Battleaxe Fantasy Role-play is a role-playing game set in a fantasy world. It uses ten sided dice to generate random numbers; no other dice are needed.
This game was designed by Eric N. Samuels. The art is from the public domain and credited to the best of my ability.
Inspiration for this game comes from many other games and books, including: The Black Hack, Black Sword Hack, Blades in the Dark, The Burning Wheel, The Chronicles of Amber, Diablo, Dungeons & Dragons, Enoch’s Wake, Forbidden Lands, Legend of the Five Rings, Magic in Ithkar, Shadow of the Demon Lord, Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells, Thieves’ World, and Warhammer Fantasy Role-play.
Though this is a fantasy game of make-believe, the people you play it with deserve real respect. Safety tools for role playing games are important and discussions about those tools and what kind of game will be played are an integral part of ensuring everyone feels comfortable at the table. Different kinds of safety tools can be found online. Please talk about and use the tools that fit best for your group.
This game was created using the Affinity Publishing tools version 1.8.5.703 and without the use of generative A.I.
What is Battleaxe Fantasy Role-Play? It's a d10 role-playing game set in a fantasy world. But in which world? And with what game rules?
All adventurers have attributes that define their physical, mental, and social capabilities as well as their supernatural affiliations.
Physical attributes are Strength and Dexterity while Intelligence and Willpower are mental attributes. They are ranked from 1 to 10.
Resources and Reputation are social attributes that respectively measure an adventurer's wealth and recognition in society. They ranked from 0 to 10.
Moral attributes are Order and Chaos and measure an adventurer's affiliation with otherworldly forces. They are ranked from 0 to 10.
An adventurers’ Family History and Biography describes where they are from, who raised them, and what kind of live they had as children. Their Career grants unique them talents to help them in their adventures.
Skills are an indication of an adventurer's expertise and are used to perform almost all actions. Whether an adventurer is swinging a sword, casting a spell, or stealing from the guards, they are all making skill tests.
Health is equal to the sum of Strength and Willpower multiplied by 10. When an adventurer has damage equal to their Health they may die, and they are Bloodied when they have damage equal to half their Health.
Defense is equal to either Dexterity or Intelligence multiplied by 5, in addition to whatever armor is worn. Defense is the Target Number that enemies must meet or exceed to strike and injure the adventurer.
Everyone has a Power rank that describes their ability to harness and impose their will upon the world. Fresh adventurers have a Power rank of 1 while more seasoned campaigners may rise to rank 3 or 4. Folks with Power ranks of 5 or 6 are some of the most capable and dangerous people in the world.
When an adventurer makes an Attribute test, they roll and keep a number of ten-sided dice equal to the Attribute being tested.
When an adventurer makes a Skill test, they roll a number of ten-sided dice equal to the sum of the Attribute and Skill being tested. They keep a number of dice equal to their Attribute from among the dice rolled and sum the total. For all tests, if the total equals or exceeds the Target Number (TN) set by the gamemaster, the test is successful.
For example, an adventurer wants to attack someone with their greataxe. This is a skill test that uses the Melee skill and Strength attribute. If their Strength rank is 2 and their Melee rank is 3 they would roll 5 dice and keep the results of 2 of the dice, adding them together. The test would be written as 5k2.
Later, the same adventurer needs to resist the effects of a mind-control spell. The gamemaster calls for a Willpower attribute test and their Willpower rank is 2. They roll 2 dice and keep both of them, adding them together.
If a dice shows a 10, the player sets that dice aside and rolls another dice, keeping the 10 and the result of the extra dice as if they were a single dice kept. This may continue as long as the dice rolls a 10.
A player may not roll or keep more than 10 dice. Each dice above 10 that they would roll instead become additional kept dice at a rate of 2 to 1. Each dice above 10 that they would keep instead adds +5 to the result. For example, 14k2 would instead become 10k4. Rolling 10k14 would instead become 10k10+20.
If penalties would reduce the number of kept dice to 0 or fewer, the player instead keeps one dice rolled. If a player would keep more dice than they roll, they instead keep all dice rolled.
When the gamemaster calls for a test they will say whether it is an Attribute test or Skill test and whether it’s a basic, opposed, resistance, or extended test.
Basic Test
The gamemaster chooses the Target Number that the adventurer must meet or exceed on their roll to succeed on the test. Most attacks are basic tests as well as tests the adventurer
makes against an environment, such as climbing or navigating.
Resistance Test
A Resistance test is made in reaction to someone else's action. For example, when an adventurer needs to resist a mind-control spell or catch themselves when the dungeon floor
breaks away they will make a Resistance test.
Opposed Test
When two people are competing against each other in some manner they make Opposed tests. For example, an adventurer trying to sneak past a guard would test Stealth (Sneaking)
while the guard might test Observation (Detect Hidden Foe). If the adventurer has a higher result than the guard then they successfully sneak past them, otherwise the guard notices them.
Extended Test
Some tasks can't be completed right away, such as smithing weapons and armor or conducting research. The gamemaster will choose the Target Number and the interval for how often
tests may be made. At each interval the result of the test is added to the previous results; when the cumulative total equals or exceeds the Target Number the task is complete.
The following are default Target Numbers that gamemasters and players can refer to for sample difficulties. Each entry lists who should be able to reliably succeed on the task.
TN Difficulty Accomplished By 10 Routine Everyone 15 Moderate Talented folk 20 Challenging Experts in their Field 25 Difficult Seasoned Adventurers 30 Very Hard Wise Magicians 40 Imposing Supernatural Creatures 60 Near Impossible Godlike Beings
When an adventurer has an Affinity for an attribute or skill they roll one extra dice when making that kind of test. For example if a character has Affinity for Lore they roll one extra dice on all Lore tests.
When an adventurer has an Emphasis in a skill they may reroll one dice when making a test when the emphasis would apply. For example if an adventurer has the Demonology emphasis for the Lore skill they may re-roll one dice when making a Lore test about Demons.
When the adventurer possesses an overwhelming advantage it is not necessary to roll a test. If the threshold exceeds the TN of the test the adventurer succeeds without needing to test.
The value for any threshold is equal to the attribute or skill multiplied by 5.
For example, an experienced adventurer is ambushed by a cabal of less powerful mages who try to capture the adventurer with mind-control magic. The gamemaster calls for a TN 20 Willpower resistance test to defeat the spell. The adventurer has a Willpower rank of 5 giving them a Threshold for Willpower of 25. Their Threshold is above the TN and therefore they automatically succeed on the test to resist the spell.
Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Willpower can be improved by spending experience points to increase their rank. The ranks for Resources, Reputation, Order, and Chaos are variable and will increase and decrease based on the actions of the adventurer.
The latter four Attributes have ten empty boxes next to their rank. When instructed to by the rules or the gamemaster, you’ll check off a box. If the number of checked boxes exceeds the rank of that Attribute, erase all checked boxes and increase the Attribute rank by 1.
For example, an Adventurer has a Resources rank of 2 with 2 box checked. They find some Treasure and the gamemaster tells them to add a box of Resources to represent their new loot. The newly checked box brings the total of checked boxes to 3, exceeding the rank. They erase all checked boxes and increase their Resources rank to 3.
If the rules or gamemaster tells you to remove a checked box and there are none remaining, instead you reduce the rank by 1 and add a number of checked boxes equal to the current rank.
Adventurers face a hard life and are often stressed, weary, or suffering from other misfortunes. These discomforts weigh on an adventurer in the form of conditions such as being Cold, Hungry, or Tired.
When an adventurer has 1 condition they roll 1 fewer dice on all tests. When they have 2 conditions they also keep 1 fewer dice on all tests. If an adventurer has 3 conditions they also have a -5 penalty on all tests. Fighting on with 1 or more conditions can be lethal.
An adventurer may remove a condition afflicting them if they take appropriate action to remedy it. Removing conditions takes time, whether that time is spent sitting by the campfire to warm up, or preparing and eating a meal, or getting some good sleep. An uninterrupted night's rest will usually remove all conditions afflicting an adventurer, provided they have adequate food, warmth, and rest.
An unseen thief lunges out at an adventurer from the shadows. Caught unaware by the attack, the adventurer is surprised for a few moments but soon recovers their wits though not before being stabbed by a poisoned blade.
Afflictions are ills that befall an adventurer that are either temporary or more long-lasting than conditions. Most afflictions usually last only a turn and represent being surprised, dazed, or knocked down. An adventurer who catches a disease or is poisoned would suffer from a persistent affliction.
The effects of being Surprised, Frightened, Dazed, or Bloodied are penalties to the adventurers Battle test and listed in the Combat section.
The effects of being diseased or poisoned are wide-ranging in variety but can be handled with a simple rule. Being affected by a disease or poison makes it impossible to remove a Condition of the gamemasters choice. The effects of multiple diseases or poisons is cumulative.
Healing or treating disease and poisons requires either a powerful magical remedy or an Extended Test.
Resources is a measure of your adventurers buying power. It represents cash on hand, loans from friends and family, and trade goods and property that your adventurer owns.
Test Resources against a known Target Number in order to purchase equipment, gear, property, or offer bribes. On a success you purchase what you wanted to buy and erase a checked box. A failure might mean lack of supply, increased prices, hostile merchants, or bad luck.
The Threshold for Resources is called Wealth.
Treasure has a rank that is an approximation of its value.
You add that many checked boxes to your Resources. You may instead use the treasure as a one time bonus for a single purchase, expending the treasure and adding a +5 bonus per treasure rank to the result of the Resources test.
Lifestyle represents how much money your Adventurer is spending on the necessities of life.
The cost for Lifestyles are paid at the start of a campaign and when the gamemaster deems it appropriate. If you are unable to pay you are kicked out of your lodgings and downgraded to a Lifestyle tier you can afford.
Broke (Cost: Free!) You rely on the charity of others for sustenance and shelter. Removing all Conditions takes twice as long.Low quality gear has a base price TN of 5 and is an improvised patchwork of whatever was nearby when the item was needed. Low quality armor and weapons are quickly assembled from scavenged materials but seldom last longer than a week if used every day.
Mundane gear has a base price TN of 15 that will vary depending on local conditions. Mundane gear requires the right tools and material to be repaired effectively but will last for years with regular care and maintenance.
Exceptional gear has a base price TN of 40. Special talents are required to craft or repair exceptional gear. Most exceptional items grant the bearer a +1k0 bonus on relevant tests or have some other unique quality.
Testing Resources to buy Exceptional gear involves paying the middle-men, covering taxes and fees, and bribing officials. It will always reduce your Resources rank by 1 after the test in addition to any other outcomes.
Reputation is an amalgamation of your adventurers position in the social hierarchy along with how willing other folk are to help you, whether it be out of fear or respect.
A higher Reputation implies more social connections and favors owed to your adventurer. Other folk recognize you as someone who cannot be ignored. Adventurers with low Reputation are drifters of no consequence without a place in polite society. They have few meaningful affiliations to others and must rely on themselves.
The Threshold for Reputation is called Status.
The primary use of Reputation is to find people, either someone with an unique skill or a specific profession. After you’ve found them the gamemaster will roll on the Reaction Table in Chapter Five to determine their initial attitude towards you.
When testing Reputation to find people, roll and keep a number of dice equal to your Reputation rank. The Target Number to find someone with the same Background and Family as yourself is 15. Each difference in category increases the TN by +5. For example, to find someone with your same Background but with a different Family the TN would be 20. Success on a Reputation test does not measure how the person feels about you, just your ability to find them. Depending on the size of the local population and the difficulty of the TN a Reputation test could take anywhere from hours to days or even weeks.
Fame often precedes an individual. An appropriate skill test against TN 30 will identify the name and relevant social information of a person. Reduce the TN by the persons Status. Sample skills might be Lore (Heraldry or History) or Observation (Appraisal).
Through the course of play the adventurers will make their mark on the world for good or for ill. The Reputation attribute doesn’t track the morality of their actions but rather how well known they are and how easily they can use that renown to find people.
Each Challenge that the adventurers face is associated with certain Signs and Portents that the gamemaster has decided ahead of time. When the adventurers fulfill these Signs, such as the start of a game session, the loss of an ally, or Invoking a Power, the adventurers gain Reputation as the world reacts to their deeds.
When the gamemaster tells you that you’ve fulfilled a Sign, mark a box under Reputation. If the number of boxes marked exceeds your Reputation rank, then erase all marked boxes and increase your rank by 1.
When you finally defeat a Challenge you mark a number of boxes equal to the original Power of that Challenge.
Reputation doesn’t naturally decrease over time. Instead, adventurers can reduce their Reputation by spending it to ensure success on Reputation or Resources tests. The adventurer calls in favors and markers, burns bridges, makes unwise alliances and generally does whatever needs to be done in order to overcome their current obstacle with little regards to the consequences.
Before a Reputation or Resources test, an adventurer may gain a +2k2 bonus on the test for each rank they spend.
After rolling a Reputation or Resources test, an adventurer may add +5 to the result for each rank they spend.
There are forces that exist beyond the known world that yet have influence here. The minds of mortals cannot perceive their true form or purpose and in their limited understanding they divide these cosmic ideas and beings as belonging to either Order or Chaos. If Power is what one seeks they may find it in service to these cosmic ideals.
Increasing ranks in Order or Chaos is not a mere metaphysical association with no consequences. It represents the adventurer allowing such forces to take control in their lives and granting those forces authority and influence in the mortal world.
As their Moral Attribute rank increases the adventurer becomes more inhuman in their thoughts and behavior, their body and mind growing into a shape better suited to the needs of the Powers. The purchase the Powers gain on the world through the adventurer is temporary and over time the rank will fade if not maintained.
Most folk never gain more than 1 or 2 ranks. Devoted religious folk may gain 4 or 5 ranks in their lifetime. People with 6 ranks and above in either Order or Chaos have begun the transformation into something other than human.
Creatures with ranks of 8 and above are no longer considered human, having transcended their mortal form and names. Order and Chaos ranks of 8 and higher are permanent.
Before a test an adventurer may Invoke Order. They choose one dice that they would roll for the test and set the result of that dice to 5, then roll the remaining dice. The dice that was invoked must be part of the kept dice for the test.
After a test an adventurer may Invoke Chaos. They choose one dice that they have rolled and kept for the test and re-roll that dice, keeping the result.
Adventurers may not Invoke both Order and Chaos on the same test.
When an adventurer Invokes Order or Chaos they mark a box for that attribute. If the number of boxes marked exceeds either Moral Attribute rank, then they erase all marked boxes and increase that rank by 1.
When an adventurer goes without Invoking that attribute, the hold that alignment has on them is weakened. When enough time has gone by erase a marked box from the attribute. If there are no more marked boxes, reduce the attributes rank by 1 and mark a number of boxes equal to the new rank.
The length of time required for attribute decay depends on the strength of their affiliation. Ranks 1 and 2 decay after one week without Invoking. Ranks 3, 4, and 5 decay after one month while Ranks 6 and 7 require one year without Invoking.
For example, an adventurer has an Order rank of 4 and has 4 boxes marked. They manage to go three months without Invoking and erase 3 marked boxes. If they go another month without Invoking they will erase their last marked box, reducing their Order rank to 3 and marking 3 boxes.
After another 3 months without Invoking they would erase the 3 marked boxes, dropping their Order rank to 2 and filling in 2 boxes. Now that their Order rank is at 2, it will only take a week without Invoking before their affiliation starts to decay; 2 weeks will see them erase 2 boxes and drop their Order to 1, filling in 1 box.
After another week without Invoking they erase their 1 box and reduce their Order rank to 0. The whole time required for them to go from Order rank 4 to 0 was nearly 8 months.
The Threshold for moral affiliation is called Glory and is based on your highest Moral Attribute.
A person’s highest moral attribute may be determined with a TN 30 Spellcraft (Discern Aura) test. The TN is reduced by the person’s Glory.
There are sixteen skills in Battleaxe Fantasy Role-play organized into physical, mental, and social skills. Each skill has a number of emphases that represent specialized training within that skill. When an adventurer increases their ranks in a skill they gain additional benefits called masteries at the indicated rank.
The following page lists every emphasis for each skill.
Acrobatics: Balance, Climb Walls, Contort, Jump, Pilot, Sailing.
Animal Handling: Driving, Falconry, Heal Animal, Riding, Vermin.
Athletics: Bend Bars, Ditch Digging, Drinking, Grappling, Hauling, Marching, Running, Swimming, Throwing.
Battle: Aggressive, Defensive, Evasive, Focused.
Command: Distract, Haggling, Insult, Intimidation, Persuasion, Rumor-mongering, Seduction.
Crafting: Blacksmithing, Brewing, Calligraphy, Carpentry, Cartography, Gem Artifice, Herbalism, Leathercrafting, Mining, Painting, Poisons.
Etiquette: Courtesy, Detect Hostile Intent, Discern Lies, Morale, Sense Motive.
Lore: Ancient Languages, Astrology, Church Law, Cryptography, Demonology, Engineering, Foreign Languages, Heraldry, History, Mathematics, Medicine, Nature, Riddles, Rule of Law, Surgery, Theology, Warfare.
Melee: Axe, Brawling, Flail, Hammer, Mace, Polearm, Spear, Sword.
Observation: Appraisal, Detect Hidden Foe, Eavesdrop, Evaluate Opponent, Investigation, Navigation, Read Lips.
Performance: Acting, Dance, Disguise, Falsehood, Hand Instrument, Oratory, Poetry, Song, Storytelling.
Sleight of Hand: Conceal, Forgery, Gambling, Open Locks, Pick Pockets, Remove & Set Traps.
Spellcraft: Conjuration, Discern Aura, Divination, Elementalism, Enchantment, Identify Spell, Illusion, Necromancy, Thaumaturgy, Transmutation.
Stealth: Ambush, Shadowing, Sneaking.
Strike at Range: Blowgun, Bow, Crossbow, Javelin, Sling, Trick Shot, Thrown Weapons.
Survival: Bind Wounds, Cooking, Fishing, Foraging, Hunting, Mending, Orienteering, Tracking, Trapping.
Acrobatics is a physical skill that measures the adventurers control over the movements of their body. Test Acrobatics when the adventurer needs to keep their balance on ice, climb the castle curtain wall, jump over a spiked pit, squeeze through iron bars, or steer a vessel by hand.
Rank 3: When you test Acrobatics with an emphasis you may reroll two dice instead of one.
Rank 5: You may add your ranks in Acrobatics to your Battle test result when in the Defensive, Evasive, or Focused stances.
Rank 7: When you test Battle you may use your Battle result or the threshold for your Acrobatics.
Animal Handling is a social skill used for controlling the actions of animals. Test Animal Handling when the adventurer needs to drive a stagecoach, tend to a wounded animal, hunt with birds of prey, or converse with vermin.
Rank 3: Increase the reaction result by one category for animals you meet to a maximum of Friendly.
Rank 5: You gain a +2k1 bonus on Animal Handling (Heal Animal) tests and deal +1k1 damage to animals.
Rank 7: You may make one Animal Handling test a turn without using an action.
Athletics is a physical skill that measures the adventurers muscular fitness and endurance. Test Athletics when the adventurer needs to bend iron bars, dig fortifications, throw large rocks, drink without passing out, force march, or engage in physical contests such as wrestling, swimming, and running.
Rank 3: When you test Athletics with an emphasis you may reroll two dice instead of one.
Rank 5: You may add your ranks in Athletics to your Battle test result when in the Aggressive, Defensive, or Focused stance.
Rank 7: When you move during combat you may move to any distance Far away from you.
Battle is a physical skill used to determine the order of turns in a fight. When adventurers test Battle they must choose which stance they are in: Aggressive, Defensive, Evasive, or Focused. Each stance has restrictions on what actions may be taken that turn and specific tactical maneuvers that the adventurer may use while in that stance. The attribute used to test Battle depends on what weapon or spell the adventurer is wielding. Test Battle using the same attribute used to make attacks with the weapon or spell.
Rank 3: Gain a +1k0 bonus on Battle tests while in one stance of your choice.
Rank 5: Reduce the TN by 5 when initiating maneuvers while in one stance of your choice.
Rank 7: Set aside and roll again dice that show a 9 as well as 10 on Battle tests while in one stance of your choice.
Command is a social skill used for controlling the actions of other people. It is resisted by the target's Etiquette test result. Test Command when the adventurer wants to distract a guard with blather, get better prices in the bazaar, deliver a meaningful insult, strong-arm the weak-willed into cooperating, spread rumors about town, suggest a course of action, or gain someone's trust.
Rank 3: You gain a +2k0 bonus on Command tests against bloodied opponents.
Rank 5: You may add your ranks in Command to all Willpower Resistance tests.
Rank 7: Set aside and roll again dice that show a 9 as well as 10 on Command tests.
Crafting is a mental skill that measures the adventurer's ability to create artistic and useful works. Test Crafting when the adventurer wants to create or repair an item. The Target Number to repair an item is the same as the TN to purchase it. Repairing items without the proper tools and material may increase the TN or only provide a temporary fix.
Rank 3: Choose a Crafting emphasis you know. You gain a +0k2 bonus when testing Crafting with that emphasis.
Rank 5: You may add your ranks in Crafting to your Wealth threshold.
Rank 7: When you repair items without the proper tools you do not increase the TN.
Etiquette is a social skill that measures the adventurers resolve and grace under pressure. Etiquette is tested as a resistance to the Command skill. Adventurers may also test Etiquette to speak in the proper local manner, determine whether a person has hostile intent, discern whether someone is lying to them, gather a hunch, or test their steel against fear.
Rank 3: When you test Etiquette with an emphasis you may reroll two dice instead of one.
Rank 5: You may add your ranks in Etiquette to your Wealth threshold.
