OTR - Dune RPG - Core Rules v.5

THE DUNE RPG. VERSION 0.5 Welcome to the DUNE RPG. This is intended as a classic pen and paper Role-Play for experienced gamers and fans of the original Dune Legend. This document probably violates several copyright laws, however, it is designed solely for the fans, as it was written by fans.

D i s c l a i m e rs : This is a work of Fan-dom. I avoid the word Fiction because the aim of this project is to provide something as close to Frank Herbert’s original vision as possible. Most of the details within this document are from the “Dune Encyclopaedia” rather than the new preludes as it gives a better understanding of classic dune. Certain parts of the preludes have been included however. I have marked the sections accordingly. This work is based on the “Legend of the Five Rings” Role-Play due to its simplicity and ease of modification. Fans of that system should find this document quite straightforward. Others may need a little time to get used to the idea but all information needed is included within this document. Further supplements detailing the “Ways” of the major factions can be found on the Dune RPG Website. Obviously, this beta document is NOT for reproduction or amending in anyway by these who download this. This is considered my property and as such, may not be altered or redistributed without my permission.

INTRODUCTION. W h a t is a R o le - Pl a y ? W h a t ’ s D u ne a l l a b o ut ? “A Beginning is a very Delicate Time” – Irulan Corrino What is Dune? What is a Roleplay? A Roleplay is a game where the players take on a persona and play through a scenario in their own way. A Roleplay game can be great fun for all. A typical game has a number of players and a Games Master. The Games Master is responsible for the organising and running of the game. All the decisions and rule making are made by the GM. There are many famous Role-Play games that you may have heard of, both on a Console or Computer and in books. Some people may not have heard of the latter. Book or, more commonly, Pen and Paper, Role-Plays are the most common, and have been around for some time. The Dune Role-Play is such a game. It uses a similar rule system to Legend of the Five Rings™ due to simplicity and in-built similarities. Dune is the first in a set of books by Frank Herbert. There are 6 original books and 3 preludes written by Brian Herbert. There is also a semi-official companion that covers the first 4 original books. In addition to the literature, 4 games exist for the PC, including one role-play based on st th the 1 book, and several “Real Time Strategy” games. A 5 adventure game is also planned th along with a 6 Internet Battle Game.

L e ge n d o f t he Fi v e Ri n gs ™ As this is version 1.0 of the Dune Role-Play, it was decided to base the game around an easy and simple system. That system is the Legend of Five Rings™ system. The reasons for this are twofold. One , its easy and I know how to use it. Two, the ideas in place can be fitted well to the Dune Universe. This document isn’t complete in itself to run a complete game. Knowledge of the rules (such as how skills are dealt with) within the Legend System will be needed. This may be reviewed at a later time.

T h e Du n e R PG U n i v er s e The Dune universe should be fairly familiar to the players to begin with. It is recommended that all players and GM’s read at least the original book “Dune” before venturing into the Dune Universe. This small document could never cover all the wonder of the Dune legend. Only Frank Herbert can do that. The game is set for the year 10100, 91 years before the events of the First Dune book. This is a tense period, only 100 years or so before the Atreides coup and the Fremen Jihad. It is a good year for “Classic” Dune adventures. Dune covers an amazing universe set several thousand years into mankind’s future. Human civilization is extremely advanced both mentally and technologically. The world we know is but a distant, ancient legend. Humanity covers several galaxies, thousands upon thousands of worlds, and millions of different sects, religions and races. The whole empire is governed by the Padishar Emperors. They have ruled from the Planet Kaitain for thousands of years. The form of government is essentially Feudal with the Lords, Barons and other nobles governing imperial granted fiefs. The whole empire rests on a tripod structure. The CHOAM company represents the landsraad; the amalgamation of all the houses minor and major, the Spacing guild with their monopoly on banking and interstellar transport, and the Golden Lion throne, upon which sits the emperor. Wars are common, but they are fought with intrigue. The artillery are the Courtiers, poison and words their ammunition. There are many powers in the universe, all vying and jockeying for positions of power. But there is one niche in the armour. One thing that controls all else. The spice melange.

The spice melange is the most important substance in the universe. Discovered after the great war against the machines, spice became the one thing in the universe capable of reuniting humanity. With spice, guild ships can be guided through the void. With spice, the Reverend Mothers can transcend space and time. With spice, people live 2 to 4 times as long. With spice, one becomes powerful. Oh, did I mention that the spice can only be found on one planet. Arrakis. Also known as Dune.

F ac t i ons The current emperor is Fredhrick XIX. He directs his empire from the Planet Kaitain. He has trillions of souls to govern, over a vast distance. He maintains his control through the fierce sardaukar legions; trained killers, the most peerless fighting force in the galaxy.

An Empire can’t exist without transport, commerce and trade. The spacing guild fills this role. They hold the monopoly on all communication and travel. They are the wings of the imperium. Without the guild, there is no empire. The vast reaches of space are too massive to be governed by one man. The last leg of the tripod is the Landsraad. The Landsraad consists of the great and minor houses. They are represented financially by the Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles, known as CHOAM. This board controls stocks, shares and trading and is linked to the guild. Religion is a powerful force in the empire, often overlooked. The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood overseas the religion of the empire and much, much more. The sisterhood has its own goals and motives but wields large amounts of power, greater than almost all the great houses. They are akin to an unseen hand. They prefer to work behind the scenes to further their own goal. The creation of the Kwisatz Haderach. IX. The name of the planet that spawned the Butlerian Jihad (Known as Komos* at the time of the Jihad) is the one remaining home of advanced technology. They are purveyors to the great houses and the empire. IX is a special force in its own right. Like the Bene Gesserit, IX is an overlooked force, full of potential. The Dirty Tleilaxu cannot be forgotten. The Tleilaxu are similar to the Ixians but concentrate on the “Soft Sciences” such as biology, pharmacology and such. They are the supreme amoralists of their time. They provide a much needed, if not often mentioned, service to the rich and powerful. Everything is either a tool or product to the Tleilaxu. The Fremen control Dune, but no-one knows this. One of the best kept secrets in the universe, mainly because the universe doesn’t care about anything but the Spice as far as dune is concerned. The Fremen were once known as the Zensunni Wanderers. They were one of the most persecuted sects in the history of mankind, and they will not forget. In a universe where “thinking machines” are considered “blasphemous” and “evil” the Order of Mentats fill a very large and important void. Some of the most valuable people in the Imperium are Mentats. Capable of amazing feats of cognitive ability, their mental functions are second to none.

W ar f ar e a nd C o mb at Wars are not often fought anymore. However, it must be made clear, that a war of any notable size in an empire that spans the stars is quite big. What we would consider a large war would be considered a skirmish in the Dune World. The reason for this is due to advanced technology. Logistics is no longer a problem. Wars and raids are conducted at lightning speed using ornithopters, armoured frigates and hordes of soldiers armed with advanced Holtzman shields. Holtzman shield revolutionised combat. Shields are impassable to any object that is travelling over a certain speed. This rendered weapons such as guns and pistols that we know today, obsolete. It also rendered lasguns obsolete, as a shield becomes a nuclear bomb in the presence of coherent light. Despite the fact that Lasguns react badly with shields they are still used throughout the empire albeit in a limited and restricted capacity. Armies will use them when they know their opponents have no access to shields, or that shields cannot be used due to restrictions such as the climate or local fauna of a particular world. Criminal Houses will also use them, along with spies and such. Lasguns are also mounted on some vehicles although shielded vehicles are quite popular. Blades and Edged weapons are much more popular. Construction methods have advanced tremendously over the millennia, making such weapons easy to construct, while constantly improving the quality.

CHARACTER CREATION H o us e , A f f i l i at i on & C h ar a c t er P o i nts Choosing a character is a difficult but rewarding process. A character can be as simple or as complex as you like. It is important to think about what your character is like. What is his/ her history, what does your character believe in, etc. You should begin by picking a House (also known as a faction). You should speak to your GM about this beforehand. The List of houses are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Imperial House Bene Gesserit Bene Tleilax The Ixians The Fremen The Major Houses The Spacing Guild The Order of Mentats

Once you have chosen your character’s house, you need to follow the “Way” of that house. Write down the house you have chosen on your character sheet. Each houses “Way” has different rules to reflect their different roles and outlooks. All houses have at least one “School” that the character can join. This represents the characters role in life. For example, the Bene Gesserit have their Missionaria Protectiva School which deals with their religious engineering.

It is important to think about your characters persona. Is she aggressive or timid? What is his history and background? Does the character have any enemies within the imperium? It’s a good idea to flesh out your character as much as possible. The more “complete” your character is, the more fun you will have. Once your character has a House and School you can write down the benefits and Perks that the house and school bestow. Most schools grant the character a choice in Perks and Skills. Others may bestow disadvantages or obligations in addition to their gifts. Affiliation is also another important aspect of a character. Different houses and schools have different choices open to you. Choose your affiliation carefully. This attribute governs who are your friends and enemies. Affiliation rules are governed in your factions “Way”. Typically, they are not as obvious as they may first appear. For example, a Bene Gesserit will be aligned with a Great House but will definitely have a Sisterhood affiliation too! The Ways of the major factions are included in the add-on modules that can be found on the Dune Role-Play Site. In total, a character has 25 character points (or CP’s) to spend on skills, statistics and advantages. Disadvantages have a negative cost. This means you may gain CP’s by taking a disadvantage.

