in the wearing and use of padded cloth, furs, and soft leather armors. [Armor, Medium] • Gain a +1 modifier to all Favored Combat Skills. [Combat Training I] • Gain an additional +1 modifier to any one Favored Combat Skill. [Combat Training I] • Gain a +1 bonus to DEF. [Combat Training I] • Gain an additional 5 Hit Points. [Combat Training I] • May purchase 1 Combat Move for every 3 ranks in a given Combat Skill. [Combat Training I] • The character has learned how to best utilize any shield he acquires, gaining a +1 modifier to the DEF rating of any shield he uses. [Shield Training]

Minstrel The minstrel is a performer. He often earns his living by entertaining people as he travels. The minstrel is often able to go places and learn things that others might not be able to. Favored Skills: Acrobatics, 2 Combat Skills, Influence, Perception, Performing Arts (all), Trickery, and 2 additional skills of the player’s choice. Prime Stats: Wisdom and Charisma Special Abilities: • The character is trained in the wearing and use of padded cloth, furs, and soft leather armors. [Armor, Light] • Gain a +1 modifier to all Favored Combat Skills. [Combat Training I] • Gain an additional +1 modifier to any one Favored Combat Skill. [Combat Training I] • Gain a +1 bonus to DEF. [Combat Training I] • Gain an additional 5 Hit Points. [Combat Training I] • May purchase 1 Combat Move for every 3 ranks in a given Combat Skill. [Combat Training I] • Gain a +2 modifier to all Performing Arts skills and to Trickery. [Natural Talent x2]

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Thief Thieves are specialists in infiltration and in dealing with mechanical devices such as locks and traps. Favored Skills: Acrobatics, 2 Combat Skills, Gimmickry, Perception, Stealth, Streetwise, Trickery and 2 additional skills of the player’s choice Prime Stats: Dexterity and Speed Special Abilities: • The character is trained in the wearing and use of padded cloth, furs, and soft leather armors. [Armor, Light] • Gain a +1 modifier to all Favored Combat Skills. [Combat Training I] • Gain an additional +1 modifier to any one Favored Combat Skill. [Combat Training I] • Gain a +1 bonus to DEF. [Combat Training I] • Gain an additional 5 Hit Points. [Combat Training I] • May purchase 1 Combat Move for every 3 ranks in a given Combat Skill. [Combat Training I] • The character has learned how to knock a foe unconscious with a single blow. He must use a blunt or heavy weapon (such as a blackjack, club, mace, etc.) and he must either attack the target from behind or with surprise. If the attack is successful, it does double Base Damage (no Scaled Damage) and the foe must make a Save vs. Con or be knocked unconscious for 1d10 minutes. Bonuses to Saves vs. Stuns from Helms do apply (see p. 36) [Waylaying] .

Player’s Section

Generate Stats Your character has 8 primary stats and a number of secondary stats that are derived from those primary stats. The following descriptions give you a better idea of what the 8 primary stats represent. Charisma (Chr) – This is the character’s strength of personality, his ability to inspire others and to command a group or gathering. It is sometimes referred to as leadership, psychic ability, perceived power, bardic voice, etc. Constitution (Con) – This is the general health and well being of the character. His resistance to disease and the ability to absorb physical damage are also reflected in this stat. It is sometimes referred to as health, stamina, endurance, physique, etc. Dexterity (Dex) – This is the character’s hand and eye coordination. It is sometimes referred to as deftness, manual dexterity, grace, adroitness, etc. Intelligence (Int) – This is the character’s ability to absorb, comprehend, and categorize data for future use. It also reflects his ability to draw logical conclusions. It is sometimes referred to as reasoning, logic, deductive capacity, wit, IQ, etc. Speed (Spd) – This is essentially a measure of how fast and agile the character is. It is sometimes referred to as quickness, agility, reaction time, readiness, reflexes, etc. Strength (Str) – This is the character’s ability to use his existing muscles to the greatest advantage. It is sometimes referred to as power, might, force, conditioning, physique, etc. Willpower (Will) – This is a measure of the character’s control of the mind over body, his ability to stay focused or push harder in pursuit of some goal, or to draw upon the inner reserves of determination. It is sometimes referred to as mental strength or power, self-discipline, mental fortitude, etc. Wisdom (Wis) – This stat measures a combination of luck, genius, precognition, empathy, and the favor of the gods. It is sometimes referred to as perception, sixth sense, luck, talent, guessing ability, psychic ability, etc.

Additionally, there is a Stat Maximum, although this isn’t recorded on the character sheet. This is the maximum possible Stat Value for a character of a given race. To determine the Stat Maximum for a given stat, just add the racial modifier for that stat to 20. As you go up in levels, you will be able to increase some of your character’s stats. However, you will never be able to increase them beyond the Stat Maximums for his race. Generation Methods Not everybody likes to generate their character’s stats in the same manner. Therefore, we give you 3 basic methods to select from. Each method has its own advantages and drawbacks, but the method you select should basically be the one you are most comfortable with. Once you have determined what the stat numbers will be, you will then record them on your character sheet in the “Raw” column of the Stats section. Method 1: Random Generation – To generate your stats using this method; you will roll 2d10 eight times, rerolling any 1s or 2s. These are non-explosive rolls. This should provide you with 8 numbers that range between 6 and 20. Assign these numbers to your stats as you like, recording them in the Raw column on the character sheet. It is recommended, but not required, that you place your 2 highest numbers in the Prime Stats for your character’s Class. Method 2: Point Buy – When using this method, every Raw Stat starts off at 10 points, and the player gets 35 points to spend on increasing the Raw Stats to whatever value he wants, up to 20. However, it is not a simple point for point purchase. As long as the stat is at 14 or below, it costs 1 point to raise the stat one point. If the stat is at 15 or higher, then it costs 3 points to raise the stat by another point. The resulting stats should be recorded in the Raw column of the character sheet. No stat may be raised above 20 using this method. New Value Total Cost New Value Total Cost 11 1 16 8 12 2 17 11 13 3 18 14 14 4 19 17 15 5 20 20

Stat Generation Each stat is comprised of 2 main elements. First there is the Stat Value; this is a number that is used to define your stat. It is the sum of your Raw Stat, your Racial Stat Modifier, and any miscellaneous stat modifiers. It is often used in other ways as well. Refer to the section below on Generation Methods to learn about the ways you can select from to generate your Raw Stats. The second element is the Stat Bonus. This number is determined by your Stat Value (see below). It is added to your skill ranks to give you your total skill bonus and is also used for other things, such as Saving Throws (p. 84).

Method 3: Stat Array – In this method, you simply take the 8 pregenerated Raw Stats (17, 16, 15, 14, 14, 12, 11, 10) and place them in whatever stat you like. Final Adjustments – Even using one of the above methods, it is possible that you won’t be entirely happy with the results. Therefore, players will be allowed to make some final adjustments to their stats. To do this, they need to lower the value of some of their Raw Stats to gain some points to spend, gaining 1 point for each point that a stat’s Raw value is lowered. A player may not lower a Raw Stat below 6. Once they have their pool of points to spend, they may then spend them on other stats, using the same rules and costs as listed in Method 2 for the Point Buy.

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Player’s Section Stat Bonuses After determining your Raw Stats, total up the Raw, Race, and Misc. columns to determine the full Stat Value. Then use the following table to determine the Stat Bonuses for each of your character’s Stat Values. Value 1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 13-15

Stat Bonuses Bonus Value -3 16-18 -2 19-21 -1 22-24 0 25-27 1 28-30

Bonus 2 3 4 5 6

Secondary Stats There are a number of Secondary Stats that are derived from the 8 primary stats, or that are included here simply for completeness. We will go over each one separately. Defense (DEF) This is the Target Number that an attacker must equal or beat in order to make a physical attack against your character. Your character’s Base DEF is comprised of several factors as shown here: DEF = 15 + Spd Bonus + (1/5 ranks melee Combat Skill) The base of 15 and the Speed Stat Bonus are pretty much self-explanatory. For every 5 ranks that the character has in his best melee-based Combat Skill, he gains a +1 modifier to his DEF. This means that when he gets 5 ranks in a melee skill, he gains a +1, when he gets 10 ranks; he gets another +1, for a total modifier of +2, and so forth. There are other things, such as special abilities, shields, spells, Combat Moves, and Boon Point results that can alter your character’s DEF for either good or bad. The majority of these are situational, meaning that they only apply in certain situations. If your character is prone (laying on the ground), caught completely unawares (which is different from just being surprised) or unable to move for any reason, his DEF would be 12 + any magical bonuses.

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Fate Points Every character starts play with 3 Fate Points. He will then gain one additional Fate Point each level, up to a maximum of 5 Fate Points. A character who has 5 or more Fate Points will not gain any Fate Points automatically upon gaining a new level. However, a character is not limited to how many Fate Points he may have in total. In addition to gaining Fate Points when going up levels, a character also gains them when they make a Nova Roll (a roll of 10 on one die and a 1 on the other die). There may also be other instances where Fate Points can be earned, but these are up to the GM to determine and award. Fate Points can be spent to achieve a number of different results. The following list details those that we think are most appropriate and useful. • Act Now – The player spends a Fate Point to resolve his character’s actions outside of the normal initiative order. When used in this manner, the character’s action will resolve before the actions of the character (or NPC or monster) whose turn it actually is. Refer to p. 42 for more information on Initiative. • Cheat Death – There may be situations where the character is killed by something that could not normally be avoided. By spending 3 Fate Points, the player can save his character from this death in some unusual or clever manner. The character may still end up being badly injured or trapped, but he will be alive and conscious. • Extra Action Points – By spending 1 Fate Point, before declaring actions for the round, the player gains an additional 3 Action Points for his character for the round. The player may not spend more than 2 Fate Points on this each round. • Extra Boon Point – The player may spend 1 Fate Point to gain 1 Boon Point for use with any roll he has just made or is about to make that may possibly earn Boon Points. This Boon Point is gained even if the roll does not generate one normally, and it is simply added to any Boon Points earned normally. Like normal Boon Points, it must be used immediately. The player may not gain more than 3 extra Boon Points on a single roll using this Fate Point option. • Extra Dice (Other) – The player may spend 2 Fate Points to roll a d10 and add or subtract the result from any single die roll that does not directly affect his character (i.e. he could apply it to the Saving Throw of a bad guy to ensure that he fails it). No roll may have more 3 dice from Fate Points affecting it. • Extra Dice (Self) – The player may spend 1 Fate Point to roll a d10 and add or subtract the result from a single die roll that directly affects his character (i.e. an attack roll, a Saving Throw, a skill roll, etc). No roll may have more than 3 dice from Fate Points affecting it.

Player’s Section •

Inspiration – There may be times when a player gets stuck about what should be done next. When this happens, he may ask the GM to provide a hint. If there is a hint that the GM can provide to the player, then the player spends 1 Fate Point to receive the hint. If the GM determines that there isn’t any hint, then no Fate Point is spent. • Narrate Story Element – The player may spend 1 Fate Point to be able to narrate some minor point of the story. This should not require any rolls by the GM or other Players, and it should advance the story in some small manner. The GM holds veto power over this Story Element and if he does veto it, the Fate Point is not spent. Example: The PCs are in a tavern and the barkeep is angry at them and about to throw them out. A player asks to spend a Fate Point to Narrate a Story Element, and suggests that before the barkeep throws them out, he takes a swig of his ale and it goes down the wrong pipe and sends him into a choking fit. This brings his wife running from the back and she begins slapping him on the back. By the time that he has recovered, he has forgotten about throwing out the party. The GM likes the idea and tells the player to mark off a Fate Point, and then he narrates the scene as suggested by the player, perhaps even throwing in an embellishment or two of his own that enhances the suggestion made by the player, but doesn’t change it. • Remove Snag Point – The player may spend 1 Fate Point to remove 1 Snag Point that is earned through a bad dice roll. This option may be used multiple times with no limit. • Special – It is highly possible, and likely, that a player will want to use Fate Points for something that has not been covered in this list in order to accomplish something that normally would not be possible. This option allows for the GM to set a price of 2 to 6 Fate Points for such actions, with more unlikely events costing more. Example: A player wants to use a handful of sand to temporarily blind a foe that is so large that he normally could not reach. The GM decides that 2 Fate Points would be enough to allow the foe to stumble and bring his head down to a point where he might be blinded by such an improvisational attack. Another player wants to talk down a dragon who is rampaging in an uncontrolled rage. The GM decides that this is so extremely unlikely that it will cost the player 5 Fate Points, and that it will get the dragon to listen to him for a few minutes. • Static Bonus (Other) – This option allows the player to spend 2 Fate Points in order to add or subtract 5 points from a given roll that does not directly affect him. No roll may have more than 3 bonuses, be they positive or negative, from this option applied. This modifier may also be used in conjunction with Extra Dice (Other) and counts as 1 die in regards to the limit on the amount of dice that may be used on a given roll.

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Static Bonus (Self) – This option allows the player to spend 1 Fate Point in order to add or subtract 5 points from a given roll that does directly affect him. No roll may have more than 3 bonuses, be they positive or negative, from this option applied. This modifier may also be used in conjunction with Extra Dice (Self) and counts as 1 die in regards to the limit on the amount of dice that may be used on a given roll. Hit Points (HP) To determine a character’s starting Hit Points, simply add his Constitution Stat Value (not his stat bonus) and his Strength Stat Value to 20, along with any special modifiers from his Character Class or from Talents. Starting Hit Points = 20 + Str Stat + Con Stat + Special Characters may have a maximum number of Hit Points equal to their Racial Max Base plus their Constitution and Strength Stat Values. Max Hit Points = Racial Max Base + Str Stat + Con Stat Racial Max Base Dwarves 100 Elves 70 Halflings 65 Humans 80 Half-Elves 75 Half-Orcs 90 Example: Raglin Stonedrake the Human Fighter has a Strength Stat Value of 17 and a Constitution Stat Value of 16. The maximum number of Hit Points that he can have is 113 (80 + 17 + 16). Raglin will start off with 64 Hit Points. He gets the base of 20, plus his Strength and Constitution Stat Values (17 and 16 respectively), and finally he gets 10 Hit Points from the Combat Training II Talent that all Fighters have. To increase his Hit Points, a character must purchase one of the Physical Training Talents (Minor or Major). Each talent will add a static amount to the character’s Hit Points. However, these Talents can never increase the character’s total Hit Points beyond the maximum number that he is allowed based upon his race and his stats.

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Player’s Section Movement Outside of combat rounds, it is expected that all characters will adjust their movement rates so that they all move at the same rate. However, when dealing with the more tactical situation of a combat round, we need to have a more accurate method of dealing with movement. Each character has a Base Movement given in their racial description. The result is the number of feet that a character may move for each Action Point (AP) spent during the course of a combat round. Characters are also able to Run, or move at double their Base Movement rate. This also costs a single Action Point. However, all other actions in the round receive a -2 modifier for every Action Point spent on running in that round. If the character spent the entire round running, then the modifier would apply to any actions taken in the first round once the running has stopped. In this situation, the modifier will never be greater than what is appropriate for a single full round of running. Example: Raglin Stonedrake has a Base Movement of 10’ per AP. He can run 20’ per AP if he wants as well. If Raglin spends 2 AP running (moving a total of 40’), all other actions within the same round will have a -4 modifier applied to them. Characters may move faster than a Run, but doing so requires an Athletics skill roll, with the actual number of feet moved per each AP in the round being equal to the character’s actual result of the roll. Every 5’ of movement greater than that which a Run normally allows per AP also increases the negative modifier by 1, so that moving 25’ per AP gives a -3 modifier to all actions and moving 30’ per AP gives a -4 modifier to all other actions, and so forth. Spell Points (SP) Spell Points are basically a measure of how much magical energy, often referred to as mana, a character is able to manipulate before they are required to rest. How a character accesses and manipulates that mana is based upon their primary School of Magic, but how many Spell Points a character manipulate before requiring rest is based on the type of Magical Adept they are and how skilled they are in casting spells (i.e. the Spellcasting skill). Major Adepts begin with a base of 15 Spell Points while Minor Adepts have a base of 10 Spell Points and non-Adepts have no base Spell Points at all. All characters also receive 1 additional Spell Point for each skill rank (not total bonus) they have in their Spellcasting skill. If the character has more than one Spellcasting skill, then only the skill with the highest number of ranks is used. Spell Points are used to cast spells, with each spell having its own unique Spell Point cost. Once a character is out of Spell Points, he has to rest to regain them. Refer to Recovering Spell Points on p. 57 for more information on how quickly Spell Points can be regained.

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Starting Languages Every character will start the game being able to speak 2 languages and write 1 language (one of the two that he can speak). If your character is a Half-Elf or Half-Orc (p. 11), he will start with a third spoken language. The spoken languages should be based on the race and/or background of the character, with at least one of them being a common trade language for the area. The written language will be that of the character’s native language. Characters may learn additional languages by purchasing the appropriate Talents. Sample Languages Common – This is also usually the trade tongue for a large majority of the campaign setting. Dwarvish – Dwarves usually have two distinct dialects, Low Dwarvish and High Dwarvish. High Dwarvish is rarely taught to outsiders, and spoken only when alone with other Dwarves. Low Dwarvish is more of a trade tongue for the Dwarves and they are more willing to teach this to outsiders. Elvish – This is the language of the Elves. This is sometimes broken down into various dialects based on the region where the Elves live. For example, Jungle Elves might speak a different dialect of Elvish than the elves living high in the northern mountains. High Elvish is the dialect spoken in the royal Elvish courts, it is a formal, stilted language and quite different from common Elvish. Halfling – This language is rarely heard because Halflings rarely speak it when outsiders are around. They speak it only amongst themselves, preferring to use the language of neighboring races or cultures to interact with others. Goblinoid – This is the language of Goblins and Hobgoblins. Orcish – This is the language that Orcs speak. It is guttural and savage sounding. Sleesh – This is the language of reptilian humanoids such as Kobolds and Lizardmen. It is a soft and sibilant language. Thieves’ Cant – This is a specialized language, a sort of linguistic shorthand that can convey a lot of information in short order. The written form of this language is actually a series of codes and markers that allow those who know this language to spot such underworld locations as places to sell stolen goods, or where the local guild can be found. This language is never taught to anybody who is not part of the thieves’ guild, and they take precautions to make sure that it is not learned by outsiders.

Player’s Section

Develop Your Character Now it is time to develop your character. You do this by spending Character Points on Skills, Talents and other things such as Combat Moves and Spells.

Character Points You start off receiving 30 Character Points (CPs) to use in creating a first level character. For each level beyond first level that your character reaches, he receives 15 additional Character Points. These Character Points may be spent on a variety of things. It is up to you, the player, to decide what you want to spend them on. Here is a short list of the types of things that you can spend Character Points on when developing your character. Skills (p. 20) – Skills are a big part of the game. They are used for casting spells, and swinging a sword, as well as many other types of activities or actions. Skills have different CP costs based on whether they are Favored or Standard, and on how many ranks you have in them when purchasing them. This is explained in the Learning Skills section in the next column. Talents (p. 26) – Talents are special abilities that the character possesses. They can come from a variety of sources, such as a racial ability, a magically acquired ability or even something that is simply learned once, and then no longer needs improvement. Your character actually already has a number of abilities from you Race and Class selections. These are considered Talents for the purpose of determining which ones you are allowed to purchase. All Talents are available for purchase when you first create a character. However, once play begins, you are limited to those listed as being Trainable. Combat Moves (p. 47) – Combat Moves are special moves that can be performed while fighting. Their cost varies and is dependent upon whether or not you have one of the Combat Training Talents, and which one. There are a few Combat Moves that are free to all. These are the most basic that anybody with any sort of weapon training will know. The others require special training, but once learned, may be used with any appropriate Combat Skill. Spells (p. 57) – Spells are codified methods of manipulating magical energy to produce specific effects. Spells are much like Talents in that they must be learned individually and once acquired, they don’t have to be purchased again. Characters may only know a number of spells equal to the number of ranks they have in Magecraft + 3. Characters may normally only learn spells from the group known as Universal Spells or from their School of Magic. Characters normally gain access to a School of Magic through one of three Talents (Major Adept, Minor Adept, or Extra School of Magic). However, a character may learn spells from other Schools by paying double their normal Non-Adept Cost.

Learning Skills There are only two types of skills. Favored skills are those skills that are favored by a particular character class. Some characters may have additional Favored skills due to racial abilities, Talents, or possibly other reasons. All skills that are not considered to be Favored are classified as Standard skills. As you gain greater competence in a specific skill, it is going to be more difficult to learn and increase your ability. This is reflected in an increased cost that depends upon how many ranks you already have in that specific skill. The Skill Costs table gives you the cost of the next skill ranks you purchase based upon how many ranks you already have and whether the skill is a Favored or Standard skill. Skill Costs If you have this The cost for your next rank is Favored Standard many ranks 0-5 1 3 6-10 2 5 11-15 4 7 16-20 6 9 21-25 8 11 26-30 10 13 31-35 12 15 36+ 15 15 Note: The source of the skill ranks doesn’t matter, ranks from your character’s Background are considered the same as ranks you purchased for your character. Your cost is dependent upon how many ranks you currently have in that specific skill. Ranks are what you purchase using Character Points and what you receive from your character’s Background. Stat Bonuses and other special bonuses or modifiers do not count as ranks. Maximum Skill Ranks Per Level Players are limited to purchasing no more than 5 ranks in a given skill each level. Ranks gained from a character’s Background are not purchased, so do not count towards the limit on how many may be purchased. However, ranks from your character’s Background do count in determining the cost of given rank your character is purchasing. Once the character has a number of ranks in the skill equal to the Stat Value (not Bonus) of the associated stat, he may purchase no more ranks that level and he is then limited to purchasing no more than a single rank each level thereafter. Example: Joe is purchasing skill ranks for the Acrobatics skill. Joe’s character has a Stat Value of 14 for Dexterity. Joe’s character already has 12 ranks. This means that Joe is only allowed to purchase 2 ranks this level because that will bring his total number of skill ranks up to an amount that is equal to the Stat Value for Dexterity, the stat associated with the Acrobatics skill. Starting with the next level, Joe will be limited to buying no more than 1 rank each level.

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Player’s Section The Skill Summary table shows the list of skills and their associated stats. If the stat column says varies it is because specific instances of that skill may use different stats. You should refer to the specific skill description for more information. Characters receive a number of free ranks in some skills from their Backgrounds. These ranks do not count against the number of ranks that may be purchased each level; however, they do count against the CP cost of any skill ranks purchased.

Resolving Skills

Skill Summary Skill Acrobatics Athletics Combat Skills Crafting First Aid Gimmickry Influence Lore Magecraft Navigation Perception Performing Arts Riding Spellcasting Stealth Streetwise Survival Tracking Trickery

Stat Spd Con varies varies Wis Dex Chr Int varies Int Wis Chr Dex varies Spd Wis Wis Wis varies

To make a skill roll, roll 2d10 and add your total bonus for the required skill. If the total is equal to or higher than the Target Number (TN) for the task, then the character has succeeded. The Target Number is comprised of the Base Difficulty of the task along with any special modifiers that apply to the situation. For example, an Average Difficulty task has a Target Number of 15. The basic notation for this is “TN 15”. A task with a Target Number of 18 would use the notation of “TN 18”.

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Characters may always attempt to accomplish skills even if they do not have any ranks in the skill. They would still receive any associated Stat Bonuses to such attempts. However, the player should be warned that the roll for an unskilled character is likely to be more difficult (and have a higher Target Number) than it is for a skilled character, especially for skills involving knowledge or lore of some sort. Snags & Boons All skill rolls, including combat and spell casting, can earn Snag or Boon Points. You earn Boon Points for rolling over the TN of the task; 1 Boon Point for every 10 points over. If you roll under the TN, you earn 1 Snag Point for every 10 points your roll was below the TN of the task. Once you earn these points, you (the Player!!) must immediately spend them. There are three lists of Boons, one for general tasks, one for combat, and one for spell casting, and one basic list of Snags that will have options that apply to various types of actions. Snags are often called failures or fumbles in other systems, but a Snag need not always be a failure. It could be that it will simply take you extra time to complete the task, or that you only got it partially complete, and have to make another roll in the following round. The important thing to remember about the Snag/Boon Point system is that you, the player, decide the outcome by spending the points that you earn based on your original roll for the task. There are no random rolls or results involved in this. You control the outcome, both good and bad. The Snag and Boon tables can be found starting on p. 122.

Player’s Section

Skill Descriptions There is a relatively varied selection of skills that a character may choose to develop. The skills are listed below in alphabetical order. Next to the skill, in brackets, is the stat associated with the given skill. The stat for some of the skills is listed as [varies] because the stat used will depend upon the specific instance of the skill being learned.

Bows (Wis – Ranged): Includes Short Bow, Long Bow and Composite Bow. This Combat Skill is a prerequisite for Archery. Boxing (Str – Unarmed): The art of fisticuffs. See Boxing on p. 53 for more information. Chains Plus (Dex – Melee): Includes Ball & Chain and Morning Star. Clubs (Str – Melee): Includes Baton, Club, Mace and War Hammer. Crossbows (Wis – Ranged): Includes Light Crossbow and Heavy Crossbow. Great Blades (Str – Melee): Includes Bastard Sword and Greatsword. Weapons of this group are used 2 handed. Heavy Blades (Str – Melee): Includes Bastard Sword, Broadsword, Falchion. Light Blades (Dex – Melee): Includes Rapier, Scimitar, Short Sword, and Smallsword. Pole Arms (Str – Melee): Includes Pole Arms, Pole Axes and Spears. Weapons in this group are used 2 handed and may be used to attack foes up to 10’ away. Sanju (Spd – Unarmed): This is a special Combat Style using the Martial Arts. It requires the character to have an equal or greater number of ranks in Basic Martial Arts. See the description on p. 53 for more information on this style and how it works. Short Blades (Dex – Melee): Includes Dagger, Main Gauche and Sai. Slings (Dex – Ranged): Includes Sling and Sling Shot. Spears (Dex - Melee): Includes Javelin and Short Spear. Weapons in this group are used 1 handed and may be used with a shield. Staves (Spd – Melee): Includes Quarterstaff, Short Spear and Spear. Sword & Board (Dex – Melee): This is a special Combat Style that focuses on using a sword and shield in combination. See Sword & Board on p. 54 for more information. Thrown Axes & Hammers (Dex – Ranged): Includes Hand axe and War Hammer. Thrown Blades (Spd – Ranged): Includes Dart and Dagger. Thrown Spears (Dex – Ranged): Includes Spear, Javelin and Short Spear. Two Weapon Combo (Dex – Melee): This is a special Combat Style that utilizes two weapons. It requires the character to have an equal or greater number of ranks in the weapon skill associated with the primary weapon of this combo. See Two Weapon Combo on p. 54 for information on this style and how it works. Wrestling/Grappling (Spd – Unarmed): The skill of manhandling a person or creature, immobilizing it. Refer to p. 54 for more information on Wrestling/Grappling.

Acrobatics [Spd] This skill provides a bonus for performing horizontal dives, rolling, vaulting, climbing, swinging on objects, jumping, and maintaining one’s balance and other gymnastic maneuvers. This skill can also aid in reducing damage from falls. If the character makes a successful skill roll he may subtract 2’ per rank in this skill from any and all falls.

Athletics [Con] This skill includes multiple physical activities such as climbing, swimming, weight lifting, running, and any other activities that require an athletic effort of some sort. A single rank is all that is required for most basic forms of athletic activities. Encumbrance and Armor Penalties modifiers are tripled for swimming.

Combat Skills [varies] The total skill bonus for a specific Combat Skill is referred to as the character’s Attack Bonus (AB). There are a number of Combat Skills, one for each group of similar weapons or special style of fighting. This also means that the character will most likely have multiple Attack Bonuses, one for each Combat Skill. Each weapon group or combat style listed below is intended to be developed as an individual skill, separately from the others. Combat Skills are classed in three general categories; Melee, Ranged, and Unarmed. Each Combat Skill has its own stat associated with it, and the category is used to determine the Combat Moves that may be used with a given skill. All weapons that belong to weapon groups that are Ranged will have a Range Increment (RI) measured in feet. Attacks made against foes that are within that RI receive no modifier. For every full RI in distance that the target is from the character, the character receives a -4 modifier to his attack roll. All ranged weapons have a maximum of 5 Range Increments. The Range Increment for thrown weapons is the Strength Stat Value of the character. The Weapons table in the equipment section (p. 38) will list the RI for each ranged weapon. The individual Combat Skills are as follows: Archery (Dex – Ranged): This is an advanced style allowing for special Combat Moves. Bows is a prerequisite for this skill. For more information on Archery, see p. 53. Axes & Hammers (Str – Melee): Hand axe, Battle Axe, and War Hammer. Basic Martial Arts (Spd – Unarmed): This skill covers the most basic forms of unarmed combat; allowing the character to use any Unarmed Combat Moves that have a zero cost. Refer to p. 51 for more information on Unarmed Combat Moves and the damage that unarmed attacks do. This skill is a prerequisite for learning Sanju.

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Player’s Section Crafting [varies]

Influence [Chr]

Bonus for performing duties related to or working in a specific craft or job. Each individual craft is required to be developed as a separate skill, with each skill allowing the character to perform any and all tasks required by the job. Some example Craft skills include Cooking [Int], Dancing [Dex], Herbcraft [Wis], Healing [Wis], Jeweler [Dex], Woodworker [Dex], Weapon Smith [Dex], Armor Smith [Dex], Fletcher [Dex], Scribe [Int], Herald [Chr], Stone Carver [Dex], Veterinarian (Animal Healing) [Wis], and many, many more. Note: It is up to the GM to determine what the stat will be for any specific Craft skill. The above examples only make suggestions for what stat to use.

Words have power, especially if used correctly. This skill allows a person to influence others. Be it through the use of diplomacy when negotiating with a diplomat, duping a mark, bribing a guard, or haggling to get the best bargain from a trader. If this skill is used against an individual to attempt to convince them to do something that they might not normally do, the defender gets to make either a Save vs. Intelligence or a Save vs. Will. The defending character gets to use whichever stat is better for him. If he succeeds, he will realize what is going on and to be able to avoid being talked into something that he might not normally agree to.

First Aid [Wis]

This skill encompasses the use of informational and academic skills which are available to most people with the determination to learn them. Some examples: Culture Lore (one skill for each culture/race), Fauna Lore, Flora Lore, Heraldry, History (one skill for each field of history), Philosophy, Region Lore (one skill for each region), Religion, Herb Lore, Lock Lore, Metal Lore, Poison Lore, Stone Lore and/or Trading Lore. The more specifically a lore skill applies to a question, the easier the difficulty of the roll should be. (So very generic lore skills like “Lore: Monsters” may offer a bonus in many situations, but the GM should keep the difficulty rolled against at “Hard” or higher. On the other hand a specific lore like “Lore: Dragons” will more rarely be usable, but should keep the difficulty at or below “Challenging” in most situations where it is applicable.)

This skill allows the character to aid in speeding up the rate of healing of himself or another wounded character. For sick characters, or those who have been poisoned, or who need surgery, use the skill Craft (Healing). Characters will naturally heal a number of hit points equal to 5 + their Constitution Stat Bonus for every 8 hours of uninterrupted rest. Successful use of this skill allows the character to add his number of skill ranks to that base amount of natural healing. It is also used for attempts to slow or halt bleeding damage (hits per round), splint broken bones and other emergency treatments. See p. 90 for more information on healing.

Gimmickry [Dex] This skill deals with all things mechanical. You can use it to disarm traps, set traps, pick locks, and more. Devices of more than a moderate complexity may be represented by higher Target Numbers.

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Lore [Int]

Player’s Section Magecraft [varies]

Navigation [Int]

This skill has a number of basic capabilities that are all gained just by learning the basic version of Magecraft. They are as follows: Learning Spells – A character may learn a maximum number of spells equal to his 3 + the number of ranks he has in the basic Magecraft skill. Thus, it is possible for a first level spell user to know up to 8 spells (3 + 5 ranks in Magecraft, presuming no ranks from the character’s Background). This only dictates how many spells may be known. The player must still spend CP to actually purchase the spells they want their character to learn. Reading Runes & Scrolls – With a successful skill roll, the character may decipher runes and scrolls. The TN for identifying the spell on a scroll is equal to 15 + the number of Spell Points normally required by the spell being deciphered. To actually cast the spell, the TN is the normal Casting TN of the spell; however, casting a spell from a scroll never requires a caster to expend Spell Points. Identifying Spells – The character may make a Magecraft roll (TN 15 + the number of Spell Points used in the casting of the spell being identified) to identify a spell being cast by another spell user. This is required in order for a caster to be able to successfully counter a given spell. Using Items – Some magical items have permanent and constant abilities that work for anybody who picks them up or puts them on. Other items have abilities that can be activated at will. For these latter items, a character must attune to the item in order to learn how to activate it (command word, phrase, gesture, etc.). The TN for attuning to an item is 20 + 2 for each ability that the item has beyond the first. Certain special items may have higher or lower Target Numbers because of their design or inherent powers. Once the character has learned how to activate the item, he will not be required to make additional rolls when he wishes to actually use the item. Characters may also learn specific instances of this skill for other purposes. These include, but are not limited to Magecraft: Alchemy (the base skill used in item creation), Magecraft: Runes (used to make scrolls), Magecraft: Circles (used in creating Circles of Protection and Thaumaturgic Triangles for, among other things, summoning; see p. 82), and specific magically related lore skills, such as Magecraft: Undead Lore, Magecraft: Demon Lore and Magecraft: Devil Lore, just to name a few. This skill uses the character’s Magic Stat (see the description of Prime Stats on p. 13) as the stat for this skill. For Clerics and Druids, this will be Wisdom, for Mystics it is Willpower, and for Mages, Wizards, and those who are not associated with a specific School of Magic the Magic Stat is Intelligence.

Used for determining proper directions and distances when using a map in conjunction with some directional aid, such as a compass, a landmark, or the stars. This includes the concept of orienteering, of determining which direction you are going and on keeping to that direction, even if there is no map available. This skill is fully applicable in any environment where the character is able to, at least, determine basic directions, such as which way is North, or the direction of a specific landmark.

Perception [Wis] This skill affects how much information and how many clues a character gets through observation. It may be used to notice the right things, to find carelessly hidden objects, to see that pile of old clothes in the corner, to notice the imperfection in the wall that hides the secret door, the trigger for the trap ahead, an ambush. These are the type of things that the Game Master (GM) cannot mention to the players because to do so would call them to special attention that the character’s perception might not allow. If a character states that they are watching or examining an area, situation, or place, the GM should have them make a skill roll to determine if the character notices or detects anything. The GM should only reveal what the character has observed. Of course a heavy subtraction should be given (if a roll is allowed at all) in situations where the players don’t know what their characters are looking for or don’t specify their characters are looking for something in particular (likewise, looking for ceiling traps makes it difficult to see pit traps, etc.).

Performing Arts [Chr] This skill must be learned separately for each type of performing art; acting, doing impersonations, mimicry, reading/writing music, singing, playing an instrument, etc. Each performing art has its own uses and benefits. For example, acting allows for providing a bonus for simulating the behavior of others, devising new identities, etc.

Riding [Dex] This skill covers the ability to ride a mount. You do not need to roll this skill every round spent riding, only a single skill rank is necessary to ride normally; this skill need be rolled only when attempting something more exceptional than remaining in the saddle; like roping another animal while moving, controlling the mount in combat, controlling the mount when it has been frightened, having the mount jump, or climb steep slopes. Higher skill ranks enhance the chance of retaining control of the animal (when it is startled or hostile) or gaining control of an unfamiliar animal (of the type you have skill with). Normally, only one instance of this skill is ever required since most mounts share a number of similar traits. However, it is recommended that land-based mounts and flying mounts (such as a winged horse or gryphon) be treated as separate skills and learned separately.

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Player’s Section Spellcasting [varies]

Streetwise [Wis]

This skill must be learned separately for each School of Magic that the character has access to. It is the total skill bonus for this skill that is used to cast any spells from that School that he knows, as well as any Universal Spells that he may know. Each spell will have its own Target Number and each spell must be learned separately (a one time cost for each spell). The skill, Magecraft, is what is used to determine how many spells a character may know. If a character does not have access to a School of Magic, this skill may be learned so that the character may cast Universal Spells. If the character later gains access to a School of Magic, this skill will then automatically be converted to being for that just acquired School of Magic. If the character does have access to a School of Magic, then he may use this skill for both Universal Spells and spells from his School. A character will never normally have access to more than 2 Schools of Magic, thus should never have more than 2 instances of this skill. When the character does have more than one instance of this skill, Universal spells will always be cast using the Spellcasting skill with the highest bonus. This skill uses the character’s Magic Stat (see the description of Prime Stats on p. 13) as the associated stat for this skill. For Clerics and Druids, this will be Wisdom, for Mystics it is Willpower, and for Mages, Wizards, and those who are not associated with a specific School of Magic the Magic Stat is Intelligence. The character’s Spellcasting skill with the highest number of skill ranks is also used in determining how many Spell Points (see p. 19) a character has. The character receives 1 Spell Point for each rank (not total bonus) that he has in the Spellcasting skill with the most skill ranks.

This skill represents an awareness of events and protocol in the street society and underworld and the ability to interact with the individuals who run and live in the common or underworld society. This skill entails more than just “Diplomacy” for the streets, it also includes knowing the street slang, secret markings, how to find certain underworld types, etc.

Stealth [Spd]

Trickery [Chr

Stealth serves several purposes. Your character will use it for hiding, as well as for sneaking about quietly. In both instances, your character is using camouflage, shadows and cover to conceal his presence. Additionally, if you are able to use stealth and approach another character without them realizing it, you may make a sneak attack. If you are able to make a sneak attack, gain 1 extra Boon Point. This sneak attack ability works with ranged attacks as well, but only for attacks that do not receive any modifiers for range.

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Survival [Wis] Skill for finding any local source of potable water or edible plants and animals - includes basic food acquisition such as hunting, gathering or fishing. The difficulty depends on the environment; it should be easier in a temperate forest by a river than in the middle of a desert (The GM should assign a difficulty based on the terrain). This skill also allows the character to find suitable shelter and to be able to perform common survival related tasks, such as starting a fire (without using flint and steel).

Tracking [Wis] This skill provides a bonus for reading tracks, allowing the character to determine how old the tracks are, and what left them. The skill can also be used for performing tracking tasks, allowing the character to follow a trail, such as foot prints, broken branches, crushed grass, hanging pieces of cloth, etc., left by someone or something. In trying to identify what left a given set of tracks, the character does not gain any knowledge that he does not already possess. Thus, if the character had never encountered a troll before, and did not have any appropriate lore skill that might give him information about trolls and the type of tracks that they leave, a successful use of this skill would only tell the character that the tracks were from a “large humanoid.” or Dex] This skill is often used to perform sleight of hand tricks, such as quickly shuffling cards or making coins seem to appear or disappear. It is also used for confusing sight tricks, such shifting the shells in a shell game, or shuffling the cards about in 3 Card Monty. It is also used in picking the pockets of an individual, or for placing objects into another person’s pocket or pack, all without them being aware of it. When this skill is first learned, the player must decide whether the character will learn the skill using Charisma or Dexterity as the stat that is associated with this skill. Once that choice is made, it cannot be changed. If the character uses this skill successfully, the defender gets to make either a Save vs. Intelligence or a Save vs. Will. The defending character gets to use whichever stat is better for him. If he succeeds, he will realize what is going on, or be allowed a Perception roll in order to be able to spot what the character is trying to avoid having him spot.

Player’s Section

Talents Talents are special abilities or gifts that are only acquired once and then may be used afterwards without requiring further training. During character creation, players are allowed to acquire any of the available Talents for their characters. As characters gain levels, they may also acquire Talents. However, Talent acquisition during level gains is more restrictive. Only those Talents that are marked as being Trainable may be acquired as the character goes up in levels. If a Talent is not a racial ability for a given character, it is expected that the player works an explanation of how the character acquired this special ability into his character’s background story. The player should also think about how such Talents, or how their character acquired them might be turned into Plot Elements (see p. 92) that could possibly earn them additional experience points. Note: Not every Talent will be appropriate for every game or setting. The Game Master (GM) should look through the list of Talents and decide which are available in his game. The GM should also determine whether or not he is changing the Trainable attribute for any of the given Talents. When acquiring Talents, the player should be cautioned that every Character Point spent on Talents means less CPs available for purchasing Skills, Spells and Combat Moves. It is also important to point out that unless the description of a Talent specifically states otherwise, no Talent may be gained more than once. Thus is a character has Nightvision from his race, and Combat Training I from his class, he would not be allowed to spend CP to acquire those Talents because he already has them.

In Game Acquisition As mentioned previously, some Talents are marked as Trainable. These are Talents that we feel that a player should be allowed to acquire as he gains levels. It is strongly recommended that players not be allowed to acquire more than one Talent each time that he goes up a level. Note: Some Talents may be identical to racial or class abilities. This does count when determining whether or not a character may acquire a given Talent more than once.

Talent Descriptions The description of each Talent contains several different aspects. Such things as the “Cost” are self explanatory, representing the number of CPs required to acquire the Talent. Next up is the “Trainable” attribute. It is strongly recommended that if the GM allows the acquisition of Talents when going up levels that he limits the Talents available to only those marked as Trainable. At the end of a Talent‘s description there may be a list of “Features” or options that may be used to customize that Talent at the time of acquisition. On the Talent table, you will find a listing that shows all of the Talents, their Trainability, and their base Costs. Note: Unless specifically stated within the Talent’s description, no character may acquire a given Talent more than once.

Talents

Talent Name Cost Trainable Talent Name Cost Trainable Adv. Combat Training 15 Y Major Adept 25 N Agile Defense 5 Y Major Physical Training 4 Y Ambidexterity 10 N Minor Adept 15 N Armor, Heavy 9 Y Minor Physical Training 2 Y Armor, Light 3 Y Mounted Combat I 3 Y Armor, Medium 6 Y Mounted Combat II 3 Y Combat Training I 10 Y Natural Ability 5 N Combat Training II 20 Y Nightvision 10* N Darkvision 5* N Outdoorsman 8 N Extra School of Magic 10 Y Second Sight 5 N Extra Spell Points 10 N Sense Magic 10* Y Extraordinary Aim 10 N Shield Training 5 Y Fast Mana Recovery 10 N Sleight of Hand 5 Y Favored Skill 3 N Speed Loader 5 Y Frenzy 10 Y Stat Increase 10 Y Improved Save 7 Y Waylaying 10 Y Language, Spoken 1* Y Weapon Focus 5 Y Language, Written 1* Y Weapon Kata 3* Y Light Touch 5 N Weapon Specialty 10 Y * = Includes features which alter the cost of the Talent if selected.

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Player’s Section Advanced Combat Training Cost: 15 Trainable: Yes Description: The character receives special training that allows him to enhance his melee capabilities. The Multiple Attacks from High Skill (p. 45) capability described in the Combat chapter requires that the character’s Combat Skill Bonus be split among the number of attacks he is able to make after receiving modifiers for the number of attacks that he plans on making and the number of foes to be attacked. This Talent allows the character to use his full remaining Combat Skill Bonus, after the adjustments for multiple attacks has been made, for each of those multiple attacks, rather than splitting it among them. As with the original capability, this Talent may not be used in conjunction with combat styles or skills that allow for multiple attacks each round. Agile Defense Cost: 5 Trainable: Yes Description: Character undergoes a rigorous training regimen that allows him to be more agile and harder to hit in combat. The character gains an extra +1 to his DEF for every 5 ranks that he has in his best melee (armed or unarmed) Combat Skill. This is in addition to the normal +1 for every 5 ranks in their best melee Combat Skill that all characters receive. However, the character only receives this bonus so long as he is not wearing any armor heavier than Soft Leather, bracers (any type), and a helm (Skullcaps only, but any type). Ambidexterity Cost: 10 Trainable: No Description: The character may use either hand equally well. He does not receive a -4 modifier for “off-hand”. Armor, Heavy Cost: 9 Trainable: Yes Description: The character is trained in the wearing and use of metal armors (chain, scale and plate). This also includes the abilities of Armor, Light and Armor, Medium. If the character already has one of those Talents, then they should subtract its cost from the cost of this Talent. Armor, Light Cost: 3 Trainable: Yes Description: The character is trained in the wearing and use of padded cloth, furs, and soft leather armors.

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Armor, Medium Cost: 6 Trainable: Yes Description: The character is trained in the wearing and use of reinforced leather armors (hard leather, leather scale, brigandine, etc.). This also includes the abilities of Armor, Light. If the character already has that Talent, then they should subtract its cost from the cost of this Talent. Combat Training I Cost: 10 Trainable: Yes Description: The character has received some formal training in combat. This produces a number of specific results as follows: • 2 Combat Skills become Favored Skills • Gains a +1 Bonus to all Favored Combat Skills • Gains an additional +1 Bonus to one Favored Combat Skill • Gains a +1 Bonus to DEF • Gains a bonus of 5 Hit Points • May learn 1 Combat Move for every 3 ranks in a Combat Skill or Style Combat Training II Cost: 20 Trainable: Yes Description: The character has received a great deal of formal training in combat. This produces a number of specific results as follows: • 3 Combat Skills become Favored Skills • Gains a +2 Bonus to all Favored Combat Skills • Gains a +2 Bonus to DEF • Gains a bonus of 10 Hit Points • May learn 1 Combat Move for each rank in a Combat Skill or Style Darkvision Cost: 5+ Trainable: No Description: The character is able to see in complete, nonmagical, darkness up to 10’. When using a light source, such as a torch, in darkness, the character may see up to the distance illuminated by the light source, plus the full range of this ability. When outdoors at night, the character may see clearly up to twice the normal distance of this ability. On a brightly lit night (i.e. full moon), the character may see up to 10x the normal range of this ability. The character may, when acquiring this Talent, increase the range beyond 10’ by paying +1 CP for each additional 5’ of range. Feature CP Cost Per each additional 5’ of range +1

Player’s Section Extra School of Magic Cost: 10 Trainable: Yes Description: This Talent may only be acquired by Major Adepts or Minor Adepts that only have a single School of Magic. With it, the character gains access to a second School of Magic, learning how to cast spells from it. This gives him a Spellcasting skill for this second School of Magic as a Favored skill. Spells from a given School will be cast using the skill for that specific School. Universal Spells will be cast using the Spellcasting skill with the higher skill bonus. If the character is a Major Adept, he will no longer use the “Mj” CP costs when buying spells. Instead, he will use the “Mn” CP costs from the point of acquiring this Talent on forwards, for all Universal spells and all spells from both Schools of Magic. Minor Adepts will continue to use the “Mn” CP costs for Universal Spells and spells from both his Schools of Magic. If a character who does not have one of the various Adept Talents acquires this Talent, it will allow him to purchase spells from a single School of Magic using the “N” costs. This Talent may only ever be acquired once. Extra Spell Points Cost: 10 Trainable: No Description: With this Talent, the character starts off with an extra 5 Spell Points in addition those normally gained. Extraordinary Aim Cost: 10 Trainable: No Description: The character is an expert with one type of ranged weapon. So long as he is not mounted or has not moved in the round in which he fires or throws, his penalty for each Range Increment is only -2 instead of the normal -4. If he takes a round to prepare before his shot, there is no penalty at all for range. The character cannot be wearing any armor heavier than reinforced leather if he wants to gain the range penalty reduction. Faster Mana Recovery Cost: 10 Trainable: No Description: A character normally recovers 1 Spell Point (SP) every 30 minutes if he is active and moving about, 1 SP every 10 minutes if resting (laying down and not moving about), and 1 SP for every 5 minutes spent sleeping or meditating. With this Talent, the character recovers his Spell Points a little quicker than normal. His time increments for recovery are 1 SP every 20 minutes when active, 1 SP every 6 minutes while resting, and 1 SP every 3 minutes while sleeping or meditating.

Favored Skill Cost: 3 Trainable: No Description: With this Talent, the player is allowed to select one Standard Skill to be treated as a Favored Skill. This is a single instance of that skill, not all instances. This Talent may be acquired multiple times, for a different skill or different instance of a skill each time. If used on a skill in which the character already has skill ranks, it does not change the cost of ranks already purchased (i.e. he does NOT gain Character Points), only the cost of future ranks. Frenzy Cost: 10 Trainable: Yes Description: The character has learned how to enter a state of single-minded, focused rage. Once the character has entered a Frenzied state, he will gain the following benefits and restrictions. • +5 to all melee attacks. • All melee attacks do double Base Damage. • All Boon Points must be spent on increasing damage or making additional attacks. • May not Fight Defensively or use any other defensive actions. • Is limited to simple movement and making basic attacks (i.e. no Combat Moves). The character must spend at least a full round preparing to enter a frenzied state. He must then make a Save vs. Will to be able to enter the Frenzy. Each extra round spent preparing will grant the character a +2 modifier to this roll. The character may remain in the Frenzy for a number of rounds equal to his Constitution Stat Value. Once he leaves the Frenzy, he must wait a minimum number of minutes equal to the number of rounds spent frenzied before he can attempt to go into another Frenzy. While frenzied, a character will not be able to distinguish friend from foe without making a Save vs. Int. He will first attack the focus of his frenzy, and then attack the next nearest foe, or friend if he cannot tell the difference, and so on until all foes are down. The player may also attempt to roll a Save vs. Will each round to leave the frenzy. While in the frenzy, the character may only make simple moves and basic attacks. He cannot use Combat Moves, and cannot use any skills that do anything other than move him closer to his target. While in the frenzy, the character will ignore all damage. He still receives it, just is unaffected by it until he is out of the frenzy. However, if the character is stunned, that will knock him out of the frenzy.