Rank 7: Set aside and roll again dice that show a 9 as well as 10 on Etiquette tests.
Lore is a mental skill that measures the adventurers knowledge of a topic. Test Lore to recall obscure facts about a topic or solve complex problems within a field of study.
Rank 3: You may add your ranks in Lore to all Intelligence Resistance tests.
Rank 5: Gain a +2k1 bonus on Lore (Surgery) tests.
Rank 7: Instead of rolling dice for a Lore test you may treat each dice as if it rolled a 5.
Melee is a physical skill used to attack enemies. The attribute used to test Melee depends on the weapon wielded. Small weapons use Dexterity, Large weapons use Strength, and Hand weapons may use either Strength or Dexterity.
Rank 3: Deal +1k0 damage with one emphasis of your choice.
Rank 5: Reduce the TN by 5 when initiating maneuvers while wielding a weapon from one emphasis of your choice.
Rank 7: Set aside and roll again damage dice that show a 9 as well as 10 when rolling damage with a weapon from one emphasis of your choice.
Observation is a mental skill that measures the adventurers awareness of their surroundings. Test Observation to determine the worth of art and gems, find people that are hiding, listen to other people's conversations, size up an opponent, search for hidden objects, conduct land and sea navigation, and understand speech through reading lips.
Rank 3: Poor lighting and loud noises don’t impair your Observation tests.
Rank 5: You may add your ranks in Observation to your Battle test result.
Rank 7: You may make one Observation test a turn without using an action.
Performance is a social skill used to influence an audience. Test Performance to act out a play, dance at the nobles court, behave as someone else while disguised, tell believable lies, play an instrument, sing a song, recite a poem or speech, or tell an enthralling story.
Rank 3: Increase the reaction result by one category for people you meet to a maximum of Friendly.
Rank 5: You may add your ranks in Performance to Etiquette tests.
Rank 7: Instead of rolling dice for a Performance test you may treat each dice as if it rolled a 5.
Sleight of Hand is a physical skill that measures the adventurers fine motor control and hand and eye coordination. Test Sleight of Hand to conceal tiny objects and small weapons, forge documents, cheat at gambling, open locks without a key, steal from someone’s pocket, and remove and set traps.
Rank 3: When you test Sleight of Hand with an emphasis you may re-roll two dice instead of one.
Rank 5: You may test Sleight of Hand to conceal Hand weapons or similarly sized objects.
Rank 7: If you fail a Sleight of Hand test you may immediately re-roll the test one time at +10 TN.
Spellcraft is a mental skill used to cast spells. Test Spellcraft to discern any magical auras present or identify a spell. The TN for these tasks is the same as resisting a spell cast by whoever created the aura or spell. Anyone with at least one rank in Spellcraft may create minor magical effects such as conjuring lights and sounds, mending clothes, and other tricks of prestidigitation.
Rank 3: Learn one spell of your choice.
Rank 5: Learn one spell of your choice.
Rank 7: Learn one spell of your choice.
Stealth is a physical skill used to move without being noticed. The TN for Stealth is often determined by the Observation test result of a potential observer. Test Stealth when the adventurer is waiting in ambush, following someone through a crowd or natural terrain, or moving without making noise. Attacking a target that hasn’t perceived you makes them surprised for their next Battle test.
Rank 3: You may add your ranks in Stealth to your Defense when in the Evasive stance.
Rank 5: You may add your ranks in Stealth to damage rolls when you attack a surprised opponent.
Rank 7: You may test Stealth without anything to hide behind except you are revealed at the end of your turn if you have not found cover.
Strike at Range is a physical skill used to attack enemies with ranged weapons. Adventurers may also test Strike at Range to perform trick shots or use items at range such as a grappling hook or throw a bottle of acid.
Rank 3: Deal +1k0 damage with one emphasis of your choice.
Rank 5: Reduce the TN by 5 when initiating maneuvers while wielding a weapon from one emphasis of your choice.
Rank 7: Set aside and roll again damage dice that show a 9 as well as 10 when rolling damage with a weapon from one emphasis of your choice.
Survival is a mental skill that demonstrates the knowledge and capability to survive in the wilds. Test Survival to hunt, track, or trap animals, mend damaged tools and gear, cleanse and bind wounds, and avoid getting lost.
Rank 3: Ignore penalties from bad weather or rough terrain on Survival tests.
Rank 5: Gain a +2k1 bonus on Survival (bind wounds) tests.
Rank 7: Instead of rolling dice for a Survival test you may treat each dice as if it rolled a 5.
When steel is drawn and blood will be spilled, who strikes the first blow? Are they attacking without reservation, holding a defensive position, or fleeing for their lives? The order of turns in a melee is random, determined both by fate and will. At the beginning of a fight each combatant chooses their stance and tests Battle. The Attribute used for the Battle test is the same as the Attribute used for attacks with whichever weapon the adventurer is wielding or attack spell they have prepared. Turns are resolved in order of highest to lowest result.
After all combatants have acted, everyone tests Battle again, changing their stance if desired and the order of turns begins. Combat order and turns continue in this way until the fight reaches a conclusion.
When a combatant takes a turn during a fight they can move and perform an action, such as attacking, casting a spell, helping their ally, or performing a maneuver.
There are three types of ranges used for positioning and distance; Close, Nearby, and Far. Close range means you can reach out and touch someone without moving. Near range means you can reach them after a single move, while Far range requires at least two movements to reach.
For footage based measurements Close is 5ft, Nearby is 30ft, and Far is 60ft.
If a combatant leaves the Close range of an enemy in the Aggressive or Focused stances they provoke a free melee attack from that enemy. The Disengage maneuver allows for movement without provoking free attacks.
To attack an enemy, test the appropriate skill; Melee or Strike at Range for weapons, Spellcraft for spells. The TN is the Defense of the enemy.
If the attack is a hit, roll damage dice according to the weapon or spell used. If a foe has damage reduction subtract the value of their damage reduction from the damage total.
Rolling damage is not a test.
After a night of rest adventurers heal damage equal to half their Health.
Survival (Bind Wounds) and Lore (Surgery) can also be used to treat an injured person; Animal Handling (Heal Animal) is used to treat wounded animals. The result of the test is how much damage is healed; treating injuries requires an amount of minutes equal to the damage healed.
A person or animal can be healed in his way once per day without ill effect. Any subsequent attempt to use Survival, Lore, or Animal Handling to treat their injuries on the same day requires them to gain a new condition before receiving any healing.
When an adventurer has damage equal to their Health they may die. Roll a d10 to make a death saving throw and add 3 for each condition they have; this dice roll is not a test.
Charge: When you take an action to attack you may sprint towards a distant enemy. Move to an enemy within Far range and make an attack with +15 to the TN.
Cleave: When you make an attack with a weapon you may increase the TN by 15 to try and harm two opponents within Close range with the same attack. If your attack is higher than both of their TNs then you roll damage and divide it equally between the two opponents.
Disarm: When you make an attack with a weapon you may increase the TN by 15 to disarm your opponent. If your attack hits it deals half damage and you and the target make opposed Strength tests. If you win, the target drops their weapon.
Disengage: As an action you can slip the guard of your Close enemies. Your movement this turn does not provoke any free attacks. You may make an additional move this turn.
Extra Attack: When you take an action to make an attack with a weapon you may increase the TN by 25 to attack with greater speed than accuracy. If your attack hits then you may make another attack this turn. You may only use Extra Attack once per turn.
Feint: When you make an attack with a weapon you may increase the TN by 10 to try and slip past your enemies defenses. If your attack hits then it ignores any damage reduction the target may have.
Free Running: As an action you can focus your attention on agility rather than defense. You may add your Battle test result to any Acrobatics or Athletics tests you make this turn. You may make an additional move this turn.
Guard: As an action you may designate another adventurer within Close range. For the rest of the turn while that person stays within Close range of you, your Defense is decreased by 5 and their Defense is increased by 15.
Help: As an action you choose an ally within Far range and assist with their efforts. They gain +1k0 for the next test they make.
Increased Damage: When you make an attack with a weapon you may increase the TN by +5 to deal extra damage. If your attack hits then you deal +1k0 extra damage. You may increase the TN by multiples of 5 and deal the corresponding amount of extra damage. For example, +10 TN is a +2k0 bonus, +15 is a +3k0 bonus, +20 is a +4k0 bonus, and so on.
Knockdown: When you make an attack with a weapon you may increase the TN by +10 to try and knock down your opponent. If you hit you deal normal damage and then you and the target make opposed Strength tests. If you win, the target is knocked to the ground. Opponents that are exceptionally larger or more sturdy than you require a +20 TN increase.
Parry: As an action you may designate another adventurer within Close range. For the rest of the turn while that person stays within Close range of you, you may attempt to interrupt attacks against them by testing Melee. If your test result is higher than the enemies attack roll, then the enemies attack is deflected.
Reconnaissance: As an action you may focus your attention on the battlefield instead of your defense. You may add your Battle test result to any Observation tests you make this turn. You may make an additional move this turn.
Reposition: As an action you may survey the battlefield and make a quick plan for a tactical advantage. You may add this turns Battle test result to your Battle test on your next turn. You may make an additional move this turn.
Shield Other: As an action you may designate another adventurer within Close range. For the rest of the turn while that person stays within Close range of you, you may choose to become the target of any attacks that would otherwise target them.
Skulk: As an action you may seek cover and hide yourself from view. You may add your Battle test result to any Stealth tests you make this turn. You may make an additional move this turn.
Stun: When you make an attack with a weapon you may increase the TN by +20 to try and disorientate your opponent instead of wounding them. If your attack hits roll damage normally, except the target takes no damage. Instead they have a penalty on their next Battle test equal to your damage roll.
Taunt: When you make an attack with a weapon you may increase the TN by +5 to try and provoke your opponent into focusing only on you. If your attack hits, until the end of their next turn your opponent gains a +2k0 bonus to attack you and suffers a -10 penalty to Defense from everyone except you.
Total Defense: As an action you may focus completely on defense. Add your full Battle test result to your Defense instead of only half. On your next turn you ignore any penalties you may have when making a Battle test.
Armor increases the Defense of the adventurer wearing it and absorbs some damage that they would take. All armor and shields have a Strength requirement that must be met. If an adventurer does not have enough Strength to properly wear the armor or shield it provides no defense bonus or damage reduction.
An adventurer may only benefit from one source of armor at a time. For example, if they are wearing Light armor and cast Mage Armor, they will no longer benefit from either their physical armor or the spell.
Armor Defense DR Strength Weight Light +4 0 2 1 Medium +6 5 4 2 Heavy +8 10 5 4 Shields Defense Strength Weight Small +2 2 1 Large +4 3 2 Tower +6/+10 5 3
The Tower Shield provides a +6 bonus to Defense against melee attacks and a +10 bonus to Defense against ranged attacks.
Sample Armors
Light: Brigandine, Chain Shirt, Hardened Leather, Jack of Plate, Padded ClothWeapons deal damage according to their size. Small weapons can be wielded in either hand and can be concealed with some effort. Hand weapons can be wielded with either one or both hands while Large weapons require both hands.
When rolling damage dice, add the rank of the attribute used to make the attack to the number of rolled dice. For example, if an adventurer with a Strength of 4 hits with a Large melee weapon, they would roll 6k3 for damage. Rolling dice for damage is not a test.
Size Damage Weight Small 1k1 0 Hand 3k2 1 Large 2k3 2
Sample Weapons
Small: Blackjack, Blowgun, Boomerang, Dagger, Gauntlet, Hand Crossbow, Handaxe, Punching Dagger, Sickle, Sling, Throwing Axes, Throwing KnivesEach piece of gear has a Weight rank that is an abstract measurement of how heavy it is, how many hands it takes to use the item, or the relative space on the body it occupies. Tiny items that have no measurable weight are Unranked. The limit on the amount of Unranked items carried is left to the discretion of the gamemaster.
Rank 0 items don’t have any significant weight until 10 of them are carried; they then count as a single item of Rank 1. Adventurers can wear and carry an amount of Weight equal 5 plus their Strength score.
Adventurers can carry additional weight up to 5 plus double their Strength score but are then encumbered. They gain the Tired condition and move at half speed.
Here is a sample list of items and their weight rank.
Bandages, Belt Pouch, Blank Key, Chalk, Compass, Dice, Fake Jewelry, Fishing Hook & Line, Garlic, Holdout Knife, Ink, Lock Picks, Magnifying Glass, Makeup, Map, Needle & Thread, Parchment, Perfume, Pouch of Marbles, Religious Symbol, Rune Stones, Silver Mirror, Smoking Pipe, Steel Mirror, Tax Stamps, Tinder Box, Wax, Whetstone, Whistle, Wolves-bane.
100 Coins, Backpack, Bedroll, Blank Book, Book of Lore, Box of Soap, Caltrops, Crowbar, Crystal Ball, Fake Lock, Fake Spellbook, Fancy Hat, Flash of Acid, Flask of Oil, Garrote, Glass Jar, Grappling Hook, Hammer, Hand Bell, Hand Drum, Knife, Leather Scroll Tube, Lock, Locked Box, Medical Instruments, Metal Flask, Pestle & Mortar, Prayer Book, Twenty Feet of Rope, Sack of Coffee, Signal Horn, Small Bucket, Small Weapon, Spice Rack, Ten Days of Candles, Traveler’s Phrasebook.
1,000 Coins, Animal Trap, Arrow Bundle, Bucket, Falcon, Fetters, Fifty Feet of Rope, Firewood, Flute, Hand Weapon, Hooded Lantern, Iron Pot, Iron Spikes, Light Armor, Manacles, Mandolin, Net, Oil Lamp, Small Shield, Snowshoes, Spyglass, Ten Days of Iron Rations, Torches, Umbrella, Water-skin, Waterproof Boots, Weights & Measures, Wig, Wine-skin, Wooden Stakes & Mallet.
Animal Feed, Artisan Tools, Cooking Gear, Fine Robe, Fishing Pole, Heavy Blanket, Large Shield, Medium Armor, Sack of Flour, Saddlebags, Shovel, Sledgehammer, Tack and Harness, Ten Feet of Chain, Traveling Pack, Winter Coat.
Barrel of Ale, Cauldron, Heavy Armor, Large and Friendly Dog, Small Chest, Ten Foot Pole, Tent, Tower Shield, Wheelbarrow.
Mouldboard Plow, Goat, Sheep, Ten Foot Ladder, Two Person Battering Ram, Unconscious Adventurer
Adult Person, Crew-Served Ballista, Dugout Canoe, Horse Barding
Anvil, Cast Iron Bathtub, Donkey, Hog, Wooden Cart
Bear, Bison, Horse, Tiger
Battering Ram, Elephant, Portable Catapult
Here is a step by step guide for creating an adventurer.
Step 1: Record your starting characteristics.
Step 2: Determine Family, Biography, and Career.
Step 3: Record Career details.
Step 4: Free Advance
Note: An adventurer may not have any Attribute or Skill rank higher than their Power plus 2.
Clergy
You believe there is a world of power beyond what folk can see and understand. Obscure rituals and taboos guide your life to help you harness this power.
Nobility
Born free from want and deprivation, you were rigorously instructed in the courtly graces. Severe punishment was the price for less than perfect performance.
Outcasts
Everyone else never gave you a fair chance, so why should they deserve one? You take what you need when you can get it.
Peasants
Day after day of unrelenting labor is what you’ve known. You bear the brunt of ensuring civilization's survival and are rewarded only with more toil.
Armistice Hostage
You were given to a foreign nation as proof of good faith during armistice negotiations. Raised far from your homeland, you were afforded all the rights and privileges of your station and now have familial bonds with both nations.
Burghers
Your family was wealthy enough to own property and buy the rights of citizenship. Elsewhere your family may be simple merchants but in your homeland they have purchased their way into the aristocracy.
Conscripts
The nobles need someone to hold the pikes against the charge and clear the dead from the field afterwards. Your family served those in the business of war, either fighting in formation themselves or maintaining camp for the campaigners.
Craftsworker
Your family makes their living in a skilled trade. Whether they are registered members of a guild or make do with side work, your family is known for their trade.
Freebooters
Your family fought against foreign nations without sanction from your homeland. Raiding coastal villages and ransacking the countryside, they fought for profit when they could not fight for country.
Gray Merchants
Your family's business operated in the twilight of legality. Some folks will always pay with one hand while shielding their eyes with the other. Practicing the veneer of respectability was a survival skill taught early.
Gentry
Your family are generational land owners that rely on the work of your tenants. The land is the most prized possession in your family and they spend their lives managing it and seeking to increase their domain by any means possible.
Keyholder
Your family has served the church for generations taking care of worldly matters so the devout may serve the gods. Your family manages the estates and guards the sanctuaries of the holy places.
Knights Fee
Your family owned enough land to support and equip a knight. Whether a family member took service themselves or paid the fee for another, your family holds a stake in the minor nobility of the land.
Laborer
Your family follows where the work is, doing the hard tasks and labor that someone else is always willing to pay to be rid of. Traveling workers have their own extended family and customs that bring them community while far from home.
Outlaws
Your family made their living by stealing from others. Branded as criminals, the law hunted them and citizens feared them. The only codes they abide by are their own family's rules. Counterfeiters, murderers, and smugglers make up your kin.
Pilgrims
Your family were travelers in a sacred tradition. They walked the paths between holy sites and established missions to guard those who followed.
Priests
Growing up with your parents in the priesthood meant listening to more than your fair share of sermons. The church was present in every aspect of your life and the members were your extended family.
Refugees of War
Forced from their ancestral homes and hearth by the violence of war, your family sought refuge in a foreign land. The traditions and histories of your homeland were all your parents could carry with them when they fled.
Retainer
Your family serves the house of a noble and wears their colors. Whether in arms, law, or trade, your family has done for their noble house for generations.
Royalty
You’re a member of the Royal family. Whether you’re a distant relation or next to wear the crown, you and your family are held above all others in your homeland. For good or for ill, the health of the nation is tied to the fate of your family.
Sectarians
The gods are not a monolith and neither are their worshipers. Your family belonged to a sect in opposition to the main faith of your homeland. Their household rites were both a comfort to you and the source of conflict with your neighbors.
Serf
Your family is bound to the land they work but do not own. They sow, reap, and harvest and know little else for the rent must be paid, the tax must be collected, and the burden for both has been shouldered onto you.
Vagrants
Your family has no connection to any land. Life has been a constant struggle against both nature and the society that has thrown you out expecting you to die. No friend calls you neighbor, no lord claims your oath.
Ward of the Church
Some children are left without parents or family to raise them and so the church gives them shelter. The orphanage was a trial of endurance and you grew up with only your name to claim as your own.
Who raised your adventurer? Were they wealthy or poor? What drives your adventurer to risk their life? What makes them cower in the darkness? Answer these questions to bring your adventurer to life.
Each Biography is built from different randomized tables of experiences that define your adventurers history. Your adventurers Background describes the type of work that their parents or guardians did for a living. These are broad categories of professions separated into five categories: Academic, Criminal, Military, Religious, and Tradesfolk.
Childhood describes the size of their family and the general conditions they grew up in. The Adolescence table lists possible setbacks they suffered or boons they were granted.
The Experiences tables are categorized into five different tables respectively named Education, Conflict, Supernatural, Unlawful, and Work. Each lists life events that have shaped the adventurer. Each adventurer gains one roll on a specific table according to their Background. In addition, all adventurers gain a free roll on a table of their choosing. For example, an adventurer with the Academic background would roll on the Education table and then again on any table, which could also be the Education table.
Lastly, choose your adventurers Career. Descriptions of each Career and their Talents are in Chapter Three.
Merits and Flaws are optional additions to your adventurer that are represent some of their defining characteristics. Each adventurer may have one Merit at no cost. If you want a second Merit you are required to take a Flaw. You may roll or choose for each of these.
Merits and Flaws are listed in the Appendix.
Roll percentile to determine your families origin.
01-20 Academic
Your family were professionals in fields that required both training and expertise. You were raised in an environment that valued education or at least desired the opportunities that higher learning afforded. You gain a free roll on the Education Experiences table.
21-40 Criminal
Some folks are outcasts and must steal to survive while other criminals are organized into guilds and associations of mutual benefit. Growing up on the wrong side of the law taught you to listen to your instincts and never trust authority. You gain a free roll on the Unlawful Experiences table.
41-60 Military
While the cavalry are the most famous warfighters, they do not ride alone. Your family was in the business of war, either as soldiers themselves or one of the crafts that supported them.
Warfare is an enterprise that lays bare the frailty of life and also seeks to profit from its loss. You gain a free roll on the Conflict Experiences table.
61-80 Religious
Living in a world with ever-present otherworldly influences drives many to the church for counsel and protection. Many profess a belief in the gods but living among those with true
faith seemed to always provoke tests of conviction. You gain a free roll on the Divine Experiences table.
81-00 Tradesfolk
You were raised with the people who do the work that others rely on. Your family's trade was a vital part of your community and you've learned skills that will always be in demand. You gain a free roll on the Work Experiences table.
Roll percentile to determine what kind of family your adventurer grew up with.
01-05 Your biological family is unknown or only suspected. Roll again to determine your adopted family.Roll percentile to determine the defining experience of your adventurers adolescence.
01-04 You failed your apprenticeship and brought shame to your family.When you roll on this table gain 1 rank in either Animal Handling or Athletics and then learn two emphases from that skill.
01-10 You became a paid informant for an opposing force, a secret that only a few know.When you roll on this table gain 1 rank in either Lore or Observation and then learn two emphases from that skill.
01-10 While at University you became involved in a student uprising. You were forced to quit your studies and have a criminal record with the regional government.When you roll on this table gain 1 rank in either Command or Performance and then learn two emphases from that skill.