S t a t is t ic s The rest of character generation revolves around statistics, skills and extra perks. This is where the real characters “Character” shows through. Think about your characters personality here. What do they think about? How do they react to certain thinks? Does your character have an addiction? What about friends, family or enemies? Be as creative as you can. Your character’s main statistics are represented by 9 Values, grouped into 5 Rings, referred to as a persons “5 Waters”. They are known as the “Water of the Self”, “The Water of the Body”, “The Water of the Mind”, “The Water of the Senses” and the “Water of Life”. The water of life has dual meaning in this case. To simplify this, the “5 Waters” are usually referred to as a persons’ “Sense Water”, “Body Water” etc. The 9 Traits and their Groupings are:

Wa t e r o f th e B o d y :

Strength & Dexterity

Wa t e r o f th e M i nd :

Intelligence & Willpower

Wa t e r o f th e S e l f :

Charism a & Control

W a t e r o f t h e S e n s e s . : Perception & Awareness W a t e r o f L i f e . : Points Spent

A Water’s value is always the value of its lowest sub-component. For example, Kolain is a stout young Fremen, who has a Dexterity of 3 and a Strength of 4. His “Water of the Body” flows at a 3. A starting characters traits all start at two. A house and its school usually add a bonus to a certain Value. These are free. Traits can be raised if you have enough points to spend. The Water of Life has no sub values. Strength (STR): This represents how strong your character is. Raw physical strength and stamina are important for things such as fighting, running, lifting heavy objects, throwing and such. Dexterity (DEX): How nimble your character is. An agile character will be quicker on her feet, faster with his blade, capable of intricate feats of engineering etc. Important for fighting and art alike. Intelligence (INT): Reasoning ability. Intelligence governs a characters ability to solve problems. Mentats typically, have a very high Intelligence. Sardaukar on the other hand, are not too intelligent. They don’t need to be. Willpower (WIL): Literally, the force of your will. How strong is your mind? Mental strength is important for tests to do with the mind, like fear. Charisma (CHR): Your characters social skills. How well does your character manipulate others? Is he or she a good leader? Anything social is based on this statistic. Important for leaders and courtiers. Control (CON): How well controlled are you? What is your Zen? Are you the master of Chi? Can you meditate anywhere? Can you move only one muscle by the side of your nose? Useful for Bene Gesserit characters especially. Perception (PER): When looking for clues, do you find them all? How good are your eyes at looking for specific objects. Perception is useful when trying to deliberately find something or analysing something. Awareness (AWR): How awake is your character. Does she “bimble” through life in a haze or is she as sharp as a knife. How good are your senses when you are not being specific? The Water of Life (WOL): This special Water represents how in touch with the universe the character is. This value becomes more important later on in a characters life. It starts at 2 and can be raised also, albeit at a different cost.

S k i l ls Once you have chosen your statistics and worked out your Waters, you may proceed onto your Perks and Skills. Skills govern your specific trainings and key abilities. You are given a set of skills depending on your choice of “Way”. Any number of skills can be bought or upgraded at character creation, if you have the points to spend. Your “Way” will list some skills that you are given for free. Write these down on your character sheet. You may raise these skills for a certain number of CP’s. You may even add new skills. Certain skills have specialities. These may be bought in addition to your current skill. These show the characters extra special trainings. When rolling a skill with a speciality you may roll both the base skill and the special skill. However, the special skill may not exceed the base skill.

There are further limits on skills. A skill may not be greater than its governing statistic. In addition, the maximum number of skills may not exceed your characters (Intelligence + Water of Life) X 5. This includes these given by the “Way”

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Trig Bre nt is a new o ffic er in th e Alman n ation al gua rd. H e’s s lightly more int ellige nt than mos t ( IN T 3) with a W ater o f Life o f 2. This means he may tak e 25 p oints wo rth o f s k ills . He’s quite a goo d na vig ator a nd rais es his Na vig ation s k ill to 3 (The Max im um as the go ve rni ng s tat is 3). He m ay not tak e a s pec iality until his Intellig enc e inc r eas es .

S k i l l L is t i n gs The following listings describe all the skills in the Dune RPG. Of course, not every skill in the universe is here but there is enough to richly describe a characters training. A skill has a name, a description and any specialities. Pistol (DEX) Specialities:

The art of using and repairing one handed projectile weapons Maula Pistol, LasPistol, Fast-Draw

Rifle (PER) Specialities:

The skill of using larger, 2 handed weapons. LasRifle, Hunter Seeker

Shield (Range) (DEX) Specialities:

The skill of breaching a shield with any ranged weapon.

Shield (Close) (DEX) Specialities:

The skill of breaching a shield with a close combat weapon.

Archaic (DEX) Specialities:

The skill of using strange, older weapons like bows, crossbows etc Crossbow, Bow

Blade 1-H (DEX) Specialities:

The skill of using a one handed blade in close combat None

Blade 2-H (DEX) Specialities:

The skill of using a 2 handed blade such as a sword. None

Brawling (Water of the Body) Specialities:

General Street fighting with or without crude weapons.

History (Water of Mind) Specialities:

Knowledge of a Houses History. NOTE: You MUST specialise with this skill! Any House / Way, Ancient.

Martial Arts(DEX) Specialities:

Fighting to a particular Style Any known style (usually a houses or such)

Melee Weapons (DEX) Specialities:

Fighting with improvised weapons such as staves, chairs, sharp sticks etc. None

Shield (DEX) Specialities:

The use of all types of shield devices Suspensors, Personal

None

None

General

Navigation (INT): Specialities:

Getting from A to B, the use of maps, etc. Night, Desert, Snow, Jungle

Meditation (WIL): Specialties:

Clearing your mind of all thought. Helps regain Perks / Skills / WOL. None

Fogwood Sculpture (CON): Specialties:

The ability to create fogwood sculptures.

Survival (Water of Mind): Specialties:

Survival in harsh environments

Stealth (AWR): Specialties:

To move and perform actions without being seen. Desert, Jungle, Sea, Snow

Traps (AWR): Specialties:

Handling demolitions and traps. Sense, Setting / Diffusing.

Scouting (AWR): Specialties:

Scouting and Tracking. Skills of woodland and such. Desert, Jungle, Sea, Snow, Tracking

Barter (CHR): Specialties:

Bartering for items. None

Art (Water of the Mind): Specialties:

Creating Works of Art

Steal (DEX): Specialties:

Making the things other people own, yours! Lockpicking, Sleight.

Science (Water of the Mind): Specialties:

Learning new theories and deducing theories from evidence.

Pilot (DEX): Specialties:

Driving & Piloting vehicles and Ornithopters. Wheeled, Suspensor, Ornithopter, Frigate.

Languages (INT): Specialties:

Being able to speak another language. By Planet / Group (e.g Fremen, Canto Respondu, etc)

Acrobatics (DEX): Specialties:

Leaping Jumping Vaulting and the like. None

Dodge (AWR): Specialties:

How to miss that all critical blow None

Medical (PER): Specialties:

All the Healing Arts. From Combat medicine to Surgery Combat, First Aid, Surgery, Doctor.

Investigation (PER): Specialties:

Tricks of the Investigation Trade

None

Desert, Jungle, Sea, Snow, Space.

Any Specific Art Form (e.g Fremen Sand Etching or Cheops).

Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Holtzman, Electronics

None

Persuasion (CHR): Specialties:

Making other people do what you want. Intimidation, Seduction, Sincerity, Leadership, Torture

Assess (PER): Specialties:

Reading what another person is thinking. None

Battle (INT): Specialties:

How to conduct a battle, win a war or organise an ambush Tactics, Strategy.

Literacy (INT): Specialties:

Covers Writing, Reading, Business trainings and book skills Business, Legal, Forgery, Heraldry, Law

Music (CON): Specialties:

Playing an Instrument, Singing, making music. NOTE: You MUST specialise with this skill! Singing, By Instrument.

Hunter Seeker: Specialties:

The use of remote piloting a hunter seeker using a command console None

Performance (Water of Self): Specialties:

How to perform a social act for entertainment or nefarious intent.

Area (CON): Specialties:

Knowledge of a Particular Area. By Continent, Planet etc. GM decides TN based on Level of Abstraction.