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Player’s Section Improved Save Cost: 7 Trainable: Yes Description: The character gains a +1 modifier to his Save Modifier for a single stat. This Talent may be acquired multiple times, but never more than once per level. No stat may have its Save Modifier improved multiple levels in a row. Language, Spoken Cost: 1+ Trainable: Yes Description: The character learns how to speak one language. He must have a source from which to learn this language. This Talent may be acquired multiple times, for a different language each time. Feature CP Cost Ancient Language +3 Magical Language +3 Language, Written Cost: 1+ Trainable: Yes Description: Character learns how to read and write a single language. He must have a source from which to learn this language. This Talent may be acquired multiple times, for a different language each time. Feature CP Cost Ancient Language +3 Magical Language +3 Light Touch Cost: 5 Trainable: No Description: Characters with this ability have an extremely delicate sense of touch. This grants them a bonus of +3 to all attempts to pick pockets, pick locks, or disarm traps. This is not a bonus to specific skills, but only to certain uses of the skills Gimmickry and Trickery. This Talent cannot be gained by characters that have the Nimble Fingers racial ability. Major Adept Cost: 25 Trainable: No Description: This is the most powerful type of spell caster. Major Adepts have the lowest cost on all Codified spells, using the “Mj” CP costs instead of the normal “N” CP costs. Major Adepts start with a base of 15 Spell Points. When this Talent is selected, the character must select a School of Magic (see the Schools of Magic table on p. 14 for more information). He may only purchase spells from this School and from the list of Universal Spells. A Minor Adept who only knows a single School of Magic may upgrade to a Major Adept for a cost of 12 Character Points.

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Major Physical Training Cost: 4 Trainable: Yes Description: The character has spent time working out and increasing his physical stamina. He gains 6 Hit Points to his total. This Talent may be purchased multiple times, but never more than once a level and not in the same level that Minor Physical Training has been purchased. Minor Adept Cost: 15 Trainable: No Description: This type of spell caster can eventually be as strong as the Major Adept, but it takes him much longer to achieve it. He often does so by learning how to cast 2 different Schools of Magic. When this Talent is selected, the character must select a School of Magic (see the Schools of Magic table on p. 14 for more information). He may only purchase spells from this School and from the list of Universal Spells. However, the character may also use the Talent, Extra School of Magic, to gain a second School of Magic for his character, if he does not already have one. When purchasing Codified spells, the Minor Adept uses the “Mn” CP costs instead of the normal “N” CP costs. Minor Adepts also start off with a base of 10 Spell Points.

Player’s Section Minor Physical Training Cost: 2 Trainable: Yes Description: The character has spent time working out and increasing his physical stamina. He gains 3 Hit Points to his total. This Talent may be purchased multiple times, but never more than once a level and not in the same level that Major Physical Training has been purchased. Mounted Combat I Cost: 3 Trainable: Yes Description: In order to acquire this Talent, the character needs to have 1 or more ranks in the Riding skill. This Talent reduces the modifiers given under Mounted Combat in the Special Situations section of the Combat Chapter (p. 45) by 5 (-8 to DEF and -7 to AB become -3 and -2 respectively). Mounted Combat II Cost: 3 Trainable: Yes Description: This Talent requires, as a prerequisite, that the character already possesses the Mounted Combat I Talent. With this Talent, the character becomes more proficient in making mounted attacks. The total number of Action Points (AP) that the character must use for Mounted Combat (see p. 45) are reduced by 1 and for Mounted Charges (see p. 44) are reduced by 2. Natural Ability Cost: 5 Trainable: No Description: The character gains a +2 modifier to two single, specific skills. If a selected skill is one that must be learned separately for specific instances (i.e. the Combat Skills, Lores, etc.), then this bonus applies to only a single instance of that skill. No skill may receive more than 1 bonus from this Talent. Nightvision Cost: 10+ Trainable: No Description: This ability allows the character to see, when outdoors on a bright night, up to 500’ as if it were just a very dark day. When indoors, the character can see twice as far as the light source normally allows. The feature, Greater Nightvision, allows a character to see outdoors as well on a bright night as he would on a cloudy, overcast day (further than 500’). When indoors, the character can see three times as far as normally allowed by a light source. Feature CP Cost Greater Nightvision +5

Outdoorsman Cost: 8 Trainable: No Description: The character has a natural affinity to the outdoors. He gains a +2 bonus to Herbcraft (specialization of Craft skill), Survival, Navigation, Riding, and any localized Lore skills (Region, Fauna, Flora, etc.). Second Sight Cost: 5 Trainable: No Description: The character is able to clearly see spirits which are normally invisible. The character is also able to see non-spirit entities that are invisible as a hazy outline of their normal form. Sense Magic Cost: 10+ Trainable: Yes Description: The character may make a Perception roll with a -5 modifier to detect active magic. He may only concentrate on one 5’ radius area within 100’ of himself at a time. Active magic is defined as any active spell. If there is a symbol spell holding another spell, the symbol would detect as active magic, but the spell it holds would not. In the case of magical items, those items that are constant, such as a sword with a +2 magic bonus, would detect as active magic, but a wand of acid bolts would not, it would be considered to be waiting magic. Herbal Remedies and Potions will also count as active magic for detection purposes. The feature, Detect Waiting Magic, allows the character to detect waiting magic within the area checked as well as active magic. If a character already has Sense Magic and wants to increase it to be able to detect waiting magic, the CP cost is double what is listed below. Feature CP Cost Detect Waiting Magic +5 Shield Training Cost: 5 Trainable: Yes Description: The character has learned how to better handle his shield. With this Talent, the DEF modifier of the shield being used is increased by 1. Sleight of Hand Cost: 5 Trainable: Yes Description: The character has learned well the lessons on misdirection and sleight of hand. This grants him a +4 modifier to the Trickery skill.

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Player’s Section Speed Loader Cost: 5 Trainable: Yes Description: The character is able to load missile weapons faster than normal. With this Talent, loading or reloading a Sling or Bow only requires 2 Action Points (AP). Loading or reloading a Light Crossbow requires only 3 AP and loading or reloading a Heavy Crossbow only requires 5 AP. This requires that the character have his missile weapon in hand and ready, and that his ammunition is also easily accessible. Stat Increase Cost: 10 Trainable: Yes Description: The character gains a +1 modifier to any one Stat. This is recorded in the Misc column of the Stats section of the character sheet. This bonus may not increase any stat’s total Value to a number greater than 20 + the character’s racial modifier. This talent may be acquired more than once, but never more than once per level. Waylaying Cost: 10 Trainable: Yes Description: The character has learned how to knock a foe unconscious with a single blow. He must use a blunt or heavy weapon (such as a blackjack, club, mace, etc.) and he must either attack the target from behind and/or with surprise. If the attack is successful, it does double Base Damage, but no Scaled Damage, and the foe must make a Save vs. Con or be knocked unconscious for 1d10 minutes. The base TN for the Save is 15 and the character may use Boon Points to increase the TN of the Save. If the target is wearing a helm, he gains the Save modifier vs. Stuns (see p. 36) as a bonus to the Saving Throw generated by this Talent. Weapon Focus Cost: 5 Trainable: Yes Description: This Talent grants the character a special +1 modifier to his Attack Bonus when using a single specific weapon or an unarmed melee skill. This Talent may be acquired more than once, for a different weapon each time.

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Weapon Kata Cost: 3+ Trainable: Yes Description: This Talent may only be purchased by those who have learned a non-Basic Martial Art (such as Sanju), or who have learned a Combat Style that allows for a specific type of Weapon Kata, such as how Boxing uses the Cestus. When acquired, the character may pick a single specific Tiny melee or thrown weapon and use it with the unarmed skill that it is purchased for. The Base Damage done by a normally unarmed attack using a Weapon Kata is increased by 3 points for melee attacks and by 2 points for attacks made using ranged weapons. Not every Weapon Kata will be usable with every Combat Move (GM’s Discretion). Also, Weapon Katas may not be used with any Basic Combat Moves. The Features, included below, may be used to acquire a Weapon Kata for weapons that are larger than Tiny. This Talent may be acquired more than once, for a different weapon each time. Feature CP Cost Small Weapon +1 Medium Weapon +2 Large Weapon +3 Huge Weapon +4 Weapon Specialty Cost: 10 Trainable: Yes Description: This Talent grants the character +2 bonus to the Base Damage dealt by a specific weapon for which the character has the Talent, Weapon Focus. This Talent may be acquired more than once, for a different weapon each time.

Player’s Section

Equip Your Character

• Standard Pack – Characters also begin with a Backpack that contains the following list of items. If the Player would prefer that his character has a Framepack instead of a Backpack, he may upgrade by paying 13 copper pieces out of his character’s Starting Money (the difference in price between the 2 types of pack). • 50’ Superior Rope • 1 canvas sack • 2 weeks of iron rations • 1 small steel mirror • 1 waterskin full of water • 1 flask of oil • 1 small lantern • 1 set of Flint & Steel • 1 Bedroll • At Belt Items – The character needs something to hang his weapons on, not to mention belt pouches and a dagger. • Equipment Belt • 2 belt pouches • 1 dagger • Clothing – Every character starts off with a little clothing. He begins with 2 outfits, which includes the one he is wearing, that is based on his Background and Character Class. An Upper Class Urban Minstrel will likely have much finer clothing than a Lower Class Urban Thief. • 2 sets of clothing • 1 cloak • 1 set of soft leather boots • Starting Money – While a certain amount of starting equipment is given to characters, the Player may want to purchase a few additional items. • Starting Money: 10 + 1d10 sp • GM’s Choice (optional) – It is recommended that if the campaign is going to involve a lot of wilderness travel, that the GM also provide the character with a mount that is appropriate to the setting • 1 Mount – The Player may select a mount of his choice that is no larger, or more expensive than a Light Horse. However, Players should be allowed to upgrade his mount to a larger or more expensive one, such as a Riding Dog or Medium Horse, by paying the difference between the price of the Light Horse and the desired mount. Choosing a lesser mount does not give the character the difference in the price of the Light Horse and the lesser mount. • 1 Saddle & Tack – This is all of the gear needed to properly ride the mount. • 1 Set Saddle Bags – This includes a feed bag or feeding dish for the mount as well.

The final step in preparing for play is to equip your character. To make things easier, we recommend that characters start with the following equipment. However, this is actually up to the Game Master (GM) to decide based upon his campaign. For example, a campaign that starts off with the characters as slaves or in jail will likely start off with no equipment at all, while other campaigns may provide the starting characters with even more equipment than we recommend here. Each character will, therefore, begin the game, unless the GM says otherwise, with the following: • Tools of the Trade – Each character will begin with certain equipment that is based solely on his Character Class. This equipment should be considered as worn, but very serviceable. • Fighter/Scout – 2 weapons of choice (including scabbards and/or ammunition), Normal Shield and Armor, Helm, Bracers, and Greaves all made of Reinforced Leather. • Archer/Thief – 2 weapons of choice (including scabbards and/or ammunition) and Armor, Helm, Bracers, and Greaves of Soft Leather; Thieves also get a set of Lockpicks. • Martial Artist – 2 weapons of choice (including scabbards and/or ammunition) and a set of Bracers of the player’s choice. • Minstrel – 2 weapons of choice (including scabbards and/or ammunition), 1 musical instrument of the player’s choice and Armor, Helm, Bracers, and Greaves of Soft Leather. • Mage (Classic/Dual) – 2 weapons of choice (including scabbards and/or ammunition), a spellbook (for recording notes and research about spells) and any casting foci (wand, component bag, crystal, etc) as required by their School of Magic.

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Player’s Section Money Even though each group/nation very likely has its own unique coins, the weights and values were established long ago by various races and groups that excelled in trading, so that the coins from varying nations and groups are equivalent enough to be used interchangeably. All coins are designed so that 50 coins of any type weigh a single pound. The following table shows the basic Coinage Standards that are used. Coinage Standards Coin Abbr. Breakdown 1 Platinum piece pp = 10 Gold Pieces 1 Gold piece gp = 10 Silver pieces 1 Silver piece sp = 10 Bronze pieces 1 Bronze piece bp = 10 Copper pieces (cp)

Equipment The following lists and their accompanying notes represent only a portion of the type of things that may be purchased. These lists are geared specifically towards supplying the most pressing needs and requirements of adventurers, so they do not include everything that might be available. The GM is free to add to and expand these lists as he sees fit.

Accessories Arrows – Sold in bundles of 20. Backpack – Can hold up to 2 cubic foot worth of items that weigh no more than 40 lbs. Water resistant. Bedroll – This is a small tarp, used as ground cover, along with an extra thick blanket that can be folded over and fastened along the bottom and up one side. Belt Pouches – Made of hard leather, these pouches are 3” x 5” and 6” deep. Can hold 5-10 lbs. Bit & Bridle – Made of leather and metal, this is a harness that slips over the head of the mount and is used to control it. Boots – Leather, calf- or knee-high. Caltrops – Sold in groups of 5, these are sharp little 4-pointed metal stars, about half an inch in size. Stepping on one causes 1 point of damage. Camp Cookware – Made of a light weight metal, this is a set of nested dishes, including 2 small pans, 2 small bowls, 2 plates, and a small metal cup. When all nested, they take up a small 6” diameter x 2” deep cylinder of space. Crossbow Bolts – Sold in bundles of 20. Cloak – Made of heavy wool. Coat – Made of furs and leather. Good for protection against the elements. Drum, Hand – This is a small leather skin stretched across a wooden frame. It produces sound when it is beat upon. The size of the frame and the tension of the stretched skin are what determine the sounds made when it is struck.

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Accessories Goods Cost Weight* Arrows (20) 4 bp 3 lb Backpack 2 bp 2 lb Bedroll 2 bp 5 lb Belt Pouches 3 bp 0.5 lb Bit & Bridle 2 bp 1 lb Boots 1 sp 3 lb Caltrops (5) 8 bp 2 lb Camp Cookware 5 bp 2 lb Crossbow bolts (20) 11 bp 3 lb Cloak 9 bp 2 lb Coat 15 bp 6 lb Drum, Hand 18 sp 2 lb Equipment Belt 1 sp 1 lb Fire-starting bow 1 cp 0.5 lb Flint & steel l bp 0.5 lb Flute 3 sp 1 lb Framepack 33 cp 3 lb Harp, Great 300 sp 100 lb Harp, Small 40 sp 5 lb Lantern, Large 12 bp 2 lb Lantern, Small 7 bp 1 lb Lock pick kit 1 sp 0.5 lb Lute 20 sp 3 lb Mirror, Steel 1 sp 0.5 lb Multi-Tool 7 sp 8 lb Ocarina 18 bp 1 lb Oil flask 3 bp 1 lb Pants 25 cp 1 lb Pegs/Stakes (10) 1 cp 2 lb Pitons/Stakes (10) 2 bp 3 lb Quick Release 1 sp 0.25 lb Quiver (holds 20) l bp 0.5 lb Rope 4 bp 6 lb Rope (superior) 12 bp 3 lb Sack (50 lb) 8 cp 2 lb Saddle 10 bp 20 lb Scabbard 25 bp 1 lb Scroll Case 3 sp 1 lb Shirt 3 bp 1 lb Surcoat 9 bp 1 lb Tarp (5’x8’) l bp 4 lb Tent 2 sp 9 lb Torch 1 cp 1 lb Waterskin (1 pt) 1 cp 0.25 lb * — Weight only counts towards encumbrance if carried and not worn Equipment Belt – This is a sturdy 3” wide belt, studded with metal rings every 4” along its length. Fire-Starting Bow – Used to start fires in approximately 5 minutes. Flint & Steel – Used to start fires in approximately 3 minutes. Flute – This is a long tube with a single hole at one end and several holes along the length of the tube. It produces sound when air is blown across the mouthpiece hole. The tone can be varied by opening or closing the holes along its length. The length of the flute also impacts its tone.

Player’s Section Framepack –It can hold up to 5 cubic feet of items that weigh up to 100 lbs. Water resistant. Harp, Great – This is large frame holding strings of varying lengths. When strummed or picked, the strings product musical tones. It is often played with both hands. Harp, Small – This is sometimes called a Lyre or even Lap Harp, because it is small enough to be held in one’s lap or in one arm while it is played with the other hand. Lantern, Large – Holds 1 pint of oil which will burn for up to 6 hours and illuminate a 50’ diameter area. Lantern, Small – Holds half a pint of oil, which will burn for up to 3 hours and illuminate a 30’ diameter area. Lock Pick Kit – This is a small leather case that holds a variety of picks and metal wires that can be used to open locks. Grants a +5 bonus to Gimmickry skill when used to pick locks. Lute – This is a wooden instrument, the body being teardrop shaped and being hollow, with a hole in the center. From the small end of the body extends a neck. Across the body and up the neck are strung multiple strings which then produce musical tones when plucked or strummed. Variations of this include the guitar and the dulcimer. Mirror, Steel – This is a small 4” round piece of polished and silvered steel. It makes for a sturdy and versatile mirror. Multi-Tool – This is a collection of items that may be assembled in a number of different configurations. It consists of 3 poles, each 2’ long, with 1” diameter metal end caps. The end caps are threaded on one end, and form a socket on the other, so that the poles may be screwed together. In addition to the poles, the Multi-Tool comes with a dagger, a hatchet head, a hammer head, a shovel head and 3 torch heads. The torch heads are wrapped in paper and when lit will burn for 6 hours, lighting a 20’ diameter area. The torch heads can be replaced for 5 bp each (1 sp if you do not have a used torch head to exchange). In addition to torches, this allows the Multi-Tool to also be used as a shovel, a hammer (or a make-shift war hammer), a hatchet or axe for chopping wood, or even as a staff or spear. When the poles are used to create weapons, any such weapon created has a -4 modifier.

Ocarina – This is an oblong enclosed chamber, about 4 to 6 inches in length and up to 2 inches in depth, with a number of holes on the top and a mouthpiece projecting from the side. It is used by blowing through the mouthpiece and using the fingers to cover different holes to produce different tones. Oil Flask – Made of glass and wrapped in heavy cotton, this includes one pint of oil (burns for 6 hours). Pants – Made of sturdy material in most cases. Higher quality materials might increase the price. Pegs/Stakes – Sold in bundles of 10. Wooden. Pipes – These are sometimes called Pan Pipes. They are made of several tubes of varying lengths, attached sideby-side. Blowing through the tubes produces a musical note, with each tube producing a different tone. Pitons/Stakes – Sold in bundles of 10. Metal. Quick Release – Used to allow fast and easy, one-handed removal of a backpack or framepack. Removal of a pack requires only 1 Action Point, and may be performed at the same time as other actions, so long as the character has one hand free. It takes 2 minutes to put on a pack that has a Quick Release. Quiver – Holds 20 arrows/bolts. Rope –Supports up to 500 lbs of weight. 50’ length. Rope (superior) – Supports up to 1,000 lb. 50’ length. Sack – A large canvas sack that can hold up to 50 lbs of weight. Saddle – Leather seat used to ride on mounts. It cushions the rider, allowing him to ride longer with less worry of falling off. Scabbard – Holds bladed weapons and comes with a belt. Back scabbards will cost an extra 10 bp. Scroll Case –Comes as either a flat leather case or a tube of various materials. Both are water resistant. Shirt – Made of sturdy material in most cases. Higher quality materials might increase the price. Surcoat – This is a long garment worn over armor or other clothing. Tarp – This is a 5’ x 8’ canvas cloth. It is water resistant. Tent – This is a small 2 man tent. Weather and water resistant. Torch – The torch will burn for 6 hours, illuminating a 20’ diameter area. Waterskin – This is a small leather bottle. It will hold up to 1 pint of liquid.

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Player’s Section Armor & Shields Armor is extremely important to those who go Armor & Shields into battle. It helps protect them from wounds and Item DEF AR* Pen. Imp. Cost Weight** aids in saving their lives. However, armor also slows Shields down the wearer and this can mean that he tends to Full Shield 4 — — — 7 sp 11 lb get hit more often, though for less damage overall. Normal Shield 3 — — — 55 bp 8 lb Armors fall into several broad classifications based Small Shield 2 — — — 35 bp 5 lb on the types of materials that they are made from. Torso Armors Within these classifications, there are also a variety Normal Clothing — 0 0 0 varies varies of styles or ways that armor can be made. Thus while Soft Leather — 4 0 1 10 sp 8 lb two different suits of armor might look different, Reinforced Leather — 6 0 1 30 sp 15 lb they could easily fall into the same broad group (i.e. Chain — 8 -1 1 60 sp 22 lb Scale — 10 -2 2 100 sp 27 lb brigandine and leather scale look different but both Plate — 12 -3 3 150 sp 30 lb are still considered to be Reinforced Leather). The Armor & Shields table includes a number of Helms*** Skullcap — 1/1* — 1 1 sp 1 lb columns that need to be defined. They are as follows: Pot Helm — 1/3* — 1 3 sp 2 lb DEF – This is the modifier to the character’s DEF Full Helm — 1/5* — 2 5 sp 4 lb (his Defense). If there is a number listed, this Bracers (Arms) means that the character is harder to hit. Leather — 1/4* — 1 2 sp 2 lb AR – This stands for Armor Rating. The Reinforced Leather — 1/5* -1 1 4 sp 3 lb character’s main AR is comprised of his AR Metal — 1/6* -1 2 6 sp 3 lb for his Torso Armor, plus 1 point each for any Greaves (Legs) Helm, Bracers or Greaves that are also worn, Leather — 1/4* — 1 2 sp 2 lb regardless of what they are made of. This total Reinforced Leather — 1/5* -1 1 4 sp 3 lb is subtracted from the number of hits dealt Metal — 1/6* -1 2 6 sp 3 lb by any attack that hits the character. Helms, * = The “1” is added to the AR from any Torso Armor, the second Bracers and Greaves also have a second AR number is only used against Called Shots (p. 43). listing, but that listing is only used against ** = Counts against encumbrance if carried and not worn. Weights Called Shots (see p. 43). are based upon equip. for a human-sized character. Pen. – This is the Armor Penalty. If the character *** = See Helm descriptions for modifiers to the Perception skill and has training in using the given type of armor, against Stuns. Increase cost by 2 sp & weight by 1 lb if made of tougher then this penalty is only applied to the materials as indicated within the descriptions. character’s skills that use Speed for its stat (i.e. Imp. – This stands for Impedance. The wearing of armor Acrobatics, Stealth, and some Combat Skills). impedes the character from casting spells properly. This If he does not have training in wearing armor, then number is how many extra Spell Points the character double this penalty is applied to all of the character’s has to spend when casting a spell. The extra Spell Points Speed and Dexterity based skills. Soft Leather and Rigid required for Impedance are never used to calculate the Leather have a -1 penalty for those who are untrained in Target Numbers for Saving Throws or Counterspelling. wearing them. This penalty does not apply to DEF or to S hields Saving Throws, but it will apply to any stat-based rolls for actions when there is no appropriate skill available. There are 3 types of shields available. They are classified by their average size, weight, and most importantly their protective values. Within those criteria, shield can be of various sizes and made of different types of materials. Full Shield – This is the largest of the three. It is usually about 3’ to 4’ in length and weighs about 11 lbs. It provides a +4 to the character’s DEF. Normal Shield – This shield is usually around 2’ to 3’ in size and weighs about 8 lbs. It provides a +3 to DEF. Small Shield – This shield is usually around 1’ 6” in size and it is the lightest of the three, weighing in at approximately 5 lbs. It provides a +2 to DEF.

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Player’s Section Torso Armor There are five main styles of armor, each is detailed below. Each type of armor covers the chest, shoulders, back, abdomen and groin of the character wearing it. Normal Clothing – Not considered armor. Heavy cloaks and/ or winter clothing may provide up to a +1 modifier to AR. Soft Leather Armor – Soft Leather includes armor made of sturdy but flexible leather, as well as armors made from heavy, specially quilted cloth, and from furs. Reinforced Leather Armor – Reinforced Leather includes a wide range of armor designs. From soft leather with specific rigid leather or metal inserts or studs to solid leather armor that is boiled and treated so that it is hard and rigid. It even includes armors that mix the two styles (i.e. leather scale). Chain Armor – Chain is made of small interlocking rings. While this allows a good range of movement, it also weighs a good bit as well. Scale Armor – Scale is made of metal plates on a chain or soft leather backing. The plates provide coverage and protection while allowing mobility. Plate Armor – Plate is made from interlocking plates. Movement is possible through the use of hinged joints and flexible material at the joins. The plates are larger and thicker than those used in Scale Armor. Helms The sole purpose of a helm is to protect the wearer’s head from damage. Characters who are wearing Helms gain a +1 to their overall AR, and gain the second AR rating against Called Shots to the head. They also can be made of various materials, which can affect the AR against Called Shots, grant a bonus to Saves against stuns, and even provide a modifier against Perception rolls. Skullcaps – Usually made of Soft Leather. Add 1 to the Called Shot AR if made from Reinforced Leather; add 2 to the Called Shot AR if made of metal. Grants a +1 modifier to Saves against stuns if made from Soft Leather, +2 if made from Reinforced Leather, +3 if made from metal. A Chain Coif would be considered to be the equivalent of a metal Skullcap. Pot Helms – May be made of Reinforced Leather or metal. Add 1 to the Called Shot AR if made of metal. Gives a -1 to all Perception rolls while worn. Reinforced Leather Pot Helms grant a +3 to Saves against Stuns while metal ones grant a +4. Full Helms – May be made from Reinforced Leather or metal. Add 1 to the Called Shot AR if made of metal. Gives a -2 to all Perception rolls while worn. Reinforced Leather Full Helms grant a +4 to Saves against Stuns while metal ones grant a +5. Bracers Bracers are used to protect the forearms from the wrist to the elbow. Wearing Bracers with Torso Armor will increase the character’s total AR by 1 and they have a higher AR against Called Shots to the arms. Bracers are also often used to aid in parrying incoming attacks, especially by those who know the martial arts. If the character is only wearing one bracer, and not a full set, then he receives no benefits.

Greaves Greaves are used to protect the legs of the wearer, normally the thigh and upper legs, but there are also versions that protect the calves as well. Wearing Greaves with Torso Armor If the character is only wearing one greave, and not a full set, then he receives no benefits. Armored Gloves & Boots Note: Characters may also purchase armored gloves (at half the cost of bracers) and boots (same cost as greaves). These items may offer some protection against certain results, but have no effect otherwise.

Food & Lodging For those who travel, eating meals on the road and in taverns, and staying in an inn are common occurrences. The following list of items gives a few basic standards for drinks, meals, rations, and lodging for both the traveler and his mounts. Food & Lodging Goods or Service Cost Notes Beer and Ale 1 cp Pint. Brandy 2 cp Half-pint. Cider 1 cp Pint. Mead 5 cp Pint. Wine 6 cp Pint. Light meal 3 cp Normal meal 7 cp Heavy meal 12 cp Normal rations (1 week) 5 bp Normal spoilage. Wt. 12 lbs. Trail rations (1 week) 1 sp Preserved. Wt. 8 lbs. Iron Rations (1 week) 3 sp Preserved. Wt. 2 lbs Poor lodging 1 cp Communal sleeping. Average lodging 2 cp Separate bedding. Good lodging 3 cp Separate room. Stable 1 cp Includes food for animal Drinks & Meals – The price list includes listings for several kinds of drinks and 3 different kinds of meals. Each of these is pretty standard. Rations – There are several different types of rations. Each is used when traveling and has its own uses. Normal Rations – This is enough food to last for a week. Depending upon what it contains, Normal rations will spoil in 1 to 2 weeks. Trail Rations – This is dried food, preserved to last up to a month before spoiling. The rations will last one person for 1 week. Iron Rations – This is a specially prepared bar of nutritious, if somewhat bland, food. It lasts up to 6 months before spoiling. One bar of Iron Rations will last a single person for 1 week. Lodging – The type of lodging determines the available accommodations. Costs are per day. Stables – Places where you can house your mount while in town. Costs are per day.

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Player’s Section Transport There are a number of different methods of travel that players could use. The following list is only a sample of the possible methods that characters might use. Note: While the following table gives tactical movement rates for mounts, Strategic Movement is covered on p. 90. Transportation Transport Cost Speed* Wt. Limit Mule/donkey 32 sp 9’ 250 lb Mature pony 40 sp 7’ 180 lb Light horse 45 sp 10’ 200 lb Medium horse 60 sp 11’ 300 lb Heavy horse 80 sp 8’ 400 lb Lesser Warhorse 20 gp 9’ 350 lb Riding Wolf 50 sp 10’ 140 lb Horse-cart (6’ long) 4 gp 5’ 800 lb Wagon (8’ long) 6 gp 5’ 1500 lb Small boat (10’) 7 gp varies 1000 lb Medium boat (20’) 11 gp varies 3000 lb Large boat (30’) 40 gp varies 5000 lb Ship Passage 1 bp+ varies — * — This is the normal rate of movement per Action Point in a tactical situation, it may be doubled if the rider decides to gallop Mule/Donkey – Standing around 4’ tall at the shoulder, this 550 lb beast can easily carry up to 250 lbs of cargo. Mature Pony – This mount stands about 4’ tall at the shoulder and weighs around 500 lbs. It can carry up to 180 lbs including the rider. Light Horse – This mount stands about 5’ tall at the shoulder and weighs about 800 lbs. It can carry up to 200 lbs including the rider. Medium Horse – This mount stands about 6’ tall at the shoulder and weighs about 900 lbs. It is capable of carrying up to 300 lbs including the rider.

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Heavy Horse – The smallest of this type of mount stands 6’ tall at the shoulders and weighs in at 1300 lbs. It can carry up to 400 lbs including its rider. Lesser Warhorse – Trained specifically for combat, this mount does not require the rider to make skill rolls to control the mount during combat. That means that the rider will not have to devote any of his activity each round to controlling it. Lesser Warhorses stand around 6’ at the shoulder and weigh about 950 lbs. They are capable of carrying up to 350 lbs including the rider. Riding Wolf – This special breed of Wolf is raised specifically by the smaller races as mounts. It stands around 3’ tall at the shoulders and weighs around 300 lbs. It can carry up to 140 lbs including the rider. Like Warhorses, these mounts do not require the rider to make Riding rolls when in combat. Horse-cart – This is a 6’ long, 2 wheeled cart that is pulled by a horse or other draft animal. It can easily be used to haul up to 800lbs of cargo, including anybody riding on the cart. It allows the animal pulling it to be able to haul double what it can normally carry, up to the maximum allowed by the cart. Wagon – This is a sturdy 4 wheeled vehicle pulled by one or two animals. It can hold up to a maximum of 1200 lbs of cargo. It allows the animal pulling it to be able to haul double what it can normally carry (quadruple, if pulled by 2 animals), up to the maximum allowed by the cart. Boats & Ships – Boats are small vessels that stick to shallow coastal waters, rivers and lakes. Ships are larger and capable of traveling the open seas. Small Boat – This is about 10’ in length and weighs about 200 lbs. It is capable of holding up to 1000 lbs. Medium Boat – This is about 20’ in length and weighs about 800 lbs. It is capable of holding up to 4000 lbs. Large Boat – This is about 30’ in length and weighs about 2000 lbs. It is capable of holding up to 7000 lbs. Ship Passage – There are two main types of ship passage. The first is ferry service, going from point A to point B, such as from a city to a small island a few miles off shore. This usually costs 1 bp + an additional 2 cp per mile that the passenger is to be ferried. The second type of passage is as a passenger upon a sea-going vessel. The cost for this type of passage is normally 5 bp + an additional 1 bp per mile to be traveled.

Player’s Section Weapons Even though there are a wide variety of weapons available, not all are available to every character. Certain weapons may be restricted based on the character’s race or culture. Below is a short description of the weapons available, along with any special notes about the given weapons. Note: Weapon descriptions are intended for game purposes only and may not be historically accurate. Ball & Chain – This is sometimes called a Meteor Hammer or a Comet Hammer. This weapon consists of a length of chain with a solid metal ball, about 3” in diameter and often slightly spiked, at one end, and a crossbar handle at the other end. The user gains a +2 to his attacks when using this weapon against a foe that is using a shield. Bastard Sword – Often called a Hand-and-a-Half Sword. It has an extra long hilt that could easily accommodate either 1 hand or two. The blade is straight and sharpened on both edges. Baton – There are several varieties of this weapon, from a simple short stout stick, to a slightly more flexible handle topped with a small weight. Battle Axe – The Battle Axe is a large double-bladed axe that is used in a two-handed fashion. The blades are roughly shaped along the lines of a half moon (or perhaps a third of a moon) and they usually mirror one another, although there is some variation possible. Broadsword – This double-edged blade is one of the most common types of swords out there. The blade itself is usually about 3” wide for the majority of its length.

Cestus – These are battle gloves, often worn by Boxers to increase the amount of damage that they deal with their fist attacks. These gloves usually include built in bracers that protect the forearms and allows the boxer to parry attacks without harm. Club – Clubs are usually thicker on the business end, tapering down to the grip end. They are made of wood, and usually have a rough hewn appearance. Composite Bow – This is a strong recurve bow made of several different materials that allow for greater strength and range in a shorter bow. Dagger – Daggers are short, double-edged blades. They are useful tools for close in fighting. Dart – The Dart is small thrown blade. It is often used to deliver poison to the target since it cannot do a lot of damage in and of itself. Falchion – The Falchion is a one-handed, single-edged blade. It has a blade that usually has a heavy curved end, making the tip of the blade wider than it is down near the hilt. Greatsword – This is a heavy sword. It is a double-edged weapon that comes in a variety of styles that all require 2 hands for the wielder to use it. Hand Axe – The Hand axe is characterized by its distinctly arch-shaped head, widening toward the cutting edge and terminating in a prominent point at both the upper and lower corners. It makes for both a good melee and thrown weapon.

Weapons

Weapon Cost Lg. Wt. Sz. DR Dmg. Type RI* Weapon Cost Lg. Wt. Sz. DR Dmg. Type RI* Ball & Chain 12 sp 3.25’ 5 lb M 8 Bashing 23 bp 2’ 6 lb M 8 Bashing — Mace — Bastard Sword 20 sp 4.25’ 5 lb L 9 Slash/Pierce — Main Gauche 12 sp 1’ 1 lb T 4 Slash/Pierce — Baton 2 sp 1.5’ 2.5 lb T 4 Bashing — Morning Star 16 sp 2.5’ 5 lb M 8 Bashing — Battle Axe 13 sp 3.5’ 7 lb L 10 Slashing 14 sp 6’-8’ 7 lb H 12 Piercing — Pole Arms — Broadsword 10 sp 3.5’ 4 lb M 8 Slash/Pierce — Pole Axe 14 sp 6’-8’ 7 lb H 12 Slashing — Cestus 2 sp 1’ 3 lb T 2 Bashing — Quarterstaff 5 cp 6’ 4 lb L 8 Bashing — Club 1 cp 3’ 4 lb M 6 Bashing 12 sp 4’ 2.5 lb M 8 Piercing — Rapier — Composite Bow 17 sp 4.5’ 3 lb M 8 Piercing 75 Sai 5 sp 15” 1.5 lb T 4 Piercing — Dagger 3 sp 1’ 0.75 lb T 4 Slash/Pierce th Scimitar 10 sp 3’ 2 lb S 7 Slashing — Dart 1 sp 0.5’ 0.5 lb T 2 Piercing th Short Bow 6 sp 3’ 2 lb S 6 Piercing 50 Falchion 15 sp 3.25’ 4 lb M 8 Slashing 2x th — Short Spear 18 bp 5’ 4 lb M 8 Piercing Greatsword 20 sp 5.5’ 8 lb L 10 Slash/Pierce — Short Sword 7 sp 2’ 2 lb S 6 Slash/Pierce — Hand Axe 5 sp 2’ 3 lb S 6 Slashing th Sling 9 bp 4’ 0.5 lb S 5 Bashing 40 Heavy Crossbow 25 sp 4’ 10 lb L 10 Piercing 70 Sling Shot 12 bp 6” 1 lb S 6 Bashing 30 Javelin 3 sp 4’-6’ 3 lb S 7 Piercing 2x th Smallsword 9 sp 2.5’ 2 lb M 7 Pierce/Slash — Light Crossbow 11 sp 3’ 5 lb M 8 Piercing 50 Spear 23 bp 6’-8’ 6 lb L 9 Piercing 2x th Long Bow 10 sp 6’ 2 lb M 9 Piercing 70 War Hammer 15 sp 3’ 5 lb M 8 Bashing — DR = Damage Rating. This, plus the stat bonus of the skill associated with the weapon equals the Base Damage of the weapon. * = RI stands for Range Increment. Refer to the Combat Skill description on p. 22 for more information. th = thrown; range increment for thrown weapons is the Strength Stat Value of the character in feet. Note: Halfling-sized weapons do 1 point less than what is listed in the Damage Rating column, to a minimum of 1 point.

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Player’s Section Heavy Crossbow – This is a bow mounted on a long stock. It is used to shoot projectiles, called bolts. The bow is cocked by using a winding mechanism and then the bolt is slid into a groove. Javelin – The Javelin is basically a sharpened shaft that is thrown at a target in most cases. Some Javelins will have metal heads or metal sheaths protecting and strengthening their tips. Light Crossbow – This is a smaller version of the Heavy Crossbow. It is not as powerful as a Heavy Crossbow, but it is a little more compact and easier and quicker to reload. Long Bow – This is a bow made from a single, long piece of wood. When strung, it looks like a capital “D” from the side as it doesn’t have the same sort of recurve that a Composite Bow has. It is used to fire arrows. Mace – The Mace is a relatively simple weapon, being a metal head, often knobbed or spiked, attached to a stout handle. Main Gauche – The Main Gauche is essentially a parrying dagger. What makes it different from other daggers is that its hilt is specially designed so that it provides a greater benefit to a character’s DEF. If it is not used to attack, the Main Gauche provides an extra +3 to DEF in addition any other bonuses. Morning Star – The Morning Star is a type of flail, easily used one handed. It is comprised of a wooden shaft/ handle with an iron ball attached via a short length of chain. The iron ball is usually studded or spiked. Pole Arms – Pole Arms come in a variety of styles, but basically, they are a long staff with sharp points and blades on the one end. Pole Arms are good against mounted or flying foes, or when out in the open, with a lot of others also using Pole Arms, but they are not very good at close quarters fighting. Pole Axe – The Pole Axe is similar to the Pole Arms, except that the blades at the end are variations of an axe head, and they work best with slashing style attacks. Quarterstaff – The Quarterstaff is a long cylindrical rod about an inch thick and the ends are often capped in metal. Rapier – The Rapier is slim-bladed. It is primarily a thrusting sword, though it sometimes has a sharp edge to also allow for a little slashing.

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Sai – This is a pointed, dagger-shaped metal baton, with two curved prongs projecting from the handle. The tip is often sharpened, making for a good stabbing weapon. Scimitar – The Scimitar is a long curved blade, sharpened on only the outer edge of the curve. Short Bow – The Short Bow is a smaller version of the Long Bow, made from a single piece of wood. One of the benefits of the Short Bow is that if a rider is skilled enough, it can be used from horse back. Short Spear – The Short Spear is essentially a short shaft with a bladed head attached to one end. Short Sword – This weapon is a smaller version of the Broadsword. Its blade is often double-edged, straight and usually about 3” wide, though thinner versions do exist. Sling – A Sling is essentially a leather pouch with two lines, one extending from either side. The pouch is then whirled and a stone, held in the pouch, is then released to fly at its target. Sling Shot – A Sling Shot is essentially a “Y” shaped handle with a pouch attached to the upper ends by some elastic material, or certain designs could use springs. It shoots stones, often called bullets. Smallsword – The Smallsword has a thin, yet sturdy blade. It is made primarily for thrusting attacks, but may also be used in slashing attacks as well. Spear – Like the Short Spear, the Spear is a long shaft with a bladed head on the end. It is most often used by foot soldiers when defending against mounted or flying opponents. War Hammer – The War Hammer resembles a hammer on one side, with a single spike on the reverse, allowing the wielder to do either a crush or puncture critical at will, utilizing but a single skill. Dwarves are often fond of utilizing this as a thrown weapon as well.

Player’s Section Encumbrance Once you have completed provisioning and outfitting your character, you now need to figure what his encumbrance will be. Since a strict accounting of the character’s equipment and belongings would be tedious and undesirable, and just not very much fun at all, we have therefore come up with the following rules. Basic Equipment – A character’s Basic Equipment does not count towards encumbrance. Basic equipment is defined as the following: • 4 Belt Pouches – containing up to their weight limit of not more than 5-10 lbs per pouch. • Weapons – the character may have 1 large or huge weapon, or 2 medium weapons. 2 Small weapons count as a single Medium weapon. Two Tiny weapons count as a single Small weapon. This includes any weapon belts and/or scabbards and quivers that are associated with the weapon. Please note that the weapon sizes listed here are based upon the sizes given in the Weapons table on p. 38. • Armor & Clothing – any worn armor and clothing. Some armors have their own penalties associated with wearing them. Those penalties are not considered to be part of encumbrance and are treated separately. Backpack – A character’s backpack can be encumbering, especially as it starts getting full. If the backpack is at least half full, the character will receive an encumbrance modifier to all rolls based upon Speed and/or Dexterity. This includes skill rolls, stat rolls, and Saving Throws. This modifier is equal to -3 plus the character’s Strength Stat Bonus. If the backpack is full, the encumbrance modifier is equal to -5 plus the character’s Strength Stat Bonus. The character’s Strength Stat Bonus can never raise the encumbrance modifier to more than zero.

Encumbrance Unit – Outside of a character’s Basic Equipment and Backpack, a character may carry an amount equal to 2 lbs per for each point of their Strength Stat Value. Thus a character with a Strength Stat Value of 15 has an Encumbrance Unit of 30 lbs. Each full Encumbrance Unit gives the character a -2 modifier to all actions. Especially large or bulky items can impose greater modifiers. If the character is carrying more than 2 Encumbrance Units, his Movement Rate is halved, and he will be unable to dodge, or perform any other types of similar actions.

Finishing Your Character At this point, you are essentially finished creating your character. The only step left is to tally up all of his skill bonuses and other bonuses, including modifiers from armor worn and encumbrance. Once this is complete, fill in any gaps in his background, the Game Master (GM) can help you with this since he should be more knowledgeable about the setting being used in your game. Once this is done, you are all set to begin play, and waiting on the GM. Enjoy!

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Player’s/GM’s Section

Combat

Characters are likely to see combat at some point or other as it is not a safe world. There are dangers all around them and a character never knows when he is going to have to fight. The rules covered in this section will aid in resolving those inevitable conflicts and fights that the characters always seem to get into. The main thing to remember is that an attack roll is not a single swing at the foe, but multiple lesser strikes attempting to break through his defenses, as he does the same to you. Your attack roll, DEF, and even the AR from your armor are all abstractions, intended to boil a complex set of actions and interactions down into a single roll.

Combat Basics The attacker rolls 2d10 adding in his Attack Bonus and any special modifiers, such as for the number of Range Increments (see p. 22) between the attacker and target, and tries to get a result that is equal to or higher than the target’s DEF (the Defensive Target Number). If the attack roll succeeds, then the attacker has hit the target and he determines the damage that he has dealt the target. Damage takes several forms, as follows: • Base Damage – Base Damage is the minimum amount of damage that is dealt when an attack actually hits its target. It is comprised of 2 factors, the Damage Rating (DR) of the attack and the stat bonus

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of the skill used to make the attack. For example, a Mace has a DR of 8, and the Combat Skill, Clubs, which is used for attacks with a Mace, uses Strength as its stat, so the Base Damage for a character with a Strength stat bonus of 2 would be 10 points (8 + 2). • Scaled Damage – For every point above the target’s DEF that the attack roll is, the attacker gets to add 1 additional point of damage to the total amount dealt. • Boon Points – For every 10 points that the attacker’s total is above the target’s DEF, the attack earns 1 Boon Point. These points are then immediately spent on various things, such as additional attacks, benefits to the attacker, or additional damage is applied to the target of the attack. When a character receives Boon Points (BPs), he must then immediately spend them, choosing from among the list of options on the Combat Boons table (see p. 122). It should be noted that if a character earns 3 Boon Points, he does not have to spend them on a 3 point option from the table. He may select a 2 point option and a 1 point option, or select three 1 point options. The choice is entirely up to the player. Once the attacker has totaled up all of the damage to be dealt to the target of the attack from the various sources, the target’s AR (Armor Rating), if he has one, is subtracted from this amount. Any remaining damage is then subtracted from the target’s hit points.

Player’s/GM’s Section

The Combat Round

Combat Round Sequence

A combat round is 5 seconds long. There are two main factors involved in resolving things during a combat round. These are Action Points and Initiative. Action Points Action Points (AP) are a measure of how much your character can accomplish in a given round. Every character has 5 Action Points. Various actions require different amounts of AP to perform. Action Points Action Cast a Spell, Use Item or Rune/Read Scroll Cast Counterspell or a Fast Cast a Spell Perform Instantaneous Spell Action (if any) Concentration Basic Melee Attack (Tiny/Small Weapons) Basic Melee Attack (Medium Weapons) Basic Melee Attack (Large/Huge Weapons) Basic Missile Attack Basic Unarmed/Natural Attacks Multiple Weapon Attacks in 1 round Reloading/Loading Sling/Bow Reloading/Loading Light Crossbow Reloading/Loading Heavy Crossbow Perception roll Move Base Movement Move Double Base Movement at a Run Get up from Prone position Draw Weapon Simple Actions (GM’s Discretion) Complex Actions (GM’s Discretion)

AP 4 2 3 3 3* 4* 5* 2* 3* 5 3 5 10 1 1 1 2 1 1-2 2-5

* = Certain attacks require more Action Points to perform instead of the normal 3 listed in this table. Refer to the specific Combat Move being used to determine the actual number of AP required.

Initiative Initiative determines the order in which a character’s actions are resolved. This is not when his actions take place, just the resolution order. It is presumed that all of the declared actions are happening almost simultaneously. To determine initiative, roll 2d10 and add in the character’s Speed Stat Bonus and his Wisdom Stat Bonus. There may be other modifiers that apply, based upon a specific Combat Move being used or other conditions that might apply. The character’s total initiative roll is referred to as his Initiative Point (IP).

The Combat Round Sequence is specifically designed to allow faster characters to be able to react to the declared actions of slower characters while still resolving those actions in order from the slowest to the fastest. Step 1: Roll Initiative Each player should roll 2d10 and add in his Speed Stat Bonus, his Wisdom Stat Bonus and any other special modifiers. This is the character’s base Initiative Point (IP) for the entire combat. Initiative is only rolled once per combat. This may be altered by certain actions or events, but the character’s IP will always return to its starting value once the action or event that altered it is passed. If an initiative roll is not required, such as by combatants entering a melee already in progress, then this step is skipped. Step 2: Declare Actions Players, and the GM for the NPCs and monsters, should declare their actions for the round in initiative order, from lowest to highest. Any declared actions that alter the character’s DEF will have that adjustment apply for the entire round. Players may not declare actions that will resolve in another round, unless that action also requires all of his AP for this round. Thus a player cannot declare both a Dodge (2 AP) and a standard Melee Attack (4 AP) in a round, since the Melee Attack could not resolve until the following round, but he would be able to declare a Power Attack (7 AP) since it requires all 5 of the AP for the round it is declared and 2 AP of the following round. Step 3: Resolve Actions Once everybody’s actions have been declared, it is time to resolve them, in initiative order, from the highest to the lowest. If a character has multiple attacks in one round, he resolves the first at his normal IP, and then all other additional attacks are resolved after everybody else has resolved their initial actions. If more than one person has multiple attacks, then they are resolved in initiative order, same as the initial actions were resolved. Step4: End Round Once everybody’s actions have been resolved, it is time to move on to the next round. However, before that is done, any upkeep for the round must be performed. This is when any hits lost from bleeding are removed from the character or monster. If the character is dazed or stunned, this is when the total number is reduced by one. Once this phase of the round is complete, then the new round begins. Step 1 should be skipped unless there is a character or monster that needs to make an initiative roll.

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Player’s/GM’s Section Special Situations As with any system, there are a few special situations or conditions that merit an extra note or a more detailed explanation. This section provides it. Brawling: Any character may make an untrained/unskilled hand-to-hand attack. This is also known as a Brawling attack (trained attacks use the proper skill). The Attack Bonus for such untrained attacks is the sum of the character’s Str & Dex bonuses plus any situational modifiers. Unarmed Brawling attacks may use any of the Basic Unarmed Combat Moves, but they will have a DR of 0 so long as the character has no unarmed training. Base Damage for Brawling attacks is therefore comprised of only the character’s Str bonus. Called Shots: There will be times when a player wishes his character to hit a specific portion of his foe. This is what is known as a Called Shot. To make a Called Shot, the player will apply a negative modifier to his attack roll, based on where he is trying to hit. Attacks against the arms or legs receive a -4 modifier. Attacks against the head receive a -8 modifier. If the attack is successful, the defender does not receive his normal AR against the attack. Instead, he receives Called Shot AR value of any armor worn on that specific location, and that number is subtracted from any damage dealt. Additionally, depending upon the location and the total amount of damage dealt, other effects can occur as follows: Arms/Legs: Every successful strike against a limb will give the character hit a -2 modifier to all actions involving that limb. Should he also take a total amount of damage to that limb greater than his Constitution Stat Value, the limb will become useless. Head: For this type of Called Shot, the character making the attack will earn one extra Boon Point whenever the total amount of damage dealt to the head exceeds an increment equal to the target’s Constitution Stat Bonus + 5. Thus, exceeding double this number results in 2 extra Boon Points. These extra Boon Points may only be spent on Boons that impair the target’s judgment or consciousness (i.e. Dazed, Stunned, Death Strike, etc.). Canceling an Action: During a round, an action declared by a character may be canceled at any time prior to its resolution. A character who has canceled his action(s) for the round may perform one of the following: • Melee with half his normal Attack Bonus • Move, using up to 3 Action Points. • Perform some other action modified by -5 • Cast an Instantaneous defensive spell. • Cast Counterspell • Perform a Dodge, Block or similar Combat Move as allowed by its description. The new action is performed at the time that the old action was canceled. If the canceling and new action is declared at the same time as another character’s action, then this new action will be resolved first. However, if the character’s canceled action included a melee attack against a foe; this new attack, if selected, may not be against that same foe.