01-10 You had a religious epiphany regarding the nature of Order and Chaos that shaped the discourse of theologians.When you roll on this table gain 1 rank in either Etiquette or Sleight of Hand and then learn two emphases from that skill.
01-10 You accidentally acquired a child.When you roll on this table gain 1 rank in either Crafting or Survival and then learn two emphases from that skill.
01-10 You invested your inheritance into a business venture that failed and left you broke and in debt.Each of the sixteen careers is defined by the collection of unique talents that members of that career learn as they become more experienced.
Each adventurer earns 10 Experience Points at the end of each game session. Experience points may be spent to increase ranks in attributes and skills and learn emphasis and spells.
Increasing an attribute to the next rank costs a number of experience points equal to three times the next rank. For example, to increase an attribute of rank 2 to rank 3 would cost 9 experience points.
Increasing a skill to the next rank costs a number of experience points equal to 1 plus the next rank. For example, to increase a skill of rank 3 to 4 would cost 5 experience points.
The cost to purchase the first rank in a skill is 2 experience points.
An emphasis for a skill may be purchased for 2 experience points.
Learning a spell costs 5 experience points.
An adventurer may not have any Attribute or Skill rank higher than their Power plus 2.
For every 30 experience points an adventurer earns they increase their Power by 1. When an adventurer increases their Power they learn a new talent of their choice from their Career.
The Artificer combines alchemy, engineering, and spellcraft to create marvels. Artificers are masters of Enchantments and their glyphs and runes reinforce the body and mind of their bearer. In the hands of an Artificer everything is a weapon, every object their shield.
Their legendary skill is a blessing and a curse. In friendly territory they are respected and treated with care, both politicians and guild leaders bidding to earn their favor. In conflict and war they are almost never ransomed back to their home country when captured. Their skills are too valuable for their captors to release them cheaply. More than one Artificer has died in chains, forced to outfit their enemy's army.
Artificers adventure to discover old runes and forgotten glyphs, to find and master the marvels of a previous age, and to forge their own masterpieces that will become their legacy.
Creating an Artificer
• Choose one of these Artificer talents to learn:
- Artisan Training
- Mending Touch
- Regenerative Armor
- Synchronizing Weapon
- Transmuting Infusion
• Gain 1 rank in Battle, Crafting, and Spellcraft.
• Gain an emphasis of your choice for Battle, Crafting, and Spellcraft.
• Learn two Enchantment spells of your choice.
• Artificer Gear: 6ft wooden ruler, metal pliers, stoppered flasks, essential salts, notebook and pencil.
Artisan Training
You gain affinity for Crafting and learn 3 Crafting emphases of your choice. You can ignore the Strength requirements of armor and shields that you craft yourself.
Mending Touch
You learn an Enchantment spell of your choice. As long as you have an Enchantment spell prepared you may repair mundane gear with just a touch.
Regenerative Armor
With an action you may infuse a suit of armor with a reservoir of energy that self-repairs the wearer during combat. Whenever the wearer makes a Battle test to determine the order of turns in a fight they heal damage equal to double your Power. You may have a number of suits of armor affected by this talent at one time equal to your Power.
Synchronizing Weapon
When an augment is cast on you or an ally you may duplicate the spell. The recipient of the spell may share the augment with another adventurer. Both last as long as the spell is maintained.
Transmuting Infusion
You can test Spellcraft to turn an ordinary skin of beer or wine into a healing tincture. Whoever drinks it gains a new condition and heals damage equal to your Spellcraft result as the alchemy transforms their wounds. If they are unable to gain a new condition the potion has no effect. The potion lasts for one day before turning to sludge.
Some among the faithful feel a calling to murder the enemies of their religion. Whether they follow the path of Order or Chaos, Assassins have pledged their lives to their holy order. They are implacable killers on a fanatical mission.
Assassins travel in disguise, often living completely separate lives to hide their identities. They adventure to purge the world of the influence of malign forces, root out their agents and put them to the sword.
Creating an Assassin
• Choose one of these Assassin talents to learn:
- Divine Impetus
- Esoteric Lore
- First Strike
- Irrefutable Censure
- Mage-Killer
• Gain 1 rank in Battle, Melee, and Stealth.
• Gain an Emphasis of your choice for Battle, Melee, and Stealth.
• Assassin Gear: Holdout knife, non-lethal poison, hidden reliquary, cover identity, mark of your society.
Divine Impetus
Your hand executes the will of the divine and may not be held back by mortal concerns. You ignore penalties from Conditions when making attacks and your attacks ignore damage reduction.
Esoteric Lore
Your order safeguards many secrets from the eyes and ears of the unworthy but you have been granted special privilege to ensure the success of your mission. Learn two spells of your choice. If you no ranks in Spellcraft, gain 1 rank in Spellcraft.
First Strike
You gain affinity for Battle. When you attack an enemy with a lower Battle test result than you, you deal extra damage equal to the difference.
Irrefutable Censure
Choose a creature you can see and proclaim their sins. While you maintain this talent the censured creature can not hide from you. When you test a skill against your censured target you set aside and roll again dice that show a 9 as well as a 10.
Mage-Killer
The otherworldly forces you hunt have powerful magics at their command and so you have been trained to resist them. When you are subject to a hostile spell you may add your ranks in Battle to your resistance test or Defense as appropriate.
While the truth behind the Lights in the Spheres above is unknown to many, the Astrologer finds meaning in tracking the celestial movements. They see the patterns inside the random acts of nature and develop a cognition that surpasses foresight into uncanny awareness.
More than just a petty fortune-teller, the Astrologer has a true understanding of the relation between cause and effect. The oracles of the modern age, Astrologers are consulted by the rich and powerful before entering into business partnerships, marriages, war, or other risky endeavors.
Astrologers adventure to find the limit between present and the future, to make sure others are in the right place at the right time, and to keep one town ahead of the angry noble who couldn’t accept the truth.
Creating an Astrologer
• Choose one of these Astrologer talents to learn:
- Augury
- Clairsentience
- Correspondences
- Ego Whip
- Psychic Crush
• Gain 1 rank in Battle, Observation, and Spellcraft. If this is your first rank in Spellcraft, learn two spells of your choice.
• Gain an emphasis of your choice for Battle, Observation, and Spellcraft.
• Learn two Divination spells of your choice.
• Astrologer Gear: Farmer’s almanac, charcoal sticks, divination tools, astrolabe, ritual knife.
Augury
Whether through tracking the flights of birds, reading the charts of stars, or sifting through a beast's entrails you can divine answers from an uncertain future. You may test Spellcraft instead of Lore, gaining the normal benefits of any Lore emphasis you have.
Clairsentience
You learn a Divination spell of your choice. As long as you have a Divination spell prepared you may learn the psychic history of an object by handling it.
Correspondences
Enemies suffer a -1k1 penalty on attacks and damage if their target is in the same stance as the attacker.
Ego Whip
You are skilled at letting others convince themselves that you are right. When you make an opposed Command or Etiquette test you may force your opponent to use their lowest attribute on the test.
Psychic Crush
Your attacks wound both mind and body. When you deal damage with an attack the target suffers a -1k1 penalty on tests
until the end of your next turn.
The Barbarian is a warrior who fights for the sake of fighting. Whether they raid the shores from longships, ride horses on the steppes, or are shock troopers in the vanguard, barbarians share a lust for battle that surpasses all other joys in their life. They are eager to brawl, dangerous when bloody, and trust a larger weapon will solve most problems.
Barbarians adventure to find new people to fight, to test their strength and steel against new challenges, and to face a foe worthy of defeating them.
Creating a Barbarian
• Choose one of these Barbarian talents to learn:
- Blood Frenzy
- Feral Might
- Indomitable
- Rampage
- Sullen Glare
• Gain 1 rank in Athletics, Battle, and Melee.
• Gain an emphasis of your choice for Athletics, Battle, and Melee.
• Barbarian Gear: Personal trophy, light armor, large, knife, family totems, traveling pack.
Blood Frenzy
When you hit a bloodied enemy you deal +2k1 extra damage. You ignore the bloodied penalty to Battle tests and can move twice a turn while in the Aggressive stance.
Feral Might
You gain damage reduction equal to your Strength. You do not suffer the penalty to Defense while in the Aggressive stance.
Indomitable
You have affinity for attribute tests against magic. You ignore any penalties from Conditions while in the Aggressive stance.
Rampage
When it’s time to kill you don’t hesitate to strike. You gain an extra action on your turn while in the Aggressive stance.
Sullen Glare
You may use Strength when testing Command instead of Willpower. When you succeed on any opposed test your opponent is demoralized and suffers a -1k1 penalty on attacks against you. The penalty lasts until they beat you in an opposed test.
The sword-fighter wishes they had a spell at hand, the spellslinger curses for lack of a sword arm, and the lockpicker would settle for either in a pinch. The Bard lacks only humility and misses it not at all. Their silver tongue is what sets this jack of all trades apart from other dabblers. Where others rely on skill to carry the day the Bard is skilled at being talented.
Bards adventure to see what’s beyond the horizon, to find new people to impress, and to have great tales to tell for when they return home.
Creating a Bard
• Choose one of these Bard talents to learn:
- Bardic Knowledge
- Inspire Courage
- Lore Song
- Test of Valor
- Veils
• Gain 1 rank in Battle, Performance, and Spellcraft. If this is your first rank in Spellcraft, learn two spells of your choice.
• Gain an emphasis of your choice for Battle, Performance, and Spellcraft.
• Learn two Illusion spells of your choice.
• Bard Gear: Musical instrument, holdout knife, magical charm, fake magical charm, book of lore.
Bardic Knowledge
You’ve learned a little bit of everything over the years. Test all skills as if you had emphasis.
Inspire Courage
Through song and poetry you raise the spirits of your allies. You and your allies gain a bonus on all tests equal to your Performance rank for as long as you maintain the talent.
While maintaining Inspire Courage you may fight as normal but may not cast spells.
Lore Song
The deeds of past heroes are immortalized in your words and history lives again in your song. When you make a Lore test you may also test Performance and add the result to your Lore
test.
Test of Valor
You step forward and strike, trusting that your allies will follow your lead. When you attack a creature, your allies deal +1k1 damage against the target until the end of your
next turn.
Veils
You learn an Illusion spell of your choice. As long as you have an Illusion spell prepared you may disguise your voice as another person or creature.
No mere pastor who preaches from a lectern, the Cleric speaks the language of the divine. Their words bring forth both creation and destruction. Clerics stand in the front lines of battle with otherworldly forces, commanding them and banishing them with equal skill.
Regardless of the specifics of their faith, a Cleric is expected to lead from the front, bolstering their allies in the midst of dire combat.
Clerics quest to recover holy or profane relics, to guard the faithful against outside attacks, and to fulfill the missions of their orders.
Creating a Cleric
• Choose one of these Cleric talents to learn:
- Battle Lore
- Gift of Tongues
- Liturgy
- Intercession
- Sanctuary
• Gain 1 rank in Battle, Lore, and Spellcraft. If this is your first rank in Spellcraft, learn two spells of your choice.
• Gain an Emphasis of your choice for Battle, Lore, and Spellcraft.
• Learn two Thaumaturgy spells of your choice.
• Cleric Gear: vestments of divinity, incense, book of prayers, salt and wolvesbane, hand weapon.
Battle Lore
You and your allies gain a bonus to Battle tests and damage rolls equal to your ranks in Spellcraft.
Gift of Tongues
You learn a Thaumaturgy spell of your choice. As long as you have a Thaumaturgy spell prepared you understand and speak all languages.
Liturgy
Learned in your faiths practices, you can apply your training to more mundane matters. Learn three Lore emphases of your choice. When you test Etiquette or Performance you may substitute your ranks in Lore for your ranks in either skill.
Intercession
When you help an ally they gain affinity on all tests until your next turn. While in the Defensive stance you gain an extra action that may only be used to help an ally.
Sanctuary
While in the Defensive stance you add your ranks in Spellcraft to your Defense in addition to your ranks in Battle.
Some hearths and homes lay far away from the light of civilization. In these wilderlands the Druid serves their community as healer, leader, and protector. Their primal magic awakens the land to fight at their command. A Druid never fights alone, for nature itself fights alongside them.
Druids adventure to cleanse a site of unnatural corruption, to remove a threat to their community, and to wander as a shepherd of the wilds.
Creating a Druid
• Choose one of these Druid talents to learn:
- Earthcraft
- Companion Attack
- Nature’s Lore
- Primal Aspect
- Spiritual Oath
• Gain 1 rank in Animal Handling, Battle, and Spellcraft. If this is your first rank in Spellcraft, learn two spells of your choice.
• Gain an Emphasis of your choice for Animal Handling, Battle, and Spellcraft.
• Learn two Transmutation spells of your choice.
• Druid gear: Holly sprig, large knife, herb pouch, animal hides armor, quarterstaff.
Earthcraft
You learn a Transmutation spell of your choice. As long as you have a Transmutation spell prepared you may speak with animals.
Companion Attack
As an action you may have a creature under your control or an ally make an attack. They gain a number of bonus dice rolled and kept equal to your Spellcraft rank on the attack test and
damage roll.
Nature’s Lore
You gain affinity for Animal Handling and Survival. When you test either skill with an emphasis you may re-roll a total number of dice equal to your rank in the skill.
Primal Aspect
You may use any Defensive or Evasive maneuver while in either of those stances.
Spiritual Oath
Add your Willpower to your Defense and Damage Reduction as long as you are not wearing metal armor or using metal weapons.
While the mercenary fights for coin and the militia their home, the bonds of service and loyalty are what distinguishes the knight from other sword-arms. The Knight’s personal code does little to restrict their morality but while on the battlefield they fight for the honor of themselves and their sovereign. Where others would break and run, a Knight will stand for the test even in the face of death.
Knights quest to settle unrest in their lord's domain, to seek new wars to showcase their mettle, and to fight in tournaments for fame and horses.
Creating a Knight
• Choose one of these Knight talents to learn:
- Fighting Challenge
- Iron Will
- Officer of the Court
- Test of Mettle
- Undying Fortitude
• Gain 1 rank in Battle, Etiquette, and Melee.
• Gain an Emphasis of your choice for Battle, Etiquette, and Melee.
• Knight Gear: light armor, horse, animal feed, hand weapon, token of esteem.
Fighting Challenge
Your presence on the field of battle demands an answer. When you choose a stance and test Battle you may issue a challenge to an enemy. If they accept they may only attack you or anyone else who attacks them. If they refuse you gain +2k2 on your attacks and damage against them. If they die while challenged you may issue a new challenge to another foe. If you do not stay engaged with them the challenge ends and you may not use Fighting Challenge against this fight.
Iron Will
You will not be humbled in the presence of your lessers. Gain a number of bonus dice rolled and kept equal to your Strength when making a Willpower test.
Officer of the Court
Not all challenges can be met with raised swords. You gain three emphasis from among Command and Etiquette. Ignore any penalties when you make a Command or Etiquette test and add your Strength to the result.
Test of Mettle
A knight puts themselves to the hazard and is eager to prove their worth in battle. When you are bloodied, outnumbered, or fighting your challenged foe, you gain damage reduction equal
to your ranks in Battle.
Undying Fortitude
The fight is not done while you still stand and draw breath. You heal damage equal to double your Strength each time you test Battle to determine the order of turns in a fight.
Spellcasters that master the art of Necromancy are known as Mediums. They speak with the spirits of the dead and provide comfort and closure to those left behind. The strength of will required to command the dead is unmatched by other mages and Mediums have learned how to impose their will on the living in the form of curses and hexes. Some folk find Mediums distasteful but those who understand death as part of life know the role that Mediums have.
Mediums adventure to care for the relatives of the recently deceased, to avenge the desecration of tombs, and to lay wayward spirits to rest.
Creating a Medium
• Choose one of these Medium talents to learn:
- Cull the Weak
- Death Pact
- Eldritch Essence
- Hex
- Invocations
• Gain 1 rank in Battle, Command, and Spellcraft. If this is your first rank in Spellcraft, learn two spells of your choice.
• Gain an Emphasis of your choice for Battle, Command, and Spellcraft.
• Learn two Necromancy spells of your choice.
• Medium Gear: Gravedust, shovel, book of prayers, tea service, small weapon.
Cull the Weak
When you or an ally of yours attacks a creature that is bloodied or under your hex, those attacks ignore damage reduction.
Death Pact
You learn a Necromancy spell of your choice. As long as you have a Necromancy spell prepared you may speak with the spirits of the dead.
Eldritch Essence
You may benefit from two augment spells at the same time. Both augments apply to your attacks.
Hex
You may test your Willpower against another creature that you can see. If you win they are hexed until they die or you use this talent on another target. A creature hexed has -1k1 on
all tests and cannot heal damage.
Invocations
You may cast spells that you haven’t prepared if you’re willing to pay the price in blood. Take damage equal to half your Health and choose a spell you know. You may cast that spell for the next hour as if it were prepared. You learn one spell when you gain this talent.
To everyone but the Mercenary their name is an insult. These fighters come from many different lands, speak diverse languages, and have a common goal of using their martial expertise to earn a living. The people who curse them are the same ones that sign contracts with them and so a Mercenary knows the swords and shields next to them are the only people they can trust.
Mercenaries adventure in search of a war to join, to find new regions to extort, and to find new warriors to join their free companies.
Creating a Mercenary
• Choose one of these Mercenary talents to learn:
- Cunning Insight
- Dirty Fighting
- Opportunist
- Guildhall
- Squad Tactics
• Gain 1 rank in Battle, Melee, and Observation.
• Gain an Emphasis of your choice for Battle, Melee, and Observation.
• Mercenary Gear: letter of free passage, light armor, hand weapon, iron rations, holdout knife.
Cunning Insight
You gain a bonus to defense and damage rolls equal to your Intelligence attribute.
Dirty Fighting
There’s no such thing as a fair fight, you’ll make sure of that. You may use any Aggressive or Focused maneuvers while in either of those stances.
Opportunist
When an enemy makes a melee attack against an ally you can reach, you gain a +1k1 damage bonus against that enemy until the end of your next turn.
Guildhall
Those who spill blood for coin share a bond that rises above borders. You can communicate battlefield orders and tactics with someone regardless of language or hearing ability. You and your allies gain a +2k2 bonus on Battle tests.
Squad Tactics
Amateurs rely on luck while professionals practice until expertise becomes instinct. You and your allies ignore all penalties to Battle and attack tests, including the penalties from Conditions.
Centuries ago the first Paladins were no more than warriors hired to defend church property. Over time they became integrated within the church's hierarchy and took their reward in faith instead of coin. Now their armament and piety to hand in hand and each faith and sect have their own Society of sanctified protectors.
A Paladin quests to avenge a slight against their Society or Church, protect the faithful on their pilgrimages, and banish opposing otherworldly threats.
Creating a Paladin
• Choose one of these Paladin talents to learn:
- Armor of Faith
- Aura of Courage
- Guardian Aura
- Lay on Hands
- Smite
• Gain 1 rank in Battle, Command, and Melee.
• Gain an Emphasis of your choice for Battle, Command, and Melee.
• Paladin Gear: light armor, hand weapon, holy symbol, book of confessions.
Armor of Faith
Your devotion to your cause is unwavering and your faith protects you like a suit of armor. Add your Willpower to your defense and damage reduction.
Aura of Courage
You have had a glimpse at the true horrors of the world and steel yourself against their gaze. You cannot be frightened or surprised and don’t suffer a penalty to Battle tests from being Bloodied.
Guardian Aura
Enemies Close to you suffer a -1k1 penalty on their damage rolls against your allies.
Lay on Hands
Divine power flows through you during battle and your hands can channel this energy to heal wounds. As an action during a fight you may touch another creature to restore them. They heal damage equal to half your health.
Though perilous to do so without divine protection, you may use this talent while not in battle. Either yourself or the target must gain a new condition before they can be healed.
Smite
Every blow you take only fuels your wrath and you’re at your most dangerous when all is almost lost. You deal bonus damage equal to the amount of damage you have.
The wilderlands are home to many strange and dangerous beasts, none more cunning than the Ranger. A master hunter, trapper, and survivalist, the Ranger uses the wilderlands itself as a weapon to hunt their prey. They guard the wild places of the land from the depredations of both humanity and forces from beyond.
Rangers adventure to tame beasts of legend, exact retribution for despoiled land, and wander to see new vistas.
Creating a Ranger
• Choose one of these Ranger talents to learn:
- Armored Ease
- Hamstring
- Twin Strike
- Wild Empathy
- Woodcraft
• Gain 1 rank in Battle, Melee, and Survival.
• Gain an Emphasis of your choice for Battle, Melee, and Survival.
• Ranger Gear: light armor, camouflage, ranged weapon, large knife, large and friendly dog.
Armored Ease
You need to be quick on your feet to survive the hunt. You gain a bonus on weapon damage rolls and Battle and Survival tests while you aren’t wearing Medium or Heavy armor. The bonus is equal to your Power multiplied by 5.
Hamstring
When you damage an enemy they have -1k1 on Battle tests until they are healed. Penalties from multiple injuries are cumulative.
Twin Strike
When you use your action to attack with a weapon, you gain an extra action that turn that may only be used to make an attack with a weapon.
Wild Empathy
While the druid is a shepherd of the wilds, the ranger is their master. Increase the reaction result by one category for animals you meet to a maximum of Friendly. You may also use the Animal Handling skill on Aberrants that used to be Animals.
Woodcraft
You have affinity for Observation and Survival and you ignore any penalties from Conditions when testing either skill. You gain three emphases of your choice from the Observation and
Survival skills.