Repair (INT): Specialties:

Fixing something that is broken. Electrical, Mechanical, Weapons

Athletics (Water of Body): Specialties:

This training reflects how well your character uses her body when under pressure, e.g running None

Poison (DEX): Specialties:

Poisoning and the ways to avoid it. Chaumurky, Chaumas, Defence

Etiquette (Water of Self):

General ways pf doing things, both in the imperial court and in the major houses and organisations. Also covers codes of practice such as the Fremen Water Customs. General, By House (E.g Imperial, Bene Gesserit etc)

Specialties: Swimming (Water of Body): Specialties:

Acting, Disguise, Dancing, Etiquette

The ability to operate in water. None

P e r ks Perks represent the interesting little facets of your character. You characters ideas, mental state, family background, personal history, special trainings, etc, are all represented by the use of Perks. Perks are a little more limited than skills. Each “Way” lists the amount of perks a starting character may obtain. Perks are also gained throughout a characters life. A new perk may be gained at each new level for free. However, this may vary with each “Way”. Additional Perks

may be bought for a certain amount of CP’s at creation time only. These additional perks may be restricted by the characters “Way” as with normal perks. Perks have requirements that your character must meet. For example, a perk may have a minimum level, rank and dexterity that your character must obtain first. Look at the details in your “Way” for more guidance. Perks can also be negative. A character who chooses a negative perk may do so, only at character generation. Negative perks, when chosen, raise the number of CP’s a player may spend by their cost. Negative Perks represent the hardships and disadvantages of a character and can make for a much more interesting game.

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Has s an Ram adi is a Proc es s or Me ntat. After c ho os ing his Fr ee Pe rk s gi ve n to him by his c hos en way , he dec id es to tak e s ome mor e pe rk s to fles h o ut his c harac ter. He h as no CP’s left to s pe nd s o he d ec ides to tak e s ome ne gati ve Perk s . He c hos es “Antis oc ial ” at Ra nk 1, This p erk gi ves him 2 ex tra CP’s . He may n ow p urc h as e mo re s k ills , or anothe r Perk . He dec id es to c hoos e the “H eartl es s ” Perk whic h c os ts 2 CP’s .

P e r k L is t i n gs The following section lists all the available Perks a character may obtain. They are broken down into types such as General, Combat, Mentat etc. Certain Ways have access to certain types of Perks. Some Perks have ranks greater than 1. This means they may be purchased again for extra benefit. There are certain MINIMUM requirements for Perks which must be met. If a Perk has an N/A Cost, it means it cannot be bought at character generation as an additional perk.

G e n e r a l P o s i t i ve These perks are not specific to any way or ability. Name: Action Boy / Girl Ranks: 2 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, CON 3, LEVEL 4 Description: This Perk allows one extra NON COMBAT action per round per rank bought. Name: Adrenaline Rush Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: LEVEL 2 Description: With this perk, if your characters health drops to 50% or less, he gains +1 to his strength until his Health raises to 50% + Name: Ambidextrous Ranks: 1 Cost: 3 CP’s Requirements: None Description: This character may use both hands without penalty. Any character who does not invest in Ambidexterity rolls two fewer dice when using his offhand. Name: Animal Friend Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: Water of Self 3, LEVEL 2 Description: This character has spent a lot of time with animals. Any wild animal must make a contested Water of Self Roll if the animal has an aggressive temperament. Neutral animals will NOT attack. Does not Work on the Worms of Arrakis! Name: Awareness Requirements: AWR 3

Ranks: 3 Cost: 2 CP’s Per Rank

Description: This skill gives one free raise per rank to the Assess skill. May be used in combat. Name: Cash! Ranks: 5 Cost: 5 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: None Description: Lolly! And Lots of it. For some reason you’ve started out with a lot of cash. Gain 1000 Solaris per rank in this Perk. GM’s Discretion and a reason must be given! Name: Bonus Move Ranks: 2 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, CON 3, LEVEL 4 Description: This Perk allows one extra NON COMBAT action per round per rank bought. Name: Dangerous Beauty Ranks: 1 Cost: 2 CP’s Requirements: CHR 3 Description: You are dangerously beautiful. You may roll 3 extra dice for all seduction and similar rolls. Name: Daredevil Ranks: 1 Cost: 4 CP’s Requirements: None Description: People who take the Daredevil advantage are simply mo re capable of surviving incredible odds. Whenever this character does something risky, or performs an impossible feat, the GM secretly rolls a die. If the die roll is even, the character receives a +10 bonus to their roll (unknown to the player) for that feat. Otherwise, there is no benefit from this advantage. Name: Divine Favour Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: Water of Life 4, CON 3, LEVEL 6 Description: A Divine Favour allows you to reroll any failed test once. You may perform this ability as many times as your Water of Life in a 24hour period. You may not reroll a reroll. Name: Faster Healing Ranks: 2 Cost: N/A Requirements: Water of Body 3, CON 3, LEVEL 4 Description: This Perk allows you to heal as if your Water of Body were one higher (per rank bought). Name: Fraud Boy Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: INT 3, LEVEL 2 Description: Coercing money and soliciting donations comes easy to you. This Park allows you to roll on your Intelligence at a variable TN to gain funds. Base TN of 15. GM decides amount based on TN, and players simple plan of action. Name: Heart of Vengeance Ranks: 1 Cost: 3 CP’s Requirements: None Description: Pick a faction. For some reason or another, members of that faction will always draw your wrath. Whenever you are using any skill against a member of that faction, you always keep an additional die. Name: Semuta Child Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: Water of Body 3, CON 3, LEVEL 3 Description: A Character with this perk is 50% less likely to become addicted to chemicals and has half the withdrawal time. Name: Empathy Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: INT 3, CHR 3, LEVEL 3 Description: You have a knack for knowing the right thing to say. The GM must warn you if what you are about to say could be taken as offensive by another character. Name: Gambler

Ranks: 3 Cost: 1 Point Per Rank

Requirements: PER 3, CHR 3, LEVEL 1 Description: This Perk gives one free raise per rank bought for any gambling test. Name: Karma Sutra Master Ranks: 3 Cost: 1 Point Per Rank Requirements: DEX 3, CHR 3, LEVEL 1 Description: This Perk bestows one free raise per rank bought when doing the dirty. Name: Healer Ranks: 3 Cost: 2 Points Per Rank Requirements: PER 3, INT 3, Any Medical Skill, LEVEL 1 Description: This Perk bestows one free raise in medical tests per rank bought. Name: Hit the Deck! Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, AWR 3, LEVEL 2 Description: You are great at avoiding explosive weapons. Any thrown or launched area of effect weapon does 50% less damage to you, Name: LeadFoot Ranks: 3 Cost: 2 Points Per Rank Requirements: PER 3, LEVEL 1 Description: You are great at driving fast! For each level of this perk, the top speed of the vehicle you are piloting is increased by 25%. Name: Light Step Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, AWR 3 LEVEL 2 Description: A Sixth sense for danger or just lighter on your feet? You are much less likely to set off traps. The GM must roll your WOL stat against a TN of 15 for normal traps, 20 for good ones, 25 for expert ones etc. If he succeeds a trap that you would have activated does not activate. Name: Night Vision Ranks: 3 Cost: N/A Requirements: AWR 3, PER 3, LEVEL 3 Description: Your character can sense well in low light. Reduce all negative Light Modifiers by 5 times the level of this perk. Name: Pathfinder Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: AWR 3, INT 3, Any Navigation Skill, LEVEL 3 Description: You are quite good at finding your way. All large journeys are reduced by 25% in time. Also, you are more likely to find special encounters (GM’s discretion) Name: Quick Recovery Ranks: 1 Cost: 1 Point Requirements: DEX 3 Description: Gain a free raise for getting back up after being knocked down! Name: Mysterious Stranger Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: LEVEL 3 Description: During a random encounter roll your WOL against a TN of 20. If you succeed you gain an ally. Details are up to the GM. Name: Blackmail Ranks: 5 Cost: 1 CP Per Rank Requirements: None Description: You have a bit of information, or evidence, that you can hold over someone's head. Because of this information, you can gain advantages over the guilty party. The Rank in this Perk determines the importance of the person.

Name: Pack Rat Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: Water of Body 3, LEVEL 3 Description: You can carry much more weight and are much better at loading packs. You

may double the amount you can carry. Name: Read Lips Ranks: 1 Cost: 2 CP’s Requirements: None Description: With a successful Perception roll, you can read the lips of anyone you can see. Name: Scout Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: PER 3, AWR 3, LEVEL 4 Description: You are great at scouting ahead. You find special encounters easily and you may roll against a variable TN (Set by GM) to notice any ambush or hidden parties regardless of any abilities they are using (includes Fremen Sand hiding abilities for example). Name: Team Player Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: CHR 3, LEVEL 5 Description: You work well in a team. Whenever ALL your party members are within your charisma x 5 meters you gain +1 Dice to Roll and keep for all rolls! Name: Traper Requirements: Hunting Description: Setting Snares

Ranks: 5 Cost: 5 CP’s Per Rank

Name: Stuntman (or woman!) Ranks: 2 Cost: N/A Requirements: Water of Body 3, Level 3 Description: You must have been a stuntman in another life. For each level of this perk reduce the amount of damage you take from falling objects, falling yourself or vehicle wrecks by 25%. This Perk also gives you +1 in the Pilot (General) skill. Name: True Friend Ranks: 3 Cost: 2 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: None Description: You have a good friend. The Number of Ranks determine what lengths a true friend will go to for you.