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Control Zone (CZ): This is a 5’ area to the sides and front of the character/creature, approximately a 180 degree arc. The next 60 degrees on either side of this control zone are the flanks, attacks from the flanks gain a +2 modifier. And the last 60 degree arc, directly behind the character/ creature is the rear, and attacks from the rear gain a +4 modifier. Large humanoid creatures have a 10’ Control Zone and Huge humanoid creatures have a 15’ Control Zone. Non-humanoid creatures, especially those that are Large and Huge will have similar Control Zones, but the actual shape is likely to depend upon the shape of the creature. Just keep in mind that the Control Zone rarely extends behind the creature’s shoulders, and that the rear zone will always be directly behind the creature, with the remaining sections on either side being the flank zones.

Note: The above image is not meant to imply that you need to use a map or hex-grid to play Novus, it is only intended as a representation showing how Control, Flank and Rear Zones may be visualized. Disengaging from Melee: In order for a character to safely disengage from melee, without triggering an Opportunity Attack (OA) from the foe, a character must spend 1 AP for Disengaging and then move out of the foe’s Control Zone by spending other, additional AP. Fighting Defensively: Sometimes a character will come up against something that is more powerful than he is, and he will find that it can hit him, a lot more often than he likes. This is where Fighting Defensively comes into play. When doing this, the player is able to shift part of his Melee Combat Skill, for the weapon he is currently wielding, from his Attack Bonus to his DEF. For every 2 points subtracted from the character’s Attack Bonus, +1 may be added to the character’s DEF. Many of the Combat Moves also provide modifiers to DEF, and Fighting Defensively may be used in conjunction with many of them. However, one cannot Fight Defensively and perform any sort of Dodge. Additionally, any amount shifted to DEF when performing a Block or Parry comes off the character’s AB for the roll made to stop the incoming attack. While a character is not required to make an attack while Fighting Defensively, he is expected and required to have the weapon(s) for the Melee Combat Skill that he is shifting towards DEF in his hand in order to actually shift those points.

Player’s/GM’s Section Firing into Melee: Melee is a constant confusion of shifting bodies as the opponents move back and forth, to the left and right, all trying to gain the best position. Attempting to make a ranged attack into this confusion is very difficult at best, and potentially hazardous for people other than the target. Any ranged attack made into a melee situation receives a -2 modifier to the attack roll. When making an attack into a melee situation, if the attack hits its intended target, it is resolved normally. If it misses, then all other potential targets within 5’ of the path of the attack must make a Saving Throw vs. Spd, starting with those closest to the attacker and then moving outwards from there. The TN of this Save is the attacker’s total attack roll (dice roll + skill bonus + all modifiers that applied to the attack against the original target). If the potential target makes his Save, the attack missed him and the next potential target must make a Saving Throw vs. Spd (same TN). If he failed his Save, he receives the Base Damage of the attack plus 1 additional hit of Scaled Damage for each point that he failed his Save by. This damage may be reduced by the character’s AR. Modifiers to the potential target’s DEF, from a Shield, various Combat Moves (Dodges, Diving for Cover, etc.), Talents, magical armor, spells, etc. (GM’s discretion, but it is recommended that all other bonuses that do not rely on skill or awareness of the potential target be allowed) should also be applied to the Saving Throw. Haste: Normally a character has only 5 Action Points to use in a given round. However, some spells and items can Haste the character, giving him a total of 10 AP for the round. This may allow the character to declare multiple attacks. However, no amount of Haste will allow for casting more than one spell per round. Holding an Action: Sometimes a player will want to hold off performing his declared actions for a little while. In doing this, the character loses 1 AP from the total amount that he is allowed to use for the round. The character may then perform his actions at whatever initiative point he wants, so long as it is lower than the initiative that he rolled for the round. Should he decide to take action during the same initiative as somebody else, his actions will resolve first.

Improvised Weapons: There will be times when characters will want or need to use unusual objects as weapons. The GM should determine what the improvised weapon most resembles, and then the character will either use his skill for that weapon or his Brawling attack bonus, whichever is higher, with a -4 modifier due to the inadequacy of the weapon for combat. Improvised weapons should do half of the damage of the weapon that they most resemble. Mounted Charge: This is similar to a moving attack, but performed while the character is mounted, and thus it is the mount that is doing the moving. Performing a Mounted Charge requires a total of 8 Action Points (AP), 4 more than is required for a normal attack. If the character has the Talent, Mounted Combat II, then the charge will only require 6 AP. If the character has the Talent, Mounted Combat I, then he has a +4 modifier to his Attack Bonus (AB) and a -4 modifier to his DEF. Without that Talent, the character has a -1 to his AB and a -9 to his DEF. When making charging attacks, the character will deal an extra amount of damage equal to 15 times the pace of his mount, so long as the mount moves faster than a human normally, and it must have a pace of at least 2x its normal movement rate. If his mount is moving at 2x its normal pace, the attack will deal an extra 30 hit points of damage. If the mount is moving at 3x its normal pace, the attack will deal an extra 45 hit points of damage. If the mount is moving at 4x its normal pace, then the attack will deal an extra 60 hit points of damage. Moving at 2x the mount’s normal base movement rate will require a Riding skill roll (TN 20). Moving at 3x the mount’s base movement rate will require a Riding skill roll (TN 25), and moving at 4x the mount’s base movement rate will require a Riding skill roll (TN 30). These Riding skill rolls are required, but do not use any of the character’s Action Points for the round. If the player fails the Riding skill roll, he will receive an additional -1 modifier to both his DEF and AB in addition to those listed above. When making a Mounted Charge, if one of the combatants has a lance, a long spear, or other weapon from the Pole Arm family of weapons and the other does not, then the combatant with the longer weapon will resolve his attack first, regardless of initiative order. All other actions will be determined by initiative normally. If a Mounted Charge is being made against an unmounted foe, that foe may decide to use Dodge in an attempt to avoid the charge. If the dodging character waits until the last moment to perform the Dodge (i.e. such as with Canceling an Action), the modifier to his DEF will be doubled before being applied.

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Player’s/GM’s Section Mounted Combat: To make attacks while mounted, the player must make a Riding skill roll for his character each round. This roll will cost the character no Action Points, and it has a TN of 23 if the mount is untrained for combat and a TN of 18 if the mount has been trained for combat. If the player fails the Riding skill roll, he will receive an additional -1 modifier to both his DEF and Attack Bonus (AB) in addition to those listed below. Attacks against other mounted foes, when neither combatant is involved in a Mounted Charge, have a -0 DEF modifier and a -0 AB modifier. If the character does not have the Mounted Combat I Talent, these modifiers are -5 and -5 respectively. Attacks against foes that are not mounted have a -3 DEF modifier and a -2 AB modifier. If the character does not have the Mounted Combat I Talent, these modifiers are -8 and -7 respectively. All mounted attacks, excluded Mounted Charges, which are covered separately, require an extra 2 Action Points (AP) to perform. If the character has the Mounted Combat II Talent, then attacks only require 1 extra AP to perform. Multiple Attacks from High Skill: As characters gain ranks in their melee Combat Skills, they gain the ability to make multiple attacks. For every 10 points in a given skill’s total bonus, the character gains the ability to make an additional attack. The character’s Attack Bonus receives a modifier of -4 for each attack beyond the first, and a modifier of -2 for each foe beyond the first to be attacked (i.e. making 1 attack each against 2 foes results in a -6 to the character’s Attack Bonus, 2 attacks against a single foe has only a -4 modifier). The remaining Attack Bonus is then divided between the individual attacks in whatever split the player desires. Any modifiers for Fighting Defensively are also subtracted from the Attack Bonus before the player splits it between the individual attacks. The Talent, Advanced Combat Training, supersedes this capability. This capability cannot be used with combat styles or skills that grant multiple attacks (i.e. Two Weapon Combo). Multiple Attacks in 1 Round: There are some combat skills, talents, capabilities or situations that will allow characters to declare and make multiple attack rolls in a single round. When this happens, the primary attack roll is made at the character’s initiative point, and any remaining attack rolls are made at the end of the round. In making multiple attacks, once the first of the attacks is made, the character may no longer cancel his action to perform other actions as described in Canceling An Action though he may still cancel his remaining attacks.

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Off-Hand Attacks: When a character learns to use a weapon, he does so in a specific hand. Attempting to use that weapon in his other hand, or off-hand, will result in a -4 modifier being applied to the attack unless the character is ambidextrous. One Handed Weapons in Two Hands: There are times when a character using a one handed weapon may want to put a little extra oomph! behind it by using both hands. In such cases, the attack requires 1 additional AP to perform, and does 2 additional points of Base Damage. Opportunity Attack (OA): This is an attack that happens outside the normal initiative cycle, but it still counts against the character’s available actions for the round. If the character is only able to make a single attack each round, making an Opportunity Attack will count as his attack for the round. If the character has multiple attacks (high skill, multiple weapons, etc.) each round, he may use any number of his attacks for the OA. If the character doesn’t use all of his attacks for the OA, then he makes the rest of his attacks normally according to normal initiative procedures. Opportunity Attacks are triggered by a potential foe entering or crossing a character’s Control Zone without the intention of attacking the character. Reroll Initiative: A character may prepare for one round, using 4 AP of that round, in order to reroll his initiative in the following round. This new IP will be the character’s IP for the remainder of the combat. A character that does this is not allowed to make an attack of any sort in the round in which he is preparing to Reroll Initiative. He may, however, use up to half of his Melee Combat Skill in Fighting Defensively during the preparation round. This may not be done in a round in which the character has received a modifier for being surprised. Setting Initiative: A character may use 2 AP of his available activity in a round to prepare for the next round of combat. In such cases, the character is treated as if he rolled a 20 on the 2d10 for determining his Initiative. This may not be done in a round in which the character has received a modifier for being surprised. This IP modification lasts only for one round, and it cannot be performed on consecutive rounds. Additionally, the character may not make any attacks in the round in which he is preparing for this. He may, however, use up to half of his Melee Combat Skill in Fighting Defensively during the preparation round.

Player’s/GM’s Section Simple & Complex Actions: While the Action Point table provides a number of example actions, there is no way that it can cover all of the possibilities. When a player declares an action that is not on the Action Point table, the GM will have to decide if it is a Simple or a Complex Action. A Simple Action is just that, very simple. It usually involves only a single activity or goal and often requires only a simple, single movement to complete (i.e. drawing a weapon, picking something up off the floor, etc.). Simple Actions also rarely, if ever, require a roll of any sort. Simple Actions will normally take from 1 to 2 AP to perform. Complex Actions, on the other hand, usually require somewhere between 2 and 5 AP to accomplish, and will often require a roll to successfully complete. Some examples include changing weapons, applying first aid, starting a fire, or other actions that involve multiple or complex motions to complete. In both cases, it is up to the GM to determine which category the declared action belongs to, and how many AP are required to complete it. Simultaneous Actions: There are times when players will want to attempt to perform multiple actions at the same time. Usually, this is a combination of wanting to perform and action while moving. Simultaneous Actions often combine two or more normal actions that do not usually require any sort of roll on their own, such as moving across a room and picking up an item from the floor. By combining the actions into a Simultaneous Action, these normal actions may end up requiring a roll to make sure all are completed properly. When the player declares what he wants to do, the GM needs to first decide if the actions can or cannot be performed at the same time. He must then decide how many Action Points are required, and whether or not a roll of some sort is required. The following example shows how one GM works this out. Example: John, Mark, and Andy are playing Fighters. John and Mark are in a 20’ x 20’ room. In the center of the room is an opening down to the next level. Andy has recently fallen through it. To one side of the opening, our intrepid heroes have begun to attach a rope to a spike driven into the floor to rescue Andy. Unfortunately, the hammering has attracted the attention of a small group of Orcs. Hearing them coming, John’s character has already scrambled to the door to attempt to hold them off while Mark continues to finish attaching the rope. Mark is 10’ from the door and the coil of rope is halfway between where Mark is attaching it to the spike and the doorway. The GM has determined that it is now time to begin the Combat Round, and he calls for the actions of the players after having them roll initiative. John and Andy have already declared their actions.

Mark: “I want my character to run to the door, kicking the rope into the hole for Andy’s character along the way, and drawing his sword at the same time and then melee attack the Orcs with whatever Attack Bonus he has available to him.” The GM’s thought process: “Well, drawing your sword is 1 AP, and running to the door (10’ away) is also 1 AP. Since neither interferes with the other (i.e. feet and hands), I will let him do both at the same time as for 1 AP and not require a roll. Kicking the rope into the hole as he runs across the room will slow him down slightly, but not much, so we add in the base Action Point cost for a Simple Action of 1 AP to bring the total move across the room to 2 AP. And since he is only running half of the distance that he is allowed to run in 1 AP, I won’t give him a -2 to his other actions this round. However, I am going to require him to make a Save vs. Spd to accomplish this as kicking the rope could throw him off balance and mess up his later attack. Once there he will have to make a Snap Attack, using 3 AP, and thus receive a -4 to his Attack Bonus.” What the GM says to Mark: “Okay, you can run to the door, kicking the rope into the opening as a 2 AP action, however, you will need to make a Save vs. Spd to keep from stumbling. As long as you don’t stumble, you can then make a Snap Attack at 3 AP, giving you a -4 modifier to your Attack Bonus. As we can see from the example, the GM determined that drawing a sword and moving at the same time was possible, and doesn’t really slow each other down, and doesn’t require a roll. Kicking the rope into the opening, on the other hand, as he is moving is what requires the roll, according to the GM’s reasoning. Moving and performing an action with his feet could upset his balance, thus the need for the Save vs. Spd. The GM then points out that the Combat Move, Snap Attack, fits the bill for the attack Mark wants to make.

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Player’s/GM’s Section

Combat Moves Situational Modifiers: Sometimes situations can occur that interrupt the normal flow of activity. For example, if one combatant is holding a dagger to the throat of another, from behind, and threatens to slit his throat if that combatant or their friends make any moves, then it is quite likely that the combatant holding the dagger will be able to complete his act before those others could do anything. This can likely be reflected in a large initiative bonus and by ruling that the slicing of the throat would not be a normal attack, but a Simple or Complex Action requiring only a small portion of activity to accomplish, especially since the action is already poised to occur. The possibilities for situations like this are too numerous to properly codify, but the GM needs to be aware that they can occur. If they do, then the GM will have to use his discretion and judgment in determining modifiers. Since modifiers larger than 20 imply situations beyond normal ability, the GM should generally keep such modifiers below that range unless they have a very good reason to do so. Surprise: When two or more groups meet up with one another and neither is explicitly aware of the other, both groups are required to make a single perception roll, using the character with the highest skill bonus. The results are determined as follows: Groups A & B both succeed: Neither group surprised. Group A succeeds, Group B doesn’t: Group A surprises Group B. Group B succeeds, Group A doesn’t: Group B surprises Group A. Groups A & B both fail Perception roll: Both groups are surprised. The rule above applies to two groups stumbling onto each other. If one group is aware of the other for more than a round before combat starts, they can set up to attempt an ambush of the other group. If a group is surprised, it receives a -20 modifier to Initiative for the first round of combat, and if this puts an individual character’s Initiative at or below zero, then that character will not be allowed to take action until the following round. If the character is allowed to act, even with the -20 modifier, then he is limited to performing only those actions allowed when Canceling an Action (p. 43). When attacking a person who is surprised, the attacker gains a +4 modifier to his Attack Bonus.

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As mentioned previously, you can also purchase Combat Moves in addition to Skills and Talents. Combat Moves allow the character to achieve certain effects while in combat. There are two types of Combat Moves; Basic and Advanced. Basic Combat Moves cost zero points and all Basic Combat Moves are available to every Combat Skill that the character has a minimum of 1 rank in. Advanced Combat Moves must be paid for and characters are limited to how many that they may have based on the number of ranks that they have in a given Combat Skill and their level of Combat Training. Characters with no Combat Training may only have one Advanced Combat Move for every 5 ranks that they have in a Combat Skill. Characters with Combat Training I may have 1 Advanced Combat Move for every 3 ranks that they have in a Combat Skill. And finally, characters with Combat Training II may have 1 Combat Move for every rank that they have in a given Combat Skill. Please note that Combat Moves must be purchased separately for each Combat Skill. For example, if you learn how to do a Feint with Heavy Blades, you cannot use that same Feint maneuver with Light Blades unless you purchase it for Light Blades as well. The format used in describing Combat Moves has been standardized to make them easier to read. Here is what a Combat Move looks like and below is a description of the different parts. Combat Move Name (#) AB: # DEF: # AP: # Rng: # Effects: Description of the Move goes here. As you can see, first up is the name of the Combat Move and beside it is a number in parenthesis. This number is how many Character Points it costs to purchase the Move. AB: This is the Attack Bonus modifier. This modifier is applied to all rolls using the Combat Skill in conjunction with this Move. DEF: This is a modifier to the character’s DEF and is applied for the entire round in which the Move is used. AP: This is the number of Action Points that the Move requires. In some cases this will be a specific number. However, in other cases it may say “BMA + #” and in those cases, BMA stands for “Basic Melee Attack.” A Basic Melee Attack requires a specific number of Action Points to make a basic attack based upon the size of the weapon; smaller weapons being quicker than larger weapons. So, “BMA + #” means to use that base AP cost for the weapon plus or minus a given number of AP. Rng: This attribute will normally only apply to Ranged Combat Moves, and it basically adjusts the Range Increment being used. It is important to note that increases to a weapon’s Range Increment can never improve a weapon’s range by more than 20’ or half of the initial Range Increment, whichever is greater. Effects: As mentioned above, this is a basic description of the Move. This is also where any special information about how the Move works is imparted. Combat Moves do normal Base and Scaled Damage unless otherwise stated.

Player’s/GM’s Section Melee Combat Moves The following list of Combat Moves is for those who have trained specifically with melee weapons. Not every Combat Move will be appropriate to every type of weapon. All Out Attack (6) AB: +2 DEF: -2 AP: BMA+2 Effects: A character may not use this Combat Move if they are Fighting Defensively in any way. When using this Move, the attack deals an extra 4 points of Base Damage. Basic Block (0) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Effects: A character may cancel his current action to perform this Combat Move. To perform a Basic Block, the player makes a roll using his Attack Bonus against a TN of 10 + foe’s Attack Bonus. Only the portion of the Attack Bonus that has not been shifted to DEF is used, both for the character’s roll and for the setting of the TN. Basic Disarm (0) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: BMA Effects: The player makes a normal attack roll. If it is successful, the foe must make a Save vs. Str or his weapon will go flying 1’-10’ in a random direction. The TN of the Save is 15 + 1 for every 5 points that the character’s attack roll was above the Foe’s DEF. Basic Dodge (0) AB: +0 DEF: +3 AP: 3 Effects: The character sidesteps or attempts to move out of the way of the incoming attack. The character may cancel a declared action to perform this Move. The character need not be holding a weapon to perform this Move. Basic Melee Attack (0) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: varies Effects: This is the most basic type of attack made using a melee weapon. Tiny/Small weapons require 3 AP to make this type of attack. Medium sized weapons require 4 AP to make this type of attack, and Large/ Huge weapons require 5 AP to make this type of attack. A successful attack does the Base Damage of the weapon used and Scaled Damage both. Cut (5) AB: +1 DEF: +1 AP: BMA Effects: This Combat Move may only be used with edged weapons, and if a successful attack is made, it only does the weapon’s Base Damage. It does not do any Scaled Damage. This Combat Move also ignores a foe’s armor, so foe does not get to apply his AR against this attack. However, foes with a natural AR would still get to apply that against this attack.

Dive for Cover (0) AB: +0 DEF: +3 AP: 3 Effects: The character dives away from the incoming attack in an attempt to escape it.The player makes either a Save vs. Spd or an Acrobatics skill roll, whichever has the higher bonus. The TN of this roll is 15. For every 3 points above the TN that the roll is, the character receives a +1 to his DEF and moves 5’ in a direction away from the direction that the attack is coming from. The character ends up prone (DEF 12 + magical bonuses) on the ground and must spend 2 AP getting up. If the roll fails, the character still receives the basic modifier to DEF. The character may cancel his current action to perform this Move. Feint (4) AB: +4 DEF: +1 AP: BMA Effects: The character tries to misdirect the attention of his foe before making his real attack. The foe must make a Save vs. Int. If the foe fails, the character receives the AB and DEF modifiers listed. If the foe succeeds, then the character does not receive the modifiers and this is treated as a Basic Melee Attack. Haft Jab (4) AB: +2 DEF: +1 AP: BMA Effects: The makes a quick jab at his foe using the handle or haft of his weapon. This Move is good for use in close quarters. The attack does no Base Damage, but it does do Scaled Damage. If the attack is successful, the foe also receives a -2 to all action for the remainder of the round in which he is attacked and the following round. Killing Strike (4) AB: -4 DEF: +0 AP: BMA+2 Effects: This Move may only be learned if the character already knows the Move, Power Strike. The character takes extra time and care in making his attack and in exchange for modifier to his AB, he receives 2 extra Boon Points upon making a successful attack. Moving Strike (5) AB: +2 DEF: -2 AP: 5 Effects: The character can perform significant movement and attack in the same round. The character must move for a good portion of the round. He must spend at least 3 of the 5 APs moving, but if needed he could spend all 5 of the AP on movement. If the attack is successful, it does an additional +5 hits of Scaled Damage for each AP spent moving in addition to the normal damage dealt by the attack.

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Player’s/GM’s Section Parry (5) AB: +2 DEF: +2 AP: BMA Effects: This move is similar to the Basic Block, but when performing it, the character receives a bonus to both his AB and DEF. The player must make a roll using his AB, plus the AB modifier given for this Move, against a TN of 10 + the foe’s AB. Even if unsuccessful, the character still receives the bonus to his DEF for the remainder of the round. The character may cancel his declared actions for the round to perform this Move. Power Strike (6) AB: -3 DEF: +0 AP: BMA+1 Effects: The character spends a little extra time to put a little extra oomph! into his attack. If successful, this attack does 5 extra points of Base Damage. Probe (3) AB: +2 DEF: +3 AP: BMA Effects: This Move is solely meant to allow the character to better gauge the abilities and defenses of his foe by testing his defenses in a way that allows the character to determine whether or not the foe is less or more skilled than himself. As such, this attack does no Scaled Damage, only Base Damage. Resist (5) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Effects: The character gains a +5 to any Saving Throws against Shoves or other similar Moves. The character may cancel his declared action to perform this one. Riposte (5) AB: +2 DEF: +0 AP: 2 Effects: This Move may only be used if the character first performs a successful Block in the same round. In order to do this, the character must actually declare both his Block and Riposte before the round. If the Block is successful, the character may then make this rapid attack, which also does 2 extra points of Base Damage. If the character fails the Block, then this move is also cancelled automatically. Shield Bash (3) AB: +2 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Effects: When using a shield to make an attack, the character will lose the shield’s modifier to his DEF and the shield will do an amount of Base Damage equal to that DEF modifier plus the character’s Str bonus (i.e. if the character has Str bonus of +2 and shield has DEF mod of 3, then Base Damage for Shield Bash would be 5 points). The talent, Shield Training, applies equally to both the DEF modifier and the Base Damage of this Move. Shield Parry (5) AB: +2 DEF: +2 AP: 3 Effects: The character uses his shield, rather than his weapon to perform a block against a specific attack. In doing so, he will lose the shield’s modifier to his DEF against all other attacks that he receives during the round, but he will apply the shield’s modifier to his AB in rolling to see if he can block the incoming attack (TN 10 + foe’s AB).

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Shield Ram (5) AB: +2 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Effects: This is similar to a normal Shield Bash, except that the character is attempting to knock down his foe. The character makes an attack using his shield, and if the attack is successful (i.e. does damage), the foe must also make a Save vs. Spd (TN 15 + Shield’s DEF rating) or be knocked prone. To learn this Move, the character must already have the Shield Bash. Shove (4) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Effects: This Move requires that the character be using a Medium or larger weapon or a shield. He performs this Move by pushing his weapon or shield up against the foe’s weapon, trapping it, and then giving a strong push. The player makes a normal attack, but does no damage. If the attack is successful, the foe must make a Save vs. Strength (TN 18 + attacker’s Str Bonus) or be pushed back 1’-10’. Slash (3) AB: -2 DEF: +1 AP: BMA Effects: This is a common type of attack that does 2 extra points of Base Damage. The attack may only be used with edged weapons. Snap Attack (0) AB: -4 DEF: +0 AP: BMA-1 Effects: The character is able to make an attack faster than is normally allowed. Damage is figured normally. Stab (3) AB: +2 DEF: -1 AP: BMA Effects: The character stabs his foe and does bleeding damage instead of normal damage. Every full 5 points of damage dealt is converted into 1 point of bleeding each round (i.e. an attack that deals a total of 12 hits would instead do 2 points of bleeding and 2 hits of damage). AR is applied after bleeding is figured, and 5 AR will negate 1 hit of bleeding. Thrust (4) AB: +2 DEF: +3 AP: BMA-1 Effects: The character quickly jabs the point of the blade at his foe. This attack does no Scaled Damage, only Base Damage. This attack may only be used with bladed weapons. Trip (4) AB: +2 DEF: +1 AP: BMA+1 Effects: The character attacks the foe’s legs. The attack does normal damage and the foe must make a Save vs. Spd (TN 15 + character’s Str Bonus) or fall to the ground prone (DEF 12 + magical bonuses). This Move is designed to work on foes who are roughly the same size as the character. It will not work on foes who are more than 1.5 times the size of the character or less tha half the size of the character using this Move.

Player’s/GM’s Section Ranged Combat Moves The following Combat Moves are designed specifically for ranged attacks. There will be some that will work on some types of ranged weapons, but not others. Ranged Combat Moves may not be combined, nor can multiple Combat Moves be used on the same ranged attack in a single round. Basic Shot (0) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 2 Rng: +0’ Effects: This is your standard ranged attack. The AB receives a -4 modifier for each full Range Increment that the target is from the attacker. Brace (4) AB: +5 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Rng: +0’ Effects: The character steadies his aim in order to make a long shot. In doing so, he gains a +5 to his AB, but only to offset range penalties. If the character’s range penalties are less than the +5, then they are totally negated and any extra bonus left over is ignored. Defensive Shot (3) AB: -2 DEF: +4 AP: 2 Rng: +0’ Effects: The character is able to make his ranged attack in such a way that he is able to better protect himself from attacks. Double Shot (4) AB: +2 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Rng: +0’ Effects: This Move is only usable by bows. The character is able to fire 2 arrows at the same time (loading them onto the bow takes 4 AP instead of the normal 3 AP for 1 arrow). The targets must be within 5’ of each other for every 20’ of distance they are from the character (i.e. at a range of 60’, the targets may be up to 15’ apart from one another) and they must be on the same side of the character firing the bow. Far Shot (4) AB: -2 DEF: -2 AP: 2 Rng: +20’ Effects: By taking a modifier to both his AB and his DEF, the character is able to extend his normal Range Increment by 20’.

Moving Shot (5) AB: varies DEF: +0 AP: 5 Rng: +0’ Effects: This move includes both the loading (3 AP) and the firing (2 AP) of the bow or sling or the drawing of another thrown weapon (this Move may not be used with crossbows). The character may move at a run or higher rate while loading/drawing and firing his weapon. The character may move up to 5 AP during the round and for each AP that he spends moving, he receives a -2 modifier to his AB. The AP spent moving are part of the total 5 AP required by this Move. Ranged Disarm (4) AB: -4 DEF: +0 AP: 2 Rng: +0’ Effects: The character attempts to shoot a weapon or other object out of the foe’s hand. This attack causes damage as normal, but the foe must also make a Save vs. Str (TN 20) or drop the object. Any range penalties for the shot are also applied as penalties to the TN of the Save. The character receives an additional -2 modifier to hi AB if foe is wielding a Small weapon, and an additional -4 if foe is wielding a Tiny weapon. Ranged Trip (4) AB: -2 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Rng: +0’ Effects: The character attempts to hit the character with his ranged weapon in such a way as to make him trip and fall to the ground. If the attack is successful, it does damage as normal and the character must also make a Save vs. Spd (TN 20) or fall to the ground prone (DEF = 12 + magical bonuses while prone). Set (3) AB: +2 DEF: +0 AP: 4 Rng: +10’ Effects: The character takes a little extra time to ensure his aim and extends his Range Increment by 10’ Well Aimed Shot (5) AB: varies DEF: +1 AP: varies Rng: +10’ Effects: The character gains a base of +2 to his AB. And then, for every extra AP spent taking the shot, beyond the normal 2 AP required, the character gains a +1 to his AB. He also extends his Range Increment by 10’.

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Player’s/GM’s Section Unarmed Combat Moves The following Combat Moves are all designed for unarmed combat. Not all Weapon Katas will be able to be used with all of the following Moves. Many of the Combat Moves listed below have their own individual Damage Ratings. The Damage Rating of these Moves is 1 point less than listed for Halfings. Basic Block (0) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Effects: A character may cancel his current action to perform this Combat Move. To perform a Basic Block, the player makes a roll using his Attack Bonus against a TN of 10 + foe’s Attack Bonus. Only the portion of the Attack Bonus that has not been shifted to DEF is used, both for the character’s roll and for the setting of the TN. Basic Disarm (0) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Effects: The player makes a normal attack roll. If it is successful, the foe must make a Save vs. Str or his weapon will go flying 1’-10’ in a random direction. The TN of the Save is 15 + 1 for every 5 points that the character’s attack roll was above the foe’s DEF. Basic Dodge (0) AB: +0 DEF: +3 AP: 3 Effects: The character sidesteps or attempts to move out of the way of the incoming attack. The character may cancel a declared action to perform this Move. Basic Grapple (0) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 4 Effects: This is a grappling Move where the character grabs and holds the foe. The foe gets a Save vs. Str (TN 15 + character’s Str Bonus) to break free of the grapple. Other Moves, such as Escape or Reversal may also be used to break free. This attack deals no damage normally. Basic Kick (0) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 4 Effects: This is a simple Martial Arts kick. It has a Damage Rating of 4. Basic Punch (0) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Effects: This is a simple Martial Arts punch. It has a Damage Rating (DR) of 2. Basic Throw (0) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 4 Effects: This is a simple Martial Arts Throw. It does no damage on its own, but if successful, the foe has to make a Save vs. Spd (TN 15 + character’s Str Bonus) or be knocked prone (DEF = 12 + magical bonuses while prone). Body Shift (4) AB: +0 DEF: +5 AP: 3 Effects: The character is adept at stepping out of the way of incoming attacks at the last moment. The character may cancel his declared action to perform this Move.

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Choke Hold (4) AB: -2 DEF: -1 AP: 3 Effects: The character grabs the foe around the neck and applies pressure. The foe must make a Save vs. Con (TN 15 + character’s Str Bonus) or receive a -2 penalty to all actions (except Saves). Each round that the character is able to maintain the Choke Hold, the foe must make another Save vs. Con or receive an additional -2 modifier. The round after the foe has a total -10 modifier, if he fails that Save, he will go unconscious for 1-10 minutes. The negative modifiers disappear at a rate of 2 points per round once the hold has been released. Cross (5) AB: +2 DEF: +1 AP: 2 Effects: This is a type of punch that is made when the foe makes an attack using his off-hand. It has a DR of 4. It is called a Cross because the attack crosses over the incoming attack. A Cross may only be used if the character’s foe is making an attack using their off-hand. Dancing Dodge (5) AB: +0 DEF: +5 AP: 4 Effects: The character makes an Acrobatics skill roll (TN 15) and he gains a +1 to his DEF for every 3 points over the TN that his roll is. The character also moves 5’ in the direction of his choice for every +1 to DEF from the Acrobatics skill roll. If the character fails the skill roll, he still receives the basic modifier to his DEF. The character may cancel his current action to perform this Move. Disarming Strike (5) AB: -2 DEF: -1 AP: 3 Effects: The character delivers an attack that has a DR of 4 and that does no Scaled Damage. If the attack is successful, the foe must make a Save vs. Str (TN 18 + character’s Str Bonus) or any object in his hand, such as a weapon, will be sent flying 1’-10’ in a random direction. Escape (4) AB: +0 DEF: -1 AP: 3 Effects: The character gains a +5 to his Save vs. Str when attempting to get out of any type of grapple or hold. The Move is not any sort of attack, but it does take the place of an attack in the round in which it is used. Flying Kick (5) AB: -2 DEF: +0 AP: 5 Effects: This Move requires a minimum of 15’ to perform. The character must run a minimum of 10’ and then he jumps into the air for the last 5’ of distance to perform the actual kick. This attack has a DR of 6 and it does an extra 10 points of Scaled Damage. The character may spend 3 of the 5 AP required by this attack in moving (running). Hand Strike/Punch (4) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Effects: The character’s attack as a DR of 4. In some Combat Styles, this is simply referred to as a Punch.

Player’s/GM’s Section Haymaker (4) AB: -4 DEF: +0 AP: 4 Effects: The character takes a little extra time and puts a little extra oomph! into his attack. This attack has a DR of 4 and it also does an extra 10 points of Scaled Damage. Hold (5) AB: -1 DEF: -1 AP: 3 Effects: The character makes a grappling attack against the foe. If it is successful, the foe must make a Save vs. Str (TN 22 + character’s Str Bonus) in order to escape. The actual attack does no damage. Hook (3) AB: -2 DEF: +1 AP: 4 Effects: This is special type of punch, one that gives a little more power to the punch due to the manner in which it is made. It has a DR of 5. Iron Fist (6) AB: -4 DEF: -2 AP: 5 Effects: This attack has a DR of 4. If the attack is successful, the character gains 2 extra Boon Points, in addition to any earned by the attack. Iron Palm (5) AB: -2 DEF: +0 AP: 5 Effects: The character takes a moment to prepare and then strikes foe with his open hand as if he were pushing him. This attack has a DR of 4. If it is successful, the foe must make a Save vs. Spd (TN 18 + character’s Str Bonus) or be knocked prone (DEF = 12 + magical bonuses while prone). Jab (4) AB: +1 DEF: +0 AP: 2 Effects: This is a short, quick punch to the foe. It has a Damage Rating (DR) of 3. Knockout (6) AB: -5 DEF: +0 AP: 5 Effects: This attack has a DR of 2. If the attack is successful, the foe must make a Save vs. Con (TN 20 + character’s Str Bonus) or be knocked unconscious for 1-10 rounds. Legsweep (4) AB: +1 DEF: +1 AP: 5 Effects: This attack has a DR of 4 and it does no Scaled Damage. If the attack is successful, the foe must make a Save vs. Spd (TN 18 + character’s Str Bonus) or be knocked prone (DEF 12 + magical bonuses). Martial Block (4) AB: +2 DEF: +2 AP: 3 Effects: A character may cancel his current action to perform this Combat Move. To perform a Martial Block, the player makes a roll using his Attack Bonus against a TN of 10 + foe’s Attack Bonus. Only the portion of the Attack Bonus that has not been shifted to DEF is used, both for the character’s roll and for the setting of the TN.

Resist (5) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Effects: The character gains a +5 to any Saving Throws against Shoves or other similar Moves. The character may cancel his declared action to perform this one. Reversal (5) AB: -1 DEF: -2 AP: 3 Effects: The character gains +5 to his Save vs. Str to escape any type of grapple or hold and if he breaks free, he is able to make his own Basic Grapple attack against the foe. If the character’s grapple against his foe is successful, the foe must make a Save vs. Str (TN 15 + character’s Str Bonus) or be put into a basic hold that pins both of his arms. Shove (4) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Effects: The character performs this Move by either pushing his foe with both hands, or by kicking his foe with the intention of pushing him back. The player makes a normal attack, but it does no damage. If the attack is successful, the foe must make a Save vs. Strength (TN 18 + attacker’s Str Bonus) or be pushed back 1’-10’. Side Kick (4) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 4 Effects: This attack has a DR of 6. Slam (5) AB: -4 DEF: -2 AP: 5 Effects: The character basically grabs and throws his foe violently into a hard surface. This attack does no Base Damage, but it does an extra 10 points of Scaled Damage. If the attack is successful (i.e. does damage), the foe must make a Save vs. Spd (TN 20 + character’s Str Bonus) or end up prone (DEF = 12 + magical bonuses while prone). Snap Kick (5) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Effects: This attack has a DR of 6. Stunning Kick (6) AB: -5 DEF: -3 AP: 5 Effects: This attack has a DR of 6. If successful, the foe must make a Save vs. Con (TN 20 + character’s Str Bonus) or be stunned for 1 round + 1 additional round for every 3 points that the Save is failed by. Stunning Strike (5) AB: -5 DEF: -3 AP: 5 Effects: This attack has a DR of 4. If successful, the foe must make a Save vs. Con (TN 20 + character’s Str Bonus) or be stunned for 1 round + 1 additional round for every 3 points that the Save is failed by. Takedown (6) AB: +0 DEF: +0 AP: 3 Effects: This attack has a DR of 4. If it is successful, both the character and the foe end up prone (DEF = 12 + magical bonuses while prone; no Save). If this attack is successful, the foe must also make a Save vs. Con (TN 18 + character’s Str Bonus) or be Stunned for 1 round plus 1 round for every 3 points that the Save was failed by.

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Player’s/GM’s Section

Combat Styles Combat Styles are Combat Skills that pertain directly to specific weapons or weapon combinations, and which exploit the weapon to its fullest in combat. Combat Styles give discounts to the cost of Combat Moves. If the Combat Style requires that the character have an equal or greater number of ranks in another Combat Skill, then this discount will be 2 points. If the Style does not require ranks in a prerequisite skill, then the discount will only be 1 point. Every Combat Style will have a minimum of 5 Combat Moves that comprise the Style. Combat Styles have an upper limit of 15 Combat Moves. Most styles will have somewhere between these two extremes. How quickly a character may learn Combat Moves that are associated with a Style is based on the level of Combat Training that the character has. If the character has no Combat Training, then they may only purchase 1 Combat Move for every 5 ranks that they have in the Combat Style/Skill. If the character has Combat Training I, then he may purchase 1 Combat Move for every 3 ranks that he has in the Combat Style/Skill. If the character has Combat Training II, then he may purchase 1 Combat Move for every rank that he has in the Combat Style/Skill. As with the regular Combat Skills, when a character learns a Combat Style, he also automatically knows all of the appropriate Basic Combat Moves (those with a zero cost). These zero cost Moves are not listed in the individual Styles since they are not counted against how many Combat Moves a character may know.

Archery The character is required to have an equal or greater number of ranks in the Bows skill as he has in this Style. For this Style, the character has to choose a specific Bow (Compound, Long, or Short), and the benefits of this style will apply only when using this Style. This style contains the following Combat Moves: Combat Move Cost Brace 2 Defensive Shot 1 Double Shot 2 Far Shot 2 Moving Shot 3 Ranged Disarm 2 Set 1 Well Aimed Shot 3

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Boxing This is the ancient art of fisticuffs. Many practitioners often wear cesti (using Weapon Kata). This is often a brutal and savage sport where the contestants do not wear armor of any kind. Combat Moves Cost Body Shift 3 Cross 4 Hand Strike/Punch 3 Haymaker 3 Hook 2 Jab 3 Knockout 5 Martial Block 3 Weapon Kata: Cestus 2

Sanju In the ancient lands of Kithtaka, there was once a warlord who banned his subjects from owning or wielding weapons. Only his soldiers were allowed weapons and they often brutalized the warlord’s subject for sport. In response to this, a group of priests created what eventually became the martial art known as Sanju. While it was originally designed to be used without weapons, over time, it has expanded to include several different weapon katas. There are now dozens of different versions of Sanju, each being its own style. To learn the Sanju style, the character must also have an equal or greater number of ranks in the Basic Martial Arts style. The following list of Combat Moves are those that are available to the most common style of Sanju. Combat Moves Cost Body Shift 2 Dancing Dodge 3 Disarming Strike 3 Flying Kick 3 Hand Strike/Punch 2 Legsweep 2 Martial Block 2 Resist 3 Shove 2 Side Kick 2 Snap Kick 3 Stunning Kick 4 Stunning Strike 3 Weapon Kata: Baton 1 Weapon Kata: Dagger 1 Weapon Kata: Quarterstaff 4 Weapon Kata: Sai 1

Player’s/GM’s Section Sword & Board This is a basic Combat Style based on using a specific type of sword and a shield together to the best advantage. Once the type of sword is chosen, it cannot be changed. The character is required to have an equal or greater number of ranks in the Combat Skill for his chosen sword. This Combat Style utilizes the following Combat Moves: Combat Moves Cost All Out Attack 4 Cut 3 Feint 2 Parry 3 Probe 1 Riposte 3 Shield Bash 1 Shield Parry 3 Shield Ram 3 Slash 1 Stab 1

Two Weapon Combo This is the skill of using 2 weapons together in order to make multiple attacks against a foe. This could be 2 Tiny weapons, 2 Small weapons, a Tiny and a Small weapon, or a Tiny and a Medium weapon. The primary (i.e. larger) weapon of the Combo must be from a weapon group that the character has as a Combat Skill. The character cannot have more skill ranks in the Two Weapon Combo skill than he has in the Combat Skill for the weapon group that his primary weapon is from. Both weapons use the character’s total skill bonus for this Style as the attack bonus for both attacks. However, the secondary weapon’s attack bonus receives a -3 modifier for being the secondary weapon (this is not the same as the off-hand penalty). If the character is using 2 weapons of the same type, such as 2 daggers, then the secondary weapon is simply considered to be the weapon that is used to make the second attack.

The character can elect to not attack with the secondary weapon and instead use his skill ranks (no stat or other bonuses) in his Melee Combat skill (with a -3 modifier) as a bonus to his DEF while still attacking with the primary weapon. The character may also use different Combat Moves with each attack. The attack bonus from the Moves apply only to the attack it is being made with. Only the largest of the two DEF modifiers is applied to the character. This Combat Style has the following Combat Moves: Combat Moves Cost All Out Attack 4 Cut 3 Feint 2 Killing Strike 2 Moving Strike 3 Parry 3 Power Strike 4 Probe 1 Riposte 3 Shove 2 Slash 1 Stab 1 Thrust 2 Trip 3

Wrestling/Grappling This is a type of unarmed combat that specializes in knocking down and restraining foes. The main type of attack for this Combat Style is called the Hold. There are many different types of Holds, but rather than define each one, it is simpler to say that an attack that results in a successful Hold completely immobilizes the target. There are a few other types of Combat Moves used in Wrestling as well. They are as follows: Combat Moves Cost Body Shift 3 Choke Hold 3 Escape 3 Hold 4 Resist 4 Reversal 4 Shove 3 Slam 4 Takedown 5

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Player’s/GM’s Section

Magic

In Novus, magic is both simple and complex at the same time. It is simple because here, in the core rules, we provide you with a set of Codified, or pre-defined spells that your spell caster can learn and use in a very easy manner. Magic is complex because these Codified spells were created using a more flexible set of underlying rules. These rules, known as Spell Bases, allow for both the creation, learning and casting of Codified spells, as well as using the Spell Bases in what is known as Improv casting in order to cast spells on the fly. The rules for using Spell Bases are found in Libram Novus #1.

How Magic Works When creating a character, the player selects a Character Class for his character. Some of those Character Classes are spell users. Each spell user is associated with a specific School of Magic, and he will have a single Spellcasting skill for that particular School. This Spellcasting skill is used in casting all spells from that School. If the character gains access to a second School of Magic, he would have a separate Spellcasting skill for that second school. Each specific Spellcasting skill would be used only for spells from that specific School. Having access to a School of Magic and a Spellcasting skill does not mean that the character automatically knows any spells from that School. The player must spend Character Points to purchase each spell that his character learns. The cost of the spell may be adjusted according to the character’s magical talent with his School of Magic. Refer to Types of Casters below for more information.

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Schools

of Magic There are many possible Schools of Magic. In this product we cover the six most common Schools found in many settings. We also provide you with a small list of Universal Spells. Universal Spells are known as such because they are the most common spells and are often learned by casters from many different schools. Universal Spells are also the only spells that a character who is not an Adept may ever attempt to learn. The Schools are as follows: Note: Some of the following School descriptions mention other planes. A slightly fuller explanation of how the planes relate to one another can be found in Lirbam Novus #2.

Black Magic Black magic is the study of the darker side of magic. It is often associated with hexes, curses, and evil in general. Many people believe that Black Magic is all about blood-letting and sacrifice, but that is not true. It is about focusing the darker aspects of the universe and making them bend to the caster’s will. Mana Source: Those who practice Black Magic draw their mana from the energy of the Infernal Planes (see p. 96, p. 99, and p. 110). Casting Style: Black Magic spells are often cast with the aid of a focus item, such as a dagger or a wand that is specially consecrated to the darker powers of the universe. If the caster is unable to cast his spells with his focus item, then he receives a -4 modifier to all of his Spellcasting rolls.

Player’s/GM’s Section Divine Magic Divine Magic isn’t so much a study of a specific field of magic as it is the collected disciplines and doctrines of Priests and Clerics that allows them to shape their mana into a number of similar results. Each Priest or Cleric is dedicated to the ideals and values of one or more gods, and the focus of the deity’s interests and powers will help, in the end, to shape how spells are cast and even what spells are actually available to be learned by their followers. Mana Source: Clerics and Priests use the Holy Symbol of their deity as a focus for drawing mana from the Celestial Planes and in shaping it for the spells that they cast. Casting Style: Holy Symbols come in many shapes, sizes and forms, but quite often the religious order to which the Cleric belongs will dictate the shape and physical composition (i.e. what it is made of) of the Holy Symbol. Practitioners of Divine Magic are required to either clasp their Holy Symbol, if it is worn as a brooch or amulet, or to hold it forth in front of them when they are casting spells. If the caster does not have his Holy Symbol, then he receives a -6 modifier to all Spellcasting rolls. If the caster is able to create a Holy Symbol out of lesser materials (such as weaving a Holy Symbol out of straw when it is supposed to be made from silver), then he only receives a -3 modifier to all spells cast with that improper Holy Symbol. High Magic High Magic is what most people think of when they think of magic. It encompasses all of the most iconic forms of magic, such as conjuration, illusions, etc. Practitioners of High Magic use words, gesture, and physical components to draw and focus and shape the mana into spells. Mana Source: It is theorized that the astral planes are filled with raw mana and that the way that the planes interact, that mana bleeds over into the mortal realms. Some scholars still debate whether casters of this School are pulling mana directly from the astral or if they are tapping into the mana that bleeds over into the mortal world. Casting Style: Casters of this School of Magic always carry with them a pouch of material components. The components within this pouch often seem to be chosen for their color and the caster’s affinity for that color. One caster may prefer items that are green and so collect leaves and moss and green-hued stones and bits of cloth, while another might prefer shades of red or yellow. More rarely, there are casters who have an affinity for two or even three colors. If the caster is unable to draw upon his material components when casting a spell, he suffers a -4 modifier to all of his Spellcasting rolls until he can collect new items to use as material components.

Mysticism Mysticism is the study of the inner self. The caster focuses on utilizing his own inner strength and spirit, focusing it through his mind and through a crystal focus. Many who are not of this School often think that the caster creates spell effects through the manipulation of his chi energy. While the processes are similar, they are not the same and they are often mistaken for one another. Mana Source: The caster taps into ambient mana in his own body and from nearby, and focuses it through his crystal to cast spells. Casting Style: As mentioned, each practitioner of Mysticism has a special crystal to which he is attuned that serves as a focus for his casting. This crystal is often worn as the setting in a piece of jewelry and it will glow softly when a spell is being cast through it. Should the caster be without his focus crystal, he will have a -4 modifier to all Spellcasting rolls until he can reacquire it or attune to (Magecraft skill roll, TN 15) a new crystal. A caster of this School may only have one attuned crystal at a time, and if he attunes to a new crystal, the old will crumble to dust. Natural Magic Natural Magic encompasses the study of magic concerning plants, animals and the four basic elements; fire, earth, air and water. Natural Magic is all about living in harmony with these natural forces, and protecting nature from those who seek to destroy it for greedy purposes. Mana Source: Those who practice Natural Magic believe that there is mana in all things, that it is the force of creation in the universe. Casting Style: Practitioners of Natural Magic cast spells using material components. These components are natural objects that have an esoteric relationship to the effects of the spells that they cast. A practitioner of Natural Magic will always be gathering bits and pieces to add to his pouch of components. If attempting to cast spells without his pouch of components, the caster will receive a -4 modifier to all Spellcasting rolls until he can spend at least an hour collecting new components in the wild. Wizardry Words have power and Wizardry is the study of magical languages and their usage. Wizardry also focuses on spells of command and on spells cast using little more than those words and a wand or staff to focus their magical energy. Mana Source: Practitioners of Wizardry tap into the mana of the astral, pulling on it as needed to cast their spells. Casting Style: Those who study Wizardry cast spells using the power of the spoken word and the focus of a wand, rod, or staff. This focus device is what allows them to direct their spells properly. If attempting to cast a spell without his proper focus device, the caster receives a -4 modifier to all Spellcasting rolls.