Any lout can pick up a sword and call themselves a warrior. Unlike such amateurs, a Soldier is an expert in their field. They are practiced in the use of arms and armor, have knowledge of both tactical formations and military strategy, and won’t drop their weapons and run at the first cavalry charge. Soldiers can be found in professional armies, local militias, house guards, street gangs, or anywhere else people have a need for a strong sword arm.
Soldiers adventure to gain fame through mighty deeds, seek out powerful weapons and claim them, and conquer neighborinlands.
Creating a Soldier
• Choose one of these Soldier talents to learn:
- Armor Expertise
- Attack of Opportunity
- Veteran
- Vigilance
- Weapon Specialization
• Gain 1 rank in Battle, Melee, and Strike at Range.
• Gain an Emphasis of your choice for Battle, Melee, and Strike at Range.
• Soldier Gear: light or medium armor, melee weapon, shield or ranged weapon, traveling pack, tinderbox.
Armor Expertise
You may ignore the Strength requirements for Armor and Shields. You may ignore the Weight of wielded arms and worn armor.
Attack of Opportunity
When an enemy makes a melee attack against an ally you can reach, you may make a melee attack against that enemy. Your attack is resolved before the enemies attack.
Veteran
You are a veteran of many campaigns and have knowledge gained only through battle. You gain 4 emphases of your choice. Other folks respect or fear your deeds and you have affinity
for Willpower tests.
Vigilance
You may make weapon attacks while in the Defensive stance. If a maneuver requires you to increase the TN of an attack, reduce that number by 5; this applies only once per maneuver.
Weapon Specialization
It’s a poor craftsman who blames his tools. When you have emphasis with a weapon you may re-roll two dice instead of one and deal +1k1 extra damage.
The elementalism tradition is one of the oldest magical methods and originated when mages learned how to speak to the elemental spirits of nature. Binding rituals allow the Sorcerer command over these spirits and control over nature itself. The wind howls and lightning strikes as they desire, burning and blasting their enemies. There is no balance to the relationship between mage and spirit; the Sorcerer commands and Nature obeys.
Sorcerers adventure to learn new spells, to lay claim to powerful genius loci, and to prove their superiority against lesser mages in duels.
Creating a Sorcerer
• Choose one of these Sorcerer talents to learn:
- Arcane Wards
- Elemental Adept
- Quicken Spell
- Primordial Essence
- Twin Spell
• Gain 1 rank in Battle, Etiquette, and Spellcraft. If this is your first rank in Spellcraft, learn two spells of your choice.
• Gain an Emphasis of your choice for Battle, Etiquette, and Spellcraft.
• Learn two Elementalism spells of your choice.
• Sorcerer Gear: magical implement, tuning fork, small knife, hand bell, steel mirror.
Arcane Wards
You gain a bonus to Defense and Damage Reduction equal to the number of spells you have prepared.
Elemental Adept
You learn an Elementalism spell of your choice. As long as you have an Elementalism spell prepared you are not impaired by hazardous weather and can speak with elemental spirits.
Quicken Spell
You gain an extra action on your turn while in the Aggressive Stance that may only be used to cast an Attack spell.
Primordial Essence
You summon an elemental spirit and bind it to your weapons and spells. Your attack spells and weapons you wield deal an extra +2k1 damage.
Twin Spell
When you cast an attack spell that has a single target you may target an additional creature with the spell.
The only requirement to becoming a Thief is to have the steel to take what doesn’t belong to you. To get away with it and do it again is a different matter. The training and protection of the Guild is what elevates the Thief above the common criminal. Thieves can be found anywhere people live and most people will never know who among them is a Thief until it’s too late.
Thieves adventure to steal priceless artifacts, to escape the law and angry mobs, and to get rich at others expense.
Creating a Thief
• Choose one of these Thief talents to learn:
- Backstab
- Guild Training
- Skill Mastery
- Slippery Mind
- Uncanny Dodge
• Gain 1 rank in Battle, Melee, and Sleight of Hand.
• Gain an Emphasis of your choice for Battle, Melee, and Sleight of Hand.
• Thief Gear: lock picks, very fine knife, fake legal documents, hidden pockets.
Backstab
After they expose their weak spot is when you plunge in your knife. You deal +2k2 extra damage when your target is bloodied, frightened, surprised, or outnumbered.
Guild Training
You’ve honed your talent with a certain skill to preternatural levels of ability. Choose one skill and gain +2k1 on all tests with that skill.
Skill Mastery
You’re a professional who knows how to get the job done. When you test with an emphasis you may choose one dice before you roll and treat that dice as if you rolled a 5.
Slippery Mind
You add your ranks in Acrobatics to opposed tests. If you fail an opposed Intellect or Willpower test against an effect with a duration, you may test again on your next turn to avoid the effect.
Uncanny Dodge
The easiest way to escape is to not get caught in the first place. You add your ranks in Acrobatics to your Defense and have affinity for Acrobatics and Athletics.
As the Thief is to base criminals so is the Wizard to all other mages, or so they believe. In the case of magic though what a mage believes often becomes reality. Wizards are spellcasters who have received Guild training and it is this education that sets them apart. With their spellbook in hand there’s no limit to the number of spells a Wizard might cast. Their versatility is their strength and a prepared Wizard is one of the most dangerous foes to encounter
Wizards adventure to add new spells to their spellbook, to find and control artifacts of power, and to fund their Guild research.
Creating a Wizard
• Choose one of these Wizard talents to learn:
- Arcane Mark
- Familiar
- Guildmage
- Specialist
- Spellbook
• Gain 1 rank in Battle, Lore, and Spellcraft. If this is your first rank in Spellcraft, learn two spells of your choice.
• Gain an Emphasis of your choice for Battle, Lore, and Spellcraft.
• Learn two Conjuration spells of your choice.
• Wizard Gear: spellbook, familiar, magical implement, Guild signet ring, research notes.
Arcane Mark
Your spellcasting leaves a temporary hex on your foes. After you cast a spell against an enemy they have -1k1 on tests. The penalty lasts until the end of your next turn.
Familiar
A favorite pet of yours becomes smarter and capable of conversing with you. The mystical connection maintains a spell for you, allowing you to cast the spell again and maintain both castings of the spell.
Guildmage
You are no mere conjurer of cheap tricks. You have affinity for Lore and gain a number of Lore or Spellcraft emphases equal to the number of spells you know. When you learn a new spell you also learn a new Lore or Spellcraft emphasis.
Specialist
You learn a Conjuration spell of your choice. As long as you have a Conjuration spell prepared you can interact at range using only the power of your mind. Test Spellcraft instead of any physical skill but use the appropriate emphasis if any.
Spellbook
Your spellbook is no dusty tome of spilled ink but instead is another repository of magical power for you to draw upon. You may transcribe a spell from a scroll or other writing into your spellbook. When you prepare spells you may prepare one extra spell that must be a spell written in your spellbook.
Each spell belongs to a tradition, which is a grouping of spells that share a theme.
Conjuration: Arcane Force, Moving through SpaceSpells have a type that describes how the spell functions, such as Armor or Summons. An adventurer can only benefit from one of each type of spell at a time.
Attack: Causes harm to an opponent.An adventurer may have a number of spells prepared equal to their ranks in Spellcraft.
Each spell takes one hour to prepare and then is available to be cast until the adventurer chooses to prepare a different spell in its place. Once prepared there is no limit to how often a spell may be cast. Each spell provides a benefit or ability that the adventurer may use as long as the spell is prepared.
Some spells require the adventurer to test Spellcraft. The attribute used when testing Spellcraft is Intelligence.
Spells that have a duration last as long as the spell is maintained. No action or special focus is required to maintain a spell but the spell cannot be cast again while it is being maintained. Spells may be maintained while sleeping but not while dead. The spellcaster may choose to stop maintaining the spell at any time.
Attack spells will usually test Spellcraft against the targets Defense, but some spells require the spellcaster to make a Spellcraft test to determine whether the spell succeeds while other spells may require the target to make a resistance test in order to avoid or reduce the effect.
The Target Number for these tests is based on the relevant creatures Power and is equal to 5 plus their Power multiplied by 5.
Power Resistance TN 1 10 2 15 3 20 4 25 5 30
If the spell instructs the spellcaster to make the test, the Resistance TN is based on the target's Power.
If the spell instructs the target to make the test, the Resistance TN is based on the spellcaster's Power.
For example, Dispel Magic has the spellcaster test Spellcraft against a magical effect. If their test is successful, then the effect ends. The TN for the Spellcraft test would be the Resistance TN of whoever created the magical effect. If someone with Power 4 created the magical effect, then the TN to successfully dispel it would be 25.
The Read Thoughts spell has the target of the spell make a resistance test. If they fail the test, the spellcaster may read their thoughts. If someone with Power 2 cast Read Thoughts, the TN for the target's resistance test would be 15.
When an adventurer is benefiting from an augment spell, the effect of that augment is applied to every attack they make.
If a spell description has a range, it may be cast against any target at that range or closer.
Attack spells are used to inflict harm on an enemy. Test Spellcraft with the spell traditions emphasis to determine whether you hit or miss with the spell. If the spell deals damage on a hit, roll the indicated damage dice and add your spellcasting attribute to the number of dice rolled.
For example, an adventurer with an Intelligence of 2 and Spellcraft of 1 attacks with the Disintegrate spell which deals 2k3 damage on a hit. They roll 3k2 on their Spellcraft (conjuration) test. If they hit, they deal 4k3 damage.
Some spells or talents create a creature or give the adventurer control over a creature. The adventurer may have them share their Battle test result and stance, acting at the same time as they do, or choose a stance for them and roll their own test.
When a spell creates a summoned creature, each of its Attributes is equal to the Spellcraft ranks of whomever summoned it. Whenever it makes a test, use the number of Spellcraft ranks of the summoner in place of any other skill.
For example, an adventurer with 3 ranks in Spellcraft casts Summon Astral Construct. The summoned creature has a Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Willpower rank of 3, granting it 60 Health and an unarmored Defense of 15. When it makes any test it rolls 6k3 and deals damage according to the weapon size of whatever weapon it attacked with.
A spell may also grant the summoned creature a number of talents. In addition to those, the spellcaster chooses a Role for the summons and it gains a number of talents from that role equal to the spellcaster's Power.
The Summon Aspect of Divinity spell has a special restriction. The powers of Order and Chaos are loath to relinquish the temporal experience they gain while possessing a mortal and resist attempts to exorcise them. Though unlikely it's possible that once summoned the Aspect will be bound to them for the rest of their life.
For the effects of having a bound Aspect of Divinity, please see the Demon entry in Chapter 6.
Unlike other spells, an adventurer may not choose to stop maintaining the Summon Aspect of Divinity spell except under certain circumstances. While the spell is maintained the adventurer may not cast it again or prepare a different spell in its place.
Once per day, the adventurer may test Willpower against a TN of 10 plus their highest moral attribute multiplied by 5. They may not use any bonus granted by the Aspect on this test.
On a success, the adventurer may choose within the next minute to stop maintaining the spell and thus expel the Aspect. If they choose not to or fail the Willpower test the Aspect remains bound to them. Other spells, talents, or circumstances may allow for the exorcism of a bound Aspect.
For example, an adventurer with an Order of 4 who tries to expel a summoned Aspect of Divinity would need to pass a TN 30 Willpower test.
Attribute Willpower TN 1 15 2 20 3 25 4 30 5 35 6 40 7 45 8 50 9 55 10 60
Antimagic Field (Warding)
You surround yourself with an energy field that dampens hostile spellcasting. You and Nearby allies take half damage from magic attacks.
Astral Gate (Dweomer)
You can create an extra dimensional person-sized gateway between where you are and another location. You must have either been there before or magically viewed the location to
open a gate. The gate lasts as long as you maintain the spell.
Blink (Warding)
This ward distorts your spatial certainty making it harder to aim at you due to your lack of a precise location. Attacks against you have -2k0 and attackers dice do not roll again and keep on a result of 10.
Disintegrate (Attack)
A thin green beam shoots from your finger that unmakes whatever it touches. Test Spellcraft (conjuration) against a Nearby target's Defense. A hit deals 2k3 damage and ignores damage reduction.
Dispel Magic (Attack)
What axe cannot cleave, you can break asunder. Choose a Nearby magical effect you can see and test Spellcraft (conjuration). If you succeed the magic effect is dispelled.
Flight (Dweomer)
Telekinetic forces lift you off the ground, granting you the ability to fly.
Force Shield (Warding)
You conjure a floating shield formed of pure energy. You gain the benefits of wielding a Tower Shield without having to meet the Strength requirement. If you would be hit by an attack you may choose to have the force shield absorb it instead. The force shield then shatters and the spell ends.
Grease (Augment)
Your attacks splatter the target with ectoplasmic goo. If the attack hits, the target must test Dexterity and on a failure suffers a penalty on all tests equal to double your ranks in Spellcraft until the end of your next turn.
Mage Armor (Armor)
Ethereal armor empowers your wards and shields you against harm. You gain a bonus to Defense and Damage Reduction equal to your ranks in Spellcraft and the number of Conjuration spells you have prepared. In addition, you may re-roll one die when making a resistance test against magic.
Magic Missile (Attack)
A simple trick that never fails. You hurl a bolt of force at a Far creature. The attack automatically hits and deals 1k1 damage. If you use this spell with a maneuver that increases the TN of the attack you must test Spellcraft (Conjuration) to hit.
Step Through (Dweomer)
You can slip between the spaces of the world and may teleport to any Far location you can see.
Summon Astral Construct (Summons)
From your thoughts and will alone you forge a creature that follows your mental commands. The creature is a Construct with the Psionic Body and Energy Reserve talents.
Alternate Self (Summons)
You reach through the timelines to find a different version of yourself. The summoned duplicate is a distorted copy of you and has a career of your choice instead of a role.
Danger Sense (Warding)
Your sensitivity to hostility is augmented to the point of prescience. You can never be surprised and gain +2k2 on Battle tests.
Detect Magic (Dweomer)
While this spell is prepared you gain a sixth sense that alerts you to the presence of magic. Whenever you test Spellcraft you gain a number of extra rolled dice equal to your ranks in Spellcraft. You also automatically identify spells and auras.
Guidance (Dweomer)
The right path is easy to follow once you have the wisdom to see it. The target of this spell gains affinity for all tests.
Haste (Warding)
You borrow time from the future and spend it now. You or another Nearby target gain a +20 bonus to Battle tests and heal damage equal to double your Power each time they test Battle to determine the order of turns in a fight. Manipulating time can have unexpected consequences.
Mind Blank (Warding)
You create a mental fortress of intellect to guard your thoughts. When making an Intellect or Willpower resistance test you may roll extra dice equal to your ranks in Spellcraft.
Precognition (Augment)
You know where your enemy is going to block before you’ve even raised a hand to strike. You gain a +1k1 bonus on your attack augmented by this spell. If your Battle test is higher than your target the bonus is instead +2k2.
Read Thoughts (Attack)
The private thoughts of others hold no secrets from you. A Nearby creature you can see must test Willpower. If they fail you can hear what they are thinking.
Recall Pain (Attack)
You awaken the memory of pain within a Nearby foe you can see. If they fail a Willpower test they take 2k2 damage and they are Frightened for their next Battle test.
Slow (Attack)
You test Spellcraft (divination) to steal time from a Nearby enemies present and send it to a future that will never exist. The target gains a penalty to Battle equal to your result and cannot choose the Aggressive stance as long as you maintain this spell.
Scrying (Dweomer)
You project your consciousness through the astral leaving your body defenseless. You may view and hear what happens at a location of your choice. If the area is magically warded you must test Spellcraft (divination) to view it.
Synchronicity (Armor)
Being in the right place at the right time can be better than years of training or a heavy shield. You gain a bonus to Defense and Damage Reduction equal to your ranks in Spellcraft and the number of Divination spells you have prepared. In addition, you always win ties.
Air Walk (Dweomer)
Spirits of the air lift you up and carry you on the wind, granting you the ability to fly.
Bind Elemental (Summons)
You command the local nature spirits to take a mobile form and bind them to your will. The creature is an Elemental with a Binding of your choice.
Call Lightning (Attack)
You may test Spellcraft (elementalism) to summon a bolt of lightning from the sky to strike at your enemies. The bolt descends from above towards one Far target. If it hits it deals 2k3 damage and imposes a -1k1 penalty on their next Battle test.
Control Weather (Dweomer)
While this spell is prepared you commune with the local spirits of air and they agree to serve you. You may change the weather to any other kind of weather appropriate for the season. You may also interact at range with the power of the wind.
Earthquake (Attack)
You point to a spot within Far range and excite the spirits of the earth, sending them into a frenzy that knocks down people and damages buildings. Every turn that you maintain this spell objects and creatures Nearby take 1k1 damage and must pass a Dexterity test or fall prone. You may maintain this spell for up to 1 minute, after which the spirits are exhausted and the spell ends.
Fireball (Attack)
You may test Spellcraft (elementalism) to capture a spirit of fire and shape it into a ball of flame. When you throw it at a Far enemy or other hard surface it explodes. Everyone Close to the explosion takes damage equal to your Spellcraft result and may test Dexterity to avoid half the damage.
Fire Shield (Warding)
A thin layer of superheated air surrounds and protects you. Whenever you are attacked with a melee weapon the attacker takes 1k1 damage. In addition, the elemental spirit energizes you and grants a +1k1 bonus on Battle tests.
Ice Shield (Warding)
The air around you is bitter cold to your enemies, slowing their advance and weakening their attacks. Whenever you are attacked with a melee weapon the attacker suffers a -1k1 penalty to their next damage roll and Battle test.
Stoneskin (Armor)
Your body hardens and takes on the hue of polished stone. You gain a bonus to Defense and Damage Reduction equal to your ranks in Spellcraft and additional Damage Reduction equal to twice the number of Elementalism spells you have prepared. In addition, you cannot be moved against your will.
Stone Shape (Dweomer)
You command earth and stone to form the shapes you desire. While this spell is prepared you may transform any Nearby natural or worked stone into another form of the same size. Complex shapes with moving parts require an appropriate Crafting test to function.
Thunderwave (Augment)
Your attacks stun and overwhelm your targets with an explosive burst of sound. If your target fails a Strength resistance test then they are knocked down and pushed away to a spot Nearby their original position.
Wind Wall (Warding)
You surround yourself with spirits of air that deflect projectiles fired at you. Ranged attacks and spells that target you suffer a -2k1 penalty on attack and a -1k1 penalty on damage.
Fortify Armor (Armor)
A symbol of protection. The bearer of this glyph gains a bonus to Defense and Damage Reduction equal to your ranks in Spellcraft and additional Defense equal to twice the number of Enchantment spells you have prepared. In addition, this spell counts as an extra Enchantment spell prepared.
Fortify Attribute (Warding)
A symbol of power. The bearer of this glyph increases one attribute of your choice by 1. If you have at least 3 Enchantment spells prepared increase the attribute by 2. If you have at least 5 Enchantment spells prepared increase the attribute by 3.
Fortify Health (Warding)
A symbol of longevity. The bearer of this glyph increases their Health by 10 for each of your ranks in Spellcraft. The extra Health is increased by 10 for each other Enchantment spell you have prepared.
Fortify Skill (Dweomer)
A symbol of experience. The bearer of this glyph adds 3 to all tests with the skill of your choice. Increase the bonus by 3 for each other Enchantment spell you have prepared.
Glyph of Animation (Summons)
A symbol of motive force placed upon a Close object. The bearer of this glyph is a Construct with your choice of Construct Body talents from among these talents: Flesh Body, Iron Body, Mud Body, or Stone Body.
Glyph of Freedom (Dweomer)
A symbol of movement. The bearer of this glyph can not be moved or restrained against their will and gains a bonus on Battle tests equal to number of Enchantment spells you have prepared multiplied by 5.
Glyph of Mending (Dweomer)
A symbol of restoration. Test Spellcraft (enchantment) when you place this rune on a Close object or creature and add 3 to the result for each Enchantment spell you have prepared. A person targeted gains a new condition and heals damage equal to the result; an object targetted is healed the same without restriction. If the person is unable to gain a condition the spell has no effect.
Glyph of Pain (Augment)
A symbol of destruction. The bearer of this glyph deals 3 extra damage with spells and weapons. Increase the extra damage by 3 for each other Enchantment spell you have prepared.
Resist Magic (Warding)
A symbol of negation. The bearer of this glyph gains affinity on all resistance tests against magic and takes half damage from spells.
Rune of Binding (Attack)
A symbol of control. You trace the glyph onto a Close creature you can see and make an opposed Willpower test; you gain a bonus on this test equal to the number of Enchantment spells you have prepared. If you win the creature can not move from where it is as long as you maintain the spell or it breaks the glyph with a Strength test.
Rune of Frailty (Attack)
A reversed symbol of restoration. You trace the glyph onto a Close creature you can see and test Spellcraft (enchantment). If your attack hits, the target suffers a penalty to Health equal to your test result for as long as you maintain the spell or it breaks the glyph with a Strength test.
Rune of Torpor (Attack)
A symbol of sleep. You trace the glyph onto a Close creature you can see and make an opposed Willpower test; you gain a bonus on this test equal to the number of Enchantment spells you have prepared. If you win the creature suffers a -3 penalty on all tests as long as you maintain the spell or it breaks the glyph with a Strength test. Increase the penalty by 3 for each other Enchantment spell you have prepared.
Blur (Armor)
Tricks of light and shadow lead your foes to strike at where you were instead of where you are. You gain a bonus to Defense and Damage Reduction equal to your ranks in Spellcraft and the number of Illusion spells you have prepared. In addition, you gain bonus dice rolled equal to your Spellcraft rank on Stealth tests.