Name: Poison Resist Ranks: 3 Cost: 1 CP Per Rank Requirements: Water of Body 3 Description: Gain a free raise per rank when resisting the effects of poison Name: Toughness Ranks: 3 Cost: 2 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: Water of Body 3 Description: You can take damage without going down. For each rank in this perk, you may subtract 5 from the wound penalty you are suffering from. Name: Social Position Ranks: 5 Cost: N/A Requirements: LEVEL 5 Description: You have a higher position than normal. You are quite well known to a certain group but you also have a fair bit of sway. You may ask your group (determined by player and GM) for favours and roll a base TN of 15 using your Rank + Rank in the Perk keep Rank.

G e n e r a l N eg a t i v e Name: A Home in Ashes Ranks: 2 Cost: Gain 2 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: None Description: You have no home. You are a wanderer. This is due to a either misfortune (1 rank) or you were actively cast out (2 Ranks). Name: Bad Health Requirements: None

Ranks: 2 Cost: Gain 3 CP’s

Description: A character with Bad Health has his Wound Ranks figured as if his Water of Body were one Rank lower. A character cannot take this disadvantage if his Water of Body is one. Name: Bad Reputation Ranks: 3 Cost: Gain 3 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: None Description: You've already earned yourself a bad reputation in your faction and school. Whenever other members of that faction see you, they add a die to the recognition roll, but they begin with a bad impression of your character. You should choose a single word to define your character. The more ranks, the more well known for badness you are (GM’s discretion). Name: Bad Sight Ranks: 3 Cost: Gain 2 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: None Description: Your sight is impaired. You must keep one less dice per rank for any tests involving sight. Name: Missing Limb Ranks: 4 Cost: Gain 3 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: None Description: You have lost a limb. You drop 2 dice on all rolls that would involve that limb. The number of limbs lost equals the rank in this perk. Name: Obligation Ranks: 2 Cost: Gain 2 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: None Description: You owe someone a favour, and someday they are going to collect. 1 Rank for a minor but still fairly important favour. 2 Ranks for something that might cause harm to you or others in a big way. Name: Permanent Wound Ranks: 2 Cost: Gain 5 CP’s Requirements: None Description: You begin the game with a wound that has never properly healed. In game terms, this means that you always begin the game at the -1 Wound Level. Name: Scared, Badly! Ranks: 1 Cost: Gain 3 CP ’s Requirements: None Description: You have a nasty scar or scars. Not the sexy kind but the nasty oozing kind. Lose 1 dice on all social rolls,2 for seduction rolls. Name: Sworn Enemy Ranks: 2 Cost: Gain 3 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: None Description: The character has a Sworn Enemy that desires his death. Rank 1 means the enemy is at the same rank as the character. Rank 2 means they are one rank higher. Whenever a character with a Sworn Enemy gains a Rank, the Enemy gains one as well, with appropriately increased skills and traits. The Enemy can show up at any time, at the GM's whim, and while he or she may be temporarily satisfied with ruining the character's plans or reputation, the ultimate goal is death. The player should detail to the GM's satisfaction the nature and cause of the vendetta, and the GM can either have the character create the NPC enemy or create the Enemy himself. Name: Weakness Ranks: 3 Cost: Gain 5 CP’s Requirements: None Description: You can reduce any Trait (excepting Water of Life) by one point to gain 5 Character Points. You may not reduce a Trait below one. This may be taken upto 3 times, for upto 3 traits.

C o mba t P o s i ti v e These perks revolve around combat, such as large scale battles or personal martial arts.

Name: Bonus Ranged Damage Ranks: 3 Cost: N/A Requirements: PER 3, Pistol or Rifle Skill 2, LEVEL 3 Description: This Perk gives 1 Free Raise Per Rank for the purposes of ranged damage (i.e you roll one extra dice and keep it). Name: Bonus Rate of Fire Ranks: 2 Cost: N/A Requirements: CON 3, DEX 3, Pistol or Rifle Skill 3, LEVEL 4 Description: With ranged weapons only, you may attack one extra time per round with each rank of this perk. Name: Baptism By Fire Ranks: 1 Cost: 8 CP’s Requirements: None Description: You were born to combat. Its been a part of your way of life. It shaped you as a child. You pass all fear tests DURING COMBAT and you may choose an extra 3 combat Perks (Restrictions still apply). Name: Bonus Hand To Hand Attacks Ranks: 2 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, CON 3, Any Hand to Hand Skill 3, LEVEL 4 Description: This Perk gives the recipient “Jackie-Chan” like abilities. She may attack once extra per round with Martial Arts (Unarmed), Brawling (unarmed) or similar for each rank of this perk (Melee weapons are not allowed). Name: Weapons Master Ranks: 1 Cost:8 CP’s Requirements: None Description: You have a familiarity with many forms of weapons, and can wield most of them with some degree of effectiveness. You fight with any weapons you do not have a skill ranking in as if you had a skill Ranking of 1. This is not a "substitute" for regular skill Ranks, and all weapons skills must still be purchased as normal. Name: Daredevil Ranks: 1 Cost: 4 CP’s Requirements: None Description: People who take the Daredevil advantage are simply more capable of surviving incredible odds. Whenever this character does something risky, or performs an impossible feat, the GM secretly rolls a die. If the die roll is even, the character receives a +10 bonus to their roll (unknown to the player) for that feat. Otherwise, there is no benefit from this advantage.

Name: Bonus HtH Damage Ranks: 3 Cost: N/A Requirements: STR 3, Any Hand to Hand Skill 2, LEVEL 3 Description: You do more damage in hand to hand combat, be it raw strength or well placed blows. For each level of this perk you gain a free raise for damage when using your fists or feet. Name: Bonus Melee Damage Ranks: 3 Cost: N/A Requirements: STR 3, Melee / Blade Skills (Any) 2, LEVEL 3 Description: You do more damage with close combat weapons. For each level of this perk you gain a free raise for damage when using a close combat weapon. Name: Dodger Ranks: 3 Cost: 2 CP’s Requirements: DEX 3, Dodge Skill 2 Description: Your character is slippery. For every rank of this perk gain 1 free raise when using your dodge skill. Name: Drive-By! Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, Any Pilot Skill at Rank 2, LEVEL 4 Description: You are the master of Drive-By’s. You have no penalties for using a weapon

while piloting a vehicle.

Name: Drunken Master Ranks: 3 Cost: N/A Requirements: Water of Body 3, Any Hand to Hand / Melee Weapon Skill 2, LEVEL 2 Description: You fight well when you are drunk. When under the influence of alcohol (sufficient enough to BE drunk), you may roll and keep 1 extra dice per rank of this perk, in all to hit and damage rolls. However, you may still suffer some side effects from the liquor. Name: Earlier Sequence Ranks: 3 Cost: 3 CP’s Requirements: AWR 3 Description: You are more alert when combat starts. Once sequence has been determined you may switch places with a combatant before you or after you. Name: Focused Strike Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: Water of Body 3, Water of Senses 3, Any Combat Skill 3, LEVEL 6 Description: You often cause much more critical hits that really help to put your opponent down. During combat you may strike any location without having to raise. Name: Silent Death Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, AWR 3, Stealth Skill 3, LEVEL 3 Description: sneaky attacks are your speciality. With this perk, you may add your Stealth Skill to a combat skill you are about to use, provided your target is not aware of you. Name: Blade Freak! Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, Blade 1-H (Any) 3, LEVEL 3 Description: Blades are your thing. You have studied knives from every angle. You suffer a 5 TN penalty on all rolls with other weapons (not including unarmed) but any test using a blade skill uses the highest. For example, you may not have Blade 1-H (Shield) which you need to test against but you have Blade 1-H (Throwing) at 3. You may use Blade 1-H (Shield) as if it were 3. Name: Sharpshooter Ranks: 3 Cost: N/A Requirements: PER 3, Rifle / Pistol Skill 4, LEVEL 5 Description: For the purposes of aiming a rifle or pistol you may add +1 to the governing statistic per rank in this perk Name: Edge Master Ranks: 3 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, Melee Skill 4, LEVEL 5 Description: For the purposes of using a blade or melee weapon you may add +1 to the governing statistic per rank in this perk Name: Kung-Fu King Ranks: 3 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, Martial Arts / Brawling Skill 4, LEVEL 5 Description: When using your fists you may add +1 to the governing statistic per rank in this perk Name: Heave Ho! Ranks: 3 Cost: N/A Requirements: STR 3, LEVEL 2 Description: This Perk gives +1 to STR per rank bought for the purposes of throwing. Name: Tactician Ranks: 1 Cost: 5 CP’s Requirements: None Description: You know how to look for opportunities in the clamor of battle. Whenever you roll on the battle table (and you are not in the Reserves), you may modify your final roll by 3 points, up or down (i.e. a roll of 13 can become either 10 or 16).