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Player’s/GM’s Section Types

of Casters There are three main types of spell casters in Novus. They are the Major Adept, the Minor Adept, and Non-Adepts. Here is a fuller description of each: Major Adept (Mj): This is the most powerful type of spell caster. Major Adepts have the lowest cost on all Codified spells, using the “Mj” CP costs instead of the normal “N” CP costs paid by those who are not Adepts. This effectively works out as a 2 CP discount on the cost of learning spells (i.e. if a Codified spell is listed as costing 5 CP for a Non-Adept, the Major Adept only pays 3 CP for it). Major Adepts start off with 15 Spell Points and gain 1 Spell Point for each rank they have in their best Spellcasting skill. Major Adepts may learn and cast Universal Spells and spells from their School of Magic. Minor Adept (Mn): This type of spell caster is a bit more versatile than a major Adept. He often ends up learning, and casting spells from two different Schools of Magic. When purchasing Codified spells, the Minor Adept uses the “Mn” CP costs instead of the normal “N” CP costs paid by those who are not Adepts. This effectively works out to be a 1 CP discount on the cost of learning spells (i.e. if a Codified spell is listed as costing 5 CP for a Non-Adept, the Minor Adept only pays 4 CP for it). Minor Adepts start off with 10 Spell Points and gain 1 additional Spell Point for each rank they have in their best Spellcasting skill. Minor Adepts may learn and cast Universal Spells and spells from their School(s) of Magic. Non-Adept (N): This classification refers to all characters that are not already Adepts of one sort or the other. NonAdepts may purchase and learn how to cast Universal spells; however they have to pay the full Character Point cost (the “N” CP cost) for the spell. They normally are not allowed to learn spells from a specific School, only Universal Spells. Non-Adepts start off with zero Spell Points and gain 1 Spell Point for each rank that they have in their best Spellcasting skill.

Learning Spells To actually learn a spell, the player must purchase it, much like he would a Talent or Combat Move by paying a one time Character Point cost. The Character Point cost of the spell is listed in parenthesis next to the spell’s name. It is possible for an Adept to learn a spell that is not from their School(s) of Magic and/or not one of the Universal Spells. To do so, he must pay double the Non-Adept Character Point cost of the spell. If the Adept learns a spell from another School of Magic, he must also learn a new Spellcasting skill for the School that the spell comes from. This new Spellcasting skill is unlikely to be a Favored Skill for the character.

Casting Spells In order to cast a spell, the caster must expend a number of Spell Points (p. 19) as indicated in the description of the spell. The player must also succeed at a Spellcasting skill roll, using the Spellcasting skill for the School that the spell comes from. This roll must meet or beat the Casting Target Number (CTN) indicated in the spell’s description. Universal spells are always considered to belong to the caster’s main School of Magic. Wearing armor does not affect the TN of casting a spell, but it does require that the caster expend more Spell Points or else the spell will automatically fail. Armor has an attribute known as Impedance (p. 35) and this is equal to how many extra Spell Points the caster must expend in casting a spell. Should the caster be injured while attempting to cast a spell, he must make a Save vs. Will in order to continue concentrating on casting the spell. The TN for this Will Save is 15+ 1 for every 2 points of damage received, rounded up. If a spell requires that the target make a Save, the base TN for this Save is 14 plus the number of Spell Points required for casting the spell. Each spell will list what stat the Save is against. This may also be adjusted through Casting Boon Points. Recovering Spell Points Once a caster has used his Spell Points in casting a spell, it takes time for him to recover them and be able to use them again. How quickly he recovers them is based on how active he is. • If the caster is active, moving about and doing things, he will recover 1 Spell Point every 30 minutes. • If the caster is resting, laying still and not exerting any energy, he will recover 1 Spell Point every 10 minutes. • If the caster is sleeping or meditating, he will recover 1 Spell Point every 5 minutes. Essential Salts In addition to the mana that casters normally draw upon in order to cast their spells, there is also something known as Essential Salts. Essential Salts are also sometimes known as Rare Earths. Essential Salts are an elemental substance containing trace amounts of all elements. In appearance, Essential Salts resemble fine grains of sand, and they can be found in small amounts in any terrain. Essential Salts are, quite likely, the most important alchemical ingredient there is. They are the most common catalyst used in alchemy, allowing alchemists to unlock and activate the innate powers and abilities of other ingredients in their experiments. They may also be used in place of normal mana. Both of these capabilities require the use of the alchemist’s willpower. To use Essential Salts in place of mana (i.e. as Spell Points), the character must make a Save vs. Will (TN 15). It takes 1 dram of Essential Salts to equal 1 Spell Point. Failure means that the Salts are consumed and the caster must use his own Spell Points.

Meditation

The character makes a Will Save (TN 15) to enter a meditative trance. While in a trance, 2 hours of meditation is treated as 3 hours of sleep. The character receives all benefits, such as healing, from the indicated amount of sleep.

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Increasing the TN of the Save by 5 raises the number of hours of sleep that are covered by meditation by 1. The actual TN is set after the roll is made (no Snag/Boon Points for this roll). Treat as sleeping for coming out of trance.

Player’s/GM’s Section In order to acquire some Essential Salts, a character must spend an hour sifting through soil and dirt. At the end of the hour, the player will make a Magecraft: Alchemy roll (TN 15). If successful, the character will have found 2 drams of Essential Salts (8 drams equals 1 ounce). For every 5 points that the player’s roll is over the TN, the character will find an additional 2 drams, up to a maximum of 10 drams in total. Boon Points may be used to increase the number of drams found on a 1 for 1 basis, and may even allow for more than 10 drams to be found in a search. Searching for Essential Salts is such a grueling and demanding process that it may only be done up to 3 times a day. Essential Salts are so important to alchemy that characters will never find them for sale by anybody. Nor would a serious alchemist ever trust anybody trying to sell Essential Salts. Characters are limited in how many drams of Essential Salts they may have in their possession at any given time. The maximum number of drams that they are allowed is equal to double their Magic Stat Value. Thus a character with a Magic Stat Value of 18 may have no more than 36 drams of Essential Salts in his possession at any given time.

Disrupting the spell matrix of another caster is known as “Casting a Counterspell”. This is actually a 2 step process. In the first step, the caster of the Counterspell must first make a Magecraft roll (TN 18). If this is successful, he learns how many spell points are involved in the spell that he wishes to counter. This Magecraft roll takes no time at all and is considered to be part of the entire Counterspell process. If the character does not have enough Spell Points to equal those of the spell he wishes to counter, he can always Cancel this action (p. 43 - even if he cancelled another action to cast the Counterspell) and do something else. If he has enough Spell Points to match those used in his opponent’s spell, he may attempt to cast a Counterspell. This costs him a number of Spell Points equal to the spell he is attempting to counter. This has a Target Number of 18 plus the number of Spell Points used. If the caster succeeds in casting his Counterspell, the amount that his roll over the TN of the Counterspell is subtracted from his opponent’s casting roll. Example: Neroon the Mage is casting an Infernal Bolt. Regis the Wizard wishes to Counterspell whatever spell Neroon is casting. Regis makes a Magecraft roll (TN 18) and learns that Neroon’s spell is using 3 Spell Points (SP). Regis still has plenty of SP available to use, so he decides to continue with the Counterspell. Regis makes a roll using his Spellcasting skill. His TN for this is 21 (18 Base + 3 SP). Regis has a total roll of 27. This is 6 points higher than the TN 21, so Neroon receives a -6 modifier on his casting roll for the Infernal Bolt.

Casting Boons Just as combat and skill rolls can result in Boons, spell casting can also result in them. Casting Boons may only be applied to spells that are not Vs. DEF. Those spells that are Vs. DEF will use the Combat Boons table. Additionally, not every Boon Result will be able to be applied to every spell, due to the nature of the results and the nature of the spells. The GM is the one who decides in those cases, where it is not obvious, whether a specific Boon Result may be applied or not. For every 10 points that the player’s roll is over what is required to cast the spell, he earns 1 Casting Boon Point (CBP), which he may then use to apply one or more of the effects from the Casting Boons table (p. 123) to his spell. Spells Vs. DEF

Counterspells

In Novus, the casting of a spell can be described as the caster forming a spell matrix and then pumping mana (i.e. Spell Points) through it to empower it. This spell matrix is relatively sturdy, but it can be disrupted. However, the process of disrupting another caster’s spell matrix is never a sure thing. It could result in the other caster failing completely, or just making it so that he does not cast his spell quite so well.

When casting spells that are Vs. DEF, there is only 1 roll that is made. First, the player makes his casting roll, adding in his Spellcraft skill bonus and any other modifiers. This is then compared against the Casting Target Number (CTN) for the spell. If it is equal to or greater than the CTN, then the spell was cast correctly. The next step is to compare this SAME result against the target’s DEF. If it is equal to or higher than that, then the attack hits. The damage, including Scalable Damage, is then resolved just as with any other attack. It is quite possible to successfully cast the spell and still miss the target.

Spell Lists Each School of Magic has its own list of spells that are available to it. The table below shows the names of the spells available to each School.

Spell Descriptions The descriptions of the spells follow an identical format. Spell Name Bolt (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4) CTN: # SP Cost: # Vs: varies Range: # Duration: — Description: This is a description of the spell’s effects. Casting Options CTN SP Options… +? +? Spell Name & Costs: The spell description starts off by giving the spell’s common name. Different branches of a School of Magic and/or some spell users may give the spell a fancier name to make it sound more important. But for our purposes, we simply give you its most common name. Next to this, in parenthesis, we give you the Character Point cost for this spell. This is broken into 3 specific costs, Major (Mj), Minor (Mn), and Non-Adept (N). If an Adept is trying to learn a spell from a different School, they would use double the Non-Adept CP cost.

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Player’s/GM’s Section If the name and Base Cost of the spell is followed by an asterisk, this means that the spell may be Fast Cast. A Fast Cast spell is cast using only 1 Action Point rather than the normal 4 that is required to cast a spell. CTN: CTN stands for Casting Target Number, and this is what the caster must meet or beat with a Spellcasting roll for its School of Magic. Universal spells are always cast using the spell user’s best Spellcasting skill bonus. SP Cost: This is how many Spell Points that the caster needs to spend in order to cast the spell. Vs: This stands for Versus. Some spells receive Saving Throws, and if this is the case, the stat will be listed here along with the Target Number that the person that the spell is cast on has to save against. If this section says DEF, then the casting roll, once you have determined if the spell is successfully cast or not, is used to resolve the attack in the same manner that a ranged attack is resolved. Only the one roll is made, not two separate rolls. Spells, unlike other ranged attacks, do not have range modifiers. Also, it is completely possible that the casting roll might be high enough to have allowed the attack to hit the target, but not high enough to successfully cast the spell. Range: This is how far the target of the spell may be from the caster. Unless otherwise stated, the cast must also be able to see the target and have a straight line of sight to that target. Duration: This is how long the spell lasts. Some spells only have a dash. This means that they are practically instantaneous, that they only last a few moments. However, any physical effects, such as damage caused by the spell, will remain once the duration of the spell has expired.

Description: This section will give you a description of the effects of the spell. Casting Options: This section, if present for a given spell, lists the various casting options that are available for that spell. Not every spell will contain casting options. Only Adepts may use casting options. Thus, if a Scout or a Fighter were to learn a spell that included casting options, they would not be allowed to use those casting options and would be restricted to using Boon Points. Each option will include an adjustment to both the CTN and the number of SP required by the spell. These modifiers are all added to the original CTN and Spell Point cost of the spell. If the spell requires that the target make a Saving Throw, then the TN of the Saving Throw is increased by 1 for every 2 Spell Points that the casting options require. Example: The spell, Flash, has a Save TN of 16 normally. If the caster decides to increase the spell so that it lasts for 2 rounds instead of one, the Spell Point cost of the spell is increased by 2; one for the “Use Casting Options” option and 1 for the “Increase Duration” option. This means that since 2 extra Spell Points are required by the altered spell, that the Save TN is increased from 16 to 17. If the caster also increased the effects of the spell to Stun the target, the Save TN would be increased to 18, since that adds another 2 Spell Points to the casting cost.

Universal Spells

Black Magic

Divine Magic

High Magic

Arcane Bolt Beam of Light Clean Count Detect Hidden Detect Magic Dispel Magic Flash Heal Bruise Ignite/Douse Jump Protection from Cold Protection from Heat Repair Safe Landing* Summon Familiar

Cause Fear Dark Omen Evoke Spirit Hex Infernal Bolt Minor Disguise Mists Protection from Good Shadowed Circle Skeletal Guardian Speak with the Dead Touch of the Grave

Bless Water/Oil Blessing Circle of Light Detect Undead Divine Bolt Faith Healing Fearless Omen Protection from Evil Purify Food & Drink Remove Curse Repel Undead

Alarum Animate Object Charm Person Conjure Missiles Haste Identify Mage Armor Minor Disguise Minor Illusion Shield* Sleep Tongues

Mysticism

Natural Magic

Wizardry

Awareness Calm Animal Alarum Distractions Camouflage Elemental Bolt Empathy Charm Animal Force Disk Enhanced Senses Detect Hazards Forget Far Sense Eldritch Fire Healing Word Inner Vision Entangle Hold Portal Long Steps Fog Identify Mystic Bolt Locate Infernal Constraint Object Reading Minor Healing Minor Evocation Scrying Speak with Animals Protection Sense Hidden Traceless Passing Question Suggestion Water Breathing Spellbind * = Spell may be Fast Cast (cast in 2 AP instead of the normal 4 AP required)

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Player’s/GM’s Section

Universal Spells Arcane Bolt (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4)

Detect Hidden (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

CTN: 16 SP Cost: 1 Vs: DEF Range: 50’ Duration: — Description: Caster shoots a bolt of magical energy from his palm at a target. This bolt, if it strikes, does a Base Damage of 4 hits. (Base: Attack) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Base Damage (per +1 hit) +4 +2 Increased Range (per each 50’) +4 +2

CTN: 20 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 1 Minute

Beam

of

Light (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4)

CTN: 16 SP Cost: 1 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster has a beam of light shoot out of the palm of his hand. The beam is 10’ in length and has a 6” radius at its far end. If the caster closes his hand into a fist, the light will go out until he re-opens his hand, as long as it is within the duration of the spell. (Base: Illusion) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Duration (to 20 minutes) +3 +1 Increased Duration (to 1 hour) +6 +2 Clean (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4) CTN: 18 SP Cost: 1 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: — Description: One non-magical object or person is cleaned of any dirt or corrosion. (Base: Transform) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Range (to 10’) +2 +1 Increased Range (to 20’) +4 +2 Increased Range (to 50’) +10 +4 Count (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 19 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: — Description: When cast, this spell counts the number of objects in a single pile. Boon Results for this spell can include giving separate counts for various different objects in the pile. (Base: Reveal) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Range (to 20’) +2 +1 Increased Range (to 50’) +8 +3

Description: The caster sees any hidden opening or secret doors as if they were outlined by a bright glow. This does not inform the caster of how such may be opened. The caster may inspect a 10’ square area each round, so long as that area is within a maximum sensing distance of 50’. (Base: Reveal) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Sensing Distance (per 10’) +2 +1 Increased Duration (to 5 minutes) +4 +2 Detect Magic (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 21 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 1 Minute Description: The caster sees all magical items and spells within a 5’ radius shine as if they were glowing. Spells will glow one color while items will glow a different color. The caster may inspect a different radius within a maximum sensing distance of 30’ each round. (Base: Reveal) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Sensing Distance (per 10’) +2 +1 Increased Duration (to 5 minutes) +4 +2 Dispel Magic (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4) CTN: 17 SP Cost: 1 Vs: SP(TN 15) Range: 50’ Duration: — Description: The caster is able to dispel any existing spell that required up to 3 Spell Points to cast. This is not a Counterspell, it only affects spells after they have taken effect. The targeted spell is allowed to make a Saving Throw against being canceled. It has a bonus to its roll equal to 5 + the number of Spell Points used to cast the spell. If the spell came from an item, the GM should determine what the equivalent number of Spell Points would be. (Base: Conjure) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Save TN (per +1 to Save) +2 +1 Increased Dispel Power (per +3 SP) +3 +1 Increased Range (per +10’) +4 +2

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Player’s/GM’s Section Flash (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

Protection

CTN: 20 SP Cost: 2 Vs: Con (TN 16) Range: 10’ Duration: 1 Round Description: Target sees a bright flash of light before his eyes. If he fails his Save, he is disoriented (at -4 to all actions) for 1 round. (Base: Flash) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Duration (to 2 rounds) +2 +1 Area Effect (5’ radius) +5 +2 Increased Radius (per +5’ radius) +3 +1

CTN: 23 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: 1 day Description: The target and his equipment are protected from natural extremes of cold (down to -50°) for the duration. This spell does not protect the character from magical attacks, natural attacks or the natural abilities of creatures that use cold. (Base: Ward) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Range (to 10’) +2 +1 Increased Duration (per +1 day) +5 +2

Heal Bruise (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4) CTN: 18 SP Cost: 1 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: — Description: Target is healed a number of hits equal to the caster’s Wisdom Stat Bonus + 5 (minimum of 1 hit). The casting option, Scaled Healing, allows the caster to heal an additional 1 hit for every point that the casting roll was above the CTN of the spell. (Base: Heal) Casting Options CTN SP Scaled Healing +4 +2 Increased Range (up to 20’) +2 +1 Ignite/Douse (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4) CTN: 18 SP Cost: 1 Vs: — Range: 20’ Duration: — Description: Caster is able to light or douse any one object capable of and designed for burning (a torch, a candle, a pile of wood laid in a hearth, etc). This spell may not be used to injure another person or to start fires other than for the objects indicated. (Base: Conjure) Casting Options CTN SP Ignite/Douse All Objects in Range +4 +2 Increased Range (per every 10’) +4 +2 Jump (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 21 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: 1 round Description: Target is able to jump up to 30’ horizontally or 15’ vertically. The type of jump is chosen at the time of casting. (Base: Movement) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Horizontal Jump (per +10’) +5 +2 Increased Vertical Jump (per +5’) +5 +2 Increased Range (to 20’) +3 +1

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Protection

from

from

Cold (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6)

Heat (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6)

CTN: 23 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: 1 day Description: The target and his equipment are protected from natural extremes of heat (up to 150°)for the duration. This spell does not protect the character from magical attacks, natural attacks or the natural abilities of creatures that use heat. (Base: Ward) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Range (to 10’) +2 +1 Increased Duration (per +1 day) +5 +2

Player’s/GM’s Section Repair (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

Summon Familiar (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4)

CTN: 20 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: — Description: One non-magical object has any small tears, cracks, nicks, or other very minor damage repaired. The object to be repaired must be in one piece for the most part. Medium Damage includes small amounts of missing material and complete breaks. Major Damage includes large amounts missing material or shattered items. Items that have been “destroyed” cannot be repaired. Repairing damage to a magical item does not take into account the amount of damage to be repaired, that has to be added in separately. However, when a magical item is repaired, all of its magical abilities will be restored as well. (Base: Transform) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Range (to 10’) +2 +1 Repair Medium Damage +7 +3 Repair Major Damage +12 +4 Repair Magical Item +10 +4

CTN: 17 SP Cost: 1 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: — Description: This spell may only be cast once per year, and then only if the caster does not already have a familiar. Familiar Spirits are usually neutral in their outlook and attitudes, often adopting those of the spell caster that this spell bonds them to. Once the spell is actually cast, the player must roll 2d10 on the Familiar Spirits table and the result is the type of familiar that responds to the summons. Boon Points earned in casting this spell may be used to adjust the roll on the Familiar Spirits table by up to +/-2 for each Boon spent on this purpose. The use of these Boon Points are the only way for a caster to gain one of the Special Familiars listed at the bottom of the table. Regardless of what responds to the summons, the familiar will serve the caster loyally for an indefinite period of time, or until dismissed by the caster. The caster may dismiss a familiar at any time, and it will return to where it came from. Unlike other summoning spells (Summoning Spells & Rituals, p. 82), the creatures summoned by this spell are already willing to serve as a Familiar for the caster. This spell has no casting options available. (Base: Summon)

Safe Landing (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)* CTN: 19 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: 1 round Description: The target of this spell, be it a person or object, will slowly fall to the ground and safely land without taking damage from any fall of up to 100’ in distance. This distance is removed from longer falls. This is a Fast Cast spell. (Base: Movement) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Safe Fall Distance (per +50’) +2 +1 Increased Range (to 20’) +3 +1 Increased Range (to 50’) +7 +3

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

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Familiar Spirits

Disembodied Spirit Ant, Giant Bat Bee, Giant Butterfly, Giant Cat (House Cat) Chameleon Fox Goat Hound Lizard Owl Raccoon Rat Raven Spider Squirrel Weasel Wolf Special Familiars Nature Spirit Demons Devils Wind Spirit Grimalkin Wood Spirit Gremlins Water Spirit Alastor Fire Spirit Mane Imp Earth Spirit

Player’s/GM’s Section

Black Magic Cause Fear (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6)

Evoke Spirit (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4)

CTN: 22 SP Cost: 3 Vs: Will (TN 16) Range: 20’ Duration: 1 minute Description: If the target fails his Save, he will flee from the caster at his best possible speed, for 1 minute. A character who is fleeing cannot and will not make any attacks or do anything else except try to flee. (Base: Telepathy) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Duration (to 5 minutes) +4 +2 Increased Duration (to 10 minutes) +7 +3 Area Effect (5’ radius) +4 +2 Increased Range (to 50’) +6 +2

CTN: 17 SP Cost: 1 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: — Description: Caster summons forth a spirit of the most minor sort. This type of spirit is so minor that it does not even receive a Save vs. Will against this spell (Summoning Spells &Rituals, p. 82). This spirit must then perform a single service for the caster. Boon Points for this spell may result in more spirits being summoned, not more services being performed by any spirits that are summoned. (Base: Summon) The service may be one of three things: • Identify any single rune, symbol, sigil, or spell. • Deliver a message of up to 12 words to any single person or creature. • Identify the last owner of an item currently in the caster’s possession Casting Options CTN SP Additional Service (per extra service) +3 +1

Dark Omen (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4) CTN: 16 SP Cost: 1 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: — Description: Allows the caster to predict if the actions of an individual or party will be beneficial to the individual/ party in question. This is accomplished by the caster asking a single question that can have only a yes or no answer. This does not tell whether or not the individual/ party will be successful or not, only if taking a particular action or choice will be beneficial for them. The spell presumes that asked about action(s) will be successful. The question is answered by the caster spotting something that serves as an omen within 1 minute of the spell being cast. A favorable omen might be the sighting of a vulture, or a stain that looks like a rat or something similar in nature, while an unfavorable omen might appear as a dove or something shaped like a butterfly. The caster will automatically recognize the omen for what it is. The option, Multiple Choices, allows the caster to determine the most beneficial of three or more potential options. The caster must concentrate on each option for 30 seconds (6 rounds), and during that time period, he will see a good omen for the most beneficial choice, seeing nothing with the other choices. (Base: Divination) Casting Options CTN SP Multiple Choices (up to 3 choices) +3 +1 Additional Choices (per each choice) +6 +2

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Hex (Mj 5/Mn 6/N 7) CTN: 27 SP Cost: 4 Vs: Will (TN 18) Range: 10’ Duration: 1 Day Description: Target receives a -1 to all actions for 1 day. (Base: Ward) Casting Options Increased Hex (per additional -1) Increased Duration (per +1 day) Increased Range (to 50’)

Saves and other CTN +2 +5 +5

SP +1 +2 +2

Player’s/GM’s Section Infernal Bolt (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4)

Minor Disguise (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6)

CTN: 18 SP Cost: 1 Vs: DEF Range: 50’ Duration: — Description: Caster shoots forth a bolt of energy from the infernal planes from the palm of his hand. It does a Base Damage of 4 + the caster’s Wisdom Stat Bonus. This attack automatically does double its Base damage against spirit creatures and creatures or beings from the upper planes, also known as the Celestial Planes. Against demons, devils, or undead, this attack will only do half its normal damage. If the casting option, Infernal Ball, is used, the attack may be used to hit a specific person or to hit a location. The attack looks like a normal bolt until it strikes its target, at which time it explodes outwards to the edges of its radius if that is possible. If it cannot reach the edge of its radius on one side, it does not backblast or rebound to make the area it does fill more dangerous. If used to hit a location, the caster will have to attack the location and beat a DEF of 15, total damage will be figured from there. All who are within the radius of the spell when it hits are automatically hit, but they may make a Saving Throw vs. Dex (TN 15), with success meaning that they take half damage from the attack. A character’s Armor Rating (AR) may then be applied against the remaining damage. In this sort of attack, a shield’s bonus to DEF is counted as additional AR. If the ball attack targets a specific person, the attack will be against the target’s DEF and he will not get a Save for half damage. All others within the radius of the attack will be treated as if the attack were against a specific location (this uses the same roll as against the targeted person, the total damage is simply figured separately). If the option, Infernal Cone, is used the attack will form a cone attack. The cone starts at the caster’s location and has a width of 5’ and it ends at the maximum range of the spell and has a width of 3’ for every 10’ in length. Thus a 50’ long cone has a width of 15’ at its distant end. Cone attacks are resolved in the same manner as area attacks against a location for all potential targets within the cone. (Base: Attack) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Base Damage (per +1 hit) +4 +2 Increased Range (per +50’) +4 +2 Infernal Ball (5’ radius) +5 +2 Increased Radius (per +5’ radius) +3 +1 Infernal Cone +10 +4

CTN: 22 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: 1 Hour Description: Target is cloaked in a minor illusion that makes them appear to be of any race of the caster’s choosing. The illusion allows the target’s size to appear up to 20% larger or smaller than normal. This spell affects nothing more than how the target looks, not how he smells, sounds, or feels. Any character that interacts with the disguised character will get a Save vs. Int (TN 15) to realize that the target is disguised by an illusion. Adding extra senses (such as touch, sound, or scent) to the disguise makes it harder to penetrate by increasing the TN of the Save by 2 points per added sense. Boon Points may be used to increase the TN of the Save vs. Int by 2 points. (Base: Illusion) Casting Options CTN SP Add Extra Sense (+2 to Save TN) +4 +2 Increased Duration (to 1 day) +3 +1 Mists (Mj 5/Mn 6/N 7) CTN: 25 SP Cost: 4 Vs: — Range: 50’ Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster is able to summon a dark, thick mist that fills a 10’ radius. Anything or anybody within the mist will be unable to see further than 1’. If they attempt to move faster than 1’ per round, they risk stumbling or falling over objects in the mist (roll 1d10, 1-5 results in fumble-like incident). Once created, the mist will hold its shape for one minute and then move according to normal wind conditions, completely disappearing at the end of its duration. (Base: Change Environment) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Radius (by 5’) +4 +2 Increased Duration (to 20 minutes) +3 +1 Increased Duration (to 1 hour) +5 +2 Increased Range (to 100’) +3 +1 Protection

from

Good (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6)

CTN: 23 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster is able to create a 5’ radius circle of protection around himself that will keep out any summoned or invoked creatures or beings from the Celestial planes if they fail a Save vs. Will. (Base: Ward) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Radius (per +5’) +3 +1 Increased Duration (to 20 minutes) +2 +1 Target other than Self (range: Touch) +5 +2

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Player’s/GM’s Section Shadowed Circle (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6)

Speak

CTN: 23 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: 50’ Duration: 10 minutes Description: Caster creates 5’ radius circle of magical darkness centered upon a point up to 50’ away. All vision within the circle and into the circle is completely blocked by the darkness. However, nothing impedes those caught within from leaving. If the spell is cast upon an object, the darkness will move when the object is moved. (Base: Change Environment) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Range (per +50’) +3 +1 Increased Radius (per +5’) +4 +2 Increased Duration (to 20 minutes) +3 +1 Increased Duration (to 1 hour) +5 +2 Increased Duration (to 1 day) +7 +3

CTN: 19 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: 1 Question Description: Caster is able to speak with any one dead sentient individual or being that he is touching, so long as it has not been dead for more than 24 hours (this is known as the Window, when communication is still possible). He may ask a single question and he will always receive a truthful answer. The target of this spell cannot provide information that it does not have. (Base: Communication) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Range (to 10’) +2 +1 Increased Range (to 20’) +4 +1 Per Additional Question +2 +1 Increased Window (per 24 hours) +2 +1

Skeletal Guardian (Mj 5/Mn 6/N 7)

Touch

CTN: 27 SP Cost: 4 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: — Description: This spell requires that the caster use 4 drams (half an ounce) of bone from the type of Skeleton that he is trying to summon (i.e. human bone for human skeletons, dog bone for dog skeletons, etc.). This spell also takes 2 full minutes to cast. Upon casting, this spell summons a Skeleton Warrior from the Shadow Realms (see p. 110 for more information). It appears within 10’ of the caster at the end of the casting time. This Skeleton Warrior will then stand guard over any room, vault or any other structure. This guardian will remain and keep guard over it designated location until it is destroyed or until the caster specifically releases it from service. Even the death of the caster will not release the guardian from its service. (Base: Summon/Influence) Casting Options CTN SP Summon Additional Skeleton +6 +2

CTN: 21 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 1 Minute Description: Caster’s hands are imbued with the chill cold of the grave. Upon touching a foe (treat as a normal brawling or unarmed attack), the caster does 5 points of Base Damage from the unnatural cold, in addition to any damage dealt by the attack itself. (Base: Attack) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Duration (per +1 minute) +5 +2 Increased Base Damage (per +1 hit) +4 +2 Target other than Self (range: Touch) +5 +2

65

with the

of the

Dead (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4)

Grave (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

Player’s/GM’s Section

Divine Magic Bless Water/Oil (Mj 7/Mn 8/N 9)

Circle

CTN: 31 SP Cost: 6 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: — Description: Caster blesses 4 ounces of pure water or specially prepared oil turning it into a single application of Holy Water or Holy Oil. This spell takes 2 minutes to cast, and it may only be cast once per day. If the water/oil is not immediately placed within a clean receptacle, the water/oil will lose its potency. Holy Oil may be used to coat weapons. It takes one ounce to coat a tiny weapon, 2 ounces to coat a small weapon, etc. The oil coating will last up to 1 hour or until the weapon makes 3 hits (i.e. deals damage 3 times), whichever comes first. Weapons coated in Holy Oil are treated as magical for being able to hit Demons, Devils, and Undead. They will also deliver an additional 5 + 1d10 hits of Holy damage in addition to their normal damage. Holy damage only affects Demons, Devils, and Undead. Holy Water may be used to temporarily bless a weapon by pouring the Holy Water over the weapon. It takes one ounce of Holy Water per weapon size, the same as Holy Oil, and a weapon that has been blessed by Holy Water will be treated as magical when it comes to hurting Demons, Devils, and Undead. The blessing from Holy Water will last for 5 minutes, but it does not do any extra damage. Holy Water, unlike Holy Oil, may be thrown directly upon Demons, Devils, and Undead. Each full ounce that hits such a creature will deal 5 + 1d10 hits of Holy Damage. (Base: Transform) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Amount Blessed (per ounce) +4 +2

CTN: 23 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: 50’ Duration: 10 minutes Description: Caster is able to create a 5’ radius circle of radiant light centered upon any point within 50’. If the spell is cast upon an object, the light will move when the object is moved. (Base: Change Environment) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Radius (per +5’) +4 +2 Increased Range (to 100’) +3 +1 Increased Duration (to 20 minutes) +3 +1 Increased Duration (to 1 hour) +5 +2 Increased Duration (to 1 day) +7 +3

Blessing (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 24 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster bestows the blessing of his deity upon a single target. The target gains a +1 to all actions and Saves for the duration of the spell. (Base: Aid) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Blessing (per +1 increase) +6 +2 Additional Targets (Range: Touch) +4 +2 Increased Duration (to 20 minutes) +3 +1 Increased Range (to 10’) +2 +1

of

Light (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6)

Detect Undead (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 23 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: varies Description: Caster is able to detect the aura that surrounds all undead within a 50’ radius. The amount of information gained depends upon how long the caster concentrates on this spell. If the caster spends only 1 round concentrating on this spell, he will detect whether or not there are undead within the radius, and he will also get a sense of their direction. If the caster spends 2 rounds concentrating on this spell, he can tell how many undead, and the strength (level) of the strongest one within range. If the caster spends 3 rounds concentrating, he will know the strength of all undead and have a general idea of their distance. (Base: Reveal) Casting Options CTN SP Cast on Other (Range: Touch) +2 +1 Increased Range for Other (to 10’) +2 +1 Increased Range for Other (to 20’) +4 +2 Increased Sensing Range (per +10’) +2 +1

66

Player’s/GM’s Section Divine Bolt (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

Faith Healing (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

CTN: 21 SP Cost: 2 Vs: DEF Range: 50’ Duration: — Description: Caster shoots a bolt of divine energy from the palm of his hand. It does a Base Damage of 4 + the caster’s Wisdom Bonus. Against demons, devils and undead, this bolt will do double its Base Damage if it strikes. Against creatures from the upper planes or spirit creatures, if it strikes, it does only half damage. If the casting option, Divine Ball, is used, the attack may be used to hit a specific person or to hit a location. The attack looks like a normal bolt until it strikes its target, at which time it explodes outwards to the edges of its radius if that is possible. If it cannot reach the edge of its radius on one side, it does not backblast or rebound to make the area it does fill more dangerous. If used to hit a location, the caster will have to attack the location and beat a DEF of 15, total damage will be figured from there. All who are within the radius of the spell when it hits are automatically hit, but they may make a Saving Throw vs. Dex (TN 15), with success meaning that they take half damage from the attack. A character’s Armor Rating (AR) may then be applied against the remaining damage. In this sort of attack, a shield’s bonus to DEF is counted as additional AR. If the ball attack targets a specific person, the attack will be against the target’s DEF and he will not get a Save for half damage. All others within the radius of the attack will be treated as if the attack were against a specific location (this uses the same roll as against the targeted person, the total damage is simply figured separately). If the option, Divine Cone, is used the attack will form a cone attack. The cone starts at the caster’s location and has a width of 5’ and it ends at the maximum range of the spell and has a width of 3’ for every 10’ in length. Thus a 50’ long cone has a width of 15’ at its distant end. Cone attacks are resolved in the same manner as area attacks against a location for all potential targets within the cone. (Base: Attack/Transform) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Base Damage (per +1 hit) +4 +2 Increased Range (per +50’) +4 +2 Divine Ball (5’ radius) +5 +2 Increased Radius (per +5’ radius) +3 +1 Divine Cone +10 +4

CTN: 21 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: — Description: Caster heals target of 10 + his Wisdom Stat Bonus hits of damage. Alternatively, this spell could be used to remove up to 3 points of a negative modifier or heal up to 3 points of bleeding or remove 1 round of Stun that a character might have. The desired effect must be chosen at the time of casting. The casting option, Scaled Healing, allows the caster to heal an additional 1 hit for every point that the casting roll was above the CTN of the spell. (Base: Heal) Casting Options CTN SP Scaled Healing +4 +2 Increased Hits Healed (per +5 hits) +5 +2 Increased Modifier Removed (per -1) +2 +1 Stop Bleeding (per +1 point stopped) +2 +1 Remove Stun (per round of Stun) +8 +3

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Fearless (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 22 SP Cost: 3 Vs: Will (TN 17) Range: 20’ Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Target is instilled with courage, granting him a +2 bonus on Saves against any type of fear effect. If the target is under a fear effect at the time of casting, and fails a Save vs. Will against this spell, then the fear effect will be suppressed for the duration. If the target is willing, and not under some fear effect, then no Save is required. (Base: Ward) Casting Options CTN SP Increase Range (to 50’) +3 +1 Increased Duration (to 20 minutes) +2 +1 Increased Duration (to 1 hour) +5 +2 Increased Duration (to 1 day) +7 +3 Area Effect (5’ radius) +5 +2 Increased Area Effect (per +5’ radius) +3 +1

Player’s/GM’s Section Omen (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4)

Remove Curse (Mj 5/Mn 6/N 7)

CTN: 16 SP Cost: 1 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: — Description: Allows the caster to predict if the actions of an individual or party will be beneficial to the individual/party in question. This is accomplished by the caster asking a single question that can have only a yes or no answer. This does not tell whether or not the individual/party will be successful or not, only if taking a particular action or choice will be beneficial for them. The spell presumes that asked about action(s) will be successful. The question is answered by the caster spotting something that serves as an omen. A favorable omen might be the sighting of a dove or something shaped like a butterfly, or something similar in nature, while an unfavorable omen might appear as a rat or something shaped like a vulture. The option, Multiple Choices, allows the caster to determine the most beneficial of three or more potential options. The caster must concentrate on each option for 30 seconds (6 rounds), and during that time period, he will see a good omen for the most beneficial choice, seeing nothing with the other choices. (Base: Divination) Casting Options CTN SP Multiple Choices (up to 3 choices) +3 +1 Additional Choices (per each choice) +6 +2

CTN: 25 SP Cost: 4 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: — Description: Caster is able to remove any active curse or hex on the target that had an original Save TN of 20 or less. This spell does not remove curses from items normally. Removing a curse or hex from an item will require that the caster hold the item and concentrate on it for 5 minutes upon casting of this spell. This concentration is part of the casting time of the casting option, Remove Curse from Item. The item will then get a Save (TN 20) vs. this spell. The item will have a modifier to its Save equal to 3 + a number equal to the Save TN against the curse divided by 5, and rounded off to the nearest whole number. For example, if we take a cursed item that requires the wielder to make a Save vs. Will (TN 22), it will have a bonus of +7 against this spell (3 [base] + 4 [22 ÷ 5 = 4.4, rounded to 4]). (Base: Transform/Ward) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Save TN Threshold (per +1) +2 +1 Remove Curse from Item (Save TN 20) +10 +4

Protection

from

Evil (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6)

CTN: 23 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster is able to create a 5’ radius circle of protection around himself that will keep out any summoned or evoked evil creatures or beings from the lower planes (i.e. demons, devils, etc.). (Base: Ward) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Radius (per +5’) +3 +1 Increased Duration (to 20 minutes) +2 +1 Target other than Self (range: Touch) +5 +2 Purify Food & Drink (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 20 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: — Description: Caster removes any foreign or toxic substances from all food and drink within 10’. This restores it to an untainted condition. This will remove any foreign poisons that might also be in the food or drink. It will not affect any food or drinks that are naturally poisonous (i.e. poisonous mushrooms). (Base: Transform) Casting Options CTN SP Neutralizes Natural Poisons +5 +2 Increased Range (to 20’) +2 +1 Increased Range (to 50’) +8 +3

Repel Undead (Mj 5/Mn 6/N 7) CTN: 25 SP Cost: 4 Vs: Con (TN 16) Range: Self Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster channels the power of his deity to repel undead. This spells creates a 5’ radius sphere centered upon the caster. Any undead that attempt to enter the radius of this sphere must make a Save vs. Con or it will be unable to enter the radius. If the undead fails its Save by 5 or more points, it will flee the area for at least 5 minutes. If the undead fails by 10 or more points, it is destroyed. (Base: Ward) Casting Options CTN SP Increase Radius (per +5’) +3 +1 Flee (if Save fails, fail by 5+ to destroy) +6 +2 Destroy (if Save fails) +10 +4 Increased Duration (to 20 minutes) +2 +1 Increased Duration (to 1 hour) +5 +2 Increased Duration (to 1 day) +7 +3

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Player’s/GM’s Section

High Magic Alarum (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 23 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: 1 Day Description: Caster creates a 20’ radius area that is centered upon a specific, non-moving point. If any creature of Tiny size or larger crosses the boundary of the warded area, the alarm will sound. The caster chooses, at the time of casting, whether this will be an audible or mental alarm. If mental, the caster, if within 1,000’ of the alarm spell, will hear a pinging tone in his head if the alarm is set off. This would be enough to instantly wake the caster, but not enough to disrupt any spell casting. If audible, the spell produces the sound of a bell ringing. This sound can be heard quite clearly up to 100’ away, so it could alert others to the caster’s presence. (Base: Illusion) Casting Options CTN SP Per Each Additional Day +5 +2 Increased Radius (+10’ radius) +6 +2 Increased Range (to 20’) +2 +1 Animate Object (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 20 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: 50’ Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster causes one medium-sized non-magical object that does not weigh more than 10 lbs. to animate and be able to move on its own. Alternatively, the caster can animate 2 small objects or 4 tiny objects. The animated objects are imbued with the ability to move (not fly, but they can “walk” and “jump”) at a rate of up to 10’ per round and a semblance of life, and they may be ordered to attack a person. The objects will have an Attack Bonus of 1 for every 3 points above the CTN the caster’s roll was in casting this spell. The object, if a weapon will do its normal Damage Rating as its Base Damage, but no Scaled Damage. If it isn’t a weapon, then it will do 1 point of Base Damage per size increment (i.e. tiny = 1, small = 2, etc.).

69

The animated objects may be ordered to perform tasks other than attacking a person. For example, an animated broom or mop could be ordered to sweep or mop a room. In order to change its given task, the caster must spend a round concentrating and make a basic Save vs. Will or else the object will continue on its last given task. If the casting option, Per Additional Object, is used, larger objects may be animated. It takes 2 additional uses of the casting option to animate a large object, and 4 uses to animate a huge object. Each use of the option may also be used to animate 2 additional small objects or 4 additional tiny objects. (Base: Animate) Casting Options CTN SP Per Additional Object (medium-sized) +2 +1 Increased Duration (to 1 hour) +2 +1 Increased Movement (per +10’/rnd) +3 +1 Object Can Fly (10’/rnd) +6 +2 Increased Flight (per +10’/rnd) +6 +2 Charm Person (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 24 SP Cost: 3 Vs: Will (TN 17) Range: 10’ Duration: 1 Hour Description: Target believes that the caster is a good friend. So long as the caster is friendly towards the target or takes no action against him, the target will behave in a friendly manner. If the caster or others are in combat with, or acting in a threatening manner towards the target when the spell is cast, the target gains a +5 mod to his Save. If the caster or others of his party attacks or acts threatening towards the Charmed being, he will get a second Save with a +3 mod. (Base: Influence) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Range (to 20’) +2 +1 Increased Range (to 50’) +8 +3 Increased Duration (to 1 day) +3 +1 Area Affect (5’ radius) +8 +3 Increase Area (per +5’ radius) +6 +2

Player’s/GM’s Section Conjure Missiles (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4)

Identify (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

CTN: 18 SP Cost: 1 Vs: DEF Range: 50’ Duration: — Description: Caster creates and fires a dart (i.e. a small javelin) at the target. If the attack is successful, the dart does a Base Damage of 4 + the caster’s Intelligence Bonus. If the casting option, Dart Swarm, is used, the attack may be used to hit a specific person or to hit a location. The attack looks like a normal dart until just before it strikes its target, at which time it explodes outwards into hundreds of tiny darts filling the area to the edges of its radius if that is possible. If it cannot reach the edge of its radius on one side, it does not backblast or rebound to make the area it does fill more dangerous. If used to hit a location, the caster will have to attack the location and beat a DEF of 15, total damage will be figured from there. All who are within the radius of the spell when it hits are automatically hit, but they may make a Saving Throw vs. Dex (TN 15), with success meaning that they take half damage from the attack. A character’s Armor Rating (AR) may then be applied against the remaining damage. In this sort of attack, a shield’s bonus to DEF is counted as additional AR. If the Dart Swarm targets a specific person, the attack will be against the target’s DEF and he will not get a Save for half damage. All others within the radius of the attack will be treated as if the attack were against a specific location (this uses the same roll as against the targeted person, the total damage is simply figured separately). If the option, Cone of Darts, is used the attack will form a cone attack. The cone starts at the caster’s location and has a width of 5’ and it ends at the maximum range of the spell and has a width of 3’ for every 10’ in length. Thus a 50’ long cone has a width of 15’ at its distant end. Cone attacks are resolved in the same manner as area attacks against a location for all potential targets within the cone. (Base: Attack) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Base Damage (per +1 hit) +4 +2 Increased Range (per +50’) +4 +2 Dart Swarm (5’ radius) +5 +2 Increased Radius (per +5’ radius) +3 +1 Cone of Darts +10 +4

CTN: 21 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: — Description: When this spell is cast, the caster must concentrate on an object that he is touching for 2 minutes. At the end of this time, he will have determined the magical abilities of the object as long as it was not an artifact. He also learns how to operate the item, and how often it may be used and/or how many charges it contains. If the caster uses any of the casting options, Increased Range, and the item is being held by another person, then the person will get to make a Save vs. Will (TN 17+), with a successful Save meaning that the caster learns nothing. (Base: Reveal) Casting Options CTN SP Instant Knowledge (no concentration) +10 +4 Increased Range (to 10’) +2 +1 Increased Range (to 20’) +4 +2 Increased Range (to 50’) +10 +4 Mage Armor (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 23 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Target is encased in an invisible force field that grants him a bonus of +2 to his DEF. This force field also reduces all damage received by 2 points (i.e. AR 2) and it does not impede spell casting or have any penalties like worn armor does. This Mage Armor does not impede the flow of gases such as air. When a blow strikes the Mage Armor, it becomes momentarily visible through a short series of ripples radiating out from the point of impact. (Base: Defend) Casting Options CTN SP Increased AR (per +1) +5 +2 Increased DEF (per +1; max +5 total) +4 +2 Increased Duration (10 minutes) +2 +1 Increased Range (from Touch to 10’) +2 +1 Increased Range (from Touch to 50’) +4 +2

Haste (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 20 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: 20’ Duration: 1 round Description: The target of this spell gains an extra 2 Action Points to use in the round following the one in which this spell is cast. (Base: Movement) Casting Options CTN SP Per additional +2 AP +6 +2 Per additional round duration +2 +1 Increased Range (to 50’) +4 +2

70

Player’s/GM’s Section Minor Disguise (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6)

Shield (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)*

CTN: 22 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: 1 Hour Description: Target is cloaked in a minor illusion that makes them appear to be of any race of the caster’s choosing. The illusion allows the target’s size to appear up to 20% larger or smaller than normal. This spell affects nothing more than how the target looks, not how he smells, sounds, or feels. Any character that interacts with the disguised character will get a Save vs. Int (TN 15) to realize that the target is disguised by an illusion. Adding extra senses (such as touch, sound, or scent) to the disguise makes it harder to penetrate by increasing the TN of the Save by 2 points per added sense. Boon Points may be used to increase the TN of the Save vs. Int by 2 points. (Base: Illusion) Casting Options CTN SP Add Extra Sense (+2 to Save TN) +4 +2 Increased Duration (to 1 day) +3 +1

CTN: 20 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: 5’ Duration: 5 Minutes Description: Caster creates a floating disk of translucent magical force 2’ in diameter that floats in front of him, up to 5’ away. The caster may move the disk by moving his hand and the disk acts like a shield, and provides the caster with a +2 to his DEF against all frontal attacks. This is a Fast Cast spell. (Base: Defend) Casting Options CTN SP Increased DEF (per +1; max +5 total) +4 +2 Increased Duration (10 minutes) +2 +1 Moves on its own to defend caster +5 +2

Minor Illusion (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 22 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: 1 Hour Description: Caster is able to create a static, non-moving illusion that is no greater in size than a 5’ radius. This illusion is visual only. Any character that interacts with the illusion, will know that it is not real if they can touch it. Using only sight, if a character is suspicious that he is facing an illusion, he may make a Save vs. Int (TN 15) to determine whether or not he realizes that it is an illusion. Every 10’ that the character is from the illusion increases the TN of the Save by 2 points (i.e. if the character is 15’ from the illusion, his Save has a TN of 17). If the illusion includes other senses, such as touch, then that also increases the TN of the Save. Illusions cannot support weight unless the proper casting option has been selected. Thus, while an illusion of a wall will feel real, a person could pass right through it unless it also uses the casting option, Support Weight, to allow persons to press against it without passing through. (Base: Illusion) Casting Options CTN SP Add Extra Sense (+2 to Save TN) +4 +2 Increased Duration (to 1 day) +3 +1 Support Weight (per +25 lbs) +2 +1 Increased Radius (per +5’) +6 +2

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Sleep (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 24 SP Cost: 3 Vs: Will (TN 17) Range: 20’ Duration: 1 Minute Description: Caster puts target into a magically induced slumber, and nothing will waken him during the first round that he is asleep (thus, falling to the ground will not awaken him). Beyond that first round, normal noises will not wake the targets, but loud noises, such as screaming, or slapping or wounding the target will wake him up. Once the duration of the spell has expired, the sleep becomes non-magical, and the target will awaken at whatever would normally awaken him. (Base: Influence) Casting Options CTN SP Additional Target +4 +2 Area Effect (5’ radius) +8 +3 Increased Radius (per +5’ radius) +6 +2 Increased Range (to 50’) +6 +2 Tongues (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 19 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 1 Hour Description: Upon casting this spell, the caster will learn how to speak the native language of any one person. The caster must be touching this person when casting the spell and he absorbs his knowledge of it from this source. This language simply fades away at the end of the spell’s duration. A Non-Native Language is a living language that the source of the language has learned, other than his native language. A living language is a language that is spoken by a group of people on an everyday basis as their normal language. A dead language is an ancient or old language that is not commonly used by any group of peoples, meaning that it is stagnant and cannot grow anymore. Latin would be considered a dead language. (Base: Transform) Casting Options CTN SP Learn Non-Native Language +6 +2 Learn Dead Language +8 +3 No need to absorb language +8 +3 Increased Duration (to 1 day) +6 +4

Player’s/GM’s Section

Mysticism Awareness (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

Empathy (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4)