Charm Person (Attack)
You and a Close creature you can see make opposed Willpower tests; you gain a bonus on this test equal to the number of Illusion spells you have prepared. If you win they regard you as a friend as long as the illusion is maintained or they take damage.
Cause Fear (Augment)
Insidious whispers fill the mind of a Close creature you can see. If your attack hits the target must pass a Willpower resistance test or be Frightened until the end of your next turn.
Figment (Dweomer)
While this spell is prepared you may use an action and create a static visual illusion of whatever you imagine within Far range. If you have at least two illusion spells prepared the figment includes sounds and thermal elements. If you have at least three illusion spells prepared you may have the figment move. If you have at least four Illusion spells prepared the figment may interact with reality as if it had Strength and Dexterity scores of 1.
Glamour (Dweomer)
While this spell is prepared you may use an action and disguise yourself as any other person. Your clothing and gear are part of the illusion but retain their normal function.
Heroism (Warding)
You project an aura of supreme confidence that causes your enemies to falter. When you make an opposed test or a foe makes a resistance test against your spells, your opponent suffers a penalty to their test equal to double your Spellcraft rank.
Invisibility (Warding)
You draw the veil of shadows over you and vanish from sight. The illusion lasts as long as you maintain it or until you attack. You gain a bonus on Stealth tests equal to double your ranks in Spellcraft while you maintain the spell.
Mirror Image (Warding)
You create a duplicate of yourself that mimics your movements and actions. When an enemy attacks you they must test Intelligence and on a failure attack your mimic instead. The mimic has your defenses and is destroyed when dealt damage.
Phantom Steed (Summons)
You form a picture of the desire in your mind and shadows gather to give it shape. The summoned creature is a Construct suitable for riding with the Psionic Body and Adaptive Mobility talents.
Shadow Walk (Dweomer)
The realm of shadows connects all places and you have learned to transverse the gloom. During a rest you may travel alone or with your companions through shadow and dream. You awaken the next dawn at your destination.
Sleep (Attack)
Heavy motes of faerie dust gather in the corners of your target's eyes. You and a Close creature you can see make opposed Willpower tests you gain a bonus on this test equal to the number of Illusion spells you have prepared. If you win they fall asleep until the next dawn or they take damage.
Suggestion (Attack)
Your ideas seem reasonable and your enemies would love to follow your orders. Give a command to a Nearby creature you can see and make an opposed Willpower test; you gain a bonus on this test equal to the number of Illusion spells you have prepared. If you win, the creature follows the order to the best of its ability as long as the order does not cause selfharm and you maintain this spell.
Animate Dead (Summons)
Infusing a corpse with your own will, it rises to serve you. A dead body you can see becomes an Animated Corpse with an undead talent of your choice. You may instead animate a group of weaker undead. For each rank of your Power you may raise 4 animated corpses that have the Minion role.
Antilife Shell (Warding)
Wisps of spirits float around you, guarding you from the living and pushing them away. Living creatures must test Willpower to touch or attack you in melee. If they succeed, the spirits assault the creature dealing 2k2 damage.
Bestow Curse (Attack)
You pronounce a swift and potent curse. A Nearby creature you can see must test Willpower. On a failure they suffer a penalty on tests against you equal to your Spellcraft rank multiplied by 5 while the spell is maintained.
Bone Armor (Armor)
The bones of the dead serve you better than they did their former owners. Your bone armor grants a bonus to Defense and Damage Reduction equal to your ranks in Spellcraft and the number of Necromancy spells you have prepared. In addition, you gain bonus dice rolled equal to your Spellcraft rank on Command tests.
Cure Wounds (Dweomer)
While this spell is prepared you may test Spellcraft (necromancy) and touch a creature to heal their wounds. They gain a new condition and heal damage equal to your test result. Until the end of their next turn the target increases their Damage Reduction by an amount equal to double your ranks in Spellcraft. If the person is unable to gain a condition the spell has no effect.
Death Ward (Warding)
One of the first necromancy spells created, Death Ward steals vitality from your enemies to keep you alive. Whenever a creature within Close range takes damage, they take extra damage equal to your ranks in Spellcraft and you heal the same amount.
Desecrate (Warding)
You speak the words of a blessing reversed and wear it above your head like a fiery crown. Every Close enemy feels the heat and suffers a penalty to their Health equal to your Spellcraft rank multiplied by 5.
Doom (Augment)
Your attacks weaken your foes and hasten their death. If your attacks hit the target takes 1k1 extra damage whenever it takes damage until the end of your next turn.
Eldritch Blast (Attack)
You conjure a bolt of raw energy and hurl it towards your enemy. Test Spellcraft (necromancy) to attack a Nearby creature you can see. On a hit you deal 2k1 damage and the target cannot benefit from damage reduction until the end of your next turn.
False Life (Dweomer)
Necromantic energy sustains your life beyond the limits of mortals. Increase your Health by 10 for each of your ranks in Spellcraft.
Resurrection (Dweomer)
You use your own lifeforce as a spark to restore life to the dead. Choose a corpse you can reach. If the spirit is willing they return to life with no damage and both you and the resurrected gain three conditions. Both you and the resurrected suffer a penalty to Health equal to your ranks in Spellcraft multiplied by 5 for a full day and night.
Vampiric Touch (Attack)
You channel necromantic energy with a touch, watching as your enemy withers away beneath your grasp. You may test Spellcraft (necromancy) against a Close creature. If you hit you deal 2k1 damage and then you and any ally or any summoned creature under your control heals damage equal to your Spellcraft rank.
Banishment (Dweomer)
You shout the words of dismissal and unbind the servant from its power. Choose a Nearby summoned creature you can see and test Willpower; you gain a bonus on this test equal to the number of Thaumaturgy spells you have prepared. If you succeed the summoning spell is dispelled.
Circle of Protection (Warding)
You evoke a circle of energy that surrounds you and drives away spirits. Summoned creatures and demons are unable to touch you and Nearby allies.
Consecrate (Warding)
You speak the words of a curse reversed and wear it above your head like a fiery crown. You and Close allies feel the heat and gain a bonus to Health equal to your ranks in Spellcraft multiplied by 5.
Flame Strike (Attack)
You evoke a column of unearthly fire that engulfs your enemy. Test Spellcraft (thaumaturgy) against a Nearby creature you can see. If your attack hits it deals 2k2 damage and the energetic flames stick to them, dealing 1k1 damage on your next turn.
Geas (Augment)
You speak a word of command and they are compelled to obey. If your attacks hit the target must test Willpower. If you fail then they must attack you on their next turn. If another creature damages them the compulsion ends.
Miracle (Dweomer)
You speak a word of creation and evoke existence out of nothingness. You create any mundane item that lasts as long as you maintain this spell. You may have a number of items evoked at one time equal to your ranks in Spellcraft. No item may have a weight rank greater than double your ranks in Spellcraft.
Radiant Mantle (Armor)
You speak a word of illumination and evoke a glowing radiance that protects you from harm. You gain a bonus to Defense and Damage Reduction equal to your ranks in Spellcraft and the number of Thaumaturgy spells you have prepared. In addition, you gain a bonus on opposed tests equal to the number of Thaumaturgy spells you have prepared.
Recitation of Order (Dweomer)
You speak and the flesh obeys. Test Spellcraft (thaumaturgy) when you cast this spell. You give yourself or another Close creature a new condition and they heal damage equal to the result. On your next turn the same target is healed again for half as much. If the target is unable to gain a condition the spell has no effect.
Shout (Attack)
You test Spellcraft (thaumaturgy) and yell a word of power that overwhelms the senses. Each Nearby fragile object and creature other than you takes damage equal to your test result.
Summon Aspect of Divinity (Summons)
You speak the word of revelation and conjure a thought-form of your desire, allowing an Aspect of Divinity to manifest and possess you. See the 'Summoning an Aspect of Divinity' section at the front of this chapter.
Word of Chaos (Attack)
You shout a string of random syllables at your foe and test Spellcraft (thaumaturgy). If your attack hits they must attack a random creature on their next turn.
Word of Retribution (Warding)
You evoke a warding that echoes harm for harm. Whenever you are hit by an attack, the attacker takes 1k1 damage.
Animal Affinity (Warding)
You take on an aspect of animalistic power, whether it be the eyesight of an eagle, endurance of a boar or cunning of a fox. Choose one attribute to increase in rank by 1. If you have at least three Transmutation spells prepared increase the attribute by 2. If you have at least five Transmutation spells prepared increase the attribute by 3.
Baleful Polymorph (Attack)
Your hex turns predator into prey. A Close creature that you can see must test Willpower or be transformed into a small harmless animal. The spell lasts as long as it is maintained or until the creature takes damage.
Barkskin (Armor)
The smell of fresh sap and pine surround you as your skin transforms into living bark. You gain a bonus to Defense and Damage Reduction equal to your ranks in Spellcraft and the number of Transmutation spells you have prepared. In addition, you can speak with plants and trees.
Frenzy (Warding)
The call of the wilds has found a response in your soul. Add your ranks in Spellcraft to your Battle tests and damage rolls. This bonus is doubled in the Aggressive stance.
Goodberry (Dweomer)
This dweomer makes food last longer and feed more people. Any food targeted by this spell stays fresh twice as long and reduces by half the amount of rations needed to remove the Hungry condition. You may test Spellcraft (transmutation) to enchant food with restorative energy. Anyone who eats the enchanted food heals additional damage equal to your test result the next time that day their wounds are treated by Animal Handling, Lore, or Survival.
Pass without Trace (Dweomer)
While this spell is prepared you and your allies gain affinity on Dexterity and Survival tests made against natural hazards.You leave no trail in the wilderlands unless you wish to and always know the direction and distance remaining to your natural destination.
Repel Metal (Warding)
You alter the energy field around the target to reject the touch of metal. Whenever the warded creature is attacked by a metal weapon the attacker suffers a -2k2 penalty on the attack test and damage rolls.
Shapeshift (Dweomer)
While this spell is prepared you may use an action and change form into any natural beast. You may either meld your clothing and gear into your new form or have it adapt to fit. You gain any natural movement ability and senses the animal may have and may attack with their claws, talons, or teeth as appropriate.
Spike Growth (Attack)
You may test Spellcraft (transmutation) to grow a detachable thorn spike from yourself and launch it at a Nearby enemy. If your attack hits the spike deals 2k2 damage and attempts to burrow into their body. The target must test Strength to remove it or take an additional 1k1 damage, after which the spike withers and dies.
Summon Dire Beast (Summons)
You call out for an ally and nature sends a fierce protector. The summoned creature is an Dire Beast animal and shares an empathic link with you.
Tangleroot (Attack)
Choose a spot within Far range. Grasses, vines, and roots sprout through the ground and grab hold of those Nearby. Creatures in the wild growth take 1k1 damage and must test Strength or be held in place as long as the spell is maintained. They may attempt to burst free or destroy the tangle to escape.
Venomous Touch (Augment)
Your weapons and spells deliver a debilitating poison. If your attack deals damage the target reduces their Health by 10. The penalty lasts until they heal or a day has passed.
This chapter includes an expanded discussion of the rules for the purpose of running adventures. The gamemaster should keep the following principles in mind when planning and running a game:
A fresh adventurer represents a person who has just started making a name for themselves in their adventuring career. If you want to have more powerful adventurers at the beginning of the campaign you may start at higher ranks of Power.
Assign each adventurer the amount of experience points they would have earned through play according to the Power rank you want to start them at. In addition for each rank of Power above 1 they increase their Resources or Reputation by +1.
Power XP Resources/Reputation 1 0 0 2 30 +1 3 60 +2 4 90 +3 5 120 +4
Magic Items & Resources
If you want to start higher power adventurers with magic items, randomly assign each adventurer a number of magic items equal to their Power minus 1, minimum 0.
Prior to rolling for their magic items an adventurer may choose to trade them in at a 1:1 ratio for additional ranks of Resources.
The reaction roll may be modified in a negative or positive manner by Glory, Status, or Wealth depending on the context of the situation and motivations of the person encountered. For example, an adventurer has a Wealth threshold of 25 which marks them as someone with a high degree of capital. Depending on whether the person they meet wants to rob them or ask them for an investment, the gamemaster would either subtract or add 25 to the result of the percentile roll.
What Stance Are You In?
Everything in combat flows from the answer to that question. Before players test Battle to determine the order of turns in a fight they must announce what Stance their adventurer is
taking.
Like the players, you as the gamemaster must know what Stance your adversaries are in when you test Battle for them.
Controlling the Enemies
When there are lots of enemies in a fight it can save time by using the same Battle test for groups of enemies instead of rolling individually.
You may want to instead skip testing Battle at all for the enemies. You might assign each monster a Battle result equal to 10 plus their Power multiplied by 5.
Testing Morale
Unless the enemies are mindless creatures with orders to kill at all costs it’s not necessary for each fight to be do the death. The Morale emphasis for Etiquette can be tested to
check the resolve of the enemies in fights that are going badly for them.
If the adventurers use Command against the enemies to force them to surrender, make an opposed Etiquette (Morale) test. When independently checking the enemies Morale, test Etiquette (Morale) against a TN of 5 plus the adventurers Power multiplied by 5.
Some games have Luck as an Attribute or ability score. The gamemaster can substitute an Order or Chaos Attribute Test instead as a means to randomly determine the adventures synchronicity with those Powers at that moment.
When things happen without observable cause or understanding of intent it’s accepted to be a manifestation of the Powers. Sometimes life is strange in ways that neither benefit nor harm.
The cosmic forces of Order and Chaos exist somewhere beyond the limits of mortal knowledge. The struggle between these two principles shapes the fabric of the universe on a grand scale, setting the stage for the lesser dramas of humanity. When thinking about Order and Chaos it's important to remember these principles:
Here are three different cosmological interpretations for use in your game world.
The forces of Order and Chaos are real and they are out to get you. In this world the Alignments represent hostile alien personalities that seek to gain influence in the world for their own malicious purposes. The perception of Order versus Chaos is not the true nature of these entities but merely how the limited human mind can understand them. When people Invoke the Alignments they are seeking to appease the wrath of the called upon force.
Order and Chaos would only be worshiped by apocalypse cults. Whatever religious structure does exist would recognize the threat of both of these forces as unnatural malign invaders.
The designs or aims of the higher powers are incomprehensible to mortals because true communication with them is impossible. There's even doubt as to whether there are entities that are capable of being communicated with in the first place. People in the world are aware that these forces exist but are not sure whether they have sentience and were ever alive or are merely the underpinnings of reality devoid of deific significance. When a person Invokes a Power they are aligning themselves with an impersonal natural force that simply responds to the stimulus.
In this world Order and Chaos would be worshiped as Gods only by the most fringe cults. Deities may exist or may be invented as needed by humans through folklore and oral tradition.
Order and Chaos have identifiable personalities and communicate regularly with their representatives in the world. The proof of the outsiders existence is common knowledge and the human bureaucracy regulates access to the highest levels of initiation. Invoking the Powers are prayers to each asking for aid and the mutating influence of the Powers is an accepted danger in society.
In this world Order and Chaos form the cornerstone of the religious experience. Differences in doctrine and belief create schisms, orthodoxy, and heretical cults. Other deities, if they exist at all, would be relegated to minor household positions and likely arise from local spirits of nature.
Given the abundance of magical healing, Conditions are the main mechanic that regulates the length of adventuring days. The normal way to remove Conditions is by role-playing the appropriate activities. When adventurers are Hungry, they need to break out the rations and eat a meal. When they are Cold they need to build a fire and warm up. When they are Tired, they need to rest.
The real cost of removing Conditions is time. It takes time away from whatever the adventurer was trying to do to stop and address their own needs.
At a minimum, it should take one hour to remove any one Condition.
Naturally throughout the course of the day adventurers will become Tired and Hungry at some point. Depending on the environment they may face the threat of being Cold all day if they don't have proper clothing or it may not be a natural challenge for that day. Even in a warm environment the shock of near death can harm a body and impose the Cold Condition. It's not needed to randomly test to see if an adventurer has a Condition as long as the adventurers have the gear and material they need to alleviate Conditions as they arise and are including that care in their plans. If there's no risk in the question of whether they have a Condition or not then there's no need to worry about the answer.
The time the question does become important is when the adventurers are pushing themselves to the limit. When they are missing essential gear, or marching overnight to beat the army, or breaking from their routine to address emergencies, that's when Conditions come into play.
Going into a fight with one or more Conditions is courting death. How much harm are the adventurers willing to risk in order to accomplish their mission? Can the adventurers afford to be cautious when the going gets rough or do they need to tough it out?
Once the gamemaster has filled out the Campaign Challenge Record Sheet with the details of the Challenge, how does the game begin?
The hook to draw in the adventurers can start with the Obstacle that the Challenge is trying to overcome. No matter what the Goal is, the antagonists have to make a change in the world to achieve it. A campaign can start with the simple situation of the antagonist upsetting the current status quo in the pursuit of their Goal.
Whatever they are doing to remove the Obstacle should be visible to the adventurers and the game world, even if the Goal is hidden or secret. People can see the effects of the Agents effort and they are talking about it. The antagonists are taking action and that action is the impetus for the adventurers to get involved.
The speed and importance of a Challenge are determined by the number of Signs that Challenge has. A Challenge with a high number of Signs will be advancing at a rapid pace as the adventurers fulfill the different Signs and increase the Portents tracker for the Sign.
A high density of Signs also signals the importance of the Challenge; almost everything the adventurers are doing is probably related to the Challenge in some way. Dealing with it is the main driving force in their life. Conversely, a Challenge with a low number of Signs will progress at a slow pace, giving the adventurers plenty of time to deal the problems it is creating.
Regardless of the Power of the Challenge, the number and frequency of Signs is the large adjustment dial for the gamemaster to use to amp up the difficulty or turn it down a notch.
A Campaign can have more than one Challenge active at a time. Comic books and television shows often have multiple plot threads running through the story. The key to managing multiple Challenges is to vary the number of Signs that each Challenge has.
The Challenge with the most Signs is the primary Challenge as it will be advancing the fastest. The other Challenges, whether secondary, tertiary, or further, put additional stress on to the adventurers and players to deal with their problems as soon as they can.
Too many Challenges at once can overwhelm the adventurers as they simply don’t have enough time to deal with everything at once. That’s not necessarily a thing to be avoided at all costs but it should be an intentional choice for the Campaign. Not every problem is solvable and by focusing on one issue they are not paying attention to another one. Dealing with Challenges then becomes a matter of triage; which can be dealt with at a later time and which have to be attended to right now.
When a Challenge has reached a conclusion it doesn’t mean the Campaign needs to end as well. If the adventurers failed to stop the Agents from achieving their Goal, how did that change the world? Flush with their new status, what new Goals will the Agents decide on? Will someone else decide to strip them of their new position?
If the gamemaster is running multiple Challenges then it’s possible to promote another Challenge to primary status. Think about how the resolution of the previous Challenge might affect the Signs of the new one. What relationships did the adventurers build or burn can be incorporated into the Obstacles of the Challenge?
Each new adventure should reflect the effects of the ones that have come before it to create a vibrant world that responds to the actions of the players.
The Campaign Challenge Record Sheet is a worksheet to aid the gamemaster in creating and adjudicating the challenges that the adventurers strive against. Please see a copy of the record sheet in the Appendix. This section will explain how to use the record sheet in play.
Each Challenge represents an adversary with their own goals, strengths, and weaknesses. The Challenge will grow and change during play, reacting to the actions of the adventurers.
Name and Location: Where does the Challenge have influence and who is the leader or public face?At the top of the worksheet is a Portents tracker that measures the growing strength of the Challenge. It begins with a number of boxes crossed out equal to the Power of the Challenge. When one of the Signs chosen by the gamemaster happens a box is given a checkmark. Once the Portents tracker is filled, the gamemaster chooses an option below that hasn’t been chosen yet and all the checkmarks are erased.
*If all Obstacles have been removed, the gamemaster may instead choose to accomplish the Goal.
**If an Asset has been neutralized, the gamemaster may choose to repair and reactivate it instead of adding a new Asset. When the gamemaster chooses the last remaining option, the Power of the Challenge increases by 1. A new box on the Portents tracker is crossed out and the process begins again.
The Power of a Challenge can be understood as the geographic limits of its influence. Each Power rank is approximately an order of magnitude larger in area than the rank below it.
Power Squared Kilometers Hectares 1 1/100th 1 2 1/10th 10 3 1 100 4 10 1,000 5 100 10,000 6 1000 100,000
How big is one hectare? What does 1/10th of a squared kilometer look like? Here are some real world examples to give everyone an estimate of these areas.
Rank Examples 1 A football field 2 Ellis Island 3 A topographic map grid square 4 City of San Marino 5 Walt Disney World 6 Hong Kong
The Limits of Power
This scale is used to express the sphere of influence that a specific Challenge has. It’s not intended to represent nations or continents. Within this area the Challenge is also competing with other authorities and powers; they don’t necessarily rule supreme.
The Goal of a Challenge is the main task that they are trying to accomplish, such as assassinating a government official, stealing a holy relic, or bankrupting a business rival. It is the adventurers task to stop them from doing so.
Troublesome adventurers are not the only problem that the antagonists face. Each Goal has one or more Obstacles, something that is preventing the Goal from being completed. If the local noblewoman wants to assassinate an important dignitary, she might lack funds to pay bribes, have no contacts in the underworld, or need training to do the deed herself.
These barriers are the focus of the villains energies until the adventurers insert themselves into their problem.
Overcoming Obstacles
Left to their own devices, the antagonists will eventually overcome their difficulties. Through the course of play as Signs are fulfilled and the Portent tracker fills, the gamemaster will eventually choose the “Remove an Obstacle” choice.