Name: Two Hand Style Ranks: 1 / 2 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, Blade 1-H / 2-H / Melee 3, LEVEL 3 Description: You are trained in wielding two melee weapons at once. For each rank in this perk your TN to be hit is increased by 5. If you are ambidextrous you may buy this perk twice. Name: Twin Strike Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, CON 3, Blade 1-H / 2-H / Melee 3, LEVEL 4 Description: You are well trained in being quick and effective in combat. You may attack twice per round with bladed and melee weapons. Name: Fast Shot Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, CON 3, Rifle / Pistol 3, LEVEL 4 Description: You are well trained in being quick and effective in a fire fight. You may shot twice per round. Name: Quicker Pockets Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, LEVEL 2 Description: You are much better at reloading and drawing weapons. Swapping weapons, changing weapon modes and reloading cost you no actions. Name: Nerve Strike! Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, CON 3, Any Martial Art 3, LEVEL 5 Description: You know how to make special types of nerve strike. During combat, you may declare a nerve strike and raise twice. Using any Martial Art skill, if you hit, your opponent must make a Water of Body Roll against a TN of 5 X the number you succeed by or be stunned for a number of rounds equal to the amount he lost the roll by. Name: HtH Slayer Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 4, CON 3, Any Martial Art 4, LEVEL 8 Description: Your martial arts techniques are superbly efficient ad devastating. When making a martial arts move you may attack 3 times per round. Name: Gun – Slinger! Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 4, CON 3, Pistol / Rifle 4, LEVEL 8 Description: Shooting Quickly comes easy to you. When using a pistol or rifle you may attack 3 times per round. Name: Master Swordsman Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 4, CON 3, Blade 1-H / 2-H / Melee 4, LEVEL 8 Description: When using a sword, all your opponent can see is a wall of steel. When using a sword or melee weapon you may attack 3 times per round. Name: Gifted Ranks: 1 Cost: 4 CP’s Requirements: None Description: Your character has a lot of potential with a certain weapon skill. Chose one weapon skill. The character may spend as many Water Of Life Points on this skill as she likes.

Name: Acrobatic Defence Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: DEX 3, CON 3, AWR 3, Athletics 2, LEVEL 5 Description: Being able to leap, vault and dive out of harms way is very useful. This skill lets you add your athletics skill (any) to your TN to be hit. If you are on Full Defence you may add the Athletics to your Defence when you roll rather than add to the TN.

P s y c h o l og i c a l P os i t i v e These perks deal with the stronger aspects of your characters Mind Name: Balance Ranks: 1 Cost: 3 CP’s Requirements: None Description: You have the ability to remain neutral - even level-headed regardless of your inner emotional state. You ignore any comments designed to taunt you or make you react. Also, during combat you may spend an additional WOL Point on a single action. Name: Clear Thinker Ranks: 1 Cost: 2 CP’s Requirements: None Description: It isn't easy to trick you. Whenever another character tries to confuse, befuddle, or lie to you, add 10 to their TN. Name: Death Trance Ranks: 1 Cost: 4 CP ’s Requirements: None Description: This warrior understands that death has no hold over him, and has taken the philosophy of bushido to heart. When he faces death, he enters into a thoughtless trance that gives him great courage in the face of adversity. A character with Death Trance automatically succeeds any Fear test. Name: Heartless Ranks: 1 Cost: 2 CP’s Requirements: None Description: All attempts to woo or sway your heart to pleas of compassion, love, or courtesy fall on deaf ears. Any appeal to your heart shall find it made of stone. Any skills used with Awareness in such an attempt (such as Seduction, Poetry, Acting, or Sincerity) need to raise twice in order to be successful. Name: Higher Purpose Ranks: 1 Cost: 2 CP’s Requirements: None Description: You have dedicated yourself to a single goal, a single objective. Whenever you take a step toward achieving your Higher Purpose, you gain an extra Experience Point at the end of the session. Name: Irreproachable Ranks: 3 Cost: 1 CP Per Rank Requirements: None Description: You are devoted to your word. For each point you spend on this advantage, you add +5 TN to your ability to resist seduction and bribery attempts. You may not purchase greed or lechery.

Name: Numb! Ranks: 1 Cost: 2 CP’s Requirements: None Description: Every day of his life, the character expects to die. This is similar to the Death Trance Advantage in that it grants immunity to the Fear power. In addition, the character gets a free Raise for noticing traps, concealed weapons, and other dangers. The problem is, the character is numb and tends to accepts what comes rather than planning ways out. They have a +5 TN to all TNs to detect lies or convince another of their sincerity. Name: Leader! Ranks: 1 Cost: N/A Requirements: CHR 3, LEVEL 3 Description: A character with the Leadership advantage is able to bestow limited benefits on those who follow him. If another character is following a Leader, he is able to use some of his Leader's skills. Whenever a character is following a Leader's example (performing the same action as the leader), he automatically gains a bonus Rank in that skill. If the character does not have the skill, then he performs as if he had Rank 1. The Leader's skill must be higher

than those who follow him.

P s y c h o l og i c a l N eg a t i v e These perks deal with the weaker aspects of your characters Mind. These are negative Perks. Name: Antisocial Ranks: 2 Cost: Gain 2 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: None Description: You have difficulty getting along with others. Perhaps this manifests as shyness, troubled speech, discomfort around people, or even bouts of depression. Whatever the symptoms, you find it hard to communicate your feelings properly or withdraw from contact with others. >Moderately Antisocial: 1 Rank. All social skills keep 1 fewer die. >Extremely Antisocial: 2 Ranks. All social skills keep 2 fewer dice. This may result in the character keeping zero dice, which is an automatic failure. Name: Ascetic Ranks: 1 Cost: Gain 3 CP’s Requirements: None Description: You aren't interested in material wealth or temporal power, glory or gaudy fashion. This world is only a transitional place between one reality and the next, and you have passed beyond the need to cling to it. You own only the most minimal of your starting kit and start with no money or similar regardless of the starting kit. Name: Brash Ranks: 1 Cost: Gain 2 CP’s Requirements: None Description: Characters with this disadvantage are hot-headed. They seek to avenge any slight; they must make a Willpower roll (TN=20) in order to keep control. Name: Addicted! Ranks: 5 Cost: Gain 3 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: None Description: You are addicted to a particular drug and must keep taking it or suffer the affects of withdrawl. The higher the rank, the more addicted you are OR the more drugs you are addicted to. Name: Contrary Ranks: 1 Cost: Gain 3 CP’s Requirements: None Description: A player character with this disadvantage may not remain neutral about anything. He does not have to act, but must have an opinion about each and every thing he encounters. This means that the player must take a side in every dispute, seek to solve every problem (even if he can't), and never settle to stand by idly while others do things. In game terms, this means that he must make a simple Willpower roll vs. a TN determined by the GM (commonly between 5 and 20) to avoid acting in tense situations. Should he fail the roll, he must do something decisive, regardless of the consequences. Name: Coward Ranks: 3 Cost: Gain 2 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: None Description: You are secretly afraid. It might be that you lack confidence in your own abilities, or that you are sure that everyone is better than you are. Whatever the case, you roll and keep fewer dice when facing an opponent of an equal or higher level. You must roll on your Willpower at a TN of 15 + 5 X Rank in this perk to face this person. You may spend a water of Life Point to avoid this test Name: Driven Ranks: 1 Cost: Gain 3 CP’s Requirements: None Description: This is the dark side of the higher purpose perk. A character who is Driven has a single goal that he will sacrifice anything to achieve. He will turn his back on his friends and family, or do almost anything to succeed.

Name: Fascination Ranks: 1 Cost: Gain 2 CP’s Requirements: None Description: The character has a fascination with something - music, horses, ancient history - and will go to any length to learn new things about it. For Example a character with a fascination for hunting may travel to Salusa Secoundus to fight Rya Wolves or even venture to Arrakis to confront a worm. Name: Frail Mind Ranks: 1 Cost: Gain 4 CP’s Requirements: None Description: Whenever you are the subject of a Bene Gesserit Ability, Seduction roll, or any other task that would test your Willpower or Control, the attacker gets to roll two additional dice Name: Greed Ranks: 1 Cost: Gain 1 CP Requirements: None Description: You've spent too much time watching the caravan masters, and not enough learning their ways. For each Rank of Greed, your enemies get a bonus of five points on all bribery skill rolls they make. Name: Greed Ranks: 1 Cost: Gain 1 CP Requirements: None Description: The three most important things in your life are your health, your welfare, and your wealth. You care little for the plights of others and don't make any motions to keep it a secret. You must spend a Void Point whenever you want to put yourself at risk for another. Name: Lost Love Ranks: 1 Cost: Gain 2 CP’s Requirements: None Description: You once knew true love, and now it's gone. You tend to have fits of melancholy when you are reminded of your love. Whenever your love is mentioned, you lose a die from all die rolls until you spend a Void Point to bring yourself back to the present. Name: Low Pain Threshold Ranks: 3 Cost: Gain 4 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: None Description: You have a low resistance to pain. You may be able to take the damage but it hurts you more. For each rank in this Perk, add -1 to each wound rank penalty. Name: Overconfident Ranks: 3 Cost: Gain 3 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: None Description: You never retreat, never choose to fight another day. You are possessed of the youthful illusion of immortality. This manifests itself in a certain area. The numbers of areas are equal to the rank in this perk. You must roll an appropriate assessment skill (Such as Perception + Battle) at a TN of 30 to avoid rushing into dangerous situations. This can include such things as Water of Life Ceremonies and such. Name: Phobia Ranks: 2 Cost: Gain 2 CP’s Per Rank Requirements: None Description: Every time you encounter your phobia, all rolls you make lose dice equal to the Rank in this Perk X 2. You may spend a Void Point to avoid this penalty for a single action. Listed below are some possible phobias for your character; having a phobia must also be approved by the GM. Fear of heights, open spaces, enclosed spaces, insects, blood, being alone, dead things, fire, and fear of darkness are a few examples. Name: Soft Hearted Ranks: 1 Cost: Gain 3 CP’s Requirements: None Description: You have a profound respect for human life. Your conscience overcomes you whenever you are about to commit an act of inhumane cruelty. Whenever you try to take a human life, you must make a simple Willpower roll against a 20 or you can't follow through

with the action. In addition, you feel you must help others in need (GM’s discretion as to these results). Name: Vanity Ranks: 1 Cost: Gain 1 CP Requirements: None Description: You are gorgeous and/or brilliant - and you know it. Unfortunately, the rest of the world doesn't seem to notice. You'd better make sure they know the quality of the person they are dealing with!