CTN: 21 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 10 Minutes Description: This spell takes 2 full rounds to cast. Caster is able to sense the presence of thinking, sentient beings within a 50’ radius around him. This spell lasts for 10 minutes, but only works if the caster is concentrating. If the caster stops concentrating, he loses the ability to sense others until he begins concentrating again. Caster may stop concentrating and begin again any number of times within the duration of this spell. The amount of information gained is based on how long the caster spends concentrating. With 1 round of concentration, the caster knows how many sentient beings are within the radius (this includes himself and any friends), but not where or what they are doing. With 2 rounds of concentration, the caster will know how many beings there are and get a general idea of their direction and distance. With 3 rounds of concentration, the caster will also know their general actions (i.e. casting a spell, but not which spell). (Base: Reveal) Casting Options CTN SP Cast in 1 round +2 +1 Fast Cast (cast in 2 AP) +7 +3 Increased Radius (per +10’ radius) +2 +1 Increased Duration (20 minutes) +3 +1 Increased Duration (1 hour) +6 +2

CTN: 18 SP Cost: 1 Vs: Will (TN 16) Range: Self Duration: 10 Minutes Description: This spell takes 2 rounds to cast. Caster is able to sense the emotions of any one character or creature within 50’ by concentrating on that character or creature. The caster may shift his concentration to a different character or creature at any time within the duration. The target of this scrutiny is allowed to make a Save vs. Will to prevent their emotions from being read. If the caster stops concentrating, he loses the ability to sense the emotions of others until he begins concentrating again. Caster may stop concentrating and then begin again any number of times within the duration of the spell. (Base: Telepathy/Reveal) Casting Options CTN SP Cast in 1 Round +2 +1 Increased Sensing Range (per +10’) +2 +1 Increased Duration (20 Minutes) +3 +1 Increased Duration (1 hour) +6 +2

Distractions (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 23 SP Cost: 3 Vs: Wis (TN 17) Range: 20’ Duration: 2 Rounds Description: Target is distracted and unable to focus on anything, giving him a -4 modifier on all actions. Targets get a +5 on their Save if they are in combat at the time that the spell is cast. Additionally, any attempt to attack the target will allow him a new Save against this spell, this time with a +3 modifier. (Base: Flash) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Duration (per +1 round) +1 +1 Increased Effect (target stunned) +2 +1

Enhanced Senses (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 20 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster heightens all of his senses for the duration, gaining a +4 on all perception rolls. This spell also allows the caster to see further than normal, and to even track somebody by scent if the conditions are right. The caster can hear up into the ultrasonic range as well. To gain these bonus abilities, the caster must concentrate on using his senses. The bonus to perception rolls is constant for the duration. (Base: Reveal/Aid) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Duration (20 minutes) +3 +1 Increased Duration (1 hour) +6 +2 Increased Bonus (per +1) +4 +2

72

Player’s/GM’s Section Far Sense (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

Long Steps (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4)

CTN: 20 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster is able to concentrate and move either his point of vision or his point of hearing up to 100’ feet away. It takes 1 round for him to move the given sense that far. While the sense is elsewhere, the caster does not have that sense at the location of his body. The casting option, Keep Sense, is used to allow the caster to keep his sense at his location and move it to the new location at the same time. However, doing this gives the caster a -4 modifier on all perception rolls for that sense at both locations, unless the casting option, Enhanced Sense, is also used. Enhanced Sense has no effect otherwise. (Base: Transform) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Duration (20 minutes) +3 +1 Increased Duration (1 hour) +6 +2 Move Both Senses at Once +5 +2 Keep Sense +3 +1 Enhanced Sense +3 +1

CTN: 18 SP Cost: 1 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: — Description: Caster is able to transport himself to any spot up to 100’ away by taking a single step. This translocation does not allow the caster to teleport through barriers, such as walls or doors, but it will allow him to teleport across things such as pits. If the caster cannot see the target destination, he must use one of the casting options, Known Slightly or Destination Unknown. The caster can teleport another person, controlling the destination, using the casting option, Jump Other, but he cannot knowingly teleport a target into a dangerous, or potentially dangerous location without the target’s informed consent (i.e. he cannot get the target to agree to one location and then teleport him to another). For longer distance jumps, the teleportation is not instantaneous. Over 100’ takes 1 round per 100’ teleported, and over 1 mile takes 1 minute per mile teleported. (Base: Teleport) Casting Options CTN SP Through Barriers +4 +2 Increased Jump (up to 1,000’) +4 +2 Increased Jump (up to 10 miles) +8 +3 Increased Jump (up to 100 miles) +10 +4 Increased Jump (any distance) +14 +5 Destination Known Slightly +5 +2 Destination Unknown +10 +4 Jump Other (per +1 target, range: touch) +4 +2

Inner Vision (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 20 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster can concentrate and he is able to move and “see” normally even if his vision is obscured or negated by any means. In essence, this spell allows the caster to visualize and see his surroundings under any conditions, including magical or non-magical darkness, mists, fogs, or even if blind. (Base: Transform) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Duration (20 minutes) +3 +1 Increased Duration (1 hour) +6 +2 Increased Duration (1 day) +11 +4

73

Player’s/GM’s Section Mystic Bolt (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4)

Object Reading (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

CTN: 18 SP Cost: 1 Vs: DEF Range: 50’ Duration: — Description: Caster focuses his mental energy into powerful bolt of physical force that does a Base Damage of 4 + the caster’s Willpower Bonus. If the casting option, Mystic Blast, is used, the attack may be used to hit a specific person or to hit a location. The attack looks like a normal bolt until just before it strikes its target, at which time it explodes outwards into hundreds of tiny darts filling the area to the edges of its radius if that is possible. If it cannot reach the edge of its radius on one side, it does not backblast or rebound to make the area it does fill more dangerous. If used to hit a location, the caster will have to attack the location and beat a DEF of 15, total damage will be figured from there. All who are within the radius of the spell when it hits are automatically hit, but they may make a Saving Throw vs. Dex (TN 15), with success meaning that they take half damage from the attack. A character’s Armor Rating (AR) may then be applied against the remaining damage. In this sort of attack, a shield’s bonus to DEF is counted as additional AR. If the Mystic Blast targets a specific person, the attack will be against the target’s DEF and he will not get a Save for half damage. All others within the radius of the attack will be treated as if the attack were against a specific location (this uses the same roll as against the targeted person, the total damage is simply figured separately). If the option, Mystic Blast Wave, is used the attack will form a cone attack. The cone starts at the caster’s location and has a width of 5’ and it ends at the maximum range of the spell and has a width of 3’ for every 10’ in length. Thus a 50’ long cone has a width of 15’ at its distant end. Cone attacks are resolved in the same manner as area attacks against a location for all potential targets within the cone. (Base: Attack) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Base Damage (per +1 hit) +4 +2 Increased Range (per +50’) +4 +2 Mystic Blast (5’ radius) +5 +2 Increased Radius (per +5’ radius) +3 +1 Mystic Blast Wave +10 +4

CTN: 21 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: varies Description: Caster is able to learn information about an object. The caster must touch or hold the object in order to read it. For every minute that the caster spends in contact with and concentrating on the object, he will learn a new bit of information as follows: • The meaning of any writings or inscriptions upon the object. • The approximate age of the object. • The powers and/or abilities of the object, if any. • A mental image of the last person to possess the object for any length of time. This also will give him other previous owners, in order from most recent to most distant, all the way back to the creator of the item. The caster may attempt to determine a specific bit of information when reading an object. This requires the caster to make a Save vs. Will in order to pull out the desired information. There is a 1 in 10 chance that any information gained through this spell will be inaccurate or distorted in some fashion. Also, if there is a trap or curse placed on the object, attempting to read the object will almost always (9 out of 10 chance) activate it against the caster. (Base: Reveal) Casting Options CTN SP Reduced Curse/Trap Chance (per -1) +3 +1 Increased Learning Speed (1 round per) +4 +2 Sense Hidden (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 19 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 2 Minutes Description: Caster heightens his sensitivity to minute details, allowing him to easily detect such things as hidden or concealed doorways or compartments, hidden switches or triggers, invisible or ethereal foes, or any other type of hidden object or person that is within 10’ of himself. Caster may not move faster than a walk while this spell is active, or he will not be able to detect anything. (Base: Reveal) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Duration (5 minutes) +2 +1 Increased Duration (10 minutes) +5 +2 Increased Duration (20 minutes) +8 +3 Increased Duration (1 hour) +11 +4

74

Player’s/GM’s Section Scrying (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

Suggestion (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4)

CTN: 19 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 5 Minutes Description: Caster is able view a distant location or person. The caster must have met the person in the flesh (and spoken with them for at least a full minute) or be personally familiar with the location from having been there for at least 5 minutes. Regardless of whether the focus of the vision is a person or place, the vision only shows the caster a 5’radius area at most. Outside of that radius, all appears blurry to the caster. If there are persons within the radius that the caster does not know, they will also appear blurry and indistinct. There is no limitation on the distance of the object of the vision from the caster. As with the visual aspects, unknown sounds are heard as indistinct murmurs. Should the caster attempt to use the casting option, Target Unknown, to scry upon a target that he has never seen in the flesh before, there is a 5 out of 10 chance that the scrying will lock onto the wrong target without the caster realizing it. (Base: Divination) Casting Options CTN SP Hear Sounds from Vision +3 +1 Have Night/Dark Vision while Scrying +8 +3 Increased Scrying Radius (per +5’) +3 +1 Target Slightly Known (4 min. or less) +5 +2 Target Unknown +10 +3 Increased Duration (10 minutes) +3 +1

CTN: 18 SP Cost: 1 Vs: Will (TN 15) Range: 10’ Duration: — Description: Caster is able to empathically implant a suggestion in the mind of a living, sentient target. This suggestion must be one that seems logical and reasonable and natural to the target. It cannot be something that will cause him harm or put him into peril. The target receives a Save vs. Int to realize that the suggestion did not originate from within his own mind. A target who makes his Save will realize that somebody is trying to influence him and will be able to ignore the Suggestion. A target who fails his Save will believe the suggestion to be his own idea and will act upon it as soon as it is possible for him to do so. It is important to note that since this suggestion is empathically planted, so there is no need for the caster to know the language of the target. The suggestion could also be used to cloud the mind of a target (i.e. these are not the Kobolds you are looking for), allowing for a wide variety of possible suggestions. (Base: Influence) Casting Options CTN SP Additional Target (per each) +4 +2 Increased Range (up to 20’) +2 +1 Increased Range (up to 50’) +8 +3 Mass Suggestion (5’ radius area) +4 +2 Increased Radius (per +5’) +6 +2

75

Player’s/GM’s Section

Natural Magic Calm Animal (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

Charm Animal (Mj 5/Mn 6/N 7)

CTN: 21 SP Cost: 2 Vs: Will (TN 16) Range: 20’ Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster is able to soothe and calm one animal, chosen at the time of casting. Calmed animals will not attack or run from the caster unless they are physically threatened or attacked. Normal animals do not get a Save against this spell, but animals that have attack training and unusual animals will receive a Save vs. Will. (Base: Influence) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Range (up to 50’) +6 +2 Increased Duration (20 minutes) +2 +1 Increased Duration (1 hour) +4 +2 Per Additional Target +4 +2 Area Effect (5’ radius) +8 +3 Increased Radius (per +5’) +6 +2

CTN: 26 SP Cost: 4 Vs: Will (TN 18) Range: 20’ Duration: 1 Hour Description: Target animal believes that the caster is a good friend. So long as the caster is friendly towards the target or takes no offensive action against him, the target will behave in a friendly manner. If the caster or others of his party are in combat with, or acting in a threatening manner towards the target when the spell is cast, the target gains a +5 modifier to his Save. If anybody attacks or acts threatening towards the Charmed animal, he will get a second Save with a +3 modifier. (Base: Influence) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Range (up to 50’) +6 +2 Increased Duration (20 minutes) +2 +1 Increased Duration (1 hour) +4 +2 Per Additional Target +4 +2 Area Effect (5’ radius) +8 +3 Increased Radius (per +5’) +6 +2

Camouflage (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4) CTN: 18 SP Cost: 1 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 20 Minutes Description: Upon casting, the caster and all of his equipment take on the coloration of his surroundings, becoming effectively invisible, so long as he does not move. Anybody attempting to spot the caster while he is camouflaged does so with a -5 modifier to their roll. If the caster moves, the modifier to the viewer’s perception is cancelled. If the caster moves into an area where his surroundings are different from those when this spell was originally cast, the negative modifier becomes a positive modifier for those attempting to spot the character. The casting option, Shifting Camouflage, allows the caster to move and for the camouflage to shift to match his new surroundings. However, each AP spent moving reduces the perception modifier by 1 (i.e. moving 3 AP in a round means that the perception modifier will go from -5 to -2), and moving faster than the character’s base rate reduces the modifier by 5. (Base: Conceal) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Modifier (per -1) +2 +1 Shifting Camouflage +8 +3 Increased Duration (1 hour) +3 +1

Detect Hazards (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 24 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 10 Minutes Description: This spell allows the caster to, at any time within the duration, concentrate for one or more rounds and glean information about natural hazards (quicksand, an unsafe wall, etc.) and simple traps made from natural materials (pit traps, deadfalls, snare traps, wooden spikes on branches set to whip at the target, etc.) within a 50’ radius. The amount of information gained is determined by the amount of time spent concentrating. Concentrating for a single round reveals that there are such hazards within range. Concentrating for two rounds gives the number of hazards and their direction, while concentrating for 3 rounds tells you what those hazards are and where they are. For each additional round spent, the caster can learn more information about one of the detected hazards, such as what and where the trigger is, if the hazard is a trap. The casting option, No Concentration, allows the caster to automatically know when there is a hazard within range, but he would still need to concentrate to discover additional information about it. (Base: Reveal) Casting Options CTN SP Use Casting Options (required) +4 +1 Increased Sensing Range (per +10’) +2 +1 Increased Duration (20 minutes) +3 +1 Increased Duration (1 hour) +6 +2 Increased Duration (1 day) +11 +4 No Concentration +5 +2

76

Player’s/GM’s Section Eldritch Fire (Mj 2/Mn 3/N 4)

Entangle (Mj 5/Mn 6/N 7)

CTN: 18 SP Cost: 1 Vs: — Range: 50’ Duration: — Description: Caster draws upon elemental fire to send a bolt of flame shooting from the palm of his hand. It does a Base Damage of 4 + the caster’s Wisdom Bonus. This flame has a 5 out of 10 chance of setting any flammable materials that are worn or carried by the target on fire. If the casting option, Eldritch Ball of Fire, is used, the attack may be used to hit a specific person or to hit a location. The attack looks like a normal bolt of flame until just before it strikes its target, at which time it explodes outwards, filling the area to the edges of its radius, if that is possible, with flames. If it cannot reach the edge of its radius on one side, it does not backblast or rebound to make the area it does fill more dangerous. If used to hit a location, the caster will have to attack the location and beat a DEF of 15, total damage will be figured from there. All who are within the radius of the spell when it hits are automatically hit, but they may make a Saving Throw vs. Dex (TN 15), with success meaning that they take half damage from the attack. A character’s Armor Rating (AR) may then be applied against the remaining damage. In this sort of attack, a shield’s bonus to DEF is counted as additional AR. If the ball attack targets a specific person, the attack will be against the target’s DEF and he will not get a Save for half damage. All others within the radius of the attack will be treated as if the attack were against a specific location (this uses the same roll as against the targeted person, the total damage is simply figured separately). If the option, Eldritch Cone of Fire, is used the attack will form a cone attack. The cone starts at the caster’s location and has a width of 5’ and it ends at the maximum range of the spell and has a width of 3’ for every 10’ in length. Thus a 50’ long cone has a width of 15’ at its distant end. Cone attacks are resolved in the same manner as area attacks against a location for all potential targets within the cone. (Base: Attack) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Base Damage (per +1 hit) +4 +2 Increased Range (per +50’) +4 +2 Eldritch Ball of Fire (5’ radius) +5 +2 Increased Radius (per +5’ radius) +3 +1 Eldritch Cone of Fire +10 +4

CTN: Vs:

77

26 SP Cost: 4 varies (TN 18) Range: 50’

Duration: 1 Minute Description: Caster causes all plant life within a 5’ radius to grow and/or animate and attack all within that radius. Those within the radius may make a Save vs. Dex to avoid being attacked that round, but in doing so, their movement rate is also reduced by half. Those who fail this Save are subjected to a grappling attack. This attack will use the original casting roll as the attack roll against the target’s DEF. If the attack is successful, the attack does a Base Damage of 4 hits (Scaled Damage applies), and the target is grappled and unable to move. The target may attempt to make a Save vs. Str in order to break free. This Save has a TN of 15 and may be increased through the use of casting options or Boon Points. The target may make one attempt to break free each round. For each round after the first that the target is entangled, he takes an amount of damage equal to that received in the initial entanglement as the plants try to strangle and crush the target. The casting option, Entanglement Cone, creates a cone 50’ long, that is 5’ wide on the end closest to the caster, and 15’ wide at the far end. All within the cone must make the saves as described above or be entangled. This spell requires that there be some vegetation within the area of the spell. (Base: Attack) Casting Options CTN SP Use Casting Options (required) +4 +1 Increased Radius (per +5’ radius) +3 +1 Increase Save vs. Str Difficulty (per +1) +2 +1 Entanglement Cone +10 +4 Fog (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 24 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: 100’ Duration: 10 minutes Description: Caster creates a dense fog that fills a 10’ radius area centered upon any point within the range of this spell and that will move as the caster wills it to move at a rate of 10’ per round. The caster must concentrate on the fog each round that he wishes it to move. Any beings or creatures caught within the fog will not be able to see beyond 1’. If they attempt to move faster than 1’ per round, they risk stumbling or falling over objects in the mist (roll 1d10, 1-5 results in fumble-like incident). (Base: Change Environment) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Radius (per +5’) +4 +2 Increased Duration (20 minutes) +3 +1 Increased Duration (1 hour) +5 +2

Player’s/GM’s Section Locate (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

Speak

CTN: 19 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: — Description: Caster is able to find any one type of living animal or plant located within a 1 mile radius. This will give the caster the basic direction and distance to the specimen of plant or animal that he is looking for. If there are multiple instances of the object of the search within the radius, this spell only gives distance to the closest. The caster may exclude a specific example of what he is looking for, that he knows the specific location of, when casting this spell (i.e. he can exclude the rose garden that he is standing beside to find other roses within range). If there are no specimens of what he is looking for within range, the spell will give the caster the direction to the nearest specimen, but not the distance. If the caster concentrates for extra rounds, he can glean more information about the specimens located by this spell. He can focus on one located specimen each round and determine its general state of health and vitality. (Base: Divination/Reveal) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Search Radius (per +1 mile) +2 +1

CTN: 22 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster is able to communicate and comprehend one of the language of animals; Avian (birds), Bovine (herd animals), Canine (dogs/wolves/etc.), Equine (horses), Feline (cats), Piscine (fish), Rodentia (rats/ raccoons/etc.), Saurian (lizards), or Simian (apes). The caster must choose at the time of casting. He is able to ask questions and receive answers. The caster must concentrate to engage in this communication. This spell does not make the animal friendly to the caster. Animals that are wary or cunning are more likely to give short answers and be evasive, while less intelligent animals are likely to make inane comments. If the animal is friendly to the caster, it may be willing to do some favor or service for the caster, so long as that favor or service does not harm it or put it into serious peril. The casting option, Speak Ancient Animal Language, allows the caster to speak what is reputed to be the first animal tongue, the language of Dragons and other mythical creatures. (Base: Telepathy) Casting Options CTN SP Speak Additional Language +3 +1 Speak Ancient Animal Language +12 +4 Increased Duration (20 minutes) +2 +1 Increased Duration (1 hour) +4 +2 Increased Duration (1 day) +7 +3

Minor Healing (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 21 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: — Description: Caster heals target of 10 + Wisdom Stat Bonus hits of damage. Alternatively, this spell could be used to remove up to 3 points of a negative modifier or heal up to 3 points of bleeding or remove up to 2 rounds of Stun that a character might have. The desired effect must be chosen at the time of casting. The casting option, Scaled Healing, allows the caster to heal an additional 1 hit for every point that the casting roll was above the CTN of the spell. (Base: Heal) Casting Options CTN SP Scaled Healing +4 +2 Increased Hits Healed (per +5 hits) +5 +2 Increased Modifier Removed (per -1) +2 +1 Stop Bleeding (per +1 point stopped) +2 +1 Remove Stun (per round of Stun) +8 +3

with

Animals (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

Traceless Passing (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 21 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 1 Hour Description: Caster is able, with concentration, to pass through any sort of terrain without leaving any sort of tracks or other visual signs of his passing. (Base: Conceal) Casting Options CTN SP Other Targets (per target; Range: Touch) +4 +2 Increased Duration (1 day) +3 +1 Increased Effect (no scent) +5 +2 Water Breathing (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 23 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: Self Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster is able to breathe water or air for the duration. (Base: Transform) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Duration (20 minutes) +3 +1 Increased Duration (1 hour) +6 +2 Increased Duration (1 day) +11 +4 Other Targets (per target; Range: Touch) +4 +2

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Player’s/GM’s Section

Wizardry Alarum (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 23 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: 1 Day Description: Caster creates a 20’ radius area that is centered upon a specific, non-moving point. If any creature of Tiny size or larger crosses the boundary of the warded area, the alarm will sound. The caster chooses, at the time of casting, whether this will be an audible or mental alarm. If mental, the caster, if within 1,000’ of the alarm spell, will hear a pinging tone in his head if the alarm is set off. This would be enough to instantly wake the caster, but not enough to disrupt any spell casting. If audible, the spell produces the sound of a bell ringing. This sound can be heard quite clearly up to 100’ away, so it could alert others to the caster’s presence. (Base: Illusion) Casting Options CTN SP Per Each Additional Day +5 +2 Increased Radius (+10’ radius) +6 +2 Increased Range (to 20’) +2 +1 Elemental Bolt (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5) CTN: 20 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: 50’ Duration: — Description: Caster is able to shoot a bolt of elemental energy from the palm of his hand. This may be of fire, cold (frozen air particles) or electricity. The caster chooses which at the time of casting. This bolt does a Base Damage of 4 + the caster’s Intelligence Bonus. If the bolt is of fire, the flame has a 5 out of 10 chance of setting any flammable materials that are worn or carried by the target on fire. If the casting option, Elemental Ball, is used, the attack may be used to hit a specific person or to hit a location. The attack looks like a normal bolt of the chosen element until just before it strikes its target, at which time it explodes outwards, filling the area to the edges of its radius, if that is possible, with flames. If it cannot reach the edge of its radius on one side, it does not backblast or rebound to make the area it does fill more dangerous. If used to hit a location, the caster will have to attack the location and beat a DEF of 15, total damage will be figured from there. All who are within the radius of the spell when it is cast are automatically hit, but they may make a Saving Throw vs. Dex (TN 15), with success meaning that they only take half damage. A character’s Armor Rating (AR) may then be applied against any remaining damage. In this sort of attack, a shield’s bonus to DEF is counted as additional AR.

79

If the ball attack targets a specific person, the attack will be against the target’s DEF and he will not get a Save for half damage. All others within the radius of the attack will be treated as if the attack were against a specific location (this uses the same roll as against the targeted person, the total damage is simply figured separately). If the option, Elemental Cone, is used the attack will form a cone attack. The cone starts at the caster’s location and has a width of 5’ and it ends at the maximum range of the spell and has a width of 3’ for every 10’ in length. Thus a 50’ long cone has a width of 15’ at its distant end. Cone attacks are resolved in the same manner as area attacks against a location for all potential targets within the cone. (Base: Attack) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Base Damage (per +1 hit) +4 +2 Increased Range (per +50’) +4 +2 Elemental Ball (5’ radius) +5 +2 Increased Radius (per +5’ radius) +3 +1 Elemental Cone +10 +4 Force Disk (Mj 5/Mn 6/N 7) CTN: 25 SP Cost: 4 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: 1 Hour Description: Caster creates a 5’ diameter disk of translucent force that will float behind him at waist height and follow him around. This disk may hold up to 500 lbs of weight. The casting option, Altered Shape, may be used to the caster to for the disk into other shapes, including having small cupped edges (like a very shallow bowl), so long as the total surface area is the same or less than the that allowed by a normal disk. (Base: Telekinesis) Casting Options CTN SP Altered Shape +2 +1 Increased Diameter (per +5’) +3 +1 Increased Weight (per +500 lbs) +3 +1 Forget (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 23 SP Cost: 3 Vs: Will (TN 17) Range: 10’ Duration: — Description: This spell allows the caster to cause a target to forget any one incident or fact that occurred or was learned within the last 10 minutes. This 10 minute time frame is known as the Window. The caster of this spell may cancel its effect at any time, allowing the target to remember. (Base: Influence) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Window (20 minutes) +2 +1 Increased Window (1 hour) +4 +2 Increased Window (1 day) +7 +3 Increased Range (up to 20’) +2 +1

Player’s/GM’s Section Healing Word (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

Identify (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

CTN: 21 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: — Description: Caster heals target of 10 + Intelligence Stat Bonus hits of damage. Alternatively, this spell could be used to remove up to 3 points of a negative modifier or heal up to 3 points of bleeding or remove up to 2 rounds of Stun that a character might have. The desired effect must be chosen at the time of casting. The casting option, Scaled Healing, allows the caster to heal an additional 1 hit for every point that the casting roll was above the CTN of the spell. (Base: Heal) Casting Options CTN SP Scaled Healing +4 +2 Increased Hits Healed (per +5 hits) +5 +2 Increased Modifier Removed (per -1) +2 +1 Stop Bleeding (per +1 point stopped) +2 +1 Remove Stun (per round of Stun) +8 +3

CTN: 21 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: Touch Duration: — Description: When this spell is cast, the caster must concentrate on an object that he is touching for 2 minutes. At the end of this time, he will have determined the magical abilities of the object as long as it was not an artifact. He also learns how to operate the item, and how often it may be used and/or how many charges it contains. If the caster uses any of the casting options, Increased Range, and the item is being held by another person, then the person will get to make a Save vs. Will (TN 17+), with a successful Save meaning that the caster learns nothing. (Base: Reveal) Casting Options CTN SP Instant Knowledge (no concentration) +10 +4 Increased Range (to 10’) +2 +1 Increased Range (to 20’) +4 +2 Increased Range (to 50’) +10 +4

Hold Portal (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 22 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster creates a seal of magical energy around the edge of a door, window, gate, or other opening that has some sort of movable barrier preventing a person from moving through it. This seal holds the barrier in place, preventing it from opening. The portal may be forced, but doing so requires a Save vs. Str (TN 15). The caster may spend Boon Points to increase this TN. (Base: Telekinesis) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Save TN (per +1 to Save) +2 +1 Increased Duration (20 minutes) +2 +1 Increased Duration (1 hour) +5 +2 Increased Duration +7 +3 Increased Range (up to 20’) +2 +1 Increased Range (up to 50’) +8 +3

Infernal Constraint (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 23 SP Cost: 3 Vs: Will (TN 17) Range: 10’ Duration: — Description: This spell allows the caster to charge any creature summoned by the caster to perform a single, specific service within its capabilities. This spell cannot force a summoned creature to reveal its True Name. If used against a creature summoned by another caster, the only effect that this spell will have is to break any constraint or control that the other caster has over the creature, allowing it to immediately return to its home plane. (Base: Influence) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Save TN (per +1 to Save) +2 +1 Perform Additional Service (per each) +4 +2 Minor Evocation (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 23 SP Cost: 3 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Caster summons a minor spirit (familiar spirit or disembodied spirit), a minor demon or a minor devil. The caster has a 10 minute Window in which to seal a pact before the summoned creature returns to its home plane. Refer to Summoning Spells & Rituals on p. 82 for more information. (Base: Summon) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Window (up to 20 minutes) +3 +1 No Circle/Triangle Required +7 +3

80

Player’s/GM’s Section Protection (Mj 3/Mn 4/N 5)

Spellbind (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6)

CTN: 21 SP Cost: 2 Vs: — Range: 10’ Duration: 10 Minutes Description: Target receives a +2 modifier to his DEF and Saves against attacks or spells from a specific type of being or creature from another plane (demons, devils, spirits, elementals, etc.) chosen at the time of casting. (Base: Ward) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Protection (per +1) +2 +1 Additional Protection (per +1 type) +4 +2 Additional Target (per target) +4 +2 Area Effect (5’ radius) +5 +2 Increased Radius (per +5’ radius) +3 +1

CTN: 22 SP Cost: 3 Vs: Will (TN 16) Range: 10’ Duration: 1 Minute Description: Caster is able to cause any single individual or creature to make a Save vs. Will or be unable to move, unable to speak, or unable to do either. The caster decides when he casts this spell. Should anybody attempt to attack the Spellbound target, he will receive a second Save vs. Will with a +5 modifier prior to the attack being resolved (allowing the held character a chance to avoid the attack). (Base: Influence) Casting Options CTN SP Increased Save TN (per +1 to Save) +2 +1 Additional Target (per target) +4 +2 Area Effect (5’ radius) +8 +3 Increased Radius (per +5’ radius) +6 +2 Increased Duration (10 minutes) +2 +1 Increased Duration (20 minutes) +2 +4

Question (Mj 4/Mn 5/N 6) CTN: 22 SP Cost: 3 Vs: Will (TN 17) Range: 10’ Duration: — Description: This spell compels the target to truthfully answer one question. The target must answer the question, but if he makes his Save vs. Will, he does not have to answer truthfully. The caster will be able to tell if the target has resisted the spell and is lying. In order for this spell to be effective, the caster must ask the target the question in a language that the target understands. This spell cannot be used for force a target to reveal its True Name (p. 83). (Base: Influence) Casting Options CTN SP Additional Question (per question) +4 +2 Increased Range (up to 20’) +2 +1 Increased Range (up to 50’) +8 +3

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Player’s/GM’s Section

Summoning Spells & Rituals There are three main types of spells used in summoning creatures from other planes of existence. They are: Summoning Spells: This is the least powerful method of summoning. They only have the ability to gate in a creature of the desired type. It is required that the caster of this type of spell utilize a Circle of Protection and a Thaumaturgic Triangle to contain and protect the summoned creature until a pact can be sealed because these spells offer no protection to the caster and do not compel the creature to serve. Due to this, the caster has three chances to compel, coerce or bargain with the creature in order to seal a pact (refer to Sealing a Pact below). Evocation: This type of spell is superior to Summoning spells because they have the power to both gate a creature in and to compel it to service. Evocations spells require that the creature make a Save vs. Will or submit to the caster’s demands. However, even if the creature makes its Save, the caster still has three attempts to seal a pact. Although a Circle of Protection and a Thaumaturgic Triangle are not mandatory for this type of spell, only a very foolish caster would attempt an evocation without these precautions. Invocation: This is the safest and most effective method of casting a summoning spell. This type of spell may only be used to gate in creatures of a similar outlook, alignment (good, neutral or evil), and/or religious beliefs. Due to this restriction, the caster does not need to inscribe a Circle of Protection or a Thaumaturgic Triangle and there is no need to compel the creature to offer its services to the caster. Generally speaking, an invoked creature will rarely refuse any reasonable request for aid or advice, so long as the caster has remained true to his faith and principles (GM’s call). Note: Novus also has spells of conjuration that produce what appear to be similar results. Conjuration spells do not summon creatures; they instead draw upon the ether and temporarily create the summoned creature. Because such creatures are created by their caster’s magic, they will always obey their master.

Summoning Procedures In addition to the actual spell or ritual itself, there are a few procedures that also need to be followed when summoning a creature from another plane. The Offering Prior to casting the summoning spell, the caster may wish to make an offering to gain the favor of his deity or patron. A minimum offering of at least 10 gp worth of incense, aromatic herbs and/or spices is customary, and grants the caster a +1 on all Saves related to the summoning and the results of the summoning. Fragrant oils and certain types of magical fumes may also be used to provide additional bonuses to the caster.

Such precautions and preparations are optional, but they may serve to aid in protecting the caster in the event that a pact cannot be successfully sealed. The Ritual Inscription In the ritual summoning of any creature that may prove dangerous or hostile to the caster, he will be required to inscribe the traditional Circle of Protection and Thaumaturgic Triangle upon the floor or ground. Inks or chalks may be used to paint them upon very hard surfaces. They may be scratched into a floor or traced or scratched in the dirt. It takes half an hour to complete the Circle of Protection and half an hour to complete the Thaumaturgic Triangle, and creating each requires a successful Magecraft: Circles skill roll. The TN of the skill roll will depend upon the level of the creature that the caster is attempting to summon (TN = 15 + creature’s level). Summoning elementals does not require the use of the Thaumaturgic Triangle, as elementals require a source of their element. Both the Circle of Protection and the Thaumaturgic Triangle must be perfectly inscribed or it could result in disaster for the caster (see Results of the Summoning Ritual). The Summoning Once everything has been prepared, the caster then stands within the Circle of Protection and casts the desired spell of summoning. The summoned creature will then arrive in 1-5 minutes, appearing within the confines of the Thaumaturgic Triangle. In the case of elementals, the creature will arise out of the elemental source provided. The Circle of Protection may hold up to 3 individuals, so if there are to be more people present at the summoning, additional Circles of Protection may be required. Sealing a Pact Once the creature summoned by the caster has arrived, he must attempt to seal a pact with the creature. If the summoned creature is beneficially disposed towards the caster who summoned him, it will likely offer to perform a service for the caster. The following list of professions and summoned creatures or beings will normally have no difficulty sealing a pact with each other. • Clerics and kerubim, devas, guardians and other celestial beings and creatures. • Druids and elementals, true elementals and animals. • Any caster who summons a familiar, as a familiar is always willing to accept its summoner as master. Any summoned creature that does not have a relationship like the one described above with its caster will always seek every way possible to resist the character.

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Player’s/GM’s Section Each attempt to seal a pact with a demon causes it make a Save vs. Will. If the creature fails any of these Saves, then that means that a pact has been sealed and it must obey the caster. If the creature makes its Save, then it is free to do as it wishes. There are a number of methods that may be used to seal a pact. They are as follows: Offering Wealth: Demons and Devils receive a -1 to their Saves for every increment of wealth that is offered. The amount of wealth must be equal to 1,000 gp times the level of the demon or devils. Other creatures and beings that are offered wealth only have to make a Save vs. Wealth if they are greedy in nature. Offering a Sacrifice: Demons and Devils and certain other war-like and/or evil creatures and beings are unusually fond of sacrifices of sentient beings and will always accept a pact if offered such. However offering any sort of sacrifice is an evil act and those who do it will be considered evil. Good and Neutral creatures and beings will never accept an offer of a living sacrifice. Threat of Harm: Most of the time threats of harm will never make a summoned creature agree to a pact. The only exception is if the caster possesses a weapon or magical item that the creature specifically has cause to fear, such as Devil’s Bane Sword or a Wand of Demon Smiting. If the caster possesses such a device, the creature suffers a -1 modifier on his Save for each +1 that the item has. If the item has additional abilities, each additional ability will also provide another -1 modifier. Threat of Imprisonment: If the caster has a device or spell that can imprison the summoned creature, it will receive a -4 modifier to its Save. Attacks: If a character attacks the summoned creature and does at least half its hits in damage to it, he may force the summoned creature to make a Save vs. Will or it must immediately agree to sealing a pact. However, attacking a creature you just summoned is extremely dangerous because attacking the creature will automatically free the summoned creature by negating the power of the Circle of Protection. This then allows the summoned creature to attack in turn. Magical Constraints & Spells: This is the safest method of sealing a pact because once cast, the summoned creature must make a Save vs. Will or it must seal the pact. Holy Magic: The caster may use Holy Symbols, Holy Water, Holy Oils, certain Divine and Mystic spells, and/or certain Holy or Mystic devices to force an evilly aligned summoned creature to make a Save vs. Will or be force to agree to a pact. Only individuals of a good disposition may use these things effectively for this purpose.

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Summoning by Name: If the character knows the common name of the summoned creature, he may use that common name to gain one additional chance of sealing a pact with the summoned creature. Also, many creatures will share their common names in exchange for release from a pact, enabling the caster to summon that creature by name the next time. True Name: If the caster is able to learn the True Name of a creature summoned from another plane, he will be able to use that True Name in order to coerce the creature into sealing any pact without delay. While knowledge of the creature’s True Name will allow the caster to cast spells upon it at will, simply possessing that knowledge is extremely dangerous as the creature will not rest until it has found a way to destroy or eliminate the one who knows its True Name. Additionally, there may be other beings or creatures who wish to learn the True Name of the summoned creature, and they may very well attempt to coerce this information from the caster using force or other painful methods.

Results

of the Summoning Summoning spells and rituals may result in one of the following circumstances: Failure To Correctly Inscribe A Circle Of Protection Or Thaumaturgic Triangle: Failure to correctly inscribe both the circle and the triangle will nullify the summoning spell. The creature will briefly appear and then vanish back to its home plane. Failure to properly inscribe either the circle or the triangle will result in the creature appearing, but not being constrained in any fashion. This can be very dangerous as the creature is free to act however it likes. Evil creatures may try to enslave, kill, or perhaps even possess the caster’s physical form. Good or neutral beings will most likely return to their home plan. Failure To Seal A Pact: Failure to seal a pact results in the creature being released from any restraint, allowing it to return to its home plane. Evil creatures may try to punish the caster first, especially if they believe that they can do so with comparative ease, or they may seek revenge at a later date. Successfully Sealing A Pact: Once a pact has been successfully sealed, the summoned creature may be made to perform a service for the caster. The exact type of service depends upon the type of creature and its level and capabilities. Should the caster command a summoned creature to perform a service that the creature is not able, or required by the pact, to perform, based on the type of creature summoned, the pact will be instantly broken. In such cases, the creature will usually just return to their home plane, although hostile or evil creatures may seek vengeance at a later date.

GM’s Section

Running Novus

One of the most important aspects of any game system is task resolution. This refers to how the GM and the players resolve the actions that the characters attempt to perform. The basic idea is that rolls should only be called for when required, or to increase dramatic tension. If the player wishes his character to perform an action, and the character has the required skill, and there is no undue pressure for the completion of the action, then it should succeed eventually, with no rolls being required. However, should the character be in danger or under some sort of pressure (time, adverse weather, etc.), or the GM wishes to heighten the dramatic tension of the scene, then he should ask the player to roll. Knowing when and when not to call for rolls is one of those things that a GM can only learn through experience. Keep in mind the advice just given, and that should lead you in the proper direction.

Resolving Rolls Resolving skills and other actions is very easy. The player rolls 2d10, adds in any skill bonuses and/or any other modifiers, and then compares the total against the Target Number (TN) for the task being attempted. If the result is equal to or greater than the TN (TN+), then the character has succeeded. If the result is less than the TN, then the character has failed. With the Exploding and Imploding mechanics, as described on p. 5, it is possible for player to make very low rolls, or exceedingly high rolls. These exceptional dice results can lead to the player earning Snag or Boon Points for his character. We go into more detail on Snags on p. 86 and Boons on p. 86.

Types

of Rolls There are several types of rolls in Novus, although they are all handled in the same basic manner. Skill Rolls: Skill rolls are very straight-forward; they follow the method of resolution listed above. Making attacks and casting spells are also considered skill rolls and they follow the same basic rules. Combat and Magic rolls will also often have additional effects or factors involved, and those are explained in the respective chapters on each. Characters may always attempt a skill roll, even if they have no ranks in the skill. In such cases, the character still receives any associated Stat Bonus. Skills that involve any sort of lore or knowledge may have their difficulties increased by 1 or 2 rating levels. There is always the chance that the character overheard some tidbit of knowledge and then forgot about it, but retrieving that knowledge that they don’t really know that they have should always be more difficult than retrieving knowledge from lessons learned. Saving Throws: There will be times when the character will want to resist some sort of effect; such as poisons, diseases, certain skills or actions, and/or spells. To resist these effects the player has to make a Saving Throw for his character. All Saving Throws have a base TN of 15. Exceptional rolls in using the skill or casting the spell may increase this TN. Additionally, certain things, such as poisons, diseases or traps, will have preset TNs that may be higher than the base of 15.

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GM’s Section In all cases, resolving the Saving Throw is similar to resolving any other skill roll. The player makes a standard (explosive) 2d10 roll, and adds in his bonus for the Save. Usually, this is the stat bonus of the relevant stat plus 5, but it is possible for other modifiers to be included as well. If this roll meets or exceeds the TN of the Saving Throw, then the character has made his Save, and whatever he was Saving against does not affect him or he receives a reduced effect of some sort, depending upon what the Save was against. There are some effects, such as poisons, where a successful Save results in half damage. In such cases, the GM should always round down when halving the effects of something. Since Saving Throws are explosive, just like other rolls, there is always the chance for characters to earn Boon or Snag Points. For any Snag Points earned, the player should choose options from the Snags table. For Boon Points, the player can spend 1 Boon Point to gain a +1 to all Saves of the same type (i.e. same Stat) that he makes within the next 24 hours. He may also use Boon Points to extend that duration by an additional 24 hours. He may also spend Boon Points to gain Fate Points, trading 2 Boon Points from a Saving Throw for 1 Fate Point. Opposed Rolls: There are times when a character’s rolls will be opposed by another character. This can sometimes be done through the use of another skill for a skill vs. skill roll. For skills that are opposed by another skill, the character opposing that roll will be required to make a skill roll against a TN of 18 + 1 for every 5 points above the TN that the initial skill roll was. A character may also always use Boon Points to increase the TN of the opposing roll. Additionally, there may be other modifiers that can apply, based upon the conditions and the actual skills to be used. Example: Joe is having his character, Argon, attempt to sneak past the Orc guard. So it is Argon’s Stealth vs. the Orc’s Perception. The GM determines that the Stealth roll will be a Hard roll (TN 20), and that the actual layout of the area makes it just a slight bit harder, for a final TN of 21. Argon’s Stealth skill bonus is 9. Joe rolls an 8 and a 10 and the extra die from the explosion rolls a 4, giving him a total of 31. This is 10 points above Argon’s TN, so the TN of the Orc’s Perception roll will be raised by 2 to a 20. Now, Argon also earned a Boon point with that roll, so he uses that to increase the TN of the opposed roll by another 2 points to 22. The GM decides that since the Orc has Nightvision, that he won’t increase the TN of the Perception roll due to the darkness. So, the final TN of the Perception roll will be 22 (18 base + 2 from rolling over the TN + 2 from the Boon). The Orc has a Perception skill bonus of 5. The GM rolls an 8 and a 4 for the Orc giving him a total of 17, and he fails to spot Argon sneaking past.

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Opposed Saves: There will be times when one or more characters (or NPCs) will oppose one another and where there are no skills involved. To resolve this, each character simply makes a Saving Throw (using the same TN) of the appropriate type. And the winner is the one who has the highest amount over TN of the Save. In cases of a tie, a second Saving Throw is made, and the TN of this second Save is 3 points higher than the one before. Repeat as required until there is a winner. Character Deductions: There may be times where the player’s character may have the ability to figure something out, but the player does not. In such cases, it would be proper for the GM to call for the character to make a Save vs. Intelligence. If this Saving Throw succeeds, then the character will remember some pertinent detail or fact that helps him figure it out. Exceptional rolls can allow for the character to remember more information. This type of roll can never give a character information that he would not already possess. This is meant to be an aid to the GM, especially when he makes a puzzle that is too hard for the player, but might not be for the character.

Base Difficulty Ratings Novus contains only a few base difficulty ratings. These ratings are the starting points from which a GM should determine the actual Target Number (TN) of a given task. Mundane (TN 10): This is the base Target Number (TN) for common everyday tasks performed by individuals going about their daily life. In most cases, rolls are not even required for these sorts of tasks. Average (TN 15): This is the base TN for tasks that are commonly performed in the course of adventuring. These are the things normally done under a little bit of stress. Hard (TN 20): Tasks of this difficulty often require that skilled person attempt them. They can be accomplished by the average person only with a bit of time and dedication and effort. Challenging (TN 25): Tasks of this difficulty require that skilled persons perform them. And even then, that person will likely be required to put forth time and effort to accomplish the task. Heroic (TN 35): Tasks of this difficulty are considered to be on the edge of mortal capabilities. These are the sort of tasks that might be considered world records. Legendary (TN 45): Actions of this Difficulty Rating are often a step beyond those of even the best of normal mortals.

GM’s Section Common Modifiers Condition TN Mod Combat Situation In melee (actually fighting) +10 Surrounded by melee +5 Under Ranged Attack +3 Lighting (if needed) Heavy Shadows +3 Dark (night, no moon) +5 Pitch Dark (no light) +10 Movement Tasks Loose footing (scree, etc) +3 Light Obstructions +5 Heavy Obstructions +8 Slightly Slippery (wet floor) +3 Very Slippery (ice sheet) +5 Angled or Sloped +3 Perception Tasks Hear through door +5 Hear through a stone wall +15 Per every 10’ to sound +1 Tracking in light rain +5 Tracking in heavy rain +12 Generic Minor Complication +3 Major Complication +5

Common Tasks Task TN Balance (on surface 7-12 inches wide) 15 Balance (on surface 2-6 inches wide) 18 Balance (on surface less than 2 inches wide) 22 Bluff (using Influence - something believable) 20 Climb Rope (knotted or bracing against wall - 5’/AP) 15 Climb (wall with ledges or ship rigging - 5’/AP) 15 Climb (few handholds, typical dungeon wall - 5’/AP) 20 Climb (rough rock wall or a brick wall - 5’/AP) 25 Disarm Trap (average trap) 20 Pick Lock (a simple lock) 20 Pick Lock (an average lock) 25 Locate hidden opening 20 Long Jump (20’ running start, per foot of distance to 1 jump; Halflings add 5 to overall TN)* High Jump (per unit equal to 1/2 of jumper’s height, 8 requires 20’ running start)* Lore (common knowledge to a known specialty) 13 Lore (uncommon fact for known specialty) 18 Lore (obscure fact for known specialty) 25 Moving Silently ( Stealth - while alone - 5’/AP) 18 Perform (routine quality, earn up to 1d10 cp/day) 15 Perform (enjoyable quality, earn up to 1d10 bp/day) 20 Perform (excellent quality, earn up to 2d10 sp/day) 25 Riding (control mount in battle) 20 Tracking (soft ground) 18 Tracking (hard ground) 23 * = This is a cumulative modifier to the TN, for example, a 20’ Longjump would have a TN of 20 and a TN of 25 for Halflings. It will take practice to learn how to properly set the Target Numbers of tasks. The Common Tasks table contains a list of some of the more common actions that the characters might perform, and their Target Numbers. This table also provides the GM with a guideline for determining the Target Numbers of tasks not on the list because it gives him some baselines from which to compare other possible actions. Common Modifiers Once the GM has determined the base difficulty of the task, the next step is to apply any modifiers to the TN of the task that might apply. Usually, these will depend upon the situation. The most common modifiers apply to whether or not the character attempting the task is in a combat related situation and whether or not he has enough light to properly perform the task. Since it is impossible to predict each and every thing that might possibly impact on a character’s ability to perform a given task, we also provide some generic modifiers that can be applied to almost any situation. They can be found on the Common Modifiers table. These generic modifiers should be applied once for each condition that affects the situation at hand.

Snags For every full 10 points below the Target Number of a task that the character’s total roll is he earns one Snag Point. The Player must then immediately spend any Snag Points that he has earned by purchasing Snags from the Snags table (p. 123). Not every Snag will be appropriate to the task being attempted, so the player will usually be limited in what Snags that he may choose. Once chosen, the GM, or the player if the GM allows, will then narrate the sequence of events detailing the specific results of the Snag. As always, the GM is the one who decides if a specific Snag is appropriate for a given situation.

Boons For every full 10 points over the Target Number of a task that the character’s total roll is he earns one Boon Point. The Player must then immediately spend any Boon Points that he has earned by purchasing one or more Boons from the appropriate Boon table; Combat, Magic or Skill. The Boon tables can be found starting on p. 122. Not every Boon will be appropriate to every situation. It is up to the GM to make the final determination about which is appropriate to the given situation.

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GM’s Section

Occupational Hazards Adventurers face many dangers when they go exploring ruins, chasing after bad guys, or generally just having a good time. In this section we will cover some of those dangers and provide you, the GM, with some guidelines on how to handle them.

Falling Damage Adventurers are sometimes clumsy folk. They occasionally fall or get pushed off things such as ladders, walls, ropes, cliffs. When a character falls, he is going to get hurt. To resolve a fall, the GM should make an attack roll, adding a +1 to the attack roll for every 2 feet fallen as if it were an attack bonus. Characters with the Acrobatics skill may use that skill to adjust this distance. The character will not get his normal DEF against falls. Instead he only receives his Speed bonus and any magical bonuses to his DEF. Also, armor will provide no reduction of damage for falls. The fall will inflict 1 point of Base Damage for every 2’ that the character has fallen. Boon Points earned by the fall will always be used for additional damage, but not for any damage multipliers.

Extreme Temperatures Adventuring characters will often travel to areas where they are exposed to extremes of temperature. These extreme temperatures can be as deadly as the most ferocious monster. Heat When operating in temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) a character must make a Save vs. Con (TN 20) every hour or receive a cumulative -1 modifier to all actions. If the temperature is above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius), the Save must be made every 10 minutes. The modifiers will remain until the character can cool off by locating shade, immersing himself in water, or waiting until night falls. If the character is wearing heavy clothes or armor, increase the Save TN by 2 points per step (i.e. Soft Leather armor gives a Save vs. Con (TN 22), Reinforced Leather gives Save vs. Con (TN 24), etc.). If the temperature is above 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54 degrees Celsius), the character will take 1d10 points of heat damage for every failed Save. If the character is wearing metal armor, change it to 2d10 hits of heat damage. Note: Proper attire, such as loose robes and head coverings, will offer a bonus of +4 to the Save. Cold Hypothermia and freezing to death are two of the main hazards when dealing with extreme cold. When operating in temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) a character must make a Save vs. Con (TN 20) every hour or receive a cumulative -1 modifier to all actions. If the temperature is below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius), the Save must be made every 10 minutes.