Likewise, when the adventurers have low social capital they are less effective in interfering with the antagonists plans. If an adventurers Reputation ever drops to 0, the gamemaster may immediately remove an Obstacle.
Completing Goals
Once all the Obstacles for a Goal have been removed, the gamemaster may choose to complete the Goal the next time the Portents tracker is full.
These events are not happening in a vacuum. It should be evident to the players from the state of the world that the antagonists are close to achieving their task.
After choosing the Goal and Obstacles, the gamemaster should decide the most likely outcome for the success and failure of the Goal. If the noble murders her rival, what happens? Ifshe fails to do so, what are the consequences? These endings are mere suggestions. Actual play will have a drastic impact on the outcomes that can’t be predicted. Write what the antagonists think will happen and let that become their motivation.
Once the players get their hands on a Challenge all bets are off. Playing to find out what happens is the cornerstone of a good campaign while forcing a scripted ending that ignores the emergent story is unsatisfactory and boring.
When should the gamemaster say that the adventurers have effectively prevented the Challenge from achieving their Goal? As part of creating the Challenge, the gamemaster should decide on at least one fail state for the Challenge. If the noblewoman dies before she can murder her competitor that could be a defeat or maybe not if she had contingency plans for such a scenario. Perhaps having her rival assigned to a foreign diplomatic post is a victory for the adventurers, since she can no longer deal death personally to her rival. Some defeats appear obvious, such as death or significant destruction of property, resources, and honor. Other defeats are less defined and may be the springboard for new Challenges in the future.
Some examples: - Death of the antagonist - Beating them to their objective - Total loss of property - Cutting them off from their resources and status - Delaying them until the season ends - Gaining control of their assets
Players should be encouraged to deal with the Challenge in creative ways.
To randomly determine the goal for a Challenge roll on the tables below. The final result will be a statement with the structure of 'Verb the Adjective Noun'. Gamemasters should use this as inspiration for the Challenge and modify it to make sense grammatically and for their campaign.
Person Place Thing 01-02 Alchemist Academy Amulet 03-04 Ambassador Asylum Armor 05-06 Apostate Bazaar Art Masterpiece 07-08 Artisan Castle Artifact 09-10 Ascetic Cathedral Assassins Cult 11-12 Bandit Cavern Beastfolk 13-14 Barber Surgeon Citadel Bloodmoon 15-16 Beastmaster City Chalice 17-18 Berserker Court Community 19-20 Blacksmith Cryp Crown 21-22 Captain Desert Dagger 23-24 Courtier Dungeon Enchantment 25-26 Demonologist Festival Flower 27-28 Elder Forest Fountain 29-30 Emissary Gardens Gauntlet 31-32 Engineer Garrison Gem 33-34 Farmer Graveyard Heart 35-36 Fence Grove Horn 37-38 Gravedigger Gymnasium Illusion 39-40 Graverobber Island Machine 41-42 Herald Jungle Madness 43-44 Herbalist Kingdom Maelstrom 45-56 Hermit Labyrinth Map 46-48 Hunter Lake Mask 49-50 Infantry Library Mirror 51-52 Inquisitor Lighthouse Orb 53-54 Lawyer Marshes Path 55-56 Mayor Menagerie Plague 57-58 Messenger Mine Prophecy 59-60 Milita Monastery Reagent 61-62 Monarch Mountain Relic 63-64 Natural Philosopher Museum Reliquary 65-66 Noble Necropolis Ring 67-68 Outcast Observatory Ritual 69-70 Pilgrim Outpost Runestones 71-72 Pirate Palace Scroll 73-74 Poacher Pool Shield 75-76 Poisoner Prison Skull 77-78 Ratcatcher Ruins Spellbook 79-80 Rider Sewer Staff 81-82 Roadwarden Shrine Star 83-84 Rustler Slums Talisman 85-86 Scout Swamp Thieves Guild 87-88 Seer Temple Throne 89-90 Smuggler Tomb Tooth 91-92 Summoner Tower Truth 93-94 Thaumaturge Valley Undead 95-96 Trapper Village Uprising 97-98 Warmage Volcano Wand 99-00 Witch Wilderlands Wreck
Each Goal should have a number of Obstacles equal to thePower of the Challenge. If a Challenge increases Power during play the gamemaster should add a new Obstacle.
01-02 Their money is tied up in investments.Who are the principal actors or agents in this Challenge? Roll on the tables below to learn their Identity, Motivation, and Tactics.
Where does the Agent come from? How do they fight? How powerful are they? Roll percentile on the following tables then consult the Characteristics by Role & Power charts in Chapter Six for their stats. They gain a number of Role Talents equal to their Power.
Family 01-20 Clergy 21-40 Nobility 41-60 Outcasts 61-00 Peasants Background 01-20 Academic 21-40 Criminal 41-60 Military 61-80 Religious 81-00 Tradesfolk Power 01-25 Below the Challenges Power. 26-75 Equal to Challenges Power. 76-00 Above the Challenges Power. Below* Above* 01-05 -4 +4 06-25 -2 +2 26-75 -1 +1 76-95 -3 +3 96-00 -5 +5 *The final result cannot be lower than 0 or higher than 6. Role Tactics 01-25 Controller 01-25 Aggressive 26-50 Defender 25-50 Defensive 51-75 Leader 51-75 Evasive 76-00 Striker 76-00 Focused
For example, the gamemaster has a Power 3 Challenge that needs an Agent. When rolling for Power they roll a 13, which puts the Agent below the Power of the Challenge. They roll percentile again and get a 56, which means the Agent is 1 Power rank lower than the Challenge. The Agent has a Power rank of 2.
What drives the Agent? What are they interested in beyond the goals of the challenge? Roll percentile on the Motivations table.
01-02 Get rich for personal gain.Some peoples nature leads them to find conflict in every meeting while others focus on their tasks. How does the Agent pursue their goals? How do they react when they are threatened?
The four Battle stances are used here as shorthand descriptions of the Agents usual tactics and methods. The gamemaster should use them as inspiration when an Agent has an opportunity to take an action against the adventurers or act at large in the game world.
They are quick to attack, either with physical violence or social disgrace. As the saying goes, the best defense is to kill your enemies before they know you’re a threat.
- Attack an individualThey are patient and able to absorb petty insults and blows without engaging in reckless retaliation. Their priorities are to first guard themselves and their charges, then execute the mission.
- Negotiate a compromise between hostile groupsThey prefer to go unnoticed, striking only when circumstances are in their favor. They find vulnerabilities that they exploit for an advantage.
- Use blackmail to secure assistanceThey give all to their task, shedding useless obligations and dead weight. They are relentless in their pursuit and find strength in their commitment.
- Research an opponents weaknessesIt may be helpful to decide ahead of time which threshold will most influence an Agent’s reaction to the adventurer and in which direction. Roll percentile.
01-15 Reacts positively to GloryAdventurers change the world they live in with their actions and the world reacts to those changes. When Adventurers interact with specific people and places known as Assets they increase the relevance of those things in the story.
These interactions don’t need to be positive for the Asset; a peasant who seeks revenge because the Adventurers burned down their home adds to the story because it’s an interesting complication and the result of the Adventurers actions. If they had saved the peasant’s house they might have gained a hireling instead of a foe, but either action serves the purpose of tracking the involvement of the adventurers.
A Sign is a specific action that an Adventurer might take that interacts with an Asset. For example, if the Asset is a Thieves Guild then a Sign could be the Adventurers paying protection money to the Guild, harming a Guild thief, hiring a Guild thief, or exposing a Guild hideout.
The gamemaster chooses Signs for the Challenge before play and counts how many Signs have been fulfilled on the Portents tracker. When the Portents tracker is filled the Challenge gains a new benefit, as described under Using the Worksheet.
Each Challenge should have a minimum number of Signs equal to 1 plus it’s Power and a maximum number of Signs equal to 1 plus double it’s Power.
Power Min. Signs Max. Signs 1 2 3 2 3 5 3 4 7 4 5 9 5 6 11
When a Sign has been fulfilled for that session each adventurer gains 1 box of Reputation.
Each Challenge has one or more Assets associated with it and each Asset lists a number of possible Signs. The gamemaster should include at least one Sign from each Asset.
Here are some examples of Signs that might increase the Power of a Challenge. It is suggested that each Sign can only be fulfilled once per game session.
Time: The gamemaster can track game sessions as well as time that passes in game. A fast paced Challenge might have multiple Time Signs that occur frequently while a longer, objective orientated Challenge might have few or none.
- The beginning of a game session.Supernatural: A Challenge may favor Order, Chaos, or both. Actions that adventurers take that increase that Alignments strength may also lend strength to the Challenge.
- An adventurer increases a favored Alignment attribute.Social: These are consequences of the actions taken by the adventurers or those allied with them.
- An ally of the adventurers is killed or disfavored.An Asset is a physical location or social relationship controlled by the Challenge. There are three principles to keep in mind when choosing assets.
1. They have a real presence in the game world that the adventurers can interact with directly.Each entry describes the typical activities of the Asset, a Domain for people involved with the Asset, specific Signs that are related to the Asset, Talents that describe how the Asset interacts with the game rules, and suggestions for Objectives.
When the gamemaster chooses Signs for the Challenge they should include at least one of the listed Signs for the Asset. The number of Signs from a specific Asset has a positive correlation with the importance of that Asset.
The Asset grants the benefit of a Passive Talent described in the entry. When the the Portents tracker is filled in the gamemaster should choose a Reactive Talent from among the current Assets and use that talent.
Assets that are physical locations such as the Sewers or a Hospital are by their nature restricted to a certain area of influence. Other assets like a Spy Network or Mercenary Company would not have that restriction but might only be able to focus their influence on one area at a time.
Assets are powerful within their sphere but have limited capabilities beyond it. The Docks might have great political sway when it comes to fishing rights and smuggling but be of little use in concerns that are outside their domains.
Removing the advantage of an Asset will take different forms depending on the nature of the Asset and the capabilities and ethics of the Adventurers.
For example, if the Asset is a Mine, the adventurers could attack the Assets resources by orchestrating a special levy from the government. They could attack the property itself by burning or stealing vital pieces of mining equipment. The could attack the Assets personnel by scaring or driving off the work force. Any one of these tactics could be sufficient to turn the Asset into a hindrance. The gamemaster need not prepare for how an Asset will be negated. Indeed, trying to plan ahead of the players creativity is an exercise in futility. Instead, the gamemaster should identify potential weak spots that the Adventurers can target with their preferred methods.
Using the Record Sheet
Each Asset lists example objectives for the Adventurers to pursue to neutralize the Asset. When the Asset has been taken care of, check the box on its entry in the Assets Record. When the Portents track is filled and the gamemaster chooses a new benefit for the Challenge, instead of adding a new Asset they may repair and reactivate one that has been negated by
the Adventurers.
01-02 Arcane Academy 03-04 Bandits 05-06 Bank 07-08 Barracks 09-10 Bazaar 11-12 Bureaucrats 13-14 Castle 15-16 Cathedral 17-18 City Council 19-20 City Guard 21-22 Courtesan House 23-24 Demonologists 25-26 Docks 27-28 Elemental Menagerie 29-30 Embassy 31-32 Fighting Pit 33-34 Forest Preserve 35-36 Freebooters 37-38 Guerrilla Fighters 39-40 Hidden Base 41-42 Horde 43-44 Hospital 45-56 Local Peasants 46-48 Manufactory 49-50 Mercenaries 51-52 Merchant Fleet 53-54 Merchant House 55-56 Mine 57-58 Mystery Cult 59-60 Navy 61-62 Necropolis 63-64 Night Market 65-66 Observatory 67-68 Order of Knights 69-70 Pilgrims 71-72 Prison 73-74 Rival Adventurers 75-76 Royal Court 77-78 Secret Police 79-80 Sewers 81-82 Slaughterhouse 83-84 Slums 85-86 Spy Network 87-88 Theatrical Troupe 89-90 Thieves Guild 91-92 Tinker Workshop 93-94 Undead Coterie 95-96 University 97-98 War College 99-00 Wilderlands
Most Passive talents make it harder for the adventurers to interact with people in the area of the Assets influence. The gamemaster should use the Reach listing for each Asset to determine if that person would fall under the Assets influence.
Some Asset talents will impose a penalty on the adventurers tests equal to the Challenges Power multiplied by 5. This number is referred to as the Assets Influence Score.
Some example Passive talents:
- Lower the Reaction result for the people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
- Increase the TN for Resources and Reputation tests against people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive talents are triggered when the Challenge increases its Power, which happens through the adventurers interacting with the Challenge. In other words, they are being a nuisance and the Asset is going to respond. The type of response varies depending on the nature of the Asset. A fighting academy might issue a challenge for a duel while a city council could impose a new tax.
The Reactive talents are meant to drain either the time or resources of the adventurers to get them to stop interfering with the Challenge.
Some example Reactive talents:
- An Assassin is sent to kill the adventurers.
- The adventurers are harassed daily by thugs until they pay them off; lose a number of Resource ranks equal to the Power of the Challenge. The reduction in ranks can be spread across multiple adventurers.
- The Academy issues a public challenge for a spell-duel.
An Arcane Academy trains mages in best magical practices and conducts advanced research into the mystic arts. They have extensive support networks for their alumni to enhance their professional reputations.
Reach: Academic
Signs
- Hire a non-affiliated wizard
- Harm a student
- Duel a student or graduate
- Participate in experiment
- Insult wealthy patron
Passive Talent: Mages are a secretive bunch and arcane scholars doubly so. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The Academy issues a public challenge for a spell-duel. If they lose or refuse they lose Reputation ranks equal to the Challenges Power.
Bandits are a group of criminals that waylay people on the streets and roads. They steal valuables and instill fear in people.
Reach: Criminal
Signs
- Fight the bandits
- Encourage civilian resistance
- Move into their territory
- Support a rival gang
- Enforce the law
Passive Talent: Bandits care about one thing: extorting money from other people. Increase the TN for Resources and Reputation tests against people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: Time to pay for the ‘protection’ that the bandits provide. The adventurers are harassed daily by thugs until they pay them off; lose a number of Resource ranks equal to the Power of the Challenge.
A Bank loans money to businesses, governments, and churches. They may be an independent organization or a family owned concern. Banks collect property and goods as collateral for debts and are used by governments to finance military campaigns and private trade expeditions.
Reach: Tradesfolk
Signs
- Try to buy or sell exceptional gear
- Test Reputation for financial assistance
- Default on terms of a loan
- Harm a banker
- Negotiate a loan
Passive Talent: Making enemies of the people that hold all the money means everything gets more expensive. Treat the adventurers Resources score as if it were 1 rank lower.
Reactive Talent: The bank puts a lien on the adventurers properties and holdings. Lose Resources ranks equal to the Challenges Power to get them free.
Barracks house soldiers while they are in garrison. The soldiers practice drill, march in parades, and provide law enforcement during emergencies.
Reach: Military
Signs
- Harm a soldier
- Insult an officer
- Cause a riot
- Interfere with training
- Romance a soldier
Passive Talent: Charm and bribes can only take you so far when competing against orders from above. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: New orders are issued that place the adventurers on a restricted list. Any soldiers that were friendly to them have their attitude reset to Disliked.
The Bazaar is an everyday market that sells a wide variety of food, goods, and services. The tight-knit community supports small businesses and the working poor.
Reach: Tradesfolk
Signs
- Steal from a merchant
- Fight in the bazaar
- Invest in a merchant
- Bankrupt a merchant
- Harm a merchant
Passive Talent: The Bazaar folk look out for their own and it that isn’t you then you pay outsider rates. Increase the TN for Resources and Reputation tests against people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The Bazaar responds to threats with the Silence. No merchant will buy from, sell to, or talk with the adventurers until they make restitution. Lose Resources ranks equal to the Challenges Power to regain access.
Bureaucrats are government officers that interact directly with the public, from tax collectors to notaries and customs inspectors. They may be elected, appointed, or hired for their positions.
Reach: Academic
Signs
- Bribe an official
- Insult an official
- Harm an official
- Refuse to bribe an official
- Expose corruption
Passive Talent: Career diplomats have the patience that only unyielding bureaucracy can lend; one might as well argue with a brick wall. Increase the TN for Courtesy and Etiquette tests against people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The one thing that motivates bureaucrats is cash and they’ve decided its time for the adventurers to pay. The adventurers lose all diplomatic access until they pay a bribe, losing Resources ranks equal to the Challenges Power.
A Castle is a strong defensive fortification that can serve as the center of a smaller community or the seat of power of a larger city. Castles provide security for the residents and the region at large.
Reach: Military
Signs
- Discover a secret entrance
- Disrupt the food stores
- Spread gossip about the ruler
- Take shelter in the castle
- Weaken the defenses
Passive Talent: The castle is physical and economic heart of a closed community; outsiders are unknown dangers. Increase the TN for Resources and Reputation tests against people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The gates are barred and shut to all outsiders for at least a week.
A Cathedral is a grand edifice for worship and the administration of clergy. It is a destination for pilgrims on religious journeys and a center of political power for the religion.
Reach: Religious
Signs
- Invoke affiliated Power
- Bear affiliated Aspect
- Harm a member of the Clergy
- Attend a holy day or religious festival
- Steal a religious relic
Passive Talent: The faithful know that the adventurers are operating against their church. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The church denounces the adventurers as threats to religious peace and safety. The penalty from the Passive talent applies to everyone in the community for one week.
The City Council passes laws, approves budgets, and appoints commissaries for war and ambassadors for peace. Politicians compete against each other for votes and contracts while protecting themselves from scandals.
Reach: Tradesfolk
Signs
- Insult a councilor
- Harm someone under their protection
- Bribe a councilor
- Work for a councilor
- Cause financial harm to the council
Passive Talent: Maintaining one’s reputation and honor while playing the political game is next to impossible. Treat the adventurers Reputation score as if it were 1 lower.
Reactive Talent: The Council finds that the adventurers make a convenient scapegoat for a recent scandal. Each adventurer loses Reputation ranks equal to the Challenges Power.
The local Guard patrol the streets and punish criminals. They maintain the walls and borders of the city, investigate crimes, imprison lawbreakers, and protect the wealthy.
Reach: Military
Signs
- Caught committing a crime
- Bribing a guard
- Harming a guard
- Bothering the wealthy
- Causing a public disturbance
Passive Talent: The largest gang in town doesn’t appreciate outsiders sticking their nose in their business. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The guard raid the adventurers properties and confiscate valuable gear and equipment. They can pay a bribe to get their property back by losing Resource ranks equal to the Challenges Power.
A Courtesan House entertains wealthy people both socially and physically. It teaches specialized knowledge about health and etiquette and functions as a secret information exchange.
Reach: Tradesfolk
Signs
- Harm a courtesan
- Expose a secret patron
- Reveal a house secret
- Pay for services
- Lower the reputation of the house
Passive Talent: What happens in the Courtesan House stays in the Courtesan House; talking to outsiders is a sure-fire way to get oneself banned. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The adventurers receive word that some of their closely guarded secrets may soon become public knowledge. Lose Resources ranks equal to the Challenges Power to pay the blackmail.
A cabal of Demonologists research the art and practice of summoning demons. They create and experiment with Aberrations and come from a wide variety of faiths and families.
Reach: Academic
Signs
- Summon a demon
- Hire a demonologist
- Kill someone bearing an aspect of divinity
- Harm a demonologist
- Create an Aberration
Passive Talent: The drawbacks of constantly summoning demonic energies becomes a boon for Demonologists. All of the Assets Agents are accompanied by Aberrant minions.
Reactive Talent: Demonologist do what they do best: create Aberrants for entertainment and profit. Create an additional Agent with the Aberrant origin.
The Docks are public or private wharves where ships load and unload cargo, including both foreign trade and local fishing. Shipyards build sailing vessels and warehouses store and protect legal and smuggled goods.
Reach: Tradesfolk
Signs
- Damage a ship
- Don't pay smuggling fees
- Cheat a sailor or fisher
- Injure a sailor or fisher
- Break a seafaring taboo.
Passive Talent: Seafaring people don’t appreciate outsiders getting involved in their business. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The harbormaster bans the adventurers from the Docks under threat of imprisonment. They can pay a fine to rescind the ban, reducing their Resources rank equal to the Challenges Power.
An Elemental Menagerie is a collection of captured elemental spirits held in captivity. They provide sorcerers with access to readily available spirits and dominion over the local environment.
Reach: Academic
Signs
- Bind an elemental spirit
- Unbind an elemental spirit
- Destroy an elemental
- Pollute the local environment
- Purify the local environment
Passive Talent: The TN for any attempt to bind or influence elemental spirits or the weather is increased by the Assets Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The Menagerie binds a new elemental spirit as an Agent.
An Embassy houses diplomats and representatives of foreign nations and powerful merchants. They act as spies, accountants, and translators, sending political and economic information back home while advancing the interests of the same.
Reach: Academic
Signs
- Insult or embarrass an ambassador
- Violate the terms of a treaty
- Expose state secrets
- Impede or interfere with negotiations
- Cause financial harm to diplomats patrons
Passive Talent: It’s against administrative policy to discuss official business with outsiders. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: A change in personnel removes any diplomats friendly to the adventurers and reassigns them to a distant posting.
A Fighting Pit is a combat arena where organized fights happen before a crowd of spectators. They can be either sanctioned or illegal and fighters gain fame and prestige from success in the pit.
Reach: Criminal
Signs
- Bet on a fight
- Fight in the pit
- Fix a fight
- Expose illegal practice
- Insult a pit champion
Passive Talent: Washed up fighters with broken egos and hardened fists protect the Pit’s owners. All Agents of the Asset are accompanied by warrior minions.