E x p e r ie nc e , L e v e ls a nd R a n ks The final step involves your characters Insight, Level & Rank. Insight is level of understanding that your character has reached within his or her school. Insight is directly related to rank. Rank is how far you character has progressed within their school. Each “Way” has a set of ranks, and one starting rank. Write this rank on your character sheet. Insight is a little more complex. Insight can be worked out as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Multiply each of your waters by 10. Add these figures together. Add to this value, all the skills your character has over 1. This value represents your insight.

Each character has a level. A Level is obtained when a character gains a certain amount of insight. The levels are as follows: Write down your level on your sheet. Starting characters have a level of one and a rank of one. Levels increase with insight using the table above. By performing well in a mission, winning a battle etc, the GM may award Experience Points (XP). These points may be spent at any time during the game to raise skills or statistics. Perks cannot be bought. They are awarded free when a character gains a level. Increasing Rank is a little more difficult. Rank increases may be awarded by the GM or through purchasing certain Perks. In both cases, the character has to meet certain criteria before he or she can advance in their school. If a character meets these requirements, he may declare that he or she is advancing in their school. With the GM’s approval, the character must spend a certain number of XP. They do not gain the Free Perk and must follow the rules written in the ways.

W o u nds A character in the Dune universe will, at some point, take damage in some form or another. How much punishment can someone take? On your characters sheet are a set of boxes marked with wound levels. When you character takes a certain number of wounds, she enters a wound level. Each wound level has a modifier next to it, stating how much penalty needs to be added due to the traumatising effect of wounds. The number of wounds per level is easily worked out. Simply multiply your characters water of body by 2. For each wound level, add this value to the previous level.

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Imp erial He ro, C ount J ules Ma rmuz VI is quite a r en ow ne d duelis t. He has many a s c ratc h from le adin g c ountles s battles for the e mpe ro r. His wate r of body is 5. This dou bles to 10. His wo un d le vels are th er efor e, 10, 20, 30, 4 0, 50 etc .

Your character is now complete and ready to venture forth into the wide open Universe.

THE DUNE WAYS The following section lists some of the “Ways” of the various factions within Dune. Their history, background, beliefs and such are all included to help you gain a better idea of your character. Certain “Ways” have their own Perks with their own rules, which are included within that section. Choosing a “Faction” and a “Way” are the first steps to character creation (as mentioned in the “Character Generation” section). The list below is by no means complete, and will be amended in future revisions and releases. The “Ways” listed within each faction are typically these that venture from the homeland from time to time. This should give players the option to travel to distant planets and meet other factions. It should also allow the GM to be more creative. The more “Home-Bound Ways” may be included in later revisions.

T h e M aj or Ho us es o f th e L a nds r aa d The Major houses provide the Majority of the peoples of the Empire. They are spread over countless different planets and systems, each with its own culture, ideals an unique roles within the feudal system. Some of the Major Houses have been listed here. More may be included at a later date in future revisions.

F ac t i on : Ho us e A tr e i des House Atreides is currently ruled by Duke Paulos. Under his rule, House Atreides has become a powerful faction in the Grand running of an Empire. Known for standing up against tyranny, oppression and other such evils, they have been seen as “Do-Good’ers” , Saviours, Hero’s and Meddlers; depending on who you talk to. The Atreides home is the planet Caladan. Known throughout the empire for its stunning beauty, it is highly regarded as a paradise planet. The vast majority of its surface is covered by water. Since large areas of land are often flooded, Rice and Paradan Melons are the planets major export, along with Opafire gems and many, ocean related products. Although not as rich or prosperous as some of the other great houses, the Atreides have had plenty of time to learn valuable skills due to the lack of personal hardships and a simple life. Almost everyone on Caladan can swim, pilot and fish to a very high standard. The Atreides off-world agents are also very adept. Benefit: +1 DEX

W a y : A t r ei d e s D u e l l i s t Atreides Duellist is a slightly misleading term. A duellist serves the Atreides in non-combat and combat roles. Such people are the most educated among the population, and are

therefore, off-worlders who are pledged to the Atreides for various reasons or are minor members of the nobility. They can be found leading small bands of warriors, wandering the universe as spies or attending ambassadorial functions. They are supremely resourceful and capable. Benefit: +1 INT Starting Perks: 3 General / Combat Perks (Limitations Apply). Affiliation: Write “House Atreides” in the affiliation box. Starting Skills: Shield 1, Shield (Close) 1, Blade 1-H 1, Literacy 1, Dodge 1, Investigation 1, Literacy 1, 1 Further Skill (Players Choice). “Way” Ranks and Levels: Levels 1 –4: Atreides Retainer Levels 5 –9: Atreides Ambassador Levels 10 +: Atreides Noble Atreides Duelist’s gain 1 Free Perk per Level, with one additional Perk when gaining a Rank. These Perks may be chosen from General / Combat / Psychological Positive. On gaining the “Ambassador” Rank, the Duellist gains the “Social Position” Perk at Rank 1 (or +1 Rank if he already has this perk). On gaining the “Noble” Rank, the Duelist receives + 2 Ranks of “Social Position” for free. This cannot exceed the maximum of 5. This perk covers mainly, the Atreides family and population but may extend to the imperial family also.

W a y : A t r ei d e s P i l o t The largest proportion of the skilled and educated Atreides populace, are pilots of various craft. The Atreides are well known for their ornithopter pilots. Many have served off-world for various factions, but most serve the Atreides at home, or as Frigate Pilots carrying goods offworld.

F ac t i on : Ho us e H ar ko n ne n F a c t i o n : Ho us e R ic h e s e F ac t i on : Ho us e Or dos F ac t i on : Ho us e X a i ta n F ac t i on : T he Fr e me n

ADDITIONAL COMBAT RULES S h i e l d F ig h ti n g Shield fighting is a very important part of the combat in the Dune, and can be seen as the equivalent of Iaijutsu in the Samurai World. The rules are fairly similar to normal combat with a few exceptions. Shields absorb all damage in close combat. Therefore, there is no need to roll for damage when performing a normal attack. However, a successful hit results in the victim being knocked off guard. The effect raises the TN of the attacker by 5. At any point, either combatants can make a “Shield Attack” using the Shield (Close) skill. A Shield attack is an attempt to bypass the opponents shield. By doing so, actual damage may be caused (wounds will be taken) BUT the person performing the shield attack loses all the Bonuses gained from his standard attacks. All Close combat Rules and Perks (etc) can be used with these attacks.

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Miles B’Tek , a Sar dauk ar Bas h ar, is fightin g a H ark o nne n R aide r. Both are a rme d with k ni ves an d s hields . Miles attac k s firs t and s c ores a hit. His TN to be hit is rais ed by 5 to 2 5. The H ark o nn en tries to hit bac k but rolls a 24 a nd mis s es . Miles dec ides to end it an d go for a s hield hit. The Hark onn en s c or ed n o hits s o his TN is unc ha ng ed at 1 5. Miles rolls a 17 and hits , by pas s ing the s hi eld. He m ay no w roll for d ama ge a nd wou nd his oppo ne nt. Miles ’ TN no w dr ops bac k to 20 (h e los es all his gain ed s hield bo nus es ).

R a te o f F ir e Some weapons can fire quite quickly, releasing many rounds a second. To represent this, some weapons have a Rate of Fire Listed. This is the maximum amount of times it may be fired per combat action. Depending on the rate of fire, the user has 2 options. She may ignore the Rate of Fire, and use the weapon as normal, firing a normal shot as per the standard rules. Instead, she may make an “Auto-Fire” attack. This is declared before rolling dice. The TN is increased by 5 due to the lack of proper aiming. Should the attacker beat the TN to hit, for each multiple of 5 over the TN, an extra hit is scored.

A i m i ng & Re -L o ad i n g In the Dune universe, it’s a good idea to learn how to aim! Aiming is quit simple. During an attack, the attacker may declare an “Aim”. He gains a free raise for every action spent in this way. However, the TN to hit a person aiming is reduced to 5. You may aim as many times as your skill in the particular weapon being used. When a weapon runs out of charges / rounds etc, it must be re-loaded before it can be used again. This usually takes one action to perform. There are cases where this can be bypassed (use of speed-loaders for example).