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These modifiers can only be reduced by the character finding a place of warmth in which he can warm up. The modifiers will be reduced by -1 for every 10 minutes spent enjoying the warmth. Should a character reach a modifier of -20, he will need to make another Save vs. Con (TN 25) or he will fall asleep and freeze to death in a number of hours equal to 1d10 plus his Constitution stat bonus.

Handling Traps At some point or another, players are going to go adventuring and run into a trap. These guidelines will help you, as the GM, be able to resolve them in a consistent manner. A Trap has 3 main attributes: its difficulty to detect, its difficulty to disarm and its attack (usually an AB-based attack or a poison attack). Detecting Traps The Target Number (TN) given for detecting a trap presumes that the character is actively searching for a trap. If a character is not specifically searching for a trap, then the TN for spotting it is increased by 5. Thus, a trap that is listed as having a TN 18 to detect will have a TN of 23 if the player isn’t actively looking for traps. Disarming Traps A trap’s description will also give the Target Number for disarming it. Characters that have a Lore: Traps skill can use any earned Boon Points in their attempts to disarm treating it as a related skill roll.The difficulty of disarming the trap will take into account the location of the mechanisms of the trap in relation to its trigger and what is involved in disarming it. Triggering Traps If a character triggers a trap, whether by accident or on purpose, then use the following procedure to resolve it: • Roll Initiative: The trap gets a straight 2d10 while the character gets all normal modifiers. If the character was unaware of the trap when he triggered it, he receives a -20 modifier to his initiative for being surprised. • If the character wins initiative, this means that he has glimpsed something and can then perform an action, as detailed in Canceling an Action on p. 43. Then the effect of the attack takes place according to its description. Depending upon the nature of the trap and the action declared, the trap could miss (i.e. dodging an arrow trap) or the action could have no effect (i.e. dodging inside a gas cloud). • If the trap wins the initiative, then it is triggered and takes effect according to its description. The notation for describing traps is as follows: Trap Name: Detect/Disarm; AB Type of Attack (Base Damage); Additional Description/Notes

GM’s Section Normal Vision: With normal vision, characters can see clearly during the day. On a starlit night, a character can see up to 30’ clearly. With nothing more than the ambient light of a full moon, the character can see up to 150’. In an interior setting, using artificial illumination (such as a torch or lantern), a character can see clearly within the limits of the lighting, and is able to see dimly (-8 to Perception rolls) out to an additional distance equal to one half of the illuminated radius. For instance, if a character is using a torch that illuminates a 20’ radius, the character can see clearly up to 20’ away. They also have the ability (with the -8 modifier) to see up to, but not beyond, 30’ away. Nightvision: With Nightvision, characters can see clearly up to 100’ on a starlit night and up to 500’ by the light of a full moon. In an interior setting, with artificial illumination, the character can see clearly up to double (or triple, if they have Greater Nightvision) the normal radius of the lighting. Characters can also see dimly (-8 to Perception rolls) an additional distance equal to the illumination provided by the light source. For instance, if a character is using a torch that illuminates a 20’ radius, the character can see clearly up to 40’ away and dimly (with the -8 modifier) from 40’ to 60’ away. If he had Greater Nightvision, he could see clearly up to 60’ and then an additional 20’ at a -8. Darkvision: The character can see out to the full range of his Darkvision, which may vary from character to character, when in complete, non-magical darkness. With no illumination everything is seen in shades of grey, illumination allows them to see in color. He can also see clearly up to twice the normal range of their Darkvision on a starlit night and up to 10x that range when they have the light of a full moon available. When using artificial illumination, the character can see clearly, up to a distance equal to the range of his Darkvision, past the normal area illuminated. He can also see dimly (-8 to Perception rolls) for the same distance as his Darkvision beyond what he can see clearly. Thus, if a character is using a torch that illuminates a 20’ radius, and the character has Darkvision up to 30’, the character can see clearly up to 50’ and they would be able to see dimly (with the -8 modifier) up to, but not beyond, 80’ away.

Sample Traps The following samples are just a small selection of the possibilities. Variations also exist, some being easier to detect and/or disarm, some being harder. The Attack Bonus of a given trap may also vary, depending upon how well it is constructed. Arrow Trap: TN 20/TN 25; +15 Arrow/Bolt (6); Triggering the trap fires an arrow or crossbow bolt at the target. Blade Trap: TN 25/TN 20; +24 Large Blade (9); A large scything blade springs out of a hidden recess to strike the target. Dart Storm (10’R): TN 15/TN 25; +6 Darts (2); Each person within the radius takes 2d10 dart attacks. For each dart, add +1 to the AB and +1 to the amount of damage done. These darts are often coated in poison, increase the Save target number by +1 for each dart that hits a target. Pit Trap (20’): TN 20/TN 25; +4 Fall (10); A mechanism drops the floor out from under character(s). It is usually spring loaded to snap back into place. See Falling Damage on p. 87 for additional information.

Landslides/Cave-ins One of the hazards of adventuring is falling objects, such as from landslides and cave-ins. Depending upon the size of the falling objects and the area that they cover, and how close the character is to the edge, the GM may allow for an Acrobatics roll, minimum TN 20, for the character to attempt to escape the danger zone. If the character is unable to escape, then he will likely take damage from things falling on him. A landslide or avalanche is often very deadly. Anybody caught in the middle will take a +30 attack that does 10 points of Base Damage each round for the duration of the landslide (normally 2-10 rounds - roll 2d10, divide by 2). A cave-in is like a landslide, but it is usually confined to a much smaller, enclosed area and it often does not last nearly as long as a landslide can. Cave-ins will last for 1-5 rounds (roll 1d10, divide by 2, round up), and they have an attack bonus of +20. The Base Damage for a cave-in is 10 points, the same as a landslide. It is possible for there to be variations to both of these events. Some might be smaller and/or lighter while others might be longer, larger and/or be more damaging. The above rules represents the average cave-in and landslide.

Light & Vision Adventures take place in many different settings; and lighting, or the lack of it, can play a key role in how the adventure plays out. Characters generally have one of three separate types of vision: Normal, Nightvision, and Darkvision. Each provides a character with the unique capability to see in environments where illumination is insufficient.

Light Sources The number of light sources available in a fantasy game can range widely from simple torches to several spells. Each light source, however, illuminates a certain radius. The following list offers a few examples of light sources for easy reference: Light Source Area Illuminated Candle 5’ radius Lantern, Large 25’ radius Lantern, Small 15’ radius Light spell 10’ radius (base) Torch 20’radius

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GM’s Section Limited Visibility When adventuring outdoors, there are certain weather conditions that can hamper and/or impede upon how far a character is able to effectively see. In foggy conditions, characters will be limited to seeing no more 50’ if the fog is light, 30’ if it is a moderate amount of fog, and 10’ if the fog is heavy. Light rain or snow will automatically reduce how far a character can see by half. If the rain or snow is moderate, then the maximum distance that a character can see will be 50’ and in heavy rain or snow, he will only be able to see a maximum distance of 30’ These distances do not take into account any lighting conditions or sources that might be in use. If the lighting conditions or light sources in use indicate a smaller sight distance, then that should be used instead of these distances.

Starvation & Thirst In a moderate climate, a character will require the equivalent of approximately 1 gallon of water and 1 pound of food per day. These measures constitute one “ration” of each. If the character does not meet those requirements, he will deteriorate and eventually die. Characters in an extremely hot climate will require an extra ration of water each day, while those in an extremely cold climate require an extra ration of food. Starvation A character can survive for about a month without food. For each daily ration that is missed, the character will receive a -1 modifier. When the character reaches -20 he will no longer be able to feed himself, and when he reaches -30, he will die. Thirst Dying of thirst is faster than dying of starvation. Each day without a ration of water will result in the character receiving a -3 modifier. As with Starvation, at -20, he will be helpless and when he reaches -30, he will die. Half-rations If a character, who has received modifiers for either starvation or thirst or both, is able to consume at least half of a normal ration, he will not deteriorate any further, but he will not get better either. Recovery The only way to remove the modifiers from starvation and thirst is by eating and drinking. Healing magic will not work. Each day that the character consumes a normal ration of food, the negative modifier for starvation is reduced by 1 and if he consumes a normal ration of water will, the negativemodifier for thirst will be reduced by 3.

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Watery Hazards While rivers and lakes have always been important avenues of travel, they can be both a nuisance and hazard for characters that must somehow cross them. A character may freely wade through still or slowly moving water that is not above his head at a rate of 10’ per round without being required to make a roll. If the water is fast moving, or the ground under the water is especially slick, the GM may require a Save vs. Dex for a character to be able to keep his feet. Swimming If the water is above the head of the character, he will have to swim. Swimming across a slow moving stream or river will be a Athletics roll (TN 12) while attempting to swim across rapids will be a TN 30 roll. Rapids can easily sweep a character far downstream. Even just keeping one’s head above water would be considered a TN 25 Athletics roll. The penalties for armor and encumbrance are tripled when swimming. Drowning A character is able to hold his breath for 25 rounds plus a number of rounds equal to his Constitution Stat Value. Once this time has expired, the character must begin making a Save vs. Con (TN 20) each round. Should the character fail one roll, he immediately falls unconscious and will die in 1d10 rounds. Quicksand Quicksand can appear in any location where sand and water mix. Shallow quicksand is a nuisance and can be escaped easily, but deep pits of quicksand are more problematic. Attempting to float and/or “dog paddle” towards the edge of a quicksand pool will be at least a TN 20 Athletics roll. If the character panics or even just flails about, they will sink at a rate of 5” inches per round if they are unarmored. Increase the rate of sinking by 2 inches for every -1 modifier from armor and encumbrance. Also, once a character sinks below the surface, he will drown as described above. Pulling oneself or another out of quicksand requires Save vs. Str (TN 18) at the very least.

GM’s Section

Strategic Movement Characters that are in a combat situation have a movement rate that is based upon their size and race. However, outside of combat, characters will basically adjust their movement rates according to the slowest member of the group. The Movement By Terrain Type table provides a simple method of determining the distance traveled based upon the movement type and the terrain type.

Injuries, Healing & Death The challenge of adventure brings with it a great risk of injury or death. This heightens the sense of danger and makes the rewards of successful adventuring all the more meaningful. A taste of fright gets the adrenaline flowing. Because of these risks, we provide guidelines on injuries, healing, and death.

Injuries & Healing Most all injuries result from combat and take the form damage that is subtracted from the character’s hit points. However, some Boon Point options may include other forms of damage, such as Bleeding. Hit Points – By far the most common type of damage. A character will normally heal a number of hit points equal to 5 + his Constitution Stat Bonus with 8 hours of rest or sleep. Should a character make a successful First Aid roll (TN 20) on the injured character before he rests, then the injured character will regain an extra number of hits equal to the number of ranks that the character applying the First Aid has in his skill. Characters can never regain hit points in excess of their starting, fully healthy values. Bleeding – This is the loss of hit points over a continuous period. Bleeding will not stop unless specific action is taken to stop it (i.e. a First Aid roll). The Target Number for stopping Bleeding is 15 + 3 for each point of Bleeding. Thus the TN for stopping a wound that is Bleeding 1 hit point per round is 18, and the TN for a wound that is Bleeding 2 points per round is 21, and so forth. Stat Damage – Should a character receive any sort of stat damage, he can usually regain 1 point to that stat for each full day (24 hours) of complete bed rest. However, this can never raise the stat above its pre-damage values.

Death & Dying Should a character take enough hit points of damage to give him a hit point total of 0 to -10, the character will be helpless, and unable to do anything other than attempt to stabilize himself using First Aid (TN 25). Others may also attempt to stabilize the character using First Aid. Once a character has a negative hit point value, he is considered to be dying and will lose 1 additional hit point each round. When he reaches -11 hit points, he will be unconscious and unable to do anything to aid himself. At that point, it will require somebody else to perform the First Aid to stabilize the character and prevent him from dying. When the character reaches a negative hit point value equal to 10 plus his Constitution Stat Value, the character will be dead. This means that a character with a Constitution Stat Value of 13 can go down to -24 hits before he actually dies. The above rules regarding Death & Dying normally apply to characters and important non-player characters (NPCs) only. They do not normally apply to average monsters or unimportant NPCs. Thus, most Monsters and NPCs simply die once they reach zero hit points.

Spheres

of Influence

The School of Divine Magic is a listing of generic spells relating to the Divine. This list works well for a generic deity or for a setting that includes only a single deity. However, it falls short when the campaign takes place in a setting with multiple deities. In fact, a campaign setting could include multiple religions, and thus multiple Cleric classes, all focused on a single deity. For example, Belnus the Guiding Light, God of the Sun, the Day and the Truth, may be the focus of several religious orders. One order might focus on Belnus being the God of Truth and work well with the court systems, and have spells that divine the truth or force targets to tell the truth. Another Belnus sect could be focused on defending people from creatures of the night, such as demons, devils, and undead. As such, they would focus on spells that work against those types of creatures. It is up to the GM to create a spell list for each specific deity and/or religion in his campaign setting. This should be a small list of 10 or 11 spells, like the spell lists for the Schools of Magic found within this book.

Movement By Terrain Type

Movement Type Roadway Average Ground* Rough Ground* Mountainous* Sneaking 5 4 2 1 Careful Walk 8 7 3 2 Normal Walk 10 9 5 3 Forced March 14 12 7 4 Slow Ride (mount) 12 11 5 2 Fast Ride (mount) 20 16 10 — Slow Ride (vehicle) 11 9 4 2 Fast Ride (vehicle) 15 12 8 — Note: Table gives miles traveled in 4 hour period. * = Reduce distance traveled by 1/3 in Lightly Forested Terrain and by 1/2 in Heavily Forested Terrain.

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GM’s Section The spells within the list should reflect the nature, or Sphere of Influence, of the deity that the Cleric worships. The Cleric of a Sea God would not have spells that deal with fire, just as the Cleric of a Night God will not have light spells, but would have spells that allow for seeing at night or in the dark. As more spells are made available for the other Schools of Magic, the GM should expand the lists for Clerics accordingly as well.

Advancing Levels All characters begin their career at full adulthood. This being the case, they have already acquired a good amount of experience just from growing up and training for their chosen profession. Thus, all “first level” characters start off with a base of 100 experience points. Characters will then gain experience points as they have adventures and accomplish various goals. When the character reaches the required number of experience points for the next level, he automatically advances to and becomes that level. Once a character goes up a level, the player gets 15 Character Points to spend on developing his character. Thus a character moving from first to second or from second to third receives 15 CP. If the character were going from third to fourth level, he would get another 15 CP. Players can spend the newly received Character Points on Skills, Combat Moves, Spells and/or available Talents as he see fits, including the Talent that allows him to increase his Stats (see p. 31). However, some GMs may require that the player wait until the character is someplace where he can train. The Experience Points table shows how many experience points a character is required to earn to advance to the next level.

Awarding Experience Points While determining the amount of experience points to be awarded to characters is completely up to the Game Master (GM), it is also important for the players to understand how the GM is awarding experience points and why he is doing so.

Experience Awards Description XP Base XP award for an adventure 30 Group Awards XP Adventure Length Per Game Session +50 Adventure Result Successful +50 Unsuccessful, but the PCs can soon fix +0 Unsuccessful, with no chance to fix* -20 Encounters For each successful encounter +15 For each unsuccessful encounter +5 Individual Awards Heroic/Dramatic Actions Increased overall enjoyment of the game +10 Posed a serious risk to the character +10 Accomplish Goals Accomplished a party goal +20 Accomplished a personal goal +10 Plot Elements Contributes major plot element +20 Contributes minor plot element +10 Uses character background/flaw to contribute +10 a plot element to the adventure/story * = Only applies to the Base xp award for the adventure. Experience Awards Key The Experience Awards table has several sections. Each is described more fully below. Base Adventure Reward – Every adventure will have this as its base, to which the other experience award modifiers are added or subtracted. Group Awards – The following experience awards are added to the Base Adventure Award and this total is given to all characters who participated in the adventure. The total is not split between the characters; each character receives the full amount. Session Length – A game session is defined as 4-6 hours of role-playing when dealing with adventures that occur over multiple sessions. It is possible to have entire adventures between the sessions belonging to a single, longer adventure. It is also possible that only a short amount of time in a given session is spent on the longer adventure, while the characters deal with other things going on.

Experience Points Level XP Required 1 100 2 300 3 600 4 1,000 5 1,500 6 2,100 7 2,800 8 3,600 9 4,500 10 5,500 11 6,600 12 7,800 13 9,100 14 10,500 15 12,000 16 13,600 17 15,300 18 17,100 19 19,000 20 21,000 +1 lvl +5,000/lvl

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GM’s Section In such cases, it is up to the GM to track the rough amount of time spent on the longer, more drawn out adventures, so that he can properly award experience. Adventure Result – This award is based upon whether or not the character successfully accomplished the main goal of the adventure. They either did, or they did not but can still fix things in the next session, or they failed to complete the adventure in a manner that cannot be fixed. Encounters – During the course of the adventure, the characters will have encounters. These could be planned encounters, such as the players having to negotiate with a trader for some information, or it could be a random encounter with a wandering monster. Either way, each encounter adds to the total value of the adventure. Successful means that the goal of the encounter was accomplished. The information was gained, the monster vanquished or chased off, etc. Individual Awards – In addition to the group awards, each individual character may also earn additional awards. Heroic/Dramatic Actions – Characters that perform heroic or dramatics actions that add to the overall enjoyment of the game gain additional experience points. Also, if the actions pose a serious risk to the health or life of the character, beyond the standard risks involved in adventuring, they can get yet another bonus to the experience points earned.

Accomplishing Goals – In order to complete an adventure, the characters will have to complete one or more goals associated with that adventure. The character that completes a given goal gains experience points for doing so. Players should also be encouraged to draw up a list of personal goals for their characters so that the GM can give them opportunities to accomplish them. Personal goals should never be normal mundane activities. They can, however, include things like “joining a specific organization”, but only when the joining requires some special condition to be met, such as needing the recommendation of an existing member, and existing members never give recommendations except until the candidate proves themselves in some capacity. Plot Elements – A campaign is made up of numerous adventures. During the course of the campaign, there will be many plot elements that the characters follow. Some will lead to specific adventures, while others will sometimes fade away. The players themselves are often a good source for plot elements that are incorporated into the ongoing adventures of the campaign. When a player provides the GM with something that can be made into a plot element, the GM should reward the player by doling out additional experience points for it. If the plot element is formed out of something from the player’s character’s past or from an aspect of the character that might otherwise be considered a flaw of the character, so much the better because it will help tie the character, and thus the interest of the players to the game in a stronger fashion. Don’t forget, however, that the ultimate goal of any game is for everybody to have fun.

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GM’s Section

Creatures & Treasures

One of the standard tropes of a fantasy role-playing game is that the characters will fight creatures and find treasure, including magical items. Novus is no exception. In this chapter, we will go over the basics of determining a “random” encounter, provide you with a selection of creatures that can be used as opponents for the characters, and even provide you with some sample treasures that you can use as rewards.

Encounters There are two possible types of encounters that characters can have. They are as follows:

Planned Encounters The first is a Planned Encounter. This may something like meeting a stranger at a crossroad who provides the character with information that aids in his adventure. Another example is the climactic battle with the main bad guy of the adventure. Basically, a planned encounter is any encounter that the GM has planned in advance

Random Encounters The second type of encounter is the Random Encounter. It is an encounter that is not planned in advance. More often than not, this sort of encounter will not have any impact on the main goal of the adventure, but depending on where it happened, it is always possible that it could.

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Encounter Checks The GM should roll to check for encounters periodically. If the characters are traveling then the GM should make an Encounter Check once for every 4 hours, or portion thereof, that the party has traveled. This means that if the party is traveling for 5 hours, that the GM should make 2 Encounter Checks. If the party is camped, the GM should make an Encounter Check for every 8 hours, or portion thereof, that the party is camped. Thus, if the party camps for 12 hours, the GM should make 2 Encounter checks. To actually make an Encounter Check, the GM rolls 2d10 and adds in a number of modifiers based on the situation. If the result of the Encounter Check is 20 or higher, then the party has been spotted by something. This “something” may then decide to leave them alone, follow them, set a trap for them, or even attack them, depending upon its nature. If the result is 25 or higher, then the party will meet the “encounter” directly. Some examples of this might be the party entering a clearing just as a Goblin patrol enters from a different direction, or stumbling upon a monster as it is eating something that it has caught. Encounter Check Modifiers There are a number of different modifiers that can be applied to an Encounter Check. The actual modifier applied will vary depending upon the situation. Please note that not every modifier will apply in every situation. For example, Terrain modifiers are unlikely to apply in an urban environment.

GM’s Section Party Size: The number of characters in the party will provide a modifier. If there are fewer than 4 members in the party, there is a -2 modifier for each one less than four. If there is more than four, then apply a +1 for each member over four that there is. Mounts and pack animals count as 2 members each. Vehicles such as carts and wagons give a +5 modifier per vehicle if they are less than 6’ in length, and a +10 modifier if they are larger than 6’ in length. For this, the draft animal(s) pulling the vehicle are not counted when determining the modifier. Weather: The weather can also have an impact on whether or not the party has an encounter, the more inclement the weather, the less likely that an encounter will occur. If there is light rain or snow, apply a -2 modifier. Moderate rain or snow gives a -5 modifier, and heavy rain or snow gives a -10 modifier. Terrain: The terrain can have a huge impact on the Encounter Check. Open, flat ground with little or no vegetation will give a +5 modifier to the Encounter Check. Rough ground, on the other hand, gives a -5 modifier. In a light forest, the Encounter Check receives an additional -3 modifier and heavy forest gives a -5 modifier. All terrain modifiers are cumulative. Travel Speed: Characters who are sneaking or moving carefully, slower than the standard movement rate for the terrain that they are in (see the Movement By Terrain Type table on p. 90), will receive a -10 modifier to the Encounter Check, while those moving faster than normal will receive a +5 modifier. Hostile Area: If the party is in an area that controlled by forces or creatures that are actively hostile to the party, then their chances for having an encounter are increased based upon the circumstances. If the hostile forces have patrols out, then the Encounter Check will receive a +2 modifier if the party is in a wilderness area, a +5 modifier if the party is in a rural area, or a +10 modifier if the party is in an urban area controlled by the hostile forces. If the hostile forces have already spotted the party once and are actively pursuing them (i.e. a hue and cry pursuit, not simply tracking them at a distance), then the Encounter Check will receive a +5 modifier for wilderness areas and a +10 modifier for rural and urban areas. Population Density: The Encounter Check should be modified by +10 when near urban areas and +5 when near rural areas. However, in such areas, the encounters will be with residents, travelers and/or other locals, not with monsters normally. Such encounters could include pilgrims, patrols, messengers, scouts, bandits, traders, etc. It depends on the actual location and several other factors such as how close to a city or village the party is among other things.

Creatures The following list of creatures is given to provide the GM with a small, but versatile selection of monsters and other adversaries. Stat Block Overview The creature stat block is relatively simple: Name: This is the common name of the creature. Different locations and races may have different names for it. Level (Lvl): This is the most common level of the creature. Some may be tougher or weaker than the norm. Hits: This is how many Hit Points that the creature has. Move: This is how far the creature may move per AP spent. This is where you will also find the movement rate for alternative methods of movement. Defense (DEF): This is the creature’s Defense rating. Armor Rating (AR): Many creatures have a natural Armor Rating. This is listed here. Attacks: This is where the creature’s attack(s) are listed. The format is Attack Bonus, Type of Attack and then the Base Damage that the attack does, in parenthesis. Stats: Creatures have the same stats as characters. They are listed in alphabetical order, with the stat, then its bonus in parenthesis, followed by a “/” and then the creature’s bonus for Saving Throws. Skills: We list the creature’s most common skills, and their total bonus in this section. Size: This is the size of the creature and its rough weight. # Encountered (# Enc): This tells how many are usually found when they are encountered. The GM is free to adjust according to the situation. Abilities: A listing of any special abilities that the creature has.

Ant, Giant Lvl: 1 Hits: 47 Move: 10’ DEF: 20 AR: 10 Attacks: 8 Bite (8) Stats: Chr: 10(0)/5; Con: 13(1)/6; Dex: 10(0)/5; Int: 2(-3)/2; Spd: 16(2)/7 Str: 14(1); Will: 11(0)/5; Wis: 13(1)/5

Skills: Perc. (9); Stealth (5); Tracking (4) Size: 2’-3’ long, 10-15 lbs # Enc: 2-20 or 20-200 (ant hill) Giant Ants build extensive underground tunnel systems, with ant hills that stand 4 to 6 feet tall. They can be found in almost any climate and terrain type, although they seem to prefer warmer zones. Giant Ants are omnivores, willing to eat almost anything. Groups of ants have been known to attack prey that is larger than themselves, and to fiercely defend against any perceived threats to themselves, their nests, and any food.

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GM’s Section Basilisk

Boar

Lvl: 10 Hits: 107 Move: 15’ DEF: 19 AR: 15 Attacks: 22 Bite (11); 22 Claws (13); Gaze* Stats: Chr: 11(0)/5; Con: 15(1)/6; Dex: 10(0)/5;

Lvl: 4 Hits: 76 Move: 10’ DEF: 17 AR: 5 Attacks: 13 Tusks (9) Stats: Chr: 10(0)/5; Con: 22(4)/9; Dex: 10(0)/5; Int: 2(-3)/2; Spd: 14(1)/6; Str: 15(1)/6; Will: 2(-3)/2; Wis: 13(1)/6

Int: 2(-3)/2; Spd: 13(1)/6; Str: 25(5)/10; Will: 13(1)/6; Wis: 12(0)/5

Skills: Perc. (12); Stealth (6); Tracking (7) Size: 3.5’-6’ long; 200-600 lbs # Enc: 1-5

Skills: Perc. (17); Stealth (11); Tracking (12) Size: 10’-12’ long; 1400-2000 lbs # Enc: 1 Abilities: • Immune to venoms & poisons • Petrification Gaze*: usable once per round on foe within 10’ – Save vs. Will to avoid meeting its gaze. If you meet its gaze, Save vs. Con or be turned to stone for 20-200 days.

Basilisks are large lizard-like creatures that somewhat resemble wingless dragons at a distance. However, their bodies are more sinuous than that of a Dragon, and the Basilisk never has any horns or other protrusions. Additionally, the skin of the Basilisk is made of much smaller scales than those of a Dragon and is more like the skin of a snake. Basilisks are not very intelligent, and often unaware of the destruction their presence wreaks. Basilisks are not immune to their own Gaze ability. Also, any possessions carried or held by the target of the Gaze attack are also transformed to stone. Myths & Legends It is widely believed that the petrification caused by the Basilisk is permanent. If the statue created by the Basilisk’s Gaze is damaged, the petrification will be permanent. However, if the statue is repaired, then it can return to its original form when the petrification wears off. It is also rumored that a cup of Basilisk blood poured over a Basilisk created statue can also restore it to life. This is true, so long as the statue is intact.

Wild Boars are found in many forested areas. They are omnivorous, eating anything and everything, even bones. This makes them popular pets for some, especially those with bodies to dispose of. Others, such as Orcs and Goblins allow Boars to run loose in their homes. This helps keep them clean of refuse, and the Boars also make for excellent guards. Boars are extremely territorial and dangerous if spooked or if they feel threatened. Their tusks, used primarily for digging up roots, make formidable weapons. They are quite often hunted for their flesh, which many consider to be extremely tasty. Boar hunters often do so with a special spear fitted with a cross beam that is intended to prevent an impaled Boar from pushing forward along the spear shaft to gore its tormentor.

Cat, Large Lvl: 5 Hits: 63 Move: 10’ DEF: 18 AR: 5 Attacks: 11 Claws (12), 11 Bite (10) Stats: Chr: 10(0)/5; Con: 15(1)/6; Dex: 19(3)/8; Int: 2(-3)/2; Spd: 18(2)/7; Str: 16(2)/7; Will: 13(1)/6; Wis: 12(0)/5

Skills: Perc. (12); Stealth (10); Tracking (11) Size: 3’-5’ long; 150-300 lbs # Enc: 1-4 This creature is actually a bit of a generic composite used to represent several different species of Large Cat like the Cougar, Jaguar, Leopard, Lion, Lynx, Panther, and/or Tiger. The GM is encouraged to vary the description of the Large Cat based upon the location in which it is encounters.

Beetle, Giant Stag Lvl: 3 Hits: 66 Move: 10’ DEF: 17 AR: 10 Attacks: 11 Bite (13) Stats: Chr: 9(-1)/4; Con: 17(2)/7; Dex: 10(0)/5; Int: 2(-3)/2; Spd: 13(1)/6; Str: 23(4)/9; Will: 12(0)/5; Wis: 10(0)/5

Skills: Perc. (10); Stealth (5); Tracking (5) Size: 4’-6’ long; 200-500 lbs # Enc: 2-5 Giant Beetles are normally scavengers, feeding off the carrion left by other creatures, but if carrion is scarce, they are not above killing living creatures to feed themselves. The Giant Stag Beetle is the most benign of all of the Giant Beetles as it lacks the additional capabilities, such as elemental attacks, of some of its cousins. The shell of the Giant Stag Beetle is prized for use in armors and in making shields since it is both exceedingly tough and lightweight.

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GM’s Section Cockatrice

Demons (all)

Lvl: 7 Hits: 55 Move: 2’; 10’ flight DEF: 21 AR: 12 Attacks: 20 Bite (6)*; 20 Claws x2 (8 each) Stats: Chr: 9(-1)/4; Con: 11(0)/5; Dex: 17(2)/7;

Demons are creatures and beings from a group of related planes known as the Abyss. These planes are also known as the Nether Realms. The Nether Realms, Hades (see p. 99), and the Shadow Realms (see p. 110) are collectively known as the Infernal Realms. Demons are extremely chaotic and evil in nature, and revel in the torture and slaughter of those weaker than themselves. They are only held in check through a ruthless hierarchy that is ruled over by a Demon known as Mephistopheles. Mephistopheles has been known throughout the centuries by a variety of names including Abbadon, Mephisto, Typhon, and Beelzebub. It is said that his hatred is all consuming and that he would bring down his own realm to destroy all of creation. When a Demon is summoned or evoked, they must be dealt with severely and quickly. Even the slightest hesitation will be interpreted as weakness. This causes the Demon to believe that it can twist and pervert the meaning of the summoner’s commands. Although Demons are vicious and cruel by their very nature, they do fear the powers of good and of deities. They will often initially recoil from the sight of holy symbols and artifacts of a divine nature. There is a great enmity between Demons and Devils. All Demons must always attack Devils upon sight, or else they face the wrath of Mephistopheles himself. All Demons have the following attributes in common: • Immune to venoms and poisons • Immune to non-magical weapons (damage from such weapons heals almost instantly) • Repulsed by Holy Symbol: Demon must make Save vs. Will or avert its gaze and be unable to approach wielder for 1-2 minutes. • Hurt by Holy Oil and Holy Water as described in the Bless Water/Oil spell description (p. 66). • Immune to all influence and control spells that are not specifically designed for controlling or influencing demons. • Possession: Demons of 5th level or higher may attempt to possess the physical form of any living creature. Target must make a Save vs. Will to resist. Possession attacks may only be used against a single individual not more than once per hour. Demons may only make a total number of possession attacks each day equal to its level.

Int: 2(-3)/2; Spd: 18(2)/7; Str: 6(-2)/3; Will: 13(1)/6; Wis: 13(1)/6

Skills: Perc. (15); Stealth (11); Tracking (10) Size: 2’-5’ long; 15-30 lbs # Enc: 1-2 Abilities: • Poisonous Bite*: Saves vs. Con or lose 1-3 (1d10 divided by 3, round down) points of Speed and Dexterity. See description below for more details.

The Cockatrice looks like a cross between a lizard and rooster, and its length does include its long scaly tail. It is covered in small scales, and its wings are feathered. The Cockatrice is feared because its bite delivers a poison that calcifies the flesh and bone of the target. If the victim fails his Save vs. Con, he loses points of both Speed and Dexterity. Boon Points earned by the bite attack can be used to increase the TN of the Save by 2 for every Boon Point spent. Once a target reaches zero in both Speed and Dexterity, he is fully turned to stone, but his items and equipment are not. He may then, once per day, make a Save vs. Con (same TN as the original Save) to recover from the petrification. Should the target fail this daily Save 3 times, the petrification becomes permanent. Any creature restored to flesh normally does so with a Speed and Dexterity of 1. They will then naturally regain 1 point of each stat per day until they are at their former levels. Some types of magical healing can also restore the damage to the stats as well.

Demon Dog (Barghest) Lvl: 6 Hits: 70 Move: 10’ DEF: 19 AR: 8 Attacks: 18 Bite (10) Stats: Chr: 14(1)/6; Con: 18(2)/7; Dex: 15(1)/6; Int: 14(1)/6; Spd: 17(2)/7; Str: 17(2)/7; Will: 17(2)/7; Wis: 14(1)/6

Skills: Perc. (14); Stealth (9); Tracking (14) Size: 3’-5’ long; 75-125 lbs # Enc: 1-6 Abilities: • Penetrating Bite (see description below) • Immune to poisons and venoms It is rumored that the Barghest aren’t really a type of Demon, but a breed of wild dog that was long ago tainted and infected by devouring Demon flesh. These hounds are larger than most breeds, and nearly pitch black in coloring with demonic looking, glowing red eyes. Their sharp fangs are able to pierce the strongest armors. Damage reduction from armor (AR) is halved (rounded up) against all attacks from the Barghest.

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GM’s Section Demon (Gremlins)

Demon (Manes)

Lvl: 3 Hits: 34 Move: 2’; 5’ flight DEF: 23 AR: 8 Attacks: 13 Bite (5); 13 Claws (5), 12 Spear (5)* Stats: Chr: 9(-1)/4; Con: 18(2)/7; Dex: 19(3)/8;

Lvl: 3 Hits: 51 Move: 5’ DEF: 21 AR: 8 Attacks: 12 Bite (6); 12 Claws (8) Stats: Chr: 3(-3)/2; Con: 16(2)/7; Dex: 19(3)/8;

Skills: Perc. (7); Stealth (12); Tracking (7) Size: 4”-5” tall; 1-2 lbs # Enc: 1 Abilities: • Invisibility at will (not while attacking) • Sense Magic by touch • Sense Magical Gates (Save vs. Int) • Poison*: Save vs. Con or fall into sleep for 5-10 minutes.

Skills: Perc. (7); Stealth (10); Tracking (17) Size: 3’ tall; 50-60 lbs # Enc: 1-6 Abilities: • Immune to fire, cold, and lightning • Immune to all control spells • May communicate with all undead • Sense Magic by scent (range: 10’)

Gremlins rarely reach six inches in height. They are covered in greenish scales, have small bat-like wings, and their tails, back and head are often covered in rows of tiny spikes. These spikes are often black, yellow, blue or a deep blood-red in color. Gremlins are adept at spotting gates and portals. A surprising number of these creatures use this ability to make their way to the material plane to wreak whatever havoc they can. A Gremlin’s natural weaponry leaves much to be desired; only doing a tiny amount of damage. Their claws and teeth don’t even get scaling damage that other weapons get. Their tiny spears are covered in a poison that allows them to put others to sleep so that they may have their fun uninterrupted. Gremlins also make for good familiars, as they are able to communicate with their masters through speech, they can sense magical gates and portals, and they can sense magic by simply touching an object. Additionally, their ability to turn invisible at will allows them to serve as spies.

Manes are easily the most evil of the minor Demons; they are insidious, conniving, ruthless, and vicious in the extreme. Their short bodies are covered with short, grayish fur and they have pointy ears, deep-set glowing eyes and heavy brows. They have claws on their hands and feet and large fangs. Many Manes have a strip of darker fur, slightly longer than the rest of their fur, which runs from their forehead over their head and down their back. Manes have an excellent sense of smell and on their home planes are often used as bloodhounds by other Demons. Their sense of smell is so acute that they can even smell nearby magic. Even though they are small, Manes are still extremely tough. They are immune to heat, cold, and electrical energy; both mundane and magical. They are also immune to all types of control spells. Luckily, spells of banishment do work on them. Manes are prized by those who work with corpses, for their innate ability to communicate with the dead. However, Manes make good familiars only for the most evil of spell users as these creatures are not happy unless they are engaged in some vile and twisted pursuit.

Int: 12(0)/5; Spd: 19(3)/8; Str: 5(-2)/3; Will: 18(2)/7; Wis: 18(2)/7

Int: 14(1)/6; Spd: 16(2)/7; Str: 9(-1)/4; Will: 7(-1)/4; Wis: 18(2)/7

97

GM’s Section Demon (Larvae)

Demon (Common Lesser Demon - Goatmen)

Lvl: 2 Hits: 28 Move: 3’ DEF: 18 AR: — Attacks: 8 Bite (4)* Stats: Chr: 6(-3)/2; Con: 10(0)/5; Dex: 6(-2)/3;

Lvl: 7 Hits: 76 Move: 10’ DEF: 19 AR: 10 Attacks: 18 Bite (9); 18 Claws (11); 16 Weapon (varies) Stats: Chr: 6(-2)/3; Con: 19(3)/8; Dex: 11(0)/5;

Skills: Perc. (4); Stealth (4); Tracking (4) Size: 1’-2’ long; 15-25 lbs # Enc: 2-20 Abilities: • Nauseating Appearance: Save vs. Will or viewer is

Skills: Perc. (8); Stealth (7); Tracking (8) Size: 6’-6.5’ tall; 200-250 lbs # Enc: 1-10 Notes: • Damage varies by weapon used

Int: 14(1)/6; Spd: 10(0)/5; Str: 5(-2)/3; Will: 6(-2)/3; Wis: 10(0)/5

•

incapacitated by nausea for 1-4 minutes. Disease*: Save vs. Con or contracts plague-like disease that is fatal in 24 hours if not treated.

Larvae are the most minor of the minor Demons. They are created from the souls of evil humanoids that have been consigned to the Nether Realms for their sins. They exist in endless numbers on the lower planes and are often tormented and preyed upon by other Demons. Larvae look like fat, slimy worms with human-like faces. It is believed that the face of a Larvae resembles the face it held when it was alive. Their skin is yellowish and covered in mottled reddish brown splotches. Just viewing a Larvae is enough to make most sick, and their bite has a strong chance of infecting a person with a nasty and fatal disease. Larvae will attack anything that moves, except other demons. They are slow moving, but they never tire and will follow prey as long as it does not cross running water, as the Larvae cannot swim.

Int: 10(0)/5; Spd: 13(1)/6; Str: 19(3)/8; Will: 8(-1)/4; Wis: 13(1)/6

The most common type of lesser Demon doesn’t have a specific name like most other Demons, but some refer to the as Goatmen. This is because they appear to a mixture of humanoid and goat, quite often complete with hooves and horns, although this is not always the case. While there is a lot of variation within their appearance, these creatures are similar in outlook. They are universally considered to be ruthless, savage, and completely untrustworthy. Unless they are forced to swear a solemn oath they will always lie to and mislead those who summon them. When summoned, these creatures will often require the sacrifice of a small animal to slake their bloodlust. Once a pact has been sealed, the Demon will obey any single command, although complicated orders may be a bit much for its mind to comprehend. Many times, its savagery tends to overwhelm what intelligence it has. In melee combat, these creatures prefer weapons that slash or maul their foes, such as axes and spiked clubs or maces, but they are not above using ranged weapons and attacking foes from ambush as well. They enjoy making a foe last as long as possible, and will often go for disabling attacks at first rather than killing attacks; all the better to prolong the suffering of their targets. Goatmen often form the bulk of demonic armies. However, despite their viciousness and lust for battle, Goatmen are often not very brave or disciplined, and they are not considered or treated as any sort of reliable troop. They usually require one or more greater Demons herding and controlling them. However, as always, there are those who fall outside what is considered the norm for these beings.

98

GM’s Section Devils (all)

Devil (Alastor)

There are a group of lower planes known as The Nine Hells, and sometimes called Hades. Hades, the Nether Realms (see p. 96), and the Shadow Realms (see p. 110) are collectively known as the Infernal Realms. The evil inhabitants of Hades are known as Devils. Unlike the chaos of Demons, Devils are very orderly, and faithfully adhere to a chain of command known as the Order of Ascendancy. Devils are ruled over by a sinister being of untold power known as Asmodeus. It is rumored that Asmodeus and the other arch-devils once resided in the upper planes, but that they plotted to overthrow the gods and were subsequently banished to the planes of Hades. It is said that Asmodeus now seeks a position of eminence and respect among the mortal planes, to regain what was lost with his banishment. It is also said that Asmodeus even has a sense of humor, a quality that is never attributed to the ruler of the Demon hordes. When summoned, Devils need to be dealt with firmly, and without hesitation. Anything else shows weakness and while Devils are generally willing to aid those of a similar outlook, they are loathe to render service to those that they deem incompetent. Even worse than incompetence are those who are in league with Demons, and Devils can literally smell the “demon stink” on those who consort regularly with Demons. All Devils despise Demons and will always attack them on sight. It is said that the lower planes are in a constant state of war between Demons and Devils. Devils are, in a manner similar to Demons, repulsed by holy symbols and artifacts of divine magic. All Devils have the following attributes in common: • Immune to venoms and poisons • Immune to non-magical weapons (damage from such weapons heals almost instantly) • Repulsed by Holy Symbol: Devil must make Save vs. Will or avert its gaze and be unable to approach wielder for 1 minute. • Hurt by Holy Oil and Holy Water as described in the Bless Water/Oil spell description (p. 66). • Immune to all influence and control spells that are not specifically designed for controlling or influencing devils.

Lvl: 3 Hits: 24 Move: 5’ DEF: 23 AR: 10 Attacks: 12 Bite (5) Stats: Chr: 8(-1)/4; Con: 8(-1)/4; Dex: 16(2)/7;

99

Int: 19(3)/8; Spd: 19(3)/8; Str: 5(-2)/3; Will: 8(-1)/4; Wis: 15(1)/6

Skills: Perc. (6); Stealth (11); Tracking (6) Size: 6”-1’ tall; 2-5 lbs # Enc: 1 Abilities: • Invisibility (1x per day; 1 hr) • Shape change: hound (1x per day; 1 hr) • Speak in Tongues (1x per day; 1 hr) • Regenerate (1 hit per hour) • Sense Magic (range: 10’) Alastor are tiny humanoids, covered in scales and tiny spines, with small horns growing from their heads. They are highly intelligent and on their home planes will often serve as advisors to the less intelligent Garun who guard the realms of the Nine Hells. They also often act as intermediaries between various factions of Devils. Alastor have a number of special magical abilities. They may use each ability only once per day, for up to 1 hour. They can turn invisible, Speak in Tongues (i.e. speak any language), and shape change into a black hound. Additionally, Alastor automatically regenerate 1 hit worth of damage each hour and are able to sense magic with a standard Perception roll at a range of up to 10’. Their exceptional intelligence and their cunning has led to Alastor often being referred to as “Evil Geniuses” and they are often highly sought after as familiars. They make superior familiars for those of a neutral or evil disposition, but good spell users will be hard pressed to keep them under control. Unless they are engaged in malicious activities on a fairly regular basis, Alastor will cleverly twist the meaning of any command or direction given to them to suit its own twisted little purposes. Alastor may be used for a number of useful purposes such as delivering messages, spying, and performing minor alchemical processes such as stirring a mixture or fetching ingredients. When aiding in alchemical tasks, the Alastor gives a bonus to his master’s Magecraft: Alchemy roll equal to his level. Once a month, an Alastor may be commanded to tell his master the given name of any one lesser or greater Devil. The Alastor performs this service gladly in an effort to increase his master’s reliance upon the power of Hades.

GM’s Section Devil (Grimalkin)

Devil (Imp)

Lvl: 3 Hits: 42 Move: 10’ DEF: 21 AR: — Attacks: 12 Claws (8) Stats: Chr: 10(0)/5; Con: 10(0)/5; Dex: 15(1)/6;

Lvl: 3 Hits: 56 Move: 5’; 10’ flight DEF: 19 AR: 10 Attacks: 12 Claws (8); 12 Tail (7)* Stats: Chr: 3(-3)/2; Con: 21(3)/8; Dex: 19(3)/8;

Skills: Perc. (7); Stealth (8); Tracking (17) Size: 2’-3’ long; 15-20 lbs # Enc: 1 Abilities: • Sense Magic by scent (range: 10’) • Regenerate (1 hit per minute) • Shape change: hag (1x per day; 1 hr) • Speak in tongues (1x per day; 1 hr) • Speak with animals (1x per day; 1 hr) • +15 to Stealth in darkness (not figured in) • Greater Nightvision (as per the Talent)

Skills: Perc. (7); Stealth (10); Tracking (7) Size: 2’-3’ tall; 30-40 lbs # Enc: 1-4 Abilities: • Invisibility • Sense Magic by sight (range: 20’) • Regeneration (1 hit per hour) • Shape change: any small animal, 1x day • Poison*: Deals 1-5 (roll d10/2, rounded up) damage

Int: 15(1)/6; Spd: 18(2)/7; Str: 6(-2)/3; Will: 7(-1)/7; Wis: 18(2)/7

Grimalkin are sometimes known as Shadow Cats because their normal form is that of a large black cat. This creature’s form is so dark, that it gets a huge bonus to Stealth attempts in darkness. This makes them excellent spies. The Grimalkin has a number of other abilities as well. It can sense magic by smell at ranges up to 10’ and it regenerates 1 hit worth of damage every minute. It can also see extraordinarily well in darkness. Additionally, it has a few other abilities that it can used once per day, for up to an hour. This include the ability to shape change into an old hag, the ability to Speak in Tongues (i.e. speak any language), and the ability to speak to any animal. Grimalkin are highly prized as familiars because, unlike Alastor, a Grimalkin will never cause problems for their masters. They are of the belief that their own presence is enough of a predilection towards evil, regardless of what they profess. Like the Alastor, the Grimalkin may, no more than once per month, reveal the given name of any one lesser or greater Devil.

Int: 14(1)/6; Spd: 16(2)/7; Str: 9(-1)/4; Will: 7(-1)/4; Wis: 18(2)/7

for each of 1-10 rounds. Save vs. Con for 1/2 damage.

Imps have tough leathery skin and small, but functional bat-like wings. They have slightly bulbous heads with long pointy ears and sinister facial features. Their bodies are often covered with tiny barbs and spikes, and their hands and feet end in wicked, razor sharp claws. And to top it all off, they have long, thin, prehensile tail that ends in a barbed stinger that has potent venom. Imps are prized as superior familiars because they are among the most versatile of the lesser Devils. They can fly, and turn invisible at will (they turn visible when making attacks). Once per day, they can shape change into any small animal that does not exceed 3’ in either height or length. They can sense magic with a normal Perception roll at ranges of up to 20’ and they regenerate 1 hit worth of damage each hour. Some Imps even know how to use weapons that have been scaled down to their size (does 1 point less damage than Halfling sized weapons). The Imp can also, no more than once per month, provide its master with the given name of any one lesser Devil. However, they cannot provide the names of greater Devils like Alastors and Grimalkin can.

100

GM’s Section Devil (Garun)

Dragons (Wyrms)

Lvl: 6 Hits: 71 Move: 10’ DEF: 20 AR: 10 Attacks: 17 Claws (9) Stats: Chr: 4(-2)/3; Con: 19(3)/8; Dex: 15(1)/6;

Dragons are creatures of legend. Dragons are vastly powerful creatures, both physically and magically. It is said by some scholars that Dragons were among the first creatures to arise, that they soared across the skies when humans were still living in trees. Whether this is true or not, we may never know, but history and legends are filled with Dragons as far back as anybody can remember. Unlike other creatures, we present you with not one, but 5 different stat blocks for Dragons. We have provided one stat block for each “age” or stage of development that that a Dragon has. Wyrmlings cannot fly, and Wyrmlings and Young Dragons cannot cast spells. When a Dragon becomes an Adult Dragon, he may learn spells from a single School of Magic. When he becomes an Old Dragon, he can learn spells from a second School of Magic and when he becomes an Ancient Dragon, he may learn spells from a third School of Magic. The Dragon is considered to be a Major Adept in whatever Schools of Magic that he learns.

Int: 10(0)/5; Spd: 16(2)/7; Str: 17(2)/7; Will: 10(0)/5; Wis: 16(2)/7

Skills: Perc. (10); Stealth (9); Tracking (20) Size: 4’-6’; 130-200 lbs # Enc: 1-10 Garun are bat-like humanoid creatures with large, flat noses and sharp claws. They have no wings, and their arms end in wicked claws. Garun are excellent trackers and hunters, able to trace prey over long distances and extremely adverse conditions. When summoned, Garun will only perform services that involve the hunting of prey, or fighting a Demon, which it will do gladly. Any other commands will be met with the Garun attempting its best to twist the command in some fashion. Garun make up the bulk of devilish armies much like Goatmen make up the bulk of demonic armies. However, the Garun are much more disciplined and willing to fight for more powerful Devils, and don’t require the same sort of oversight that Goatmen require.