Reactive Talent: The Pit challenges the adventurers to a match. If they lose or refuse they lose Reputation ranks equal to the Challenges Power.
A wildlife and habitat reservation, Forest Preserves are acres of ancient woods that enjoy special protection under law and tradition. Small communities of vagabonds and outcasts live within and protect the trees.
Reach: Criminal
Signs
- Fell trees without permission
- Harm squatters
- Pollute the forest
- Engage in banditry
- Hunt for sport
Passive Talent: Outsiders are sources of supplies and money, not friendships. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The community expands the territory that they control at the expense of the adventurers. Lose Resources ranks equal to the Challenges Power.
Freebooters are independent military ships that work for a specific nation or region. They raid the merchant and military vessels of opposing nations.
Reach: Military
Signs
- Book passage on a ship
- Insult a captain
- Harm the crew
- Expose smuggling
- Increase hostilities between nations
Passive Talent: Ships and crews are expensive to maintain. Increase the TN for Resources and Reputation tests against people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: A change in government policy means that all existing contracts are null and void. The adventurers can bargain new contracts by paying a fee, lowering their Resources rank equal to the Challenges Power.
Guerrilla Fighters are an independent fighting force supported by the local populace. They use asymmetric warfare to attack fast and quickly disperse after raids.
Reach: Military
Signs
- Harm local supporters
- Kill a Guerrilla
- Insult a guerrilla leader
- Expose a guerrilla hideout
- Provide financial support
Passive Talent: Guerrilla Fighters know that the community supports them and has their back. Agents of the Asset gain a bonus on Morale tests equal to the Assets Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The Guerrila Fighters send a death squad to murder the adventurers.
A Hidden Base is a secret location that Agents can use to train troops, secure material, or use as a headquarters. They usually have obscured or camouflaged entrances and exits and may be fronted by a business owned by the Agent.
Reach: Criminal
Signs
- Learn the location
- Infiltrate the base
- Expose the location
- Support the business front
- Harm a nearby citizen
Passive Talent: The people that know about it know better than to talk about it. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: All of the Assets contacts that were Friendly to the adventurers disappear.
A Horde is a massive group of people that follow a powerful leader. They live in a cycle of growth, violence, and dispersal, taking what they need from society as they destroy it.
Reach: Military
Signs
- Spread rumors about the Horde
- Negotiate with the Horde
- Insult a war captain
- Show a weakness to the Horde
- Kill a war captain
Passive Talent: The Horde is always accepting new members and has a constant stream of fresh recruits. All Agents of the Asset are accompanied by warrior minions.
Reactive Talent: The Horde attacks a nearby community without warning.
Hospitals treat injuries and heal the sick. They advance medical skill through research and provide the community with medicines, remedies, and expert knowledge in case of disease.
Reach: Academic
Signs
- Kill one of the Hospitals patients.
- Harm a doctor, nurse, or other staff.
- Intentionally spread disease, sickness, or poison.
- Interrupt the Hospitals supply chain.
- Cause a mass-casualty event.
Passive Talent: Medical supplies and services are more expensive and harder to access. Increase the TN for Resources and Reputation tests against people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The Hospital bureaucracy assigns outstanding debts to the adventurers. To pay the bill they must reduce their Resources rank equal to the Challenges Power.
Having the support of Local Peasants means that everyday folk go out of their way to help the Agents of the Challenge. The people in the street are vocal and strong in their belief that helping the Agents is in their best interest.
Reach: Tradesfolk
Signs
- Economically disrupt peasant life
- Insult a popular leader
- Harm a peasant
- Agitate the peasants into a mob
- Work for the bosses against the peasants
Passive Talent: The Peasants know where their bread and money comes from and it isn’t the adventurers. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: Peer pressure bends the will of those who were helping the adventurers. All of the Peasants that were Friendly to them have their attitude reset to Disliked.
A Manufactory turns raw materials into finished goods ranging from textiles to chemicals. They employ the poor and destitute and work them under harsh conditions, turning a profit for the owners which they use to bribe politicians.
Reach: Tradesfolk
Signs
- Invest in the factory
- Interrupt supply chain
- Harm the workers
- Sabotage the factory
- Insult the owner
Passive Talent: The inhabitants of a factory town know that there’s only one boss. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The owner exerts his influence where it’s most effective - on their own work force by punishing the workers for helping the adventurers. Each adventurer loses Reputation ranks equal to the Challenges Power.
A Mercenary Company is an independent fighting force usually formed of infantry and cavalry. They sign contracts with nations and cities to fight in their wars, raid settlements, and control territory.
Reach: Military
Signs
- Harm a mercenary
- Sign a contract with the company
- Pay a ransom
- Fight a skirmish against company
- Insult a mercenary captain
Passive Talent: The fastest way to deal with mercenaries is to pay them to hassle someone else. Their services don’t come cheap. Increase the TN for Resources and Reputation tests agaisnt people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The mercenaries need a resupply and have decided the adventurers are going to pay for it. They can lose Resource ranks equal to the Challenges Power or try to wait out the mercenaries siege.
A Merchant Fleet transports goods and people to distant locations for profit.
Reach: Tradesfolk
Signs
- Sink a ship
- Pay for passage
- Expose smuggling
- Harm a ship owner
- Support a blockade
Passive Talent: The adventurers are not part of the merchants network and must pay a higher cost for goods and services. Increase the TN for Resources and Reputation tests agaisnt people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The adventurers goods and shipments are impounded until they pay a fee, reducing their Resources rank equal to the Challenges Power.
A Merchant House is a wealthy noble family that owns lands and the means of production for a particular industry. They have contracts with local and foreign governments and hire a wide range of people to work for them and protect their assets.
Reach: Tradesfolk
Signs
- Negotiate a business deal with the house
- Marry into the family
- Harm a family member or employee
- Do paid work for the house
- Attack the reputation of a rival house
Passive Talent: The house has long-established relationships in the community and getting people to betray them is not cheap. Increase the TN for Resources and Reputation tests against people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The house purchases any outstanding debts that the adventures owe; they now owe the house a number of Resources ranks equal to the Challenges Power.
Mines are excavations into the earth to extract and sell useful and valuable ore and minerals. They provide wealth for their owners, jobs for the community, and pollute the environment.
Reach: Tradesfolk
Signs
- Instigate a work stoppage
- Harm a miner
- Insult the owner
- Pollute the environment
- Sabotage the mine
Passive Talent: Anything that slows production is ruthlessly eliminated. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The owners expand their operation by buying more land at the expense of the public. Somehow the adventurers take the blame. Reduce each adventurers Reputation score a number of ranks equal to the Challenges Power.
A Mystery Cult worships an obscure or out of favor god or Aspect. They entrap new members, are fanatically devoted to their beliefs, and use all methods to achieve their goals.
Reach: Religious
Signs
- Hire an Assassin
- Insult their faith
- Harm a follower
- Interfere with their plots
- Expose a secret member
Passive Talent: The ceremonies of the cult strengthen the connection between this world and the powers beyond. Affiliation decay takes twice as long and all tests to expel an Aspect of Divinity have a -2k2 penalty.
Reactive Talent: The cult has had enough of the adventurers interference and sends an assassin to kill them.
A Navy is the seafaring branch of a nation’s military. It recruits sailors, purchases new ships and supplies, and engages in blockades and war.
Reach: Military
Signs
- Insult a ship’s Captain
- Harm a sailor
- Have a ship to ship skirmish
- Buy a seafaring vessel
- Harm the local supporting community
Passive Talent: Bribes only go so far against the authority of the brass. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The commandant orders a week of shore leave for the fleet, stopping nearly all normal business and raising prices as off-duty sailors flood the community. Increase the TN for all Resources and Reputation tests by its Influence Score for one week.
A Necropolis is a large and ancient graveyard. It may offer mortuary services or perform religious rites related to death.
Reach: Religious
Signs
- Desecrate a grave
- Steal from the dead
- Kill an important person
- Disturb the spirits
- Harm a medium
Passive Talent: The spirits of the dead wish for the adventurers to join them. Add the Challenges Power to every death saving throw.
Reactive Talent: A distant associate or friend of the adventurers suddenly dies and the cost of their burial falls upon them. Bill collectors for the mortuary harass them until they pay the bill by reducing their Resources rank equal to the Challenges Power.
A Night Market is an underground marketplace that sells illicit and illegal goods and services. The market is held at night at different locations to avoid the law.
Reach: Criminal
Signs
- Learn where the next Night Market will be
- Harm a merchant
- Break the unwritten rules
- Sell something at the Night Market
- Buy something at the Night Market
Passive Talent: Each time the adventurers visit the market they have a 50% chance of pickpockets stealing valuables equal to one box of Treasure.
Reactive Talent: The market sets its own rules and they’ve decided the adventurers need to pay a new entrance fee before they can enter again, losing Resource ranks equal to the Challenge Power.
An Observatory is a building constructed to observe and chart celestial movements. Astrologers conduct auguries and provide advice to state and religious officials and produce star maps for navigation at sea.
Reach: Academic
Signs
- Act against an augury
- Falsify navigational maps
- Spread fake predictions
- Damage the observatory
- Performing unauthorized auguries
Passive Talent: The adventurers find that the odds are stacked against them. Any dice they roll that shows a 1 must be kept.
Reactive Talent: The auguries of the Observatory predict a difficult time for the adventurers. For one week all of their opposed tests are made with a -5 penalty.
A Knightly Order is a group of warriors that follow a religious code of conduct. They may report directly to a local church or answer only to a more powerful administrator. They allow the church to exert both hard and soft power through military action and social prestige.
Reach: Religious
Signs
- Insult their faith
- Harm a pilgrim, parishioner, or someone under their charge
- Fight them in a skirmish
- Hire them
- Steal one of their religious relics
Passive Talent: Consecrated servants of the divine, Agents of the Asset have extra role talents equal to the Challenges Power.
Reactive Talent: The Order must protect its honor and reputation. Agents of the Asset challenge the adventurers to trial by non-lethal combat. If they they lose the trial they lose Reputation ranks equal to the Challenges Power. If they refuse the trial the Knights fight them to the death.
Pilgrims are travelers on a religious journey. They visit places important to their faith and support the local economy through their tourism.
Reach: Religious
Signs
- Worship at holy place
- Desecrate a holy place
- Steal a religious relic
- Recover a religious relic
- Harm a pilgrim
Passive Talent: The community of religious pilgrims is superficially welcoming to outsiders while hiding their secrets from newcomers. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The pilgrims organize a week of holy festivals that shut down almost all normal business in the community.
A Prison incarcerates criminals for the state. Guards and Wardens earn money from bribes for better treatment and gangs control smuggling in and out of the prison.
Reach: Criminal
Signs
- Found guilty of a crime.
- Caught committing a crime.
- Implicated in escape plot.
- Harms a guard.
- Bribes a guard.
Passive Talent: The cons and the screws maintain a delicate balance of power and the adventurers are intruding where they don’t belong. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: Lockdown. All communication and access to the Prison from outside is cut off for a week.
Rival Adventurers are a team of similarly talented individuals working in opposition to the adventurers. They may be independent or backed by a wealthy patron.
Reach: Any
Signs
- Harm them
- Bribe them
- Insult them
- Lose position against them
- Spread rumors about them
Passive Talent: Somehow whenever the adventurers mess up their rivals just happen to be there. Add a Sign to the Challenge: The adventurers roll a 1 on an opposed test.
Reactive Talent: Whether a case of mistaken identity or intentional sabotage, the adventurers are blamed for their rivals deeds. Each adventurer loses a number of boxes of Reputation equal to the Challenges Power.
A Royal Court is where the business of government is conducted at the highest levels. Courtiers and diplomats negotiate treaties between neighbors while noble families and would-be rulers duel in power politics.
Reach: Military
Signs
- Insult an officer of the court
- Harm an officer of the court
- Embarrass themselves at court
- Sell or buy secrets at court
- Bribe an officer of the court
Passive Talent: There are regulars are the courts - the people that matter - and then there is everyone else. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The adventurers interference has been noticed and is not appreciated. Reduce the adventurers Reputation score by the Challenges Power.
The Secret Police are an intelligence service directed at the citizens of the government. They are usually loyal to one powerful person and have limited accountability to other parts of government.
Reach: Military
Signs
- Criticize the government
- Become an informant
- Expose an informant
- Harm an intelligence officer
- Protect an informant
Passive Talent: Anyone could be working for them. Lower the Reaction result for everyone in the community by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: A squad is sent to arrest the adventurers and interrogate them. If captured they spend a week at secret police facility being questioned. Each adventurer loses Resources ranks equal to the Challenges Power and gains a temporary mental or social Flaw that lasts a week.
The Sewers are city infrastructure built for the removal of waste. They are used by criminals for smuggling and secret hideouts and by vagrants for a place to live.
Reach: Criminal
Signs
- Expose a smuggling route
- Poison the water
- Upset the ecosystem
- Break the waste removal system
- Harm a sewer vagrant
Passive Talent: The people who live Below are wary of those who come from Above. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: Maybe they forget where they put it? Anything that the adventurers kept in the sewers is stolen. They can buy it back by reducing their Resources ranks equal to the Challenges Power.
Slaughterhouses are manufactories that kill and process animals for consumption and crafting. They pollute the local environment and provide employment for unskilled labor.
Reach: Tradesfolk
Signs
- Sell diseased animals
- Harm a worker
- Steal animals
- Impose regulations
- Reduce supply of animal stock
Passive Talent: The workers at Slaughterhouses are inured to violence and gore. They serve the Agents of the Asset as warrior minions.
Reactive Talent: Several contacts that were Friendly to the adventurers suddenly go missing.
The Slums are poorly constructed housing for poor people. They are over-crowded, cheap to rent, and prone to structural and biological hazards.
Reach: Criminals
Signs
- Buy property in Slum
- Pay rent in Slum
- Destroy a building
- Kill a resident
- Change the boundaries of the Slum
Passive Talent: While in the Slums the adventurers have a penalty on Observation and Stealth tests equal to the Assets Influence score.
Reactive Talent: All of the adventurers contacts in the Slum that were Friendly disappear or go into hiding.
A Spy Network is an intelligence service that gathers information for a specific noble family or government office. They recruit informants from the local populace, send secret messages, and run counter-intelligence operations against competing agents.
Reach: Criminal
Signs
- Expose a paid informant
- Decode a secret message
- Harm a double-agent
- Become a paid informant
- Pay to send a secret message
Passive Talent: Private eyes are watching you. Everything they do is observed and noted unless the adventurers succeed on a Sleight of Hand or Stealth test against a TN equal to the Challenges Power multiplied by 10.
Reactive Talent: A serious of unfortunate events causes the adventurers to lose or break their gear. Replacing it costs Resources ranks equal to the Challenges Power.
A Theatrical Troupe is a group of entertainers who either travel a circuit or work out of a performance house. They take in run-aways, train performers in unique skills, and act as a cover for criminal enterprises.
Reach: Criminal
Signs
- Attend a performance
- Harm a member
- Use them as bait
- Join the troupe
- Expose criminal activities
Passive Talent: Decrease the TN for all Reputation tests by its Influence Score, except everyone the adventurers find only want to talk about how amazing the Troupe is. The adventurers become Disliked if they try to change the subject.
Reactive Talent: All sorts of people run away to join the circus. Create a new Agent for the Troupe from any origin.
The Thieves Guild is an organized crime syndicate that regulates crime within an area. They collect protection money, retaliate against rule-breakers, and train criminals.
Reach: Criminal
Signs
- Get caught committing a crime
- Pay protection money
- Harm a guild thief
- Expose a guild hideout
- Refuse to pay their cut
Passive Talent: The Guild always takes its cut. Reduce the value of all Treasure the adventurers keep by one box. If they don’t pay the fee, lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The Guild sets up the adventurers to take the fall for a crime they may or may not committed.
A Tinker Workshop is where artificers and other makers build and repair constructs and create marvels. They study the theory and practice of enchantments and repair and sell constructs for profit.
Reach: Academic
Signs
- Buy a construct
- Pay for repair services
- Harm an artificer
- Destroy a construct
- Damage or sabotage the workshop
Passive Talent: The exceptional work performed by the Workshop raises the value of materials bought and sold. Increase the TN for Resources tests against people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The Workshop creates a new Agent with the Construct origin.
Undead Coteries are groups of undead that share the same Resurrection talent. Whether ghost, vampire, or clutch of animated corpses, the coterie gather together for mutual benefit and protection.
Reach: Criminal
Signs
- Create an undead creature
- Gain control of an undead creature
- Destroy an undead creature
- Negotiate with the undead
- Learn the location of their lair
Passive Talent: The spectre of unlife haunts the adventurers. They have a penalty on Morale tests equal to the Assets Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The Coterie protects itself by adding to its number. Create a new Agent with the Undead origin.
Universities have influence on accepted religious doctrine and civil practices. They confirm or deny legitimacy to academic and political theories. Universities act as a gatekeeper of knowledge, restricting access to records and information.
Reach: Academic
Signs
- Fail a Lore test in public.
- Take action against a public ally of the University.
- Lose a debate or competition against the University.
- Affirm a belief that has been denounced by the University.
- Become allies with a rival of the University.
Passive Talent: The rich patrons of the University treat it as their private fief and don’t appreciate outside interference. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The University challenges the adventurers to defend themselves in a public debate. If they lose or refuse they lose Reputation ranks equal to the Challenges Power.
A War College trains warriors in strategy and tactics. They are an elite academy for duelists and have an extensive support network for alumni.
Reach: Military
Signs
- Hire a non-affiliated commander
- Harm a student
- Duel a member
- Insult wealth patron
- Fight a skirmish against graduate
Passive Talent: Would-be warlords and up-and-coming commanders don’t want to risk getting on the bad side of the War College by associating with the adventurers. Lower the Reaction result for people in the Assets Reach by its Influence Score.
Reactive Talent: The War College issues a public challenge for a martial duel. If they lose or refuse they lose Reputation ranks equal to the Challenges Power.
Wilderlands are untamed nature. Uncultivated wasteland, primeval forests, deep bogs and marshes, these are the places that have not been shaped by humanity. They are difficult to reach and hazardous to traverse.
Reach: Tradesfolk
Signs
- Cultivate the land
- Pollute the environment
- Bind or harm elemental spirits
- Extract resources from the land
- Build settlements in the wilds
Passive Talent: Overland travel through the Wilderlands takes twice as long and requires twice as much gear and rations due to the rough terrain.
Reactive Talent: The places unworked by human hands resist all attempts at cultivation. A natural disaster destroys any community or camp the adventurers have built.
Enemies are organized according to their Origins and their base characteristics are determined by their Power. In addition to their Origin and Power, monsters may also have a Role that modifies the base characteristics and provides them with relevant Talents.
Origins represent groupings of creatures that describes their relationship to the natural world. The Origins are Aberrant, Animal, Construct, Demon, Elemental, Human, and Undead.
Aberrants are animals or humans that have been corrupted by exposure to the forces of Order and Chaos.A monster's role defines how it will fight during a battle. The Roles are Controller, Defender, Leader, Minion, and Striker.
Controllers manipulate the battlefield and their opponents to provide advantages for themselves and their allies. They add +1k0 per rank of Power to all tests.
Defenders protect their allies by focusing attention on themselves and increasing their allies defenses. They increase their Defense by 5 and gain Damage Reduction equal to their Power multiplied by 5.
Leaders enhance the fighting capabilities of their allies and heal them when damaged. They increase their Health by an amount equal to their Power multiplied by 10.
Minions are weak and inexperienced monsters that overwhelm foes through superior numbers. They have their Health reduced to 10 regardless of Power and do not have Role talents.
Minions do not fight alone and 4 minions count as 1 creature. Strikers exploit vulnerabilities to kill enemies as quick as possible. They add +1k0 per rank of Power to damage rolls.
Converting Monsters
When using monsters from other games, use the following Hit Dice conversion guide as a suggestion:
Hit Dice Power >1 0 1-2 1 3-4 2 5-7 3 8-10 4 11-13 5 14+ 6
Power Defense Health Tests Damage 0 15 15 4k2 5k2 1 20 30 6k3 5k3 2 25 40 7k4 6k3 3 30 50 8k5 6k4 4 35 60 9k6 7k4 5 40 70 10k7 7k5 6 45 80 11k8 8k5
Power Controllers Tests 1 7k3 2 9k4 3 11k5 4 11k7 5 11k9 6 11k10+5 Power Defenders Defense & DR 1 25, DR 5 2 30, DR 10 3 35, DR 15 4 40, DR 20 5 45, DR 25 6 50, DR 30 Power Leaders Health 1 40 2 60 3 80 4 100 5 120 6 140 Power Strikers Damage 1 6k3 2 8k3 3 9k4 4 11k4 5 10k6 6 10k7
Resisting Monster Talents
Some talents may require the target to test an Attribute in order to avoid or reduce the effect. The TN for these tests is based on the Power of the monster and is equal to 5 plus their Power multiplied by 5.
Power Resistance TN 0 5 1 10 2 15 3 20 4 25 5 30 6 35
No Attributes
Enemies have simplified characteristics and use the same dice pool for each test they must make. For example, a Power 1 enemy rolls 6k3 for their own attacks, for their skill tests, and for resisting the spells of adventurers.
If it would make sense in the game for a monster to have a better than average Attribute the gamemaster may give the monster Affinity when making tests that would have used that Attribute.
For example, a dire bear might be given Affinity on its tests when it would be required to make a Strength resistance test. As a monster the bear doesn’t have a Strength rank and uses the same dice pool for all resistance tests, but in this case the bear might be given Affinity for the test to represent its immense Strength in the game fiction.
Follow these steps to randomly generate a monster.