W i e l di n g P e na l t y Wielding a weapon such as a rifle in close combat is difficult at best. Weapons that are not designed for close combat (these that do NOT say “Close Combat” in their range stats) incur a penalty of + 10 to the TN to hit an opponent in close combat.

B r e a c h i n g S h ie l ds & A r mo ur Not all weapons can breach shield. Some, however, can. All bladed, close combat weapons can breach a shield with use of the proper skill. However, in some cases, a number of raises may be required. If this is the case, it is stated in the weapons description. Weapons that are not bladed or close combat cannot breach shields unless it specifically says this in the description. Armour no longer increases the TN to be Hit. Instead, it absorbs damage (E.g 2K1 Dice Worth for Light Armour).

EQUIPMENT & WEAPONS There are surprisingly, very few weapon types in the Dune universe. Most are variations on a similar theme. Equipment, however, is a vastly different matter. The Fremen alone, have very sophisticated equipment for special applications.

W e ap o ns Weapons typically have a damage rating, cost, ammunition type and special rules that apply to them. They are listed below with a brief description.

Na m e : Hunter Seeker Da m a ge : Instant Death Co st: 500 Solari Per Round. 1000 Solari for Control Unit Ava ila bility: Highly Limited. Ma g. / Loa d: 1 Round Ra nge : See Below. Ra te of Fire : See Below. De scription / Rule s: The Hunter Seeker is a vicious weapon. Developed in secret by House Corrino in the year 9846, this device can kill a man with one hit. The actual projectile is a small sliver of metal with a crystal seeking device. The Sliver is 5cm Long and Hair Thin. Once it pierces the body (and armour) it seeks along the neural pathways tearing up organs. With precise timing, it can penetrate a personal shield (in either mode, with 2 Raises). 2 Attacks may be made with the hunter seeker. It can be fired like a normal Rifle using the Rifle skill or even Pistol skill or it can be precisely controlled by remote using the Hunter Seeker Skill. The latter method is a non combat procedure. The Operator must be within 75 meters of the hunter seeker. The Hunter Seekers Holtzman Field is the only giveaway. Grabbing a seeker in flight is possible but very difficult (TN 30). When using the Hunter Seeker in Rifle Mode, the Wielding Penalty applies.

Na m e : Gom Jabbar Da m a ge : Dependent on Load Co st: 20 Solari Ava ila bility: Highly Limited. Ma g. / Loa d: 20 / Poisons. Ra nge : Close Combat Ra te of Fire : N/A. De scription / Rule s: The Gom Jabbar is not often used as a weapon, rather it is a means of testing utilised by the Bene Gesserit. However, there have been many times when this weapon has been used in self defence by a member of the sisterhood. If this Weapon isn’t loaded with poison it does a simple STR + 1K1 damage. Only with poison does this weapon become effective. In game, this weapon adds the benefits of the poison it is loaded with to all hand to hand attacks, such as these that use Martial Arts (Any) skills. Similar weapons are available all over the universe for use by assassins and such. Na m e : Laser Pistol Da m a ge : 6K6 (No Strength Bonus) Co st: 500 Solari. 5 Solari Per Magazine Ava ila bility: Limited. Ma g. / Loa d: 50 / Batteries Ra nge : 100m (Close Combat Also) Ra te of Fire : 1 De scription / Rule s: A small, powerful hand held weapon, capable of searing a mans flesh completely. Laser Pistols are restricted due to the effect of coherent light on Holtzman fields which are much more common. However, on certain worlds (notably Dune) such weapons are extremely useful. Against un-armoured opponents, the weapons are lethal many times over. If such a weapon hits a shield, a thermonuclear reaction takes place, roughly the size of a large town. Na m e : Laser Rifle Da m a ge : 8K8 (No Strength Bonus) Co st: 1500 Solari. 10 Solari Per Magazine Ava ila bility: Limited. Ma g. / Loa d: 100 / Batteries Ra nge : 5000m Ra te of Fire : 3 De scription / Rule s: A larger version of the Laser Pistol. This rifle is very powerful and can tear people in half with ease. This gun has a higher rate of fire and a much larger range. The weapon is a lot more cumbersome than the pistol however. If such a weapon hits a shield, a thermonuclear reaction takes place, roughly the size of a large town. Na m e : Maula Pistol Da m a ge : 5K3 (No Strength Bonus) Co st: 500 Solari. 5 Solari Per Magazine Ava ila bility: Common Ma g. / Loa d: 10 / Darts Ra nge : 40m (Close Combat Also) Ra te of Fire : 2

De scription / Rule s: This weapon became very popular just after the Butlerian Jihad, when most advanced weapons had been discarded for being “too machine like”. The Maula pistol is very small and lightweight (15cm long, 125-150 grammes). It fires very hard, plasteel darts that do 5K3 damage. However, these darts may be loaded with poison to inflict further damage. Because of its subsonic rounds and projectile types, a Pistol (Shield) attack may be made.

Na m e : Crysknife Da m a ge : Str + 3K2 Co st: N/A Ava ila bility: Heavily Restricted Ma g. / Loa d: 5 Uses / Poison Ra nge : Close Combat Ra te of Fire : N/A De scription / Rule s: This weapon is more of a symbol than a weapon. It is solely used by the Fremen. Every Fremen has one of these blades, and they are honoured like no other item. There are two types of blades, Fixed and Un-Fixed. Un-Fixed are more often found with the Fremen. Fixed blades don’t disintegrate when away from a living body. Crysknives are made from the tooth of a sandworm. The Root Nerve of the tooth may be filled with a poison although the Fremen tend not to use poison on Human opponents. Na m e : Low Quality Sword Da m a ge : STR + 3K2 Co st: 500 Solari. Ava ila bility: Common Ma g. / Loa d: N/A Ra nge : Close Combat Ra te of Fire : N/A

De scription / Rule s: Low quality swords are common throughout the empire. Most armies are equipped with this weapon due to the reliance on shields. Swordplay with full body shields has returned once again. The only thing that has changed is the weapons manufacture.

Na m e : High Quality Sword Da m a ge : STR + 4K3 Co st: 1500 Solari. Ava ila bility: Restricted Ma g. / Loa d: N/A Ra nge : Close Combat Ra te of Fire : N/A

De scription / Rule s: A much better quality sword. Such swords may be found within certain household regiments, Elite Guards, the Sardaukar etc. They are very finely crafted, usually using advanced techniques such as monomolecular weaving and laminating to create microscopic layers to increase the cutting power.

Na m e : Wrist Crossbow Da m a ge : Std. Arrow 2K2, Explosive 4K2 Co st: 150 Solari. Ava ila bility: Common Ma g. / Loa d: 1 / Arrow (Various Types) Ra nge : 20 M (Close Combat Also) Ra te of Fire : 1

De scription / Rule s: Hold out Crossbows. Small, archaic devices attached to the wrists of the user. Some are especially crude such as these used by the Fremen. However, Professional, high grade plasteel versions are available. These have proven popular with assassins. They can also breach shields. This weapon uses the Pistol (General) and Pistol (Shield) skills. Na m e : Pole-Arms Da m a ge : Std: STR + 3K2. Stun: STR + 4K2. Heat: STR + 5K3 Co st: 250, 500, & 1000 Solari. Ava ila bility: Common Ma g. / Loa d: See Below Ra nge : Close Combat Ra te of Fire : N/A De scription / Rule s: With the reliance on melee weapons in the Dune Universe it was no wonder that pole-arms returned. Initially, they were highly ceremonial and carried by elite guard units, specially trained to use them. However, since the training at the Ginaz school began and the introduction of the heat lance from Ix, Pole-Arms have become increasingly more popular. The 3 most popular are listed above. The Stun Lances are charged by a battery that has 100 charges. Should a person be hit and damaged by such a lance, they must make a Water of Body Roll against a TN of 30 to avoid being knocked out for a number of rounds by which they missed the TN. The Heat lance creates a plasma stream (similar to a pillar of fire) at the end of the lance when activated. It takes a battery that gives 100 hours constant use. All Pole-Arms have the initiative bonus on 1 Extra Die to roll and keep.