Dragon (Wyrmling) Lvl: 6 Hits: 79 Move: 10’; only vestigial wings DEF: 22 AR: 8 Attacks: 15 Claws (12); 15 Bite (12); 14 Breath (8) Stats: Chr: 8(-1)/4; Con: 13(1)/6; Dex: 10(0)/5; Int: 12(0)/5; Spd: 23(4)/9; Str: 16(2)/7; Will: 13(1)/6; Wis: 12(0)/5

Skills: Perc. (9); Stealth (9); Tracking (9) Size: 5’-10’ long; 300-800 lbs; 5-30 years old # Enc: 1-4 Abilities: • Sense Magic by scent (range: 10’) • Greater Nightvision (as per the Talent) • Immune to sleep and paralysis effects • Breath Weapon: cone 10’ long, 5’ wide at far end or line 5’ wide, 20’ long; usable once per minute, no more than 5 times per day

Dragon (Young) Lvl: 12 Hits: 142 Move: 15’; 10’ flight DEF: 22 AR: 12 Attacks: 21 Claws (15); 21 Bite (15); 20 Breath (12) Stats: Chr: 11(0)/5; Con: 15(1)/6; Dex: 10(0)/5; Int: 15(1)/6; Spd: 21(3)/9; Str: 21(3)/9; Will: 18(2)/8; Wis: 16(1)/6

Skills: Perc. (18); Stealth (14); Tracking (18) Size: 11’-18’ long; 800-2000 lbs; 31-250 years old # Enc: 1 Abilities: • Sense Magic by scent (range: 10’) • Greater Nightvision (as per the Talent) • Immune to sleep and paralysis effects • See Invisible within 30’ • Breath Weapon: cone 20’, 10’ wide at far end or line 5’ wide, 30’ long; usable once per minute, no more than 5 times per day

101

GM’s Section Dragon (Adult) Lvl: 20 Hits: 210 Move: 15’; 15’ flight DEF: 24 AR: 16 Attacks: 29 Claws (18); 29 Bite (18); 28 Breath (15) Stats: Chr: 14(1)/6; Con: 20(3)/9; Dex: 10(0)/5; Int: 19(3)/9; Spd: 19(3)/9; Str: 26(5)/10; Will: 23(4)/9; Wis: 20(3)/8

Skills: Perc. (28); Stealth (15); Tracking (28) Size: 19’-30’ long; 2000-3500 lbs; 251-750 years old # Enc: 1 Abilities: • Sense Magic by scent (range: 30’) • Greater Nightvision (as per the Talent) • Immune to sleep and paralysis effects • See Invisible within 40’ • Breath Weapon: cone 30’, 15’ wide at far end or line 5’ wide, 40’ long; usable once per minute, no more than 8 times per day

Dragon (Old) Lvl: 35 Hits: 358 Move: 20’; 20’ flight DEF: 26 AR: 20 Attacks: 44 Claws (22); 44 Bite (22) ; 43 Breath (20) Stats: Chr: 17(2)/7; Con: 23(4)/9; Dex: 10(0)/5; Int: 23(4)/9; Spd: 17(2)/7; Str: 31(7)/12; Will: 27(5)/10; Wis: 23(4)/9

Skills: Perc. (33); Stealth (16); Tracking (33) Size: 31’-50’ long; 3500-4500 lbs; 751-1100 years old # Enc: 1 Abilities: • Sense Magic by scent (range: 40’) • Greater Nightvision (as per the Talent) • Immune to sleep and paralysis effects • See Invisible within 50’ • Breath Weapon: cone 40’, 20’ at far end or line 5’ wide, 50’ long; usable 1 per minute, no more than 8 times per day

Dragon (Ancient) Lvl: 50 Hits: 507 Move: 20’; 25’ flight DEF: 28 AR: 25 Attacks: 59 Claws (31); 59 Bite (31); 58 Breath (30) Stats: Chr: 20(3)/8; Con: 26(5)/10; Dex: 10(0)/5; Int: 27(5)/10; Spd: 15(1)/6; Str: 37(9)/14; Will: 30(6)/11; Wis: 28(6)/11

Skills: Perc. (41); Stealth (17); Tracking (41) Size: 50’+ long; 4500-6000 lbs; 1101+ years old # Enc: 1 Abilities: • Sense Magic by scent (range: 50’) • Greater Nightvision (as per the Talent) • Immune to sleep and paralysis effects • See Invisible within 60’ • Breath Weapon: cone 50’, 25’ at far end or line 5’ wide, 60’ long; usable once per minute, no more than 11 times per day

Dragons are great reptiles, reaching lengths of 50’ or more at their oldest. They are covered in thick, scaly hide and many dragons also sport horns, spikes, and even a row or two of ridges that run from the base of their head to the tips of their tails. They have four limbs and a set of wings that can fold flat against their back. Dragons are usually generally uniform in color along their sides and backs, with lighter coloration on their underside. A Dragon’s color often has a correlation to the type of breath weapon that the dragon wields. Dragons of a specific color also often have other abilities that are tied to their color in addition to the abilities that all Dragons have. Here is a list of the different types of Dragons and their color-based abilities: Gold Dragons • Breath Weapon: Fire (cone or line, Dragon’s choice) • Shape Change: Once per day per age (i.e. Young may shape change 2x per day, Adult 3x, etc.) • Primary School of Magic: High Magic Silver Dragons • Breath Weapon: Lightning (line) • Primary School of Magic: Mysticism Bronze Dragons • Breath Weapon: Fire (cone or line, Dragon’s choice) • Primary School of Magic: Wizardry Black Dragons • Breath Weapon: Acid (line), does half the listed damage each round for 1-10 rounds unless washed off using water • Primary School of Magic: Black Magic Blue Dragons • Breath Weapon: Lightning (line) • Primary School of Magic: Wizardry Green Dragons • Breath Weapon: Acid (line), does half the listed damage each round for 1-10 rounds unless washed off using water • Primary School of Magic: Nature Magic Red Dragon • Breath Weapon: Fire (cone) • Primary School of Magic: High Magic White Dragons • Breath Weapon: Frost (cone), use half listed damage, victims must Save vs. Con or take 1 hit (for every 5 hits of initial damage dealt) each round due to Frostbite. TN is increased by 1 for every 3 points above victim’s DEF the attack roll was. • Primary School of Magic: High Magic All Dragons have a number of abilities in common. They all can sense magical items by scent, if the item is within range. They all have Greater Nightvision and can see invisible creatures that are within range. Dragons are also immune to all effects that cause sleep or paralysis, regardless of the source.

102

GM’s Section Goblin

Hobgoblin

Lvl: 2 Hits: 48 Move: 10’ DEF: 17 AR: 6 (SL Armor, Helm & Bracers) Attacks: 8 Short Spear (8); 7 Short Bow (6) Stats: Chr: 8(-1)/4; Con: 12(0)/5; Dex: 11(0)/5;

Lvl: 4 Hits: 59 Move: 10’ DEF: 19 AR: 8 (RL Armor, Helm & Bracers) Attacks: 13 Short Sword (6); 11 Light Crossbow (8) Stats: Chr: 8(-1)/4; Con: 14(1)/6; Dex: 13(1)/6;

Skills: Perc. (4); Stealth (4); Tracking (4) Size: 4’-5’; 100-150 lbs # Enc: 1-10 Abilities: • Nightvision (as per the Talent) Goblins are green-skinned humanoid creatures with slightly oversized heads and eyes with spindly limbs and long pointy ears. Their eyes are a bright yellow. They dress in soft leathers and use simple weapons like spears and small bows. Goblins are a tribal race, ruled by the strongest; usually a Hobgoblin or other being that has come in and dominated them. They are cruel and vicious and like to dominate those who are weaker than them, just as they are often dominated by those who are stronger. Goblins are not overly brave, and usually will not attack unless they believe that they can win or if they are forced to. Goblin tribes are fiercely competitive, often warring between one another, unless there is a common foe and a strong leader who can unite them.

Skills: Perc. (7); Stealth (7); Tracking (7) Size: 4.5’-5.5’ tall; 125-175 lbs # Enc: 1-10 Abilities: • Nightvision (as per the Talent) It is rumored that Hobgoblins were the result of breeding between Orcs and Goblins, but scholars have been unable to prove this. Other scholars think that they are a completely separate race, or that they are a sub-race of Goblins. As with the Goblin/Orc half-breed theory, there is no proof either way. What is known is that Hobgoblins are larger than Goblins and that their skin is a mottled yellowish orange in color. But other than that, they look amazingly similar to Goblins.

Int: 10(0)/5; Spd: 13(1)/6; Str: 13(1)/6; Will: 10(0)/5; Wis: 12(0)/5

Int: 12(0)/5; Spd: 16(2)/7; Str: 16(2)/7; Will: 12(0)/5; Wis: 13(1)/6

Kobold Lvl: 1 Hits: 40 Move: 5’ DEF: 19 AR: 6 (SL Armor, Helm & Bracers) Attacks: 7 Short Spear (9); 6 Light Crossbow (9) Stats: Chr: 8(-1)/4; Con: 10(0)/5; Dex: 14(1)/6; Int: 14(1)/6; Spd: 13(1)/6; Str: 10(0)/5; Will: 11(0)/5; Wis: 13(1)/6

Golem, Clay Lvl: 11 Hits: 99 Move: 5’ DEF: 19 AR: 10 Attacks: 26 Bash (15) Stats: Chr: 6(-2)/3; Con: 14(1)/6; Dex: 12(0)/5; Int: 3(-3)/2; Spd: 12(0)/5; Str: 25(5)/10; Will: 14(0)/5; Wis: 11(0)/5

Skills: Perc. (13); Stealth (13); Tracking (13) Size: 6’-8’ tall; 400-500 lbs # Enc: 1 Abilities: • Immune to non-magical weapons • Immune to extremes of temperature • Immune to mind affecting magic A Clay Golem is a humanoid construct animated by magic or alchemical means. Clay Golems are incapable of independent thought or action and may be programmed to obey up to three separate commands. Clay Golems may also be programmed to follow simple and direct commands given by its master. While this may be useful to some extent, the Golem will only respond to simple, single subject commands. Even combining two simple commands into a single sentence will baffle it (i.e. “Go to the door and open it” is too much). Clay Golems are incredibly strong, able to easily move up to double its own mass. They are often used by spell casters as bodyguards, laborers, and sentinels. They are immune to non-magical weapons, extremes of cold and heat, and they are unaffected by any magic or effect that affects the mind, such as control spells, magical command spells, illusions, etc.

103

Skills: Perc. (4); Stealth (6); Tracking (4) Size: 3.5’-4’ tall; 50-70 lbs # Enc: 1-10 Abilities: • Nightvision (as per the Talent) Kobolds are a small race with a canine-shaped face and they are covered in reddish-brown scales. They are extremely cunning and dangerous. They have a great understanding of how to build and use traps to their advantage. Many see them as cowardly, but in truth, they simply do not wish to throw their lives away without reason. Kobolds are also very vengeful, and have been known to track foes for weeks on end waiting for the perfect moment to wreak havoc on the plans of their foe, whether that be alerting another enemy of his foe to that foe’s presence, or attacking him in a moment of extreme vulnerability.

GM’s Section Ogre

Spider, Giant

Lvl: 5 Hits: 84 Move: 15’ DEF: 18 AR: — Attacks: 18 Large Club (12); 13 thrown rocks (8) Stats: Chr: 6(-2)/3; Con: 20(3)/8; Dex: 11(0)/5;

Lvl: 6 Hits: 80 Move: 15’ DEF: 20 AR: 8 Attacks: 18 Bite (12)*; 17 Web (0)** Stats: Chr: 10(0)/5; Con: 12(0)/5; Dex: 17(2)/7;

Skills: Perc. (7); Stealth (7); Tracking (7) Size: 7’-8’ tall; 500-700 lbs # Enc: 1-3 Ogres are the smallest of the giant races. They are slovenly and unkempt, disgusting in the extreme. Their knotted, misshapen muscles and ugly faces contribute to make their appearance even more frightening. They are often covered in shaggy hair, and wear stinking, uncured hides as clothing. Ogres are slow-witted and cruel and considered to be more evil than many other types of giants. Their strength and savagery make them highly feared. Ogres will often appropriate some existing cave or structure and then terrorize the surrounding region. They like shiny things and often amass a treasure from the things that they take from local travelers. Ogres are usually either solitary in nature, or they live in small family groups.

Skills: Perc. (14); Stealth (15); Tracking (9) Size: 3’-6’ long; 200-300 lbs # Enc: 1-5 Abilities: • Can sense vibrations through the ground, up to 100’ away • Poison*: Save vs. Con or it does 1 point of damage to

Int: 8(-1)/4; Spd: 10(0)/5; Str: 22(4)/9; Will: 10(0)/5; Wis: 12(0)/5

Orc Lvl: 5 Hits: 65 Move: 10’ DEF: 19 AR: 8 (RL Armor, Helm & Bracers) Attacks: 16 Falchion (10); 13 Long Bow (9) Stats: Chr: 7(-1)/4; Con: 16(2)/7; Dex: 13(1)/6;

Int: 5(-2)/3; Spd: 18(2)/7; Str: 23(4)/9; Will: 13(1)/6; Wis: 14(1)/6

•

target’s Strength stat for 1-10 rounds. Web**: Spider is able to shoot web at a distance (RI 10), if successful, foe is entangled and may attempt a Save vs. Str (TN 18) to burst free from the web, or a Save vs. Dex or Acrobatics skill roll (TN 18) to wriggle free. Target is allowed 1 attempt per round.

There are actually several different types of Giant Spiders, and this is the most common. It is essentially just a giant version of a normal spider. It makes its webs in caves and in the eaves of large forests. Its ability to sense movement through the ground aids in catching prey. The Giant Spider will often catch prey well in advance of its need to feed, cocooning targets and saving them for later. Also, the larger the Giant Spider, the less likely it is to be found with others of its kind. As they grow larger, they tend to grow more solitary in their habits.

Int: 10(0)/5; Spd: 14(1)/6; Str: 17(2)/7; Will: 10(0)/5; Wis: 10(0)/5

Skills: Perc. (11); Stealth (8); Tracking (11) Size: 5’-6’ tall; 180-250 lbs # Enc: 1-10 Abilities: • Nightvision (as per the Talent) • Keen Sense of Smell (+4 to Perc. & Tracking rolls involving scent – not added in)

The upturned nose and tusks jutting upwards from their lower jaws often give Orcs something of a porcine appearance. However, there is nothing comical in their nature. Orcs are a savage and cruel race, very territorial and willing to go almost any lengths to protect their territory.

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GM’s Section Spirit Entities (all) In the center of all creation are the mortal planes; numerous dimensions side by side. Surrounding these mortal planes is the Ethereal Plane, known as the lowest of the Spirit Planes. Above that we have the Astral Plane, which serves as the home to many spirits and also the gateway to other planes, even further removed, such as the Elemental Planes and beyond that the planes of the gods, and even beyond them is the Light that shines upon all. There are some Spirit Entities that live in the Ethereal Plane, but these are few and far between. More live among the Astral Plane. On the spirit planes, Spirit Entities appear as geometric shapes, pulsing with an inner light, this is often referred to as its “body of light”. Those with the proper lore can easily discern one type of spirit from another. Spirit Entities can easily traverse from the mortal planes to any of the Spirit Planes at will, only taking physical form on the mortal planes. The form taken is determined by the type of spirit. All spirit entities have the following in common: • Immune to non-magical weapons • Able to turn ethereal or corporeal at will. Transformation takes 1 minute. • Immune to influence or control spells, except for those related to summoning.

Spirit (Familiar Spirits) Lvl: 3 Hits: 50 Move: 10’ DEF: 24 AR: — Attacks: 13 Claws or Bite (9) Stats: Chr: 9(-1)/4; Con: 18(2)/7; Dex: 15(1)/6; Int: 12(0)/5; Spd: 19(3)/8; Str: 6(-2)/3; Will: 7(-1)/4; Wis: 18(2)/7

Skills: Perc. (7); Stealth (10); Tracking (7) Size: varies # Enc: 1 Abilities • Can communicate telepathically with master at a distance of up to 1 mile.

• Immune to non-magical weapons • Can travel from spirit plane to material plane at will. A Familiar Spirits is a minor spirit entity that can be summoned by a spell caster to become his familiar. The Familiar Spirit generally has a neutral outlook, tending to adopt the views and moral and ethical standards of the spell caster that it is bonded to and serves. Like all other spirits, on their home planes, Familiar Spirits have only their body of light. When summoned to the mortal plane, the Familiar Spirit must take on a mortal form. The physical form that it takes appears to be random and once taken, it can take no other physical form. While these physical forms resemble normal animals, they are still just a spirit made manifest, and as such they share a number of characteristics (listed in the stat block above), regardless of their form.

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It is conjectured that the Familiar Spirit patterns its form after a nearby example, but this is unproven. What is known is that sometimes, a Familiar Spirit is unable to take its own physical form. These are known as Disembodied Spirits (see below). Familiar Spirits are able to mentally communicate with their masters at a distance of up to 1 mile, and they may freely travel from the mortal plane to the Ethereal Plane, just as all other spirits can do. Familiar Spirits are also immune to damage from non-magical weapons and to all types of control spells that are not associated with their summoning. If a spell caster is unhappy with his Familiar Spirit, he may freely dismiss it, and it will then return to its home plane. However, once dismissed, the caster must wait at least a month before attempting to summon another Familiar Spirit even if the year between castings of the Summon Familiar spell have already passed. Familiar Spirits start off at the minimum experience needed for third level and they will earn a number of experience points equal to half of those earned by the spell caster that is bonded to them, so that they can slowly increase in skill and power. Here is a listing of some of the forms that Familiar Spirits may take, along with some other information regarding the specific forms. Disembodied Spirits – These are Familiar Spirits that have no physical form. They will often inhabit some non-magical object or device owned by the caster who summoned them. Some Disembodied Spirits have been known to inhabit cauldrons, amulets, crystal balls, mirrors, and even more unusual objects. Disembodied Spirits have 3 main abilities. First is the ability to predict the future once per week. However, they can be very uncooperative if asked to do this more than once a month. These Spirits may also, once per week, answer a simple yes or no question (i.e. “Am I the fairest in the land”), but its answer will often be verbose and couched in rhyme. Finally, the Disembodied Spirit may use its vessel to scry for its master, showing him a person or place that the master wishes. Disembodied Spirits also have a tendency to go insane after a period of time, and this results in them misbehaving badly, singing (off-key), telling bad jokes, insulting everybody, and occasionally even refusing to obey their master. Unlike Familiar Spirits, Disembodied Spirits cannot simply be dismissed. They must, instead, be banished by way of a spell. Ant, Giant – This form is about 2’ in length and stands about 8” tall. Like other sorts of Ants, a Familiar Spirit taking this form is able to crawl up sheer surfaces. Also, the Familiar grants its bonded spell caster a +2 modifier to all attempts to aid another person directly, such as in helping another person to shift a large rock or breaking open a door. It also grants a +2 modifier to all Athletics skill rolls.

GM’s Section Bat – Bats have an average wingspan of about 8 inches and weigh about 2-3 lbs on average. They can navigate in total, even magical, darkness using their sonar and relay descriptions of such areas to their bonded spell caster. Their sonar also allows them to see through most illusions instantly. Bats also receive a +10 to their Stealth skill. Bats also grant their bonded spell caster a +4 bonus to all attempts to recognize and see through illusions. Bee, Giant – The Giant Bee is about 6 to 8 inches in length and weighs about 1 to 2 lbs. It can fly at a minimum speed of twice the listed movement rate given in the stat block, and it makes its attacks using either pinchers in its mouth or the stinger on its tail (same damage either way). The Giant Bee grants its bonded spell caster a +2 bonus on all Will Saves and any other task that requires concentration. Butterfly, Giant – For some reason, Familiar Spirits who take the form of Butterflies always take a form similar to that of the Birdwing Butterfly. These have bodies that are from 4 to 5 inches in length and a wingspan of 12 to 14 inches. And unlike normal butterflies, they have claws on their legs that can deal damage to foes. Giant Butterflies can fly at a minimum speed of twice the listed movement rate given in the stat block. Giant Butterflies grant their bonded spell casters a bonus of +2 to all First Aid skill rolls. Additionally, any spells or items or effects that transform or change the caster’s physical form in some manner will automatically have up to double the normal duration. Cat – This is the form of a normal house cat, about 12 to 16 inches in length and weighing up to 12 to 15 lbs on average. Cats come with many different colors and patterns on their fur. Cats all possess Greater Nightvision, as per the Talent (see p. 30) and they receive a +10 to their Stealth skill. A Cat familiar will grant its bonded spell caster a +2 to both his Stealth and Perception skill rolls. Chameleon – The Chameleon is a small reptile, about 6 to 8 inches in length, not including a tail of approximately the same length, and weighing up to 3 to 5 lbs on average. It has the ability to change color, and blend into its surroundings, granting it a +10 to its Stealth skill. The Chameleon grants its bonded spell caster with a +2 modifier to Stealth and to all artistic (painting, sculpting, etc.) endeavors. Fox – Familiar Spirits that take the form of a Fox stand about 12 to 14 inches tall at the shoulder, and are about 21 to 24 inches long, and they weigh about 15 to 20 lbs on average. The Fox has a base movement of 15’ per round. The Fox grants its bonded spell caster a +2 bonus to all Wisdom Saves and to Character Deduction rolls (see p. 85).

Goat – Familiar Spirits in the form of Goats stand about 2 and a half to 3 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh about 100 to 120 lbs. Goats are extremely sure-footed and able to climb steep inclines without problems. They have good senses, granting them a +3 to their Perception skill rolls. They also have extremely good balance and stamina granting them a +5 bonus to any Athletic or Acrobatic skill rolls. The Goat grants its bonded spell caster a +2 modifier to all Athletics and Acrobatics skill rolls. Hound – In Hound form, Familiar Spirits stand about 2 to 3 feet at the shoulder and weigh about 30 to 45 lbs on average. Hounds have a superior sense of hearing, granting them a +10 bonus to listening related Perception skill rolls. They also are able to track targets by scent and gain a +5 to their Tracking skill rolls when following a target’s scent. Hounds grant their bonded spell caster a +2 modifier to all Perception and Tracking skill rolls. Lizard – Familiar Spirits who have taken the form of the Lizards are from 10 to 24 inches in length, including their tails, and weigh about 2 to 4 lbs on average. Lizards have very acute vision granting them a +5 bonus to their Perception skill rolls. Familiar Spirits who take this form also regenerate damage rather quickly, at a rate of 1 hit every minute, and they can even regrow lost limbs if needed. Lizards grant their bonded spell casters a +2 bonus to all Perception and First Aid skill rolls. Owl – Those Familiar Spirits who take on the form of Owls usually stand about 12 to 14 inches tall and have approximately a 30” wingspan and weigh about 5 to 6 lbs on average. Owls can fly at a minimum speed of twice the listed movement rate given in the stat block. Owls have Greater Nightvision as per the Talent (see p. 30) and superior peripheral vision which grants them a +5 modifier to surprise. Owls also have specially designed feathers that aid in noise reduction and which grants them a +5 to Stealth skill rolls while in flight. Owls grant their bonded spell casters a +2 modifier Perception skill rolls and to any Character Deduction (see p. 85) rolls. Raccoon – Familiar Spirits in the form of a Raccoon tend to be about 20 to 28 inches long and weigh about 15 to 20 lbs on average. Raccoons are inquisitive and natural explorers and being nocturnal, they have Greater Nightvision as per the Talent (see p. 30). They grant their bonded spell caster a +2 bonus on all Gimmickry and Trickery skill rolls.

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GM’s Section Rat – Those Familiar Spirits who take the form of the Rat tend to be about 8 to 10 inches long, not including its tail, and weighs between 1 and 2 lbs on average. Rats have an extremely keen sense of smell, especially when it comes to other animals or food. This grants them a +5 bonus to Perception skill rolls based on smell and to Tracking skill rolls. Rats are also able to burrow through normal ground at a rate of 1’ per minute. Harder packed earth would take longer and they cannot burrow through rock. Rats grant their bonded spell casters a +2 bonus to all Saves against fear, regardless of the source. Additionally, the bonded spell caster is also granted a +2 to Perception skill rolls, +3 if the Perception skill roll involved smell. Raven – In Raven form, Familiar Spirits tend to average about 24 inches in length, have a 48 inch wingspan and weigh about 3 lbs. Ravens can fly at a minimum speed of twice the listed movement rate given in the stat block. Ravens have extremely keen eyesight, gaining a +5 modifier to their Perception skill rolls. Ravens are also the only Familiar Spirit who can communicate verbally with their bonded spell caster or others who are friends of their bonded spell caster. Ravens grant their bonded spell casters a +2 modifier to Will Saves and to Magecraft skill rolls. Spider – Familiars who take the form of Spiders take a form that is larger than can be found in natural Spiders. Familiar Spiders have a body that is about 5 to 6 inches in length, giving them about a 10 to 14 inch leg span, and they weigh just over a pound. They are able to crawl upon any surface and can spin webs just like any other spider. Spiders are also able to jump up to 15’ in a single bounding leap. Spiders also feel that they are connected to the “web of life” and that allows them to more easily see through illusions. They get a +5 modifier against any roll versus an illusion. Spiders grant their bonded spell casters a +2 modifier to Perception skill rolls and to any rolls against illusions. Squirrel – When a Familiar Spirit takes the form of a Squirrel, the form is about 10 to 12 inches long, with a bushy tail only an inch or two shorter and it weighs between 1 and 2 lbs on average. Squirrels are very aware of their surroundings and gain a +5 modifier too their Perception skill rolls to account for this. Squirrels grant their bonded spell casters a +2 to their Perception skill rolls, and a very unique ability. Three times a day, the bonded spell caster may activate this ability. The spell caster has 7 Activity Points (AP) in the round after activation. However, in the round following the one with 7 AP, the spell caster only has 3 Activity Points. This is the recovery round. This ability may not be activated during the recovery round.

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Weasel – Familiar Spirits who take the form of a Weasel most usually take the form of a short-tailed weasel which is sometimes known as an ermine or stoat. It is about 10 to 18 inches long and weighs about 6 to 8 lbs on average. Weasels are well known for their ability to get out of tight spots and their ability to discern things that may be hidden. This translates into them providing their bonded spell caster with a +2 modifier to Perception skill rolls, Character Deductions (see p. 85) and Intelligence Saves. Wolf – In Wolf form, the Familiar Spirit stands about 30 inches at the shoulder and is about 40 to 50 inches long with tails that are about 2/3 of their body length. Wolves weigh about 65 to 75 lbs on average. Wolves have keen hearing granting them a +5 to rolls against surprise and a +3 to Perception skill rolls in general. They also have a superior sense of smell granting them a +5 to Tracking skill rolls. Wolves grant their bonded spell casters a +2 modifier to Will Saves and to Character Deduction rolls (see p. 85). Note: GMs should remember that the Disembodied Spirit only tells the most probable future and that the telling of it likely changes the circumstances and can prevent it from happening.

GM’s Section Spirit (Nature Spirits) Lvl: 5 Hits: 37 Move: 5’ DEF: 25 AR: — Attacks: 17 Pinch/Scratch (3) Stats: Chr: 9(-1)/4; Con: 10(0)/5; Dex: 19(3)/8; Int: 10(0)/5; Spd: 12(0)/5; Str: 5(-2)/3; Will: 5(-2)/3; Wis: 20(3)/8

Skills: Perc. (10); Stealth (14); Tracking (10) Size: 6”-12” tall; 3-5 lbs # Enc: 1-4 Abilities: • Can travel from spirit plane to material plane at will. • Invisible to normal sight. Some believe that Nature Spirits are related to the lesser Elemental Spirits because of they reflect nature and the elements just like the lesser Elemental Spirits, but they are not true Elemental Spirits. Though Nature Spirits are normally invisible to the naked eye, they exist throughout the natural world and are known to inhabit all types of organic and inorganic substances. They may only be seen by those who summon them, or those who have the Second Sight (see p. 30) or through a spell that allows one to see invisible creatures and beings. There are five types of Nature Spirits. When on the mortal plane they appear as tiny humanoids, often made of their elemental substance. Nature Spirits are usually only summoned by Shamans or Druids. If summoned, they can be asked to perform a single small service, but only if the service in question is of a short duration, usually one hour or less. Nature Spirits can only affect the material world in the most minor of ways. They may lift or carry small or tiny items that are less than 1 pound in weight, and they may pinch or scratch foes. This form of attack only does 3 points of damage (no scaling damage, and Boon Points from attacks cannot increase the damage in any way). And since Nature Spirits are, in fact, spirits, they are also immune to non-magical attacks and to all types of control spells that are not associated with their summoning. Nature Spirits may also, rarely, be called upon to serve as Familiars for a spell caster. However, they will never serve anybody who is evil, and they consider the spell caster who summons them as their friend, not their master. Unlike Familiar Spirits, a Nature Spirit can choose to dissolve the Familiar bond as well. If bonded as a Familiar, a Nature Spirit will be able to communicate telepathically with their “friend” for a distance of up to one mile, and they will be able to hear their friend call (in a mundane fashion, not through a spell) for them even if they are upon the Ethereal Plane. Each type of Nature Spirit also has unique abilities associated with its form. They are as follows: Water Spirits: Water Spirits have deep blue skin and long, green hair that resembles the leaves of aquatic plants. They know all that transpires within the body of water in which they reside and they may be asked to locate or retrieve items lost within their domain. Water Spirits may be found in any body of water, from puddles to streams and pools, to rivers and fountains, and lakes and even oceans. Water Spirits may also produce up to 1 pint of

fresh, clear water. This can only be done once per hour. As a Familiar, the Water Spirit may grant his friend the ability to breathe underwater for up to 1 hour per day. Fire Spirits: These small spirits are bright red in color and have blonde hair that waves above their heads as if it were a flame. These spirits may be asked to ignite any combustible materials within 100’ of the spot to which they are summoned. They are only able to kindle small fires; however, if there is enough material, these fires may spread naturally. Conversely, the Fire Spirit may ignite or douse any or all light sources (torches, candles, fireplace hearths, etc.) with a 20’ radius. Fire Spirits love to cavort in any type of open flame and can often be found in them, or in any volcanic region. As a Familiar, the Fire Spirit can reduce any damage from fire that his friend takes by 5 points per instance. Wind Spirits: These tiny figures have light blue skin and diaphanous wings and wispy white hair. They hear everything that transpires within their domain and if summoned, they may be asked up to three questions regarding any such knowledge that they might possess. As a Familiar, the Wind Spirit may be asked to carry any conversation that it personally hears (i.e. is present for) to its master. Also, the Wind Spirit can also produce a bubble of fresh air around the head of its friend that will last for up to one hour (this can be done once per day). Wind Spirits can be found anywhere that the wind blows, but they will never enter any man-made structures or structures that even appear to be semi-enclosed unless they are a Familiar. Earth Spirits: These bald little spirits usually take the color of the earth, clay, sand, or rock in which they reside. They know of every creature that crawls, walks, slithers, or tunnels through their domains and if summoned, may be asked up to three questions concerning this knowledge. Earth Spirits, unlike Wind Spirits, have little care for what such creatures might have to say, but they are very observant about what transpires within their domains. Earth Spirits may be found in any sort of earth or stone. As a Familiar, the Earth Spirit may temporarily impart the “Strength of the Earth” to his friend up to 3 times a day. This manifest as either a +5 Strength Stat Bonus modifier or 5 points of AR against attacks. This ability will only last for 5 rounds each time the Earth Spirit grants it to his friend. Wood Spirits: These small spirits have rough brown skin that is much like the bark of a tree and their hair is green and resembles leaves. Wood Spirits have the ability to make any plant or tree grow to its full size in the space of an hour. They may, alternatively, cause any type of fruit bearing tree or shrub to produce fully ripened fruit (over the course of an hour) in any season except for winter. Wood Spirits may be found in all types of plants, trees, herbs, or even grasses. When serving as a Familiar, the Wood Spirit can easily lead his friend to the nearest source any type of plant or tree (such as a fruit tree, a berry bush, or a specific herb) or warn him of dangerous plants or terrain within the nearby area (within 100’).

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GM’s Section Treants are able to converse with all forms of plant life and trees, and they all consider Treants to be their friends. Treants are especially skilled at bringing down artificial structures, dealing double their normal damage against them. Treants also have the unique ability to animate and control up to 2 trees at a time. It takes the tree 1 round to uproot itself and it will be able to move as fast as the Treant and must stay within 50’ of the Treant or it will plant itself and take root again. Animated Trees do just as much damage as a Treant, and do double damage to structures as well.

Trapping Plant Lvl: 6 Hits: 87 Move: — DEF: 22 AR: 15 (bud)/5 (vines) Attacks: 20 Grapple x1-10 (14 each); Stats: Chr: 10(0)/5; Con: 19(3)/8; Dex: 10(0)/5; Int: 4(-2)/3; Spd: 22(4)/9; Str: 23(4)/9; Will: 10(0)/5; Wis: 18(2)/7

Skills: Perc. (15); Stealth (8); Tracking (—) Size: 6’-8’ tall; 300-400 lbs # Enc: 1 Abilities: • Grapple: Trapping Plant has 1-10 vine-like tentacles

Troll

(each 10’ long) that may make independent attacks each round. A successful hit means that the target is grappled and starting the following round, the target is dragged towards its bud, minimum of 1’ per round. Once pulled inside the bud, the target receives 5 points of Acid damage every round, no Save, until he is dead and fully dissolved. Target may attempt to break free from the vine each round by using a Save vs. Str (TN 19) or by chopping through the vine (15 hits per vine).

Lvl: 8 Hits: 96 Move: 15’ DEF: 19 AR: 15 Attacks: 19 Claw (13) Stats: Chr: 6(-2)/3; Con: 23(4)/9; Dex: 12(0)/5; Int: 12(0)/5; Spd: 13(1)/6; Str: 22(4)/9; Will: 13(1)/6; Wis: 16(2)/7

The Trapping Plant looks much like a giant flower bud comprised of large, tough leaves. From its base, what appear to be creeping “vines” extend outwards. The Trapping Plant lies dormant, taking what nourishment it can from the ground, until a living creature passes within range of those vines. The vines will suddenly come alive, grappling and squeezing its prey until it deposits the prey into the now open bud of the plant to be dissolved by the acid that the inside of its leaves produce. This acid cannot dissolve metal, so all bits of metal are eventually deposited at the base of the bud. This often serves as a lure to attract other unwary creatures or beings.

Treant Lvl: 7 Hits: 98 Move: 10’ DEF: 18 AR: 10 Attacks: 22 Bash (16) Stats: Chr: 12(0)/5; Con: 21(3)/8; Dex: 8(-1)/4; Int: 12(0)/5; Spd: 10(0)/5; Str: 29(6)/11; Will: 18(2)/7; Wis: 16(2)/7

Skills: Perc. (11); Stealth (8); Tracking (11) Size: 20’-30’ tall; 4000-5000 lbs # Enc: 1 (normal) or 5-50 (Treant conclave) Abilities: • Animate Trees • Double Damage against structures • Speak with Plants Treants are as ageless as the forests that they preserve and protect. They look like large humanoid trees, usually of the type that is most prevalent within their forests. They consider themselves to be shepherds of the forest rather than gardeners. Treants are often slow to react and move in most things. But in defense of their charges, they can be frighteningly swift and vengeful, especially against those who are cutting down trees for any reason.

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Skills: Perc. (12); Stealth (10); Tracking (12) Size: 7’-9’ tall; 400-500 lbs # Enc: 1-2 Abilities: • Regeneration (see below) • Damage from fire & acid does not regenerate Trolls are large, misshapen humanoids with green skin and moss-like hair and wicked claws on the end of their arms. They are able to use those claws to literally rip the limbs off of another creature or being. A Troll is tremendously strong and savage, willing to fight and kill nearly anything it encounters. It is incredibly tough and regenerates hits at a rate of 1 hit per round. It can even regrow lost limbs and body parts in 2 to 20 minutes, depending upon how much flesh needs to be regrown. Trolls can even reattach lost limbs by simply holding the limb to the stump for 1 minute. The only damage that cannot be regrown/regenerated is that inflicted by fire or acid. In fact, experienced Troll hunters know that the only way to permanently kill a Troll is to make sure that every single piece has been destroyed by fire. Luckily, if a Troll is hacked into multiple pieces, only the largest piece will regrow into the Troll.

GM’s Section This is known as his feeding counter and it starts counting down whenever the Undead misses more than 5 days of feeding in a row. Once, the feeding counter has begin counting down, the only way to reset it is for the Undead to absorb twice the normal amount of lifeforce that he is required to absorb in a single day. However, should the Undead go a number of days equal to his hits without feeding or without resetting his feeding counter, the creature will be mad and will attack mindlessly, regardless of its chances of survival until it has absorbed 3 times the amount of life-force that it normally requires on a daily basis.

Undead (all) Bordering upon, and even separating the Abyss and the Nine Hells is plane known only as the Shadow Realms. The Shadow Realms, Hades (see p. 99), and the Nether Realms (see p. 96) are collectively known as the Infernal Realms. The Shadow Realms are the home of creatures and beings that are neither alive nor dead, but somewhere in between. The beings and creatures that live in the Shadow Realms are collectively known as the Undead. They are usually the remnants of evil souls that remain behind, trapped in between life and death for all eternity. Many are not even aware of their previous lives, only the most powerful of such creatures retain any memories. There are two main categories of Undead, Created and Natural. Created Undead are those Undead which are created through the use of spells, rituals, or through a transformation process initiated by another Undead, such as a Vampire turning another person into a Vampire. Natural Undead are those that form spontaneously, such as a Ghost forming when a person dies horrible and violent death. In either case, the Undead forms on the mortal plane, but it always has a connection to the Shadow Realms, since it is the Shadow Realms that supplies its animating force. When an Undead creature is destroyed on the mortal plane, it isn’t truly destroyed. It is, instead banished to Shadow Realms, there to spend eternity, unless summoned forth by some daring or unwary spell caster. Undead upon the mortal plane feed off the life energies of the living by draining them of their life-force. In fact, if an Undead has not fed for extended periods of time, it may appear to be crazed, mad, or even an unthinking creature bent on mindless destruction. Any Undead in such a maniacal state will attack any living beings that it encounters regardless of the odds against its survival. All Undead have the following attributes in common: • Immune to venoms and poisons. • Immune to non-magical weapons (damage heals instantly), see individual descriptions for exceptions. • Hurt by Holy Oil and Holy Water as described in the Bless Water/Oil spell description (p. 66). • Repulsed by Holy Symbol: Undead must make Save vs. Will or avert its gaze and be unable to approach wielder for 1 minute. • Failing a Save versus a Repel Undead spell by 10 or more points will “destroy” an Undead, sending it back to the Shadow Realms. • Immune to all influence/control spells that are not specifically designed for controlling/influencing Undead. • Stat Drain: Each type of Undead will feed upon the living in its own manner. However, all Undead are alike in that they must absorb 2 points of life-force (i.e. Constitution or Strength) for each level that it has in order to be healthy and strong. It must absorb at least 1 point of lifeforce each day simply to retain control of itself. An Undead creature can go a maximum number of days, equal to its Hits without feeding.

Ghost Lvl: 5 Hits: 40 Move: 10’ flight DEF: 20 AR: — Attacks: 16 Spectral Touch (7) Stats: Chr: 9(-1)/4; Con: 5(-2)/3; Dex: 18(2)/7; Int: 12(0)/5; Spd: 18(2)/7; Str: 3(-3)/2; Will: 18(2)/7; Wis: 19(3)/8

Skills: Perc. (10); Stealth (9); Tracking (10) Size: 5’-6’ tall # Enc: 1 Abilities: • Incorporeal (may walk through objects) • Regeneration (1 hit per minute) • Able to see invisible, ethereal, & astral presences • •

within 100’ Possession: Capable of possessing a living being who fails a Save vs. Will Spectral Touch: does cold damage, Save vs. Con or lose 1 point of Strength for every 5 hits of damage done, Strength recovers 1 point per day of rest.

Ghosts are the undead and restless remains of a once living being or creature. These spectral entities are the remnants of a person or creature that usually died by violence, treachery, through an injustice, or evil beings attempting to hold on to life at any cost. Ghosts are normally incorporeal, unable to interact with the physical world. In fact, a Ghost must make a Save vs. Will in order to even touch or move physical objects. Any damage actually dealt to a Ghost through magical means will heal at a rate of 1 hit per minute. The only way to permanently destroy a Ghost is through burning the mortal remains of the Ghost, or if the Ghost fails its Save against a Repel Undead spell. Ghosts attack using something called a Spectral Touch. This touch does cold damage to the target and requires the target to make a Save vs. Con or the Ghost will drain some of the target’s Strength. If the target survives the attack of the Ghost, he will recover that Strength at a rate of 1 point per each full day of rest. Also, Ghosts of intelligent beings may attempt to possess another person (no more than once per hour). If that person fails a Save vs. Will, the Ghost has possessed them and taken over. The target gets another Save once every hour, or anytime that the Ghost attempts to do something that would harm the target. A Ghost may only make 1 attempt per day for each level that it has.

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GM’s Section Ghoul

Skeleton Warrior

Lvl: 4 Hits: 61 Move: 10’ DEF: 20 AR: 5 Attacks: 15 Claws (9); 13 Bite (7)* Stats: Chr: 6(-2)/3; Con: 15(1)/6; Dex: 11(0)/5;

Lvl: 3 Hits: 57 Move: 10’ DEF: 17 AR: 5 Attacks: 9 Short Sword (7); 8 Claws (5)* Stats: Chr: 7(-1)/4; Con: 16(2)/7; Dex: 13(1)/6;

Skills: Perc. (11); Stealth (6); Tracking (6) Size: 5’-6’ tall # Enc: 2-20 Abilities: • Regeneration (1 hit per minute); wounds from

Skills: Perc. (10); Stealth (4); Tracking (5) Size: 5’-6’ tall; 50-70 lbs # Enc: 1-20 Abilities: • Regenerates (1 hit per minute) • Non-magical weapons only do half damage, blunt/

Int: 11(0)/5; Spd: 19(3)/8; Str: 17(2)/7; Will: 8(-1)/4; Wis: 10(0)/5

• • •

Int: 10(0)/5; Spd: 14(1)/6; Str: 15(1)/6; Will: 10(0)/5; Wis: 10(0)/5

normal weapons do not heal instantly, but they do heal as per the Regeneration. Darkvision 100’ (as per the Talent description) Aversion to daylight. While not actually harmed by it, Ghouls will not willingly venture out into the daylight. They prefer the darkness. Ghoul’s Curse*: When a person is bitten by a Ghoul, they must make a Save vs. Con (TN 19) or he will be afflicted with a disease that will eventually, over the course of a week, turn the victim into another Ghoul.

•

A Ghoul appears as a highly gaunt and wasted figure, with its skin stretched tightly across. They are scavengers and carrion eaters, feasting on the corpses of others. They prefer fresh corpses, or even living creatures over those that have been dead for any length of time, but it isn’t unusual to find them roaming graveyards and the aftermaths of large battles. However, they are not above trying to steal children or even pets for the occasional meal. Ghouls prize the corpses of magical creatures even more than other corpses, and there is always the possibility of finding a pack of Ghouls following a band of adventurers looking to dine on their leavings. Ghouls travel in packs, ranging from 2 to 20. If there are more than 10 Ghouls in the pack, then there is the possibility of there being a Ghoul of a higher level leading them. In combat, Ghouls use their claws exclusively. The only time that they will bite somebody is if that person is dead or unconscious, or if they have captured a person for the purpose turning him a Ghoul. So long as the person has not been fully turned into a Ghoul, a spell may be used to cure the disease and save the victim from becoming a Ghoul.

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bashing weapons do full damage Grave Touch*: This claw attack also drains the target’s Con, target must Save vs. Con or lose 1 point of Con for every 5 hits of damage that the attack did. The Con recovers 1 point per day of rest.

Skeleton Warriors are created using evil magic or alchemy. They are often made from powerful warriors who have died in combat and the stats given above are for the weakest of those creations. Most Skeleton Warriors are made from common fighters, but those made from more powerful fighters can often be of a higher level. Skeleton Warriors share some traits with other undead, such as being repulsed by Holy Symbols and taking damage from Holy Water, and the ability to regenerate most damage at a rate of one hit per minute. Holy damage and damage from fire cannot be regenerated. Most non-magical weapons will only do half their normal damage (base and scalable), although weapons designed specifically for bashing, such as clubs and maces, will do full damage. If a Skeleton Warrior is reduced to zero or less hits, he will regenerate at a much slower rate, healing only 1 hit of damage every 10 minutes until he once again has a hit point total of 1 or higher.

GM’s Section Vampire Spawn

Zombie

Lvl: 8 Hits: 80 Move: 15’ DEF: 23 AR: 10 Attacks: 24 Claws (10); 21 Bite (see below) Stats: Chr: 12(0)/5; Con: 18(2)/7; Dex: 16(2)/7;

Lvl: 2 Hits: 40 Move: 5’ DEF: 16 AR: — Attacks: 8 Bash (6); 8 Claw (4) Stats: Chr: 6(-2)/3; Con: 5(-2)/3; Dex: 7(-1)/4;

Skills: Perc. (15); Stealth (12); Tracking (10) Size: 5’-6’ tall; # Enc: 1 Abilities: • Regenerates (1 hit per minute) • Non-magical weapons only do half damage. • Sunlight Allergy: takes 2-20 hits per round when

Skills: Perc. (9); Stealth (3); Tracking (4) Size: 5’-6’ tall; 150-200 lbs # Enc: 1-20 Abilities: • Regenerates (1 hit per minute), cannot regenerate

Int: 12(0)/5; Spd: 22(4)/9; Str: 21(3)/8; Will: 17(2)/7; Wis: 12(0)/5

•

•

in direct sunlight. 1-5 hits per round when in indirect sunlight. Blood Drinking: Vampires must drink blood to survive. Each round spent drinking the blood of a victim results in that victim losing 1 point of Con. This stat loss heals at a rate of 1 point per full day of rest. Should Con be reduced to zero, the victim dies. Hypnotic Gaze: A Vampire may attempt to magically hypnotize a target. He must spend a full round staring into the eyes of his target, who then gets a Save vs. Will (TN 17) to resist. If hypnotized, the victim will obey the commands of the Vampire. Commands to cause harm to oneself allow the victim another Save, with a +5 modifier.

The Vampire Spawn is among the weakest of the various types of vampires. They are what normal mortals become when they have been turned by a more powerful vampire. And it will take the Vampire Spawn decades to progress to becoming one of the more powerful types. Luckily, Vampire Spawn, or just Spawn as they are more commonly called, cannot shape-shift or cast spells like many more powerful types of vampires. Spawn tend to spend their time learning and then branching out on their own and establishing their own feeding grounds. Luckily, Spawn cannot create new vampires or the world might be overrun as Spawn also tend to have massive egos and that sometimes leads them to take foolish risks. Smarter Spawn will often move from town to town, feeding, but not killing their victims, so as to not arouse suspicion. In combat, Vampire Spawn can near instantly grow long sharp claws that they use for attacking, eschewing the need for such crutches as weapons.

Int: 3(-3)/2; Spd: 10(0)/5; Str: 12(0)/5; Will: 10(0)/5; Wis: 10(0)/5

• • •

damage from fire or acid Toughness (+10 hits, already figured in) Takes no damage from bashing weapons, takes normal damage from slashing/piercing weapons Brains: Zombies feed by eating the brains of those that they kill. Doing so gives them an amount of life-force equal to the Con of the person whose brain they are eating.

Zombies are corpses, raised from the dead by evil magic and given a semblance of life. These creatures sometimes appear have no real intelligence or free will. Once this undead creature has been raised, it must obey the commands of its creator. In appearance, Zombies look much like they did in life, however, their bodies will be in varying states of decay and decomposition, and their hair will be stringy and the nails on their hands will be long, yellow and claw-like. Zombies do not use weapons when attacking, they will bludgeon their foes with their fists or tear at them with their claws, which are surprisingly strong considering the condition of the rest of them. Like many other undead, Zombies regenerate most damage quickly, at a rate of 1 hit per minute. They cannot regenerate Holy damage, fire damage or acid damage. Zombies are the opposite of Skeleton Warriors in that they take full damage from bladed weapons but are immune to damage from bludgeoning or bashing weapons.

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GM’s Section Wasp, Giant

Wolf

Lvl: 3 Hits: 58 Move: 5’; 10’ flight DEF: 20 AR: — Attacks: 11 Stinger (9)* Stats: Chr: 12(0)/5; Con: 14(1)/6; Dex: 12(0)/5;

Lvl: 4 Hits: 63 Move: 10’ DEF: 20 AR: 5 Attacks: 15 Bite (9) Stats: Chr: 11(0)/5; Con: 16(2)/7; Dex: 10(0)/5;

Skills: Perc. (11); Stealth (7); Tracking (6) Size: 3’-6’ long; 50-100 lbs # Enc: 1-12 Abilities: • Poison*: Save vs. Con or the poison does 3 hits of

Skills: Perc. (13); Stealth (6); Tracking (13) Size: 3’-5’ long; 50-150 lbs # Enc: 2-20 Wolves are large canines with thick, wiry fur, ranging in color from gray to brown or even black. Wolves can hunt alone or in packs, and the pack can range widely in its hunt for food. Wolves are fiercely territorial and will often gather together to bring down larger prey or creatures that might invade its territory.

Int: 4(-2)/3; Spd: 13(1)/6; Str: 18(2)/7; Will: 13(1)/6; Wis: 13(1)/6

Int: 5(-2)3; Spd: 19(3)/8; Str: 18(2)/7; Will: 10(0)/5; Wis: 18(3)/8

damage per round for 1-10 rounds

A nest of Giant Wasps rarely has more than a dozen of the creatures. The queen stays in the nest with one or two workers, while the rest hunt for food. These nests are usually found in caves or abandoned buildings large enough to hold all of the Giant Wasps at once. Giant Wasps attack by repeatedly stinging their prey, which they then carry back to the nest for the queen and any larvae to feed upon. Giant Wasps are able to carry up to 4 times their weight in flight, allowing them take home some rather large prey, considering their size.