Step One: OriginBelow* Above* 01-05 -4 +4 06-25 -2 +2 26-75 -1 +1 76-95 -3 +3 96-00 -5 +5*The final result cannot be lower than 0 or higher than 6.
Controller Defender 01-05 Antilife Warding 01-05 Challenge 06-10 Antipathy 06-10 Fortify Ally 11-15 Charm 11-15 Groundstomp 16-20 Confusion 16-20 Guardian 21-25 Culling 21-25 Impassable 26-30 Cursed 26-30 Indomitable 31-35 Enervation 31-35 Ironguard 36-40 Enfeeble 36-40 Knight's Move 41-45 Fog 41-45 No Quarter 46-50 Frailty 46-50 Punishing Step 51-55 Frightening 51-55 Regeneration 56-60 Invisibility 56-60 Shieldguard 61-65 Knockout 61-65 Shieldwall 66-70 Lieutenant 66-70 Smite 71-75 Protection from Arrows 71-75 Standard Bearer 76-80 Resist Magic 76-80 Stun 81-85 Root Sweeping 81-85 Strike 86-90 Spellward 86-90 Vigilance 91-95 Stagger 91-95 Thorns 96-00 Weaken 96-00 Winnowing Leader Striker 01-05 Advanced Tactics 01-05 Adrenaline Rush 06-10 Attack Order 06-10 Bleeding Wound 11-15 Bodyguards 11-15 Dirty Trick 16-20 Combined Strike 16-20 Defensive Tactics 21-25 Conviction 21-25 Double Strike 26-30 Defiance 26-30 Expertise 31-35 Disease Bearer 31-35 First Strike 36-40 Extra Effort 36-40 Frenzy 41-45 Increased Health 41-45 Fumble 46-50 Inevitable Doom 46-50 Hobble 51-55 Intercession 51-55 Mirror Move 56-60 Lead the Attack 56-60 Multi-Shot 61-65 Renewal 61-65 Offensive Tactics 66-70 Re-position 66-70 Opportunist 71-75 Revitalize 71-75 Quick Reflexes 76-80 Rallying Cry 76-80 Shift 81-85 Shared Vitality 81-85 Skirmish 86-90 Shield Other 86-90 Poison 91-95 Vanguard 91-95 Vicious 96-00 Vigor 96-00 Vital Strike
How does it walk? 01-25 Slithers 26-50 Bipedal 51-75 Quadruped 76-00 Eight or more limbs What’s the most noticeable mutation? 01-10 Animal head on human body 11-20 Tentacles instead of arms 21-30 Prismatic wings on its back 31-40 Pectoral fins and gills 41-50 One or more extra sets of arms 51-60 One or more extra heads 61-70 Extraneous eyes over the body 71-80 Extraneous mouths over the body 81-90 Chitinous exoskeleton 91-00 Human head on animal body What unusual talents does it have? 01-25 Extra Controller Talents equal to its Power 25-50 Extra Defender Talents equal to it Power 51-75 Extra Leader Talents equal to its Power 76-00 Extra Striker Talents equal to its Power What does it want? 01-05 Feed on human flesh 06-10 Sacrifice humans to a Power 11-15 Count the teeth in every skull 16-20 Kill all spellcasters 21-25 Turn everyone into Aberrants 26-30 Build altars made of bones 31-35 Serve the will of their master 36-40 Gain mutations from eating spellcasters 41-45 Devour the devout 46-50 Summon and kill demons for sustenance 51-55 Summon demons for conversation 56-60 Exterminate all life 61-65 An end to pain 66-70 Dominate other Aberrants 71-75 Satisfy addiction to blood of Chaos 76-80 Satisfy addiction to blood of Order 81-85 Eternal solitude 86-90 Consume magic items 91-95 Be worshiped as a Power 96-00 Reverse their Aberrant nature
Flaws are listed in the Appendix. The gamemaster should roll percentile or choose appropriate Flaws with one rule: the Flaws should not impact the Domain of the Aspect. For example, if the Domain of an Aspect is Intelligence, then the Bearer should not have a Flaw that imposes a penalty on an Intelligence attribute test or a Skill test that uses Intelligence.
Domain Abilities Reference Power Attribute Skill Emphasis Rank Threshold Bonus Test 1 15 +3 6k3 2 20 +4 8k4 3 25 +5 11k5 4 30 +6 12k6 5 35 +7 14k7
List of Emotions 01 Adoration 51 Humiliation 02 Aggravation 52 Hurt 03 Agitation 53 Hysteria 04 Agony 54 Infatuation 05 Alarm 55 Insecurity 06 Alienation 56 Insult 07 Amazement 57 Isolation 08 Amusement 58 Joy 09 Anger 59 Loathing 10 Anguish 60 Loneliness 11 Annoyance 61 Love 12 Anxiety 62 Lust 13 Apprehension 63 Misery 14 Astonishment 64 Neglect 15 Bitterness 65 Nervousness 16 Bliss 66 Optimism 17 Caring 67 Outrage 18 Compassion 68 Panic 19 Contempt 69 Passion 20 Dejection 70 Pessimism 21 Delight 71 Pity 22 Depression 72 Pleasure 23 Desire 73 Pride 24 Despair 74 Rage 25 Disappointment 75 Rapture 26 Disgust 76 Regret 27 Dismay 77 Rejection 28 Displeasure 78 Relief 29 Distress 79 Remorse 30 Dread 80 Resentment 31 Eagerness 81 Revulsion 32 Embarrassment 82 Sadness 33 Enthusiasm 83 Satisfaction 34 Envy 84 Scorn 35 Excitement 85 Shame 36 Fear 86 Shock 37 Ferocity 87 Sorrow 38 Fondness 88 Spite 39 Fright 89 Suffering 40 Frustration 90 Surprise 41 Fury 91 Suspense 42 Gladness 92 Sympathy 43 Glee 93 Tenderness 44 Gloom 94 Terror 45 Grief 95 Torment 46 Guilt 96 Triumph 47 Hatred 97 Vengefulness 48 Hope 98 Woe 49 Horror 99 Worry 50 Hostility 00 Wrath
Family Background 01-20 Clergy 01-20 Academic 21-40 Nobility 21-40 Criminal 41-60 Outcasts 41-60 Military 61-00 Peasants 61-80 Religious 81-00 Tradesfolk Disposition Merits and Flaws 01-20 Aggressive 01-20 One Merit 21-40 Defensive 21-40 One Flaw 41-60 Evasive 41-60 One Merit and One Flaw 61-00 Focused 61-80 Two Flaws 81-00 None What do they want? What’s wrong with them? 01-20 Food 01-20 Injured 21-40 Money 21-40 Distressed 41-60 Shelter 41-60 Busy, Busy, Busy! 61-80 Trouble 61-80 Lost 81-00 Solitude 81-00 Angry
List of Professions 01 Accountant 51 Inquisitor 02 Acolyte 52 Interpreter 03 Alchemist 53 Investigator 04 Apostate 54 Kidnapper 05 Apothecary 55 Laborer 06 Apprentice 56 Lawyer 07 Archivist 57 Locksmith 08 Artisan 58 Magistrate 09 Bailiff 59 Marine 10 Baker 60 Mason 11 Bandit 61 Merchant 12 Beastmaster 62 Midwife 13 Beggar 63 Militia 14 Berserker 64 Miner 15 Blacksmith 65 Monk 16 Bounty Hunter 66 Murderer 17 Brewer 67 Musician 18 Burglar 68 Natural Philosopher 19 Butcher 69 Navigator 20 Carpenter 70 Occultist 21 Cavalry Rider 71 Pick Pocket 22 Chaplain 72 Pilgrim 23 City Guard 73 Pilot 24 Clerk 74 Pirate 25 Confidence Agent 75 Pit Fighter 26 Conscript 76 Poacher 27 Constable 77 Poisoner 28 Custodian 78 Preacher 29 Demonologist 79 Priest 30 Engineer 80 Prostitute 31 Exorcist 81 Quartermaster 32 Farmer 82 Ratcatcher 33 Fence 83 Roadwarden 34 Fisher 84 Saboteur 35 Forger 85 Sailor 36 Freebooter 86 Scribe 37 Gambler 87 Sculptor 38 Gamewarden 88 Sergeant 39 Gravedigger 89 Servant 40 Graverobber 90 Shepherd 41 Groom 91 Ship’s Captain 42 Guard Captain 92 Smuggler 43 Guide 93 Squire 44 Guildmage 94 Student 45 Herald 95 Surgeon 46 Herbalist 96 Tailor 47 Hermit 97 Tax Collector 48 Hunter 98 Theologian 49 Hypnotist 99 Village Guard 50 Infantry 00 Woodcutter
Merits 01 Affinity for Action 02 Alert 03 Artful Dodger 04 Bland 05 Distracting Beauty 06 Graceful 07 Gymnast 08 Hands of Stone 09 Hard Labor 10 Healthy 11 Iron Stomach 12 Keen Sense 13 Large 14 Somnambulist 15 Prodigy 16 Quick Fingers 17 Silent 18 Survived the Plague 19 The Voice 20 Tough 21 Affinity for Thought 22 Bump of Direction 23 Bushcraft 24 Clear Thinker 25 Cool Headed 26 Crafty 27 Daredevil 28 Domineering 29 Eidetic Memory 30 Esoteric Knowledge 31 Genius 32 Intuitive 33 Iron Will 34 Nose to Tail 35 Sage 36 Steel 37 Stonecunning 38 Tactician 39 Wary 40 Well-Rounded 41 Affinity for Speech 42 Affinity for Business 43 Animal Ken 44 Charismatic 45 Courtier 46 Dealmaker 47 Empath 48 Famous 49 Friends in High Places 50 Friends in Low Places 51 Guildmember 52 Hero of the People 53 Manipulator 54 Natural Leader 55 Perfect Liar 56 Schemer 57 Streetwise 58 Teamwork 59 Tonsured 60 Wealthy 61 Aberrant Authority 62 Animal Bond 63 Aura of Innocence 64 Avatar 65 Blessed by Gaia 66 Celestial Interference 67 Demonslayer 68 Elemental Obedience 69 Fearless 70 Gifted 71 Legendary 72 Paragon 73 Riddle of Steel 74 Second Chance 75 Second Sight 76 Strength of Repetition 77 Unnatural Insight 78 Unpredictable Tactics 79 Untethered 80 Whispers 81-00 Re-roll
Flaws 01 Albino 02 Bad Eyesight 03 Bad Health 04 Bad Hearing 05 Bottomless Stomach 06 Can’t Hold Liquor 07 Color Blind 08 Clumsy 09 Deep Sleeper 10 Fidget 11 Frail 12 Low Pain Tolerance 13 Obvious Tell 14 Odious Personal Hygiene 15 Shaky Hands 16 Slow 17 Small 18 Slow Healer 19 Wasting Disease 20 Weak Stomach 21 Ascetic 22 Addicted 23 Can’t Lie 24 Consumed with Vengeance 25 Distracted 26 Doubt 27 Frail Mind 28 Greedy 29 Impatient 30 Inattentive 31 Insensitive 32 Jealous 33 Lost 34 Nervous Tic 35 Obtuse 36 Obsessed with Hygiene 37 Overconfident 38 Paranoid 39 Phobia 40 Timid 41 Antisocial 42 Bad Reputation 43 Bad Timing 44 Cold-Hearted 45 Compulsive Liar 46 Coward 47 Disturbing Countenance 48 Gloryhound 49 Gullible 50 Hatred 51 Infamous 52 Know It All 53 Lecherous 54 Oathsworn 55 People Pleaser 56 Proud 57 Rumormonger 58 Sadistic 59 Soft-Hearted 60 Untrustworthy 61 Aberrant Mark 62 Allergic to Demons 63 Apostate 64 Bad Fortune 65 Bewitched 66 Botched Resurrection 67 Bound 68 Chaos Mage 69 Cursed by a Power 70 Disbeliever 71 Disfavor of Gaia 72 Elemental Anathema 73 Order Adept 74 Powerful Invoker 75 Puppet to Power 76 Spectral Visions 77 Static 78 Tainted 79 Weird 80 Zealot 81-00 Re-roll
The necromantic arts that create and sustain undead creatures interrupts the natural life cycle. When creating an undead, choose an Undead Resurrection.
Disease Bearer
Their ill-preserved flesh carries disease and sickness. When the undead deals melee damage the target must pass a Strength test or gain a condition that lasts until cured.
Dead Nerves
The undead gains damage reduction equal to its Power multiplied by 3 and deals +0k1 extra damage with melee attacks.
Immortal
The undead cannot gain Conditions and requires some special method to be permanently killed. If it would be otherwise destroyed it is instead rendered harmless for a number of minutes equal to the damage it has. It then heals all damage.
Power Percentile Modifier 1 -20 2 -10 3 --- 4 +10 5 +2001-70 No magic items
Armor & Shield Table 01-05 Animal Hides 51-55 Heater Shield 06-10 Banded Mail 56-60 Kite Shield 11-15 Breastplate 61-65 Jack of Plate 16-20 Brigandine 66-70 Padded Cloth 21-25 Buckler 71-75 Pavise 26-30 Chain Mail 76-80 Ring Mail 31-35 Chain Shirt 81-85 Round Shield 36-40 Full Plate 86-90 Scale Mail 41-45 Half-Plate 91-95 Splint Mail 46-50 Hardened Leather 96-00 Tower Shield Clothing Table 01-05 Amulet 51-55 Gloves 06-10 Belt 56-60 Headband 11-15 Boots 61-65 Lenses 16-20 Bracelet 66-70 Helm 21-25 Bracers 71-75 Jacket 26-30 Cape 76-80 Mask 31-35 Circlet 81-85 Medallion 36-40 Cloak 86-90 Ring 41-45 Crown 91-95 Robe 46-50 Gauntlet 96-00 Vestment Implement & Ranged Weapon 01-05 Blowgun 51-55 Rod 06-10 Dagger 56-60 Shortbow 11-15 Hand Crossbow 61-65 Sling 16-20 Heavy Crossbow 66-70 Staff 21-25 Holy Symbol 71-75 Staff Sling 26-30 Light Crossbow 76-80 Throwing Axe 31-35 Longbow 81-85 Throwing Knife 36-40 Javelin 86-90 Tome 41-45 Net 91-95 Totem 46-50 Orb 96-00 Wand Melee Weapon Table 01-05 Battleaxe 51-55 Military Pick 06-10 Dagger 56-60 Morningstar 11-15 Falchion 61-65 Quarterstaff 16-20 Glaive 66-70 Rapier 21-25 Greataxe 71-75 Scimitar 26-30 Greatsword 76-80 Short Sword 31-35 Halberd 81-85 Spiked Flail 36-40 Longspear 86-90 Threshing Flail 41-45 Longsword 91-95 Warhammer 46-50 Maul 96-00 Whip Consumable Table 01-05 Potion 51-55 Fruit 06-10 Oil 56-60 Gem 11-15 Scroll 61-65 Tome 16-20 Vial 66-70 Bottle 21-25 Tattoo 71-75 Lamp 26-30 Ammunition 76-80 Candle 31-35 Philter 81-85 Whetstone 36-40 Elixir 86-90 Flowers 41-45 Token 91-95 Powder 46-50 Ointment 96-00 InkStep Two: Rarity
Power Percentile Modifier 1 -60 2 -40 3 -20 4 +20 5 +4001-20 Common. Roll once on the Common Abilities Table.
1-6 Gain items Power bonus to Defense. 7-12 Gain items Power bonus to Damage Reduction. 13-18 Gain double items Power bonus to Defense against Melee weapon attacks. 19-24 Gain double items Power bonus to Defense against Ranged weapon attacks. 25-30 Gain double items Power bonus to Defense against Spellcraft attacks. 31-36 Gain double items Power bonus to Damage Reduction against Melee weapon attacks. 37-42 Gain double items Power bonus to Damage Reduction against Ranged weapon attacks. 43-48 Gain double items Power bonus to Damage Reduction against Spellcraft attacks. 49-54 Gain Power bonus to all tests with random Skill. 55-60 Gain Affinity with random Skill. 61-66 Keep one extra dice on all tests with random Skill. 67-72 Gain three random Emphases of single Skill. 73-78 Cast imbued Attack/Summons spell as if it were prepared. 79-84 Cast imbued Augment/Dweomer spell as if it were prepared. 85-90 Cast imbued Armor/Warding spell as if it were prepared. 91-96 Re-roll twice, ignoring 91+. 97-00 Re-roll three times, ignoring 91+.
1-6 Enemies you damage have item Powers penalty to Attacks for one turn. 7-12 Enemies you damage have item Powers penalty to Tests for one turn. 13-18 Enemies you damage have item Powers penalty to Defense for one turn. 19-24 Enemies you damage have item Powers penalty to Damage Reduction for one turn. 25-30 Enemies you damage have double item Powers penalty to damage rolls for one turn. 31-36 Enemies you damage have double item Powers penalty to Health for one turn. 37-42 Enemies you damage have double item Powers penalty to tests against magic for one turn. 43-48 Enemies you damage take 1k1 extra damage when they take damage for one turn. 49-54 Enemies you damage have double item Powers penalty to Battle tests for one turn. 55-60 Enemies you damage move at half rate for one turn. 61-66 Enemies you damage can’t see past nearby for one turn. 67-72 Enemies you damage roll one fewer dice for all tests for one turn. 73-78 Enemies you damage keep one fewer dice for all tests for one turn. 79-84 Enemies you damage lose the benefit of emphases for one turn. 85-90 Enemies you damage must keep a result of 1 on any dice for one turn. 91-96 Re-roll twice, ignoring 91+. 97-00 Re-roll three times, ignoring 91+.
1-6 Gain items Power bonus on Battle tests in the Aggressive stance. 7-12 Gain items Power bonus on Battle tests in the Defensive stance. 13-18 Gain items Power bonus on Battle tests in the Focused stance. 19-24 Gain double items Power bonus on Battle tests in the Evasive stance. 25-30 Ignore the Battle penalty for being Surprised. 31-36 Ignore the Battle penalty for being Frightened. 37-42 Ignore the Battle penalty for being Bloodied. 43-48 Set aside and roll again 9’s on attacks with Melee weapons. 49-54 Set aside and roll again 9’s on attacks with Ranged weapons. 55-60 Set aside and roll again 9’s on attacks with Spellcraft. 61-66 Heal damage equal to double items Power when you hit an enemy. 67-72 You and another adventure heal damage equal to items Power when you hit an enemy. 73-78 Another nearby enemy takes damage equal to double items Power when you hit an enemy. 79-84 Gain double items Power bonus on damage rolls. 85-90 Gain double items Power bonus on attacks. 91-96 Re-roll twice, ignoring 91+. 97-00 Re-roll three times, ignoring 91+.
1-6 Enemies you damage take damage equal to double items Power the next time they test Battle. 7-12 Gain double items Power bonus on all tests and damage rolls while bloodied. 13-18 Deal double items Power bonus to an enemy when they fail a test against you. 19-24 Heal damage equal to items Power bonus whenever a nearby enemy takes damage. 25-30 Enemies under the effect of a spell or talent you are maintaining are treated as bloodied. 31-36 Set aside and roll again 8’s, 9’s, and 10’s on attacks against bloodied enemies. 37-42 When you set aside and roll a dice again, you add the result as a bonus on your next Battle test. 43-48 Add the items Power bonus to your Strength attribute. 49-54 Add the items Power bonus to your Dexterity attribute. 55-60 Add the items Power bonus to your Intelligence attribute. 61-66 Add the items Power bonus to your Willpower attribute. 67-72 Increase your Health by 20 multiplied by double the items Power bonus. 73-78 When you make an attack you may make a second attack against the same or a different target. 79-84 Ignore the death saving throw modifiers from having conditions. 85-90 Add double the items Power bonus to tests against magic. 91-96 Re-roll twice, ignoring 91+. 97-00 Re-roll three times, ignoring 91+.
01 Artisan Training 02 Mending Touch 03 Regenerative Armor 04 Synchronizing Weapon 05 Transmuting Infusion 06 Divine Impetus 07 Esoteric Lore 08 First Strike 09 Irrefutable Censure 10 Mage-Killer 11 Augury 12 Clairsentience 13 Correspondences 14 Ego Whip 15 Psychic Crush 16 Blood Frenzy 17 Feral Might 18 Indomitable 19 Rampage 20 Sullen Glare 21 Bardic Knowledge 22 Inspire Courage 23 Lore Song 24 Test of Valor 25 Veils 26 Battle Lore 27 Gift of Tongues 28 Liturgy 29 Intercession 30 Sanctuary 31 Earthcraft 32 Companion Attack 33 Nature's Lore 34 Primal Aspect 35 Spiritual Oath 36 Fighting Challenge 37 Iron Will 38 Officer of the Court 39 Test of Mettle 40 Undying Fortitude 41 Cull the Weak 42 Death Pact 43 Eldritch Essence 44 Hex 45 Invocations 46 Cunning Insight 47 Dirty Fighting 48 Opportunist 49 Guildhall 50 Squad Tactics 51 Armor of Faith 52 Aura of Courage 53 Guardian Aura 54 Lay of Hands 55 Smite 56 Armored Ease 57 Hamstring 58 Twin Strike 59 Wild Empathy 60 Woodcraft 61 Armor Expertise 62 Attack of Opportunity 63 Veteran 64 Vigilance 65 Weapon Specialization 66 Arcane Wards 67 Elemental Adept 68 Quicken Spell 69 Primordial Essence 70 Twin Spell 71 Backstab 72 Guild Training 73 Skill Mastery 74 Slippery Mind 75 Uncanny Dodge 76 Arcane Mark 77 Familiar 78 Guildmage 79 Specialist 80 Spellbook 81-00 Re-roll