Na m e : Grenades Da m a ge : Std: 6K4. Stun: 2K2. HE 8K6 Kriminon: See Below Co st: 20, 20, 100 & 50 Solari Ava ila bility: Common Ma g. / Loa d: See Below Ra nge : STR X 10m Ra te of Fire : N/A De scription / Rule s: Although a crude idea, grenades have been refined and refined over the many years. They are now, ultra light weight and very easy to conceal. Most grenades can be thrown or set. Set grenades can be set with a timer or a motion sensor much like mines. When thrown, grenades can be set to explode on impact or after a certain time. The typical size varies. They can be large to aid in throwing (about 8 cm) or as small as 1cm square and wafer thin. They also come in many flavours, some of which are listed above. Stun grenades have a small flash coupled with a short lived, expanding Holtzman effect, much like a shield. This “knocks out” the target, which must make a Water of Body Roll against a TN of 20 to avoid being knocked out by a number of rounds by which they missed the TN. Kriminon is a lethal gas that kills if a small amount is inhaled. This can be stopped by

breathers (including these on Fremen Stillsuits). Grenades have an area of effect. For STD, HE, and STUN, this is usually a circle area of radius 20m. Kriminon requires special note here because it is a gas. Gas tends to dissipate and/ or drift around an area. GM’s Discretion here. Na m e : Crossbow / Bow Da m a ge : Std. Arrow 3K2, Explosive 5K3 Co st: 250 Solari. Ava ila bility: Common Ma g. / Loa d: 1 / Arrow (Various Types) Ra nge : 50 M Ra te of Fire : 1 De scription / Rule s: Crossbows and Bows of various types have become popular with the lower classes in the empire. Cheap, silent and able to pierce shields (Archaic shield skill) makes these weapons very useful. The Fremen, the Sardau and others have been known to use such weapons with great effect. There are advanced versions of such weapons common to some of the more traditional houses. House Ginaz, famous for its sword-master training, uses these weapons, albeit high quality composite power assisted versions. Na m e : Blades Da m a ge : (as a guide 2K2) Co st: 250 Solari. Ava ila bility: Common Ma g. / Loa d: 1 / Arrow (Various Types) Ra nge : 50 M Ra te of Fire : 1 De scription / Rule s: Crossbows and Bows of various types have become popular with the lower classes in the empire. Cheap, silent and able to pierce shields (Archaic shield skill) makes these weapons very useful. The Fremen, the Sardau and others have been known to use such weapons with great effect. There are advanced versions of such weapons common to some of the more traditional houses. House Ginaz, famous for its sword-master training, uses these weapons, albeit high quality composite power assisted versions.

E q ui p me n t The following is a short list of equipment available to a player character. Certain, more eclectic items for a particular faction may be found in that factions “Way” although they may not solely be limited to that faction. The list here will be incomplete. It is impossible to list all the available items in the Dune universe. GM’s should feel free to use their knowledge of Dune and the system to create objects that fit the scene. Dune’s emphasis on technology is simplicity and refinement. All elements of technology in Dune are simple, but are extremely well made and highly efficient using techniques millennia in advance of our own today. You wouldn’t find a typical computer terminal in any great house. You would find live, fully holographic displays that looked just like a normal piece of furniture. Decadence is another idea to keep in mind. The majority of people in Dune have no need of advanced technology. Sure they may buy highly advanced synthetic mono-molecular plas -weave but that’s only because such material is easy to cut and make boats with. A cost, description, picture and other relevant information is included with each item.

Na m e : Personal Shield Co st: 2000 Solari Normal Shield, 2500 Solari Stealth Shield Ava ila bility: Restricted

De scription / Rule s: The personal shield. Reputed to have saved many millions of lives during the “Dark-Ages”. The incarnation of the 2D Holtzman effect. The personal shield is one of the most amazing technological advances mankind has ever made. The Holtzman effects are too varied and full of history to mention here. Suffice to say the shield is the perfect suit of armour. Well, almost. No fast moving object may penetrate the shield. Using a Lasgun against a shield is also a bad idea. The TN to hit a target is not raised. Instead, unless a shield attack is made, the target is immune totally to all damage. Concussion effects from grenades etc may still occur. A user with a shield may be knocked prone but will suffer no damage. The appearance of a personal shield may vary. There is no limit on the colour a shield may emit. There are such things as stealth shields, which emit only gamma rays. However, this does not impart invisibility, just a featureless black silhouette, which is still very useful. A stealth shield has all the capabilities of a normal shield, but it grants 2 Free Raises to All Stealth rolls and an Extra + 5 TN to be hit in Dark Areas (+10 if pitch black). A shield forms a very tight fit around the user. A normal shield will appear as a very faint glow around the character, or a slightly opaque shimmering a few millimetres above the surface of the skin. To notice a normal shield, a roll must be made against a variable TN. Distance will no doubt, affect this.

Na m e : Light Armour Co st: 500 Solari Ava ila bility: Restricted (Good Set). Common (2nd Hand)

De scription / Rule s: Light armour is useful. Shields may be breached in a fight with knives or the like. Palace guards in the great houses will always wear armour. Peons and lower classes may also be found wearing various types of armour as shields tend not to be available. Light armour is typically made from a certain form of plas-steel, usually with more emphasis on deflecting blades. The armour will most likely cover the chest, the lower legs and maybe the forearms or shoulders, depending on the house / faction in question. Light armour may be very obvious or much more subtle. The more subtle, the higher the cost. Light armour absorbs 2K1 Dice Worth of Damage from a hit (Reroll 10’s). You may not spend water of life points on this roll.

Na m e : Heavy Armour Co st: 1000 Solari Ava ila bility: Restricted

De scription / Rule s: This armour is the type most often worn by the great houses militia. The Sarduakar tend not to wear this armour as it impinges on their fighting ability. Most Harkonnen troops wear this type of armour as the Harkonnen have a preference for lasguns and brutality. Certain worlds (like Dune), merit the use of armour in certain cases. Heavy armour absorbs 3K2 Dice worth of Damage from a blow that hits (reroll 10’s. You may not spend water of life points on this roll.) but all physical tests are at +5 TN due to the weight of the suit. This may include survival tests and certain agility tests too. Na m e : Suspensors Co st: 500 Solari per 100kg per 10m Ava ila bility: Common

De scription / Rule s: Holtzman fields may be used to levitate objects quite easily. Some glow-globes employ this to create floating light. They can be worn in clothing or armour to levitate a person. They tend to be cumbersome however and only work under certain conditions. If the ground below the field is unstable, the chances are the suspensors will not be much use. Suspensors may be used in combat as part of a dodge or escape manoeuvre. A roll against Shield (Suspensor) will always be needed however, as this is difficult to perform. Suspensors may be viewed as negative magnets. One suspensor can lift an object upwards. Another is needed to propel someone forward. If there is no surface to “push” against, the suspensor is useless. Suspensors have a limited strength. Large suspensors are available to power certain craft but these are very large. Personal suspensors have an effective ceiling of 100m. These items are shields. A Lasgun hit has the same effect (hence why suspensors are not used on military aircraft and vehicles that often!). Na m e : General Items Co st: Cost by GM Ava ila bility: Common

De scription / Rule s: General items such as repair kits, replacement parts, clothing, goggles, ponchos etc, are all available in the Dune Universe. It is upto the Players and the GM to decide what equipment is available and how much it will cost. Cost varies across the planets and galaxies anyway. Feel free to make up whatever fits the Dune universe.

VEHICLES The Dune universe has many types of vehicles, ranging from small desert skiffs to large space hopping frigates to more archaic means of transport, such as a desert palanquin. Vehicles have their statistics listed and a brief description. Most vehicle handling is performed using the pilot skill. Of course, should a test be needed, they would doubtless be quite difficult. Someone without the pilot skill will have a hard time! The Handling statistic shows how easy or difficult such a craft is to pilot. Add this value to the Base TN of 15 when working out piloting tests. Speeds are graded. The first value represents the lowest speed that the craft may operate at. The values after that denote slow, medium and fast speeds in Kph. Na m e : Ornithopter Mobility: VTOL, Full Flight Capability Within Atmosphere Co st: Varies 100,000 -10,000,000 Solari Ava ila bility: Common W ea pons: Varies. Unarmed / Bombs / Laser Weapons Arm our : Varies. Min 6k4, Max 10 k 8 + 10 Ha ndling: +10 TN Spe e ds: 0/50/500/1000 De scription / Rule s: Ornithopters rule the skies in the Dune Universe. Cheap to build, efficient, adaptable and easy to maintain. All the functions required of a vehicle. Except ease of use. Ornithopters were very dangerous and difficult to manage. However, the control systems and flight controls have been advanced to a sufficient level. The Control system is still fairly difficult to manage to the untrained eye however. This is reflected in the above TN. Ornithopters have bird like wings which “flap” producing a large enough upward force for full VTOL capability. In addition, Jet propulsion of a super advanced micro-ramjet design provides fast, fixed wing flight. Na m e : Sand Crawler Mobility: Off-Road Desert Terrain Co st: Varies 100,000 -10,000,000 Solari Ava ila bility: Common W ea pons: Varies. Unarmed / Bombs / Laser Weapons Arm our : Varies. Min 4k3, Max 8 k 6 + 5 Ha ndling: +5 TN Spe e ds: 5/20/40/60

De scription / Rule s: Sand Crawlers were developed for use on Arrakis and other similar worlds. They are designed to work in harsh desert conditions which preclude the use of suspensor vehicles, more common to the rest of the Empire. These vehicles carry the more “Water-Fat” humans around the various locations of interest on Arrakis. They are also used by prospectors and sand-masters when surveying a mining site. Na m e : Ground Cars Mobility: Suspensor Bourn ground vehicles. Co st: Varies 10,000 - 100,000 Solari Ava ila bility: Common W ea pons: Varies. Arm our : Varies. Ha ndling: +0 TN Spe e ds: 5/30/60/120 De scription / Rule s: Ground cars are fair removed from the ones we know today. Almost all

the ground travel is performed by suspensor driven vehicles where possible due to the excellent efficiency of these vehicles. There were initial problems when such vehicles were introduced due to the Lasgun / Shield reaction, but since the outlawing and strict limitation of these weapons, this is no longer a problem.