Werewolf Lvl: 7 Hits: 78 Move: 15’ DEF: 22 AR: 5 Attacks: 22 Bite (10); 19 Claws (8) Stats: Chr: 10(0)/5; Con: 20(3)/8; Dex: 18(2)/7; Int: 8(-1)4; Spd: 22(4)/9; Str: 20(3)/8; Will: 15(1)/6; Wis: 11(0)/5

Skills: Perc. (13); Stealth (6); Tracking (13) Size: 6’-7’ tall; or 4’-6’ long; 150-250 lbs # Enc: 2-20 Abilities: • Regenerates (1 hit per minute) • Toughness (+10 hits, already figured in) • Lycanthropic Bite: A character that is bitten must make a Con Save (TN 22) or be afflicted.

Werewolves are mortals who have been afflicted with lycanthropy, a magical disease which forces them to transform into a were-form on nights of the full moon. Lycanthropes, as they are sometimes called, have 3 forms; a mortal form, a were-form that is half man and half wolf, and a wolf-form. To become a werewolf, one must be bitten by another werewolf under a full moon. He must then fail a Save vs. Con (TN 22) or he contracts lycanthropy. If it is not removed before his first transformation, then he is cursed with it forever. On nights of the full moon, a lycanthrope cannot control his change, always changing to his were-form. At other times, he can try to, by making a Save vs. Will (TN 22). If the lycanthrope, in his mortal form, takes more damage than his Con stat in a single blow, he may also involuntarily change and a Save would be required to stop it. A werewolf gains a +1 to these Saves for every 5 years they have had lycanthropy. Werewolves may only be hurt by magic, including magical weapons, and silvered weapons, all other damage regenerates.

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Wyvern Lvl: 8 Hits: 101 Move: 10’; 15’ flight DEF: 21 AR: 15 Attacks: 22 Bite (12); 22 Claws (10); 21 Stinger (6)* Stats: Chr: 5(-2)/3; Con: 17(2)/7; Dex: 16(2)/7; Int: 6(-2)/3; Spd: 16(2)/7; Str: 23(4)/9; Will: 10(0)/5; Wis: 16(2)/7

Skills: Perc. (17); Stealth (12); Tracking (12) Size: 12’-14’ long; 1000-2000 lbs # Enc: 1 Abilities: • Poison*: Save vs. Con or be paralyzed for 1-10 minutes Wyverns are thought to be kin to Dragons. They are easily distinguished from Dragons by the fact that they do not possess front limbs, only rear limbs and their wings. Additionally, their tails are tipped with a large and nasty looking stinger. Dragons look down on Wyverns because they have no breath weapon and are not intelligent enough to cast spells. While Wyverns are smarter than animals, they are far from being intelligent. They are also extremely aggressive, preferring to attack first. They are only willing to parley against a foe that is obviously stronger than they are and that they cannot flee from. Young Wyverns may hunt in small groups, but as the Wyverns get older, they tend towards being more solitary. A full grown Wyvern usually has a territory of 75 to 150 square miles that it considers as its own. Wyverns will fight other Wyverns to the death for a territory that is filled with easy prey. It has been rumored that other creatures have befriended or subdued Wyverns and perhaps even used them as mounts, but this unsubstantiated.

GM’s Section

Treasures When characters go adventuring, one of the primary reasons for doing so is for finding treasures. The following section will give you some guidelines for determining how much treasure a foe might have based upon their level. Animals and creatures will likely only have such treasure in their lairs, if they brought prey back to their lairs to consume them. Intelligent creatures and beings, such as Goblins and Orcs, are much more likely to carry their treasure on them. As GM, you should determine what treasure the creature has before an encounter as intelligent creatures are quite likely to be using any magic items that they might have that are appropriate to them. The following table gives the likelihood of a creature having a given type of treasure based on its level, and if so, how much treasure. However, we are not giving you “random treasure tables” because it is felt that you, the GM, should determine the actual items based upon your setting and campaign and how rich you prefer the game to be. Remember, this table is only meant as a guideline, and you, the GM, should feel free to deviate from it as circumstances require for your particular game. It is also important to remember that this table is meant for determining the wealth that an individual is carrying on his person, or that can be found in the lair of a non-intelligent creature. For intelligent creatures, such as Dragons, this table is far from adequate and the GM should use his judgment in determining what sorts of treasures might be found. Treasure Table Key Money (cp, bp, sp, gp, pp): These are the various types of coins. They are listed on the table from lowest denomination to the highest. Since copper pieces are the lowest denomination of coin, it is presumed that a character would only have a few of them on his person, carrying the more common bronze piece except for those few instances where copper is needed. Gems: Valuable stones of any sort. Suggested total value of all gems is 1d10 gp times the level of the creature or character who has the stone. This value should be divided among the number of gems found.

Jewelry: Various items created from precious stone and/ or metals. Suggested values for all pieces of jewelry found are 1d100 gp times the level of the creature or character that has the item. This value should be divided among the number of items of jewelry found. Combat: This is armor, shields or weapons of a magical nature. The “+” means that the item or items may have higher than a +3 bonus to hit or damage, or that it has bonuses to both, or that it might have other additional abilities. The “++” means the item or items definitely have additional capabilities in addition to their bonuses. 1 Use Item: This is an herbal remedy, a potion, a scroll, or some other item that is consumed by its usage. Minor Item: This is an item that is enchanted with charges, with each charge allowing one use of the item, or items that are permanently enchanted with a single ability or bonus. Minor items can also include items that only have a limited number of uses per day. Charged items must be magically recharged in order to regain their ability to be used again. Major Item: Major items have from 2 to 4 permanent magical abilities or bonuses. This is usually one primary ability, with one or more, lesser secondary abilities. This can include abilities that have charges that automatically regenerate over time, or limited uses per day on the secondary abilities, etc. Artifact: Artifacts are items that have multiple permanent abilities of kind considered to be “primary” for Major Items. Treasure Table Notes There are two main types of entries on the Treasure Table. The first is a basic dice notation (i.e. 2d10 or 2d10+5) which means that you should roll the dice and that the result is how much of that type of treasure the creature is likely to have.

Treasure Table

Level of Foe 1 to 3 4 to 6 7 to 9 10 to 15 15 to 20 21 to 25 26 to 30 31+ Money                 cp 1d10 1d10 1d10 1d10 1d10 1d10 1d10 1d10   bp 2d10 2d10+5 3d10+5 3d10 3d10 3d10 3d10 3d10   sp ≥15—1d10 1d10 3d10 4d10 5d10 5d10 6d10 7d10   gp ≥18—1d5 ≥15—1d5 ≥15—1d10 ≥15—2d10 2d10 3d10 4d10 5d10   pp 0 ≥18—1d2 ≥18—1d3 ≥15—1d5 1d5 1d10 2d10 3d10   Gems 0 0 ≥18—1d4 ≥15—1d10 1d10 1d10 +1d5 2d10 3d10   Jewelry 0 0 ≥20—1 ≥18—1d3 ≥15—1d5 ≥13—1d5 ≥15—1d10 1d10+1d3 Magic Items                   Combat ≥18—1 ≥15—1d2 ≥11—1d3 1d4 1d4+ 2d3+ 2d4++ 2d5++   1 Use Item ≥20—1 ≥18—1 ≥15—1d2 ≥14—1d3 ≥12—1d5 1d5 2d5 2d5+1d3   Minor Item 0 ≥20—1 ≥18—1d2 ≥16—1d3 ≥14—1d4 1d5 2d4 2d5+2   Major Item 0 0 0 ≥20—1 ≥18—1 ≥16—1d2 ≥14—1d3 ≥12—2d4   Artifact 0 0 0 0 ≥20—1 ≥19—1 ≥18—1d2 ≥17—1d2 Treasure Type

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GM’s Section The second notation (i.e. ≥15—1d10) has 2 parts. The first part is the basic chance of the creature having that type of treasure. A listing of “≥15” means that you should roll 2d10 without any modifiers, and if the total is 15 or greater, then the creature has that type of treasure, and the section on the other side of the dash (i.e. 1d10) is used to determine how much of that particular type of treasure the creature has. The Treasure Table included dice notations other than d10, however the only dice that you will need in using the Treasure Table are your d10s. The variant dice sizes can be handled through the application of a little math as follows: 1d5: roll 1d10 and divide the result by 2, rounding up. 1d4: roll 1d5 and subtract 1 from the result. Any result of 0 should be treated as a result of 1. 1d3: roll 1d10 and divide the result by 3, rounding up. Treat any result of “0” or “10” as a 3. 1d2: roll 1d10 and divide the result by 5, rounding up.

Sample Magic Items The following are just a few sample magic items that the GM can use when determining treasures for creatures and other foes of the PCs. It is important to note that Novus incorporates the concept of the body having seven focal points of spiritual energy (chakra) and that these focal points will attune to magical items that the character may be carrying. This limits characters to being attuned to no more than 7 magical items at a time. This attunement process will normally take the character having the item with himself or on his person for a minimum of 24 hours. This attunement process is automatic and requires no rolls on the part of the player. However, this does not give the character the information required to use the item. That requires a Magecraft roll (see p. 24) and if the item has not automatically attuned to the character, the Magecraft roll, if it was successful, will allow the character to do so automatically. Single use magical items, such as potions or scrolls, never require the character to be attuned to the item to be used. These sorts of items will never use one of the available seven slots. Items with abilities that operate constantly, such as most magical weapons, also don’t require attunement before use, but they will take up one of the available seven slots. It should also be noted that up to 10 magically enhanced missiles of a singular type will take up one of the available slots (i.e. 10 Orichalcum (p. 117) arrows fill a single slot, 11 would require 2 slots). It does not matter what the seven items allowed are. They could all be rings or amulets, wands, daggers or whatever items that the character wishes.

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Herbal Remedies Herbal Remedies are fluid mixtures or salves that have magical healing properties. They are generally made with very little magic, using only what is required to enhance the natural properties of the ingredients. Herbal Remedies can usually be purchased for 10 gp per dose. If a given Herbal Remedy costs more, it will be listed in the item’s description. To create an Herbal Remedy, a character must have a mortar and pestle and a small bowl or pot for boiling and/or mixing the ingredients. The character starts off using 1 fluid ounce of clear water and the choicest parts of the appropriate plants (requires a Craft: Herbcraft skill roll, TN 20, to know what plants are required for each remedy). It takes 40 + 2d10 minutes to create an Herbal Remedy and at the end of the time, the character adds 1 dram of Essential Salts and makes a Magecraft: Alchemy skill roll (TN 20) in order to activate the magical properties of the remedy. Once prepared, the remedy must be used or stored in an appropriate air-tight container within 10 minutes or it will lose its potency. So long as it is in an air-tight container, it will remain potent. Aphrodisiac Antidote: Cures the drinker of love sickness. Anti-parasitic: Rids the body of all parasites in about 5 minutes. Cure Apathy: Relieves the drinker of any apathy that he is inflicted with. Cure Blindness: Restores vision to normal. This will even heal eyes that have been damaged. Cure Disease: Rids the body of any one disease. It does not heal any damage done by the disease, but it does prevent any further damage. Cure Paralysis: Antidote for any sort of paralysis. Heal Burns: This salve heals 2d10 points of burn/fire damage when applied. Healing takes place over the course of 10 minutes. Healing: Immediately heals 1d10 hits of damage, of any type, when drank. Insect Venom Antidote: Immediately heals all damage from insect or spider venom, including the venom from giant insects and spiders. It also stops the venom from inflicting any further damage. This does not prevent another dose of venom from affecting the target. Poison Antidote: Acts as Insect Venom Antidote, but works against any poison or venom. Cost: 50 gp Remove Curse: Negates any curse or malediction that had a TN of 20 or less. Remove Fear: Removes any magically or non-magically caused fear. This lasts for 1 hour. If the cause of the fear is still present, the fear will return. Restore Speech: Restores the drinker’s normal vocal abilities. Sedative: Induces a restful sleep within 1-4 minutes of being drunk. If taken along with any healing remedy or potion, it doubles the effectiveness of the healing properties of the remedy or potion. If the drinker is awoken before the sedative wears off in 8 hours, he will be groggy and unsteady (1/2 normal bonus, round down, on all skills, including combat and spells).

GM’s Section Potions These are fluid mixtures that grant the drinker magical or spell-like abilities. Potions last for 40 + 2d10 minutes unless the description says otherwise. The exception to this are Healing potions, their effects are permanent since they are only restoring the body to its normal, healthy state. Potions normally cost 200 gp per dose, unless the description says otherwise. For some potions, the drinker is able to use the effect of the potion against others. When drinking this type of potion, the drinker first makes a Save vs. Will. For every 5 points above the base Save of 15 that his roll is, the people targeted by the effects of the potion have the TN of their Save increased by 2 points. Aquatic Potion: Drinker is able to breathe underwater and is able swim at double his normal movement rate. Cost: 250 gp Charisma: Drinker’s Charisma stat is raised 10 points for the duration. This may allow him to exceed his normal racial maximums. Cure Insanity: Drinker is immediately cured of one form of insanity. Cursed (Reversed) Potions: These potions detect and are identified as if they were a beneficial potion of some type. When drank, the potion has the opposite effect as what it seemed to be. For example, a Cursed Potion of Longevity would age the drinker 10 years. If the Potion is actually cursed, as opposed to just reversed, the effects last until the curse is removed. Darkvision: Drinker gains Darkvision, as per the Talent, for the duration. Detect Danger: This allows the drinker to know if anything within a 100’ radius can and/or will hurt or is a danger to him (within the next 5 rounds). The drinker will know the general direction and distance of the danger, but not its exact nature. For example, the drinker approaches a trapped door. As he approaches, he will sense a mild warning. If he decides to attempt to open the door, his sense of impending danger will increase dramatically. Detect Invisibility: For the duration, all invisible beings or items are outlined in a faint, but easily discernible blue glow. Detect Magic: For the duration, all magical items or items that have active spells on them are outlined in a faint, but easily discernible blue glow. Emotional Influence: Drinker is able to invoke an emotional response of sympathy, antipathy, apathy, anger, happiness, etc. in up to 10 individuals within a 20’ radius. Each person gets to make a Save vs. Will against this manipulation. ESP: Drinker is able to read the thoughts of any one target within 20’ radius. The target gets to make a Save vs. Will against this. Free Action: Drinker is able to move as his normal speed through mud, water, or any form of entanglement, including magical forms. Flying: The drinker is able to fly at a speed equal to their normal movement rate.

Gaseous Form: The drinker is able to transform his natural form, including all equipment carried, from normal into a gaseous form. The gaseous form is the same color(s) as the character was before the change and it can move at a rate of 1’ per Action Point spent. It takes one full round to make the transformation from gaseous to solid. The drinker may change forms only once every 5 minutes, and he will return to solid form at the end of the duration. Growth: Drinker grows to double his normal size. This increases his weight by 8 times. The drinker gains a +3 modifier to their Strength stat bonus, a -2 modifier to their DEF, and their movement rate is doubled for the duration. Haste: Drinker gains 5 extra Action Points for each of 3 rounds. The drinker may start those 3 rounds at any time within the duration of the potion, but once started, all 3 rounds must be taken all at once. Heroism: Character’s Strength, Willpower, Dexterity and Speed are increased to their racial maximums (20 + racial modifiers) for the durations. Jumping: Character is able to jump up to 50’ horizontally or 30’ vertically. He may only make one jump, but it can be made at any time within the duration. Longevity: Drinker’s age is permanently reduced by 10 years. This effectively increases his lifespan by the same amount. Magic Resistance: Drinker gains a +4 modifier to all Saves against magical effects and spells for the duration. Major Healing: Drinker is immediately healed of 20 + 2d10 hits of damage of any type. Minor Healing: Drinker is immediately healed of 10 + 1d10 hits of damage of any type. Nightvision: Drinker is granted Nightvision, as per the Talent description (not Greater Nightvision) for the duration. Ogre Strength: Temporarily increases the drinker’s Strength stat to 22 for the duration. This may allow the drinker to temporarily exceed his racial maximum for that stat. Potion of Control: This powerful potion gives the drinker the ability to “charm” or control up to 5 creatures or beings of any single type. Controlled creatures will follow the drinker’s commands and serve him until the duration expires and then they will be very “hostile” towards their former “master”. While this potion can be created for any type of creature, if the creature has an Intelligence of 10 or greater, it will receive a Save vs. Will against this potion. Note: One of the ingredients that this potion requires is a portion of the same type of creature that it will control. For example, a potion of Dragon Control requires Dragon blood, etc. Protection from Evil: Drinker is protected against attacks from summoned or evoked creatures and beings from the Abyss or the Nine Hells.

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GM’s Section Regeneration: Drinker regenerates 1 hit per round for the duration. Also, any lost limbs or organs will be restored over the course of 10 to 30 minutes, depending upon the severity. Shrinking: Drinker shrinks to one half his normal height and his weight is 1/8 normal. He receives a -3 modifier to his strength stat bonus and +2 modifier to his DEF. Drinker’s normal movement rate is also halved (rounded up) for the duration. Speed: Temporarily increases the drinker’s Speed stat by 10 points. This may allow the drinker to temporarily exceed his racial maximum for that stat. Spider Climb: Drinker is able to cling to walls and ceilings for the duration. Movement rate is one half of their normal movement rate. Stealth: Drinker gains a bonus of 5 + 1d10 to their Stealth skill. Stone to Flesh: This potion is poured over a person who has been turned to stone. It will restore them to their normal flesh. Traceless Passing: Drinker is able to pass through any terrain without leaving any sign or trace of their passage. Water Breathing: Drinker is able to breathe water or air for the duration.

Scrolls Scrolls are parchments that contain from 1 to 5 spells inscribed upon them. As each spell is cast from the scroll, it fades from the parchment. Any form of paper may be used in making a scroll, but it requires the use of magical inks and a Magecraft: Runes roll with a TN equal to the Casting TN of the spell +10. The magical inks required to inscribe a scroll cost a minimum of 500 gp for enough ink to inscribe 7 spells. The magical inks do not come in smaller amounts. Deciphering a scroll requires a base Magecraft skill roll with a TN equal to 15 + the number of Spell Points used in normally casting the spell. If a scroll has multiple spells on it, each spell must be deciphered separately. Failure to decipher a spell means that the character cannot attempt to do so again until he gains more ranks in his base Magecraft skill. Using a scroll requires that the character make a Magecraft skill roll, with the TN being equal to the Casting TN of the spell being read off of the scroll. Reading spells off of scrolls does not require the character to expend any Spell Points. Scrolls normally sell for 100 gp per spell contained on the scroll. Rarer spells may go for more occasionally.

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Magical Weapons & Armors There are two primary methods of enchanting weapons and armor. Orichalcum Items The first is to create the item using an alchemical substance known as Orichalcum. Using Orichalcum, weapons gain from a +1 to a +3 bonus, to both accuracy (i.e. the wielder’s Attack Bonus) and to the amount of Base Damage that they deal. For armor, this substance can provide a +1 to +3 to both its Armor Rating and to the DEF of the person wearing or wielding it. Orichalcum is created in small golden bronze ingots which are then used to create weapons and armor. Items made using Orichalcum cannot receive any bonuses from permanent enchantments, although they can receive other enchantments. Items made with Orichalcum cannot have greater than a +3 bonus ever. Items made from Orichalcum cost 500 gp for each ingot of Orichalcum required in its making. Here is a short list that provides some guidelines on pricing: Dagger: 500 gp per +1 Swords, Axes, Spears, Staves, and Rods: 1,000 gp per +1 Arrows, Crossbow Bolts, Sling Stones: 500 gp for every 10 +1 missiles Shields: 750 gp for each +1 Armor (full suit of any metal type): 3,500 gp per +1 Enchanted Items Items that are magically enchanted with bonuses have a cost of 300 gp per +1 bonus, and unlike items made with Orichalcum, the bonuses only apply to a single aspect of the item; either accuracy or Base Damage for weapons and either DEF or Armor Rating for Armor. However, items can be enchanted with bonuses for both, and each may have up to a maximum magical bonus of +5. These items also usually cost an extra 1,000 gp for each ability that the item has that is associated with the primary purpose of the item. Unassociated abilities, such as separate scaling for additional Base Damage, will cost 2,000 gp per ability. Each item will also have a base cost associated with. This base cost is 250 gp for each foot of length that the weapon has (rounded up). Armor has a base cost of 250 gp for point of Armor Rating that a non-magical version of that armor has. Helms, Bracers and Greaves have a base cost of 100 gp if they are made of Soft Leather, 200 gp if made of Reinforced Leather, and 300 gp if made of metal. Full suits of armor (includes armor, helms, braceers, and greaves) have a base cost of 400 gp per each non-magical point of Armor Rating that it provides its wearer. Therefore, the actual cost of a weapon or armor is its base cost, plus the cost of any magical bonuses plus the cost of any other abilities.

GM’s Section Sample Weapons & Armor Here is a short list of examples that also include the cost breakdowns showing how the price was derived: Bracers of Defense: Soft leather bracers, DEF 3, AR 1 (cost: 1,000 gp — 100 gp base, 900gp for magical +3 to DEF) Bracers of Defense: Metal bracers, DEF 5, AR 5 (cost: 3,000 gp — 300 gp base, 2,700 gp for magical +5 to DEF, magical +4 AR) Dagger of Returning: Orichalcum dagger has +1 to both accuracy and damage. It teleports back to the thrower’s hand at the beginning of the round after it was thrown. (cost: 2,750 gp — 250 gp base, +500 gp for the Orichalcum enhancement, +2,000 to teleport back to thrower’s hand) Dancing Sword: This is a magical broadsword that will float and fight of its own volition when drawn and thrown into the air. A Dancing Sword will fight for up to a maximum 2 rounds per level of its wielder each day, and the rounds need not be consecutive. It has the same attack bonus as the wielder, and it may only attack once per round. (cost: 4,000 gp — 1,000 gp base, +1,000 gp to use the wielder’s attack bonus, +2,000 gp to fly/dance) Dragonscale Armor: Full suit, including helm, bracers, and greaves, of reinforced leather armor made from the hide and scales of a dragon. It protects as full plate (DEF +2, AR 12), but only encumbers as reinforced leather (Pen -2, Imp 4). The wearer of such a suit is also completely immune to the breath weapon of Dragons of the same type that the armor was made from. However, any Dragon seeing a person wearing such a suit of armor would be so enraged that he would attack that person without mercy. (cost: 5,900 gp — 2,800 gp base for reinforced leather, +1,000 gp for immunity to the Dragon’s breath weapon, +2,100 gp for +2 DEF and +5 AR) Firebow: Longbow that causes any arrows fired from it to burst into flame doing an additional +3 Fire damage along with the normal base damage. The fire damage also scales separately from the normal arrow damage (i.e. does double normal Scaled Damage, half from fire, half from the arrow, AR is applied against the arrow damage and fire damage separately). (cost: 5,400 gp — 1500 gp base, +1,000 for fire damage, +900 gp for +3 damage from the fire, +2,000 gp for fire damage scaling)

Frostbow: Longbow that causes any arrows fired from it become super cold doing an additional +5 Cold damage along with the normal base damage. The cold damage does not scale separately. (cost: 4,000 gp — 1500 gp base, +1000 gp for the cold damage, +1,500 gp for +5 damage from the cold) Holy Sword: +2 accuracy; deals double damage to Demons, Devils, and Undead. The double damage applies only when the Holy Sword is wielded by Clerics or Paladins of “good” deities. In the hands of all others, it is simply a sword with a +2 modifier to the wielder’s attack bonus. (cost: 3,850 gp — 1,000 gp base, +600 gp for the +2 accuracy, +3,000 for double damage to Demons, Devils & Undead, -750 gp for the double damage being limited to Cleric & Paladins) Shield of Belnus: This 2’ diameter round shield of polished steel was made to honor Belnus, the god of the Sun. It is a normal shield with a +2 magical bonus (total of +5 to DEF). Its face is inscribed with a stylized sun symbol. If the wielder of the shield holds it forth towards a Demon, Devil, or Undead creature, as if he were brandishing a Holy Symbol, the creature must make a Save as if the shield actually were a Holy Symbol. (cost: 3,100 gp — 500 gp base, +600 gp for the +2 bonus to DEF, +2,000 gp for the Holy Symbol capability)

Staves, Rods & Wands Spell users are renowned for utilizing wands, rods, and staves as magical items and as an aid in casting their spells. Therefore, a discussion of magical items would not be complete without them. When using or activating one of these devices, the wielder will use his Magecraft skill bonus if a roll is required. These can be enchanted with spells or spell-like abilities. Each spell or spell-like ability adds 1,500 to the cost of the device. Double this cost if the spell has a Spell Point cost greater than 3. Each device can hold a maximum of 50 charges normally. Recharging a depleted item requires a Magecraft roll (TN 30), and recharging a device depletes the person who charged it of Spell Points for one full day (i.e. the person who recharges a charged device will start regaining Spell Points normally 24 hours after the device was charged). For rods and staves, the creator of the item may exchange 5 charges to make an ability work once per day, 10 charges to make an ability work twice a day and 15 charges to make it work up to three times a day. This exchange adds 1,000 gp to the cost of the device for each “per day” usage. All three types of devices can be enchanted with up to a maximum of a +3 bonus to spell casting. Each +1 adds 500 gp to the cost. Each +1 also reduces the maximum number of charges by 10.

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GM’s Section Rods and Staves can also be enchanted with combat oriented abilities. Each such enchantment also reduces the maximum number of charges that the device can hold by 10. Multiple bonuses to accuracy count as one enchantment, as does multiple bonuses to damage. Wands: Wands are small sticks, between 8” and 16” in length. They are often slender, being less than half an inch in diameter. Wands cannot be used as weapons in combat. However, they can be used as an aid in casting spells, especially if they have been enchanted for such. Wands have a base cost of 500 gp. Rods: Rods are small staves that are about 2’ in length and about 1” in thickness. Some have sturdy and possibly ornate heads upon their tops. They can be used as weapons, like a baton if they do not have a head piece and like a mace if they do. Rods will have a base cost of 1,000 gp. Staves: Staves are the largest of the three, being 6’ in length on average and up to 2” in thickness, and like the rod, may be used as a weapon in addition to a magical item. All magical staves will have a base cost of 1500 gp. Sample Staves, Rods & Wands Here is a short list of examples that also include the cost breakdowns: Arcane Bolt Wand: This thin wand of ornately carved oak fires an Arcane Bolt (CTN: 15, Dam: 2) as per the spell. It has 50 charges. (cost: 2,000 gp — 500 gp base, +1,500 gp for the spell) Fire Staff: This stave is made from a reddish wood that is covered with sigils that are seemingly burned into it. It functions as a normal quarterstaff with a +3 bonus to accuracy. For the cost of 1 charge, one end of the staff will burst into flame (treat as torch for the amount of light it gives off) for up to 10 minutes. When striking with the lit end of the staff it will do +3 points of Fire damage in addition to its normal damage. Additionally, the wielder may expend a charge to shoot a bolt of fire (treat as Eldritch Fire, Dam: 2+ Wis bonus) from the staff (it need not be lit at the time) at a foe. The staff also grants a +2 bonus to casting all fire-related spells. The staff has 10 charges, and it regains 1 charge for each hour that its magic is not used. (cost: 7,300 gp — 1,500 gp base, +900 gp for +3 accuracy, +1,000 for fire damage, +900 gp for +3 damage from the fire, +1,500 for tip igniting into flame, +1,500 for Eldritch Fire spell)

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Rod of Smiting: This is a small metal rod with a steel ball attached to the end. It strikes as a Mace and has a +3 modifier to both accuracy and damage. It may also be used to cast Conjure Missiles and Mage Armor at a cost of 1 charge each. It has 30 charges. (cost: 5,800 gp — 1,000 gp base, +900 gp for +3 to accuracy, +900 gp for +3 to damage, +1,500 for Conjure Missiles, +1,500 for Mage Armor) Wand of Casting: This slender, plain wand of ash wood grants a +3 bonus to all spell casting. When found, a spell user may, after possessing the wand for 24 hours, cast any one known spell, that has a Spell Point cost of 3 or less, into the Wand and the caster will be able to use the wand to cast that spell for free up to 3 times a day. This spell only works for the caster who puts it into the wand. If the wand is out of the possession of the caster for more than 24 hours, the wand loses that spell, and it must be cast into the wand again. (cost: 7,500 gp — 500 gp base, 1,500 gp for +3 to casting, +1,000 gp for ability to store a spell, +1,500 gp for the spell to be stored, +3,000 gp for 3 times a day)

GM’s Section Amulets, Rings, &

other Jewelry Jewelry has always been a favorite medium for imbedding magical abilities, specifically amulets and rings, but any type of jewelry can easily be used. All jewelry has a base cost of 2,000 gp, and each spell or spell-like ability adds an additional +1,500 gp to the cost of the item. Each added ability is usable once per day, unless it is added multiple times. Abilities that work continuously add +5,000 gp to the cost of the item. Abilities that work at the will of the wearer add 7,500 to the cost of the item. If the item is to give the wearer some sort of bonus to a skill or attribute, then each +1 adds +500 gp to the cost of the item if the bonus is for a skill or Save, +1,000 if it is for an attribute such as DEF, AR, Stats, etc. Bonuses do not require the additional costs for constant or “at will” abilities, as they are always constant. Any bonuses to Saves can be made to affect all Saves by doubling cost per point and adding +1,750 gp to the total cost of the item. Sample Amulets, Rings & Jewelry Here is a short list of examples that also include the cost breakdowns: Amulet of Protection: This small amulet is formed of a single strand of a golden alloy that is worked into an intricate knot. This amulet provides a +2 modifier to all Saves that the character has to roll. (cost: 4,750 gp — 2,000 gp base, +1,000 gp for +2 modifier to all Saves, +1,750 gp for applying the bonus to all saves) Amulet of Trap Detection: This small amulet allows the wearer to magically search for traps up to 3 times a day. When activated, all traps within the wearer’s field of vision, for the next five minutes, will be surrounded with a light blue glow that is visible only to him. (cost: 6,500 gp — 2,000 gp base, +4,500 gp to detect traps up to 3 times a day) Diadem of Sight: This is a slim silver headband with a diamond mounted in the center of the wearer’s forehead. The wearer is able to activate the magic of the diadem up to 3 times per day. When activated, the wearer is able to see a full 360 degrees around himself in all directions at once. This also grants a +5 modifier to all Perception rolls, and the character cannot be surprised. This lasts for 10 minutes before wearing off. If the ability is activated more than one in any given hour, the wearer must make a Save vs. Con (TN 18) or he will go blind from the strain placed on his eyes. (cost: 8,500 gp — 2,000 gp base, +4,500 gp for all around vision 3 times a day, +2,500 for the +5 to Perception, +1,000 for the ‘unable to surprise’ ability, -1,500 gp for the limitation of no more than once per hour). Headband of the Mystic: This thin band of silver protects the wearer as if it were a plate helm. However, it has no Impedance or other negative modifiers. (cost: 5,000 gp — 2,000 gp base, +1,500 gp for protecting as a plate helm, +1500 gp for having no negative modifiers)

Necklace of Protection from Spirits: This necklace prevents spirits from approaching within 5’ of its wearer. Ring of Demon Summoning: This ornate silver ring allows the wearer to summon a Demon once per day. Rings of this type will vary in regards to the power of the Demon that is summoned, but each ring only summons one singular Demon, and always that Demon. The wearer does not have to use a Circle of Protection and Thaumaturgic Triangle as detailed on p. 82, but he is still required to forge a pact with the summoned demon as per normal. Once a pact has been sealed, the Demon will serve the wearer faithfully for as long as he has the ring. However, should the Demon ever be slain upon the mortal plane, the ring will forever lose its magic. (cost: 5,000 gp — 2,000 gp base, +1,500 gp for summoning a Demon once a day, +1,500 gp for magically creating the required Circle of Protection and Thaumaturgic Triangle) Ring of Devil Summoning: This ornate silver ring allows the wearer to summon a Devil once per day. Rings of this type will vary in regards to the power of the Devil that is summoned, but each ring only summons one singular Devil, and always that Devil. The wearer does not have to use a Circle of Protection and Thaumaturgic Triangle as detailed on p. 82, but he is still required to forge a pact with the summoned demon as per normal. Once a pact has been sealed, the Devil will serve the wearer faithfully for as long as he has the ring. However, should the Devil ever be slain upon the mortal plane, the ring will forever lose its magic. (cost: 5,000 gp — 2,000 gp base, +1,500 gp for summoning a Devil once a day, +1,500 gp for magically creating the required Circle of Protection and Thaumaturgic Triangle) Ring of Flying: Allows the wearer to fly at a speed of 10’ per Action Point during a combat round, or up to speeds of 50 miles per hour outside of combat. (cost: 3,500 gp — 2,000 gp base, +1,500 gp for the ability to fly)

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GM’s Section Miscellaneous Magic Items Almost anything can be made into a magical item. It the items magical abilities are related to the form and function of the item, then it has a Base Cost of 1,000 gp. If any of the magic of the item is not related to its form and function, then the Base Cost of the Item will be 2,000 gp. Each ability that the item has will add 1,500 gp to the cost of the item. Bonuses add 500 gp to the item for each +1 that the item has. These costs are for abilities that enhance or go with the natural use of the item. Abilities that have no connection with how the item is used normally will cost double. Abilities that work continuously add +5,000 gp to the cost of the item. Abilities that work at the will of the wearer add 7,500 to the cost of the item. Sample Miscellaneous Magic Items Backpack of Holding: This normal looking backpack actually a portal to a small dimensional pocket. It is capable of holding up to 2,000 lbs worth of gear, with no volume restrictions, and never weighing more than 1 lb for every 100 lbs it has within it. The only restriction is that the items must fit within the opening of backpack. The owner of the backpack may pull out any item that he knows is in the pack on the first try. If the owner attempts to put a living creature in the pack, that creature will die within a few minutes as the backpack does not contain any air to breathe. Should the backpack ever be destroyed, all items within it will be lost. (cost: 4,000 gp — 1,000 gp base, +1,500 gp for the dimensional pocket, +1,500 for the ability to find specific items to remove) Bracers of the Spider: These are very powerful items. This is a set of black leather bracers with silver filigree that is reminiscent of a spider’s web. This item has 20 charges, and will recharge at a rate of 1 charge for every hour that the bracers are not used. Each charge allows the wearer to use one of the following effects: • Spiderclimb – Wearer is able to cling to walls and ceilings for the duration. Movement rate is one half of their normal movement rate. This lasts for 10 minutes. • Web Rope – Wearer can shoot forth a thick strand of webbing that is up to 20’ in length for every charge expended. The end of the strand is sticky and will adhere to the surface that it is aimed at. • Web Grapple – Shoots forth a web that makes a ranged grapple against a foe that is up to 50’ away. Use either a Ranged Combat skill or Magecraft skill as the skill for making this attack, whichever is higher. Target of the attack may make a Save vs. Str to break free. Wearer may increase the TN of the Save by 2 for each extra charge used in this ability. (cost: 8,000 gp — 2,000 gp base, +1,500 gp for 20 charges +1,500 gp for the spiderclimb ability, +1,500 gp for the web rope, +1,500 gp for the web grapple) Cloak of the Bat: This is dark leather cloak. The wearer may, up to 3 times a day, transform the cloak into a set of giant bat wings that allow him to fly at a rate of 5’ per Action

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Point during combat, or 50 miles per hour when not in combat. (cost: 6,500 gp — 2,000 gp base, +4,500 gp for flight 3 times a day) Cloak of Invisibility: When the wearer of this hooded cloak draws the hood over his head, he is made invisible. He will remain invisible so long as he does not move faster than a normal walk, attempt to attack somebody or attempt to cast a spell. Attempting to perform any of these actions will immediately cause the hood to come off the wearer’s head, rendering him visible (before the action is completed). (cost: 8,500 gp — 2,000 gp base, +1,500 gp for invisibility, +5,000 gp for the ability to be constant when the hood is up) Crystal Ball: This is round chunk of clear crystal set on a gold stand. If the wielder uses it as a focus for any type of scrying spell, he may cast spells on himself that expand his sensing capabilities beyond normal or cast spells, which are not against DEF, upon the target of the scrying. The target still gets his Saves against those spells and he also receives a +2 modifier for all such Saves (cost: 5,000 gp — 2,000 gp base, +1,500 gp for ability to use sensing spells through the Crystal Ball, +1,500 gp for the ability cast spells upon the target of the scrying). Light Pouch: This belt pouch is similar in nature to a Backpack of Holding; however, it can only hold up to 50 lbs while weighing 1 lb for every 10 in the pouch. Only items can fit within the opening may be placed within. If the pouch is destroyed, all items within are lost. (cost: 2,500 gp — 1,000 gp base, +1,500 gp for the dimensional pocket, +1,500 gp for the ability to find specific items to remove, -1,500 gp for a smaller weight limit) Lockpicks of Opening: This finely crafted set of lockpicks is enchanted with a +3 magical bonus. (cost: 2,500 gp — 1,000 gp base, +1,500 gp for +3 magical bonus to picking locks) Scrying Stone: This small crystal allows the wielder to be able to view any person or location that he has actually seen or been to before. (cost: 10,500 gp — 2,000 gp base, +1,500 gp for ability to scry persons, items or locations, +7,000 gp for the ability to be used at will)

GM’s Section

Appendix Combat Boons Result Adrenal Surge: Does additional Base Damage equal to Willpower Stat Bonus. May not be used with Strong Attack. Bleeder: Foe starts bleeding, losing 1 hit per round (slashing & piercing weapons only) for each Boon Point Spent on this. Combat Shuffle: You are able to move yourself and your foe 5’ for each Boon Point spent on this. Daze Foe: Foe is dazed 1 round (-4 to all actions). Defensive Posture: Your attack leaves you in a better position. Gain +2 to DEF next round. Disarm Foe*: Foe has to make a Save vs. Str or his weapon goes flying 1’-10’ in a random direction. TN for the Save 1 is 15 + the number of ranks in the Combat Skill used to make the attack. 1+ Initiative Boost: You gain +2 to your initiative in the next round for each Boon Point spent on this. 1 Knock Prone: You knock your enemy prone. A prone character has a DEF of 12 + any magical bonuses only. Rapid Reload: You may immediately reload your bow without it costing any AP. May only be selected if attack was 1 made with a bow. Skilled Attack: Does additional damage equal to half (rounded down) the number of skill ranks in the Combat 1 Skill used in making in the attack. This extra damage is not considered to be Base Damage. 1 Strong Attack: Does additional Base Damage equal to Strength Stat Bonus. May not be used with Adrenal Surge. Attack Boost: You gain a +1 modifier to your Attack Bonus for your primary attack in the next round for each Boon 2+ Point spent on this (i.e. spending 3 Boon Points gives a +3 bonus). Requires spending a minimum of 2 Boon Points. Inspiring Attack: Your move so inspires your friends that they all gain +1 to initiative in the next round for each 2+ Boon Point spent on this. Requires spending a minimum of 2 Boon Points. Lightning Attack: You may make a second attack against the same enemy or a different one within range and sight. 2 You must have a loaded missile weapon in hand if making a ranged attack (may be used with Rapid Reload). Foe must be adjacent for a melee attack. This second attack is made with a -4 modifier to your Attack Bonus. 2 Pierce Armor: You find a chink in your enemy’s armor. His Armor Rating is halved (rounded down) vs. this attack. Savage Attack: Your attack does 1d10 (explosive) additional hits of damage. This extra damage is not considered to 2 be Base Damage. 2 Severe Blow: You do double (2x) Base Damage. May not be combined with other damage multipliers. Stunning Blow*: Foe is Stunned 1 round (and unable to act) if he fails Save vs. Con. The TN for this Save is 15 + the 2 number of ranks in the Combat Skill used to make this attack. Advantageous Attack: Your attack leaves foe in an awkward and exposed position. This allows you to attack him 3 from behind (+4 modifier to Attack Bonus) in the next round. This also allows for other position-based attacks, such as Waylaying, to be used in combat. 3 Dire Blow: You do triple (3x) Base Damage. May not be combined with other damage multipliers. Dual Strike: Your attack is so strong it affects two targets. First, pick a secondary target. He must be adjacent to you if you are using a melee weapon or within 30 feet of your primary target if you are using a missile weapon. Apply your 3 original attack roll to the secondary target (in other words, you only make one attack roll and apply it to both foes). If you hit the secondary target, inflict your normal damage on him – no Boon Points are earned from this second attack. Pierce Armor II: You find a chink in your enemy’s armor. His Armor Rating is one quarter normal (rounded down) 3 vs. this attack. Skilled Attack: Does additional damage equal to the number of skill ranks in the Combat Skill used in making in 3 the attack. This extra damage is not considered to be Base Damage. 3 Stunning Blow II*: As Stunning Blow, except foe is Stunned 2 rounds (and unable to act) if he fails his Save vs Con. Knockout*: Foe must make Save vs. Con or be knocked unconscious for 1d10 minutes. The TN for this Save is 15 4 + the number of ranks in the Combat Skill used to make this attack. 4 Mortal Blow: You do quadruple (4x) Base Damage. May not be combined with other damage multipliers. 4 Pierce Armor True: You find a chink in your enemy’s armor. You completely ignore his Armor Rating for this attack. Death Strike*: Foe must make Save vs. Con or die. The TN for this Save is 15 + the number of ranks in the Combat 5 Skill used to make this attack. 6 Instant Death: Foe is killed instantly. No Saving Throw allowed. * = If the foe was Fighting Defensively in the round in which this action occurs, then the bonus to his Defense (DEF) from Fighting Defensively is also used as a modifier to his Saving Throw. If the foe has not yet attacked in this round, or not declared that he is Fighting Defensively, he is allowed to shift 1 point to his Save & DEF for every 2 points subtracted from his AB for the rest of the round by Canceling his current action and giving up his opportunity to attack. BPs 1 1+ 1+ 1 1

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GM’s Section Snags Cost Snags Fumble object in hand, spend 1 round regaining 1 control of it. Spells: Spell seems to be cast normally, but has totally 1 benign effect (neither helpful nor harmful) 1 Strain a muscle. -1 to all actions for 10 minutes. Takes an extra round to complete the task being 1 attempted. The failure results in an unexpectedly loud noise 1 (or expletive), alerting any foe’s within 100’ of the character’s presence. Accidentally hurt yourself doing 1d10 hits of damage. 2 Damage reduction from armor worn does apply. 2 Break item held in hand Character botches the attempted task, and has to 2 start over from the beginning. Combat: Accidentally strike nearest friend within 2 proper range (new attack roll). Spells: Spell is cast correctly but targets wrong person 2 nearest to target (i.e. attack targets caster’s friend, beneficial spell targets nearest foe) Combat: Break your weapon in such a way that you do 3 double its normal damage to yourself in the process. This bypasses any armor the character is wearing. Spells: Caster internalizes the spell, taking an amount 3 of damage equal to his Will Stat Bonus times the number of spell points of the spell. Casting Boons CBP Boon Results Harder Save: Each Casting Boon Point spent on this 1 option increases the Target Number (TN) of the Save by 2 points. Increased Range: The Range of the spell is increased 1 by 1 increment. May not be used on spells with a range of Self or Touch Increased Duration: The Duration of the spell is 1 increased by 1 increment. May not be used on spells with no duration. Increased Radius: The radius of the spell is increased 1 by 1 increment. May not be used on spells that do not have an effect with a radius. Increased Distance: Some spells have an effect that 1 includes a specific distance (i.e. moves point of sight 10’). This increases that type of effect by 1 increment. Increase Numerical Effect: When used on any spell whose effect is measured by a number, that effect is increased by one increment (i.e. if a spell heals 1+ Wis 1 Bonus in hits, this option will increase the number of hits healed by “1+Wis Bonus”, thus healing a total of “2 + double Wis Bonus”). 1 Increased Targets: Spell affects 1 extra target. Note: A number of the Casting Boon Results refer to “increment”. An increment is considered to be what is in the spell as it was cast (i.e. a Range of 50’ means the increment is 50’, but another spell with a range of 10’ will allow additional range increments in units of 10’). 123

Skill Boons Cost Boons Character learns an extra bit of relevant information 1 that he was not expecting. Player gains a +2 bonus on the character’s next 1* attempt at a task related to this one. Result of skill use is increased by 10%, if possible. May 1 be taken multiple times, but cannot increase result by more than 50%. Saves against the skill just used have their TN 1 increased by 2. Task was performed more quietly than expected. 1* Character gains a +2 bonus to any rolls to which a quiet result of this task will be of benefit. Task was performed quicker than expected. Each Boon Point spent reduces the amount of time 1 required by 10%. May not reduce required time by more than 50%. Character gains or remembers information that can 2 aid in resolving the adventure (i.e. the Dragon’s cave has a back entrance, but not where). Character is so pumped from his success that the 2* player gains a+4 on the character’s next die roll, regardless of its purpose. Stunning Success: Onlookers are in awe of your skill, 2 and are literally stunned 1 round. Character gains a +2 modifier to all future attempts to 3* use this skill, until the first time he earns a Snag Point for its use, then the modifier disappears. Character gains or remembers information that can 3 greatly aid in resolving the adventure (i.e. you know where the back entrance to the Dragon’s cave is). Character is so pumped from his success that the 3* player gains a +2 to all of his character’s rolls for 24 hours. * = only one of these bonuses may apply at any given time.

Name: Stats

Charisma (Chr) Constitution (Con) Dexterity (Dex) Intelligence (Int) Speed (Spd) Strength (Str) Willpower (Will) Wisdom (Wis)

Character Sheet

Raw + Race + Misc = Value Bonus ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ +

Armor & Shield Def AR

Init (Spd Bns + Wis Bns + ____)

Secondary Stats

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

= _____ = _____ = _____ = _____ = _____ = _____ = _____ = _____

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Type of Armor Base (15 + Speed Bonus) Armor _______________ Helm _______________ Bracers _______________ Greaves _______________ Shield _______________ Special _______________ Misc. _______________ Misc _______________ Total

Hit Total Points

Current

Spell Total Points

Current

Save Modifier

+ 5 + ___ = + 5 + ___ = + 5 + ___ = + 5 + ___ = + 5 + ___ = + 5 + ___ = + 5 + ___ = + 5 + ___ =

DEF _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

AR Pen. _____ _____ _____ _____ __/__ _____ __/__ _____ __/__ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Imp _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Base Racial Max. Hit Points

______

Max. Hit Points (Racial Max. + Str + Con)

______

Starting Hit Points (20 + Str + Con + _____) ______ Spell Points (Base ___ + Spellcasting Ranks) ______

Weapons

Weapon Name: _______________

_______ Attack Bonus _______ Range Increment _______ Base Damage Notes: _______________ _____________________________________________

Weapon Name: _______________

_______ Attack Bonus _______ Range Increment _______ Base Damage Notes: _______________ _____________________________________________

Weapon Name: _______________

_______ Attack Bonus _______ Range Increment _______ Base Damage Notes: _______________ _____________________________________________

Weapon Name: _______________

_______ Attack Bonus _______ Range Increment _______ Base Damage Notes: _______________ _____________________________________________

Weapon Name: _______________

_______ Attack Bonus _______ Range Increment _______ Base Damage Notes: _______________ _____________________________________________

Weapon Name: _______________

_______ Attack Bonus _______ Range Increment _______ Base Damage Notes: _______________ _____________________________________________

Weapon Name: _______________

_______ Attack Bonus _______ Range Increment _______ Base Damage Notes: __________________

Weapon Name: _______________

_______ Attack Bonus _______ Range Increment _______ Base Damage Notes: __________________

Fate Points

______

Movement Rate

______

Spells

CTN SP

______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____ ______________________ _____ _____

Vs.

______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

level

experience points

character class

race

background

Height:

_________________

Weight:

_________________

Eye Color

_________________

Hair Color: _________________ Age:

_________________

Sex:

_________________

Distinguishing Marks:_________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Personality Traits:______________ ____________________________

Range Duration languages ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

_________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

S

____________ ___ ____________ ___ ____________ ___ ____________ ___ ____________ ___ ____________ ___ ____________ ___ ____________ ___ ____________ ___

Treasure

W

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Platinum Pieces: _________ Gold Pieces: _________ Silver Pieces: _________ Bronze Pieces: _________ Copper Pieces: _________ Gems/Jewelry: _________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ Other Treasure: _________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Favored

Name: Skills

(Stat) Acrobatics (Spd) Athletics (Con) Combat (_________) (____) (_________) (____) (_________) (____) (_________) (____) (_________) (____) Crafting (_________) (____) (_________) (____) (_________) (____) First Aid (Wis) Gimmickry (Dex) Influence (Chr) Lore (_________) (Int) (_________) (Int) (_________) (Int) Magecraft (Base) (____) (________) (____) (________) (____) Navigation (Int) Perception (Wis) Perf. Arts (________) (Chr) (________) (Chr) Riding (Dex) Spellcast. (________) (____) (________) (____) Stealth (Spd) Streetwise (Wis) Survival (Wis) Tracking (Wis) Trickery (____) _________________ (____) _________________ (____) _________________ (____) _________________ (____) _________________ (____) _________________ (____) _________________ (____) _________________ (____) _________________ (____)

Notes

(racial

BG ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

+ Ranks + Stat + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____ + ____

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Spec. + Spec. = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ = ____ + ____ =

Total _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Equipment

_______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Total Weight

Location ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Weight _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

abilities, combat moves, talents, etc.)

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Index

126

127

128